The structure of HLA-B35 suggests that it is derived from HLA-Bw58 by two genetic mechanisms.

The primary structure of HLA-B51 and HLA-Bw52 suggested that HLA-B51 was derived from HLA-Bw52 by the combination of a genetic exchange with HLA-B8 and a point mutation. To investigate the evolution of the HLA-B5 cross reactive group, the HLA-B35 gene was cloned and the primary structure was determined. HLA-B35 is identical to HLA-Bw58 except in the alpha 1 domain. The alpha 1 domain of HLA-B35 except Bw4/Bw6-associated amino acids is identical to that of HLA-B51, which was suspected to be an intermediate gene between HLA-B51 and HLA-Bw52. These data suggest that HLA-B35 has evolved from HLA-Bw58 in two steps; an in vivo replacement of the alpha 1 domain with HLA-B51 and genetic exchange with one of the HLA-Bw6 genes. These three genes and HLA-Bw58 are postulated to share a common ancestor. As HLA class I molecules of a serologically cross-reactive group (CREG) have limited polymorphism, we suspected they might have evolved from a common ancestor. In fact, the structures of HLA-B51 and HLA-Bw52 in HLA-B5 CREG demonstrate that they differ by only two amino acids. Both substitutions are in the helical region of the alpha 1 domain and suggest that HLA-B51 could be derived from HLA-Bw52 by the combination of a genetic exchange with HLA-B8 and a point mutation (Hayashi et al. 1989). HLA-B35 belongs to the HLA-B5 CREG and is serologically related to Bw6, while HLA-B5 (B51 and Bw52) is related to Bw4. HLA-B35 is serologically closer to HLA-B51 than to HLA-Bw52. Therefore, we have cloned a genomic gene of HLA-B35 and determined its structure to study further the evolution of the HLA-B5 family.