Characterising MHC diversity in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus): An approach to species conservation

Abstract

The Major Histocompatibility Complex is a multigene family that plays a vital role in the innate and adaptive immune response of jawed vertebrates, as an interface between the immune system and infectious agents. Investigation of population diversity at the MHC genes is gaining attention to infer immunological fitness and adaptability of vulnerable populations to a changing environment. Microsatellite markers located in close proximity to MHC loci presents a simple, inexpensive and high throughput method of inferring genetic diversity at the MHC due to tight linkage with specific MHC alleles. The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) faces an uncertain future from the impact of a variety of potential threats, including climate change, human encroachment causing habitat degradation and the infectious disease, mucormycosis. With platypus populations spread across the eastern and south-eastern Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania, King Island and Kangaroo Island, the selective maintenance of MHC alleles is thought to vary between populations and characterisation of MHC diversity will prove valuable to current conservation efforts to infer the inherent evolutionary potential and immunological fitness of each surveyed population.