# ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE OF HLA-B27

> **NIH NIH R01** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 1992 · $143,023

## Abstract

Several common human disease states, including ankylosing
spondylitis, post-infectious reactive arthritis, and acute anterior
uveitis, are genetically associated with the serologic marker HLA-
B27.  Persuasive evidence has accumulated that the class 1 major
histocompatibility (MHC) antigen identified as HLA-B27 on cell
surfaces is directly involved in disease pathogenesis.  The
mechanism of this involvement is unknown, but is presumably related
to the unique antigenic structure of the HLA-B27 molecule.  The
overall goal of the proposed experiments is to enlarge
substantially the existing knowledge regarding the antigenic
structure of the HLA-B27 molecule.

This will be accomplished through four specific aims:

1)  A panel of mutant B27 genes will be produced by
oligonucleotide-mediated site-directed mutagenesis; these mutant
genes will encode B27 molecules with amino acid substitutions at
sites predicted to be important in the alloantigenic determinants
of B27.  These molecules will then be expressed in cells in vitro.
2) Transgenic mice expressing either the wild-type HLA-B27 gene,
the mutant HLAB27 genes, or the related HLA-B7 gene will be created
by microinjection of fertilized ova.  3) Monoclonal antibodies with
restricted specificity for HLA-B27 will be generated from trangenic
mice expressing either the B7 gene or mutant B27 genes, immunized
with cells from the wild-type B27 transgenic mice.  4) These
antibodies, along with other monoclonal and polyclonal anti-B27
antibodies, will be tested for binding to the B27 mutant molecules,
and the resulting patterns of reactivity will be used to generate
a computer-assisted map of antigenic determirants on the native B27
molecule, based on the recently published crystallographic map of
HLA-A2.  It is anticipated that this project will provide
sufficient resourses and information for the rational design of
successful experimental models of the pathogenesis of B27-related
disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158488
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038319-06
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** YZJ6DKPM4W63
- **Principal Investigator:** JOEL D TAUROG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $143,023
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1986-07-01 → 1994-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158488

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158488, ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE OF HLA-B27 (5R01AR038319-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158488. Licensed CC0.

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