Utility of three restriction fragment length polymorphism probes for genotyping of the chicken major histocompatibility complex class IV region

Three chicken B-G cDNA probes (gene 8.5, bg28, and bg32.1) were used to det ect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) in the chicken MHC cla ss IV (B-G). By using inbred and selected chicken lines with different B ha plotypes identified by hemagglutination, we identified B haplotypes (B-2, B -9, B-11, B-12, B-15, B-19, B-21, B-31, and B-32) by RFLP using the three p robes following digestion of genomic DNA with four restriction endonuclease s (BglII, EcoRI, HaeIII, and PvuII). The GSP inbred line, previously shown to contain B-F-21 by the use of a monoclonal antibody, did not contain B-G( 21), based on RFLP tests, whereas line N had B-F-21 and B-G(21). Consequent ly, the RFLP typing with the clone of B-G cDNA was able to determine the B haplotype in more detail than typing by hemagglutination. In inbred and sel ected lines, three B-G cDNA are useful DNA probes for RFLP to identify B ge notypes. Two families of chickens with segregating B haplotypes were analyz ed by RFLP using these probes; however, identification of the B genotype by this method was difficult in the randomly bred population. Genotypic compa risons of RFLP with gene 8.5 and BglII and bg 28 as probes and digestion by the endonucleases EcoRI, HaeIII, and PvuII between the parents and their o ffspring were generally compatible within the expectations of Mendelian inh eritance.