Understanding the basis and impact of gene co-evolution within the chicken MHC.

Chickens carry a genetic region called the MHC that dictates how their immune system recognises viruses and other threats, and this project will map how its genes evolve together as a single, co-dependent unit. Most research on the chicken MHC has focused on a few laboratory lines, leaving the full genetic diversity of commercial and village chickens unexplored. This matters because the MHC controls whether a bird mounts a strong immune response to a vaccine or succumbs to a disease like Marek’s virus or avian influenza. Without knowing how MHC genes co-evolve in real-world populations, breeders and vets cannot predict which birds will resist infection or respond poorly to vaccination. The team will sequence MHC genes from a wide range of chickens, determine which short protein fragments each MHC variant presents to immune cells, and analyse the molecular interactions between antigen-processing proteins (TAP1, TAP2, tapasin) and the receptors on killer T cells and natural killer cells. If successful, this fundamental science will reveal the rules governing MHC co-evolution in birds. That knowledge could eventually help poultry breeders select for disease-resistant flocks and improve vaccine design, but the immediate payoff is a deeper understanding of how immune genes shape each other’s evolution—a question that applies to all vertebrates, including humans.