Ly49 genes in non-rodent mammals

The Ly49 family of natural killer (NK) receptors is encoded by a highly polymorphic multigene family in the mouse and is also present in multiple copies in the rat. However, this gene exists as a single copy in primates and is mutated to non-function in humans. We recently showed that the cow also likely has only one Ly49 gene, but it is unclear what the Ly49 gene content is for other mammals. We have now isolated Ly49 cDNAs from the domestic cat, dog and pig and show that the corresponding gene appears to be single copy in these three species. The open reading frame is intact in all the genes and the putative proteins contain an immune tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM), suggesting a role as an inhibitory receptor. In contrast to the other mammals, several Ly49-like genes appear to exist in the horse, indicating that amplification of this locus has occurred in a non-rodent lineage. Finally, phylogenetic analysis suggests that the rodent Ly49 genes have evolved more rapidly than their counterparts in mammals where the gene has remained as a single copy.