title: Comparison of the haplotypes of the major histocompatibility complex in the rat. V. A serological, genetic and numerical study of the RT1.A region antigens.
abstract: The classification of the RT1.A phenotypes of a large number of inbred and congenic strains of rats, including those prototypic for all of the known RT1.A phenotypes, was done by examining the reactivity of a variety of unabsorbed antisera with cells of the different strains. The data were analysed by the techniques of numerical taxonomy without reference to the previous classification by the classical serological methods. The most effective way of analysing the data was the use of the Jaccard correlation coefficient and the average linkage method of statistical analysis. Four conclusions were drawn from this study. First, the RT2 antigens must be matched in the donor and recipient pair used to raise the anti-RT1 (MHC) antiserum or spurious typing results can occur due to the presence of anti-RT2 antibodies. Second, using anti-RT1 antisera raised in RT2 compatible pairs of rats, the classification of inbred and congenic strains into the RT1.A phenotypes on the basis of classical serological studies was confirmed. Third, two groups of closely related RT1.A phenotypes were found (a, f, d and b, m). Fourth, the AUG and PVG strains, both of which carry the the RT1.Ac phenotype, are quite distantly related on the basis of this taxonomic analysis and the RT1.Ag and RT1.An phenotypes are the most distantly related compared to all of the other rat strains and to each other. These data provide further evidence that the RT1 polymorphism of the rat is very limited, especially in respect of man and mouse.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes; D005787:Gene Frequency; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008433:Mathematics; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes