Characterization of two strains of selectively bred guinea-pigs. I. Skin transplantation experiments and screening for erythrocyte enzyme polymorphism.

Two strains of guinea-pigs selectively bred for either high (IMM/S) or low (IMM/R) responsiveness to ovalbumin-induced respiratory anaphylaxis were examined for genetic homogenicity by skin transplantation experiments and screened for polymorphism of erythrocyte enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, carbonic anhydrase, esterase D, and phosphoglucomutase). According to the transplantation data it can be concluded that the brother x sister matings have resulted in lines of guinea-pigs with a high degree of genetic homogenicity. The results from the typing of polymorphic enzymes showed that only phosphoglucomutase exhibited different allelic forms among the tested animals, but no correlation was found between this polymorphism and responsiveness to ovalbumin.