Insights into the ancestral organisation of the mammalian MHC class II region from the genome of the pteropid bat, Pteropus alecto.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bats are an extremely successful group of mammals and possess a variety of unique characteristics, including their ability to co-exist with a diverse range of pathogens. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the most gene dense and polymorphic region of the genome and MHC class II (MHC-II) molecules play a vital role in the presentation of antigens derived from extracellular pathogens and activation of the adaptive immune response. Characterisation of the MHC-II region of bats is crucial for understanding the evolution of the MHC and of the role of pathogens in shaping the immune system.

Results

Here we describe the relatively contracted MHC-II region of the Australian black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto), providing the first detailed insight into the MHC-II

SUBMITTER: Ng JHJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5437515 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature