Strain variations in the murine cellular immune response to the phenolic glycolipid I antigen of Mycobacterium leprae.
The cellular immune response to the Mycobacterium leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid I was examined in inbred mice immunized with M. leprae by in vivo delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity and in vitro lymphocyte proliferation. Whereas all mouse strains responded to M.leprae-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity and lymphocyte proliferation, only BALB.K was responsive in both assays to the glycolipid. Responsiveness was determined in part by non-H-2 genes, while the influence of H-2 genes was not apparent. Among congenic BALB/c mice differing only at Igh-C allotype loci, variations in responsiveness were found in both delayed-type hypersensitivity and lymphocytes proliferation assays, indicating a possible role for Igh-C loci-linked genes. Unresponsiveness in the lymphocyte proliferation assay to the glycolipid was inherited as a dominant trait in one set of responder X nonresponder F1 progeny. We conclude that after immunization with M. leprae organisms, the cell-mediated responses to the glycolipid, endowed with a single carbohydrate epitope, are under polygenic control, predominantly non-H-2-linked genes.
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae