Genetic control of the proliferative response to oxazolone in H-2 congenic and recombinant strains of mice.

The proliferation of the regional lymph node cells as one of the early responses to oxazolone sensitization has been studied in H-2 congenic and recombinant strains of mice. The proliferative response has been quantified by measuring the extent of H-Tdr incorporation and in some cases by determining of the ratio of cells actively synthesizing DNA in the regional lymph nodes. Nearly all of the cells responding with proliferation to oxazolone were Thy 1.2 bearing T cells. Using H-2 congenic strains of mice the high or low proliferative response was found to be in positive correlation with those H-2 haplotypes which supported high or low delayed-type hypersensitivity to oxazolone, respectively. Further analysis on H-2 recombinant strains of mice showed that the gene(s) governing the proliferative response to oxazolone is mapped at the I-B subregion of the H-2 complex, although the influence of other background genes can be observed also. It is suggested that the same or closely related gene(s) controls the magnitude of the proliferative response, the delayed-type hypersensitivity and IgG responses, after oxazolone sensitization in inbred mice.