title: Identification of novel chimpanzee MHC class I and II alleles using an improved sequence-based typing strategy.
abstract: The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a valuable model for the study of infection with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus, to which only humans and chimpanzees are susceptible. Because the cellular immune response plays a crucial role in host defense against these viruses, the analysis of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (Patr) class I and II allele diversity in chimpanzees is essential for immune response analysis and vaccine development. In the present study, we report a novel, rapid, and sensitive sequence-based typing strategy to identify polymorphisms of the principal Patr class I (Patr-A and Patr-B) and Patr class II (Patr-DQB1 and Patr-DRB1) alleles. Using this method we identified seven novel Patr alleles in 17 chimpanzees, one of them present in 3 chimpanzees. Furthermore, we detected heterozygosity more rapidly and with higher sensitivity than was done with previous techniques that were based on reverse transcription and amplification of messenger RNA followed by molecular cloning and sequencing.
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Oncology I, Department of Pre-clinical and Epidemiological Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS-National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN) Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caggiari
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Simula
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzotto
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiina
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rehermann
authors.forename: Valli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Re
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*