Question

What advantage would it convey to your children if you mated with someone who had different alleles for the HLA genes than you do? Why is it possible that we might be able to use our sense of smell to determine whether a potential mate has similar or different HLA alleles from us?

Answer 1

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system or complex is a group of related proteins that are encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene complex in humans. These cell-surface proteins are responsible for the regulation of the immune system. The segregation of HLA haplotypes within a family can be assigned by family HLA studies. Two siblings have a 25% chance of being genotypically HLA identical, a 50% chance of being HLA haploidentical (sharing one haplotype), and a 25% chance that they share no HLA haplotypes. A positive test means HLA-B27 is present. It suggests a greater-than-average risk for developing or having certain autoimmune disorders. An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue and thus mating with someone who had different alleles will decrease the chances of offprings being HLA positive.

There is much evidence that MHC genes influence individual odour in laboratory mice and rats. First, since MHC molecules occur in the urine and sweat, they may provide the odourants. MHC is expressed codominantly; a more diverse set of MHC genes leads to a stronger immune system.Women prefer male partners with differing MHC genes from themselves. An evolutionary explanation is that females are attracted to males with MHC alleles different from their own, to provide their offspring with a stronger immune system.

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