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Abstract
A current research trend in the study of mate choice is the influence of the major histocompatibility complex—a set of genes that encode immune molecules. Individuals choose mates with respect to similarity or differences of their MHC to that of prospective mates. Many studies on MHC-based mate choice highlight preferences for MHC differences, and in three species—mice, humans, and salmon—MHC-based disassortative mate choice is evident. There are, however, also reports of preferences for similarity, preferences for fewer differences (relative to one's own MHC diversity), and preferences for particular haplotypes. These reports suggest that differences do not fully characterize MHC-based mate choice.
The purpose of this research was to investigate some of the variability in MHC-based mate choice in one species, the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus ). We identified three factors that contributed to variability in MHC-based mate choice in female rats: the use of certain haplotypes, reproductive status, and reproductive advantages of MHC similarity. This work is the first to demonstrate MHC-based mate choice in rats. Female rats show complexity in their MHC-based mating preferences that is similar to MHC-based odor preferences in humans. Given the findings in this research, rats may be a model for studying MHC-based mate choice in humans and other species.
