On the Inheritance of Natural Antisheep Agglutinins in Mice of Inbred Strains.

REVIOUS studies of DAVIDSOHN and STERN (1949, 1950) and of STERN and P DAVIDSOHN (1954) have demonstrated significant differences in distribution of titers of natural agglutinins for sheep red cells within and between inbred strains of mice. Results obtained on substantial numbers of mice of 13 strains are summarized in table 1. These mice, which consisted of approximately equal numbers of males and females ranging in age from three to six months, showed greater interstrain than intrastrain differences. This suggested the possible influence of genetic factors. The degree of genetic control of differences in distribution of agglutinin titers is the subject of this investigation. The two strains selected for the present study, C57BL and C3H, were chosen because of the difference between them in antibody distribution and in several other biologic properties, such as incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors.