Evolutionary mechanisms: Implications of MHC-mediated behaviours on social interactions and their contribution to population divergence during speciation

• Applicant: Dr. Jasminca Behrmann-Godel
• Subject Area: Sensory and Behavioural Biology
• Term: from 2006 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 23774105

Preliminary investigations have shown that Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in Lake Constance that form local aggregations with kin can olfactorally discriminate between kin and non-kin, and between their own and a foreign sympatric population. Specific allelic compositions of MHC genes play a major role in kin recognition and influence mate choice decisions in a variety of vertebrate species by affecting the individual body odour. In this project I want to investigate the role of MHC genes for kin and population recognition. First, I will test if perch differentiate individuals by ¿family-specific¿ MHC alleles learned by phenotype matching and use this information for kin recognition. Secondly I will develop and test a new hypothesis that kin recognition could be the basal mechanism from which olfactory-based population recognition derives. I would show for the first time in any vertebrate species that in populations using chemical communication for social interactions such as kin recognition, MHC genes that determine specific odours could be under strong disruptive selection during the speciation process. This could lead to ¿population-specific¿ MHC genes that can be used to olfactorally discriminate between populations and drive reproductive isolation. Molecular genetic investigations into differences in the individual composition of specific MHC alleles within and between the coexisting perch populations of Lake Constance will be combined with behavioral experiments for MHC-mediated kin and population recognition and mate choice strategies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants