Isolation and characterisation of 11 MHC-linked microsatellite loci in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

The Tasmanian devil is under threat of extinction due to a deadly contagious cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). DFTD tumour cells can overcome histocompatibility barriers and be transferred between unrelated individuals as allografts. The low level of genetic variability at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci is believed to have contributed to the high transmissibility of DFTD across the devil population. Copy number variations and high sequence similarity between MHC genes in the devil has made MHC typing by sequencing laborious and problematic. A more efficient approach is required in order to facilitate large-scale MHC typing. Here we report the development of a suite of polymorphic microsatellite markers that are located close to devil MHC Class I or II genes. Two to six alleles were identified at each locus, with the expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.142 to 0.696.