PMID- 23073914
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20130417
LR  - 20211021
IS  - 1573-6857 (Electronic)
IS  - 0016-6707 (Linking)
VI  - 140
IP  - 7-9
DP  - 2012 Sep
TI  - MHC class I variation in a natural blue tit population (Cyanistes caeruleus).
PG  - 349-64
LID - 10.1007/s10709-012-9679-0 [doi]
AB  - The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is central to the vertebrate immune 
      system and its highly polymorphic genes are considered to influence several 
      life-history traits of individuals. To characterize the MHC in a natural 
      population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) we investigated the class I exon 3 
      diversity of more than 900 individuals. We designed two pairs of motif-specific 
      primers that reliably amplify independent subsets of MHC alleles. Applying 
      denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) we obtained 48 independently 
      inherited units of unique band patterns (DGGE-haplogroups), which were validated 
      in a segregation analysis within 105 families. In a second approach, we 
      extensively sequenced 6 unrelated individuals to confirm that DGGE-haplogroup 
      composition reflects individual allelic variation. The highest number of 
      different DGGE-haplogroups in a single individual corresponded in 19 MHC exon 3 
      sequences, suggesting a minimum of 10 amplified MHC class I loci in the blue tit. 
      In total, we identified 50 unique functional and 3 non-functional sequences. 
      Functional sequences showed high levels of recombination and strong positive 
      selection in the antigen binding region, whereas nucleotide diversity was 
      comparatively low in the range of all passerine species. Finally, in a 
      phylogenetic comparison of passerine MHC class I exon 3 sequences we discuss 
      conflicting evolutionary signals possibly due to recent gene duplication, 
      recombination events and concerted evolution. Our results indicate that the 
      described method is suitable to effectively explore the MHC diversity and its 
      ecological impacts in blue tits in future studies.
FAU - Wutzler, R
AU  - Wutzler R
AD  - Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute 
      for Ornithology, 82305 Seewiesen, Germany. wutzler@orn.mpg.de
FAU - Foerster, K
AU  - Foerster K
FAU - Kempenaers, B
AU  - Kempenaers B
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20121017
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Genetica
JT  - Genetica
JID - 0370740
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Evolution, Molecular
MH  - Exons
MH  - *Genes, MHC Class I
MH  - *Genetic Variation
MH  - Genetics, Population
MH  - Passeriformes/*genetics
MH  - Phylogeny
EDAT- 2012/10/18 06:00
MHDA- 2013/04/18 06:00
CRDT- 2012/10/18 06:00
PHST- 2011/01/10 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2012/09/03 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2012/10/18 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2012/10/18 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2013/04/18 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.1007/s10709-012-9679-0 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Genetica. 2012 Sep;140(7-9):349-64. doi: 10.1007/s10709-012-9679-0. Epub 2012 Oct 
      17.