HLA-DQA1 Antibody

Background:

HLA-DQA1 belongs to the HLA class II alpha chainparalogues. The class II molecule is a heterodimer consisting of analpha (DQA) and a beta chain (DQB), both anchored in the membrane.It plays a central role in the immune system by presenting peptidesderived from extracellular proteins. Class II molecules areexpressed in antigen presenting cells (APC: B Lymphocytes,dendritic cells, macrophages). The alpha chain is approximately33-35 kDa. It is encoded by 5 exons; exon 1 encodes the leaderpeptide, exons 2 and 3 encode the two extracellular domains, andexon 4 encodes the transmembrane domain and the cytoplasmic tail.Within the DQ molecule both the alpha chain and the beta chaincontain the polymorphisms specifying the peptide bindingspecificities, resulting in up to four different molecules. Typingfor these polymorphisms is routinely done for bone marrowtransplantation.