Identification of a BALB/c H-2Ld gene by DNA-mediated gene transfer

Gene transfer and immunoselection were used in the identification of a BALB/c genomic clone containing an H-2Ld gene (clone 27.5). Transformation of thymidine kinase-negative C3H mouse L cells with the cloned 27.5 DNA together with the herpes simplex virus tk gene produced transformants expressing Ld molecules detected by radioimmune assay with monoclonal hybridoma antibodies to Ld antigens. The foreign Ld gene products expressed by cloned mouse L cell transformants were shown to be virtually indistinguishable from BALB/c spleen Ld molecules by two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of H-2Ld immunoprecipitates. These results indicate that the genomic clone 27.5 contains a functional BALB/c H-2Ld gene and demonstrate the usefulness of this approach for identifying the gene products encoded by cloned genes which are members of a multigene family. Furthermore, the ability to place cell-surface recognition molecules on the surfaces of foreign cells provides a powerful opportunity for functional analyses of these molecules.