Further serological and RFLP analysis of the MRL-+/+ and MRL-lpr/lpr mice.
During their ageing, MRL-lpr/lpr mice (H-2k) suffer from progressive lymph node enlargement, associated with the development of several acute autoimmune lesions. The primary effect and location of the lpr mutation is unknown. However, a minority of the lymphoid cells of some MRL-+/+, as well as MRL-lpr/lpr mice, express 'alien' H-2d antigenic specificities. In the course of the investigation of the origin of the latter, we have carried out the genotyping of the MHC of several MRL-+/+ and MRL-lpr/lpr mice using the Southern blotting technique and employing a variety of MHC class I and class II probes, and restriction enzymes known to discriminate between the d and the k haplotypes. None of the results obtained so far suggests the contribution of genuine H-2d genes to the MHC of the MRL-+/+ and MRL-lpr/lpr mouse strains. Alternative hypotheses for the generation of the 'alien' epitopes are discussed.
Delarbre
C
C
Unité de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène, INSERM U. 277, CNRS U.A.C. 115, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Bobe
P
P
Kiger
N
N
Kourilsky
P
P
Gachelin
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D005838:Genotype; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
D000939:Epitopes; D006183:H-2 Antigens