MHC-DRB1 exon 2 polymorphism and its association with mycoplasma ovipneumonia resistance or susceptibility genotypes in sheep

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphisms are associated with animal and human diseases. However, only a few studies have reported an association between MHC polymorphisms and mycoplasma ovipneumonia (MO). In the present study, three resistance/susceptibility genotypes associated with MO were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping, assessing the clinical and pathological features, and examining the immune factors. The current results showed that Mva I bb and Hae III ee were dominant genotypes in the susceptible Hu population, while MO-resistant populations, Dorper and D × H hybrids, were dominated by the Mva I cc and Hae III dd genotypes, suggesting that Mva I cc and Hae III dd genotypes might be associated with the trait of MO resistance. Further, the clinical symptoms and pathological morphology in the susceptibility group infected with MO were more severe than those in the resistant groups infected similarly. The data on the changes in the immune factor responses were utilized to deduce the molecular mechanism underlying the MO resistance/susceptibility. The results showed that the susceptible genotypes promote the inflammatory responses by inducing a high expression of TNFα, IFNγ, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-1β, while the resistant genotypes inhibit the inflammatory response by increasing the expression of IL-2 and IL-10 significantly. This finding would provide the theoretical guidance for propagating sheep breeds that are highly resistant to MO.