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Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils.pdf (386.14 kB)

Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils

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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, A
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.

History

Publication title

Nature Communications

Volume

7

Article number

12684

Number

12684

Pagination

1-7

ISSN

2041-1723

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Place of publication

UK

Rights 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

Socio-economic Objectives

Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments

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