Allele co-segregation and haplotype diversity of MHC IIβ genes in the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula.

ABSTRACT: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) constitutes a functionally relevant multigene family playing an essential role in the adaptive immune responses of jawed vertebrates, being directly involved in pathogen recognition. MHC diversity, driven by pathogen-mediated selection, is vital for species survival and is characterized by high genetic diversity in many taxa, namely at the sequence, allelic and haplotype levels. Chondrichthyans, the most basal jawed vertebrates with an adaptive immune system, exhibit a high diversity of MHC gene lineages conservatively organized in a compact region of the genome. Such genomic architecture suggests linkage among MHC genes, where alleles from different genes possibly co-segregate together. Such condition may have major implications on immune respons

SUBMITTER: Rota A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11958417 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature