title: Evidence for the 'good genes' model: association of MHC class II DRB alleles with ectoparasitism and reproductive state in the neotropical lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris.
abstract: The adaptive immune system has a major impact on parasite resistance and life history strategies. Immunological defence is costly both in terms of immediate activation and long-term maintenance. The 'good genes' model predicts that males with genotypes that promote a good disease resistance have the ability to allocate more resources to reproductive effort which favours the transmission of good alleles into future generations. Our study shows a correlation between immune gene constitution (Major Histocompatibility Complex, MHC class II DRB), ectoparasite loads (ticks and bat flies) and the reproductive state in a neotropical bat, Noctilio albiventris. Infestation rates with ectoparasites were linked to specific Noal-DRB alleles, differed among roosts, increased with body size and co-varied with reproductive state particularly in males. Non-reproductive adult males were more infested with ectoparasites than reproductively active males, and they had more often an allele (Noal-DRB*02) associated with a higher tick infestation than reproductively active males or subadults. We conclude that the individual immune gene constitution affects ectoparasite susceptibility, and contributes to fitness relevant trade-offs in male N. albiventris as suggested by the 'good genes' model.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Evolutionary Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schad
authors.forename: Dina K N
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Dechmann
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sommer
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004175:Diptera; D060467:Disease Resistance; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D013987:Ticks