title: The T/t-complex: a family of genes controlling early embryonic surface antigens.
abstract: The T/t-complex has a role in the specification of sets of cell surface antigens that appear to be important in controlling cell interactions and recognition during early development in the mouse. Three important new studies increase the power of the T/t-complex as a model of this control: (1) several different t-lethal genes have been mapped; they are non-allelic and represent an apparent gene family spread over 20 cM of chromosome 17 with H-2 situated anomalously in the middle of them. (2) the antigen(s) associated with one of the lethal mutations, tw18, have been localized in time and place to the site of genetically caused dysfunction in the mutant embryo, and (3) the t12-associated mutant antigen has been biochemically characterized as a glycoprotein of Mr 87 000 and also shown to peak in amount at the four- to eight-cell-stage embryo, soon before homozygosity for the mutation prevents compaction.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface