Stimulation of mouse lymphocytes by a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis. VI. Detection of a non-MHC gene(s) in the E alpha-bearing RIIIS mouse strain that is associated with a specific lack of T cell responses to the M. arthritidis soluble mitogen.

Previous work using inbred, congenic and recombinant mouse strains showed a positive association with expression of E alpha and the ability of splenic cells to bind to and undergo proliferation in response to a T cell mitogen present in culture supernatants of Mycoplasma arthritidis (MAS). Studies described in the present manuscript confirm this association because lymphocytes from mice expressing H-2a, H-2d, H-2j, H-2k, H-2p, H-2u, and H-2v all of which possess E alpha responded to MAS, whereas those expressing H-2b, H-2f, H-2q, and H-2s, which lack E alpha, failed to respond. One exception was noted in that the inbred RIIIS mouse (H-2r) that expresses E alpha failed to respond to MAS but responded normally to concanavalin A, and phytohemagglutinin. In contrast, the congenic B10.RIII (H-2r) mouse did respond to MAS, suggesting the presence of an MAS nonresponsive, non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene(s) in the RIIIS mouse. MAS nonresponsiveness in the RIIIS mouse was recessive because the lymphocytes from F1 crosses with responder B10.RIII (H2r) and C3H (H2k) mice responded to MAS. Analysis of (RIIIS X B10.RIII)F1 X RIIIS or B10.RIII parental test cross progeny confirmed that nonresponsiveness to MAS was associated with a recessive, non-MHC gene(s). Evidence was also found that a non-MHC, MAS-nonresponsive gene(s) is also present in the inbred SWR (H-2q) and SJL (H-2s) strains, because lymphocytes from F1 crosses between these strains and the RIIIS mouse failed to respond to MAS. Both RIIIS and B10.RIII splenic cells bound the mitogen in MAS to a similar degree, confirming the presence of the binding site in both mice. In contrast, C3H.SW (H-2b) splenic cells that do not express E alpha failed to bind the mitogen. The nonresponsiveness of RIIIS lymphocytes to MAS was exercised at the level of the T cell rather than the accessory cell. Thus RIIIS T cells failed to respond to MAS presented by RIIIS, B10.RIII, or (RIIIS X B10.RIII)F1 accessory cells. In contrast, B10.RIII and (RIIIS X B10.RIII)F1 T cells responded to MAS when presented by RIIIS, B10.RIII, or F1 accessory cells. Similar observations were made using SWR and SJL T cells, which failed to respond to MAS irrespective of the source of accessory cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)