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Related Experiment Videos

Complex Mhc-based mate choice in a wild passerine.

Camille Bonneaud1, Olivier Chastel, Pierre Federici

  • 1Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 7103, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6, 7 quai St Bernard, bât. A 7ème étage, case 237, Paris 75252 Cedex 05, France. bonneaud@ucla.edu

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 8, 2006
PubMed
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In house sparrows, mate choice is influenced by the Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc). Mating pairs showed higher Mhc diversity, suggesting selection for parasite resistance and avoiding genetic disruption.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Immunogenetics
  • Behavioral ecology

Background:

  • The Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc) exhibits extreme polymorphism in vertebrates, crucial for pathogen defense.
  • Mate choice strategies, such as avoiding similar Mhc alleles or preferring heterozygotes, are proposed to maintain Mhc diversity.
  • Existing evidence for these mate choice hypotheses primarily stems from human and laboratory mouse studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate Mhc-based mate choice in a wild bird population, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus).
  • To test whether mate choice in house sparrows involves avoiding genetically similar partners or preferring heterozygotes.
  • To determine if Mhc diversity influences pair formation in this species.

Main Methods:

  • Studied a wild, outbred population of house sparrows.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessed neutral genetic variation and Mhc allele similarity between potential mates.
  • Analyzed Mhc allele diversity within established breeding pairs.
  • Compared observed mating patterns with random mating expectations.

    • Main Results:

    • No correlation was found between female relatedness and male neutral genetic variation in paired individuals.
    • Males with limited Mhc alleles or those highly dissimilar to females (lacking shared alleles) were less likely to form pairs.
    • Mating pairs exhibited a positive correlation in Mhc diversity, deviating from random mating.
    • Mhc similarity and diversity played significant roles in mate selection.

    Conclusions:

    • Mate choice in house sparrows is influenced by Mhc genetic makeup, impacting pair formation.
    • Selection appears to favor partners that enhance Mhc diversity, potentially boosting parasite resistance.
    • Costs related to the disruption of co-adapted genes may also influence mate selection decisions.