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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181818
Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF BISON BISON MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX CLASS IIA HAPLOTYPES

Author
item Traul, Donald
item BHUSHAN, BHARAT - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item ELDRIDGE, JENNIFER - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item CRAWFORD, TIMOTHY - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item Li, Hong
item DAVIES, CHRISTOPHER - WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERIS

Submitted to: Immunogenetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/2005
Publication Date: 12/20/2005
Citation: Traul, D., Bhushan, B., Eldridge, J., Crawford, T.B., Li, H., Davies, C.J. 2005. Characterization of Bison bison major histocompatibility complex class IIa haplotypes. Immunogenetics. 57(11):845-854.

Interpretive Summary: American bison and domestic cattle evolved from a common ancestor 1-1.4 million years ago. Nevertheless, they show dramatic differences in their susceptibility to infectious diseases including malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) and brucellosis. We are interested in testing the hypothesis that polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes influences resistance to MCF. However, since very little was known about the MHC class II genes of bison, we first needed to characterize the bison (Bibi) class II haplotypes. Thus, the MHC class II haplotypes carried by 14 bison were characterized by PCR based cloning and sequencing of their DRB3, DQA and DQB alleles. Twelve MHC class II haplotypes were identified in the 14 bison. These haplotypes were comprised of six previously reported and six new Bibi-DRB3 alleles, along with 11 Bibi-DQA and 10 Bibi-DQB alleles. For each bison class II allele it was possible to identify closely related cattle sequences. The closest bison and bovine DQA, DQB and DRB3 alleles, on average, differed by only 1.3, 3.5 and 5.8 amino acids, respectively. Furthermore, bison MHC haplotypes with both non-duplicated and duplicated DQ genes were identified; these haplotypes appear to have originated from the same ancestral haplotypes as orthologous cattle haplotypes,.

Technical Abstract: American bison and domestic cattle evolved from a common ancestor 1-1.4 million years ago. Nevertheless, they show dramatic differences in their susceptibility to infectious diseases including malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) and brucellosis. We are interested in testing the hypothesis that polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes influences resistance to MCF. However, since very little was known about the MHC class II genes of bison, we first needed to characterize the bison (Bibi) class II haplotypes. Thus, the MHC class II haplotypes carried by 14 bison were characterized by PCR based cloning and sequencing of their DRB3, DQA and DQB alleles. Twelve MHC class II haplotypes were identified in the 14 bison. These haplotypes were comprised of six previously reported and six new Bibi-DRB3 alleles, along with 11 Bibi-DQA and 10 Bibi-DQB alleles. For each bison class II allele it was possible to identify closely related cattle sequences. The closest bison and bovine DQA, DQB and DRB3 alleles, on average, differed by only 1.3, 3.5 and 5.8 amino acids, respectively. Furthermore, bison MHC haplotypes with both non-duplicated and duplicated DQ genes were identified; these haplotypes appear to have originated from the same ancestral haplotypes as orthologous cattle haplotypes,.