Recognition of Kin and Mates Through MHC Genes: Chemosensory and Imprinting Mechanisms

许多动物能够通过气味线索区分不熟悉的亲人和非亲人。化学信号是如何揭示个体是否有遗传关系的？一种可能性是气味线索受到非常不同的基因的影响，因此亲属将分享气味，因为他们共享这些影响气味的基因的版本(等位基因)。主要组织相容性复合体(MHC)基因被认为在脊椎动物中发挥这种亲缘识别作用，因为它们极其多样化，它们影响气味，并影响预期涉及亲缘关系的行为，包括合作和近亲繁殖避免。这项研究测试了这一假说的一些目前不确定的关键预测，应该会提供重要的答案。拟议的研究有几个重要的影响。它们将有助于阐明基因如何影响复杂的社会行为，这是当今生物学中最令人困惑的问题之一。这项研究将有助于揭示化学感觉通讯的遗传基础和发展。这项工作将确定MHC基因是否提供了小鼠的遗传亲属识别系统。此外，这项研究对人类有直接的影响，因为最近的研究发现，女性更喜欢MHC不同的男性的气味，而且这种偏好预测的婚姻模式在一些人类群体中也被发现。

Potts9810801Many animals are able to distinguish unfamiliar kin from nonkin by odor cues. How do chemical signals reveal whether or not individuals are genetically related? One possibility is that odor cues are influenced by genes that are very diverse, thus kin will share odors because they share versions (alleles) of these odor influencing genes. Genes of the major histocompatability complex (MHC) are postulated to play this kin recognition role in vertebrates because they are extremely diverse, they influence odor and they influence behavior expected to involve kin, including cooperation and inbreeding avoidance. This study tests a number of critical predictions of this hypothesis that are currently uncertain, and should provide important answers.The proposed studies have several important implications. They will help to clarify how genes influence complex social behavior, one of the most puzzling problems in biology today. The research will help to unravel the genetic basis and development of chemosensory communication. This work will determine if MHC genes provide a genetic kin recognition system in mice. In addition the research has direct implications for humans because recent studies have found that women prefer the odor of MHC-dissimilar men and the marriage patterns predicted by such preferences have been found in some human populations.