Rabbit MHC. II. Sequence analysis of the R-DP alpha- and beta-genes

Molecular genetics studies have recently revealed complexity in the MHC class II region that has not been detected by previous serologic and genetic studies. In humans, three subregions, DP, DQ, and DR, of the class II genes as well as the DZ alpha and DO beta genes, have been extensively characterized. Although homologs of these human genes were identified in many species, their expressibility has not been well defined in species other than the mouse. We have previously cloned the rabbit homologs of the HLA-DP alpha and beta genes whose protein products had never been detected. The sequences of rabbit DP alpha 1 and DP beta genes are reported herein and they indicate that the rabbit DP genes encode functional alpha- and beta-chains. Unfavorable nucleotides surrounding the first AUG codon may, however, reduce the translational efficiency of the R-DP beta mRNA and explain the difficulty in generating serologic reagents specific for rabbit DP molecules. A complex mutation in the beta 1 domain of the R-DP beta gene was similar to the one found in the H-2A beta 1 gene of five strains of mice. The origin of this mutation is discussed.