Changes in the coding sequence of the H-2D^k gene of metastatic cells that might account for immunogenic abnormality of its encoded antigen

In previous studies we have demonstrated that metastic cells, derived from T-10 fibrosarcoma, express an immunogenically abnormal H-2D^k glycoprotein which is involved in manifesting their metastatic phenotype. In the present study we show that these cells contain a remarkably high level of H-2D^k specific mRNA. Moreover, by cloning cDNA of this gene and analyzing its nucleotide sequence, we found 4 single nucleotide changes. Two of them did not change the encoded amino acids, whereas the others resulted in two amino acid substitutions in the α-2 domain of the protein product that might account for its immunogenic abnormality.