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A group of scientists from UNSW Sydney, the University of Sydney, Deakin University, Portugal and Brazil have unblocked the toad DNA, a toxic amphibian that threatens to many native species of Australia. The results have been published in an academic journal GigaScience aujourd & # 39; hui.
"Despite its iconic status, our understanding of cane toad genetics has major flaws, and so far no one has assembled the genome," says Peter White, project leader and professor of microbiology and molecular biology. at UNSW.
Ten years ago, researchers in Western Australia had already tried to sequence the toad genome, but they encountered obstacles in assembling it and did not complete the project.
For this project, the UNSW-University of Sydney team worked at the UNSW Ramaciotti Genomics Center, which played a role in decoding the genomes of other iconic species in Australia, including the koala.
"Sequencing and assembling a genome is a complicated process. Using the state-of-the-art sequencing technology and expertise available at UNSW, we have sequenced 360 billion base pairs and assembled one of the best amphibian genomes so far. " says Dr. Rich Edwards, lead author of the study.
"We have been able to decipher more than 90% of the sugarcane toad genes by using technology that can sequence very long pieces of DNA, making it easier to put together the puzzle of the genome."
Having a cane toad genome project will help fill critical knowledge gaps and speed up toad research. More toads can now be sequenced at a fraction of the cost, and the genome is available for free – anyone can access it now and conduct additional research.
"Future genome analyzes will provide insight into the evolution of the toad and enrich our understanding of their interaction with the ecosystem as a whole. This will help us understand how the toad spreads, how its toxin works and provides new leads to control its effects. population, "says Rick Shine, Professor Emeritus and Toad Professor from the University of Sydney.
"Very few amphibian genomes have been sequenced so far, so this is also great news for amphibians. Having a reference genome could provide valuable information on the evolution of invasive species to adapt to new environments.
Having the genome will also help researchers find new options for controlling the toad population.
"Current measures such as physical elimination have not been successful, but new ways of teaching native species to avoid eating the toad, called taste aversion, are giving new hope. However, we need more approaches to control this invasive species, "says Professor White.
For a measure of this type, biological control, ie the use of a virus to help control the toad population, the toad's genetic material is essential.
"To find a virus for biocontrol, we need to have access to the toad's DNA and RNA," says Alice Russo, Ph.D. student at UNSW who specializes in researching potential viruses to control the toad.
"The DNA contains old virus fragments – the DNA of each animal can sometimes catalog past infections."
Viruses have already been used successfully to control the European population of rabbits. The problem with cane toad viruses studied until now was that they could potentially infect native amphibians – that is why this study was aimed at finding a virus specific to cane toad.
In an article published this month in the Journal of Virology, the researchers describe how they sampled canes toads from different locations in Australia and, using a combination of sequencing of DNA and RNA, found three new viruses.
"Until we published this article, only one family of viruses was known to affect the toad of the cane. This is the first article that has found different viruses, which is very promising, "says Russo.
"This article opened the door: we found a retrovirus, a picornavirus and a circovirus genetically similar to the viruses that infect frogs, reptiles and fish. For two of them, we found a complete genome, both of which could potentially be used as biological control agents.
Knowledge of these new viral sequences will help guide future studies that will investigate their prevalence and potential as biological control agents.
"There is still a lot of work to be done. However, these two documents are the first, but most important, step in the search for an effective way to control the cane toad, "concludes Professor White.
Toads are highly adaptable and have destructive effects on native wildlife in the invaded regions, which are numerous; they are present in 138 countries. Since the toad was introduced to Queensland to fight the beetle in 1935, it has spread widely – millions of toads now occupy more than 1.2 million square kilometers. It mortally poisons native species such as the northern quoll, freshwater crocodiles and several species of native lizards and snakes.
A group of scientists from UNSW Sydney, the University of Sydney, Deakin University, Portugal and Brazil have unblocked the toad DNA, a toxic amphibian that threatens to many native species of Australia. The results have been published in an academic journal GigaScience aujourd & # 39; hui.
"Despite its iconic status, our understanding of cane toad genetics has major flaws, and so far no one has assembled the genome," says Peter White, project leader and professor of microbiology and molecular biology. at UNSW.
Ten years ago, researchers in Western Australia had already tried to sequence the toad genome, but they encountered obstacles in assembling it and did not complete the project.
For this project, the UNSW-University of Sydney team worked at the UNSW Ramaciotti Genomics Center, which played a role in decoding the genomes of other iconic species in Australia, including the koala.
"Sequencing and assembling a genome is a complicated process. Using the state-of-the-art sequencing technology and expertise available at UNSW, we have sequenced 360 billion base pairs and assembled one of the best amphibian genomes so far. " says Dr. Rich Edwards, lead author of the study.
"We have been able to decipher more than 90% of the sugarcane toad genes by using technology that can sequence very long pieces of DNA, making it easier to put together the puzzle of the genome."
Having a cane toad genome project will help fill critical knowledge gaps and speed up toad research. More toads can now be sequenced at a fraction of the cost, and the genome is available for free – anyone can access it now and conduct additional research.
"Future genome analyzes will provide insight into the evolution of the toad and enrich our understanding of their interaction with the ecosystem as a whole. This will help us understand how the toad spreads, how its toxin works and provides new leads to control its effects. population, "says Rick Shine, Professor Emeritus and Toad Professor from the University of Sydney.
"Very few amphibian genomes have been sequenced so far, so this is also great news for amphibians. Having a reference genome could provide valuable information on the evolution of invasive species to adapt to new environments.
Having the genome will also help researchers find new options for controlling the toad population.
"Current measures such as physical elimination have not been successful, but new ways of teaching native species to avoid eating the toad, called taste aversion, are giving new hope. However, we need more approaches to control this invasive species, "says Professor White.
For a measure of this type, biological control, ie the use of a virus to help control the toad population, the toad's genetic material is essential.
"To find a virus for biocontrol, we need to have access to the toad's DNA and RNA," says Alice Russo, Ph.D. student at UNSW who specializes in researching potential viruses to control the toad.
"The DNA contains old virus fragments – the DNA of each animal can sometimes catalog past infections."
Viruses have already been used successfully to control the European population of rabbits. The problem with cane toad viruses studied until now was that they could potentially infect native amphibians – that is why this study was aimed at finding a virus specific to cane toad.
In an article published this month in the Journal of Virology, the researchers describe how they sampled canes toads from different locations in Australia and, using a combination of sequencing of DNA and RNA, found three new viruses.
"Until we published this article, only one family of viruses was known to affect the toad of the cane. This is the first article that has found different viruses, which is very promising, "says Russo.
"This article opened the door: we found a retrovirus, a picornavirus and a circovirus genetically similar to the viruses that infect frogs, reptiles and fish. For two of them, we found a complete genome, both of which could potentially be used as biological control agents.
Knowledge of these new viral sequences will help guide future studies that will investigate their prevalence and potential as biological control agents.
"There is still a lot of work to be done. However, these two documents are the first, but most important, step in the search for an effective way to control the cane toad, "concludes Professor White.
Toads are highly adaptable and have destructive effects on native wildlife in the invaded regions, which are numerous; they are present in 138 countries. Since the toad was introduced to Queensland to fight the beetle in 1935, it has spread widely – millions of toads now occupy more than 1.2 million square kilometers. It mortally poisons native species such as the northern quoll, freshwater crocodiles and several species of native lizards and snakes.
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