High functional allelic diversity and copy number in both MHC classes in the common buzzard.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which encodes molecules that recognize various pathogens and parasites and initiates the adaptive immune response in vertebrates, is renowned for its exceptional polymorphism and is a model of adaptive gene evolution. In birds, the number of MHC genes and sequence diversity varies greatly among taxa, believed due to evolutionary history and differential selection pressures. Earlier characterization studies and recent comparative studies suggest that non-passerine species have relatively few MHC gene copies compared to passerines. Additionally, comparative studies that have looked at partial MHC sequences have speculated that non-passerines have opposite patterns of selection on MHC class I (MHC-I) and class II (MHC-II) loci tha

SUBMITTER: Winternitz J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10290333 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature