Studies on blood groups in the Japanese quail: the common antigens possessed by red blood cells and leukocytes, and their inheritance.

Two alloantigens, Ly1 and Ly2, were detected with alloantisera made by immunization with leukocytes. These antigens were present on red blood cells, peripheral leukocytes and spleen cells and found to be controlled by the autosomal codominant alleles. The phenotypic frequencies of Ly1 antigen in the three quail stocks, 1, 2, and 3, were 6.7, 0, and 100 percent, respectively, and those of Ly2 antigen were 0 percent in stocks 1 and 2, 7.1 percent in stock 3. It was suggested that Ly1 and Ly2 antigens might be associated with the system controlling A (QN1) antigen which was originally detected by the natural alloantibody. However, it remains to be investigated whether these antigens are associated with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the Japanese quail.