Our group is interested in the major histocompability complex of the chicken. The chicken MHC influences genetic resistance or susceptibility to infectious diseases, as well as vaccine responses. We determined the nucleotide sequences of portions of the MHC class I and class II genes in many different haplotypes of broiler (commercial meat-type) chickens, which were previously unknown. In addition to identifying new MHC alleles and haplotypes, the results shed light on the evolution and potential function of these important molecules in immune responses.
A more recent interest focus is the Mx gene, whose protein product contributes to the antiviral response induced by Type I interferons against viruses such as influenza. Other groups demonstrated that some chicken Mx alleles have antiviral activity against avian influenza, whereas other alleles lack antiviral activity, when expressed in transfected cell lines. We found that commercial broiler chicken lines have a low frequency of Mx alleles associated with antiviral activity, whereas SPF Leghorns have a high frequency of the antivirally active Mx form. We are presently evaluating cell cultures of different Mx genotypes to determine if the Mx allele affects viral replication in cells expressing endogenous Mx.
