Balancing selection and genetic drift at major histocompatibility complex class II genes in isolated populations of golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)

• Published in: BMC evolutionary biology Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 207
• Main Authors: Luo, Mao-Fang, Pan, Hui-Juan, Liu, Zhi-Jin, Li, Ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 19.10.2012; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Alleles; Amino Acid Sequence; Analysis; Animal models; Animals; Antigens; Balancing selection; Biotechnology industry; Breeding; Captive breeding; Captive wild animals; Colobinae - genetics; Confidence intervals; Conservation genetics; DQA1 protein; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered animals; Endangered Species; Evolution & development; Gene drift; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic Drift; Genetic polymorphisms; Genetic research; Genetic Variation; Genetics, Population; Haplotypes; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - classification; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - genetics; Major histocompatibility complex; Maximum likelihood method; MHC; Microsatellite Repeats - genetics; Microsatellites; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Physiological aspects; Population; Population differentiation; Population genetics; Population structure; Primates; Rhinopithecus roxellana; Selection, Genetic; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Studies; Translocation; United States; China; Beijing China

Small, isolated populations often experience loss of genetic variation due to random genetic drift. Unlike neutral or nearly neutral markers (such as mitochondrial genes or microsatellites), major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in these populations may retain high levels of polymorphism due...