Effect of Gene Dose on the Immune Response to a 2,4-Dinitrophenyl Glutamic Acid Lysine Copolymer

Abstract

DOMINANT autosomal genes controlling specific immune responses to simple synthetic polypeptides of known composition have been described. In the guinea-pig, the immune response to poly-L-lysine (PLL), a copolymer of glutamine and lysine (GL), polyarginine, protamine and haptenic derivatives of these materials is controlled by the presence of the autosomal dominant, “PLL gene”. As well as random bred Hartley guinea-pigs, in which the gene is variably present, there are inbred strains in which the gene is always present (strain 2) or always absent (strain 13). Strain 2 and Hartley guinea-pigs with the PLL gene are termed “responders” while strain 13 and the rest of the Hartley guinea-pigs are termed “non-responders”. The (2 × 13) F₁ hybrid animal is heterozygous for the PLL gene and is always phenotypically a responder animal^1–3.