Major histocompatibility complex class I restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in highly inbred chicken lines and lines selected for major histocompatibility complex and immunoglobulin production.

Abstract

Selected chicken populations were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with a chicken MHC Class I (B-F) cDNA probe. The 13 highly inbred chicken lines differed in genetic origin and in MHC (B) haplotype, as distinguished by using hemagglutination with antisera against B-G and B-F antigens. The S1 sublines differed for B haplotype and antibody response to a synthetic polypeptide, GAT. In the highly inbred lines, band-sharing between lines from different origins was less than that between lines from same origin, showing the influence of the genetic background on chicken MHC Class I gene RFLP. In the S1 line, use of three restriction endonucleases (BglII, PvuII, and TaqI) produced MHC Class I RFLP patterns that were associated with B haplotype, but not with immune response to GAT (IrGAT). A previous study in the authors' laboratory also demonstrated an association of MHC Class II beta RFLP patterns with B haplotype, but not IrGAT, in the same line, suggesting that IrGAT is not controlled by MHC Class I or Class II beta genes.