Key questions in zoo and aquarium studies: a study and revision guide

This 229-paged book discussed the role of zoos in a modern, environmentally conscious society. It does this by offering the reader the opportunity to answer 600 multiple-choice questions on a wide range of topics including zoo history, enclosure design, aquarium management, animal behaviour and welfare, zoo research, conservation breeding, zoo visitor behaviour, conservation medicine, zoo legislation and many more.

Animal welfare and conservation medicine.

This chapter contains questions on the welfare of animals in zoos, the veterinary care of these animals and some common diseases and conditions.

Infectious Diseases and Wildlife Conservation Medicine: The Case of the Canine Distemper in European Wolf Population

Canine distemper is a contagious infectious disease, caused by canine distemper virus (CDV) belonging to Morbillivirus genus, Paramyxoviridae family, representing a serious threat for domestic and wild carnivores [...]

Tasmanian devil CD28 and CTLA4 capture CD80 and CD86 from adjacent cells

Immune checkpoint immunotherapy is a pillar of human oncology treatment with potential for non-human species. The first checkpoint immunotherapy approved for human cancers targeted the CTLA4 protein. CTLA4 can inhibit T cell activation by capturing and internalizing CD80 and CD86 from antigen presenting cells, a process called trans-endocytosis. Similarly, CD28 can capture CD80 and CD86 via trogocytosis and retain the captured ligands on the surface of the CD28-expressing cells. The wild Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) population has declined by 77% due to transmissible cancers that evade immune defenses despite genetic mismatches between the host and tumours. We used a live cell-based assay to demonstrate that devil CTLA4 and CD28 can capture CD80 and CD86. Mutation of evolutionarily conserved motifs in CTLA4 altered functional interactions with CD80 and CD86 in accordance with patterns observed in other species. These results suggest that checkpoint immunotherapies can be translated to evolutionarily divergent species.HighlightsKey immune checkpoint receptor-ligand interactions are conserved in marsupials.Live cell-based assays show Tasmanian devil CD28 and CTLA4 can capture CD80 and CD86 in trans from adjacent cells.Mutation of the conserved CTLA4MYPPPY ligand binding motif to CTLA4MYPPPA reduces binding to CD80 and intercellular protein transfer.Removal of conserved CTLA4YVKM protein recycling binding motif in CTLA4 results in bidirectional intercellular protein transfer between CTLA4 and CD80.Highly successful human immune checkpoint immunotherapies have the potential to be translated for veterinary and conservation medicine.

A rallying call for a wilder Scotland

Reviewed by Glen Cousquer lecturer in conservation medicine.