Elevated phytohaemagglutinin‐induced skin‐swelling response at an intermediate number of MHC class II alleles in bluethroat nestlings

Rekdal, Silje L.; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Lifjeld, Jan T.; Johnsen, Arild

doi:10.1111/jav.02734

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 80 publications

(160 reference statements)

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“…More tests including male odor donors carrying a single MHC-II allele would have been needed to ascertain the quadratic nature of the relationship between male MHC-II diversity and the female's reaction to the odor sample. Recently, several studies in fish, snakes and birds have tested the "golden mean hypothesis" and have shown that individuals with intermediate MHC-diversity have higher reproductive success (Kalbe et al 2009), better immunity (Rekdal et al 2021) and lower parasite load (Wegner et al 2004;Madsen and Ujvari 2006). In kittiwakes, the optimum in MHC-II diversity has been tested in chicks only, and was found to be maximum in females (Pineaux et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Gull Species Recognizes MHC-II Diversity and Dissimilarity Using Odor Cues

Pineaux,

Blanchard,

Ribeiro

et al. 2023

Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 15

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Gull Species Recognizes MHC-II Diversity and Dissimilarity Using Odor Cues

Pineaux,

Blanchard,

Ribeiro

et al. 2023

Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 15

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“…However, the exact mechanistic role of immune genotypes (TLR heterozygosity, MHC allele diversity, and specific alleles in both MHC and TLRs) in immune responses remains unclear. For example, while PHA is a T lymphocyte mitogen, and historically PHA response was thought to indicate T‐cell activation and proliferation (Strandin et al, 2018), timescales of typical PHA response assays do not allow for extensive T cell proliferation (Rekdal et al, 2021). PHA responses may represent a general increase in cytokine expression, inflammation and both innate and adaptive immune cell recruitment to the injection site (Martin II et al, 2006; Vinkler et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immune genotypes, immune responses, and survival in a wild bird population

et al. 2023

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Individuals vary in their immune genotype, inbreeding coefficient f, immune responses, survival to adulthood, and adult longevity. However, whether immune genes predict survival or longevity, whether such relationships are mediated through immune responses, and how f affects immune genotype remain unclear. We use a wild song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population in which survival to adulthood, adult longevity, and f were measured precisely, and in which immune responses have previously been assessed. We investigate four toll-like receptor (TLR) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIB exon 2 genes. We test whether immune genes predict fitness (survival to adulthood or adult longevity); whether immune genes predict immune response; whether immune response predicts fitness and whether fitness, immune responses, or immune genotypes are correlated with f. We find that survival to adulthood is not associated with immune gene variation, but adult longevity is decreased by high MHC allele diversity (especially in birds that were relatively outbred), and by the presence of a specific MHC supertype. Immune responses were affected by specific immune genotypes. Survival to adulthood and adult longevity were not predicted by immune response, implying caution in the use of immune response as a predictor for fitness. We also found no relationship between f and immune genotype. This finding indicates that immune gene associations with longevity and immune response are not artefacts of f, and suggests that pathogen-mediated selection at functional loci can slow the loss of genetic variation arising from genetic drift and small population size.

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Do female bluethroats without extra-pair offspring have more MHC-compatible social mates?

Rekdal

Anmarkrud

Lifjeld

et al. 2023

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are crucial for adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates, and theory predicts that there should be mate choice for optimizing MHC constitution in the offspring. In a previous study, we demonstrated a non-random female choice of extra-pair males in the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), yielding offspring that was closer to an intermediate MHC class II (MHCII) allele count than their within-pair halfsiblings. The present study tests whether social pairs with only within-pair young (WPY) in their brood, in the same study population, had a combined MHC-constitution closer to a presumed intermediate optimum, than social pairs with extra-pair young (EPY), with a corresponding pattern in their offspring. As expected, we found that WPY from pure WPY-broods were more MHC-optimal than WPY from mixed broods, but only in broods of young (second year) males. Correspondingly, there was a tendency for social pairs with only WPY in their brood to be more MHC-compatible than social pairs with EPY in their brood, when the male was young. Older bluethroat males have considerably larger testes than young males, and their higher sperm competitiveness could help them secure paternity in their own brood, also when they are not MHC-compatible. In other words, in the sexual conflict over paternity, females may be more likely to realise their preference for a MHC-compatible mate when paired to a young male. As a possible fitness indicator, immune responsiveness to an injected antigen (PHA) was elevated for offspring closer to “the golden mean” in MHCII allele count. Significance statement This study contributes to our understanding of MHC-based mate choice in extra-pair mating systems, by showing that female bluethroats (Luscinia svecica) with an MHCII-compatible social mate tend to have no extra-pair young in their brood, but only when the social male is young. This elucidates a possible sexual conflict, in which older social males are able to override female preferences and prevent other males from gaining paternity in their brood through higher sperm production. Studying systems in which extra-pair paternity occurs offers an insight into the genetic benefits of mate choice, as extra-pair males, in contrast to social males, generally contribute only sperm. Further, the strict and thorough genotyping scheme applied in this study enabled us to demonstrate a preference for “the golden mean” in MHC-diversity in a species with one of the highest MHC class II-diversity known to date.

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Elevated phytohaemagglutinin‐induced skin‐swelling response at an intermediate number of MHC class II alleles in bluethroat nestlings

Cited by 3 publications

References 80 publications

A Gull Species Recognizes MHC-II Diversity and Dissimilarity Using Odor Cues

A Gull Species Recognizes MHC-II Diversity and Dissimilarity Using Odor Cues

Immune genotypes, immune responses, and survival in a wild bird population

Do female bluethroats without extra-pair offspring have more MHC-compatible social mates?

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