Beta lanac velik je otprilike 26-28 kDa. Kodira ga šest egzona; egzon 1 kodira vodeći peptid, egzoni 2 i 3 kodiraju dva vanćelijska domena, egzon 4 kodira transmembranski domen i egzon 5 kodira citoplazmaatski rep. Unutar DR molekula, beta lanac sadrži sve polimorfizme koji određuju specifičnosti vezivanja peptida. Opisane su stotine DRB1 alela i tipizacija za ove polimorfizme radi se rutinski za transplantaciju koštane srži i bubrega.[5]
DRB1 eksprimiran je na nivou pet puta većem od njegovih paralogaDRB3, DRB4 i DRB5. DRB1 je prisutan kod svih osoba. Alelne varijante DRB1 nisu povezane ni sa jednim ili sa jednim od gena DRB3, DRB4 i DRB5. Prisustvo DRB5 je povezano sa alelnim varijantama DRB1, inače se izostavlja. Postoje četiri srodna pseudogena: DRB2, DRB6, DRB7, DRB8 i DRB9.[5]
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