Resistance to a malignant lymphoma in chickens is mapped to subregion of major histocompatibility (B) complex

Abstract

A genetic recombinant within the major histocompatibility (B) complex of the chicken has revealed the chromosomal subregion effecting resistance to Marek's disease--a malignant lymphoma induced by a herpesvirus. The recombinant, BF21-G19, occurred spontaneously among the progeny of a male heterozygous for resistant BF21-G21 and susceptible BF19-G19 haplotypes. Exposure to Marek's disease of families segregating for the recombinant showed that this new F-G arrangement conferred a level of resistance equivalent to that of the resistant parental haplotype. Thus, a gene, or genes, within or closely linked to the B-F region of the B complex appears to be responsible for the observed resistance to Marek's disease.