Tandem repeats modify the structure of the canine CD1D gene

Anim Genet. 2012 Sep 19. doi: 10.1111/age.12002. [Epub ahead of print] Tandem repeats modify the structure of the canine CD1D gene. Looringh van Beeck FA, Leegwater PA, Herrmann T, Broere F, Rutten VP, Willemse T, Van Rhijn I. Source Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Abstract Among the CD1 proteins that present lipid antigens to T cells, CD1d is the only one that stimulates a population of T cells with an invariant T-cell receptor known as NKT cells. Sequencing of a 722 nucleotide gap in the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome revealed that the canine CD1D gene lacks a sequence homologous to exon 2 of human CD1D, coding for the start codon and signal peptide. Also, the canine CD1D gene contains three different short tandem repeats that disrupt the expected gene structure. Because canine CD1D cDNA lacks sequences homologous to human exon 2 and 3, the functionality of canine CD1d protein may be affected, and this could have consequences for the development and activation of canine NKT cells. © 2012 The Authors, Animal Genetics © 2012 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics. PMID: 22988997 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]