Two Novel Adenoviruses in Free-Living British lizards.

In this study, we describe two novel adenoviruses isolated from (i) a common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) found dead and examined post-mortem and (ii) pooled samples from free-living sand lizards (Lacerta agilis agilis). Sequencing indicated the two were closely related atadenovirus strains which were distinct from previously recorded adenoviruses in lizards. Adenoviruses are not always associated with disease in squamates, but morbidity and mortality have been reported.

The Role of Animal Translocations in Conserving British Wildlife: An Overview of Recent Work and Prospects for the Future.

We provide an overview of terrestrial animal translocations carried out for conservation purposes in Britain, summarising what has been achieved in recent decades and discussing the issues raised by this approach to conservation. In the last 40 years, at least nine species have been reintroduced following extinction in Britain (or at least one country within Britain), including five birds, one mammal, one amphibian and two invertebrates. Many more species have been translocated within Britain to establish additional populations in order to improve conservation status.

Transcriptional profiling of peripheral lymphoid tissue reveals genes and networks linked to SSBP/1 scrapie pathology in sheep.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are slow and progressive neurodegenerative diseases of humans and animals. The major target organ for all TSEs is the brain but some TSE agents are associated with prior accumulation within the peripheral lymphoid system. Many studies have examined the effects of scrapie infection on the expression of central nervous system (CNS) genes, but this study examines the progression of scrapie pathology in the peripheral lymphoid system and how scrapie infection affects the transcriptome of the lymph nodes and spleen.

Gene expression analysis in distinct regions of the central nervous system during the development of SSBP/1 sheep scrapie.

Rodent scrapie models have been exploited to define the molecular basis for the progression of neuropathological changes in TSE diseases. We aim to assess whether CNS gene expression changes consistently observed in mouse models are of generic relevance, for example to natural TSE diseases, or are TSE strain, host species or brain region specific. Six genes, representing distinct physiological pathways and showing consistent changes in expression levels with disease progression in murine scrapie models were analysed for expression (RT-qPCR) in defined regions of the sheep brain at various times after SSBP/1 scrapie infection.