Identification of natural killer cell receptor clusters in the platypus genome reveals an expansion of C-type lectin genes.
Natural killer (NK) cell receptors belong to two unrelated, but functionally analogous gene families: the immunoglobulin superfamily, situated in the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) and the C-type lectin superfamily, located in the natural killer complex (NKC). Here, we describe the largest NK receptor gene expansion seen to date. We identified 213 putative C-type lectin NK receptor homologs in the genome of the platypus. Many have arisen as the result of a lineage-specific expansion. Orthologs of OLR1, CD69, KLRE, CLEC12B, and CLEC16p genes were also identified. The NKC is split into at least two regions of the genome: 34 genes map to chromosome 7, two map to a small autosome, and the remainder are unanchored in the current genome assembly. No NK receptor genes from the LRC were identified. The massive C-type lectin expansion and lack of Ig-domain-containing NK receptors represents the most extreme polarization of NK receptors found to date. We have used this new data from platypus to trace the possible evolutionary history of the NK receptor clusters.
Wong
Emily S W
ES
Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, B19 RMC Gunn, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Sanderson
Claire E
CE
Deakin
Janine E
JE
Whittington
Camilla M
CM
Papenfuss
Anthony T
AT
Belov
Katherine
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D020440:Gene Duplication; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D055261:Immunogenetic Phenomena; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010987:Platypus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell