Transplantation in minature swine. IV. Chemical characterization of MSLA and Ia-like antigens.

Immunochemical analyses of radioactively labeled lymphocyte antigens from miniature swine of three different homozygous major histocompatibility (MHC) types, AA, CC, and DD, have been performed. Anti-MHC sera were incubated with lentil lectin purified Nonidet P-40 swine lymphocyte extracts. Antigen-antibody complexes were then precipitated with protein A bearing staphylococci, eluted, and electrophoresed on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. Analysis of antigens from AA or DD cells revealed peaks of 42,000, 31,000, 25,000, and 11,000 dalton m.w. Platelet absorption of the anti-MHC sera yielded antibodies that only precipitated the intermediate m.w. molecules and lysed a subpopulation of swine peripheral blood lymphocytes, suggesting that these molecules were the miniature swine analogues of murine Ia antigens. Antibodies eluted from platelets lysed all lymphocyte populations and precipitated only the 42,000 and 11,000 dalton peaks, indicating that these molecules represent the analogue of murine H-2 histocompatibility antigens, containing a heavy chain and putative swine beta2-microglobulin.