Molecular and biological interaction between major histocompatibility complex class I antigens and luteinizing hormone receptors or beta-adrenergic receptors triggers cellular response in mice.

Purified IgG from BALB/c mouse anti-C3H serum exerts positive inotropic and chronotropic effects in C3H mouse atria and induces testosterone synthesis in C3H mouse Leydig cells. The effect depends on IgG concentration and can be abolished by beta-adrenergic-receptor and luteinizing hormone-receptor antagonists. IgG interferes with the binding of dihydroalprenolol and luteinizing hormone. Monoclonal antibodies against major histocompatibility complex class I antigens were active on the Leydig cells of C3H and BALB/c mice. There was a parallelism between the effect of each individual monoclonal antibody with specificity for a particular haplotype and the response of the target cell from the strains carrying such haplotypes. These antibodies could precipitate the soluble luteinizing hormone-receptor complex. The results suggested that bound hormone triggers the association of major histocompatibility class I antigen with the receptor, thereby activating the respective target cells.