%0 Journal Article
%T Variation at Innate Immunity Toll-Like Receptor Genes in a Bottlenecked Population of a New Zealand Robin
%A Catherine E. Grueber
%A Graham P. Wallis
%A Tania M. King
%A Ian G. Jamieson
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2012
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0045011
%X Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an ancient family of genes encoding transmembrane proteins that bind pathogen-specific molecules and initiate both innate and adaptive aspects of the immune response. Our goal was to determine whether these genes show sufficient genetic diversity in a bottlenecked population to be a useful addition or alternative to the more commonly employed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotyping in a conservation genetics context. We amplified all known avian TLR genes in a severely bottlenecked population of New Zealand's Stewart Island robin (Petroica australis rakiura), for which reduced microsatellite diversity was previously observed. We genotyped 17¨C24 birds from a reintroduced island population (including the 12 founders) for nine genes, seven of which were polymorphic. We observed a total of 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms overall, 15 of which were non-synonymous, representing up to five amino-acid variants at a locus. One locus (TLR1LB) showed evidence of past directional selection. Results also confirmed a passerine duplication of TLR7. The levels of TLR diversity that we observe are sufficient to justify their further use in addressing conservation genetic questions, even in bottlenecked populations.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0045011