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Takei Y. Metabolic Water As a Route for Water Acquisition in Vertebrates Inhabiting Dehydrating Environments. Zoolog Sci 2024; 41:132-139. [PMID: 38587526 DOI: 10.2108/zs230085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Vertebrates have expanded their habitats during evolution, which accompanies diversified routes for water acquisition. Water is acquired by oral intake and subsequent absorption by the intestine in terrestrial and marine animals which are subjected to constant dehydration, whereas most water is gained osmotically across body surfaces in freshwater animals. In addition, a significant amount of water, called metabolic water, is produced within the body by the oxidation of hydrogen in organic substrates. The importance of metabolic water production as a strategy for water acquisition has been well documented in desert animals, but its role has attracted little attention in marine animals which also live in a dehydrating environment. In this article, the author has attempted to reevaluate the role of metabolic water production in body fluid regulation in animals inhabiting desiccating environments. Because of the exceptional ability of their kidney, marine mammals are thought to typically gain water by drinking environmental seawater and excreting excess NaCl in the urine. On the other hand, it is established that marine teleosts drink seawater to enable intestinal water and ion absorption, and the excess NaCl is excreted by branchial ionocytes. In addition to the oral route, we suggest through experiments using eels that water production by lipid metabolism is an additional route for water acquisition when they encounter seawater. It seems that metabolic water production contributes to counteract dehydration before mechanisms for water regulation are reversed from excretion in freshwater to acquisition in seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takei
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan,
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2
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Séon N, Amiot R, Suan G, Lécuyer C, Fourel F, Vinçon-Laugier A, Charbonnier S, Vincent P. Regional heterothermies recorded in the oxygen isotope composition of harbour seal skeletal elements. J Therm Biol 2024; 120:103825. [PMID: 38430855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103825] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Regional heterothermy is a strategy used by marine mammals to maintain a high and stable core body temperature, but its identification needs in situ measurements difficult to set up in extant wild organisms and inapplicable to extinct ones. We have analysed the oxygen isotope composition of bioapatite phosphate (δ18Op) from one permanent tooth and from thirty-six skeletal elements of one adult male harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) from the Baie de Somme (Hauts-de-France, France). We propose that the observed intra-skeletal δ18Op variability reflects tissue temperature heterogeneities typical of the pinniped regional heterothermy strategy. Our δ18Op data indicate that bone hydroxylapatite from harbour seal autopod skeletal elements (metacarpals, metatarsals, and phalanxes) mineralises at a lower temperature than that of the bone from the axial skeleton (e.g. vertebrae, ribs, and girdle bones). The results suggest that it is possible to locate a history of regional heterothermies in amphibious marine vertebrates using the δ18Op values of their mineralised tissues. This enables direct evaluation of the thermophysiology of both modern and fossil Pinnipedia from their skeletons opening perspectives on understanding their thermal adaptation to the marine environment in the fossil record. In addition to thermophysiology, oxygen isotope data from the permanent teeth of Pinnipedia, which are formed during the in utero phase from body fluid of the mother and at a stable temperature, could be valuable for locating the geographical areas inhabited by existing Pinnipedia females during their gestation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Séon
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Romain Amiot
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Guillaume Suan
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Christophe Lécuyer
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - François Fourel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, CNRS, UMR 5023, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Sylvain Charbonnier
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France.
| | - Peggy Vincent
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, Cedex 05, 75231, Paris, France.
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3
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Ramos E, Selleghin-Veiga G, Magpali L, Daros B, Silva F, Picorelli A, Freitas L, Nery MF. Molecular Footprints on Osmoregulation-Related Genes Associated with Freshwater Colonization by Cetaceans and Sirenians. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:865-881. [PMID: 38010516 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10141-0] [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: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The genetic basis underlying adaptive physiological mechanisms has been extensively explored in mammals after colonizing the seas. However, independent lineages of aquatic mammals exhibit complex patterns of secondary colonization in freshwater environments. This change in habitat represents new osmotic challenges, and additional changes in key systems, such as the osmoregulatory system, are expected. Here, we studied the selective regime on coding and regulatory regions of 20 genes related to the osmoregulation system in strict aquatic mammals from independent evolutionary lineages, cetaceans, and sirenians, with representatives in marine and freshwater aquatic environments. We identified positive selection signals in genes encoding the protein vasopressin (AVP) in mammalian lineages with secondary colonization in the fluvial environment and in aquaporins for lineages inhabiting the marine and fluvial environments. A greater number of sites with positive selection signals were found for the dolphin species compared to the Amazonian manatee. Only the AQP5 and AVP genes showed selection signals in more than one independent lineage of these mammals. Furthermore, the vasopressin gene tree indicates greater similarity in river dolphin sequences despite the independence of their lineages based on the species tree. Patterns of distribution and enrichment of Transcription Factors in the promoter regions of target genes were analyzed and appear to be phylogenetically conserved among sister species. We found accelerated evolution signs in genes ACE, AQP1, AQP5, AQP7, AVP, NPP4, and NPR1 for the fluvial mammals. Together, these results allow a greater understanding of the molecular bases of the evolution of genes responsible for osmotic control in aquatic mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ramos
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Selleghin-Veiga
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Letícia Magpali
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Daros
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Felipe Silva
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Agnello Picorelli
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Lucas Freitas
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil.
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4
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Séon N, Brasseur I, Scala C, Tacail T, Catteau S, Fourel F, Vincent P, Lécuyer C, Suan G, Charbonnier S, Vinçon-Laugier A, Amiot R. Determination of water balance maintenance in Orcinus orca and Tursiops truncatus using oxygen isotopes. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245648. [PMID: 37901938 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245648] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
The secondary adaptation of Cetacea to a fully marine lifestyle raises the question of their ability to maintain their water balance in a hyperosmotic environment. Cetacea have access to four potential sources of water: surrounding salt oceanic water, dietary free water, metabolic water and inhaled water vapour to a lesser degree. Here, we measured the 18O/16O oxygen isotope ratio of blood plasma from 13 specimens belonging to two species of Cetacea raised under human care (four killer whales Orcinus orca, nine common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus) to investigate and quantify the contribution of preformed water (dietary free water, surrounding salt oceanic water) and metabolic water to Cetacea body water using a box-modelling approach. The oxygen isotope composition of Cetacea blood plasma indicates that dietary free water and metabolic water contribute to more than 90% of the total water input in weight for cetaceans, with the remaining 10% consisting of inhaled water vapour and surrounding water accidentally ingested or absorbed through the skin. Moreover, the contribution of metabolic water appears to be more important in organisms with a more lipid-rich diet. Beyond these physiological and conservation biology implications, this study opens up questions that need to be addressed, such as the applicability of the oxygen isotope composition of cetacean body fluids and skeletal elements as an environmental proxy of the oxygen isotope composition of present and past marine waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Séon
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris CEDEX 05, France
| | | | | | - Théo Tacail
- Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sidonie Catteau
- Marineland, 2 Route de la Brague, 06600 Antibes, France
- Réseau Tortues Marines de Méditerranée Française, Société Herpétologique de France, 57 Rue 15 Cuvier, CP4157, 75005 Paris, France
| | - François Fourel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, CNRS UMR 5023, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Peggy Vincent
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris CEDEX 05, France
| | - Christophe Lécuyer
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Guillaume Suan
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sylvain Charbonnier
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris CEDEX 05, France
| | - Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Romain Amiot
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, LGL-TPE, UMR 5276, CNRS, ENSL, UJM, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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5
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Rosing-Asvid A, Löytynoja A, Momigliano P, Hansen RG, Scharff-Olsen CH, Valtonen M, Kammonen J, Dietz R, Rigét FF, Ferguson SH, Lydersen C, Kovacs KM, Holland DM, Jernvall J, Auvinen P, Tange Olsen M. An evolutionarily distinct ringed seal in the Ilulissat Icefjord. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5932-5943. [PMID: 37855154 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17163] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The Earth's polar regions are low rates of inter- and intraspecific diversification. An extreme mammalian example is the Arctic ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida), which is assumed to be panmictic across its circumpolar Arctic range. Yet, local Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada recognize several regional variants; a finding supported by scientific studies of body size variation. It is however unclear whether this phenotypic variation reflects plasticity, morphs or distinct ecotypes. Here, we combine genomic, biologging and survey data, to document the existence of a unique ringed seal ecotype in the Ilulissat Icefjord (locally 'Kangia'), Greenland; a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to the most productive marine-terminating glacier in the Arctic. Genomic analyses reveal a divergence of Kangia ringed seals from other Arctic ringed seals about 240 kya, followed by secondary contact since the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite ongoing gene flow, multiple genomic regions appear under strong selection in Kangia ringed seals, including candidate genes associated with pelage coloration, growth and osmoregulation, potentially explaining the Kangia seal's phenotypic and behavioural uniqueness. The description of 'hidden' diversity and adaptations in yet another Arctic species merits a reassessment of the evolutionary processes that have shaped Arctic diversity and the traditional view of this region as an evolutionary freezer. Our study highlights the value of indigenous knowledge in guiding science and calls for efforts to identify distinct populations or ecotypes to understand how these might respond differently to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ari Löytynoja
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paolo Momigliano
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Immunology, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | | | | | - Mia Valtonen
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juhana Kammonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - David M Holland
- Mathematics and Atmosphere/Ocean Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Jukka Jernvall
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Auvinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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6
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Martin JE, Tacail T, Simon L, Hassler A, Télouk P, Balter V. Inferring odontocete life history traits in dentine using a multiproxy approach (δ 15 N, δ 44/42 Ca and trace elements). RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2023; 37:e9612. [PMID: 37698152 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Understanding the interactions between marine mammals and their environment is critical for ecological and conservation purposes. Odontocetes offer a continuous record of their life history from birth as recorded in annual increments of their tooth dentine. Because dentine is not remodeled and contains collagen, nitrogen stable isotope compositions (δ15 N) reflect nursing and weaning events, life history traits that would otherwise be impossible to retrieve in such elusive marine animals. Yet, capturing the magnitude and temporal changes in these events is constrained by tooth size and sampling resolution. Moreover, historical and fossil specimens undergo collagen decay, hence the need to develop the measurements of other proxies. METHODS Here, we present a multiproxy approach to investigate the use of Ca isotope compositions (δ44/42 Ca) in relation to δ15 N and laser ablation profiles for different trace metal (Ba, Mg, Sr, Zn) concentrations across the dentine of a single individual of the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus. RESULTS To help interpret the dentine data, we provide milk elemental compositions and δ44/42 Ca values for two odontocete individuals. We discuss the observed changes in δ44/42 Ca across the dentine as potential markers of birth, weaning interval, incidental ingestion of seawater, trophic level and physiology. Incidental ingestion of seawater during nursing induces a positive offset in δ44/42 Ca values recorded in the early formed dentine. CONCLUSIONS Life history parameters of individual marine mammals are extremely difficult to retrieve due to limitations in observing specimens in the wild and the methodology presented here offers new ecological and paleoecological perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy E Martin
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnements, UMR 5276, CNRS, Ecole Normale supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Théo Tacail
- Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Laurent Simon
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Auguste Hassler
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philippe Télouk
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnements, UMR 5276, CNRS, Ecole Normale supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Balter
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnements, UMR 5276, CNRS, Ecole Normale supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
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7
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Johnson RJ, Lanaspa MA, Sanchez-Lozada LG, Tolan D, Nakagawa T, Ishimoto T, Andres-Hernando A, Rodriguez-Iturbe B, Stenvinkel P. The fructose survival hypothesis for obesity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220230. [PMID: 37482773 PMCID: PMC10363705 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The fructose survival hypothesis proposes that obesity and metabolic disorders may have developed from over-stimulation of an evolutionary-based biologic response (survival switch) that aims to protect animals in advance of crisis. The response is characterized by hunger, thirst, foraging, weight gain, fat accumulation, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation and increased blood pressure. The process is initiated by the ingestion of fructose or by stimulating endogenous fructose production via the polyol pathway. Unlike other nutrients, fructose reduces the active energy (adenosine triphosphate) in the cell, while blocking its regeneration from fat stores. This is mediated by intracellular uric acid, mitochondrial oxidative stress, the inhibition of AMP kinase and stimulation of vasopressin. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is suppressed, and glycolysis stimulated. While this response is aimed to be modest and short-lived, the response in humans is exaggerated due to gain of 'thrifty genes' coupled with a western diet rich in foods that contain or generate fructose. We propose excessive fructose metabolism not only explains obesity but the epidemics of diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-associated cancers, vascular and Alzheimer's dementia, and even ageing. Moreover, the hypothesis unites current hypotheses on obesity. Reducing activation and/or blocking this pathway and stimulating mitochondrial regeneration may benefit health-span. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80016, USA
| | - Miguel A. Lanaspa
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80016, USA
| | - L. Gabriela Sanchez-Lozada
- Department of Cardio-Renal Physiopathology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología ‘Ignacio Chavez’, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Dean Tolan
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Takahiko Nakagawa
- Department of Nephrology, Rakuwakai-Otowa Hospital, Kyoto 607-8062, Japan
| | - Takuji Ishimoto
- Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1103, Japan
| | - Ana Andres-Hernando
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80016, USA
| | - Bernardo Rodriguez-Iturbe
- Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición ‘Salvador Zubirán’, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Peter Stenvinkel
- Department of Renal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
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Kaewmong P, Jongjit P, Boonkasemsanti A, Kittiwattanawong K, Kongtueng P, Matchimakul P, Tangphokhanon W, Pirintr P, Khonmee J, Buddhasiri S, Piboon P, Umsumarng S, Mektrirat R, Nganvongpanit K, Pongkan W. Histological study of seventeen organs from dugong ( Dugong dugon). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15859. [PMID: 37663296 PMCID: PMC10473042 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15859] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Dugongs are marine mammals with a crescent-shaped tail fluke and a concave trailing margin that belong to the family Dugongidae., They are distributed widely in the warm coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Importantly, the population of dugongs has decreased over the past decades as they have been classified as rare marine mammals. Previous studies have investigated the habitat and genetic diversity of dugongs. However, a comprehensive histological investigation of their tissue has not yet been conducted. This study provides unique insight into the organs of dugongs and compares them with other mammal species. Methods Tissue sections were stained with Harris's hematoxylin and eosin Y. The histological structure of 17 organ tissues obtained from eight systems was included in this study. Tissue sections were obtained from the urinary system (kidney), muscular system (striated skeletal muscle and smooth muscle), cardiovascular system (cardiac muscle (ventricle), coronary artery, and coronary vein), respiratory system (trachea and lung), gastrointestinal system (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas), reproductive system (testis), lymphatic system (spleen and thymus), and endocrine system (pancreas). Results While most structures were similar to those of other mammal species, there were some differences in the tissue sections of dugongs when compared with other mammalian species and manatees. These include the kidneys of dugongs, which were non-lobular and had a smooth, elongated exterior resulting in a long medullary crest, whereas the dugong pyloric epithelium did not have overlying stratified squamous cells and was noticably different from the Florida manatee. Discussion Histological information obtained from various organs of the dugong can serve as an essential foundation of basal data for future microanatomical studies. This information can also be used as high-value data in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of sick dugongs or those with an unknown cause of death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Piyamat Kongtueng
- Central Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pitchaya Matchimakul
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Wasan Tangphokhanon
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Prapawadee Pirintr
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jaruwan Khonmee
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Songphon Buddhasiri
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Promporn Piboon
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sonthaya Umsumarng
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Raktham Mektrirat
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Korakot Nganvongpanit
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Wanpitak Pongkan
- Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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9
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Hu Y, Wang X, Xu Y, Yang H, Tong Z, Tian R, Xu S, Yu L, Guo Y, Shi P, Huang S, Yang G, Shi S, Wei F. Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:453-495. [PMID: 36648611 PMCID: PMC9843154 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2233-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals and plants have developed a variety of adaptive traits driven by adaptive evolution, an important strategy for species survival and persistence. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution is the key to understanding species diversification, phenotypic convergence, and inter-species interaction. As the genome sequences of more and more non-model organisms are becoming available, the focus of studies on molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution has shifted from the candidate gene method to genetic mapping based on genome-wide scanning. In this study, we reviewed the latest research advances in wild animals and plants, focusing on adaptive traits, convergent evolution, and coevolution. Firstly, we focused on the adaptive evolution of morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits. Secondly, we reviewed the phenotypic convergences of life history traits and responding to environmental pressures, and the underlying molecular convergence mechanisms. Thirdly, we summarized the advances of coevolution, including the four main types: mutualism, parasitism, predation and competition. Overall, these latest advances greatly increase our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms for diverse adaptive traits and species interaction, demonstrating that the development of evolutionary biology has been greatly accelerated by multi-omics technologies. Finally, we highlighted the emerging trends and future prospects around the above three aspects of adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yongchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zeyu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Ran Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shaohua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Lab of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
| | - Yalong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Peng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Shuangquan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Guang Yang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Suhua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Lab of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Fuwen Wei
- CAS Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
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Shil SK, Zahangir MM, Das BC, Rahman MM, Yadav SK, Kibria MM, Zonaed Siddiki A. Macro and microanatomy of some organs of a juvenile male Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica spp. gangetica). Anat Histol Embryol 2023; 52:180-189. [PMID: 36197312 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ganges River dolphins (Platanista gangetica spp. gangetica) are air-breathing, warm-blooded mammals endemic to the Ganges and Karnaphuli rivers of the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, very little basic histomorphological research has been conducted on this endangered species. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the morphological features of different organs of P. gangetica. Despite becoming aquatic animals, they showed similarities with terrestrial mammals, such as the pair of lungs and an apical bronchus in the respiratory system, which are pretty standard in ruminants and pigs. However, unlike the terrestrial animal, the tracheobronchial tree was stiffer due to circularly arranged anastomosing plates of the hyaline cartilaginous ring in the trachea, cartilaginous plates in the bronchiole, and thick alveolar septa. The digestive system showed a three-chambered mechanical and glandular stomach similar to the artiodactyles. However, the intestine showed smaller caecum like the monogastric mammal. The urogenital system showed lobulated kidneys, a urinary bladder, a fibroelastic penis with sigmoid flexure, and a long urethral process similar to some terrestrial ruminants. Considering the aquatic environment, all those modifications, unlike terrestrial mammals, are necessary for their adaptation. Thus, this research will broadly help our clinicians and conservationist to take further steps toward disease diagnosis and monitoring of marine health of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrata Kumar Shil
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Md Mahiuddin Zahangir
- Department of Fish Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Fisheries, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Bhajan Chandra Das
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Saroj Kumar Yadav
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Md Manzoorul Kibria
- Halda River Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Amam Zonaed Siddiki
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
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11
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Martín-Orti R, Tostado-Marcos C, Loureiro JP, Molpeceres-Diego I, Tendillo-Domínguez E, Santos-Álvarez I, Pérez-Lloret P, González-Soriano J. The Digestive System of the Arctocephalus australis in Comparison to the Dog as a Land-Carnivore Model. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131634. [PMID: 35804533 PMCID: PMC9264872 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Marine mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that behave in the same way as land mammals do but they spend most or all of their lives in the ocean. There is much previous research on whales, dolphins, or even different types of seals, including their behavior, health, anatomy or perception. Between all these fields, it is commonly accepted that anatomy is considered critical to understanding many physiological adaptations. For example, their ability to dive by holding their breath underwater for long periods of time. During this process they can postpone digestion for several hours. However, and contrary to what might be expected, our results show that being a carnivore seems to be the critical characteristic defining their digestive apparatus, the adaptations to the aquatic environment being less significant. Abstract Marine mammals play a critical ecological role as both predator and prey. They are divided into three groups that share similar adaptations to their aquatic life, but that have very different origins and life patterns: sirenians, pinnipeds, cetaceans. The species object of our interest is the South American fur seal or Arctocephalus australis, a carnivore classified within the group of pinnipeds. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether the anatomical characteristics of the Arctocephalus australis’ digestive system are similar to that of other land-carnivores or if, on the contrary, this species shows anatomical adaptations related to their life in the ocean. The study was carried out on 11 cadavers of the species Arctocephalus australis, made up of two adults and nine juveniles, by means of the anatomical dissection of their entire isolated digestive system. We demonstrate that, with several exceptions, the anatomical characteristics of the digestive system of the Arctocephalus australis are similar to those in other carnivores. Therefore, our data constitute an important contribution for clinical diagnostic and conservation purposes, for both veterinarians and biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Martín-Orti
- Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología, Sección Departamental de Anatomía y Embriología (Veterinaria), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.M.-O.); (I.S.-Á.); (P.P.-L.)
| | - Carlos Tostado-Marcos
- Fundación Mundo Marino. Av. X 157, San Clemente del Tuyú B7105, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; (C.T.-M.); (J.-P.L.); (I.M.-D.); (E.T.-D.)
| | - Juan-Pablo Loureiro
- Fundación Mundo Marino. Av. X 157, San Clemente del Tuyú B7105, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; (C.T.-M.); (J.-P.L.); (I.M.-D.); (E.T.-D.)
| | - Ignacio Molpeceres-Diego
- Fundación Mundo Marino. Av. X 157, San Clemente del Tuyú B7105, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; (C.T.-M.); (J.-P.L.); (I.M.-D.); (E.T.-D.)
| | - Enrique Tendillo-Domínguez
- Fundación Mundo Marino. Av. X 157, San Clemente del Tuyú B7105, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; (C.T.-M.); (J.-P.L.); (I.M.-D.); (E.T.-D.)
| | - Inmaculada Santos-Álvarez
- Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología, Sección Departamental de Anatomía y Embriología (Veterinaria), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.M.-O.); (I.S.-Á.); (P.P.-L.)
| | - Pilar Pérez-Lloret
- Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología, Sección Departamental de Anatomía y Embriología (Veterinaria), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.M.-O.); (I.S.-Á.); (P.P.-L.)
| | - Juncal González-Soriano
- Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología, Sección Departamental de Anatomía y Embriología (Veterinaria), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (R.M.-O.); (I.S.-Á.); (P.P.-L.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Macro-elements K, Na, Cl, Mg, and Ca in body tissues of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) from the Southern Ocean. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03012-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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13
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Takeshita R, Balmer BC, Messina F, Zolman ES, Thomas L, Wells RS, Smith CR, Rowles TK, Schwacke LH. High site-fidelity in common bottlenose dolphins despite low salinity exposure and associated indicators of compromised health. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258031. [PMID: 34591903 PMCID: PMC8483354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 2,000 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit the Barataria Bay Estuarine System in Louisiana, USA, a highly productive estuary with variable salinity driven by natural and man-made processes. It was unclear whether dolphins that are long-term residents to specific areas within the basin move in response to fluctuations in salinity, which at times can decline to 0 parts per thousand in portions of the basin. In June 2017, we conducted health assessments and deployed satellite telemetry tags on dolphins in the northern portions of the Barataria Bay Estuarine System Stock area (9 females; 4 males). We analyzed their fine-scale movements relative to modeled salinity trends compared to dolphins tagged near the barrier islands (higher salinity environments) from 2011 to 2017 (37 females; 21 males). Even though we observed different movement patterns among individual dolphins, we found no evidence that tagged dolphins moved coincident with changes in salinity. One tagged dolphin spent at least 35 consecutive days, and 75 days in total, in salinity under 5 parts per thousand. Health assessments took place early in a seasonal period of decreased salinity. Nonetheless, we found an increased prevalence of skin lesions, as well as abnormalities in serum biochemical markers and urine:serum osmolality ratios for dolphins sampled in lower salinity areas. This study provides essential information on the likely behavioral responses of dolphins to changes in salinity (e.g., severe storms or from the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project) and on physiological markers to inform the timing and severity of impacts from low salinity exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Takeshita
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brian C. Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Francesca Messina
- Water Institute of the Gulf, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Randall S. Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
| | - Cynthia R. Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Teresa K. Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lori H. Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Motani R, Vermeij GJ. Ecophysiological steps of marine adaptation in extant and extinct non-avian tetrapods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1769-1798. [PMID: 33904243 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Marine reptiles and mammals are phylogenetically so distant from each other that their marine adaptations are rarely compared directly. We reviewed ecophysiological features in extant non-avian marine tetrapods representing 31 marine colonizations to test whether there is a common pattern across higher taxonomic groups, such as mammals and reptiles. Marine adaptations in tetrapods can be roughly divided into aquatic and haline adaptations, each of which seems to follow a sequence of three steps. In combination, these six categories exhibit five steps of marine adaptation that apply across all clades except snakes: Step M1, incipient use of marine resources; Step M2, direct feeding in the saline sea; Step M3, water balance maintenance without terrestrial fresh water; Step M4, minimized terrestrial travel and loss of terrestrial feeding; and Step M5, loss of terrestrial thermoregulation and fur/plumage. Acquisition of viviparity is not included because there is no known case where viviparity evolved after a tetrapod lineage colonized the sea. A similar sequence is found in snakes but with the haline adaptation step (Step M3) lagging behind aquatic adaptation (haline adaptation is Step S5 in snakes), most likely because their unique method of water balance maintenance requires a supply of fresh water. The same constraint may limit the maximum body size of fully marine snakes. Steps M4 and M5 in all taxa except snakes are associated with skeletal adaptations that are mechanistically linked to relevant ecophysiological features, allowing assessment of marine adaptation steps in some fossil marine tetrapods. We identified four fossil clades containing members that reached Step M5 outside of stem whales, pinnipeds, sea cows and sea turtles, namely Eosauropterygia, Ichthyosauromorpha, Mosasauroidea, and Thalattosuchia, while five other clades reached Step M4: Saurosphargidae, Placodontia, Dinocephalosaurus, Desmostylia, and Odontochelys. Clades reaching Steps M4 and M5, both extant and extinct, appear to have higher species diversity than those only reaching Steps M1 to M3, while the total number of clades is higher for the earlier steps. This suggests that marine colonizers only diversified greatly after they minimized their use of terrestrial resources, with many lineages not reaching these advanced steps. Historical patterns suggest that a clade does not advance to Steps M4 and M5 unless these steps are reached early in the evolution of the clade. Intermediate forms before a clade reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to become extinct without leaving extant descendants or fossil evidence. This makes it difficult to reconstruct the evolutionary history of marine adaptation in many clades. Clades that reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to last longer than other marine tetrapod clades, sometimes for more than 100 million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Motani
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Geerat J Vermeij
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
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Cabrias-Contreras LJ, Sánchez-Okrucky R, Caicedo-Herrera D, Jaramillo-Ortíz L, de la Rosa F, Negrete-Philippe AC, Cruz-Martínez D, Rivera-Guzmán AL, Mignucci-Giannoni A. Baseline urinalysis results in 32 healthy Antillean manatees ( Trichechus manatus manatus). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2021; 258:416-424. [PMID: 33539208 DOI: 10.2460/javma.258.4.416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe results of analysis of free-catch urine samples collected from Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) under human care in the Caribbean. ANIMALS 32 Antillean manatees in 5 Caribbean oceanaria and rescue centers. PROCEDURES Urine samples were obtained by opportunistic free catch during physical examination or through the use of operant conditioning procedures. Urinalyses consisted of macro- and microscopic evaluations, biochemical analyses with test strips, and refractometry. Results were compared for manatees grouped on the basis of age, sex, and habitat. RESULTS Urine samples were typically clear, straw colored, and alkaline (mean pH, 8.0); had a urinoid odor and low specific gravity (mean, 1.010); and had results on qualitative test strips that were consistently negative for the presence of glucose, bilirubin, ketones, proteins, nitrites, RBCs, and WBCs. Microscopically, the mean ± SD number of RBCs and WBCs/hpf was 0.5 ± 0.3 RBCs/hpf and 1.1 ± 1.5 WBCs/hpf. The presence of some epithelial cells and crystals was typical. Spermatozoa were found in urine from 1 of 15 sexually mature males, and parasite larvae and eggs were found in urine from 2 manatees. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of the present study yielded the first compilation of baseline urinalysis values in healthy Antillean manatees under human care, which, when combined with physical examination and other diagnostic procedures, can help in monitoring the health of these animals. We encourage the use of free-catch urine collection methods, as used in the present study, for routine urinalyses of manatees under human care in zoos, aquaria, or rescue centers.
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Brischoux F, Lillywhite HB, Shine R, Pinaud D. Osmoregulatory ability predicts geographical range size in marine amniotes. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203191. [PMID: 33823670 PMCID: PMC8059505 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Species that are distributed over wide geographical ranges are likely to encounter a greater diversity of environmental conditions than do narrowly distributed taxa, and thus we expect a correlation between size of geographical range and breadth of physiological tolerances to abiotic challenges. That correlation could arise either because higher physiological capacity enables range expansion, or because widely distributed taxa experience more intense (but spatially variable) selection on physiological tolerances. The invasion of oceanic habitats by amniotic vertebrates provides an ideal system with which to test the predicted correlation between range size and physiological tolerances, because all three lineages that have secondarily moved into marine habitats (mammals, birds, reptiles) exhibit morphological and physiological adaptations to excrete excess salt. Our analyses of data on 62 species (19 mammals, 18 birds, 24 reptiles) confirm that more-widely distributed taxa encounter habitats with a wider range of salinities, and that they have higher osmoregulatory ability as determined by sodium concentrations in fluids expelled from salt-excreting organs. This result remains highly significant even in models that incorporate additional explanatory variables such as metabolic mode, body size and dietary habits. Physiological data thus may help to predict potential range size and perhaps a species' vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | | | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - David Pinaud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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Gauffier P, Borrell A, Silva MA, Víkingsson GA, López A, Giménez J, Colaço A, Halldórsson SD, Vighi M, Prieto R, de Stephanis R, Aguilar A. Wait your turn, North Atlantic fin whales share a common feeding ground sequentially. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104884. [PMID: 32072986 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Highly migratory marine species pose a challenge for the identification of management units due to the absence of clear oceanographic barriers. The population structure of North Atlantic fin whales has been investigated since the start of whaling operations but is still the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. Here we measured stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in skin samples collected from 151 individuals from western Iceland, Galicia (NW Spain), the Azores archipelago and the Strait of Gibraltar (SoG). We found spatiotemporal differences in stable isotope ratios suggesting that fin whales sampled in these four areas may share a common feeding ground within the Northeast Atlantic at different times during the year. Our results also suggest that SoG whales use this common feeding ground in summer but exploit Mediterranean resources during the winter months, further supporting the existence of a limited but current exchange of individuals between these two basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Gauffier
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica A Silva
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Gísli A Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Skúlagata 4, 101, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Alfredo López
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal; Coordinadora para o Estudo dos Mamíferos Mariños (CEMMA), P.O. Box 15, 36380, Pontevedra, Gondomar, Spain
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Maritim 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy, Environmental Research Institute, Beaufort Building, University College Cork, Ringaskiddy, P43 C573 Cork, Ireland; School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, T23 N73K Cork, Ireland
| | - Ana Colaço
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | | | - Morgana Vighi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR, Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - Renaud de Stephanis
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto Pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Bernard C, Compagnoni A, Salguero‐Gómez R. Testing Finch's hypothesis: The role of organismal modularity on the escape from actuarial senescence. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aldo Compagnoni
- Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Leipzig Germany
| | - Roberto Salguero‐Gómez
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science University of Queensland St. Lucia QLD Australia
- Evolutionary Demography laboratory Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research Rostock Germany
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19
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Osmoregulation and electrolyte balance in a fully marine mammal, the dugong (Dugong dugon). J Comp Physiol B 2020; 190:139-148. [PMID: 31894351 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01250-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are fully marine mammals that live independently of fresh water so must balance water and electrolytes in a hyperosmotic environment. To investigate osmoregulation, matched plasma and urine from 51 live wild dugongs were analysed for osmolality, major electrolytes (Na+, Cl-, K+), urea, creatinine, and glucose. Maximum urine osmolality (1468 mOsm kg -1) and Na+, K+, and Cl- concentrations (757, 131.3, 677 mmol L-1, respectively) indicate that dugongs are capable of concentrating urine above seawater and could potentially realise a net gain of free water from drinking seawater. However, mean urine osmolality of 925.4 (± 46.6) mOsm kg-1 suggests that mariposia is unlikely to be an important osmoregulatory mechanism. Dugongs may obtain enough preformed water from their seagrass diet and metabolic oxidation to maintain homeostasis. Mean plasma osmolality of 339.6 (± 1.8) mOsm kg-1 is higher than in the related manatees but within the range for fully marine cetaceans. Relatively high mean plasma Na+ (175.5 ± 1.7 mmol L-1) and K+ (6.9 ± 0.1 mmol L-1), as well as mean urinary Na+ (469.6 ± 22.5 mmol L-1) and K+ levels (32.5 ± 4.5 mmol L-1) may reflect a salt-rich seagrass diet. Pregnant females had higher mean plasma osmolality (355.3 ± 4.9 mmol L-1) than non-pregnant females and males (337.9 ± 1.7 mOsm kg-1), suggesting that fluid retention was not a feature of pregnancy. Further research on water intake and endocrinology will enhance our understanding of osmoregulation in dugongs.
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Brennan SR, Fernandez DP, Burns JM, Aswad S, Schindler DE, Cerling TE. Isotopes in teeth and a cryptic population of coastal freshwater seals. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:1415-1425. [PMID: 30820978 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Human activities threaten the biodiversity of aquatic mammals across the globe. Conservation of these species hinges on the ability to delineate movements and foraging behaviors of animals, but gaining such insights is hampered by difficulties in tracing individuals over their lives. We determined isotope ratios in teeth (87 Sr/86 Sr, 13 C/12 C, and 18 O/16 O) to examine lifelong movement and resource-use patterns of a unique freshwater population of a wide-ranging pinniped species (harbor seal [Phoca vitulina]) that resides in Iliamna Lake, Alaska (U.S.A.). This population's potentially unique migratory behavior and use of different trophic resources are unknown. The isotope ratios we measured in teeth showed that seals were born in the lake, remained lifelong residents, and relied principally on resources produced from in the lake, even when seasonally abundant and nutrient-dense spawning anadromous fish (i.e., sockeye salmon [Oncorhynchus nerka]) were available in the lake. Our results illustrate how serial isotope records in teeth, particularly 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios, can be used to quantify how coastal mammal populations exploit both freshwater and marine ecosystems. Understanding lifelong patterns of habitat and resource use is essential information when designing effective conservation plans for threatened coastal mammals. We present the Iliamna Lake harbor seals as a unique case study into how isotope records within teeth can help reveal the cryptic ecology of such a population residing in an intact ecosystem. The results also provide critical baseline information for the Kvichak River system, which is facing an uncertain future due to proposed large-scale industrial development and a rapidly changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R Brennan
- University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, 98105, U.S.A
| | - Diego P Fernandez
- University of Utah, 115 S. 1460 E. #383, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A
| | - Jennifer M Burns
- University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, CPSB 10, Anchorage, AK, 99508, U.S.A
| | - Stephanie Aswad
- University of Utah, 115 S. 1460 E. #383, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A
| | - Daniel E Schindler
- University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, 98105, U.S.A
| | - Thure E Cerling
- University of Utah, 115 S. 1460 E. #383, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A
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Beichman AC, Koepfli KP, Li G, Murphy W, Dobrynin P, Kliver S, Tinker MT, Murray MJ, Johnson J, Lindblad-Toh K, Karlsson EK, Lohmueller KE, Wayne RK. Aquatic Adaptation and Depleted Diversity: A Deep Dive into the Genomes of the Sea Otter and Giant Otter. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:2631-2655. [PMID: 31212313 PMCID: PMC7967881 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its recent invasion into the marine realm, the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) has evolved a suite of adaptations for life in cold coastal waters, including limb modifications and dense insulating fur. This uniquely dense coat led to the near-extinction of sea otters during the 18th-20th century fur trade and an extreme population bottleneck. We used the de novo genome of the southern sea otter (E. l. nereis) to reconstruct its evolutionary history, identify genes influencing aquatic adaptation, and detect signals of population bottlenecks. We compared the genome of the southern sea otter with the tropical freshwater-living giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) to assess common and divergent genomic trends between otter species, and with the closely related northern sea otter (E. l. kenyoni) to uncover population-level trends. We found signals of positive selection in genes related to aquatic adaptations, particularly limb development and polygenic selection on genes related to hair follicle development. We found extensive pseudogenization of olfactory receptor genes in both the sea otter and giant otter lineages, consistent with patterns of sensory gene loss in other aquatic mammals. At the population level, the southern sea otter and the northern sea otter showed extremely low genomic diversity, signals of recent inbreeding, and demographic histories marked by population declines. These declines may predate the fur trade and appear to have resulted in an increase in putatively deleterious variants that could impact the future recovery of the sea otter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel C Beichman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Gang Li
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - William Murphy
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Pasha Dobrynin
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Sergei Kliver
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Martin T Tinker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | | | - Jeremy Johnson
- Vertebrate Genome Biology, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Vertebrate Genome Biology, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Vertebrate Genome Biology, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
- Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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Barratclough A, Gomez FM, Morey JS, Deming A, Parry C, Meegan JM, Carlin KP, Schwacke L, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Smith CR. Pregnancy profiles in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Clinical biochemical and hematological variations during healthy gestation and a successful outcome. Theriogenology 2019; 142:92-103. [PMID: 31585227 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The physiological demands of pregnancy inevitably result in changes of both biochemical and hematological parameters as the fetus develops. Alterations in blood parameters have been observed to shift according to both trimester and species, to support fetal physiological needs and maternal basal requirements. Establishing normal reference ranges for each stage in gestation is important to facilitate diagnosis of underlying health concerns and prevent over-diagnosing abnormalities. Despite bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) being one of the most highly studied cetaceans, the blood profile changes occurring as a result of pregnancy have not been previously described. A retrospective analysis was performed from blood samples obtained from 42 successful pregnancies from 20 bottlenose dolphins in a managed population over 30 years. Samples were compared to non-pregnant states and among trimesters of pregnancy. Blood profile fluctuations occurred throughout gestation, however significant alterations predominantly occurred between the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Hematological changes from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester included a decrease in lymphocytes, decrease in platelet count, and hemoconcentration with increased hematocrit and hemoglobin. Biochemical changes in the 3rd trimester included significant reductions in ALKP (alkaline phosphatase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) with significant increases observed in albumin, globulins, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and CO2. It's important to note that despite significant shifts occurring between the 2nd and 3rd trimester, there was no significant change in platelets, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lymphocytes or CO2 between non-pregnant and 3rd trimester blood samples. The normal reference ranges for each trimester established herein, will enable future identification of abnormalities occurring during pregnancy and help improve our understanding of factors potentially influencing a failed or successful pregnancy outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Barratclough
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Forrest M Gomez
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Jeanine S Morey
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Alissa Deming
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
| | - Celeste Parry
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Jennifer M Meegan
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Kevin P Carlin
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States; U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA, 92152, United States.
| | - Lori Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
| | - Stephanie Venn-Watson
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
| | - Eric D Jensen
- U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, CA, 92152, United States.
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States.
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Huelsmann M, Hecker N, Springer MS, Gatesy J, Sharma V, Hiller M. Genes lost during the transition from land to water in cetaceans highlight genomic changes associated with aquatic adaptations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw6671. [PMID: 31579821 PMCID: PMC6760925 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw6671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The transition from land to water in whales and dolphins (cetaceans) was accompanied by remarkable adaptations. To reveal genomic changes that occurred during this transition, we screened for protein-coding genes that were inactivated in the ancestral cetacean lineage. We found 85 gene losses. Some of these were likely beneficial for cetaceans, for example, by reducing the risk of thrombus formation during diving (F12 and KLKB1), erroneous DNA damage repair (POLM), and oxidative stress-induced lung inflammation (MAP3K19). Additional gene losses may reflect other diving-related adaptations, such as enhanced vasoconstriction during the diving response (mediated by SLC6A18) and altered pulmonary surfactant composition (SEC14L3), while loss of SLC4A9 relates to a reduced need for saliva. Last, loss of melatonin synthesis and receptor genes (AANAT, ASMT, and MTNR1A/B) may have been a precondition for adopting unihemispheric sleep. Our findings suggest that some genes lost in ancestral cetaceans were likely involved in adapting to a fully aquatic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Huelsmann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Nikolai Hecker
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Mark S. Springer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - John Gatesy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Virag Sharma
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Hiller
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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Cáceres-Saez I, Haro D, Blank O, Aguayo-Lobo A, Dougnac C, Arredondo C, Cappozzo HL, Ribeiro Guevara S. Stranded false killer whales, Pseudorca crassidens, in Southern South America reveal potentially dangerous silver concentrations. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 145:325-333. [PMID: 31590794 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Silver (Ag) is a non-essential metal known to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. We determined Ag concentrations in five false killer whales stranded in South America. Silver concentrations (in dry weight basis) range as 6.62-10.78 μg g-1 in liver, 0.008-7.41 μg g-1 in spleen, 0.004-5.71 μg g-1 in testis, 0.757-1.69 μg g-1 in kidney, 0.011-0.078 μg g-1 in lung and < 0.01-0.038 μg g-1 in muscle, whereas in the single samples of uterus and ovary were 0.051 and 0.023 μg g-1; respectively. Overall, Ag concentration in liver and kidney exceeded the cetacean toxic thresholds, proposed as "unhealthy concentrations" and "critically dangerous" in liver and kidney. These results warrant further eco-toxicological studies, to examine biological effects of elevated silver levels for individuals and to assess the species' conservation status with respect to marine pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Cáceres-Saez
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Daniela Haro
- Centro Bahía Lomas, Universidad Santo Tomas, Avenida Costanera 01834, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Olivia Blank
- Clínica Veterinaria Timaukel y Centro de Rehabilitación de Aves Leñadura (CRAL), José Pithon 01316, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Anelio Aguayo-Lobo
- Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Catherine Dougnac
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Av. Santa Rosa 11735, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - H Luis Cappozzo
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Ribeiro Guevara
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, Avenida Bustillo 9500, Bariloche, Argentina
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25
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Breed D, Meyer LCR, Steyl JCA, Goddard A, Burroughs R, Kohn TA. Conserving wildlife in a changing world: Understanding capture myopathy-a malignant outcome of stress during capture and translocation. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz027. [PMID: 31304016 PMCID: PMC6612673 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The number of species that merit conservation interventions is increasing daily with ongoing habitat destruction, increased fragmentation and loss of population connectivity. Desertification and climate change reduce suitable conservation areas. Physiological stress is an inevitable part of the capture and translocation process of wild animals. Globally, capture myopathy-a malignant outcome of stress during capture operations-accounts for the highest number of deaths associated with wildlife translocation. These deaths may not only have considerable impacts on conservation efforts but also have direct and indirect financial implications. Such deaths usually are indicative of how well animal welfare was considered and addressed during a translocation exercise. Importantly, devastating consequences on the continued existence of threatened and endangered species succumbing to this known risk during capture and movement may result. Since first recorded in 1964 in Kenya, many cases of capture myopathy have been described, but the exact causes, pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment for this condition remain to be adequately studied and fully elucidated. Capture myopathy is a condition with marked morbidity and mortality that occur predominantly in wild animals around the globe. It arises from inflicted stress and physical exertion that would typically occur with prolonged or short intense pursuit, capture, restraint or transportation of wild animals. The condition carries a grave prognosis, and despite intensive extended and largely non-specific supportive treatment, the success rate is poor. Although not as common as in wildlife, domestic animals and humans are also affected by conditions with similar pathophysiology. This review aims to highlight the current state of knowledge related to the clinical and pathophysiological presentation, potential treatments, preventative measures and, importantly, the hypothetical causes and proposed pathomechanisms by comparing conditions found in domestic animals and humans. Future comparative strategies and research directions are proposed to help better understand the pathophysiology of capture myopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Breed
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biodiversity Management Branch, Environmental Management Department, City of Cape Town, Maitland, South Africa
| | - Leith C R Meyer
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Johan C A Steyl
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Amelia Goddard
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Richard Burroughs
- Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Tertius A Kohn
- Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Corresponding author: Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Boundary Road, Cape Town 7725, South Africa. Tel.: +27 21 406 6235;
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26
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Novel treatment strategies for chronic kidney disease: insights from the animal kingdom. Nat Rev Nephrol 2018; 14:265-284. [PMID: 29332935 DOI: 10.1038/nrneph.2017.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many of the >2 million animal species that inhabit Earth have developed survival mechanisms that aid in the prevention of obesity, kidney disease, starvation, dehydration and vascular ageing; however, some animals remain susceptible to these complications. Domestic and captive wild felids, for example, show susceptibility to chronic kidney disease (CKD), potentially linked to the high protein intake of these animals. By contrast, naked mole rats are a model of longevity and are protected from extreme environmental conditions through mechanisms that provide resistance to oxidative stress. Biomimetic studies suggest that the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) offers protection in extreme environmental conditions and promotes longevity in the animal kingdom. Similarly, during months of fasting, immobilization and anuria, hibernating bears are protected from muscle wasting, azotaemia, thrombotic complications, organ damage and osteoporosis - features that are often associated with CKD. Improved understanding of the susceptibility and protective mechanisms of these animals and others could provide insights into novel strategies to prevent and treat several human diseases, such as CKD and ageing-associated complications. An integrated collaboration between nephrologists and experts from other fields, such as veterinarians, zoologists, biologists, anthropologists and ecologists, could introduce a novel approach for improving human health and help nephrologists to find novel treatment strategies for CKD.
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Kordonowy L, Lombardo KD, Green HL, Dawson MD, Bolton EA, LaCourse S, MacManes MD. Physiological and biochemical changes associated with acute experimental dehydration in the desert adapted mouse, Peromyscus eremicus. Physiol Rep 2017; 5:5/6/e13218. [PMID: 28330954 PMCID: PMC5371574 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing traits critical for adaptation to a given environment is an important first step in understanding how phenotypes evolve. How animals adapt to the extreme heat and aridity commonplace to deserts is an exceptionally interesting example of these processes, and has been the focus of study for decades. In contrast to those studies, where experiments are conducted on either wild animals or captive animals held in non-desert conditions, the study described here leverages a unique environmental chamber that replicates desert conditions for captive Peromyscus eremicus (cactus mouse). Here, we establish baseline values for daily water intake and for serum electrolytes, as well as the response of these variables to acute experimental dehydration. In brief, P eremicus daily water intake is very low. Its serum electrolytes are distinct from many previously studied animals, and its response to acute dehydration is profound, though not suggestive of renal impairment, which is atypical of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kordonowy
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Kaelina D Lombardo
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Hannah L Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Molly D Dawson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Evice A Bolton
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Sarah LaCourse
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
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28
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Burgess EA, Hunt KE, Kraus SD, Rolland RM. Adrenal responses of large whales: Integrating fecal aldosterone as a complementary biomarker to glucocorticoids. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 252:103-110. [PMID: 28757434 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Until now, physiological stress assessment of large whales has predominantly focused on adrenal glucocorticoid (GC) measures. Elevated GC concentrations in feces (fGC) are known to reflect stressful disturbances, such as fishing gear entanglement and human-generated underwater noise, in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). However, there can be considerable variation in GC production as a function of sex and life history stage, which may confound the interpretation of fGC levels. Additionally, GC antibodies used in immunoassays can cross-react with other fecal metabolites (i.e., non-target steroids), potentially influencing fGC data. Here, aldosterone concentrations (fALD; aldosterone and related metabolites) were measured in fecal samples from right whales (total n=315 samples), including samples from identified individuals of known life history (n=82 individual whales), to evaluate its utility as a complementary biomarker to fGC for identifying adrenal activation. Concentrations of fALD were positively correlated with fGCs in right whales (r=0.59, P<0.001), suggesting concurrent secretion of these hormones by the adrenal gland. However, fALD levels were less influenced by concentrations of reproductive steroids in feces, minimizing the potential confounder of assay cross-reactivity in samples with highly skewed hormone ratios. Across different life history states for right whales, fALD concentrations showed similar patterns to those reported for fGC, with higher levels in pregnant females (35.9±7.6ng/g) followed by reproductively mature males (9.5±0.9ng/g) (P<0.05), providing further evidence of elevated adrenal activation in these groups of whales. The addition of fALD measurement as a biomarker of adrenal activation may help distinguish between intrinsic and external causes of stress hormone elevations in large whales, as well as other free-living wildlife species, providing a more comprehensive approach for associating adrenal activation with specific natural and anthropogenic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Burgess
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, United States.
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, United States
| | - Scott D Kraus
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, United States
| | - Rosalind M Rolland
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, United States
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29
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Kishida T, Suzuki M, Takayama A. Evolution of the alternative AQP2 gene: Acquisition of a novel protein-coding sequence in dolphins. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 118:54-57. [PMID: 28943376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Taxon-specific de novo protein-coding sequences are thought to be important for taxon-specific environmental adaptation. A recent study revealed that bottlenose dolphins acquired a novel isoform of aquaporin 2 generated by alternative splicing (alternative AQP2), which helps dolphins to live in hyperosmotic seawater. The AQP2 gene consists of four exons, but the alternative AQP2 gene lacks the fourth exon and instead has a longer third exon that includes the original third exon and a part of the original third intron. Here, we show that the latter half of the third exon of the alternative AQP2 arose from a non-protein-coding sequence. Intact ORF of this de novo sequence is shared not by all cetaceans, but only by delphinoids. However, this sequence is conservative in all modern cetaceans, implying that this de novo sequence potentially plays important roles for marine adaptation in cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takushi Kishida
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan.
| | - Miwa Suzuki
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Asuka Takayama
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
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Brischoux F, Kornilev YV, Lillywhite HB. Physiological and behavioral responses to salinity in coastal Dice snakes. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2017; 214:13-18. [PMID: 28893666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Secondarily marine tetrapods have evolved adaptations to maintain their osmotic balance in a hyperosmotic environment. During the transition to a marine habitat, the evolution of a euryhaline physiology likely encompassed successive changes in behavior and physiology that released organisms from regular access to fresh water. Deciphering these key steps is a complicated task. In this study, we investigated a species of freshwater natricine snake in which some populations are known to use marine environments. We experimentally subjected 30 adult Dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) from a population inhabiting the Black Sea coast to three salinities corresponding to freshwater (~0.1‰), brackish water (~15.0‰), and full-strength seawater (~34.0‰) in order to investigate their physiological (variation of body mass, osmolality) and behavioral (activity, drinking behavior) responses to salinity. Our results show that coastal Dice snakes from the study population are relatively tolerant to salinity close to that recorded in the Black Sea, but that prolonged exposure to full-strength seawater increases osmolality, stimulates thirst, decreases the activity of snakes and may ultimately jeopardize survival. Collectively with previously published data, our results strongly suggest specific physiological adaptations to withstand hyperosmolality rather than to reduce intake of salt, in coastal populations or species of semi-aquatic snakes. Future comparative investigations of Dice snakes from populations restricted to freshwater environment might reveal the functional traits and the behavioral and physiological responses of coastal N. tessellata to life in water with elevated salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC-CNRS UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Yurii V Kornilev
- National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Davenport J. Crying a river: how much salt-laden jelly can a leatherback turtle really eat? J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1737-1744. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.155150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kJ g wet mass−1) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. A jellyfish diet is energy-poor (0.1–0.2 kJ g wet mass−1), so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. Two published estimates of feeding rate (50% body mass d−1 (on Rhizostoma pulmo), 73% body mass d−1 (on Cyanea capillata)) have been criticised as too high. Jellyfish have high salt and water contents that must be removed to access organic material and energy. Most salt is removed (as NaCl) by paired lachrymal salt glands. Divalent ions are lost via the gut. In this study the size of adult salt glands (0.622 kg for a 450kg turtle; relatively 3 times the size of salt glands in cheloniid turtles) is measured for the first time by CT scanning. Various published values for leatherback field metabolic rate (FMR), body fluid composition and likely blubber accumulation rates are combined with known jellyfish salt, water and organic compositions to calculate feasible salt gland secretion rates and feeding rates. The results indicate that leatherbacks can produce about 10–15 ml secretion g salt gland mass−1 h−1 (tear osmolality 1800 mOsm kg−1). This will permit consumption of 80 % body mass d−1 of Cyanea capillata. Calculations suggest that leatherbacks will find it difficult/impossible to accumulate sufficient blubber for reproduction in a single feeding season. Rapid jellyfish digestion and short gut transit times are essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Davenport
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, North Mall Campus, Distillery Fields, Cork, Ireland
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Schots PC, Bue ME, Nordøy ES. Hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups ingest snow and seawater during their post-weaning fast. J Comp Physiol B 2016; 187:493-502. [PMID: 27830333 PMCID: PMC5364953 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-016-1048-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of exogenous water intake (snow/seawater) in hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups during their post-weaning fast. In this study, five hooded seal pups had ad lib access to snow and seawater for the first 12 and last 21 days of their post-weaning fast, respectively. Total body water and water flux were determined during both exposure periods by use of the tritiated water method. Blood samples were collected to monitor changes in hematocrit, plasma urea and plasma osmolality. Body mass loss was on average 0.36 kg day−1. Average total body water changed from 15.7 to 11.4 L, while total water influx changed from 15 to 18 mL day−1 kg−1 during snow and seawater exposure, respectively. Of this influx an average of 35% can be attributed to metabolic water, while approximately 8% was due to respiratory water influx. Interestingly, 56 and 58% of the total water influx was due to snow and seawater ingestion, respectively, amounting to 8 mL day−1 kg−1 snow (counted as liquid water) and 10 mL day−1 kg−1 seawater. Based on the results of the plasma parameters it is concluded that fasting hooded seal pups maintain water balance and homeostasis when access to snow or seawater is permitted. It is further concluded that snow and seawater intake, in addition to metabolic and respiratory water, is important for maintenance of water balance and excretion of urea during the post-weaning fast of hooded seal pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauke C Schots
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Breivika, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Marie E Bue
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Breivika, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Erling S Nordøy
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Breivika, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
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Normal Hemostatic Profiles and Coagulation Factors in Healthy Free-Living Florida Manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris). J Wildl Dis 2016; 52:907-911. [PMID: 27525595 DOI: 10.7589/2015-12-328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hemostatic disorders presumptively play an important role in the pathophysiology of several important disease conditions in the Florida manatee ( Trichechus manatus latirostris). Prior to pursuing such clinical implications, it is essential to establish normal hemostatic profiles in clinically healthy animals. During annual health assessments of free-living manatees organized by the US Geological Survey, blood samples were collected from 12 healthy animals from the Atlantic coast and 28 from the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida, with body lengths of 210-324 cm. The following analyses were performed on citrated plasma: prothrombin (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and concentrations of fibrinogen, D-dimers, and coagulation factors VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII. Compared to other mammalian species, manatees had short PT (9.2±1.5 s) and PTT (10.7±0.5 s), fibrinogen was 369±78.7 mg/dL, antithrombin III was 132±11%, and D-dimer was 142±122 ng/mL. Baseline concentrations for the listed coagulation factors were established. When comparing coagulation factors between locations, Atlantic coast manatees had significantly higher factors VIII, IX, and X than did Gulf Coast manatees. This finding may reflect differences in water salinity, diet, or genetics. There were no differences in coagulation factors when among sexes and sizes. These baselines for hemostatic profiles and coagulation factors in healthy free-living manatees lay the foundation for diagnosis and future research of hemostatic disorders and contribute to understanding their role in the pathophysiology of manatees affected by various diseases.
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Fabrizius A, Hoff MLM, Engler G, Folkow LP, Burmester T. When the brain goes diving: transcriptome analysis reveals a reduced aerobic energy metabolism and increased stress proteins in the seal brain. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:583. [PMID: 27507242 PMCID: PMC4979143 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2892-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During long dives, the brain of whales and seals experiences a reduced supply of oxygen (hypoxia). The brain neurons of the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) are more tolerant towards low-oxygen conditions than those of mice, and also better survive other hypoxia-related stress conditions like a reduction in glucose supply and high concentrations of lactate. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that support the hypoxia tolerance of the diving brain. Results Here we employed RNA-seq to approach the molecular basis of the unusual stress tolerance of the seal brain. An Illumina-generated transcriptome of the visual cortex of the hooded seal was compared with that of the ferret (Mustela putorius furo), which served as a terrestrial relative. Gene ontology analyses showed a significant enrichment of transcripts related to translation and aerobic energy production in the ferret but not in the seal brain. Clusterin, an extracellular chaperone, is the most highly expressed gene in the seal brain and fourfold higher than in the ferret or any other mammalian brain transcriptome. The largest difference was found for S100B, a calcium-binding stress protein with pleiotropic function, which was 38-fold enriched in the seal brain. Notably, significant enrichment of S100B mRNA was also found in the transcriptomes of whale brains, but not in the brains of terrestrial mammals. Conclusion Comparative transcriptomics indicates a lower aerobic capacity of the seal brain, which may be interpreted as a general energy saving strategy. Elevated expression of stress-related genes, such as clusterin and S100B, possibly contributes to the remarkable hypoxia tolerance of the brain of the hooded seal. Moreover, high levels of S100B that possibly protect the brain appear to be the result of the convergent adaptation of diving mammals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2892-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Fabrizius
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mariana Leivas Müller Hoff
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Engler
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars P Folkow
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Thorsten Burmester
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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Johnson RJ, Stenvinkel P, Jensen T, Lanaspa MA, Roncal C, Song Z, Bankir L, Sánchez-Lozada LG. Metabolic and Kidney Diseases in the Setting of Climate Change, Water Shortage, and Survival Factors. J Am Soc Nephrol 2016; 27:2247-56. [PMID: 27283495 PMCID: PMC4978060 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2015121314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change (global warming) is leading to an increase in heat extremes and coupled with increasing water shortage, provides a perfect storm for a new era of environmental crises and potentially, new diseases. We use a comparative physiologic approach to show that one of the primary mechanisms by which animals protect themselves against water shortage is to increase fat mass as a means for providing metabolic water. Strong evidence suggests that certain hormones (vasopressin), foods (fructose), and metabolic products (uric acid) function as survival signals to help reduce water loss and store fat (which also provides a source of metabolic water). These mechanisms are intricately linked with each other and stimulated by dehydration and hyperosmolarity. Although these mechanisms were protective in the setting of low sugar and low salt intake in our past, today, the combination of diets high in fructose and salty foods, increasing temperatures, and decreasing available water places these survival signals in overdrive and may be accelerating the obesity and diabetes epidemics. The recent discovery of multiple epidemics of CKD occurring in agricultural workers in hot and humid environments may represent harbingers of the detrimental consequences of the combination of climate change and overactivation of survival pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Johnson
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado;
| | - Peter Stenvinkel
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science Intervention and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Jensen
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Miguel A Lanaspa
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Carlos Roncal
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Zhilin Song
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Lise Bankir
- Institut National de las Santé et de la Recherche Medicalé UMRS 1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France; and
| | - Laura G Sánchez-Lozada
- Laboratory of Renal Physiopathology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
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Montelli S, Peruffo A, Patarnello T, Cozzi B, Negrisolo E. Back to Water: Signature of Adaptive Evolution in Cetacean Mitochondrial tRNAs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158129. [PMID: 27336480 PMCID: PMC4919058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion is the power plant of the eukaryotic cell, and tRNAs are the fundamental components of its translational machinery. In the present paper, the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was investigated in the Cetacea, a clade of Cetartiodactyla that retuned to water and thus had to adapt its metabolism to a different medium than that of its mainland ancestors. Our analysis focussed on identifying the factors that influenced the evolution of Cetacea tRNA double-helix elements, which play a pivotal role in the formation of the secondary and tertiary structures of each tRNA and consequently manipulate the whole translation machinery of the mitochondrion. Our analyses showed that the substitution pathways in the stems of different tRNAs were influenced by various factors, determining a molecular evolution that was unique to each of the 22 tRNAs. Our data suggested that the composition, AT-skew, and GC-skew of the tRNA stems were the main factors influencing the substitution process. In particular, the range of variation and the fluctuation of these parameters affected the fate of single tRNAs. Strong heterogeneity was observed among the different species of Cetacea. Finally, it appears that the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was also shaped by the environments in which the Cetacean taxa differentiated. This latter effect was particularly evident in toothed whales that either live in freshwater or are deep divers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Montelli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Tomaso Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Enrico Negrisolo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
- * E-mail:
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Strasser B, Mlitz V, Fischer H, Tschachler E, Eckhart L. Comparative genomics reveals conservation of filaggrin and loss of caspase-14 in dolphins. Exp Dermatol 2016; 24:365-9. [PMID: 25739514 PMCID: PMC4437054 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The expression of filaggrin and its stepwise proteolytic degradation are critical events in the terminal differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes and in the formation of the skin barrier to the environment. Here, we investigated whether the evolutionary transition from a terrestrial to a fully aquatic lifestyle of cetaceans, that is dolphins and whales, has been associated with changes in genes encoding filaggrin and proteins involved in the processing of filaggrin. We used comparative genomics, PCRs and re-sequencing of gene segments to screen for the presence and integrity of genes coding for filaggrin and proteases implicated in the maturation of (pro)filaggrin. Filaggrin has been conserved in dolphins (bottlenose dolphin, orca and baiji) but has been lost in whales (sperm whale and minke whale). All other S100 fused-type genes have been lost in cetaceans. Among filaggrin-processing proteases, aspartic peptidase retroviral-like 1 (ASPRV1), also known as saspase, has been conserved, whereas caspase-14 has been lost in all cetaceans investigated. In conclusion, our results suggest that filaggrin is dispensable for the acquisition of fully aquatic lifestyles of whales, whereas it appears to confer an evolutionary advantage to dolphins. The discordant evolution of filaggrin, saspase and caspase-14 in cetaceans indicates that the biological roles of these proteins are not strictly interdependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Strasser
- Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Gutiérrez JS, Piersma T. Ecological context determines the choice between prey of different salinities. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Suzuki M, Wakui H, Itou T, Segawa T, Inoshima Y, Maeda K, Kikuchi K. Two isoforms of aquaporin 2 responsive to hypertonic stress in bottlenose dolphin. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:1249-58. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.132811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the expression of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) and its newly found alternatively spliced isoform (alternative AQP2) and the functions of these AQP2 isoforms in the cellular hyperosmotic tolerance in the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus. mRNA sequencing revealed that alternative AQP2 lacks the fourth exon and instead has a longer third exon that includes a part of the original third intron. The portion of the third intron, now part of the coding region of alternative AQP2, is highly conserved among many species of the order Cetacea but not among terrestrial mammals. Semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that AQP2 was expressed only in the kidney, similar to terrestrial mammals. In contrast, alternative AQP2 was expressed in all organs examined, with strong expression in the kidney. In cultured renal cells, expression of both AQP2 isoforms was upregulated by the addition to the medium of NaCl but not by the addition of mannitol, indicating that the expression of both isoforms is induced by hypersalimity but not hypertonicity conditions. Treatment with small interfering RNA for both isoforms, resulted in a decrease in cell viability in hypertonic medium (500 mOsm/kg) when compared to controls. These findings indicate that the expression of alternatively spliced AQP2 is ubiquitous in cetacean species and it may be one of the molecules important for cellular osmotic tolerance throughout the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miwa Suzuki
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Hitomi Wakui
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takuya Itou
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takao Segawa
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Yasuo Inoshima
- Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu 501–1193, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kikuchi
- Fisheirs Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, 2941-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Nishi, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
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São Pedro SL, Alves JMP, Barreto AS, Lima AODS. Evidence of Positive Selection of Aquaporins Genes from Pontoporia blainvillei during the Evolutionary Process of Cetaceans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134516. [PMID: 26226365 PMCID: PMC4520692 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marine mammals are well adapted to their hyperosmotic environment. Several morphological and physiological adaptations for water conservation and salt excretion are known to be present in cetaceans, being responsible for regulating salt balance. However, most previous studies have focused on the unique renal physiology of marine mammals, but the molecular bases of these mechanisms remain poorly explored. Many genes have been identified to be involved in osmotic regulation, including the aquaporins. Considering that aquaporin genes were potentially subject to strong selective pressure, the aim of this study was to analyze the molecular evolution of seven aquaporin genes (AQP1, AQP2, AQP3, AQP4, AQP6, AQP7, and AQP9) comparing the lineages of cetaceans and terrestrial mammals. RESULTS Our results demonstrated strong positive selection in cetacean-specific lineages acting only in the gene for AQP2 (amino acids 23, 83, 107,179, 180, 181, 182), whereas no selection was observed in terrestrial mammalian lineages. We also analyzed the changes in the 3D structure of the aquaporin 2 protein. Signs of strong positive selection in AQP2 sites 179, 180, 181, and 182 were unexpectedly identified only in the baiji lineage, which was the only river dolphin examined in this study. Positive selection in aquaporins AQP1 (45), AQP4 (74), AQP7 (342, 343, 356) was detected in cetaceans and artiodactyls, suggesting that these events are not related to maintaining water and electrolyte homeostasis in seawater. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the AQP2 gene might reflect different selective pressures in maintaining water balance in cetaceans, contributing to the passage from the terrestrial environment to the aquatic. Further studies are necessary, especially those including other freshwater dolphins, who exhibit osmoregulatory mechanisms different from those of marine cetaceans for the same essential task of maintaining serum electrolyte balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lima São Pedro
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular, Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas da Terra e do Mar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Itajaí, SC, Brazil
| | - João Marcelo Pereira Alves
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André Silva Barreto
- Laboratório de Informática da Biodiversidade e Geomática, Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas da Terra e do Mar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Itajaí, SC, Brazil
| | - André Oliveira de Souza Lima
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular, Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas da Terra e do Mar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Itajaí, SC, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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THE NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF THE DIET OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IS BETTER ASSESSED RELATIVE TO METABOLIZABLE ENERGY THAN DRY MATTER. J Zoo Wildl Med 2015; 46:198-204. [PMID: 26056869 DOI: 10.1638/2014-0064r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient concentrations in a diet can be expressed either "as fed," relative to dry matter (DM), or relative to metabolizable energy (ME). Most published literature evaluates the diet of dolphins by comparing nutrient content relative to DM. Nevertheless, ME requirements, not DM, determine how much food dolphins need to maintain their body condition. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate why it is important to calculate the ME content of fish fed to dolphins and compare nutrient concentrations in dolphin diets relative to ME, not DM. Two studies that compared the nutrient composition of fish species on a DM basis were reevaluated. The ME content of each fish species was calculated and found to vary widely among species, from 0.94 to 1.58 Mcal/kg as fed. Water, mineral, and fat concentrations relative to ME also varied markedly among fish species. To demonstrate the magnitude of nutrient content differences between fish, the percent change in nutrient concentration for each species was calculated relative to herring. The percent changes for DM and ME analyses were then compared. Percent change in nutrient concentration was either over- or underestimated on a DM basis when compared with the percent change on an ME basis. Notable discrepancies were evident among important nutrients, such as crude protein, water, and sodium. Caretakers of managed dolphins must account for differences in energy density when deciding how much to feed and assessing the nutrient composition of the diet.
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Caballero S, Duchêne S, Garavito MF, Slikas B, Baker CS. Initial Evidence for Adaptive Selection on the NADH Subunit Two of Freshwater Dolphins by Analyses of Mitochondrial Genomes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123543. [PMID: 25946045 PMCID: PMC4422622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A small number of cetaceans have adapted to an entirely freshwater environment, having colonized rivers in Asia and South America from an ancestral origin in the marine environment. This includes the ‘river dolphins’, early divergence from the odontocete lineage, and two species of true dolphins (Family Delphinidae). Successful adaptation to the freshwater environment may have required increased demands in energy involved in processes such as the mitochondrial osmotic balance. For this reason, riverine odontocetes provide a compelling natural experiment in adaptation of mammals from marine to freshwater habitats. Here we present initial evidence of positive selection in the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 of riverine odontocetes by analyses of full mitochondrial genomes, using tests of selection and protein structure modeling. The codon model with highest statistical support corresponds to three discrete categories for amino acid sites, those under positive, neutral, and purifying selection. With this model we found positive selection at site 297 of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (dN/dS>1.0,) leading to a substitution of an Ala or Val from the ancestral state of Thr. A phylogenetic reconstruction of 27 cetacean mitogenomes showed that an Ala substitution has evolved at least four times in cetaceans, once or more in the three ‘river dolphins’ (Families Pontoporidae, Lipotidae and Inidae), once in the riverine Sotalia fluviatilis (but not in its marine sister taxa), once in the riverine Orcaella brevirostris from the Mekong River (but not in its marine sister taxa) and once in two other related marine dolphins. We located the position of this amino acid substitution in an alpha-helix channel in the trans-membrane domain in both the E. coli structure and Sotalia fluviatilis model. In E. coli this position is located in a helix implicated in a proton translocation channel of respiratory complex 1 and may have a similar role in the NADH dehydrogenases of cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Caballero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos, Biological Sciences Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sebastian Duchêne
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos, Biological Sciences Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Manuel F. Garavito
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Parásitos, Biological Sciences Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Beth Slikas
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
| | - C. Scott Baker
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
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Atkinson S, Crocker D, Houser D, Mashburn K. Stress physiology in marine mammals: how well do they fit the terrestrial model? J Comp Physiol B 2015; 185:463-86. [PMID: 25913694 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-015-0901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Stressors are commonly accepted as the causal factors, either internal or external, that evoke physiological responses to mediate the impact of the stressor. The majority of research on the physiological stress response, and costs incurred to an animal, has focused on terrestrial species. This review presents current knowledge on the physiology of the stress response in a lesser studied group of mammals, the marine mammals. Marine mammals are an artificial or pseudo grouping from a taxonomical perspective, as this group represents several distinct and diverse orders of mammals. However, they all are fully or semi-aquatic animals and have experienced selective pressures that have shaped their physiology in a manner that differs from terrestrial relatives. What these differences are and how they relate to the stress response is an efflorescent topic of study. The identification of the many facets of the stress response is critical to marine mammal management and conservation efforts. Anthropogenic stressors in marine ecosystems, including ocean noise, pollution, and fisheries interactions, are increasing and the dramatic responses of some marine mammals to these stressors have elevated concerns over the impact of human-related activities on a diverse group of animals that are difficult to monitor. This review covers the physiology of the stress response in marine mammals and places it in context of what is known from research on terrestrial mammals, particularly with respect to mediator activity that diverges from generalized terrestrial models. Challenges in conducting research on stress physiology in marine mammals are discussed and ways to overcome these challenges in the future are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Atkinson
- School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Juneau Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 17101 Pt. Lena Loop Road, Juneau, AK, 99801, USA,
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Lanyon JM, Wong A, Long T, Woolford L. Serum biochemistry reference intervals of live wild dugongs (Dugong dugon) from urban coastal Australia. Vet Clin Pathol 2015; 44:234-42. [PMID: 25845293 DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the baseline clinical pathology of the dugong (Dugong dugon), a vulnerable marine mammal found in tropical coastal marine systems. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the study was to collect and determine reference intervals (RI) for select serum biochemical variables for dugongs, and to analyze differences between males and females and different age groups. METHODS Reference intervals were established from 103 apparently healthy, wild-caught dugongs for 31 analytes using a Beckman Coulter AU400 Automated Chemistry Analyzer and an Olympus AU680 Chemistry-Immuno Analyzer. RESULTS Significant differences (P < .05) in some of the variables were found related to size class, sex, and pregnancy status. Adult dugongs had higher serum sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, glucose, and l-lactate concentrations and higher anion gap, compared to sub-adults. Male dugongs had higher triglyceride and l-lactate concentrations than females. Pregnant females displayed higher l-lactate levels compared to nonpregnant animals. Statistical differences in variables within the population contributed to better understanding of the physiologic differences between cohorts. Some serum biochemistry changes observed in this study here also potentially include some effects of pursuit on dugongs (eg, higher l-lactate); however, as all dugongs were subject to similar capture and handling, serum biochemistry RI should be considered as normal for captured dugongs. CONCLUSIONS The serum biochemical RI documented here are considered representative of a population of healthy captured dugongs. They provide a baseline for health surveillance of this and other dugong populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Lanyon
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Arthur Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Trevor Long
- Sea World Australia, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia
| | - Lucy Woolford
- School of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
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Gonzales-Viera O, Ruoppolo V, Marigo J, Carvalho VL, Groch KR, Bertozzi CP, Takakura C, Namiyama G, Vanstreels RET, Catão-Dias JL. Renal lesions in cetaceans from Brazil. J Comp Pathol 2015; 152:345-54. [PMID: 25824116 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2015.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This study reports the occurrence of renal lesions in cetaceans from the coast of Brazil subjected to necropsy examination between 1996 and 2011. The animals (n = 192) were by-caught in fishing nets, were found dead on beaches or died despite attempted rehabilitation. Kidney samples were evaluated grossly and microscopically and, depending on the histopathological findings, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses were conducted. Due to autolysis, a diagnosis was reached in only 128 animals, of which 82 (64.1%) had kidney lesions. Cystic renal disease was the most common lesion observed in 34 cases (26.6%) and these were classified as simple cysts in eight cases (6.3%), polycystic kidney disease in one rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis), secondary glomerulocystic disease in 16 cases (12.5%) and primary glomerulocystic disease in nine cases (7%). Other lesions included membranous glomerulonephritis (28 cases; 21.9%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (20 cases; 15.6%), lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis (21 cases; 16.4%), lipidosis (19 cases; 14.8%), glomerulosclerosis (8 cases; 6.3%) and pyogranulomatous nephritis(five cases; 3.9%); two of the later were associated with the migration of nematode larvae. Additionally, tubular adenoma was identified in a Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei). The pathological implications of these lesions are discussed according the cause of death, age or sex of the animals. Furthermore, the lesions were compared with those of other marine and terrestrial mammals, including man.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Gonzales-Viera
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - V Ruoppolo
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouth Port, MA, USA
| | - J Marigo
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Projeto Biopesca, Praia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - V L Carvalho
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos, Ceará, Brazil
| | - K R Groch
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C P Bertozzi
- Projeto Biopesca, Praia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Takakura
- Laboratório da Disciplina de Patologia de Doenças Transmissíveis, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - G Namiyama
- Núcleo de Microscopia Eletrônica, Centro de Procedimentos Interdisciplinares, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R E T Vanstreels
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J L Catão-Dias
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens (LAPCOM), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Wang J, Yu X, Hu B, Zheng J, Xiao W, Hao Y, Liu W, Wang D. Physicochemical evolution and molecular adaptation of the cetacean osmoregulation-related gene UT-A2 and implications for functional studies. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8795. [PMID: 25762239 PMCID: PMC4357013 DOI: 10.1038/srep08795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans have an enigmatic evolutionary history of re-invading aquatic habitats. One of their essential adaptabilities that has enabled this process is their homeostatic strategy adjustment. Here, we investigated the physicochemical evolution and molecular adaptation of the cetacean urea transporter UT-A2, which plays an important role in urine concentration and water homeostasis. First, we cloned UT-A2 from the freshwater Yangtze finless porpoise, after which bioinformatics analyses were conducted based on available datasets (including freshwater baiji and marine toothed and baleen whales) using MEGA, PAML, DataMonkey, TreeSAAP and Consurf. Our findings suggest that the UT-A2 protein shows folding similar to that of dvUT and UT-B, whereas some variations occurred in the functional So and Si regions of the selectivity filter. Additionally, several regions of the cetacean UT-A2 protein have experienced molecular adaptations. We suggest that positive-destabilizing selection could contribute to adaptations by influencing its biochemical and conformational character. The conservation of amino acid residues within the selectivity filter of the urea conduction pore is likely to be necessary for urea conduction, whereas the non-conserved amino acid replacements around the entrance and exit of the conduction pore could potentially affect the activity, which could be interesting target sites for future mutagenesis studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
- Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Xueying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Bo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Jinsong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Wuhan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Yujiang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Wenhua Liu
- Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Ding Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
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Brischoux F, Lendvai ÁZ, Bókony V, Chastel O, Angelier F. Marine lifestyle is associated with higher baseline corticosterone levels in birds. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
| | - Ádám Z. Lendvai
- Department of Biology; Virginia Tech; 4102 Derring Hall Blacksburg VA USA
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology; University of Debrecen; Egyetem tér 1. Debrecen Hungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group; Plant Protection Institute; Centre for Agricultural Research; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Herman Ottó út 15 H-1022 Budapest Hungary
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; UMR 7372 CNRS-ULR 79360 Villiers en Bois France
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Ruan R, Guo AH, Hao YJ, Zheng JS, Wang D. De novo assembly and characterization of narrow-ridged finless porpoise renal transcriptome and identification of candidate genes involved in osmoregulation. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:2220-38. [PMID: 25608655 PMCID: PMC4307359 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16012220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During the evolutionary transition from land to water, cetaceans have undergone numerous critical challenges, with osmoregulation being the major one. Two subspecies of the narrow-ridged finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis), the freshwater Yangtze finless porpoise (N. a. asiaeorientalis, NAA) and the marine East Asian finless porpoise (N. a. sunameri, NAS), provide excellent subjects to understand the genetic basis of osmoregulatory divergence between freshwater and marine mammals. The kidney plays an important and well-established role in osmoregulation in marine mammals and thus, herein, we utilized RNA-seq to characterize the renal transcriptome and preliminarily analyze the divergence between the NAA and the NAS. Approximately 48.98 million clean reads from NAS and 49.40 million clean reads from NAA were obtained by RNA-Seq. And 73,449 (NAS) and 68,073 (NAA) unigenes were assembled. Among these annotations, 22,231 (NAS) and 21,849 (NAA) unigenes were annotated against the NCBI nr protein database. The ion channel complex GO term and four pathways were detected as relevant to osmoregulation by GO and KEGG pathway classification of these annotated unigenes. Although the endangered status of the study species prevented analysis of biological replicates, we identified nine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may be vital in the osmoregulation of the narrow-ridged finless porpoise and worthwhile for future studies. Of these DEGs, the differential expression and distribution of the aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the collecting duct were verified using immunohistochemical experiments. Together, this work is the first report of renal transcriptome sequencing in cetaceans, and it will provide a valuable resource for future molecular genetics studies on cetacean osmoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ruan
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Ai-Huan Guo
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Yu-Jiang Hao
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Jin-Song Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Ding Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
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Zhu K, Zhou X, Xu S, Sun D, Ren W, Zhou K, Yang G. The loss of taste genes in cetaceans. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:218. [PMID: 25305673 PMCID: PMC4232718 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0218-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Five basic taste modalities, sour, sweet, bitter, salt and umami, can be distinguished by humans and are fundamental for physical and ecological adaptations in mammals. Molecular genetic studies of the receptor genes for these tastes have been conducted in terrestrial mammals; however, little is known about the evolution and adaptation of these genes in marine mammals. RESULTS Here, all five basic taste modalities, sour, sweet, bitter, salt and umami, were investigated in cetaceans. The sequence characteristics and evolutionary analyses of taste receptor genes suggested that nearly all cetaceans may have lost all taste modalities except for that of salt. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to comprehensively examine the five basic taste modalities in cetaceans with extensive taxa sampling. Our results suggest that cetaceans have lost four of the basic taste modalities including sour, sweet, umami, and most of the ability to sense bitter tastes. The integrity of the candidate salt taste receptor genes in all the cetaceans examined may be because of their function in Na(+) reabsorption, which is key to osmoregulation and aquatic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangli Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xuming Zhou
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Shixia Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Di Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Wenhua Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Kaiya Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Guang Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Abstract
Alterations in water homeostasis can disturb cell size and function. Although most cells can internally regulate cell volume in response to osmolar stress, neurons are particularly at risk given a combination of complex cell function and space restriction within the calvarium. Thus, regulating water balance is fundamental to survival. Through specialized neuronal "osmoreceptors" that sense changes in plasma osmolality, vasopressin release and thirst are titrated in order to achieve water balance. Fine-tuning of water absorption occurs along the collecting duct, and depends on unique structural modifications of renal tubular epithelium that confer a wide range of water permeability. In this article, we review the mechanisms that ensure water homeostasis as well as the fundamentals of disorders of water balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Danziger
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark L Zeidel
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
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