Sequence and diversity of DRB genes of Aotus nancymaae, a primate model for human malaria parasites |
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Authors: | J Javier Nino-Vasquez Denise Vogel Raul Rodriguez Alberto Moreno Manuel Elkin Patarroyo Gerd Pluschke Claudia A Daubenberger |
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Institution: | (1) Instituto de Inmunologia, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Avenida 1 No 10-01, Santafe de Bogota, D.C., Colombia e-mail: javinino@hotmail.com Tel.: +57-133-71154 Fax: +57-128-03999, CO;(2) Swiss Tropicial Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland, CH |
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Abstract: | The New World primate Aotus nancymaae is susceptible to infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and has therefore been recommended by the World Health Organization as a model for evaluation of malaria vaccine candidates.
We present here a first step in the molecular characterization of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DRB genes of Aotus nancymaae (owl monkey or night monkey) by nucleotide sequence analysis of the polymorphic exon 2 segments. In a group of 15 nonrelated
animals captivated in the wild, 34 MHC DRB alleles could be identified. Six allelic lineages were detected, two of them having human counterparts, while two other lineages
have not been described in any other New World monkey species studied. As in the common marmoset, the diversity of DRB alleles appears to have arisen largely by point mutations in the β-pleated sheets and by frequent exchange of fixed sequence
motifs in the α-helical portion. Pairs of alleles differing only at amino acid position b86 by an exchange of valine to glycine
are present in Aotus, as in humans. Essential amino acid residues contributing to MHC DR peptide binding pockets number 1 and 4 are conserved
or semiconserved between HLA-DR and Aona-DRB molecules, indicating a capacity to bind similar peptide repertoires. These results support fully our using Aotus monkeys as an animal model for evaluation of future subunit vaccine candidates.
Received: 10 August 1999 / Revised: 11 October 1999 |
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Keywords: | Aotus nancymaae MHC class II DR molecules Allelic lineages Polymorphism Peptide binding |
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