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Structure and polymorphism of class I MHC antigen mRNA

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Abstract

We have used cDNA cloning and primer extension techniques to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of HLA-B7 mRNA. The 5′-untranslated sequence of the mRNA is rather short and the putative promoter has weak homology to the conventional “TATA” sequences. The 5′ end and the polyadenylation site define the transcription unit of theB7 gene to be about 3.5 kb long. Comparison of the translated nucleotide sequence of this CDNA with the amino acid sequence of the heavy chain of the B7 antigen showed two amino acid differences. In addition, comparison with the sequences of the coding and untranslated regions of severalHLA andH-2 genes showed that the class I histocompatibility molecules consist of four variable segments separated by three regions of homology. Analysis of the DNA polymorphisms revealed that in the variable segments the majority of the nucleotide substitutions are nonsilent, while in the homology regions the majority of substitutions are silent. Further analysis of the nature of the amino acid substitutions revealed the predominance of nonconservative replacements/changes in both the variable segments and the homology regions except the transmembrane part of the molecule. Selection at both the protein and the codon levels contributes to the pattern of mutations found in class I histocompatibility molecules.

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Author notes

  1. Paul A. Biro

    Present address: Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 02115, Boston, Massachusetts

  2. Dennis Pereira

    Present address: Pfizer Central Research, 06340, Groton, Connecticut

  3. Vemuri B. Reddy

    Present address: Integrated Genetics, Framingham, Massachusetts

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Immunology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 666 Elm Street, 14263, Buffalo, New York

    Ashwam K. Sood

  2. Department of Human Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, 06510, New Haven, Connecticut

    Julian Pane, Paul A. Biro, Dennis Pereira, Rakesh Srivastava, Vemuri B. Reddy, Barry W. Duceman & Sherman M. Weissman

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Sood, A.K., Pane, J., Biro, P.A. et al. Structure and polymorphism of class I MHC antigen mRNA. Immunogenetics 22, 101–121 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00563508

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