IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v7y2016i1d10.1038_ncomms12684.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils

Author

Listed:
  • Brendan Epstein

    (School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University)

  • Menna Jones

    (School of Zoology, University of Tasmania)

  • Rodrigo Hamede

    (School of Zoology, University of Tasmania)

  • Sarah Hendricks

    (Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho)

  • Hamish McCallum

    (School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan Campus)

  • Elizabeth P. Murchison

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Barbara Schönfeld

    (School of Zoology, University of Tasmania)

  • Cody Wiench

    (Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho)

  • Paul Hohenlohe

    (Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho)

  • Andrew Storfer

    (School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Brendan Epstein & Menna Jones & Rodrigo Hamede & Sarah Hendricks & Hamish McCallum & Elizabeth P. Murchison & Barbara Schönfeld & Cody Wiench & Paul Hohenlohe & Andrew Storfer, 2016. "Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12684
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12684
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12684
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms12684?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12684. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.