Evolutionary genetics of immune system genes in a wild primate population

摘要: This project investigates the impact of natural selection on immune system genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in a wild baboon population in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. MHC genes show clear evidence of selection in several species but many critical questions about their evolution remain unanswered, particularly in regard to wild primate populations. In this dissertation, we analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of the MHC gene regions involved in transcriptional regulation and peptide-binding. First, we characterized the level and pattern of genetic diversity in an important cis-regulatory region, the DQA1 proximal promoter region, in the wild baboon population. The population genetic patterns of promoter region diversity contained multiple signatures of balancing selection. This diversity also had functional implications. Using a transient-transfection reporter assay, we showed that the baboon …