Table 1. Primer sets used for RT-PCR amplification of MHCI genes.

MHCI primers were obtained from (Ohtsuka et al., 2008). Primers for controls and MHCI-like genes are predicted to recognize unique regions of the nucleotide sequence for each gene. Size of the predicted RT-PCR product is given in base pairs. Multiplex RT-PCR primers were designed to amplify most transcribed MHCI genes, using a degenerate forward primer and an AL1 poly(dT) reverse primer. Y, pyrimidine (C or T); R, purine (A or G).

	Gene	Forward Primer	Reverse Primer
MHCI	K	GGGAGCCCCGGTACATGGAA	GGTGACTTTATCTTCAGGTCTGCT
	D	TCGGCTATGTGGACAACAAGG	GGCCATAGCTCCAAGGACAC
	Q1	CTGCGGTATTTCGAGACCTCG	GGTATCTGTGGAGCCACATCAG
	Q2	ACACACAGGTCTCCAAGGAA	TGGATCTTGAGCGTAGTCTCTTA
	Q4	CTTGCTGAGTTATTTCTACACCT	ACCGTCAGATCTGTGGTGACAT
	Q5	GGGAGCCCCGGTTCATCATC	CAGGGTGACAGCATCATAAGATA
	Q6	GTATTTCCACACTGCTGTGTCCT	AAGGACAACCAGAATAGCTACGT
	Q7	CGGGCCAACACTCGCTGCAA	GTATCTGCGGAGCGACTGCAT
	Q10	CACACTCCATGAGGTATTTCGAA	CAGATCAGCAATGTGTGACATGATA
	T5	GGTGGTGTTGCAGAGACGCT	CTGCTCTTCAACACAAAAGG
	T7	CTTCACACGTTCCAGCTGTTGTT	AGGCCTGGTCTCCACAAGCTCT
	T9	ACCGCCCTGGCCCCGACCCGA	CATCCGTGCATATCCTGGATA
	T10	CCCTTTGGGTTCACACTCGCTT	CCTGGTCTCCACAAACTCCACTTCT
	T11	CGGTATTTCCACACCGTCGTA	TAGAGATATGCGAGGCTAAGTTG
	T15	ACCGCCCTGGCCCCGACCCAA	CATCCGTGCATATCCTGGATT
	T22	CTGGAGCAGGAGGAAGCAGATA	CAAATGATGAACAAAATGAAAACCA
	T23	AGTATTGGGAGCGGGAGACTT	AGCACCTCAGGGTGACTTCAT
	T24	ATGCACAGTACTTCACTCATG	CCCCTAGCATATACTCCTGTCG
	M2	GAGGAGACCCACTACATGACTGTT	GAAAATGAAAGACTGAGGAGGTCTAC
	M3	CAGCGCTGTGATAGCATTGA	ACAACAATAGTGATCACACCT
MHCI-like	CD1d	AAAAACCCCAGAGCCTTTGTGTACC	TGTCTGCCAGGACGTTCCCCA
	FcRn	CCTCAGTGCCCACGGCTGTG	CTGCGCATCCTGCCCCACAA
	HFE	CCGGTGGACCCAGCTGAGGA	ACGGCCAATGTCAGCCAGCC
	MR1	TCCGATCCTGGTCCCGTCGTC	TTCCCGAGGGGCCTCCAGAAC
	ZAG	GGTGCCTGTCCTGCTGTCCC	AGGTATGCCTTGGCTCGCTGC
Positive controls	Arf	ATGGGGAATATCTTTGCAAACCTC	CTTCTGGTTCCGGAGCTG
	ODC	TGGAGTGAGAATCATAGCTG	TTGGCCTCTGGAACCCATTG
Multiplex PCR	Pan-MHCI/AL1 poly dT	ACYYTGARRTGYTGGGCYYT	ATTGGATCCAGGCCGCTCTGGACAAAATATGAATTCT(24)