title: Evolutionary dynamics of non-coding sequences within the class II region of the human MHC.
abstract: About 40% (350 kb) of the human MHC class II region has been sequenced and a coordinated effort to sequence the entire MHC is underway. In addition to the coding information (22 genes/pseudogenes), the non-coding sequences reveal novel information on the organisation and evolution of the MHC as demonstrated here by the example of a 200 kb contig that has been analysed for local and global features. In conjunction with cross-species comparisons, our results present new evidence on the structure of isochores, the evolutionary dynamics of repeat-mediated recombination and its effect on certain MHC encoded genes, and a higher than average degree of natural polymorphism that has implications for sequencing the human genome. We also report the finding of a class I-related pseudogene (HLA-ZI) in the middle of the class II region, which provides the first direct evidence for DNA exchange between these two related regions in man.
authors.affiliation: DNA Sequencing Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdulla
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Alderton
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Glynne
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Gut
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hosking
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanseau
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radley
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trowsdale
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011544:Pseudogenes / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity