Structural organization of the DR subregion of the human major histocompatibility complex

Abstract

Two clusters of overlapping cosmid and lambda phage clones comprising 205 kilobases (kb) have been isolated from the DR subregion of the human major histocompatibility complex from a DR4 haplotype. A single DR alpha and three DR beta genes were identified. In one cluster (135 kb), the DR alpha gene is 90 kb distant from the DR beta gene encoding a molecule that carries the MT3 serological specificity. In the second cluster (70 kb), the DR beta gene determining the DR4 specificity is located 22 kb apart from a DR beta pseudogene (DR beta psi). A 3- to 4-kb sequence located at the 5' end of the DR beta (MT3) gene is common to all three DR beta-chain genes. In addition, three more copies of this sequence are spaced between the DR alpha and the DR beta (MT3) genes in the first cluster and one of these, at least, is associated with a DR beta 1 exon, suggesting that additional genes could be encoded in this region and that multiple duplication events have led to its evolution.