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Positive diversifying selection in avian Mx genes

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Abstract

Mx proteins are interferon-induced GTPases that confer antiviral activities against RNA viruses. We analysed the molecular evolution of the Mx gene in birds using data on interspecific divergence in anseriform and galliform birds, and on intraspecific diversity in commercial chicken lines, local Chinese chicken breeds as well as in the mallard. The overall ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution was unusually high, 0.80, indicating relaxed constraint or positive selection. Evidence for the latter was provided by that a total of 11–18 codons were found to have evolved under positive selection. The great majority of these codons are located in a region unique to birds at the N-terminal end of the Mx protein. We found an excess of non-synonymous polymorphisms relative to synonymous variants in all comparisons. This, together with positive Tajima’s D values in the local Chinese chicken breeds and in the mallard suggests that balancing selection is acting in avian Mx genes. As such, Mx mimics the major histocompatibility complex system, indicating that heterozygous individuals are better off withstanding pathogen attack.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Erik Sonnhammer, Darren Obbard, Tom Little and members of the Ellegren Laboratory for useful discussion and Stuart Piertney for the red grouse tissue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    Sofia Berlin, Lujiang Qu & Hans Ellegren

  2. College of Animal Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Agro Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China

    Lujiang Qu, Xianyao Li & Ning Yang

Authors
  1. Sofia Berlin
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  2. Lujiang Qu
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  3. Xianyao Li
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  4. Ning Yang
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  5. Hans Ellegren
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ning Yang or Hans Ellegren.

Additional information

S.B. and L.Q. contributed equally to this work.

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Berlin, S., Qu, L., Li, X. et al. Positive diversifying selection in avian Mx genes. Immunogenetics 60, 689–697 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-008-0324-0

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