Abstract
The cattle major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region contains a variable number of classical class I genes encoding polymorphic, ubiquitously expressed molecules with a role in antigen presentation. Class I cDNA sequences have previously been reported that are thought to derive from putative nonclassical class I genes. We have located four nonclassical class I genes within the cattle genome; three are close to the MIC genes, and one is close to the classical class I genes. The genomic position relative to anchor genes is very similar to the arrangement reported in the pig MHC region. We have designed gene-specific oligonucleotide primers with which to investigate the presence of these genes in distinct and well-defined MHC haplotypes and to assess transcription in different cell types. Analysis and comparison of all sequences allows an assessment of allelic variation in each case. Partial characterisation gives an indication of the possible role and likely importance of each of these genes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Amadou C (1999) Evolution of the Mhc class I region: the framework hypothesis. Immunogenetics 49:362–367
Araibi EH, Marchetti B, Dornan ES, Ashrafi GH, Dobromylskyj M, Ellis SA, Campo MS (2006) The E5 oncoprotein of BPV-4 does not interfere with the biosynthetic pathway of non-classical MHC class I. Virology 353:174–183
Archibald S (2002) Analysis and mapping of the bovine MHC class I region. PhD thesis, University of Reading, UK
Ashrafi GH, Haghshenas MR, Marchetti B, O, Brien PM, Campo MS (2005) The E5 protein of human papillomavirus type 16 selectively down-regulates surface HLA class. Int J Cancer 113:276–283
Bainbridge D, Sargent IL, Ellis SA (2001) Increased expression of MHC class I transplantation antigens in bovine trophoblast cells before fusion with maternal cells. Reproduction 122:907–913
Barker N (1996) Analysis of class I and related genes in the bovine MHC. PhD thesis, University of Reading, UK
Birch J, Ellis SA (2007) Complexity in the cattle CD94/NKG2 gene families. Immunogenetics 59:273–280
Birch J, Murphy L, MacHugh ND, Ellis SA (2006) Generation and maintenance of diversity in the cattle MHC class I region. Immunogenetics 58:670–679
Braud VE, Allan DS, O’Callaghan CA, Soderstrom K, D’Andrea A, Ogg GS, Lazetic S, Young NT, Bell JI, Phillips JH, Lanier LL, McMichael AJ (1998) HLA-E binds to NK cell receptors CD94/NKG2A, B and C. Nature 391:795–799
Cohen GB, Gandhi RT, Davis DM, Mandelboim O, Chen BK, Strominger JL, Baltimore D (1999) The selective downregulation of class I major histocompatibility complex proteins by HIV-1 protects HIV-infected cells from NK cells. Immunity 10:661–671
Davies CJ, Eldridge JA, Fisher PJ, Schlafer DH (2006) Evidence for expression of both classical and non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I genes in bovine trophoblast cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 55:188–200
Di Palma F, Archibald SD, Young JR, Ellis SA (2002) A BAC contig of approximately 400 kb contains the classical class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes of cattle. Eur J Immunogenetics 29:65–68
Dobromylskyj M, Ellis SA (2007) Complexity in cattle KIR genes: transcription and genome analysis. Immunogenetics 59:463–472
Ellis SA, Holmes EC, Staines KA, Smith KB, Stear MJ, McKeever DJ, MacHugh ND, Morrison WI (1999) Variation in the number of expressed MHC genes in different cattle class I haplotypes. Immunogenetics 50:319–328
Ellis SA, Bontrop RE, Antczak DF, Ballingall KT, Davies CJ, Kaufman J, Kennedy L, Robinson J, Smith D, Stear MJ, Stet RJ, Waller M, Walter L, Marsh SGE (2006) ISAG/IUIS-VIC Comparative MHC Nomenclature Committee report, 2005. Immunogenetics 57:953–958
Frazer IH, Thomas R, Zhou J, Leggatt G, Dunn L, McMillan N, Tindle RW, Filgueira L, Manders P, Barnard P, Sharkey M (1999) Potential strategies utilised by papillomavirus to evade host immunity. Immunol Rev 168:131–142
Hughes AL, Nei M (1989) Evolution of the major histocompatibility complex: independent origin of nonclassical class I genes in different groups of mammals. Mol Biol Evol 6:559–579
Ishitani A, Sageshima N, Lee N, Dorofeeva N, Hatake K, Marquardt H, Geraghty DE (2003) Protein expression and peptide binding suggest unique and interacting functional roles for HLA-E, F, and G in maternal–placental immune recognition. J Immunol 171:1376–1384
Marchetti B, Ashrafi GH, Araibi EH, Ellis SA, Campo MS (2006) The E5 protein of BPV-4 interacts with the heavy chain of MHC class I and irreversibly retains the MHC complex in the Golgi apparatus. Oncogene 25:158–168
Miltiadou D, Ballingall KT, Ellis SA, Russell GC, McKeever DJ (2005) Haplotype characterisation of transcribed ovine MHC class I genes. Immunogenetics 57:499–509
Otting N, Heijmans CMC, Noort RC, de Groot NG, Doxiadeis GGM, van Rood JJ, Watkins DI, Bontrop RE (2005) Unparalleled complexity of the MHC class I region in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:1626–1631
Pizzato N, Derrien M, Lenfant F (2004) The short cytoplasmic tail of HLA-G determines its resistance to HIV-1 Nef-mediated cell surface downregulation. Hum Immunol 65:1389–1396
Renard C, Hart E, Sehra H, Beasley H, Coggill P, Howe K, Harrow J, Gilbert J, Sims S, Rogers J, Ando A, Shigenari A, Shiina T, Inoko H, Chardon P, Beck S (2006) The genomic sequence and analysis of the swine major histocompatibility complex. Genomics 88:96–110
Storset AK, Slettedal IO, Williams JL, Law A, Dissen E (2003) NK cell receptors in cattle: a bovine KIR-like receptor multigene family contains members with divergent signalling motifs. Eur J Immunol 33:980–990
Townsend A, Bodmer H (1989) Antigen recognition by class I-restricted T lymphocytes. Ann Rev Immunol 7:601–624
Toye PG, MacHugh ND, Bensaid AM, Alberti S, Teale AJ, Morrison WI (1990) Transfection into mouse L cells of genes encoding two serologically and functionally distinct bovine class I MHC molecules from a MHC-homozygous animal: evidence for a second class I locus in cattle. Immunology 70(1):20–26
Trowsdale J (2001) Genetic and functional relationships between MHC and NK receptor genes. Immunity 15:363–374
Vance RE, Jamieson RM, Raulet DH (2002) Recognition of the class Ib molecule Qa-1(b) by putative activating receptors CD94/NKG2C and CD94/NKG2E on mouse NK cells. J Exp Med 190:1801–1812
Wang E, McSharry B, Retiere C, Tomasec P, Williams S, Borysiewicz LK, Braud VM, Wilkinson GW (2002) UL40-mediated NK evasion during productive infection with human cytomegalovirus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:7570–7575
Walter L, Gunther E (2000) Physical mapping and evolution of the centromeric class I gene-containing region of the rat MHC. Immunogenetics 51:829–837
Wei XH, Orr HT (1990) Differential expression of HLA-E, HLA-F and HLA-G transcripts in human tissue. Hum Immunol 29:131–142
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK. The experiments carried out in this study comply with UK law.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Birch, J., Codner, G., Guzman, E. et al. Genomic location and characterisation of nonclassical MHC class I genes in cattle. Immunogenetics 60, 267–273 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-008-0294-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-008-0294-2