QA-1b Antibodies

Target Information

The Qa-1b gene is the mouse homolog of the human HLA-E, a non-classical major histocompatibility complex class Ib protein encoded by the T23 gene within the T region of the H-2 complex. Qa-1b plays a crucial role in immune regulation by serving as a ligand for murine CD94/NKG2A natural killer (NK) cell inhibitory receptors. It primarily binds to a nonameric peptide known as the Qa-1 determinant modifier (Qdm), derived from the leader sequence of other MHC class Ia molecules. In mouse melanoma cells, particularly the B16-F10 line, Qa-1b is overexpressed, and its knockdown has been observed to inhibit cell proliferation and migration, while also promoting cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and facilitating apoptosis via the Ras-Raf-MAPK signaling pathway. As such, Qa-1b serves as an oncogenic factor in melanoma models, offering potential therapeutic pathways for cancer treatment. Its non-polymorphic nature contributes to its conserved function across various mouse strains, with only two dominant allelic variants, Qa-1a and Qa-1b. Despite sharing a 73% homology with human HLA-E, differences in peptide repertoires and binding affinities highlight its unique role in murine immune responses.

Synonyms

37b; 37c; H-2 class I histocompatibility antigen, D-37 alpha chain; H2-Q1; H2-Qa1; H-2T23; H2-T23; histocompatibility 2, T region locus 23; MHC class I antigen Qa1; MHC classIb Qa1; Qa1; Qa-1; Qa-1(b); Qed-1; T18c; T18c(37); T23b; T23d