beta 2-Microglobulin from serum associates with several class I antigens expressed on the surface of mouse L-cells.

Bovine beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) present in fetal calf serum (FCS) is able to replace endogenous beta 2-m associated with several class I antigens from human and mouse cells maintained in culture [Bernabeu et al. (1984) Nature, Lond. 308, 642-645]. Here we show that human HLA-A2 and HLA-B7, as well as mouse H-2Ld and H-2Dd heavy chains expressed after gene transfer in mouse L-cells, associate to a large extent with bovine beta 2-m. We also demonstrate that bovine beta 2-m associated with the endogenous H-2Kk/Dk heavy chains generates an antibody response when L-cells are injected into syngeneic C3H mice.