GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO HAEMOGLOBIN: IV. Ly‐1+ T‐CELLS AND APPROPRIATE NON‐H‐2 GENES ARE REQUIRED FOR IN VITRO RESPONSES TO α ‐ AND β‐SUBUNITS OF HUMAN ADULT HAEMOGLOBIN

Experiments were conducted to determine if non‐H‐2 gene effects could be demonstrated in mice which had been primed to either the α‐subunit or β‐subunit of human haemoglobin. It was found that C3H.SW (H‐2^b) and Balb/c (H‐2^d) mice are low responder mice to α‐chain of a haemoglobin when compared to H‐2 identical B10 (H‐2^b) and B10.D2(H‐2^d) mice. B120.S and A.SW (both H‐2^s) are responsive to β‐chain challenge while Balb/c mice are low responders in contrast to high responder B10.D2 mice. Ly‐1⁺ cells were demonstrated to be required (by cell depletion experiments) for an in vitro T‐cell proliferative response to either subunit. In these experiments, Ly‐2⁺ cells were not of crucial importance.