Structural studies of the protein portion of the H-2-linked Ia glycoprotein antigens of the mouse: tryptic peptide comparison of products from the I-A and I-C subregions of B10-HTT.

Ia antigens from the I-A8 and I-Ck subregions of the B10.HTT (H-2t3) strain of mice were isolated by indirect immunoprecipitation of arginine-labeled, nonionic detergent-solubilized materials. After biochemical purification the electrophoretically homogeneous 28,000 dalton glycoprotein beta chains from the Ia precipitates were digested with trypsin and the resultant radiolabeled tryptic peptides were compared by analytical ion exchange chromatography. These comparisons reveal that the beta chains of Ia antigens from the A (I-A8) and C (I-Ck) subregions of B10.HTT share only two out of 12 to 14 of their arginine tryptic peptides. Thus these noncross-reactive Ia antigens are structurally quite diverse, and would possess sufficient structural variability to account for their lack of antigenic cross-reactivity.