H-2 influence on the production of real but not of apparent H-2-specific antibodies induced by the association of syngeneic class I heavy chains with bovine beta 2-microglobulin.

Immunogenic properties of class I molecules resulting from the association of mouse class I heavy chains with a xenogeneic beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) were investigated by studying the antibody response of mice of injections to syngeneic Con A lymphoblasts, induced in conditions allowing the replacement of endogenous beta 2-m by exogenously added bovine beta 2-m provided by fetal calf serum (FCS-Con A blasts). Lymphocytotoxic antibodies were regularly produced and according to their specificities they could be divided into two types: antibodies whose reactivity was (1) dependent on and (2) independent of the presence of bovine beta 2-m on target cells. Although both types displayed an H-2 dependent polymorphic reaction pattern, only antibodies recognizing class I molecules without bovine beta 2-m can be considered as real H-2-specific antibodies. The others are only apparent H-2-specific antibodies: their polymorphic reaction pattern is dependent both on the presence of bovine beta 2-m on the surface of target cells and on their H-2 haplotype. A comparison of the antibody response of mice with various H-2 haplotypes to injections of syngeneic FCS-Con A blasts showed no significant difference in the induction of bovine beta 2-m-dependent antibodies (apparent H-2-specific) among the mice from all strains tested (H-2b, H-2p, H-2q, and H-2s). Unexpectedly, for most strains more than 60% of the immunized mice produced also beta 2-m-independent antibodies (real H-2-specific), with the exception of H-2q mice, in which only 30% of sera were positive. The real H-2-specific antibody response is of two types: some mice (H-2p and H-2s) produced antibodies only reactive with allogeneic target cells whereas others (H-2b and H-2q) produced in addition antibodies that were reactive with syngeneic cells. Thus H-2 appears to play an important role in the induction and specificity of the lymphocytotoxic H-2-specific antibodies induced upon immunization with cells expressing syngeneic class I heavy chains associated with bovine beta 2-m.