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MHC diversity, malaria and lifetime reproductive success in collared flycatchers
Author(s) -
RADWAN JACEK,
ZAGALSKANEUBAUER MAGDALENA,
CICHOŃ MARIUSZ,
SENDECKA JOANNA,
KULMA KATARZYNA,
GUSTAFSSON LARS,
BABIK WIESŁAW
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05547.x
Subject(s) - biology , major histocompatibility complex , genetics , mhc class i , evolutionary biology , allele , malaria , reproductive success , genetic diversity , avian malaria , gene , immunology , plasmodium falciparum , population , demography , sociology , gametocyte
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins involved in the recognition of parasite‐derived antigens. Their extreme polymorphism is presumed to be driven by co‐evolution with parasites. Host–parasite co‐evolution was also hypothesized to optimize within‐individual MHC diversity at the intermediate level. Here, we use unique data on lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female collared flycatchers to test whether LRS is associated with within‐individual MHC class II diversity. We also examined the association between MHC and infection with avian malaria. Using 454 sequencing, we found that individual flycatchers carry between 3 and 23 functional MHC class II B alleles. Predictions of the optimality hypothesis were not confirmed by our data as the prevalence of blood parasites decreased with functional MHC diversity. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for an association between MHC diversity and LRS.