Rhesus and cynomolgus IGH genotyping yields comprehensive databases of germline VDJ alleles for in-depth immunological studies

Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are important animal models for the pre-clinical assessment of candidate drugs and vaccines. Four main sub-groups are used: Indian and Chinese origin rhesus macaques and Mauritian and Indonesian cynomolgus macaques. Here, we applied the IG gene inference tool IgDiscover and extensive Sanger sequence genomic validation to define germline V, D, and J alleles in these 4 sub-groups of macaques, comprising 45 macaques in total. We observed a significant allelic overlap between Chinese and Indian origin macaques and, surprisingly, also between the two macaque species, suggesting significant levels of admixture. The island-restricted Mauritian cynomolgus population displayed athe lowest number of alleles compared to the other sub-groups, yet maintained high individual allelic diversity. Our analysis resulted in comprehensive databases of germline IGH alleles for rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, of which 64% and 79% of alleles respectively were not previously described, thereby facilitating high-quality B cell response studies in these species.