Co-selection of the rare T cell receptor-gamma B haplotype in mouse lines selected for low responsiveness to red blood cell antigens.

T cell receptor (TcR)-gamma haplotype was investigated in seven pairs of murine Biozzi lines selected for low and high antibody (Ab) response to different antigens (Ag). High-responder lines (H) express gamma A or gamma C haplotypes irrespective of the selecting Ag. In contrast, the gamma B haplotype, which is rare in laboratory mouse strains, is found in all low-responder lines (L) to sheep erythrocyte Ag (SE). However, the TcR-gamma B locus might only have a low penetrance in the control of the SE response. Moreover, investigations using LIVA mice, which were selected for low SE response from homozygous gamma A founder parents, indicate that the gamma B haplotype is neither necessary nor sufficient to achieve a low-responder phenotype. The gamma B haplotype might, thus, be co-selected to confer to L mice an improved resistance to bacterial infections mediated by gamma delta T cells compensating the profound and nonspecific immune perturbation associated with the low Ab response.