Biology subjects

Tagg, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Tagg, N..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Innate Immune Dysregulation Precedes Clinical Onset in Neuromyelitis Optica

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a disabling inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disease characterized by pathogenic aquaporin 4 (AQP4) autoantibodies. The biological events that precede clinical onset remain unknown. In a unique longitudinal NMOSD cohort from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository, with samples collected up to 24 years before onset, we applied discovery proteomics (~5,400 proteins), pan-viral antibody profiling (VirScan), and in silico analyses to characterize preclinical NMOSD versus matched healthy controls. Innate immune activation, particularly CXCL1 elevation, was the dominant immunological feature of preclinical NMOSD, preceding onset by ~12.7 years. AQP4-IgG was detectable more than 3 years before onset, while CNS injury markers increased only after disease manifestation. VirScan identified enhanced CMV-specific antibody reactivity following AQP4- IgG seroconversion, and network analyses revealed interactions between NMOSD-associated and CMV-derived proteins. Together, these findings establish a novel multi-hit model of NMOSD, with implications for understanding antibody-mediated autoimmunity more broadly.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2026

Non-invasive genomic sampling uncovers novel connectivities and origins of confiscated gorillas

BackgroundGorillas are a group of African great apes with two species and four subspecies that are currently critically endangered or endangered. Previous studies that analysed the genetics of wild gorillas from non-invasive samples, such as faeces or hair, analysed short mitochondrial or nuclear markers, which may not reflect the wider nuclear genome. Recent technical advances in target capture hybridisation, enrich the endogenous DNA content of non-invasive samples, allowing contiguous genomic regions to be sequenced. ResultsHere, we generated georeferenced genetic data from faecal and hair samples of 280 wild gorillas, sampled from three of the four gorilla subspecies, across large parts of their present-day distributions. With this expanded representation of gorilla genetic diversity in the wild, we detected three population clusters in western lowland gorillas, with the Sangha River and its affluents acting as significant barriers to gene flow. We reconstructed patterns of past population connectivity between western lowland gorillas in the north-eastern distribution range and Cross River gorillas, which may have been facilitated by a migration corridor also used by the Central and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee subspecies. Finally, we predicted the geographic origins of wild-born gorillas, achieving a mean prediction error of 65 km, with a population-level resolution for mountain gorillas and some populations of western lowland gorillas. ConclusionOur work characterises fine-scale population structure in western lowland gorillas, which will be informative for future conservation strategies. This proof of concept in predicting geographic locations of wild gorillas, will be useful for future applications to geolocalise trafficked or rescued gorillas.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

High diversity and sharing of strongylid nematodes in humans and great apes co-habiting unprotected area in Cameroon

Rapid increases in human populations and environmental changes of past decades have led to intensified contact with wildlife and significantly contributed to pathogen transmission in both directions, especially between humans and non-human primates, whose close phylogenetic relationship facilitates cross-infection. Using high-throughput sequencing, we studied strongylid communities in sympatric western lowland gorillas, central chimpanzees and humans co-occurring in an unprotected area in the northern periphery of the Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon. We identified 65 strongylid ITS-2 amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) in humans and great apes. Great apes exhibited higher strongylid diversity than humans. Necator and Oesophagostomum were the most prevalent genera, and we commonly observed mixed infections of more than one strongylid species. Human strongylid nematodes were dominated by the human hookworm N. americanus, while great apes were mainly infected with N. gorillae, O. stephanostomum and trichostrongylids. We were also able to detect rare strongylid taxa (such as Ancylostoma and Ternidens). We detected eight ASVs shared between humans and great apes (four N. americanus variants, two N. gorillae variants, one O. stephanostomum type I and one Trichostrongylus sp. type II variant). Our results show that knowledge of strongylid communities in primates, including humans, is still limited. Sharing the same habitat, especially outside protected areas (where access to the forest is not restricted), can enable mutual exchange of parasites and can even override host phylogeny or conserved patterns.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Monitoring conservation effectiveness in tropical forests: bushmeat offtake parameters vary more quickly compared to parameters related to the living wildlife community

Evaluating the effectiveness of conservation actions in tropical forests is essential. Generally based on the monitoring of living wildlife communities, combination with bushmeat extraction indicators is seldom used. It is therefore interesting to carry out a monitoring of indices related to these two categories of indicators in order to identify indices presenting more temporal variation and allowing for a rapid detection of real changes. Between 2017 and 2020, data on bushmeat offtake were recorded and surveys of wildlife and human activity signs were conducted in a conservation zone in Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon. Data were collected around villages where human pressure is high. Our results show a decline in total biomass and number of animals killed. An increase in numbers of traps set was observed, but there was no notable difference in the mean biomass of a carcass and mean number of hunting trips. Overall, wildlife abundance decreased slightly in 2020, mainly reflecting changes for three species--bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus sylvicultor) and red river hog (Potamocherus porcus)--which were more abundant in 2018. Regarding keystone species, we noted a slight increase in the abundance of chimpanzees. Patterns of species richness in both study years were similar. These results suggest that bushmeat offtake data may be more informative for early evaluations of the effectiveness of wildlife conservation efforts. This underlines the importance of monitoring bushmeat for the evaluation of wildlife conservation projects in contexts where hunting occurs.

ecology↗