Cellular aspects of genetic defects in Con A mitogenesis.

The cellular basis for genetically determined low Con A stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from two inbred lines of chickens was investigated. A simple shift in the dose-response curve was not responsible for the low stimulation. In addition, proliferation was neither accelerated nor delayed. The results of mitogen and cell mixing experiments showed that the low Con A stimulation in both strains was not mediated by suppression. Furthermore, cocultures of lymphocytes from the two low Con A responder lines complemented to give high Con A stimulation. These results indicate that at least two distinct genes, apparently expressed in different cell populations, can confer low Con A responses in chickens.