Abstract
HLA-B and C are related class I genes which are believed to have arisen by duplication of a common ancestor. Previous study showed the presence of orthologues for both HLA-B and C in African apes but only for HLA-B in Asian apes. These observations suggested that the primate C locus evolved subsequent to the divergence of the Pongidae and Hominidae. From an analysis of orangutan Tengku two HLA-C-like alleles (Popy C*0101 and Popy C*0201) were defined as well as three HLA-B-like (Popy-B) alleles. By contrast, no Popy-C alleles were obtained from orangutan Hati, although three Popy-B alleles were defined. Thus an HLA-C-like locus exists in the orangutan (as well as a duplicated B locus), implying that the primate C locus evolved prior to the divergence of the Pongidae and Hominidae and is at least 12–13 million years old. Uncertain is whether all orangutan MHC haplotypes contain a C locus, as the failure to find C alleles in some individuals could be due to a mispairing of HLA-C-specific primers with certain Popy-C alleles. These results raise the possibilities that other primate species have a C locus and that the regulation of natural killer cells by C allotypes evolved earlier in primate evolution than has been thought.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 18 January 1999 / Revised: 23 March 1999
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Adams, E., Thomson, G. & Parham, P. Evidence for an HLA-C-like locus in the orangutan Pongo pygmaeus . Immunogenetics 49, 865–871 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002510050566
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002510050566