title: The traditional and a new version of the mouse H-2 complex.
abstract: The H-2 complex has traditionally been interpreted as a maze of regions, subregions and loci coding for different traits. The two main theses presented here are, first, that a single H-2 locus is pleiomorphic in that it controls several functions such as allograft rejection, cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity, mixed lymphocyte reaction, immune response, immune suppression and restriction of T-cell specificity; and second, that the physiological function of the H-2 complex is to guide T lymphocytes in their function of distinguishing self from non-self, and that all other H-2-controlled traits are artificial derivatives of this basic function. These two theses lead to a new, simplified interpretation of the H-2 complex.
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005838:Genotype; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D006183:H-2 Antigens