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The MHC E locus in macaques is polymorphic and is conserved between macaques and humans

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Abstract

Although the functions of the molecules encoded by the classical MHC class I loci are well defined, no function has been ascribed to the molecules encoded by the non-classical MHC class I loci. To investigate the evolution and conservation of the non-classical loci, we cloned and sequenced HLA-E homologues in macaques. We isolated four E locus alleles from five rhesus monkeys and two E locus alleles from one cynomolgus monkey, which indicated that the E locus in macaques is polymorphic. We also compared the rate of nucleotide substitution in the second intron of the macaque and human E locus alleles with that of exons two and three. The rate of nucleotide substitution was significantly higher in the introns, which suggested that the E locus has evolved under selective pressure. Additionally, comparison of the rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions in the peptide binding region versus the remainder of the molecule suggested that the codons encoding the amino acids in the peptide binding region had been conserved in macaques and humans over the 36 million years since macaques and humans last shared a common ancestor.

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Author notes

  1. Stephen N. McAdam

    Present address: Molecular Immunology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, Oxford, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, 1220 Capitol Court, 53715, Madison, WI, USA

    Jonathan E. Boyson, Stephen N. McAdam & Thaddeus G. Golos

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Wisconsin, 1220 Capitol Court, 53715, Madison, WI, USA

    David I. Watkins

  3. Molecular Immunology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, Oxford, UK

    Awen Gallimore & Frances M. Gotch

  4. University of Maryland at Baltimore, 655 West Baltimore Street Bressler 13, 21201, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Xiaomin Liu

  5. Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    Austin L. Hughes

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  1. Jonathan E. Boyson
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Additional information

The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession numbers UO2976–UO2981

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Boyson, J.E., McAdam, S.N., Gallimore, A. et al. The MHC E locus in macaques is polymorphic and is conserved between macaques and humans. Immunogenetics 41, 59–68 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182314

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182314

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