GENETIC STUDIES IN INBRED RATS

Abstract

SUMMARY Two genetically inbred strains of rats with new histocompatibility alleles—the KGH and WKA strains—were characterized. Neither the KGH nor WKA strain cells reacted with known Ag‐B * specific antisera; specific antisera against these strains did not react with cells from any known Ag‐B group; and there was no cross‐reactivity between the histocompatibility antigens of the two strains. On the basis of these data, the KGH strain was assigned the Ag‐B7 allele and the WKA strain, the Ag‐B8 allele. Both strains were low responders to the test antigen poly(Glu 52 Lys 33 Tyr 15 ). In various crosses, the antibody response segregated as expected, i.e. low response was associated with the Ag‐B7 or Ag‐B8 alleles in the F2 and backcross generations.