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Characterization of MHC-I in the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) reveals low levels of genetic diversity and trans-population evolution across European populations

Schut, Elske ; Rivero-de Aguilar, Juan ; Merino, Santiago ; Magrath, Michael J. L. ; Komdeur, Jan and Westerdahl, Helena LU (2011) In Immunogenetics 63(8). p.531-542
Abstract
The major histcompatibility complex (MHC) is a vital component of the adaptive immune system in all vertebrates. This study is the first to characterize MHC class I (MHC-I) in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), and we use MHC-I exon 3 sequence data from individuals originating from three locations across Europe: Spain, the Netherlands to Sweden. Our phylogeny of the 17 blue tit MHC-I alleles contains one allele cluster with low nucleotide diversity compared to the remaining more diverse alleles. We found a significant evidence for balancing selection in the peptide-binding region in the diverse allele group only. No separation according to geographic location was found in the phylogeny of alleles. Although the number of MHC-I loci of the... (More)
The major histcompatibility complex (MHC) is a vital component of the adaptive immune system in all vertebrates. This study is the first to characterize MHC class I (MHC-I) in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), and we use MHC-I exon 3 sequence data from individuals originating from three locations across Europe: Spain, the Netherlands to Sweden. Our phylogeny of the 17 blue tit MHC-I alleles contains one allele cluster with low nucleotide diversity compared to the remaining more diverse alleles. We found a significant evidence for balancing selection in the peptide-binding region in the diverse allele group only. No separation according to geographic location was found in the phylogeny of alleles. Although the number of MHC-I loci of the blue tit is comparable to that of other passerine species, the nucleotide diversity of MHC-I appears to be much lower than that of other passerine species, including the closely related great tit (Parus major) and the severely inbred Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We believe that this initial MHC-I characterization in blue tits provides an important step towards understanding the mechanisms shaping MHC-I diversity in natural populations. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
MHC class I, Antigen recognition site, Cloning and sequencing, Blue tit, (Cyanistes caeruleus, Parus caeruleus), Specific immune system
in
Immunogenetics
volume
63
issue
8
pages
531 - 542
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000292555400008
  • scopus:79961032489
  • pmid:21559782
ISSN
1432-1211
DOI
10.1007/s00251-011-0532-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1ccaecc4-173a-4101-88e8-11a620ab6870 (old id 2029016)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:21:47
date last changed
2022-03-29 20:35:16
@article{1ccaecc4-173a-4101-88e8-11a620ab6870,
  abstract     = {{The major histcompatibility complex (MHC) is a vital component of the adaptive immune system in all vertebrates. This study is the first to characterize MHC class I (MHC-I) in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), and we use MHC-I exon 3 sequence data from individuals originating from three locations across Europe: Spain, the Netherlands to Sweden. Our phylogeny of the 17 blue tit MHC-I alleles contains one allele cluster with low nucleotide diversity compared to the remaining more diverse alleles. We found a significant evidence for balancing selection in the peptide-binding region in the diverse allele group only. No separation according to geographic location was found in the phylogeny of alleles. Although the number of MHC-I loci of the blue tit is comparable to that of other passerine species, the nucleotide diversity of MHC-I appears to be much lower than that of other passerine species, including the closely related great tit (Parus major) and the severely inbred Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We believe that this initial MHC-I characterization in blue tits provides an important step towards understanding the mechanisms shaping MHC-I diversity in natural populations.}},
  author       = {{Schut, Elske and Rivero-de Aguilar, Juan and Merino, Santiago and Magrath, Michael J. L. and Komdeur, Jan and Westerdahl, Helena}},
  issn         = {{1432-1211}},
  keywords     = {{MHC class I; Antigen recognition site; Cloning and sequencing; Blue tit; (Cyanistes caeruleus; Parus caeruleus); Specific immune system}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{531--542}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Immunogenetics}},
  title        = {{Characterization of MHC-I in the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) reveals low levels of genetic diversity and trans-population evolution across European populations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00251-011-0532-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00251-011-0532-x}},
  volume       = {{63}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}