Complementary DNA sequences encoding the multimammate rat MHC class II DQ α and β chains and cross-species sequence comparison in rodents

Sequences of the complete open reading frame (ORF) for rodents major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are rare. Multimammate rat ( Mastomys natalensis ) complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the α and β chains of MHC class II DQ gene was cloned from a rapid amplifications of cDNA Emds (RACE) cDNA library. The ORFs consist of 801 and 771 bp encoding 266 and 256 amino acid residues for DQB and DQA, respectively. The genomic structure of Mana-DQ genes is globally analogous to that described for other rodents except for the insertion of a serine residue in the signal peptide of Mana-DQB , which is unique among known rodents.