The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is composed of a set of linked genes encoding proteins involved in the host's immune response1. A subset of these proteins are the classical transplantation antigens,
is renowned for its exceptional polymorphism and is a model of adaptive gene evolution. In birds, the number of MHC genes and sequence diversity varies greatly among taxa, believed due to evolutionary history and differential
Beck, S., et al., “DNA Sequence Analysis of 66 kb of the Human MHC Class II Region Encoding a Cluster of Genes for Antigen Processing,” J. Mol. Biol. 228:433-441 (Nov. 1992). “GeneChip Probe Array Synthesis,” &lsqb online&rsqb Mar. 1998 &lsqb retrieved on Oct. 15, 1998&...
while high-occupancy sites tend to associate with repressive histone marks; that genes in the vicinity of low-occupancy sites have a greater expression in CD4+ T cells relative to the genes near high-occupancy sites; and that genes located between two high-occupancy sites tend to be co-regulat...
a greater expression of the neighboring genes, and a greater density of active histone marks in their vicinity [16]. This result suggests existence of distinct functional classes of REST sites. A similar finding has been reported for FOXA2 based on computational analysis of genome-wide location ...