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 3 DR.beta. genes were identified. In 1 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 2nd cluster (70 kb), the 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 3 DR.beta.-chain genes. Three more copies of this sequence are spaced between the DR.alpha. and the DR.beta. (MT3) genes in the 1st 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.

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