Synthetic peptides homologous to human glycophorins of the Miltenberger complex of variants of MNSs blood group system specify the epitopes for Hil, SJL, Hop, and Mur antisera.

The antigenic epitopes of the MNSs blood groups are localized on alpha and delta glycophorins (glycophorins A and B) of the erythrocyte surface. Hil, SJL, Mur, and Hop antisera define the Miltenberger (Mi) complex of MiV, MiJ.L., MiIII, and MiVI variant serologic phenotypes of this blood group system. We report here the location of the epitopes for antibodies in these antisera. The antigens of these Mi classes are variant glycophorins that are hybrids of alpha and delta glycophorins in alpha-delta and delta-alpha-delta arrangements. The hybrid junctions give rise to novel polypeptide sequences not present in the parent glycophorins; in MiIII and MiVI this also includes an expressed sequence of the delta pseudoexon. These sequences are identical in the above Mi-glycophorins occurring in erythrocytes that share a common Mi determinant. Four peptides of 10 to 14 amino acids each were constructed to be homologous to the identical sequences; they were designated, "Hil", "SJL", "Mur", and "Hop" to reflect the common determinant. The peptides were tested for inhibition of reaction of appropriate cells with the relevant antisera. The Hil peptide, outlining the alpha-delta s junction region in MiIII, MiV, and MiVI glycophorins, inhibited the reaction of respective erythrocytes (red blood cells [RBCs]) with anti-Hil. The SJL peptide, which differs from the Hil peptide by a single Thr----Met substitution, was specific for inhibition of the reaction of MiJ.L. RBCs with anti-SJL (an example of anti-S specific for such RBCs). The Hop peptide, which corresponds to the delta-alpha junction in MiVI glycophorin, inhibited the hemagglutination of MiVIII RBCs by anti-Hop. MiVI and MiVIII glycophorins share an identical sequence at that site. The Mur peptide, corresponding to a portion of the expressed pseudoexon sequence in MiIII and MiVI glycophorins, was specific for inhibition of the reaction of MiIII and MiVI RBCs with anti-Mur. The peptides had no effect on the hemagglutination of control MNSs RBCs by their respective antisera nor of unrelated Mi classes RBCs by antisera that distinguish these classes. We conclude that the alpha-delta junction in MiIII, MiV, and MiVI glycophorins outlines the epitopes for anti-Hil, the alpha-delta junction in MiJ.L. outlines the epitope for anti-SJL, the delta-alpha junction in MiVI constitutes the epitope for anti-Hop, and the expressed delta pseudoexon sequence in MiIII and MiVI constitutes the epitope for anti-Mur.