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

Evolution of the human HLA-DR region

G Andersson1

  • 1Uppsala Genetic Center, Box 7080, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.

Frontiers in Bioscience : a Journal and Virtual Library
|July 24, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB gene organization varies across populations, with conserved HLA-DQ and HLA-DP regions. Evolutionary analyses reveal both ancient and novel DRB gene structures, suggesting distinct selective pressures on HLA-DR.

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

"It's ok that I feel like this": a qualitative study of adolescents' and parents' experiences of facilitators, mechanisms of change and outcomes in a joint emotion regulation group skills training.

BMC psychiatry·2023
Same author

Splitting phonons: Building a platform for linear mechanical quantum computing.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2023
Same author

The epidemiology of upper respiratory tract disorders in a population of insured Swedish dogs (2011-2014), and its association to brachycephaly.

Scientific reports·2023
Same author

Correction to: Beyond the Economic Gaze: Childbearing During and After Recessions in the Nordic Countries.

European journal of population = Revue europeenne de demographie·2021
Same author

Anti-apoptotic effect of adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction in denervated rat muscle.

Stem cell research & therapy·2021
Same author

Beyond the Economic Gaze: Childbearing During and After Recessions in the Nordic Countries.

European journal of population = Revue europeenne de demographie·2020

Area of Science:

  • Immunogenetics
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Human genomics

Background:

  • The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex plays a critical role in immune responses.
  • Class II subregions, including HLA-DR, HLA-DQ, and HLA-DP, are crucial for antigen presentation.
  • Variations in HLA-DRB gene organization exist within the human population, unlike the conserved HLA-DQ and HLA-DP regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary relationships and age of human HLA-DR haplotypes.
  • To understand the mechanisms driving the plasticity and polymorphism of HLA-DR genes.
  • To compare the evolutionary pressures on HLA-DR with those on HLA-DQ and HLA-DP.

Main Methods:

  • Nucleotide sequence determination of DRB genes from various DR haplotypes.
  • Phylogenetic analyses of intron sequences to infer evolutionary history.
  • Comparative genomic analysis of HLA class II subregions.

Main Results:

  • Some HLA-DRB gene organizations have remained conserved for tens of millions of years.
  • Novel HLA-DR haplotypes originated during hominoid speciation, leading to a mix of ancestral and species-specific organizations.
  • Extensive allelic polymorphism in HLA-DR-beta, primarily generated recently, suggests strong selective pressure distinct from HLA-DQ and HLA-DP.

Conclusions:

  • The HLA-DR region exhibits significant evolutionary plasticity and recent allelic diversification, particularly in the beta-chain.
  • Simultaneous evolutionary forces shape HLA-DR, including conservation of ancestral gene organization, selection against DR-alpha polymorphism, and generation of DR-beta polymorphism.
  • These findings highlight the unique evolutionary trajectory of HLA-DR compared to other HLA class II loci.

Related Experiment Videos