The evolution of innate immune genes : Purifying and balancing selection on β-Defensins in waterfowl
In disease dynamics, high immune gene diversity can confer a selective advantage to hosts in the face of a rapidly evolving and diverse pathogen fauna. This is supported empirically for genes involved in pathogen recognition and signalling. In contrast, effector genes involved in pathogen clearance may be more constrained. b-Defensins are innate immune effector genes; their main mode of action is
