title: Sex-specific heritability of cell-mediated immune response in the blue tit nestlings (Cyanistes caeruleus).
abstract: Here, we aimed at estimating sex-specific heritabilities of cell-mediated immune response (CMI) in the blue tit nestlings (Cyanistes caeruleus). To separate genetic and environmental components of the phenotypic variance in CMI (measured using phytohaemagglutinin assay), we performed a cross-fostering experiment. Additionally, controlled environmental variation was introduced by enlarging some broods. Our analyses revealed a significant genetic component (as approximated by the nest-of-origin term) of the phenotypic variance in immune response. More importantly, these genetic effects differed between sexes and experimentally manipulated brood sizes, as indicated by significant genotype-by-sex and genotype-by-environment interactions. We discuss possible causes of such sexual dimorphism in gene expression and suggest that sex- and environment-specific genetic interactions may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variability in traits related to immune functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. szymek.drobniak@uj.edu.pl
authors.forename: Szymon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Drobniak
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wiejaczka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arct
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubiec
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cichoń
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors