A Method for Typing Rabbit Sera for the A14 and A15 Allotypes with Cross-Linked Antisera

Abstract

The allotypes A14 and A15 are allelie speeificities on immunoglobulin-G (IgG) of rabbits (1, 2). They are located on the Fc portion of IgG and are genetically linked to specificities associated with the a locus which are localized on the Fd portion. Their assignment to a separate locus (e locus) awaits a definite solution of one of the crucial questions of immunogenetics, that is, whether the heavy polypeptide chain of a given immunoglobulin is the product of one or two genes. The A14 and A15 allotypes provide very useful markers. For example, by quantitating the distribution of al, a2, A14 and A15 among IgG molecules from heterozygous rabbits of known pedigree, we are able to evaluate whether genetic information from maternal and paternal chromosomes contributes to individual IgG molecules (3). In contrast to the a locus markers, the A14 and A15 markers are exclusively localized on IgG.