Inherited resistance to Corynebacterium kutscheri in mice

An analysis of the factors responsible for inherited resistance to Corynebacterium kutscheri was undertaken. Various inbred mouse strains were examined; these included the Swiss Lynch and C57Bl/l mice, their F1 and F2 progeny, and the progeny of the F1 backcrossed to each parent strain. Two modes of inherited resistance are described. An examination suggested that resistance as measured by the mean lethal dose of C. kutscheri was under polygenic control and was inherited continuously. However, the efficiency with which C. kutscheri was eliminated by the mononuclear phagocyte cells of the liver over 3 days differed markedly among strains. A genetic analysis of this mononuclear phagocyte microbicidal efficiency (MPME) in Swiss Lynch and C57Bl/6 mice was undertaken. The trait, MPME, was present, but did not segregate, in the F1 progeny or in the progeny of the backcross to the resistant C57Bl/6 parent; this was clear evidence of dominance. Moreover, MPME segregated in a ratio of 1:1 in the progeny of the backcross to the sensitive Swiss Lynch parent and in a ratio of 3:1 in the F2 progeny. It was concluded that MPME was inherited discontinuously and was controlled by a single dominant autosomal gene (or closely linked group); the recessive allele was assigned the gene symbol ack. Linkage experiments showed there to be no association between the ack locus and any of the immune-response genes.