Nucleotide sequences of MHC class I introns 1, 2, and 3 in humans and intron 2 in nonhuman primates

HLA-class I genes are the most polymorphic genetic system yet known. The polymorphic substitutions are mostly located in exon 2 and 3, encoding alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains, respectively, which are involved in peptide binding and T cell receptor interaction. In this study, we present the sequences of the introns neighboring the polymorphic exons in humans with few examples from nonhuman primates. In general, intron sequences are found to be less polymorphic than the adjacent exons, displaying numerous locus-specific and group-specific sites. These sequences will provide important information for developing DNA based typing strategies for HLA-class I alleles.