Skin graft rejection by beta 2-microglobulin-deficient mice.
Mice homozygous for a beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) gene disruption lack beta 2-m protein and are deficient for functional major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. The mutant mice have normal numbers of CD4+8- T helper cells, but lack MHC-I-directed CD4-8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In this study we used the beta 2-m mutant mice to study the importance of MHC-I-directed immunity in skin graft rejection. Our results indicate that MHC-I-directed CD8+ CTLs are not essential in the rejection of allografts with whole MHC or multiple minor H differences. However, the absence of MHC-I-guided immunity profoundly reduces the ability of mutant mice to reject H-Y disparate grafts. In addition, we show that natural killer cells which vigorously reject MHC-I-deficient bone marrow grafts, are not effective in the destruction of MHC-I-deficient skin grafts.
Zijlstra
M
M
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Auchincloss
H
H
Loring
J M
JM
Chase
C M
CM
Russell
P S
PS
Jaenisch
R
R
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000172:deficiency*
D006182:H-Y Antigen; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin