Vervet Phenome/Genome Project
In collaboration with other members of the International Vervet Research Consortium, this research attempts to link the variation seen in wild populations to underlying genetic variation using genomic methods, with the ultimate goal of identifying selection in the wild around established clinical phenotypes. To accomplish this, we have several ongoing projects that capitalize on the broad sampling of individuals from the genus Chlorocebus at the Vervet Research Colony at Wake Forest School of Medicine, from the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts & Nevis, and from across their range in Africa south of the Sahara.
My own research interests focus on body quality, energetics, and evolutionary aspects of obesogenic growth and development in both captive and wild populations of savanna monkeys, while my collaborations have investigated a wide range of traits including SIV resistance and evolution, parasite distribution, the evolution and development of scrotal coloration, and population genomics and phylogenetics. For a broad sampling laying the groundwork for our research, please see the abstracts associated with our symposium at the 2014 meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists.
My own research interests focus on body quality, energetics, and evolutionary aspects of obesogenic growth and development in both captive and wild populations of savanna monkeys, while my collaborations have investigated a wide range of traits including SIV resistance and evolution, parasite distribution, the evolution and development of scrotal coloration, and population genomics and phylogenetics. For a broad sampling laying the groundwork for our research, please see the abstracts associated with our symposium at the 2014 meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists.
Recent publications associated with this project include:
* = undergraduate student; ** = graduate student; *** = postdoctoral research associate
Gagnon** et al. (2022, Proceedings of the Royal Society B 289: 20221254) uses a novel R-based genomics pipeline developed in our lab to assess signs of selection around the UCP1 gene (associated with brown fat activation and non-shivering thermogenesis). We find clear signs of positive selective sweeps in known upstream enhancer regions and at an intronic CpG site that are significantly associated with solar irradiance, suggesting that sunbathing behaviors have modulated adaptation to cold in southern African vervet monkeys.
Schmitt et al. (2020, PLoS ONE 15(6): e023106) uses our savanna monkey genomic resources to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-19 infection based on genomic variation in the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 gene regions. We find that savanna monkeys are generally at the same risk as humans (a finding later validated in lab studies), and that green monkeys in the Caribbean and West Africa have a variant in ACE2 that may confer reduced risk of infection by reducing viral binding and potentially cell entry.
Schmitt et al. (2018, International Journal of Obesity 42: 765-774) demonstrates that adult obesity and obesogenic growth in vervet monkeys is controlled by both maternal diet while in utero and by various genomic regions also associated with human metabolic disorders (such as Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, and lipid metabolism), establishing vervets as a fascinating model for the evolution and development of human obesity.
Turner et al. (2018, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 166: 682-707) shows that vervet populations across Africa demonstrate evidence of selection for body size and proportion based on climatic variation consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules, while also showing population-specific deviations from these patterns hypothesized to be rooted in sexual selection and differences in human-mediated impacts like access to garbage and crops.
Jasinska et al. (2017, Nature Genetics 49: 1714-1721) develops the first catalogue of eQTL (expression quantitative trait loci) across ages, sexes and different tissue types in vervet monkeys. In it, we note expression variation in genomic regions that control for traits critical to human health, such as anti-viral immunity and changes in hippocampal volume (which is seen in some neuropsychiatric disorders, like clinical depression).
Svardal et al. (2017, Nature Genetics 49: 1705-1713) compares genomic variation across world-wide wild populations of vervet monkeys to better understand how those populations differ and diverged evolutionarily. We found selection for different anti-viral immunity variants across the genome in different populations, many of which are related to regions of the genome we see interacting with HIV infection in humans (no doubt in response to SIVagm).
* = undergraduate student; ** = graduate student; *** = postdoctoral research associate
Gagnon** et al. (2022, Proceedings of the Royal Society B 289: 20221254) uses a novel R-based genomics pipeline developed in our lab to assess signs of selection around the UCP1 gene (associated with brown fat activation and non-shivering thermogenesis). We find clear signs of positive selective sweeps in known upstream enhancer regions and at an intronic CpG site that are significantly associated with solar irradiance, suggesting that sunbathing behaviors have modulated adaptation to cold in southern African vervet monkeys.
Schmitt et al. (2020, PLoS ONE 15(6): e023106) uses our savanna monkey genomic resources to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-19 infection based on genomic variation in the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 gene regions. We find that savanna monkeys are generally at the same risk as humans (a finding later validated in lab studies), and that green monkeys in the Caribbean and West Africa have a variant in ACE2 that may confer reduced risk of infection by reducing viral binding and potentially cell entry.
Schmitt et al. (2018, International Journal of Obesity 42: 765-774) demonstrates that adult obesity and obesogenic growth in vervet monkeys is controlled by both maternal diet while in utero and by various genomic regions also associated with human metabolic disorders (such as Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, and lipid metabolism), establishing vervets as a fascinating model for the evolution and development of human obesity.
Turner et al. (2018, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 166: 682-707) shows that vervet populations across Africa demonstrate evidence of selection for body size and proportion based on climatic variation consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules, while also showing population-specific deviations from these patterns hypothesized to be rooted in sexual selection and differences in human-mediated impacts like access to garbage and crops.
Jasinska et al. (2017, Nature Genetics 49: 1714-1721) develops the first catalogue of eQTL (expression quantitative trait loci) across ages, sexes and different tissue types in vervet monkeys. In it, we note expression variation in genomic regions that control for traits critical to human health, such as anti-viral immunity and changes in hippocampal volume (which is seen in some neuropsychiatric disorders, like clinical depression).
Svardal et al. (2017, Nature Genetics 49: 1705-1713) compares genomic variation across world-wide wild populations of vervet monkeys to better understand how those populations differ and diverged evolutionarily. We found selection for different anti-viral immunity variants across the genome in different populations, many of which are related to regions of the genome we see interacting with HIV infection in humans (no doubt in response to SIVagm).
Recent presentations by lab members associated with this project have included:
* = undergraduate student; ** = graduate student; *** = postdoctoral research associate
Gagnon CM**, Schmitt CA. 2022. Phylogenetic analysis of the UCP1 gene in primates reveals clade-specific structural variation. 2022 GSI Research Symposium. Boston, MA.
Gagnon CM**, Schmitt CA. 2021. Phylogenetic analysis of the UCP1 gene in primates reveals clade-specific structural variation. 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD.
Schmitt CA, Quillen EE. 2021. Expressing the thrifty phenotype? Associations between lifelong growth trajectories and whole genome expression variation in captive baboons (Papio hamadryas). 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD.
Angley LP**, Mikulski N*, Sievert O, Salb AL, Schmitt CA. 2021. Post-release survival rates and welfare of rehabilitated vervet monkeys in Malawi. 2021 Animal Behavior Society Virtual Meeting.
Grob GM*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Selection in the PPARG gene in relation to cold in South African vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). 2021. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Latin American Society of Primatologists, Quito, Ecuador.
Schmitt CA, Cooper T*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR. 2021. Selection in the TRPM8 gene region suggests selection for cold sensitivity in South African vervets. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Latin American Society of Primatologists, Quito, Ecuador.
Sun E**, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2021. Investigating selection in the PLIN2 (Perilipin-2) gene among wild savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.). 7th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists. Boston, MA.
Gagnon CM**, Kavanagh K, Schmitt CA. 2021. A method for estimating supraclavicular brown adipose tissue volume using CT scans. 7th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists. Boston, MA.
Hilsenrath J*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Investigating selection in the CXCR6 gene in wild savanna monkeys. 6th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists.
Louisor K*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Characterizing population variation in the ASPM gene region among savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.). 6th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists.
* = undergraduate student; ** = graduate student; *** = postdoctoral research associate
Gagnon CM**, Schmitt CA. 2022. Phylogenetic analysis of the UCP1 gene in primates reveals clade-specific structural variation. 2022 GSI Research Symposium. Boston, MA.
Gagnon CM**, Schmitt CA. 2021. Phylogenetic analysis of the UCP1 gene in primates reveals clade-specific structural variation. 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD.
Schmitt CA, Quillen EE. 2021. Expressing the thrifty phenotype? Associations between lifelong growth trajectories and whole genome expression variation in captive baboons (Papio hamadryas). 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD.
Angley LP**, Mikulski N*, Sievert O, Salb AL, Schmitt CA. 2021. Post-release survival rates and welfare of rehabilitated vervet monkeys in Malawi. 2021 Animal Behavior Society Virtual Meeting.
Grob GM*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Selection in the PPARG gene in relation to cold in South African vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). 2021. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Latin American Society of Primatologists, Quito, Ecuador.
Schmitt CA, Cooper T*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR. 2021. Selection in the TRPM8 gene region suggests selection for cold sensitivity in South African vervets. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the Latin American Society of Primatologists, Quito, Ecuador.
Sun E**, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2021. Investigating selection in the PLIN2 (Perilipin-2) gene among wild savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.). 7th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists. Boston, MA.
Gagnon CM**, Kavanagh K, Schmitt CA. 2021. A method for estimating supraclavicular brown adipose tissue volume using CT scans. 7th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists. Boston, MA.
Hilsenrath J*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Investigating selection in the CXCR6 gene in wild savanna monkeys. 6th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists.
Louisor K*, Gagnon CM**, Svardal H, Jasinska AJ, Freimer NB, Grobler JP, Turner TR, Schmitt CA. 2020. Characterizing population variation in the ASPM gene region among savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.). 6th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists.
Completed theses associated with this project have included:
M.S. Thesis: Angley LA. (2021, Biology). Post-release survival rates and welfare of rehabilitated vervet monkeys in Malawi. (Winner, Denton Award for Outstanding Masters Thesis in Biology)
M.S. Thesis: Sun E. (2021, Biology). Selection in the PLIN2 (Perilipin-2) Gene Among Wild Savanna Monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.)
M.S. Thesis: Angley LA. (2021, Biology). Post-release survival rates and welfare of rehabilitated vervet monkeys in Malawi. (Winner, Denton Award for Outstanding Masters Thesis in Biology)
M.S. Thesis: Sun E. (2021, Biology). Selection in the PLIN2 (Perilipin-2) Gene Among Wild Savanna Monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.)
