Limited polymorphism of both classes of MHC genes in four different species of the Balkan mole rat

Abstract

We analyzed the restriction fragment length polymorphism of class I and class II MHC genes in DNA from 20 individuals belonging to the four different species of the complex of species of Balkan mole rats Spalax leucodon captured at four different localities in Yugoslavia. All populations were tested with four restriction enzymes and one conserved mouse probe for each of the two classes of MHC genes. The probes employed detect either limited polymorphism of class I genes or lack of polymorphic bands containing class II genes. Of the two other subterranean rodents that have been studied, four karyotype forms of the Israeli mole rat show polymorphism in both classes of MHC genes similar to the one found in all other mammals (Nižetić et al. 1985), and the Syrian hamster shows limited polymorphism of class I genes and high polymorphism of class II genes (McGuire et al. 1985). Balkan mole rats belong to a new group in this respect, different from all mammals studied so far, since they apparently show limited polymorphism of both classes of MHC genes.