RESEARCH

& DEVELOPMENT

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Initially, research was focussed on the identification of genes which regulate immune responses important in immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. The ultimate intention was to identify gene products which can be used to treat these diseases in humans. 

This approach arose from experiments described in Professor Dawkins MD thesis and a series of publications prior to 1975.  Certain muscle diseases were shown to be due to autoimmune reactions which could be quantified and monitored and he proposed that the fundamental abnormality was a reversible defect of immunoregulation.   Subsequently he and his students refined the approach and provided evidence which suggested a regulatory role for products of genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).  

In 1983 they reviewed their findings and predicted that the relevant genes would be found by molecular characterisation of chromosomal segments or haplotypes marked by certain supratypes (combinations of alleles).  At the time these concepts were controversial, especially because conventional dogma explained the effects of MHC genes in terms of HLA products rather than other unidentified genes elsewhere within the region. 

Since 1986 the techniques of molecular biology have been used to address several specific questions.  The relevant technical expertise has been recruited largely as a consequence of program grant support from the National Health and Medical Research Council but also by establishing a network of international collaboration.

By 1987 Professor Dawkins and his group had established that disease associated supratypes were markers of ancestral haplotypes (conserved chromosomal segments or Conserved Polymorphic Sequences).  Although these haplotypes contain more than one million base pairs between  the centromeric HLA Class II genes and the telomeric HLA Class I genes, each has its own particular feature, even when present in apparently unrelated subjects.  Thus, ancestral haplotypes must be similar if not identical by descent from a remote ancestor and must have been conserved for at least hundreds of generations.  

We suggested that specific alleles must be retained at multiple loci within the region.  These and other observations have been recognised as potentially important for understanding human evolution and specifically issues such as the size of founder populations, rates of recombination, the nature of selective forces, etc.  

Of more immediate interest, however, ancestral haplotypes provide unique and much needed approaches to improving understanding of the genetics and pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and certain immunodeficiency disorders.  After defining particular ancestral haplotypes, it was possible to map the location of relevant genes and to provide useful criteria for determining which gene or genes are of fundamental significance.  The group was confident that they had identified the regions which are critical in diseases such as Generalised Myasthenia Gravis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and possibly Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.  Together with other workers they also identified those ancestral haplotypes which carry 'central' alleles which allow the development of IgA deficiency.  Furthermore, they and others had shown that unidentified central MHC genes are critical in determining the survival of subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

As suggested by earlier experiments (see above), it was important to consider the possibility that susceptibility haplotypes might have lost genes able to down-regulate autoimmune responses.  To this end they developed approaches which allow quantification of gene copy number and definition of 'historical' deletions.   With new techniques available to the group in 1995, they embarked upon a further phase intended to provide specific sequences of critical genes and, thence, the potential to produce products for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and certain immunodeficiencies.

The Foundation developed several patented approaches to gene discovery and genetic typing.  The researchers were responsible for a major advance in the selection of donors for Bone Marrow Grafting and discovered new genes within the MHC.  They also defined evolutionary relationships between different ancestral haplotypes and have developed hypotheses and models for the evolution of humans and primates.

Projects

  • DNA samples from the TMG herds go back over 20 years, providing an invaluable archive that other research institutions may not have. 

  • The demand for “grass feeding” as opposed to feeding with grain continues to increase.  Various regimes are being compared.  The use of “EasyGrass” pellets as an ad lib cattle supplement can improve perennial pastures.  Explanations, such as increased nitrogen excretion, will be investigated.

    Beef cattle field trials are conducted on TMG farms on hill country at North Dandalup and on the Peel sand plain at nearby Nambeelup and Waroona.  Farmers in the region have traditionally grazed cattle on the sandplain in summer, where they could find superficial water in swamp areas and move them to hill paddocks in winter to overcome mineral deficiencies.

  • Current projects include measuring the melting point of intramuscular fat in beef. 

    Characteristics of Wagyu and Akaushi Japanese cattle include marbling, which improves flavour and texture but, more importantly, contains fat that melts at below human body temperature.  This fat is readily metabolised, whereas fat that remains solid may cause health problems. 

    It is therefore important that the genes found in Japanese cattle are bred into other herds with sufficient certainty, i.e. through genetic testing. 

  • Another project is developing a simple, low-cost DNA trace (a sort of animal “fingerprint”). 

    Potentially you can trace an animal through its life, then through the abattoir, processing plant and consumer outlet. 

    Tracing is critical as there are more Australian Wagyu marketed than actually produced, and all sorts of meat are relabelled as Australian Wagyu. 

    The solution to that problem is to trace the DNA all the way down the chain.  Apart from protecting country-of-origin and brand reputations in export markets, where product substitution is rife, the trace could have benefits closer to home.  Potentially, tracing can be used for all agricultural produce.

  • Researchers are also looking to identify genetic strains of Kikuyu that are able to adapt by sending roots down almost two metres and can cope with the relatively rapid water table movement in the Peel sand plain.  Water levels can change up to 1.5 metres from winter to summer.  If adaptable strains can be identified genetically and successfully bred, we could produce more robust pastures less reliant on irrigation.  Further, these strains are better able to filter nutrients out of the water table before it reaches the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary.  The variety of Kikuyu that has survived locally from 40 years ago is the one that has deep roots. 

    Successful varieties change the soil ecology and allow other grasses and perennial legumes to flourish. 

    Kikuyu and perennial clovers benefit agriculture in the region.

Drs Valenzuela and Lloyd performing DNA testing of cattle at the Nambeelup laboratory

Supplemented feeding improves pastures (right) compared to conventional feeding (left)

Wagyu and Akaushi on the Nambeelup sandplain       

Publications

Support from the Foundation and others has made it possible for researchers to produce a number of patents and many significant publications.  Their unique work in genetics is of benefit to health and agriculture.  

2024

Dawkins, R. L.  (2023 in prep) Book: Adapting Genetics, Third Edition. (2301)

Dawkins, R. L., Lloyd, S. S., Botting, J., Hammond, D., Dawkins, J. R. and Ledger, J.  (2024 in prep).  Selection for complex polygenic traits without in-breeding 1 marbling in diverse breeds (2411)

Dawkins, R. L., Lloyd, S. S., Lloyd, A. J., Paz, E. A. & Marshall, B. (2024 submitted).  Conserved polymorphic sequences may occur in all species:  Applications to Agriculture.  MDPI, IJMS.  (2204)

Goldwater, P. N., Gorczynski, R. M. and Steele, E. J.  (2024 submitted).  Sudden infant death syndrome:  A review and re-evaluation of vaccination risks.  The European Society of Medicine.

Lloyd, S. S., Loyd, A. J. and Dawkins, R.L. (2024 submitted). Bilateral Amplification of Complementary Duplicons (BACD) identifies local varieties of grasses and their mixtures in pasture:  evidence for retrotransposons.  MDPI, IJMS.  (1902)

Steele, E. J. (2024 submitted).  Origins COVID-19?  Lab leak theories are untenable.  

2023

Alper, C. A., Dawkins, R. L., Kulski, J. K., Larsen, C. E., & Lloyd, S. S, (2023).  Editorial: Population genomic architecture: Conserved polymorphic sequences (CPSs), not linkage disequilibrium. Frontiers in Genetics, 14.   doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1140350.

Shamshad Ul Hassan, Eng Guan Chua, Erwin A. Paz, Chin Yen Tay, Johan C. Greeff, Dieter G. Palmer, Olga Dudchenko, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Graeme B. Martin and Parwinder Kaur (2023).  Chromosome-length genome assembly of Teladorsagia circumcincta - a globally important helminth parasite in livestock.  BMC Genomics 24:74.   https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-023-09172-0

2022

Dawkins, R. L. (2015). Book: Adapting Genetics, Second Edition.  Educating the Genome:  Safe Deposit Evolution.  Near Urban LLC Publishing, San Angelo, TX.  (2105)

Dawkins, R. L., & Lloyd, S. S. (2022).  Commentary: Conserved polymorphic sequences protect themselves for future challenges. Frontiers in Genetics, 13, 993944.

Paz, E. A., Rehberg, L. A., Lloyd, A. J., Lloyd, S.S., & Dawkins, R.L. (2022). Genome banking of ancestral haplotypes for future survival. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria.  135(2) 34-37 DOI: 10.1071/RS23005.  (2207)

Valenzuela, J. L., Lloyd, S. S., Sweeny, J. & Dawkins, R. L. (2022).  Genetic matching facilitates the screening of the effect of different feeds for bovine marbling.  Intl J of Mol Sci, 23 https://doi.org/10.3390/. MDPI, IJMS. (1802)

2020

Valenzuela, J. L., Lloyd, S. S., Mastaglia, F. L., & Dawkins, R. L. (2020).  Adipose invasion of muscle in Wagyu cattle: Monitoring by histology and melting temperature. Meat science, 163.  

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108063

2019

Dawkins, R. L., & Lloyd, S. S. (2019).  MHC Genomics and Disease: Looking Back to Go Forward. Cells, 8(9), 944. (1902)  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells8090944

Valenzuela, J. L., Lloyd, S. S., Steele, E. J., Mastaglia, F. L., & Dawkins, R. L. (2019). Interspecies translation: Bovine marbling to human muscular dystrophy. In Muscular Dystrophies. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82685 

Lloyd, S. S., Lloyd, A. J., & Dawkins, R. L. (2019).  Bilateral Amplification of Complementary Duplicons (BACD) identifies local varieties of grasses and their mixtures in pasture:  Evidence for retrotransposons.  Intl J Mol Sci (1902). 

2017

Lloyd, S. S., Steele, E. J., Valenzuela, J. L., & Dawkins, R. L. (2017).  Haplotypes for Type, Degree, and Rate of Marbling in Cattle Are Syntenic with Human Muscular Dystrophy. International Journal of Genomics, 2017, 6532837

Lloyd, S. S., Valenzuela, J. L., Steele, E. J., & Dawkins, R. L. (2017).  Genetics of Marbling in Wagyu Revealed by the Melting Temperature of Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Lipids. International Journal of Food Science,  https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3948408

2016

Lloyd, S. S., E. J. Steele & R. L. Dawkins, (2016). Analysis of Haplotype Sequences. Pages 345–368in J. K. Kulski (ed.) Next Generation Sequencing - Advances, Applications and Challenges. InTech.

Steele, E. J., 2016. Case Study 7: Induced Eye-Defects Can Be Passed On to Future Generations. Pages 3–1, 3–19in M. Levin & D. Adams (eds.)Ahead of the Curve: Hidden breakthroughs in the biosciences.  IOP Publishing Ltd, Bristol.

2015

Dawkins, R. L., 2015. Book: Adapting Genetics, First Edition.  Near Urban Publishing, Dallas, TX.

Steele, E. J., 2015. Book: Ancestral Haplotypes.  Near Urban Publishing, Dallas, TX.

Steele, E. J. & S. S. Lloyd (2015). Soma-to-germline feedback is implied by the extreme polymorphism at IGHV relative to MHC. BioEssays, 37: 557–569.

2014

Lloyd, S. S., D. Bayard, S. Lester, J. F. Williamson, E. J. Steele & R. L. Dawkins, (2014). Ancestral Haplotypes,  Quantal Genomics and Healthy Beef S. Page Proceedings, 10th World Congress of Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Ancestral.

Lloyd, S. S., S. T. Dawkins & R. L. Dawkins.  (2014)  A novel method of measuring the melting point of animal fats. Journal of Animal Science, 92: 4775–4778.

Steele, E. J. (2014) Reflections on ancestral haplotypes: medical genomics, evolution, and human individuality. Perspectives in biology and medicine, 57: 179–97.

2013

Dawkins, R. L., J. F. Williamson, S. Lester & S. T. Dawkins (2013)  Mutation versus polymorphism in evolution. Genomics, 101: 211–212.

Lloyd, S. S., D. Bayard, S. A. Lester, J. F. Williamson & R. L. Dawkins  (2013) The Value of Haplotyping. Interbull Bulletin, 47: 252–255.

McLure, C. A., P. Hinchliffe, S. Lester, J. F. Williamson, J. A. Millman, P. J. Keating, B. J. Stewart and R. L. Dawkins. (2013) Genomic evolution and polymorphism: Segmental duplications and haplotypes at 108 regions on 21 chromosomes.  Genomics, 102: 15–26. 

2011

Steele EJ, Williamson JF, Lester S, Stewart BJ, Millman JA, Carnegie P, Lindley RA, Pain GN, Dawkins RL (2011). “Genesis of ancestral haplotypes: RNA modifications and reverse transcription-mediated polymorphisms.” Hum. Immunol.; 72(3):283-293. Review

Steele, E. J., J. F. Williamson, S. Lester, B. J. Stewart, J. A. Millman, P. Carnegie, R. A. Lindley, G. N. Pain & R. L. Dawkins. (2011) Genesis of ancestral haplotypes: RNA modifications and reverse transcription-mediated polymorphisms. Hum Immunol, 72: 283–293 e1.

Steele, E. J., R. A. Lindley & G. W. Weiller, 2011. Somatic hypermutation and the discovery of A-to-I RNA editing sites? Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 414: 443.

Williamson, J. F., C. A. McLure, R. H. Guymer, P. N. Baird, J. Millman, S. Cantsilieris & R. L. Dawkins, 2011. Almost total protection from age-related macular degeneration by haplotypes of the Regulators of Complement Activation. Genomics, 98: 412–421.

Williamson, J. F., E. J. Steele, S. Lester, O. Kalai, J. A. Millman, L. Wolrige, D. Bayard, C. McLure & R. L. Dawkins.  (2011)  Genomic evolution in domestic cattle: Ancestral haplotypes and healthy beef. Genomics, 97: 304–312.  (0701)

Williamson JF, McLure CA, Guymer, RH, Baird PN, , Millman J, Cantsilieris S, Dawkins RL (2011). Almost total protection from age-related macular degeneration by haplotypes of the Regulators of Complement Activation. Genomics; 98(6):412-421. (0702)

2010

Steele, E. J. & R. A. Lindley, 2010. Somatic mutation patterns in non-lymphoid cancers resemble the strand biased somatic hypermutation spectra of antibody genes. DNA Repair (Amst), 9: 600–603.

2008 

Fliegner, R. A., S. A. Holloway, S. Lester, C. A. McLure & R. L. Dawkins (2008) Evaluation of the class II region of the major histocompatibility complex of the greyhound with the genomic matching technique and sequence-based typing. Tissue Antigens, 72: 131–136.

Lester, S., C. A. McLure, J. F. Williamson, P. Bardy, M. Rischmuelle, R. L. Dawkins (2008)  Epistasis between the MHC and the RCA block in primary Sjögren syndrome. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases; 67(6):849-854. (0603)

Williamson, J. F., C. A. McLure, P. N. Baird, D. Male, J. Millman, B. Lawley, M. L. Ashdown, P. J. Keating & R. L. Dawkins. (2008)  Novel sequence elements define ancestral haplotypes of the region encompassing complement factor H. Human Immunology, 69: 207–219. (0805)

2007

Jackson, A. N., C. A. McLure, R. L. Dawkins & P. J. Keating. (2007)  Mannose binding lectin (MBL) copy number polymorphism in Zebrafish (D. rerio) and identification of haplotypes resistant to L. anguillarum. Immunogenetics, 59: 861–872. (0606)

2006

Laird, R., S. Gaudieri, J. Berry, J. F. Williamson, J. Yang, R. L. Dawkins. (2006) Vertebrate species profiling in one step using a single primer pair.  Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology; 2(3): 165-172. (0511)

2005

Laird, R., R. L. Dawkins & S. Gaudieri. (2005) Use of the genomic matching technique to complement multiplex STR profiling reduces DNA profiling costs in high volume crimes and intelligence led screens. Forensic Sci Int, 151: 249–257.

McLure, C. A., P. W. Kesners, S. Lester, D. Male, C. Amadou, J. R. Dawkins, B. J. Stewart, J. F. Williamson, R. L. Dawkins. (2005) Haplotyping of the canine MHC without the need for DLA typing.  Int. J. Immunogenet.; 32(6): 407-411. (0504)

McLure, C. A., J. F. Williamson, L. A. Smyth, S. Agrawal, S. Lester, J. A. Millman, P. J. Keating, B. J. Stewart & R. L. Dawkins. (2005) Extensive genomic and functional polymorphism of the Complement Control Proteins. Immunogenetics, 57(11): 805–815.  (0407)

McLure, C. A., J. F. Williamson, B. J. Stewart, P. J. Keating & R. L. Dawkins.  (2005) Indels and imperfect duplication have driven the evolution of human CR1 and CR1-like from their precursor CR1 alpha: Importance of functional sets. Hum Immunol, 66: 258–273.  (0403)

2004

Dawkins, R. L., N. Longman-Jacobsen, J. F. Williamson and S. Gaudieri.  (2004)  Antigen Processing: Mechanisms in genomics and evolution.  A. Sendtko and Wiley-VCH (Eds), MHC Genomics and Disease, Weiheim, Germany. (0110)

McLure, C. A., R. L. Dawkins, J. F. Williamson, R. A. Davies, J. Berry, L. J. Natalie, R. Laird & S. Gaudieri. (2004) Amino acid patterns within short consensus repeats define conserved duplicons shared by genes of the RCA complex. Journal of Molecular Evolution; 59(2): 143-157.  (0406)

McLure, C. A., J. F. Williamson, B. J. Stewart, P. J. Keating & R. L. Dawkins. (2004) Genomic analysis reveals a duplication of eight rather than seven short consensus repeats in primate CR1 and CR1L: Evidence for an additional set shared between CR1 and CR2. Immunogenetics, 56: 631–638. (0402)

Williamson, J. F., J. Millman, K. Schlunke, B. Stewrat, C. McLure, N. Jacobsen & R. L. Dawkins. (2004) Computational identification and characterisation of interactions occurring within genomic quanta.  (0401)

2003

Longman-Jacobsen, N., J. F. Williamson, R. L. Dawkins and S. Gaudieri.  (2003) In Polymorphic Genomic Regions Indels Cluster with Nucleotide Polymorphism: Quantum Genomics. Gene 312: 257-261. (0011)

Smyth, L., J. Williamson and R. Dawkins. (2003) Quality Genetics. The C Y O’Connor ERADE Village Foundation incorporating The Immunogenetics Research Foundation and the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Immunology Inc, Perth, Western Australia.

Williamson, J. F., S. Gaudieri, N. Longman-Jacobsen and R. L. Dawkins. (2003) The use and abuse of microsatellite markers. In HLA 2002: Immunobiology of the Human MHC.   J. A. Hanson and B. Dupont (Eds.)  IHWG Press, Seattle.  (0211)

2002

Korendowych, E., J. F. Williamson, J. A. Berry, R. Blasczyk, E. Dupont, A. C. Goldberg, M. L. C. Marin, T. Hohler, N. J. McHugh, G. Novelli & R. L. Dawkins.  (2002)  Haplotypes associated with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and haemochromatosis. IHWG Press, Seattle.  (0211)

2001

Gaudieri, S., N. Longman-Jacobsen, G. K. Tay and R. L. Dawkins.  (2001)  Sequence Analysis of the MHC Class I Region Reveals the Basis of the  Genomic Matching Technique. Human Immunology 62: 279-285. (9937)

Kulski, J. K., P. Martinez, N. Longman-Jacobsen, W. Wang, J. Williamson, R. L. Dawkins, T. Shiina, T. Naruse & H. Inoko. (2001) The association between HLA-A alleles and an Alu dimorphism near HLA-G. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 53: 114–123.  (0007
Martinez, O. P., N. Longman-Jacobsen, R. Davies, E. K. Chung, Y. Yang et al. (2001) Genetics of human complement component C4 and evolution of the central MHC. Frontiers in Bioscience 6: D904-913. (0106)

2000

Cattley, S. K., J. F. Williamson, G. K. Tay, O. P. Martinez, S. Gaudieri & R. L. Dawkins. (2000) Further characterization of MHC haplotypes demonstrates conservation telomeric of HLA-A: Update of the 4AOH and 10 IHW cell panels. European Journal of Immunogenetics, 27: 397–426.  (9828)

Dawkins, R. L., J. Berry, P. Martinez, S. Gaudieri, J. Hui, S. Cattley, N. Longman, J. Kulski & P. Carnegie.  (2000) Potential for Paralogous Mapping to Simplify the Genetics of Diseases and Functions Associated with MHC Haplotypes. In The Major Histocompatibility Complex: Evolution, Structure, and Function, pp 146–157M, Edited by Kasahara, Springer-Verlag, Tokyo. (9915)

Dunn, D. S., J. F. Williamson, S. K. Cattley, G. K. Tay, S. Gaudieri et al. (2000)  Coevolution of HLA-B and PERB11.1 (MICA): significance of independent triplet expansion within the transmembrane region of PERB11.1 (MICA). Journal of Molecular Evolution 50: 359 - 365. (9913)

Freitas, E. M., S. Gaudieri, W. J. Zhang, J. K. Kulski, F. M. van Bockxmeer, F. T. Christiansen & R. L. Dawkins (2000)  Duplication and Diversification of the Apolipoprotein CI (APOCI) Genomic Segment in Association with Retroelements. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 50: 391–396.

Gaudieri, S., R. L. Dawkins, K. Habara, J. K. Kulski and T. Gojobori.  (2000) SNP profile within the Human Major Histocompatibility Complex reveals an extreme and interrupted level of nucleotide diversity. Genome Research 10: 1579-1586.  (9910)

Gaudieri, S., R. L. Dawkins, K. Habara, J. K. Kulski and T. Gojobori. (2000) Nucleotide diversity within the human Major Histocompatibility Complex:  Function of hitch-hiking effect, duplications, indels and recombination, pp. 186-200 in The Major Histocompatibility Complex: Evolution, Structure, and Function, M. Kasahara (Ed).  Springer-Verlag, Tokyo. (0019)

Kulski, J. K., S. Gaudieri and R. L. Dawkins,  (2000) Transposable elements and the metamerismatic evolution of the HLA class I region, pp. 158-177 in The Major Histocompatibility Complex: Evolution, Structure, and Function, edited by M. Kasahara. Springer-Verlag, Tokyo. (9921)

Kulski, J. K., S. Gaudieri and R. L. Dawkins. (2000) Using Alu J Elements as Molecular Clocks to Trace the Evolutionary Relationships Between Duplicated HLA Class I Genomic Segments. Journal of Molecular Evolution 50: 510-519. (9916)

O'Huigin, C., Y. Satta, A. Hausmann, R. L. Dawkins and J. Klein. (2000)  The implications of intergenic polymorphism for major histocompatibility complex evolution. Genetics 156: 867-877. (9940)

Tay, G. K., J. Hui, S. Gaudieri, M. Schmitt-Egenolf, O. P. Martinez, C. Leelayuwat, J. F. Williamson, T. H. Eiermann & R. L. Dawkins, 2000. PERB11 (MIC): A polymorphic MHC gene is expressed in skin and single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with psoriasis. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 119: 553–558. (9645)

1999

Allcock, R. J., P. Price, S. Gaudieri, C. Leelayuwat, C. S. Witt & R. L. Dawkins.  (1999) Characterisation of the human central MHC gene, BAT1: genomic structure and expression. Experimental and Clinical Immunogenetics, 16: 98–106.  (9713)

Cattley, S.K., Longman, N., Dawkins, R.L., Gaudieri, S., Kulski, J.K., and Leelayuwat, C. (1999)  Phylogenetic analysis of Primate MIC (PERB11) sequences suggests that the representation of the gene family differs in different primates: Comparison of MIC (PERB11) and C4. European Journal of Immunogenetics 26: 233-238. (9825)

Dawkins R.L., Leelayuwat, C., Gaudieri, S., Tay, G.K., Hui, J., Cattley, S.K., Martinez, P. and Kulski, J. (1999) Genomics of the Major Histocompatibility Complex: Haplotypes, Duplication, Retroviruses and Disease.  Immunological Reviews 167:275-304.  (9801)

Gaudieri, S., Kulski, J.K., Dawkins, R.L. and Gojobori, H. (1999)  Different Evolutionary Histories in Two Subgenomic Regions of the Major Histocompatibility Complex. Extended serial duplications and extreme polymorphism in the central region of the MHC.  Genome Research 9:541-9 (9837)

Gaudieri, S., J. K. Kulski, R. L. Dawkins and T. Gojobori, (1999) Extensive nucleotide variability within a 370kb sequence from the central region of the Major Histocompatibility Complex. Gene 238: 157-161.  (9906)

Ketheesan, N., S. Gaudieri, C. S. Witt, G. K. Tay, D. C. Townend, F. T. Christiansen & R. L. Dawkins.  (1999) Reconstruction of the block matching profiles. Human Immunology, 60: 171–176.

Ketheesan, N., G. K. Tay, C. S. Witt, F. T. Christiansen, R. R. Taylorm, R. L. Dawkins  (1999) The Significance of HLA Matching in Cardiac Transplantation. The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 18: 226-230. (9640)

Kulski, J.K. and Dawkins, R.L. (1998) The P5 multicopy gene family in the MHC is related in sequence to human endogenous retroviruses HERV-L and HERV-16. Immunogenetics 49:404-412.  (9812)

Kulski, J. K., S. Gaudieri, H. Inoko and R. L. Dawkins (1999)  A comparison between two human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-rich regions within the Major Histocompatibility Complex. Journal of Molecular Evolution 48: 675-683. (9805)

Kulski, J.K., Gaudieri, S., Martin, A., and Dawkins, R.L. (1999)  Coevolution of PERB11 (MIC) and HLA Class I Genes With HERV-16 and Retroelements by Extended Genomic Duplication. Journal of Molecular Evolution 49(1)84-97.  (9827)

1998

Bellgard MI, Tay GK, Hiew HL, Witt CS, Ketheesan N, Christiansen FT, Dawkins RL (1998) MHC haplotype analysis by artificial neural networks. Human Immunology 59:56-62. (9657)

Chelvanayagam G, Monaco A, Lalonde JP, Tay GK, Dawkins RL (1998) Homology models for the PERB11 multigene family. Folding & Design 3:27-37. (9711)

Freitas, E., Zhang, W., Lalonde, J., Tay, G., Gaudieri, S., Ashworth, L., van Bockxmeer, F., and Dawkins, R. (1998)  Sequencing of 42kb of the APO-C2 gene cluster reveals a new gene: PEREC1. DNA Sequence – The Journal of Sequencing and Mapping 92: 89-101. (9709)

1997

Gaudieri S., Giles K.M., Kulski J.K., Dawkins R.L. (1997) Duplication and polymorphism in the MHC: Alu generated diversity and polymorphism within the PERB11 gene family. Hereditas 127:37-46.  (9722)

Gaudieri, S., Leelayuwat, C., Tay, G.K., Townend, D.C., Kulski, J.K., and Dawkins, R.L. (1997) Genomic characterisation of a 250kb region between HLA-B and TNF implications in the evolution of multicopy gene families. Journal of Molecular Evolution 44 (suppl 1):147-154. (9627/9631)

Gaudieri S, Leelayuwat C, Townend DC, Mullberg J, Cosman D, Dawkins RL (1997) Allelic and interlocus comparison of the PERB11 multigene family in the MHC. Immunogenetics 45:209-16. (9616)

Grosse-Wilde, H., Ketheesan, N., Christiansen, F., Ottinger, H., Ferencik, S., Tay, G., Witt, C., Teisserenc, H., Giphart, M., Freitas, E., Charron, D., and Dawkins, R. (1997)  The genomic matching technique (GMT).  A new tool for selecting unrelated marrow donors. HLA.  Genetic diversity of HLA. Functional and Medical Implications. Charron, D.Anonymous Paris:EDK Publishers. 2:589-59. (9699)

Kulski JK, Gaudieri S, Bellgard M, Balmer L, Giles K, Inoko H, Dawkins RL (1997) The evolution of MHC diversity by segmental duplication and transposition of retroelements [published erratum appears in Journal of Molecular Evolution 1998 Jun;46(6):734]. Journal of Molecular Evolution 45:599-609.  (9703)

Tay GK, Leelayuwat C, Chorney MJ, Cattley SK, Hollingsworth PN, Witt CS, Daly LN, et al (1997) The MHC contains multiple genes potentially relevant to hemochromatosis [editorial]. Immunogenetics 45:336-40. (9635)

1996

Gaudieri, S., Kulski, J.K., Dawkins, R.L. (1996)  MHC and disease associations in nonhuman primates. Molecular Biology and Evolution of Blood Group and MHC Antigens in Primates (Springer-Verlag) Heidelberg.  (9507)

Gaudieri, S., Kulski, J.K., Dawkins, R.L. (1996)  The central region of the Major Histocompatibility Complex contains a motif of amino acid sequence with homology for the pol gene of Moloney retroviruses. Immunogenetics 44:157-158. (9529)

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