Molecular structure of human histocompatibility antigens: the HLA-C series.

The HLA-CW2 antigen of the B lymphoblastoid cell line BRI 8 is structurally homologous to the HLA-A and B antigens as judged by various criteria. Each antigen comprised a glycosylated polypeptide of 43 000 molecular weight that is noncovalently associated with beta2-microglobulin (beta2m). Some small differences in molecular parameters were, however, revealed. Thus, the deoxycholate-solubilized HLA-CW2 antigen sedimented at the same rate as the HLA-A antigens but at a slightly faster rate than the HLA-B antigens. This variation is apparently is apparently due to different amounts of bound deoxycholate. Also, whereas essentially all of the HLA-A and B antigens and about half of the HLA-CW2 antigen were adsorbed strongly by Lens culinaris lectin-Sepharose, the remaining HLA-CW2 antigen was bound much more weakly and did not require sugar for elution. This difference reflects some structural heterogeneity in the carbohydrate moiety of the HLA-CW2 antigen. The results of various studies suggest that the HLA-CW2 antigen is expressed to a lower extent than the HLA-A or B antigens and that essentially all of the beta2m of the BRI 8 plasma membrane is associated with the HLA-A, B and C alloantigenic polypeptides.