A novel HLA-A allele: A*0257

A novel human leucocyte antigen-A*02 (HLA-A*02) allele was detected by reference strand-mediated conformation analysis (RSCA) of a DNA sample from a Tarahumara individual. Direct sequencing of HLA-A locus polymerase chain reaction products identified a mutation in one of the alleles. Cloning and sequencing confirmed the presence of a new allele, A*0257 which differed from A*0206 by two nucleotides at positions 355 and 362, inducing changes in residues 95 and 97, respectively, within the peptide-binding site. Those changes suggest that allele A*0257 may have resulted from an intralocus recombination event.     

Diversity is demonstrated in class I HLA-A and HLA-B alleles in Cameroon, Africa: description of HLA-A*03012, *2612, *3006 and HLA-B*1403, *4016, *4703

To examine the genetic diversity in west Africa, class I HLA-A and HLA-B alleles of 92 unrelated individuals from two areas in the Cameroon, the capital Yaoundé and the village of Etoa, were identified by direct automated DNA sequencing of exons 2 and 3 of the HLA-B locus alleles and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) and/or sequencing of the HLA-A locus alleles. HLA-A*2301 (18.7%), A*2902 (10.4%), B*5301 (10.9%), and B*5802 (10.9%) were the most frequently detected alleles, present in at least 10% of the population. A total of 30 HLA-A locus and 33 HLA-B locus alleles, including six novel alleles, were detected. The novel alleles were HLA-A*03012, A*2612, A*3006 and HLA-B*1403, B*4016, and B*4703. HLA-B*4703 contains a novel amino acid sequence that is a combination of the first 5 amino acids of the Bw6 epitope and the last 2 residues of the Bw4 epitope. The addition of 6 alleles to the ever-expanding number of known class I HLA alleles supports our hypothesis that extensive genetic diversity, including previously undescribed alleles, would be observed in this African population. In the Yaoundé population, the allele frequency distribution at the HLA-A locus is consistent with distributions indicative of balancing selection. Extensive HLA-A-B haplotypes were observed in this population suggesting that only a fraction of the Cameroon HLA-A-B haplotype diversity has been observed.     

Identification of the null HLA-A2 allele, A*0232N

We have identified a null HLA-A*02 allele, HLA-A*0232N, by using a combination of serology, flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) and full-length sequencing. The null HLA-A2 allele was identified in an Asian individual originally typed by serology as an apparently homozygous HLA-A3, B51. Subsequent genotyping by PCR-SSP identified the genotype as HLA-A*0201, *0301, B*51, Cw*1402. The serological type and lack of detectable HLA-A2 was confirmed using monoclonal antibody typing reagents. Flow cytometry studies failed to identify any cell surface HLA-A2 expression on the patient's peripheral blood lymphocytes. Genotyping using a PCR-SSP set designed to detect null alleles revealed the mutation had not been previously described. Full-length sequencing of the allele identified an allele which was subsequently named HLA-A*0232N. This allele is identical to HLA-A*0201 except for a novel point mutation (T for C) at position 493 which creates a premature stop codon. The sequencing enabled the development of a monospecific A*0232N PCR-SSP reaction which was used to screen 973 DNA samples: no further examples of A*0232N were identified.     

一例HLA-A新等位基因HLA-A*9206的测序分析

目的 研究人类白细胞抗原(human leukocyte antigen,HLA)新的等位基因HLA-A*9206的序列及其分子机制.方法 样本DNA抽提采用PEL-FREEZ抽提试剂盒,应用PCR方法扩增先证者HLA-A等位基因的第1～8外显子,进行第2-4外显子双向测序分析,发现突变位点.应用序列特异性引物PCR方法获得等位基因的单链,测序后确定双链测序所发现的突变.结果 先证者样本单链测序得到两个等位基因,其中一个等位基因为A*1101,另一个经Blast验证其为新的等位基因,新的等位基因序列已递交GenBank(EFD62306).与最接近的A*0206等位基因序列相比,新的等位基因在第3外显子上有1个核苷酸不同,第530位C→T,导致第153位丙氨酸→缬氨酸.结论 该等位基因为新的HLA-A等位基因,被世界卫生组织HLA因子命名委员会正式命名为HLA-A*9206.     

Sequence analysis of a novel human leukocyte antigen allele HLA-A*9206

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular genetic basis for a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) novel allele HLA-A*9206 in the Chinese population. METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood by PEL-FREEZ DNA extraction kit. The amplification of HLA-A exons 1-8 of the proband was preformed and the PCR products were sequenced using ABI sequencing kit. Both strands of exons 2, 3 and 4 of the amplified product were sequenced. The polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) was performed to split the two alleles apart and confirm the mutations detected by sequencing. RESULTS: The sequencing results showed that the HLA-A alleles of the proband were A*1101 and a novel allele. The sequence of the novel allele has been submitted to GenBank (EF062306). After Blast analysis, the novel allele shows one nucleotide different from the HLA-A*0206 in exon 3 at nucleotide position 530 (C to T). This results in an amino acid change from Ala to Val at codon 153. CONCLUSION: This allele is a novel allele and has been officially named A*9206 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.     

Frequencies of HLA-A2 alleles in five U.S. population groups. Predominance Of A*02011 and identification of HLA-A*0231

Direct DNA sequencing was used to determine the frequency of alleles within the HLA-A2 family in five US population groups. The most frequently detected HLA-A2 allele in all groups was HLA-A*02011. Caucasian and Native American populations appear to be the most homogeneous exhibiting 95.7% and 94.3% A*02011, respectively. Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander populations were the most allelicly diverse populations with 9 and 7 different HLA-A2 alleles present, respectively, but the majority of the populations were HLA-A*02011. African-Americans were also diverse, not in the number of alleles seen, but in the percentage of non-A*02011 alleles in the population. HLA-A*0202 (25.8%) and A*0205 (12.9%) were present in a large percentage of African-Americans. Only 13 of the 31 known HLA-A2 alleles were observed in the study. The allelic distributions reflected statistically significant differences among population groups.     

Molecular and serological identification of the HLA-A*3404 allele

A novel HLA-A null allele, A*0253 N, has been identified in two generations of a Chinese family using combined serological and molecular cloning approaches. Full-length genomic DNA sequencing indicated that this new allele differs from HLA-A*02011 by a single C to G substitution at nucleotide position 324 in exon 2. This mutation results in an amino acid change from a tyrosine codon to a stop codon at position 108. A PCR-SSP based method was developed to distinguish A*0253 N from A*02 alleles. No further individuals of A*0253 N were found in 718 Chinese blood donors who carry the HLA-A*02 allele1.     

一例HLA-A新等位基因A*3308的测序分析

目的研究HLA新的等位基因HLA-A＊3308的分子机制。方法样本DNA抽提采用PEL-FREEZ抽提试剂盒，应用PCR方法扩增先证者HLA-A基因的第1～8外显子，PCR产物直接经TOPO转染克隆到质粒载体中获得等位基因的单链，对所得克隆进行第2、3、4外显子双向测序分析。结果先证者样本克隆测序得到两个等位基因，其中1个等位基因为A＊0201，另一个经BIAST验证其为新的等位基因，新的等位基因序列已递交GenBank（DQ089631，DQ089632，DQ089633）。与最接近的A＊3303等位基因序列相比，新的等位基因在第2外显子上有5个核苷酸不同，即第240位A→T，第256位C→G，第259位A→G，第261位C→G和第270位T→A；这导致3个氨基酸改变：第62位Arg→Gly、第63位Asn→Glu和第66位Asn→Lys。结论该等位基因为新的HLA-A等位基因，被世界卫生组织HLA因子命名委员会正式命名为HLA-A＊3308．     

Identification of HLA-A*0224: implications for PCR-SSP HLA typing

We describe a novel HLA-A*02 allele, A*0224, that was identified after a comparison of DNA and serological typing revealed a discrepancy in the HLA-A types: HLA-A2 was defined by serology but was not detected by the polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). DNA sequencing indicated the presence of a variant HLA-A*02 allele that differed from A*0201 by a single base (C/A) at position 453. This base substitution corresponded to the annealing site of a primer common to the two A*02-amplifying PCR-SSP mixtures used in the method. This provides an explanation for the results and highlights a limitation of PCR-SSP methods even where two PCR mixtures are used to detect alleles. Serological titration studies suggested that A*0201, A*0205 and A*0224 are unlikely to be differentiated during routine serological typing.     

Sequence-based typing of the HLA-A10/A19 group and confirmation of a pseudogene coamplified with A*3401

The strategy for sequencing human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A was based on separate amplification of exons 2 and 3, followed by forward and reverse heterozygous sequencing of the alleles. Validation of the method was obtained by sequencing 11 individuals carrying alleles from all different HLA-A allele groups, except *43. All alleles could be correctly identified except A*3401. Unexpected polymorphic positions were identified in exon 3, even in individuals homozygous for A*3401. In addition, the pseudogene HLA-COQ or HLA-DEL linked to A*3401 was coamplified and sequenced. The problem was solved by using different amplification primers for exon 3 with mismatches for the two pseudogenes. A total of 252 unrelated individuals with at least one allele belonging to the A10 or A19 group were typed for HLA-A by this strategy. Ten different alleles were identified in the A10 group and 14 in the A19 group. As second allele a further 30 different subtypes from all different groups were sequenced. In 21 individuals, sequencing exon 1 was necessary to distinguish A*7401 from A*7402. The sequencing strategy, with separate amplification of the exons, has proven to be a robust method, resulting in reliable and efficient high-resolution HLA-A typing.     

HLA-A*02:251新等位基因克隆测序鉴定及序列分析

目的 鉴定中国人群人类白细胞抗原(human leukocyte antigen,HLA)A*02:251新等位基因,分析新等位基因遗传特征.方法 采用聚合酶链反应-测序分型法(polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing,PCR-SBT)对组织配型健康供、患者进行HLA基因分型,发现先证者核苷酸杂合序列与已知序列不匹配,不能指定先证者HLA等位基因型,对先证者DNA扩增HLA-A位点第2～4外显子,PCR产物经克隆到PMD18-T质粒载体中以获得单链核苷酸序列,对克隆所得产物进行HLA-A基因的第2～4外显子双向测序分析.结果 发现先证者的一个HLA-A*02:06:01基因被确认,而另一个HLA-A基因为新等位基因,其序列被GenBank接受(编号为HM245348).新等位基因序列通过IMGT/HLA 数据库BLAST,与最相近的A*02:01:01:01相比,在第3外显子上有1个核苷酸的不同,即第383位 G>C,密码子 128 GAG→GAC,氨基酸由谷氨酸(Glu)→天门冬氨酸(Asp).供、患者HLA-A、B、C、DQB1位点等位基因不匹配.结论 该等位基因为新的HLA-A*02:251等位基因.中国人群HLA-A 位点第3外显子核苷酸序列存在多态性.

Abstract：

Objective To identify a novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele A*02:251 and analyze the sequences in Chinese population. Methods Routine HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 high resolution genotyping for healthy Chinese donors and patients was performed with polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing. An unknown HLA-A allele was initially detected by HLA typing in the healthy donor. Genomic DNA of the HLA-A locus in the proband was amplified, the amplified product was cloned by PMD18-T to split the two alleles, and selected clones were sequenced. Results The sequencing results showed that a normal A*02:06:01 and a novel A*02:251 variant allele were identified. The sequence of the novel allele has been submitted to GenBank (HM245348). Nucleotide sequence alignments with HLA-A allele from the IMGT/HLA Sequence Database showed that the novel A*02 variant allele differed from the closest allele A*02:01:01:01 by nt 383 G>C (codon 128 GAG>GAC) in exon 3, which resulted in one amino acid substitution of Glu>Asp. The HLA-A, B, C and DQB1 alleles of the healthy donor did not match with that of the patient. Conclusion This novel allele is officially designated as HLA-A*02:251 by World Health Organization(WHO) Nomenclature Committee (Submission ID HWS10010755). The sequence of HLA-A locus in exon 3 is confirmed to be polymorphic in Chinese population.     

Identification of a new HLA allele,A*1114, in a Chinese family

A novel HLA-A allele, A*1114, was initially detected in two generations of a Chinese family by unusual polymerase chain reaction based sequence-specific primers ( PCR-SSP) reaction patterns and ambiguous sequence-based typing (SBT). Molecular cloning and sequencing analysis indicated that this new allele differs from HLA-A*1102 by three nucleotide substitutions in exon 3, 524 A-->G, 526 G-->C, and 527 C-->G, thus changing codon 175 from His to Arg (CAT-->CGT) and codon 176 from Ala to Arg (GCG-->CGG). Segregation analysis showed that the proband inherited his mother's HLA haplotype A*1114, B*5801, DRB1*1405. The serologic equivalent of A*1114 is a split antigen HLA-A11.2. A PCR-SSP method was developed to distinguish A*1114 from other A*11 alleles. No further individuals with A*1114 were found in 5000 Chinese bone marrow donors.     

Sequence of HLA-A*6808

A novel HLA-A*68 allele was identified by reference strand conformation analysis of a DNA sample studied for the International Cell Exchange program. Direct sequencing of HLA-A locus PCR products confirmed the presence of A*6602 and an A*68 allele which differed from A*68011 by two nucleotides at positions 538 and 539. The presence of this sequence motif in this allele which has been named A*6808 was verified by DNA sequencing of full-length A*6808 clones. No other coding differences between A*68011 and A*6808 were identified. The two nucleotide substitutions found in A*6808 effect an amino acid difference in the encoded protein at residue 156 within the peptide binding site which may evoke alloreactive immune response after HLA-A68 mismatched transplants.     

HLA-A and HLA-B in Kenya,Africa: allele frequencies and identification of HLA-B*1567 and HLA-B*4426

HLA-A and HLA-B alleles of a population from Kenya, Africa were examined by sequencing exon 2 and exon 3 DNA and typing using a Taxonomy-based Sequence-analysis (TBSA) method. Extensive diversities were observed at both HLA-A and HLA-B loci in this population. Forty-one HLA-A alleles were identified from 159 unrelated individuals. The most frequently observed alleles were A*6802 (11.64%), A*02011/09 (9.75%), A*7401/02 (9.43%), A*3001 (7.86%), A*3002 (7.23%) and A*3601 (6.6%). Forty-nine HLA-B alleles were identified in 161 unrelated individuals, including two novel alleles, B*1567 and B*4426. The most frequently observed HLA-B alleles were B*5301 (9.01%), B*5801 (8.38%), B*4201 (7.76%), B*1503 (7.14%), B*1801 (6.21%), and B*5802 (5.90%). The most frequently observed HLA-A-B haplotypes were A*3601-B*5301 (3.55%) and A*3001-B*4201 (3.19%), followed by A*7401/02-B*5801 (2.84%), A*7401/02-B*5802 (2.84%) and A*02011/09-B*1503 (2.13%). Linkage disequilibrium and chi2 analysis showed the association of these HLA-A-B haplotypes at the antigen level to be significant. The frequencies of HLA-A and HLA-B alleles from the Kenyan population were compared with that of a population from Cameroon. The difference in allele and haplotype frequency distributions partly reflected the different ethnic composition of these two African populations.     

Identification of two new HLA-A alleles,A*2419 and A*3011, by sequence-based typing

In this report, we describe two new HLA-A alleles, A*2419 and A* 3011, that were initially recognized by an aberrant serological pattern. Sequence-based typing revealed sequence differences with other known HLA-A alleles. Allele A*2419 showed 4 nucleotide differences with A*2404, resulting in 4 amino acid differences at codons 70, 76, 77 and 90. Compared with other A*24 alleles, A*2419 lacks the Bw4 motif, as do A*2404 and A*2428. The A*3011 allele showed 2 mismatches with A*3001, resulting in one amino acid difference at codon 80.     

DISTRIBUTION OF HLA-A*28 ALLELES IN A SPANISH POPULATION

DNA oligotyping was used to determine HLA-A28 subtypes in 25 unrelated Caucasian individuals living in or around Seville, Spain. Results showed that HLA-A*6802 was the most frequent allele, found in 14 individuals (53.8%), followed by HLA-68.3, which was present in eight subjects (30.8%), and both combined represented 84.6% of A28⁺ individuals in the area. The HLA-A*6801 allele was found in three individuals (11.5%), whereas HLA-A*6901 was present in one subject only (3.8%). Results indicate that the distribution of HLA-A28 alleles can vary among different Caucasoid populations. In this way, the high frequency obtained for A*6802 supports previous studies suggesting that the HLA-A*6802 allele was prevalent in people of the Mediterranean basin, in contrast to A*6801, prevalent in northern European populations.     

High frequency of HLA-A*0103 allele in a Somali population

We report the existence of class I HLA allele A*0103 in an ethnic group (Somali) where this allele has not been reported. This allele was discovered in a study to examine the relationship between HLA alleles and humoral antibody response to measles vaccine among recent immigrants from Somalia to Olmsted County, Minnesota. We initially used polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) to carry out HLA class I typing. Based on PCR-SSP, 55 subjects were assigned the allele HLA-A*0101. Following direct DNA sequencing of the PCR products, 37 of the 55 subjects (67.3%) that were initially assigned the A*0101 allele were found to actually be A*0103. Our data are significant because it demonstrates that many of the previously typed A*0101 individuals are actually A*0103 as the SSP or sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes method cannot distinguish between the two alleles. Lastly, this is the first identification of this allele in the homozygous state.     

Identification of three novel HLA class I alleles: HLA-A*0261, HLA-B*1585 and HLA-B*1587

Three novel human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles have been characterized by means of direct DNA sequencing analysis. HLA-A* 0261 showed sequence variation at conserved codon. It differs from HLA-A* 020601 by a single-nucleotide substitution at codon 57 (CCG-->GCG) resulting in an amino acid change from Pro to Ala. The sequences of HLA-B*1585 are similar to those of HLA-B*15010101, but differed five nucleotides on exon 3 resulting in three amino acid changes at residues 94 (Thr-->Ile), 95 (Leu-->Ile) and 103 (Val-->Leu). Likewise, HLA-B*1587 is identical to HLA-B*15010101 except at codons 80-83 (Asn-Leu-Arg-Gly-->Ile-Ala-Leu-Arg) which has been replaced by HLA-Bw4 motif. These alleles seemed to be generated by either a point mutation or a gene conversion-like event from alleles existing in the population with high frequencies.     

A new HLA-A*02 allele, A*0234, detected by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP)

A novel HLA-A*02 allele, A*0234, was identified in a potential unrelated bone marrow donor typed by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). Positive reactions obtained upon testing with PCR-SSP did not fit any known combination of alleles indicating the possible presence of a novel allele. Sequencing of clones from this individual revealed the presence of a novel allele, HLA-A*0234. The sequence of exons 2, 3 and part of exon 4 showed that A*0234 differed from A*02011 by a single nucleotide in exon 2 at position 282 (C to G). The nucleotide substitution results in an amino acid change at residue 70 (Histidine to Glutamine) in the alpha1 domain.     

Description of three new HLA-A*02 subtypes in Caucasians: A*0281, A*0289 and A*9224

Three new HLA-A*02 alleles were completely characterized by sequencing-based typing (SBT). A*0281 and A*9224 showed eight clustered amino acid differences into the Bw4/Bw6 epitope at positions 74-83, regarding A*02010101. Both disclosed the same Bw4 motif described for A*25 and A*32 alleles. A*9224 has an additional mismatch at residue 265 (G>V) in the alpha3 domain, which has not been reported for any other human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule. HLA-A*0289 differed from A*02010101 in the conserved amino acid residue 192 (H>Q).