Comparative sequencing of human and chimpanzee MHC class I regions unveils insertions/deletions as the major path to genomic divergence.

ABSTRACT: Despite their high degree of genomic similarity, reminiscent of their relatively recent separation from each other ( approximately 6 million years ago), the molecular basis of traits unique to humans vs. their closest relative, the chimpanzee, is largely unknown. This report describes a large-scale single-contig comparison between human and chimpanzee genomes via the sequence analysis of almost one-half of the immunologically critical MHC. This 1,750,601-bp stretch of DNA, which encompasses the entire class I along with the telomeric part of the MHC class III regions, corresponds to an orthologous 1,870,955 bp of the human HLA region. Sequence analysis confirms the existence of a high degree of sequence similarity between the two species. However, and importantly, this 98.6% sequence ident

SUBMITTER: Anzai T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC164652 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature