Molecular cloning, genomic structure and expression analysis of major histocompatibility complex class Iα gene of half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis).

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has a central role in the adaptive immune system by presenting foreign peptide to the T-cell receptor. The full length of MHC class Iα cDNA was cloned from half-smooth tongue sole by homology cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR), genomic organization and expression of MHC Iα were examined to study the function of MHC gene in fish. The domain structure feature and antigen-binding motifs of other teleost and mammals MHC are conserved in the half-smooth tongue sole MHC Iα gene. The deduced amino acid sequence of half-smooth tongue sole MHC Iα (GenBank accession no. FJ372720) had 12.1-61.8% identity with those of human and other fish. Eight exons and seven introns were identified in MHC Iα gene. Real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that MHC Iα gene was ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues, while that in Vibrio anguillarum infected fish was significantly increased in intestines and decreased in spleen and liver from 24 to 72 h after infection, followed by a recovery to normal level after 96 h.