Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1985 Nov 5;186(1):205-10.
doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90271-2.

Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies on the histocompatibility antigens HLA-A2 and HLA-A28 from human cell membranes

Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies on the histocompatibility antigens HLA-A2 and HLA-A28 from human cell membranes

P J Bjorkman et al. J Mol Biol. .

Abstract

The human histocompatibility antigens HLA-A and HLA-B are polymorphic cell surface glycoproteins encoded by the major histocompatibility complex. These molecules are the major targets for the immune response during tissue transplantation. They are recognized by cytolytic T-lymphocytes during the immune response against virally infected cells, and have been linked to variations in susceptibility to human autoaggressive and neoplastic diseases. To permit a description of the sites of interaction with alloantisera and T-cell receptors, we have begun a three-dimensional structure determination of HLA-A. We report the isomorphous cyrstallization of two antigenic specificities of papain-solubilized HLA-A, A2 and A28. Isoelectric focusing indicates that the well-ordered crystals incorporate the sialic acid microheterogeneity of the oligosaccharides. Crystallographic evidence indicates that the HLA-A molecule has an approximate 2-fold rotational symmetry axis which, combined with biochemical data, suggests that the domains of the molecule are paired alpha 1 to alpha 2 and alpha 3 to beta 2-microglobulin. This domain organization is similar to the arrangement of domains in the Fab and Fc fragments of immunoglobulins.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources