IPD-MHC

Nomenclature of cattle MHC genes

In cattle (BoLA) MHC nomenclature the Mhc symbol is followed by a four-letter abbreviation of the species’ scientific name. The first two letters are derived from the name of the genus, and the last two letters from the name of the species. For example, MhcBogr defines the MHC system of the domestic yak (Bos grunniens). The prefix “Mhc” is nowadays often omitted. An exception of this rule are Bos indicus and Bos taurus that are grouped within the four-letter abbreviation BoLA.

Cattle specific nomenclature

Within the designations of cattle MHC alleles, specific prefixes or suffixes are used:

• The suffix N (null allele) is used to indicate that the allele is characterised by a premature stop codon.

• Occasionally the suffix SV is used to indicate that the described allele is a splice variant.