Lymphocyte-Defined Loci in Cattle

Abstract

Using the results of all paired one-way mixed lymphocyte culture tests on families of half-sibs, we have established that the lymphocyte-defined system in cattle contains a minimum of two loci. The methodology presented is applicable to studies of the lymphocyte-defined systems of other species.

Polymorphism of the BoLA System

“…The data on skin grafting from France and U.K. (unpublished data) the results of MLC work in this laboratory (unpublished data) and evidence of two MLC defined loci reported by Usinger et al (1977) and the serologically defined lymphocyte antigens presented in this report indicate that the antigens being detected are components of the MHC of cattle. Based on this information the participants of the workshop proposed the abbreviation BoLA for bovine lymphocyte antigen loci.…”

Homologies between the major histocompatibility complex of man and cattle: Consequences for disease resistance and susceptibility

“…So far, a number of studies already give evidence of associations between BoLA and bovine leucosis (18,19), mastitis (20) and parasite infections (21). A broad spectrum of techniques to date is applied to study BoLA: serology (22)(23)(24)(25) has immunologically defined two genetic regions called BoLA A and BoLA D which may encode the class I and class II molecules. Biochemical typing of class I and class II gene products is based on the determination of their iso-electric points (26,27) confirming the extensive polymorphism of both types of molecules.…”

Serologically Defined (SD) Locus in Cattle

“…Hippocampal damage in humans results in a pervasive amnesia for ongoing events as well as a deficit in spatial orientation (1,2). Two types of findings in rats suggest that the hippocampus may be closely associated with the processing of spatial information in this species.…”

“…In every species that has been studied extensively, these systems have consisted of loci producing at least two kinds of lymphocyte antigens: those which are detected by cytotoxic antiserums [serologically defined (SD)], and those detected by mixed lymphocyte culture tests [lymphocyte defined (LD)]. Recently, our laboratory described two LD loci in cattle (2) and we now present data describing an SD locus called BoLA-A (bovine lymphocyte antigens). These loci together define the MHS in cattle.…”