Publications by authors named "Marisa Korody"
Progress Toward Genetic Rescue of the Northern White Rhinoceros ().
Annu Rev Anim Biosci
November 2024
The northern white rhinoceros (NWR) is functionally extinct, with only two nonreproductive females remaining. However, because of the foresight of scientists, cryopreserved cells and reproductive tissues may aid in the recovery of this species. An ambitious program of natural and artificial gamete and in vitro embryo generation was first outlined in 2015, and many of the proposed steps have been achieved.
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- Wildlife biodiversity helps keep ecosystems healthy and strong.
- Scientists study this diversity to learn more about life and how it started.
- Due to the rapid loss of various species, immediate action is needed from conservationists, and new techniques like stem cell technologies could help protect animal diversity.
Article Synopsis
- Conservationists are using innovative methods like cloning and in vitro gametogenesis to aid species like the northern white rhino, which has a limited genetic pool due to past population declines.* -
- Genetic analysis shows that while southern white rhinos have more harmful alleles due to a bottleneck, northern white rhinos have retained genetic diversity, which could help in their recovery.* -
- Simulations indicate that reintroducing more genetically diverse individuals from biobanks could enhance the northern white rhino population's fitness and alleviate inbreeding issues, making recovery more feasible compared to traditional methods.*
Article Synopsis
- High-quality reference genomes are essential for studying population history and conservation, particularly for endangered species like the Pacific pocket mouse (PPM) in southern California.
- Researchers created a detailed genome assembly for PPM using advanced sequencing technologies, revealing important genetic features that were absent in previous studies.
- The genome analysis indicated significant genetic variation and suggested recent inbreeding, providing important insights into the mouse's demographic history that can inform conservation efforts.
Article Synopsis
- Extinction rates are increasing, and traditional conservation methods might not be enough to save many endangered species.
- The creation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from endangered species, like the northern white rhinoceros, could help retain genetic diversity and assist in future conservation efforts.
- Researchers generated iPSCs from frozen fibroblasts and confirmed their potency, paving the way for using advanced reproductive techniques to potentially repopulate endangered species in the long term.
Article Synopsis
- Hybridization concerns arise in zoo populations due to unpedigreed animal exchanges, particularly with species like the Nubian ibex brought into the AZA's Species Survival Program.
- The study used 26 microsatellite markers to investigate if the imported Nubian ibex were hybrids with domestic goats and other caprine species, as they were smaller than the typical adult SSP Nubian ibex.
- The researchers suggest that the size difference may be attributed to natural variation in the Nubian ibex's geographic range, while the genetic differentiation of the imported ibex could provide valuable genetic diversity to the managed population.
Article Synopsis
- Extrapair mating can influence sexual selection in monogamous species, but evidence is mixed.
- In white-throated sparrows, white males engage in more extrapair mating than tan males, leading to distinct reproductive strategies based on morphs.
- While extrapair mating increases reproductive success and sexual selection potential for white males, it has a limited overall impact on lifetime reproductive success compared to within-pair mating.
Article Synopsis
- intra-sexual competition
- and
- parental investment
- —affect
- actuarial senescence
- , or the aging process and mortality rates.
- * Using
- white-throated sparrows
- as a model, the research reveals that
- white-striped males
- , who are more aggressive and less involved in parenting, showed the
- lowest senescence rates
- , while
- tan-striped females
- , who invest more in care, exhibited the
- highest senescence rates
- * The findings suggest that
- parental care
- , particularly that which is biased towards females, may accelerate senescence, while sharing parental duties appears to mitigate it, challenging the idea that competition alone drives aging rates. *
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined how different reproductive strategies affect aging (senescence) in the dimorphic white-throated sparrow, a bird species with two distinct color morphs (white and tan) that adopt different roles in parenting and mating.
- - White males are flashy and competitive, often seeking extra-pair matings, while tan males are more involved in parental care; female parenting roles also differ between morphs.
- - Findings revealed that white males age slower in terms of reproduction due to their competitive nature, while tan females age faster, likely due to the strains of raising young without adequate support, highlighting the role of social interactions in aging patterns.
Despite being closely related, bonobos and chimpanzees show remarkable behavioral differences, the proximate origins of which remain unknown. This study examined the link between behavioral variation and variation in the vasopressin 1a receptor gene (Avpr1a) in bonobos. Chimpanzees are polymorphic for a ~360 bp deletion (DupB), which includes a microsatellite (RS3) in the 5' promoter region of Avpr1a.
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- Understanding the genetic basis of adaptation involves studying "supergenes," which are tightly linked groups of genes, and how they affect traits linked to fitness.
- The study focuses on white-throated sparrows, which have two morphs (tan and white) determined by alternative alleles of a supergene, revealing insights into gene-behavior relationships and mating patterns.
- Through genomic sequencing and population data, the research uncovers that these supergene alleles are highly divergent, may have originated from a past hybridization event, and shows that the "tan" allele has low genetic diversity without signs of positive selection.
Recent literature has revealed the importance of variation in neuropeptide receptor gene sequences in the regulation of behavioral phenotypic variation. Here we focus on polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and vasopressin receptor gene 1a (Avpr1a) in chimpanzees and bonobos. In humans, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the third intron of OXTR (rs53576 SNP (A/G)) is linked with social behavior, with the risk allele (A) carriers showing reduced levels of empathy and prosociality.
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- Genomic research on avian species like the California condor and white-throated sparrow can enhance conservation efforts by improving our understanding of genetic diversity and evolution.
- Recent studies identified genetic variations in the condor population and detailed complex chromosomal rearrangements in the white-throated sparrow, shedding light on their morphological and behavioral traits.
- The findings suggest that in-depth genomic analysis and mapping are essential for identifying key genetic factors related to the condor's health and adaptation, potentially addressing issues like heritable embryonic lethality.