Serological survey of T-lymphocyte differentiation antigens in wild mice

Allelic distributions of Thy-1, Ly-1, and Ly-2 antigens in wild mice are characteristic of each Mus musculus subspecies. Eastern mice (M.m.molossinus, M.m.musculus, M.m.castaneus, M.m.bactrianus) express the Thy-1.1 antigen, whereas Western mice (M.m.domesticus, M.m.brevirostris) express the Thy-1.2. All mice from wild populations examined in this survey express the Ly-1.2. The Ly-2.1 is distributed in Eastern mice and some Western mice, and the Ly-2.2 is found in the remaining Western mice. Allelic distributions of these antigens were also examined in two other species, Mus spretus and Mus spicilegus. Allelic constitutions of Thy-1 and Ly-1 in these species are similar to those of Eastern mice. Some M.spicilegus, however, express the Ly-1.1 antigen. This antigenic type is not found in M.musculus. Some Eastern mice related to M.m.castaneus react weakly to Ly-1.2-specific and Ly-2.1-specific monoclonal antibodies in both the complement-mediated cytotoxicity test and the absorption test. These results suggest that M.m.castaneus has unique alleles in the Ly-1 and Ly-2 loci.