Abstract
The association of latent and nominal allotypes at the cell surface of rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) was studied in animals from 2 closed group colonies. The specificity of the anti-allotype antibodies used in the mixed antiglobulin rosette test was confirmed by radioimmune assay and by testing PBL from latent allotype-free homozygotes. PBL from rabbits exhibiting latent group a and b allotypes were treated with pronase to bring the rosetting population down to less than 1 to 2%; latent and nominal cell-surface allotypes were then regenerated overnight in serum-free culture. Latent and nominal allotypes were detected in the same cell in 16 to 57% of the total allotype-bearing population. The remaining cells displayed only nominal allotype. This was observed in rabbits bearing latent a1, a2, a3, b4, b5, and b6. Rosette-inhibition data indicated that some of the group a latent and nominal allotypes were contiguously associated at the cell surface but that the group b latent and nominal markers were spaced further apart. In addition, in rabbits exhibiting 2 latent group b allotypes, both single and double latent cell surface expression was seen. Rabbits from the Philadelphia and N.I.H. internally derived colonies gave similar results.
