Pathogen-mediated selection in free-ranging elk populations infected by chronic wasting disease
Monello RJ, Galloway NL, Powers JG, Madsen-Bouterse SA, Edwards WH, Wood ME, O'Rourke KI, Wild MA. 2017. Pathogen-mediated selection in free-ranging elk populations infected by chronic wasting disease. PNAS. 114(46):12208-12212
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can cause declines in deer and elk populations. Theoretical work suggests elk will adapt to the disease by favoring a naturally occurring but underrepresented prion protein variant (leucine allele) that enables individuals to live and reproduce for several years after infection with CWD. Using genetic and disease samples from different populations, we found that elk herds infected with CWD for 30–50 y exhibited leucine allele frequencies that were twice as great as those in unexposed populations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that genetic selection has occurred due to CWD, but it remains unknown if this will allow elk to mitigate the negative population impacts of CWD.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Monello, Ryan; Galloway, Nathan; Powers, Jenny; Madsen-Bouterse, Sally; Edwards, William; Wood, Mary; O'Rourke, Katherine; Wild, Margaret
- Units
- ROMO
- Keywords
- Cervus, chronic wasting disease, elaphus, elk, pathogen-mediated selection, prion protein