Epitopes for chicken monoclonal antibodies in spleens of selected Japanesequail lines

A line of Japanese quail selected for high plasma cholesterol is highly sus ceptible to diet-induced atherosclerosis. Lymphocyte epitopes recognized by mouse anti-chicken monoclonal antibodies (c-mAb), TCR-1, TCR-2, TCR-3, CD- 3, CD-4, CD-8, and BU-1a/b were reacted with spleens from quail selected fo r high (HL) and low (LL) plasma total cholesterol and their nonselected con trols (CL). Cross reactivity to c-mAb and effect of line and gender were im munohistochemically evaluated. Chicken spleens were positive controls. Quai l were immunologically stimulated with either sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or Brucella abortus 2 weeks before spleens were removed. Quail spleen epitopes of all lines recognized TCR-3 and CD-8 c-mAb, but no other c-mAb. Number of reacting cells and staining intensity to the TCR-3 c -mAb were greater in the HL than in the LL regardless of the stimulating Ag or dose used. For the CD-8 c-mAb, there were no differences among lines in birds receiving SRBC. In B. abortus-immunized birds, sex x line interactio ns indicated that males of the HL and CL had lower responses than females b ut LL males were not different than females. TCR-3 and CD8 c-mAb may be use ful in studying immunological mechanisms for atherosclerosis in Japanese qu ail. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.