No abstract

Large-scale monitoring of wild populations in remote areas using traditional live-capturing methods is logistically and financially challenging. Devices that can be used to obtain biological material remotely and store it for an extended period have considerable potential to monitor population densities and health status, but their applicability remains largely unexplored. The present study describes a device that collects trace amounts of DNA from the saliva of small mammals that is deposited on the surface of a collection medium (WaxTags®). The device’s performance was evaluated on Australian brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), an invasive pest species and the most significant vector of bovine tuberculosis infective agent (Mycobacterium bovis), under field conditions in Canterbury, New Zealand. The retrieved DNA was used to amplify eight possum-specific microsatellite markers and bacterial 16S rRNA. The design is mechanically robust, and the quality of the recovered DNA was adequate for microsatellite-based identification of individual possums, estimation of population density, and partial reconstruction of their oral microbiomes as a potential indicator of health. Several medically important bacteria, including strains of environmental Mycobacterium sp., were detected. The design can be refined to monitor other animals’ populations proactively and provide different levels of information necessary to manage wild populations.

No abstract

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), introduced from Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, is an invasive species in New Zealand where it is widespread and forms the largest self-sustained reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) among wild populations. Conservation and agricultural authorities regularly apply a series of population control measures to suppress brushtail possum populations. The evolutionary consequence of more than half a century of intensive population control operations on the species’ genomic diversity and population structure is hindered by a paucity of available genomic resources. This study is the first to characterise the functional content and diversity of brushtail possum liver and brain cerebral cortex transcriptomes. Raw sequences from hepatic cells and cerebral cortex were assembled into 58,001 and 64,735 transcripts respectively. Functional annotation and polymorphism assignment of the assembled transcripts demonstrated a considerable level of variation in the core metabolic pathways that represent potential targets for selection pressure exerted by chemical toxicants. This study suggests that the brushtail possum population in New Zealand harbours considerable variation in metabolic pathways that could potentially promote the development of tolerance against chemical toxicants.

No abstract