The genetic control of antibody affinity in mice.

Random-bred TO mice have been selectively bred into two lines on the basis of the relative affinity (KR) of antibody produced to protein antigens, one line producing high and the other low KR antibody. After four generations of selective breeding the difference in KR between the two lines was highly significant (P less than 0-001). The selection on the basis of KR did not result in a corresponding selection for antibody levels (Abt), which were not significantly different in the two lines. These results indicate that antibody affinity is a genetically controlled parameter of the immune response. Furthermore, this control appears to be expressed by a mechanism which is independent of the amount of antibody produced.