Fine specificity of the immune response to oxazolones III. Antibodies but not contact sensitivity specific for 2-furyloxazolone are controlled by an Igh-V gene in the mouse.

Early IgM and IgG antibodies of CBA and C3H mice (Igh allotype j) against furyloxazolone (furyl Ox) were found to be heteroclitic, they had a 4-6 times higher affinity for styryloxazolone (styryl Ox) than for furyloxazolone. Anti-furyl Ox antibodies of six other strains (Igh allotypes a, b, c, e, f or g) had approximately 100 times higher affinity for furyl Ox than for styryl Ox. The heteroclitic fine-specificity was inherited as an Igh allotype-linked trait. Furyl Ox-specific contact sensitivity was induced by painting, and its specificity was studied with a recently developed method (Ferreira et al., J. Immunol. 1981. 127:2366). Small strain differences in specificity were detected. They were not inherited as an Igh allotype-linked trait.