Detection of bursa and thymus-specific alloantigens in the chicken

CH strain chickens selected from the F2 progeny of a cross between CH (B10/10) and B14B (B14/14) strains carried bursa (BA) and thymus (TA)-specific alloantigens of B14B parental origin. The BA marker was present on 95% of bursal cells but only on 10% of splenic and blood B lymphocytes. The TA marker was expressed by 80% of thymus cells and weakly by 45% of splenic and 70% of blood T lymphocytes. The adopted immunological and genetic protocol offers a feasible approach towards detection of differentiation antigens in major histocompatibility complex-homozygous but 'minor' alloantigen-segregating populations.