Major histocompatibility complex restriction fragment length polymorphisms define three diabetogenic haplotypes in BB and BBN rats

The contribution of non-MHC genes to susceptibility to autoimmune diseases

Genetic studies of experimental models of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus-like syndromes and organ-specific autoimmunity, provide major information on genetic control of autoimmune diseases. In addition to genes known to be linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), these studies point to multiple genes located outside the MHC that influence the onset and the progression of autoimmune diseases. Identification of these genes and of their interrelationships is now a major task that will be facilitated by recent progress in molecular biology and gene mapping. Among candidate genes, antigen-receptor genes (i.e., immunoglobulin- and T-cell receptor genes) most likely contribute an important part of the autoimmune susceptibility in several of these animal models. Available linkage data suggest a similar involvement of these antigen-receptor genes in several human autoimmune diseases. In addition to a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms associated with autoimmunity, the knowledge of these disease-predisposing genes is expected to permit a better classification of often complex syndromes as well as the design of new treatments.

Derivation of non-lymphopenic BB rats with an intercross breeding

Previous studies have suggested that the development of diabetes in the BB rats does not require the expression of T lymphopenia. In order to derive non-lymphopenic diabetic rats and define the relationship between the T cell abnormalities, MHC genotype, and diabetes, we performed a cross between BB/H and diabetes resistant BB/control followed by an intercross of the F1. In the F2, the overall incidence of diabetes and lymphopenia was 30% and 27%, respectively. Lymphopenia was strongly associated with diabetes (p less than 0.001) and was seen in 76% of the diabetic F2's. However, 6 of the diabetic were non-lymphopenic (24%) and 3 of the non-diabetics were lymphopenic (5%). In the non-lymphopenic diabetic animals, all T cell levels were within the normal range, but diabetes occurred at an earlier age than their lymphopenic littermates (p less than 0.001). In contrast to the strong association between the inheritance of lymphopenia and diabetes, no relationship between diabetes and Class I MHC restriction fragment length polymorphisms was found. We conclude: 1) Diabetes and lymphopenia are strongly associated inherited abnormalities in the BB rat and are not associated with Class I RFLP defined genotypes within the RTIu haplotype, 2) Animals in whom diabetes occurs in the absence of lymphopenia can be derived using this breeding approach 3) In our non-lymphopenic rats, diabetes occurred at an earlier age possibly reflecting the restoration of quantitative or qualitative T cell defects found in lymphopenic BB rats.

T-cell antigen receptor alpha chain polymorphisms in insulin-dependent diabetes

Insulin-dependent diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease probably mediated by T cells. We examined the alpha chain of the T-cell antigen receptor in two models of this illness (man and BB rat) to determine any association with autoimmune diabetes. We conducted a population study in man, using a human alpha chain probe, pGA-5, and restriction enzyme Bgl 11. Two allelic forms and three RFLP patterns, 2.8 and 3.0 kb homozygous and 2.8/3.0 heterozygous, were detected. There was no difference in the frequency of these RFLPs among the 50 Type I diabetic patients and 48 controls tested. BB rats develop a spontaneous T-cell mediated autoimmune diabetes. The diabetes has been linked in several breeding studies to an undetermined autosomal recessive gene causing T-cell lymphopenia. We were able to differentiate the T-cell antigen receptor alpha chain of the diabetic BB and control BBN rats using the restriction enzyme EcoR1 and a murine alpha chain probe, TT11. The BB rat had a haplotype characterized by the presence of 4.7 and 5.8 kb bands, and the absence of 1.4, 2.2, 2.6, 3.6, 3.9, 4.1, and 6.1 kb bands. In a breeding study with BB and BBN rats, diabetic animals of the F2 generation demonstrated no linkage with the BBs' alpha chain, nor was lymphopenia linked to the alpha chain of the BB rat. These results suggest that autoimmune diabetes is not linked to the T-cell antigen receptor alpha chain in the BB rat, nor is it associated with alpha chain constant region polymorphisms in Type I diabetes in man.

Anti-suppressor effect of cyclophosphamide on the development of spontaneous diabetes in NOD mice

In the NOD mouse, an autoimmune process beginning by 5 weeks of age with lymphocyte infiltration and destruction of insulin-secreting beta cells leads to overt diabetes which begins to appear by 11 weeks of age. Although there is a high incidence of insulitis by 10 weeks of age (greater than 80%) in both males and females, by 30 weeks of age diabetic symptoms have occurred in 53-80% of females and in 12-40% of males. Intraperitoneal injection of a high dose (200 mg/kg) of cyclophosphamide (CY) consistently induces the onset of diabetes in male and female NOD mice at an age when spontaneous diabetes rarely occurs. Spleen T cells from CY-induced diabetic mice are capable of transferring the disease into irradiated nondiabetic syngeneic recipients. This indicates that the diabetogenic effect of CY is not mediated by direct toxicity on pancreatic beta cells but is mediated by abrogation of a suppressor mechanism which may prevent activation of T cells responsible for the development of diabetes in the NOD mouse. Additionally, CY is only effective in NOD mice and not in F1 hybrids between NOD and other strains of mice. Thus, the potential beta cell aggressor mechanism is not present in these hybrids as it is in homozygous mice, which indicates that it is not under the control of dominant genes.

Genetic heterogeneity in the major histocompatibility complex of various BB rat sublines

Fragments of cloned rat class I transplantation antigen genes were used to define the polymorphism detected between two lines of closely related BB rats. One line, BB-Hagedorn (BB/H), is prone to diabetes, and the other (BB control) is resistant. A cDNA probe representing part of the second extracellular domain of a class I antigen detected several DNA fragments and revealed a 2kb fragment present in resistant, but absent in diabetes-prone, BB/H rat DNA following digestion with BamH1. A 40 bp cDNA probe from the same domain showed a further simplified pattern in the DNA hybridization analysis. Only two fragments, 15 kb and 7 kb, were present in the resistant rats; the diabetes-prone BB/H rats lacked the 7 kb fragment. Several lines of evidence suggest that the gene contained in this 7 kb fragment may be deleted. Analysis of other diabetic BB rats and in the F2 generation of intercross offspring of F1 hybrid parents following crossbreeding between the resistant (BB-control) and diabetes-prone (BB/H) line demonstrate that the class I polymorphism was not linked directly to diabetes. Examination of various other BB lines and sublines indicate that these polymorphisms can be traced back to at least one other subline (Worcester) in the parent colony.

The NOD mouse: recessive diabetogenic gene in the major histocompatibility complex

Examination of the histocompatibility region of the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse with antibodies against class II glycoproteins (products of immune response genes of the major histocompatibility complex I-A and I-E), hybrid T-cell clones, and mixed-lymphocyte cultures and analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms indicate that the NOD mouse has a unique class II major histocompatibility complex with no expression of surface I-E, no messenger RNA for I-E alpha, and an I-A not recognized by any monoclonal antibodies or hybrid T-cell clones studied. In crosses of NOD mice with control C3H mice, the development of diabetes was dependent on homozygosity for the NOD mouse's unique major histocompatibility region.