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Pinheiro A, Neves F, Lemos de Matos A, Abrantes J, van der Loo W, Mage R, Esteves PJ. An overview of the lagomorph immune system and its genetic diversity. Immunogenetics 2015; 68:83-107. [PMID: 26399242 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-015-0868-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Our knowledge of the lagomorph immune system remains largely based upon studies of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major model for studies of immunology. Two important and devastating viral diseases, rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis, are affecting European rabbit populations. In this context, we discuss the genetic diversity of the European rabbit immune system and extend to available information about other lagomorphs. Regarding innate immunity, we review the most recent advances in identifying interleukins, chemokines and chemokine receptors, Toll-like receptors, antiviral proteins (RIG-I and Trim5), and the genes encoding fucosyltransferases that are utilized by rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus as a portal for invading host respiratory and gut epithelial cells. Evolutionary studies showed that several genes of innate immunity are evolving by strong natural selection. Studies of the leporid CCR5 gene revealed a very dramatic change unique in mammals at the second extracellular loop of CCR5 resulting from a gene conversion event with the paralogous CCR2. For the adaptive immune system, we review genetic diversity at the loci encoding antibody variable and constant regions, the major histocompatibility complex (RLA) and T cells. Studies of IGHV and IGKC genes expressed in leporids are two of the few examples of trans-species polymorphism observed outside of the major histocompatibility complex. In addition, we review some endogenous viruses of lagomorph genomes, the importance of the European rabbit as a model for human disease studies, and the anticipated role of next-generation sequencing in extending knowledge of lagomorph immune systems and their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pinheiro
- InBIO-Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
- SaBio-IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Fabiana Neves
- InBIO-Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- UMIB/UP-Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Lemos de Matos
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Joana Abrantes
- InBIO-Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Wessel van der Loo
- InBIO-Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Rose Mage
- NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Pedro José Esteves
- InBIO-Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
- CITS-Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias de Saúde, CESPU, Gandra, Portugal.
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Dunn PO, Bollmer JL, Freeman-Gallant CR, Whittingham LA. MHC VARIATION IS RELATED TO A SEXUALLY SELECTED ORNAMENT, SURVIVAL, AND PARASITE RESISTANCE IN COMMON YELLOWTHROATS. Evolution 2012; 67:679-87. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01799.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Reichard M, Spence R, Bryjová A, Bryja J, Smith C. Female rose bitterling prefer MHC-dissimilar males: experimental evidence. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40780. [PMID: 22815816 PMCID: PMC3399850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of genetic benefits in female mate choice remains a controversial aspect of sexual selection theory. In contrast to "good allele" models of sexual selection, "compatible allele" models of mate choice predict that females prefer mates with alleles complementary to their own rather than conferring additive effects. While correlative results suggest complementary genetic effects to be plausible, direct experimental evidence is scarce. A previous study on the Chinese rose bitterling (Rhodeus ocellatus) demonstrated a positive correlation between female mate choice, offspring growth and survival, and the functional dissimilarity between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) alleles of males and females. Here we directly tested whether females used cues associated with MHC genes to select genetically compatible males in an experimental framework. By sequentially pairing females with MHC similar and dissimilar males, based on a priori known MHC profiles, we showed that females discriminated between similar and dissimilar males and deposited significantly more eggs with MHC dissimilar males. Notably, the degree of dissimilarity was an important factor for female decision to mate, possibly indicating a potential threshold value of dissimilarity for decision making, or of an indirect effect of the MHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
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MacManes MD, Lacey EA. Is promiscuity associated with enhanced selection on MHC-DQα in mice (genus Peromyscus)? PLoS One 2012; 7:e37562. [PMID: 22649541 PMCID: PMC3359288 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive behavior may play an important role in shaping selection on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes. For example, the number of sexual partners that an individual has may affect exposure to sexually transmitted pathogens, with more partners leading to greater exposure and, hence, potentially greater selection for variation at MHC loci. To explore this hypothesis, we examined the strength of selection on exon 2 of the MHC-DQα locus in two species of Peromyscus. While the California mouse (P. californicus) is characterized by lifetime social and genetic monogamy, the deer mouse (P. maniculatus) is socially and genetically promiscuous; consistent with these differences in mating behavior, the diversity of bacteria present within the reproductive tracts of females is significantly greater for P. maniculatus. To test the prediction that more reproductive partners and exposure to a greater range of sexually transmitted pathogens are associated with enhanced diversifying selection on genes responsible for immune function, we compared patterns and levels of diversity at the Class II MHC-DQα locus in sympatric populations of P. maniculatus and P. californicus. Using likelihood based analyses, we show that selection is enhanced in the promiscuous P. maniculatus. This study is the first to compare the strength of selection in wild sympatric rodents with known differences in pathogen milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Oliver MK, Piertney SB. Selection maintains MHC diversity through a natural population bottleneck. Mol Biol Evol 2012; 29:1713-20. [PMID: 22323362 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A perceived consequence of a population bottleneck is the erosion of genetic diversity and concomitant reduction in individual fitness and evolutionary potential. Although reduced genetic variation associated with demographic perturbation has been amply demonstrated for neutral molecular markers, the effective management of genetic resources in natural populations is hindered by a lack of understanding of how adaptive genetic variation will respond to population fluctuations, given these are affected by selection as well as drift. Here, we demonstrate that selection counters drift to maintain polymorphism at a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus through a population bottleneck in an inbred island population of water voles. Before and after the bottleneck, MHC allele frequencies were close to balancing selection equilibrium but became skewed by drift when the population size was critically low. MHC heterozygosity generally conformed to Hardy-Weinberg expectations except in one generation during the population recovery where there was a significant excess of heterozygous genotypes, which simulations ascribed to strong differential MHC-dependent survival. Low allelic diversity and highly skewed frequency distributions at microsatellite loci indicated potent genetic drift due to a strong founder affect and/or previous population bottlenecks. This study is a real-time examination of the predictions of fundamental evolutionary theory in low genetic diversity situations. The findings highlight that conservation efforts to maintain the genetic health and evolutionary potential of natural populations should consider the genetic basis for fitness-related traits, and how such adaptive genetic diversity will vary in response to both the demographic fluctuations and the effects of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Oliver
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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