Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 4, 483-491, Copyright © 1987 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
V Vincek, D Nizetic, M Golubic, F Figueroa, E Nevo and J Klein
A cosmid genomic library was prepared from a single individual of the
rodent Spalax ehrenbergi, the mole rat, captured in Israel. The library was
screened with a mouse probe hybridizing with all mouse class I
major-histocompatibility-complex (Mhc) genes; the cross-hybridizing clones
were isolated; and their restriction maps were prepared using five enzymes.
A total of 93 class I-bearing clones could be identified in the library.
Forty-five of these clones showed partial overlaps and could be arranged
into 14 clusters. Eleven of these clusters could be shown to contain two
class I genes each; the remaining clusters, as well as most of the
non-overlapping clones, each contained one class I gene. After the
elimination of clones with possible cloning artifacts and of clones that
may carry allelic forms of a given gene in the heterozygous animal, the
total number of class I loci identified in Spalax is approximately 65. The
high number of loci probably arose from the duplication of either the
entire class I set or the different class I families. The high number of
gene copies might represent a means of selecting different functional genes
from the family in different mammalian orders. Three of the approximately
65 Spalax class I genes cross-hybridize with a probe specific for the mouse
K, D, and L genes; two of these genes are in the same cluster. These three
elements might possibly be the functional class I genes of the mole rat.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Evolutionary expansion of Mhc class I loci in the mole-rat, Spalax ehrenbergi
Max-Planck-Institut fur Biologie, Abteilung Immungenetik, Tubingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
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