Koala MHCII association with chlamydia infertility remains equivocal: a need for new research approaches

Chlamydiosis is a common infectious disease impacting koalas and is a major cause of population decline due to resulting mortality and infertility. Polymorphisms of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes influence chlamydial disease outcomes in several species but koala studies have produced variable results. We aimed to identify the MHC II DAB and DBB repertoire of koalas from Liverpool Plains, NSW, a population heavily impacted by chlamydiosis. We compared variants between two studies, age cohorts and chlamydial infertility groups. Four DBB and eight DAB alleles were identified. The mean number of DAB alleles per individual increased and allele frequencies differed relative to a previous study, however the mean number of DBB alleles per individual decreased generationally, between age cohorts. DAB allele frequencies differed among fertility groups but contributing alleles could not be identified. While there is a likely role of MHCII in the complex pathogenesis of chlamydiosis, this study suggests that single gene association studies are not appropriate for understanding the impact of host genetics on koala chlamydiosis. A shift to larger multivariate studies is required to yield functional information on complex immunological interactions, and to inform targeted koala conservation across its diverse range and host-pathogen-environment contexts.