title: The Tasmanian devil transcriptome reveals Schwann cell origins of a clonally transmissible cancer.
abstract: The Tasmanian devil, a marsupial carnivore, is endangered because of the emergence of a transmissible cancer known as devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). This fatal cancer is clonally derived and is an allograft transmitted between devils by biting. We performed a large-scale genetic analysis of DFTD with microsatellite genotyping, a mitochondrial genome analysis, and deep sequencing of the DFTD transcriptome and microRNAs. These studies confirm that DFTD is a monophyletic clonally transmissible tumor and suggest that the disease is of Schwann cell origin. On the basis of these results, we have generated a diagnostic marker for DFTD and identify a suite of genes relevant to DFTD pathology and transmission. We provide a genomic data set for the Tasmanian devil that is applicable to cancer diagnosis, disease evolution, and conservation biology.
authors.affiliation: Watson School of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA. elizabeth.murchison@sanger.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Murchison
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tovar
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Hannah S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Pouya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kheradpour
authors.forename: Clare A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rebbeck
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Obendorf
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conlan
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahlo
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Blizzard
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pyecroft
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kellis
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Timothy T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Harkins
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marshall Graves
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Papenfuss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000662:veterinary; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D005838:Genotype; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000235:genetics; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; C086745:periaxin