9728787 Yamazak There is considerable indirect evidence that the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) of genes a highly variable string of about 50 genes intimately involved in immune recognition also acts to provision individuals with a unique odor (an odortype) analogous to a fingerprint. The objectives of this project are threefold: I) to obtain direct evidence for this investigating odortypes of inbred mice that have targeted gene disruptions ( knockouts ) of one or both of two classes of MHC genes; ii) to investigate the functional role of odortypes in the context of mother- infant interactions;ii) to determine whether the odortypes of the fetus, which is expressed in the secretions and excretions of the pregnant animal, alters the way other animals interact with her. Broadly, the goals of this work are to increase our understanding of how and to what end MHC genes, best known for functioning in immune self-nonself recognition (the genes that must closely match successful organ or tissue transplants), code for individuality of odor. This understanding will through light on how diversity of this gene complex is maintained in nature, how individuals, be they mice or people, recognize each other as individuals and even, on a more practical level, on how dogs are able to track individuals humans. Thus, this project ranges from molecular biology to population biology to forensics.
