Journal article
Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils
Nature communications, Vol.7(1), pp.12684-12684
08/30/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/108993
PMCID: PMC5013612
PMID: 27575253
Abstract
Although cancer rarely acts as an infectious disease, a recently emerged transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils (
Sarcophilus harrisii
) is virtually 100% fatal. Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has swept across nearly the entire species' range, resulting in localized declines exceeding 90% and an overall species decline of more than 80% in less than 20 years. Despite epidemiological models that predict extinction, populations in long-diseased sites persist. Here we report rare genomic evidence of a rapid, parallel evolutionary response to strong selection imposed by a wildlife disease. We identify two genomic regions that contain genes related to immune function or cancer risk in humans that exhibit concordant signatures of selection across three populations. DFTD spreads between hosts by suppressing and evading the immune system, and our results suggest that hosts are evolving immune-modulated resistance that could aid in species persistence in the face of this devastating disease.
A recently emerged infectious cancer has caused the near extinction of the Tasmanian devil, but some populations persist. Here, Epstein
et al
. provide evidence for possible resistance via rapid evolution in two genomic regions that contain cancer-related immune response genes.
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Details
- Title
- Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils
- Creators
- Brendan Epstein - , Pullman, Washington 99164-4236Menna Jones - , Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania 7001Rodrigo Hamede - , Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania 7001Sarah Hendricks - , 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3051Hamish McCallum - , 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111Elizabeth P Murchison - , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ESBarbara Schönfeld - , Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania 7001Cody Wiench - , 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3051Paul Hohenlohe - , 875 Perimeter Drive, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3051Andrew Storfer - , Pullman, Washington 99164-4236
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.7(1), pp.12684-12684
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Identifiers
- 99900547021201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article