Heterozygote advantage at MHC DRB may influence response to infectious disease epizootics

Molecular Ecology
Amy J OsborneNeil J Gemmell

Abstract

The effect of MHC polymorphism on individual fitness variation in the wild remains equivocal; however, much evidence suggests that heterozygote advantage is a major determinant. To understand the contribution of MHC polymorphism to individual disease resistance or susceptibility in natural populations, we investigated two MHC class II B loci, DQB and DRB, in the New Zealand sea lion (NZSL, Phocarctos hookeri). The NZSL is a threatened species which is unusually susceptible to death by bacterial infection at an early age; it has suffered three bacterial induced epizootics resulting in high mortality levels of young pups since 1997. The MHC DQB and DRB haplotypes of dead NZSL pups with known cause of death (bacteria, enteritis or trauma) were sequenced and reconstructed, compared to pups that survived beyond 2 months of age, and distinct MHC DRB allele frequency and genotype differences were identified. Two findings were striking: (i) one DRB allele was present only in dead pups, and (ii) one heterozygous DRB genotype, common in live pups, was absent from dead pups. These results are consistent with some functional relationship with these variants and suggest heterozygote advantage is operating at DRB. We found no association bet...Continue Reading

References

Jul 25, 1991·Nucleic Acids Research·R H DonJ S Mattick
Feb 1, 1989·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·A L Hughes, M Nei
Feb 1, 1995·Immunological Reviews·W K Potts, P R Slev
May 9, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·S PatersonJ M Pemberton
Mar 12, 1999·Science·M CarringtonS J O'Brien
May 21, 1999·Molecular Biology and Evolution·A R HoelzelS J O'Brien
Feb 5, 2000·The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists·R DyallJ Nikolic-Zugić
Mar 20, 2001·American Journal of Human Genetics·M StephensP Donnelly
Sep 26, 2001·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·W AmosT Coulson
Aug 15, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Dustin J PennWayne K Potts
Mar 26, 2003·Infection and Immunity·Erin E McClellandWayne K Potts
Sep 25, 2003·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Daniel Garrigan, Philip W Hedrick
Nov 26, 2003·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·L Bernatchez, C Landry
Nov 26, 2003·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·K M WegnerM Kalbe
Jan 15, 2004·Immunogenetics·José A M BorghansRob J De Boer
Mar 3, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Andres AguilarRobert K Wayne
Apr 3, 2004·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Joachim KurtzManfred Milinski
Feb 11, 2005·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Götz Froeschke, Simone Sommer
Apr 6, 2005·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·J SchadS Sommer
Nov 17, 2006·Molecular Ecology·J M AparicioP J Cordero
Jan 6, 2007·PloS One·Neil J Gemmell, Jon Slate
Sep 20, 2007·Nature Immunology·Peter E Jensen
Jun 12, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Jukka KekäläinenJouni Taskinen
Jan 15, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Lewis G Spurgin, David S Richardson
Jul 14, 2010·Molecular Ecology·Kirsty WorleyDavid S Richardson
Dec 24, 2010·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Lluis Quintana-Murci, Luis B Barreiro
Aug 1, 1998·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·S V Edwards, P W Hedrick
Jan 1, 2010·Molecular Ecology Resources·A Coulon
Jan 1, 2008·Molecular Ecology Resources·François Rousset

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 11, 2015·Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology·Guang-Xin EXin Wu
Dec 20, 2019·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Daniel J BeckerRaina K Plowright
Aug 20, 2017·The Journal of Heredity·Alicia Abadía-CardosoJohn Carlos Garza
Mar 16, 2017·Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics = Zeitschrift Für Tierzüchtung Und Züchtungsbiologie·M KumpulainenJ Pohjoismäki

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.