Skip Navigation



MBE Advance Access published online on February 9, 2005
Molecular Biology and Evolution, doi:10.1093/molbev/msi112
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Supplementary Material
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
22/5/1254    most recent
msi112v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Götz, F.
Right arrow Articles by Simone, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Götz, F.
Right arrow Articles by Simone, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Accepted January 25, 2005

Research Article

MHC Class II DRB Variability and Parasite Load in the Striped Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) in the Southern Kalahari

Froeschke Götz 1 and Sommer Simone 1*

1 Dept. Animal Ecology & Conservation, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D - 20146 Hamburg, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sommer Simone, E-mail: Simone.Sommer{at}zoologie.uni-hamburg.de


  Abstract

MHC variability is believed to be maintained by pathogen-driven selection, mediated either through heterozygous advantage or frequency dependent selection. However, empirical support for these hypotheses under natural conditions is rare. In this study, we investigated the genetic constitution of the functional important MHC class II gene (DRB exon 2) and the parasite load in a population of the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) in the Southern Kalahari. 58 individuals were genetically examined and the endoparasite load was quantified by counting fecal helminth eggs by using a modified McMaster technique. 34 animals (58.6%) were infected. We identified 20 different MHC-alleles with high levels of sequence divergence between alleles. Particularly the antigen binding sites revealed a significant higher rate of non-synonymous substitutions (dN) than synonymous substitutions (dS) giving strong evidence of balancing selection. Heterozygosity did influence the infection status (being infected or not) and the individual fecal egg count (FEC) value with significantly higher values observed in homozygous individuals. Furthermore, a positive relationship was found between specific alleles and parasite load. The allele Rhpu-DRB*1 significantly occurred more frequently in infected individuals and in individuals with high FEC values (high parasite load). Individuals with the allele Rhpu-DRB*1 had a 1.5-fold higher chance of being infected than individuals without this allele (odds ratio test, p< 0.05). In contrary, the allele Rhpu-DRB*8 significantly occurred more frequent in individuals with low FEC values. Our results support the hypotheses that MHC polymorphism in R. pumilio is maintained through pathogen-driven selection acting by both heterozygosity advantage and frequency-dependent selection.

Keywords: Major histocompatibility complex; helminth parasite load; pathogen-driven selection; Rhabdomys pumilio; South Africa.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
J. Kekalainen, J. A. Vallunen, C. R. Primmer, J. Rattya, and J. Taskinen
Signals of major histocompatibility complex overdominance in a wild salmonid population
Proc R Soc B, September 7, 2009; 276(1670): 3133 - 3140.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
M.K Oliver, S Telfer, and S.B Piertney
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) heterozygote superiority to natural multi-parasite infections in the water vole (Arvicola terrestris)
Proc R Soc B, March 22, 2009; 276(1659): 1119 - 1128.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
R. J. Stoffels and H. G. Spencer
An Asymmetric Model of Heterozygote Advantage at Major Histocompatibility Complex Genes: Degenerate Pathogen Recognition and Intersection Advantage
Genetics, March 1, 2008; 178(3): 1473 - 1489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.