title: Characterization of pig-tailed macaque classical MHC class I genes: implications for MHC evolution and antigen presentation in macaques.
abstract: MHC-dependent CD8(+) T cell responses have been associated with control of viral replication and slower disease progression during lentiviral infections. Pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), two nonhuman primate species commonly used to model HIV infection, can exhibit distinct clinical courses after infection with different primate lentiviruses. As an initial step in assessing the role of MHC class I restricted immune responses to these infections, we have cloned and characterized classical MHC class I genes of pig-tailed macaques and have identified 19 MHC class I alleles (Mane) orthologous to rhesus macaque MHC-A, -B, and -I genes. Both Mane-A and Mane-B loci were found to be duplicated, and no MHC-C locus was detected. Pig-tailed and rhesus macaque MHC-A alleles form two groups, as defined by 14 polymorphisms affecting mainly their B peptide-binding pockets. Furthermore, an analysis of multiple pig-tailed monkeys revealed the existence of three MHC-A haplotypes. The distribution of these haplotypes in various Old World monkeys provides new insights about MHC-A evolution in nonhuman primates. An examination of B and F peptide-binding pockets in rhesus and pig-tailed macaques suggests that their MHC-B molecules present few common peptides to their respective CTLs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Bernard A P
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lafont
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buckler-White
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Plishka
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buckler
authors.forename: Malcolm A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005819:Genetic Markers; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008254:Macaca nemestrina / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000276:immunology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D010446:Peptide Fragments