MIC-A polymorphism in Japanese and a MIC-A-MIC-B null haplotype

Immunogenetics. 1999 Jul;49(7-8):620-8. doi: 10.1007/s002510050658.

Abstract

A polymorphic gene, MIC-A, is one of the MIC family of genes which is composed of a group of homologous genes interspersed in the class III and class I regions of the major histocompatibility complex. MIC-A is located 46 kilobases (kb) centromeric of HLA-B, and is preferentially expressed in the epithelial cells and intestinal mucosa. Recently, MIC-A and the closely related MIC-B were reported as the molecules that conferred specificity in the recognition by the Vdelta1gammadeltaT cells. In the present study, polymorphic exons 2, 3, and 4 of the MIC-A gene were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism method. The number of patterns found in exons 2, 3, and 4 were 5, 6, and 4, respectively, in 114 healthy Japanese subjects. Eight MIC-A alleles were observed in Japanese individuals, among which one, tentatively named MIC-AMW, has not previously been reported. There was a strong linkage disequilibrium between MIC-A and HLA-B loci: each MIC-A allele showed strong association with a particular HLA-B group. In contrast, B*3901 showed association with multiple MIC-A alleles. Furthermore, the existence of a MIC-A-MIC-B null haplotype, which is associated with HLA-B*4801, was identified. In this haplotype, a large-scale deletion (of approximately 100 kb) including the entire MIC-A gene was indicated and the MIC-B gene possessed a stop codon.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Exons
  • Gene Frequency
  • HLA-B Antigens / genetics
  • Haplotypes
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
  • Sequence Deletion

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • HLA-B Antigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • MHC class I-related chain A
  • MICB antigen

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB015600
  • GENBANK/AB018196