Recombination and selection in the major histocompatibility complex of the endangered forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii).

ABSTRACT: The forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is a high elevation species distributed across western China and northern Vietnam. Once abundant, habitat loss and poaching has led to a dramatic decrease in population numbers prompting the IUCN to list the species as endangered. Here, we characterized the genetic diversity of a Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) locus and teased apart driving factors shaping its variation. Seven DRB exon 2 alleles were identified among a group of randomly sampled forest musk deer from a captive population in the Sichuan province of China. Compared to other endangered or captive ungulates, forest musk deer have relatively low levels of MHC genetic diversity. Non-synonymous substitutions primarily occurred in the putative peptide-binding region (PBR), with ana

SUBMITTER: Cai R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4658564 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature