Genetic factors involved in murine resistance to experimental brucellosis

C57 B1/6 are more resistant than DBA2 mice to IV inoculation of Brucella suis 1330. This difference does not concern the blood clearance of the injected bacteria or the number of infective colonies in the spleen at very early (less than 24 h) or at late (greater than 2 months) stages but the splenic infection at intermediate stages with maximal differences between days 7 and 14. The "resistance" character is inherited by F1 and backcrosses as a partially dominant character with polygenic control and a better expression of resistance factor(s) in females, independently of male-female matings. Association of the "resistance" character with known genetic markers was investigated using (B6 X DB) X DB backcrosses, BALB/B, BALB/c, C3H/eb and C3H/HeJ mice. No correlation of "resistance" with Ig allotypes, the "d" coat colour or the LPS genes was evidenced. On the other hand significant differences in the number of splenic colonies on day 7 were observed according to the H-2 haplotype or the "b" coat colour phenotypes. These results are discussed in terms of a comparison with the genetics of other facultative intracellular bacteria and of the partially common and partially independent genetic regulation of the functional components of anti-Brucella resistance.