Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Modo-UG, a marsupial nonclassical MHC class I locus.

Nicolas Gouin1, April M Wright, Katarzyna B Miska

  • 1Department of Genetics, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.

Immunogenetics
|June 2, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Modo-UG, a marsupial class I gene, exhibits low genetic variation due to negative selection, suggesting nonclassical immune functions. This contrasts with other opossum class I genes, highlighting unique evolutionary pressures.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Antiviral restriction factors of bats: the front line of a critical reservoir of zoonotic viruses.

Current opinion in virology·2026
Same author

Natural Hendra Virus Infections in Captive Australian Black Flying Foxes, Queensland, Australia.

Emerging infectious diseases·2026
Same author

Comparative analysis of microbiota in the ceca of broiler chickens with necrotic enteritis fed a commercial corn diet or with corn high in flavonoids (PennHFD1).

Frontiers in microbiomes·2026
Same author

Effects of selection on production parameters and intestinal microbiota in heritage and modern broiler chickens.

Journal of animal science and biotechnology·2026
Same author

Acute wood smoke exposure is associated with cell-specific hippocampal transcriptomic responses in an accelerated ovarian failure mouse model.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Effects of probiotic supplementation on growth performance, intestinal barrier function, and oxidative stress in broiler chickens fed a deoxynivalenol-contaminated diet.

Poultry science·2026

Area of Science:

  • Immunogenetics
  • Comparative Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) plays a crucial role in immune responses.
  • Class I genes are vital for antigen presentation, typically exhibiting high polymorphism.
  • Marsupial MHC and class I gene evolution remain less understood compared to placental mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the Modo-UG gene, a class I gene in the marsupial Monodelphis domestica.
  • To investigate the structural and polymorphic features of Modo-UG and its potential functional implications.
  • To compare Modo-UG's characteristics with other MHC class I genes in opossums.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of alternative mRNA splicing patterns of Modo-UG.
  • Genotyping of Modo-UG in captive-bred and wild Monodelphis domestica populations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of residues within the peptide-binding groove for variation.
  • Comparison of polymorphism levels with a nearby class I locus (Modo-UA1).

    • Main Results:

    • Modo-UG is expressed as three alternatively spliced mRNA forms, encoding transmembrane proteins with short cytoplasmic tails lacking phosphorylation sites.
    • No variation was detected in the peptide-binding groove residues of Modo-UG across different geographic populations.
    • Modo-UG exhibits significantly lower polymorphism compared to the adjacent Modo-UA1 locus.
    • The lack of functional polymorphism in Modo-UG is attributed to negative selection.

    Conclusions:

    • Modo-UG represents the first described MHC-linked marsupial class I gene with apparent nonclassical features.
    • Its conserved peptide-binding groove suggests a role distinct from classical antigen presentation, possibly under strong negative selection.
    • The findings highlight the diverse evolutionary strategies of MHC class I genes even within a single species.