Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular cloning and characterization of the polymorphic MHC class II DBB from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii)

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Immunogenetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been characterized in all extant lineages of mammals. The tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) is well established as a model marsupial species; however, no classical MHC sequences have been described from this species. We have isolated two MHC class II β-chain sequences from a tammar wallaby spleen cDNA library using a tammar MHC class II β probe. These sequences belong to the marsupial MHC class II DBB gene family. Two additional DBB sequences were amplified from tammar wallaby genomic DNA. All four sequences were obtained from the same individual, indicating that there are at least two DBB loci in the tammar wallaby.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Adamski FM, Demmer J (2000) Immunological protection of the vulnerable marsupial pouch young: two periods of immune transfer during lactation in Trichosurus vulpecula (brushtail possum). Dev Comp Immunol 24:491–502

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashman RB, Papadimitriou JM (1975) Development of lymphoid tissue in a marsupial, Setonix brachyurus (quokka). Acta Anat (Basel) 91:594–611

    Google Scholar 

  • Auffray C, Novotny J (1986) Speculations on sequence homologies between the fibronectin cell-attachment site, major histocompatibility antigens, and a putative AIDS virus polypeptide. Hum Immunol 15:381–390

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Basden K, Cooper DW, Deane EM (1997) Development of the lymphoid tissues of the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii. Reprod Fertil Dev 9:243–254

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bell RG, Lynch NR, Turner KJ (1974) Immunoglobulins of the marsupial Setonix brachyurus (Quokka). Characterization of three major serum classes, IgG2, IgG1 and IgM. Immunology 27:1103–1115

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belov K, Nguyen MA, Zenger KR, Cooper DW (2002) Ontogeny of immunoglobulin expression in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Dev Comp Immunol 26:599–602

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belov K, Lam MK, Hellman L, Colgan DJ (2003) Evolution of the major histocompatibility complex: Isolation of class II beta cDNAs from two monotremes, the platypus and the short-beaked echidna. Immunogenetics 55:402–411

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown JH, Jardetzky TS, Gorga JC, Stern LJ, Urban RG, Strominger JL, Wiley DC (1993) Three-dimensional structure of the human class II histocompatibility antigen HLA-DR1. Nature 364:33–39

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brozek CM, Kaleta EW, Kusewitt DF, Ley RD (1992) Proliferative responses of lymphocytes to mitogens in the gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 31:11–19

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Croix DA, Samples NK, Vandeberg JL, Stone WH (1989) Immune response of a marsupial (Monodelphis domestica) to sheep red blood cells. Dev Comp Immunol 13:73–78

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deane EM, Cooper DW, Renfree MB (1990) Immunoglobulin G levels in fetal and newborn tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii). Reprod Fertil Dev 2:369–375

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doolin EE, Wedlock DN, Buddle BM, Skinner MA (2002) Mucosal immunity in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): detection of antibody in serum and at female reproductive sites after intranasal immunization. Immunol Cell Biol 80:358–363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison GA, Young LJ, Watson CM, Miska KB, Miller RD, Deane EM (2003) A survey of type I interferons from a marsupial and monotreme: implications for the evolution of the type I interferon gene family in mammals. Cytokine 21:105–119

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hemsley SW, Canfield PJ, Husband AJ (1995) Immunohistological staining of lymphoid tissue in four Australian marsupial species using species cross-reactive antibodies. Immunol Cell Biol 73:321–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinds LA, Poole WE, Tyndale-Biscoe CH, van Oorschot RAH, Cooper DW (1990) Reproductive biology and the potential for genetic studies in the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii. Aus J Zool 37:223–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Houlden BA, Greville WD, Sherwin WB (1996) Evolution of MHC class I loci in marsupials: Characterization of sequences from koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Mol Biol Evol 13:1119–1127

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klein J, Bontrop RE, Dawkins RL, Erlich HA, Gyllensten UB, Heise ER, Jones PP, Parham P, Wakeland EK, Watkins DI (1990) Nomenclature for the major histocompatibility complexes of different species: a proposal. Immunogenetics 31:217–219

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Konig R, Huang LY, Germain RN (1992) MHC class II interaction with CD4 mediated by a region analogous to the MHC class I binding site for CD8. Nature 356:796–798

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Legey AP, Pinho AP, Chagas Xavier SC, Leon LL, Jansen AM (1999) Humoral immune response kinetics in Philander opossum and Didelphis marsupialis infected and immunized by Trypanosoma cruzi employing an immunofluorescence antibody test. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 94:371–376

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall Graves JA (2002) Kangaroo genetics leap ahead. Heredity 89:406–407

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miska KB, Miller RD (1999) Marsupial Mhc class I: classical sequences from the opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Immunogenetics 50:89–93

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Old JM, Deane EM (2000) Development of the immune system and immunological protection in marsupial pouch young. Dev Comp Immunol 24:445–454

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Renfree MB (1993) Endocrinology of pregnancy, parturition and lactation in marsupials. In: Lamming GE (ed) Marshall’s physiology of reproduction. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 677–766

  • Schneider S, Vincek V, Tichy H, Figueroa F, Klein J (1991) MHC class II genes of a marsupial, the red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus: identification of new gene families. Mol Biol Evol 8:753–766

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shearer MH, Robinson ES, VandeBerg JL, Kennedy RC (1995) Humoral immune response in a marsupial Monodelphis domestica: anti-isotypic and anti-idiotypic responses detected by species-specific monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin reagents. Dev Comp Immunol 19:237–246

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slade RW, Hale PT, Francis DI, Marshall-Graves JA, Sturm RA (1994) The marsupial MHC: The tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, contains an expressed DNA-like gene on chromosome 1. J Mol Evol 38:496–505

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stone WH, Brunn DA, Foster EB, Manis GS, Hoffman ES, Saphire DG, VandeBerg JL, Infante AJ (1998) Absence of a significant mixed lymphocyte reaction in a marsupial (Monodelphis domestica). Lab Anim Sci 48:184–189

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor CL, Harrison GA, Watson CM, Deane EM (2002) cDNA cloning of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor of the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby). Eur J Immunogenet 29:87–93

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson JD, Gibson TJ, Plewniak F, Jeanmougin F, Higgins DG (1997) The CLUSTAL X windows interface: flexible strategies for multiple sequence alignment aided by quality analysis tools. Nucleic Acids Res 25:4876–4882

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tyndale-Biscoe CH, Jansens PA (1988) The developing marsupial: models for biomedical research. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyndale-Biscoe CH, Renfree MB (1987) Reproductive physiology of marsupials. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • Van Oorshot RA, Cooper DW (1988) Lack of evidence for complement-dependent cytotoxic antibodies to fetal paternally derived antigens in the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby). Am J Reprod Immunol Microbiol 17:145–148

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Australian Research Council grants to M.D.B.E. and K.B. and a National Science Foundation grant MCB-9981960 to R.D.M. The authors would like to thank the Macquarie University Fauna Park staff and Cathy Herbert for their assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Teena L. Browning & Mark D. B. Eldridge

  2. Evolutionary Biology Unit, Australian Museum, 6 College St, 2010, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Teena L. Browning, Katherine Belov & Mark D. B. Eldridge

  3. Departments of Biology and Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA

    Robert D. Miller

Authors
  1. Teena L. Browning
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katherine Belov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert D. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mark D. B. Eldridge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark D. B. Eldridge.

Additional information

Nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the GenBank database under the accession numbers AY438038–AY438042

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Browning, T.L., Belov, K., Miller, R.D. et al. Molecular cloning and characterization of the polymorphic MHC class II DBB from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Immunogenetics 55, 791–795 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-004-0644-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-004-0644-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation