Skip to main content

Table 2 Number of MHC class II DRB exon 2 alleles (ca. 200 bp) and sequence diversity in free-ranging vertebrate populations investigated in their natural environment. In addition, for comparison of variability levels of species with a low number of MHC alleles two studies of captive-bred populations are included. * DRB-locus is duplicated. N = sample size.

From: The importance of immune gene variability (MHC) in evolutionary ecology and conservation

Species

Order

Country

Nr of alleles (N)

Nr (%) of variable nucleotide positions

Nr (%) of variable amino acid positions

Nr (%) of amino acid differences between alleles

References

Microcebus murinus

primates

Madagascar

14 (228)

71 (41.5)

31 (54.4)

5 (8.8) – 25 (43.9)

[110,174]

Microcebus berthae

primates

Madagascar

9 (42)

46 (26.9)

24 (42.1)

3 (5.3) – 19 (33.3)

Sommer et al., unpublished data

Apodemus sylvaticus

rodentia

Germany

38 (119)

71 (32.7)

38 (52.8)

2 (2.7) – 28 (38.8)

[206]

Apodemus flavicollis

rodentia

Germany

27 (146)

49 (22.6)

28 (38.9)

1 (1.4) – 21 (29.2)

[173]

Leopoldamys sabanus

rodentia

Borneo

28* (49)

85 (49.7)

39 (68.4)

4 (7.0) – 25 (43.9)

Lenz et al., unpublished data

Gerbillurus paeba

rodentia

South Africa

34* (40)

68 (39.8)

33 (57.9)

1 (1.8) – 19 (33.3)

[172]

Rhabdomys pumilio

rodentia

South Africa

20 (58)

43 (25.1)

23 (40.4)

1 (1.8) – 14 (24.6)

[163]

Rattus rattus

rodentia

Madagascar

13 (58)

72 (40.7)

33 (55.9)

3 (5.1) – 26 (44.1)

Sommer, unpublished data

Hypogeomys antimena

rodentia

Madagascar

5 (229)

37 (17.1)

19 (26.4)

6 (8.3) – 21 (29.2)

[201]

Equus przewalskii

perissodactyla

captive-bred

6* (14)

52 (20.8)

29 (34.9)

1 (1.2) – 22 (26.5)

[55]

Oryx leucoryx

artiodactyla

captive-bred

3 (57)

35 (14.8)

21 (26.9)

13 (16.7) – 17 (21.8)

[129]

Damaliscus pygargus pygargus

artiodactyla

South Africa

6 (45)

21 (8.4)

14 (16.9)

1 (1.2) – 13 (15.7)

[130]