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Contini M, Beguelini MR, Ruiz T, Taboga SR, Rafacho A. Comparative study of endocrine pancreatic tissue in bats: Assessing variations among frugivorous, insectivorous, and nectarivorous diets. Tissue Cell 2024; 88:102413. [PMID: 38772274 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Whether the endocrine pancreas exhibits structural features to couple with dietary patterns is not fully explored. Considering the lack of data comparing endocrine pancreas and islet cell distribution among different bat species in the same study, we considered this an opportunity to explore the topic, including five species within three different predominant diets. For this, we applied morphometric techniques to compare the islets of frugivorous Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata, insectivorous Molossus molossus and Myotis nigricans, and nectarivorous Glossophaga soricina bats. Data for islet size, cellularity, and mass were equivalent between frugivorous A. lituratus and nectarivorous G. soricina, which differed from insectivorous bats. The frugivorous C. perspicillata bat exhibited morphometric islet values between A. lituratus and the insectivorous species. A. lituratus and G. soricina but not C. perspicillata bats had higher islet mass than insectivorous species due to larger size, instead of a higher number of islets per area. Insectivorous bats, on the other hand, had a higher proportion of α-cells per islet. These differences in the endocrine pancreas across species with different eating habits indicate the occurrence of species-specific adjustments along the years of evolution, with the demand for α-cells higher in bats with higher protein intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Contini
- Laboratory of Investigation in Chronic Diseases - LIDoC, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Multicentric Graduate Program in Physiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - M R Beguelini
- Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Western Bahia - UFOB, Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Tfr Ruiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S R Taboga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A Rafacho
- Laboratory of Investigation in Chronic Diseases - LIDoC, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Multicentric Graduate Program in Physiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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2
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Contini M, Cruz GD, Althoff SF, Freitas MB, Taboga SR, Rafacho A. Heterogeneity in the preferential diet of neotropical bats impacts the pancreatic islet mass and α and β cell distribution. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 348:114449. [PMID: 38216095 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Whether there is a relationship between bats' dietary patterns and evolutionary endocrine pancreas adaptation is not clearly understood. Aiming to contribute to this topic, we evaluated some metabolic and structural parameters in the following adult bats: the frugivorous Artibeus lituratus, the nectarivorous Anoura caudifer, the hematophagous Desmodus rotundus, and the insectivorous Molossus molossus. A. lituratus and A. caudifer diets consist of high amounts of simple carbohydrates, while D. rotundus and M. molossus diets consist of high amounts of proteins or protein and fat, respectively. In our results, A. lituratus and A. caudifer bats exhibited the highest values of relative islet mass (%), islet density (number of islets per pancreas area), and the lowest values of intestinal length among the four species. When adjusted by the body mass (mg/g of body mass), both D. rotundus and A. caudifer bats exhibited the highest islet mass values among the groups. Blood glucose was similar between A. lituratus, D. rotundus, and M. molossus, with the lowest values for the A. caudifer bats. M. molossus bats had the highest plasma cholesterol values among the studied species but exhibited similar plasma triacylglycerol with D. rotundus and A. caudifer bats. β- and α-cell distribution within A. lituratus, A. caudifer, and M. molossus islets achieved an approximate average value of ∼ 66% and ∼ 28%, respectively, a pattern inverted in D. rotundus islets (53% of α cells and 40% of β cells). A. caudifer and D. rotundus exhibited the highest and the lowest β/α-cells ratio per islet, respectively. We conclude that the macronutrient predominance in each bat-eating niche correlates with the morphophysiological pancreas features being the nectarivorous A. caudifer the species with the highest islet mass per body mass and β/α-cells ratio, while the hematophagous D. rotundus showed the highest α-cells apparatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Contini
- Laboratory of Investigation in Chronic Diseases - LIDoC, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Multicenter Graduate Program in Physiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - G D Cruz
- Laboratory of Investigation in Chronic Diseases - LIDoC, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Multicenter Graduate Program in Physiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - S F Althoff
- Biodiversity Graduate Program, Department of Natural Sciences, Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau - FURB, Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - M B Freitas
- Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa - UFV, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - S R Taboga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A Rafacho
- Laboratory of Investigation in Chronic Diseases - LIDoC, Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Multicenter Graduate Program in Physiology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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3
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Gordon WE, Baek S, Nguyen HP, Kuo YM, Bradley R, Fong SL, Kim N, Galazyuk A, Lee I, Ingala MR, Simmons NB, Schountz T, Cooper LN, Georgakopoulos-Soares I, Hemberg M, Ahituv N. Integrative single-cell characterization of a frugivorous and an insectivorous bat kidney and pancreas. Nat Commun 2024; 15:12. [PMID: 38195585 PMCID: PMC10776631 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44186-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Frugivory evolved multiple times in mammals, including bats. However, the cellular and molecular components driving it remain largely unknown. Here, we use integrative single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq) on insectivorous (Eptesicus fuscus; big brown bat) and frugivorous (Artibeus jamaicensis; Jamaican fruit bat) bat kidneys and pancreases and identify key cell population, gene expression and regulatory differences associated with the Jamaican fruit bat that also relate to human disease, particularly diabetes. We find a decrease in loop of Henle and an increase in collecting duct cells, and differentially active genes and regulatory elements involved in fluid and electrolyte balance in the Jamaican fruit bat kidney. The Jamaican fruit bat pancreas shows an increase in endocrine and a decrease in exocrine cells, and differences in genes and regulatory elements involved in insulin regulation. We also find that these frugivorous bats share several molecular characteristics with human diabetes. Combined, our work provides insights from a frugivorous mammal that could be leveraged for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei E Gordon
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Biology, Menlo College, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA, 94027, USA
| | - Seungbyn Baek
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hai P Nguyen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Yien-Ming Kuo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Rachael Bradley
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Sarah L Fong
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Nayeon Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Alex Galazyuk
- Hearing Research Focus Area, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
| | - Insuk Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Melissa R Ingala
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, 07940, USA
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Tony Schountz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Lisa Noelle Cooper
- Musculoskeletal Research Focus Area, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
| | - Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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4
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Gordon WE, Baek S, Nguyen HP, Kuo YM, Bradley R, Galazyuk A, Lee I, Ingala MR, Simmons NB, Schountz T, Cooper LN, Georgakopoulos-Soares I, Hemberg M, Ahituv N. Integrative single-cell characterization of frugivory adaptations in the bat kidney and pancreas. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.12.528204. [PMID: 36824791 PMCID: PMC9949079 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.12.528204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Frugivory evolved multiple times in mammals, including bats. However, the cellular and molecular components driving it remain largely unknown. Here, we used integrative single-cell sequencing on insectivorous and frugivorous bat kidneys and pancreases and identified key cell population, gene expression and regulatory element differences associated with frugivorous adaptation that also relate to human disease, particularly diabetes. We found an increase in collecting duct cells and differentially active genes and regulatory elements involved in fluid and electrolyte balance in the frugivore kidney. In the frugivorous pancreas, we observed an increase in endocrine and a decrease in exocrine cells and differences in genes and regulatory elements involved in insulin regulation. Combined, our work provides novel insights into frugivorous adaptation that also could be leveraged for therapeutic purposes.
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5
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Vandewege MW, Sotero-Caio CG, Phillips CD. Positive Selection and Gene Expression Analyses from Salivary Glands Reveal Discrete Adaptations within the Ecologically Diverse Bat Family Phyllostomidae. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:1419-1428. [PMID: 32697843 PMCID: PMC7487161 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are outliers among chiropterans with respect to the unusually high diversity of dietary strategies within the family. Salivary glands, owing to their functions and high ultrastructural variability among lineages, are proposed to have played an important role during the phyllostomid radiation. To identify genes underlying salivary gland functional diversification, we sequenced submandibular gland transcriptomes from phyllostomid species representative of divergent dietary strategies. From the assembled transcriptomes, we performed an array of selection tests and gene expression analyses to identify signatures of adaptation. Overall, we identified an enrichment of immunity-related gene ontology terms among 53 genes evolving under positive selection. Lineage-specific selection tests revealed several endomembrane system genes under selection in the vampire bat. Many genes that respond to insulin were under selection and differentially expressed genes pointed to modifications of amino acid synthesis pathways in plant-visitors. Results indicate salivary glands have diversified in various ways across a functional diverse clade of mammals in response to niche specializations.
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Insulin and glucose regulation at rest and during flight in a Neotropical nectar-feeding bat. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Peng X, He X, Sun Y, Liang J, Xie H, Wang J, Zhang L. Difference in glucose tolerance between phytophagous and insectivorous bats. J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:751-756. [PMID: 31691155 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01242-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bats are mostly insectivorous or phytophagous. It is hypothesized that bats are evolved from small insectivorous mammals. Therefore, the digestive and metabolic systems of phytophagous and insectivorous bats must have evolved differently to adapt to their dietary habits. To investigate the difference in sugar tolerance in bats, we determined changes in blood glucose levels after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of glucose in three species of phytophagous and four species of insectivorous bats under resting conditions. Results showed that phytophagous bats eliminated blood glucose faster than insectivorous bats. All three species of fruit bats reduced blood glucose to fasting levels within 30-45 min, whereas all insectivorous bats failed to lower blood glucose to fasting levels even 120 min after i.p. glucose injection. Taken together, results of this study suggest that bats have undergone adaptations and become diversified in dietary habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingwen Peng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Xiangyang He
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Yunxiao Sun
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Jie Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Huanwang Xie
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Junhua Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Libiao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, China.
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8
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Azeredo LMM, Silva Ximenes M, Alves Pereira K, Aguiar Fracasso MP, Serramo Lopez LC. Body mass index and glucose variations during the night in free-ranging Artibeus planirostris (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). ZOOLOGIA 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.36.e28027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Body condition is an important measure to estimate the energy reserve of an organism. Scientists frequently use body condition indices (BCIs) with morphometric measures but direct measurements, such as blood glucose, seem to be more reliable. We observed oscillations in the body condition and glucose indexes of individuals of Artibeusplanirostris (Spix, 1823) during 13 nights in the field. We assume that if glucose levels are proportional to feeding state and body condition is a measure of energy reserve, blood glucose and BCI should be positively correlated and both are expected to increase during the night as the bats leave their diurnal roost to feed. To test this, we examined the relationship between blood glucose levels, BCI and reproductive phase of free flying male bats (n = 70) for 12 hours after sunset for 13 nights. Bats were captured in Reserva Biológica de Guaribas (Paraíba, Brazil) using mist nets. Blood glucose was analyzed with a portable glucometer. Supporting our assumptions, the number of hours after sunset and BCI presented significant positive correlations with glucose levels in A.planirostris. Reproductive phase did not present a significant correlation with any other variables. As we predicted, glucose level can be used as proxy for morphometric BCI and it can be measured with a simple portable glucometer. The increase both in glucose and BCI around the night can be explained by the efficient assimilation of nutrients present in fruits ingested by bats and the quick metabolism that increases the levels of glucose (an other nutrients) in blood, increasing the body mass.
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A genomics approach reveals insights into the importance of gene losses for mammalian adaptations. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1215. [PMID: 29572503 PMCID: PMC5865188 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the genomic changes that underlie phenotypic adaptations is a key challenge in evolutionary biology and genomics. Loss of protein-coding genes is one type of genomic change with the potential to affect phenotypic evolution. Here, we develop a genomics approach to accurately detect gene losses and investigate their importance for adaptive evolution in mammals. We discover a number of gene losses that likely contributed to morphological, physiological, and metabolic adaptations in aquatic and flying mammals. These gene losses shed light on possible molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie these adaptive phenotypes. In addition, we show that gene loss events that occur as a consequence of relaxed selection following adaptation provide novel insights into species' biology. Our results suggest that gene loss is an evolutionary mechanism for adaptation that may be more widespread than previously anticipated. Hence, investigating gene losses has great potential to reveal the genomic basis underlying macroevolutionary changes.
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Machado-Santos C, Aquino JCF, da Rocha PA, Abidu-Figueiredo M, de Brito-Gitirana L, Sales A. Influence of feeding habits in the endocrine pancreas of insectivore bat Pteronotus personatus and nectarivore bat Anoura geoffroyi: A comparative stereological and immunohistochemical study. Tissue Cell 2017; 49:1-7. [PMID: 28109546 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pteronotus personatus as an insectivore bat and has a diet that consists of a high protein diet, whereas the diet of Anoura geoffroyi, a predominantly nectarivore bat, is rich in simple sugars like sucrose, glucose and fructose. Considering that diet influences the activation of different pathways, which may influence morphological adaptations in the gastrointestinal system, the aim of this study was to compare the morphology of the endocrine pancreas in P. personatus and A. geoffroyi. For this, histological, stereological and immunohistochemical methods were used. In P. personatus, the average diameter of the pancreatic islet was 40.47μm±13.94, while in A. geoffroyi was 88.16μm±36.40. The total number of pancreatic islets in P. personatus was 26150±2346 and in A. geoffroyi was 15970±1666. In P. personatus, the volume density of the pancreatic islets was 3.4%± 2.6, whereas in A. geoffroyi the volume density was 6.1%±3.7. In addition, the immunodensity of the α, β and δ cells, in P. personatus was 25.8%±11.9, 35.5%±13.5, 3.9%±0.7, respectively, and in A. geoffroyi was 33.10%±12.7, 55.08%±7.4, 6.2%±4.6, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate differences in the pancreatic weight/body, weight ratio, diameter and volume density of pancreatic islets and in immunodensity of the β and α cells between both species, which have different dietary habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarice Machado-Santos
- Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Histology and Embryology, Biomedical Institute, Fluminense Federal University, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Júlio Cesar Fraulob Aquino
- Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lycia de Brito-Gitirana
- Laboratory of Integrative Histology, Research Program in Glycobiology, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, RJ, Brazil
| | - Armando Sales
- Animal Biology Program, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, RJ, Brazil
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11
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Bats: Body mass index, forearm mass index, blood glucose levels and SLC2A2 genes for diabetes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29960. [PMID: 27439361 PMCID: PMC4954980 DOI: 10.1038/srep29960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats have an unusually large volume of endocrine tissue, with a large population of beta cells, and an elevated sensitivity to glucose and insulin. This makes them excellent animal models for studying diabetes mellitus. We evaluated bats as models for diabetes in terms of lifestyle and genetic factors. For lifestyle factors, we generated data sets of 149 body mass index (BMI) and 860 forearm mass index (FMI) measurements for different species of bats. Both showed negative inter-species correlations with blood glucose levels in sixteen bats examined. The negative inter-species correlations may reflect adaptation of a small insectivorous ancestor to a larger frugivore. We identified an 11 bp deletion in the proximal promoter of SLC2A2 that we predicted would disrupt binding sites for the transcription repressor ZNF354C. In frugivorous bats this could explain the relatively high expression of this gene, resulting in a better capacity to absorb glucose and decrease blood glucose levels.
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12
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Shen B, Fang T, Yang T, Jones G, Irwin DM, Zhang S. Relaxed evolution in the tyrosine aminotransferase gene tat in old world fruit bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). PLoS One 2014; 9:e97483. [PMID: 24824435 PMCID: PMC4019583 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Frugivorous and nectarivorous bats fuel their metabolism mostly by using carbohydrates and allocate the restricted amounts of ingested proteins mainly for anabolic protein syntheses rather than for catabolic energy production. Thus, it is possible that genes involved in protein (amino acid) catabolism may have undergone relaxed evolution in these fruit- and nectar-eating bats. The tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT, encoded by the Tat gene) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the tyrosine catabolic pathway. To test whether the Tat gene has undergone relaxed evolution in the fruit- and nectar-eating bats, we obtained the Tat coding region from 20 bat species including four Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) and two New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae). Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed a gene tree in which all echolocating bats (including the New World fruit bats) formed a monophyletic group. The phylogenetic conflict appears to stem from accelerated TAT protein sequence evolution in the Old World fruit bats. Our molecular evolutionary analyses confirmed a change in the selection pressure acting on Tat, which was likely caused by a relaxation of the evolutionary constraints on the Tat gene in the Old World fruit bats. Hepatic TAT activity assays showed that TAT activities in species of the Old World fruit bats are significantly lower than those of insectivorous bats and omnivorous mice, which was not caused by a change in TAT protein levels in the liver. Our study provides unambiguous evidence that the Tat gene has undergone relaxed evolution in the Old World fruit bats in response to changes in their metabolism due to the evolution of their special diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Shen
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Fang
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianxiao Yang
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - David M. Irwin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shuyi Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Spontaneous pathologies of the pancreas are important causes of morbidity and mortality in some veterinary species and rare in others. As in human beings, the pancreas of most domestic and exotic animals is a composite organ with both endocrine and exocrine functions. The similarities between structure and function of porcine, canine, and human pancreata are such that the pig and dog serve as valuable models in basic and translational studies, most recently for efforts aimed at modeling pancreatitis and diabetes, developing functional and sustainable replacement of endocrine functions, and in imaging and manipulation studies. This article will provide a brief review of spontaneous veterinary diseases and their underlying mechanisms and the morphological features that reflect these alterations. Several species- or breed-specific conditions and the effects of selected systemic diseases on the pancreas are also discussed. The contributions to our knowledge of pancreatic physiology and pathology by small mammal (rodent) and engineered animal models and the in-depth mechanisms homologous to those in the human pancreas are covered in other sections of this article.
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Barros MS, Morais DB, Araújo MR, Carvalho TF, Matta SLP, Pinheiro EC, Freitas MB. Seasonal variation of energy reserves and reproduction in neotropical free-tailed bats Molossus molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). BRAZ J BIOL 2013; 73:629-35. [DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842013000300022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal variation is a key factor regulating energy metabolism and reproduction in several mammals, including bats. This study aimed to track seasonal changes in the energy reserves of the insectivorous bat Molossus molossus associated with its reproductive cycle. Adult males were collected during the four neotropical annual seasons in Viçosa - MG, Brazil. Blood and tissues were collected for metabolic analysis and testes were removed for histology and morphometry. Our results show that liver and breast muscle glycogen concentrations were significantly lower in winter. The adiposity index was significantly higher in the fall compared to winter and spring. Seminiferous tubules were greater in diameter in animals captured in fall and winter, indicating a higher investment in spermatic production during these seasons. The percentage of Leydig cells was higher in summer compared to fall and winter. We suggest that M. molossus presents a type of seasonal reproduction with two peaks of testicular activity: one in fall, with higher sperm production (spermatogenesis), and another in summer, with higher hormone production (steroidogenesis). The metabolic pattern may be associated with reproductive events, especially due to the highest fat storage observed in the fall, which coincides with the further development of the seminiferous tubules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - DB. Morais
- Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - MR. Araújo
- Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | | | - SLP. Matta
- Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
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15
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Machado-Santos C, Aquino JCF, Mikalauka JS, Abidu-Figueiredo M, Mendes RMM, Sales A. What difference exists in the pancreas of mammals with sanguivorous diet? A morphological, stereological and immunohistochemical study of the pancreatic islets of the hematophagous bat Diphylla ecaudata. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 183:62-8. [PMID: 23500834 DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2013.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 12/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Diphylla ecaudata is a vampire bat that mainly feeds on the blood of birds. This highly specialized diet - hematophagy - is accompanied by a series of morphological changes in the gastro-entero-pancreatic system, since the distribution and relative proportions of different pancreatic endocrine cell types can vary between species due to different physiological conditions and eating habits. The aim of this study was to examine for the first time the pancreas of the vampire bat D. ecaudata using morphological, stereological and immunohistochemical techniques. The pancreas of the D. ecaudata has an exocrine acinar portion in which the highest concentration of pancreatic islets is scattered. These pancreatic islets have irregular size and a mean diameter of 56.94 μm. The total number of islets in the pancreas was 23,900, with a volumetric density of 4.1%. Insulin-immunoreactive (IR) cells were located in the central pancreatic islet region and had the largest density (54.8%). Glucagon-IR cells were located mainly in the peripheral mantle region (16.2%), along with somatostatin-IR (SS) cells (14.3%). Cells immunoreactive to insulin, glucagon and somatostatin were also observed to have spread in isolated places in the exocrine pancreas. In the connective tissue near the pancreatic ducts, a high concentration was identified of insulin-IR cells and a low concentration of glucagon-IR and somatostatin-IR cells. These results indicate that although the pancreas of D. ecaudata has morphological similarities with that of other mammals, it has a differentiated islet structure, because there were a large number of islets and different volumetric densities of α, β and δ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarice Machado-Santos
- Department of Biomorphology, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, 40110-903, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
| | - Júlio César Fraulob Aquino
- Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. 28 de Setembro 87 fds, 20551-030 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jefferson Simanas Mikalauka
- Animal Biology Program, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University (UFRRJ), Br 465km7s/n, 23890-000, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | - Armando Sales
- Animal Biology Department, Department of Animal Biology, UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
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16
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Freitas MB, Queiroz JF, Dias Gomes CI, Collares-Buzato CB, Barbosa HC, Boschero AC, Gonçalves CA, Pinheiro EC. Reduced insulin secretion and glucose intolerance are involved in the fasting susceptibility of common vampire bats. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 183:1-6. [PMID: 23262275 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Susceptibility during fasting has been reported for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), to the point of untimely deaths after only 2-3 nights of fasting. To investigate the underlying physiology of this critical metabolic condition, we analyzed serum insulin levels, pancreatic islets morphometry and immunocytochemistry (ICC), static insulin secretion in pancreas fragments, and insulin signaling mechanism in male vampire bats. A glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) was also performed. Serum insulin was found to be lower in fed vampires compared to other mammals, and was significantly reduced after 24h fasting. Morphometrical analyses revealed small irregular pancreatic islets with reduced percentage of β-cell mass compared to other bats. Static insulin secretion analysis showed that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was impaired, as insulin levels did not reach significance under high glucose concentrations, whereas the response to the amino acid leucin was preserved. Results from ipGTT showed a failure on glucose clearance, indicating glucose intolerance due to diminished pancreatic insulin secretion and/or decreased β-cell response to glucose. In conclusion, data presented here indicate lower insulinemia and impaired insulin secretion in D. rotundus, which is consistent with the limited ability to store body energy reserves, previously reported in these animals. Whether these metabolic and hormonal features are associated with their blood diet remains to be determined. The peculiar food sharing through blood regurgitation, reported to this species, might be an adaptive mechanism overcoming this metabolic susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella B Freitas
- Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, MG , Brazil.
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17
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Mqokeli BR, Downs CT. Blood Plasma Glucose Regulation in Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.3377/004.047.0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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18
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Shen B, Han X, Zhang J, Rossiter SJ, Zhang S. Adaptive evolution in the glucose transporter 4 gene Slc2a4 in Old World fruit bats (family: Pteropodidae). PLoS One 2012; 7:e33197. [PMID: 22493665 PMCID: PMC3320886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Frugivorous and nectarivorous bats are able to ingest large quantities of sugar in a short time span while avoiding the potentially adverse side-effects of elevated blood glucose. The glucose transporter 4 protein (GLUT4) encoded by the Slc2a4 gene plays a critical role in transmembrane skeletal muscle glucose uptake and thus glucose homeostasis. To test whether the Slc2a4 gene has undergone adaptive evolution in bats with carbohydrate-rich diets in relation to their insect-eating sister taxa, we sequenced the coding region of the Slc2a4 gene in a number of bat species, including four Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) and three New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae). Our molecular evolutionary analyses revealed evidence that Slc2a4 has undergone a change in selection pressure in Old World fruit bats with 11 amino acid substitutions detected on the ancestral branch, whereas, no positive selection was detected in the New World fruit bats. We noted that in the former group, amino acid replacements were biased towards either Serine or Isoleucine, and, of the 11 changes, six were specific to Old World fruit bats (A133S, A164S, V377F, V386I, V441I and G459S). Our study presents preliminary evidence that the Slc2a4 gene has undergone adaptive changes in Old World fruit bats in relation to their ability to meet the demands of a high sugar diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Shen
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuqun Han
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junpeng Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Stephen J. Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shuyi Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institutes for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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