Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils.pdf (386.14 kB)
Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 00:53 authored by Epstein, B, Menna JonesMenna Jones, Rodrigo Hamede RossRodrigo Hamede Ross, Hendricks, S, McCallum, H, Murchison, EP, Schonfeld, B, Wiench, C, Hohenlohe, P, Storfer, AAlthough 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.
History
Publication title
Nature CommunicationsVolume
7Article number
12684Number
12684Pagination
1-7ISSN
2041-1723Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Nature Publishing GroupPlace of publication
UKRights statement
Copyright 2016 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open