RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISM OF DQB AND DRB CLASS-II GENES OF THE OVINE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX

The ovine major histocompatibility complex (MhcOvar) class II region w as investigated by Southern blot hybridizations using ovine probes spe cific for the second exons of Ovar-DRB and Ovar-DQB genes. Multiple ba nds were revealed when genomic DNA was digested with each of five rest riction enzymes (BamHI, EcoRI, Hin dIII, PvuII and TaqI), and successi vely hybridized with the two radiolabelled ovine probes. Restriction f ragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were analysed in 89 sheep origina ting from six inbred families and the inheritance of the fragment patt erns was determined. Forty-one fragments were recorded with the DqB pr obe; 32 were detected with the DRB probe. They constituted 9 DQB and 1 0 DRB allelic patterns. Twelve DQB-DRB haplotypes were resolved in thi s study.