The Journal of Immunology, Vol 140, Issue 11 3858-3866, Copyright © 1988 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Further characterization of the membrane anchor found on the tissue- specific class I molecule Qa2

MJ Soloski, A Lattimore, D Hereld, JL Krakow, MG Low and G Einhorn
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Previous studies have determined that various Qa2 serologic determinants can be removed from the surface of spleen cells by treatment with a phospholipase C. Our studies have determined that the class I molecule Qa2, expressed on the surface of spleen cells and activated T cells, behaves as an integral membrane protein based on its ability to associate with detergent micelles. Studies utilizing two purified phospholipase C have revealed that although most (90 to 95%) of the Qa2 molecules expressed on the surface of resting spleen cells are released as intact 40-kDa polypeptides associated with beta 2- microglobulin, activated T cells contain a major cell subpopulation expressing lipase-resistant Qa2 molecules. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that L3T4+-activated T cells expressed lipase-sensitive Qa2 molecules, whereas Lyt-2+ cells express lipase-resistant forms of the Qa2 molecule. The relationship between the secreted form of the Qa2 molecule and the lipase-generated soluble Qa2 molecule was investigated. Based on SDS-PAGE analysis, the secreted Qa2 molecules has a Mr of 39 kDa whereas the cell surface form released from either resting spleen or activated T cells by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C has a Mr of approximately equal to 40 kDa. Furthermore, the secreted Qa2 molecule lacks an epitope, cross-reacting determinant, often present on lipase-solubilized cell surface molecules. Thus, based on serologic and biochemical criteria, the soluble Qa2 molecules generated by an exogenous phospholipase C and the secreted Qa2 molecule are structurally distinct.