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Biochemistry. Biokhimiia Feb 2024Various environmental morphological and behavioral factors can determine the longevity of representatives of various taxa. Long-lived species develop systems aimed at...
Various environmental morphological and behavioral factors can determine the longevity of representatives of various taxa. Long-lived species develop systems aimed at increasing organism stability, defense, and, ultimately, lifespan. Long-lived species to a different extent manifest the factors favoring longevity (gerontological success), such as body size, slow metabolism, activity of body's repair and antioxidant defense systems, resistance to toxic substances and tumorigenesis, and presence of neotenic features. In continuation of our studies of mammals, we investigated the characteristics that distinguish long-lived ectotherms (crocodiles and turtles) and compared them with those of other ectotherms (squamates and amphibians) and endotherms (birds and mammals). We also discussed mathematical indicators used to assess the predisposition to longevity in different species, including standard indicators (mortality rate, maximum lifespan, coefficient of variation of lifespan) and their derivatives. Evolutionary patterns of aging are further explained by the protective phenotypes and life history strategies. We assessed the relationship between the lifespan and various studied factors, such as body size and temperature, encephalization, protection of occupied ecological niches, presence of protective structures (for example, shells and osteoderms), and environmental temperature, and the influence of these factors on the variation of the lifespan as a statistical parameter. Our studies did not confirm the hypothesis on the metabolism level and temperature as the most decisive factors of longevity. It was found that animals protected by shells (e.g., turtles with their exceptional longevity) live longer than species that have poison or lack such protective adaptations. The improvement of defense against external threats in long-lived ectotherms is consistent with the characteristics of long-lived endotherms (for example, naked mole-rats that live in underground tunnels, or bats and birds, whose ability to fly is one of the best defense mechanisms).
Topics: Animals; Longevity; Aging; Oxidative Stress; Antioxidants; Mammals
PubMed: 38622099
DOI: 10.1134/S0006297924020111 -
Cells Sep 2023Purines are required for fundamental biological processes and alterations in their metabolism lead to severe genetic diseases associated with developmental defects whose...
Purines are required for fundamental biological processes and alterations in their metabolism lead to severe genetic diseases associated with developmental defects whose etiology remains unclear. Here, we studied the developmental requirements for purine metabolism using the amphibian as a vertebrate model. We provide the first functional characterization of purine pathway genes and show that these genes are mainly expressed in nervous and muscular embryonic tissues. Morphants were generated to decipher the functions of these genes, with a focus on the adenylosuccinate lyase (), which is an enzyme required for both salvage and de novo purine pathways. knockdown led to a severe reduction in the expression of the myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs: Myod1, Myf5 and Myogenin), thus resulting in defects in somite formation and, at later stages, the development and/or migration of both craniofacial and hypaxial muscle progenitors. The reduced expressions of and , which are two genes specific to the salvage and de novo pathways, respectively, resulted in similar alterations. In conclusion, our data show for the first time that de novo and recycling purine pathways are essential for myogenesis and highlight new mechanisms in the regulation of MRF gene expression.
Topics: Animals; Xenopus laevis; Muscle, Skeletal; Purines; Muscle Development
PubMed: 37830593
DOI: 10.3390/cells12192379 -
PeerJ 2023The Indonesian island of Sulawesi has a unique geology and geography, which have produced an astoundingly diverse and endemic flora and fauna and a fascinating...
The Indonesian island of Sulawesi has a unique geology and geography, which have produced an astoundingly diverse and endemic flora and fauna and a fascinating biogeographic history. Much biodiversity research has focused on the regional endemism in the island's Central Core and on its four peninsulas, but the biodiversity of the island's many upland regions is still poorly understood for most taxa, including amphibians and reptiles. Here, we report the first of several planned full-mountain checklists from a series of herpetological surveys of Sulawesi's mountains conducted by our team. In more than 3 weeks of work on Gunung Galang, a 2,254 m peak west of the city of Tolitoli, Sulawesi Tengah Province, on Sulawesi's Northern Peninsula, we recovered nearly fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, more than a dozen of which are either new to science or known but undescribed. The incompleteness of our sampling suggests that many more species remain to be discovered on and around this mountain.
Topics: Indonesia; Biodiversity; Checklist; Geography; Geology
PubMed: 37637176
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15766 -
Movement Ecology May 2024The relationship between animal dispersal and conspecific density has been explored in various study systems but results in terms of both the magnitude and the direction...
The relationship between animal dispersal and conspecific density has been explored in various study systems but results in terms of both the magnitude and the direction of density dependence are inconsistent. We conducted a thorough review of the literature (2000-2023) and found k = 97 empirical studies of birds, fishes, herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), invertebrates, or mammals that had tested for a correlation between conspecific density and animal dispersal. We extracted categorical variables for taxonomic group, sex, age, migratory behavior, study design, dispersal metric, density metric and variable type, as well as temporal and spatial scale, to test each of their correlation with the effect of density on dispersal (Pearson's r) using linear regressions and multilevel mixed-effect modelling. We found certain biases in the published literature, highlighting that the impact of conspecific density on dispersal is not as widespread as it is thought to be. We also found no predominant trend for density-dependent dispersal across taxonomic groups. Instead, results show that the scale and metrics of empirical observations significantly affected analytical results, and heterogeneity measures were high within taxonomic groups. Therefore, the direction and magnitude of the interaction between density and dispersal in empirical studies could partially be attributed to the data collection method involved. We suggest that the contradictory observations for density-dependent dispersal could be explained by dispersal-dependent density, where density is driven by movement instead, and urge researchers to either test this interaction when applicable or consider this perspective when reporting results.
PubMed: 38773669
DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00478-6 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2023Non-typhoidal infections (NTSI) can cause bacterial diarrhea, mostly leading to self-limiting gastroenteritis. However, in at-risk populations, NTSI can have severe...
Non-typhoidal infections (NTSI) can cause bacterial diarrhea, mostly leading to self-limiting gastroenteritis. However, in at-risk populations, NTSI can have severe complications. As transmission is most commonly foodborne, infection is rare in the breast- or bottle-fed very young. Another route is increasingly implicated, however, in newborns and infants especially: Contact with reptiles and amphibians. We describe infection with ser. Monschaui ( Monschaui), transmitted from bearded dragons, in a three-week-old boy. The boy initially appeared well, on the next morning deterioration was dramatic, with tachypnea, tachycardia, and mottled skin. Gram-negative sepsis was documented on day 2. His case prompted a review of published instances of reptile- and amphibian-associated salmonellosis (RAAS), summarized here. Association of Monschaui infection with exposure to reptiles and amphibians prompted inquiry into household pets. The parents had kept bearded dragons (Pogona sp.), the last of which died two weeks before the patient was born; confirmation of colonization with Monschaui was thus precluded. Among 63 reports (-5,000 cases) of RAAS or Monschaui, 62 appeared between 1995 and 2022, 10 were single case reports, and 53 were original articles with -5,000 cases; vectors included turtles, frogs, lizards, and snakes. RAAS is not a new phenomenon, but its incidence recently has risen due to the increased popularity of reptiles and amphibians as non-traditional pets. These animals can carry and transmit it to humans, posing a risk particularly to infants and other vulnerable persons. Risk mitigation requires that those bringing such pets into the home be informed of dangers associated with reptile and amphibian contact; that those selling reptiles and amphibians be mandated to inform customers comprehensively may be in order.
PubMed: 38078313
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1278910 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Oct 2023The world's reptiles and amphibians are experiencing dramatic and ongoing losses in biodiversity, changes that can have substantial effects on ecosystems and human...
One Health Approach to Globalizing, Accelerating, and Focusing Amphibian and Reptile Disease Research-Reflections and Opinions from the First Global Amphibian and Reptile Disease Conference.
The world's reptiles and amphibians are experiencing dramatic and ongoing losses in biodiversity, changes that can have substantial effects on ecosystems and human health. In 2022, the first Global Amphibian and Reptile Disease Conference was held, using One Health as a guiding principle. The conference showcased knowledge on numerous reptile and amphibian pathogens from several standpoints, including epidemiology, host immune defenses, wild population effects, and mitigation. The conference also provided field experts the opportunity to discuss and identify the most urgent herpetofaunal disease research directions necessary to address current and future threats to reptile and amphibian biodiversity.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Ecosystem; One Health; Amphibians; Reptiles; Biodiversity
PubMed: 37735750
DOI: 10.3201/eid2910.221899 -
Nature Communications Feb 2024Chemoreception - the ability to smell and taste - is an essential sensory modality of most animals. The number and type of chemical stimuli that animals can perceive...
Chemoreception - the ability to smell and taste - is an essential sensory modality of most animals. The number and type of chemical stimuli that animals can perceive depends primarily on the diversity of chemoreceptors they possess and express. In vertebrates, six families of G protein-coupled receptors form the core of their chemosensory system, the olfactory/pheromone receptor gene families OR, TAAR, V1R and V2R, and the taste receptors T1R and T2R. Here, we study the vertebrate chemoreceptor gene repertoire and its evolutionary history. Through the examination of 1,527 vertebrate genomes, we uncover substantial differences in the number and composition of chemoreceptors across vertebrates. We show that the chemoreceptor gene families are co-evolving, highly dynamic, and characterized by lineage-specific expansions (for example, OR in tetrapods; TAAR, T1R in teleosts; V1R in mammals; V2R, T2R in amphibians) and losses. Overall, amphibians, followed by mammals, are the vertebrate clades with the largest chemoreceptor repertoires. While marine tetrapods feature a convergent reduction of chemoreceptor numbers, the number of OR genes correlates with habitat in mammals and birds and with migratory behavior in birds, and the taste receptor repertoire correlates with diet in mammals and with aquatic environment in fish.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Evolution, Molecular; Vertebrates; Fishes; Mammals; Receptors, Odorant
PubMed: 38360851
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45500-y -
Biology Direct Aug 2023It is generally accepted that most evolutionary transformations at the phenotype level are associated either with rearrangements of genomic regulatory elements, which...
BACKGROUND
It is generally accepted that most evolutionary transformations at the phenotype level are associated either with rearrangements of genomic regulatory elements, which control the activity of gene networks, or with changes in the amino acid contents of proteins. Recently, evidence has accumulated that significant evolutionary transformations could also be associated with the loss/emergence of whole genes. The targeted identification of such genes is a challenging problem for both bioinformatics and evo-devo research.
RESULTS
To solve this problem we propose the WINEGRET method, named after the first letters of the title. Its main idea is to search for genes that satisfy two requirements: first, the desired genes were lost/emerged at the same evolutionary stage at which the phenotypic trait of interest was lost/emerged, and second, the expression of these genes changes significantly during the development of the trait of interest in the model organism. To verify the first requirement, we do not use existing databases of orthologs, but rely purely on gene homology and local synteny by using some novel quickly computable conditions. Genes satisfying the second requirement are found by deep RNA sequencing. As a proof of principle, we used our method to find genes absent in extant amniotes (reptiles, birds, mammals) but present in anamniotes (fish and amphibians), in which these genes are involved in the regeneration of large body appendages. As a result, 57 genes were identified. For three of them, c-c motif chemokine 4, eotaxin-like, and a previously unknown gene called here sod4, essential roles for tail regeneration were demonstrated. Noteworthy, we established that the latter gene belongs to a novel family of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutases lost by amniotes, SOD4.
CONCLUSIONS
We present a method for targeted identification of genes whose loss/emergence in evolution could be associated with the loss/emergence of a phenotypic trait of interest. In a proof-of-principle study, we identified genes absent in amniotes that participate in body appendage regeneration in anamniotes. Our method provides a wide range of opportunities for studying the relationship between the loss/emergence of phenotypic traits and the loss/emergence of specific genes in evolution.
Topics: Animals; Mammals
PubMed: 37568147
DOI: 10.1186/s13062-023-00405-6 -
PloS One 2023To protect biodiversity we must understand its structure and composition including the bacteria and microparasites associated with wildlife, which may pose risks to...
To protect biodiversity we must understand its structure and composition including the bacteria and microparasites associated with wildlife, which may pose risks to human health. However, acquiring this knowledge often presents challenges, particularly in areas of high biodiversity where there are many undescribed and poorly studied species and funding resources can be limited. A solution to fill this knowledge gap is sampling roadkill (animals that die on roads as a result of collisions with circulating vehicles). These specimens can help characterize local wildlife and their associated parasites with fewer ethical and logistical challenges compared to traditional specimen collection. Here we test this approach by analyzing 817 tissue samples obtained from 590 roadkill vertebrate specimens (Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia) collected in roads within the Tropical Andes of Ecuador. First, we tested if the quantity and quality of recovered DNA varied across roadkill specimens collected at different times since death, exploring if decomposition affected the potential to identify vertebrate species and associated microorganisms. Second, we compared DNA stability across taxa and tissues to identify potential limitations and offer recommendations for future work. Finally, we illustrate how these samples can aid in taxonomic identification and parasite detection. Our study shows that sampling roadkill can help study biodiversity. DNA was recovered and amplified (allowing species identification and parasite detection) from roadkill even 120 hours after death, although risk of degradation increased overtime. DNA was extracted from all vertebrate classes but in smaller quantities and with lower quality from amphibians. We recommend sampling liver if possible as it produced the highest amounts of DNA (muscle produced the lowest). Additional testing of this approach in areas with different environmental and traffic conditions is needed, but our results show that sampling roadkill specimens can help detect and potentially monitor biodiversity and could be a valuable approach to create biobanks and preserve genetic data.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Biological Specimen Banks; Animals, Wild; Vertebrates; Mammals; Amphibians; DNA
PubMed: 38060478
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290836 -
EMBO Reports Feb 2024The dorsoventral gradient of BMP signaling plays an essential role in embryonic patterning. Zinc Finger SWIM-Type Containing 4 (zswim4) is expressed in the...
The dorsoventral gradient of BMP signaling plays an essential role in embryonic patterning. Zinc Finger SWIM-Type Containing 4 (zswim4) is expressed in the Spemann-Mangold organizer at the onset of Xenopus gastrulation and is then enriched in the developing neuroectoderm at the mid-gastrula stages. Knockdown or knockout of zswim4 causes ventralization. Overexpression of zswim4 decreases, whereas knockdown of zswim4 increases the expression levels of ventrolateral mesoderm marker genes. Mechanistically, ZSWIM4 attenuates the BMP signal by reducing the protein stability of SMAD1 in the nucleus. Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) identifies Elongin B (ELOB) and Elongin C (ELOC) as the interaction partners of ZSWIM4. Accordingly, ZSWIM4 forms a complex with the Cul2-RING ubiquitin ligase and ELOB and ELOC, promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of SMAD1 in the nucleus. Our study identifies a novel mechanism that restricts BMP signaling in the nucleus.
Topics: Animals; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; Carrier Proteins; Organizers, Embryonic; Xenopus laevis; Body Patterning; Xenopus Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
PubMed: 38177922
DOI: 10.1038/s44319-023-00046-w