Genetics of antibody responsiveness to bovine serum albumin and rabbit gamma-globulin. II. Evidence for a partially common genetic regulation of response to bovine serum albumin and rabbit gamma-globulin.

In order to measure the reciprocal nonspecific effect of the genetic regulation of antibody responsiveness to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and rabbit gamma-globulin (RGG), two independent bidirectional selective breedings for responses to these two antigens were carried out: selection V/BSA and selection V/RGG respectively. The total interline separation at selection limit (RT) was 5.3 log2 for selection V/BSA and 2.6 log2 for selection V/RGG. The sum of these two values (7.9 log2) is similar to the RT in selection V carried out by alternating these two antigens in consecutive generations. In selection V/BSA, the nonspecific effect for responsiveness to RGG was 72%. In selection V/RGG, the nonspecific effect for BSA responsiveness was 135%. The F1 hybrids between homologous lines of selection V/BSA and selection V/RGG presented a larger difference in antibody response to both antigens than their parental lines. This demonstrates an additive effect of the loci controlling the two responses.