title: Major histocompatibility complex restriction of maternally induced suppression in young adult mice.
abstract: This study focused on the mode in which maternal T cells induce suppression of plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in offspring. The maternal T cells of C57BL/6J pregnant mice, which had been intraperitoneally injected with 2 x 10(8) of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) on day 12 of gestation, were transferred, 5 days after immunization, into (C3H/HeJ x C57BL/6J)F1 normal pregnant mice on day 12 of gestation. The (C3H/HeJ x C57BL/6J)F1 x C3H/HeJ offspring of (C3H/HeJ x C57BL/6J)F1 recipient pregnant mice were reared to more than 6 weeks of age, and their anti-SRBC PFC responses were examined. Suppression of anti-SRBC PFC response was observed in H-2bxk but not H-2k offspring. Thus, maternal T cells of SRBC-immunized pregnant mice induce suppression of anti-SRBC PFC in offspring with restriction to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype utilized in maternal T-cell responses during pregnancy. Maternal CD4+ T cells are responsible for the MHC-restricted induction of PFC suppression in offspring. Furthermore we demonstrated, in this report, using adoptive transfer of maternal T cells from SRBC-immunized pregnant mice and in vitro secondary PFC assay in the offspring, that maternal T-cell-mediated suppression results from the development of CD4+ suppressor T cells in offspring. Moreover, the activation of suppressor T cells in offspring depends on the recognition of SRBC antigens presented in association with the same MHC haplotype as that utilized in the maternal T-cell response during pregnancy. Thus, the maternal T cells of SRBC-immunized pregnant mice generate a repertoire of suppressor T cells in their offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Serology and Immunology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology