The mouse antigens coded for by the TLa complex, in normal animals only found on intrathymic lymphocytes, but also seen on leukaemic cells (hence, thymus leukaemia antigen) in certain forms of the disease in mice. The molecules have structures similar in some ways to Class I MHC products but are disulphide bonded tetramers of two 45 kD chains and two 12 kD chains of _2 microglobulin type.
(18 Nov 1997)