Genetic control of the immune response to myoglobin. VII. Antibody responses to myoglobin variants reveal that gene restriction of the antibody responses to myoglobin antigenic sites is dependent on the chemical properties of the sites.

Previously it has been shown that the immune responses to sperm-whale myoglobin are under H-2-linked Ir-gene control. More importantly the responses to the synthetic antigenic sites are each under separate genetic control. In the present studies we investigated the genetic control of the antibody response to four different myoglobins of known structure, to determine whether this genetic control is influenced by changes in the properties of the sites. The results suggest that genetic control of the responses to individual antigenic sites on a protein antigen is not only determined by the genetic constitution of the host species but also by the chemical properties of the individual sites. It appears that the H-2 subregions mapping the responses to given antigenic sites can also recognize other sites, which were previously unrecognizable in a homologous protein, if their chemical properties are suitably altered.