Primers for the amplification of major histocompatibility complex class I and II loci in the recovering red-crowned para
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TECHNICAL NOTE
Primers for the amplification of major histocompatibility complex class I and II loci in the recovering red-crowned parakeet Gabrielle J. Knafler • Ian G. Jamieson
Received: 23 September 2013 / Accepted: 26 September 2013 / Published online: 4 October 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Abstract Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are widely used to investigate evolutionary processes as they are essential for the adaptive immune response of vertebrates. The characterization of MHC loci, although generally abundant within birds, is mostly lacking in the Psittaciformes (the parrots). Because they are among the most threatened groups of birds and are regularly kept in captivity, examining the MHC in parrot populations would be helpful as the movement of birds associated with conservation efforts (e.g. translocations) and the pet trade may increase the risk of spreading disease. Here, we provide designed primers for the amplification of MHC class Ia exon 3 and class IIb exon 2 loci in New Zealand’s threatened red-crowned parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae. Our novel primers facilitate the study of MHC diversity in relation to emerging disease agents, such as the beak and feather disease virus which has been recently detected in wild parrot populations. Keywords Bottlenecks Genetic diversity Immunity genes Kakariki
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci are widely used to investigate adaptive processes in threatened organisms as they play an essential role in the acquired immune response of vertebrates (reviewed in Sommer 2005). In birds, MHC genes have been described in a number of taxa (Edwards et al. 1999); however, the amount
G. J. Knafler (&) I. G. Jamieson Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand e-mail: [email protected]
of literature characterizing MHC diversity in parrots (Psittaciformes) is weak. To date there are only two published studies examining features of the MHC in parrots, the neotropical green-rumped parrotlet, Forpus passerinus (Hughes et al. 2008) and the Australian budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulates (Edwards et al. 1999). Given that a significant number of parrot species are deemed threatened and that parrots represent the avian order most frequently kept in captivity (Frynta et al. 2010), the spread of disease facilitated by the moving of parrots via pet trade or conservation efforts is of concern. Therefore, identifying MHC structure and diversity in threatened parrot species should provide insight into the vulnerability of declining populations to novel pathogenic agents. For instance, the red-crowned parakeet or kakariki (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae: Family Psittaculidae) was once common amongst New Zealand’s North and South Islands until the introduction of predatory mammals in the 1800s (Bell 1991). Emerging pathogens, such as the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), which was first detected in redcrowned parakeets on Little Barrier Isla
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