Tumor cytotoxicity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in beige mice: linkage of high responsiveness to linear beta-1,3-D-glucan with the beige gene.

Beige mice (bg/bg) have many functional defects in their leukocytes and these phenotypes are inherited autosomal recessively. We studied the tumor cytotoxicity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) obtained from bg/bg. The intensity of tumor cytotoxicity of PMN induced by linear beta-1,3-D-glucan was significantly higher in bg/bg PMN than in PMN of heterozygous control mice (bg/+). To analyze this phenomenon more precisely from the genetic viewpoint, we determined the tumor cytotoxicity of PMN from mice obtained by several mating experiments. (a) The intensity of linear beta-1,3-D-glucan-induced PMN cytotoxicity was found to be genetically defined and linked completely with the beige gene. In litter mates obtained from bg/+(female) X bg/bg(male), bg/bg(female) X bg/+(male), and bg/+(female) X bg/+(male) mating, PMN from only bg/bg showed significantly higher tumor cytotoxicity than those from bg/+ or mice that do not possess the beige gene (+/+). (b) The tumor cytotoxicity induced by other stimulants (phorbol myristate acetate and cytokines) was not significantly higher in bg/bg than bg/+ or +/+ PMN. It was concluded that the high responsiveness to linear beta-1,3-D-glucan in terms of tumor cytotoxicity of PMN was determined by the locus that is linked to the beige gene and is expressed autosomal recessively.