AT-1.1: a thymus-specific alloantigen of chickens

Abstract

A thymocyte-specific alloantigen, designated AT (avian thymus)-1.1, has been detected in Cornell C strain (CS) and Obese strain (OS) chickens, the latter being a strain derived from CS which develops a spontaneous form of autoimmune thyroiditis (SAT). Antisera specific for this antigen were developed first in a turkey immunized with thymocytes from an OS chicken and, later, in AT-1.1-negative CS chickens immunized with AT-1.1-positive thymocytes. AT-1.1 was detected in 50-70% of cells in a thymus cell suspension, but was not seen on peripheral blood lymphocytes, erythrocytes, or cells from bursa, spleen, kidney, liver, or brain. It was present on thymocytes of chickens at all ages tested, from 1 day to 6 months of age. AT-1.1 was not detected in six chicken lymphoid tumor cell lines tested, and birds expressing it were found to be negative for the presence of Marek's disease viral antigens. Pedigree studies on 287 (OS X CS)F2 chickens demonstrated that AT-1.1 is expressed in a dominant or codominant manner, and the gene coding for this antigen was not linked to the beta (major histocompatibility) complex. The genetics and tissue distributions of AT-1.1 indicate that it differs from thymus cell surface antigens, avian or mammalian, previously described.