MHC Class II DQA gene in Captive Thai elephant populations

The health and viability of captive elephants, which are vital to Thailand tourism economy, may be threatened by emerging infectious diseases, partly because of genetic differences in immune related genes, especially major histocompatibility complex genes. Among MHC genes, loci such as DQA are known to play a crucial role in immune surveillance. Despite their relevance, data regarding MHC polymorphisms in elephants are scarce. This study investigated polymorphisms and selection signatures in a partial fragment of the MHC Class II DQA exon 2 using targeted next-generation sequencing and diversity analyses of individuals from three captive elephant camps in Northern Thailand.