Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29534675›Full record

ArticleBMC evolutionary biology2018

High polymorphism in MHC-DRB genes in golden snub-nosed monkeys reveals balancing selection in small, isolated populations.

Pei Zhang, Kang Huang, Bingyi Zhang, Derek W Dunn, Dan Chen, Fan Li, Xiaoguang Qi, Songtao Guo, Baoguo Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC evolutionary biology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  4. MHC Diversity Across Time and Space.Ecology and evolution · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Pei ZhangShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Kang HuangShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Bingyi ZhangShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Derek W DunnShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Dan ChenMiddle School Affiliated to Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Fan LiShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Xiaoguang QiShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Songtao GuoShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
Baoguo LiShaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China. baoguoli@nwu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-7430-3889
Northwest University · CN

Funding

the National Key Programme of Research and Development, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China 2016YFC0503202the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31501872the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31730104the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31770411the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31770425
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMaintaining variation in immune genes, such as those of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is important for individuals in small, isolated populations to resist pathogens and parasites. The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), an endangered primate endemic to China, has experienced a rapid reduction in numbers and severe population fragmentation over recent years. For this study, we measured the DRB diversity among 122 monkeys from three populations in the Qinling Mountains, and estimated the relative importance of different agents of selection in maintaining variation of DRB genes.

resultsWe identified a total of 19 DRB sequences, in which five alleles were novel. We found high DRB variation in R. roxellana and three branches of evidence suggesting that balancing selection has contributed to maintaining MHC polymorphism over the long term in this species: i) different patterns of both genetic diversity and population differentiation were detected at MHC and neutral markers; ii) an excess of non-synonymous substitutions compared to synonymous substitutions at antigen binding sites, and maximum-likelihood-based random-site models, showed significant positive selection; and iii) phylogenetic analyses revealed a pattern of trans-species evolution for DRB genes.

conclusionsHigh levels of DRB diversity in these R. roxellana populations may reflect strong selection pressure in this species. Patterns of genetic diversity and population differentiation, positive selection, as well as trans-species evolution, suggest that pathogen-mediated balancing selection has contributed to maintaining MHC polymorphism in R. roxellana over the long term. This study furthers our understanding of the role pathogen-mediated balancing selection has in maintaining variation in MHC genes in small and fragmented populations of free-ranging vertebrates.

Indexed as

Genetics, PopulationPolymorphism, GeneticSelection, GeneticAllelesAnimalsBase SequenceChinaColobinaeExonsGene FrequencyGeographyHLA-DR beta-ChainsLikelihood FunctionsMajor Histocompatibility ComplexMicrosatellite RepeatsPhylogenyHLA-DR beta-ChainsBalancing selectionGenetic diversityMHCRhinopithecus roxellana

Identifiers

PMID29534675
PMCPMC5851093
OpenAlexW2801818224

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.