Analysis of ELA-DRB exon 2 polymorphism by PCR-RFLP

Abstract

Most class II genes show a wide genetic variation both in the number of loci and the number of alleles among and within species. Sequence conservation during evolution has proven to be high enough in domestic animals for primer sequences developed for one species to be employed to amplify sequences of another. The aim of this work was to develop a PCR-RFLP method for MHC DRB DNA typing in horses by using bovine designed primers. The analysis of the ELA-DRB sequences revealed that all the eleven alleles previously described could be differentiated by the PCR-RFLP method with the restriction enzymes Hae III and Rsa I. The use of other restriction enzymes could be useful in recognizing other variants, improving the accuracy of this DNA-based typing method.