The Molecular Immunological Study for Major Histocompatibility Complex Class Iiβ (MhcCoja Iiβ) region from Japanese Quail (Cotumix japonica)

日本鸣禽具有优良的环境抗性和丰产性。因此，鹌鹑对于家禽和实验动物来说是非常重要的。在本研究中，为了阐明鹌鹑主要组织相容性复合体(MhcCoJA)区域的分子结构和基因组织，并研究该区域的单基因座不同数目串联重复(SL-VNTR)，我们测定了该区域180kb的MhcCoJA区域的核苷酸序列。此外，为了明确MhcCoJA IIβ的主要功能位点和单倍型，我们对免疫器官的MhcCoJA IIβ1区的RT-PCR产物进行了分析。研究结果如下：1)日本鹌鹑MHC区由四个支持抗原提呈的基因组成：TAPBP1、RING3、TAP1和TAP2，辅助三个非经典的MHC CBS II基因：CoJA-DMA、CoJA-DMB1辅助CoJA-DMB2和鸡的MhcGado区。2)MhcCoja区不同于MhcGado区，抗原提呈区具有高度高级的重复结构；即7个MhcCoJA-I类α，7个MhcCoJA-II类β，8个MhcCoJA-IV类β，4个自然杀伤细胞受体(CoJA-NK)和6个C型凝集素(CoJA-Lec)。3)接下来我们推测了MhcCoJA IIβ的7个主效和14个次要等位基因和/或基因座，以及由这些基因组成的5个单倍型。4)MhcCoja IIβ单倍型与DNA多态的关系也表明MhcCoJA区域连接了抗体产生的基因抑制。

Japanese quail has excellent characters about environmental resistance and productivity. Therefore, the quail is very important for poultry and experimental animals. In this study, in order to elucidate the molecular structure and gene organization of the quail major histocompatibility complex (MhcCoja) region and to investigate the single locus various numbers of tandem repeat (SL-VNTR) in this region, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the 180 kb MhcCoja region. Moreover to clarify the major functional locus and haplotype for MhcCoja Iiβ, we analyzed RT-PCR products of MhcCoja IIβ1 domain from immune organs.Results of this research ca be summarized as follows.1) MHC region of Japanese quail (MhcCoja) is composed of four genes for support of antigen presentation : TAPBPL, RING3, TAP1 and TAP2, aid three non-classical MHC cbs II genes : Coja-DMA, Coja-DMB1 aid Coja-DMB2 like as MhcGado region of chicken.2) However, MhcCoja region is different from MhcGado region, loci for antigen presented protein have highly advanced repetitive structures ; namely seven MhcCoja-class Iα, seven MhcCoja-class Iiβ, eight MhcCoja-class IV, four natural killer cell receptors (Coja-NK) and six C-type lectin (Coja-Lec).3) Next we presumed seven major and fourteen minor alleles and/or loci for MhcCoja Iiβ, and five haplotypes which composed by these some MhcCoja Iiβ loci.4) The relationship between MhcCoja Iiβ haplotypes and DNA polymorphisms : VNTR in TAPBPL and PCR-RFLP in Coja-B1 suggested also that the MhcCoja region catenates the gene inhibition of antibody production.