Abstract
The development of a new method for the protection of histidine residues during synthesis of polyamino acids has made it possible to prepare a histidine‐containing polymer built on multichain polyproline. The new polypeptide, poly(LHis, LGlu)‐polyLPro–polyLLys, designated (H,G)‐Pro–L, was used for studying the genetic control of the immune response in inbred mouse strains. The new polymer appeared to be a potent immunogen, provoking high antibody titers already at the primary response. Although most of the mouse strains studied responded well to (H,G)‐Pro–L, differences were observed in the specificity of the antibodies elicited in the various strains. Some of the responding strains (C3H/HeJ, AKR/Cu) produced antibodies mainly to the (H,G) determinant, whereas another high responding strain, SJL/J, elicited antibodies specific to the Pro–L moiety exclusively. A third group of strains responded to determinants that are characterized by the very combination of the above specificities. The response potential to the (H,G) part of the immunogen was found to be linked to the major histocompatibility (H‐2) locus of the mouse, whereas the capacity to produce antibodies to the polyproline region of (H,G)‐Pro–L or to determinants in which the (H,G) and Pro‐L moieties participate was found not to be linked to H‐2. Thus, the ability to respond to (H,G)‐Pro–L is controlled by at least three immune response genes.