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Wong HS, Freeman DA, Zhang Y. Not just a cousin of the naked mole-rat: Damaraland mole-rats offer unique insights into biomedicine. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 262:110772. [PMID: 35710053 PMCID: PMC10155858 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2022.110772] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary medicine has been a fast-growing field of biological research in the past decade. One of the strengths of evolutionary medicine is to use non-traditional model organisms which often exhibit unusual characteristics shaped by natural selection. Studying these unusual traits could provide valuable insight to understand biomedical questions, since natural selection likely discovers solutions to those complex biological problems. Because of many unusual traits, the naked mole-rat (NMR) has attracted attention from different research areas such as aging, cancer, and hypoxia- and hypercapnia-related disorders. However, such uniqueness of NMR physiology may sometimes make the translational study to human research difficult. Damaraland mole-rat (DMR) shares multiple characteristics in common with NMR, but shows higher degree of similarity with human in some aspects of their physiology. Research on DMR could therefore offer alternative insights and might bridge the gap between experimental findings from NMR to human biomedical research. In this review, we discuss studies of DMR as an extension of the current set of model organisms to help better understand different aspects of human biology and disease. We hope to encourage researchers to consider studying DMR together with NMR. By studying these two similar but evolutionarily distinct species, we can harvest the power of convergent evolution and avoid the potential biased conclusions based on life-history of a single species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Shan Wong
- Nine Square Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America.
| | - David A Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America.
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JI W, ZHANG C, SONG C, JI H. Three DPP-IV inhibitory peptides from Antarctic krill protein hydrolysate improve glucose levels in the zebrafish model of diabetes. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/fst.58920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei JI
- Guangdong University of Education, China
| | - Chaohua ZHANG
- Guangdong Ocean University, China; Guangdong Ocean University, China
| | - Cai SONG
- Guangdong Ocean University, China
| | - Hongwu JI
- Guangdong Ocean University, China; Guangdong Ocean University, China
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3
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Mammola S, Lunghi E, Bilandžija H, Cardoso P, Grimm V, Schmidt SI, Hesselberg T, Martínez A. Collecting eco-evolutionary data in the dark: Impediments to subterranean research and how to overcome them. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5911-5926. [PMID: 34141192 PMCID: PMC8207145 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Caves and other subterranean habitats fulfill the requirements of experimental model systems to address general questions in ecology and evolution. Yet, the harsh working conditions of these environments and the uniqueness of the subterranean organisms have challenged most attempts to pursuit standardized research.Two main obstacles have synergistically hampered previous attempts. First, there is a habitat impediment related to the objective difficulties of exploring subterranean habitats and our inability to access the network of fissures that represents the elective habitat for the so-called "cave species." Second, there is a biological impediment illustrated by the rarity of most subterranean species and their low physiological tolerance, often limiting sample size and complicating laboratory experiments.We explore the advantages and disadvantages of four general experimental setups (in situ, quasi in situ, ex situ, and in silico) in the light of habitat and biological impediments. We also discuss the potential of indirect approaches to research. Furthermore, using bibliometric data, we provide a quantitative overview of the model organisms that scientists have exploited in the study of subterranean life.Our over-arching goal is to promote caves as model systems where one can perform standardized scientific research. This is important not only to achieve an in-depth understanding of the functioning of subterranean ecosystems but also to fully exploit their long-discussed potential in addressing general scientific questions with implications beyond the boundaries of this discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS)University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Dark‐MEG: Molecular Ecology GroupWater Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)VerbaniaItaly
| | - Enrico Lunghi
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze“La Specola”FirenzeItaly
| | - Helena Bilandžija
- Department of Molecular BiologyRudjer Boskovic InstituteZagrebCroatia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS)University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Ecological ModellingHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
- Plant Ecology and Nature ConservationUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Susanne I. Schmidt
- Institute of HydrobiologyBiology Centre CASČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | | | - Alejandro Martínez
- Dark‐MEG: Molecular Ecology GroupWater Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)VerbaniaItaly
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Abstract
Whereas scientists interested in subterranean life typically insist that their research is exciting, adventurous, and important to answer general questions, this enthusiasm and potential often fade when the results are translated into scientific publications. This is because cave research is often written by cave scientists for cave scientists; thus, it rarely “leaves the cave”. However, the status quo is changing rapidly. We analysed 21,486 articles focused on subterranean ecosystems published over the last three decades and observed a recent, near-exponential increase in their annual citations and impact factor. Cave research is now more often published in non-specialized journals, thanks to a number of authors who are exploiting subterranean habitats as model systems for addressing important scientific questions. Encouraged by this positive trend, we here propose a few personal ideas for improving the generality of subterranean literature, including tips for framing broadly scoped research and making it accessible to a general audience, even when published in cave-specialized journals. Hopefully, this small contribution will succeed in condensing and broadcasting even further the collective effort taken by the subterranean biology community to bring their research “outside the cave”.
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Mammola S, Michalik P, Hebets EA, Isaia M. Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3972. [PMID: 29104823 PMCID: PMC5668680 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Organismal biology has been steadily losing fashion in both formal education and scientific research. Simultaneous with this is an observable decrease in the connection between humans, their environment, and the organisms with which they share the planet. Nonetheless, we propose that organismal biology can facilitate scientific observation, discovery, research, and engagement, especially when the organisms of focus are ubiquitous and charismatic animals such as spiders. Despite being often feared, spiders are mysterious and intriguing, offering a useful foundation for the effective teaching and learning of scientific concepts and processes. In order to provide an entryway for teachers and students-as well as scientists themselves-into the biology of spiders, we compiled a list of 99 record breaking achievements by spiders (the "Spider World Records"). We chose a world-record style format, as this is known to be an effective way to intrigue readers of all ages. We highlighted, for example, the largest and smallest spiders, the largest prey eaten, the fastest runners, the highest fliers, the species with the longest sperm, the most venomous species, and many more. We hope that our compilation will inspire science educators to embrace the biology of spiders as a resource that engages students in science learning. By making these achievements accessible to non-arachnologists and arachnologists alike, we suggest that they could be used: (i) by educators to draw in students for science education, (ii) to highlight gaps in current organismal knowledge, and (iii) to suggest novel avenues for future research efforts. Our contribution is not meant to be comprehensive, but aims to raise public awareness on spiders, while also providing an initial database of their record breaking achievements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
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Powder KE, Albertson RC. Cichlid fishes as a model to understand normal and clinical craniofacial variation. Dev Biol 2016; 415:338-346. [PMID: 26719128 PMCID: PMC4914429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We have made great strides towards understanding the etiology of craniofacial disorders, especially for 'simple' Mendelian traits. However, the facial skeleton is a complex trait, and the full spectrum of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors that contribute to its final geometry remain unresolved. Forward genetic screens are constrained with respect to complex traits due to the types of genes and alleles commonly identified, developmental pleiotropy, and limited information about the impact of environmental interactions. Here, we discuss how studies in an evolutionary model - African cichlid fishes - can complement traditional approaches to understand the genetic and developmental origins of complex shape. Cichlids exhibit an unparalleled range of natural craniofacial morphologies that model normal human variation, and in certain instances mimic human facial dysmorphologies. Moreover, the evolutionary history and genomic architecture of cichlids make them an ideal system to identify the genetic basis of these phenotypes via quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and population genomics. Given the molecular conservation of developmental genes and pathways, insights from cichlids are applicable to human facial variation and disease. We review recent work in this system, which has identified lbh as a novel regulator of neural crest cell migration, determined the Wnt and Hedgehog pathways mediate species-specific bone morphologies, and examined how plastic responses to diet modulate adult facial shapes. These studies have not only revealed new roles for existing pathways in craniofacial development, but have identified new genes and mechanisms involved in shaping the craniofacial skeleton. In all, we suggest that combining work in traditional laboratory and evolutionary models offers significant potential to provide a more complete and comprehensive picture of the myriad factors that are involved in the development of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara E Powder
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 221 Morrill Science Center South, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 221 Morrill Science Center South, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Van der Hout S. Nature is (a) mine: conceptions of nature in the Dutch ecogenomics community. LIFE SCIENCES, SOCIETY AND POLICY 2014; 10:10. [PMID: 26085446 PMCID: PMC4648842 DOI: 10.1186/s40504-014-0010-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Every field of science, but especially biology, contains particular conceptions of nature. These conceptions are not merely epistemological or ontological, but also have normative dimensions; they provide an ethos, a framework for moral orientation. These normative dimensions, whilst often remaining 'hidden' and inarticulate, influence the way in which biologists practice their profession. In this paper, I explore what happens when different versions of these implicit normative frameworks collide. To do so, I will focus on a case study from the field of ecological genomics as it has evolved in one particular country, namely the Netherlands. During an important inaugural meeting, the director of one of the most sizeable Dutch ecogenomics centres gave a presentation in which he introduced the term 'nature mining'. Part of the audience immediately embraced the term, but others were very reluctant. This mixed response is generally explained as a culmination of growing tension about the future direction of the field: due to new funding demands, a shift had occurred from fundamental research to research more interested in 'valorisation'.In addition to this current interpretation, I will argue that the turmoil caused by the use of the term 'nature mining' also reveals a more fundamental difference between the various parties involved in the Dutch ecogenomics community. This term is part of a vocabulary that emphasises the beneficial 'goods' produced by nature. Whereas part of the audience saw no harm in this commodification of nature, others had difficulties with the reduction of nature to a reservoir to be exploited using the latest technologies. I will conclude by arguing that, although at present, the core of Dutch ecogenomics research reflects a more or less instrumental attitude towards nature, the field also harbours other interpretations of nature as a significant and meaningful order. For instance, ecogenomics might further develop the image of land as a 'collective organism', as proposed by Aldo Leopold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Van der Hout
- Department of Philosophy and Science Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen - Faculty of Science, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
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8
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Ahn DH, Shin SC, Park H. Characterization of Toll-like receptor gene expression and the pathogen agonist response in the antarctic bullhead notothen Notothenia coriiceps. Immunogenetics 2014; 66:563-73. [PMID: 25073429 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-014-0792-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Notothenia coriiceps, a typical Antarctic notothenioid teleost, has evolved to adapt to the extreme Antarctic marine environment. We previously reported an extensive analysis of the Antarctic notothenioid transcriptome. In this study, we focused on a key component of the innate immune system, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We cloned the full-length sequence of 12 TLRs of N. coriiceps. The N. coriiceps transcriptome for TLR homologue (ncTLR) genes encode a typical TLR structure, with multiple extracellular leucine-rich regions and an intracellular Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain. Using phylogenetic analysis, we established that all of the cloned ncTLR genes could be classified into the same orthologous clade with other teleost TLRs. ncTLRs were widely expressed in various organs, with the highest expression levels observed in immune-related tissues, such as the skin, spleen, and kidney. A subset of the ncTLR genes was expressed at higher levels in fish exposed to pathogen-mimicking agonists, heat-killed Escherichia coli, and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)). However, the mechanism involved in the upregulation of TLR expression following pathogen exposure in fish is currently unknown. Further research is required to elucidate these mechanisms and to thereby increase our understanding of vertebrate immune system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do Hwan Ahn
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 406-840, South Korea
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9
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Martí-Solans J, Ferrández-Roldán A, Godoy-Marín H, Badia-Ramentol J, Torres-Aguila NP, Rodríguez-Marí A, Bouquet JM, Chourrout D, Thompson EM, Albalat R, Cañestro C. Oikopleura dioicaculturing made easy: A Low-Cost facility for an emerging animal model in EvoDevo. Genesis 2014; 53:183-93. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Josep Martí-Solans
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Alfonso Ferrández-Roldán
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Hector Godoy-Marín
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Jordi Badia-Ramentol
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Nuria P. Torres-Aguila
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Adriana Rodríguez-Marí
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Jean Marie Bouquet
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology; University of Bergen; N-5008 Bergen Bergen Norway
- Department of Biology; University of Bergen; Postbox 7803 N-5020 Bergen Norway
| | - Daniel Chourrout
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology; University of Bergen; N-5008 Bergen Bergen Norway
| | - Eric M. Thompson
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology; University of Bergen; N-5008 Bergen Bergen Norway
- Department of Biology; University of Bergen; Postbox 7803 N-5020 Bergen Norway
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Universitat de Barcelona; Barcelona 08028 Spain
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Eastman JT, Witmer LM, Ridgely RC, Kuhn KL. Divergence in skeletal mass and bone morphology in antarctic notothenioid fishes. J Morphol 2014; 275:841-61. [PMID: 24590921 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although notothenioid fishes lack swim bladders, some species live temporarily or permanently in the water column. Given its relatively high density, skeletal mass is a key determinant of buoyancy. Notothenioids have reduced skeletal ossification, but there is little quantitative data on the phylogenetic distribution of this trait. We obtained dry skeletal masses for 54 specimens representing 20 species from six notothenioid families. Although comparative data are sparse, notothenioid skeletons comprise a smaller percentage of body mass, <3.5%, than those of three non-notothenioid perciforms. With relatively high skeletal mass, the non-Antarctic Bovichtus diacanthus is similar in skeletal mass to some non-notothenioids. Eleginops maclovinus, the non-Antarctic sister group of the Antarctic clade, has a relatively light skeleton (<2% of body mass) similar to many species in the Antarctic clade. Low skeletal mass is therefore a synapomorphy shared by Eleginops plus the Antarctic clade. We provide gross, histological, and micro-CT documentation of the structure and location of bone and cartilage in skulls, pectoral girdles, and vertebrae, with emphasis on the bovichtid B. diacanthus, the eleginopsid E. maclovinus, and the channichthyid Chaenodraco wilsoni. In Eleginops and the Antarctic clade, most bone is spongy and most species have persisting cartilage in the skull and appendicular skeleton. We also measured the relative size of the notochordal canal in adult vertebral centra of 38 species representing all eight families. There is considerable interspecific variation in this pedomorphic trait and all species show an ontogenetic reduction in the relative size of the canal. However, large persisting canals are present in adults of the Antarctic clade, especially in the nototheniids Pleuragramma and Aethotaxis and in a number of bathydraconid and channichthyid genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Eastman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701-2979
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11
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Bolker
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of New Hampshire; Durham NH 03824 USA
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12
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Bolker JA. Models in Context: Biological and Epistemological Niches. HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7067-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Leonelli S, Ankeny RA. What makes a model organism? ENDEAVOUR 2013; 37:209-12. [PMID: 23849606 DOI: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This article explains the key role of model organisms within contemporary research, while at the same time acknowledging their limitations as biological models. We analyse the epistemic and social characteristics of model organism biology as a form of "big science", which includes the development of large, centralised infrastructures, a shared ethos and a specific long-term vision about the "right way" to do research. In order to make wise use of existing resources, researchers now find themselves committed to carrying out this vision with its accompanying assumptions. By clarifying the specific characteristics of model organism work, we aim to provide a framework to assess how much funding should be allocated to such research. On the one hand, it is imperative to exploit the resources and knowledge accumulated using these models to study more diverse groups of organisms. On the other hand, this type of research may be inappropriate for research programmes where the processes of interest are much more delimited, can be usefully studied in isolation and/or are simply not captured by model organism biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Leonelli
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Byrne House, St Germans Road, Exeter EX4 4PJ UK.
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14
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Zuk M, Garcia-Gonzalez F, Herberstein ME, Simmons LW. Model systems, taxonomic bias, and sexual selection: beyond Drosophila. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 59:321-338. [PMID: 24160422 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Although model systems are useful in entomology, allowing generalizations based on a few well-known species, they also have drawbacks. It can be difficult to know how far to generalize from information in a few species: Are all flies like Drosophila? The use of model systems is particularly problematic in studying sexual selection, where variability among taxa is key to the evolution of different behaviors. A bias toward the use of a few insect species, particularly from the genus Drosophila, is evident in the sexual selection and sexual conflict literature over the past several decades, although the diversity of study organisms has increased more recently. As the number of model systems used to study sexual conflict increased, support for the idea that sexual interactions resulted in harm to females decreased. Future work should choose model systems thoughtfully, combining well-known species with those that can add to the variation that allows us to make more meaningful generalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108;
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bolker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824, New Hampshire, USA.
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16
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Leonelli S, Ankeny RA. Re-thinking organisms: The impact of databases on model organism biology. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES 2012; 43:29-36. [PMID: 22326070 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2011.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Community databases have become crucial to the collection, ordering and retrieval of data gathered on model organisms, as well as to the ways in which these data are interpreted and used across a range of research contexts. This paper analyses the impact of community databases on research practices in model organism biology by focusing on the history and current use of four community databases: FlyBase, Mouse Genome Informatics, WormBase and The Arabidopsis Information Resource. We discuss the standards used by the curators of these databases for what counts as reliable evidence, acceptable terminology, appropriate experimental set-ups and adequate materials (e.g., specimens). On the one hand, these choices are informed by the collaborative research ethos characterising most model organism communities. On the other hand, the deployment of these standards in databases reinforces this ethos and gives it concrete and precise instantiations by shaping the skills, practices, values and background knowledge required of the database users. We conclude that the increasing reliance on community databases as vehicles to circulate data is having a major impact on how researchers conduct and communicate their research, which affects how they understand the biology of model organisms and its relation to the biology of other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Leonelli
- ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, University of Exeter, Byrne House, St. Germans Road, EX4 4PJ Exeter, UK.
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Abstract
New work now shows that the dauer larvae of Caenorhabditis elegans can survive anhydrobiotically. The genetic tractability of this model organism may be useful in studying how organisms survive when losing most or all of their water.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wharton
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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18
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Giordano-Santini R, Dupuy D. Selectable genetic markers for nematode transgenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2011; 68:1917-27. [PMID: 21431833 PMCID: PMC11115105 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-011-0670-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2011] [Revised: 03/03/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to study genetics and development since the mid-1970s. Over the years, the arsenal of techniques employed in this field has grown steadily in parallel with the number of researchers using this model. Since the introduction of C. elegans transgenesis, nearly 20 years ago, this system has been extensively used in areas such as rescue experiments, gene expression studies, and protein localization. The completion of the C. elegans genome sequence paved the way for genome-wide studies requiring higher throughput and improved scalability than provided by traditional genetic markers. The development of antibiotic selection systems for nematode transgenesis addresses these requirements and opens the possibility to apply transgenesis to investigate biological functions in other nematode species for which no genetic markers had been developed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosina Giordano-Santini
- Genome Regulation and Evolution, Inserm U869, Université de Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), 2, rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac, France
| | - Denis Dupuy
- Genome Regulation and Evolution, Inserm U869, Université de Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), 2, rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac, France
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Pfennig DW, Ledón-Rettig C. The Flexible Organism
Ecological Developmental Biology
Integrating Epigenetics, Medicine, and Evolution
by Scott F. Gilbert and David Epel
Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, 2009. 496 pp. $49.95. ISBN 9780878932993. Science 2009. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1175598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Gilbert and Epel focus on embryonic and larval development of metazoans to explore where "embryology meets the real world."
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Pfennig
- The reviewers are at the Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Cris Ledón-Rettig
- The reviewers are at the Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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