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Extremely high MHC class I variation in a population of a long-distance migrant, the Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus)

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Abstract

Although the number of studies focusing on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in non-model vertebrates is increasing, results are often contradictory, and the structure of MHC is still poorly understood in wild species. Here, we describe the structure and diversity of exon 3 of MHC class I in a passerine bird, the Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus). Using capillary electrophoresis single-strand conformation polymorphism, we identified 82 different MHC class I variants in one Rosefinch population nesting at one site in the Czech Republic. Thus far, this is the highest intra-populational MHC class I variation observed in birds. We have not found support for ‘minimal essential’ MHC in this species since individuals exhibited between three and nine different exon 3 sequences, indicating that there may be at least five amplified MHC class I genes. By cloning, we obtained and analysed 29 exon sequences and found that all of them could be translated into potentially functional proteins. We also show that strong positive selection appears to be acting mainly, but not only, on previously described antigen-binding sites in MHC class I genes. Furthermore, our results indicate that recombination has played an important role in generating genetic diversity of these genes in the Scarlet Rosefinch; we discuss the significance of this extremely high genetic diversity in light of the life history traits of this species, such as long-distance migration.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Pavel Munclinger, Michal Vinkler, Jan Schnitzer and Radka Poláková, for their help in the field. Thanks to Anna Bryjová and Dagmar Čížková for their valuable advice in the laboratory. We are very grateful to Heidi C. Hauffe for improving the English and two anonymous referees for critical comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (project no. IAA600930608), the Grant Agency of the Czech Rep. (project no. 206/06/0851) and by the Ministry of Education of the Czech Rep., whose Research Centre no. LC06073 and Long-term Research Plan (no. MSM 0021620828) to the Charles University in Prague formed a framework for a part of this study.

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  1. Department of Population Biology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Studenec 122, 675 02, Koněšín, Czech Republic

    M. Promerová, T. Albrecht & J. Bryja

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic

    T. Albrecht

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  1. M. Promerová
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  2. T. Albrecht
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Correspondence to M. Promerová.

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The sequence data described in this paper are accessible in GenBank data library under accession numbers FJ392762–FJ392790.

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Promerová, M., Albrecht, T. & Bryja, J. Extremely high MHC class I variation in a population of a long-distance migrant, the Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus). Immunogenetics 61, 451–461 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-009-0375-x

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