Cane Toad Genome Project

The Project:

The cane toad, Bufo marinus, is one of Australia’s worst environmental menaces. In the 1930’s 100 toads were introduced into Australia, and their progeny now number in the hundreds of millions. They have dispersed southwards into NSW and have moved north and west, into the Northern Territory and are currently close to the WA border. Cane toads have no known specific control agent, while they make poisons which kill many native wildlife species that may be potential predators. The cane toad is also an invasive pest in a number of other countries, including the USA.

Attempts at developing biological control agents which can be used against the cane toad are hindered by the lack of knowledge about its genes and proteins.

Knowing the complete genome sequence of the cane toad will allow us to develop strategies which can be used to control this pest and help protect our environment and native wildlife. This work must involve multidisciplinary teams drawing on expertise of local, national and international researchers, co-ordinated through the CRC for Invasive animals as well as community-based groups like the Stop the Toad foundation.

Goal/Deliverables:
The Australian Amphibian Genome Project will provide a complete list of all of the genes present in the cane toad, as well as in a native Australian frog species. Researchers around Australia will use this information to:
1. Identify genes that are present in the cane toad but absent from native frogs. These unique genes would provide targets for new biological control agents.
2. Identify important features (“epitopes”) of target proteins. This will allow rational design and production of interfering molecules by use of either synthetic peptides or gene products expressed as recombinant antigens.
3. Develop genetic markers which will enable ecological studies of movement of toad and frog populations.
4. Identify the genes that are involved in making cane toad toxin, and in protecting the toad against these poisons.
5. Discover the genes that control sex development in the cane toad. Other strategies for control include developing toads that have defective genes controlling key stages in sex development. Such toads may for example, have genetically female progeny that develop as males. These “daughterless” toads can be used to compete with the wild toad population.

Contact Information:
The spokesperson for the Australian Amphibian Genome Program is:
Prof Grant Morahan
Director, Centre for Advanced Genetic Technologies,
The Western Australian Institute of Medical Research
University of Western Australia
WA
Phone: (+61-8) 9224-0206
FAX: (+61-8) 9224-0322
Email: gem@waimr.uwa.edu.au

Links:

Australian sites
Frogwatch
Northern Australian Cane Toad Site

Australian Museum
Factsheet : Cane Toads, Giant Toads or Marine Toads
Factsheet : Is this a Cane Toad?`

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia
Link

Queensland Museum
Leaflet : Cane toads

NSW National Parks
Department of Environment and Conservation

Tropical savannas CRC
Cane toads

Kakadu Risk Assessment
A preliminary risk assessment of cane toads in Kakadu National Park

International
National Biological Information Infrastructure
United States web sites on Cane Toads

ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
Bufo marinus (amphibian)