Major histocompatibility complex class II compatibility, but not class I, predicts mate choice in a bird with highly developed olfaction.
Strandh, Maria; Westerdahl, Helena; Pontarp, Mikael; Canbäck, Björn, et al. (2012). Major histocompatibility complex class II compatibility, but not class I, predicts mate choice in a bird with highly developed olfaction.. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279, (1746), 4457 - 4463
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Published
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English
Authors:
Strandh, Maria
;
Westerdahl, Helena
;
Pontarp, Mikael
;
Canbäck, Björn
, et al.
Department:
MEMEG
Evolutionary ecology
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab
BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
Theoretical Population Ecology and Evolution Group
Research Group:
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab
Theoretical Population Ecology and Evolution Group
Abstract:
Mate choice for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) compatibility has been found in several taxa, although rarely in birds. MHC is a crucial component in adaptive immunity and by choosing an MHC-dissimilar partner, heterozygosity and potentially broad pathogen resistance is maximized in the offspring. The MHC genotype influences odour cues and preferences in mammals and fish and hence olfactory-based mate choice can occur. We tested whether blue petrels, Halobaena caerulea, choose partners based on MHC compatibility. This bird is long-lived, monogamous and can discriminate between individual odours using olfaction, which makes it exceptionally well suited for this analysis. We screened MHC class I and II B alleles in blue petrels using 454-pyrosequencing and quantified the phylogenetic, functional and allele-sharing similarity between individuals. Partners were functionally more dissimilar at the MHC class II B loci than expected from random mating (p = 0.033), whereas there was no such difference at the MHC class I loci. Phylogenetic and non-sequence-based MHC allele-sharing measures detected no MHC dissimilarity between partners for either MHC class I or II B. Our study provides evidence of mate choice for MHC compatibility in a bird with a high dependency on odour cues, suggesting that MHC odour-mediated mate choice occurs in birds.
Keywords:
major histocompatibility complex ;
MHC class I ;
MHC class II B ;
454-pyrosequencing ;
genetic compatibility
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