Evolution of MHC-G in humans and primates based on three new 3 ' UT polymorphisms

MHC-G is a class Ib (non-classical) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) whose functional and evolutionary characteristics are still under scrutiny. The study of noncoding sequences in the MHC genes may provide important ph ylogenetic information. In this work rye have sequenced the MHC-G exon 8, w hich encodes for the 3'UT region, in different species of primates. It has been shown that: (1) a previously described 14 base pair (bp) deletion poly morphism is human-specific and the HLA-G alleles may be classified accordin g to its absence or presence; (2) another newly described 3 bp deletion/ins ertion polymorphism is also human-specific; and (3) another newly described 51 bp deletion polymorphism is common to Pongidae and humans, bur is not f ound in other primates belonging to the Cercopithecinae family. A hypothesi s on the evolutionary pathway of this gene is put forward in the light of t hese findings. (C) American Society for Histocampatibility and Immunogeneti cs, 2000. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.