title: Evolution of MHC-G in humans and primates based on three new 3'UT polymorphisms.
abstract: MHC-G is a class Ib (non-classical) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) whose functional and evolutionary characteristics are still under scrutiny. The study of noncoding sequences in the MHC genes may provide important phylogenetic information. In this work we have sequenced the MHC-G exon 8, which encodes for the 3'UT region, in different species of primates. It has been shown that: (1) a previously described 14 base pair (bp) deletion polymorphism is human-specific and the HLA-G alleles may be classified according to its absence or presence; (2) another newly described 3 bp deletion/insertion polymorphism is also human-specific; and (3) another newly described 51 bp deletion polymorphism is common to Pongidae and humans, but is not found in other primates belonging to the Cercopithecinae family. A hypothesis on the evolutionary pathway of this gene is put forward in the light of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Hospital "12 de Octubre," Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Laso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Allende
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rojo-Amigo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Hevilla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Berciano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnaiz-Villena
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011323:Primates / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I