Influenza viruses as lymphocyte mitogens. I. B cell mitogenesis by influenza A viruses of the H2 and H6 subtypes is controlled by the I-E/C subregion of the major histocompatibility complex
Scalzo, A.A.; Anders, E.M.
Journal of Immunology 134(2): 757-760
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 3155540 Document Number: 266714
Influenza A viruses of the H2, H3 and H6 subtypes function as T cell-independent B cell mitogens for lymphocytes from BALB/c mice. Lymphocyte from C57BL/10 mice undergo mitogensis only in response to H3 viruses. The failure of C57BL/10 lymphocytes to respond to H2 and H6 viruses was shown not to reflect a difference in dose-response profile or kinetics of the response, nor was it due to the activity of suppressor T cells. Experiment with congenic and recombinant strains of mice established that mitogenic responsiveness to H2 and H6 viruses is linked to the major histocompatibility complex, and is controlled by a gene located in the I-E/C subregion. Responsiveness was shown to correlate with the expression of surface I-E antigen, being positive for mouse strains that express I-E antigen (haplotypes a, d, k, p, r) and negative for strains that do not (haplotypes b, f, q, s). Evidently, influenza A viruses of the H2 and H6 subtypes may interact directly with I-E molecules on the surface of B cells or possibly on an accessory cell. Because mitogenesis by H3 viruses is not I-E dependent, it appears that influenza A2 viruses stimulate B cell mitogenesis by at least 2 different mechanisms.