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Odeh A, Eddini H, Shawasha L, Chaban A, Avivi A, Shams I, Manov I. Senescent Secretome of Blind Mole Rat Spalax Inhibits Malignant Behavior of Human Breast Cancer Cells Triggering Bystander Senescence and Targeting Inflammatory Response. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065132. [PMID: 36982207 PMCID: PMC10049022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Subterranean blind mole rat, Spalax, has developed strategies to withstand cancer by maintaining genome stability and suppressing the inflammatory response. Spalax cells undergo senescence without the acquisition of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in its canonical form, namely, it lacks the main inflammatory mediators. Since senescence can propagate through paracrine factors, we hypothesize that conditioned medium (CM) from senescent Spalax fibroblasts can transmit the senescent phenotype to cancer cells without inducing an inflammatory response, thereby suppressing malignant behavior. To address this issue, we investigated the effect of CMs of Spalax senescent fibroblasts on the proliferation, migration, and secretory profile in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The results suggest that Spalax CM induced senescence in cancer cells, as evidenced by increased senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) activity, growth suppression and overexpression of senescence-related p53/p21 genes. Contemporaneously, Spalax CM suppressed the secretion of the main inflammatory factors in cancer cells and decreased their migration. In contrast, human CM, while causing a slight increase in SA-β-Gal activity in MDA-MB-231 cells, did not decrease proliferation, inflammatory response, and cancer cell migration. Dysregulation of IL-1α under the influence of Spalax CM, especially the decrease in the level of membrane-bound IL1-α, plays an important role in suppressing inflammatory secretion in cancer cells, which in turn leads to inhibition of cancer cell migration. Overcoming of SASP in tumor cells in response to paracrine factors of senescent microenvironment or anti-cancer drugs represents a promising senotherapeutic strategy in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Odeh
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Hossam Eddini
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Lujain Shawasha
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Anastasia Chaban
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Aaron Avivi
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Imad Shams
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Irena Manov
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (I.M.)
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An Z, Chen X, Li J. Response to Different Oxygen Partial Pressures and Evolution Analysis of Apoptosis-Related Genes in Plateau Zokor ( Myospalax baileyi). Front Genet 2022; 13:865301. [PMID: 35754836 PMCID: PMC9214310 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.865301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) is a native species of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau that spends its entire life underground in sealed burrows with hypoxic conditions. The present study aimed to assess the sequence characteristics of apoptosis-related genes and the response to different oxygen partial pressures (pO2) in plateau zokor and Sprague-Dawley rats. The sequences of the p53-induced protein with a death domain (Pidd), p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (Puma), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (Igfbp3), and apoptosis protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf1) were evaluated concerning homology and convergent evolution sites, and their mRNA levels were evaluated in different tissues under 14.13 (3,300 m) and 16.12 kPa (2,260 m) pO2 conditions. Our results showed that, (1) the sequences of the apoptosis-related genes in plateau zokor were highly similar to those of Nannospalax galili, followed by Rattus norvegicus; (2). Pidd, Puma, Igfbp3, and Apaf1 of plateau zokor were found to have five, one, two, and five convergent sites in functional domains with N. galili, respectively. Lastly (3), under low pO2, the expression of Pidd and Puma was downregulated in the lung of plateau zokors. In turn, Igfbp3 and Apaf1 were upregulated in the liver and lung, and Puma was upregulated in the skeletal muscle of plateau zokor under low pO2. In Sprague-Dawley rats, low pO2 downregulated Puma and Apaf1 expression in the liver and downregulated Igfbp3 and Puma in the lung and skeletal muscle separately. In contrast, low pO2 upregulated Pidd expression in the liver and skeletal muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats. Overall, the expression patterns of Apaf1, Igfbp3, and Puma showed the opposite pattern in the liver, lung, and skeletal muscle, respectively, of plateau zokor as compared with Sprague-Dawley rats. In conclusion, for the long-time adaptation to hypoxic environments, Pidd, Puma, Igfbp3, and Apaf1 of plateau zokor underwent convergent evolution, which we believe may have led to upregulation of their levels under low oxygen partial pressures to induce apoptosis, so as to suppress tumorigenesis under hypoxic environments in plateau zokor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang An
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Xiaoqi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China.,Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Jimei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China.,Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, China.,Department of General Medicine, Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital, Xining, China
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Li M, Pan D, Sun H, Zhang L, Cheng H, Shao T, Wang Z. The hypoxia adaptation of small mammals to plateau and underground burrow conditions. Animal Model Exp Med 2021; 4:319-328. [PMID: 34977483 PMCID: PMC8690988 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen is one of the important substances for the survival of most life systems on the earth, and plateau and underground burrow systems are two typical hypoxic environments. Small mammals living in hypoxic environments have evolved different adaptation strategies, which include increased oxygen delivery, metabolic regulation of physiological responses and other physiological responses that change tissue oxygen utilization. Multi-omics predictions have also shown that these animals have evolved different adaptations to extreme environments. In particular, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and erythropoietin (EPO), which have specific functions in the control of O2 delivery, have evolved adaptively in small mammals in hypoxic environments. Naked mole-rats and blind mole-rats are typical hypoxic model animals as they have some resistance to cancer. This review primarily summarizes the main living environment of hypoxia tolerant small mammals, as well as the changes of phenotype, physiochemical characteristics and gene expression mode of their long-term living in hypoxia environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Li
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Dan Pan
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Hong Sun
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
- Centre for Nutritional EcologyZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Han Cheng
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Tian Shao
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
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Samson F, He W, Sripathi SR, Patrick AT, Madu J, Chung H, Frost MC, Jee D, Gutsaeva DR, Jahng WJ. Dual Switch Mechanism of Erythropoietin as an Antiapoptotic and Pro-Angiogenic Determinant in the Retina. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:21113-21126. [PMID: 32875248 PMCID: PMC7450639 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c02763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Constant or intense light degenerates the retina and retinal pigment epithelial cells. Light generates reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide leading to initial reactions of retinal degeneration. Apoptosis is the primary mechanism of abnormal death of photoreceptors, retinal ganglion cells, or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in degenerative retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The current study evaluated the function of erythropoietin (EPO) on angiogenesis and apoptosis in the retina and RPE under oxidative stress. We determined the pro-angiogenic and antiapoptotic mechanism of EPO under stress conditions using a conditional EPO knockdown model using siRNA, EPO addition, proteomics, immunocytochemistry, and bioinformatic analysis. Our studies verified that EPO protected retinal cells from light-, hypoxia-, hyperoxia-, and hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis through caspase inhibition, whereas up-regulated angiogenic reactions through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiotensin pathway. We demonstrated that the EPO expression in the retina and subsequent serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase phosphorylations might be linked to oxidative stress response tightly to determining angiogenesis and apoptosis. Neuroprotective roles of EPO may involve the balance between antiapoptotic and pro-angiogenic signaling molecules, including BCL-xL, c-FOS, caspase-3, nitric oxide, angiotensin, and VEGF receptor. Our data indicate a new therapeutic application of EPO toward retinal degeneration based on the dual roles in apoptosis and angiogenesis at the molecular level under oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Weilue He
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton 49931, United States
| | - Srinivas R. Sripathi
- Department
of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Ambrose Teru Patrick
- Department
of Petroleum Chemistry, American University
of Nigeria, Yola 640101, Nigeria
| | - Joshua Madu
- Department
of Petroleum Chemistry, American University
of Nigeria, Yola 640101, Nigeria
| | - Hyewon Chung
- Department
of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Konkuk
University, Seoul 05030, Korea
| | - Megan C. Frost
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton 49931, United States
| | - Donghyun Jee
- Division
of Vitreous and Retina, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Vincent’s
Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic
University of Korea, Suwon 16247, Korea
| | - Diana R. Gutsaeva
- Department
of Ophthalmology, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia 30912, United States
| | - Wan Jin Jahng
- Department
of Petroleum Chemistry, American University
of Nigeria, Yola 640101, Nigeria
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Odeh A, Dronina M, Domankevich V, Shams I, Manov I. Downregulation of the inflammatory network in senescent fibroblasts and aging tissues of the long-lived and cancer-resistant subterranean wild rodent, Spalax. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13045. [PMID: 31605433 PMCID: PMC6974727 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The blind mole rat (Spalax) is a wild, long‐lived rodent that has evolved mechanisms to tolerate hypoxia and resist cancer. Previously, we demonstrated high DNA repair capacity and low DNA damage in Spalax fibroblasts following genotoxic stress compared with rats. Since the acquisition of senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a consequence of persistent DNA damage, we investigated whether cellular senescence in Spalax is accompanied by an inflammatory response. Spalax fibroblasts undergo replicative senescence (RS) and etoposide‐induced senescence (EIS), evidenced by an increased activity of senescence‐associated beta‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐Gal), growth arrest, and overexpression of p21, p16, and p53 mRNAs. Yet, unlike mouse and human fibroblasts, RS and EIS Spalax cells showed undetectable or decreased expression of the well‐known SASP factors: interleukin‐6 (IL6), IL8, IL1α, growth‐related oncogene alpha (GROα), SerpinB2, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM‐1). Apparently, due to the efficient DNA repair in Spalax, senescent cells did not accumulate the DNA damage necessary for SASP activation. Conversely, Spalax can maintain DNA integrity during replicative or moderate genotoxic stress and limit pro‐inflammatory secretion. However, exposure to the conditioned medium of breast cancer cells MDA‐MB‐231 resulted in an increase in DNA damage, activation of the nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) through nuclear translocation, and expression of inflammatory mediators in RS Spalax cells. Evaluation of SASP in aging Spalax brain and intestine confirmed downregulation of inflammatory‐related genes. These findings suggest a natural mechanism for alleviating the inflammatory response during cellular senescence and aging in Spalax, which can prevent age‐related chronic inflammation supporting healthy aging and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Odeh
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Haifa Haifa Israel
| | - Maria Dronina
- Institute of Evolution University of Haifa Haifa Israel
| | - Vered Domankevich
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Haifa Haifa Israel
| | - Imad Shams
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Haifa Haifa Israel
- Institute of Evolution University of Haifa Haifa Israel
| | - Irena Manov
- Institute of Evolution University of Haifa Haifa Israel
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Lagunas-Rangel FA. Cancer-free aging: Insights from Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies. Ageing Res Rev 2018; 47:18-23. [PMID: 29913210 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cancer and ageing can be regarded as two different manifestations of the same underlying process-accumulation of cellular damage-and therefore both are closely linked. Nowadays, the ageing of populations worldwide is leading to an unprecedented increase in cancer cases and fatalities, and therefore the understanding of links between cancer and ageing is more important than ever. Spalax is considered an excellent model for ageing and, additionally, for cancer research, due to not show clear age-related phenotypic changes and not develop spontaneous tumours, despite its relatively long lifespan (∼20 years in captivity). Thereby, the purpose of this review is to summarize the recent knowledge on Spalax, with a particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms associated with their longevity and cancer resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional No. 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Reduced calcium influx in the hypoxia-tolerant Spalax: The role of the erythropoietin receptor. Cell Calcium 2018; 74:123-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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An ZF, Zhao K, Wei LN, Wang ZJ, Li SH, Wei L, Wei DB. p53 gene cloning and response to hypoxia in the plateau zokor, Myospalax baileyi. ANIM BIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-18000004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) is a specialized subterranean rodent that lives on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The species has evolved a series of strategies to adapt to its hypoxic environment and hypercapnia. p53 is a tumour suppressor gene that plays a crucial role in the cellular response to hypoxia by inducing cell cycle arrest, cell apoptosis, DNA damage repair and angiogenesis. To investigate the sequence characteristics of p53 and the response to hypoxia in plateau zokor, we cloned the p53 coding DNA sequence, analysed it, and measured the expression level of p53 at different altitudes in plateau zokor and rats. Our results show that the coding DNA sequence is 1179 bp, consisting of 392 amino acid residues. Compared to human p53, the subterranean rodents have two mutation sites in common with the human hotspots in the DNA-binding domain. Compared to subterranean rodents, plateau zokor have a mutation at residue 309. In addition, subterranean rodents have two convergent sites at residues 78 and 84. The expression levels of p53 in plateau zokor tissues increase significantly from 2260 m to 3300 m, but there was no significant difference in rats at those altitudes. Our results suggest that subterranean rodents have two mutation sites in common with the human hotspots in the DNA-binding domain, the mutation of Gly309Asp is a unique mutation site of plateau zokor p53, and there are two convergent sites enhancing subterranean rodent adaptation to hypoxic conditions. In addition, p53 is sensitive to the oxygen concentration in plateau zokor, and hypoxia upregulates the levels of p53. Generally, plateau zokor use this strategy to adapt to a hypoxic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-fang An
- 1State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
- 2Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Kang Zhao
- 3College of Medical, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Lin-na Wei
- 4College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Zhi-jie Wang
- 4College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Su-hua Li
- 2Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Lian Wei
- 4College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
| | - Deng-bang Wei
- 1State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
- 4College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, 251 Ningda Road, Xining, Qinghai 810016, China
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Shams I, Malik A, Manov I, Joel A, Band M, Avivi A. Transcription pattern of p53-targeted DNA repair genes in the hypoxia-tolerant subterranean mole rat Spalax. J Mol Biol 2013; 425:1111-8. [PMID: 23318952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Revised: 12/31/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The tumor suppressor gene p53 induces growth arrest and/or apoptosis in response to DNA damage/hypoxia. Inactivation of p53 confers a selective advantage to tumor cells under a hypoxic microenvironment during tumor progression. The subterranean blind mole rat, Spalax, spends its life underground at low-oxygen tensions, hence developing a wide range of respiratory/molecular adaptations to hypoxic stress, including critical changes in p53 structure and signaling pathway. The highly conserved p53 Arg(R)-172 is substituted by lysine (K) in Spalax, identical with a tumor-associated mutation. Functionality assays revealed that Spalax p53 is unable to activate apoptotic target genes but is still capable of activating cell cycle arrest genes. Furthermore, we have shown that the transcription patterns of representative p53-induced genes (Apaf1 and Mdm2) in Spalax are influenced by hypoxia. Cell cycle arrest allows the cells to repair DNA damage via different DNA repair genes. We tested the transcription pattern of three p53-related DNA repair genes (p53R2, Mlh1, and Msh2) under normoxia and short-acute hypoxia in Spalax, C57BL/6 wild-type mice, and two strains of mutant C57BL/6 mice, each carrying a different mutation at the R172 position. Our results show that while wild-type/mutant mice exhibit strong hypoxia-induced reductions of repair gene transcript levels, no such inhibition is found in Spalax under hypoxia. Moreover, unlike mouse p53R2, Spalax p53R2 transcript levels are strongly elevated under hypoxia. These results suggest that critical repair functions, which are known to be inhibited under hypoxia in mice, remain active in Spalax, as part of its unique hypoxia tolerance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imad Shams
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel.
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Malik A, Korol A, Weber M, Hankeln T, Avivi A, Band M. Transcriptome analysis of the spalax hypoxia survival response includes suppression of apoptosis and tight control of angiogenesis. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:615. [PMID: 23148642 PMCID: PMC3533650 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of complex responses to hypoxia has played a key role in the evolution of mammals, as inadequate response to this condition is frequently associated with cardiovascular diseases, developmental disorders, and cancers. Though numerous studies have used mice and rats in order to explore mechanisms that contribute to hypoxia tolerance, these studies are limited due to the high sensitivity of most rodents to severe hypoxia. The blind subterranean mole rat Spalax is a hypoxia tolerant rodent, which exhibits unique longevity and therefore has invaluable potential in hypoxia and cancer research. Results Using microarrays, transcript abundance was measured in brain and muscle tissues from Spalax and rat individuals exposed to acute and chronic hypoxia for varying durations. We found that Spalax global gene expression response to hypoxia differs from that of rat and is characterized by the activation of functional groups of genes that have not been strongly associated with the response to hypoxia in hypoxia sensitive mammals. Using functional enrichment analysis of Spalax hypoxia induced genes we found highly significant overrepresentation of groups of genes involved in anti apoptosis, cancer, embryonic/sexual development, epidermal growth factor receptor binding, coordinated suppression and activation of distinct groups of transcription factors and membrane receptors, in addition to angiogenic related processes. We also detected hypoxia induced increases of different critical Spalax hub gene transcripts, including antiangiogenic genes associated with cancer tolerance in Down syndrome human individuals. Conclusions This is the most comprehensive study of Spalax large scale gene expression response to hypoxia to date, and the first to use custom Spalax microarrays. Our work presents novel patterns that may underlie mechanisms with critical importance to the evolution of hypoxia tolerance, with special relevance to medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Malik
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
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Nevo E. Stress, adaptation, and speciation in the evolution of the blind mole rat, Spalax, in Israel. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2012; 66:515-25. [PMID: 23032572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2012] [Revised: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental stress played a major role in the evolution of the blind mole rat superspecies Spalax ehrenbergi, affecting its adaptive evolution and ecological speciation underground. Spalax is safeguarded all of its life underground from aboveground climatic fluctuations and predators. However, it encounters multiple stresses in its underground burrows including darkness, energetics, hypoxia, hypercapnia, food scarcity, and pathogenicity. Consequently, it evolved adaptive genomic, proteomic, and phenomic complexes to cope with those stresses. Here I describe some of these adaptive complexes, and their theoretical and applied perspectives. Spalax mosaic molecular and organismal evolution involves reductions or regressions coupled with expansions or progressions caused by evolutionary tinkering and natural genetic engineering. Speciation of Spalax in Israel occurred in the Pleistocene, during the last 2.00-2.35 Mya, generating four species associated intimately with four climatic regimes with increasing aridity stress southwards and eastwards representing an ecological speciational adaptive trend: (Spalax golani, 2n=54→S. galili, 2n=52→S. carmeli, 2n=58→S. judaei, 2n=60). Darwinian ecological speciation occurred gradually with relatively little genetic change by Robertsonian chromosomal and genic mutations. Spalax genome sequencing has just been completed. It involves multiple adaptive complexes to life underground and is an evolutionary model to a few hundred underground mammals. It involves great promise in the future for medicine, space flight, and deep-sea diving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eviatar Nevo
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel.
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Schülke S, Dreidax D, Malik A, Burmester T, Nevo E, Band M, Avivi A, Hankeln T. Living with stress: regulation of antioxidant defense genes in the subterranean, hypoxia-tolerant mole rat, Spalax. Gene 2012; 500:199-206. [PMID: 22441129 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Lack of oxygen is life threatening for most mammals. It is therefore of biomedical interest to investigate the adaptive mechanisms which enable mammalian species to tolerate extremely hypoxic conditions. The subterranean mole rat Spalax survives substantially longer periods of hypoxia than the laboratory rat. We hypothesized that genes of the antioxidant defense, detoxifying harmful reactive oxygen species generated during hypoxia and hyperoxia, are involved in Spalax underground adaptation. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we analyzed the mRNA expression levels of seven antioxidant defense genes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase 1, glutathione-S-transferase Pi1, heme oxygenase 1, superoxide dismutase 1 and 2) and a master regulator of this stress pathway, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) in several tissues of two Israeli Spalax species, S. galili (2n=52) and S. judaei (2n=60), and rat. We also studied the differential expression of these genes after experimental hypoxia and hyperoxia as oxidative stress treatments. We found that mRNA levels and transcriptional responses are species and tissue specific. There are constitutively higher transcript levels of antioxidant genes and their transcription factor Nrf2 in Spalax tissue as compared to rat, suggesting an increased ability in the mole rat to withstand hypoxic/hyperoxic insults. In contrast to Spalax, the rat reacts to experimental oxidative stress by changes in gene regulation. In addition, Spalax Nrf2 reveals unique amino acid changes, which may be functionally important for this transcription factor and indicate positive (Darwinian) selection. Antioxidant defense genes are therefore important targets for adaptive change during evolution of hypoxia tolerance in Spalax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schülke
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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Neuroglobin, cytoglobin, and myoglobin contribute to hypoxia adaptation of the subterranean mole rat Spalax. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:21570-5. [PMID: 21115824 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015379107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The subterranean mole rat Spalax is an excellent model for studying adaptation of a mammal toward chronic environmental hypoxia. Neuroglobin (Ngb) and cytoglobin (Cygb) are O(2)-binding respiratory proteins and thus candidates for being involved in molecular hypoxia adaptations of Spalax. Ngb is expressed primarily in vertebrate nerves, whereas Cygb is found in extracellular matrix-producing cells and in some neurons. The physiological functions of both proteins are not fully understood but discussed with regard to O(2) supply, the detoxification of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species, and apoptosis protection. Spalax Ngb and Cygb coding sequences are strongly conserved. However, mRNA and protein levels of Ngb in Spalax brain are 3-fold higher than in Rattus norvegicus under normoxia. Importantly, Spalax expresses Ngb in neurons and additionally in glia, whereas in hypoxia-sensitive rodents Ngb expression is limited to neurons. Hypoxia causes an approximately 2-fold down-regulation of Ngb mRNA in brain of rat and mole rat. A parallel regulatory response was found for myoglobin (Mb) in Spalax and rat muscle, suggesting similar functions of Mb and Ngb. Cygb also revealed an augmented normoxic expression in Spalax vs. rat brain, but not in heart or liver, indicating distinct tissue-specific functions. Hypoxia induced Cygb transcription in heart and liver of both mammals, with the most prominent mRNA up-regulation (12-fold) in Spalax heart. Our data suggest that tissue globins contribute to the remarkable tolerance of Spalax toward environmental hypoxia. This is consistent with the proposed cytoprotective effect of Ngb and Cygb under pathological hypoxic/ischemic conditions in mammals.
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Band M, Joel A, Avivi A. The Muscle Ankyrin Repeat Proteins Are Hypoxia-Sensitive: In Vivo mRNA Expression in the Hypoxia-Tolerant Blind Subterranean Mole Rat, Spalax ehrenbergi. J Mol Evol 2009; 70:1-12. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-009-9306-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 11/18/2009] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Optimal neuroprotection by erythropoietin requires elevated expression of its receptor in neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:9848-53. [PMID: 19497871 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0901840106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) binding mediates neuroprotection by endogenous Epo or by exogenous recombinant human (rh)Epo. The level of EpoR gene expression may determine tissue responsiveness to Epo. Thus, harnessing the neuroprotective power of Epo requires an understanding of the Epo-EpoR system and its regulation. We tested the hypothesis that neuronal expression of EpoR is required to achieve optimal neuroprotection by Epo. The ventral limbic region (VLR) in the rat brain was used because we determined that its neurons express minimal EpoR under basal conditions, and they are highly sensitive to excitotoxic damage, such as occurs with pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (Pilo-SE). We report that (i) EpoR expression is significantly elevated in nearly all VLR neurons when rats are subjected to 3 moderate hypoxic exposures, with each separated by a 4-day interval; (ii) synergistic induction of EpoR expression is achieved in the dorsal hippocampus and neocortex by the combination of hypoxia and exposure to an enriched environment, with minimal increased expression by either treatment alone; and (iii) rhEpo administered after Pilo-SE cannot rescue neurons in the VLR, unless neuronal induction of EpoR is elicited by hypoxia before Pilo-SE. This study thus demonstrates using environmental manipulations in normal rodents, the strict requirement for induction of EpoR expression in brain neurons to achieve optimal neuroprotection. Our results indicate that regulation of EpoR gene expression may facilitate the neuroprotective potential of rhEpo.
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Band M, Joel A, Hernandez A, Avivi A. Hypoxia‐induced
BNIP3
expression and mitophagy:
in vivo
comparison of the rat and the hypoxia‐tolerant mole rat,
Spalax ehrenbergi. FASEB J 2009; 23:2327-35. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.08-122978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Band
- The W. M. Keck Center for Comparative and Functional GenomicsUniversity of IllinoisUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Alma Joel
- Institute of EvolutionUniversity of HaifaHaifaIsrael
| | - Alvaro Hernandez
- The W. M. Keck Center for Comparative and Functional GenomicsUniversity of IllinoisUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Aaron Avivi
- Institute of EvolutionUniversity of HaifaHaifaIsrael
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Avivi A, Band M, Joel A, Shenzer P, Coleman R. Adaptive features of skeletal muscles of mole rats (Spalax ehrenbergi) to intensive activity under subterranean hypoxic conditions. Acta Histochem 2008; 111:415-9. [PMID: 18676007 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2008.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2008] [Revised: 06/02/2008] [Accepted: 06/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies are blind subterranean rodents that live under fluctuating oxygen supply, reduced to a measured 6% O(2), and mostly probably lower, during the rainy season. Fiber typing of muscles of the neck (trapezius) and leg (gastrocnemius, quadriceps) using standard histochemical techniques (succinic dehydrogenase, myosin ATPase) showed that the muscle fibers of mole rats in natural settings, as well as after extended captivity, were predominantly type IIa. The same muscles in laboratory rats showed the full range of fiber types. In contrast, the hearts of the mole rats and the laboratory rats were very similar. Our results indicate that skeletal muscle in the mole rats appears to have evolved in response to specific environmental demands to permit intensive endurance burrowing activities under conditions of severe or chronic hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Avivi
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution of Animals, Institute of Evolution, Haifa University, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel.
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Band M, Shams I, Joel A, Avivi A. Cloning and in vivo expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (Flk1) in the naturally hypoxia-tolerant subterranean mole rat. FASEB J 2007; 22:105-12. [PMID: 17726089 DOI: 10.1096/fj.07-8892com] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) plays a critical role in blood vessel formation and affects nerve growth and survival. VEGF receptor 2 (Flk1) functions as the major signal transducer of angiogenesis, mediating VEGF induction of endothelial tubulogenesis. We have cloned and analyzed expression of Flk1 in the blind subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi. Spalax experience abrupt and sharp changes in oxygen supply in their sealed underground niche and, hence, are genetically adapted to hypoxia and serve as a unique, natural mammalian model organism for hypoxia tolerance. Spalax Flk1 is relatively conserved at the nucleic acid and amino acid level compared to human, mouse, and rat orthologs. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze Flk1 expression in muscle and brain of animals exposed to ambient or variant hypoxic oxygen levels at multiple stages of development. Transcript levels were compared with those obtained from Rattus, a primary model for human physiology. Our findings demonstrate that under normoxic conditions Flk1 patterns of expression correlate well with our previous investigations of VEGF expression. Exposure to hypoxic conditions resulted in divergent patterns of Flk1 expression between Spalax and Rattus and between muscle and brain. It appears that the regulatory mechanisms differentiating expression between the species and between tissues are most likely unique, suggesting that Flk1 expression may be regulated by multiple processes, including both angiogenesis and neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Band
- W. M. Keck Center for Comparative and Functional Genomics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Ravid O, Shams I, Ben Califa N, Nevo E, Avivi A, Neumann D. An extracellular region of the erythropoietin receptor of the subterranean blind mole rat Spalax enhances receptor maturation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:14360-5. [PMID: 17724331 PMCID: PMC1964849 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0706777104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietic functions of erythropoietin (EPO) are mediated by its receptor (EPO-R), which is present on the cell surface of erythroid progenitors and induced by hypoxia. We focused on EPO-R from Spalax galili (sEPO-R), one of the four Israeli species of the subterranean blind mole rat, Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies, as a special natural animal model of high tolerance to hypoxia. Led by the intriguing observation that most of the mouse EPO-R (mEPO-R) is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), we hypothesized that sEPO-R is expressed at higher levels on the cell surface, thus maximizing the response to elevated EPO, which has been reported in this species. Indeed, we found increased cell-surface levels of sEPO-R as compared with mEPO-R by using flow cytometry analysis of BOSC cells transiently expressing HA-tagged EPO-Rs (full length or truncated). We then postulated that unique extracellular sEPO-R sequence features contribute to its processing and cell-surface expression. To map these domains of the sEPO-R that augment receptor maturation, we generated EPO-R derivatives in which parts of the extracellular region of mEPO-R were replaced with the corresponding fragments of sEPO-R. We found that an extracellular portion of sEPO-R, harboring the N-glycosylation site, conferred enhanced maturation and increased transport to the cell surface of the respective chimeric receptor. Taken together, we demonstrate higher surface expression of sEPO-R, attributed at least in part to increased ER exit, mediated by an extracellular region of this receptor. We speculate that these sEPO-R sequence features play a role in the adaptation of Spalax to extreme hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Ravid
- *Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel; and
| | - Imad Shams
- Laboratory for Animal Molecular Evolution, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Nathalie Ben Califa
- *Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel; and
| | - Eviatar Nevo
- Laboratory for Animal Molecular Evolution, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: , , or
| | - Aaron Avivi
- *Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel; and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: , , or
| | - Drorit Neumann
- *Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel; and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: , , or
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Avivi A, Ashur-Fabian O, Joel A, Trakhtenbrot L, Adamsky K, Goldstein I, Amariglio N, Rechavi G, Nevo E. P53 in blind subterranean mole rats – loss-of-function versus gain-of-function activities on newly cloned Spalax target genes. Oncogene 2006; 26:2507-12. [PMID: 17043642 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A tumor suppressor gene, p53, controls cellular responses to a variety of stress conditions, including DNA damage and hypoxia, leading to growth arrest and/or apoptosis. Recently, we demonstrated that in blind subterranean mole rats, Spalax, a model organism for hypoxia tolerance, the p53 DNA-binding domain contains a specific Arg174Lys amino acid substitution. This substitution reduces the p53 effect on the transcription of apoptosis genes (apaf1, puma, pten and noxa) and enhances it on human cell cycle arrest and p53 stabilization/homeostasis genes (mdm2, pten, p21 and cycG). In the current study, we cloned Spalax apaf1 promoter and mdm2 intronic regions containing consensus p53-responsive elements. We compared the Spalax-responsive elements to those of human, mouse and rat and investigated the transcriptional activity of Spalax and human Arg174Lys-mutated p53 on target genes of both species. Spalax and human-mutated p53 lost induction of apaf1 transcription, and increased induction of mdm2 transcription. We conclude that Spalax evolved hypoxia-adaptive mechanisms, analogous to the alterations acquired by cancer cells during tumor development, with a bias against apoptosis while favoring cell arrest and DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Avivi
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Evolution, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
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Avivi A, Brodsky L, Nevo E, Band MR. Differential expression profiling of the blind subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies: bioprospecting for hypoxia tolerance. Physiol Genomics 2006; 27:54-64. [PMID: 16788006 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00001.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The blind subterranean mole rat of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies, living underground and exposed to fluctuating oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, is an excellent model of hypoxic tolerance. Unique structural and functional adaptations of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems allow these underground mammals to survive at severely reduced oxygen tension. Elucidation of the natural variation and evolutionary changes under hypoxia within this superspecies may have biomedical applications in ischemic syndromes and cancer. In this study, we have compared expression profiles of muscle tissue at normoxic (21%) and hypoxic (3%) levels of oxygen concentration between two allospecies of the S. ehrenbergi superspecies exhibiting differential hypoxia tolerance in accordance with their ecological regimes. Profiling was performed by cross-species hybridization using a mouse cDNA array containing 15,000 gene elements. Results uncover species-specific responses to hypoxic stress among numerous genes involved in angiogenesis, apoptosis, and oxidative stress management. Among the most striking results are differential expressions of cardiac ankyrin repeat protein ( Carp), activating transcription factor 3 ( Atf3), LIM and cysteine-rich domains 1 ( Lmcd1), cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2 ( Csrp2), and ras homolog gene family, member B ( RhoB). These findings support the hypothesis that allospecies of the S. ehrenbergi superspecies are variably adapted to fluctuating oxygen tension. Differences may involve specific metabolic pathways and functional adaptations at the structural and molecular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Avivi
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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