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Comparative genomics of major histocompatibility complexes

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Abstract

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a gene dense region found in all jawed vertebrates examined to date. The MHC contains a high percentage of immune genes, in particular genes involved in antigen presentation, which are generally highly polymorphic. The region plays an important role in disease resistance. The clustering of MHC genes could be advantageous for co-evolution or regulation, and its study in many species is desirable. Even though some linkage of MHC genes is apparent in all gnathostomes, the genomic organization can differ greatly by species, suggesting rapid evolution of MHC genes after divergence from a common ancestor. Previous reviews of comparative MHC organization have been written when relatively fragmentary sequence and mapping data were available on many species. This review compares maps of MHC gene orders in commonly studied species, where extensive sequencing has been performed.

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Notes

  1. The adaptive immune is traditionally thought to be possessed by only jawed vertebrates, due to, among other factors, the emergence of rearranging immunoglobulin segments (Kaufman 2002). However, a recent study has shown that a jawless vertebrate rearranges leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules to create varying lymphocyte receptors useful in an adaptive response (Pancer et al. 2004). Therefore, given the presence of a type of adaptive immune system in lampreys (Flajnik 2004), the definition of adaptive immune system and the accepted evolutionary date of its emergence will likely be a topic of discussion in the immediate future.

  2. In mice and rats, the centromeric H2-K and RT1-A genes are still closely linked to TAP genes.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Martin Flajnik and Pierre Pontarotti for useful comments regarding this review.

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  1. Immunology Division, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK

    James Kelley & John Trowsdale

  2. Department of Primate Genetics, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany

    Lutz Walter

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  1. James Kelley
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Correspondence to John Trowsdale.

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Kelley, J., Walter, L. & Trowsdale, J. Comparative genomics of major histocompatibility complexes. Immunogenetics 56, 683–695 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-004-0717-7

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