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Passerine MHC: genetic variation and disease resistance in the wild

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Abstract

The passerine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and IIB genes are different from those of the avian model species the chicken because passerines have (1) a larger number of MHC genes, (2) MHC genes with longer introns, and (3) MHC genes that are pseudogenes. Most passerine MHC genes are transcribed (coding), extremely variable and subject to balancing selection. The high genetic diversity of the MHC genes of passerines is most likely maintained by selection from a large number of different pathogens. Association between MHC alleles and resistance to avian malaria infections have been reported in House Sparrows and Great Reed Warblers. Passerines are infected by a large number of different avian malaria infections. Therefore passerines and avian malaria is a study system that is well-suited to investigations of balancing selection and associations between MHC genes and disease resistance.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was financed by grants from the Swedish Research Council, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Lunds Djurskyddsfond to Helena Westerdahl. I would like to thank Matt Hale, Staffan Bensch and Lars Råberg for reading and improving earlier versions of this manuscript. I also want to thank Terry Burke (my PostDoc Host) and Jarrod Hadfield for helping me to improve the IOC talk on which this manuscript is based.

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  1. Department of Animal Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden 

    Helena Westerdahl

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Correspondence to Helena Westerdahl.

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Communicated by F. Bairlein.

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Westerdahl, H. Passerine MHC: genetic variation and disease resistance in the wild. J Ornithol 148 (Suppl 2), 469–477 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-007-0230-5

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