Abstract
It is well accepted that minor histocompatibility antigens (mHag) can function as transplantation barriers between HLA-matched individuals. Little is known about the molecular nature and evolutionary conservation of mHag. It is only very recently that the first human mHag were identified. The HLA-A2.1-restricted mHag HA-2 and the HLA-B7-restricted mHag H-Y appeared to be peptides derived from polymorphic self proteins. Here we show that the HLA-A2.1-restricted mHag HA-1, HA-2, and the H-Y peptides are conserved between man, chimpanzees and rhesus macaques. Human cytotoxic T cell clones specific for the HLA-A2.1-restricted mHag HA-1, HA-2, and H-Y recognized HLA-A2.1 gene-transfected chimpanzee and rhesus macaque cells. High-pressure liquid chromatography fractionation of HLA-A2.1-bound peptides isolated from the HLA-A2.1-transfected chimpanzee cells revealed that the chimpanzee HA-1 and HA-2 co-eluted with the human HA-1 and HA-2. Subsequent amino acid sequencing showed that the chimpanzee HA-2 peptide is identical to the human HA-2 peptide. Our functional and biochemical results demonstrate that mHag peptides are conserved for over 35 million years.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2680-5 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | European journal of immunology |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 1996 |
Keywords
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- B-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
- Clone Cells
- Conserved Sequence/immunology
- H-Y Antigen/genetics
- HLA-A2 Antigen/genetics
- Humans
- Macaca mulatta/genetics
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/genetics
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Pan troglodytes/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- Transfection/immunology