Genetic markers of immunoglobulins in the two orangutan subspecies and their hybrids.

Serum samples from 23 Pongo pygmaeus abelii, 4 Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus and 2 hybrids were tested for Gm (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 24, 28) and for Km (1) allotypes. All samples were negative for Gm (2, 3, 5, 6, 14, 16, 21, 28), Km (1) and positive for Gm (1, 15, 17, 24). The allotypes G3m (10, 11, 13) were simultaneously absent in all of the Bornean orangutans and present in all of the Sumatran orangutans. Moreover, the analysis of 8 Bm allotypes has shown that all the P. pygmaeus abelii and their hybrids only possess one Bm marker and that all the 4 P. pygmaeus pygmaeus are negative for all the antigens.