Skip to main content
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1972 Jan 1;135(1):126–135. doi: 10.1084/jem.135.1.126

GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE

THE EFFECT OF THYMECTOMY ON THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF MICE TO POLY-L(TYR,GLU)-POLY-D,L-ALA--POLY-L-LYS

Graham F Mitchell 1, F Carl Grumet 1, Hugh O McDevitt 1
PMCID: PMC2139121  PMID: 4550607

Abstract

The effect of thymectomy on the genetically controlled murine immune response-1 (Ir-1) to the synthetic polypeptide poly-L(Tyr, Glu)-poly-D, L-Ala--poly-L-Lys [(T, G)-A--L] was studied with both aqueous and adjuvant immunization regimens. Adult thymectomy (combined with irradiation and bone marrow transfusion) did not affect the aqueous antigen-induced (IgM) primary response of either high or low responder mice, but did ablate the (IgG) secondary or tertiary response, a response which is restricted to the high responder strains. Adult thymectomy also blocked the normal high response to (T,G)-A--L in Freund's adjuvant in high responder mice and the high response to methylated bovine serum albumin (MBSA)-(T,G)-A--L in low responder mice. Neonatal thymectomy was also effective in blocking the response to (T, G)-A--L in Freund's adjuvant in high responder mice. These data are consistent with the concept that the Ir-1 gene effect is mediated via thymus cell interaction with antigen and with "B"-cells during the time of induction of IgG antibody formation.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (493.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Basch R. S. Immunologic competence after thymectomy. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1966;30(2):105–119. doi: 10.1159/000229800. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Gershon R. K., Kondo K. Cell interactions in the induction of tolerance: the role of thymic lymphocytes. Immunology. 1970 May;18(5):723–737. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Grumet F. C. Genetic control of the immune response. A selective defect in immunologic (IgG) memory in nonresponder mice. J Exp Med. 1972 Jan;135(1):110–125. doi: 10.1084/jem.135.1.110. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Isaković K., Smith S. B., Waksman B. H. Role of the thymus in tolerance. I. Tolerance to bovine gamma globulin in thymectomized, irradiated rats grafted with thymus from tolerant donors. J Exp Med. 1965 Dec 1;122(6):1103–1123. doi: 10.1084/jem.122.6.1103. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MILLER J. F. Studies on mouse leukaemia. The role of the thymus in leukaemogenesis by cell-free leukaemic filtrates. Br J Cancer. 1960 Mar;14:93–98. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1960.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McDevitt H. O., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of specific immune responses. Adv Immunol. 1969;11:31–74. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60477-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. McDevitt H. O., Sela M. Genetic control of the antibody response. I. Demonstration of determinant-specific differences in response to synthetic polypeptide antigens in two strains of inbred mice. J Exp Med. 1965 Sep 1;122(3):517–531. doi: 10.1084/jem.122.3.517. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Miller J. F., Dukor P., Grant G., Sinclair N. R., Sacquet E. The immunological responsiveness of germ-free mice thymectomized at birth. I. Antibody production and skin homograft rejection. Clin Exp Immunol. 1967 Sep;2(5):531–542. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miller J. F., Mitchell G. F. Thymus and antigen-reactive cells. Transplant Rev. 1969;1:3–42. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1969.tb00135.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sinclair N. R. Delayed development of primary immunological responsiveness in neonatally thymectomized swiss albino mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 1967 Nov;2(6):701–704. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Taylor R. B., Wortis H. H. Thymus dependence of antibody response: variation with dose of antigen and class of antibody. Nature. 1968 Nov 30;220(5170):927–928. doi: 10.1038/220927a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tyan M. L., McDevitt H. O., Herzenberg L. A. Genetic control of the antibody response to a synthetic polypeptide: transfer of response with spleen cells or lymphoid precursors. Transplant Proc. 1969 Mar;1(1):548–550. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tyan M. L., Ness D. B. Mouse blood leukocytes: in vitro primary and secondary responses to two synthetic polypeptides. J Immunol. 1971 Jan;106(1):289–291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES