T-cell and antibody typing of a mouse population segregating for Sxr and H-2 haplotype

During investigation of the frequency of recombination of the testis determining gene, Tdy, and the minor histocompatibility antigen gene Hya on the Sxr segment in an outbred mouse stock, we identified two fertile males, one XY and the other XYSxr, which typed H-2k positive using the H-2b anti-H-2k monoclonal antibody HB50, but whose cells failed either to stimulate H-Y specific H-2k restricted T-cell clones, or to be killed by anti-H-2k or anti-H-2k restricted H-Y specific cytotoxic T cells. We investigated these two mice and their existing relatives, using H-2 and H-Y typing methods. The progeny of their test matings with H-2b homozygous C57BL/6 females were also investigated. The results indicate that the transmission of the Hya gene on the Y chromosomes from both mice, and the additional Hya gene on the Sxr segment of the carrier male, allowed for the expression of the H-Y antigen and its detection in the presence of an H-2 haplotype for which we had H-2 restricted H-Y specific typing cells (H-2b and H-2k). Furthermore, we identified the haplotype of the two original males as expressed in the H-2 homozygous and heterozygous F2 progeny as H-2q and discovered an unexpected cross reactivity of the monoclonal anti KkDk antibody HB13 with half the cells of H-2q homozygotes, but not qb heterozygotes.