Genetic diversity and population structure of Indian golden silkmoth (Antheraea assama)

Background The Indian golden saturniid silkmoth (Antheraea assama), popularly known as muga silkmoth, is a semi-domesticated silk producing insect confined to a narrow habitat range of the northeastern region of India. Owing to the prevailing socio-political problems, the muga silkworm habitats in the northeastern region have not been accessible hampering the phylogeography studies of this rare silkmoth. Recently, we have been successful in our attempt to collect muga cocoon samples, although to a limited extent, from their natural habitats. Out of 87 microsatellite markers developed previously for A. assama, 13 informative markers were employed to genotype 97 individuals from six populations and analyzed their population structure and genetic variation. Methodology/Principal Findings We observed highly significant genetic diversity in one of the populations (WWS-1, a population derived from West Garo Hills region of Meghalaya state). Further analysis with and without WWS-1 population revealed that dramatic genetic differentiation (global FST = 0.301) was due to high genetic diversity contributed by WWS-1 population. Analysis of the remaining five populations (excluding WWS-1) showed a marked reduction in the number of alleles at all the employed loci. Structure analysis showed the presence of only two clusters: one formed by WWS-1 population and the other included the remaining five populations, inferring that there is no significant genetic diversity within and between these five populations, and suggesting that these five populations are probably derived from a single population. Patterns of recent population bottlenecks were not evident in any of the six populations studied. Conclusions/Significance A. assama inhabiting the WWS-1 region revealed very high genetic diversity, and was genetically divergent from the five populations studied. The efforts should be continued to identify and study such populations from this region as well as other muga silkworm habitats. The information generated will be very useful in conservation of dwindling muga culture in Northeast India

Acquired Resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade in Lung Cancer: Mechanisms and Patterns of Failure

Immunotherapy is now the preferred treatment for most lung cancer patients. It is used to treat unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer and is the first-line therapy for non-oncogene-driven advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients (either alone or in combination with chemotherapy). Unfortunately, most patients that respond initially to immunotherapy develop resistance over time, thus limiting the durability of immunotherapy. A better understanding of the mechanisms of acquired resistance is urgently needed to expand the benefit of immunotherapy in lung cancer patients. This review aims to summarize the mechanisms and clinical outcomes of acquired resistance of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies in non-small-cell lung cancer patients

Population-wise data on the mean number of alleles per locus (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), number of private alleles, mean observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity, fixation index (F) and percentage polymorphism observed in 13 SSR loci (% P).

<p>Population-wise data on the mean number of alleles per locus (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), number of private alleles, mean observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity, fixation index (F) and percentage polymorphism observed in 13 SSR loci (% P).</p

Population structure of six <i>A. assama</i> populations prepared using STUCTURE program.

<p>Upper panel shows the structure obtained by analysis of all six populations and the lower panel shows the structure obtained by excluding WWS-1 population.</p

Sampling locations of muga silkmoth, <i>A. assama</i>.

<p>Sampling locations of muga silkmoth, <i>A. assama</i>.</p

NJ tree constructed based on Nei minimum genetic distance matrix data.

<p>The numbers near the nodes are the bootstrap values.</p

Locus-wise data on the number of alleles (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), mean observed (Mean Ho) and expected (Mean He) heterozygosities, the number of migrants (Nm), fixation index (F) and F statistics.

<p>Locus-wise data on the number of alleles (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), mean observed (Mean Ho) and expected (Mean He) heterozygosities, the number of migrants (Nm), fixation index (F) and F statistics.</p

Locus-wise data on the number of alleles (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), mean observed (Mean Ho) and expected (Mean He) heterozygosities, the number of migrants (Nm), fixation index (F) and F statistics obtained by analyzing five populations excluding WWS-1 population.

<p>Locus-wise data on the number of alleles (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), mean observed (Mean Ho) and expected (Mean He) heterozygosities, the number of migrants (Nm), fixation index (F) and F statistics obtained by analyzing five populations excluding WWS-1 population.</p