title: Isolation of a rat immune response gene identical to an alleged mouse a class II beta-chain pseudogene.
abstract: A human HLA-DQ beta-chain cDNA was used as a probe to identify and isolate a rat major histocompatibility antigen beta-chain gene from a genomic library constructed in the vector lambda Charon 28 using Wistar rat DNA (RT1u). The isolated exon of the rat gene (RT1.B beta 2) encoding a beta-chain second domain was found to share 93% nucleotide homology with a mouse A beta 2 exon. Although the genomic organization of this gene is consistent with the hypothesis that it represents a pseudogene, the remarkable preservation of a specific sequence favors the view that this class II antigen beta-chain gene has retained its coding function.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005796:Genes; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D051381:Rats / Q000276:immunology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II