title: Endogenous retroviral long terminal repeats within the HLA-DQ locus.
abstract: Two endogenous retroviral long terminal repeats (LTRs) were found in the human major histocompatibility complex locus HLA-DQ. The solo LTRs, unlinked to retrovirus structural genes, are located approximately 5 kilobases apart from each other and in the same transcriptional orientation, which is opposite to that for the HLA-DQB1 gene. These elements exhibit greater than 90% homology to the LTRs of the human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K10. The conservation of putative regulatory elements found within the LTRs and their position relative to the HLA-DQB1 gene suggest that these elements may confer distinct regulatory properties on genes in the HLA-DQ region. Polymorphic variation between different HLA haplotypes for the presence of the LTRs at this location and of the molecular architecture within this subregion is supported by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. Comparisons of chromosomes with and without the LTRs in this region will provide a unique opportunity in the human genome to analyze transposition or integration of retroviral sequences.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kambhu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falldorf
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003360:Cosmids; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes