The Genetic Basis of Inbreeding Avoidance in House Mice

摘要: Summary Animals might be able to use highly polymorphic genetic markers recognize very close relatives and avoid inbreeding [1, 2]. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is thought provide such a marker 3–6] because it influences individual scent in a broad range of vertebrates [6–10]. However, direct evidence limited 6, 10, 11]. In house mice ( Mus musculus domesticus ), the urinary protein (MUP) gene cluster provides another signal identity [8, 12–15] that could underlie kin recognition. We demonstrate wild breeding freely in seminatural enclosures show no avoidance mates with same MHC genotype when genome-wide similarity controlled. Instead, fully explained by strong deficit successful matings between sharing both MUP haplotypes. Single haplotype not good guide identification full sibs, there was behavioral imprinting on maternal or This study, first examine animals normal variation MHC, MUP, background, demonstrates self-referent matching species-specific [16, 17] inbreeding. Recognition as unsuitable more variable across species than generic vertebrate-wide ability based on MHC.