Researchers at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have found that variation in the same gene in humans and baboons produces the same kind of disease resistance. The findings were published in the June 24 online edition of the journal Nature .
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), lead authors Gregory Wray, Susan Alberts and Jenny Tung drew on Alberts' longtime study of the yellow baboons in Kenya's Amboseli National Park to examine the baboons' susceptibility to a malaria-like parasite and to delve into the genetic basis for differences in the baboons' vulnerability to infection.
Graduate student Jenny Tung did field work over three summers in the East African savannah as part of her doctoral dissertation project, discovering that 60 percent of the Amboseli baboons were infected with the malaria-like parasite.
"It's exciting that this work includes a doctoral dissertation project," said Jean Turnquist, NSF program officer. "These researchers have made a very significant discovery that can only come from this kind of longterm study. It's a great example of seeing the connections between evolutionary genomics and disease susceptibility and resistance."
More information on this work is available in the Duke press release at http://news.duke.edu/2009/06/baboons.html .
Nature