Lymphocyte antigens in sheep: linkage to the MHC class II DRB1 gene.

In this work a typing battery of sera was developed to test lymphocyte antigens in sheep. Eight antigens were detected in a Latxa sheep sample. The serological determination of these antigens is described. As some of the detected antigens segregated in close linkage with class II DRB1 SSCP patterns in two half-sib families, we can conclude that they are coded by genes located in the MHC. Gene frequencies were very similar in Latxa Mutur Gorria and Latxa Mutur Beltza, the two varieties of the Latxa breed. Although few animals were typed in the comparison with other typing sera, it seems that two of our sera clusters detect the same antigens as those detected by other research groups working in other breeds with their own typing batteries.