Association of H-2 types with genetic control of immune responsiveness to IgA allotypes in the mouse.

The immune response to BALB/c IgA myeloma proteins (Ir-IgA) was determined in mice of various H-2 types from five different linkage groups of immunoglobulin heavy chains (IgC(H)). Antisera were examined for antibodies to idiotypic (Fab) and allotypic (Fc) specificities. No immune response to IgA myeloma proteins was found in mice with the same linkage group as BALB/c but with different H-2 alleles. In mice with immunoglobulin heavy chains that are different than BALB/c, a high immune response to IgA myeloma proteins was found in H-2 types a, k, r, and s; a low response is associated with H-2(b) and H-2(d) types. Chromosome mapping of Ir-IgA genes in the H-2 locus indicate that they are on the right side of the chromosome, to the right of the Ss locus. Ir-IgA genes are controlled by dominant autosomal genes.