Mammalian non-classical major histocompatibility complex I and its receptors: Important contexts of gene, evolution, and immunity

B M Pratheek; Tapas K Nayak; Subhransu S Sahoo; Prafulla K Mohanty; Soma Chattopadhyay; Ntiya G Chakraborty; Subhasis Chattopadhyay

doi:10.4103/0971-6866.142855

Mammalian non-classical major histocompatibility complex I and its receptors: Important contexts of gene, evolution, and immunity

Indian J Hum Genet. 2014 Apr;20(2):129-41. doi: 10.4103/0971-6866.142855.

Authors

B M Pratheek¹, Tapas K Nayak¹, Subhransu S Sahoo¹, Prafulla K Mohanty², Soma Chattopadhyay³, Ntiya G Chakraborty⁴, Subhasis Chattopadhyay¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
² Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
³ Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, USA.

Abstract

The evolutionary conserved, less-polymorphic, nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules: Qa-1 and its human homologue human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) along with HLA-F, G and H cross-talk with the T-cell receptors and also interact with natural killer T-cells and other lymphocytes. Moreover, these nonclassical MHC molecules are known to interact with CD94/NKG2 heterodimeric receptors to induce immune responses and immune regulations. This dual role of Qa-1/HLA-E in terms of innate and adaptive immunity makes them more interesting. This review highlights the new updates of the mammalian nonclassical MHC-I molecules in terms of their gene organization, evolutionary perspective and their role in immunity.

Keywords: CD94/NKG2; Qa-1; human leukocyte antigen-E; major histocompatibility complex.

Publication types

Review