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Science 22 March 1985:
Vol. 227. no. 4693, pp. 1428 - 1434
DOI: 10.1126/science.2983425
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Articles

Science, Vol 227, Issue 4693, 1428-1434
Copyright © 1985 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Genetic basis for species vulnerability in the cheetah

SJ O'Brien, ME Roelke, L Marker, A Newman, CA Winkler, D Meltzer, L Colly, JF Evermann, M Bush, and DE Wildt

A population genetic survey of over 200 structural loci previously revealed that the South African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) has an extreme paucity of genetic variability, probably as a consequence of a severe population bottleneck in its recent past. The genetic monomorphism of the species is here extended to the major histocompatibility complex, since 14 reciprocal skin grafts between unrelated cheetahs were accepted. The apparent consequences of such genetic uniformity to the species include (i) great difficulty in captive breeding, (ii) a high degree of juvenile mortality in captivity and in the wild, and (iii) a high frequency of spermatozoal abnormalities in ejaculates. The species vulnerability of the cheetah was demonstrated by an epizootic of coronavirus-associated feline infectious peritonitis in an Oregon breeding colony in 1983. Exposure and spread of the coronavirus, which has a very low morbidity in domestic cats (approximately 1 percent), has decimated a heretofore productive and healthy captive population. The extreme genetic monomorphism, especially at the major histocompatibility complex, and the apparent hypersensitivity of the cheetah to a viral pathogen may be related, and provide a biological basis for understanding the adaptive significance of abundant genetic variation in outbred mammalian species.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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From the Cover: Fecal transmission of AA amyloidosis in the cheetah contributes to high incidence of disease.
B. Zhang, Y. Une, X. Fu, J. Yan, F. Ge, J. Yao, J. Sawashita, M. Mori, H. Tomozawa, F. Kametani, et al. (2008)
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Are cheetahs on the run from prion-like amyloidosis?.
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Characterization of the Cheetah Serum Amyloid A1 Gene: Critical Role and Functional Polymorphism of a Cis-Acting Element.
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Molecular Genetic Insights on Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) Ecology and Conservation in Namibia.
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Fraction of Cases of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Prevented by the Interactions of Identified Restriction Gene Variants.
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Am. J. Epidemiol. 159, 232-241
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SEROSURVEY OF VIRAL INFECTIONS IN FREE-RANGING NAMIBIAN CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS).
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J. Wildl. Dis. 40, 23-31
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Conservation Genetics of the Far Eastern Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis).
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Feline Papillomas and Papillomaviruses.
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Patterns of HIV-1 evolution in individuals with differing rates of CD4 T cell decline.
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The common marmoset: A new world primate species with limited Mhc class II variability.
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Genetic diversity and gene flow in the endangered dwarf bear poppy, Arctomecon humilis (Papaveraceae).
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Am. J. Botany 85, 1251-1261
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