Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Weber, Diana

Keywords

Major Histocompatibility Complex, Genetics, Marine Mammals, Narwhal, Humpback, Whales

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

As the region of the genome coding for immunity against foreign pathogens, analysis of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II loci DRB and DQB allow us to make predictions about the adaptive potential of the narwhal in its effort to evolve under pathogenic pressure. To assess potential vulnerability of species to pathogen exposure, I examined genetic variation in the MHC from two species, the narwhal and the Arabian Sea (Region X) Oman humpback whale. In the narwhal, at DQB, seven new alleles were identified, while at DRB eight new alleles were discovered. The DQB locus showed evidence of gene duplication and overall the narwhal exhibits moderate levels of diversity and statistical measures indicate population expansion. In the humpback whale subpopulation polymorphism and sequence variation from genomic and allelic sequences was analyzed in 28 humpbacks at the locus DQB. In these individuals, 16 new alleles were found and six individuals displayed copy number variation. These findings may indicate that this humpback subpopulation has undergone gene triplication as a genetic mechanism to artificially create increased diversity.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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