Guinea Pig Histocompatibility Antigens

The normal lymphocyte transfer (NLT) reaction occurring upon intradermal injection of lymphocytes into a normal recipient may be considered as a kind of mixed lymphocyte reaction in vivo. In previous experiments, we have defined serologically a number of guinea pig lymphocyte antigens, controlled either by a GPL-A locus (equivalent of H-2 D locus in mice) or by a so-called I region (equivalent to the I region in mice). The I region also appears to control a number of immune response genes in the guinea pig.

Using guinea pig inbred strains (such as 2, 13, OM₃, BE), guinea pig families homozygous for their GPL-A antigens and serologically characterized outbreds, it has been possible to show that antigens of the I region probably play a major role in NLT reactions. No NLT reactions occur among outbred animals of a closed colony which have been bred to homozygozity for their GPL-A antigens and thereby probably possess haplotype homozygozity for their major histocompatibility complex. The NLT reaction among serologically characterized guinea pigs may become a convenient way to detect new specificities and recombinant progeny.