Chimpanzee MHC class I A locus alleles are related to only one of the six families of human A locus alleles.
There are nearly 50 alleles at the highly polymorphic HLA-A class I locus that fall into six distinct families. To determine the allelic repertoire and the mechanism of generation of diversity of the A locus in primates we have analyzed A locus alleles from 28 apparently unrelated chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). We have, therefore, compared the sequences of 19 HLA-A homologues from chimpanzees and bonobos to 42 HLA-A sequences. HLA-A homologues were well preserved in chimpanzees and bonobos with very few new substitutions present in the A locus alleles of both species of chimpanzee. Surprisingly, all chimpanzees and bonobos expressed A locus alleles related to only one of the six families of human HLA-A alleles. This suggests that the common ancestor of these two species either passed through a genetic bottleneck or that selection has favored the maintenance of the HLA-A1, -A3, -A11 family in chimpanzees.
McAdam
S N
SN
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, Madison, USA.
Boyson
J E
JE
Liu
X
X
Garber
T L
TL
Hughes
A L
AL
Bontrop
R E
RE
Watkins
D I
DI
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D015186:Hominidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D017931:DNA Primers; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D004247:DNA