Analysis of chickens for recombination within the MHC (B‐complex)

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Abstract
In an attempt to further map the chicken MHC [major histocompatibility complex] (the B complex), a systematic search for genetic recombinants within the B complex was performed by serotyping the progeny from F2 crosses of chickens by means of specific anti-class I, anti-class II and anti-class IV alloantisera. Two recombinant B-haplotypes (B21r and B15r) were found by analyzing, 2,656 F2 chickens representing 5312 informative typings. In either case, the B-G (class IV) allele was recombined with both the B-F and B-L alleles of the opposite haplotype. MLC typings, tests for direct compatibility by GVH reactions and absorption analyses confirmed the original serological typing of the 2 recombinant B haplotypes. No recombination between B-F (class I) and B-L (class II) loci was found. This very low frequency of recombination within the B complex as compared with recombination frequencies found in mammalian MHC is discussed.