Pathogen burden, co-infection and major histocompatibility complex variability in the European badger (Meles meles)

• Main Authors: Sin, Yung Wa, Annavi, Geetha, Dugdale, Hannah L., Newman, Chris, Burke, Terry, MacDonald, David W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2014
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34835/1/Pathogen%20burden%2C%20co-infection%20and%20major%20histocompatibility%20complex%20variability%20in%20the%20European%20badger%20%28Meles%20meles%29.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34835/; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12917/abstract

Pathogen-mediated selection is thought to maintain the extreme diversity in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, operating through the heterozygote advantage, rare-allele advantage and fluctuating selection mechanisms. Heterozygote advantage (i.e. recognizing and binding a wider range o...