Guinea pig immune response-related histocompatibility antigens. Partial characterization and distribution.

We have previously demonstrated that guinea pig alloantisera directed at strain 2 and strain 13 membrane antigens block specific lymphocyte activation in immune response gene-controlled systems. In this communication we describe the partial characterization of the antigens against which these antisera are directed (the 2 and 13 antigens) and, in addition, that of the B antigen which by distribution resembles the human HL-A and mouse H-2 major histocompatibility antigens. Lymphoid cells from strain 2 and strain 13 guinea pigs were surface labeled with 125I by the lactoperoxidase technique. Nonidet P-40 extracts of these labeled cells were precipitated by sandwiches of strain 2 antistrain 13, strain 13 antistrain 2, or outbred anti-B antisera, followed by rabbit antiguinea pig immunoglobulin antisera. Precipitates were dissolved in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and electrophoresed on SDS polyacrylamide gels. Radioactive peaks representing the 2 and B-cell membrane antigens were obtained from strain 2 lymph node cells, as well as from a B-lymphoid cell population (L2C leukemia cells) and a T-lymphocyte population (STRAIN 2 PERITONEAL EXUDATE LYMPHOCYTES [PELs]). Radioactive peaks representing the 13 and B-cell membrane antigens were obtained from strain 13 lymph node cells and strain 13 PELs. All anti-B precipitates produced two peaks when electrophoresed on SDS polyacrylamide gels; one representing an antigen with a mol wt of approximately 45,000, and one representing an antigen with a mol wt of about 12,000. Both may be components of a single protein. All anti-2 and anti-13 precipitates produced a single peak when electrophoresed on SDS polyacrylamide gels. Both the 2 and 13 antigens were found by this technique to have mol wt of approximately 25,000. By molecular weight criteria, as well as by previously investigated distributional criteria, the B antigen is similar to the human LA and Four antigens, and to the mouse D and K antigens, and the 2 and 13 antigens are similar to the mouse Ia antigens.