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qKAT: Quantitative Semi-automated Typing of Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genes
Published on: March 6, 2019
Structural variation of the mouse natural killer gene complex
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA.
Genes and Immunity
|September 24, 2010
Summary
Array-based comparative genomic hybridization efficiently mapped structural variations in the mouse natural killer gene complex (NKC). This method aids in understanding genetic diversity across mouse strains and complex gene clusters.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Genomics
- Comparative genomics
Background:
- The natural killer gene complex (NKC) on mouse chromosome 6 harbors genes for NK cell receptors.
- NKC genes exhibit haplotype differences and allelic polymorphisms across mouse strains.
- Previous analyses were limited to a small number of strains and conventional methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To efficiently compare the NKC across 21 mouse strains using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH).
- To analyze structural variations within the complex and polymorphic NKC.
- To assess the utility of aCGH in studying gene clusters.
Main Methods:
- Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was employed to compare 21 mouse strains against the C57BL/6 reference strain.
- Unsupervised clustering methods were used to group observed variations.
- Data were validated through prospective analyses and comparison with RFLP data.
Main Results:
- aCGH successfully identified and grouped structural variations in the NKC across the studied mouse strains.
- Clustering of aCGH data mirrored groupings from previous RFLP analyses of Nkrp1 and Ly49 genes.
- aCGH data accurately predicted monoclonal antibody reactivity, indicating functional relevance.
Conclusions:
- Significant structural variation exists within the natural killer gene complex across different mouse strains.
- aCGH is a powerful and efficient tool for analyzing complex and polymorphic gene clusters like the NKC.
- This study highlights the genetic diversity of NKC and its implications for NK cell function research.
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