MHC gene copy number variation in Tasmanian devils: implications for the spread of a contagious cancer
MHC gene copy number variation in Tasmanian devils: implications for the spread of a contagious cancer
Tasmanian devils face extinction owing to the emergence of a contagious cancer. Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a clonal cancer spread owing to a lack of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) barriers in Tasmanian devil populations. We present a comprehensive screen of MHC diversity in devils and identify 25 MHC types and 53 novel sequences, but conclude that overall levels of MHC diversity at the sequence level are low. The majority of MHC Class I variation can be explained by allelic copy number variation with two to seven sequence variants identified per individual. MHC sequences are divided into two distinct groups based on sequence similarity. DFTD cells and most devils have sequences from both groups. Twenty per cent of individuals have a restricted MHC repertoire and contain only group I or only group II sequences. Counterintuitively, we postulate that the immune system of individuals with a restricted MHC repertoire may recognize foreign MHC antigens on the surface of the DFTD cell. The implication of these results for management of DFTD and this endangered species are discussed
2001-2006
Siddle, Hannah V.
2f0c1307-55d3-4965-a8b0-495c4a799f27
Marzec, Jolanta
5cea1c1b-5fb0-456b-840b-aa2e1452f70a
Cheng, Yuanyuan
5ecff653-5fa6-45f3-ae30-61d4e955f3ac
Jones, Menna
413c9a7a-2633-4018-b5af-1acf59930782
Belov, Katherine
53f3bf11-757e-466d-bc93-8958b7a9dae1
7 July 2010
Siddle, Hannah V.
2f0c1307-55d3-4965-a8b0-495c4a799f27
Marzec, Jolanta
5cea1c1b-5fb0-456b-840b-aa2e1452f70a
Cheng, Yuanyuan
5ecff653-5fa6-45f3-ae30-61d4e955f3ac
Jones, Menna
413c9a7a-2633-4018-b5af-1acf59930782
Belov, Katherine
53f3bf11-757e-466d-bc93-8958b7a9dae1
Siddle, Hannah V., Marzec, Jolanta, Cheng, Yuanyuan, Jones, Menna and Belov, Katherine
(2010)
MHC gene copy number variation in Tasmanian devils: implications for the spread of a contagious cancer.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277 (1690), .
(doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.2362).
(PMID:4572632)
Abstract
Tasmanian devils face extinction owing to the emergence of a contagious cancer. Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a clonal cancer spread owing to a lack of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) barriers in Tasmanian devil populations. We present a comprehensive screen of MHC diversity in devils and identify 25 MHC types and 53 novel sequences, but conclude that overall levels of MHC diversity at the sequence level are low. The majority of MHC Class I variation can be explained by allelic copy number variation with two to seven sequence variants identified per individual. MHC sequences are divided into two distinct groups based on sequence similarity. DFTD cells and most devils have sequences from both groups. Twenty per cent of individuals have a restricted MHC repertoire and contain only group I or only group II sequences. Counterintuitively, we postulate that the immune system of individuals with a restricted MHC repertoire may recognize foreign MHC antigens on the surface of the DFTD cell. The implication of these results for management of DFTD and this endangered species are discussed
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Published date: 7 July 2010
Organisations:
Centre for Biological Sciences
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Local EPrints ID: 358304
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/358304
ISSN: 0962-8452
PURE UUID: 7d60516a-49a3-4707-a9ad-b44296d8c686
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Date deposited: 03 Oct 2013 11:38
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:49
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Author:
Jolanta Marzec
Author:
Yuanyuan Cheng
Author:
Menna Jones
Author:
Katherine Belov
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