ICCFGG 2022
#42 Search for local adaptation in dogs living in Chernobyl
Megan N. Dillon1,2 , Rachael Thomas2, Gabriella J. Spatola3,4, Elaine A. Ostrander3, Timothy A. Mousseau4, Norman J. Kleiman5, Martha O. Burford Reiskind1, Matthew Breen2,6,7,8 mdillon3@ncsu.edu 1Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA 2Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA 3National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 4Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 5Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA 6Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA, 7Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA, 8Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) disaster released roughly 5,000 petabecquerels of radioisotopes into the surrounding environment. A roughly ~30 km radius surrounding the NPP, named the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), was evacuated, and remains predominantly abandoned to this day. In addition to radioactive contamination, initial remediation efforts, as well as various abandoned military and industrial facilities, have resulted in release of toxic/heavy metals, organics, pesticides, and other environmental toxins. Despite an attempt to eliminate all domestic and agricultural animals shortly after the accident, several hundred dogs, presumably descendants of abandoned household pets, now inhabit the CEZ. This study focused on two populations of these dogs, one living around the NPP and one living approximately 16.5 km away in Chernobyl City. We aimed to quantify the degree of local adaptation of NPP dogs to the multi-generational exposures of various hazardous materials. We have worked towards elucidating the population structure of these dogs and identified outlier loci that are indicative of genomic regions under candidate positive selection. We found a significant degree of genetic differentiation, despite some amount of overlap and genetic similarity between the populations. Outlier analysis highlighted 52 candidate genes, with Gene Ontology terms relating to response to ionizing radiation and DNA damage signaling. These putative candidate genes are being pursued to identify potential variants that may be under selection. Our findings add to the general understanding of the genetic effects from prolonged exposure to radiation, heavy metals, and other contaminants.
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