IMMUNE COMPETENCY OF NUDE MICE BRED FROM HOMOZYGOUS AND HETEROZYGOUS MOTHERS

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Abstract
The immune competency of nude mice born from matings of strictly homozygous nu/nu x nu/nu parents was compared to nude mice derived from the breeding of either heterozygous nu/+ mothers by nu/nu fathers or nu/nu mothers by nu/+ fathers. Spleen cells from nude mice born from heterozygous mothers had significantly higher levels of θ-bearing cells than mice born from homozygous mothers and were minimally stimulated by the T cell mitogens Con A and PHA-P. In contrast, there were no detectable maternal influences when survival of skin allografts and primary sheep red cell stimulation were studied. Homing studies of 51Cr thymocytes in term-pregnant nude mice suggest that the enhanced T cell characteristics of nude mice born of nu/+ mothers are caused in part by placental transfer of allogeneic maternal lymphocytes.