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Flockhart DTT, Rowan AN, Boone JD. Owned dog population size and ownership patterns in Costa Rica. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:946603. [PMID: 36532345 PMCID: PMC9751483 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.946603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are one of the most common pets around the world but ownership patterns and human-dog interactions have been changing, particularly in developing nations. We conducted household surveys in Costa Rica to characterize dog ownership, the owned dog population, where dogs were confined at night and in the morning, and behaviors regarding selected dog care issues. We also compared these results to similar questionnaires used in Costa Rica over the past 20 years. We found 76% of households in Costa Rica owned at least one dog and on average there were about 1.4 dogs owned per household. These dog ownership rates are higher than previous estimates. The probability of owning a dog was highest on farms and lowest in single family dwellings without a yard, higher among respondents that owned their homes and decreasing with increasing human population density The total number of owned dogs in Costa Rica was estimated to be 2,222,032 (95% confidence intervals: 1,981,497-2,503,751). The sterilization rate for homed dogs in 2020 was approximately 62% (females: 67%, males: 61%) which is higher than the 18% of owned dogs that were sterilized in a 2003 survey. Overall, only 1.2% (95% CI: 0.3-2.5%) of owned dogs slept on the street with a slightly higher proportion on the street at 8 am. The number of owned dogs roaming the streets at night nation-wide was estimated to be 27,208 (95% CI: 7,557-56,619) compared to 43,142 (95% CI: 20,118-73,618) on the street at 8 am. The number of unowned free-roaming dogs in Costa Rica has never been estimated but we can generate some idea of the size of the unowned dog population by determining the proportion of free-roaming dogs on the street wearing collars. There was a negative relationship between human population density and owned dogs being on the street meaning fewer dogs roam the streets in highly populated areas compared to less populated areas. Overall, we identify trends against which future progress can be measured and provide information that are critical in designing effective humane dog management programs in Costa Rica in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N. Rowan
- Wellbeing International, Potomac, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Andrew N. Rowan
| | - John D. Boone
- Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, NV, United States
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2
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Benka VA, Boone JD, Miller PS, Briggs JR, Anderson AM, Slootmaker C, Slater M, Levy JK, Nutter FB, Zawistowski S. Guidance for management of free-roaming community cats: a bioeconomic analysis. J Feline Med Surg 2022; 24:975-985. [PMID: 34842477 PMCID: PMC9511502 DOI: 10.1177/1098612x211055685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study used computer simulation modeling to estimate and compare costs of different free-roaming cat (FRC) management options (lethal and non-lethal removal, trap-neuter-return, combinations of these options and no action) and their ability to reduce FRC population abundance in open demographic settings. The findings provide a resource for selecting management approaches that are well matched for specific communities, goals and timelines, and they represent use of best available science to address FRC issues. METHODS Multiple FRC management approaches were simulated at varying intensities using a stochastic individual-based model in the software package Vortex. Itemized costs were obtained from published literature and expert feedback. Metrics generated to evaluate and compare management scenarios included final population size, total cost and a cost efficiency index, which was the ratio between total cost and population size reduction. RESULTS Simulations suggested that cost-effective reduction of FRC numbers required sufficient management intensity, regardless of management approach, and greatly improved when cat abandonment was minimized. Removal yielded the fastest initial reduction in cat abundance, but trap-neuter-return was a viable and potentially more cost-effective approach if performed at higher intensities over a sufficient duration. Of five management scenarios that reduced the final population size by approximately 45%, the three scenarios that relied exclusively on removal were considerably more expensive than the two scenarios that relied exclusively or primarily on sterilization. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE FRCs present a challenge in many municipalities, and stakeholders representing different perspectives may promote varying and sometimes incompatible population management policies and strategies. Although scientific research is often used to identify FRC impacts, its use to identify viable, cost-effective management solutions has been inadequate. The data provided by simulating different interventions, combined with community-specific goals, priorities and ethics, provide a framework for better-informed FRC policy and management outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A Benka
- Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Philip S Miller
- IUCN/SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Apple Valley, MN, USA
| | - Joyce R Briggs
- Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | | | - Margaret Slater
- Strategy and Research Department, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie K Levy
- Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Felicia B Nutter
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
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Aeluro S, Buchanan JM, Boone JD, Rabinowitz PM. Corrigendum: “State of the Mewnion”: Practices of Feral Cat Care and Advocacy Organizations in the United States. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:846256. [PMID: 35146020 PMCID: PMC8824252 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.846256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Aeluro
- Kitizen Science, Seattle, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Sabrina Aeluro
| | | | - John D. Boone
- Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, NV, United States
| | - Peter M. Rabinowitz
- Center for One Health Research, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Aeluro S, Buchanan JM, Boone JD, Rabinowitz PM. "State of the Mewnion": Practices of Feral Cat Care and Advocacy Organizations in the United States. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:791134. [PMID: 34970620 PMCID: PMC8712445 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.791134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last several decades, feral cats have moved from the fringes to the mainstream in animal welfare and sheltering. Although many best practice guidelines have been published by national non-profits and veterinary bodies, little is known about how groups “in the trenches” actually operate. Our study sought to address that gap through an online survey of feral cat care and advocacy organizations based in the United States. Advertised as “The State of the Mewnion,” its topics included a range of issues spanning non-profit administration, public health, caretaking and trapping, adoptions of friendly kittens and cats, veterinary medical procedures and policies, data collection and program efficacy metrics, research engagement and interest, and relationships with wildlife advocates and animal control agencies. Respondents from 567 organizations participated, making this the largest and most comprehensive study on this topic to date. Respondents came primarily from grassroots organizations. A majority reported no paid employees (74.6%), served 499 or fewer feral cats per year (75.0%), engaged between 1 and 9 active volunteers (54.9%), and did not operate a brick and mortar facility (63.7%). Some of our findings demonstrate a shared community of practice, including the common use of a minimum weight of 2.0 pounds for spay/neuter eligibility, left side ear tip removals to indicate sterilization, recovery holding times after surgery commonly reported as 1 night for male cats and 1 or 2 nights for females, requiring or recommending to adopters of socialized kittens/cats that they be kept indoor-only, and less than a quarter still engaging in routine testing of cats for FIV and FeLV. Our survey also reveals areas for improvement, such as most organizations lacking a declared goal with a measurable value and a time frame, only sometimes scanning cats for microchips, and about a third not using a standardized injection site for vaccines. This study paints the clearest picture yet available of what constitutes the standard practices of organizations serving feral and community cats in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John D Boone
- Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, NV, United States
| | - Peter M Rabinowitz
- Center for One Health Research, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Boone JD, Miller PS, Briggs JR, Benka VAW, Lawler DF, Slater M, Levy JK, Zawistowski S. A Long-Term Lens: Cumulative Impacts of Free-Roaming Cat Management Strategy and Intensity on Preventable Cat Mortalities. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:238. [PMID: 31403048 PMCID: PMC6676151 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study used a previously developed stochastic simulation model (1) to estimate the impact of different management actions on free-roaming kitten and cat mortality over a 10-year period. These longer-term cumulative impacts have not been systematically examined to date. We examined seven management scenarios, including: (1) taking no action, (2) low-intensity removal, (3) high-intensity removal, (4) low-intensity episodic culling, (5) high-intensity episodic culling, (6) low-intensity trap-neuter-return (TNR), and (7) high-intensity TNR. For each scenario we tracked within the model the number of kittens born, the number of kittens surviving to adulthood, and the number of adults removed using lethal control over the entire 10-year simulation. We further defined all kitten deaths and lethal removal of adults as “preventable” deaths because they could potentially be reduced by certain management actions. Our simulation results suggested that the cumulative number of preventable deaths over 10 years for an initial population of 50 cats is highest for a “no-action” scenario, estimated at 1,000 deaths. It is lowest for a high-intensity TNR scenario, estimated at 32 deaths, a 31-fold difference. For all management scenarios tested, including removal and culling, the model predicted fewer preventable deaths than for a no-action scenario. For all management scenarios, the model predicted that the higher-intensity option (defined in terms of the proportion of animals sterilized or removed within a given time period) would result in fewer preventable deaths over time than the lower-intensity option. Based on these findings, we conclude that management intensity is important not only to reduce populations more quickly, but also to minimize the number of preventable deaths that occur over time. Accordingly, the lessons for the animal welfare community are both encouraging and cautionary. With sufficient intensity, management by TNR offers significant advantages in terms of combined lifesaving and population size reduction. At lower intensity levels, these advantages are greatly reduced or eliminated. We recommend that those who seek to minimize suffering and maximize lifesaving for free-roaming cats attempt to balance prospective goals (i.e., saving lives tomorrow) with proximate goals (i.e., saving lives today), and recognize that thoughtful choice of management strategies can ensure that both of these complementary goals are achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Boone
- Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, NV, United States
| | - Philip S Miller
- Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Apple Valley, MN, United States
| | - Joyce R Briggs
- Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Valerie A W Benka
- Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - Margaret Slater
- Strategy and Research Department, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Florence, MA, United States
| | - Julie K Levy
- Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Stephen Zawistowski
- Animal Behavior and Conservation Program, Hunter College, New York, NY, United States
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Abstract
OVERVIEW Trap-neuter-return (TNR) for cat management is transitioning from an enterprise driven mainly by an urge to 'help' into an enterprise that draws useful guidance and precedent from the fields of population biology and wildlife management. This transition is in its infancy, however. At the present time many TNR programs do not produce substantial and persistent reductions in cat populations, and those that do often fail to effectively document this achievement or to publicize their success. CHALLENGES As a result, TNR has become increasingly controversial, with TNR advocates and wildlife conservationists often staking out fundamentally incompatible positions. This may ultimately prove to be an unproductive debate, since public opinion in developed countries is unlikely to support a total abandonment of TNR in favor of widespread cat management using lethal methods, and since wildlife advocates are unlikely to support TNR as it is typically practiced. ADVANCEMENTS In contrast, improving the effectiveness of TNR as a population management tool can benefit both cats and wildlife, potentially on a broad scale. Making these advancements requires the diligent promotion, dissemination and adoption of tools like population modeling, population monitoring and adaptive management. By virtue of their training and exposure to the scientific method, veterinarians are uniquely well positioned to translate the more technical aspects of these approaches to TNR practitioners, and to facilitate their wider use. AIM The purpose of this review is to describe for a veterinary audience how to facilitate more effective sterilization-based management of outdoor cats, using a combination of theoretical knowledge derived from population modeling and empirical knowledge derived from population monitoring. Using both of these information sources synergistically can offer a viable pathway to better management outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Boone
- Research Director, Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, NV 89502, USA
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Miller PS, Boone JD, Briggs JR, Lawler DF, Levy JK, Nutter FB, Slater M, Zawistowski S. Simulating free-roaming cat population management options in open demographic environments. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113553. [PMID: 25426960 PMCID: PMC4245120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Large populations of free-roaming cats (FRCs) generate ongoing concerns for welfare of both individual animals and populations, for human public health, for viability of native wildlife populations, and for local ecological damage. Managing FRC populations is a complex task, without universal agreement on best practices. Previous analyses that use simulation modeling tools to evaluate alternative management methods have focused on relative efficacy of removal (or trap-return, TR), typically involving euthanasia, and sterilization (or trap-neuter-return, TNR) in demographically isolated populations. We used a stochastic demographic simulation approach to evaluate removal, permanent sterilization, and two postulated methods of temporary contraception for FRC population management. Our models include demographic connectivity to neighboring untreated cat populations through natural dispersal in a metapopulation context across urban and rural landscapes, and also feature abandonment of owned animals. Within population type, a given implementation rate of the TR strategy results in the most rapid rate of population decline and (when populations are isolated) the highest probability of population elimination, followed in order of decreasing efficacy by equivalent rates of implementation of TNR and temporary contraception. Even low levels of demographic connectivity significantly reduce the effectiveness of any management intervention, and continued abandonment is similarly problematic. This is the first demographic simulation analysis to consider the use of temporary contraception and account for the realities of FRC dispersal and owned cat abandonment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip S. Miller
- Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Apple Valley, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John D. Boone
- Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Joyce R. Briggs
- Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Dennis F. Lawler
- Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Julie K. Levy
- Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Felicia B. Nutter
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Margaret Slater
- Shelter Research and Development, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Florence, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephen Zawistowski
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, New York, United States of America
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Pearce-Duvet JMC, St Jeor SC, Boone JD, Dearing MD. Changes in sin nombre virus antibody prevalence in deer mice across seasons: the interaction between habitat, sex, and infection in deer mice. J Wildl Dis 2007; 42:819-24. [PMID: 17255449 DOI: 10.7589/0090-3558-42.4.819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We examined the impact of season and habitat on Sin Nombre virus (SNV) seroprevalence in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in Utah's Great Basin Desert from May 2002 through summer 2003. Low mouse captures in 2002 limited analysis for that year. In two seasons during 2003, mouse density and sagebrush cover were positively linked (spring: r = 0.8, P = 0.01; summer: r = 0.8, P = 0.04). In the spring, seroprevalence was negatively correlated with density (r = -0.9, P< 0.01); male and female antibody prevalence did not differ; and scarring was unrelated to antibody status. In the summer, density and antibody prevalence were unrelated; male seroprevalence was higher (chi(2) = 3.6, P = 0.05); and seropositive mice had more scars (t = 2.5, P = 0.02). We speculate nesting behavior could maintain SNV over the winter, whereas summer territoriality could be responsible for transmission.
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Boone JD, McGwire KC, Otteson EW, DeBaca RS, Kuhn EA, St Jeor SC. Infection dynamics of Sin Nombre virus after a widespread decline in host populations. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2002; 67:310-8. [PMID: 12408674 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2002.67.310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Many researchers have speculated that infection dynamics of Sin Nombre virus are driven by density patterns of its major host, Peromyscus maniculatus. Few, if any, studies have examined this question systematically at a realistically large spatial scale, however. We collected data from 159 independent field sites within a 1 million-hectare study area in Nevada and California, from 1995-1998. In 1997, there was a widespread and substantial reduction in host density. This reduction in host density did not reduce seroprevalence of antibody to Sin Nombre virus within host populations. During this period, however, there was a significant reduction in the likelihood that antibody-positive mice had detectable virus in their blood, as determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Our findings suggest 2 possible causal mechanisms for this reduction: an apparent change in the age structure of host populations and landscape-scale patterns of host density. This study indicates that a relationship does exist between host density and infection dynamics and that this relationship concurrently operates at different spatial scales. It also highlights the limitations of antibody seroprevalence as a metric of infections, especially during transient host-density fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Boone
- Department of Microbiology, University of Nevada Reno, 89557, USA.
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10
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Sanders PM, Lee PY, Biesgen C, Boone JD, Beals TP, Weiler EW, Goldberg RB. The arabidopsis DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 gene encodes an enzyme in the jasmonic acid synthesis pathway. Plant Cell 2000; 12:1041-61. [PMID: 10899973 PMCID: PMC149048 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.12.7.1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 331] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2000] [Accepted: 05/19/2000] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
delayed dehiscence1 is an Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant in which anthers release pollen grains too late for pollination to occur. The delayed dehiscence1 defect is caused by a delay in the stomium degeneration program. The gene disrupted in delayed dehiscence1 encodes 12-oxophytodienoate reductase, an enzyme in the jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway. We rescued the mutant phenotype by exogenous application of jasmonic acid and obtained seed set from previously male-sterile plants. In situ hybridization studies showed that during the early stages of floral development, DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulated within all floral organs. Later, DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulated specifically within the pistil, petals, and stamen filaments. DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA was not detected in the stomium and septum cells of the anther that are involved in pollen release. The T-DNA insertion in delayed dehiscence1 eliminated both DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulation and 12-oxophytodienoate reductase activity. These experiments suggest that jasmonic acid signaling plays a role in controlling the time of anther dehiscence within the flower.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Sanders
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1606, USA
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11
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Sanders PM, Lee PY, Biesgen C, Boone JD, Beals TP, Weiler EW, Goldberg RB. The arabidopsis DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 gene encodes an enzyme in the jasmonic acid synthesis pathway. Plant Cell 2000; 12:1041-1061. [PMID: 10899973 DOI: 10.2307/3871254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
delayed dehiscence1 is an Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant in which anthers release pollen grains too late for pollination to occur. The delayed dehiscence1 defect is caused by a delay in the stomium degeneration program. The gene disrupted in delayed dehiscence1 encodes 12-oxophytodienoate reductase, an enzyme in the jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway. We rescued the mutant phenotype by exogenous application of jasmonic acid and obtained seed set from previously male-sterile plants. In situ hybridization studies showed that during the early stages of floral development, DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulated within all floral organs. Later, DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulated specifically within the pistil, petals, and stamen filaments. DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA was not detected in the stomium and septum cells of the anther that are involved in pollen release. The T-DNA insertion in delayed dehiscence1 eliminated both DELAYED DEHISCENCE1 mRNA accumulation and 12-oxophytodienoate reductase activity. These experiments suggest that jasmonic acid signaling plays a role in controlling the time of anther dehiscence within the flower.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Sanders
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1606, USA
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12
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Borucki MK, Boone JD, Rowe JE, Bohlman MC, Kuhn EA, DeBaca R, St Jeor SC. Role of maternal antibody in natural infection of Peromyscus maniculatus with Sin Nombre virus. J Virol 2000; 74:2426-9. [PMID: 10666274 PMCID: PMC111725 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.74.5.2426-2429.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Data from naturally infected deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were used to investigate vertical transmission of Sin Nombre virus (SNV) and SNV-specific antibody. The antibody prevalence in juvenile mice (14 g or less) was inversely proportional to the mass of the animal, with juvenile deer mice weighing less than 11 g most likely to be antibody positive (26.9%) and juvenile mice weighing between 13 and 14 g least likely to be antibody positive (12.9%). Although a significant sex bias in seropositivity was detected in adult deer mice, no significant sex bias in seropositivity was detected in juvenile animals. Ten juvenile deer mice were identified that had initially tested positive for SNV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) but had subsequently tested negative when recaptured as adults. SNV RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) in the blood of ELISA-positive adult deer mice but not in the blood of ELISA-positive juveniles. One of the juvenile mice initially tested negative for SNV RNA but later tested positive when recaptured as an ELISA-positive adult. The RT-PCR results for that individual correlated with the disappearance and then reappearance of SNV-specific IgG, indicating that the presence of SNV RNA at later time points was due to infection with SNV via horizontal transmission. SNV-specific antibody present in both ELISA-positive juvenile and adult mice was capable of neutralizing SNV. Additionally, our data indicate that SNV is not transmitted vertically.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Borucki
- Department of Microbiology, Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
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13
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Boone JD, McGwire KC, Otteson EW, DeBaca RS, Kuhn EA, Villard P, Brussard PF, St Jeor SC. Remote sensing and geographic information systems: charting Sin Nombre virus infections in deer mice. Emerg Infect Dis 2000; 6:248-58. [PMID: 10827114 PMCID: PMC2640872 DOI: 10.3201/eid0603.000304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested environmental data from remote sensing and geographic information system maps as indicators of Sin Nombre virus (SNV) infections in deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) populations in the Walker River Basin, Nevada and California. We determined by serologic testing the presence of SNV infections in deer mice from 144 field sites. We used remote sensing and geographic information systems data to characterize the vegetation type and density, elevation, slope, and hydrologic features of each site. The data retroactively predicted infection status of deer mice with up to 80% accuracy. If models of SNV temporal dynamics can be integrated with baseline spatial models, human risk for infection may be assessed with reasonable accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Boone
- University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
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14
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Abstract
Sin Nombre virus (SNV) is thought to establish a persistent infection in its natural reservoir, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), despite a strong host immune response. SNV-specific neutralizing antibodies were routinely detected in deer mice which maintained virus RNA in the blood and lungs. To determine whether viral diversity played a role in SNV persistence and immune escape in deer mice, we measured the prevalence of virus quasispecies in infected rodents over time in a natural setting. Mark-recapture studies provided serial blood samples from naturally infected deer mice, which were sequentially analyzed for SNV diversity. Viral RNA was detected over a period of months in these rodents in the presence of circulating antibodies specific for SNV. Nucleotide and amino acid substitutions were observed in viral clones from all time points analyzed, including changes in the immunodominant domain of glycoprotein 1 and the 3' small segment noncoding region of the genome. Viral RNA was also detected in seven different organs of sacrificed deer mice. Analysis of organ-specific viral clones revealed major disparities in the level of viral diversity between organs, specifically between the spleen (high diversity) and the lung and liver (low diversity). These results demonstrate the ability of SNV to mutate and generate quasispecies in vivo, which may have implications for viral persistence and possible escape from the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Feuer
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
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Boone JD, Otteson EW, McGwire KC, Villard P, Rowe JE, St Jeor SC. Ecology and demographics of hantavirus infections in rodent populations in the Walker River Basin of Nevada and California. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1998; 59:445-51. [PMID: 9749642 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1998.59.445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the ecologic correlates of hantavirus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), we sampled 114 sites in the Walker River Basin of Nevada and California in 1995-1996. Blood samples were tested for antibody to hantavirus, and a subset of samples was also tested for virus RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Average prevalence of antibody-positive mice was 17%, with heavier males the most likely to be infected. Antibody prevalence varied within repeatedly sampled sites from 0% to 50% over the course of several months, suggesting possible infection cycles. Although there was no linear correlation between deer mouse density and antibody prevalence on sample sites, more complex relationships between density and prevalence appeared likely. Specifically, infections were less likely where rodent densities were lower than a critical threshold value. However, above this value, density had no effect on prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Boone
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno 89557, USA
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