Browsing by Author "Coker, O.M."

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Genetic Variations in Thomas’s Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) and Gambian Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) Ibadan, Nigeria, Using Allozyme
(2020) Coker, O.M.; Osaiyuwu, O.H.; Isong, O.M.
Thomas’s Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) and Gambian Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) are two of the eight squirrel species found in Nigeria with overlapping habitats in Southwestern Nigeria. Squirrels are involved in pollination, seed dispersal, vectors of human and domestic animal diseases as well as crop and household pests. These species and the crucial ecosystem services they render are threatened by habitat destruction, human encroachment and the fact that they are being used as a source of protein in Nigeria. Their conservation would be enhanced by availability of accurate genetic information which are scarce for these species. This study seeks to provide baseline data on genetic variation at three allozyme loci in the two species in University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Twenty-nine individual squirrels including eighteen F. anerythrus species and eleven H. gambianus were used in this study. These were obtained from the wild within the University of Ibadan. Observed and expected heterozygosity (Ho and He), Hardy Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), genetic distance between the species, and inbreeding coefficients were performed using POPGENE and Tools for Population Genetic Analyses (TFPGA). In F. anerythrus, Ho and He were 0.6092 and 0.5635, respectively, while, for H. gambianus, Ho and He were 0.6242 and 0.5745, respectively. There were no deviations from HWE in all the tested loci (p>0.05). Nei genetic distance between the species was 0.0070 and the populations showed fairly high level of outbreeding (Fst = 0.0029 ± 0.0017). More robust genetic markers would be required to further ascertain the genetic status of the species.
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Diversity and its implications for human and wildlife health and Conservation – A review
(2023) Coker, O.M.; Osaiyuwu, O.H.; Fatoki, A.O.
It is clear that the global environment has changed and is still changing. The results of climate change, pollution, human use, and misuse of natural resources are tolling on humans and global biodiversity. The appropriate response(s) to these changes can be attributed to the efficacy of the immune system. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) has a key role in maintaining global biodiversity in the face of obvious threats. Genetic variation, especially those within MHC proteins has been known to influence the ability of individuals to cope with various pathogens. In this review, we reveal from empirical research, the diversities within the MHC in wildlife, highlight the importance of MHC to wildlife and human health, emphasize the need to conserve MHC diversity for adequate conservation, and open a discussion on whether the interplay between the MHC genes and disease resistance is a question of quantity or quality. For most jawed vertebrates, classical MHC genes are the most gene-dense and polymorphic. This polymorphism in the MHC genes can be explained by host-pathogen coevolution and provides an excellent tool for determining a population's or species' immunological fitness. Their variation is undoubtedly adaptively important, and there is strong evidence that pathogen-imposed balancing selection is the primary cause of its maintenance. Over the years, variants in the MHC have been reported as major risk factors for autoimmune and infectious diseases in humans and wildlife species of conservation concern. It has been observed that, though high diversity within the MHC proffers some protection for most natural populations, this seems not to be universal. The influence of this high diversity on the survival of natural populations should be further investigated. As the debate lingers, there is a dire need to protect the present diversity at the locus. This will definitely play a very important role in maintaining the health of both humans and animals and ensuring the conservation of biodiversity in response to the inevitable changes in our world.