Monoclonal antibodies against chicken lymphocyte surface antigens.

Spleen and lymph node cells of BALB/c mice, previously immunized with chicken thymic or bursa cells, were fused with Sp2/0-Ag14 mouse myeloma cells. Hybridomas from two fusions were selected on the basis of reactivity of their secreted antibodies towards thymic or bursal tissues in an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Four monoclonal antibodies reacting with different cell surface proteins of chicken lymphocytes were characterized, as follows. One antibody (IgM X.14) reacted only with cortical thymocytes, and precipitated material of apparent molecular weight (AMW) 65,000 (65 kD), 125 kD, and 180 kD from these cells. A second antibody (IgGl L.17) reacted with both bursa- and thymus-derived lymphocytes, but with different high molecular weight glycoproteins (AMWs 210 kD and 180 kD, respectively) on the two cell types. These proteins may be homologues of the previously described mouse B-220 and T-200 antigens. A third antibody (IgGl L.22) reacted with a protein of AMW 70 kD present on bursa-derived cells of some, but not all, chicken strains. Genetic analysis suggested that the presence of this protein was controlled by a single gene not closely linked to the major histocompatibility complex. A fourth antibody (IgG2b L.43) reacted with bursa-derived cells, macrophages and fibroblasts, but not with thymus-derived lymphocytes. L.43 precipitated material of AMW 23 kD from bursal cells.