Identification and characterization of major  histocompatibility complex class IIB alleles in three  species of European ranid frogs

B MAROSI; KAREN M. KIEMNEC–TYBURCZY; IOAN V. GHIRA; TIBOR SOS; OCTAVIAN POPESCU

Volume : III, Issue : IX, September - 2013

Identification and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class IIB alleles in three species of European ranid frogs

B Marosi, Karen M. Kiemnec Tyburczy, Ioan V. Ghira, Tibor Sos, Octavian Popescu

Abstract :

Immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are some of the most polymorphic genes in the verteate genome. Due to their polymorphic nature, they are often used to assess the adaptive genetic variability present in natural populations. Here, we describe the first molecular characterization of 13 partial MHC class IIB sequences from three European ranid frogs. We expand the utility of previously published primers by using them to successfully amplify eight exon 2 alleles from Rana arvalis. We also designed a novel pair of primers that successfully amplified exon 2 from Pelophylax kurtmuelleri and Pelophylax lessonae. Our results indicate the presence of one or two class IIB loci in these three species. In R. arvalis, we found significant evidence of positive selection acting on antigen binding sites. Many European ranid populations are experiencing disease–related declines and our newly developed primers can be used for further population analyses of native frog species.