The role of MHC Class I in mate choice in a socially monogamous songbird, the Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus)

0309459 - ÚBO 2009 ES eng A - Abstract
Promerová, Marta - Bryja, Josef - Vinkler, M. - Schnitzer, J. - Munclinger, P. - Albrecht, Tomáš
The role of MHC Class I in mate choice in a socially monogamous songbird, the Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus).
Annual meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Barcelona: AOPC, 2008. P-449.
[Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. 05.06.2008-08.06.2008, Barcelona]
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : scarlet rosefinch * MHC Class I gene * mate choice
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
http://www.aopc.es/abst/obtimpres.php?idAbst=552

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode transmembrane proteins that recognize antigens, thus playing a crucial role in vertebrate immune system. In some species evidence has been found for these genes being important also when choosing mates. There are two basic mechanisms of how female preferences might be affected by MHC: 1) good genes hypothesis, according to which all females prefer the same males bearing advantageous alleles or the most heterozygous males, whereas 2) complementary genes hypothesis predicts that females choose males according to their own genotype to avoid inbreeding or to increase heterozygosity of offspring. The Scarlet Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) is a long-distance migratory, socially monogamous songbird species with high ratios of extra-pair fertilizations (30% of nests with extra-pair young). Here, we studied the variation of exon 3 MHC Class I, which is responsible mainly for antiviral immunity. We found a negative correlation between the number of MHC variants in males and the probability of being cheated on by their social mates. However, when forming social pairs, females preferred males with intermediate rather than maximal number of MHC variants. We further examine whether the variation in MHC Class I is associated with disease resistance and phenotypic traits in this species.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0161582