Compact genomic architecture of the axolotl MHC region: setting the record straight.

ABSTRACT: The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a gene-dense genomic region essential to adaptive immunity, exhibiting both conserved features and lineage-specific rearrangements across jawed vertebrates. Amphibians, as basal tetrapods, offer critical insights into MHC evolution; however, research has largely focused on anurans (e.g., Xenopus), while urodeles remain understudied, primarily due to their exceptionally large genomes. With recent advances in sequencing technologies, chromosome-scale assemblies for urodeles are now becoming available, opening new opportunities to explore their MHC architecture. Yet, the MHC region remains notoriously challenging to annotate due to its complexity, high polymorphism, and dynamic evolutionary history. For instance, the initial annotation of the axol

SUBMITTER: Migalska M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12619710 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature