ISSN:
1432-1211
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract The major transplantation (or H-2) antigens in the mouse are cell-surface glycoproteins composed of a heavy chain and a light chain, the beta-2 microglobulin (β 2m). The expression of these proteins is regulated during development. Embryonic cells at early stages of development do not express these proteins. On the other hand, these molecules are present on the surface of all adult somatic cells. We investigated whether the expression of both chains was coordinately regulated. Using specific single-stranded DNA probes in an S1 nuclease analysis, we compared the relative amounts of H-21) and β 2M transcripts in normal tissues, in transformed cells, and during embryonic development. Our results show that (1) the steady state level of β 2m transcripts varies from one adult organ to another, while that of H-2D transcripts stays approximately the same; (2) upon transformation, the amount of H-2D-specific mRNA increases drastically, while the β 2m mRNA level remains constant; (3) whereas the quantity of β 2m mRNA increases during early development, the amount of H-2D mRNA remains at a very low level. These data suggest that the regulation of H-2D and β 2m genes are not identical and that their activation during development is not synchronous.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00418090
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