Mixed lymphocyte reactivity in cattle.

Mixed lymphocyte reactivity (MLR) in cattle was assessed by measuring the extent of cellular proliferation between allogeneic lymphocytes in an in vitro test system. To test for involvement of the bovine major histocompatibility system (BoLA) the MLR tests were done using full-sibling cattle families which had been generated through the use of embryo transfer systems. The results showed that the responses in the MLR tests were associated with the BoLA antigen sharing status between the individuals being tested. Since the tests, were done using full-sibling combinations, this result suggests genetic linkage between the MLR controlling antigens and the BoLA complex.