Gene discovery may help endangered frogs

David Alexander

Ribbit: Lincoln University biologist Bruce Waldman has identified certain genes that could help amphibians develop resistance to harmful bacteria.

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A new gene study by Lincoln University researchers may provide assistance in the battle to protect threatened frog species.

Frog populations throughout the world are being depleted by habitat loss and disease.

Of Australasia's 220 frog species, 47 are considered endangered. World-wide, scientists believe about 165 of known frog species may already be extinct.

Bruce Waldman, a biologist at Lincoln University, said a new paper to be published tomorrow will outline research which has identified certain genes that could help amphibians develop resistance to harmful bacteria and disease.

The discovery may provide new strategies to protect frog populations in the wild.

The paper, co-authored by Dr Waldman and published in the journal PloS One, examines how genes affect the ability of frogs to resist infection by bacteria commonly associated with frog population declines.

Dr Waldman said breeding frogs with complementary disease-resistant genes in captivity may offer the best hope for saving species from extinction.

"Massive die-offs of frogs may indicate environmental problems that ultimately will affect other species, including humans,'' Dr Waldman said.

"But, despite the concern, little is known about factors that make individuals susceptible to disease.''

Doctoral students Seth Barribeau and Jandouwe Villinger worked with Dr Waldman on the study.

Programmes are under way to rescue frogs from declining wild populations and breed them in captivity to ensure that species are not lost to extinction.

The research team studied the African clawed frog because its immune system had already been well characterised, but Waldman said as most frogs and toads had similar immune systems, they believed their results would be generally applicable to all threatened and endangered amphibians.

- NZPA