Immunochemical analysis of a cell transfected with an HLA-DR gene reveals a new alloantigenic specificity within HLA-DRw52.

The HLA-DR antigen has been prepared from the surface of a mouse fibroblast cell line transfected with a single HLA-DR beta-chain gene as well as single HLA-DR alpha and invariant chain gene. Since the HLA-DR beta chain gene studied corresponds to the DR beta III locus, the DR serological specificities detected on the transformed cells can be assigned to this locus. The use of the HLA-DR-producing mouse cell line has led to the identification of a new serological specificity included within DRw52 and associated with some DR3, some DRw6 and all DR5 haplotypes studied. Most likely this new specificity corresponds to an allelic polymorphism at the DR beta III locus of DRw52 individuals and can serve as a new serological marker for this subset of DR3, DR5 and DRw6 haplotypes.