DRB Haplotypes

In terms of HLA, the DRB genes are unique, in that the DRB1 group will determine which other DRB genes are present on that haplotype. The diagram below shows the common DRB haplotypes (shown in the blue boxes), and shows which DRB1 groups are associated with which DRB genes, either expressed genes (white boxes) or pseudogenes (grey boxes).

DR1 haplotype - DRB1*01 and DRB1*10 groups will typically have DRB6 and DRB9 genes on the same haplotype.
DR51 haplotype - DRB1*15 and DRB1*16 groups will typically have DRB6, DRB5 and DRB9 genes on the same haplotype.
DR52 haplotype - DRB1*03, DRB1*11, DRB1*12, DRB1*13 and DRB1*14 groups will typically have DRB2, DRB3 and DRB9 genes on the same haplotype.
DR8 haplotype - DRB1*08 group will typically only have DRB9 genes on the same haplotype.
DR54 haplotype - DRB1*04, DRB1*07 and DRB1*09 groups will typically have DRB7, DRB8, DRB4 and DRB9 genes on the same haplotype.

The HLA gene system is highly complex. While these haplotype groups are commonly found across individuals, exceptions can occur.

This figure is based on one previously published in the 1990 HLA Nomenclature report, which stated the presence of DRB9 was not confirmed.

JG Bodmer, SGE Marsh, ED Albert, WF Bodmer, B Dupont, HA Erlich, B Mach, WR Mayr, P Parham, T Sasazuki, GMTh Schreuder, JL Strominger, A Svejgaard, PI Terasaki Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, 1990. Tissue Antigens. 1992 39:161-73 (Download PDF)

In more recent work, the paper Complex genetic variation in nearly complete human genomes suggests the presence of DRB9 on these haplotypes.

GA. Logsdon, P Ebert, PA Audano, M Loftus, D Porubsky, J Ebler, F Yilmaz, P Hallast, T Prodanov, DA Yoo, CA Paisie, WT Harvey, X Zhao, GV Martino, M Henglin, KM Munson, K Rabbani, CS Chin, B Gu, H Ashraf, S Scholz, O Austine-Orimoloye, P Balachandran, MJ Bonder, H Cheng, Z Chong, J Crabtree, M Gerstein, LA Guethlein, P Hasenfeld, G Hickey, K Hoekzema, SE Hunt, M Jensen, Y Jiang, S Koren, Y Kwon, C Li, H Li, J Li, PJ Norman, KK Oshima, B Paten, AM Phillippy, NR Pollock, T Rausch, M Rautiainen, Y Song, A Söylev, A Sulovari, L Surapaneni, V Tsapalou, W Zhou, Y Zhou, Q Zhu, MC Zody, RE Mills, SE Devine, X Shi, ME Talkowski, MJP Chaisson, AT Dilthey, MK Konkel, JO Korbel, C Lee, CR Beck, EE Eichler & T Marschall Complex genetic variation in nearly complete human genomes. 2025 644:430-441(Download PDF)