MOLECULAR-CLONING AND POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC OLIGONUCLEOTIDE DETECTION OF THE ALLELE ENCODING THE NOVEL ALLOSPECIFICITY HLA-CW6.2 (CW-ASTERISK-1502) IN SPANISH GYPSIES

A proposed novel allospecificity, HLA-Cw6.2, has been reported to be c ommonly found (approximately 25%) in Spanish Gypsies. Full-length cDNA s of the allele (Cw1502) coding for this antigen have been cloned in this study. A simple PCR-SSO method for its detection has been standar dized and a correlation with the serologic Cw6.2 phenotype has been es tablished. This specificity has been also detected in the homozygous t yping cell RML. Although the primary structures of Cw1502 and Cw*0601 are not closely related, they share specific motifs that may account for their serologic cross-reactivity. Two novel HLA-C alleles (Cw1202 2 and Cw0602) are also reported.