The MT3 specificity resides on a novel human class II antigen distinct from the HLA-DR antigen and DC-like antigen.

The MT3 specificity is closely associated with the HLA-DR4, DR7, and DRw9, and is a supertypic specificity. To determine whether the MT3 specificity resides on a novel class II antigen, the MT3 antigen, DR antigen and the DC-like antigen from the DR4-, DR7- and DRw9-homozygous B lymphoid cell lines were identified and compared with one another by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis using alloantisera. The analysis revealed that each of the three antigens exists as a structurally distinct class II antigen in each cell line. The light chains of the MT3, DR and DC-like antigens are different in charge from one another. The molecular weight of the heavy chains of the MT3 and DR antigens is higher than that of the DC-like antigen. On the other hand, no electrophoretic differences are observed between the heavy chains of the MT3 and DR antigens. These results strongly suggest that the MT3 specificity resides on a light chain of a novel class II antigen distinct from the DR antigen and the DC-like antigen. These observations also support our previous proposition that the MT3 antigen belongs to the fourth group of the human class II antigens.