Major histocompatibility complex and mate choice in sand lizards

Olsson, Mats; Madsen, Thomas; Nordby, Jessica; Wapstra, Erik; Újvári, Beáta; Wittsell, Håkan

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0079

Cited by 227 publications

(204 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In other lizard species, genetic compatibility (based on MHC dissimilarity) was the main characteristic that females selected from the scent of a male (Olsson et al 2003). However, in the large and widespread populations of Iberian wall lizards, the probability of finding genetically incompatible males may be low, and, then, it might be more important for females to select males' quality per se.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each trial lasted 6 h (from 09.00 h GMT, shortly after females appeared from refuges, and until 15.00 h GMT, when females hid again), Females were monitored each 15 min (25 scans) from a hidden point. If a female was located on a tile with the paper strip, she was designated as having chosen temporarily that particular paper, whereas if she was located outside of the tiles she was designated as having made no choice (for details of a similar procedure see Martín & Ló pez 2000;Ló pez et al , 2003Olsson et al 2003). The paper on which a female spent greater than 50% of her time (excluding time in the no choice area) was designed as the preferred paper in that trial.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pheromonal detection is often based on femoral gland secretions (e.g. Alberts 1993), which may inform about the genetic quality or compatibility of a male and consequently be used by females to choose mates (Martín & López 2000;López et al 2002López et al , 2003Olsson et al 2003). In spite of the potential importance of chemoreception in lizards' sexual selection (López & Martín 2004), only a few studies have analysed the composition of their gland secretions (reviewed in Mason 1992; see also Escobar et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female Iberian wall lizards prefer male scents that signal a better cell-mediated immune response

López

Martı́n

2005

Biol. Lett.

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In spite of the importance of chemoreception in sexual selection of lizards, only a few studies have examined the composition of chemical signals, and it is unknown whether and how chemicals provide honest information. Chemical signals might be honest if there were a tradeoff between sexual advertisement and the immune system. Here, we show that proportions of cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol in femoral secretions of male Iberian wall lizards (Podarcis hispanica) were related to their T-cell-mediated immune response. Thus, only males with a good immune system may allocate higher amounts of this chemical to signalling. Furthermore, females selected scents of males with higher proportions of cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol and lower proportions of cholesterol. Thus, females might base their mate choice on the males' quality as indicated by the composition of their chemical signals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female Iberian wall lizards prefer male scents that signal a better cell-mediated immune response

López

Martı́n

2005

Biol. Lett.

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“…Twenty-six out of 37 individuals examined (frequency = 0.73) had optimal numbers of MHC 'true' alleles per individual with 13 (frequency = 0.351) containing three variants per individual, eight (frequency = 0.216) containing four variants per individual, and six (frequency = 0.167) containing five variants per individual. Despite lack of specific explanation for the optimal gene copy numbers in E. multiocellata, a possible scenario, which needs to be tested, is that individuals with optimal levels of diversity might suffer least from parasitization, as has been proposed for many vertebrates such as sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) (Wegner et al, 2003), sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) (Olsson et al, 2003), house sparrow (Passer domesticus) (Griggio et al, 2011), and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) (Jaratlerdsiri et al, 2012), which their mate choices favored offspring with an optimum number of MHC variants.…”

Section: Allelic Copy Number Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%

MHC Class I Exon 4 in the Multiocellated Racerunners (Eremias multiocellata): Polymorphism, Duplication and Selection

Yuan¹,

Zeng²,

Guo³

2014

AHR

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The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a dynamic genetic region with an essential role in the adaptive immunity of jawed vertebrates. The MHC polymorphism is affected by many processes such as birth-anddeath evolution, gene conversion, and concerted evolution. Studies investigating the evolution of MHC class I genes have been biased toward a few particular taxa and model species. However, the investigation of this region in nonavian reptiles is still in its infancy. We present the first characterization of MHC class I genes in a species from the family Lacertidae. We assessed genetic diversity and a role of selection in shaping the diversity of MHC class I exon 4 among 37 individuals of Eremias multiocellata from a population in Lanzhou, China. We generated 67 distinct DNA sequences using cloning and sequencing methods, and identified 36 putative functional variants as well as two putative pseudogene-variants. We found the number of variants within an individual varying between two and seven, indicating that there are at least four MHC class I loci in this species. Gene duplication plays a role in increasing copy numbers of MHC genes and allelic diversity in this species. The class I exon 4 sequences are characteristic of low nucleotide diversity. No signal of recombination is detected, but purifying selection is detected in β2-microglobulin interaction sites and some other silent sites outside of the function-constraint regions. Certain identical alleles are shared by Eremias multiocellata and E. przewalskii and E. brenchleyi, suggesting trans-species polymorphism. The data are compatible with a birth-and-death model of evolution.class II genes, have been the subjects of the majority of research in the fields of ecology and evolution (reviewed in Sommer, 2005; Milinski, 2006;Piertney and Oliver, 2006;Ujvari and Belov, 2011). This is because MHC includes the most polymorphic genes in vertebrate populations. Given the extraordinary richness and diversity of continuously evolving pathogens in the environment, it is not surprising that the MHC harbors the most polymorphic genes described thus far, with some loci, such as the human HLA-B locus, possessing more than 2000 alleles (de Bakker and Raychaudhuri, 2012). The number of genes in the MHC varies enormously between species, even between individuals of the same species (Malaga-Trillo et al., 1998;Figueroa et al., 2001). It has been noted that balancing selection is an evolutionary force that can maintain many haplotypes over long periods of evolutionary time. Genes that

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“…For example, birds are known to use chemical cues for navigation and orientation (Gagliardo et al 2008, Holland et al 2009), foraging (Nevitt 2008), and predator recognition (Amo et al 2008). Honey bees can track the scent produced by flowering plants to trace potential food sources (Beekman 2005), while animals such as lizards can distinguish mates of different genotypes based on odor (Olsson et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orientation from open water to settlement habitats by coral reef fish: behavioral flexibility in the use of multiple reliable cues

Igulu¹,

Nagelkerken

Beek³

et al. 2013

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Most coastal marine organisms have a dispersive oceanic larval stage, during which they must be able to distinguish and respond to relevant environmental cues when settling into their first benthic habitat. Chemical stimuli emanating from settlement habitats and being dispersed by water plumes could enable long-distance navigation by larval reef fish, but we know little about the cues responsible and their interactive effects. In the present study, we tested this by conducting several ex situ choice experiments in which the response of the coral reef fish Lutjanus fulviflamma towards different chemical cues from coastal habitats was tested close to their settlement stage. Fish preferred seagrass habitat water over that from coral reef and mangrove habitats. Furthermore, fish were attracted to chemical cues from their own species (conspecifics) and other fish species, as well as vegetation of 4 different seagrass species, when offered in isolation (i.e. soaked in neutral water), but a strong response remained only towards cues from conspecifics and seagrass leaves when these cues were mixed with seagrass habitat water that naturally contains other cues. Hierarchical effects were observed as fish preferred chemical cues from seagrass leaves over those from conspecifics when both were offered at the same time. The importance of visual habitat cues only overruled that of chemical cues when it concerned preferred cues (i.e. seagrass as opposed to mangrove cues). Our findings indicate that pelagic fish and settlers possess the ability to use multiple reliable chemical cues to locate suitable early life stage habitats, although the importance of these cues is context-dependent. Nevertheless, this flexibility in choice behavior is probably an adaptive strategy to enhance fitness by increasing successful orientation towards preferred settlement habitats.

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Major histocompatibility complex and mate choice in sand lizards

Cited by 227 publications

References 12 publications

Female Iberian wall lizards prefer male scents that signal a better cell-mediated immune response

Female Iberian wall lizards prefer male scents that signal a better cell-mediated immune response

MHC Class I Exon 4 in the Multiocellated Racerunners (Eremias multiocellata): Polymorphism, Duplication and Selection

Orientation from open water to settlement habitats by coral reef fish: behavioral flexibility in the use of multiple reliable cues

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