title: Conservation of MHC class II DOA sequences among carnivores.
abstract: We obtained the nucleotide sequence for most of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DOA locus for Weddell, leopard, northern elephant, and southern elephant seals and from the coyote and compared them to all known DOA data available to date. We found generally low levels of interspecific polymorphisms, providing further support for stabilizing selection acting on the DOA locus. This suggests that DO gene products play a substantial functional role in the regulation of antigen presentation. A seven-amino-acid motif of VWRLPEF was found to be conserved across all DOA sequences and may be a DO-specific recognition element.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Soll
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lehman
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000235:genetics; D002335:Carnivora / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D006681:HLA-D Antigens; C046148:HLA-DO antigens