Isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone for the murine I-E beta polypeptide chain.

Abstract
The Ia antigens, encoded within the I region of the major histocompatibility complex, are a group of cell surface glycoproteins that are involved in the control of immune responsiveness. The sequence of a 1045-base-pair c[complementary]DNA clone for 1 of the murine immune response genes, .**GRAPHIC**. was determined. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of the product of .**GRAPHIC**. with that of .**GRAPHIC**. shows that most of the amino acid differences are clustered in short stretches of peptide sequence in the 1st external protein domain. This clustering of allelic variation suggests that observed haplotype-specific immune responsiveness to certain antigens may be controlled, at least in part, by differences in configuration defined by these regions of allelic variability in the NH2-terminal domain of the E.beta. chain.