Abstract
BOTH congenital and acquired idiopathic agammaglobulinaemias are genetically determined1. Congenital and some forms of acquired agammaglobulinaemias are X-linked. Studies of the mode of inheritance of various gamma globulin light and heavy chain allotypes in humans, rabbits and mice, however, have shown that the gene loci controlling those markers are autosomally inherited2. Thus the most likely explanation for the defect in X-linked agammaglobulinaemias is either a regulatory gene controlling synthesis of light and heavy chains or a gene affecting the capacity of lymphocytes to differentiate into plasma cells.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gitlin, D., Janeway, C. A., Apt, L., and Craig, J. M., in Cellular and Humoral Aspects of the Hypersensitive States (edit. by Lawrence, H. S.), 375 (Hoeber, New York, 1959).
Natvig, J. B., and Kunkel, H. G., Ser. Haematol., 1, 66 (1966).
Papermaster, B. W., Condie, R. M., Finstad, J., and Good, R. A., in The Thymus in Immunobiology (edit. by Good, R. A., and Gabrielsen, A. E.), 551 (Hoeber, New York, 1964).
Yamamoto, T., and Matsuda, N., Gen. Comp. Endocrinol., 3, 101 (1963).
Hamilton, J. B., Walter, R. O., Daniels, R., and Mestler, G., Anim. Behav. (in the press).
Yamamoto, T., Genetics, 48, 293 (1963).
Uhr, J. W., Finkelstein, J. B., and Baumann, J. B., J. Exp. Med., 115, 655 (1962).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
FIKRIG, S., MUSTO, R. & UHR, J. Antibody Production in the Absence of an X Chromosome. Nature 221, 870–871 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221870a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/221870a0
- Springer Nature Limited