Nomenclature report on the major histocompatibility complex genes and alleles of the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus)

The laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus) has a long tradition as experimental animal in transplantation and autoimmunity research and, hence, there has been an inherent interest in its major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the RT1 complex. Available inbred rat strains and their derived RT1-congenic and intra-RT1 recombinant congenic strains were crucial for definition and characterization of RT1 genes and alleles and essentially advanced elucidation of the RT1 genomic organization in the past. The Immuno Polymorphism Database (IPD) harbors a section for rat MHC genes and alleles (IPD-MHC RT1) since 2005. The curator for IPD-MHC RT1 provides official designations for newly described genes and alleles of RT1. This is the first nomenclature report of RT1 genes and alleles that are currently included in IPD-MHC RT1.