title: Expansion of genes that encode MHC class I molecules in cyprinid fishes.
abstract: We have analyzed the genomic genes and the mRNA that encode MHC class I molecules in cyprinid fishes, namely, the ginbuna crucian carp (Carassius auratus langsdorfii) and the carp (Cyprinus carpio). The presence of several distinct class I genes was revealed in the genome of cyprinid fishes, and distinct class I genes that are expressed in carp cells were identified. The sequences of the alpha 3 domain of these class I genes are relatively well conserved, whereas the sequences of the respective alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains have diverged from one another. A comparison of the sequences expressed in carp with the sequences of the human classical class I molecules revealed that several amino acids in the peptide-binding region, including those that have been proposed to interact with antigenic peptide termini, are highly conserved. The present study demonstrated a dynamic expansion of the genes that encode MHC class I molecules in teleost fish whose ancestor branched off from the vertebrate line leading to mammals more than 400 million years ago.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurosawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002347:Carps / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000737:chemistry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides