Biology subjects

Class, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Class, B..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Social Distancing Responses to Fungal Disease in an Australian Wild Lizard Population

Social living often confers substantial fitness benefits; however, close spatial association among individuals can also elevate opportunities for pathogen transmission, especially where the populations are dense. Despite this, the extent to which avoidance behaviours are expressed by wild reptiles facing fungal disease remains unclear. We examined Eastern Water Dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) in Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane, Australia, where a population is affected by the emerging fungal pathogen Nannizziopsis barbatae (Nb). Using a five-year dataset (2018-2023) spanning 146 individuals, we quantified social distance, as the minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, in relation to the number of diseased conspecifics that overlapped each individual seasonal core home area. Social distance was negatively associated with the number of diseased conspecifics, indicating a strong crowding effect; however, this association was weaker for diseased individuals, which were observed at larger distances than healthy individuals even when the number of diseased conspecifics was high. Together, these patterns indicate a context-dependent spacing response associated with disease status and local disease context, suggesting that infection risk constrains density-driven proximity. Our findings provide new insights into how disease pressure shapes social spacing in reptiles and contribute to a broader understanding of behavioural responses to emerging infectious fungal diseases.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2021

The epidemiology and genomics of a virulent emerging fungal pathogen in an Australian reptile

Emerging infectious fungal diseases (EIFDs) represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Here, we provide early insights into the potential threat that Nannizziopsis barbatae (Nb), a novel EIFD, poses to Australian herpetological biodiversity. First known to the reptile pet trade as a primary pathogen causing untreatable severe dermatomycosis, since 2013, Nb has emerged in a growing number of phylogenetically and ecologically distant free-living reptiles across Australia. Observing its emergence in a long-term study population of wild eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), we demonstrate the pathogens virulence-related genomic features, within-population spatiotemporal spread, and survival costs, all of which imply that Nb could pose a threat to Australian reptiles in the future. Our findings highlight the need to closely monitor this pathogen in Australian ecosystems.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Opposing roles of p38α phosphorylation and arginine methylation in driving TDP-43 proteinopathy.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder typically characterized by insoluble inclusions of hyperphosphorylated TDP-43. The mechanisms underlying toxic TDP-43 accumulation are not understood. Persistent activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is implicated in ALS. However, it is unclear how p38 MAPK affects TDP-43 proteinopathy. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of p38 MAPK reduces pathological TDP-43 phosphorylation, aggregation, cytoplasmic mislocalization, and neurotoxicity. We establish that p38 MAPK phosphorylates TDP-43 at pathological serine 409/410 (S409/S410) and serine 292 (S292), which reduces TDP-43 liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) but allows pathological TDP-43 aggregation. Moreover, we show that protein arginine methyltransferase 1 methylates TDP-43 at R293. Importantly, S292 phosphorylation reduces R293 methylation, and R293 methylation reduces S409/S410 phosphorylation. R293 methylation permits TDP-43 LLPS and reduces pathological TDP-43 aggregation. Thus, strategies to reduce p38-mediated TDP-43 phosphorylation and promote R293 methylation could have therapeutic utility for ALS and related TDP-43 proteinopathies.

molecular biology↗