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    Mitochondrial diversity of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Mountain Gorillas
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2025-12-01) Knox MA; Almeida V; Kalema-Zikusoka G; Rubanga S; Ngabirano A; Hayman DTS
    Background: Mitochondrial DNA is a key marker for assessing genetic diversity, critical for the conservation of endangered species. This study investigates the mitochondrial diversity of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) mountain gorilla population (Gorilla beringei beringei), one of the most endangered primate subspecies. Results: Using pooled sequencing of 200 faecal samples collected from both habituated and wild gorillas, we identify ten mtDNA variants exceeding a 20% threshold across the population mitogenome. Comparisons with previously sequenced individual BINP gorilla mitogenomes corroborates these findings and reveals additional putative haplotypes, potential heteroplasmy and nuclear mitochondrial DNA segments. Our approach overcomes challenges associated with pooled samples, distinguishing sequencing noise from biological variation. The observed diversity suggests that mitochondrial variability in mountain gorillas is comparable to the higher levels reported in the closely related Grauer’s gorilla (G. beringei graueri). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of non-invasive faecal sampling and pooled sequencing for assessing genetic diversity in challenging field conditions, highlighting its potential for population-level genetic monitoring of non-human primates. Our findings provide valuable insights into the genetic makeup of this critically endangered population, contributing to future conservation efforts, and supporting the recovery of mountain gorillas.
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    Abundant dsRNA picobirnaviruses show little geographic or host association in terrestrial systems.
    (Elsevier, 2023-08) Knox MA; Wierenga J; Biggs PJ; Gedye K; Almeida V; Hall R; Kalema-Zikusoka G; Rubanga S; Ngabirano A; Valdivia-Granda W; Hayman DTS
    Picobirnaviruses are double-stranded RNA viruses known from a wide range of host species and locations but with unknown pathogenicity and host relationships. Here, we examined the diversity of picobirnaviruses from cattle and gorillas within and around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (BIFNP), Uganda, where wild and domesticated animals and humans live in relatively close contact. We use metagenomic sequencing with bioinformatic analyses to examine genetic diversity. We compared our findings to global Picobirnavirus diversity using clustering-based analyses. Picobirnavirus diversity at Bwindi was high, with 14 near-complete RdRp and 15 capsid protein sequences, and 497 new partial viral sequences recovered from 44 gorilla samples and 664 from 16 cattle samples. Sequences were distributed throughout a phylogenetic tree of globally derived picobirnaviruses. The relationship with Picobirnavirus diversity and host taxonomy follows a similar pattern to the global dataset, generally lacking pattern with either host or geography.