The major histocompatibility complex in the turkey: do erythrocytes bear serologically detectable H antigens?

An attempt was made to identify erythrocyte cell surface antigens associated with the major histocompatibility complex in the turkey. Two turkey lines, A and B, from the University of Minnesota, putatively homozygous for different major histocompatibility complex alleles, were used for this study. A total of 79 birds were immunized either by skin grafting or by injection of homogenized skin preparation in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Antisera produced with skin grafts and homogenized skin inoculated intramuscularly both contained red cell agglutinins of low titer. Because agglutination reactions were weak, no sera were suitable for use as line-specific typing fluids. Thus, we were unable to demonstrate that turkey erythrocytes contain serologically detectable major histocompatibility antigens corresponding to the B major histocompatibility system in the chicken or the H-2 system in mice. Rather, the turkey major histocompatibility complex is more like that in rabbits, dogs, monkeys and humans.