Polymorphism of human C2 detected by immunoblotting

An MHC (HLA-A, -B, C2, BF, HLA-DR, GLO1) haplotype study of 497 Danish normal families with 1970 children including 97 twin pairs

Extended MHC haplotypes comprising HLA-A, -B, -DR, C2, BF and GLO1 loci observed in the parents of 497 Danish normal families are presented, with particular regard to the haplotypes that include BF variants or the C2*2 allele. The known association of HLA-B35, -DR1 with both -A3 and -A11 appeared to depend upon the BF type: HLA-B35, BF*S, -DR1 is strongly associated with -A11, whereas -B35,BF*F,-DR1 is strongly associated with -A3. Further, in the present material DZ twins of the same sex shared HLA-haplotypes more often than did twin pairs of different sex.

Linkage between serum cholinesterase 2 (CHE2) and gamma-crystallin gene cluster (CRYG): assignment to chromosome 2

Serum cholinesterase 2 (CHE2) was examined in a Danish material of normal families that has been tested earlier for 70-78 classical marker systems and 25 RFLP systems. DNA for RFLP typing was provided by transforming 16-year-old frozen lymphocytes. The frequency of allele CHE2*C5+ in the Danish population was found to be 0.0430. The highest lod score was between CHE2 and the gamma-crystallin gene cluster (CRYG) (zeta = 4.21 at theta = 0.00 in females). The scores were from a single family with 15 children. CHE2 may, accordingly, be assigned to the location of CRYG: chromosome 2, bands q33-q35.

Recombination within the class III region by a double cross over event

Analysis of class I, class II, and class III gene products of the human MHC in a Caucasoid family with four children gave evidence for a double crossing over event in monozygotic twins between the C2, Bf/C4A, C4B gene loci. In view of the small genetic distance between C2 and C4, a point mutation within the Bf locus must be considered alternatively.

The second component of human complement: use of glycosidases and glucosylation to distinguish the two forms

The two forms of human plasma C2 that were described in the preceding report (1) were investigated for their functional and biochemical differences. Incubation with the neuraminidase (NAN'dase) of Clostridium perfringens at 37 degrees C resulted in a four- to fivefold increase in the hemolytic activity of both forms. The increase in activity was different than the increase caused by treatment with iodine. The mechanism of increased activity of NAN'dase-treated C2 was the generation of increased molecules of activated C3 (C3b), resulting in more molecules of C5 binding to (C4b, 2a, 3b)n. Removal of N-acetyl-neuraminate from C2 did not alter its binding to a cationic exchanger. Nonenzymatic glucosylation was used to distinguish the two forms of C2. Incubation of highly pure C2 with 14C-D-glucose resulted in the gradual accumulation of radioactivity in acid-precipitable material. The two forms of C2 were glucosylated in vitro for seven days with 14C-D-glucose in phosphate-buffered saline at 25 degrees C. Form 2 bound twice as much 14C-D-glucose as form 1. Glucosylated form 2, but not form 1, lost some of its affinity to bind to a cationic exchanger. Since the interaction between glucose and protein occurs at free amino groups, we conclude that form 2 of C2 has approximately twice as many free amino groups as form 1. This explains the reason for the existence of two forms of C2 in plasma independent of the allelic variant.

The second component of human complement: detection of two hemolytic forms in plasma by pH variation

The second component of human complement (C2) in pseudoglobulin prepared from normal plasma eluted as a single peak at high conductivity (30 mS) and pH 4.5 from the cationic exchangers S-Sepharose or Mono S in the Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) System. The C2 was stable at pH 4.5 and 0 degrees C if enzyme inhibitors were used and the pH was raised to 6.0 after elution from the columns. After rechromatography on Mono S in the FPLC System at the median isoelectric point of 5.5 or pH 6.0, the C2 eluted as two distinct hemolytic forms: the first peaked at 16 mS, the second at 30 mS. The two forms of C2 did not correlate with the allotypic variant of C2 in individual, normal human plasmas. After elution at pH 4.5 from S-Sepharose and rechromatography at pH 5.5 or 6.0 on Mono S, the hemolytic activities of the two forms in individual plasmas eluted in 3 patterns: 1) high activity at 16 mS, low activity at 30 mS; 2) low activity at 16 mS, high activity at 30 mS; 3) high activity at 16 mS, high activity at 30 mS. The specific activities of both forms were approximately the same; both eluted the same after gel filtration at pH 5.5, and both had the same pattern on SDS-PAGE and immunoblots. The pattern of elution was characteristic for each individual plasma, and the first hemolytic form appeared to elute independent of the second form. At pH 4.5, C2 was completely separated from Factor B, a functionally and structurally similar protein of the alternative complement pathway, whereas at pH 5.5 or 6.0, the two proteins eluted together. From these results, the two forms of hemolytic C2 can be purified for structural and functional analyses.