A review of the development of chicken lines to resolve genes determining resistance to diseases

The resolution of genes that determine resistance to disease is described u sing chicken lines maintained at the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory (ADOL). This description includes a summary 1) of existing selected and inb red Lines differing for resistance to viral-induced tumors, i.e., Merek's d isease (MD) and lymphoid leukosis (LL), and of the use of inbred and line c rosses to define relevant disease-resistant genes, e.g., TV, ALVE, B, R, LY 4, TH1, BU1, and IGG1; 2) of the development of TVB*/ALVE congenic lines to establish the affects of endogenous virus (EV) expression on resistance to avian leukosis virus (ALV), and methods to detect ALVE expression; 3) of t he development of B congenic lines to define the influence of the MHC on MD resistance and vaccinal immunity, for producing B antisera, and for evalua ting DNA sequences of Class I and II genes; and 4) of the current developme nt of 6C.7 recombinant congenic strains (RCS) to define the role of non-MHC genes influencing susceptibility to MD and LL tumors, immune competence, a nd epistatic effects of genes. The procedures of pedigree mating, to avoid or maintain inbreeding, and of blood-typing, to ensure genetic purity of th e lines, are also described.