COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Evolution of Amphibian MHC Genes After an Infectious Disease Outbreak

合作研究：传染病爆发后两栖动物 MHC 基因的进化

• 批准号: 0815315
• 负责人: Kelly Zamudio
• 金额: $ 33.5万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-10-01 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0815315&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; Evolution; Amphibian; MHC

Amphibian populations around the world are experiencing declines and mass mortalities at an unprecedented rate. The fungal disease chytridiomycosis is a primary cause of this epidemic, and differential susceptibility among species occurring in similar environments suggests that genetics may determine how individuals respond to infection. Zamudio and Lips will combine field and laboratory studies to test whether variability in immunity genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) confer differential survivorship to this emerging infectious disease, and how the disease itself alters the genetic and demographic composition of populations following an outbreak. The proposal focuses on frog populations in Central America where chytridiomycosis lethality is prevalent; however, their findings will be applicable to amphibian populations worldwide.This project will provide a better understanding of how emerging diseases shape adaptive molecular evolution, and how variability in immunity genes contribute to the response to novel disease threats. This research will quantify the molecular effects of this disease in ?real-time?, in addition to the genetic determinants of survivorship, resulting in useful epidemiological predictions for other populations or species that have yet to be exposed to the disease.

世界各地的两栖动物的人口正在以前所未有的速度下降和大规模死亡人数。真菌疾病造型菌病是这种流行病的主要原因，在类似环境中发生的物种之间的差异敏感性表明遗传学可能决定了个体对感染的反应。 Zamudio和Lips将结合现场和实验室研究，以测试主要组织相容性复合物（MHC）的免疫基因的变异性是否赋予这种新兴的传染病的差异生存，以及该疾病本身如何改变爆发后人群的遗传和人口统计学组成。该提案的重点是中美洲的青蛙种群，那里造成乳房菌病的致死性很普遍。但是，他们的发现将适用于全球两栖动物的人群。该项目将更好地了解新兴疾病如何塑造适应性分子进化，以及免疫基因的变异性如何促进对新型疾病威胁的反应。这项研究还将量化这种疾病的分子效应，除了生存的遗传决定因素外，还会对尚未暴露于该疾病的其他人群或物种产生有用的流行病学预测。