Influence of paternal immunity on idiotype expression in offspring

✍ Scribed by C. Anwyl Cooper-Willis; Joan C. Olson; Mary E. Brewer; Gerrie A. Leslie

• Book ID: 104745850
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 661 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0093-7711
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00372236

✦ Synopsis

The immune response of the rat to group A streptococcalcarbohydrate (SACHO) and an associated idiotype, Id-1, was used to examine the effect of paternal immunity on Id-1 and SACHO-specific antibody expression by the offspring. First litters, conceived before immunization of the father, had significantly higher Id-1 levels than litters conceived by the same parental pairs after hyperimmunization of the father (P > 0.01). Total anti-SACHO levels were not affected. The effect appeared to be independent of the level of Id-1 expressed by the father or grandfather. No significant difference in Id-1 production was found between offspring of actively immune, neonatally Id-1 suppressed fathers and fathers expressing high levels of Id-l.We suggest that the paternal immunoregulatory influence acts via the maternal immune sj~stem to modify the idiotype repertoire expressed in the immune response of the offspring, and is not the result of genetic transmission of a trait acquired by the father. Some possible mechanisms of transmission are discussed.