title: HLA class I epitopes accounted for by single residues.
abstract: We examined the serological reaction of 50,000 HLA antisera for correlations with amino acid substitutions at 16 variable residues on the A locus and 8 variable residues on the B locus. We identified antisera that produced mutually exclusive allelic reactions corresponding to amino acid variants at the various residues. We assumed that by this procedure, epitopes that were determined by a single amino acid substitution could be identified. Among 55 variable residues on the A locus, antibodies that reacted in an allelic fashion were found for 16, or 32%. These serologically determined epitopes were on the alpha helix for 13 of the 16 residues, and 3 were in the beta sheet. Among 54 variable residues for the B locus, antibodies were found to 8 which reacted in a mutually exclusive pattern. Thus, 13% of the residues were serologically defined. Sixteen "monospecific" HLA specificities were determined by a single residue. Interestingly, many "multispecific" sera could be accounted for by reactions to a single amino-acid defined epitope. We assume that most of the other monospecific and multispecific specificities are determined by conformational epitopes, as described in an accompanying article (Ch. 33).
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maruya
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Terasaki
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I