Dataset Information

Genetic variation in the odorant receptors family 13 and the mhc loci influence mate selection in a multiple sclerosis dataset.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:When selecting mates, many vertebrate species seek partners with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes different from their own, presumably in response to selective pressure against inbreeding and towards MHC diversity. Attempts at replication of these genetic results in human studies, however, have reached conflicting conclusions. RESULTS:Using a multi-analytical strategy, we report validated genome-wide relationships between genetic identity and human mate choice in 930 couples of European ancestry. We found significant similarity between spouses in the MHC at class I region in chromosome 6p21, and at the odorant receptor family 13 locus in chromosome 9. Conversely, there was significant dissimilarity in the MHC class II region, near the HLA-DQA1 and -DQB1 genes. We also found that genomic regions with significant similarity between spouses show excessive homozygosity in the general population (assessed in the HapMap CEU dataset). Conversely, loci that were significantly dissimilar among spouses were more likely to show excessive heterozygosity in the general population. CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights complex patterns of genomic identity among partners in unrelated couples, consistent with a multi-faceted role for genetic factors in mate choice behavior in human populations.

SUBMITTER: Khankhanian P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3091764 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic variation in the odorant receptors family 13 and the mhc loci influence mate selection in a multiple sclerosis dataset.

Khankhanian Pouya P Gourraud Pierre-Antoine PA Caillier Stacy J SJ Santaniello Adam A Hauser Stephen L SL Baranzini Sergio E SE Oksenberg Jorge R JR

BMC genomics 20101110

<h4>Background</h4>When selecting mates, many vertebrate species seek partners with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes different from their own, presumably in response to selective pressure against inbreeding and towards MHC diversity. Attempts at replication of these genetic results in human studies, however, have reached conflicting conclusions.<h4>Results</h4>Using a multi-analytical strategy, we report validated genome-wide relationships between genetic identity and human mate choi ...[more]

PMID: 21067613

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Project description:Disassortative mating refers to the phenomenon in which individuals with dissimilar genotypes and/or phenotypes mate with one another more frequently than would be expected by chance. Although the existence of disassortative mating is well established in plant and animal species, the only documented example of negative assortment in humans involves dissimilarity at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus. Previous studies investigating mating patterns at the MHC have been hampered by limited sample size and contradictory findings. Inspired by the sparse and conflicting evidence, we investigated the role that the MHC region played in human mate selection using genome-wide association data from 872 European American spouses from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). First, we treated the MHC region as a whole, and investigated genomic similarity between spouses using three levels of genomic variation: single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles (both four-digit and two-digit classifications), and amino acid polymorphisms. The extent of MHC dissimilarity between spouses was assessed using a permutation approach. Second, we investigated fine scale mating patterns by testing for deviations from random mating at individual SNPs, HLA genes, and amino acids in HLA molecules. Third, we assessed how extreme the spousal relatedness at the MHC region was compared to the rest of the genome, to distinguish the MHC-specific effects from genome-wide effects. We show that neither the MHC region, nor any single SNPs, classic HLA alleles, or amino acid polymorphisms within the MHC region, were significantly dissimilar between spouses relative to non-spouse pairs. However, dissimilarity in the MHC region was extreme relative to the rest of genome for both spousal and non-spouse pairs. Despite the long-standing controversy, our analyses did not support a significant role of MHC dissimilarity in human mate choice.

Dataset Information

Genetic variation in the odorant receptors family 13 and the mhc loci influence mate selection in a multiple sclerosis dataset.

Publications

Genetic variation in the odorant receptors family 13 and the mhc loci influence mate selection in a multiple sclerosis dataset.

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