Abstract
This thesis describes various aspects of marine turtle (Testudines) evolution and tackles a well-described and controversial disease of these animals, fibropapillomatosis (FP), which is believed to be caused by the Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV).
A large dataset of samples from five globally distributed marine turtle species was analysed in order to detect the presence of CFPHV DNA. These samples represent both clinical (FP tumour) and subclinical (non-tumour) CFPHV infections. Validated methods were developed and applied in order to determine the global prevalence of the CFPHV among these species.
Singleplex and nested PCR, Sanger sequencing and qPCR techniques were used to achieve these goal. Moreover, by using next generation sequencing we obtained a large number of full turtle mitochondrial genomes and a few entire CFPHV genomes were obtained from various samples.
Finally, large quantities of nuclear DNA data was generated by shotgun sequencing across two species of marine turtles. The most remarkable findings indicate that 100% of the FP exhibiting green turtles yielded CFPHV DNA sequences, unexpectedly, so did 15% of the clinically healthy turtles, presumably through persistent latent infections, often at surprisingly high levels.
A large dataset of samples from five globally distributed marine turtle species was analysed in order to detect the presence of CFPHV DNA. These samples represent both clinical (FP tumour) and subclinical (non-tumour) CFPHV infections. Validated methods were developed and applied in order to determine the global prevalence of the CFPHV among these species.
Singleplex and nested PCR, Sanger sequencing and qPCR techniques were used to achieve these goal. Moreover, by using next generation sequencing we obtained a large number of full turtle mitochondrial genomes and a few entire CFPHV genomes were obtained from various samples.
Finally, large quantities of nuclear DNA data was generated by shotgun sequencing across two species of marine turtles. The most remarkable findings indicate that 100% of the FP exhibiting green turtles yielded CFPHV DNA sequences, unexpectedly, so did 15% of the clinically healthy turtles, presumably through persistent latent infections, often at surprisingly high levels.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
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| Forlag | Natural History Museum of Denmark, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
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| Antal sider | 220 |
| Status | Udgivet - 2014 |