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Fowler S, Wang T, Munro D, Kumar A, Chitre AS, Hollingsworth TJ, Garcia Martinez A, St. Pierre CL, Bimschleger H, Gao J, Cheng R, Mohammadi P, Chen H, Palmer AA, Polesskaya O, Jablonski MM. Genome-wide association study finds multiple loci associated with intraocular pressure in HS rats. Front Genet 2023; 13:1029058. [PMID: 36793389 PMCID: PMC9922724 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1029058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Increased IOP is a major risk factor for most types of glaucoma, including primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Investigating the genetic basis of IOP may lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of POAG. The goal of this study was to identify genetic loci involved in regulating IOP using outbred heterogeneous stock (HS) rats. HS rats are a multigenerational outbred population derived from eight inbred strains that have been fully sequenced. This population is ideal for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) owing to the accumulated recombinations among well-defined haplotypes, the relatively high allele frequencies, the accessibility to a large collection of tissue samples, and the large allelic effect size compared to human studies. Both male and female HS rats (N = 1,812) were used in the study. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to obtain ∼3.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from each individual. SNP heritability for IOP in HS rats was 0.32, which agrees with other studies. We performed a GWAS for the IOP phenotype using a linear mixed model and used permutation to determine a genome-wide significance threshold. We identified three genome-wide significant loci for IOP on chromosomes 1, 5, and 16. Next, we sequenced the mRNA of 51 whole eye samples to find cis-eQTLs to aid in identification of candidate genes. We report 5 candidate genes within those loci: Tyr, Ctsc, Plekhf2, Ndufaf6 and Angpt2. Tyr, Ndufaf6 and Angpt2 genes have been previously implicated by human GWAS of IOP-related conditions. Ctsc and Plekhf2 genes represent novel findings that may provide new insight into the molecular basis of IOP. This study highlights the efficacy of HS rats for investigating the genetics of elevated IOP and identifying potential candidate genes for future functional testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Fowler
- Hamilton Eye Institute Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Tengfei Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Daniel Munro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states,Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Aman Kumar
- Hamilton Eye Institute Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Apurva S. Chitre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - T. J. Hollingsworth
- Hamilton Eye Institute Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Angel Garcia Martinez
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Celine L. St. Pierre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Hannah Bimschleger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Jianjun Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Riyan Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Pejman Mohammadi
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, San Diego, California, United states,Scripps Research Translational Institute, Scripps Research, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states,Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Oksana Polesskaya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United states
| | - Monica M. Jablonski
- Hamilton Eye Institute Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United states,*Correspondence: Monica M. Jablonski,
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2
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Kuramoto T. Positional cloning of rat mutant genes reveals new functions of these genes. Exp Anim 2023; 72:1-8. [PMID: 36058846 PMCID: PMC9978133 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.22-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a key model organism for biomedical research. Rats can be subjected to strict genetic and environmental controls. The rat's large body size is suitable for both surgical operations and repeated measurements of physiological parameters. These advantages have led to the development of numerous rat models for genetic diseases. Forward genetics is a proven approach for identifying the causative genes of these disease models but requires genome resources including genetic markers and genome sequences. Over the last few decades, rat genome resources have been developed and deposited in bioresource centers, which have enabled us to perform positional cloning in rats. To date, more than 100 disease-related genes have been identified by positional cloning. Since some disease models are more accessible in rats than mice, the identification of causative genes in these models has sometimes led to the discovery of novel functions of genes. As before, various mutant rats are also expected to be discovered and developed as disease models in the future. Thus, the forward genetics continues to be an important approach to find genes involved in disease phenotypes in rats. In this review, I provide an overview the development of rat genome resources and describe examples of positional cloning in rats in which novel gene functions have been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kuramoto
- Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1737 Funako, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0034, Japan
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3
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Hieu HT, Tanaka M, Kuwamura M, Mashimo T, Serikawa T, Kuramoto T. The rat Downunder (Du) coat color mutation is associated with eye anomalies and embryonic lethality and maps to a 3.9-Mb region on chromosome 3. Exp Anim 2023; 72:88-94. [PMID: 36123037 PMCID: PMC9978131 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.22-0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent coat color genes have been studied as a bioresource to understand developmental and cellular processes. The Downunder rat is a fancy variety with a marking on its belly that runs from the neck to the breech and appears to mirror the dorsal hooded marking. Here, we established a congenic strain carrying the Downunder (Du) gene in an F344 genetic background. In addition to the ventral marking, Du/+ rats exhibit anophthalmia or microphthalmia with incomplete penetrance. Du/Du embryos die in the early stages of organogenesis. Genetic linkage analysis mapped the Du gene to rat chromosome 3 and haplotype mapping with congenic rats localized the Du locus to a 3.9-Mb region. The Du locus includes two functional genes, glycosyltransferase-like domain-containing 1 (Gtdc1) and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (Zeb2). Although we found no functional variation within any of Zeb2's exons or intron-exon boundaries, Zeb2 mRNA levels were significantly lower in Du/+ rats compared with wild-type rats. It is known that melanocyte-specific Zeb2 deletion results in the congenital loss of hair pigmentation in mice. Taken together, our results indicate that the Du mutation exerts pleiotropic effects on hair pigmentation, eye morphology, and development. Moreover, the Zeb2 gene is a strong candidate for the Du mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang Trung Hieu
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1737 Funako, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0034, Japan
| | - Miyuu Tanaka
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-58 Rinku-ourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531,
Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kuwamura
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-58 Rinku-ourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531,
Japan
| | - Tomoji Mashimo
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan,Division of Animal Genetics, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Tadao Serikawa
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan,Kyoto Disease Model Institute, The Kyoto Technoscience Center, 14 Yoshida-kawara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8305, Japan
| | - Takashi Kuramoto
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1737 Funako, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0034, Japan,Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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4
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Hermann AL, Fell GL, Kemény LV, Fung CY, Held KD, Biggs PJ, Rivera PD, Bilbo SD, Igras V, Willers H, Kung J, Gheorghiu L, Hideghéty K, Mao J, Woolf CJ, Fisher DE. β-Endorphin mediates radiation therapy fatigue. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn6025. [PMID: 36525492 PMCID: PMC9757747 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn6025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fatigue is a common adverse effect of external beam radiation therapy in cancer patients. Mechanisms causing radiation fatigue remain unclear, although linkage to skin irradiation has been suggested. β-Endorphin, an endogenous opioid, is synthesized in skin following genotoxic ultraviolet irradiation and acts systemically, producing addiction. Exogenous opiates with the same receptor activity as β-endorphin can cause fatigue. Using rodent models of radiation therapy, exposing tails and sparing vital organs, we tested whether skin-derived β-endorphin contributes to radiation-induced fatigue. Over a 6-week radiation regimen, plasma β-endorphin increased in rats, paralleled by opiate phenotypes (elevated pain thresholds, Straub tail) and fatigue-like behavior, which was reversed in animals treated by the opiate antagonist naloxone. Mechanistically, all these phenotypes were blocked by opiate antagonist treatment and were undetected in either β-endorphin knockout mice or mice lacking keratinocyte p53 expression. These findings implicate skin-derived β-endorphin in systemic effects of radiation therapy. Opioid antagonism may warrant testing in humans as treatment or prevention of radiation-induced fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Hermann
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Oncotherapy, Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gillian L. Fell
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lajos V. Kemény
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- HCEMM-SU Translational Dermatology Research Group, Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Claire Y. Fung
- Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathryn D. Held
- Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, 7910 Woodmont Ave, Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Peter J. Biggs
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Phillip D. Rivera
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02421, USA
- Department of Biology, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423, USA
| | - Staci D. Bilbo
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02421, USA
| | - Vivien Igras
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Henning Willers
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jong Kung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Liliana Gheorghiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Katalin Hideghéty
- Department of Oncotherapy, Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- ELI-ALPS Non Profit Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jianren Mao
- MGH Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Clifford J. Woolf
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David E. Fisher
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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5
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Genetic Determination of Regressive Pattern of Walker 256 Carcinosarcoma in Rats with Hypothalamic Diabetes Insipidus. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 173:441-443. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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6
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Mori M, Liu C, Yoshizawa T, Miyahara H, Dai J, Igarashi Y, Cui X, Li Y, Kang X, Higuchi K. Polygenic control of the wavy coat of the NCT mouse: involvement of an intracisternal A particle insertional mutation of the protease, serine 53 (Prss53) gene, and a modifier gene. Mamm Genome 2022; 33:451-464. [PMID: 35067752 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09926-9] [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: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Nakano cataract mouse (NCT) manifests a wavy coat for their first hair as a genetic trait. In this study, we explored the molecular genetic basis of the wavy coat. We revealed by crossing experiments that the wavy coat is controlled by a major gene on chromosome 7 of NCT, homozygosity of which is a prerequisite for developing the wavy coat, and by a gene on chromosome 9 with a minor effect to reinforce the manifestation of the trait. In humans, a polymorphism of the protease, serine 53 (PRSS53) gene on the homologous chromosome is known to be associated with curly scalp hair. We then investigated the Prss53 gene and discovered that NCT has an insertion of an intracisternal A particle element in the first intron of the gene. Nevertheless, the expression of the Prss53 is not altered in the NCT skin both in transcript and protein levels. Subsequently, we created C57BL/6J-Prss53em1 knockout mice and found that these mice manifest vague wavy coats. A portion of backcross and intercross mice between the C57BL/6J-Prss53em1 and NCT manifested intense or vague wavy coats. These findings demonstrate the polygenic nature of the wavy coat of NCT and Prss53 knockout mice and highlight the similarity of the trait to the curly hair of humans associated with the PRSS53 alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Mori
- Department of NeuroHealth Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan. .,Department of Aging Biology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan. .,Department of Aging Biology, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan.
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Aging Biology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yoshizawa
- Division of Animal Research, Research Center for Supports to Advanced Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Hiroki Miyahara
- Department of NeuroHealth Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Jian Dai
- Department of NeuroHealth Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Yuichi Igarashi
- Department of Aging Biology, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Xiaoran Cui
- Department of Aging Biology, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Aging Biology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Xiaojing Kang
- Department of Aging Biology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Keiichi Higuchi
- Department of NeuroHealth Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan.,Department of Aging Biology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan.,Department of Aging Biology, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan
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7
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Goodenow D, Greer AJ, Cone SJ, Gaddameedhi S. Circadian effects on UV-induced damage and mutations. MUTATION RESEARCH. REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2022; 789:108413. [PMID: 35690416 PMCID: PMC9188652 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2022.108413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancer is the most diagnosed type of cancer in the United States, and while most of these malignancies are highly treatable, treatment costs still exceed $8 billion annually. Over the last 50 years, the annual incidence of skin cancer has steadily grown; therefore, understanding the environmental factors driving these types of cancer is a prominent research-focus. A causality between ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure and skin cancer is well-established, but exposure to UVR alone is not necessarily sufficient to induce carcinogenesis. The emerging field of circadian biology intersects strongly with the physiological systems of the mammalian body and introduces a unique opportunity for analyzing mechanisms of homeostatic disruption. The circadian clock refers to the approximate 24-hour cycle, in which protein levels of specific clock-controlled genes (CCGs) fluctuate based on the time of day. Though these CCGs are tissue specific, the skin has been observed to have a robust circadian clock that plays a role in its response to UVR exposure. This in-depth review will detail the mechanisms of the circadian clock and its role in cellular homeostasis. Next, the skin's response to UVR exposure and its induction of DNA damage and mutations will be covered - with an additional focus placed on how the circadian clock influences this response through nucleotide excision repair. Lastly, this review will discuss current models for studying UVR-induced skin lesions and perturbations of the circadian clock, as well as the impact of these factors on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna Goodenow
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Adam J Greer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Sean J Cone
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Shobhan Gaddameedhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
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8
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Tobari Y, Theofanopoulou C, Mori C, Sato Y, Marutani M, Fujioka S, Konno N, Suzuki K, Furutani A, Hakataya S, Yao C, Yang E, Tsai C, Tang P, Chen C, Boeckx C, Jarvis ED, Okanoya K. Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 21:e12780. [PMID: 34854547 PMCID: PMC9744569 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Bengalese finch was domesticated more than 250 years ago from the wild white-rumped munia (WRM). Similar to other domesticated species, Bengalese finches show a reduced fear response and have lower corticosterone levels, compared to WRMs. Bengalese finches and munias also have different song types. Since oxytocin (OT) has been found to be involved in stress coping and auditory processing, we tested whether the OT sequence and brain expression pattern and content differ in wild munias and domesticated Bengalese finches. We sequenced the OT from 10 wild munias and 11 Bengalese finches and identified intra-strain variability in both the untranslated and protein-coding regions of the sequence, with all the latter giving rise to synonymous mutations. Several of these changes fall in specific transcription factor-binding sites, and show either a conserved or a relaxed evolutionary trend in the avian lineage, and in vertebrates in general. Although in situ hybridization in several hypothalamic nuclei did not reveal significant differences in the number of cells expressing OT between the two strains, real-time quantitative PCR showed a significantly higher OT mRNA expression in the cerebrum of the Bengalese finches relative to munias, but a significantly lower expression in their diencephalon. Our study thus points to a brain region-specific pattern of neurochemical expression in domesticated and wild avian strains, which could be linked to domestication and the behavioral changes associated with it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Tobari
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamiharaJapan,Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis ScienceAzabu UniversitySagamiharaJapan
| | | | - Chihiro Mori
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of TokyoMeguro‐kuJapan
| | - Yoshimi Sato
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamiharaJapan
| | - Momoka Marutani
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamiharaJapan
| | - Sayaka Fujioka
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamiharaJapan
| | - Norifumi Konno
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and EngineeringUniversity of ToyamaToyamaJapan
| | - Kenta Suzuki
- Faculty of Health SciencesNihon Institute of Medical ScienceMoroyamaJapan
| | - Akari Furutani
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of TokyoMeguro‐kuJapan
| | - Shiomi Hakataya
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of TokyoMeguro‐kuJapan
| | - Cheng‐Te Yao
- Council of AgricultureEndemic Species Research Institute (ESRI)Chi‐chiTaiwan
| | - En‐Yun Yang
- Department of Animal ScienceNational Chung Hsing UniversityTaichungTaiwan
| | - Chia‐Ren Tsai
- Department of Animal ScienceNational Chung Hsing UniversityTaichungTaiwan
| | - Pin‐Chi Tang
- Department of Animal ScienceNational Chung Hsing UniversityTaichungTaiwan
| | - Chih‐Feng Chen
- Department of Animal ScienceNational Chung Hsing UniversityTaichungTaiwan
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- Section of General LinguisticsUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain,Institute for Complex SystemsUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain,ICREABarcelonaSpain
| | - Erich D. Jarvis
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of LanguageRockefeller UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA,Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseMarylandUSA
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of TokyoMeguro‐kuJapan,Cognition and Behavior Joint LaboratoryRIKEN Center for Brain Science (Brain Science Institute (BSI) reorganized)SaitamaJapan
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9
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Khegai II. Concordance of Quantitative Traits of Diabetes Insipidus and Survival of Litters in Hybrids of Brattleboro and WAG Rat Lines. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421110041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Sharma D, Sehgal P, Sivasubbu S, Scaria V. A genome-wide circular RNA transcriptome in rat. Biol Methods Protoc 2021; 6:bpab016. [PMID: 34527809 PMCID: PMC8435660 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpab016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of noncoding RNAs that back-splice from 5ʹ donor site and 3ʹ acceptor sites to form a circular structure. A number of circRNAs have been discovered in model organisms including human, mouse, Drosophila, among other organisms. There are a few candidate-based studies on circRNAs in rat, a well-studied model organism as well. A number of pipelines have been published to identify the back splice junctions for the discovery of circRNAs but studies comparing these tools have suggested that a combination of tools would be a better approach to identify high-confidence circRNAs. The availability of a recent dataset of transcriptomes encompassing 11 tissues, 4 developmental stages, and 2 genders motivated us to explore the landscape of circRNAs in the organism in this context. In order to understand the difference among different pipelines, we employed five different combinations of tools to identify circular RNAs from the dataset. We compared the results of the different combination of tools/pipelines with respect to alignment, total number of circRNAs identified and read-coverage. In addition, we identified tissue-specific, development-stage specific and gender-specific circRNAs and further independently validated 16 circRNA junctions out of 24 selected candidates in 5 tissue samples and estimated the quantitative expression of five circRNA candidates using real-time polymerase chain reaction and our analysis suggests three candidates as tissue-enriched. This study is one of the most comprehensive studies which provides a map of circRNAs transcriptome as well as to understand the difference among different computational pipelines in rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disha Sharma
- GN Ramachandran Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IGIB South Campus, Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Paras Sehgal
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IGIB South Campus, Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Sridhar Sivasubbu
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IGIB South Campus, Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Vinod Scaria
- GN Ramachandran Knowledge Center for Genome Informatics, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IGIB South Campus, Mathura Road, Delhi 110025, India
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Whishaw IQ, Burke CJ, Pellis SM. Does play shape hand use skill in rats? Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:1895-1909. [PMID: 33870438 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06097-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hand use is a widespread act in many vertebrate lineages and subserves behaviors including locomotion, predation, feeding, nest construction, and grooming. In order to determine whether hand use is similarly used in social behavior, the present paper describes hand use in the social play of rats. In the course of rough and tumble play sessions, rats are found to make as many as twenty different movements a minute with each hand for the purposes of manipulating a partner into a subordinate position or defending against a partner's attack. The hand movements comprise signaling movements of touching, offensive manipulating of a partner to control a play engagement, and defensive hand movements directed toward blocking, pushing and pulling to parry an attack. For signaling, attack and defense, hand movements have a structure that is similar to the structure of hand movements used for other purposes including eating, but in their contact points on an opponent, they are tailored for partner control. Given the time devoted to play by rats, play likely features the social rat behavior with the most extensive use of hand movements. This extensive use of hand movements for social play is discussed in relation to the ubiquity of hand use in adaptive behavior, the evolution of hand use in the play of mammals, and in relation to extending the multifunctional theory of the purposes of play to include the education of skilled hand movements for various adult functions including as feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Q Whishaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Research, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Candace J Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Research, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Sergio M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Research, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
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Szpirer C. Rat models of human diseases and related phenotypes: a systematic inventory of the causative genes. J Biomed Sci 2020; 27:84. [PMID: 32741357 PMCID: PMC7395987 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-020-00673-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The laboratory rat has been used for a long time as the model of choice in several biomedical disciplines. Numerous inbred strains have been isolated, displaying a wide range of phenotypes and providing many models of human traits and diseases. Rat genome mapping and genomics was considerably developed in the last decades. The availability of these resources has stimulated numerous studies aimed at discovering causal disease genes by positional identification. Numerous rat genes have now been identified that underlie monogenic or complex diseases and remarkably, these results have been translated to the human in a significant proportion of cases, leading to the identification of novel human disease susceptibility genes, helping in studying the mechanisms underlying the pathological abnormalities and also suggesting new therapeutic approaches. In addition, reverse genetic tools have been developed. Several genome-editing methods were introduced to generate targeted mutations in genes the function of which could be clarified in this manner [generally these are knockout mutations]. Furthermore, even when the human gene causing a disease had been identified without resorting to a rat model, mutated rat strains (in particular KO strains) were created to analyze the gene function and the disease pathogenesis. Today, over 350 rat genes have been identified as underlying diseases or playing a key role in critical biological processes that are altered in diseases, thereby providing a rich resource of disease models. This article is an update of the progress made in this research and provides the reader with an inventory of these disease genes, a significant number of which have similar effects in rat and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Szpirer
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- , Waterloo, Belgium.
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Nafar Z, Wen R, Guan Z, Li Y, Jiao S. Quantifying lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelium in vivo by visible-light optical coherence tomography-based multimodal imaging. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2942. [PMID: 32076069 PMCID: PMC7031367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59951-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the major source of fundus autofluorescence (FAF). A technical challenge to accurately quantify the FAF intensities, thus the lipofuscin concentration, is to compensate the light attenuation of RPE melanin. We developed the VIS-OCT-FAF technology to accomplish optical coherence tomography (OCT) and FAF simultaneously with a single broadband visible light source. We demonstrated that light attenuation by RPE melanin can be assessed and corrected using the depth-resolved OCT signals. FAF images from albino and pigmented rats showed that without compensation, FAF signals from pigmented rats are lower than that from albinos. After compensation, however, FAF signals from pigmented rats are higher. This finding is supported by measurements of lipofuscin fluorophore A2E in the RPE using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) showing that compensated FAF intensities correlate linearly with A2E contents. The present work represents an important step toward accurately assessing RPE lipofuscin concentrations by FAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Nafar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, 10555 W Flagler St, Miami, FL, 33174, USA
| | - Rong Wen
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1638 NW 10 Ave, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, 307 Research Dr, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Yiwen Li
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1638 NW 10 Ave, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Shuliang Jiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, 10555 W Flagler St, Miami, FL, 33174, USA.
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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15
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van der Geer AAE. Effect of isolation on coat colour polymorphism of Polynesian rats in Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6894. [PMID: 31119086 PMCID: PMC6511229 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations of vertebrate species introduced onto islands regularly develop similar phenotypic changes, e.g., larger or smaller body size, shortened limbs, duller coats, as well as behavioural changes such as increased tameness and reduced flight-initiation distance. These changes overlap in part with those associated with the 'domestication syndrome', especially tameness and changes in coat patterns, and might indicate a similar neural crest involvement in the concurrent development of multiple phenotypic traits. Here I examine long-term data on free-living populations of wild Polynesian rats from seven mainland countries and 117 islands (n = 3,034), covering the species' native and introduced range. Mainland populations showed no aberrant coat patterns, with the exception of one albino, whereas aberrant coat patterns were found in 12 island populations. Observed coat colour polymorphisms consisted of leucistic (including singular white patches), melanistic (darkly pigmented) and piebald (mixed) coat patterns. After isolation for at least seven centuries, wild Polynesian rat populations on islands seem to exhibit a trend towards a higher incidence of aberrant coat patterns. These phenotypic changes are here explained as a neutral, non-adaptive process, likely part of the 'domestication syndrome' (via the commensal pathway of domestication), in combination with genetic drift, little or no gene flow between the islands and/or the mainland and a relaxed selection (as a result of the weakening or removal of competitor/predator pressure) under commensality.
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Takabayashi S, Aoshima T, Kabashima K, Aoto K, Ohtsuka M, Sato M. i-GONAD (improved genome-editing via oviductal nucleic acids delivery), a convenient in vivo tool to produce genome-edited rats. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12059. [PMID: 30104681 PMCID: PMC6089882 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30137-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Zygote-microinjection or in vitro electroporation of isolated zygotes are now widely used methods to produce genome-edited mice. However, these technologies require laborious and time-consuming ex vivo handling of fertilized eggs, including zygote isolation, gene delivery into zygotes and embryo transfer into recipients. We recently developed an alternative method called improved genome-editing via oviductal nucleic acids delivery (i-GONAD), which does not require the above-mentioned ex vivo handing of zygotes, but instead involves intraoviductal instillation of genome-editing components, Cas9 protein and synthetic gRNAs, into the oviducts of pregnant females at the late 1-cell embryo stage under a dissecting microscope and subsequent electroporation. With this method, we succeeded in generating genome-edited mice at relatively high efficiencies (for example, knockout alleles were produced at ~97% efficiency). Here, we extended this improved technology to rats, and found that i-GONAD can create genome-edited rats in various strains, including Sprague Dawley and Lewis, and F1 hybrids (between Sprague Dawley and Brown Norway), with efficiencies of ~62% for indel mutations and ~9% for knock-ins. Thus, i-GONAD will be especially useful for the production of genome-edited rats in small laboratories where expensive micromanipulator systems and highly skilled personnel for embryo manipulation are unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Takabayashi
- Laboratory Animal Facilities & Services, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan.
| | - Takuya Aoshima
- Laboratory Animal Facilities & Services, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kabashima
- Laboratory Animal Facilities & Services, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Kazushi Aoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Masato Ohtsuka
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Molecular Science and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Center for Matrix Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, and The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Masahiro Sato
- Section of Gene Expression Regulation, Frontier Science Research Center, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan
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Zeng L, Ming C, Li Y, Su LY, Su YH, Otecko NO, Liu HQ, Wang MS, Yao YG, Li HP, Wu DD, Zhang YP. Rapid Evolution of Genes Involved in Learning and Energy Metabolism for Domestication of the Laboratory Rat. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 34:3148-3153. [PMID: 28961982 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The laboratory rat, widely used in biomedical research, is domesticated from wild brown rat. The origin and genetic mechanism underlying domestication of the laboratory rat remain largely elusive. In the present study, large scale genomes supported a single origin for the laboratory rat, possibly from a sister group to wild rats from Europe/Africa/Middle East. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses uncovered many artificially selected genes (e.g., FOXP2, B3GAT1, and CLOCK) involved in the nervous system. These genes associate with learning ability and regulation of circadian rhythm, which likely enabled the successful domestication of the laboratory rat. Particularly, many genes, including mitochondrial genes responsible for energy metabolism, displayed a substantially increased expression in the brain of laboratory rats compared with wild rats. Our findings demystify the origin and evolution of this model animal, and provide insight into the process of its domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Ming
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ling-Yan Su
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China
| | - Yan-Hua Su
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Newton O Otecko
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - He-Qun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ming-Shan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yong-Gang Yao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China
| | - Hai-Peng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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18
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Finch J, Abrams S, Finch A. Analogs of human genetic skin disease in domesticated animals. Int J Womens Dermatol 2017; 3:170-175. [PMID: 28831430 PMCID: PMC5555282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic skin diseases encompass a vast, complex, and ever expanding field. Recognition of the features of these diseases is important to ascertain a correct diagnosis, initiate treatment, consider genetic counseling, and refer patients to specialists when the disease may impact other areas. Because genodermatoses may present with a vast array of features, it can be bewildering to memorize them. This manuscript will explain and depict some genetic skin diseases that occur in both humans and domestic animals and offer a connection and memorization aid for physicians. In addition, we will explore how animal diseases serve as a model to uncover the mechanisms of human disease. The genetic skin diseases we will review are pigmentary mosaicism, piebaldism, albinism, Griscelli syndrome, ectodermal dysplasias, Waardenburg syndrome, and mucinosis in both humans and domesticated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Finch
- Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Stephanie Abrams
- The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Amy Finch
- Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
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Atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions with IgE hyperproduction and pruritus in KFRS4/Kyo rats. J Dermatol Sci 2015; 80:116-23. [PMID: 26454563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rats showing spontaneous atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions were observed in the Kyoto Fancy Rat Stock 4 (KFRS4) strain breeding colony. OBJECTIVE To establish the KFRS4 rat as a model of AD. METHODS The clinical symptoms of AD-like skin lesions were assessed by scoring the degree of dermatitis and examining scratching behavior. The transepidermal water loss was measured to evaluate skin barrier function. Cells infiltrating the skin lesions were identified using histological and immunohistological analyses. IgE and cytokine levels were measured to examine immune status. An ointment treatment experiment was carried out to characterize dermatitis in the KFRS4 rats. RESULTS Dermatitis initially appeared around 4 months of age and rapidly worsened from 6 to 8 months of age. The skin lesions accompanied scratching behavior and were predominantly observed in females. The increased transepidermal water loss indicated skin barrier dysfunction. Extensive infiltration of eosinophils, mast cells and lymphocytes was observed in the skin lesions. The plasma IgE level increased in accord with increasing severity of dermatitis. The Th2 and Th17 cytokine mRNA levels were significantly higher in the skin-draining lymph nodes than those in the non-skin-draining lymph nodes. It was demonstrated that betamethasone improved the symptoms of dermatitis. These findings demonstrated that dermatitis in the KFRS4 rats closely resembled that seen in human AD. CONCLUSION Female KFRS4 rats have the potential to serve as an animal model of human AD.
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Genetic Relatedness of WNIN and WNIN/Ob with Major Rat Strains in Biomedical Research. Biochem Genet 2015; 53:132-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s10528-015-9679-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Ohno Y, Shimizu S, Tatara A, Imaoku T, Ishii T, Sasa M, Serikawa T, Kuramoto T. Hcn1 is a tremorgenic genetic component in a rat model of essential tremor. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123529. [PMID: 25970616 PMCID: PMC4430019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic factors are thought to play a major role in the etiology of essential tremor (ET); however, few genetic changes that induce ET have been identified to date. In the present study, to find genes responsible for the development of ET, we employed a rat model system consisting of a tremulous mutant strain, TRM/Kyo (TRM), and its substrain TRMR/Kyo (TRMR). The TRM rat is homozygous for the tremor (tm) mutation and shows spontaneous tremors resembling human ET. The TRMR rat also carries a homozygous tm mutation but shows no tremor, leading us to hypothesize that TRM rats carry one or more genes implicated in the development of ET in addition to the tm mutation. We used a positional cloning approach and found a missense mutation (c. 1061 C>T, p. A354V) in the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 1 channel (Hcn1) gene. The A354V HCN1 failed to conduct hyperpolarization-activated currents in vitro, implicating it as a loss-of-function mutation. Blocking HCN1 channels with ZD7288 in vivo evoked kinetic tremors in nontremulous TRMR rats. We also found neuronal activation of the inferior olive (IO) in both ZD7288-treated TRMR and non-treated TRM rats and a reduced incidence of tremor in the IO-lesioned TRM rats, suggesting a critical role of the IO in tremorgenesis. A rat strain carrying the A354V mutation alone on a genetic background identical to that of the TRM rats showed no tremor. Together, these data indicate that body tremors emerge when the two mutant loci, tm and Hcn1A354V, are combined in a rat model of ET. In this model, HCN1 channels play an important role in the tremorgenesis of ET. We propose that oligogenic, most probably digenic, inheritance is responsible for the genetic heterogeneity of ET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihiro Ohno
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, 569–1094, Japan
| | - Saki Shimizu
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, 569–1094, Japan
| | - Ayaka Tatara
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, 569–1094, Japan
| | - Takuji Imaoku
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, 569–1094, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ishii
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606–8501, Japan
| | | | - Tadao Serikawa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, 569–1094, Japan
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606–8501, Japan
| | - Takashi Kuramoto
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606–8501, Japan
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Genetic etiology of renal agenesis: fine mapping of Renag1 and identification of Kit as the candidate functional gene. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118147. [PMID: 25693193 PMCID: PMC4333340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urogenital tract (CAKUT) occur in approximately 0.5% of live births and represent the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease in neonates and children. The genetic basis of CAKUT is not well defined. To understand more fully the genetic basis of one type of CAKUT, unilateral renal agenesis (URA), we are studying inbred ACI rats, which spontaneously exhibit URA and associated urogenital anomalies at an incidence of approximately 10%. URA is inherited as an incompletely dominant trait with incomplete penetrance in crosses between ACI and Brown Norway (BN) rats and a single responsible genetic locus, designated Renag1, was previously mapped to rat chromosome 14 (RNO14). The goals of this study were to fine map Renag1, identify the causal genetic variant responsible for URA, confirm that the Renag1 variant is the sole determinant of URA in the ACI rat, and define the embryologic basis of URA in this rat model. Data presented herein localize Renag1 to a 379 kilobase (kb) interval that contains a single protein coding gene, Kit (v-kit Hardy-Zukerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog); identify an endogenous retrovirus-derived long terminal repeat located within Kit intron 1 as the probable causal variant; demonstrate aberrant development of the nephric duct in the anticipated number of ACI rat embryos; and demonstrate expression of Kit and Kit ligand (Kitlg) in the nephric duct. Congenic rats that harbor ACI alleles at Renag1 on the BN genetic background exhibit the same spectrum of urogenital anomalies as ACI rats, indicating that Renag1 is necessary and sufficient to elicit URA and associated urogenital anomalies. These data reveal the first genetic link between Kit and URA and illustrate the value of the ACI rat as a model for defining the mechanisms and cell types in which Kit functions during urogenital development.
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Kimani S, Sinei K, Bukachi F, Tshala-Katumbay D, Maitai C. Memory deficits associated with sublethal cyanide poisoning relative to cyanate toxicity in rodents. Metab Brain Dis 2014; 29:105-12. [PMID: 24293006 PMCID: PMC3944471 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-013-9459-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Food (cassava) linamarin is metabolized into neurotoxicants cyanide and cyanate, metabolites of which we sought to elucidate the differential toxicity effects on memory. Young 6-8 weeks old male rats were treated intraperitoneally with either 2.5 mg/kg body weight (bw) cyanide (NaCN), or 50 mg/kg bw cyanate (NaOCN), or 1 μl/g bw saline, daily for 6 weeks. Short-term and long-term memories were assessed using a radial arm maze (RAM) testing paradigm. Toxic exposures had an influence on short-term working memory with fewer correct arm entries (F(2, 19) = 4.57 p < 0.05), higher working memory errors (WME) (F(2, 19) = 5.09, p < 0.05) and longer RAM navigation time (F(2, 19) = 3.91, p < 0.05) for NaOCN relative to NaCN and saline treatments. The long-term working memory was significantly impaired by cyanide with fewer correct arm entries (F(2, 19) = 7.45, p < 0.01) and increased working memory errors (F(2, 19) = 9.35 p < 0.05) in NaCN relative to NaOCN or vehicle treated animals. Reference memory was not affected by either cyanide or cyanate. Our study findings provide an experimental evidence for the biological plausibility that cassava cyanogens may induce cognition deficits. Differential patterns of memory deficits may reflect the differences in toxicity mechanisms of NaOCN relative to NaCN. Cognition deficits associated with cassava cyanogenesis may reflect a dual toxicity effect of cyanide and cyanate.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kimani
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy & School of Nursing Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta National Hospital, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya,
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Yu S, Shang P. A review of bioeffects of static magnetic field on rodent models. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 114:14-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2013.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Genetic and phenotypic characterization of a Japanese wild-derived DOB/Oda rat strain. Mamm Genome 2013; 24:303-8. [PMID: 23896813 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-013-9465-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Wild-derived rat strains can provide novel genome resources that are not available in standard laboratory strains. Genetic backgrounds of wild-derived strains can facilitate effective genetic linkage analyses and often modulate the expression of mutant phenotypes. Here we describe the development and characterization of a new inbred rat strain, DOB/Oda, from wild rats (Rattus norvegicus) captured in Shitara, Aichi, Japan. Phenotype analysis of 109 parameters revealed that the DOB/Oda rats had small body weight, preference for darkness, and high locomotor activity compared with the rat strains in the National BioResource Project for the Rat (NBRP-Rat) database. Genome analysis with 357 SSLP markers identified DOB/Oda-specific alleles in 70 markers. The percentage of SSLP markers that showed polymorphism between the DOB/Oda strain and any of 132 laboratory strains from NBRP-Rat varied from 89 to 95 %. The polymorphic rate (average of the values of the percentage) for the DOB/Oda strain was 91.6 %, much higher than the rates for available wild-derived strains such as the Brown Norway rat. A phylogenic tree constructed with DOB/Oda and all the strains in NBRP-Rat showed that the DOB/Oda strain localized within the wild rat groups, apparently separate from the laboratory strains. Together, these findings indicated that the DOB/Oda rat has a unique genome that is not available in the laboratory strains. Therefore, the new DOB/Oda strain will provide an important genome resource that will be useful for designing genetic experiments and for the discovery of genes that modulate mutant phenotypes.
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Efficient gene targeting by TAL effector nucleases coinjected with exonucleases in zygotes. Sci Rep 2013; 3:1253. [PMID: 23409244 PMCID: PMC3570776 DOI: 10.1038/srep01253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
TAL Effector Nucleases (TALENs) are versatile tools for targeted gene editing in various species. However, their efficiency is still insufficient, especially in mammalian embryos. Here, we showed that combined expression of Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) with engineered site-specific TALENs provided highly efficient disruption of the endogenous gene in rat fibroblast cells. A similar increased efficiency of up to ~30% with Exo1 was also observed in fertilized rat eggs, and in the production of knockout rats for the albino (Tyr) gene. These findings demonstrate TALENs with Exo1 is an easy and efficient method of generating gene knockouts using zygotes, which increases the range of gene targeting technologies available to various species.
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