Differential phosphorylation of murine class I major histocompatibility antigens

Recent studies have shown that the H-2K and H-2D transplantation antigens are expressed differentially in different tissues of mouse. Our previous investigations also established that in thioglycolate-stimulated peritoneal macrophages the H-2Dk antigen exists in distinct cell surface and intracellular forms. These two forms are glycosylated differently. In this report, we have found that (1) H-2Dk antigen is phosphorylated whereas H-2Kk antigen is not, and (2) only the cell surface form of H-2Dk antigen is phosphorylated in thioglycolate-stimulated macrophages derived from C3H/Heha mice. This differential phosphorylation of H-2 antigens will provide a model system for further studies on the molecular mechanism and function of phosphorylation of H-2 antigens.