The Effect of Antigen and Ia Molecule Interaction on Immune Response Gene Control

Abstract

Interest in the genetic control of the immune response has centered around two main issues. First, the response to particular antigens is inherited as a single autosomal co-dominant genetic trait and maps to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a region known to code for cell surface transplantation antigens. Second, the effect of these genes appears to be highly specific so that an animal can respond to one antigen and not respond to another that is structurally and chemically similar(l). As evidence accumulated implicating T lymphocyte responses as the major site for Ir gene control, two alternative models were proposed to explain their antigen specific influence on the immune response. One postulated that the genes encoded the T cell receptor(2). The other postulated that they encoded molecules which selected the T cell repertoire by being recognized early in development(3).