Anti-tumor Immunity and Different Way of Clustering of LMP/TAP/MHC Genes in Vertebrates

MD Bubanovic^a, S Najman MD PhD^b

^aDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology – “Medica Center” - Nis, Serbia and Montenegro, ^bInstitute for Biology, University Medical School – Nis, Serbia and Montenegro

Class I and class II MHC genes have been identified in most of the jawed vertebrate taxa, including cartilagofish, bonefish, amphibian, reptiles, birds and mammals. Unlike to mammals, in all investigated bony fish species, the classical class I and class II MHC genes are not linked and even are found on different chromosomes. Linking and clustering of the class I and class II MHC genes is not the only phenomenon clearly detected in the evolution of immune system from cartilagofish to mammals. In all non-mammalian classes the LMP/TAP genes are highly conserved within class I genes region, while these genes are conserved within class II genes region only in mammals. Today we know that LMP/TAP genes in mammals have crucial role in peptide processing for presentation within class I molecules, as well as in anti-tumor immunity. From these reasons, differences in clustering of LMP/TAP/MHC genes can be responsible for differences in mechanisms and efficacy of anti-tumor immunity in non-mammalian vertebrates compared to same mechanisms in mammals. Also, differences in cytokine network and anti-tumor antigens presentation within classes of vertebrates can be explained with peculiarity of LMP/TAP/MHC genes clustering.

Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Nice, France; February 7 - 10, 2004; in poster session 1091 (Vaccine trials).