Immunogenetic-pathogen networks shrink in Tome's spiny rat, a generalist rodent inhabiting disturbed landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic disturbance may increase the emergence of zoonoses. Especially generalists that cope with disturbance and live in close contact with humans and livestock may become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, whether anthropogenic disturbance modifies host-pathogen co-evolutionary relationships in generalists is unknown. We assessed pathogen diversity, neutral genome-wide diversity (SNPs) and adaptive MHC class II diversity in a rodent generalist inhabiting three lowland rainforest landscapes with varying anthropogenic disturbance, and determined which MHC alleles co-occurred more frequently with 13 gastrointestinal nematodes, blood trypanosomes, and four viruses. Pathogen-specific selection pressures varied between landscapes. Genome-wide diversity declined with the degree of dis

SUBMITTER: Fleischer R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10858909 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature