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MHC haplotype involvement in avian resistance to an ectoparasite

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Abstract

Research on immune function in evolutionary ecology has frequently focused on avian ectoparasites (e.g., mites and lice). However, host immunogenetics involved with bird resistance to ectoparasites has not been determined. The critical role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in adaptive immunity and high genetic variation found within the MHC make this gene complex useful for exploring the immunogenetic basis for bird resistance to ectoparasites. The objective of this study was to determine if the avian MHC influenced resistance to a blood-feeding ectoparasite. Four congenic lines of chickens, differing only at the MHC, were comparatively infested with a cosmopolitan ectoparasite of birds—northern fowl mite (NFM)—which is also a serious pest species of poultry. Mite infestations were monitored over time and mite densities (weekly and maximum) were compared among lines. Chickens with the MHC haplotype B21 were relatively resistant to NFM, compared with birds in the B15 congenic line (P < 0.02). To test for similar effects in an outbred genetic background, a separate experiment was performed with 107 commercial chickens (white leghorn, W-36 strain) infested with NFM. Hens were genotyped using a MHC microsatellite marker (LEI0258) and associations between MHC haplotype and NFM density were tested. The highest peak NFM populations occurred more often on hens with the B15 haplotype versus the B21 haplotype (P = 0.012), which supported the results of the congenic study. These data indicate the avian MHC influences ectoparasite resistance, which is relevant to disease ecology and avian–ectoparasite interaction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture, National Research Initiative (USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grant number #2005-35302-16341) and USDA-CSREES Multistate Research funds (Delany—CA-D*-ASC-7281-RR) and special facilities support from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Carol Cardona (University of Californa, Davis) was very helpful in initial discussions regarding the potential role of MHC variation in mite resistance. We would like to thank Dr. Jackie Pisenti and Tom O’Hare for their help in breeding and hatching the congenic birds, as well as Kathryn Haith and Martie Pastor for general animal care. We would also like to thank Dr. Janet Fulton (Hy-Line International) for guidance on MHC genotyping and comments on the manuscript. Kimberly Klingler provided invaluable support for the genotyping. Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Wayne Potts (University of Utah) and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Jeb P. Owen & Bradley A. Mullens

  2. Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6382, USA

    Jeb P. Owen

  3. Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    Jeb P. Owen

  4. Center for Integrated Biotechnology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    Jeb P. Owen

  5. Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Mary E. Delany

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Owen, J.P., Delany, M.E. & Mullens, B.A. MHC haplotype involvement in avian resistance to an ectoparasite. Immunogenetics 60, 621–631 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-008-0314-2

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