Thesis
Investigating telomere length as a susceptibility marker for Tasmanian Devil facial tumor disease
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103368
Abstract
Tasmanian devils have suffered dramatic population declines due to the recently emerged contagious cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). The purpose of this study was to compare telomere lengths of devils throughout Tasmania, including individuals infected with DFTD versus healthy animals. Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes found at the ends of all linear chromosomes and are essential for maintaining genome stability. While telomere dynamics within wild species are not fully understood, recent studies have found interesting links between telomere length and organismal performance in the wild. Specifically, short telomere length is shown to be associated with reduced survival in wild birds. Further, telomere length was found to be indicative of infection status in birds and badgers infected with malaria and tuberculosis, respectively. Findings from these and other studies suggest that possessing long telomeres is beneficial in the face of stressful conditions. Here, we tested the prediction that susceptibility to DFTD is negatively correlated with telomere length in devils. Our findings suggest telomere length is associated with DFTD resistance in two ways. First, devils from the West Pencil Pine population have significantly longer telomeres. This population had the slowest initial increase in prevalence as DFTD has moved nearly across the entire island of Tasmania. Second, using extensive recapture data, we found that individuals with long telomeres first show signs of DFTD at a later age than those with shorter telomeres. This research provides a rare study of telomere length variation and its association with disease in a wildlife population.
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Details
- Title
- Investigating telomere length as a susceptibility marker for Tasmanian Devil facial tumor disease
- Creators
- Lane Elise Smith
- Contributors
- Andrew T. Storfer (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525078901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis