Mhc‐linked survival and lifetime reproductive success in a wild population of great tits. Issue 2 (28th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sepil, Irem; Lachish, Shelly; Sheldon, Ben C.
• Is Part Of: Molecular ecology. Volume 22:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 384
• Page End: 396
• Publication Date: 2012-11-28
• Subjects: Molecular ecology -- Periodicals; Molecular population biology -- Periodicals; 576
• DOI: 10.1111/mec.12123
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1083

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="mec12123-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Major histocompatibility complex (<italic>Mhc</italic>) genes are frequently used as a model for adaptive genetic diversity. Although associations between <italic>Mhc</italic> and disease resistance are frequently documented, little is known about the fitness consequences of <italic>Mhc</italic> variation in wild populations. Further, most work to date has involved testing associations between <italic>Mhc</italic> genotypes and fitness components. However, the functional diversity of the <italic>Mhc</italic>, and hence the mechanism by which selection on <italic>Mhc</italic> acts, depends on how genotypes map to the functional properties of <italic>Mhc</italic> molecules. Here, we test three hypotheses that relate <italic>Mhc</italic> diversity to fitness: (i) the maximal diversity hypothesis, (ii) the optimal diversity hypothesis and (iii) effect of specific <italic>Mhc</italic> types. We combine mark–recapture methods with analysis of long‐term breeding data to investigate the effects of <italic>Mhc</italic> class I functional diversity (<italic>Mhc</italic> supertypes) on individual fitness in a wild great tit (<italic>Parus major</italic>) population. We found that the presence of three different <italic>Mhc</italic> supertypes was associated with three different components of individual fitness: survival, annual recruitment and lifetime reproductive success (LRS). Great tits possessing <italic>Mhc</italic> supertype 3 experienced higher survival rates than those that did not, whereas individuals with <italic>Mhc</italic> supertype 6 experienced higher LRS and were more likely to recruit offspring each year. Conversely, great tits that possessed <italic>Mhc</italic> supertype 5 had reduced LRS. We found no evidence for a selective advantage of <italic>Mhc</italic> diversity, in terms of either maximal or optimal supertype diversity. Our results support the suggestion that specific <italic>Mhc</italic> types are an important determinant of individual fitness.</p> </abstract>