Article
Cell Biology
Eliana Ayarza, Gabriel Cavada, Tamara Arevalo, Alam Molina, Soledad Berrios
Summary: Robertsonian translocation is the most common chromosomal rearrangement in mammals, contributing to speciation in natural populations. In Mus musculus domesticus, Rb translocations lead to reduced chromosome numbers, with the metacentric Rb chromosome preferentially segregating in meiosis. However, our study found no evidence for preferential inheritance or random distribution of Rb chromosomes in M. domesticus.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louise Cheynel, Luke Lazarou, Eleanor M. M. Riley, Mark Viney
Summary: Wild animals face constant threats from various micro- and macroparasites in their environment. This study explores the impact of genetic polymorphisms in immune-related loci on immune responses and infection outcomes in naturally infected wild house mice. The researchers found significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), cytokine-coding loci, and immune measures as well as infection phenotypes. This comprehensive view sheds light on how genetic variation in immune-related loci influences immune and infection phenotypes in wild rodent populations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Jose Ruiz-Lopez, Laura Barahona, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Marta Pepio, Andrea Valsecchi, Victor Peracho, Jordi Figuerola, Tomas Montalvo
Summary: The rapid evolution of resistance to anticoagulants in rodent populations in Barcelona poses a challenge for controlling them. The study found that most mice carry gene mutations associated with resistance to commonly used anticoagulants, making the current chemical control methods ineffective and potentially harmful to the environment and human health.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Shannon Sked, Salehe Abbar, Richard Cooper, Robert Corrigan, Xiaodan Pan, Sabita Ranabhat, Changlu Wang
Summary: This study focused on the issue of house mice in multi-family residential buildings, finding that chocolate spread is a more effective method for detecting mouse activity. Following the implementation of mouse management programs, some buildings saw a significant decrease in mouse numbers, while others experienced an increase.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Shannon Sked, Chaofeng Liu, Salehe Abbar, Robert Corrigan, Richard Cooper, Changlu Wang
Summary: This study examined the spatial distribution of house mice in low-income high-rise multi-family dwellings and found a significant correlation between neighboring units in their infestation status. The results can be used to improve the efficiency of house mouse management programs in these dwellings.
Article
Microbiology
Basma Ouarti, Moussa Sall, El Hadji Ibrahima Ndiaye, Georges Diatta, Adama Zan Diarra, Jean Michel Berenger, Cheikh Sokhna, Laurent Granjon, Jean Le Fur, Philippe Parola
Summary: Using PCR, we detected Borrelia and other bacterial infections in ticks and house mice. Additionally, a potentially infectious novel species was found in ticks for the first time. The house mouse and ticks could be potential hosts for pathogenic bacteria in humans.
Article
Zoology
Miriam Linnenbrink
Summary: The study demonstrates that key behavioral characteristics between populations can quickly change during evolution, with behavioral changes potentially having a significant impact on population dynamics.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kennedy D. Agwamba, Michael W. Nachman
Summary: This study examines the colonization history of the Western European house mouse in North America. The results show genetic differences between North American and European populations, suggesting that the house mouse was introduced to North America by Europeans in the early 16th century. These findings highlight the impact of human migration and colonization on the spread of invasive species.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jullien M. Flynn, Kevin B. Hu, Andrew G. Clark
Summary: This study discovered chromosome fusion and fission events in a strain of D. virilis, leading to genome instability. One substrain with an X-autosome fusion had a 20x higher nondisjunction rate and another substrain with higher satellite DNA had an overall higher DNA breakage rate. These findings suggest a potential role of satellite DNA abundance in genome instability. The establishment of a novel system with four different karyotypes provides a valuable tool for future studies on genome instability, centromere function, and sex chromosome evolution.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Elizabeth J. Beckman, Felipe Martins, Taichi A. Suzuki, Ke Bi, Sara Keeble, Jeffrey M. Good, Andreas S. Chavez, Mallory A. Ballinger, Kennedy Agwamba, Michael W. Nachman
Summary: Researchers sequenced the genomes of house mice in the Andes and found that mice in Ecuador and Bolivia independently adapted to high elevation. The response to selection at high elevation varied between transects, with only a few genes showing parallel selection. They also discovered hypoxia-associated genes that experienced a significant allele frequency change at the highest elevations.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jiri Forejt, Petr Jansa, Emil Parvanov
Summary: Hybrid sterility is a critical step in the evolution of reproductive barriers between diverging taxa, controlled by chromosomal sequence divergence. Prdm9-dependent hybrid sterility affects meiotic recombination, serving as a possible mechanism of reproductive isolation between (sub)species.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Virology
Chiara Rossi, Nicola Zadra, Cristina Fevola, Frauke Ecke, Birger Hornfeldt, Rene Kallies, Maria Kazimirova, Magnus Magnusson, Gert E. Olsson, Rainer G. Ulrich, Anne J. Jaaskelainen, Heikki Henttonen, Heidi C. Hauffe
Summary: The study analyzed the evolutionary relationships and genetic diversity of 'Ljungan virus' variants circulating in small mammal populations in Europe. Results showed that LV evolution is rapid, influenced by various factors, and LV variants in different regions may exhibit host specificity.
Article
Ecology
Johanna Honka, Serena Baini, Jeremy B. Searle, Laura Kvist, Jouni Aspi
Summary: The population of taiga bean geese has halved in recent decades, mainly due to hunting throughout their range. Understanding the genetic population structure and diversity is crucial for management and conservation efforts. Different genetic subpopulations within the species need to be managed separately to prevent extinction, and inbreeding or lack of genetic diversity could pose risks to their adaptation and survival. The study found some genetic structuring in mitochondrial DNA but not in nuclear microsatellite markers, suggesting that the population can be managed as a single unit.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mumtaz Baig, Sameera Farah, Ashwin Atkulwar, Jeremy B. Searle
Summary: This study used a genomic approach to analyze R. rattus in the Indian peninsula and found distinct geographic differentiation within the species in India, as well as signals of admixture between two subpopulations.
Article
Ecology
Henry D. Kunerth, Steven M. Bogdanowicz, Jeremy B. Searle, Richard G. Harrison, Brad S. Coates, Genevieve M. Kozak, Erik B. Dopman
Summary: The joint effects of coincident barriers to gene flow lead to higher levels of genomic differentiation than individual barriers alone, with the coincidence of barriers causing an increase in gene flow restriction.
Article
Ecology
Jeremy B. Searle, Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena
Article
Ecology
Andrew P. Morgan, Jonathan J. Hughes, John P. Didion, Wesley J. Jolley, Karl J. Campbell, David W. Threadgill, Francois Bonhomme, Jeremy B. Searle, Fernando Pardo-Manuel De Villena
Summary: House mice, as animals with a commensal relationship with humans, have spread globally and are important model organisms in biomedical research. An analysis of ancestry, population structure, and inbreeding in wild mice revealed that major ancestry components in North America, Australia, etc. are of northern European origin, and inbreeding is prevalent in commensal populations.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Trevor J. L. Sless, Jeremy B. Searle, Bryan N. Danforth
Summary: Brood parasites, such as Holcopasites calliopsidis, are an important but understudied group within the wider diversity of bees. This study presents the draft assembly of H. calliopsidis, the first brood parasitic species to undergo detailed genomic analysis. It was found that H. calliopsidis has the smallest genome among bees, with no apparent loss of genic content but significant contractions in individual gene families. The discovery of over 12,000 putative genes, with functional annotation for nearly 10,000 of them, provides valuable insights into the genomic basis of brood parasitism.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sadik Demirtas, Mahir Budak, Ertan M. Korkmaz, Jeremy B. Searle, David T. Bilton, Islam Gunduz
Summary: The complete mitogenome sequence of Talpa martinorum, a recently described Balkan endemic mole, was assembled from next generation sequence data. The mitogenome is similar to that of the three other Talpa species sequenced to date, and differs in the length of D-loop and stop codon usage. Phylogeny reconstructions revealed that T. martinorum nests within the western lineage of the genus, closely related to T. aquitania and T. occidentalis.
Article
Ecology
Frederico Mestre, Soraia Barbosa, Jose A. Garrido-Garcia, Ricardo Pita, Antonio Mira, Paulo C. Alves, Joana Pauperio, Jeremy B. Searle, Pedro Beja
Summary: This study aims to reconstruct the glacial refugial history and demographic changes of the Cabrera vole by integrating complementary methods in ecology, genomics, and palaeobiology. The results suggest northern Iberian glacial refugia for the species, despite higher fossil abundance in southern and eastern Iberia and southern France. Integrative approaches are essential to accurately depict historical refugial areas and range dynamics.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Henry D. Kunerth, Joaquim T. Tapisso, Raul Valente, Maria da Luz Mathias, Paulo C. Alves, Jeremy B. Searle, Rodrigo Vega, Joana Pauperio
Summary: The phenomenon of mitochondrial introgression raises questions about biogeography, reproductive isolation, and natural selection in the Sorex araneus complex. Previous research has shown hybridization between Sorex granarius and the Carlit chromosomal race of S. araneus, leading to introgression of the S. araneus mitochondrial genome into S. granarius. The current study further examines this phenomenon and suggests recent hybridization and introgression between S. coronatus and S. granarius, as well as between S. araneus and S. coronatus.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Laura van Rosmalen, Robin Schepers, Wensi Hao, Anna S. Przybylska-Piech, Jeremy S. Herman, Joanna Stojak, Jan M. Wojcik, Louis van de Zande, Jeremy B. Searle, Roelof A. Hut
Summary: The vertebrate photoperiodic neuroendocrine system uses the photoperiod as a proxy to time the annual rhythms in reproduction. The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is a key protein in this pathway and its abundance and function can tune sensitivity to the photoperiod. Genetic variations in Tshr were found in Western European vole populations and were significantly correlated with a predicted critical photoperiod (pCPP) for the spring onset of local primary food production. However, this relationship was lacking in Eastern Europe. These findings suggest that Tshr has been targeted by natural selection in Western European voles to optimize the timing of seasonal reproduction.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Alexandra A. Raspopova, Vladimir S. Lebedev, Jeremy B. Searle, Anna A. Bannikova
Summary: In this study, the phylogenetic relationships within the chromosomally variable Sorex araneus species group were reconstructed using nuclear and mitochondrial genes. The results showed a complex evolutionary history with high incidence of reticulation and possible ancient hybridizations. The authentic mitochondrial lineage of the Iberian shrew S. granarius was found to be closely related to S. coronatus, indicating introgression from S. araneus. This study also revealed deeper reticulations for the first time, suggesting hybrid origins for the S. arcticus and S. coronatus lineages.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giulio Galla, Nadine Praeg, Filippo Colla, Theresa Rzehak, Paul Illmer, Julia Seeber, Heidi Christine Hauffe
Summary: This study investigated the impact of a mock community on diversity estimates of microbial community samples. The results showed that sample diversity estimates were distorted only when the mock community dose was high compared to sample mass. Additionally, the mock community served as an in situ positive control, allowing estimation of the sample's 16S copy number and detection of outliers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Pablo Colunga-Salas, Tania Marines-Macias, Giovani Hernandez-Canchola, Soraia Barbosa, Cassandra Ramirez, Jeremy B. Searle, Livia Leon-Paniagua
Summary: This study examined the genetic diversity and population structure of two endemic arboreal mice species in Mexican cloud forests. The results showed that both species had low genetic diversity compared to other similar species, and different population structure patterns were observed, potentially due to their different ecological associations. These findings highlight the importance of considering differential ecological associations for the conservation and management of species.
Article
Cell Biology
Mabel D. Gimenez, Jonathan J. Hughes, Moira Scascitelli, Sofia Gabriel, Daniel W. Forster, Thadsin Panithanarak, Heidi C. Hauffe, Jeremy B. Searle
Summary: The Western European house mouse exhibits high chromosomal diversity, with various karyotypes resulting from Robertsonian fusion and reciprocal translocations. This study investigated the evolutionary relationships of chromosomal races within the Northern Italy System using centromere-adjacent microsatellite markers. The results suggested that these chromosomal races share a common origin and have likely undergone Robertsonian fusion and reciprocal translocations.
CYTOGENETIC AND GENOME RESEARCH
(2022)