Characterisation of MHC class II DRB genes in the northern tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri)

• Published in: Immunogenetics (New York) Vol. 62; no. 9; pp. 613 - 622
• Main Authors: Oppelt, Claus, Wutzler, Rebecca, von Holst, Dietrich
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.09.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Allergology; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antigens; Balancing selection; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Evolution, Molecular; Exons; Exons - genetics; Gene Function; Genes; Genes, MHC Class II; Genes, MHC Class II - genetics; genetics; Haplotypes; Haplotypes - genetics; HLA-DR Antigens; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; Human Genetics; Immune system; Immunology; major histocompatibility complex; Molecular Sequence Data; Original Paper; Parasites; Peptide binding region; Peptides; Phylogeny; Physiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphism, Genetic - genetics; Positive selection; Proteins; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Tupaia; Tupaiidae; Tupaiidae - genetics; Vertebrates; Germany; Peptide binding region; Balancing selection; Major histocompatibility complex; Positive selection; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0093-7711; 1432-1211; 1432-1211
• DOI: 10.1007/s00251-010-0466-8

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mainly code for proteins of the immune system of jawed vertebrates. In particular, MHC class I and II cell surface proteins are crucial for the self/non-self discrimination of the adaptive immune system and are the most polymorphic genes in vertebrates. Positive selection, gene duplications and pseudogenes shape the face of the MHC and reflect a highly dynamic evolution. Here, we present for the first time data of the highly polymorphic MHC class II DRB exon 2 of a representative of the mammalian order scandentia, the northern tree shrew Tupaia belangeri. We found up to eight different alleles per individual and determined haplotype constitution by intensively studying their inheritance. The alleles were assigned to four putative loci, all of which were polymorphic. Only the most polymorphic locus was subject to positive selection within the antigen binding sites and only alleles of this locus were transcribed.