Evolutionary relationship between human major histocompatibility complex HLA-DR haplotypes

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Immunogenetics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s002510050067· OSTI ID:273488

Svensson, A C; Setterblad, N; Pihlgren, U; Rask, L; Andersson, G ^[1]

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1. Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden)

HLA-DR haplotypes of the human major histocompatibility complex are organized in five different groups. They can be identified based on the serological specificity expressed by the polymorphic DRB1 locus and by the presence of a characteristic set of DRB genes. The nucleotide sequences of introns 4 and 5 of the two DRB genes (DRB1*01 and DRB6*01) from a DR1 haplotype and the three DRB genes (DRB1*15, DRB6*15, and DRB5*15), from a DR51 haplotype were determined. This study identified endogenous retroviral long terminal repeat elements (ERV9 LTR) located at identical positions in intron 5 of the DRB1 genes in both the DR1 and DR51 haplotypes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a close evolutionary relationship between these two haplotypes. The DRB5 gene, unique for the DR51 haplotype, may have been lost by a recent gene deletion event creating the DR1 haplotype. A model for the evolution of the human DR haplotypes involving separate duplication and contraction events is presented. 55 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 273488
• Journal Information: Immunogenetics, Journal Name: Immunogenetics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 43; ISSN IMNGBK; ISSN 0093-7711
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
DNA SEQUENCING
GENE MUTATIONS
GENES
HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX
INTRONS
NUCLEOTIDES
POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS