Publications by authors named "Thinlay N Bhutia"
Autonomous replication and segregation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) creates the potential for evolutionary conflict driven by emergence of haplotypes under positive selection for 'selfish' traits, such as replicative advantage. However, few cases of this phenomenon arising within natural populations have been described. Here, we survey the frequency of mtDNA horizontal transfer within the canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), a contagious cancer clone that occasionally acquires mtDNA from its hosts.
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- Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a unique cancer that has survived for thousands of years by spreading through cell transfer from one dog to another.
- Researchers analyzed 546 CTVT exomes to create a timeline and track its global spread, discovering a specific mutational process that occurred early in its evolution but later disappeared.
- The study found that while CTVT shows minimal ongoing positive selection and some negative selection in key genes, random genetic drift plays a major role in the long-term evolution of this cancer.
Background: Educational initiatives targeting at-risk populations have long been recognized as a mainstay of ongoing rabies control efforts. Cluster-based studies are often utilized to assess levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices of a population in response to education campaigns. The design of cluster-based studies requires estimates of intra-cluster correlation coefficients obtained from previous studies.
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