Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus
Abstract Background Demographic bottlenecks erode genetic diversity and may increase endangered species’ extinction risk via decreased fitness and adaptive potential. The genetic status of species is generally assessed using neutral markers, whose dynamic can differ from that of functional variation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12862-017-1006-z |
| _version_ | 1818599613093904384 |
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| author | Elena Marmesat Krzysztof Schmidt Alexander P. Saveljev Ivan V. Seryodkin José A. Godoy |
| author_facet | Elena Marmesat Krzysztof Schmidt Alexander P. Saveljev Ivan V. Seryodkin José A. Godoy |
| author_sort | Elena Marmesat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Demographic bottlenecks erode genetic diversity and may increase endangered species’ extinction risk via decreased fitness and adaptive potential. The genetic status of species is generally assessed using neutral markers, whose dynamic can differ from that of functional variation due to selection. The MHC is a multigene family described as the most important genetic component of the mammalian immune system, with broad implications in ecology and evolution. The genus Lynx includes four species differing immensely in demographic history and population size, which provides a suitable model to study the genetic consequences of demographic declines: the Iberian lynx being an extremely bottlenecked species and the three remaining ones representing common and widely distributed species. We compared variation in the most variable exon of the MHCI and MHCII-DRB loci among the four species of the Lynx genus. Results The Iberian lynx was characterised by lower number of MHC alleles than its sister species (the Eurasian lynx). However, it maintained most of the functional genetic variation at MHC loci present in the remaining and genetically healthier lynx species at all nucleotide, amino acid, and supertype levels. Conclusions Species-wide functional genetic diversity can be maintained even in the face of severe population bottlenecks, which caused devastating whole genome genetic erosion. This could be the consequence of divergent alleles being retained across paralogous loci, an outcome that, in the face of frequent gene conversion, may have been favoured by balancing selection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:22:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58c28425f9134a71a30c6d1f59c8606b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2148 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:22:22Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Evolutionary Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-58c28425f9134a71a30c6d1f59c8606b2022-12-21T22:31:56ZengBMCBMC Evolutionary Biology1471-21482017-07-0117111610.1186/s12862-017-1006-zRetention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genusElena Marmesat0Krzysztof Schmidt1Alexander P. Saveljev2Ivan V. Seryodkin3José A. Godoy4Department of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Animal Ecology, Russian Research Institute of Game Management and Fur FarmingLaboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Animals, Pacific Institute of Geography of Far East Branch of Russian Academy of SciencesDepartment of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)Abstract Background Demographic bottlenecks erode genetic diversity and may increase endangered species’ extinction risk via decreased fitness and adaptive potential. The genetic status of species is generally assessed using neutral markers, whose dynamic can differ from that of functional variation due to selection. The MHC is a multigene family described as the most important genetic component of the mammalian immune system, with broad implications in ecology and evolution. The genus Lynx includes four species differing immensely in demographic history and population size, which provides a suitable model to study the genetic consequences of demographic declines: the Iberian lynx being an extremely bottlenecked species and the three remaining ones representing common and widely distributed species. We compared variation in the most variable exon of the MHCI and MHCII-DRB loci among the four species of the Lynx genus. Results The Iberian lynx was characterised by lower number of MHC alleles than its sister species (the Eurasian lynx). However, it maintained most of the functional genetic variation at MHC loci present in the remaining and genetically healthier lynx species at all nucleotide, amino acid, and supertype levels. Conclusions Species-wide functional genetic diversity can be maintained even in the face of severe population bottlenecks, which caused devastating whole genome genetic erosion. This could be the consequence of divergent alleles being retained across paralogous loci, an outcome that, in the face of frequent gene conversion, may have been favoured by balancing selection.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12862-017-1006-zMhcLynxBalancing selectionNatural selectionGenetic functional diversityBottleneck |
| spellingShingle | Elena Marmesat Krzysztof Schmidt Alexander P. Saveljev Ivan V. Seryodkin José A. Godoy Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus BMC Evolutionary Biology Mhc Lynx Balancing selection Natural selection Genetic functional diversity Bottleneck |
| title | Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus |
| title_full | Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus |
| title_fullStr | Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus |
| title_short | Retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion: MHC allelic repertoires in the Lynx genus |
| title_sort | retention of functional variation despite extreme genomic erosion mhc allelic repertoires in the lynx genus |
| topic | Mhc Lynx Balancing selection Natural selection Genetic functional diversity Bottleneck |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12862-017-1006-z |
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