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Cryptic haplotype-specific gamete selection yields offspring with optimal MHC immune genes
Tobias L Lenz1, Nina Hafer1, Irene E Samonte1
1Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|September 25, 2018
Summary
Female fish eggs can select sperm with complementary immune genes (MHC). This post-fertilization selection optimizes offspring immunity, enhancing survival against pathogens and parasites.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Reproductive Biology
- Immunogenetics
Background:
- Female mate choice aims to produce fitter offspring, but is often imperfect due to factors like sneaker males and genetic recombination.
- Postcopulatory sexual selection, specifically sperm selection by oocytes, is a proposed mechanism for females to achieve optimal offspring genetic diversity.
- Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are crucial for pathogen resistance and offspring immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether female oocytes exhibit haplotype-specific fertilization bias based on complementary immune genes (MHC).
- To determine if this bias leads to offspring with optimal MHC diversity for pathogen resistance.
Main Methods:
- Controlled in vitro fertilization experiments were conducted using three-spined stickleback eggs.
- Fertilization success was analyzed based on the haplotype combinations of sperm and egg MHC genes.
Main Results:
- A significant haplotype-specific fertilization bias was observed, favoring gametes with complementary MHC immunogenes.
- Resulting zygotes exhibited an intermediate level of individual MHC diversity, a genotype previously linked to maximal pathogen resistance.
- This indicates a postcopulatory mechanism for fine-tuning offspring immune gene composition.
Conclusions:
- Female oocytes actively select sperm based on complementary MHC haplotypes, optimizing offspring immunity.
- This gamete-level selection provides an evolutionary advantage in host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics (Red Queen dynamics).
- Postcopulatory mate choice is a critical factor in shaping offspring immune diversity and adaptive potential.
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