Histocompatibility-2 system in wild mice II. H-2 haplotypes of t-bearing mice

As a first step in the study of the possible relationship between the T/t and H-2 complexes, the H-2 antigenic composition of the strains carrying factors t¹², t^w32, t^w2, t^w3, t¹, t⁰, t⁶, t^w1 t^w71 t^w73 t^w12, t^w5, t^w75, and t³⁸ was studied by using a battery of antisera containing antibodies against inbred-derived H-2 antigens. In addition, five t strains (t¹², t⁶ t^w5, t^w1 and t^w2) were selected for the production of antisera against the H-2 complexes carried by t chromosomes. Spleen, lymph node, and thymus cells from H-2^b/t heterozygotes and t^w2/t^w2 homozygotes were injected into appropriate F₁ hybrids between two inbred strains that carried the inbred-derived H-2 antigens of the donor. Four new H-2 antigens and one Ia antigen were uncovered and were assigned the symbols H-2.106 through H-2.109, and Ia.101, respectively. Three new H-2 haplotypes were also described, based upon the H-2 antigenic pattern of three t factors, t¹², t^w1, and t^w5. These new haplotypes were given the symbols H-2^t12, H-2^tw1 and H-2^tw5. When the t factors were grouped according to their H-2 haplotypes, their distribution, with certain exceptions, corresponded to the complementation groups. Thus, t chromosomes in the same complementation group carried similar, if not identical, H-2 haplotypes, despite the fact that these chromosomes were derived from widely separated geographic areas. Such an association between the t and H-2 complexes is most unusual in light of what is known of the polymorphism of H-2 haplotypes in wild mice populations. It suggests more than a casual relationship, at least at the population level, between the t and H-2 loci.