10.5061/DRYAD.04K5Q
Burger, Dominik
University of Bern
Thomas, Selina
University of Bern
Aepli, Helen
University of Bern
Dreyer, Margaux
University of Lausanne
Fabre, Guillaume
University of Lausanne
Marti, Eliane
University of Bern
Sieme, Harald
University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover
Robinson, M. R.
University of Lausanne
Wedekind, Claus
University of Lausanne
Data from: Major histocompatibility complex-linked social signalling
affects female fertility
Dryad
dataset
2017
Equus caballus
Major histocompatibility complex
Pregnancy
Holocene
2017-11-03T13:06:17Z
2017-11-03T13:06:17Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1824
162812 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been shown to
influence social signalling and mate preferences in many species,
including humans. First observations suggest that MHC signalling may also
affect female fertility. To test this hypothesis, we exposed 191 female
horses (Equus caballus) to either a MHC-similar or a MHC-dissimilar
stimulus male around the time of ovulation and conception. A
within-subject experimental design controlled for non-MHC linked male
characteristics, and instrumental insemination with semen of other males
(N=106) controlled for potential confounding effects of semen or embryo
characteristics. We found that females were more likely to become pregnant
if exposed to a MHC-dissimilar than to a MHC-similar male, while overall
genetic distance to the stimulus males (based on microsatellite markers on
20 chromosomes) had no effect. Our results demonstrate that early
pregnancy failures can be due to maternal life-history decisions (cryptic
female choice) influenced by MHC-linked social signalling.
Burger et al. µsat markersMicrosatellite data of mares and stimulus
stallionsBurger et al. MHC and r versus pregnancyMHC types, pregnant or
not, pairwise relatedness r, pairwise sharing of MHC antigens, semen
cryopreserved or not, Mare age and breed
Northern Europe