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Polymorphisms at the innate immune receptor TLR2 are associated with Borrelia infection in a wild rodent population

Tschirren, Barbara LU ; Andersson, Martin LU ; Scherman, Kristin LU ; Westerdahl, Helena LU ; Mittl, Peer R. E. and Råberg, Lars LU (2013) In Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences 280(1759).
Abstract
The discovery of the key role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in initiating innate immune responses and modulating adaptive immunity has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate defence against pathogens. Yet, despite their central role in pathogen recognition and defence initiation, there is little information on how variation in TLRs influences disease susceptibility in natural populations. Here, we assessed the extent of naturally occurring polymorphisms at TLR2 in wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and tested for associations between TLR2 variants and infection with Borrelia afzelii, a common tick-transmitted pathogen in rodents and one of the causative agents of human Lyme disease. Bank voles in our population had 15 different... (More)
The discovery of the key role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in initiating innate immune responses and modulating adaptive immunity has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate defence against pathogens. Yet, despite their central role in pathogen recognition and defence initiation, there is little information on how variation in TLRs influences disease susceptibility in natural populations. Here, we assessed the extent of naturally occurring polymorphisms at TLR2 in wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and tested for associations between TLR2 variants and infection with Borrelia afzelii, a common tick-transmitted pathogen in rodents and one of the causative agents of human Lyme disease. Bank voles in our population had 15 different TLR2 haplotypes (10 different haplotypes at the amino acid level), which grouped in three well-separated clusters. In a large-scale capture-mark-recapture study, we show that voles carrying TLR2 haplotypes of one particular cluster (TLR2(c2)) were almost three times less likely to be Borrelia infected than animals carrying other haplotypes. Moreover, neutrality tests suggested that TLR2 has been under positive selection. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of an association between TLR polymorphism and parasitism in wildlife, and a striking example that genetic variation at innate immune receptors can have a large impact on host resistance. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
wildlife disease, host-parasite interactions, Borrelia, innate immune, defence, Toll-like receptors, disease resistance
in
Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences
volume
280
issue
1759
article number
20130364
publisher
Royal Society Publishing
external identifiers
  • wos:000317482100024
  • pmid:23554395
  • scopus:84878225297
ISSN
1471-2954
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2013.0364
project
Borrelia in rodents
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9f5e83bb-d6f8-4f47-b59a-a26ce1b770c4 (old id 3738889)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:58:02
date last changed
2024-05-09 00:44:25
@article{9f5e83bb-d6f8-4f47-b59a-a26ce1b770c4,
  abstract     = {{The discovery of the key role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in initiating innate immune responses and modulating adaptive immunity has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate defence against pathogens. Yet, despite their central role in pathogen recognition and defence initiation, there is little information on how variation in TLRs influences disease susceptibility in natural populations. Here, we assessed the extent of naturally occurring polymorphisms at TLR2 in wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and tested for associations between TLR2 variants and infection with Borrelia afzelii, a common tick-transmitted pathogen in rodents and one of the causative agents of human Lyme disease. Bank voles in our population had 15 different TLR2 haplotypes (10 different haplotypes at the amino acid level), which grouped in three well-separated clusters. In a large-scale capture-mark-recapture study, we show that voles carrying TLR2 haplotypes of one particular cluster (TLR2(c2)) were almost three times less likely to be Borrelia infected than animals carrying other haplotypes. Moreover, neutrality tests suggested that TLR2 has been under positive selection. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of an association between TLR polymorphism and parasitism in wildlife, and a striking example that genetic variation at innate immune receptors can have a large impact on host resistance.}},
  author       = {{Tschirren, Barbara and Andersson, Martin and Scherman, Kristin and Westerdahl, Helena and Mittl, Peer R. E. and Råberg, Lars}},
  issn         = {{1471-2954}},
  keywords     = {{wildlife disease; host-parasite interactions; Borrelia; innate immune; defence; Toll-like receptors; disease resistance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1759}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
  series       = {{Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences}},
  title        = {{Polymorphisms at the innate immune receptor TLR2 are associated with Borrelia infection in a wild rodent population}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0364}},
  doi          = {{10.1098/rspb.2013.0364}},
  volume       = {{280}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}