The Pll Gene and Histocompatibility Genotype in Inbred and Random-Bred Guinea Pigs¹

Previous studies demonstrated a close linkage of the PLL immune response gene and the major histocompatibility locus of the inbred strain 2 guinea pig in both (2 × 13)F₁ × 13 back-cross animals and in random-bred Hartley guinea pigs. In the present study, this relationship was confirmed by the demonstration that: 1) anti-strain 2 isoantiserum made in PLL non-responder Hartley animals distinguished between strain 2 and strain 13 lymphocytes, and between Hartley PLL responder and non-responder lymphocytes; 2) Hartley PLL responder anti-strain 2 isoantiserum did not detect these differences; and 3) a strain-specific strain 2 guinea pig leukemia was readily rejected by PLL non-responder (2 × 13)F₁ × 13 back-cross animals whereas it was uniformly fatal for PLL responder back-cross animals. Finally, the observation of close linkage of the PLL gene and the major histocompatibility locus of the strain 2 guinea pig was also extended to a second randombred guinea pig strain, the NIH multipurpose strain.