Unresponsiveness to a foreign antigen can be caused by self-tolerance.
In mice, two sets of genes govern the immune response to the synthetic antigen GT. One maps to the major histocompatibility complex and behaves like a typical immune response gene. The second is a background gene encoding a cell surface structure found on B cells. Mice which express, and are therefore tolerant of, one form of this structure do not respond to GT. Thus, tolerance of self generates holes in the T-cell repertoire, partially crippling the immune system.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D001324:Autoantigens; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010455:Peptides; C027606:L-glutamic acid-L-tyrosine copolymer