Diversity of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and natural killer cell receptor (NKR) genes and their interactions in domestic horses

Jana Bubenikova; Martin Plasil; Jan Futas; Karla Stejskalová; Marie Klumplerová; Jan Oppelt; Franz Suchentrunk; Pamela Burger; Petr Horin

doi:10.1111/tan.15387

You are here:

PHAIDRA
Detail o:4456

Title (eng)

Diversity of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and natural killer cell receptor (NKR) genes and their interactions in domestic horses

Author

Jana Bubenikova

Martin Plasil

Jan Futas

Karla Stejskalová

Marie Klumplerová

Jan Oppelt

Franz Suchentrunk

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Pamela Burger

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Petr Horin

Abstract (eng)

The immunogenome is the part of the genome that underlies immune mechanisms and evolves under various selective pressures. Two complex regions of the immunogenome, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and natural killer cell receptor (NKR) genes, play an important role in the response to selective pressures of pathogens. Their importance is expressed by their genetic polymorphism at the molecular level, and their diversity associated with different types of diseases at the population level. Findings of associations between specific combinations of MHC/NKR haplotypes with different diseases in model species suggest that these gene complexes did not evolve independently. No such associations have been described in horses so far. The aim of the study was to detect associations between MHC and NKR gene/microsatellite haplotypes in three horse breed groups (Camargue, African, and Romanian) by statistical methods; chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Pearson's goodness-of-fit test and logistic regression. Associations were detected for both MHC/NKR genes and microsatellites; the most significant associations were found between the most variable KLRA3 gene and the EQCA-1 or EQCA-2 genes. This finding supports the assumption that the KLRA3 is an important receptor for MHC I and that interactions of these molecules play important roles in the horse immunity and reproduction. Despite some limitations of the study such as low numbers of horses or lack of knowledge of the selected genes functions, the results were consistent across different statistical methods and remained significant even after overconservative Bonferroni corrections. We therefore consider them biologically plausible.

Keywords (eng)

HorseImmunogenomeMHC GenesNKR Genes

Type (eng)

journal article

Language

[eng]

Persistent identifier

https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:4456

DOI

10.1111/tan.15387

Is in series

Title (eng)