101
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Saxena S, Mishra G. Inbreeding avoidance in aphidophagous ladybird beetles: a case study inMenochilussexmaculatus. CAN J ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Relatedness among mates affects reproductive performance in insects. Previous studies indicate that laboratory rearing of a closed population leads to a decline in fitness owing to inbreeding depression. Although females possess the ability to discriminate against unsuitable males, it is not clear whether they have the ability to bias paternity against related males. We investigated whether the zig-zag ladybird beetle (Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781)) (Coleoptera Coccinellidae) has evolved mechanisms to avoid inbreeding. We performed mating disruption experiments among two lines of inbred and outbred individuals and assessed whether mating behaviour (including mating duration and mate guarding) and reproductive performance were affected. Results indicate that females delay the onset of copula when paired with inbred individuals. Decreased fecundity and percent egg viability following mating with inbred mate is indicative of cost of inbreeding. As trends of spermatophore transfer are similar in inbred and outbred pairs, we assume that females modify their reproductive performance when mated with inbred males. Thus, our study reveals that mating with relatives is likely avoided by females, thus preventing inbreeding depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Saxena
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
| | - Geetanjali Mishra
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
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102
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Demay SM, Becker PA, Waits LP, Johnson TR, Rachlow JL. Consequences for conservation: population density and genetic effects on reproduction of an endangered lagomorph. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:784-795. [PMID: 27411250 DOI: 10.1890/15-0931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding reproduction and mating systems is important for managers tasked with conserving vulnerable species. Genetic tools allow biologists to investigate reproduction and mating systems with high resolution and are particularly useful for species that are otherwise difficult to study in their natural environments. We conducted parentage analyses using 19 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci to assess the influence of population density, genetic diversity, and ancestry on reproduction, and to examine the mating system of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) bred in large naturalized enclosures for the reintroduction and recovery of the endangered distinct population in central Washington, USA. Reproductive output for females and males decreased as population density and individual homozygosity increased. We identified an interaction indicating that male reproductive output decreased as genetic diversity declined at high population densities, but there was no effect at low densities. Males with high amounts (> 50%) of Washington ancestry had higher reproductive output than the other ancestry groups, while reproductive output was decreased for males with high northern Utah/Wyoming ancestry and females with high Oregon/Nevada ancestry. Females and males bred with an average of 3.8 and 3.6 mates per year, respectively, and we found no evidence of positive or negative assortative mating with regards to ancestry. Multiple paternity was confirmed in 81% of litters, and we report the first documented cases of juvenile breeding by pygmy rabbits. This study demonstrates how variation in population density, genetic diversity, and ancestry impact fitness for an endangered species being bred for conservation. Our results advance understanding of basic life history characteristics for a cryptic species that is difficult to study in the wild and provide lessons for managing populations of vulnerable species in captive and free-ranging populations.
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103
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Burger D, Dolivo G, Marti E, Sieme H, Wedekind C. Female major histocompatibility complex type affects male testosterone levels and sperm number in the horse (Equus caballus). Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150407. [PMID: 25904670 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Odours of vertebrates often contain information about the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and are used in kin recognition, mate choice or female investment in pregnancy. It is, however, still unclear whether MHC-linked signals can also affect male reproductive strategies. We used horses (Equus caballus) to study this question under experimental conditions. Twelve stallions were individually exposed either to an unfamiliar MHC-similar mare and then to an unfamiliar MHC-dissimilar mare, or vice versa. Each exposure lasted over a period of four weeks. Peripheral blood testosterone levels were determined weekly. Three ejaculates each were collected in the week after exposure to both mares (i.e. in the ninth week) to determine mean sperm number and sperm velocity. We found high testosterone levels when stallions were kept close to MHC-dissimilar mares and significantly lower ones when kept close to MHC-similar mares. Mean sperm number per ejaculate (but not sperm velocity) was positively correlated to mean testosterone levels and also affected by the order of presentation of mares: sperm numbers were higher if MHC-dissimilar mares were presented last than if MHC-similar mares were presented last. We conclude that MHC-linked signals influence testosterone secretion and semen characteristics, two indicators of male reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Agroscope and University of Berne, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - G Dolivo
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Agroscope and University of Berne, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - E Marti
- Department of Clinical Research, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
| | - H Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine-Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - C Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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104
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Lehnert SJ, Pitcher TE, Devlin RH, Heath DD. Red and white Chinook salmon: genetic divergence and mate choice. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1259-74. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Lehnert
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Trevor E. Pitcher
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Robert H. Devlin
- Center for Aquaculture and Environmental Research, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; 4160 Marine Drive West Vancouver BC V7V 1N6 Canada
| | - Daniel D. Heath
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
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105
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Seifertová M, Jarkovský J, Šimková A. Does the parasite-mediated selection drive the MHC class IIB diversity in wild populations of European chub (Squalius cephalus)? Parasitol Res 2015; 115:1401-15. [PMID: 26693717 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4874-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The genes of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) provide an excellent opportunity to study host-parasite relationships because they are expected to evolve in response to parasites and variation in parasite communities. In this study, we investigated the potential role of parasite-mediated selection acting on MHC class IIB (DAB) genes in European chub (Squalius cephalus) natural populations. We found significant differences between populations in metazoan parasites, neutral and adaptive genetic diversities. The analyses based on pairwise data revealed that populations with dissimilar MHC allelic profiles were geographically distant populations with significantly different diversity in microsatellites and a dissimilar composition of parasite communities. The results from the generalized estimating equations method (GEE) on the level of individuals revealed that metazoan parasite load in European chub was influenced by the diversity of DAB alleles as well as by the diversity of neutral genetic markers and host traits reflecting condition and immunocompetence. The multivariate co-inertia analysis showed specific associations between DAB alleles and parasite species. DAB1-like alleles were more involved in associations with ectoparasites, while DAB3-like alleles were positively associated with endoparasites which could suggest potential differences between DAB genes caused by different selection pressure. Our study revealed that parasite-mediated selection is not the only variable affecting MHC diversity in European chub; however, we strongly support the role of neutral processes as the main driver of DAB diversity across populations. In addition, our study contributes to the understanding of the evolution of MHC genes in wild living fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Seifertová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Jarkovský
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 126/3, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Šimková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
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106
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Galaverni M, Caniglia R, Milanesi P, Lapalombella S, Fabbri E, Randi E. Choosy Wolves? Heterozygote Advantage But No Evidence of MHC-Based Disassortative Mating. J Hered 2015; 107:134-42. [PMID: 26610365 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esv090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of nonrandom mate choice strategies, including disassortative mating, are used by vertebrate species to avoid inbreeding, maintain heterozygosity and increase fitness. Disassortative mating may be mediated by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), an important gene cluster controlling immune responses to pathogens. We investigated the patterns of mate choice in 26 wild-living breeding pairs of gray wolf (Canis lupus) that were identified through noninvasive genetic methods and genotyped at 3 MHC class II and 12 autosomal microsatellite (STR) loci. We tested for deviations from random mating and evaluated the covariance of genetic variables at functional and STR markers with fitness proxies deduced from pedigree reconstructions. Results did not show evidences of MHC-based disassortative mating. Rather we found a higher peptide similarity between mates at MHC loci as compared with random expectations. Fitness values were positively correlated with heterozygosity of the breeders at both MHC and STR loci, whereas they decreased with relatedness at STRs. These findings may indicate fitness advantages for breeders that, while avoiding highly related mates, are more similar at the MHC and have high levels of heterozygosity overall. Such a pattern of MHC-assortative mating may reflect local coadaptation of the breeders, while a reduction in genetic diversity may be balanced by heterozygote advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Galaverni
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi).
| | - Romolo Caniglia
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi)
| | - Pietro Milanesi
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi)
| | - Silvana Lapalombella
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi)
| | - Elena Fabbri
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi)
| | - Ettore Randi
- From the Laboratorio di genetica, ISPRA, via Cà Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (Bologna), Italy (Galaverni, Caniglia, Milanesi, Fabbri, and Randi); Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy (Lapalombella); and Department 18/Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark (Randi)
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107
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Arbuthnott D, Crespi BJ, Schwander T. Female Stick Insects Mate Multiply to Find Compatible Mates. Am Nat 2015; 186:519-30. [DOI: 10.1086/682675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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108
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Wright DJ, Brouwer L, Mannarelli ME, Burke T, Komdeur J, Richardson DS. Social pairing of Seychelles warblers under reduced constraints: MHC, neutral heterozygosity, and age. Behav Ecol 2015; 27:295-303. [PMID: 26792973 PMCID: PMC4718175 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and significance of precopulatory mate choice remains keenly debated. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a key role in vertebrate adaptive immunity, and variation at the MHC influences individual survival. Although MHC-dependent mate choice has been documented in certain species, many other studies find no such pattern. This may be, at least in part, because in natural systems constraints may reduce the choices available to individuals and prevent full expression of underlying preferences. We used translocations to previously unoccupied islands to experimentally reduce constraints on female social mate choice in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), a species in which patterns of MHC-dependent extrapair paternity (EPP), but not social mate choice, have been observed. We find no evidence of MHC-dependent social mate choice in the new populations. Instead, we find that older males and males with more microsatellite heterozygosity are more likely to have successfully paired. Our data cannot resolve whether these patterns in pairing were due to male-male competition or female choice. However, our research does suggest that female Seychelles warblers do not choose social mates using MHC class I to increase fitness. It may also indicate that the MHC-dependent EPP observed in the source population is probably due to mechanisms other than female precopulatory mate choice based on MHC cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK,; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Lyanne Brouwer
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University , Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200 , Australia
| | - Maria-Elena Mannarelli
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN , UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-organization Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen , PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen , The Netherlands , and
| | - David S Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, UK,; Nature Seychelles, Centre for Environment and Education, The Sanctuary, PO Box 1310, Roche Caiman, Victoria, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
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109
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Lahvis GP, Panksepp JB, Kennedy BC, Wilson CR, Merriman DK. Social conditioned place preference in the captive ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus): Social reward as a natural phenotype. J Comp Psychol 2015; 129:291-303. [PMID: 26147706 PMCID: PMC4621271 DOI: 10.1037/a0039435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Social behaviors of wild animals are often considered within an ultimate framework of adaptive benefits versus survival risks. By contrast, studies of laboratory animals more typically focus on affective aspects of behavioral decisions, whether a rodent derives a rewarding experience from social encounter, and how this experience might be initiated and maintained by neural circuits. Artificial selection and inbreeding have rendered laboratory animals more affiliative and less aggressive than their wild conspecifics, leaving open the possibility that social reward is an artifact of domestication. We compared social behaviors of wild and captive population of juvenile 13-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), the latter being 2nd- and 3rd-generation descendants of wild individuals. At an age corresponding to emergence from the burrow, postnatal day (PD) 38, captive squirrels engaged in vigorous social approach and play and these juvenile behaviors declined significantly by PD 56. Similarly, young wild squirrels expressed social proximity and play; affiliative interactions declined with summer's progression and were replaced by agonistic chasing behaviors. Social conditioned place preference testing (conditioned PDs 40-50) indicated that adolescent squirrels derived a rewarding experience from social reunion. Our results support the contention that undomesticated rodents have the capacity for social reward and more generally suggest the possibility that positive affective experiences may support group cohesion, social cooperation, and altruism in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garet P. Lahvis
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University,
Portland, Oregon
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jules B. Panksepp
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University,
Portland, Oregon
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wisconsin
| | - Bruce C. Kennedy
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University,
Portland, Oregon
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Dana K. Merriman
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh,
Wisconsin
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110
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Yang B, Ren B, Xiang Z, Yang J, Yao H, Garber PA, Li M. Major histocompatibility complex and mate choice in the polygynous primate: the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Integr Zool 2015; 9:598-612. [PMID: 24382257 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The highly polymorphic genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) not only play a major role in immunity resistance, but also seem to provide hints for mate choice in some animal populations. In the present study we investigated MHC-related mate choice in a small natural population (group size 40-55 individuals) of a polygynous primate, the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana). We found that there was no evidence either for MHC-disassortative mating, or for females to mate with males based on MHC heterozygosity or specific alleles. Nevertheless, of the 11 alleles identified, we found that the frequencies of 2 alleles, Rhro-DRB2 (P < 0.01) and Rhro-DRB5 (P < 0.05) were higher in offspring than in their parents. These findings suggest that MHC-DRB in this population of R. roxellana is unlikely to be associated with mating preferences. Limited female opportunities for mate choice are likely due, in part, to the harem breeding structure present in R. roxellana, and the relatively small number of resident adult males in our study band (N = 4-6). In addition, we suggest that differences in the frequency of particular alleles across generations may be linked to parasite resistance in a fluctuating environment; however, confirmation of this finding requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banghe Yang
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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111
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112
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Thoß M, Luzynski KC, Ante M, Miller I, Penn DJ. Major urinary protein (MUP) profiles show dynamic changes rather than individual 'barcode' signatures. Front Ecol Evol 2015; 3. [PMID: 26973837 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
House mice (Mus musculus) produce a variable number of major urinary proteins (MUPs), and studies suggest that each individual produces a unique MUP profile that provides a distinctive odor signature controlling individual and kin recognition. This 'barcode hypothesis' requires that MUP urinary profiles show high individual variability within populations and also high individual consistency over time, but tests of these assumptions are lacking. We analyzed urinary MUP profiles of 66 wild-caught house mice from eight populations using isoelectric focusing. We found that MUP profiles of wild male house mice are not individually unique, and though they were highly variable, closer inspection revealed that the variation strongly depended on MUP band type. The prominent ('major) bands were surprisingly homogenous (and hence most MUPs are not polymorphic), but we also found inconspicuous ('minor') bands that were highly variable and therefore potential candidates for individual fingerprints. We also examined changes in urinary MUP profiles of 58 males over time (from 6 to 24 weeks of age), and found that individual MUP profiles and MUP concentration were surprisingly dynamic, and showed significant changes after puberty and during adulthood. Contrary to what we expected, however, the minor bands were the most variable over time, thus no good candidates for individual fingerprints. Although MUP profiles do not provide individual fingerprints, we found that MUP profiles were more similar among siblings than non-kin despite considerable fluctuation. Our findings show that MUP profiles are not highly stable over time, they do not show strong individual clustering, and thus challenge the barcode hypothesis. Within-individual dynamics of MUP profiles indicate a different function of MUPs in individual recognition than previously assumed and advocate an alternative hypothesis ('dynamic changes' hypothesis).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Thoß
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - K C Luzynski
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Ante
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - I Miller
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - D J Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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113
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Sin YW, Annavi G, Newman C, Buesching C, Burke T, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. MHC class II-assortative mate choice in European badgers (Meles meles). Mol Ecol 2015; 24:3138-50. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Museum of Comparative Zoology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Geetha Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Biology Department; Faculty of Science; Universiti Putra Malaysia; 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Christina Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 9700CC Groningen the Netherlands
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114
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Trans-Species Polymorphism in Immune Genes: General Pattern or MHC-Restricted Phenomenon? J Immunol Res 2015; 2015:838035. [PMID: 26090501 PMCID: PMC4458282 DOI: 10.1155/2015/838035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunity exhibits extraordinarily high levels of variation. Evolution of the immune system in response to host-pathogen interactions in particular ecological contexts appears to be frequently associated with diversifying selection increasing the genetic variability. Many studies have documented that immunologically relevant polymorphism observed today may be tens of millions years old and may predate the emergence of present species. This pattern can be explained by the concept of trans-species polymorphism (TSP) predicting the maintenance and sharing of favourable functionally important alleles of immune-related genes between species due to ongoing balancing selection. Despite the generality of this concept explaining the long-lasting adaptive variation inherited from ancestors, current research in TSP has vastly focused only on major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In this review we summarise the evidence available on TSP in human and animal immune genes to reveal that TSP is not a MHC-specific evolutionary pattern. Further research should clearly pay more attention to the investigation of TSP in innate immune genes and especially pattern recognition receptors which are promising candidates for this type of evolution. More effort should also be made to distinguish TSP from convergent evolution and adaptive introgression. Identification of balanced TSP variants may represent an accurate approach in evolutionary medicine to recognise disease-resistance alleles.
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115
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Owen M, Lahti D. Sexual dimorphism and condition dependence in the anal pad of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Secondary sexual traits tend to be sexually dimorphic, and theory predicts that such traits should also be condition-dependent in a sex-specific manner. We investigate these phenomena in a field study of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson, 1836); formerly Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hillaire, 1818)), in the first attempt at understanding secondary sexual traits and sexual selection in this species. Small Indian mongooses are solitary and nonterritorial, and they likely depend on chemical (scent) rather than visual or acoustic signals for communication. Additionally, they possess a fleshy projection around their anus, the anal pad, thought to aid in scent-marking. Our results revealed strong male-biased sexual dimorphism in mass, skull and body lengths, canine diameters, and anal pad area. After controlling for the influence of body length, males were 31% heavier and possessed anal pads that were 68% larger than females’. Additionally, anal pad size was positively related to body size in males but not in females and was condition-dependent in males but not in females. Taken together, our findings provide indirect evidence that the anal pad might have evolved, at least in part, via sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.A. Owen
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - D.C. Lahti
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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116
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Fernández-Grandon GM, Gezan SA, Armour JAL, Pickett JA, Logan JG. Heritability of attractiveness to mosquitoes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122716. [PMID: 25901606 PMCID: PMC4406498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Female mosquitoes display preferences for certain individuals over others, which is determined by differences in volatile chemicals produced by the human body and detected by mosquitoes. Body odour can be controlled genetically but the existence of a genetic basis for differential attraction to insects has never been formally demonstrated. This study investigated heritability of attractiveness to mosquitoes by evaluating the response of Aedes aegypti (=Stegomyia aegypti) mosquitoes to odours from the hands of identical and non-identical twins in a dual-choice assay. Volatiles from individuals in an identical twin pair showed a high correlation in attractiveness to mosquitoes, while non-identical twin pairs showed a significantly lower correlation. Overall, there was a strong narrow-sense heritability of 0.62 (SE 0.124) for relative attraction and 0.67 (0.354) for flight activity based on the average of ten measurements. The results demonstrate an underlying genetic component detectable by mosquitoes through olfaction. Understanding the genetic basis for attractiveness could create a more informed approach to repellent development. A twin study finds that there is a correlation in our attractiveness to mosquitoes by odour and our genetics, providing evidence that the likelihood of getting bitten is heritable.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Mandela Fernández-Grandon
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom
| | - Salvador A Gezan
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States of America
| | - John A L Armour
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - John A Pickett
- Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
| | - James G Logan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom
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117
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Bichet C, Moodley Y, Penn DJ, Sorci G, Garnier S. Genetic structure in insular and mainland populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and their hemosporidian parasites. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1639-52. [PMID: 25937907 PMCID: PMC4409412 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Small and isolated populations usually exhibit low levels of genetic variability, and thus, they are expected to have a lower capacity to adapt to changes in environmental conditions, such as exposure to pathogens and parasites. Comparing the genetic variability of selectively neutral versus functional loci allows one to assess the evolutionary history of populations and their future evolutionary potential. The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) control immune recognition of parasites, and their unusually high diversity is genes which is likely driven by parasite-mediated balancing selection. Here, we examined diversity and differentiation of neutral microsatellite loci and functional MHC class I genes in house sparrows (Passer domesticus), living in six insular and six mainland populations, and we aimed to determine whether their diversity or differentiation correlates with the diversity and the prevalence of infection of hemosporidian parasites. We found that island bird populations tended to have lower neutral genetic variability, whereas MHC variability gene was similar between island and mainland populations. Similarly, island populations tended to show greater genetic differentiation than mainland populations, especially at microsatellite markers. The maintenance of MHC genetic diversity and its less marked structure in the island populations could be attributed to balancing-selection. The greater MHC differentiation among populations was negatively correlated with similarity in blood parasites (prevalence and diversity of parasite strains) between populations. Even at low prevalence and small geographical scale, haemosporidian parasites might contribute to structure the variability of immune genes among populations of hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coraline Bichet
- Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France ; Laboratoire LBBE, UMR CNRS 5558, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 bâtiment Mendel, 43 boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa ; Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinarian Medicine Vienna Savoyenstr. 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dustin J Penn
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinarian Medicine Vienna Savoyenstr. 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Sorci
- Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Stéphane Garnier
- Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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119
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Sepil I, Radersma R, Santure AW, De Cauwer I, Slate J, Sheldon BC. No evidence for MHC class I-based disassortative mating in a wild population of great tits. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:642-54. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Sepil
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - R. Radersma
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - A. W. Santure
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - I. De Cauwer
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populations Végétales; UMR CNRS 8198; Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille-Lille 1; Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex France
| | - J. Slate
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - B. C. Sheldon
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
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120
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Drea CM. D'scent of man: a comparative survey of primate chemosignaling in relation to sex. Horm Behav 2015; 68:117-33. [PMID: 25118943 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue (Chemosignals and Reproduction). As highly visual animals, primates, in general, and Old World species (including humans), in particular, are not immediately recognized for reliance in their daily interactions on olfactory communication. Nevertheless, views on primate olfactory acuity and the pervasiveness of their scent signaling are changing, with increased appreciation for the important role of body odors in primate social and sexual behavior. All major taxonomic groups, from lemurs to humans, are endowed with scent-producing organs, and either deposit or exude a wealth of volatile compounds, many of which are known semiochemicals. This review takes a comparative perspective to illustrate the reproductive context of primate signaling, the relevant information content of their signals, the sexually differentiated investigative responses generated, and the behavioral or physiological consequences of message transmission to both signaler and receiver. Throughout, humans are placed alongside their relatives to illustrate the evolutionary continuum in the sexual selection of primate chemosignals. This ever-growing body of evidence points to a critical role of scent in guiding the social behavior and reproductive function throughout the primate order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA.
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121
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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122
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Lübke KT, Pause BM. Always follow your nose: the functional significance of social chemosignals in human reproduction and survival. Horm Behav 2015; 68:134-44. [PMID: 25637403 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction" Across phyla, chemosensory communication is crucial for mediating a variety of social behaviors, which form the basis for ontogenetic and phylogenetic survival. In the present paper, evidence on chemosensory communication in humans, with special reference to reproduction and survival, will be presented. First, the impact of chemosignals on human reproduction will be reviewed. Work will be presented, showing how chemosensory signals are involved in mate choice and partnership formation by communicating attractiveness and facilitating a partner selection, which is of evolutionary advantage, and furthermore providing information about the level of sexual hormones. In addition to direct effects on phylogenetic survival, chemosignals indirectly aid reproductive success by fostering harm protection. Results will be presented, showing that chemosensory communication aids the emotional bond between mother and child, which in turn motivates parental caretaking and protection, leading to infant survival. Moreover, the likelihood of group survival can be increased through the use of stress-related chemosignals. Stress-related chemosignals induce a stress-related physiology in the perceiver, thereby priming a fight-flight-response, which is necessary for an optimum adaption to environmental harm. Finally, effects of sexual orientation on chemosensory communication will be discussed in terms of their putative role in stabilizing social groups, which might indirectly provide harm protection and foster survival. An integrative model of the presented data will be introduced. In conclusion, an outlook, focusing on the involvement of chemosensory communication in human social behavior and illustrating a novel approach to the significance of chemosensory signals in human survival, will be given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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123
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Lankinen Å, Karlsson Green K. Using theories of sexual selection and sexual conflict to improve our understanding of plant ecology and evolution. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv008. [PMID: 25613227 PMCID: PMC4344479 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Today it is accepted that the theories of sexual selection and sexual conflict are general and can be applied to both animals and plants. However, potentially due to a controversial history, plant studies investigating sexual selection and sexual conflict are relatively rare. Moreover, these theories and concepts are seldom implemented in research fields investigating related aspects of plant ecology and evolution. Even though these theories are complex, and can be difficult to study, we suggest that several fields in plant biology would benefit from incorporating and testing the impact of selection pressures generated by sexual selection and sexual conflict. Here we give examples of three fields where we believe such incorporation would be particularly fruitful, including (i) mechanisms of pollen-pistil interactions, (ii) mating-system evolution in hermaphrodites and (iii) plant immune responses to pests and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Åsa Lankinen
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Plant Protection Biology, PO Box 102, S-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Kristina Karlsson Green
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Plant Protection Biology, PO Box 102, S-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
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124
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Jan Ejsmond M, Radwan J, Wilson AB. Sexual selection and the evolutionary dynamics of the major histocompatibility complex. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20141662. [PMID: 25339723 PMCID: PMC4213641 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are a key component of the adaptive immune system and among the most variable loci in the vertebrate genome. Pathogen-mediated natural selection and MHC-based disassortative mating are both thought to structure MHC polymorphism, but their effects have proven difficult to discriminate in natural systems. Using the first model of MHC dynamics incorporating both survival and reproduction, we demonstrate that natural and sexual selection produce distinctive signatures of MHC allelic diversity with critical implications for understanding host-pathogen dynamics. While natural selection produces the Red Queen dynamics characteristic of host-parasite interactions, disassortative mating stabilizes allele frequencies, damping major fluctuations in dominant alleles and protecting functional variants against drift. This subtle difference generates a complex interaction between MHC allelic diversity and population size. In small populations, the stabilizing effects of sexual selection moderate the effects of drift, whereas pathogen-mediated selection accelerates the loss of functionally important genetic diversity. Natural selection enhances MHC allelic variation in larger populations, with the highest levels of diversity generated by the combined action of pathogen-mediated selection and disassortative mating. MHC-based sexual selection may help to explain how functionally important genetic variation can be maintained in populations of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Jan Ejsmond
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Box 156, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Jacek Radwan
- Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
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125
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Sommer S, Rakotondranary SJ, Ganzhorn JU. Maintaining microendemic primate species along an environmental gradient - parasites as drivers for species differentiation. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:4751-65. [PMID: 25558366 PMCID: PMC4278824 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of species adaptations to changing environments on the one hand and the limits for hybridization on the other hand is among the hottest questions in evolutionary biology. Parasites represent one of the major selective forces driving host evolution and at least those with free-living stages are at the same time dependent on the ecological conditions of their host's habitat. Local immunological adaptations of host species to varying parasite pressure are therefore expected and might represent the genetic basis for ecological speciation and the maintenance of recently diverged species. Madagascar provides one of the rare examples where two partially sympatric primate species (Microcebus griseorufus, M. murinus) and their hybrids, as well as an allopatric species (M. cf rufus) live in close proximity along a very steep environmental gradient ranging from southern dry spiny bush to gallery forest to evergreen eastern humid rain forest, thus mimicking the situation encountered during extensions and retreats of vegetation formations under changing climatic conditions. This system was used to study parasite infection and immune gene (MHC) adaptations to varying parasite pressure that might provide selective advantages to pure species over hybrids. Parasite burdens increased with increasing humidity. M. griseorufus, M. murinus, and their hybrids but not M. rufus shared the same MHC alleles, indicating either retention of ancestral polymorphism or recent gene flow. The hybrids had much higher prevalence of intestinal parasites than either of the parent species living under identical environmental conditions. The different representation of parasites can indicate a handicap for hybrids that maintains species identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Sommer
- Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife ResearchAlfred-Kowalke-Strasse 10, Berlin, 10315, Germany
- Institute for Experimental Ecology, University of UlmAlbert-Einstein Allee 11, Ulm, 89069, Germany
| | - Solofomalla Jacques Rakotondranary
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Biozentrum GrindelMartin-Luther-King Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany
| | - Jörg U Ganzhorn
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Biozentrum GrindelMartin-Luther-King Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany
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126
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Reinhart M, Carney T, Clark AG, Fiumera AC. Characterizing male-female interactions using natural genetic variation in Drosophila melanogaster. J Hered 2014; 106:67-79. [PMID: 25425680 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esu076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster females commonly mate with multiple males establishing the opportunity for pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection. Traits impacting sexual selection can be affected by a complex interplay of the genotypes of the competing males, the genotype of the female, and compatibilities between the males and females. We scored males from 96 2nd and 94 3rd chromosome substitution lines for traits affecting reproductive success when mated with females from 3 different genetic backgrounds. The traits included male-induced female refractoriness, male remating ability, the proportion of offspring sired under competitive conditions and male-induced female fecundity. We observed significant effects of male line, female genetic background, and strong male by female interactions. Some males appeared to be "generalists" and performed consistently across the different females; other males appeared to be "specialists" and performed very well with a particular female and poorly with others. "Specialist" males did not, however, prefer to court those females with whom they had the highest reproductive fitness. Using 143 polymorphisms in male reproductive genes, we mapped several genes that had consistent effects across the different females including a derived, high fitness allele in Acp26Aa that may be the target of adaptive evolution. We also identified a polymorphism upstream of PebII that may interact with the female genetic background to affect male-induced refractoriness to remating. These results suggest that natural variation in PebII might contribute to the observed male-female interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Reinhart
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY (Reinhart, Carney, and Fiumera); and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY(Clark)
| | - Tara Carney
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY (Reinhart, Carney, and Fiumera); and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY(Clark)
| | - Andrew G Clark
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY (Reinhart, Carney, and Fiumera); and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY(Clark)
| | - Anthony C Fiumera
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY (Reinhart, Carney, and Fiumera); and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY(Clark).
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127
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Chargé R, Teplitsky C, Sorci G, Low M. Can sexual selection theory inform genetic management of captive populations? A review. Evol Appl 2014; 7:1120-33. [PMID: 25553072 PMCID: PMC4231600 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Captive breeding for conservation purposes presents a serious practical challenge because several conflicting genetic processes (i.e., inbreeding depression, random genetic drift and genetic adaptation to captivity) need to be managed in concert to maximize captive population persistence and reintroduction success probability. Because current genetic management is often only partly successful in achieving these goals, it has been suggested that management insights may be found in sexual selection theory (in particular, female mate choice). We review the theoretical and empirical literature and consider how female mate choice might influence captive breeding in the context of current genetic guidelines for different sexual selection theories (i.e., direct benefits, good genes, compatible genes, sexy sons). We show that while mate choice shows promise as a tool in captive breeding under certain conditions, for most species, there is currently too little theoretical and empirical evidence to provide any clear guidelines that would guarantee positive fitness outcomes and avoid conflicts with other genetic goals. The application of female mate choice to captive breeding is in its infancy and requires a goal-oriented framework based on the needs of captive species management, so researchers can make honest assessments of the costs and benefits of such an approach, using simulations, model species and captive animal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Chargé
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- Centre d'Ecologie et de Sciences de la Conservation UMR 7204 CNRS/MNHN/UPMC, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris, France
| | - Gabriele Sorci
- Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne Dijon, France
| | - Matthew Low
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala, Sweden
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128
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Kamiya T, O'Dwyer K, Westerdahl H, Senior A, Nakagawa S. A quantitative review of MHC-based mating preference: the role of diversity and dissimilarity. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:5151-63. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Kamiya
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS 5290, UR IRD 224, UM1, UM2); 911 avenue Agropolis, BP 64501 Montpellier Cedex 5 34394 France
| | - K. O'Dwyer
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; 360 Great King Street Dunedin New Zealand
| | - H. Westerdahl
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab; Department of Biology; Lund University; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - A. Senior
- The Charles Perkins Center; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - S. Nakagawa
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; 360 Great King Street Dunedin New Zealand
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129
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Sin YW, Annavi G, Dugdale HL, Newman C, Burke T, MacDonald DW. Pathogen burden, co-infection and major histocompatibility complex variability in the European badger (Meles meles). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:5072-88. [PMID: 25211523 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 09/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House, Abingdon Road Tubney Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Museum of Comparative Zoology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Geetha Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House, Abingdon Road Tubney Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
- Faculty of Science; Department of Biology; University of Putra Malaysia; UPM 43400 Serdang Selangor Malaysia
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen the Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House, Abingdon Road Tubney Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - David W. MacDonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House, Abingdon Road Tubney Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
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130
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Cutrera AP, Zenuto RR, Lacey EA. Interpopulation differences in parasite load and variable selective pressures on MHC genes inCtenomys talarum. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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131
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Stutz WE, Bolnick DI. Stepwise threshold clustering: a new method for genotyping MHC loci using next-generation sequencing technology. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100587. [PMID: 25036866 PMCID: PMC4103772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes of the vertebrate major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are of great interest to biologists because of their important role in immunity and disease, and their extremely high levels of genetic diversity. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are quickly becoming the method of choice for high-throughput genotyping of multi-locus templates like MHC in non-model organisms. Previous approaches to genotyping MHC genes using NGS technologies suffer from two problems:1) a "gray zone" where low frequency alleles and high frequency artifacts can be difficult to disentangle and 2) a similar sequence problem, where very similar alleles can be difficult to distinguish as two distinct alleles. Here were present a new method for genotyping MHC loci--Stepwise Threshold Clustering (STC)--that addresses these problems by taking full advantage of the increase in sequence data provided by NGS technologies. Unlike previous approaches for genotyping MHC with NGS data that attempt to classify individual sequences as alleles or artifacts, STC uses a quasi-Dirichlet clustering algorithm to cluster similar sequences at increasing levels of sequence similarity. By applying frequency and similarity based criteria to clusters rather than individual sequences, STC is able to successfully identify clusters of sequences that correspond to individual or similar alleles present in the genomes of individual samples. Furthermore, STC does not require duplicate runs of all samples, increasing the number of samples that can be genotyped in a given project. We show how the STC method works using a single sample library. We then apply STC to 295 threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) samples from four populations and show that neighboring populations differ significantly in MHC allele pools. We show that STC is a reliable, accurate, efficient, and flexible method for genotyping MHC that will be of use to biologists interested in a variety of downstream applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- William E. Stutz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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132
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Thonhauser KE, Raveh S, Penn DJ. Multiple paternity does not depend on male genetic diversity. Anim Behav 2014; 93:135-141. [PMID: 25018559 PMCID: PMC4087292 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Polyandry is common in many species and it has been suggested that females engage in multiple mating to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring (genetic diversity hypothesis). Multiple paternity occurs in 30% of litters in wild populations of house mice, Mus musculus musculus, and multiple-sired litters are genetically more diverse than single-sired ones. Here, we aimed to test whether female house mice produce multiple-sired litters when they have the opportunity to produce genetically diverse litters. We assessed the rates of multiple paternity when females could choose to mate with two males that were genetically dissimilar to each other (i.e. nonsiblings and MHC dissimilar) compared with when females could choose to mate with two males that were genetically similar to each other (i.e. siblings and shared MHC alleles). Multiple mating may depend upon a female's own condition, and, therefore, we also tested whether inbred (from full-sibling matings) females were more likely to produce multiple-sired progeny than outbred controls. Overall we found that 29% of litters had multiple sires, but we found no evidence that females were more likely to produce multiple-sired litters when they had the opportunity to mate with genetically dissimilar males compared with controls, regardless of whether females were inbred or outbred. Thus, our findings do not support the idea that female mice increase multiple paternity when they have the opportunity to increase the genetic diversity of their offspring, as expected from the genetic diversity hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E. Thonhauser
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shirley Raveh
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dustin J. Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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133
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Ashby B, Gupta S. PARASITIC CASTRATION PROMOTES COEVOLUTIONARY CYCLING BUT ALSO IMPOSES A COST ON SEX. Evolution 2014; 68:2234-44. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Ashby
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Sunetra Gupta
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
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134
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Winternitz JC, Wares JP, Yabsley MJ, Altizer S. Wild cyclic voles maintain high neutral and MHC diversity without strong evidence for parasite-mediated selection. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9709-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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135
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Zimmer SM, Krehenwinkel H, Schneider JM. Rapid range expansion is not restricted by inbreeding in a sexually cannibalistic spider. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95963. [PMID: 24759976 PMCID: PMC3997557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Few studies investigated whether rapid range expansion is associated with an individual's short-term fitness costs due to an increased risk of inbred mating at the front of expansion. In mating systems with low male mating rates both sexes share potential inbreeding costs and general mechanisms to avoid or reduce these costs are expected. The spider Argiope bruennichi expanded its range recently and we asked whether rapid settlement of new sites exposes individuals to a risk of inbreeding. We sampled four geographically separated subpopulations, genotyped individuals, arranged matings and monitored hatching success. Hatching success was lowest in egg-sacs derived from sibling pairs and highest in egg-sacs derived from among-population crosses, while within-population crosses were intermediate. This indicates that inbreeding might affect hatching success in the wild. Unlike expected, differential hatching success of within- and among-population crosses did not correlate with genetic distance of mating pairs. In contrast, we found high genetic diversity based on 16 microsatellite markers and a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene in all populations. Our results suggest that even a very recent settlement secures the presence of genetically different mating partners. This leads to costs of inbreeding since the population is not inbred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie M. Zimmer
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Henrik Krehenwinkel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Jutta M. Schneider
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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136
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Tobler M, Plath M, Riesch R, Schlupp I, Grasse A, Munimanda GK, Setzer C, Penn DJ, Moodley Y. Selection from parasites favours immunogenetic diversity but not divergence among locally adapted host populations. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:960-74. [PMID: 24725091 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented polymorphism in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes is thought to be maintained by balancing selection from parasites. However, do parasites also drive divergence at MHC loci between host populations, or do the effects of balancing selection maintain similarities among populations? We examined MHC variation in populations of the livebearing fish Poecilia mexicana and characterized their parasite communities. Poecilia mexicana populations in the Cueva del Azufre system are locally adapted to darkness and the presence of toxic hydrogen sulphide, representing highly divergent ecotypes or incipient species. Parasite communities differed significantly across populations, and populations with higher parasite loads had higher levels of diversity at class II MHC genes. However, despite different parasite communities, marked divergence in adaptive traits and in neutral genetic markers, we found MHC alleles to be remarkably similar among host populations. Our findings indicate that balancing selection from parasites maintains immunogenetic diversity of hosts, but this process does not promote MHC divergence in this system. On the contrary, we suggest that balancing selection on immunogenetic loci may outweigh divergent selection causing divergence, thereby hindering host divergence and speciation. Our findings support the hypothesis that balancing selection maintains MHC similarities among lineages during and after speciation (trans-species evolution).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tobler
- Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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137
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Roth O, Sundin J, Berglund A, Rosenqvist G, Wegner KM. Male mate choice relies on major histocompatibility complex class I in a sex-role-reversed pipefish. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:929-38. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O. Roth
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes; GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel; Kiel Germany
| | - J. Sundin
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC); Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - A. Berglund
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC); Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - G. Rosenqvist
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Trondheim Norway
| | - K. M. Wegner
- Coastal Ecology; Alfred Wegener Institute-Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research; List Germany
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138
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Xi D, Hao T, He Y, Leng J, Sun Y, Yang Y, Mao H, Deng W. Nucleotide sequence and polymorphism of MHC class IIDQBexon 2 alleles in Chinese yakow (Bos grunniens × Bos taurus). Int J Immunogenet 2014; 41:269-75. [DOI: 10.1111/iji.12109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Xi
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - T. Hao
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - Y. He
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - J. Leng
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - Y. Sun
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - Y. Yang
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - H. Mao
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
| | - W. Deng
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology; Yunnan Agricultural University; Kunming China
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139
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Bichet C, Penn DJ, Moodley Y, Dunoyer L, Cellier-Holzem E, Belvalette M, Grégoire A, Garnier S, Sorci G. Females tend to prefer genetically similar mates in an island population of house sparrows. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:47. [PMID: 24621140 PMCID: PMC3984696 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is often proposed that females should select genetically dissimilar mates to maximize offspring genetic diversity and avoid inbreeding. Several recent studies have provided mixed evidence, however, and in some instances females seem to prefer genetically similar males. A preference for genetically similar mates can be adaptive if outbreeding depression is more harmful than inbreeding depression or if females gain inclusive fitness benefits by mating with close kin. Here, we investigated genetic compatibility and mating patterns in an insular population of house sparrow (Passer domesticus), over a three-year period, using 12 microsatellite markers and one major histocompability complex (MHC) class I gene. Given the small population size and the distance from the mainland, we expected a reduced gene flow in this insular population and we predicted that females would show mating preferences for genetically dissimilar mates. RESULTS Contrary to our expectation, we found that offspring were less genetically diverse (multi-locus heterozygosity) than expected under a random mating, suggesting that females tended to mate with genetically similar males. We found high levels of extra-pair paternity, and offspring sired by extra-pair males had a better fledging success than those sired by the social male. Again, unexpectedly, females tended to be more closely related to extra-pair mates than to their social mates. Our results did not depend on the type of genetic marker used, since microsatellites and MHC genes provided similar results, and we found only little evidence for MHC-dependent mating patterns. CONCLUSIONS These results are in agreement with the idea that mating with genetically similar mates can either avoid the disruption of co-adapted genes or confer a benefit in terms of kin selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coraline Bichet
- Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
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140
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Female partner preferences enhance offspring ability to survive an infection. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:14. [PMID: 24450606 PMCID: PMC3905909 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is often suggested that mate choice enhances offspring immune resistance to infectious diseases. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a study with wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus musculus) in which females were experimentally mated either with their preferred or non-preferred male, and their offspring were infected with a mouse pathogen, Salmonella enterica (serovar Typhimurium). Results We found that offspring sired by preferred males were significantly more likely to survive the experimental infection compared to those sired by non-preferred males. We found no significant differences in the pathogen clearance or infection dynamics between the infected mice, suggesting that offspring from preferred males were better able to cope with infection and had improved tolerance rather than immune resistance. Conclusion Our results provide the first direct experimental evidence within a single study that partner preferences enhance offspring resistance to infectious diseases.
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141
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Jašarević E, Geary DC, Rosenfeld CS. Sexually selected traits: a fundamental framework for studies on behavioral epigenetics. ILAR J 2014; 53:253-69. [PMID: 23744965 DOI: 10.1093/ilar.53.3-4.253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic-based mechanisms contribute to various aspects of sex differences in brain and behavior. The major obstacle in establishing and fully understanding this linkage is identifying the traits that are most susceptible to epigenetic modification. We have proposed that sexual selection provides a conceptual framework for identifying such traits. These are traits involved in intrasexual competition for mates and intersexual choice of mating partners and generally entail a combination of male-male competition and female choice. These behaviors are programmed during early embryonic and postnatal development, particularly during the transition from the juvenile to adult periods, by exposure of the brain to steroid hormones, including estradiol and testosterone. We evaluate the evidence that endocrine-disrupting compounds, including bisphenol A, can interfere with the vital epigenetic and gene expression pathways and with the elaboration of sexually selected traits with epigenetic mechanisms presumably governing the expression of these traits. Finally, we review the evidence to suggest that these steroid hormones can induce a variety of epigenetic changes in the brain, including the extent of DNA methylation, histone protein alterations, and even alterations of noncoding RNA, and that many of the changes differ between males and females. Although much previous attention has focused on primary sex differences in reproductive behaviors, such as male mounting and female lordosis, we outline why secondary sex differences related to competition and mate choice might also trace their origins back to steroid-induced epigenetic programming in disparate regions of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Psychological Sciences, the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, and the Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA
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142
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Wlodarski R, Dunbar RIM. What's in a Kiss? The Effect of Romantic Kissing on Mate Desirability. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491401200114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Past research suggests that various courtship rituals, such as romantic kissing, may convey useful mate quality information. Two studies were carried out to examine how purported romantic kissing abilities, as a potential cue to some form of mate information, affect appraisals of potential mating partners. In Experiment 1, 724 participants were presented with vignette descriptions of potential mating partners and were asked to rate partner desirability for various mating-related situations. The primary result of this experiment was that purported kissing ability increased mate desirability in “casual sex” mating situations for women to a greater extent than for men. Experiment 2 repeated the same procedure with another 178 participants, this time including visual information alongside vignette descriptions containing kissing-related information to examine the relative effects of these two modalities. It was found that the presence of a picture alongside a descriptive vignette negated the effect of kissing-related information only when rating potential partners on attractiveness or desirability for further courtship, though not when evaluating partners for casual sex or long-term relationship scenarios. Visual information containing “attractive” photos of potential partners was also found to have a greater effect on men's ratings of partner desirability than on women's ratings of partner desirability. The results are discussed in light of romantic kissing's potential function of conveying important mate quality and desirability information, and its relative role in the presence of additional visual mate cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Wlodarski
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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143
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Thiel A, Weeda AC. Haploid, diploid, and triploid--discrimination ability against polyploid mating partner in the parasitic wasp, Bracon brevicornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:ieu153. [PMID: 25527596 PMCID: PMC5657901 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieu153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Because the quality of mating partners varies, females of several taxa have evolved the ability to discriminate against low-quality mates. Although males in the Hymenoptera are usually haploid, diploid males may occur in species with complementary sex determination. Diploid males are almost always sterile in most of the species studied so far. They are thus of very low quality as mating partners, especially when females mate only once in life. We hypothesize that hymenopteran females might have evolved the ability to discriminate against infertile diploid males and avoid mating with them. To test this hypothesis, we studied diploid male fitness in the parasitoid wasp Bracon brevicornis Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) by measuring survival rate and fertility and then estimated their chances of actually mating with a female. Flow cytometry was used to determine the ploidy level of wasps. The fitness costs of mating a diploid male are indeed high in this species: only 15% were able to sire daughters, of which 97% were triploid and hardly able to produce viable offspring. In contrast to the hypothesis of unsuitable mate discrimination though, no evidence was found for increased rejection of diploid males by females. Male discrimination against an unsuitable partner did also not occur: triploid females elicited the same intensity of courtship behavior in males than did diploid ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Thiel
- Population & Evolutionary Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Bremen, FB 2, Leobener Str. NW2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Anne C Weeda
- Population & Evolutionary Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Bremen, FB 2, Leobener Str. NW2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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144
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Trojan Genes or Transparent Genomes? Sexual Selection and Potential Impacts of Genetically Modified Animals in Natural Ecosystems. Evol Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-013-9268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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145
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Sadeghi M, Najafpanah MJ. Analysis of immune-relevant genes expressed in spleen of Capra hircus kids fed with trivalent chromium. Biol Trace Elem Res 2013; 156:124-9. [PMID: 24078326 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-013-9828-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chromium is a biologically important element for humans and laboratory animals. Although the favorable effects of trivalent chromiumon immune responses of studied animals have been well documented, the precise mechanisms by which the chromium acts on immune system is relatively poor studied. In this study, real-time qPCR technique was employed to evaluate the expression profiles of four immune-related genes (B2M, MHCA, MHCB, and Rap2A) in spleens of the domestic goats, Capra hircus, feeding on four different levels of supplemental chromium (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/day) as chromium– methionine. The results showed that 1.5 mg/day of supplemental chromium significantly increased the expression of the four studied genes (P <0.01). Since the studied genes play important roles in development, activation, and migration of lymphocytes, their increased expression seems to be an unknown mechanism by which chromium impose reinforcing effects on immune system. Therefore, supplemental chromium can be potentially used to improve immune responses especially in animals experiencing any type of stress such as invasion by a pathogen.
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146
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Zhu Y, Wan QH, Yu B, Ge YF, Fang SG. Patterns of genetic differentiation at MHC class I genes and microsatellites identify conservation units in the giant panda. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:227. [PMID: 24144019 PMCID: PMC4015443 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evaluating patterns of genetic variation is important to identify conservation units (i.e., evolutionarily significant units [ESUs], management units [MUs], and adaptive units [AUs]) in endangered species. While neutral markers could be used to infer population history, their application in the estimation of adaptive variation is limited. The capacity to adapt to various environments is vital for the long-term survival of endangered species. Hence, analysis of adaptive loci, such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, is critical for conservation genetics studies. Here, we investigated 4 classical MHC class I genes (Aime-C, Aime-F, Aime-I, and Aime-L) and 8 microsatellites to infer patterns of genetic variation in the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and to further define conservation units. Results Overall, we identified 24 haplotypes (9 for Aime-C, 1 for Aime-F, 7 for Aime-I, and 7 for Aime-L) from 218 individuals obtained from 6 populations of giant panda. We found that the Xiaoxiangling population had the highest genetic variation at microsatellites among the 6 giant panda populations and higher genetic variation at Aime-MHC class I genes than other larger populations (Qinling, Qionglai, and Minshan populations). Differentiation index (FST)-based phylogenetic and Bayesian clustering analyses for Aime-MHC-I and microsatellite loci both supported that most populations were highly differentiated. The Qinling population was the most genetically differentiated. Conclusions The giant panda showed a relatively higher level of genetic diversity at MHC class I genes compared with endangered felids. Using all of the loci, we found that the 6 giant panda populations fell into 2 ESUs: Qinling and non-Qinling populations. We defined 3 MUs based on microsatellites: Qinling, Minshan-Qionglai, and Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan. We also recommended 3 possible AUs based on MHC loci: Qinling, Minshan-Qionglai, and Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan. Furthermore, we recommend that a captive breeding program be considered for the Qinling panda population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, No, 388 Yu Hang Tang Road, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
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147
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Holman L, van Zweden JS, Linksvayer TA, d'Ettorre P. Crozier's paradox revisited: maintenance of genetic recognition systems by disassortative mating. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:211. [PMID: 24070498 PMCID: PMC3850703 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Organisms are predicted to behave more favourably towards relatives, and kin-biased cooperation has been found in all domains of life from bacteria to vertebrates. Cooperation based on genetic recognition cues is paradoxical because it disproportionately benefits individuals with common phenotypes, which should erode the required cue polymorphism. Theoretical models suggest that many recognition loci likely have some secondary function that is subject to diversifying selection, keeping them variable. Results Here, we use individual-based simulations to investigate the hypothesis that the dual use of recognition cues to facilitate social behaviour and disassortative mating (e.g. for inbreeding avoidance) can maintain cue diversity over evolutionary time. Our model shows that when organisms mate disassortatively with respect to their recognition cues, cooperation and recognition locus diversity can persist at high values, especially when outcrossed matings produce more surviving offspring. Mating system affects cue diversity via at least four distinct mechanisms, and its effects interact with other parameters such as population structure. Also, the attrition of cue diversity is less rapid when cooperation does not require an exact cue match. Using a literature review, we show that there is abundant empirical evidence that heritable recognition cues are simultaneously used in social and sexual behaviour. Conclusions Our models show that mate choice is one possible resolution of the paradox of genetic kin recognition, and the literature review suggests that genetic recognition cues simultaneously inform assortative cooperation and disassortative mating in a large range of taxa. However, direct evidence is scant and there is substantial scope for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Department of Biology, Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
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Løvlie H, Gillingham MAF, Worley K, Pizzari T, Richardson DS. Cryptic female choice favours sperm from major histocompatibility complex-dissimilar males. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131296. [PMID: 24004935 PMCID: PMC3768299 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptic female choice may enable polyandrous females to avoid inbreeding or bias offspring variability at key loci after mating. However, the role of these genetic benefits in cryptic female choice remains poorly understood. Female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, bias sperm use in favour of unrelated males. Here, we experimentally investigate whether this bias is driven by relatedness per se, or by similarity at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), genes central to vertebrate acquired immunity, where polymorphism is critical to an individual's ability to combat pathogens. Through experimentally controlled natural matings, we confirm that selection against related males' sperm occurs within the female reproductive tract but demonstrate that this is more accurately predicted by MHC similarity: controlling for relatedness per se, more sperm reached the eggs when partners were MHC-dissimilar. Importantly, this effect appeared largely owing to similarity at a single MHC locus (class I minor). Further, the effect of MHC similarity was lost following artificial insemination, suggesting that male phenotypic cues might be required for females to select sperm differentially. These results indicate that postmating mechanisms that reduce inbreeding may do so as a consequence of more specific strategies of cryptic female choice promoting MHC diversity in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Løvlie
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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Hablützel PI, Volckaert FAM, Hellemans B, Raeymaekers JAM. Differential modes of MHC class IIB gene evolution in cichlid fishes. Immunogenetics 2013; 65:795-809. [PMID: 23989891 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-013-0725-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pascal I Hablützel
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat, 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium,
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