Publication Detail

The publication detail shows the title, authors (with indicators showing other profiled authors), information on the publishing organization, abstract and a link to the article in PubMed. This abstract is what is used to create the fingerprint of the publication. If any grants are referenced by the publication, they will be listed here as well.

A novel type of class I gene organization in vertebrates: a large family of non-MHC-linked class I genes is expressed at the RNA level in the amphibian Xenopus.

M F Flajnik; M Kasahara; B P Shum; L Salter-Cid; E Taylor; L Du Pasquier (Profiled Author: Martin F Flajnik)

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, FL 33101.
The EMBO journal 1993;12(11):4385-96.

A Xenopus class I cDNA clone, isolated from a cDNA expression library using antisera, is a member of a large family of non-classical class I genes (class Ib) composed of at least nine subfamilies, all of which are expressed at the RNA level. The subfamilies are well conserved in their immunoglobulin-like alpha 3 domains, but their peptide-binding regions (PBRs) and cytoplasmic domains are very divergent. In contrast to the great allelic diversity found in the PBR of classical class I genes, the alleles of one of the Xenopus non-classical subfamilies are extremely well conserved in all regions. Several of the invariant amino acids essential for the anchoring of peptides in the classical class I groove are not conserved in some subfamilies, but the class Ib genes are nevertheless more closely related in the PBR to classical and non-classical genes linked to the MHC in mammals and birds than to any other described class I genes like CD1 and the neonatal rat intestinal Fc receptor. Comparison with the Xenopus MHC-linked class Ia protein indicate that amino acids presumed to interact with beta 2-microglobulin are identical or conservatively changed in the two major class I families. Genomic analyses of Xenopus species suggest that the classical and non-classical families diverged from a common ancestor before the emergence of the genus Xenopus over 100 million years ago; all of the non-classical genes appear to be linked on a chromosome distinct from the one harboring the MHC. We hypothesize that this class Ib gene family is under very different selection pressures from the classical MHC genes, and that each subfamily may have evolved for a particular function.

3 Originating Grant

• 1.

  FLAJNIK, MARTIN F.

  Evolution of Adaptive Immunity

  11 February 1991 - 29 February 2012

  NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH RESOURCES

• 2.

  FLAJNIK, MARTIN F

  ONTOGENY AND PHYLOGENY OF THE MHC

  1 April 1989 - 31 March 1994

  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

• 3.

  Flajnik, Martin F

  Ontogeny and Phylogeny of the MHC

  1 April 1989 - 30 April 2009

  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Scientific Context

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