Parallel adaptation of rabbit populations to myxoma virus

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Alves, Joel M., Carneiro, Miguel, Cheng, Jade Y., de Matos, Ana Lemos, Rahman, Masmudur M., Loog, Liisa, Campos, Paula F., Wales, Nathan, Eriksson, Anders, Manica, Andrea, Strive, Tanja, Graham, Stephen C., Alfonso, Sandra, Bell, Diana, Belmont, Laura, Day, Jonathan P., Fuller, Susan J., Marchandeau, Stephane, Palmer, William J., Queney, Guillaume, Surridge, Alison K., Vieira, Filipe G., McFadden, Grant, Nielsen, Rasmus, Gilbert, M. Thomas P., Esteves, Pedro J., Ferrand, Nuno and Jiggins, Francis M. (2019) Parallel adaptation of rabbit populations to myxoma virus. Science, 363 (6433). pp. 1319-1326. ISSN 1095-9203

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Abstract

In the 1950s the myxoma virus was released into European rabbit populations in Australia and Europe, decimating populations and resulting in the rapid evolution of resistance. We investigated the genetic basis of resistance by comparing the exomes of rabbits collected before and after the pandemic. We found a strong pattern of parallel evolution, with selection on standing genetic variation favouring the same alleles in Australia, France and the United Kingdom. Many of these changes occurred in immunity-related genes, supporting a polygenic basis of resistance. We experimentally validated the role of several genes in viral replication and showed that selection acting on an interferon protein has increased its antiviral effect.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment
Related URLs:	http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/143315/
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2019 14:30
Last Modified:	12 May 2023 20:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/71659
DOI:	10.1126/science.aau7285

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