scholarly journals Relict or reintroduction? Genetic population assignment of three Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) recovered on mainland Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 170053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. White ◽  
Jeremy J. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Genetic Population ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Mainland Population ◽  
Devil Facial Tumour Disease ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
The Devil ◽  
Disease Free ◽  
Sarcophilus Harrisii

Today, the Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) is found only on the island of Tasmania, despite once being widespread across mainland Australia. While the devil is thought to have become extinct on the mainland approximately 3000 years ago, three specimens were collected in Victoria (south-eastern Australia) between 1912 and 1991, raising the possibility that a relict mainland population survived in the area. Alternatively, these devils may have escaped captivity or were deliberately released after being transported from Tasmania, a practice that has been strictly controlled since the onset of devil facial tumour disease in the early 1990s. Such quarantine regimes are important to protect disease-free, ‘insurance populations’ in zoos on the mainland. To test whether the three Victorian devils were members of a relict mainland population or had been recently transported from Tasmania we identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial genome that can distinguish between Tasmanian and ancient mainland populations. The three Victorian devil specimens have the same seven SNPs diagnostic of modern Tasmanian devils, confirming that they were most likely transported from Tasmania and do not represent a remnant population of mainland devils.

scholarly journals The role of functional polymorphisms in oxidative stress-related genes on early-stage breast cancer survival

2021 ◽  
pp. 172460082110111
Author(s):  
Erika Korobeinikova ◽  
Rasa Ugenskiene ◽  
Ruta Insodaite ◽  
Viktoras Rudzianskas ◽  
Jurgita Gudaitiene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Overall Survival ◽  
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Early Stage Breast Cancer ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Disease Free

Background: Genetic variations in oxidative stress-related genes may alter the coded protein level and impact the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Methods: The current study investigated the associations of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NFE2L2, HMOX1, P21, TXNRD2, and ATF3 genes with the early-stage breast cancer clinicopathological characteristics and disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival. A total of 202 Eastern European (Lithuanian) women with primary I–II stage breast cancer were involved. Genotyping of the single nucleotide polymorphisms was performed using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping assays. Results: The CA+AA genotypes of P21 rs1801270 were significantly less frequent in patients with lymph node metastasis and larger tumor size ( P=0.041 and P=0.022, respectively). The TT genotype in ATF3 rs3125289 had significantly lower risk of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive status ( P=0.023, P=0.046, and P=0.040, respectively). In both, univariate and multivariate Cox analysis, TXNRD2 rs1139793 GG genotype vs. GA+AA was a negative prognostic factor for disease-free survival (multivariate hazard ratio (HR) 2.248; P=0.025) and overall survival (multivariate HR 2.248; P=0.029). The ATF3 rs11119982 CC genotype in the genotype model was a negative prognostic factor for disease-free survival (multivariate HR 5.878; P=0.006), metastasis-free survival (multivariate HR 4.759; P=0.018), and overall survival (multivariate HR 3.280; P=0.048). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that P21 rs1801270 is associated with lymph node metastasis and larger tumor size, and ATF3 rs3125289 is associated with ER, PR, and HER2 status. Two potential, novel, early-stage breast cancer survival biomarkers, TXNRD2 rs1139793 and ATF3 rs11119982, were detected. Further investigations are needed to confirm the results of the current study.

scholarly journals Evolutionary origins of the emergent ST796 clone of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H Buultjens ◽  
Margaret M C Lam ◽  
Susan Ballard ◽  
Ian R Monk ◽  
Andrew A Mahony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Genomic Islands ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Circular Chromosome ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Healthcare Environments ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

From early 2012, a novel clone of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (assigned the multi locus sequence type ST796) was simultaneously isolated from geographically separate hospitals in south eastern Australia and New Zealand. Here we describe the complete genome sequence of Ef_aus0233, a representative ST796 E. faecium isolate. We used PacBio single molecule real-time sequencing to establish a high quality, fully assembled genome comprising a circular chromosome of 2,888,087 bp and five plasmids. Comparison of Ef_aus0233 to other E. faecium genomes shows Ef_aus0233 is a member of the epidemic hospital-adapted lineage and has evolved from an ST555-like ancestral progenitor by the accumulation or modification of five mosaic plasmids and five putative prophage, acquisition of two cryptic genomic islands, accrued chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms and a 80kb region of recombination, also gaining Tn1549 and Tn916, transposons conferring resistance to vancomycin and tetracycline respectively. The genomic dissection of this new clone presented here underscores the propensity of the hospital E. faecium lineage to change, presumably in response to the specialized conditions of hospital and healthcare environments.

The effects of season and devil facial tumour disease on the reproductive physiology of the male Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 999 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Keeley ◽  
P. D. McGreevy ◽  
J. K. O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Serum Testosterone ◽  
Serum Cortisol ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Early Stage Disease ◽  
Devil Facial Tumour Disease ◽  
Disease Free

Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is the cause of the rapid decline of wild Tasmanian devils. Female devils are seasonal breeders with births peaking during autumn (i.e. March) but the degree of reproductive seasonality in male devils is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the potential effects of season and DFTD on reproductive function in male devils (n = 55). Testicular (1.90 ± 0.23 g) and epididymal (0.90 ± 0.06 g) weights were maximal during autumn and spring (P < 0.05), whereas prostate (3.71 ± 0.74 g) and Cowper’s gland (0.68 ± 0.22; 0.52 ± 0.21 g) weights peaked during autumn (P < 0.001). The motility of spermatozoa from the cauda epididymides extracted post-mortem was similar (P > 0.05) across season and disease state (31.5 ± 13.1% total motility). Testicular and epididymal weights were no different between animals displaying late or early-stage DTFD signs or disease-free animals (P > 0.1). The accessory sex glands were larger in late-stage DFTD animals than in animals with early-stage disease signs or which were disease-free (P < 0.01) but effects of season on this result can’t be excluded. Serum testosterone concentrations peaked during summer (0.25 ± 0.18 ng mL–1) but values were not different from the preceding and subsequent seasons (P > 0.05), nor influenced by disease stage (P > 0.1). Seasonal and DFTD-related changes in serum cortisol concentrations were not evident (P > 0.1). Male devil reproduction does not appear to be restricted by season nor inhibited by DFTD.

scholarly journals Curse of the devil: molecular insights into the emergence of transmissible cancers in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (13) ◽  
pp. 2507-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Patchett ◽  
Andrew S. Flies ◽  
A. Bruce Lyons ◽  
Gregory M. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
The Devil ◽  
Sarcophilus Harrisii

scholarly journals Fine Mapping of a Grain Shape Gene from a Rice Landrace Longliheinuo-Dwarf (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica)

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Shang ◽  
Xu Chao ◽  
Kaiwen Meng ◽  
Xianghe Meng ◽  
Qin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Grain Shape ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Stop Codon ◽  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Premature Stop Codon ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Genetic Population ◽  
Single Nucleotide

Identification of grain shape genes can facilitate breeding of rice cultivars with optimal grain shape and appearance quality. In this study, we selected two rice germplasms, namely Longliheinuo-dwarf (LH) and N643, with different grain shape, to construct a genetic population for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. A major QTL (qGS7), controlling the ratio of grain length to grain width, was mapped on the chromosome 7 in a BC1F4 line. By high-resolution linkage analysis, qGS7 was delimited to a 52.8 kb region including eight predicted genes. Through sequence alignment and real-time PCR expression analysis of these ORFs, ORF3 (LOC_Os07g42410) was selected as the candidate gene for further analysis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) diversity analysis of ORF3 revealed that a single nucleotide deletion in the 7th exon resulted in a frameshift in parent LH and the parent in which a premature stop codon was identified. It was a rare mutation that caused grain shape difference. Real-time PCR analyses showed that the expression characteristics of ORF3 was in accordance with the development of spikelets. Of the 18 agronomic traits investigation in qGS7 near isogenic lines (NILs) showed that qGS7 not only changed grain shape but also affected plant height, panicle curvature, panicle length, the length of second leaf from the top, and chalkiness.

Observations on the Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) II. Reproduction, breeding and growth of pouch young

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
ER Guiler
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Time Of Breeding ◽  
Young Stage ◽  
Poor Recruitment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Devil ◽  
Sarcophilus Harrisii

The Tasmanian devil, S. harrisii, is polyovular and monoestrus and embryonic diapause was not found. The mean number of pouch young for 69 litters was found to be 2.95. The number of young in a litter varies with the age of the mother. More young are born than can be accommodated in the pouch. The time of breeding varies from year to year, mating taking place in March. The percentage of breeding females varies annually as well as from place to place, being found to be as low as 31 % in one area. The devil has a high reproductive potential because there are no losses at the pouch-young stage. This is offset by poor recruitment of juveniles into the population. Pseudopregnancy was found to occur. The sex ratio of both pouch young and adults favoured the female. The development and growth of the young is described.

The Immune Response of the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) and Devil Facial Tumour Disease

EcoHealth ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory M. Woods ◽  
Alexandre Kreiss ◽  
Katherine Belov ◽  
Hannah V. Siddle ◽  
David L. Obendorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Devil Facial Tumour Disease ◽  
Sarcophilus Harrisii
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