[Identification of a novel KIR3DL3*064 allele by cDNA cloning and sequencing].

OBJECTIVE To report on a novel KIR3DL3 allele identified in a southern Han Chinese individual. METHODS Peripheral blood sample was collected from a voluntary blood donor with inconclusive result by KIR3DL3 sequence-based typing (SBT). Total mRNA was extracted and subjected to reverse transcription to obtain KIR3DL3 cDNA, which was then amplified by PCR with a pair of KIR3DL3-specific primers. The product was subjected to cDNA cloning and sequencing. RESULTS cDNA cloning and sequencing have identified a wide-type KIR3DL3*00802 allele and a novel KIR3DL3*064 allele. The latter differed from KIR3DL3*00601 by a missense variant at codon 374[c.1184 C>T (p.Thr374Ile)] in exon 9. The novel KIR3DL3 allele has been officially assigned by the KIR subcommittee of World Health Organization Nomenclature Committee for factors of HLA system. CONCLUSION cDNA cloning and sequencing may be used to distinguish inconclusive results in KIR3DL3 SBT in order to identify novel KIR alleles.