MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Immunogenetics' source. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:43:39 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5654691&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr90x22vl24760632%2F Abstract  Rhesus and pigtail macaques have proven to be valuable animal models for several important human diseases, including HIV, where they exhibit similar pathology and disease progression. Because rhesus macaques have been extensively characterized in terms of their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles, their demand has soared, making them increasingly difficult to obtain for research purposes. This problem has been exacerbated by a continued export ban in place since 1978. Pigtail macaques represent a potential alternative animal model. However, because their MHC class I alleles have not been characterized in detail, their use has been hindered. To address this, in the present study, we have characterized the peptide binding specificity of the pigtai... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5654691 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:08:27 +0100 5654691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623725&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ffkxu481837248578%2F This study aimed to investigate roles of the T-1514C SNP on TBX21 transcription and its functional effect by luciferase reporter, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, and flow cytometric analysis of intracellular T-bet, IFN-γ, and IL-4 expression in activated CD4+ T cells. The TBX21 promoter carrying −1514C possessed significantly lower transcriptional activity than that of −1514T and was markedly downregulated by the overexpression of upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF-1) when compared with the promoter carrying −1514T. EMSA indicated that the transcription factor USF-1 was bound to the −1514C allele probe with the affinity higher than that to the −1514T allele probe. ChIP assay suggested that USF-1 bound around −1514 o... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623725 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:53:48 +0100 5623725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5567091&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7m32n67526vv4605%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0593-xAuthors Katherine M. Mladinich, Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1326 Microbial Sciences, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USAShari M. Piaskowski, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 555 Science Dr, Madison, WI 53711, USARichard Rudersdorf, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 555 Science Dr, Madison, WI 53711, USAChristopher M. Eernisse, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 555 Science Dr, Madison, WI 53711, USAKim L. Weisgrau, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 555 Scie... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5567091 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:00:39 +0100 5567091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5567093&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F9567n6076j022g32%2F Abstract  Interleukins (ILs) are key mediators of the immune response and inflammatory process. Plasma levels of IL-10, IL-1Ra, and IL-6 are associated with metabolic conditions, show large inter-individual variations, and are under strong genetic control. Therefore, elucidation of the genetic variants that influence levels of these ILs provides useful insights into mechanisms of immune response and pathogenesis of diseases. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of IL-10, IL-1Ra, and IL-6 levels in 707 non-diabetic African Americans using 5,396,780 imputed and directly genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with adjustment for gender, age, and body mass index. IL-10 levels showed genome-wide significant associations (p < 5 × 10−8) with e... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5567093 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:42:48 +0100 5567093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5567092&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh17h461872682754%2F Abstract  Receptors on natural killer (NK) cells are classified as C-type lectins or as Ig-like molecules, and many of them are encoded by two genomic clusters designated natural killer gene complex (NKC) and leukocyte receptor complex, respectively. Here, we describe the analysis of an NKC-encoded chicken C-type lectin, previously annotated as homologue to CD94 and NKG2 and thus designated chicken CD94/NKG2. To further elucidate its potential function on NK cells, we produced a specific mab by immunizing with stably transfected HEK293 cells expressing this lectin. Staining of various chicken tissues revealed minimal reactivity with bursal, or thymus cells. In peripheral blood mononuclear cell and spleen, however, the mab reacted with virtually all thrombocytes, whereas mos... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5567092 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:42:48 +0100 5567092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5556115&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr1q2157g24x58658%2F Abstract  Human cord blood cell-derived IgM antibodies are important for the neonate immune responses and construction of germline-based immunoglobulin libraries. Several previous studies of a relatively small number of sequences found that they exhibit restrictions in the usage of germline genes and in the diversity of the variable heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 compared to adults. To further characterize such restrictions on a larger scale and to compare the early B-cell diversity to adult IgM repertoires, we performed 454 sequencing and IMGT/HighV-QUEST analysis of cord blood IG libraries from two babies and determined germline gene usage, V-D-J rearrangement, VHCDR3 diversity, and somatic mutations to characterize human neonate repertoire. Most of the ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5556115 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:47:08 +0100 5556115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5541600&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F6073pp6183560387%2F Abstract  We have characterized the organization, complexity, and expression of the porcine (Sus scrofa domestica) immunoglobulin lambda (IGL) light chain locus, which accounts for about half of antibody light chain usage in swine, yet is nearly totally unknown. Twenty-two IGL variable (IGLV) genes were identified that belong to seven subgroups. Nine genes appear to be functional. Eight possess stop codons, frameshifts, or both, and one is missing the V-EXON. Two additional genes are missing an essential cysteine residue and are classified as ORF (open reading frame). The IGLV genes are organized in two distinct clusters, a constant (C)-proximal cluster dominated by genes similar to the human IGLV3 subgroup, and a C-distal cluster dominated by genes most similar to the human... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5541600 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:13:39 +0100 5541600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5499890&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F6853657152843386%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumPages 1-1DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0592-yAuthors Lisa S. Andersson, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 597, SE-751 24 Uppsala, SwedenJune E. Swinburne, Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB7 8UU UKJennifer R. S. Meadows, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 24 Uppsala, SwedenHans Broström, Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, SwedenSusanne Eriksson, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7023, SE-750 07 Uppsala, SwedenW. Freddy Fikse, Department of Anim... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5499890 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:49:10 +0100 5499890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5491459&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb31343404r47w62p%2F Abstract  Alloreactive T cells are core mediators of graft rejection and are a potent barrier to transplantation tolerance. It was previously unclear how T cells educated in the recipient thymus could recognize allogeneic HLA molecules. Recently it was shown that both naïve and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are frequently cross-reactive against allogeneic HLA molecules and that this allorecognition exhibits exquisite peptide and HLA specificity and is dependent on both public and private specificities of the T cell receptor. In this review we highlight new insights gained into the immunogenetics of allorecognition, with particular emphasis on how viral infection and vaccination may specifically activate allo-HLA reactive T cells. We also briefly discuss the potential for vir... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5491459 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:02:16 +0100 5491459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5463699&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm110x3331v4u123j%2F Abstract  The TRIM5α restriction factor can protect some species of monkeys, but not humans, from HIV infection. It has also emerged that some monkeys have a cyclophilin A domain retrotransposed into the TRIM5 locus resulting in the expression of a TRIMCyp protein with anti-retroviral activity. A high degree of sequence variation in the primate TRIM5 gene has been reported that varies between populations of rhesus macaques, a widely used non-human primate model of HIV/AIDS, and recently shown to correlate with susceptibility to simian immunodeficiency viruses in this species. Cynomolgus macaques are also used widely in HIV research. A non-indigenous population on Mauritius has highly restricted genetic diversity compared with macaques from Indonesia. The relative allelic di... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5463699 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:58:19 +0100 5463699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5453118&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7n1m1552n28um38h%2F Abstract  Immunoglobulin (IG) gene rearrangement and expression are central to disease resistance and health maintenance in animals. The IG kappa (IGK) locus in swine (Sus scrofa domestica) contributes to approximately half of all antibody molecules, in contrast to many other Cetartiodactyla, whose members provide the majority of human dietary protein and in which kappa locus utilization is limited. The porcine IGK variable locus is 27.9 kb upstream of five IG kappa J genes (IGKJ) which are separated from a single constant gene (IGKC) by 2.8 kb. Fourteen variable genes (IGKV) were identified, of which nine are functional and two are open reading frame (ORF). Of the three pseudogenes, IGKV3-1 contains a frameshift and multiple stop codons, IGKV7-2 contains multiple ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5453118 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:57:32 +0100 5453118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5426983&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F616203u6068p741l%2F Abstract  Variation within major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes is important in recognizing pathogens and initiating an immune response. These genes are relevant in enhancing our understanding of how species cope with rapid environmental changes and concomitant fluctuations in selective pressures such as invasive, infectious diseases. Disease-based models suggest that diversity at MHC is maintained through balancing selection arising from the coevolution of hosts and pathogens. Despite intensive balancing selection, sequence motifs or even identical MHC alleles can be shared across multiple species; three potential mechanisms have been put forth to explain this phenomenon: common ancestry, convergent evolution, and random chance. To understand the processes that mai... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5426983 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:50:25 +0100 5426983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5415591&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj4mx37641024037x%2F Abstract  Here we describe the Immunogenetic Management Software (IMS) system, a novel web-based application that permits multiplexed analysis of complex immunogenetic traits that are necessary for the accurate planning and execution of experiments involving large animal models, including nonhuman primates. IMS is capable of housing complex pedigree relationships, microsatellite-based MHC typing data, as well as MHC pyrosequencing expression analysis of class I alleles. It includes a novel, automated MHC haplotype naming algorithm and has accomplished an innovative visualization protocol that allows users to view multiple familial and MHC haplotype relationships through a single, interactive graphical interface. Detailed DNA and RNA-based data can also be queried and analyz... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5415591 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:35:08 +0100 5415591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5415592&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F656752lj10246t08%2F Abstract  Membrane-bound IgE (mIgE) on B lymphocytes is essential for IgE production. Earlier studies showed that the ε chain of mIgE (mε) on human B cells has a “long” isoform, with an extra “CεmX” domain of 52 amino acid (aa) residues between the CH4 domain and the membrane-anchor segment, as compared to the conventional “short” isoform. Because CεmX provides an antigenic site for targeting IgE-expressing B cells to down-regulate IgE production in patients with allergy, analysis of CεmX in various animals is of great interest. Hence, we analyzed the ε Ig gene, in particular, its membrane exon regions encoding the membrane anchor peptide segment and CεmX domain, of 26 species of the order Primates and 12 species of seven non-Primate orders using data obt... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5415592 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:05:55 +0100 5415592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5372179&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F278776339j0536l8%2F We present the first characterization of MHC class II genes, isolated from genomic DNA (gDNA) and complementary DNA (cDNA), in the European badger. Examination of seven individuals revealed four DRB, two DQB, two DQA, and two DRA putatively functional gDNA sequences. All of these sequences, except DRA, exhibited high variability in exon 2; DRB had the highest variability. The ABS codons demonstrated high variability, due potentially to balancing selection, while non-ABS codons had lower variability. Positively selected sites were detected in DRB and DQA. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated trans-species polymorphism of class II genes. Comparison with cDNA from whole blood revealed that only DRB had a transcription pattern reflecting the alleles that were present in the gDNA, while the ot... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5372179 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:16:08 +0100 5372179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5372180&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F906v122010547p82%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory In MemoriamPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0582-0Authors Peter Demant, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA Journal ImmunogeneticsOnline ISSN 1432-1211Print ISSN 0093-7711 (Source: Immunogenetics) Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5372180 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:16:07 +0100 5372180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5372181&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy0xv7107rw5m0210%2F This study associated the vital role of CISH SNP -292A>T variant to hepatitis B virus infection in a Vietnamese population. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0584-yAuthors Hoang V. Tong, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse, 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyNguyen L. Toan, Department of Pathophysiology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, VietnamLe H. Song, Tran Hung Dao Hospital, Hanoi, VietnamPeter G. Kremsner, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse, 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyJürgen F. J. Kun, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse, 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyVelavan TP, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübing... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5372181 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:06:51 +0100 5372181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5372182&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7618qq10817634rn%2F In this study, we have cloned both the IL-6Rα and gp130 in rainbow trout. The trout gp130 cDNA encodes 906 aa and is similar in size, extracellular domain structure (D1–D6) and presence of intracellular motifs important for signal transduction to tetrapod gp130s. The trout IL-6Rα cDNA encodes for 834 aa and is larger compared to tetrapod IL-6Rαs, as are other fish IL-6Rα molecules due to a large D1 domain. However, the cytokine-binding domain is well conserved across vertebrates, with four conserved cysteine residues in the N-terminal FNIII domain and a WSXWS motif in the C-terminal FNIII domain. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree analysis confirmed that the reported fish IL-6Rα and gp130 molecules are orthologues to their tetrapod counterparts. The extra large D1 doma... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5372182 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:06:50 +0100 5372182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5353707&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp5w6j035k3463250%2F We examined whether non-classical HLA polymorphisms are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fifteen Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these non-classical class I alleles were investigated by ligase detection reaction. A fragment of 650 bp located in the 3' untranslated region of HLA-G was investigated. Four SNPs (rs17875380, rs41557518, rs114465251, and rs115492845) were associated with altered susceptibility to HBV or HCC, and HLA-F*01:04, HLA-G*01:05N, and HLA-E*01:01 were associated with hepatitis B or hepatitis B complicated with HCC. Six of 16 designated HLA-E, -G, and -F haplotypes were associated with risk of hepatitis B or HCC. Our study provides healthy reference and detailed analyses of non-classical HLA class Ι... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5353707 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:04:03 +0100 5353707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5342111&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj775453553429282%2F In this study, we have therefore made an in-depth analysis of combinations of three state-of-the-art MHC–peptide binding prediction methods (NetMHC, NetMHCpan and PickPocket). We demonstrate that a simple combination of NetMHC and NetMHCpan gives the highest performance when the allele in question is included in the training and is characterized by at least 50 data points with at least ten binders. Otherwise, NetMHCpan is the best predictor. When an allele has not been characterized, the performance depends on the distance to the training data. NetMHCpan has the highest performance when close neighbours are present in the training set, while the combination of NetMHCpan and PickPocket outperforms either of the two methods for alleles with more remote neighbours. The final method, NetM... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5342111 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:52:24 +0100 5342111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5342112&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7q74538654377g17%2F Abstract  Position 45 represents a highly polymorphic residue within HLA class I alleles, which contacts the p2 position of bound peptides in 85% of the peptide–HLA structures analyzed, while the neighboring residues 41 and 46 are not involved in peptide binding. To investigate the influence of residue 45 at the functional level, we sequenced peptides eluted from recombinant HLA-B*44:0841Ala/45Met/46Ala molecules and compared their features with known peptides from B*44:0241Thr/45Lys/46Glu. While HLA-B*44:02 has an anchor motif of E at the p2 anchor position, HLA-B*44:08 exhibits Q and L as anchor motif. The 45Met/Lys polymorphism contributes to the alteration in the peptide-binding motif and provides further evidence that mismatches at position 45 should be considered as n... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5342112 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:57:33 +0100 5342112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5320118&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fdt72121ug23t8097%2F Abstract  Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic inflammatory skin disease that shares similarities with AD in humans. Canine AD is likely to be an inherited disease in dogs and is common in West Highland white terriers (WHWTs). We performed a genome-wide association study using the Affymetrix Canine SNP V2 array consisting of over 42,800 single nucleotide polymorphisms, on 35 atopic and 25 non-atopic WHWTs. A gene-dropping simulation method, using SIB-PAIR, identified a projected 1.3 Mb area of association (genome-wide P = 6 × 10−5 to P = 7 × 10−4) on CFA 17. Nineteen genes on CFA 17, including 1 potential candidate gene (PTPN22), were located less than 0.5 Mb from the interval of association identified on the genome-wide association ana... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5320118 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:54:40 +0100 5320118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5280060&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F280065022k7662tv%2F Abstract   Drosophila larvae react against eggs from the endoparasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi by surrounding them in a multilayered cellular capsule. Once a wasp egg is recognized as foreign, circulating macrophage-like cells, known as plasmatocytes, adhere to the invader. After spreading around the wasp egg, plasmatocytes form cellular junctions between the cells, effectively separating the egg from the hemocoel. Next, a second sub-type of circulating immunosurveillance cell (hemocyte), known as lamellocytes, adhere to either the wasp egg or more likely the plasmatocytes surrounding the egg. From these events, it is obvious that adhesion and cell shape change are an essential part of Drosophila's cellular immune response against parasitoid wasp eggs. To date, very few g... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5280060 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:48:20 +0100 5280060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5256149&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F70122u424qh71377%2F Abstract  The extreme polymorphism of MHC class I has been argued to be driven by balancing selection from pathogens, with the prediction that populations exposed to a wider variety of diseases should have higher diversity. We assembled a global database of allotype frequencies for MHC class I genes and investigated possible drivers of genetic diversity, measured in different ways. We first looked for a decline in diversity with distance from Africa (a consequence of drift during human expansions) and then investigated the link with pathogen richness once the effect of drift had been corrected for. Using heterozygosity, we recovered a clear decline in diversity from Africa and confirmed the positive relationship between genetic diversity and pathogen richness for all three cl... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5256149 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:46:04 +0100 5256149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5256150&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe2q816v673172889%2F Abstract  Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a chronic allergic dermatitis common in horses. Affected horses mainly react against antigens present in the saliva from the biting midges, Culicoides ssp, and occasionally black flies, Simulium ssp. Because of this insect dependency, the disease is clearly seasonal and prevalence varies between geographical locations. For two distinct horse breeds, we genotyped four microsatellite markers positioned within the MHC class II region and sequenced the highly polymorphic exons two from DRA and DRB3, respectively. Initially, 94 IBH-affected and 93 unaffected Swedish born Icelandic horses were tested for genetic association. These horses had previously been genotyped on the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip, which made it possible to ens... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5256150 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:46:03 +0100 5256150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5256151&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F531315026m848624%2F In conclusion, we report gender-specific associations with TLR7 and TLR8 polymorphisms and TNF-α cellular responses to its ligand. However, we found no evidence of any functional effects of TLR7 or TLR8 polymorphisms on receptor expression, measles-specific cellular responses or measles vaccine antibody responses. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0574-0Authors Holly D. Clifford, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, AustraliaStephanie T. Yerkovich, Queensland Centre for Pulmonary Transplantation and Vascular Disease, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSiew-Kim Khoo, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, W... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5256151 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:46:02 +0100 5256151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244736&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm3m2478153318u14%2F In this study, we compared the 2ndGen method using the Roche Genome Sequencer 454 FLX with the conventional method using sub-cloning and Sanger sequencing to genotype SLA class I genes in five pigs of the Clawn breed and four pigs of the Landrace breed. We obtained an average of 10.4 SLA class I sequences per pig by the 2ndGen method, consistent with the inheritance data, and an average of only 6.0 sequences by the conventional method. We also performed a correlation analysis between the sequence read numbers obtained by the 2ndGen method and the relative expression values obtained by quantitative real-time PCR analysis at the allele level. A significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.899, P < 0.01) was observed between the sequence read numbers and the relative quantitative... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244736 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:40:37 +0100 5244736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244737&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu653487658872128%2F Abstract  Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels belong to a large family of cation channels and are the “border guards” predominantly localized to the plasma membrane. Research over the years has considerably and highly developed the knowledge of expression and functional aspects of the TRPM channels. A closer look at the channel dynamics has dismantled undeniable substantiation for multifaceted roles for TRPM channel-mediated extracellular Ca(2+) influx in several physiological and pathophysiological functions. Given the wealth of literature unfolding the multiple roles of TRP channels in physiology in a very extensive range of different mammalian tissues, this review confines itself to the literature describing the multiple roles of TRPM channels in diabetes, sm... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244737 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:40:35 +0100 5244737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5231301&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq12601500l11t273%2F Abstract  Among the different T-cell receptor (TCR) BV20S1 polymorphisms, nucleotide substitution at position 524 results in the introduction of a stop codon, whose potential functional relevance is still unknown. We have recently showed in Sardinian subjects the most elevated allele frequency ever reported worldwide for this “null allele” (0.44). As this variant generates a gap in the TCR repertoire, this preliminary finding prompted us to further analyze the role of this polymorphism in the susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D) and multiple sclerosis (MS), which are extremely common in this population. With this aim, we evaluated the influence of the TCRBV20S1 polymorphism by assessing it with the transmission disequilibirum test (TDT) in 652 T1D and 616 MS families... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5231301 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:44:05 +0100 5231301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5202178&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F45k511xv6m3372x7%2F Abstract  Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are encoded by highly polymorphic genes that regulate the activation of natural killer (NK) cells and other lymphocyte subsets and likely play key roles in innate and adaptive immunity. Association studies increasingly implicate KIR in disease predisposition and outcome but could be confounded by unknown KIR genetic structure in heterogeneous populations. To examine this, we characterized the diversity of 16 KIR genes in 712 Northern Californians (NC) stratified by self-assigned ethnicities and compared the profiles of KIR polymorphism with other US and global populations using a reference database. Sixty-eight distinct KIR genotypes were characterized: 58 in 457 Caucasians (NCC), 17 in 47 African Americans (NCAA), 2... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5202178 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:45:49 +0100 5202178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5194529&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F4316730265m041mk%2F In this study, we analyzed 26 cynomolgus macaques from five families for MHC class I genes. We identified 32 Mafa-A, 46 Mafa-B, 6 Mafa-I, and 3 Mafa-AG alleles in which 14, 20, 3, and 3 alleles were novel. There were 23 MHC class I haplotypes and each haplotype was composed of one to three Mafa-A alleles and one to five Mafa-B alleles. Family studies revealed that there were two haplotypes which contained two Mafa-A1 alleles. These observations demonstrated further the complexity of MHC class I locus in the Old World monkey. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-11DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0568-yAuthors Yusuke Saito, Department of Molecular Pathogenesis, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Ja... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5194529 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:12:50 +0100 5194529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5189771&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fn63g33r63742g616%2F Abstract  Every year, Dengue virus (DENV) infects approximately 100 million people. There are currently several vaccines undergoing clinical studies, but most target the induction of neutralizing antibodies. Unfortunately, DENV infection can be enhanced by subneutralizing levels of antibodies that bind virions and deliver them to cells of the myeloid lineage, thereby increasing viral replication (termed antibody-dependent enhancement [ADE]). T lymphocyte-based vaccines may offer an alternative that avoids ADE. The goal of our study was to describe the cellular immune response generated after primary DENV infection in Indian rhesus macaques. We infected eight rhesus macaques with 105 plaque-forming units (PFU) of DENV serotype 2 (DENV2) New Guinea C (NGC) strain, and monitore... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5189771 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:56:41 +0100 5189771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5189772&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw07602j514076223%2F Abstract  Recent reports have revealed that cynomolgus macaques obtained from different geographic origins may be more or less suitable for particular studies depending on the specific question(s) being addressed, e.g. Mauritian cynomolgus macaques are particularly suitable for detailed immunological studies against a limited genetic background while less conserved populations may be more appropriate to predict breadth of vaccine coverage in the genetically diverse human population. We have characterised MHC haplotypes in 90 Indonesian cynomolgus macaques using microsatellite and reference strand conformational analysis. Thirty unique haplotypes were defined in the cohort, emphasising the high degree of diversity in this population of cynomolgus macaques. The majority of ha... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5189772 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:56:40 +0100 5189772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5153414&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe4246148r3vh1168%2F Abstract  The activity of natural killer cells depends on the balance between activating and inhibitory signals coming from their receptors. Among these are the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that recognize specific HLA class I allotypes. Here we characterized KIR genetic diversity and their HLA ligands in the population of Curitiba, Paraná State (n = 164), and compared it with other worldwide populations. The distribution of 2DL4 alleles was also analyzed. The Curitiba population did not differ significantly from European and Euro-descendant populations, but as an admixed population showed higher genetic diversity. We found 27 KIR profiles, many of them uncommon in European populations, in agreement with the elevated historically recent gene flow in the... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5153414 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 06:01:03 +0100 5153414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5115593&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F3406500376p7u242%2F Abstract  Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2), a recently described risk factor for breast cancer, plays important roles in cell growth, invasiveness, motility, and angiogenesis. In attempt to investigate whether FGFR2 polymorphisms are associated with a risk of breast cancer in Chinese women of the Han nationality, we genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of seven FGFR2 sites (rs2981582, rs17102287, rs17542768, rs10510097, rs11200012, rs3750817, rs2981578) in 816 women including 388 breast cancer patients and 428 healthy controls via the polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism procedure as well as sequence detection. Our results suggest that the A allele and AA genotype of SNP rs2981578 appear to be protective factors associated ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5115593 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 05:53:39 +0100 5115593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5105663&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F060147362r131276%2F This study may provide a better understanding on the role of IL10R promoter allelic variants contribution to a protective effect on the development of severe malaria. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0563-3Authors T. P. Velavan, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyBirgül Büyükyazici, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyPeter G. Kremsner, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, GermanyJürgen F. J. Kun, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany Journal ImmunogeneticsOnline ISSN 1432-1211Print ISSN 0093-7711 ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5105663 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:23:41 +0100 5105663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5084504&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq366t10p5n151662%2F Abstract  The DR region of particular primate species may display allelic polymorphism and gene copy number variation (region configuration polymorphism). The sum of these distinct types of polymorphism is defined as complexity. To date, however, the DR region of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) has been poorly defined. Transcriptome analysis of a pedigreed colony, comprising animals from Indonesia and Indochina, revealed a total of 15 Mafa-DRA and 57 DRB alleles, specifying 28 different region configurations. The DRA alleles can be divided into two distinct lineages. One lineage is polymorphic, but the majority of the amino acid replacements map to the leader peptide. The second lineage is at best oligomorphic, and segregates with one specific Mafa-DRB allele. The nu... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5084504 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:58:35 +0100 5084504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5084505&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk716707p62516066%2F We report here that at least 11 separate receptors from the CD300, TREM, and TREML families engage in robust and specific interactions with major polar lipids found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell membranes. Both soluble and membrane-bound receptor forms exhibit lipid interactions in the solid phase as well as in a physiological signaling context. Overlapping but distinctive patterns of receptor specificity suggest that the CD300/TREM system as a whole may discriminate immunological stimuli based on lipid signatures, thereby influencing downstream responses. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0562-4Authors John P. Cannon, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Research Institute, University of South Florida, 140 Seventh Avenue South, CRI 3008, St. Pet... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5084505 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:56:26 +0100 5084505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5075058&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F5475734v81r25138%2F Abstract  We have analysed the transcribed immunoglobulin kappa (IGK) repertoire of peripheral blood B cells from four individuals from two genetically distinct populations, Papua New Guinean and Australian, using high-throughput DNA sequencing. The depth of sequencing data for each individual averaged 5,548 high-quality IGK reads, and permitted genotyping of the inferred IGKV and IGKJ germline gene segments for each individual. All individuals were homozygous at each IGKJ locus and had highly similar inferred IGKV genotypes. Preferential gene usage was seen at both the IGKV and IGKJ loci, but only IGKV segment usage varied significantly between individuals. Despite the differences in IGKV gene utilisation, the rearranged IGK repertoires showed extensive identity at the ami... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5075058 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:47:41 +0100 5075058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5075059&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk4p227p414275817%2F We report the cloning, characterization and expression analysis of CD3γ/δ and CD3ε genes in an amphibian urodele, the Mexican axolotl. Amino acid comparisons show that important motifs and residues were preserved between the axolotl CD3 chains and various vertebrate CD3ε, CD3γ, CD3δ and CD3γ/δ chains. During ontogeny, CD3ε transcripts are first detected in the dorsal region of tail-bud embryos before thymus organogenesis. CD3γ/δ transcripts are first detected in the head of 4-week-old larvae. A cross-reactive polyclonal anti-CD3ε antibody was used for the co-immunoprecipitation of the two CD3 proteins of 25 and 29 kDa, respectively, associated with the 90-kDa αβ TCR heterodimer. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0560-6Authors Sébastien... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5075059 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:47:39 +0100 5075059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5034562&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F6r533w1170741512%2F Abstract  The thymoproteasome is a recently discovered, specialized form of 20S proteasomes expressed exclusively in the thymic cortex. Although the precise molecular mechanism by which the thymoproteasome exerts its function remains to be elucidated, accumulating evidence indicates that it plays a crucial role in positive selection of T cells. In the present study, we analyzed the evolution of the β5t subunit, a β-type catalytic subunit uniquely present in thymoproteasomes. The gene coding for the β5t subunit, designated PSMB11, was identified in the cartilaginous fish, the most divergent group of jawed vertebrates compared to the other jawed vertebrates, but not in jawless vertebrates or invertebrates. Interestingly, teleost fish have two copies of apparently functional... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5034562 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:55:23 +0100 5034562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5034563&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm77g110v56746751%2F Abstract   Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a leading cause of human bacterial enteritis worldwide with poultry products being a major source of C. jejuni contamination. The chicken is the natural reservoir of C. jejuni where bacteria colonize the digestive tract of poultry, but rarely cause symptoms of disease. To understand the systemic molecular response mechanisms to C. jejuni infection in chickens, total splenic RNA was isolated and applied to a whole genome chicken microarray for comparison between infected (I) and non-infected (N) chickens within and between genetic lines A and B. There were more total splenic host genes responding to the infection in resistant line A than in susceptible line B. Specifically, genes for lymphocyte activation, differentiation and humo... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5034563 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:55:21 +0100 5034563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5015976&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj37g586472p8j764%2F Abstract  Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays an important role in the recognition of a variety of pathogenic microbes. In the present study, we compared polymorphisms of TLR2 locus in two closely related old world monkey species, rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) and Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata). By nucleotide sequencing of the third exon of TLR2 gene from 21 to 35 respective individuals, we could assign 17 haplotype combinations of 17 coding SNPs of ten non-synonymous and seven synonymous substitutions. A non-synonymous substitution at codon position 326 appeared to be differentially fixed in each species, asparagine for M. mulatta whereas tyrosine for M. fuscata, and may contribute to certain functional properties because it locates in the region contributing to ligand bindi... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5015976 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 06:20:00 +0100 5015976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5015977&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F77qw82n0243p32j2%2F Abstract  In all vertebrate animals, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are controlled by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. These are highly polymorphic peptide receptors selecting and presenting endogenously derived epitopes to circulating CTLs. The polymorphism of the MHC effectively individualizes the immune response of each member of the species. We have recently developed efficient methods to generate recombinant human MHC-I (also known as human leukocyte antigen class I, HLA-I) molecules, accompanying peptide-binding assays and predictors, and HLA tetramers for specific CTL staining and manipulation. This has enabled a complete mapping of all HLA-I specificities (“the Human MHC Project”). Here, we demonstrate that these approaches can be ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5015977 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:38:01 +0100 5015977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5015978&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fgw246w32qr813750%2F In this study, we describe the peptide binding of Mamu-A1*007:01 (formerly Mamu-A*07), an allele present in roughly 5.08% of Indian-origin rhesus macaques (n = 63 of 1,240). We determined a preliminary binding motif by eluting and sequencing endogenously bound ligands. Subsequently, we used a positional scanning combinatorial library and panels of single amino acid substitution analogs to further characterize peptide binding of this allele and derive a quantitative motif. Using this motif, we selected and tested 200 peptides derived from SIVmac239 for their capacity to bind Mamu-A1*007:01; 33 were found to bind with an affinity of 500 nM or better. We then used PBMC from SIV-infected or vaccinated but uninfected, A1*007:01-positive rhesus macaques in IFN-γ Elispot assays to ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5015978 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:57:09 +0100 5015978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5015979&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp143238616l27j33%2F Abstract  The human interleukin 17 receptor (IL17R) family plays a critical role in inflammatory responses and contributes to the pathology of many autoimmune diseases. So far, five members, IL17RA to IL17RE, have been identified. Recently, some IL17R genes have been identified in non-mammalian species, such as zebrafish IL17RD; however, there are no reports on the evolutionary history of this complex gene family through comparative phylogenetic approaches. Here, we concentrated on the IL17R evolution in chordates. There are two IL17Rs in the genome of the basal chordate amphioxus: IL17RA and IL17RD. After two rounds of whole genome duplications, these two IL17R genes expanded into five early vertebrate IL17R genes, IL17RA to IL17RE. IL17RA and IL17RD are found in most vert... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5015979 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:57:08 +0100 5015979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4996757&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe7895146k0026h25%2F Abstract  Some leukocyte receptors come in groups of two or more where the partners share ligand(s) but transmit opposite signals. Some of the ligands, such as MHC class I, are fast evolving, raising the problem of how paired opposing receptors manage to change in step with respect to ligand binding properties and at the same time conserve opposite signaling functions. An example is the KLRC (NKG2) family, where opposing variants have been conserved in both rodents and primates. Phylogenetic analyses of the KLRC receptors within and between the two orders show that the opposing partners have been subject to post-speciation gene homogenization restricted mainly to the parts of the genes that encode the ligand binding domains. Concerted evolution similarly restricted is demon... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4996757 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 05:44:17 +0100 4996757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4990372&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv251450628481011%2F This study profiles the expression of a cluster of 19 novel defensin genes which spans 320 kb on chromosome 13 in Bos taurus. It also assesses the genetic variation in these genes between two divergently selected cattle breeds. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), all 19 genes in this cluster were shown to be expressed in the male genital tract and 9 in the female genital tract, in a region-specific manner. These genes were sequenced in Norwegian Red (NR) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) cattle for population genetic analysis. Of the 17 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified, 7 were non-synonymous, 6 synonymous and 4 outside the protein coding region. Significant frequency differences in SNPs in bovine β-defensins (BBD) 115, 117, 121, and 122 were detected betw... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4990372 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:59:24 +0100 4990372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4990373&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F685481v116m085kr%2F This study reveals that the high-throughput pyrosequencing allows not only to characterize the MHC class I transcripts but also to estimate the number of MHC class I genes in the genome of cynomolgus macaque. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-11DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0550-8Authors Alice Aarnink, Laboratoire d’Immunogénétique moléculaire, EA 3034, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse 3, IFR150 (INSERM), CHU de Toulouse, Laboratoire d’immunologie, Hôpital Rangueil, 1 avenue Jean Poulhes, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, FrancePol-André Apoil, Laboratoire d’Immunogénétique moléculaire, EA 3034, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse 3, IFR150 (INSERM), CHU de Toulouse, Laboratoire d’immunologie, Hôpital Rangu... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4990373 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:06:42 +0100 4990373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4990374&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw19u35x024707662%2F This study describes two partially overlapping large-insert BAC clones that genetically and physically map to the turkey MHC chromosome (MGA18) but to a region that assorts independently of MHC-B. Within the sequence assembly, 14 genes were predicted including new class I- and class IIB-like loci. Additional unassembled sequences corresponded to multiple copies of the ribosomal RNA repeat unit (18S–5.8S–28S). Thus, this newly identified MHC region appears to represent a physical boundary of the turkey MHC-Y. High-resolution multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization studies confirm rearrangement of MGA18 relative to the orthologous chicken chromosome (GGA16) in regard to chromosome architecture, but not gene order. The difference in centromere position between the species is i... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4990374 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:06:41 +0100 4990374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4966372&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F037t5xm11n825565%2F Abstract  The peptide repertoire presented on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules is largely determined by the structure of the peptide binding groove. It is expected that the molecules having similar grooves (i.e., belonging to the same supertype) might present similar/overlapping peptides. However, the extent of promiscuity among HLA class I ligands remains controversial: while in many studies T cell responses are detected against epitopes presented by alternative molecules across HLA class I supertypes and loci, peptide elution studies report minute overlaps between the peptide repertoires of even related HLA molecules. To get more insight into the promiscuous peptide binding by HLA molecules, we analyzed the HLA peptide binding data from the large epitope re... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4966372 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:07:39 +0100 4966372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4966371&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F05h341k445516765%2F In this study, three novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region and two previously reported SNPs in exon 2 of the MBL1 gene were detected using PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and DNA sequencing in 537 cattle from three Chinese breeds. Analysis of the genotypes and haplotypes was used to investigate the polymorphisms and their possible implications, especially their association with serum MBL-A levels, complement activity (CH50 and ACH50), and milk production traits was investigated. The g.2651G>A SNP in exon 2 affected the serum MBL-A concentrations and the serum CH50 values, whereas the g.−1330G>A SNP significantly affected CH50 and the somatic cell scores (SCSs). Statistical analysis revealed t... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4966371 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:07:39 +0100 4966371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4958465&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F1l37kr317558w006%2F We report moderate levels of diversity and high levels of population differentiation in the DQB and DRB genes (Na = 11, D est = 0.071 and Na = 15, D est = 0.409, respectively), but not for the DPB gene (Na = 4, D est = 0.00). We also detected evidence of positive selection within the peptide binding region of the DQB and DRB genes (95% CI, ω > 1.0) but found no signature of selection for DPB. Mutation and recombination were both found to be important processes shaping the evolution of the class II genes. Our findings suggest that while diversifying selection is a significant contributor to the generally high levels of MHC diversity, it does not act in a uniform manner across the entire MHC class II region. The beta-chain genes that we have characterized... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4958465 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:22:44 +0100 4958465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4950545&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Flm47r2n110301nu4%2F Abstract  The infection of red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus) with GB virus B (GBV-B) is an important surrogate model of hepatitis C virus infection in man. To fully exploit the value of this model, we have characterised MHC class I G and class II DRB alleles in eight tamarins representing a cross-section of a UK breeding colony. The results indicated a high degree of classes I and II DRB allele sharing. Each animal transcribed three to four putative surface-expressed class I alleles and two to four class II DRB alleles. Most animals also transcribed at least one class I allele predicted to result in a C-terminal truncated protein. These results represent the first description of MHC polymorphism in this species and provide a foundation for characterisation of MHC dive... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4950545 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:59:04 +0100 4950545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4950546&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fwq7jj02773059051%2F Abstract  Lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP) and tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP) are two important β-defensins of antimicrobial peptide family, which are evolutionarily conserved effector molecules of the innate immune response. Although known to be sensitive to pathogenic challenge, the control of their expression remains unclear. Both LAP and TAP genes showed constitutive and inducible expression in bovine mammary epithelial tissues, and the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying their expression and regulation. Reporter plasmids fused with 5′ regions of the two gene promoter regions were constructed and transiently transfected into a bovine mammary epithelial (BME) cell line. Initial serial deletion of the promoter regions from both genes ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4950546 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:53:44 +0100 4950546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4930479&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff2596v5401186255%2F Abstract  We studied the evolution of the CD2 family in tetrapods by extracting and analyzing CD2-like genes from the genome of the amphibian species Silurana (Xenopus) tropicalis. An exhaustive analysis of the genomic and cDNA databases resulted in the identification of at least 70 CD2-like genes. The predicted receptors mostly maintain the typical VC2 ectodomains, but are highly diverse in their C-termini, which suggests a broad range of signaling capacities. Apart from the presumed monomeric receptors with ITSM and/or ITIM motifs, the Silurana family includes secreted proteins. Furthermore, a fraction of the receptors contain a conserved TM subtype with the NxxR motif that is known to promote an association with the FcRγ subunit and that was previously found in the member... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4930479 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:33:39 +0100 4930479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4930480&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7x34w711tr27n352%2F Abstract  The Nkrp1 (Klrb) family of NK cell receptors and their genetically linked Clr (Clec2) ligands are conserved between rodents and humans. Nonetheless, certain mouse and rat Nkrp1 genes exhibit significant allelic polymorphism between inbred strains. We previously demonstrated that the Nkrp1–Clr recognition system is genetically and functionally conserved between the B6 and BALB/c strains, with focused sequence divergence evident in certain genes (e.g., Nkrp1b,c). Here, we extend this finding by mapping the 129-strain Nkrp1–Clr gene cluster, which is structurally conserved yet displays significant sequence divergence relative to the B6 haplotype. In addition, we show that 129-strain NK cells possess comparable Nkrp1 and Clr transcript expression, and characterize sev... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4930480 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:33:38 +0100 4930480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4930481&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe13121h82688m4p3%2F Abstract  In humans, classical MHC class II molecules include DQ, DR, and DP, which are similar in structure but consist of distinct α- and β-chains. The genes encoding these molecules are all located in the MHC class II gene region. In non-mammalian vertebrates such as chickens, only a single class II α-chain gene corresponding to the human DRA has been identified. Here, we report a characterization of the duck MHC class II α-chain (Anpl-DRA) encoding gene, which contains four exons encoding a typical signal peptide, a peptide-binding α1 domain, an immunoglobulin-like α2 domain, and Tm/Cyt, respectively. This gene is present in the duck genome as a single copy and is highly expressed in the spleen. Sequencing of cDNA and genomic DNA of the Anpl-DRA of different duck in... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4930481 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:45:39 +0100 4930481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4930482&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw7160gl3j64k274v%2F Abstract  The programmed, stepwise acquisition of immunocompetence that marks the development of the fetal immune response proceeds during a period when both T cell receptor and immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoires exhibit reduced junctional diversity due to physiologic terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) insufficiency. To test the effect of N addition on humoral responses, we transplanted bone marrow from TdT-deficient (TdT−/−) and wild-type (TdT+/+) BALB/c mice into recombination activation gene 1-deficient BALB/c hosts. Mice transplanted with TdT−/− cells exhibited diminished humoral responses to the T-independent antigens α-1-dextran and (2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hapten conjugated to AminoEthylCarboxymethyl-FICOLL, to the T-dependent antigens NP19CGG and hen egg ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4930482 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:45:36 +0100 4930482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900159&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc8xk601743764578%2F Abstract  Natural killer (NK) cell function is regulated by different types of membrane-bound receptors of which killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the most complex and diverse. KIRs are encoded by 17 different genes located within the leukocyte receptor complex (19q13.4). The frequency with which KIR gene features are present in different human populations differs. Here, we present our results on the KIR gene diversity observed in a large group of mestizos from the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosí. In total, 53 different KIR genotypes were observed, 47 with previously described gene profiles and six harboring novel KIR gene combinations. Group A homozygous haplotypes were seen in 102 individuals (34%), while group B homozygous haplotypes were pres... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900159 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 06:02:22 +0100 4900159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900160&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F840j142g325g2744%2F Abstract  The presentation of identical peptides by different major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, termed promiscuity, is a controversial feature of T cell-mediated immunity to pathogens. The astounding diversity of MHC-I molecules in human populations, presumably to enable binding of equally diverse peptides, implies promiscuity would be a rare phenomenon. However, if it occurs, it would have important implications for immunity. We screened 77 animals for responses to peptides known to bind MHC-I molecules that were not expressed by these animals. Some cases of supposed promiscuity were determined to be the result of either non-identical optimal peptides or were simply not mapped to the correct MHC-I molecule in previous studies. Cases of promiscuity... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900160 Tue, 31 May 2011 05:48:24 +0100 4900160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900162&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fggl214536j727180%2F Abstract  Human killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) recognize A3/11, Bw4, C1, and C2 epitopes carried by mutually exclusive subsets of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, and -C allotypes. Chimpanzee and orangutan have counterparts to HLA-A, -B, and -C, and KIR that recognize the A3/11, Bw4, C1, and C2 epitopes, either individually or in combination. Because rhesus macaque has counterparts of HLA-A and -B, but not HLA-C, we expected that rhesus KIR would better recognize HLA-A and -B, than HLA-C. Comparison of the interactions of nine rhesus KIR3D with 95 HLA isoforms, showed the KIR have broad specificity for HLA-A, -B, and -C, but vary in avidity. Considering both the strength and breadth of reaction, HLA-C was the major target for rhesus KIR, followed by HLA... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900162 Wed, 25 May 2011 15:47:42 +0100 4900162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900161&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F88524072k76716h8%2F Abstract  In recent years, the use of cynomolgus macaques in biomedical research has increased greatly. However, with the exception of the Mauritian population, knowledge of the MHC class II genetics of the species remains limited. Here, using cDNA cloning and Sanger sequencing, we identified 127 full-length MHC class II alleles in a group of 12 Indonesian and 12 Vietnamese cynomolgus macaques. Forty two of these were completely novel to cynomolgus macaques while 61 extended the sequence of previously identified alleles from partial to full length. This more than doubles the number of full-length cynomolgus macaque MHC class II alleles available in GenBank, significantly expanding the allele library for the species and laying the groundwork for future evolutionary and funct... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900161 Wed, 25 May 2011 15:47:42 +0100 4900161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900163&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu0h262ht70354m45%2F Abstract  The frequencies of alleles of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes, KIR3DL3 and KIR3DL2, and the carrier frequency of KIR2DL4 alleles have been determined from a population of African Americans (n = 100) by DNA sequencing of the coding regions. Fifty alleles of KIR3DL3 were observed with the most frequent, KIR3DL3*00901 (13%). KIR3DL2 was also diverse; 32 alleles with KIR3DL2*00103 the most frequent (17%). For KIR2DL4, of the 18 alleles observed, one allele, KIR2DL4*00103, was found in 64 of the 100 individuals. Thirty-six novel alleles encoding a total of 28 unique receptors are described. Pairwise comparisons among all of the alleles at each locus suggest a predominance of synonymous substitutions. The variation at all three framework loci fits a neutr... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900163 Mon, 23 May 2011 17:02:20 +0100 4900163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4900164&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj545j233311w5u5v%2F Abstract  The great polymorphism observed in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes is thought to be maintained by pathogen-mediated selection possibly combined with MHC-disassortative mating, guided by MHC-determined olfactory cues. Here, we partly characterize the MHC class I and II B of the blue petrel, Halobaena caerulea (Procellariiformes), a bird with significant olfactory abilities that lives under presumably low pathogen burdens in Subantarctica. Blue petrels are long-lived, monogamous birds which suggest the necessity of an accurate mate choice process. The species is ancestral to songbirds (Passeriformes; many MHC loci), although not to gamefowls (Galliformes; few MHC loci). Considering the phylogenetic relationships and the low subantarctic pathogen burd... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4900164 Mon, 23 May 2011 17:02:17 +0100 4900164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4851674&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq46818v673876t5m%2F Abstract  The rabbit has long been a model for studies of the immune system. Work using rabbits contributed both to the battle against infectious diseases such as rabies and syphilis, and to our knowledge, of antibodies' structure, function, and regulated expression. With the description of rabbit Ig allotypes, the discovery of different gene segments encoding immunoglobulins became possible. This challenged the “one gene–one protein” dogma. The observation that rabbit allotypic specificities of the variable regions were present on IgM and IgG molecules also led to the hypothesis of Ig class switching. Rabbit allotypes contributed to the documentation of phenomena such as allelic exclusion and imbalance in production of allelic gene products. During the last 30 y... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4851674 Thu, 19 May 2011 05:50:31 +0100 4851674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4818628&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp7k161m60hu17702%2F This study is the first to characterize MHC class I (MHC-I) in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), and we use MHC-I exon 3 sequence data from individuals originating from three locations across Europe: Spain, the Netherlands to Sweden. Our phylogeny of the 17 blue tit MHC-I alleles contains one allele cluster with low nucleotide diversity compared to the remaining more diverse alleles. We found a significant evidence for balancing selection in the peptide-binding region in the diverse allele group only. No separation according to geographic location was found in the phylogeny of alleles. Although the number of MHC-I loci of the blue tit is comparable to that of other passerine species, the nucleotide diversity of MHC-I appears to be much lower than that of other passerine species, inclu... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4818628 Wed, 11 May 2011 05:47:03 +0100 4818628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4818629&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq10501hh80712676%2F Abstract  Pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) are a commonly studied primate model of human AIDS. The Mane-A1*084:01 MHC class I allele (previously named Mane-A*10) is important for the control of SIV infection by CD8+ T cells in this model. Validated methods to detect this allele in large numbers of macaques are lacking. We studied this MHC allele using sequence-specific PCRs in 217 pig-tailed macaques and identified 75 (35%) positive animals. We then performed massively parallel pyrosequencing with a universal 568-bp MHC class I cDNA-PCR amplicon for 50 of these 75 macaques. All 50 animals expressed Mane-A1*084:01 or closely related variants of the Mane-A1*084 lineage. Mane-A1*084 transcripts accounted for an average of 20.9% of all class I sequences identified per anima... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4818629 Tue, 10 May 2011 06:04:15 +0100 4818629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4818630&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy547v588373012xw%2F Abstract  Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) show extensive variation in terms of gene content and allelic polymorphisms among different populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of KIR genes in the Bulang, Nu, Yugu, and Zhuang ethnic groups, which belong to four different language families in China, and thus to provide basic KIR gene and genotype data for these Chinese ethnic groups. Genotyping of 16 KIR genes was performed in 425 unrelated individuals using the polymerase chain reaction–sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method with the Luminex MultiAnalyte Profiling System. The four framework KIR genes were detected in all four ethnic groups. The activating KIR genes as well as the inhibitory KIR genes showed extreme diversit... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4818630 Tue, 10 May 2011 06:04:14 +0100 4818630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4818631&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ff8205631l5p60621%2F Abstract  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting 0.5–1% of the population worldwide. The disease has a heterogeneous character, including clinical subsets of anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive and APCA-negative disease. Although the pathogenesis of RA is poorly understood, progress has been made in identifying genetic factors that contribute to the disease. The most important genetic risk factor for RA is found in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus. In particular, the HLA molecules carrying the amino acid sequence QKRAA, QRRAA, or RRRAA at positions 70–74 of the DRβ1 chain are associated with the disease. The HLA molecules carrying these “shared epitope” sequences only predispose for ACPA-positive disease. More tha... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4818631 Tue, 10 May 2011 06:04:13 +0100 4818631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810920&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh6147u10855w4378%2F Abstract  Natural-killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) is an activating receptor that plays an important role in the immune response mediated by NK cells, γδ+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. In humans, MHC class I chain-related genes and UL-16 binding protein (ULBP)/retinoic acid early transcript 1 (REAT1) gene family encode ligands for NKG2D. The rhesus and crab-eating macaques, which belong to the Old World monkeys, are widely used as non-human primate models in medical researches on the immunological process. In the present study, we investigated the polymorphisms of ULBP4/RAET1E, a member of the ULBP/RAET1 family, and found 25 and 14 alleles from the rhesus and crab-eating macaques, respectively, of which diversities were far more extended than in humans. A phylogenetic study su... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810920 Fri, 06 May 2011 16:25:03 +0100 4810920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4793483&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft0w8115j26340pl2%2F Abstract  Alternative lysine and methionine residues at position 44 in the D1 domain determine the specificities of human lineage III killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) for the C1 and C2 epitopes of HLA-C. KIR having glutamate 44 are also present in orangutans (Popy2DLB) and chimpanzees (Pt-2DL9) but notably absent from humans. Popy2DLB exhibits broad specificity for both the C1 and C2 epitopes, whereas Pt-2DL9 has narrow specificity for C2. Mutation of phenylalanine 45 in Popy2DLB to the cysteine residue present in Pt-2DL9 was sufficient to narrow the Popy2DLB specificity to be like that of Pt-2DL9. In contrast, replacement of cysteine 45 in Pt-2DL9 by phenylalanine had no effect on its C2 specificity, but reduced the avidity. In a similar manner, replacement ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4793483 Tue, 03 May 2011 15:34:34 +0100 4793483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4770583&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0031428321034p29%2F Abstract  In a structural aberration analysis of patients with arthritis mutilans, a 50 kb deletion near the HLA-A locus with HLA-A*24:02 allele was detected. It was previously reported that HLA-A*24:02 haplotype harbored a large-scale deletion telomeric of the HLA-A gene in healthy individuals. In order to confirm that the deletion are the same in patients with arthritis mutilans and in healthy individuals, and to identify the break point of this deletion, the boundary sequences across the deletion in A*24:02 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a 3.7 kb genomic fragment and subjected to nucleotide sequence determination. A comparison of these genomic sequences with those of the non-A*24:02 haplotype revealed that the deleted genomic region spanning 50... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4770583 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:38:37 +0100 4770583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744509&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fuh0417261018m514%2F Abstract  Common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) have emerged as important animal models for biomedical research, necessitating a more extensive characterization of their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. However, the genomic information of the marmoset MHC (Caja) is still lacking. The MHC-B/C segment represents the most diverse MHC region among primates. Therefore, in this paper, to elucidate the detailed gene organization and evolutionary processes of the Caja class I B (Caja-B) segment, we determined two parts of the Caja-B sequences with 1,079 kb in total, ranging from H6orf15 to BAT1 and compared the structure and phylogeny with that of other primates. This segment contains 54 genes in total, nine Caja-B genes (Caja-B1 to Caja-B9), two MIC genes (MI... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744509 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:08:30 +0100 4744509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4730822&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7022777155139105%2F Abstract  Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have received much attention in immunology, genetics, and ecology because they are highly polymorphic and play important roles in parasite resistance and mate choice. Until recently, the MHC of passerine birds was not well-described. However, the genome sequencing of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) has partially redressed this gap in our knowledge of avian MHC genes. Here, we contribute further to the understanding of the zebra finch MHC organization by mapping SNPs within or close to known MHC genes in the zebra finch genome. MHC class I and IIB genes were both mapped to zebra finch chromosome 16, and there was no evidence that MHC class I genes are located on chromosome 22 (as suggested by the genome assem... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4730822 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:02:06 +0100 4730822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4695953&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F4350559895812nx5%2F Abstract  Parasites exert a selection pressure on their hosts and are accountable for driving diversity within gene families and immune gene polymorphisms in a host population. The overwhelming response of regulatory T cells during infectious challenges directs the host immune system to lose the ability to mount parasite specific T cell responses. The underlying idea of this study is that regulatory single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) can cause significant changes in gene expression in functional immune genes. We identified and investigated regulatory SNPs in the promoter region of the FOXP3 gene in a group of Gabonese individuals exposed to a variety of parasitic infections. We identified two novel and one promoter variants in 40 individual subjects. We further validated ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4695953 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:28:24 +0100 4695953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4681694&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp062533854495475%2F Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-1DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0522-zAuthors Daniela Gómez, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChilePablo Conejeros, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileSergio H. Marshall, Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, ChileSofia Consuegra, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Edwar... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4681694 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:38:04 +0100 4681694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4681695&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fnx200760205r2001%2F Abstract  Heterophils, the avian polymorphonuclear leukocyte and the counterpart of mammalian neutrophils, generate the primary innate response to pathogens in chickens. Heterophil performance against pathogens is associated with host disease resistance, and heterophil gene expression and function are under genetic control. To characterize the genomic basis of heterophil function, heterophils from F13 advanced intercross chicken lines (broiler × Leghorn and broiler × Fayoumi) were assayed for phagocytosis and killing of Salmonella enteritidis, oxidative burst, and extracellular trap production. A whole-genome association analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms at 57,636 loci identified genomic locations controlling these functional phenotypes. Genomic analysis revealed... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4681695 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:38:03 +0100 4681695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4609579&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fl8r27108l0297256%2F Abstract  Two clusters of rat Nkrp1 genes can be distinguished based on phylogenetic relationships and functional characteristics. The proximal (centromeric) cluster encodes the well-studied NKR-P1A and NKR-P1B receptors and the distal cluster, the largely uncharacterized, NKR-P1F and NKR-P1G receptors. The inhibitory NKR-P1G receptor is expressed only by the Ly49s3+ NK cell subset as detected by RT-PCR, while the activating NKR-P1F receptor is detected in both Ly49s3+ and NKR-P1B+ NK cells. The mouse NKR-P1G ortholog is expressed by both NKR-P1D− and NKR-P1D+ NK cells in C57BL/6 mice. The rat and mouse NKR-P1F and NKR-P1G receptors demonstrate a striking, cross-species conservation of specificity for Clr ligands. NKR-P1F and NKR-P1G reporter cells reacted with overlapping p... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4609579 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:32:13 +0100 4609579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4577602&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F1736h33jj8303912%2F In this study, we investigated molecular evolution of IgSF genes in primates by comparing orthologous sequences of 249 IgSF genes among human, chimpanzee, orangutan, rhesus macaque, and common marmoset. To evaluate the non-synonymous/synonymous substitution ratio (ω), we applied Bn-Bs program and PAML program. IgSF genes were classified into 11 functional categories based on the Gene Ontology (GO) database. Among them, IgSF genes in three functional categories, immune system process (GO:0002376), defense response (GO:0006952), and multi-organism process (GO:0051704), which are tightly linked to the regulation of immune system had much higher values of ω than genes in the other GO categories. In addition, we estimated the average values of ω for each primate lineage. Although each... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4577602 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:48:52 +0100 4577602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4558356&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft2v262606871g085%2F This study demonstrates a rapid and intense host transcriptional remodelling during the early phase of the replication of the virus which correlates with transient repression of type-I interferon transcript as early as 8 h post-infection. These results support the suggestion from previous studies that host innate immune response inhibits replication of European porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in macrophages by altering differential regulation of type-I interferon transcriptional response. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-12DOI 10.1007/s00251-011-0518-8Authors Tahar Ait-Ali, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UKAlison D. Wilson, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Di... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4558356 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 07:03:20 +0100 4558356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4558357&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj77546j751615210%2F This study aims to investigate the role of YBX1 expression in early hematopoietic differentiation and leukemia. Here, we show that YBX1 is highly expressed in mouse erythroid myeloid lymphoid-clone 1 (EML), a hematopoietic precursor cell line, but is down-regulated in myeloid progenitors and GM-CSF-treated EML cells during the course of myeloid differentiation. Moreover, we found that lineage−/IL-7R−/c-kit+/Sca1+ (LKS; enriched fraction of hematopoietic stem cells) and lineage−/IL-7R−/c-kit+/Sca1− myeloid progenitor cells showed high level of YBX1 expression as compared to the differentiated cells like granulocytes in mouse bone marrow. Also, YBX1 protein was expressed at high levels in myeloid leukemic cell lines blocked at different stages of myeloid development. We furthe... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4558357 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:50:07 +0100 4558357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4493818&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy8525v6p41g53077%2F Abstract  Macaque models are invaluable for AIDS research. Indeed, initial development of HIV-1 vaccines relies heavily on simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaques. Neutralizing antibodies, a major component of anti-HIV protective responses, ultimately interact with Fc receptors on phagocytic and natural killer cells to eliminate the pathogen. Despite the major role that Fc receptors play in protective responses, there is very limited information available on these molecules in rhesus macaques. Therefore, in this study, rhesus macaque CD32 (FcγRII) and CD64 (FcγRI) homologues were genetically characterized. In addition, presence of CD16 (FcγRIII), CD32, and CD64 allelic polymorphisms were determined in a group of nine animals. Results from this study show t... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4493818 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:00:50 +0100 4493818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4493819&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F7702078163747582%2F In this study, four MHC class I loci were isolated from the red-billed gull (Larus scopulinus), representing both the first characterized MHCI genes within Charadriiformes (shorebirds, gulls, and allies) and the first full-length MHCI sequences described outside Galloanserae (gamebirds + waterfowl). Complete multilocus genotypes were obtained for 470 individuals using a combination of reference-strand conformation analysis and direct sequencing of gene-specific amplification products, and variation of peptide-binding region (PBR) exons was surveyed for all loci. Each gene is transcribed and has conserved sequence features characteristic of antigen-presenting MHCI molecules. However, higher allelic variation, a more even allele frequency distribution, and evidence of positive selection... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4493819 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:00:49 +0100 4493819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4463374&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu06l8v3vq21jx766%2F Abstract  Previous studies have attempted to define human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II supertypes, analogous to the case for class I, on the basis of shared peptide-binding motifs or structure. In the present study, we determined the binding capacity of a large panel of non-redundant peptides for a set of 27 common HLA DR, DQ, and DP molecules. The measured binding data were then used to define class II supertypes on the basis of shared binding repertoires. Seven different supertypes (main DR, DR4, DRB3, main DQ, DQ7, main DP, and DP2) were defined. The molecules associated with the respective supertypes fell largely along lines defined by MHC locus and reflect, in broad terms, commonalities in reported peptide-binding motifs. Repertoire overlaps between molecules withi... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4463374 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:47:19 +0100 4463374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4458742&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe42k81124025t193%2F Abstract  Bovines present contrasting, heritable phenotypes of infestations with the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Tick salivary glands produce IgG-binding proteins (IGBPs) as a mechanism for escaping from host antibodies that these ectoparasites ingest during blood meals. Allotypes that occur in the constant region of IgG may differ in their capacity to bind with tick IGBPs; this may be reflected by the distribution of distinct allotypes according to phenotypes of tick infestations. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated the frequency of haplotypes of bovine IgG2 among tick-resistant and tick-susceptible breeds of bovines. Sequencing of the gene coding for the heavy chain of IgG2 from 114 tick-resistant (Bos taurus indicus, Nelore breed) and ti... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4458742 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:47:30 +0100 4458742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441539&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj4323v6760646n12%2F Abstract  Myxovirus-resistance (Mx) proteins are produced by host cells in response to type I interferons, and some members of the Mx gene family in mammals have been shown to limit replication of influenza and other viruses. According to an early report, chicken Mx1 variants encoding Asn at position 631 have antiviral activity, whereas variants with Ser at 631 lack activity in experiments evaluating Mx1 complementary DNA (cDNA) expressed ectopically in a cell line. We evaluated whether the Mx1 631 dimorphism influenced pathogenesis of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection in chickens of two commercial broiler lines, each segregating for Asn631 and Ser631 variants. Following intranasal infection with HPAIV strain A/Chicken/Queretaro/14588-19/1995 H5N2, ch... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441539 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:22:37 +0100 4441539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4417970&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F92752210v6628h1t%2F In this study, we have characterized two additional alleles expressed with high frequency in Chinese rhesus macaques, Mamu-A1*02601 and Mamu-B*08301. Upon the development of MHC–peptide-binding assays and definition of their associated motifs, we reveal that these Mamu alleles share peptide-binding characteristics with the HLA-A2 and HLA-A3 supertypes, respectively, the next most frequent human supertypes after HLA-B7. These data suggest that Chinese rhesus macaques may indeed be a more representative model of HLA gene diversity and function as compared to the species of Indian origin and therefore a better model for investigating human immune responses. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-16DOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0502-8Authors Scott Southwood, Department of Vaccine Discovery... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4417970 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:36:22 +0100 4417970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4427942&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg0gx1275187855t6%2F Abstract  Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a collagenous lectin that kills a wide range of pathogenic microbes through complement activation. The MBL1 and MBL2 genes encode MBL-A and MBL-C, respectively. MBL deficiency in humans is associated with higher susceptibility to viral as well as bacterial infections. A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been identified in the collagen-like domain of the human MBL gene, of which several are strongly associated with decreased concentrations of MBL in serum. In this study, we have identified a number of SNPs in the porcine MBL-A gene. Sequence comparisons identified a total of 14 SNPs, eight of which were found in exons and six in introns. Four of the eight exon-located SNPs were non-synonymous. Sequence data from se... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4427942 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:36:20 +0100 4427942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4404327&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq2238534q4j04570%2F This study substantially expands the known immunoglobulin gene repertoire and demonstrates that genetic variation of immunoglobulin genes can now be efficiently explored in different human populations using high-throughput pyrosequencing. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0510-8Authors Yan Wang, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 AustraliaKatherine J. Jackson, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 AustraliaBruno Gäeta, School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 AustraliaWilliam Pomat, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province Papua New GuineaP... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4404327 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:57:34 +0100 4404327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4381441&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fjk13286276q064q2%2F Abstract  The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) genome-wide study found association of PTPN2 with three autoimmune diseases, among them is type 1 diabetes (T1D). This result was confirmed by a follow-up study that pointed to new independent signals within the region. However, both studies were performed in patients with an early-onset T1D. We aimed at replicating the previous results and studying the influence of these polymorphisms in the age at T1D debut. We genotyped 439 T1D Spanish subjects (age at onset, 1 to 65 years) and 861 controls for two PTPN2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2542151 and rs478582, and studied the effect of both polymorphisms in age at onset through stratified and continuous analyses. The frequency of rs2542151*G carriers ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4381441 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:35:16 +0100 4381441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4376424&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ftn5287000216203g%2F Abstract   Nwc represents a mysterious third evolutionarily conserved gene within the Rag locus. Here, we analyzed the phenotype of Nwctmpro1 mice, in which the Rag2 intragenic region containing the previously identified promoter responsible for initiating transcription of Nwc in all cells except lymphocytes was deleted by homologous recombination. Despite strong nonlymphocyte-specific inhibition of Nwc transcription which runs through the regulatory region of Rag genes, their expression remained suppressed, and no developmental, morphological, anatomical, functional, physiological, or cellular defects in Nwctmpro1 mice could be observed. However, careful analysis of the Rag2 intergenic region uncovered a second evolutionarily conserved Nwc promoter region from which a previou... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4376424 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:23:00 +0100 4376424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355166&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F4706570q50580506%2F We present statistical evidence of the influence of MHC polymorphism on the set-point plasma viral load (PVL). Our analysis was based on the study of 45 Mauritian cynomolgus macaques inoculated by intravenous or intrarectal injection of a 50 AID50 dose of the SIVmac251 virus. The animals received no treatment before or after the inoculation. MHC polymorphism was investigated by means of 20 microsatellites distributed across the MHC and by DRB genotyping using the DGGE sequencing method. Statistical analysis with Unphased software revealed that two markers located in the class IB region significantly influenced the Log PVL and that three class IB haplotypes were significantly associated with lower (H2 or H6) or higher (H4) set-point Log PVL values. Although the impact of MHC on Log PV... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355166 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:31:38 +0100 4355166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355167&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fn71u12l13314j763%2F Abstract  Macrophages (mϕ) from pre-diseased mice of the major murine inbred models of spontaneous autoimmunity (AI), including multiple lupus-prone strains and the type I diabetes-prone NOD (non-obese diabetic) strain, have identical apoptotic target-dependent abnormalities. This characteristic feature of mϕ from AI-prone mice suggests that abnormal signaling events induced within mϕ following their interaction with apoptotic targets may predispose to AI. Such signaling abnormalities would affect predominantly the processing and presentation of self-antigen (i.e., derived from apoptotic targets), while sparing the processing and presentation of foreign antigen (i.e., derived from non-apoptotic sources). Here, we used DNA microarrays to test the hypothesis that mϕ from ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355167 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:05:27 +0100 4355167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4341764&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx370477g1r65u302%2F Abstract  Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) plays an important role in virus and double-stranded RNA-mediated induction of type I interferon and RANTES, DNA damage signaling, tumor suppression, and virus-induced apoptosis. However, cis elements or trans factors responsible for regulating IRF-3 expression remain largely unknown. Here we report that the transcription factor E2F1 negatively regulates the basal transcriptional activity of IRF-3 and deregulates IRF-3 expression at mRNA level. By transient transfection analysis, we demonstrate that the mutation of E2F-binding site results in a profound promotion of IRF-3 promoter activity. Overexpression of E2F1, but not a mutant E2F1, represses the IRF-3 promoter activity in reporter gene assays while knocking down of endoge... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4341764 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:49:19 +0100 4341764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4341765&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0p02654q1675267l%2F In this study, we characterise the structure and diversity of class II MHC genes in little spotted kiwi Apteryx owenii, a ratite bird representing the basal avian lineage (paleognaths). Results indicate that little spotted kiwi have a more complex MHC structure than that of other non-passerine birds, with at least five class II MHC genes, three of which are expressed and likely to be functional. Levels of MHC variation among little spotted kiwi are extremely low, with 13 birds assayed having nearly identical MHC genotypes (only two genotypes containing four alleles, three of which are fixed). These results suggest that recent genetic drift due to a species-wide bottleneck of at most seven birds has overwhelmed past selection for high MHC diversity in little spotted kiwi, potentially l... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4341765 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:07:51 +0100 4341765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4321559&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fw7154n441548727h%2F In this study, we have cloned a further five novel trout IL-4/13 receptors. Thus, each of the IL-4Rα, IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2 chains has two copies. The identities of the receptors is supported by homology analysis, characteristic domain structure, phylogenetic tree analysis and synteny analysis in zebrafish. However, the characteristic WSXWS motif of structural importance in mammalian type I cytokine receptors is missing in all fish IL-4Rα and IL-13Rα1 molecules. All the receptors have a characteristic domain structure that is similar to their mammalian counterparts except for IL-13Rα1b that has the N-terminal Ig domain missing. Since this Ig domain is a specific and critical binding unit for IL-13 but not for IL-4 signalling, its absence potentially converts the IL-13Rα1b into... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4321559 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:48:21 +0100 4321559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4317226&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx5l44hrl3q5q7546%2F Abstract  Genetic variation in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is directly correlated to differences in disease resistance. Immunity is greatly dependent on highly polymorphic genes in the MHC, such as class I, class II, and class III complement genes. Preliminary studies of wild turkey populations show extreme polymorphisms in a family of genes exclusive to the avian MHC, the class IV or B-G genes. Significance of this variation is unclear as there are few and conflicting studies of the expression of these genes. Confounding understanding of B-G variation is the lack of a complete delineation of the number of loci in the turkey genome. Direct 454 sequencing of a clone from the CHORI-260 BAC library was used to extend the turkey MHC B-locus sequence, identifying ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4317226 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:49:58 +0100 4317226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4301696&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F5nlrrg405l218056%2F Abstract  Natural killer (NK) cells affect a form of innate immunity that recognizes and eliminates cells that are infected with certain viruses or have undergone malignant transformation. In mammals, this recognition can be mediated through immunoglobulin- (Ig) and/or lectin-type NK receptors (NKRs). NKR genes in mammals range from minimally polymorphic single-copy genes to complex multigene families that exhibit high levels of haplotypic complexity and exhibit significant interspecific variation. Certain single-copy NKR genes that are present in one mammal are present as expanded multigene families in other mammals. These observations highlight NKRs as one of the most rapidly evolving eukaryotic gene families and likely reflect the influence of pathogens, especially virus... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4301696 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:08:50 +0100 4301696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4270696&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx48402460u4k5436%2F Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0496-2Authors Ina Pokorny, Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, Haus 26, 14476 Potsdam, GermanyReeta Sharma, Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, , Dehradun, 248001 Uttarakhand IndiaSurendra Prakash Goyal, Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, , Dehradun, 248001 Uttarakhand IndiaSudanshu Mishra, Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Chandrabani, , Dehradun, 248001 Uttarakhand IndiaRalph Tiedemann, Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, Haus 26, 14476 Potsdam, Germany Journal Immunogene... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4270696 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:09:35 +0100 4270696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4240691&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb4q86727q205h555%2F Abstract  A familial form of lupus, termed exfoliative cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ECLE) has been recognized for decades in German shorthaired pointer dogs (GSP). Previous studies were suggestive of autosomal recessive inheritance. The disease presents as a severe dermatitis with age of onset between 16 and 40 weeks, and mirrors cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) in humans. Lameness and, in advanced cases, renal disease may be present. Most affected dogs are euthanized before reaching the age of 4 years. The diagnosis is made by clinical observations and microscopic examination of skin biopsies. In humans, many different forms of CLE exist and various genes and chromosomal locations have been implicated. The large number of potential candidate loci combined wi... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4240691 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:43:09 +0100 4240691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4240690&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fu04518244l614823%2F Abstract  Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules play an important role in the susceptibility and/or resistance to many diseases. To gain an insight into the MHC background and to facilitate the experimental use of cynomolgus macaques, the second exon of the MhcMafa-DOB, -DPB1, and -DQB1 genes from 143 cynomolgus macaques were characterized by cloning to sequencing. A total of 16 Mafa-DOB, 16 Mafa-DPB1, and 34 Mafa-DQB1 alleles were identified, which revealed limited, moderate, and marked allelic polymorphism at DOB, DPB1, and DQB1, respectively, in a cohort of cynomolgus macaques of Vietnamese origin. In addition, 16 Mafa-DOB, 5 Mafa-DPB1, and 8 Mafa-DQB1 alleles represented novel sequences that had not been reported in earlier studies. Almost of the sequences detect... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4240690 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:43:09 +0100 4240690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4229903&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fvx8153lp7k166782%2F Abstract  T cell epitopes derived from polymorphic proteins or from proteins encoded by alternative reading frames (ARFs) play an important role in (tumor) immunology. Identification of these peptides is successfully performed with mass spectrometry. In a mass spectrometry-based approach, the recorded tandem mass spectra are matched against hypothetical spectra generated from known protein sequence databases. Commonly used protein databases contain a minimal level of redundancy, and thus, are not suitable data sources for searching polymorphic T cell epitopes, either in normal or ARFs. At the same time, however, these databases contain much non-polymorphic sequence information, thereby complicating the matching of recorded and theoretical spectra, and increasing the potenti... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4229903 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:18:35 +0100 4229903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4199476&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F51g554q0p15r0446%2F Abstract  The polymorphism of exon 2 of the DAB genes (major histocompatibility complex [MHC] class IIB) was investigated for the first time in the freshwater cyprinid fish species, Squalius cephalus, in the wide range of its distribution in Europe. We identified 111 different MHC class IIB variants in 15 chub populations distributed from Finland to Spain. The sequence analysis showed that many structurally important amino acid sites that were conserved among tetrapods were also conserved in chub. The analysis of recombination indicated that it does not play an important role in producing and maintaining the variation of DAB genes analyzed in the present study. The exon 2 was shown to be subjected to intense positive selection. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence identities sug... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4199476 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:43:49 +0100 4199476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4188758&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F34m5n5160r15461g%2F Abstract  Downregulation or total loss of HLA class I expression on tumor cells is known as a mechanism of cancer immune escape. Alterations of the HLA phenotype are frequently due to mutations affecting genes encoding the HLA class I heavy chains located on chromosome 6p21 or the β2-microglobulin (β2m) gene encoding the light chain of the HLA complex located on chromosome 15q21. Frequently irreversible total loss of HLA class I molecules is due to the coincidence of two molecular events, the mutation of one β2m gene and the loss of the second copy. The latter is detectable as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of microsatellite markers in the β2m region on chromosome 15q21 (LOH-15q21). Thus, LOH-15q21 might be an important event in the processes of HLA class I downregulation... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4188758 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:03:02 +0100 4188758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4188759&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj226h76654256910%2F Abstract  While the number of peripheral blood T lymphocytes and of their two main subsets (CD4+CD8− and CD4−CD8+) varies little in a given healthy individual, substantial variation is observed between individuals. It was proposed that these counts could be influenced by MHC polymorphisms because of the well-established role of MHC molecules in thymic T lymphocyte maturation and presentation of antigenic peptides to peripheral T lymphocytes. To test this hypothesis, we have chosen the crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), an animal model phylogenetically close to man. We selected the Philippine macaque population because of a restriction of the MHC polymorphism in this islander population. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were counted with an automated analyzer and T l... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4188759 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:03:01 +0100 4188759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4188760&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh361ht40758817x3%2F In this study, the allelic associations of 49 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human EMID2 gene were evaluated from 163 AIA patients and 429 aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) subjects as controls in a Korean population. Logistic analysis showed that five SNPs (P = 0.01–0.04, but P corr > 0.05) and EMID2_BL2_ht2 haplotype (unique to the minor alleles of rs4727494 and rs13233066; P = 0.02; P corr = 0.02) were significantly associated with AIA. More interestingly, regression analysis of the decline of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) by aspirin provocation revealed that 10 SNPs (P = 0.003–0.04) and four relevant haplotypes (P = 0.002–0.02) were significantly associated with the fall rate of FEV1 by aspirin provocation, indicating tha... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4188760 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:02:59 +0100 4188760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4178058&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr2j6520831745137%2F Abstract  Traditionally, T cell epitope discovery requires considerable amounts of tedious, slow, and costly experimental work. During the last decade, prediction tools have emerged as essential tools allowing researchers to select a manageable list of epitope candidates to test from a larger peptide, protein, or even proteome. However, no current tools address the complexity caused by the highly polymorphic nature of the restricting HLA molecules, which effectively individualizes T cell responses. To fill this gap, we here present an easy-to-use prediction tool named HLArestrictor (http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/HLArestrictor), which is based on the highly versatile and accurate NetMHCpan predictor, which here has been optimized for the identification of both the MHC restric... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4178058 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:12:52 +0100 4178058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4178059&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr585g77611854915%2F Abstract  The −159C/T polymorphism in the CD14 gene has been implicated in susceptibility to asthma, but a large number of studies have reported inconclusive results. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the −159C/T polymorphism in the CD14 gene and the risk of asthma by meta-analysis. We searched Pubmed, Embase, CNKI database, Wanfang database, Weipu database, and Chinese Biomedical database, covering all publications (last search been performed on April 20, 2010). Statistical analysis was performed by using the softwares Revman 4.2 and STATA 10.0. A total of 17 case–control studies in 17 articles (4,246 cases and 3,631 controls) were included in this meta-analysis. There was no association between this polymorphism and asthma risk in combi... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4178059 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:12:49 +0100 4178059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4166395&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe31q4127878472u6%2F In conclusion, IL-6 promoter polymorphisms influence the development of chronic HCV infection. With the permissive effect of male gender, haplotypes represented by the wild-type allele for −597 and −174 loci appear to favor a worse evolution of the disease. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0491-7Authors Annarosa Cussigh, Laboratory Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyEdmondo Falleti, Laboratory Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyCarlo Fabris, Medical Sciences Clinical and Experimental, Medical Liver Transplant Unit, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyDavide Bitetto, Medical Sciences Clinical and Experimental, Medical Liver Transplant Unit, University of Udine, Udine, ItalySara Cmet, Laboratory Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyElisabetta... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4166395 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:49:00 +0100 4166395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4094489&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fg08w728332762827%2F Abstract  Although the human nonclassical class Ib major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) locus, HLA-G, is known to act as an immune suppressor in immune-privileged sites, little is currently known regarding participation of the rodent class Ib Mhc in similar pathways. Here, we investigated the expression properties of the mouse nonclassical Mhc H2-Q5 k gene, previously detected in tumors and tissues associated with pregnancy. We find that H2-Q5 k is alternatively spliced into multiple novel isoforms in a wide panel of C3H tissues. Unlike other known class I MHC, it is most highly transcribed in the brain, where the classical class Ia Mhc products are scarce. The truncated isoforms are selectively enriched in sites of immune privilege and are translated into cell surfa... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4094489 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:13:56 +0100 4094489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4084888&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc4m161g9n115j681%2F Abstract  The Mamu-A genes of the rhesus macaque show different degrees of polymorphism, transcription level variation, and differential haplotype distribution. Per haplotype, usually one “major” transcribed gene is present, A1 (A7), in various combinations with “minor” genes, A2 to A6. In silico analysis of the physical map of a heterozygous animal revealed the presence of similar Mamu-A regions consisting of four duplication units, but with dissimilar positions of the A1 genes on both haplotypes, and in combination with different minor genes. Two microsatellites, D6S2854 and D6S2859, have been selected as potential tools to characterize this complex region. Subsequent analysis of a large breeding colony resulted in the description of highly discriminative patterns, d... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4084888 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:59:31 +0100 4084888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4071789&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fv7p86003m4537320%2F Abstract  Pathogenic common variable immunodeficiency diseases (CVID) are genetic, usually inherited diseases for which a limited number of genetic defects have been implicated. As CVID presents with a wide range of clinical characteristics, there are likely diverse and for the most part unidentified genetic causes. In some individuals, defects in somatic hypermutation (SHM) have been suggested as the underlying cause of CVID. To address the mechanisms of SHM defects in CVID, we conducted a comprehensive mutational analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain sequences from CVID patients. We identified several remarkably specific alterations in the spectra of SHM in comparison to healthy individuals. We provide evidence that some CVID cases are associated with defective repair of... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4071789 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 06:44:56 +0100 4071789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4071790&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fc54646g663882056%2F The objective of this study was to investigate the association of nucleotide polymorphisms in TLR4 with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), or pinkeye, incidence in American Angus cattle. Animals with previously calculated breeding values for IBK susceptibility were used to identify two SNPs in TLR4; Int1 (A/G) in intron1 (−26 Ex2 position) and Ex3 (C/T) in exon3 (1,678 position). To investigate the possible role of these SNPs in IBK susceptibility, the disease incidence information was collected on 370 calves raised in Iowa at two time points—June or August (disease season) and October (at weaning) and genotyped using PCR-RFLP protocols. In statistical models including year, pasture management group, and SNP, the Int1 SNP had a significant effect on IBK infection rates... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4071790 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 06:44:55 +0100 4071790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4071791&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F3t28166qw165j62k%2F Abstract  We here report the genomic organisation of the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) MHC class II DQ and DR region based on BAC clone analysis. The sequenced Mimu-MHC haplotype spans 343 kb and encompasses the genes TAP2, DOB, DQB, DQA, DRB, DRA, BTNL2 and a further BTNL gene. The DQ and DR genes of this haplotype are not duplicated. Mimu-DOB is not transcribed and represents a pseudogene due to deletions and premature stop codons. Analysis of BAC clone DNA, a cDNA sample and eight genomic DNA samples suggests that Mimu-DRB, Mimu-DQA and Mimu-DQB are highly polymorphic with the majority of peptide-binding residues being affected by polymorphisms. In contrast, Mimu-DRA is moderately polymorphic, and the variable amino acid positions are not part of the peptide-bind... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4071791 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 06:44:52 +0100 4071791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4043747&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fq2m252qq4316m765%2F Abstract  In North America, the raccoon rabies virus (RRV) is an endemic wildlife disease which causes acute encephalopathies and is a strong selective force on raccoons (Procyon lotor), with estimates of ∼85% of the population succumbing to the disease when epizootic. RRV is regarded as a lethal disease if untreated; therefore, no evolutionary response would be expected of raccoon populations. However, variable immune responses to RRV have been observed in raccoons indicating a potential for evolutionary adaptation. Studies of variation within the immunologically important major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have revealed relationships between MHC alleles and diseases in humans and other wildlife species. This enhances our understanding of how hosts and pathogens adapt... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4043747 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:59:45 +0100 4043747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4024937&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fpqu1459u40jj2210%2F Abstract  Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles of nonhuman primates have been associated with disease susceptibility, resistance, and resolution. Here, using high-resolution pyrosequencing, we characterized MHC class I transcripts expressed in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM), a nonhuman primate population with restricted MHC diversity. Using this approach, we identified 67 distinct MHC class I transcripts encoded by the seven most frequent MCM MHC class I haplotypes, 40 (60%) of which span the complete open reading frames. These results double the number of MHC class I sequences previously defined by cloning and Sanger sequencing of cDNA-PCR products and provide a rapid, high-throughput, and economical method for MHC characterization. Overall, this app... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4024937 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:15:57 +0100 4024937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4021530&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0444223531817527%2F Abstract  An extensive family-based study of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) cluster was performed. We aimed to describe the LD structure in the KIR gene cluster using a sample of 418 founder haplotypes identified by segregation in a group of 106 families from Northern Ireland. The LD was studied at two levels of polymorphism: the structural level (presence or absence of KIR genes) and the allelic level (between alleles of KIR genes). LD was further assessed using the predictive value of one KIR polymorphism for another one in order to provide an interpretative framework for the LD effect in association studies. In line with previous research, distinct patterns of KIR genetic diversity within the genomic region centromeric ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4021530 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:14:10 +0100 4021530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4021531&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp4113u34p7u48p31%2F Abstract   Zaïre ebolavirus (ZEBOV) infection rapidly outruns the host's immunity and leads to death within a week. Fatal cases have been associated with an aberrant innate, proinflammatory immune response followed by a suppressed adaptive response leading to the rapid depletion of peripheral NK cells and lymphocytes. A critical role for NK cells has been suggested but not elucidated. In this genetic study, we investigated the association of KIR genotype with disease outcome by comparing genotypes of a Gabonese control population, IgG+ contacts, survivors, and fatalities of ZEBOV infection. We showed that the activating KIR2DS1 and KIR2DS3 genes associate with fatal outcome in Ebola virus infection. In addition, this study brings supplemental evidence in favor of the speci... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4021531 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:14:09 +0100 4021531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4010263&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj05428060p1w6673%2F Abstract  L-amino acid oxidases (LAOs), because they produce hydrogen peroxide as a by-product, function in innate immune defenses of both vertebrates and mollusks. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two major subfamilies of LAOs: (1) a subfamily including LAOs from vertebrates and mainly from Terrabacteria and (2) a subfamily including LAOs from mollusks and Hydrobacteria. These subfamilies thus originated early in the history of life, implying that their innate immune functions in vertebrates and mollusks have evolved separately. Mammalian LAOs were found to belong to three separate clades: (1) LAO1, (2) LAO2, and (3) IL4I1. Phylogenetic analysis supported the hypothesis that LAO1 and LAO2 arose by a gene duplication prior to the divergence of marsupials from placental mammal... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4010263 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:49:07 +0100 4010263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3997038&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft7341p7j800869p8%2F Abstract  Inherited genetic polymorphisms within immune response genes have been shown to associate with risk of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and its immediate precursor, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3. Here, we used the transmission/disequilibrium test to detect disease-liability alleles and investigate haplotype transmission of KIR and HLA class I polymorphisms in a large family-based population of women with cervical cancer and their biological parents (359 trios). The effect of distinct human papillomavirus types was also explored. HLA-Cw group 1 (HLA-Cw alleles with asparagine at position 80), which serves as ligand for certain killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), was significantly overtransmitted in women with ICC (P = 0.04), and particularly i... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3997038 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:25:11 +0100 3997038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3979595&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fk11383512980q172%2F Abstract  Genes encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play key roles in the vertebrate immune system. However, our understanding of the evolutionary processes and underlying genetic mechanisms shaping these genes is limited in many taxa, including amphibians, a group currently impacted by emerging infectious diseases. To further elucidate the evolution of the MHC in frogs (anurans) and develop tools for population genetics, we surveyed allelic diversity of the MHC class II β1 domain in both genomic and complementary DNA of seven New World species in the genus Rana (Lithobates). To assign locus affiliation to our alleles, we used a “gene walking” technique to obtain intron 2 sequences that flanked MHC class IIβ exon 2. Two distinct intron sequences were ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3979595 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:52:29 +0100 3979595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3979596&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fhj82u81575684061%2F We report evidence on the specificity of the technique, describing the HLA–ABC locus-specific gene expression patterns found in the PBLs and two solid tissues studied. PBLs showed a higher gene expression of HLA-B than of HLA-A or HLA-C (p = 4.7 × 10−10 and p = 1.6 × 10−6, respectively). In solid tissue, HLA-A and HLA-B gene expressions were similar and HLA-C expression lower. In particular, in larynx mucosa, significant differences were found between HLA-A and HLA-C expressions and between HLA-B and HLA-C expressions (p = 6.5 × 10−4 and p = 8.1 × 10−4, respectively). The same differences were observed in colon mucosa, but significance was not reached (p = 0.08 and p = 0.06, respectively). Differences in locus-specific regulation may... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3979596 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 05:46:47 +0100 3979596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3967998&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr055568771049446%2F Abstract  Systemic mast cell activation syndrome is a mast cell disorder characterized by an unregulated increased activation of mast cells leading to a pathologically enhanced release of mediators. Mutations in tyrosine kinase kit which crucially determines mast cell activity have been suggested as a necessary condition for the development of a clinically symptomatic mast cell disease. At the level of mRNA in mast cell progenitor cells of 20 patients with systemic mast cell activation syndrome and of 20 gender- and age-matched healthy volunteers, the tyrosine kinase kit was investigated for genetic alterations by means of RT-PCR and direct sequencing of the amplificates. In mast cells of 13 out of these 20 patients, multiple predominantly novel potential functionally activ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3967998 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:01:13 +0100 3967998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3950039&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F253743625qv53r66%2F Abstract  Bengal tigers are highly endangered and knowledge on adaptive genetic variation can be essential for efficient conservation and management. Here we present the first assessment of allelic variation in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and MHC class II DRB genes for wild and captive tigers from India. We amplified, cloned, and sequenced alpha-1 and alpha-2 domain of MHC class I and beta-1 domain of MHC class II DRB genes in 16 tiger specimens of different geographic origin. We detected high variability in peptide-binding sites, presumably resulting from positive selection. Tigers exhibit a low number of MHC DRB alleles, similar to other endangered big cats. Our initial assessment—admittedly with limited geographic coverage and sample size—did not r... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3950039 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:14:49 +0100 3950039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3950040&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fb17068567607883h%2F Abstract  Nonaspanins constitute a family of proteins, also called TM9SF, characterized by a large non-cytoplasmic domain and nine putative transmembrane domains. This family is highly conserved through evolution and comprises three members in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Dictyostelium discoideum, and Drosophila melanogaster, and four members are reported in mammals (TM9SF1–TM9SF4). Genetic studies in Dictyostelium and Drosophila have shown that TM9SF members are required for adhesion and phagocytosis in innate immune response, furthermore, human TM9SF1 plays a role in the regulation of autophagy and human TM9SF4 in tumor cannibalism. Here we report that the zebrafish genome encodes five members of this family, TM9SF1–TM9SF5, which show high level of sequence conservation wit... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3950040 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:51:24 +0100 3950040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3932087&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj71735r13w07jl01%2F Abstract  We recently demonstrated that vaccinated rhesus macaques controlled viral replication of a heterologous SIV challenge. Here, we analyzed anamnestic SIV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses expanding immediately after challenge and show that successful vaccinees consistently targeted a short region of the Gag-p27 Capsid (amino acids 249–291). We have also defined the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) restricting alleles for several of these responses and show that DQ-restricted CD4+ T-cells depend on unique combinations of both the DQA and DQB alleles. Analysis of SIV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses elicited by a successful vaccine may have important implications in the understanding of vaccine design. Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00251-... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3932087 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:56:07 +0100 3932087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3906320&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fe674416702778145%2F Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0471-yAuthors Mizuho Kondo, Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North-15 West-7, Sapporo, 060-8638 JapanTakako Maruoka, Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North-15 West-7, Sapporo, 060-8638 JapanNoriyuki Otsuka, Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North-15 West-7, Sapporo, 060-8638 JapanJun Kasamatsu, Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North-15 West-7, Sapporo, 060-8638 JapanKazunori Fugo, Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North-15 West-7, Sapporo, 060-8638 JapanNaoto Hanzawa, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, Yama... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3906320 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:48:41 +0100 3906320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3875320&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Ft4012t6684134466%2F Abstract  In mouse and human, the regulated development of antibody repertoire diversity during ontogeny proceeds in parallel with the development of the ability to generate antibodies to an array of specific antigens. Compared to adult, the human fetal antibody repertoire limits N addition and uses specifically positioned VDJ gene segments more frequently, including V6-1 the most DH-proximal VH, DQ52, the most JH-proximal DH, and JH2, which is DH-proximal. The murine fetal antibody repertoire also limits the incorporation of N nucleotides and uses its most DH proximal VH, VH81X, more frequently. To test whether DH and JH also follow the pattern observed in human, we used the scheme of Hardy to sort B lineage cells from BALB/c fetal and neonatal liver, RT-PCR cloned and sequen... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3875320 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:02:16 +0100 3875320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3819949&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm6717151p1423780%2F Abstract  Development of an accurate and efficient molecular-based equine MHC class I typing method would facilitate the study of T lymphocyte immune responses in horses. Here, a DNA microarray was designed to detect expressed classical MHC class I genes comprising serologically defined equine leukocyte antigen (ELA)-A haplotypes represented in a closed Arabian horse breeding herd. Initially, cloning and sequencing of RT-PCR products were used to identify sequences associated with the ELA-A1, A4, and W11 haplotypes, and one undefined haplotype, in six horses. Subsequently, sequence-specific, conserved (positive control), and random nucleotide (negative control) 23- to 27-mer oligonucleotide microarray probes were designed and spotted onto an epoxy-coated masked slide using ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3819949 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:21:09 +0100 3819949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3819950&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F424629381226l7up%2F Abstract  The recent sequencing and assembly of the genomes of different organisms have shown that almost all vertebrates studied in detail so far have one or more clusters of genes encoding odorant receptors (OR) in close physical linkage to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). It has been postulated that MHC-linked OR genes could be involved in MHC-influenced mate choice, comprising both pre- as well as post-copulatory mechanisms. We have therefore carried out a systematic comparison of protein sequences of these receptors from the genomes of man, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, rhesus macaque, mouse, rat, dog, cat, cow, pig, horse, elephant, opossum, frog and zebra fish (amounting to a total of 559 protein sequences) in order to identify OR families exhibiting evo... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3819950 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:50:28 +0100 3819950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3807142&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx224188k84715851%2F In this study we investigate the role of Arntl2 in the autoimmune disease and T cell activation. An Arntl2 expressing plasmid was transfected into CD4+ T cells by nucleofection. Expression levels of cytokines and CD4+ T cell activation markers, cell death, apoptosis, and cell proliferation rates were characterized in ex vivo experiments whilst in vivo the transfected cells were transferred into NOD.SCID mice to monitor diabetes development. The results demonstrate that Arntl2 overexpression leads to inhibition of CD4+ T cell proliferation and decreases in their diabetogenic activity without influence on the expression levels of cytokines, CD4+ T cell activation markers, cell death, and apoptosis. Our findings suggest that Arntl2 at the Idd6 locus may act via the inhibition of CD4+ T ce... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3807142 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:53:24 +0100 3807142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3797562&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy32u856007641244%2F Abstract  Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mainly code for proteins of the immune system of jawed vertebrates. In particular, MHC class I and II cell surface proteins are crucial for the self/non-self discrimination of the adaptive immune system and are the most polymorphic genes in vertebrates. Positive selection, gene duplications and pseudogenes shape the face of the MHC and reflect a highly dynamic evolution. Here, we present for the first time data of the highly polymorphic MHC class II DRB exon 2 of a representative of the mammalian order scandentia, the northern tree shrew Tupaia belangeri. We found up to eight different alleles per individual and determined haplotype constitution by intensively studying their inheritance. The alleles were assigned ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3797562 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:09:11 +0100 3797562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3797561&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F0658786654318274%2F Abstract  In the small intestine of celiac disease patients, dietary wheat gluten and similar proteins in barley and rye trigger an inflammatory response. While strict adherence to a gluten-free diet induces full recovery in most patients, a small percentage of patients fail to recover. In a subset of these refractory celiac disease patients, an (aberrant) oligoclonal intraepithelial lymphocyte population develops into overt lymphoma. Celiac disease is strongly associated with HLA-DQ2 and/or HLA-DQ8, as both genotypes predispose for disease development. This association can be explained by the fact that gluten peptides can be presented in HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 molecules on antigen presenting cells. Gluten-specific CD4+ T cells in the lamina propria respond to these peptides, a... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3797561 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:09:11 +0100 3797561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3785826&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fj67136ph47062r02%2F Abstract  Innate immune gene repertoires are restricted primarily to germline variation. Adaptive immunity, by comparison, relies on somatic variation of germline-encoded genes to generate extraordinarily large numbers of non-heritable antigen recognition motifs. Invertebrates lack the key features of vertebrate adaptive immunity, but have evolved a variety of alternative mechanisms to successfully protect the integrity of “self”; in many cases, these appear to be taxon-specific innovations. In the protochordate Branchiostoma floridae (amphioxus), the variable region-containing chitin-binding proteins (VCBPs) constitute a multigene family (comprised of VCBPs 1–5), which possesses features that are consistent with innate immune-type function. A large number of VCBP alle... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3785826 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:19:42 +0100 3785826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3775417&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fy00gh4l73q527014%2F Abstract  Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are widely used in developing a strategy for vaccination against human immunodeficiency virus by using simian immunodeficiency virus infection as a model system. Because the genome diversity of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is well known to control the immune responsiveness to foreign antigens, MHC loci in Indian- and Chinese-origin macaques used in the experiments have been characterized, and it was revealed that the diversity of MHC in macaques was larger than the human MHC. To further characterize the diversity of Mamu-A and Mamu-B loci, we investigated a total of 73 different sequences of Mamu-A, 83 sequences of Mamu-B, and 15 sequences of Mamu-I cDNAs isolated from Burmese-origin macaques. It was found that there were o... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3775417 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:12:06 +0100 3775417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3736093&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fa2jg8232p00j9322%2F Abstract  In teleost fish, a novel gene G6F-like was identified, encoding a type I transmembrane molecule with four extracellular Ig-like domains and a cytoplasmic tail with putative tyrosine phosphorylation motifs including YxN and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). G6F-like maps to a teleost genomic region where stretches corresponding to human chromosomes 6p (with the MHC), 12p (with CD4 and LAG-3), and 19q are tightly linked. This genomic organization resembles the ancestral “Ur-MHC” proposed for the jawed vertebrate ancestor. The deduced G6F-like molecule shows sequence similarity with members of the CD4/LAG-3 family and with the human major histocompatibility complex-encoded thrombocyte marker G6F. Despite some differences in molecular organiza... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3736093 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:32:54 +0100 3736093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3736094&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F23202gn60723821u%2F Abstract  The yellow fever vaccine 17D (YF17D) is one of the most effective vaccines. Its wide use and favorable safety profile make it a prime candidate for recombinant vaccines. It is believed that neutralizing antibodies account for a large measure of the protection afforded to YF17D-vaccinated individuals, however cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses have been described in the setting of YF17D vaccination. YF17D is an ssRNA flavivirus that is translated as a full-length polyprotein, several domains of which pass into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The processing and presentation machinery for MHC class I-restricted CTL responses favor cytoplasmic peptides that are transported into the ER by the transporter associated with antigen presentation proteins. I... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3736094 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:07 +0100 3736094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3717389&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh21322412q385t68%2F Abstract   KIR2DL5 alleles were physically linked to alleles at adjacent KIR loci to define this region of KIR haplotypes in 55 gene-positive random African Americans. The majority carried KIR2DL5B. Three KIR2DL5A and six KIR2DL5B alleles that have been previously described and 11 novel KIR2DL5 alleles were identified by DNA sequencing. Novel alleles included variation that may impact promoter activity; two alleles carried nonsynonymous coding region variation. Based on linkage with KIR2DS1, KIR2DS3, KIR2DS5, KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3, and KIR3DS1 alleles, seven haplotypes of KIR2DL5A and 23 haplotypes of KIR2DL5B were observed. The phylogenetic relationships among the KIR2DL5 alleles predicted their association with either KIR2DS3 (six alleles) or KIR2DS5 (seven alleles). All of the KI... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3717389 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:57:14 +0100 3717389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3709471&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F48x2442605k21040%2F Abstract  Genomic copy number variants (CNVs) are a common, heritable source of inter-individual differences in genomic sequence. Their influence on phenotypic variability and their involvement in the pathogenesis of several common diseases is well established and the object of many current studies. In the course of examining CNV association to various quantitative traits in a general population, we have detected a strong association of CNVs over the four TCR genes to lymphocyte and neutrophil numbers in blood. In a small replication series, we have further characterized the nature of these CNVs and found them not to be germline, but dependent on the origin of analysed DNA. Germline deletion and rearrangement around the T-cell receptor (TCR) genes naturally occurs in white ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3709471 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:17:04 +0100 3709471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3675429&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh86841888h4j72j8%2F Abstract  The diversity of immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) genes available to form the lymphocyte repertoire has the capacity to produce a broad array of both protective and harmful specificities. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the presence of antibodies to insulin and other islet antigens predicts disease development in both mice and humans, and demonstrate that immune tolerance is lost early in the disease process. Anti-insulin T cells isolated from T1D-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice use polymorphic TCRα chains, suggesting that the available T cell repertoire is altered in these autoimmune mice. To probe whether insulin-binding B cells also possess polymorphic V genes, Ig light chains were isolated and sequenced from NOD mice that harbor an Ig heavy chain t... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3675429 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:24:39 +0100 3675429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3654973&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fr75q4pu76648r820%2F Abstract  The natural killer cell gene complex (NKC) encodes receptors belonging to the C-type lectin superfamily expressed primarily by NK cells and other leukocytes. In the rat, the chromosomal region that starts with the Nkrp1a locus and ends with the Ly49i8 locus is predicted to contain 67 group V C-type lectin superfamily genes, making it one of the largest congregation of paralogous genes in vertebrates. Based on physical proximity and phylogenetic relationships between these genes, the rat NKC can be divided into four major parts. We have previously reported the cDNA cloning of the majority of the genes belonging to the centromeric Nkrp1/Clr cluster and the two telomeric groups, the Klre1–Klri2 and the Ly49 clusters. Here, we close the gap between the Nkrp1/Clr and t... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3654973 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:36:31 +0100 3654973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3643689&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fm32q826545428078%2F Abstract  The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are amongst the most variable in vertebrates and represent some of the best candidates to study processes of adaptive evolution. However, despite the number of studies available, most of the information on the structure and function of these genes come from studies in mammals and birds in which the MHC class I and II genes are tightly linked and class II alpha exhibits low variability in many cases. Teleost fishes are among the most primitive vertebrates with MHC and represent good organisms for the study of MHC evolution because their class I and class II loci are not physically linked, allowing for independent evolution of both classes of genes. We have compared the diversity and molecular mechanisms of evo... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3643689 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:55:28 +0100 3643689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3611687&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F97902038207204v7%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0453-0Authors Jerzy K. Kulski, The University of Western Australia Centre for Forensic Science Nedlands Western Australia 6008 AustraliaAtsuko Shigenari, Tokai University Division of Molecular Life Science, Department of Genetic Information, School of Medicine Isehara Kanagawa JapanHidetoshi Inoko, Tokai University Division of Molecular Life Science, Department of Genetic Information, School of Medicine Isehara Kanagawa Japan Journal ImmunogeneticsOnline ISSN 1432-1211Print ISSN 0093-7711 (Source: Immunogenetics) Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3611687 Thu, 27 May 2010 16:54:59 +0100 3611687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3584502&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F4769803882k6p8l3%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0454-zAuthors Mizuho Kondo, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Department of Pathology North-15 West-7 Sapporo 060-8638 JapanTakako Maruoka, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Department of Pathology North-15 West-7 Sapporo 060-8638 JapanNoriyuki Otsuka, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Department of Pathology North-15 West-7 Sapporo 060-8638 JapanJun Kasamatsu, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Department of Pathology North-15 West-7 Sapporo 060-8638 JapanKazunori Fugo, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Department of Pathology North-15 West-7 Sapporo 060-8638 JapanNaoto Hanzawa, Yamagata University Graduate School of Science and Engineering Yamagata 9... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3584502 Wed, 19 May 2010 11:18:01 +0100 3584502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3580630&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fh1q4kk610q482451%2F Abstract  As genetically engineered mutant mice deficient in single genes are usually generated on a C57BL/6 background, to study mast cell trafficking in mutant mice, we initially investigated whether mast cells accumulated in bronchi in C57BL/6 mice challenged with OVA allergen acutely or chronically for 1 to 3 months. The total number of bronchial mast cells were quantitated using toluidine blue staining in airways of different sizes, i.e. , small (<90 µm), medium (90–155 µm), or large (>150 µm) airways. Non-OVA challenged and acute OVA challenged mice (C57BL/6 and BALB/c) had no detectable bronchial mast cells. Chronic OVA challenge in BALB/c mice for 1 or 3 months induced a significant increase in the number of bronchial mast cells in... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3580630 Tue, 18 May 2010 08:01:08 +0100 3580630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3580631&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F12846j71h7128ju5%2F In this study, we characterized a total of 50 unique Chinese rhesus macaques from several varying origins for their entire MHC class I allele composition and identified a total of 58 unique complete MHC class I sequences. Only nine of the sequences had been associated with Indian rhesus macaques, and 28/58 (48.3%) of the sequences identified were novel. From all MHC alleles detected, we prioritized Mamu-A1*02201 for functional characterization based on its higher frequency of expression. Upon the development of MHC/peptide binding assays and definition of its associated motif, we revealed that this allele shares peptide binding characteristics with the HLA-B7 supertype, the most frequent supertype in human populations. These studies provide the first functional characterization of an... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3580631 Tue, 18 May 2010 08:01:07 +0100 3580631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3562990&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fx25710623g116250%2F This study examines variation in the turkey MHC by resequencing 15 interspersed amplicons (∼14 kb) spaced across the MHC-B locus in a representative sampling of 52 commercial birds. Over 200 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified with high levels of polymorphism (1 SNP/70 bp) and heterozygosity (average minor allele frequency of 0.15). SNP genotypes were used to identify the major haplotypes segregating in the commercial lines. Sequencing of the peptide binding region (PBR, exon 2) of the class IIB loci of select individuals identified 10 PBR alleles/isotypes among the major MHC haplotypes. Examination of pedigreed families provides direct evidence of gene conversion and recombination within the B locus. Results of this study demonstrate the MHC diversity ... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3562990 Wed, 12 May 2010 07:39:37 +0100 3562990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3554953&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2Fp1p589068g8926l6%2F Abstract  Allelic polymorphisms dramatically influence the phenotype of human killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) by modifying their expression in cell surfaces. It is unclear though to what extent this involves transcriptional or post-transcriptional mechanisms, as quantitative RNA expression of KIR alleles has not been systematically compared. We measured RNA transcript abundance of common KIR alleles by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) in 85 PBL samples that were allele-typed in parallel. Allele type showed little influence on transcript abundance for a given KIR gene, except for: (1) KIR2DL5B*002, which consistently showed undetectable transcripts levels; (2) truncated KIR2DS4 alleles, associated with lowered expression levels; and (3) al... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3554953 Sat, 08 May 2010 10:10:00 +0100 3554953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546642&cid=s_33373_50_f&fid=33373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.springerlink.com%2Fcontent%2F73365064871376w3%2F Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumDOI 10.1007/s00251-010-0446-zAuthors Mark A. Sherman, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Division of Information Sciences Duarte CA 91010 USARonald M. Goto, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Division of Molecular Biology Duarte CA 91010 USARoger E. Moore, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Division of Immunology Duarte CA 91010 USAHenry D. Hunt, USDA Agricultural Research Service Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory East Lansing MI 48823 USATerry D. Lee, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Division of Immunology Duarte CA 91010 USAMarcia M. Miller, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Division of Molecular Biology Duarte CA 91010 USA Journal ImmunogeneticsOnline ISSN 1432-1211Print ISSN 0093-7711 (Source: I... Immunogenetics journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546642 Fri, 07 May 2010 08:14:50 +0100 3546642