1
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Aparicio-Alonso M, Torres-Solórzano V, Méndez-Contreras JF, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Scanning Electron Microscopy and EDX Spectroscopy of Commercial Swabs Used for COVID-19 Lateral Flow Testing. Toxics 2023; 11:805. [PMID: 37888657 PMCID: PMC10610828 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11100805] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The chemical composition of COVID test swabs has not been examined beyond the manufacturer's datasheets. The unprecedented demand for swabs to conduct rapid lateral flow tests and nucleic acid amplification tests led to mass production, including 3D printing platforms. Manufacturing impurities could be present in the swabs and, if so, could pose a risk to human health. We used scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy to examine the ultrastructure of seven assorted brands of COVID test swabs and to identify and quantify their chemical elements. We detected eight unexpected elements, including transition metals, such as titanium and zirconium, the metalloid silicon, as well as post-transition metals aluminium and gallium, and the non-metal elements sulphur and fluorine. Some of the elements were detected as trace amounts, but for others, the amount was close to reported toxicological thresholds for inhalation routes. Experimental studies have shown that the detrimental effects of unexpected chemical elements include moderate to severe inflammatory states in the exposed epithelium as well as proliferative changes. Given the massive testing still being used in the context of the COVID pandemic, we urge caution in continuing to recommend repeated and frequent testing, particularly of healthy, non-symptomatic, individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Aparicio-Alonso
- Medical Direction and Healthcare Responsibility, Centro Médico Jurica, Santiago de Querétaro 76100, Mexico
| | - Verónica Torres-Solórzano
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76140, Mexico;
| | | | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76140, Mexico;
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2
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Pereida-Aguilar JC, Barragán-Vargas C, Domínguez-Sánchez C, Álvarez-Martínez RC, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Bacterial dysbiosis and epithelial status of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) in the Gulf of California. Infect Genet Evol 2023; 113:105474. [PMID: 37356747 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105474] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high incidence of urogenital carcinoma (UGC) in California sea lions stranded along California, no UGC has been reported in other areas of their distribution; however, cell morphologies typical of premalignant states have been found. Risk factors for UGC include high of organochlorines and infection with a gammaherpesvirus, OtHV-1, but the importance of the bacteriome for epithelial status remains unknown. We characterized the genital bacteriome of adult female California sea lions along their distribution in the Gulf of California and examined whether the diversity and abundance of the bacteriome varied spatially, whether there were detectable differences in the bacteriome between healthy and altered epithelia, and whether the bacteriome was different in California sea lions infected with OtHV-1 or papillomavirus. We detected 2270 ASVs in the genital samples, of which 35 met the criteria for inclusion in the core bacteriome. Fusobacteriia and Clostridia were present in all samples, at high abundances, and Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Campylobacteria were also well-represented. Alpha diversity and abundance of the California sea lion genital bacteriome varied geographically. The abundance of bacterial ASVs varied depending on the genital epithelial status and inflammation, with differences driven by classes Fusobacteriia, Clostridia, Campylobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. Alpha diversity and abundance were lowest in samples in which OtHV-1 was detected, and highest those with papillomavirus. Our study is the first investigation of how the bacteriome is related to epithelial status in a wild marine species prone to developing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Pereida-Aguilar
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro 76146, Mexico
| | - Cecilia Barragán-Vargas
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro 76146, Mexico
| | - Carlos Domínguez-Sánchez
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro 76146, Mexico
| | - Roberto Carlos Álvarez-Martínez
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro 76146, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro 76146, Mexico.
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3
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Lopes F, Oliveira LR, Kessler A, Beux Y, Crespo E, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Majluf P, Sepúlveda M, Brownell RL, Franco-Trecu V, Páez-Rosas D, Chaves J, Loch C, Robertson BC, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Kirkman SP, Peart CR, Wolf JBW, Bonatto SL. Phylogenomic Discordance in the Eared Seals is best explained by Incomplete Lineage Sorting following Explosive Radiation in the Southern Hemisphere. Syst Biol 2020; 70:786-802. [PMID: 33367817 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogeny and systematics of fur seals and sea lions (Otariidae) have long been studied with diverse data types, including an increasing amount of molecular data. However, only a few phylogenetic relationships have reached acceptance because of strong gene-tree species tree discordance. Divergence times estimates in the group also vary largely between studies. These uncertainties impeded the understanding of the biogeographical history of the group, such as when and how trans-equatorial dispersal and subsequent speciation events occurred. Here, we used high-coverage genome-wide sequencing for 14 of the 15 species of Otariidae to elucidate the phylogeny of the family and its bearing on the taxonomy and biogeographical history. Despite extreme topological discordance among gene trees, we found a fully supported species tree that agrees with the few well-accepted relationships and establishes monophyly of the genus Arctocephalus. Our data support a relatively recent trans-hemispheric dispersal at the base of a southern clade, which rapidly diversified into six major lineages between 3 and 2.5 Ma. Otaria diverged first, followed by Phocarctos and then four major lineages within Arctocephalus. However, we found Zalophus to be nonmonophyletic, with California (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) grouping closer than the Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) with evidence for introgression between the two genera. Overall, the high degree of genealogical discordance was best explained by incomplete lineage sorting resulting from quasi-simultaneous speciation within the southern clade with introgresssion playing a subordinate role in explaining the incongruence among and within prior phylogenetic studies of the family. [Hybridization; ILS; phylogenomics; Pleistocene; Pliocene; monophyly.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Lopes
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Larissa R Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.,GEMARS, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul, 95560-000 Torres, RS, Brazil
| | - Amanda Kessler
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Yago Beux
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Enrique Crespo
- Centro Nacional Patagónico - CENPAT, CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Patricia Majluf
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maritza Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Robert L Brownell
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, La Jolla, USA
| | - Valentina Franco-Trecu
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jaime Chaves
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.,Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1800 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Stephen P Kirkman
- Department of Environmental Affairs, Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claire R Peart
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Jochen B W Wolf
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Aguilar T, Nava GM, Olvera-Ramírez AM, Ronquillo D, Camacho M, Zavala GA, Caamaño MC, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Rosado JL, García OP. Gut Bacterial Families Are Associated with Body Composition and Metabolic Risk Markers in School-Aged Children in Rural Mexico. Child Obes 2020; 16:358-366. [PMID: 32429742 DOI: 10.1089/chi.2019.0312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background: Differences in gut microbiota composition have been associated with obesity and metabolic alterations in children. The aim of this study was to analyze the abundance of the main bacterial families of the gut among children according to their body composition and metabolic markers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 93 school-aged children (8.4 ± 1.6 years old). Anthropometric and body composition variables were measured and a blood sample was collected to determine glucose, insulin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, leptin, and cytokines [interleukin 6, interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)]. DNA was extracted from stool samples and the abundance of bacterial families (Bacteroidaceae-Porphyromonadaceae-Prevotellaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae-Ruminococcaceae) was determined by qPCR assays. Results: Children with obesity and high waist/height ratio had lower Bacteroidaceae-Porphyromonadaceae-Prevotellaceae and higher abundance of Lactobacillaceae when compared with normal-weight children. TNFα was negatively associated and IL-10 was positively associated with Bacteroidaceae-Porphyromonadaceae-Prevotellaceae. Triglycerides showed a positive relationship with Lachnospiraceae-Ruminococcaceae whereas high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was negatively associated with Lactobacillaceae. Conclusion: In rural Mexican school-aged children, a low abundance of Bacteroidaceae-Porphyromonadaceae-Prevotellaceae and a high abundance of Lactobacillaceae are associated with obesity and metabolic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Aguilar
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Gerardo M Nava
- Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos, Facultad de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Andrea M Olvera-Ramírez
- Cuerpo Académico Salud Animal y Microbiología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Dolores Ronquillo
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Mariela Camacho
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Gerardo A Zavala
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU Amsterdam University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - María C Caamaño
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unidad de Microbiología Básica y Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
| | - Jorge L Rosado
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México.,CINDETEC, A.C., Querétaro, México
| | - Olga P García
- Departamento de Investigación en Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, México
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5
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Adame K, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Beier E, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Pardo MA. The demographic decline of a sea lion population followed multi-decadal sea surface warming. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10499. [PMID: 32591624 PMCID: PMC7320179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67534-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The population growth of top predators depends largely on environmental conditions suitable for aggregating sufficient and high-quality prey. We reconstructed numerically the size of a resident population of California sea lions in the Gulf of California during 1978-2019 and its relation with multi-decadal sea surface temperature anomalies. This is the first multi-decadal examination of the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of California and of one of its major predators. A three-decade sustained warming explained the population's trend accounting for 92% of the variance, including a 65% decline between 1991 and 2019. Long-term warming conditions started in the late 80s, followed by the population's decline from 43,834 animals (range 34,080-58,274) in 1991 to only 15,291 (range 11,861-20,316) in 2019. The models suggested a century-scale optimum sea surface habitat occurring in mildly temperate waters, from 0.18 to 0.39 °C above the 100-year mean. The mechanistic links of this relation are still untested, but apparent diversification of pelagic fish catches suggests a reduction of high quality prey. We propose this population should be considered vulnerable to any disturbance that could add to the negative effects of the current warm sea surface conditions in the Gulf of California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Adame
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Unidad La Paz, Laboratorio de Macroecología Marina, 23050, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | | | - Emilio Beier
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Unidad La Paz, Laboratorio de Macroecología Marina, 23050, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Autonomous University of Queretaro, School of Natural Sciences, Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, 76230, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Mario A Pardo
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) - CICESE, Unidad La Paz, Laboratorio de Macroecología Marina, 23050, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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6
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Vendl C, Slavich E, Nelson T, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Montgomery K, Ferrari B, Thomas T, Rogers T. Does sociality drive diversity and composition of airway microbiota in cetaceans? Environ Microbiol Rep 2020; 12:324-333. [PMID: 32162479 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The number of social contacts of mammals is positively correlated with the diversity of their gut microbes. There is some evidence that sociality also affects microbes in the respiratory tract. We tested whether the airway microbiota of cetacean species differ depending on the whales' level of sociality. We sampled the blow of blue (Balaenoptera musculus), grey (Eschrichtius robustus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) and long-finned pilot whales (PWs) (Globicephala melas) and analysed the blow microbiota by barcode tag sequencing targeting the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Humpback whales (HWs) show higher levels of sociality than blue (BW) and grey (GW), while PWs are the most gregarious among the four species. The blow samples of the HWs showed the highest richness and diversity. HWs were also the only species with a species-specific clustering of their microbial community composition and a relatively large number of core taxa. Therefore, we conclude that it cannot be sociality alone shaping the diversity and composition of airway microbiota. We suggest the whale species' lung volume and size of the plume of exhaled air as an additional factor impacting the transmission potential of blow microbiota from one individual whale to another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharina Vendl
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Science, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Eve Slavich
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Science, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Stats Central, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, UNSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Tiffanie Nelson
- Queensland Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics, School of Medicine, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Building G40, Level 9, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4215, Australia
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230, Mexico
| | - Kate Montgomery
- The School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Belinda Ferrari
- The School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre of Marine Bio-Innovation (CMB), School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Science, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Tracey Rogers
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Science, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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7
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Stoffel MA, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Morales-Durán N, Grosser S, Chakarov N, Krüger O, Nichols HJ, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Hoffman JI. Early sexual dimorphism in the developing gut microbiome of northern elephant seals. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2109-2122. [PMID: 32060961 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiome is an integral part of a species' ecology, but we know little about how host characteristics impact its development in wild populations. Here, we explored the role of such intrinsic factors in shaping the gut microbiome of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) during a critical developmental window of 6 weeks after weaning, when the pups stay ashore without feeding. We found substantial sex differences in the early-life gut microbiome, even though males and females could not yet be distinguished morphologically. Sex and age both explained around 15% of the variation in gut microbial beta diversity, while microbial communities sampled from the same individual showed high levels of similarity across time, explaining another 40% of the variation. Only a small proportion of the variation in beta diversity was explained by health status, assessed by full blood counts, but clinically healthy individuals had a greater microbial alpha diversity than their clinically abnormal peers. Across the post-weaning period, the northern elephant seal gut microbiome was highly dynamic. We found evidence for several colonization and extinction events as well as a decline in Bacteroides and an increase in Prevotella, a pattern that has previously been associated with the transition from nursing to solid food. Lastly, we show that genetic relatedness was correlated with gut microbiome similarity in males but not females, again reflecting early sex differences. Our study represents a naturally diet-controlled and longitudinal investigation of how intrinsic factors shape the early gut microbiome in a species with extreme sex differences in morphology and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Stoffel
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, México.,The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA, USA
| | - Nami Morales-Durán
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, México
| | - Stefanie Grosser
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nayden Chakarov
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Hazel J Nichols
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Fernando R Elorriaga-Verplancken
- Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
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8
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Peñín I, Figueroa-Cabañas ME, Guerrero-de la Rosa F, Soto-García LA, Álvarez-Martínez R, Flores-Morán A, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Transcriptional Profiles of California Sea Lion Peripheral NK and CD +8 T Cells Reflect Ecological Regionalization and Infection by Oncogenic Viruses. Front Immunol 2019; 10:413. [PMID: 30915075 PMCID: PMC6422979 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The California sea lion is one of the few wild mammals prone to develop cancer, particularly urogenital carcinoma (UGC), whose prevalence is currently estimated at 25% of dead adult sea lions stranded along the California coastline. Genetic factors, viruses and organochlorines have been identified as factors that increase the risk of occurrence of this pathology. Given that no cases of UGC have as yet been reported for the species along its distribution in Mexican waters, the potential relevance of contaminants for the development of urogenital carcinoma is highlighted even more as blubber levels of organochlorines are more than two orders of magnitude lower in the Gulf of California and Mexican Pacific than in California. In vitro studies have shown that organochlorines can modulate anti-viral and tumor-surveillance activities of NK and cytotoxic T-cells of marine mammals, but little is known about the activity of these effectors in live, free-living sea lions. Here, we examine leukocyte transcriptional profiles of free-ranging adult California sea lions for eight genes (Eomes, Granzyme B, Perforin, Ly49, STAT1, Tbx21, GATA3, and FoxP3) selected for their key role in anti-viral and tumor-surveillance, and investigate patterns of transcription that could be indicative of differences in ecological variables and exposure to two oncogenic viruses: sea lion type one gammaherpesvirus (OtHV-1) and sea lion papillomavirus type 1 (ZcPV-1) and systemic inflammation. We observed regional differences in the expression of genes related to Th1 responses and immune modulation, and detected clear patterns of differential regulation of gene expression in sea lions infected by genital papillomavirus compared to those infected by genital gammaherpesvirus or for simultaneous infections, similar to what is known about herpesvirus and papillomavirus infections in humans. Our study is a first approach to profile the transcriptional patterns of key immune effectors of free-ranging California sea lions and their association with ecological regions and oncogenic viruses. The observed results add insight to our understanding of immune competence of marine mammals, and may help elucidate the marked difference in the number of cases of urogenital carcinoma in sea lions from US waters and other areas of their distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Peñín
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Mónica E Figueroa-Cabañas
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Fabiola Guerrero-de la Rosa
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Luis A Soto-García
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Roberto Álvarez-Martínez
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Adriana Flores-Morán
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico.,The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA, United States
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Stoffel MA, Humble E, Paijmans AJ, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Chilvers BL, Dickerson B, Galimberti F, Gemmell NJ, Goldsworthy SD, Nichols HJ, Krüger O, Negro S, Osborne A, Pastor T, Robertson BC, Sanvito S, Schultz JK, Shafer ABA, Wolf JBW, Hoffman JI. Demographic histories and genetic diversity across pinnipeds are shaped by human exploitation, ecology and life-history. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4836. [PMID: 30446730 PMCID: PMC6240053 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06695-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A central paradigm in conservation biology is that population bottlenecks reduce genetic diversity and population viability. In an era of biodiversity loss and climate change, understanding the determinants and consequences of bottlenecks is therefore an important challenge. However, as most studies focus on single species, the multitude of potential drivers and the consequences of bottlenecks remain elusive. Here, we combined genetic data from over 11,000 individuals of 30 pinniped species with demographic, ecological and life history data to evaluate the consequences of commercial exploitation by 18th and 19th century sealers. We show that around one third of these species exhibit strong signatures of recent population declines. Bottleneck strength is associated with breeding habitat and mating system variation, and together with global abundance explains much of the variation in genetic diversity across species. Overall, bottleneck intensity is unrelated to IUCN status, although the three most heavily bottlenecked species are endangered. Our study reveals an unforeseen interplay between human exploitation, animal biology, demographic declines and genetic diversity. Historical hunting has caused documented declines in pinnipeds, but the extent to which hunting caused genetic bottlenecks among species was unknown. Here, the authors show evidence of severe bottlenecks in several pinniped species, particularly those that breed on land.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Stoffel
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.,School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - E Humble
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.,British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
| | - A J Paijmans
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - K Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro, 76230, Mexico
| | - B L Chilvers
- Wildbase, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - B Dickerson
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, 98115, WA, USA
| | - F Galimberti
- Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands
| | - N J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - S D Goldsworthy
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, 5024, Australia
| | - H J Nichols
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Department of Animal Behaviour Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.,Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - O Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - S Negro
- UMR de Génétique Quantitative et Évolution - Le Moulon, INRA, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France.,GIGA-R, Medical Genomics - BIO3, Université of Liège, Liège, 4000, Belgium
| | - A Osborne
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand, 8140
| | - T Pastor
- EUROPARC Federation, Carretera de l'Església, 92, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B C Robertson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - S Sanvito
- Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands
| | - J K Schultz
- National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - A B A Shafer
- Forensic Science & Environmental Life Sciences, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8
| | - J B W Wolf
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinstried, Munich, 82152, Germany.,Science of Life Laboratory and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 752 36, Sweden
| | - J I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany. .,British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK.
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10
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Peñín I, Levin M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Jasperse L, Gebhard E, Gulland FMD, De Guise S. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) on California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) lymphocyte functions upon in vitro exposure. Environ Res 2018; 167:708-717. [PMID: 30236520 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Polychorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners are a cause for concern due to their persistence in the environment, their lipophilic properties that cause them to bio-accumulate in top predators, and their adverse effects on mammalian health. For example, the common urogenital carcinoma reported in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) (CSL) is associated with high tissue levels of PCBs, but the mechanisms responsible for this association are unknown. This study investigated the effect of exposure to six PCB congeners and a congener mix at low and environmentally relevant concentrations on NK cell-like and T cell activity using in vitro assays on cryopreserved lymph node mononuclear cells isolated from dead CSL. Non dioxin-like congeners 153 and 180 increased lymphocyte proliferation at 5 and 10 ppm, while congener 138 decreased proliferation by up to 43% at 15 ppm. Dioxin-like PCBs 118 and 169 did not affect lymphocyte proliferation, while the effects of congener 105 depended on the mitogen concentration; these did not correlate with their predicted toxic equivalent factors. NK cell-like activity was affected only by the highest concentration of PCBs tested; it was increased by non-dioxin-like congeners 138 and 153, and decreased by dioxin-like congener 169. The PCB congener mix suggested that the effects of PCB congeners were not simply additive. Our results concur with effects of PCBs reported for other pinniped's lymphocytes and add further experimental support to the observation that dioxin-like PCBs are not the most toxic congeners for marine mammals, contrary to effects in other species. This is the first evidence of in vitro suppression of NK cell-like cytotoxicity by a dioxin-like congener in a pinniped. More importantly, the observed results suggest that PCBs can modulate the CSL immune system, increasing exposed individuals' susceptibility to viral and oncogenic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Peñín
- Laboratory of Immune Plasticity and Molecular Ecoepidemiology, Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Autonomous University of Queretaro, 76230, Mexico
| | - M Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - K Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Laboratory of Immune Plasticity and Molecular Ecoepidemiology, Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Autonomous University of Queretaro, 76230, Mexico; The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - L Jasperse
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - E Gebhard
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - F M D Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - S De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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11
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Espinosa-de Aquino W, Bailey M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Changes in mucosal and serum immunoglobulin levels of California sea lions during early development. Dev Comp Immunol 2017; 77:166-173. [PMID: 28811240 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2017.08.006] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To date, most studies on pinniped immunoglobulins have focused on circulating antibodies. However, systemic and local immune activities differ in terms of maturation, intensity, and types of effectors that participate. Here, we examined levels of three immunoglobulin isotypes, IgG, IgM and IgA, in the blood and mucosal membranes of free-living California sea lion pups. We investigated whether age, body condition and sex influenced their concentration. Isotype levels varied among tissues, with age-related patterns that could be indicative of differential regulation along development. Serum IgG and IgA increased linearly with age, reaching adult levels at five months of age, while IgM remained unchanged. Mucosal isotypes tended to be low in newborns and remained so until five months of age. Regardless of age, pups with better condition tended to have higher anal IgG levels and higher genital IgA levels, suggesting that their synthesis and transport to the mucosal membranes is costly. Intersex differences were only observed in the genital mucosa, where all isotypes differed between male and female pups, regardless of age, presumably due to histological and anatomical differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Espinosa-de Aquino
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230 Mexico
| | - M Bailey
- School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - K Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230 Mexico; The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, United States.
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12
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Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Gulland FMD, Bowen L. MHC class II DRB diversity predicts antigen recognition and is associated with disease severity in California sea lions naturally infected with Leptospira interrogans. Infect Genet Evol 2017; 57:158-165. [PMID: 29183820 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We examined the associations between California sea lion MHC class II DRB (Zaca-DRB) configuration and diversity, and leptospirosis. As Zaca-DRB gene sequences are involved with antigen presentation of bacteria and other extracellular pathogens, we predicted that they would play a role in determining responses to these pathogenic spirochaetes. Specifically, we investigated whether Zaca-DRB diversity (number of genes) and configuration (presence of specific genes) explained differences in disease severity, and whether higher levels of Zaca-DRB diversity predicted the number of specific Leptospira interrogans serovars that a sea lion's serum would react against. We found that serum from diseased sea lions with more Zaca-DRB loci reacted against a wider array of serovars. Specific Zaca-DRB loci were linked to reactions with particular serovars. Interestingly, sea lions with clinical manifestation of leptospirosis that had higher numbers of Zaca-DRB loci were less likely to recover from disease than those with lower diversity, and those that harboured Zaca-DRB.C or -G were 4.5 to 5.3 times more likely to die from leptospirosis, regardless of the infective serovars. We propose that for leptospirosis, a disadvantage of having a wider range of antigen presentation might be increased disease severity due to immunopathology. Ours is the first study to examine the importance of Zaca-DRB diversity for antigen detection and disease severity following natural exposure to infective leptospires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, Mexico; The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA.
| | | | - Lizabeth Bowen
- USGS Western Ecological Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA 95616-5224, USA
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13
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Flores-Morán A, Banuet-Martínez M, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, García-Ortuño LE, Sandoval-Sierra J, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Atypical Red Blood Cells Are Prevalent in California Sea Lion Pups Born during Anomalous Sea Surface Temperature Events. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:564-574. [DOI: 10.1086/692919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Banuet-Martínez M, Espinosa-de Aquino W, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Flores-Morán A, García OP, Camacho M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Climatic anomaly affects the immune competence of California sea lions. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179359. [PMID: 28658317 PMCID: PMC5489150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decades have been characterized by a growing number of climatic anomalies. As these anomalies tend to occur suddenly and unexpectedly, it is often difficult to procure empirical evidence of their effects on natural populations. We analysed how the recent sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the northeastern Pacific Ocean affects body condition, nutritional status, and immune competence of California sea lion pups. We found that pup body condition and blood glucose levels of the pups were lower during high SST events, although other biomarkers of malnutrition remained unchanged, suggesting that pups were experiencing early stages of starvation. Glucose-dependent immune responses were affected by the SST anomaly; specifically, pups born during high SST events had lower serum concentrations of IgG and IgA, and were unable to respond to an immune challenge. This means that not only were pups that were born during the SST anomaly less able to synthesize protective antibodies; they were also limited in their ability to respond rapidly to nonspecific immune challenges. Our study provides empirical evidence that atypical climatic conditions can limit energetic reserves and compromise physiological responses that are essential for the survival of a marine top predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Banuet-Martínez
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Wendy Espinosa-de Aquino
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CICIMAR-IPN), La Paz, Mexico
| | - Adriana Flores-Morán
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Olga P. García
- Department of Human Nutrition, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Mariela Camacho
- Department of Human Nutrition, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
- The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Morales-Guerrero B, Barragán-Vargas C, Silva-Rosales GR, Ortega-Ortiz CD, Gendron D, Martinez-Levasseur LM, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Melanin granules melanophages and a fully-melanized epidermis are common traits of odontocete and mysticete cetaceans. Vet Dermatol 2016; 28:213-e50. [PMID: 27943433 DOI: 10.1111/vde.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cellular mechanisms used to counteract or limit damage caused by exposure of marine vertebrates to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation are poorly understood. Cetaceans are vulnerable because they lack protective skin appendages and are obliged to surface continuously to breathe, thus being exposed repeatedly to UV light. Although molecular mechanisms of photoprotection of cetaceans have been studied, there is limited knowledge about their epidermal structure and photoprotective effectors. OBJECTIVE To describe and compare the epidermis of mysticete and odontocete cetaceans and identify potentially photoprotective traits. ANIMALS Twenty eight free-living individuals belonging to six cetacean species were sampled in the Mexican Central Pacific and Gulf of California. Species sampled were the bottlenose dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, Bryde's whale, fin whale and humpback whale. METHODS Histological and cytological evaluation of skin biopsy tissue collected in the field between 2014 and 2016. RESULTS All cetaceans had only three epidermal layers, lacking both the stratum granulosum and stratum lucidum. A relatively thick stratum corneum with a parakeratosis-like morphology was noted. Melanin was observed within keratinocytes in all epidermal layers, including the stratum corneum and apical melanin granules obscured the keratinocyte nucleus. Keratinocytes had a perinuclear halo. Keratinocyte diameter differed between cetacean suborders and amongst species. Melanophage clusters were common in most cetacean species. CONCLUSIONS The widespread presence of melanin and the unexpectedly high number of melanophages may constitute a unique photoprotective trait of cetaceans and could reflect primitive adaptations to their environment and to their obligate marine-bound life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Morales-Guerrero
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias s/n. Juriquilla, 76230, Queretaro, México
| | - Cecilia Barragán-Vargas
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias s/n. Juriquilla, 76230, Queretaro, México
| | - German R Silva-Rosales
- Departamento de Patología, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 76000, Queretaro, México
| | - Christian D Ortega-Ortiz
- Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de Colima, Campus El Naranjo, km 20 carretera Manzanillo-Cihuatlán, 28860, Manzanillo, Colima, México
| | - Diane Gendron
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Cetáceos y Quelonios, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida IPN s/n Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | | | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias s/n. Juriquilla, 76230, Queretaro, México.,The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA, 94965, USA
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16
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Barragán-Vargas C, Montano-Frías J, Ávila Rosales G, Godínez-Reyes CR, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Transformation of the genital epithelial tract occurs early in California sea lion development. R Soc Open Sci 2016; 3:150419. [PMID: 27069641 PMCID: PMC4821252 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
An unusually high prevalence of metastatic urogenital carcinoma has been observed in free-ranging California sea lions stranded off the coast of California in the past two decades. No cases have been reported for sea lions in the relatively unpolluted Gulf of California. We investigated occurrence of genital epithelial transformation in 60 sea lions (n=57 pups and 3 adult females) from the Gulf of California and examined whether infection by a viral pathogen previously found to be associated with urogenital carcinoma accounted for such alterations. We also explored the contribution of MHC class II gene expression on transformation. Cellular alterations, such as squamous cell atypia (ASC), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were observed in 42% of the pups and in 67% of the adult females. Normal genital epithelium was more common in male than female pups. ASC was five times more likely to occur in older pups. Epithelial alterations were unrelated to infection by the potentially oncogenic otarine type I gammaherpesvirus (OtHV-1), but ASCUS was more common in pups with marked and severe inflammation. Expression of MHC class II DRB loci (Zaca DRB-D) by peripheral antigen-presenting leucocytes showed a slightly 'protective' effect for ASC. We propose that transformation of the California sea lion genital epithelium is relatively common in young animals, increases with age and is probably the result of infection by an unidentified pathogen. Expression of a specific MHC class II gene, suggestive of presentation of specific antigenic peptides to immune effectors, appears to lower the risk of transformation. Our study provides the first evidence that epithelial transformation of the California sea lion genital tract is relatively common, even from an early age, and raises questions regarding differences in sea lion cancer-detection and -repair success between geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Barragán-Vargas
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Jorge Montano-Frías
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Germán Ávila Rosales
- Department of Pathology, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Queretaro 76000, Mexico
| | - Carlos R. Godínez-Reyes
- Cabo Pulmo National Park, Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, SEMARNAT, La Ribera, BCS, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
- Sea Lion Cancer Consortium. http://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/slicc
- Author for correspondence: Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse e-mail:
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17
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Brock PM, Goodman SJ, Hall AJ, Cruz M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Context-dependent associations between heterozygosity and immune variation in a wild carnivore. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:242. [PMID: 26537228 PMCID: PMC4634738 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0519-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A multitude of correlations between heterozygosity and fitness proxies associated with disease have been reported from wild populations, but the genetic basis of these associations is unresolved. We used a longitudinal dataset on wild Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) to develop a relatively new perspective on this problem, by testing for associations between heterozygosity and immune variation across age classes and between ecological contexts. Results Homozygosity by locus was negatively correlated with serum immunoglobulin G production in pups (0–3 months of age), suggesting that reduced genetic diversity has a detrimental influence on the early development of immune defence in the Galapagos sea lion. In addition, homozygosity by locus was positively correlated with total circulating leukocyte concentration in juveniles (6–24 months of age), but only in a colony subject to the anthropogenic environmental impacts of development, pollution and introduced species, which suggests that reduced genetic diversity influences mature immune system activity in circumstances of high antigen exposure. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the environmental context-dependency of the phenotypic expression of immune variation, which is implicit in the theory of ecoimmunology, but which has been rarely demonstrated in the wild. They also indicate that heterozygosity may be linked to the maintenance of heterogeneity in mammalian immune system development and response to infection, adding to the body of evidence on the nature of the mechanistic link between heterozygosity and fitness. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0519-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Brock
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. .,Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK. .,School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | | | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Ocean Institute, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
| | - Marilyn Cruz
- Galapagos Genetics, Epidemiology and Pathology Laboratory, Galapagos National Park & University of Guayaquil, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK. .,Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, 76230, Mexico.
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18
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Browning HM, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Gulland FMD, Hall AJ, Finlayson J, Dagleish MP, Billington KJ, Colegrove K, Hammond JA. Evidence for a genetic basis of urogenital carcinoma in the wild California sea lion. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:20140240. [PMID: 25339718 PMCID: PMC4213630 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although neoplasia is a major cause of mortality in humans and domestic animals, it has rarely been described in wildlife species. One of the few examples is a highly prevalent urogenital carcinoma in California sea lions (CSLs). Although the aetiology of this carcinoma is clearly multifactorial, inbreeding depression, as estimated using levels of microsatellite multilocus heterozygosity, is identified as predictive for this neoplasia. On further analysis, this relationship appears to be largely driven by one marker, suggesting that a single locus might be associated with the occurrence of this disease in CSLs. In a case–control study, carcinoma was significantly associated with homozygosity at the Pv11 microsatellite locus. Pv11 was mapped to intron 9 of the heparanase 2 gene (HPSE2) locus, a very large gene encoding heparanase 2, which in humans is associated with multiple carcinomas. Correspondingly, immunohistochemical labelling in tissues was present in carcinoma cases within a single homozygous Pv11 genotype. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an individual locus being associated with cancer in any wildlife species. This adds emphasis to the study of HPSE2 in other species, including humans and will guide future studies on this sentinel species that shares much of its diet and environment with humans
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Browning
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | | | | | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Jeanie Finlayson
- The Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mark P Dagleish
- The Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | | | - Kathleen Colegrove
- Zoological Pathology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - John A Hammond
- Pirbright Laboratory, The Pirbright Institute, Surrey, UK
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Vera-Massieu C, Brock PM, Godínez-Reyes C, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Activation of an inflammatory response is context-dependent during early development of the California sea lion. R Soc Open Sci 2015; 2:150108. [PMID: 26064646 PMCID: PMC4448862 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Variations in immune function can arise owing to trade-offs, that is, the allocation of limited resources among costly competing physiological functions. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the ontogeny of the immune system within an ecological context, and it is still unknown whether development affects the way in which resources are allocated to different immune effectors. We investigated changes in the inflammatory response during early development of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and examined its association with body condition, as a proxy for the availability of energetic resources. We found that the relationship between inflammation and body condition varied according to developmental stage and circulating levels of leucocyte populations, a proxy for current infection. Body condition was related to the magnitude of the inflammatory response during two of the three developmental periods assessed, allowing for the possibility that the availability of pup energetic reserves can limit immune function. For older pups, the ability to mount an inflammatory response was related to their circulating levels of neutrophils and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, implying that the infection status of an individual will influence its ability to respond to a new challenge. Our results suggest that trade-offs may occur within the immune system and highlight the importance of taking into account ontogeny in ecoimmunological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Vera-Massieu
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, México
| | - Patrick M. Brock
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Carlos Godínez-Reyes
- Cabo Pulmo National Park, Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, SEMARNAT, La Ribera, BCS, Mexico
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Queretaro 76230, México
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
- Author for correspondence: Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse e-mail:
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Martinez-Levasseur LM, Birch-Machin MA, Bowman A, Gendron D, Weatherhead E, Knell RJ, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Whales use distinct strategies to counteract solar ultraviolet radiation. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2386. [PMID: 23989080 PMCID: PMC3757271 DOI: 10.1038/srep02386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A current threat to the marine ecosystem is the high level of solar ultraviolet radiation (UV). Large whales have recently been shown to suffer sun-induced skin damage from continuous UV exposure. Genotoxic consequences of such exposure remain unknown for these long-lived marine species, as does their capacity to counteract UV-induced insults. We show that UV exposure induces mitochondrial DNA damage in the skin of seasonally sympatric fin, sperm, and blue whales and that this damage accumulates with age. However, counteractive molecular mechanisms are markedly different between species. For example, sperm whales, a species that remains for long periods at the sea surface, activate genotoxic stress pathways in response to UV exposure whereas the paler blue whale relies on increased pigmentation as the season progresses. Our study also shows that whales can modulate their responses to fluctuating levels of UV, and that different evolutionary constraints may have shaped their response strategies.
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Martinez-Levasseur LM, Gendron D, Knell RJ, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Control and target gene selection for studies on UV-induced genotoxicity in whales. BMC Res Notes 2013; 6:264. [PMID: 23837727 PMCID: PMC3716943 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite international success in reducing ozone-depleting emissions, ultraviolet radiation (UV) is not expected to decrease for several decades. Thus, it is pressing to implement tools that allow investigating the capacity of wildlife to respond to excessive UV, particularly species like cetaceans that lack anatomical or physiological protection. One approach is to examine epidermal expression of key genes involved in genotoxic stress response pathways. However, quantitation of mRNA transcripts requires previous standardization, with accurate selection of control and target genes. The latter is particularly important when working with environmental stressors such as UV that can activate numerous genes. RESULTS Using 20 epidermal biopsies from blue, fin and sperm whale, we found that the genes encoding the ribosomal proteins L4 and S18 (RPL4 and RPS18) were the most suitable to use as controls, followed by the genes encoding phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit A (SDHA). A careful analysis of the transcription pathways known to be activated by UV-exposure in humans and mice led us to select as target genes those encoding for i) heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) an indicator of general cell stress, ii) tumour suppressor protein P53 (P53), a transcription factor activated by UV and other cell stressors, and iii) KIN17 (KIN), a cell cycle protein known to be up-regulated following UV exposure. These genes were successfully amplified in the three species and quantitation of their mRNA transcripts was standardised using RPL4 and RPS18. Using a larger sample set of 60 whale skin biopsies, we found that the target gene with highest expression was HSP70 and that its levels of transcription were correlated with those of KIN and P53. Expression of HSP70 and P53 were both related to microscopic sunburn lesions recorded in the whales' skin. CONCLUSION This article presents groundwork data essential for future qPCR-based studies on the capacity of wildlife to resolve or limit UV-induced damage. The proposed target genes are HSP70, P53 and KIN, known to be involved in genotoxic stress pathways, and whose expression patterns can be accurately assessed by using two stable control genes, RPL4 and RPS18.
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Brock PM, Hall AJ, Goodman SJ, Cruz M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Immune activity, body condition and human-associated environmental impacts in a wild marine mammal. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67132. [PMID: 23840603 PMCID: PMC3695956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Within individuals, immunity may compete with other life history traits for resources, such as energy and protein, and the damage caused by immunopathology can sometimes outweigh the protective benefits that immune responses confer. However, our understanding of the costs of immunity in the wild and how they relate to the myriad energetic demands on free-ranging organisms is limited. The endangered Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is threatened simultaneously by disease from domestic animals and rapid changes in food availability driven by unpredictable environmental variation. We made use of this unique ecology to investigate the relationship between changes in immune activity and changes in body condition. We found that during the first three months of life, changes in antibody concentration were negatively correlated with changes in mass per unit length, skinfold thickness and serum albumin concentration, but only in a sea lion colony exposed to anthropogenic environmental impacts. It has previously been shown that changes in antibody concentration during early Galapagos sea lion development were higher in a colony exposed to anthropogenic environmental impacts than in a control colony. This study allows for the possibility that these relatively large changes in antibody concentration are associated with negative impacts on fitness through an effect on body condition. Our findings suggest that energy availability and the degree of plasticity in immune investment may influence disease risk in natural populations synergistically, through a trade-off between investment in immunity and resistance to starvation. The relative benefits of such investments may change quickly and unpredictably, which allows for the possibility that individuals fine-tune their investment strategies in response to changes in environmental conditions. In addition, our results suggest that anthropogenic environmental impacts may impose subtle energetic costs on individuals, which could contribute to population declines, especially in times of energy shortage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Brock
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (PMB); (KAW)
| | - Ailsa J. Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J. Goodman
- Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Marilyn Cruz
- Galapagos Genetics, Epidemiology and Pathology Laboratory, Galapagos National Park, Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
| | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, United Kingdom
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, Autonomous University of Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
- * E-mail: (PMB); (KAW)
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Jepson PD, Deaville R, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Barnett J, Brownlow A, Brownell RL, Clare FC, Davison N, Law RJ, Loveridge J, Macgregor SK, Morris S, Murphy S, Penrose R, Perkins MW, Pinn E, Seibel H, Siebert U, Sierra E, Simpson V, Tasker ML, Tregenza N, Cunningham AA, Fernández A. What caused the UK's largest common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) mass stranding event? PLoS One 2013; 8:e60953. [PMID: 23646103 PMCID: PMC3640001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
On 9 June 2008, the UK's largest mass stranding event (MSE) of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) occurred in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall. At least 26 dolphins died, and a similar number was refloated/herded back to sea. On necropsy, all dolphins were in good nutritive status with empty stomachs and no evidence of known infectious disease or acute physical injury. Auditory tissues were grossly normal (26/26) but had microscopic haemorrhages (5/5) and mild otitis media (1/5) in the freshest cases. Five lactating adult dolphins, one immature male, and one immature female tested were free of harmful algal toxins and had low chemical pollutant levels. Pathological evidence of mud/seawater inhalation (11/26), local tide cycle, and the relative lack of renal myoglobinuria (26/26) suggested MSE onset on a rising tide between 06:30 and 08∶21 hrs (9 June). Potential causes excluded or considered highly unlikely included infectious disease, gas/fat embolism, boat strike, by-catch, predator attack, foraging unusually close to shore, chemical or algal toxin exposure, abnormal weather/climatic conditions, and high-intensity acoustic inputs from seismic airgun arrays or natural sources (e.g., earthquakes). International naval exercises did occur in close proximity to the MSE with the most intense part of the exercises (including mid-frequency sonars) occurring four days before the MSE and resuming with helicopter exercises on the morning of the MSE. The MSE may therefore have been a "two-stage process" where a group of normally pelagic dolphins entered Falmouth Bay and, after 3-4 days in/around the Bay, a second acoustic/disturbance event occurred causing them to strand en masse. This spatial and temporal association with the MSE, previous associations between naval activities and cetacean MSEs, and an absence of other identifiable factors known to cause cetacean MSEs, indicates naval activity to be the most probable cause of the Falmouth Bay MSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Jepson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, United Kingdom.
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Bowman A, Martinez-Levasseur LM, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Gendron D, Birch-Machin MA. The simultaneous detection of mitochondrial DNA damage from sun-exposed skin of three whale species and its association with UV-induced microscopic lesions and apoptosis. Mitochondrion 2013; 13:342-9. [PMID: 23583579 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2013.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Due to life history and physiological constraints, cetaceans (whales) are unable to avoid prolonged exposure to external environmental insults, such as solar ultraviolet radiation (UV). The majority of studies on the effects of UV on skin are restricted to humans and laboratory animals, but it is important to develop tools to understand the effects of UV damage on large mammals such as whales, as these animals are long-lived and widely distributed, and can reflect the effects of UV across a large geographical range. We and others have used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as a reliable marker of UV-induced damage particularly in human skin. UV-induced mtDNA strand breaks or lesions accumulate throughout the lifespan of an individual, thus constituting an excellent biomarker for cumulative exposure. Based on our previous studies in human skin, we have developed for the first time in the literature a quantitative real-time PCR methodology to detect and quantify mtDNA lesions in skin from sun-blistered whales. Furthermore the methodology allows for simultaneous detection of mtDNA damage in different species. Therefore using 44 epidermal mtDNA samples collected from 15 blue whales, 10 fin whales, and 19 sperm whales from the Gulf of California, Mexico, we quantified damage across 4.3 kilobases, a large region of the ~16,400 base pair whale mitochondrial genome. The results show a range of mtDNA damage in the skin of the three different whale species. This previously unreported observation was correlated with apoptotic damage and microscopic lesions, both of which are markers of UV-induced damage. As is the case in human studies, this suggests the potential use of mtDNA as a biomarker for measuring the effect of cumulative UV exposure in whales and may provide a platform to help understand the effects of changing global environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Bowman
- Dermatological Sciences, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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Pettorelli N, Evans DM, Garner TWJ, Katzner T, Gompper ME, Altwegg R, Branch TA, Johnson JA, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, DaVolls L, Rantanen E, Gordon IJ. Addressing gender imbalances inAnimal Conservation. Anim Conserv 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - D. M. Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Hull; Hull; UK
| | - T. W. J. Garner
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - T. Katzner
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources; West Virginia University; Morgantown; WV; USA
| | - M. E. Gompper
- School of Natural Resources; University of Missouri; Columbia; MO; USA
| | - R. Altwegg
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; South Africa and Animal Demography; Department of Zoology; University of Cape Town; Rondebosch; South Africa
| | - T. A. Branch
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle; WA; USA
| | - J. A. Johnson
- Institute of Applied Sciences; Department of Biological Sciences; University of North Texas; Denton; TX; USA
| | | | - L. DaVolls
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - E. Rantanen
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - I. J. Gordon
- The James Hutton Institute; Invergowrie; Dundee; Scotland; UK
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Brock PM, Hall AJ, Goodman SJ, Cruz M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Applying the tools of ecological immunology to conservation: a test case in the Galapagos sea lion. Anim Conserv 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00567.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - A. J. Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit; Scottish Ocean Institute; University of St. Andrews; Fife; UK
| | - S. J. Goodman
- Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology; University of Leeds; Leeds; UK
| | - M. Cruz
- Galapagos Genetics; Epidemiology and Pathology Laboratory; Galapagos National Park & University of Guayaquil; Puerto Ayora; Galapagos Islands; Ecuador
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Gordon IJ, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Altwegg R, Garner TWJ, Gompper ME, Katzner TE, Pettorelli N, Redpath S. What the ‘food security’ agenda means for animal conservation in terrestrial ecosystems. Anim Conserv 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00541.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - R. Altwegg
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; Cape Town; Rondebosch; South Africa
| | - T. W. J. Garner
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - M. E. Gompper
- School of Natural Resources; University of Missouri; Columbia; MO; USA
| | - T. E. Katzner
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources; West Virginia University; Morgantown; WV; USA
| | - N. Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
| | - S. Redpath
- Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES); University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen; UK
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Lima N, Rogers T, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Brown MV. Temporal stability and species specificity in bacteria associated with the bottlenose dolphins respiratory system. Environ Microbiol Rep 2012; 4:89-96. [PMID: 23757234 DOI: 10.1111/j.1758-2229.2011.00306.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that the exhaled breath condensate, or 'blow', from marine mammals can be used to examine respiratory associated microbial communities using non-invasive sampling methods. Blow samples from two species of bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus and T. aduncus, along with hybrid offspring, were examined using molecular microbial ecology methods. A temporal analysis revealed that microbial community structure of each individual remained distinct from other individuals over a two-month period, indicting strong host specificity. The taxonomic composition of samples, based on pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, from 24 healthy individuals was dominated by the Cardiobacteraceae lineage of Gammaproteobacteria, comprising on average 52% of sequences in all samples. Sequences in this taxa were associated with novel clades that contain only sequences from dolphin respiratory tracts. Other genera that likely form part of the core biota include the Saccharospirillaceae (Gammaproteobacteria), Arcobacter (Epsilonproteobacteria), Hydrogenimonaceae (Epsilonproteobacteria), Halotalea (Gammaproteobacteria), Aquimarina (Flavobacteria) and Helococcus (Clostridia). Significant differences between samples from different species were observed only at the species/ strain level, driven by the relative contributions of strains from the most common phylogenetic lineages. Analysis of communities associated with hybrid animals provides tentative evidence for a paternal role in community assembly. Clear overlap was observed with data collected by capture and swabbing of bottlenose dolphins blowholes, indicating this method provides a novel non-invasive alternative to monitoring marine mammal population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lima
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK. Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia
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Branch TA, Austin JD, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Gordon IJ, Gompper ME, Katzner TE, Pettorelli N. Fisheries conservation and management: finding consensus in the midst of competing paradigms. Anim Conserv 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2011.00502.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. A. Branch
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle; WA; USA
| | - J. D. Austin
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; University of Florida; Gainesville; FL; USA
| | - K. Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology; School of Natural Sciences; Autonomous University of Queretaro; Queretaro; Mexico
| | - I. J. Gordon
- The James Hutton Institute; Invergowrie; Dundee; UK
| | - M. E. Gompper
- School of Natural Resources; University of Missouri; Columbia; MO; USA
| | - T. E. Katzner
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources; West Virginia University; Morgantown; WV; USA
| | - N. Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London; UK
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Donnelly RE, Katzner T, Gordon IJ, Gompper ME, Redpath S, Garner TWJ, Altwegg R, Reed DH, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Pettorelli N. Putting the eco back in ecotourism. Anim Conserv 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2011.00468.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Martinez-Levasseur LM, Gendron D, Knell RJ, O'Toole EA, Singh M, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. Acute sun damage and photoprotective responses in whales. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 278:1581-6. [PMID: 21068035 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rising levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) secondary to ozone depletion are an issue of concern for public health. Skin cancers and intraepidermal dysplasia are increasingly observed in individuals that undergo chronic or excessive sun exposure. Such alterations of skin integrity and function are well established for humans and laboratory animals, but remain unexplored for mammalian wildlife. However, effects are unlikely to be negligible, particularly for species such as whales, whose anatomical or life-history traits force them to experience continuous sun exposure. We conducted photographic and histological surveys of three seasonally sympatric whale species to investigate sunburn and photoprotection. We find that lesions commonly associated with acute severe sun damage in humans are widespread and that individuals with fewer melanocytes have more lesions and less apoptotic cells. This suggests that the pathways used to limit and resolve UVR-induced damage in humans are shared by whales and that darker pigmentation is advantageous to them. Furthermore, lesions increased significantly in time, as would be expected under increasing UV irradiance. Apoptosis and melanocyte proliferation mirror this trend, suggesting that whales are capable of quick photoprotective responses. We conclude that the thinning ozone layer may pose a risk to the health of whales and other vulnerable wildlife.
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Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Rocha-Gosselin A, Gendron D. A novel non-invasive tool for disease surveillance of free-ranging whales and its relevance to conservation programs. Anim Conserv 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00326.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
Environmental change has negatively affected most biological systems on our planet and is becoming of increasing concern for the well-being and survival of many species. At an organism level, effects encompass not only endocrine disruptions, sex-ratio changes and decreased reproductive parameters, but also include teratogenic and genotoxic effects, immunosuppression and other immune-system impairments that can lead directly to disease or increase the risk of acquiring disease. Living organisms will strive to maintain health by recognizing and resolving abnormal situations, such as the presence of invading microorganisms or harmful peptides, abnormal cell replication and deleterious mutations. However, fast-paced environmental changes may pose additional pressure on immunocompetence and health maintenance, which may seriously impact population viability and persistence. Here, we outline the importance of a functional immune system for survival and examine the effects that exposure to a rapidly changing environment might exert on immunocompetence. We then address the various levels at which anthropogenic environmental change might affect wildlife health and identify potential deficits in reproductive parameters that might arise owing to new immune challenges in the context of a rapidly changing environment. Throughout the paper, a series of examples and case studies are used to illustrate the impact of environmental change on wildlife health.
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Estrada-Peña A, Naranjo V, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Mangold AJ, Kocan KM, de la Fuente J. Phylogeographic analysis reveals association of tick-borne pathogen, Anaplasma marginale, MSP1a sequences with ecological traits affecting tick vector performance. BMC Biol 2009; 7:57. [PMID: 19723295 PMCID: PMC2741432 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-7-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2009] [Accepted: 09/01/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma marginale, which is endemic worldwide, is the type species of the genus Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae). Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is the most important tick vector of A. marginale in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Despite extensive characterization of the genetic diversity in A. marginale geographic strains using major surface protein sequences, little is known about the biogeography and evolution of A. marginale and other Anaplasma species. For A. marginale, MSP1a was shown to be involved in vector-pathogen and host-pathogen interactions and to have evolved under positive selection pressure. The MSP1a of A. marginale strains differs in molecular weight because of a variable number of tandem 23-31 amino acid repeats and has proven to be a stable marker of strain identity. While phylogenetic studies of MSP1a repeat sequences have shown evidence of A. marginale-tick co-evolution, these studies have not provided phylogeographic information on a global scale because of the high level of MSP1a genetic diversity among geographic strains. Results In this study we showed that the phylogeography of A. marginale MSP1a sequences is associated with world ecological regions (ecoregions) resulting in different evolutionary pressures and thence MSP1a sequences. The results demonstrated that the MSP1a first (R1) and last (RL) repeats and microsatellite sequences were associated with world ecoregion clusters with specific and different environmental envelopes. The evolution of R1 repeat sequences was found to be under positive selection. It is hypothesized that the driving environmental factors regulating tick populations could act on the selection of different A. marginale MSP1a sequence lineages, associated to each ecoregion. Conclusion The results reported herein provided the first evidence that the evolution of A. marginale was linked to ecological traits affecting tick vector performance. These results suggested that some A. marginale strains have evolved under conditions that support pathogen biological transmission by R. microplus, under different ecological traits which affect performance of R. microplus populations. The evolution of other A. marginale strains may be linked to transmission by other tick species or to mechanical transmission in regions where R. microplus is currently eradicated. The information derived from this study is fundamental toward understanding the evolution of other vector-borne pathogens.
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Abstract
Hookworms are intestinal blood-feeding nematodes that parasitize and cause high levels of mortality in a wide range of mammals, including otariid pinnipeds. Recently, an empirical study showed that inbreeding (assessed by individual measures of multi-locus heterozygosity) is associated with hookworm-related mortality of California sea lions. If inbreeding increases susceptibility to hookworms, effects would expectedly be stronger in small, fragmented populations. We tested this assumption in the New Zealand sea lion, a threatened otariid that has low levels of genetic variability and high hookworm infection rates. Using a panel of 22 microsatellites, we found that average allelic diversity (5.9) and mean heterozygosity (0.72) were higher than expected for a small population with restricted breeding, and we found no evidence of an association between genetic variability and hookworm resistance. However, similar to what was observed for the California sea lion, homozygosity at a single locus explained the occurrence of anaemia and thrombocytopenia in hookworm-infected pups (generalized linear model, F = 11.81, p < 0.001) and the effect was apparently driven by a particular allele (odds ratio = 34.95%; CI: 7.12-162.41; p < 0.00001). Our study offers further evidence that these haematophagus parasites exert selective pressure on otariid blood-clotting processes.
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Amos W, Acevedo-Whitehouse K. A new test for genotype-fitness associations reveals a single microsatellite allele that strongly predicts the nature of tuberculosis infections in wild boar. Mol Ecol Resour 2009; 9:1102-11. [PMID: 21564848 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02560.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the basis of commonly observed heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs). Two models appear possible, a genome-wide effect due to inbreeding depression, and a single-locus effect due to chance linkage to a gene(s) experiencing balancing selection. Recent studies suggest that the latter tends to be more important in the majority of studies, but tests for the presence of single-locus effects tend to be rather weak. One of the problems is that the linkage disequilibrium between a microsatellite and a nearby gene experiencing balancing selection is never likely to be 100%. With this in mind, we conduct stochastic simulations aimed at determining the conditions under which single-locus HFCs may develop. We also suggest a new approach that could offer improved detection of HFCs but which also offers a more general method for detecting genotype-fitness correlations. Our method is based on looking for the maximum possible strength of association between genotype and fitness, and then asking whether randomized data sets are able to generate similarly strong associations. This method is tested on both simulated and real data. In both cases, our method generates greater levels of significance than current tests. Applied to previously published data from wild boar affected by tuberculosis, the method uncovers a strong single-allele association that is strongly predictive of whether the disease is localized or spreads throughout the body. We further suggest a simple method for dealing with the problem of population structure, and believe this approach will help to identify genomic regions associated with fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Amos
- Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Naranjo V, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Vicente J, Gortazar C, de la Fuente J. Influence of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase alleles on resistance to bovine tuberculosis in the European wild boar (Sus scrofa). Anim Genet 2008; 39:316-20. [PMID: 18454807 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01725.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
An association study was carried out to examine the influence of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MUT) polymorphisms on the susceptibility of a well-studied wild boar population from southern Spain to develop bovine tuberculosis (bTB). To this end, we examined polymorphisms at a closely linked dinucleotide microsatellite flanking exon 2 of the MUT gene in 37 wild boars with bTB and 36 non-infected individuals. The microsatellite showed low polymorphism in the studied population, with only three alleles (MUTm-A, MUTm-B and MUTm-C) found, in contrast to the 11 alleles previously reported for domestic pigs. Our case-control study showed that the MUTm-B allele was associated with disease in a dominant pattern (odds ratio = 3.36; 95% CI = 1.05-10.72; P = 0.04), while the MUTm AA genotype appeared to have a protective effect against bTB infection (odds ratio = 4.33; 95% CI = 1.20-14.96; P = 0.02). Interestingly, infected wild boars heterozygous for MUTm AB are at an advantage (11-fold) to contain the systemic spread of the disease when compared to other genotypes, implying that a balanced polymorphism may be present in the population. These results strengthen previous observations regarding the importance of the MUT gene on bTB resistance in wild boars and indicate that polymorphisms at this locus will influence the risk of acquiring and maintaining bTB in the studied population.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Naranjo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Cunningham AA. Is MHC enough for understanding wildlife immunogenetics? Trends Ecol Evol 2006; 21:433-8. [PMID: 16764966 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2006.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2005] [Revised: 02/27/2006] [Accepted: 05/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Along with reproductive success and predation, infectious disease is a major demographic and evolutionary driver of natural populations. To understand the evolutionary impacts of disease, research has focussed on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a genetic region involved in antigen presentation. There is a pressing need for the broader research currently conducted on traditional vertebrate models to be transferred to wildlife. Incorporating such knowledge will enable a broader understanding of the levels at which natural selection can act on immunity. We propose two new approaches to wildlife immunogenetics and discuss the challenges of conducting such studies. At a time when novel pathogens are increasingly emerging in natural populations, these new approaches are integral to understanding disease dynamics and assessing epidemic risks.
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Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Spraker TR, Lyons E, Melin SR, Gulland F, Delong RL, Amos W. Contrasting effects of heterozygosity on survival and hookworm resistance in California sea lion pups. Mol Ecol 2006; 15:1973-82. [PMID: 16689912 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.02903.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Low genetic heterozygosity is associated with loss of fitness in many natural populations. However, it remains unclear whether the mechanism is related to general (i.e. inbreeding) or local effects, in particular from a subset of loci lying close to genes under balancing selection. Here we analyse involving heterozygosity-fitness correlations on neonatal survival of California sea lions and on susceptibility to hookworm (Uncinaria spp.) infection, the single most important cause of pup mortality. We show that regardless of differences in hookworm burden, homozygosity is a key predictor of hookworm-related lesions, with no single locus contributing disproportionately. Conversely, the subsequent occurrence of anaemia due to blood loss in infected pups is overwhelmingly associated with homozygosity at one particular locus, all other loci showing no pattern. Our results suggest contrasting genetic mechanisms underlying two pathologies related to the same pathogen. First, relatively inbred pups are less able to expel hookworms and prevent their attachment to the intestinal mucosa, possibly due to a weakened immune response. In contrast, infected pups that are homozygous for a gene near to microsatellite Hg4.2 are strongly predisposed to anaemia. As yet, this gene is unknown, but could plausibly be involved in the blood-coagulation cascade. Taken together, these results suggest that pathogenic burden alone may not be the main factor regulating pathogen-related mortality in natural populations. Our study could have important implications for the conservation of small, isolated or threatened populations, particularly when they are at a risk of facing pathogenic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Abstract
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an important re-emerging zoonotic disease, causing major economic losses and constraining international trade of animals and their products. Despite eradication programmes, some countries continue to encounter outbreaks, mainly due to wildlife acting as primary hosts or reservoirs. While the genetic component of tuberculosis in humans and cattle is well documented, the role of genetic factors as modulators of bTB resistance remains unclear for natural populations. To address this issue, we investigated the relative contribution of host genetic variability to susceptibility to bTB infection and disease progression in wild boars from southern Spain. We found that genetic heterozygosity is an important predictor of bTB, not only modulating resistance to infection but also influencing containment of disease progression in infected individuals. Our results provide further evidence that host genetic variability plays a central role in natural populations. Testing each marker separately reveals evidence of both general and single-locus associative effects on bTB and several loci reveal high homology to regions of the genome with known immune function. Our results may prove to be crucial for understanding outbreaks of bTB in wildlife that could potentially affect domestic livestock and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Acevedo-Whitehouse K, de la Cueva H, Gulland FMD, Aurioles-Gamboa D, Arellano-Carbajal F, Suarez-Güemes F. Evidence of Leptospira interrogans infection in California sea lion pups from the Gulf of California. J Wildl Dis 2003; 39:145-51. [PMID: 12685078 DOI: 10.7589/0090-3558-39.1.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Forty-two urine and 96 blood and serum samples were obtained from California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups from the Gulf of California during the 2000 reproductive season. Antibody prevalence to 13 serovars of Leptospira interrogans was determined by microagglutination tests (MAT); presence of pathogenic leptospires was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Samples with antibody titers > or = 1:25 or 115 bp fragments on ethidium bromidestained 1.5% agarose gels were considered positive. Antibody prevalence was 54% overall with highest prevalence against serovar cynopteri (50% of all positive reactions). Highest antibody titers (1:50) were detected against serovars cynopteri and pomona. Polymerase chain reaction products were observed in two of 42 urine samples, six of 96 blood samples, and one of 96 serum samples. Presence of PCR products in blood and serum was demonstrated in pups that were seronegative. Kruskall-Wallis tests and corresponding post hoc Tukey tests (alpha = 0.05) showed that prevalence of leptospirosis was significantly different among all rookeries. The high seroprevalence (54%), low antibody titers (maximum 1:50), absence of pups showing clinical signs indicative of the disease, and lack of recent reports of increased mortality of sea lions in the Gulf of California are suggestive of the presence of enzootic host-adapted serovars. Crowding in rookeries as well as the presence of bats and rodents on some of the islands may explain infection by L. interrogans (sensu lato) and some of the differences in seroprevalence among reproductive rookeries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Departamento de Ecología, División de Oceanología, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada. Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México.
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