Constant region IgG allotypes in cottontail rabbits: Group E allelic polymorphism

Alloantisera prepared against domestic rabbit IgG allotypes were used in hemagglutination-inhibition and direct radioimmune binding tests to detect the C_γ region allotypes in cottontail rabbits. The absence of the group d allotypes (d11 and d12) in cottontail rabbits was confirmed. However, allelic variants of the group e markers (e14 and e15) were found in some of the cottontail rabbits examined. For example, all cottontails exhibited the e15 marker and 6 out of 10 animals exhibited the e14 marker as well. Several experiments were conducted to show that the e14 and e15 antigens of domestic rabbit and cottontail IgG are identical. Other results are consistent with the hypothesis that the e14 and e15 antigens in cottontail rabbits are products of allelic genes.