The Devil's Genome
The Tasmanian Devil's genome has been decoded
<url>Scientists have deciphered the genome of Tasmanian devils – marsupial mammals that live on the island of Tasmania and are rapidly dying out due to the cancer epidemic.
The researchers' article was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the ScienceNOW portal writes briefly about the work: For Conservationists, the (Tasmanian) Devil Is in the Details.
The disease leads to the appearance of large tumors on the face of devils, which prevent animals from drinking and eating normally. Tasmanian devil cancer was first identified in 1996, and by now it has infected about 60 percent of the animal population. The disease is carried directly by cancer cells when animals bite each other or mate. Since devils are very aggressive, the disease spreads at a high rate.
The authors of the new work have deciphered the genomes of two animals – a devil named Cedric, captured in the north-west of Tasmania, and a female marsupial mammal Spirit, which was found in the south-east of the island. Cedric was considered resistant to cancer for a long time – injections of two lines of tumor cells did not lead to the development of the disease, but after the injection of the third line, he became ill. The animal was killed in September 2010. When specialists discovered Spirit, she was near death due to cancer, and died shortly after she was taken to the laboratory.
Scientists compared the DNA of Spirit, Cedric and the DNA of the cancer cells of Spirit. The researchers found three mutations in the genes controlling cell division in Cedric's genome. Experts believe that these genes can at least partially influence the resistance of animals to cancer.
Currently, scientists are trying to save the population of devils by raising healthy animals in the laboratory. The authors of the new work have shown that the genetic diversity of devils is extremely low – it is about 20 percent of the level of genetic diversity of humans. A sharp reduction in the number of genetic variations was the result of the mass extermination of devils by farmers who feared for their cattle.
Low genetic diversity makes it difficult to save the population, since all devils are related to each other, carry similar genes and, accordingly, are approximately equally unstable to cancer. Having studied the DNA of devils, scientists will be able to select individuals for crossing that differ from each other genetically as much as possible, which will allow them to get a more stable and stable population.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru28.06.2011