Abstract
Capping of chicken major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens on normal thymus, spleen, and peripheral blood leukocytes was demonstrated, although MHC antigens appeared to be present on only 15 to 18% of normal thymus cells. MHC antigen capping also occurred on cells from a Marek's disease herpesvirus-induced transplantable lymphoma (MDCT-NYM1). Capping of a Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA) could be induced on MDCT-NYM1 lymphoma cells as well as on cells of two Marek's disease in vitro lymphoblastoid cell lines (MDCC-MSB1 and MDCC-LS1). Cocapping of MHC antigens and MATSA did not occur on MDCT-NYM1 lymphoma cells. The results suggest that MHC antigens and MATSA are not structurally associated on the cell membrane.