Dataset Information

Gene conversion of the major histocompatibility complex class I Caja-G in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

ABSTRACT: Currently, the amount of sequenced and classified MHC class I genes of the common marmoset is limited, in spite of the wide use of this species as an animal model for biomedical research. In this study, 480 clones of MHC class I G locus (Caja-G) cDNA sequences were obtained from 21 common marmosets. Up to 10 different alleles were detected in each common marmoset, leading to the assumption that the Caja-G loci duplicated in the marmoset genome. In the investigated population, four alleles occurred more often, giving evidence for higher immunological advantage of these alleles. In contrast to the human non-classical MHC class I genes, Caja-G shows high rates of polymorphism at the relevant peptide-binding sites, despite its phylogenetic relationship to the non-classical HLA-G. Our results provide information for better understanding of the immunological properties of the common marmoset and confirm the theory of a gene conversion of the Caja-G due to its detected plasticity and the absence of any known HLA-A equivalent.

SUBMITTER: Neehus AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5046058 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Gene conversion of the major histocompatibility complex class I Caja-G in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Neehus Anna-Lena AL Wistuba Joachim J Ladas Nektarios N Eiz-Vesper Britta B Schlatt Stefan S Müller Thomas T

Immunology 20160828 3

Currently, the amount of sequenced and classified MHC class I genes of the common marmoset is limited, in spite of the wide use of this species as an animal model for biomedical research. In this study, 480 clones of MHC class I G locus (Caja-G) cDNA sequences were obtained from 21 common marmosets. Up to 10 different alleles were detected in each common marmoset, leading to the assumption that the Caja-G loci duplicated in the marmoset genome. In the investigated population, four alleles occurr ...[more]

PMID: 27450742

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Project description:IntroductionThe common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a small New World monkey, has been widely used as a biological model in neuroscience to elucidate neural circuits involved in cognition and to understand brain dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this regard, the availability of gene expression data derived from next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies represents an opportunity for a molecular contextualization. Sexual dimorphism account for differences in diseases prevalence and prognosis. Here, we explore sex differences on frontal cortex of gene expression in common marmoset's adults.MethodsGene expression profiles in six different tissues (cerebellum, frontal cortex, liver, heart, and kidney) were analyzed in male and female marmosets. To emphasize the translational value of this species for behavioral studies, we focused on sex-biased gene expression from the frontal cortex of male and female in common marmosets and compared to humans (Homo sapiens).ResultsIn this study, we found that frontal cortex genes whose expression is male-biased are conserved between marmosets and humans and enriched with "house-keeping" functions. On the other hand, female-biased genes are more related to neural plasticity functions involved in remodeling of synaptic circuits, stress cascades, and visual behavior. Additionally, we developed and made available an application-the CajaDB-to provide a friendly interface for genomic, expression, and alternative splicing data of marmosets together with a series of functionalities that allow the exploration of these data. CajaDB is available at cajadb.neuro.ufrn.br.ConclusionThe data point to differences in gene expression of male and female common marmosets in all tissues analyzed. In frontal cortex, female-biased expression in synaptic plasticity, stress, and visual processing might be linked to biological and behavioral mechanisms of this sex. Due to the limited sample size, the data here analyzed are for exploratory purposes.

Project description:Gastrointestinal diseases are the most frequently reported clinical problems in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), often affecting the health and welfare of the animal and ultimately their use as a research subject. The microbiome has been shown to be intimately connected to diet and gastrointestinal health. Here, we use shotgun metagenomics and untargeted metabolomics in fecal samples of common marmosets collected before, during, and after a dietary transition from a biscuit to a gel diet. The overall health of marmosets, measured as weight recovery and reproductive outcome, improved after the diet transition. Moreover, each marmoset pair had significant shifts in the microbiome and metabolome after the diet transition. In general, we saw a decrease in Escherichia coli and Prevotella species and an increase in Bifidobacterium species. Untargeted metabolic profiles indicated that polyamine levels, specifically cadaverine and putrescine, were high after diet transition, suggesting either an increase in excretion or a decrease in intestinal reabsorption at the intestinal level. In conclusion, our data suggest that Bifidobacterium species could potentially be useful as probiotic supplements to the laboratory marmoset diet. Future studies with a larger sample size will be beneficial to show that this is consistent with the diet change.ImportanceAppropriate diet and health of the common marmoset in captivity are essential both for the welfare of the animal and to improve experimental outcomes. Our study shows that a gel diet compared to a biscuit diet improves the health of a marmoset colony, is linked to increases in Bifidobacterium species, and increases the removal of molecules associated with disease. The diet transition had an influence on the molecular changes at both the pair and time point group levels, but only at the pair level for the microbial changes. It appears to be more important which genes and functions present changed rather than specific microbes. Further studies are needed to identify specific components that should be considered when choosing an appropriate diet and additional supplementary foods, as well as to validate the benefits of providing probiotics. Probiotics containing Bifidobacterium species appear to be useful as probiotic supplements to the laboratory marmoset diet, but additional work is needed to validate these findings.

Dataset Information

Gene conversion of the major histocompatibility complex class I Caja-G in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Publications

Gene conversion of the major histocompatibility complex class I Caja-G in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

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