Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) MHC II DRB locus

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) code for cell surface proteins essential for adaptive immunity. They show the most outstanding genetic diversity in vertebrates which has been connected with the various fitness traits and thus with the long-term persistence of populations. Using Ion Torrent S5, we sequenced the second exon of the MHC class II DRB gene in chamois which encodes functionally important residues of the antigen-binding groove and therefore can be taken as a measure of functional diversity of DRB alleles.