Of all the biochemically defined mouse MHC class I molecules, the Qa-1 antigens are the only ones for which a gene has not been identified. Recent evidence has suggested that Qa-1 antigens are functional class I molecules and can function as restriction elements for gamma/delta T cells. We have examined the relationship between Qa-1 and the product of gene 37, a presumed novel class I antigen e...

Recent biochemical characterization of the T23-encoded Qa-1 molecule revealed an additional higher molecular mass species of 50 kD coprecipitated with the 48-kD Qa-1 molecule in H-2b and H-2d mouse strains. We now demonstrate that the 50-kD protein coprecipitated with Qa-1 is the class I-a antigen Ld in all H-2Ld-positive mouse strains examined. Furthers analyses of a panel of recombinants reve...

background: hla-g is a major histocompatibility complex (mhc), class ib molecule that is selectively expressed at the fetal–maternal interface. it is thought to play a role in protecting the fetus from the maternal immune response. interestingly, the preimplantation embryo development (ped) gene product qa-2 is also a mouse mhc class ib protein that affects cleavage and division of preimplantat...

The class I genes of the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse can be divided into two categories: those encoding the transplantation antigens and those encoding the Qa and Tla antigens. The inbred BALB/c mouse has 28 potential Qa/Tla genes. The sites of tissue expression, developmental regulation, and functions of these genes are virtually unknown. We have used the technique of exon sh...

Qa-2 is a nonclassical class I molecule encoded by the Q7 gene within the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Results from previous experiments on Qa-2, and on a chimeric Ld molecule (LQ3) in which the 0 domain is encoded by Q7b , suggested that the a3 domain of Qa-2 does not carry out the functions typical ofthe0 domains in other classical and nonclassical class I antigens. Class I m...

Qa-2 and Qa-1 are murine nonclassical MHC class I molecules involved in the modulation of immune responses by interacting with T CD8(+) and NK cell inhibitory receptors. During thymic education, the Aire gene imposes the expression of thousands of tissue-related antigens in the thymic medulla, permitting the negative selection events. Aiming to characterize the transcriptional profiles of noncl...

The Qa-2 antigen, the product of the Ped (Preimplantation embryo development) gene, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked cell surface protein encoded in the Q region of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Ped fast (Qa-2+) mouse strains have significantly higher preimplantation embryo cleavage rates both in vivo and in vitro than Ped slow (Qa-2-) mice. In this study, we determi...

Chromosome walking has been used to study the organization of the class I genes in the D and Qa regions of the MHC of the BALB/c mouse and in the D region of the AKR mouse. Five and eight class I genes are found in the D and Qa regions of the BALB/c mouse, respectively, while the AKR mouse contains only a single class I D region gene that has been identified by transfection as the Dk gene. Rest...

Natural killer (NK) cells preferentially lyse targets that express reduced levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I proteins. To date, the only known mouse NK receptors for MHC class I belong to the Ly49 family of C-type lectin homodimers. Here, we report the cloning of mouse NKG2A, and demonstrate it forms an additional and distinct class I receptor, a CD94/NKG2A heterodimer. U...

The HLA-E homolog in the mouse (Qa-1b) is a conserved MHC class Ib molecule presenting monomorphic peptides to germline-encoded natural killer receptor CD94/NKG2A. Previously, we demonstrated the replacement of this canonical peptide by a diverse peptidome upon deficiency of the TAP peptide transporter. Analysis of this Qa-1b-restricted T cell repertoire against these non-mutated neoantigens re...