Unparalleled complexity of the MHC class I region in rhesus macaques.
The highly polymorphic gene products of the classical MHC class I genes in humans (HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C) play a critical role in the immune defense against intracellular infections. Because non-human primates are important models for AIDS vaccine research, rhesus monkeys from a thoroughly pedigreed and serotyped colony were subjected to full-length cDNA analysis of MHC class I gene transcripts. Rhesus macaques express multiple dominant Mamu-A and Mamu-B transcripts (majors) per chromosome, which are characterized by high expression levels. The presence of additional cDNAs with low levels of expression (minors) suggests evidence for transcriptional control of MHC class I genes. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses illustrate that most of the Mamu-A and Mamu-B loci/lineages identified display no or only limited levels of allelic polymorphism. Thus, MHC class I diversity in rhesus macaques is typified by the existence of an unmatched high number of Mamu-A and Mamu-B region configurations that exhibit polymorphism with regard to the number and combination of transcribed loci present per chromosome.
Otting
Nel
N
Department of Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, PO Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands. otting@bprc.nl
Heijmans
Corrine M C
CM
Noort
Riet C
RC
de Groot
Natasja G
NG
Doxiadis
Gaby G M
GG
van Rood
Jon J
JJ
Watkins
David I
DI
Bontrop
Ronald E
RE
D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006681:HLA-D Antigens