Lack of Genetic Diversity in the Major Histocompatibilty Complex: DQA Exon 2 in Beluga Whales

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a family of genes that has become an important marker in measuring the diversity of immune response in a wide range of species. The MHC complex can be thought of as a transport device; it carries the pathogenic peptide to the surface of the cell and presents it to the T-cell receptor initiating the body's immune response against potential pathogens. Since MHC's first discovery in mid 1930's by Peter Gorer, this multigene family has been identified in every mammalian species studied to date. The diversity of MHC influences an individual's susceptibility to disease and autoimmunity (Ackerman & Brigil, 2011)