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Tokarz-Deptuła B, Kulus J, Baraniecki Ł, Stosik M, Deptuła W. Characterisation of Lagovirus europaeus GI-RHDVs (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Viruses) in Terms of Their Pathogenicity and Immunogenicity. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5342. [PMID: 38791380 PMCID: PMC11120834 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses (RHDV) belong to the family Caliciviridae, genus Lagovirus europaeus, genogroup GI, comprising four genotypes GI.1-GI.4, of which the genotypes GI.1 and GI.2 are pathogenic RHD viruses, while the genotypes GI.3 and GI.4 are non-pathogenic RCV (Rabbit calicivirus) viruses. Among the pathogenic genotypes GI.1 and GI.2 of RHD viruses, an antigenic variant of RHDV, named RHDVa-now GI.1a-RHDVa, was distinguished in 1996; and in 2010, a variant of RHDV-named RHDVb, later RHDV2 and now GI.2-RHDV2/b-was described; and recombinants of these viruses were registered. Pathogenic viruses of the genotype GI.1 were the cause of a disease described in 1984 in China in domestic (Oryctolagus (O.) cuniculus domesticus) and wild (O. cuniculus) rabbits, characterised by a very rapid course and a mortality rate of 90-100%, which spread in countries all over the world and which has been defined since 1989 as rabbit haemorrhagic disease. It is now accepted that GI.1-RHDV, including GI.1a-RHDVa, cause the predetermined primary haemorrhagic disease in domestic and wild rabbits, while GI.2-RHDV2/b cause it not only in rabbits, including domestic rabbits' young up to 4 weeks and rabbits immunised with rabbit haemorrhagic disease vaccine, but also in five various species of wild rabbits and seven different species of hares, as well as wild ruminants: mountain muskoxen and European badger. Among these viruses, haemagglutination-positive, doubtful and harmful viruses have been recorded and described and have been shown to form phylogenogroups, immunotypes, haematotypes and pathotypes, which, together with traits that alter and expand their infectious spectrum (rabbit, hare, wild ruminant, badger and various rabbit and hare species), are the determinants of their pathogenicity (infectivity) and immunogenicity and thus shape their virulence. These relationships are the aim of our consideration in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakub Kulus
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (J.K.); (W.D.)
| | - Łukasz Baraniecki
- Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Michał Stosik
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Gora, 65-516 Zielona Gora, Poland;
| | - Wiesław Deptuła
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (J.K.); (W.D.)
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2
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LaFond J, Martin KR, Dahn H, Richmond JQ, Murphy RW, Rollinson N, Savage AE. Invasive Bullfrogs Maintain MHC Polymorphism Including Alleles Associated with Chytrid Fungal Infection. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:262-274. [PMID: 35588059 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of genetic diversity at adaptive loci may facilitate invasions by non-native species by allowing populations to adapt to novel environments, despite the loss of diversity at neutral loci that typically occurs during founder events. To evaluate this prediction, we compared genetic diversity at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and cytochrome b (cytb) loci from 20 populations of the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) across theinvasive and native ranges in North America and quantified the presence of the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Compared to native populations, invasive populations had significantly higher Bd prevalence and intensity, significantly higher pairwise MHC and cytb FST, and significantly lower cytb diversity, but maintained similar levels of MHC diversity. The two most common MHC alleles (LiCA_B and Rapi_33) were associated with a significant decreased risk of Bd infection, and we detected positive selection acting on four peptide binding residues. Phylogenetic analysis suggested invasive populations likely arose from a single founding population in the American Midwest with a possible subsequent invasion in the northwest. Overall, our study suggests that the maintenance of diversity at adaptive loci may contribute to invasion success and highlights the importance of quantifying diversity at functional loci to assess the evolutionary potential of invasive populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob LaFond
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Katherine R Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Hollis Dahn
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan Q Richmond
- U.S. Geological Survey, 4165 Spruance Rd. Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Robert W Murphy
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Njal Rollinson
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna E Savage
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
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3
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Towards a more healthy conservation paradigm: integrating disease and molecular ecology to aid biological conservation †. J Genet 2021. [PMID: 33622992 PMCID: PMC7371965 DOI: 10.1007/s12041-020-01225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasites, and the diseases they cause, are important from an ecological and evolutionary perspective because they can negatively affect host fitness and can regulate host populations. Consequently, conservation biology has long recognized the vital role that parasites can play in the process of species endangerment and recovery. However, we are only beginning to understand how deeply parasites are embedded in ecological systems, and there is a growing recognition of the important ways in which parasites affect ecosystem structure and function. Thus, there is an urgent need to revisit how parasites are viewed from a conservation perspective and broaden the role that disease ecology plays in conservation-related research and outcomes. This review broadly focusses on the role that disease ecology can play in biological conservation. Our review specifically emphasizes on how the integration of tools and analytical approaches associated with both disease and molecular ecology can be leveraged to aid conservation biology. Our review first concentrates on disease-mediated extinctions and wildlife epidemics. We then focus on elucidating how host–parasite interactions has improved our understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics affecting hosts at the individual, population, community and ecosystem scales. We believe that the role of parasites as drivers and indicators of ecosystem health is especially an exciting area of research that has the potential to fundamentally alter our view of parasites and their role in biological conservation. The review concludes with a broad overview of the current and potential applications of modern genomic tools in disease ecology to aid biological conservation.
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4
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Elfekih S, Metcalfe S, Walsh TK, Cox TE, Strive T. Genomic insights into a population of introduced European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus in Australia and the development of genetic resistance to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:895-902. [PMID: 33560563 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is one of the most devastating invasive species in Australia. Since the 1950s, myxoma virus (MYXV) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) have been used to manage overabundant rabbit populations. Resistance to MYXV was observed within a few years of the release. More recently, resistance to lethal RHDV infection has also been reported, undermining the efficiency of landscape-scale rabbit control. Previous studies suggest that genetic resistance to lethal RHDV infection may differ locally between populations, yet the mechanisms of genetic resistance remain poorly understood. Here, we used genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data representing a reduced representation of the genome, to investigate Australian rabbit populations. Our aims were to understand the relationship between populations and identify possible genomic signatures of selection for RHDV resistance. One population we investigated had previously been reported to show levels of resistance to lethal RHDV infection. This population was compared to three other populations with lower or no previously reported RHDV resistance. We identified a set of novel candidate genes that could be involved in host-pathogen interactions such as virus binding and infection processes. These genes did not overlap with previous studies on RHDV resistance carried out in different rabbit populations, suggesting that multiple mechanisms are feasible. These findings provide useful insights into the different potential mechanisms of genetic resistance to RHDV virus which will inform future functional studies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Elfekih
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness-ACDP, CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, East Geelong, VIC, Australia.,Bio21 Institute and the School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Tom K Walsh
- Black Mountain Labs, CSIRO Land & Water, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tarnya E Cox
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Tanja Strive
- Black Mountain Labs, CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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5
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Pathogen-associated selection on innate immunity genes (TLR4, TLR7) in a neotropical rodent in landscapes differing in anthropogenic disturbance. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 125:184-199. [PMID: 32616896 PMCID: PMC7490709 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-020-0331-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form part of the innate immune system and can recognize structurally conserved pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) molecules. Their functional importance in the resistance to pathogens has been documented in laboratory experimental settings and in humans. TLR diversity, however, has been rarely investigated in wildlife species. How the genetic diversity of TLRs is associated with various pathogens and how it is shaped by habitat disturbance are understudied. Therefore, we investigated the role of genetic diversity in the functionally important parts of TLR4 and TLR7 genes in resistance towards gastrointestinal nematodes and Hepacivirus infection. We chose a generalist study species, the rodent Proechimys semispinosus, because it is highly abundant in three Panamanian landscapes that differ in their degree of anthropogenic modification. We detected only two TLR7 haplotypes that differed by one synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) position. The TLR4 variability was higher, and we detected four TLR4 haplotypes that differed at one synonymous SNP and at three amino acid positions within the leucine-rich repeat region. Only TLR4 haplotypes had different frequencies in each landscape. Using generalized linear models, we found evidence that nematode loads and virus prevalence were influenced by both specific TLR4 haplotypes and landscape. Here, the variable “landscape” served as a surrogate for the important influential ecological factors distinguishing landscapes in our study, i.e. species diversity and host population density. Individuals carrying the common TLR4_Ht1 haplotype were less intensely infected by the most abundant strongyle nematode. Individuals carrying the rare TLR4_Ht3 haplotype were all Hepacivirus-positive, where those carrying the rare haplotype TLR4_Ht4 were less often infected by Hepacivirus than individuals with other haplotypes. Our study highlights the role of TLR diversity in pathogen resistance and the importance of considering immune genetic as well as ecological factors in order to understand the effects of anthropogenic changes on wildlife health.
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6
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Schwensow N, Pederson S, Peacock D, Cooke B, Cassey P. Adaptive changes in the genomes of wild rabbits after 16 years of viral epidemics. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3777-3794. [PMID: 32506669 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since its introduction to control overabundant invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the highly virulent rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has caused regular annual disease outbreaks in Australian rabbit populations. Although initially reducing rabbit abundance by 60%, continent-wide, experimental evidence has since indicated increased genetic resistance in wild rabbits that have experienced RHDV-driven selection. To identify genetic adaptations, which explain the increased resistance to this biocontrol virus, we investigated genome-wide SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) allele frequency changes in a South Australian rabbit population that was sampled in 1996 (pre-RHD genomes) and after 16 years of RHDV outbreaks. We identified several SNPs with changed allele frequencies within or close to genes potentially important for increased RHD resistance. The identified genes are known to be involved in virus infections and immune reactions or had previously been identified as being differentially expressed in healthy versus acutely RHDV-infected rabbits. Furthermore, we show in a simulation study that the allele/genotype frequency changes cannot be explained by drift alone and that several candidate genes had also been identified as being associated with surviving RHD in a different Australian rabbit population. Our unique data set allowed us to identify candidate genes for RHDV resistance that have evolved under natural conditions, and over a time span that would not have been feasible in an experimental setting. Moreover, it provides a rare example of host genetic adaptations to virus-driven selection in response to a suddenly emerging infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,Centre for Applied Conservation Science, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David Peacock
- Biosecurity SA, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Brian Cooke
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- Centre for Applied Conservation Science, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
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7
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McLennan EA, Wright BR, Belov K, Hogg CJ, Grueber CE. Too much of a good thing? Finding the most informative genetic data set to answer conservation questions. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:659-671. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth A. McLennan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Belinda R. Wright
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- San Diego Zoo Global San Diego California
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8
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Immunological MHC supertypes and allelic expression: how low is the functional MHC diversity in free-ranging Namibian cheetahs? CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01143-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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9
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Hacking JD, Stuart‐Fox D, Godfrey SS, Gardner MG. Specific MHC class I supertype associated with parasite infection and color morph in a wild lizard population. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9920-9933. [PMID: 30386586 PMCID: PMC6202711 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large gene family that plays a central role in the immune system of all jawed vertebrates. Nonavian reptiles are underrepresented within the MHC literature and little is understood regarding the mechanisms maintaining MHC diversity in this vertebrate group. Here, we examined the relative roles of parasite-mediated selection and sexual selection in maintaining MHC class I diversity of a color polymorphic lizard. We discovered evidence for parasite-mediated selection acting via rare-allele advantage or fluctuating selection as ectoparasite load was significantly lower in the presence of a specific MHC supertype (functional clustering of alleles): supertype four. Based on comparisons between ectoparasite prevalence and load, and assessment of the impact of ectoparasite load on host fitness, we suggest that supertype four confers quantitative resistance to ticks or an intracellular tickborne parasite. We found no evidence for MHC-associated mating in terms of pair genetic distance, number of alleles, or specific supertypes. An association was uncovered between supertype four and male throat color morph. However, it is unlikely that male throat coloration acts as a signal of MHC genotype to conspecifics because we found no evidence to suggest that male throat coloration predicts male mating status. Overall, our results suggest that parasite-mediated selection plays a role in maintaining MHC diversity in this population via rare-allele advantage and/or fluctuating selection. Further work is required to determine whether sexual selection also plays a role in maintaining MHC diversity in agamid lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D. Hacking
- College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Michael G. Gardner
- College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Evolutionary Biology UnitSouth Australian MuseumAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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10
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Iannella A, Peacock D, Cassey P, Schwensow N. Genetic perspectives on the historical introduction of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) to Australia. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1849-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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11
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Neave MJ, Hall RN, Huang N, McColl KA, Kerr P, Hoehn M, Taylor J, Strive T. Robust Innate Immunity of Young Rabbits Mediates Resistance to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Caused by Lagovirus Europaeus GI.1 But Not GI.2. Viruses 2018; 10:E512. [PMID: 30235853 PMCID: PMC6163550 DOI: 10.3390/v10090512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The rabbit caliciviruses Lagovirus europaeus GI.1 and GI.2 both cause acute necrotizing hepatitis in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Whilst GI.2 is highly virulent in both young and adult rabbits, rabbits younger than eight weeks of age are highly resistant to disease caused by GI.1, although they are still permissive to infection and viral replication. To investigate the underlying mechanism(s) of this age related resistance to GI.1, we compared liver transcriptomes of young rabbits infected with GI.1 to those of adult rabbits infected with GI.1 and young rabbits infected with GI.2. Our data suggest that kittens have constitutively heightened innate immune responses compared to adult rabbits, particularly associated with increased expression of major histocompatibility class II molecules and activity of natural killer cells, macrophages, and cholangiocytes. This enables them to respond more rapidly to GI.1 infection than adult rabbits and thus limit virus-induced pathology. In contrast, these responses were not fully developed during GI.2 infection. We speculate that the observed downregulation of multiple genes associated with innate immunity in kittens during GI.2 infection may be due to virally-mediated immunomodulation, permitting fatal disease to develop. Our study provides insight into the fundamental host⁻pathogen interactions responsible for the differences in age-related susceptibility, which likely plays a critical role in defining the success of GI.2 in outcompeting GI.1 in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Neave
- CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Robyn N Hall
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Nina Huang
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Kenneth A McColl
- CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
| | - Peter Kerr
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Marion Hoehn
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | | | - Tanja Strive
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
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12
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Wells K, Fordham DA, Brook BW, Cassey P, Cox T, O'Hara RB, Schwensow NI. Disentangling synergistic disease dynamics: Implications for the viral biocontrol of rabbits. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1418-1428. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Konstans Wells
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
- Environmental Futures Research Institute Griffith University Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Damien A. Fordham
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate National Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Barry W. Brook
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
- School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart TAS Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Tarnya Cox
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit NSW Department Primary Industries Orange NSW Australia
| | - Robert B. O'Hara
- Department of Mathematical Sciences Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Nina I. Schwensow
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
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13
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Wang S, Liu C, Wilson AB, Zhao N, Li X, Zhu W, Gao X, Liu X, Li Y. Pathogen richness and abundance predict patterns of adaptive major histocompatibility complex variation in insular amphibians. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4671-4685. [PMID: 28734069 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The identification of the factors responsible for genetic variation and differentiation at adaptive loci can provide important insights into the evolutionary process and is crucial for the effective management of threatened species. We studied the impact of environmental viral richness and abundance on functional diversity and differentiation of the MHC class Ia locus in populations of the black-spotted pond frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus), an IUCN-listed species, on 24 land-bridge islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago and three nearby mainland sites. We found a high proportion of private MHC alleles in mainland and insular populations, corresponding to 32 distinct functional supertypes, and strong positive selection on MHC antigen-binding sites in all populations. Viral pathogen diversity and abundance were reduced at island sites relative to the mainland, and islands housed distinctive viral communities. Standardized MHC diversity at island sites exceeded that found at neutral microsatellites, and the representation of key functional supertypes was positively correlated with the abundance of specific viruses in the environment (Frog virus 3 and Ambystoma tigrinum virus). These results indicate that pathogen-driven diversifying selection can play an important role in maintaining functionally important MHC variation following island isolation, highlighting the importance of considering functionally important genetic variation and host-pathogen associations in conservation planning and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Conghui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Na Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianping Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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14
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Schwensow NI, Detering H, Pederson S, Mazzoni C, Sinclair R, Peacock D, Kovaliski J, Cooke B, Fickel J, Sommer S. Resistance to RHD virus in wild Australian rabbits: Comparison of susceptible and resistant individuals using a genomewide approach. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4551-4561. [PMID: 28667769 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the genes involved in disease resistance is essential if we are to understand host-pathogen coevolutionary processes. The rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was imported into Australia in 1995 as a biocontrol agent to manage one of the most successful and devastating invasive species, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). During the first outbreaks of the disease, RHDV caused mortality rates of up to 97%. Recently, however, increased genetic resistance to RHDV has been reported. Here, we have aimed to identify genomic differences between rabbits that survived a natural infection with RHDV and those that died in the field using a genomewide next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. We detected 72 SNPs corresponding to 133 genes associated with survival of a RHD infection. Most of the identified genes have known functions in virus infections and replication, immune responses or apoptosis, or have previously been found to be regulated during RHD. Some of the genes identified in experimental studies, however, did not seem to play a role under natural selection regimes, highlighting the importance of field studies to complement the genomic background of wildlife diseases. Our study provides a set of candidate markers as a tool for the future scanning of wild rabbits for their resistance to RHDV. This is important both for wild rabbit populations in southern Europe where RHD is regarded as a serious problem decimating the prey of endangered predator species and for assessing the success of currently planned RHDV variant biocontrol releases in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina I Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Harald Detering
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology and Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Camila Mazzoni
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ron Sinclair
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | | | - Brian Cooke
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.,Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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