2022-04-28 ノースカロライナ州立大学(NCState)
ワイオミング州のヒキガエルAnaxyrus baxteriは、生息地の破壊や真菌感染などの要因により、20世紀後半を通じて深刻な個体数の減少に見舞われました。1990年代に飼育下繁殖を開始し、種の保存に努めた。現在、野生のヒキガエルは400〜1,500匹と推定されており、絶滅の危機に瀕している。
<関連情報>
- https://news.ncsu.edu/2022/04/immune-system-endangered-toad-survival/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10592-022-01444-8
トランスクリプトームアノテーションによるワイオミングヒキガエルAnaxyrus baxteriの最小限の免疫遺伝学的多様性の解明 Transcriptome annotation reveals minimal immunogenetic diversity among Wyoming toads, Anaxyrus baxteri
Kara B. Carlson,Dustin J. Wcisel,Hayley D. Ackerman,Jessica Romanet,Emily F. Christiansen,Jennifer N. Niemuth,Christina Williams,Matthew Breen,Michael K. Stoskopf,Alex Dornburg & Jeffrey A. Yoder
Conservation Genetics Published: 28 April 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-022-01444-8
Abstract
Briefly considered extinct in the wild, the future of the Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri) continues to rely on captive breeding to supplement the wild population. Given its small natural geographic range and history of rapid population decline at least partly due to fungal disease, investigation of the diversity of key receptor families involved in the host immune response represents an important conservation need. Population decline may have reduced immunogenetic diversity sufficiently to increase the vulnerability of the species to infectious diseases. Here we use comparative transcriptomics to examine the diversity of toll-like receptors and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) sequences across three individual Wyoming toads. We find reduced diversity at MHC genes compared to bufonid species with a similar history of bottleneck events. Our data provide a foundation for future studies that seek to evaluate the genetic diversity of Wyoming toads, identify biomarkers for infectious disease outcomes, and guide breeding strategies to increase genomic variability and wild release successes.
