A family of MHC class I-like genes located in the vicinity of the XXXX leukocyte receptor complex.

@entity1 @entity1531 @entity19 @entity70975 @entity1532 @entity70974
Some members of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I gene family are encoded outside the MHC. Here we describe a family of @entity19 class I-like genes mapping to the vicinity of the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) on chromosome 7. This family, which we call Mill (MHC class I-like located near the LRC), has two members designated @entity70974 and @entity70975 . Both genes are predicted to encode membrane glycoproteins with domain organization essentially similar to that of MHC class I heavy chains. The following features of Mill are noteworthy. (i) The deduced MILL proteins lack most of the residues known to be involved in the docking of peptides in classical MHC class I molecules. (ii) Among the known members of the class I gene family, @entity70974 and @entity70975 are related most closely to @entity1531 / @entity1532 encoded in the @entity1 MHC. (iii) Unlike all other known members of the class I gene family, @entity70974 and @entity70975 have an exon between those coding for the signal peptide and the alpha1 domain. (iv) @entity70974 has a more restricted expression profile than @entity70975 . (v) The gene orthologous to @entity70974 or @entity70975 apparently is absent in the @entity1 . (vi) @entity70974 and @entity70975 show a limited degree of polymorphism in laboratory @entity19 . The observation that the Mill family is related most closely to the MIC family, together with its apparent absence in the @entity1 , suggests its involvement in innate immunity.
