Monoclonal antibodies as a tool for phylogenetic studies of major histocompatibility antigens and beta 2-microglobulin.

The cross-reactivity of several monoclonal antibodies recognizing monomorphic determinants of human HLA-A, B, C, and DR antigens and human beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) has been studied on peripheral blood leukocytes in 24 different species. An monoclonal HLA-A-, B-, and C-specific antibody and four monoclonal HLA-DR-specific antibodies cross-reacted with cells from all the primate species tested. Furthermore, antibodies HLA-DR-specific were positive with peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from cows, goats, sheep, horses, and dogs. Two monoclonal beta 2m-specific antibodies, which were positive with PBL from certain primates, also reacted with cells from cows, goats, sheep, horses, and dogs. Two other beta 2-m-specific antibodies reacted only with PBL from chimpanzees. No reaction could be detected with all our reagents in other classes tested (birds, reptiles, amphibians, and Teleostei).