Characterization of a nonclassical class I MHC gene in a reptile, the Galapagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).

ABSTRACT: Squamates are a diverse order of vertebrates, representing more than 7,000 species. Yet, descriptions of full-length major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in this group are nearly absent from the literature, while the number of MHC studies continues to rise in other vertebrate taxa. The lack of basic information about MHC organization in squamates inhibits investigation into the relationship between MHC polymorphism and disease, and leaves a large taxonomic gap in our understanding of amniote MHC evolution. Here, we use both cDNA and genomic sequence data to characterize a class I MHC gene (Amcr-UA) from the Galápagos marine iguana, a member of the squamate subfamily Iguaninae. Amcr-UA appears to be functional since it is expressed in the blood and contains many of the conserved pep

SUBMITTER: Glaberman S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2483932 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature