Sequence-based typing of HLA class I alleles in Alaskan Yupik Eskimo

In comparison to South America, native North Americans tend to be less dive rse in their repertoire of HLA class I alleles. Based upon this observation , we hypothesized that the Yupik Eskimo would exhibit a limited number of p reviously identified class I HLA alleles. To rest this hypothesis, sequence -based typing was performed at the HLA-A, -B and -C loci for 99 General Yup ik individuals from southwestern Alaska. Two new class I alleles, A*2423 an d Cw*0806, were identified. While A*2423 was observed in only one sample, C w*0806 was present in 26 of the 99 individuals and all of the Cw*0806 sampl es contained B*4801. Allele Cw*0806 differs from Cw*0803 by a single nucleo tide substitution such that Cw*0803 may be the progenitor of Cw*0806. Allel e Cw*0803 was originally characterized as unique to South America, but dete ction of Cw*0803 in the Yupik indicates that Cw*0803 was a founding allele of the Americas. The presence of new alleles and previously unrecognized fo unding alleles in the Yupik population show that natives of North America a re more diverse than previously envisioned. Human Immunology 62, 639-644 (2 001). (C) American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, 2001. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.