Bu-1 andTh-1, two loci determining surface antigens of B or T lymphocytes in the chicken

Abstract

Alloantisera were prepared by reciprocal immunizations with bursal or thymic lymphoid cells between chickens of two inbred lines identical at theB major histocompatibility locus. In cytotoxic assays, antibursa sera were specific for donor-line bursa cells without absorption; antithymus sera were similarly specific for donor-line thymus cells. Both types of sera cytolyzed some peripheral lymphoid cells from spleen, bone marrow, and blood. Absorption of either type of serum with peripheral blood leukocytes removed all cytotoxic reactivity for central lymphoid cells. The inheritance of the alloantigens detected by these specific antisera was studied in F1, F2, and backcross progeny from the two lines. Phenotypes were determined by a method in which antisera preabsorbed with progeny leukocytes were reacted against51Cr-labeled bursal or thymic cells from chickens of both lines. The results established two independent autosomal loci-Bu-1 andTh-1-determining antigens expressed, respectively, on bursal cells and peripheral B lymphocytes or on thymic cells and peripheral T lymphocytes. Cytotoxic testing of bursal or thymic cells from chickens of other inbred lines and F1 populations led to the tentative conclusion that the number of alleles atBu-1 is restricted, whileTh-1 exhibits considerable multiple allelism.