title: Diversity of MHC class I alleles in Spheniscus humboldti.
abstract: The major histocompatibility complex locus (MHC) is a gene region related to immune response and exhibits a remarkably great diversity. We deduced that polymorphisms in MHC genes would help to solve several issues on penguins, including classification, phylogenetic relationship, and conservation. This study aimed to elucidate the structure and diversity of the so far unknown MHC class I gene in a penguin species. The structure of an MHC class I gene from the Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) was determined by using an inverse PCR method. We designed PCR primers to directly determine nucleotide sequences of PCR products from the MHC class I gene and to obtain recombinant clones for investigating the diversity of the MHC class I gene in Humboldt penguins. A total of 24 MHC class I allele sequences were obtained from 40 individuals. Polymorphisms were mainly found in exons 2 and 3, as expected from the nature of MHC class I genes in vertebrate species including birds and mammals. Phylogenetic analyses of MHC class I alleles have revealed that the Humboldt penguin is closely related to the Red Knot (Calidris canutus) belonging to Charadriiformes.
authors.affiliation: College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan. naruse.tis@mri.tmd.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Taeko K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Naruse
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.|Human Life Science, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomi T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.affiliation: College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan. akitis@mri.tmd.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D046429:Spheniscidae
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
keywords: Diversity; MHC class I gene; Penguins; Phylogenetic analysis; Polymorphism