Allelic associations of multiple RFLPs of the gene encoding complement protein C2

The gene for the second component of complement, C2, maps within the class III region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Many human diseases have been reported to be associated with MHC alleles, haplotypes, or extended haplotypes, but in most cases additional polymorphic markers are needed for the eventual localization of the genes responsible for these diseases. In this study, nine C2 haplotypes for four restriction-site polymorphisms, detected by SstI, BamHI, and TaqI, were defined among 143 unrelated individuals. Two of these polymorphisms are multiallelic and map near the 5' end of the C2 gene. The extensive allelic variation of the C2 gene may prove of value in studies of diseases associated with the MHC.