Human H-Y: A Male-Specific Histocompatibility Antigen Derived from the SMCY Protein

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 269; no. 5230; pp. 1588 - 1590
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Meadows, Leslie R., Joke M. M. den Haan, Sherman, Nicholas E., Chen, Ye, Blokland, Els, Shabanowitz, Jeffrey, Agulnik, Alexander I., Hendrickson, Ronald C., Bishop, Colin E., Hunt, Donald F., Goulmy, Els, Engelhard, Victor H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 15.09.1995; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Antigens; B-Lymphocytes; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Epitopes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic loci; Genetics; Graft rejection; H-Y Antigen - chemistry; H-Y Antigen - genetics; H-Y Antigen - immunology; Histocompatibility antigens (hla, h-2 and other systems); Histone Demethylases; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; HLA-B7 Antigen - immunology; Humans; Male; Males; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Mass spectroscopy; Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; Molecular immunology; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Molecules; Organ transplantation; Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating; Pregnancy; Proteins; Proteins - chemistry; Proteins - genetics; Proteins - immunology; Scientific Concepts; Sexes; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Tissue transplantation; Transplantation; Transplantation immunology; Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc; Transplants & implants; X Chromosome; Y Chromosome; Human; Specificity; Immunogenicity; Gene product; Male; Minor histocompatibility system; Identification; Transplantation; Y-Chromosome; H antigen
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.7667640

H-Y is a transplantation antigen that can lead to rejection of male organ and bone marrow grafts by female recipients, even if the donor and recipient match at the major histocompatibility locus of humans, the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) locus. However, the origin and function of H-Y antigens has eluded researchers for 40 years. One human H-Y antigen presented by HLA-B7 was identified as an 11-residue peptide derived from SMCY, an evolutionarily conserved protein encoded on the Y chromosome. The protein from the homologous gene on the X chromosome, SMCX, differs by two amino acid residues in the same region. The identification of H-Y may aid in transplantation prognosis, prenatal diagnosis, and fertilization strategies.