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HEREDITAS ›› 2012, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (11): 1417-1426.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2012.01417

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Polymorphic analysis of Mhc-DPB1 gene exon 2 in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana)

LI Jia-Yi1, YAO Yong-Fang1, ZHOU Li-ang2, XU Huai-Liang1   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China 2. Institute of Laboratory Animals of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610212, China
  • Received:2012-08-31 Revised:2012-10-22 Online:2012-11-20 Published:2012-11-25
  • Contact: Xu E-mail:huailxu@yahoo.com

Abstract: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules play an important role in the susceptibility and/or resistance to many diseases. To gain an insight into the MHC background of the Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana), and thereby facilitate their protection and application in biomedical research, the second exon of the Mhc-DPB1 genes from 70 Tibetan macaques in Sichuan Province were characterized by PCR, cloning, sequencing, and statistical analysis. A total of 18 Mhc-DPB1 alleles were identified from Tibetan macaques, of which one (Math-DPB1*01:06N) was a pseudogene. Math-DPB1*06:01:01 (67.14%) was the most frequent allele in all the 18 alleles detected, followed by Math-DPB1* 01:03:01 (37.14%), Math-DPB1*09:02 (25.71%), and Math-DPB1*22:01 (15.71%). The alignment of putative amino acid sequences of the 18 Math-DPB1 alleles showed that 5 variable sites were species-specific to Tibetan macaques. A phylogenetic tree constructed using DPB1 alleles in difference species demonstrated that the alleles for Math-DPB1, Mamu-DPB1, and Mafa-DPB1 tended to mix together, rather than cluster into a separate branch in a species-specific fashion, and the Trans-species polymorphism was also observed in the phylogenetic tree. Selection analysis revealed that balancing selection may play an important role in maintaining the polymorphism of Math-DPB1 genes.

Key words: Macaca thibetana, major histocompatibility complex class II, DPB1 gene, genetic poly-morphism, trans-species polymorphism