Study on the origin of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in recombinant mouse strains by detection of polymorphic variants of MHC class III gene, complement C4.

In recombinant mouse strains the elements of the major histocompatibility complex gene cluster are composed of those of the parental strains. The origin of elements except the S region was previously determined by immunological and biochemical typing methods. For determination of the origin of the S region and the possible location of the recombination event around the S region, Southern blot analysis was performed. By the detection of genetic polymorphic patterns of complement C4 gene in 2 of the 5 recombinant strains the recombination was localized down-stream of the C4 gene and before the D gene region.