10.5061/DRYAD.15R7F
Galaverni, Marco
University of Bologna
Caniglia, Romolo
Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
Fabbri, Elena
Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
Lapalombella, Silvana
University of Bologna
Randi, Ettore
Aalborg University
Data from: MHC variability in an isolated wolf population in Italy
Dryad
dataset
2013
Major histocompatibility complex
Conservation genetics and biodiversity
MHC phylogenetics Subject area: Conservation genetics and biodiversity
Molecular adaptation and selection
Canis lupus
MHC phylogenetics
2013-06-17T17:26:42Z
2013-06-17T17:26:42Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/est045
25864 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Small, isolated populations may experience increased extinction risk due
to reduced genetic variability at important functional genes, thus
decreasing the population’s adaptive potential. The major
histocompatibility complex (MHC), a key immunological gene cluster,
usually shows high variability maintained by positive or balancing
selection in response to challenges by pathogens. Here we investigated for
the first time, the variability of 3 MHC class II genes (DRB1, DQA1, and
DQB1) in 94 samples collected from Italian wolves. The Italian wolf
population has been long isolated south of the Alps and is presently
recovering from a recent bottleneck that decreased the population to less
than 100 individuals. Despite the bottleneck, Italian wolves show
remarkable MHC variability with 6–9 alleles per locus, including 2
recently described alleles at DRB1. MHC sequences show signatures of
historical selective pressures (high d N/d S ratio, ω > 1.74) but
no evidence of ongoing selection. Variation at the MHC genes and 12
background microsatellite loci were not apparently affected by the recent
bottleneck. Although MHC alleles of domestic dog origin were detected in 8
genetically admixed individuals, these alleles were rare or absent in
nonadmixed wolves. Thus, despite known hybridization events between
domestic dogs and Italian wolves, the Italian wolf population does not
appear affected by deep introgression of domestic dog MHC alleles.
MHC alleles and STR genotypes of wolves in
ItalyGalaverni_et_al_2013_STR_MHC.xlsx
Alps
Apennines
Italy
Southern Europe