Sequence analysis of the MHC class II DPB1 gene in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

• Published in: International journal of immunogenetics 2005-06, Vol.32 (3), p.187-192
• Main Authors: Bak, E.-J., Ishii, Y., Omatsu, T., Kyuwa, S., Hayasaka, I., Yoshikawa, Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Genotype; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; Histocompatibility Testing; HLA-DP Antigens - genetics; HLA-DP Antigens - isolation & purification; HLA-DP beta-Chains; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Pan troglodytes; Pan troglodytes - genetics; Pan troglodytes - immunology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Genetic; Primates; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
• ISSN: 1744-3121; 1744-313X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-313X.2005.00506.x

Summary The diversity of the MHC class II region in non‐human primates is a focus of biomedical research because this region plays a crucial role in the recognition of antigens in the immune system. In particular, the chimpanzee [Pan troglodytes (Patr)], which belongs to the superfamily Hominoidea, has been used as a human model for the study of diseases such as human hepatitis C virus (HCV), human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, to which only humans and chimpanzees are susceptible. In the present study, polymorphisms of the MHC‐DPB1 gene (Patr‐DPB1) in a chimpanzee colony in Japan were examined using a stepwise polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. In order to design a suitable primer pair which would amplify exon 2 of the Patr‐DPB1 gene, a fragment of approximately 8 kb from exon 1 to exon 3 was amplified from chimpanzee genomic DNA. After designing a 500‐bp primer pair at the 3′ region of intron 1 and the 5′ region of intron 2, analysis of DPB1 exon 2 alleles of each chimpanzee was carried out. Twenty‐two chimpanzees were used in our study, and we identified seven alleles by sequence analysis on the Patr‐DPB1 gene, including one new allele. The obtained nucleotide sequence patterns suggest that Patr‐DPB1 alleles emerge by genetic variations such as the exchange of sequence motifs and the accumulation of point mutations.