A link between MHC diversity and metazoan parasites in chub (Leuciscus cephalus Linnaeus, 1758).
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | 5th Internationl symposium on Monogenea Programme and Abstracts. Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | MHC - cyprinidae - parasites |
| Description | The genes of the MHC (major histocompatibility complex) play important roles in the immune system. The primary immunological function of MHC molecules is to bind and present antigenic peptides, derived from pathogens and parasites, on the surface of cells. MHC proteins are found in all higher vertebrates, and are grouped into 2 classes (class I and class II) on the basis of their chemical structure and biological properties. In the teleost fishes, the class I and II genes are not localized on the same linkage group. The MHC loci are characterized by high level of polymorphism, and the products of these genes are the sign of individuality. Variability of MHC loci is maintained by two main types of mechanisms: the pathogen-driven balancing selection and reproductive mechanisms. The variability in exon 2 of the class IIB corresponding to ß1 domain which includes the peptide binding regions (PBR) has been analyzed. The PBR, which should interact with parasitic antigens and the parasites, the source of the antigen, are likely the selective agents. The goal of this study was to investigate the variability in class II beta-encoding genes (DAB genes) in the six populations of the chub collected from the different water basin not historically connected, and evaluate the potential role of the metazoan parasites on the MHC genes differentiation. Monogenea represented the most abundant group among metazoan parasites. A total of fourteen Monogenean species were found on the skin and gills. The results indicate the relationship between MHC allelic diversity and parasites. |
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