Structure and expression of the mouse homologue of the XK gene

The human Kx blood group antigen is carried by a 37 000 M-r apparent molecular mass membrane polypeptide which is deficient in rare individuals with the McLeod syndrome. The X-linked human XK gene is transcribed in many tissues including adult skeletal muscle and brain, sieges of disorders observed in McLeod syndrome. We report here the cloning of the orthologous mouse XK mRNA. Comparison of XK from human and mouse revealed 80% sequence similarity at the amino acid level. The mouse XK gene is organized in two exons and is expressed in many tissues, but its expression pattern is slightly different from that of the human gene. The presence in mouse erythrocyte membrane of a 43 000 M-r Kx-related protein was demonstrated by immunoblotting with a rabbit antiserum directed against the human protein. With nonreduced samples, a 140 000 M-r species was detected instead of the 43 000 M-r protein, suggesting that, as demonstrated in the Kx polypeptide might be complexed with another protein in mouse red cells, presumably the homologue of the human Kell protein of 93 000 M-r.