Immunogenetics of micromammalmacroparasite interactions

Abstract

Conclusions and the future: Immunogenetics, the analysis of genetic polymorphisms in specific recognition and immune regulation, is at the core of the study of host-parasite coevolution. Given the well studied laboratory micromammal systems, broad research into micro-mammal immunogenetics now has a firm basis. Unfortunately, most studies continue to focus on MHC genes in lab mouse strains. We crucially lack further investigations considering genetic variation in natural populations, across biogeographical areas or at local scales, and exploring a wider diversity of immune genes. In addition, macroparasite immunogenetics remains scarcely explored, even though it is a topic of major importance to evaluate the effects of host immune gene diversity, from both specificity and regulation aspects, on antigenic variation. Such information will provide significant insights into the processes of adaptation at the molecular levels in these host-parasite systems. It will also provide the basis for future promising research areas including experimental evolution, which still mainly concerns viruses, and is essential to determine the nature of selection acting on the host or parasite immune genes or to reconcile the hypotheses of coevolution and genetic trade-offs.