Data from: Population genetic structure of serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) across Europe and implications for the potential spread of bat rabies (European bat lyssavirus EBLV-1)

Understanding of the movements of species at multiple scales is essential
to appreciate patterns of population connectivity and in some cases, the
potential for pathogen transmission. The serotine bat (Eptesicus
serotinus) is a common and widely distributed species in Europe where it
frequently harbours European bat lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1), a virus
causing rabies and transmissible to humans. In the United Kingdom, it is
rare, with a distribution restricted to south of the country and so far
the virus has never been found there. We investigated the genetic
structure and gene flow of E. serotinus across the England and continental
Europe. Greater genetic structuring was found in England compared with
continental Europe. Nuclear data suggest a single population on the
continent, although further work with more intensive sampling is required
to confirm this, while mitochondrial sequences indicate an east–west
substructure. In contrast, three distinct populations were found in
England using microsatellite markers, and mitochondrial diversity was very
low. Evidence of nuclear admixture indicated strong male-mediated gene
flow among populations. Differences in connectivity could contribute to
the high viral prevalence on the continent in contrast with the United
Kingdom. Although the English Channel was previously thought to restrict
gene flow, our data indicate relatively frequent movement from the
continent to England highlighting the potential for movement of EBLV-1
into the United Kingdom.

理解多尺度下的物种种群动态，对于认知种群连通模式，以及部分场景下病原体的传播潜力均至关重要。棕蝠（Eptesicus serotinus，serotine bat）是欧洲常见且分布广泛的物种，其常携带欧洲蝙蝠狂犬病病毒1型（EBLV-1）——一种可引发狂犬病并可传染给人类的病毒。在英国境内，该物种较为稀有，分布仅局限于英格兰南部，且截至目前尚未发现该病毒的踪迹。本研究对英格兰与欧洲大陆的E. serotinus种群的遗传结构及基因流展开了调查。相较于欧洲大陆种群，英格兰种群的遗传结构分化程度更高。核基因组数据显示欧洲大陆存在单一连通种群，但这仍需通过更密集的采样工作进一步验证；而线粒体序列（mitochondrial sequences）则表明其存在东西向的亚结构分化。与之形成鲜明对比的是，英格兰种群通过微卫星标记（microsatellite markers）分析被划分为三个独立种群，且线粒体多样性极低。核基因混杂（nuclear admixture）的相关证据表明，种群间存在以雄性介导的强基因流。种群连通模式的差异，或可解释欧洲大陆与英国在病毒流行率上的显著差异。尽管此前学界普遍认为英吉利海峡会阻碍基因交流，但本研究数据显示，从欧洲大陆向英格兰的基因流动频率相对较高，这凸显了EBLV-1传入英国的潜在风险。