MHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans
Infection, Genetics and Evolution
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
We examined the associations between California sea lion MHC class II DRB (Zaca-DRB) configuration and diversity, and leptospirosis. As Zaca-DRB gene sequences are involved with antigen presentation of bacteria and other extracellular pathogens, we predicted that they would play a role in determining responses to these pathogenic spirochaetes. Specifically, we investigated whether Zaca-DRB diversity (number of genes) and configuration (presence of specific genes) explained differences in disease severity, and whether higher levels of Zaca-DRB diversity predicted the number of specific Leptospira interrogans serovars that a sea lion's serum would react against. We found that serum from diseased sea lions with more Zaca-DRB loci reacted against a wider array of serovars. Specific Zaca-DRB loci were linked to reactions with particular serovars. Interestingly, sea lions with clinical manifestation of leptospirosis that had higher numbers of Zaca-DRB loci were less likely to recover from disease than those with lower diversity, and those that harboured Zaca-DRB.C or –G were 4.5 to 5.3 times more likely to die from leptospirosis, regardless of the infective serovars. We propose that for leptospirosis, a disadvantage of having a wider range of antigen presentation might be increased disease severity due to immunopathology. Ours is the first study to examine the importance of Zaca-DRB diversity for antigen detection and disease severity following natural exposure to infective leptospires.
Suggested Citation
Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., Gulland, F., Bowen, L., 2018, MHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans: Infection, Genetics and Evolution, v. 57, p. 158-165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2017.11.023.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | MHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans |
| Series title | Infection, Genetics and Evolution |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.11.023 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Year Published | 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 8 p. |
| First page | 158 |
| Last page | 165 |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Other Geospatial | Channel Islands |