Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Simultaneous yet independent inheritance of somatically acquired tolerance to two distinct H–2 antigenic haplotype determinants in mice

Abstract

We have previously presented evidence that somatically acquired immunological tolerance to foreign histocompatibility antigens induced in male inbred mice can be transmitted at a high frequency to first- and second-generation offspring without exposure of the progeny to the tolerizing antigenic stimulus1. These data have in turn been interpreted to support a hypothesis predicting soma to germ-line inheritance for acquired states of the immune system2. Formal proof of this genetic scheme at the molecular level is not yet available. However, an even stronger reason for abandoning the notion of the isolation of the germ line from the soma (Weismann's doctrine2) would be provided by a clear demonstration of the multiple inheritance of independently acquired somatic characters. Here we present evidence that individual male mice (B10) made tolerant to two different H–2 haplotypes (B10.BR, B10.D2) can transmit the tolerance state to each haplotype independently, yet often simultaneously, at a high frequency to both first and second generation progeny.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gorczynski, R. M. & Steele, E. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 2871–2875 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Steele, E. J. Somatic Selection and Adaptive Evolution (Williams & Wallace, Toronto; Groom Helm, London, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Billingham, R. E., Brent, L. & Medawar, P. B. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B239, 357 (1956).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gorczynski, R. M., MacRae, S. & Till, J. E. Scand. J. Immun. 7, 453–465 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gorczynski, R. M. & MacRae, S. J. Immun. 122, 737–746 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gorczynski, R. M. Immunology 33, 697–712 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Gorczynski, R. M., Khomasurya, B., Short, L. & MacRae, S. in Regulation by T Cells 18 (University of British Columbia Press, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Guttman, R. D. & Aust, J. B. Nature 197, 1220–1221 (1963).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kanazawa, R. D. & Imai, A. Jap. J. exp. Med. 44, 227–234 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Burnet, F. M. The Clonal Selection Theory of Acquired Immunity (Cambridge University Press, London, 1959).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  11. Cohn, M. Progress in Immunology II Vol. 1 (eds Brent, I. L. & Holborow, J.) 261–284 (North Holland, Amsterdam, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jerne, N. K. Eur. J. Immun. 1, 1–9 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cunningham, A. J. Contemp. Topics molec. Immun. 3, 1–26 (1974).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Temin, H. M. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 46, 3–8 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Temin, H. M. Science 192, 1075–1080 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gorczynski, R., Steele, E. Simultaneous yet independent inheritance of somatically acquired tolerance to two distinct H–2 antigenic haplotype determinants in mice. Nature 289, 678–681 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289678a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289678a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing