T lymphocyte reactivity and antibody response to a synthetic peptide (glutamic acid-alanine-tyrosine) as a marker for disease resistance in chickens

The S1 line of chickens contains four sublines based on Ea-B type (B{dollar}sp1{dollar} or B{dollar}sp{lcub}19{rcub}{dollar}) and high or low antibody response to GAT (Ir-GAT), a linear amino acid polymer of glutamic acid{dollar}sp{lcub}60{rcub}{dollar}-alanine{dollar}sp{lcub}30{rcub}{dollar}-tyrosine{dollar}sp{lcub}10{rcub}{dollar}. There is evidence of recombination between the serologically determined regions of the MHC (encoded by B-F and B-G genes) and the gene(s) that control immune response to GAT. The appendix of this dissertation provides evidence that immune response to GAT serves as a genetic marker for Marek's disease resistance.; Alloantisera produced by immunizations between Ir-GAT{dollar}sp{lcub}rm Low{rcub}{dollar} and Ir-GAT{dollar}sp{lcub}rm High{rcub}{dollar} chickens and stringently tested, never supported the hypothesis that response to GAT was mediated by B-L gene products. Measurements of proliferation of GAT-primed T lymphocytes indicated that reactivity in vitro was not associated with the antibody levels produced in the animal.; The ability of antigen-presenting cells (APC) to process and present GAT to responder T cells was tested in vitro. Results indicated that the Ir-GAT{dollar}sp{lcub}rm Low{rcub}{dollar} APC from Ea-B{dollar}sp1{dollar} birds produced higher (P {dollar}{dollar} 0.001) associated with the B blood type of these progeny.