Dissertation Research: Mhc Diversity in Ctenomyid Rodents

9801022巴顿主要组织相容性复合体(MHC)是一组至少由84个基因组成的组，控制部分免疫反应。MHC在所有脊椎动物中都是共享的，由于平衡选择，种群中保留了许多等位基因。由于MHC在免疫系统中发挥作用，因此选择被认为是直接由于接触疾病有机体而造成的。疾病暴露的可能性被认为是哺乳动物复杂社会制度发展的主要成本，本研究旨在通过检测两种不同社会互动水平的相关穴居啮齿动物(Ctenomys)的MHC可变性水平来检验这一假设。在一种情况下，雌雄个体都维持着独立的洞穴系统，只是为了交配而短暂地接触对方；在另一种情况下，个体群体共同居住在一个共同的地下隧道系统中，共享共同的巢。研究人员将在阿根廷南部巴里洛什附近的两个研究种群中表征两个MHC基因座的遗传变异程度，这些种群也在对生态、行为和其他属性进行深入研究。因此，这项研究旨在测试进化生物学中的一个主要问题(对哺乳动物社会性进化的限制)。同时，这项研究对基础公共卫生和其他哺乳动物(如人类)的疾病研究具有潜在价值。

9801022 Patton The Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc) is a group of at least 84 genes which control part of the immune response. The Mhc is shared among all vertebrates, with many alleles maintained in populations due to balancing selection. Selection is thought to be due directly to exposure to disease organisms, since the Mhc functions in the immune system. The potential for increased exposure to disease is assumed to be a major cost to the development of complex social systems in mammals, and this study is designed to test this assumption by examining the levels of Mhc variability in two related species of burrowing rodent (Ctenomys) that differ in their level of social interactions. In one, individuals of both sexes maintain separate burrow systems and only contact one another briefly for mating; in the other, colonies of individuals co-inhabit a common underground tunnel system and share common nests. The investigators will characterize the degree of genetic variation in two Mhc loci in study populations of both species near Bariloche, in southern Argentina, populations that are also being studied intensively for ecological, behavioral, and other attributes. This study thus aims to test a major question in evolutionary biology (constraints on the evolution of sociality in mammals). Simultaneously, the study has potential value to basic public health and disease studies in other mammals, such as humans.