Summary
Sera and saliva of about 67% of 300 rabbits contained a substance which was capable of inhibiting the reaction between cattle anti-J serum and J-positive cells. The presence of this J-like substance in rabbit serum and presumably in saliva is controlled by an autosomal dominant gene. A J-like substance was found also in a nondialyzable fraction of rabbit urine. Rabbits lacking the J-like substance when injected with saliva from cattle containing J produced specific immune anti-J. Naturally occurring antibodies of rabbits did not show seasonal variation, but this could possibly be explained by the constant climatic conditions under which the rabbits were kept.
Footnotes
Paper No. 929 from the Division of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison. This research was supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School from funds supplied by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and by Research Grants E-1643 and E-3204 from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service. Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment station.
