High impact information on HLA-DRB2

• In this report, HLA-DR antigens, which are class II molecules, are investigated by advanced DNA typing in addition to classical serological typing to study a more complex genotype of HLA-DRB2 [1].
• To shed light on the origin of the haplotype, we sequenced 1480 nucleotides of the HLA-DRB2 gene and long stretches of two other genes, Gogo-DRB2 from a gorilla, "Sylvia" and Patr-DRB2 from a chimpanzee, "Hugo". All three sequences (HLA-DRB2, Gogo-DRB2, Patr-DRB2) are pseudogenes [2].
• When the nucleotide sequences of these three genes are compared to those of all other known DRB genes, the HLA-DRB2 is seen as most closely related to Gogo-DRB2, indicating orthologous relationship between the two sequences [2].
• The HLA-DRB2 and Gogo-DRB2 pseudogenes lack exon 2 and contain a twenty-nucleotide deletion in exon 3, which destroys the correct translational reading frame and obliterates the highly conserved cysteine residue at position 173 [2].
• Using a statistical method, five genes were identified in these regions, including serine protease inhibitor, Kazal type, 5 (SPINK5) and HLA-DRB2 [3].

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