There are two C4 genetic loci and a null allele in the chimpanzee.

Genetic polymorphism in C4 in the chimpanzee was studied by agarose gel electrophoresis of desialated plasma and development of patterns by immunofixation with antiserum to human C4 and by a C4-sensitive hemolytic overlay. In general, immunofixation patterns showed multiple partially overlapping bands of which only the most cathodal had strong hemolytic activity. In analogy to human C4, the latter were designated C4B, whereas those detected by immunofixation which had little hemolytic activity were designated C4A.

Differentiation antigens on rhesus monkey lymphocytes. II. Characterization of RhT3, a CD3-like antigen on T cells.

A monoclonal antibody FN18 is described, which is specific for mature rhesus monkey T lymphocytes. It defines a cell surface antigen, composed of two polypeptide chains with a molecular mass of 22 and 27 kDa. In view of these and other similarities with the human T3 or CD3 antigen, it was designated as RhT3.

Differentiation antigens on rhesus monkey lymphocytes. I. Identification of T cells bearing CD3 and CD8, and of a subset of CD8-bearing cells.

Rhesus monkeys provide an excellent preclinical model to test the effect of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in vitro and in vivo. So far, mostly mAb have been used which were originally raised against human cell surface antigens but cross-reacted reasonably well with homologous antigens on rhesus monkey cells. However, to optimize the model, it was necessary to produce mAb which react specifically with subsets of rhesus monkey lymphocytes.

Recommendations for the housing of macaque monkeys.

A multidisciplinary working group was formed to make recommendations for housing of macaques under laboratory conditions in the Netherlands. The group concluded that long-term individual caging leads to persistent abnormal behaviour. Therefore, individual housing is regarded as acceptable only for special reasons which counter-balance the adverse effects of isolation.

Immune response against vaccinia virus in rhesus monkeys: no evidence for primary MHC-restricted cytolytic T cells.

Rhesus monkeys were tested in vitro for their cellular immune response after infection with vaccinia virus, employing lymphocyte preparations from various lymphoid tissues. Although virus-infected target cells were lysed by lymphoid cells from immunized, but not from uninfected, rhesus monkeys, we could neither find evidence for MHC-restricted T cells nor for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Kinetics of target cell lysis, the killing patterns of immune lymphocytes measured on syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic target cells, and the influence of protein A on cytotoxic activity in vitro suggest induction predominantly of natural killer cells in vivo which exhibit lytic activity on virus-infected target cells in vitro.