At least one YMHCI molecule in the chicken is allo

Authors: Henry D Hunt Ronald M Goto Douglas N Foster Larry D Bacon Marcia M Miller

Publish Date: 2006/03/28

Volume: 58, Issue: 4, Pages: 297-307

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Abstract

Transcriptionally active MHC class I MHCI loci are located in two separate polymorphic genomic regions in the chicken called B and Y The YMHCI gene sequences encode molecules with uncommon substitutions in the antigenbinding region indicating that YMHCI molecules are likely unique and may bind a specialized form of antigen distinct from that of other antigenbinding MHCI molecules To learn whether YMHCI gene expression results in the production of alloantigens at the cell surface we immunized 15I5 × 7 2  chickens using syngeneic RP9 cells expressing transduced YF1w71 a potentially alloimmunogenic YMHCI allele from the Y7 haplotype present in line C The resulting antisera show that YF1w71 MHCI molecules are immunogenic and expressed on the surfaces of cells in blood and spleen of line C chickens Virtually all CD3+ CD4+ and CD8+ cells circulating in line C blood are positive as are BU1+ cells The YF1w71 MHCI allele is dynamically expressed at levels comparable to but transcriptionally independent of classical BMHCI on erythrocytes lymphocytes granulocytes monocytes and thrombocytes within the spleen pre and posthatching The antisera react with cells from two among four haplotypes segregating in closed populations of lines N and P YMHCI shares features associated with both classical and nonclassical MHCI It is becoming increasingly likely that YMHCI has a fundamental role in avian immunity and thereby needs to be included in the growing spectrum of functionally active diverse MHCI molecules no longer adequately described by the classical/nonclassical dichotomyWe thank Evelyn Young and Dr Terry Lemme for excellent assistance in producing the antisera and for assistance in flow cytometry evaluation This material is based upon the work supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture/National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program 92372048244 and 20023520511628 the US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service/International Collaborative Research/Research and Scientific Exchange Division 5831485023 and by the National Science Foundation under Grants 9118199 and 9604589

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