Terio, K. A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2022

A novel fishing cat reference genome for the evaluation of potential germline risk variants

The fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus, displays a fish hunting behavior uncommon among most other cats. Estimated population declines in the wild increase the significance of its existing zoo populations, particularly with a recent high prevalence of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), a form of bladder cancer. We hypothesize that its small captive population may harbor TCC risk variants at the germline level. To aid conservation efforts and investigate the genetics of TCC, we present a new fishing cat chromosomescale assembly, reaffirm its close genetic relationship with the Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), and identify and characterize single nucleotide variants (SNVs) from whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of healthy and TCC cats. Among genes previously associated with bladder cancer risk in human BRCA2 was found to have the highest number of missense mutations in fishing cats, with only two variants exhibiting a predominance in TCC cats. These new fishing cat genomic resources will aid efforts to improve their genetic fitness and enhance the comparative study of feline genomes.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2020

Integrating indigenous knowledge, ontology, and molecular barcoding to characterize spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) filariasis

Zoonotic disease risk is greatly influenced by cultural practices and belief systems. Yet, few studies have integrated traditional ecological knowledge and ontology with western ways of knowing to better understand potential zoonoses. Here, we integrate molecular phylogenetics, histopathology, and ethnography to characterize a filarial nematode found within the abdominal cavity of spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus). The filarid is recognized as spider monkey cotton by indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. Ethnographic data revealed that the Waiwai perceive of spider monkey cotton as a normal characteristic within the spider monkey person. Further, the Waiwai indicated that cotton was ubiquitous with spider monkeys and is not understood to be infectious nor zoonotic. This distinction is in contrast to other internal parasites found within spider monkeys that the Waiwai know to cause disease in both monkeys and humans. Our morphological and molecular characterization support the classification of the filarid as Dipetalonema caudispina, a minimally studied and seemingly non-zoonotic parasite, consistent with Waiwai beliefs. Thus, our findings allow us to establish commensurability between scientific knowledge and indigenous ontology. More broadly, this work highlights the importance of integrating multiple knowledge systems and leveraging advanced genomics to better understand and prevent emerging zoonotic diseases.

evolutionary biology↗