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Human Molecular Genetics Advance Access published online on October 19, 2005
Human Molecular Genetics, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddi389
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Received August 15, 2005
Revised October 12, 2005
Accepted October 12, 2005

Article

Evidence of Balancing Selection at the HLA-G Promoter Region

Zheng Tan 1*, Andrew Minsoo Shon 2, and Carole Ober 2

1 Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Room 501, Chicago, IL 60637
2 Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Zheng Tan, E-mail: tzheng{at}genetics.uchicago.edu


  Abstract

HLA-G is a class Ib HLA gene with unique tissue expression pattern and immunomodulatory properties. Polymorphisms in the HLA-G promoter region have been associated with miscarriage and asthma, while expression levels have been associated with a wide range of pathologic conditions as well as survival of embryos after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and of organs after transplantation. Here we characterize the sequence variation and haplotype structure of the HLA-G promoter and flanking sequences in 44 African Americans, 47 European Americans and 43 Han Chinese by haplotype-specific PCR and sequencing. In all three populations we observed high levels of nucleotide variation, an excess of intermediate-frequency alleles, and a genealogy with two common haplotypes separated by deep branches, features that are suggestive of balancing selection acting in this region. Comparisons to HLA-A and a pseudogene, HLA-J, suggested that the observed pattern of sequence variation in the HLA-G promoter region is not likely due to other selected HLA genes. We suggest that the mechanism for this selection is related to the highly regulated expression pattern of HLA-G and that high and low expressing promoters may be favored under temporally and /or spatially varying selective pressures.


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