Devil Facial Tumor Disease

Pye, Ruth J.; Woods, Gregory M.; Kreiss, Alexandre

doi:10.1177/0300985815616444

Cited by 38 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…DFTD is a transmissible cancer that spreads between devils when they bite each other during feeding and mating [ 69 ]. DFTD has an extremely high mortality rate [ 60 ], with death usually resulting from organ failure that is associated with metastases or starvation when the tumors interfere with an individual’s ability to feed [ 70 ].…”

Section: Association Mapping and Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of biodiversity in the genomics era

2018

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“Conservation genomics” encompasses the idea that genome-scale data will improve the capacity of resource managers to protect species. Although genetic approaches have long been used in conservation research, it has only recently become tractable to generate genome-wide data at a scale that is useful for conservation. In this Review, we discuss how genome-scale data can inform species delineation in the face of admixture, facilitate evolution through the identification of adaptive alleles, and enhance evolutionary rescue based on genomic patterns of inbreeding. As genomic approaches become more widely adopted in conservation, we expect that they will have a positive impact on management and policy decisions.

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Section: Association Mapping and Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of biodiversity in the genomics era

2018

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“…A well-known case of transmissible cancer is the one affecting the Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ), the largest existing marsupial carnivore. This cancer, known as the Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), is characterized by a recent emergence, a high propensity to metastasize, and a mortality rate close to 100% within 12 months after infection [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The disease was first detected in north-eastern Tasmania in 1996 and has since spread across 95% of the species’ range [ 10 ] through biting injuries during social contact [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer- and behavior-related genes are targeted by selection in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

2018

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Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is an aggressive cancer notorious for its rare etiology and its impact on Tasmanian devil populations. Two regions underlying an evolutionary response to this cancer were recently identified using genomic time-series pre- and post-DTFD arrival. Here, we support that DFTD shaped the genome of the Tasmanian devil in an even more extensive way than previously reported. We detected 97 signatures of selection, including 148 protein coding genes having a human orthologue, linked to DFTD. Most candidate genes are associated with cancer progression, and an important subset of candidate genes has additional influence on social behavior. This confirms the influence of cancer on the ecology and evolution of the Tasmanian devil. Our work also demonstrates the possibility to detect highly polygenic footprints of short-term selection in very small populations.

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“…These insights have since informed management strategies, including ongoing treatment development and management of captive insurance populations (Pye et al. ). In the case of chytriodiomycosis, genetic and transcriptomic analyses have furthered understanding of immune processes involved in species‐specific resistance to fungal infection, and microbial analyses have provided promising new treatment options through bioaugmentation with naturally Bd ‐ resistant microbes (Bletz et al.…”

Section: Applying An Integrative Molecular Approach To Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward an integrative molecular approach to wildlife disease

DeCandia

Dobson

vonHoldt

2018

Conservation Biology

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Pathogens pose serious threats to human health, agricultural investment, and biodiversity conservation through the emergence of zoonoses, spillover to domestic livestock, and epizootic outbreaks. As such, wildlife managers are often tasked with mitigating the negative effects of disease. Yet, parasites form a major component of biodiversity that often persist. This is due to logistical challenges of implementing management strategies and to insufficient understanding of host-parasite dynamics. We advocate for an inclusive understanding of molecular diversity in driving parasite infection and variable host disease states in wildlife systems. More specifically, we examine the roles of genetic, epigenetic, and commensal microbial variation in disease pathogenesis. These include mechanisms underlying parasite virulence and host resistance and tolerance, and the development, regulation, and parasite subversion of immune pathways, among other processes. Case studies of devil facial tumor disease in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) and chytridiomycosis in globally distributed amphibians exemplify the broad range of questions that can be addressed by examining different facets of molecular diversity. For particularly complex systems, integrative molecular analyses present a promising frontier that can provide critical insights necessary to elucidate disease dynamics operating across scales. These insights enable more accurate risk assessment, reconstruction of transmission pathways, discernment of optimal intervention strategies, and development of more effective and ecologically sound treatments that minimize damage to the host population and environment. Such measures are crucial when mitigating threats posed by wildlife disease to humans, domestic animals, and species of conservation concern.

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Devil Facial Tumor Disease

Cited by 38 publications

References 81 publications

Conservation of biodiversity in the genomics era

Conservation of biodiversity in the genomics era

Cancer- and behavior-related genes are targeted by selection in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

Toward an integrative molecular approach to wildlife disease

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