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Isolation and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II B genes in cranes

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Abstract

In this study, we isolated and characterized the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B genes in cranes. Genomic sequences spanning exons 1 to 4 were amplified and determined in 13 crane species and three other species closely related to cranes. In all, 55 unique sequences were identified, and at least two polymorphic MHC class II B loci were found in most species. An analysis of sequence polymorphisms showed the signature of positive selection and recombination. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on exon 2 sequences indicated that trans-species polymorphism has persisted for at least 10 million years, whereas phylogenetic analyses of the sequences flanking exon 2 revealed a pattern of concerted evolution. These results suggest that both balancing selection and recombination play important roles in the crane MHC evolution.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tama Zoological Park, Hirakawa Zoological Park, Fukuoka Municipal Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Maruyama Zoo, Osaka Municipal Tennoji Zoological Gardens, Sayama Chikozan Park Children’s Zoo, Kushiro Zoo, Inokashira Park Zoo, Ueno Zoological Gardens, Nogeyama Zoological Gardens of Yokohama, and Chiba Zoological Park for providing samples, and Dr. Matthew Dick and Masahito T. Kimura for invaluable comments and English editing of the manuscript. This study was supported in part by a grant (D-1201) from the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and a research grant from the Akiyama Life Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural History Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, N10W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan

    Tetsuo I. Kohyama, Takuya Akiyama, Chizuko Nishida & Ryuichi Masuda

  2. Osaka Municipal Tennoji Zoological Gardens, 1-108, Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, Osaka, 543-0063, Japan

    Kazutoshi Takami

  3. Ecological Genetics Analysis Section, Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan

    Manabu Onuma

  4. Red-crowned Crane Conservancy, Wakatake-cho, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0036, Japan

    Kunikazu Momose

Authors
  1. Tetsuo I. Kohyama
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  2. Takuya Akiyama
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  3. Chizuko Nishida
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  4. Kazutoshi Takami
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  5. Manabu Onuma
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  6. Kunikazu Momose
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  7. Ryuichi Masuda
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Correspondence to Ryuichi Masuda.

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Kohyama, T.I., Akiyama, T., Nishida, C. et al. Isolation and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II B genes in cranes. Immunogenetics 67, 705–710 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-015-0874-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-015-0874-x

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