Extensive population decline in the Tasmanian devil predates European settlement and devil facial tumour disease

Brüniche‐Olsen, Anna; Jones, Menna Lloyd; Austin, Jeremy J.; Burridge, Christopher P.; Holland, Barbara R.

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2014.0619

Cited by 58 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…Remaining genetic diversity was possibly further eroded by persecution following European settlement of Tasmania, and, more recently, by the DFTD epidemic (23,27). Low genetic diversity may have contributed to risk for the emergence of transmissible cancers in this species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils

Pye

Pemberton²,

Tovar

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

201

325

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Clonally transmissible cancers are somatic cell lineages that are spread between individuals via the transfer of living cancer cells. There are only three known naturally occurring transmissible cancers, and these affect dogs, soft-shell clams, and Tasmanian devils, respectively. The Tasmanian devil transmissible facial cancer was first observed in 1996, and is threatening its host species with extinction. Until now, this disease has been consistently associated with a single aneuploid cancer cell lineage that we refer to as DFT1. Here we describe a second transmissible cancer, DFT2, in five devils located in southern Tasmania in 2014 and 2015. DFT2 causes facial tumors that are grossly indistinguishable but histologically distinct from those caused by DFT1. DFT2 bears no detectable cytogenetic similarity to DFT1 and carries a Y chromosome, which contrasts with the female origin of DFT1. DFT2 shows different alleles to both its hosts and DFT1 at microsatellite, structural variant, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, confirming that it is a second cancer that can be transmitted between devils as an allogeneic, MHC-discordant graft. These findings indicate that Tasmanian devils have spawned at least two distinct transmissible cancer lineages and suggest that transmissible cancers may arise more frequently in nature than previously considered. The discovery of DFT2 presents important challenges for the conservation of Tasmanian devils and raises the possibility that this species is particularly prone to the emergence of transmissible cancers. More generally, our findings highlight the potential for cancer cells to depart from their hosts and become dangerous transmissible pathogens.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tasmanian devils have low levels of genetic diversity (10,(23)(24)(25), possibly caused by historical population declines driven by past climate change (27). Remaining genetic diversity was possibly further eroded by persecution following European settlement of Tasmania, and, more recently, by the DFTD epidemic (23,27).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils

Pye

Pemberton²,

Tovar

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

201

325

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on genome sequencing of Tasmanian devils, it is clear that devils have a modest genetic diversity (20). Indeed, historical data indicate that Tasmanian devils have existed for many centuries with low genetic diversity (40). The low genetic diversity is also apparent in the MHC gene loci, and at one stage provided the best explanation to account for the lack of allogeneic recognition of DFTD (21).…”

Section: Dftd Transmission and Immunology Of Tasmanian Devilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immunology of a Transmissible Cancer Spreading among Tasmanian Devils

Woods

Howson

Brown

et al. 2015

The Journal of Immunology

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Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is a transmissible cancer that has killed most of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrissii) population. Since the first case appeared in the mid-1990s, it has spread relentlessly across the Tasmanian devil’s geographic range. As Tasmanian devils only exist in Tasmania, Australia, DFTD has the potential to cause extinction of this species. The origin of DFTD was a Schwann cell from a female devil. The disease is transmitted when devils bite each other around the facial areas, a behavior synonymous with this species. Every devil that is ‘infected’ with DFTD dies from the cancer. Once the DFTD cells have been transmitted, they appear to develop into a cancer without inducing an immune response. The DFTD cancer cells avoid allogeneic recognition because they do not express MHC class I molecules on the cell surface. A reduced genetic diversity and the production of immunosuppressive cytokines may also contribute.

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“…Devils were isolated in Tasmania approximately 10 000 years ago and, since then, have gone through at least three population crashes [5]. Interestingly, the lack of genetic diversity seen in devils today dates back much further than these recent genetic bottlenecks [6,7]. It appears that devil population declines have coincided with changes in prey abundance associated with increased El Niñ o-Southern Oscillation activity approximately 2000-4000 years ago, and the Last Glacial Maximum (22 000-48 000 years ago) [4,5].…”

Section: Emergence Of a New Disease In Tasmanian Devilsmentioning

confidence: 98%