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.