Genetic polymorphism of a lymphocyte protein (p75) with six different alleles studied by two-dimensional electrophoresis: qualitative and quantitative data.

The genetic polymorphism of a human lymphocyte protein (p75) was studied by two-dimensional electrophoresis within 17 families and, in addition, 22 unrelated individuals from Southern Germany, resulting in a total of approximately 100 individuals. The cytosolic and membrane proteins from cell lysates of phytohemagglutinin stimulated and [3H]leucine labeled lymphocytes were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The p75 protein with an approximate molecular weight of 75,000 occurred in six variants with slightly different isoelectric points and/or apparent molecular weights. Three common variants (a, b, and c) and three rare variants (d, e and f) could be distinguished. Among the approximately 100 individuals studied we observed 15 different phenotypes, three homozygous (p75-a, -b, -c) and 12 heterozygous (p75-ab, -ac, -bc, -ad, -ae, -be, -bf, -cd, -ce, -cf, -de, -df) phenotypes. The genetics of the p75 protein variations was ascertained by family studies and quantitative computer analysis. We were able to show a Mendelian mode of inheritance of the variants within the families and a gene-dosage dependence of the protein spots in homozygous and heterozygous phenotypes. The data allowed us to assume a polymorphic protein p75 determined by six alleles on a autosomal gene locus. The allele frequencies were calculated from the phenotype distribution within 56 unrelated individuals. The gene frequencies of the three common alleles ranged between 0.38 and 0.22 and the gene frequencies of the three rare alleles ranged between 0.01 and 0.07.