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Family and population effects on disease resistance in a reptile

Uller, T ; Olsson, M and Madsen, Thomas LU (2003) In Heredity 91(2). p.112-116
Abstract
Despite its importance in evolutionary biology, studies of the pattern of disease resistance in natural populations are rare. In this paper, we report patterns of infection of a viral eye disease in juvenile Swedish common lizards (Lacerta vivipara). Females were sampled at random from natural populations immediately prior to parturition with equal exposure of pathogens for all lizards once in captivity. No causative agents could be found that linked risk of disease to maternal/interfollicular transfer of pathogens. The results show that a major factor influencing offspring susceptibility is family identity, suggesting heritable variation in pathogen resistance. Our interpopulation comparison provides additional support for a link between... (More)
Despite its importance in evolutionary biology, studies of the pattern of disease resistance in natural populations are rare. In this paper, we report patterns of infection of a viral eye disease in juvenile Swedish common lizards (Lacerta vivipara). Females were sampled at random from natural populations immediately prior to parturition with equal exposure of pathogens for all lizards once in captivity. No causative agents could be found that linked risk of disease to maternal/interfollicular transfer of pathogens. The results show that a major factor influencing offspring susceptibility is family identity, suggesting heritable variation in pathogen resistance. Our interpopulation comparison provides additional support for a link between genetics and disease resistance. Lizards in northern Sweden were not only more susceptible to the disease but were also more health compromised once infected, with relatively more reduced growth rate and increased mortality than lizards from the south. This scenario suggests that southern lizards have been under selection for resistance to this pathogen, whereas northern lizards have not, or at least not to the same degree. Thus, this study confirms the importance of genetic (family) effects on pathogen resistance with variation in this trait among natural populations. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Heredity
volume
91
issue
2
pages
112 - 116
publisher
Macmillan
external identifiers
  • wos:000184555800004
  • pmid:12886277
  • scopus:0042733312
ISSN
1365-2540
DOI
10.1038/sj.hdy.6800288
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001)
id
c34f0f78-02b4-4f39-a3c2-3d18e368d937 (old id 137212)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:21:12
date last changed
2022-01-27 02:29:31
@article{c34f0f78-02b4-4f39-a3c2-3d18e368d937,
  abstract     = {{Despite its importance in evolutionary biology, studies of the pattern of disease resistance in natural populations are rare. In this paper, we report patterns of infection of a viral eye disease in juvenile Swedish common lizards (Lacerta vivipara). Females were sampled at random from natural populations immediately prior to parturition with equal exposure of pathogens for all lizards once in captivity. No causative agents could be found that linked risk of disease to maternal/interfollicular transfer of pathogens. The results show that a major factor influencing offspring susceptibility is family identity, suggesting heritable variation in pathogen resistance. Our interpopulation comparison provides additional support for a link between genetics and disease resistance. Lizards in northern Sweden were not only more susceptible to the disease but were also more health compromised once infected, with relatively more reduced growth rate and increased mortality than lizards from the south. This scenario suggests that southern lizards have been under selection for resistance to this pathogen, whereas northern lizards have not, or at least not to the same degree. Thus, this study confirms the importance of genetic (family) effects on pathogen resistance with variation in this trait among natural populations.}},
  author       = {{Uller, T and Olsson, M and Madsen, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{1365-2540}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{112--116}},
  publisher    = {{Macmillan}},
  series       = {{Heredity}},
  title        = {{Family and population effects on disease resistance in a reptile}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800288}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/sj.hdy.6800288}},
  volume       = {{91}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}