Re: (Fwd) Re: Probability and...

GRMorton@aol.com
Thu, 7 Sep 1995 07:31:04 -0400

Steve Clark wrote:
>>An important thing not considered here is the in humans, the MHC complex
consists of 3 polymorphic genes each with its own set of alleles. The total
number of alleles, 59, is actually spread among three genes, not one, which
reduces the problem of how the polymporphism arose. <<

If I have messed this up I want to be clear. The article "MHC Polymorphism
and Human Origins", Scientific American, Dec. 1993, p. 78, has a table on
that page of all the alleles in the MHC complex.
As I read it, there are 3 genes, the DRB1,DRB2, and DRB3. Under the DRB1
they list "known alleles" under each locus. I quickly counted them this
morning and there were 60 under DRB1 (unless I miscounted) , none under DRB2,
and 4 alleles under DRB3.

Can you take a look at that article and tell me what, if anything, I have
done wrong. The alleles are very unevenly distributed among the 3 genes
according to this article.

thanks

glenn