title: Applicability of major histocompatibility complex DRB1 alleles as markers to detect vertebrate hybridization: a case study from Iberian ibex × domestic goat in southern Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hybridization between closely related wild and domestic species is of great concern because it can alter the evolutionary integrity of the affected populations. The high allelic variability of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) loci usually excludes them from being used in studies to detect hybridization events. However, if a) the parental species don't share alleles, and b) one of the parental species possesses an exceptionally low number of alleles (to facilitate analysis), then even MHC loci have the potential to detect hybrids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By genotyping the exon2 of the MHC class II DRB1 locus, we were able to detect hybridization between domestic goats (Capra hircus) and free-ranging Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica) by molecular means.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first documentation of a Capra pyrenaica × Capra hircus hybridization, which presented us the opportunity to test the applicability of MHC loci as new, simple, cost-effective, and time-saving approach to detect hybridization between wild species and their domesticated relatives, thus adding value to MHC genes role in animal conservation and management.
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain. samer@ebd.csic.es
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alasaad
authors.forename: Joerns
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fickel
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarasa
authors.forename: Buenaventura
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benã-Tez-Camacho
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Granados
authors.forename: Ramón C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Soriguer
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005091:Exons; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II