![]() The viruses found in each sample library. These viruses may arrive on the frozen continent through birds that have long distance migrations, such as Antarctic Tern long distance wanders (as many seabirds are) or birds such as skuas and gulls, which move between the Antarctica peninsula and the southern reaches of Patagonia. This means that they are infected with a similar number and diversity of viruses as birds elsewhere in the world, despite the perceived isolation of Antarctica. Interestingly, when we use the same metatranscriptomic methods to find viruses in Australian wild birds, we tend to find a similar number of viruses per sample pool, really suggesting that these penguins feel a similar “pathogen pressure”. From the six penguin sample pools (comprising a 60 samples from three species) we found 13 viruses that likely infect the penguins – essentially doubling the number of viruses known to infect Antarctic penguins. We found an amazing 107 viruses in total. This allowed us to assess whether these Antarctic penguins had fewer viruses than other birds and to understand the role of Antarctic penguins in acting as a reservoir for viruses in birds globally. We worked with collaborators at the University of Sydney and Universidad de Concepcion (Chile) to reveal virus communities of three species of Antarctic Penguins – Chinstrap Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, and Adelie Penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula. How our 'avian athletes' could spread influenza With this method, we are able to describe new viruses, which is critical if we are to understand viruses in birds that don’t cause disease in them, but may have the ability to spill over into other species – including humans. Many of the well-known viruses including flu and coronavirus have RNA as a genetic code. The RNA (a different type of nucleic acid to DNA) was then sequenced for each sample, this included all of the RNA of the birds, their microbiome and their viruses. Swabs were taken from the penguin cloacae– the opening of the digestive, reproductive and urinary tracts of birds. To do this, we used a state-of-the-art method called metatranscriptomics that looks at all of the genes that are ‘switched on’ or expressed in the sample, providing an unbiased technique to find viruses. Picture: Reproduced from the International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal Locations of sampling for penguin viruses in Antarctica. So our study set out to uncover the diversity of viruses in Antarctic penguins, and whether their remote homes means they are infected with fewer kinds of viruses compared to birds on highly connected continents. As found in our previous research into penguins, these viruses do not seem to cause any disease in their hosts. ![]() These mostly comprise avian paramyxovirus virus (now called avian avulavirus) and influenza A viruses. This enables us to randomly sequence a sample so that we are no longer limited to searching for only previously described viruses.Īs a result, since 2012 or so, studies have found 15 different of viruses in Antarctic penguins. Things have changed dramatically in the last years with the advent of metagenomics a method by which we can sequence the genomes of all the microorganisms in a sample. Viruses on the wingĪs methods for studying viruses improved, researchers took to genetic methods for screening penguins, such as the now commonly used polymerase chain reaction or PCR.Īgain, the large limitation here is that these methods rely on identifying only previously described viruses, not new species. These early studies had great limitations, and were only able to understand whether penguins were infected with viruses we had previously catalogued, and these were mostly viruses that caused disease in poultry. This research compared antibodies to known viruses to try to find viruses that may be present in Antarctic penguins – serological experiments look at the immune response in blood, in this case the penguin’s response to viruses. Early research only allowed the study of previously identified viruses, rather than describing new ones. When I imagine Antarctica, I think of images of a completely isolated and hard-to-get-to place with lots of penguins, seals and, of course, Sir David Attenborough’s voice narrating in my brain.īut what we often forget is that the diversity of wildlife on the frozen continent also includes microorganisms.įor decades now, researchers have been interested in the viruses of Antarctic penguins in particular.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |