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Selleghin-Veiga G, Magpali L, Picorelli A, Silva FA, Ramos E, Nery MF. Breathing Air and Living Underwater: Molecular Evolution of Genes Related to Antioxidant Response in Cetaceans and Pinnipeds. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:300-316. [PMID: 38735005 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10170-3] [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: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cetaceans and pinnipeds are lineages of mammals that have independently returned to the aquatic environment, acquiring varying degrees of dependence on it while sharing adaptations for underwater living. Here, we focused on one critical adaptation from both groups, their ability to withstand the ischemia and reperfusion experienced during apnea diving, which can lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent oxidative damage. Previous studies have shown that cetaceans and pinnipeds possess efficient antioxidant enzymes that protect against ROS. In this study, we investigated the molecular evolution of key antioxidant enzyme genes (CAT, GPX3, GSR, PRDX1, PRDX3, and SOD1) and the ROS-producing gene XDH, in cetaceans and pinnipeds lineages. We used the ratio of non-synonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitutions as a measure to identify signatures of adaptive molecular evolution in these genes within and between the two lineages. Additionally, we performed protein modeling and variant impact analyzes to assess the functional consequences of observed mutations. Our findings revealed distinct selective regimes between aquatic and terrestrial mammals in five of the examined genes, including divergences within cetacean and pinniped lineages, between ancestral and recent lineages and between crowns groups. We identified specific sites under positive selection unique to Cetacea and Pinnipedia, with one site showing evidence of convergent evolution in species known for their long and deep-diving capacities. Notably, many sites under adaptive selection exhibited radical changes in amino acid properties, with some being damaging mutations in human variations, but with no apparent detrimental impacts on aquatic mammals. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the adaptive changes that have occurred in the antioxidant systems of aquatic mammals throughout their evolutionary history. We observed both distinctive features within each group of Cetacea and Pinnipedia and instances of convergence. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of the antioxidant system in response to challenges of the aquatic environment and provide a foundation for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Selleghin-Veiga
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
| | - Letícia Magpali
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Agnello Picorelli
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Felipe A Silva
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Elisa Ramos
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
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Ponganis PJ, Williams CL, Kendall-Bar JM. Blood oxygen transport and depletion in diving emperor penguins. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246832. [PMID: 38390686 PMCID: PMC11006389 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246832] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Oxygen store management underlies dive performance and is dependent on the slow heart rate and peripheral vasoconstriction of the dive response to control tissue blood flow and oxygen uptake. Prior research has revealed two major patterns of muscle myoglobin saturation profiles during dives of emperor penguins. In Type A profiles, myoglobin desaturated rapidly, consistent with minimal muscle blood flow and low tissue oxygen uptake. Type B profiles, with fluctuating and slower declines in myoglobin saturation, were consistent with variable tissue blood flow patterns and tissue oxygen uptake during dives. We examined arterial and venous blood oxygen profiles to evaluate blood oxygen extraction and found two primary patterns of venous hemoglobin desaturation that complemented corresponding myoglobin saturation profiles. Type A venous profiles had a hemoglobin saturation that (a) increased/plateaued for most of a dive's duration, (b) only declined during the latter stages of ascent, and (c) often became arterialized [arterio-venous (a-v) shunting]. In Type B venous profiles, variable but progressive hemoglobin desaturation profiles were interrupted by inflections in the profile that were consistent with fluctuating tissue blood flow and oxygen uptake. End-of-dive saturation of arterial and Type A venous hemoglobin saturation profiles were not significantly different, but did differ from those of Type B venous profiles. These findings provide further support that the dive response of emperor penguins is a spectrum of cardiac and vascular components (including a-v shunting) that are dependent on the nature and demands of a given dive and even of a given segment of a dive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Ponganis
- Center for Marine Biotechnology & Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0204, USA
| | - Cassondra L. Williams
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Jessica M. Kendall-Bar
- Center for Marine Biotechnology & Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0204, USA
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3
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Pearson AB, Hückstädt LA, Kinsey ST, Schmitt TL, Robeck TR, St Leger J, Ponganis PJ, Tift MS. Relationship between red blood cell lifespan and endogenous carbon monoxide in the common bottlenose dolphin and beluga. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2024; 326:R134-R146. [PMID: 37982188 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00172.2023] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Certain deep-diving marine mammals [i.e., northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii)] have blood carbon monoxide (CO) levels that are comparable with those of chronic cigarette smokers. Most CO produced in humans is a byproduct of heme degradation, which is released when red blood cells (RBCs) are destroyed. Elevated CO can occur in humans when RBC lifespan decreases. The contribution of RBC turnover to CO concentrations in marine mammals is unknown. Here, we report the first RBC lifespans in two healthy marine mammal species with different diving capacities and heme stores, the shallow-diving bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and deep-diving beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), and we relate the lifespans to the levels of CO in blood and breath. The belugas, with high blood heme stores, had the longest mean RBC lifespan compared with humans and bottlenose dolphins. Both cetacean species were found to have three times higher blood CO content compared with humans. The estimated CO production rate from heme degradation indicates some marine mammals may have additional mechanisms for CO production, or delay CO removal from the body, potentially from long-duration breath-holds.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to determine the red blood cell lifespan in a marine mammal species. High concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) were found in the blood of bottlenose dolphins and in the blood and breath of belugas compared with healthy humans. Red blood cell turnover accounted for these high levels in bottlenose dolphins, but there may be alternative mechanisms of endogenous CO production that are contributing to the CO concentrations observed in belugas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Pearson
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
| | - Luis A Hückstädt
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen T Kinsey
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
| | - Todd L Schmitt
- SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Todd R Robeck
- SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Judy St Leger
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
| | - Paul J Ponganis
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Michael S Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
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Yépez Y, Marcano-Ruiz M, Bortolini MC. Adaptive strategies of aquatic mammals: Exploring the role of the HIF pathway and hypoxia tolerance. Genet Mol Biol 2024; 46:e20230140. [PMID: 38252060 PMCID: PMC10802827 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2023-0140] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquatic mammals (marine and freshwater species) share significant and similar adaptations, enabling them to tolerate hypoxia during regular breath-hold diving. Despite the established importance of HIF1A, a master regulator in the molecular mechanism of hypoxia response, and other associated genes, their role in the evolutionary adaptation of aquatic mammals is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated this topic by employing a candidate gene approach to analyze 11 critical genes involved in the HIF1A signaling pathway in aquatic mammals. Our gene analyses included evaluating positive and negative selection, relaxation or constriction of selection, and molecular convergence compared to other terrestrial mammals, including subterranean mammals. Evidence of selection suggested a significant role of negative selection, as well as relaxation of the selective regime in cetaceans for most of these genes. We found that the glutamine 68 variant in the HIF3α protein is unique to cetaceans and initial evaluations indicated a destabilizing effect on protein structure. However, further analyses are necessary to evaluate its functional impact and adaptive relevance in this taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Yépez
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Humana e Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana Marcano-Ruiz
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Humana e Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Cátira Bortolini
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Humana e Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Harford AR, Devaux JBL, Hickey AJR. Dynamic defence? Intertidal triplefin species show better maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential than subtidal species at low oxygen pressures. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245926. [PMID: 37498237 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245926] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen is essential for most eukaryotic lifeforms, as it supports mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to supply ∼90% of cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Fluctuations in O2 present a major stressor, with hypoxia leading to a cascade of detrimental physiological changes that alter cell operations and ultimately induce death. Nonetheless, some species episodically tolerate near-anoxic environments, and have evolved mechanisms to sustain function even during extended hypoxic periods. While mitochondria are pivotal in central metabolism, their role in hypoxia tolerance remains ill defined. Given the vulnerability of the brain to hypoxia, mitochondrial function was tested in brain homogenates of three closely related triplefin species with varying degrees of hypoxia tolerance (Bellapiscis medius, Forsterygion lapillum and Forsterygion varium). High-resolution respirometry coupled with fluorometric measurements of mitochondrial membrane potential (mtMP) permitted assessment of differences in mitochondrial function and integrity in response to intermittent hypoxia and anoxia. Traditional steady-state measures of respiratory flux and mtMP showed no differences among species. However, in the transition into anoxia, the tolerant species B. medius and F. lapillum maintained mtMP at O2 pressures 7- and 4.4-fold lower, respectively, than that of the hypoxia-sensitive F. varium and exhibited slower rates of membrane depolarisation. The results indicate that dynamic oxic-hypoxic mitochondria transitions underlie hypoxia tolerance in these intertidal fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice R Harford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jules B L Devaux
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Anthony J R Hickey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Reyes-Ramos CA, Ramírez-Jirano LJ, Bitzer-Quintero OK, Vázquez-Medina JP, Gaxiola-Robles R, Zenteno-Savín T. Dolphin leukocytes exhibit an attenuated cytokine response and increase heme oxygenase activity upon exposure to lipopolysaccharides. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 281:111438. [PMID: 37119961 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Cetaceans exhibit physiological adaptations that allowed the transition to aquatic life, including a robust antioxidant defense system that prevents injury from repeated exposure to ischemia/reperfusion events associated with breath-hold diving. The signaling cascades that characterize ischemic inflammation in humans are well characterized. In contrast, cetaceans' molecular and biochemical mechanisms that confer tolerance to inflammatory events are poorly understood. Heme oxygenase (HO) is a cytoprotective protein with anti-inflammatory properties. HO catalyzes the first step in the oxidative degradation of heme. The inducible HO-1 isoform is regulated by various stimuli, including hypoxia, oxidant stress, and inflammatory cytokines. The objective of this study was to compare the response of HO-1 and cytokines to a proinflammatory challenge in leukocytes isolated from humans and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We measured changes in HO activity and expression, and abundance and expression of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) in leukocytes treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 and 48 h. HO activity increased (p < 0.05) in dolphin (48 h) but not human cells. TNF-α expression increased in human (24 h, 48 h), but not dolphin cells following LPS stimulation. LPS-induced cytokine expression was lower in dolphin than in human leukocytes, suggesting a blunted cytokine response in bottlenose dolphin leukocytes treated with LPS. Results suggest species-specific regulation of inflammatory cytokines in leukocytes treated with LPS, which may lead to differential responses to a pro-inflammatory challenge between marine and terrestrial mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Reyes-Ramos
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Luis Javier Ramírez-Jirano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Sierra Mojada 800, Independencia Oriente, 44340 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Oscar Kurt Bitzer-Quintero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Sierra Mojada 800, Independencia Oriente, 44340 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José Pablo Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
| | - Ramón Gaxiola-Robles
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico; Hospital General de Zona No.1, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 5 de Febrero y Héroes de la Independencia, Centro, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico
| | - Tania Zenteno-Savín
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico.
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Kalinichenko SG, Pushchin II, Matveeva NY. Neurotoxic and cytoprotective mechanisms in the ischemic neocortex. J Chem Neuroanat 2023; 128:102230. [PMID: 36603664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2022.102230] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal damage in ischemic stroke occurs due to permanent imbalance between the metabolic needs of the brain and the ability of the blood-vascular system to maintain glucose delivery and adequate gas exchange. Oxidative stress and excitotoxicity trigger complex processes of neuroinflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis of both neurons and glial cells. This review summarizes data on the structural and chemical changes in the neocortex and main cytoprotective effects induced by focal ischemic stroke. We focus on the expression of neurotrophins (NT) and molecular and cellular changes in neurovascular units in ischemic brain. We also discuss how these factors affect the apoptosis of cortical cells. Ischemic damage involves close interaction of a wide range of signaling molecules, each acting as an efficient marker of cell state in both the ischemic core and penumbra. NTs play the main regulatory role in brain tissue recovery after ischemic injury. Heterogeneous distribution of the BDNF, NT-3, and GDNF immunoreactivity is concordant with the selective response of different types of cortical neurons and glia to ischemic injury and allows mapping the position of viable neurons. Astrocytes are the central link in neurovascular coupling in ischemic brain by providing other cells with a wide range of vasotropic factors. The NT expression coincides with the distribution of reactive astrocytes, marking the boundaries of the penumbra. The development of ischemic stroke is accompanied by a dramatic change in the distribution of GDNF reactivity. In early ischemic period, it is mainly observed in cortical neurons, while in late one, the bulk of GDNF-positive cells are various types of glia, in particular, astrocytes. The proportion of GDNF-positive astrocytes increases gradually throughout the ischemic period. Some factors that exert cytoprotective effects in early ischemic period may display neurotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects later on. The number of apoptotic cells in the ischemic brain tissue correlates with the BDNF levels, corroborating its protective effects. Cytoprotection and neuroplasticity are two lines of brain protection and recovery after ischemic stroke. NTs can be considered an important link in these processes. To develop efficient pharmacological therapy for ischemic brain injury, we have to deepen our understanding of neurochemical adaptation of brain tissue to acute stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei G Kalinichenko
- Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok 690950, Russia
| | - Igor I Pushchin
- Laboratory of Physiology, A.V. Zhirmusky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041, Russia.
| | - Natalya Yu Matveeva
- Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok 690950, Russia
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Kang H, Liu Q, Seim I, Zhang W, Li H, Gao H, Lin W, Lin M, Zhang P, Zhang Y, Gao H, Wang Y, Qin Y, Liu M, Dong L, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Han L, Fan G, Li S. A genome and single-nucleus cerebral cortex transcriptome atlas of the short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus. Mol Ecol Resour 2023. [PMID: 36826393 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) have large and anatomically sophisticated brains. To expand our understanding of the cellular makeup of cetacean brains and the similarities and divergence between the brains of cetaceans and terrestrial mammals, we report a short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) single-nucleus transcriptome atlas. To achieve this goal, we assembled a chromosome-scale reference genome spanning 2.25 Gb on 22 chromosomes and profiled the gene expression of five major anatomical cortical regions of the short-finned pilot whale by single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq). We identified six major cell lineages in the cerebral cortex (excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes, and endothelial cells), eight molecularly distinct subclusters of excitatory neurons, and four subclusters of inhibitory neurons. Finally, a comparison of snRNA-seq data from the short-finned pilot whale, human, and rhesus macaque revealed a broadly conserved cellular makeup of brain cell types. Our study provides genomic resources and molecular insights into cetacean brain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Kang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qun Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China.,Lars Bolund Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, China
| | - Inge Seim
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hanbo Li
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China.,Lars Bolund Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, China
| | - Haiyu Gao
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhi Lin
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Mingli Lin
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | | | | | - Yang Wang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
| | - Yating Qin
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
| | - Mingming Liu
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Lijun Dong
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Zixin Yang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | | | - Lei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Songhai Li
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
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Lucas SAM, Graham AM, Presnell JS, Clark NL. Highly Dynamic Gene Family Evolution Suggests Changing Roles for PON Genes Within Metazoa. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad011. [PMID: 36718542 PMCID: PMC9937041 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Change in gene family size has been shown to facilitate adaptation to different selective pressures. This includes gene duplication to increase dosage or diversification of enzymatic substrates and gene deletion due to relaxed selection. We recently found that the PON1 gene, an enzyme with arylesterase and lactonase activity, was lost repeatedly in different aquatic mammalian lineages, suggesting that the PON gene family is responsive to environmental change. We further investigated if these fluctuations in gene family size were restricted to mammals and approximately when this gene family was expanded within mammals. Using 112 metazoan protein models, we explored the evolutionary history of the PON family to characterize the dynamic evolution of this gene family. We found that there have been multiple, independent expansion events in tardigrades, cephalochordates, and echinoderms. In addition, there have been partial gene loss events in monotremes and sea cucumbers and what appears to be complete loss in arthropods, urochordates, platyhelminths, ctenophores, and placozoans. In addition, we show the mammalian expansion to three PON paralogs occurred in the ancestor of all mammals after the divergence of sauropsida but before the divergence of monotremes from therians. We also provide evidence of a novel PON expansion within the brushtail possum. In the face of repeated expansions and deletions in the context of changing environments, we suggest a range of selective pressures, including pathogen infection and mitigation of oxidative damage, are likely influencing the diversification of this dynamic gene family across metazoa.
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Khudyakov JI, Allen KN, Crocker DE, Trost NS, Roberts AH, Pirard L, Debier C, Piotrowski ER, Vázquez-Medina JP. Comprehensive molecular and morphological resolution of blubber stratification in a deep-diving, fasting-adapted seal. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1057721. [PMID: 36589428 PMCID: PMC9795062 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1057721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Blubber is a modified subcutaneous adipose tissue in marine mammals that provides energy storage, thermoregulation, hydrodynamic locomotion, and buoyancy. Blubber displays vertical stratification by lipid content, fatty acid composition, and vascularization, leading to the assumption that deeper blubber layers are metabolically active, while superficial layers are mainly structural and thermoregulatory. However, few studies have examined functional stratification of marine mammal blubber directly, especially in pinnipeds. We characterized morphological and transcriptional differences across blubber layers in the northern elephant seal, a deep-diving and fasting-adapted phocid. We collected blubber from seals early in their fasting period and divided blubber cores into three similarly sized portions. We hypothesized that the innermost blubber portion would have higher 1) heterogeneity in adipocyte size, 2) microvascular density, and 3) expression of genes associated with metabolism and hormone signaling than outer blubber. We found that adipocyte area and variance increased from outermost (skin-adjacent) to innermost (muscle-adjacent) blubber layers, suggesting that inner blubber has a higher capacity for lipid storage and turnover than outer blubber. Inner blubber had a higher proportion of CD144+ endothelial cells, suggesting higher microvascular density. In contrast, outer blubber had a higher proportion of CD4+ immune cells than inner blubber, suggesting higher capacity for response to tissue injury. Transcriptome analysis identified 61 genes that were differentially expressed between inner and outer blubber layers, many of which have not been studied previously in marine mammals. Based on known functions of these genes in other mammals, we suggest that inner blubber has potentially higher 1) adipogenic capacity, 2) cellular diversity, and 3) metabolic and neuroendocrine signaling activity, while outer blubber may have higher 1) extracellular matrix synthesis activity and 2) responsiveness to pathogens and cell stressors. We further characterized expression of nine genes of interest identified by transcriptomics and two adipokines with higher precision across blubber layers using targeted assays. Our study provides functional insights into stratification of blubber in marine mammals and a molecular key, including CD144, CD4, HMGCS2, GABRG2, HCAR2, and COL1A2, for distinguishing blubber layers for physiological and functional studies in seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. I. Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States,*Correspondence: J. I. Khudyakov,
| | - K. N. Allen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - D. E. Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United States
| | - N. S. Trost
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | - A. H. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | - L. Pirard
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la Neuve, Belgium
| | - C. Debier
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la Neuve, Belgium
| | - E. R. Piotrowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | - J. P. Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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11
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Yu JJ, Non AL, Heinrich EC, Gu W, Alcock J, Moya EA, Lawrence ES, Tift MS, O'Brien KA, Storz JF, Signore AV, Khudyakov JI, Milsom WK, Wilson SM, Beall CM, Villafuerte FC, Stobdan T, Julian CG, Moore LG, Fuster MM, Stokes JA, Milner R, West JB, Zhang J, Shyy JY, Childebayeva A, Vázquez-Medina JP, Pham LV, Mesarwi OA, Hall JE, Cheviron ZA, Sieker J, Blood AB, Yuan JX, Scott GR, Rana BK, Ponganis PJ, Malhotra A, Powell FL, Simonson TS. Time Domains of Hypoxia Responses and -Omics Insights. Front Physiol 2022; 13:885295. [PMID: 36035495 PMCID: PMC9400701 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.885295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to respond rapidly to changes in oxygen tension is critical for many forms of life. Challenges to oxygen homeostasis, specifically in the contexts of evolutionary biology and biomedicine, provide important insights into mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation and tolerance. Here we synthesize findings across varying time domains of hypoxia in terms of oxygen delivery, ranging from early animal to modern human evolution and examine the potential impacts of environmental and clinical challenges through emerging multi-omics approaches. We discuss how diverse animal species have adapted to hypoxic environments, how humans vary in their responses to hypoxia (i.e., in the context of high-altitude exposure, cardiopulmonary disease, and sleep apnea), and how findings from each of these fields inform the other and lead to promising new directions in basic and clinical hypoxia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Yu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amy L. Non
- Department of Anthropology, Division of Social Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Amy L. Non, Tatum S. Simonson,
| | - Erica C. Heinrich
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Wanjun Gu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Joe Alcock
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, MX, United States
| | - Esteban A. Moya
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Elijah S. Lawrence
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Katie A. O'Brien
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, ENG, United Kingdom
| | - Jay F. Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Anthony V. Signore
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Jane I. Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | | | - Sean M. Wilson
- Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Colleen G. Julian
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Lorna G. Moore
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mark M. Fuster
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Stokes
- Department of Kinesiology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, United States
| | - Richard Milner
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John B. West
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John Y. Shyy
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ainash Childebayeva
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - José Pablo Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Letters and Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Luu V. Pham
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Omar A. Mesarwi
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - James E. Hall
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Zachary A. Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Jeremy Sieker
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arlin B. Blood
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jason X. Yuan
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Graham R. Scott
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Brinda K. Rana
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Ponganis
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Frank L. Powell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tatum S. Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Amy L. Non, Tatum S. Simonson,
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12
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Eaton L, Pamenter ME. What to do with low O 2: Redox adaptations in vertebrates native to hypoxic environments. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 271:111259. [PMID: 35724954 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important cellular signalling molecules but sudden changes in redox balance can be deleterious to cells and lethal to the whole organism. ROS production is inherently linked to environmental oxygen availability and many species live in variable oxygen environments that can range in both severity and duration of hypoxic exposure. Given the importance of redox homeostasis to cell and animal viability, it is not surprising that early studies in species adapted to various hypoxic niches have revealed diverse strategies to limit or mitigate deleterious ROS changes. Although research in this area is in its infancy, patterns are beginning to emerge in the suites of adaptations to different hypoxic environments. This review focuses on redox adaptations (i.e., modifications of ROS production and scavenging, and mitigation of oxidative damage) in hypoxia-tolerant vertebrates across a range of hypoxic environments. In general, evidence suggests that animals adapted to chronic lifelong hypoxia are in homeostasis, and do not encounter major oxidative challenges in their homeostatic environment, whereas animals exposed to seasonal chronic anoxia or hypoxia rapidly downregulate redox balance to match a hypometabolic state and employ robust scavenging pathways during seasonal reoxygenation. Conversely, animals adapted to intermittent hypoxia exposure face the greatest degree of ROS imbalance and likely exhibit enhanced ROS-mitigation strategies. Although some progress has been made, research in this field is patchy and further elucidation of mechanisms that are protective against environmental redox challenges is imperative for a more holistic understanding of how animals survive hypoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Eaton
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew E Pamenter
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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13
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Genomewide analysis of sperm whale E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme genes. J Genet 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-021-01333-y] [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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14
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Piotrowski ER, Tift MS, Crocker DE, Pearson AB, Vázquez-Medina JP, Keith AD, Khudyakov JI. Ontogeny of Carbon Monoxide-Related Gene Expression in a Deep-Diving Marine Mammal. Front Physiol 2021; 12:762102. [PMID: 34744798 PMCID: PMC8567018 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.762102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine mammals such as northern elephant seals (NES) routinely experience hypoxemia and ischemia-reperfusion events to many tissues during deep dives with no apparent adverse effects. Adaptations to diving include increased antioxidants and elevated oxygen storage capacity associated with high hemoprotein content in blood and muscle. The natural turnover of heme by heme oxygenase enzymes (encoded by HMOX1 and HMOX2) produces endogenous carbon monoxide (CO), which is present at high levels in NES blood and has been shown to have cytoprotective effects in laboratory systems exposed to hypoxia. To understand how pathways associated with endogenous CO production and signaling change across ontogeny in diving mammals, we measured muscle CO and baseline expression of 17 CO-related genes in skeletal muscle and whole blood of three age classes of NES. Muscle CO levels approached those of animals exposed to high exogenous CO, increased with age, and were significantly correlated with gene expression levels. Muscle expression of genes associated with CO production and antioxidant defenses (HMOX1, BVR, GPX3, PRDX1) increased with age and was highest in adult females, while that of genes associated with protection from lipid peroxidation (GPX4, PRDX6, PRDX1, SIRT1) was highest in adult males. In contrast, muscle expression of mitochondrial biogenesis regulators (PGC1A, ESRRA, ESRRG) was highest in pups, while genes associated with inflammation (HMOX2, NRF2, IL1B) did not vary with age or sex. Blood expression of genes involved in regulation of inflammation (IL1B, NRF2, BVR, IL10) was highest in pups, while HMOX1, HMOX2 and pro-inflammatory markers (TLR4, CCL4, PRDX1, TNFA) did not vary with age. We propose that ontogenetic upregulation of baseline HMOX1 expression in skeletal muscle of NES may, in part, underlie increases in CO levels and expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. HMOX2, in turn, may play a role in regulating inflammation related to ischemia and reperfusion in muscle and circulating immune cells. Our data suggest putative ontogenetic mechanisms that may enable phocid pups to transition to a deep-diving lifestyle, including high baseline expression of genes associated with mitochondrial biogenesis and immune system activation during postnatal development and increased expression of genes associated with protection from lipid peroxidation in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael S. Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Daniel E. Crocker
- Biology Department, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United States
| | - Anna B. Pearson
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - José P. Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Anna D. Keith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | - Jane I. Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
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15
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Hypoxia Tolerant Species: The Wisdom of Nature Translated into Targets for Stroke Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011131. [PMID: 34681788 PMCID: PMC8537001 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human neurons rapidly die after ischemia and current therapies for stroke management are limited to restoration of blood flow to prevent further brain damage. Thrombolytics and mechanical thrombectomy are the available reperfusion treatments, but most of the patients remain untreated. Neuroprotective therapies focused on treating the pathogenic cascade of the disease have widely failed. However, many animal species demonstrate that neurons can survive the lack of oxygen for extended periods of time. Here, we reviewed the physiological and molecular pathways inherent to tolerant species that have been described to contribute to hypoxia tolerance. Among them, Foxo3 and Eif5A were reported to mediate anoxic survival in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, respectively, and those results were confirmed in experimental models of stroke. In humans however, the multiple mechanisms involved in brain cell death after a stroke causes translation difficulties to arise making necessary a timely and coordinated control of the pathological changes. We propose here that, if we were able to plagiarize such natural hypoxia tolerance through drugs combined in a pharmacological cocktail it would open new therapeutic opportunities for stroke and likely, for other hypoxic conditions.
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16
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Ensminger DC, Crocker DE, Lam EK, Allen KN, Vázquez-Medina JP. Repeated stimulation of the HPA axis alters white blood cell count without increasing oxidative stress or inflammatory cytokines in fasting elephant seal pups. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272184. [PMID: 34524449 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243198] [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: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis controls the release of glucocorticoids, which regulate immune and inflammatory function by modulating cytokines, white blood cells and oxidative stress via glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling. Although the response to HPA activation is well characterized in many species, little is known about the impacts of HPA activation during extreme physiological conditions. Hence, we challenged 18 simultaneously fasting and developing elephant seal pups with daily intramuscular injections of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), a GR antagonist (RU486), or a combination of the two (ACTH+RU486) for 4 days. We collected blood at baseline, 2 h and 4 days after the beginning of treatment. ACTH and ACTH+RU486 elevated serum aldosterone and cortisol at 2 h, with effects diminishing at 4 days. RU486 alone induced a compensatory increase in aldosterone, but not cortisol, at 4 days. ACTH decreased neutrophils at 2 h, while decreasing lymphocytes and increasing the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio at 4 days. These effects were abolished by RU486. Despite alterations in white blood cells, there was no effect of ACTH or RU486 on transforming growth factor-β or interleukin-6 levels; however, both cytokines decreased with the 4 day fasting progression. Similarly, ACTH did not impact protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation or antioxidant enzymes, but plasma isoprostanes and catalase activity decreased while glutathione peroxidase increased with fasting progression. These data demonstrate differential acute (2 h) and chronic (4 days) modulatory effects of HPA activation on white blood cells and that the chronic effect is mediated, at least in part, by GR. These results also underscore elephant seals' extraordinary resistance to oxidative stress derived from repeated HPA activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Ensminger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Emily K Lam
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Kaitlin N Allen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
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17
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Reyes-Ramos CA, Gaxiola-Robles R, Vázquez-Medina JP, Ramírez-Jirano LJ, Bitzer-Quintero OK, Zenteno-Savín T. In silico Characterization of the Heme Oxygenase 1 From Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus): Evidence of Changes in the Active Site and Purifying Selection. Front Physiol 2021; 12:711645. [PMID: 34456750 PMCID: PMC8388933 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.711645] [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: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetacea is a clade well-adapted to the aquatic lifestyle, with diverse adaptations and physiological responses, as well as a robust antioxidant defense system. Serious injuries caused by boats and fishing nets are common in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus); however, these animals do not show signs of serious infections. Evidence suggests an adaptive response to tissue damage and associated infections in cetaceans. Heme oxygenase (HO) is a cytoprotective protein that participates in the anti-inflammatory response. HO catalyzes the first step in the oxidative degradation of the heme group. Various stimuli, including inflammatory mediators, regulate the inducible HO-1 isoform. This study aims to characterize HO-1 of the bottlenose dolphin in silico and compare its structure to the terrestrial mammal protein. Upstream HO-1 sequence of the bottlenose dolphin was obtained from NCBI and Ensemble databases, and the gene structure was determined using bioinformatics tools. Five exons and four introns were identified, and proximal regulatory elements were detected in the upstream region. The presence of 10 α-helices, three 310 helices, the heme group lodged between the proximal and distal helices, and a histidine-25 in the proximal helix serving as a ligand to the heme group were inferred for T. truncatus. Amino acid sequence alignment suggests HO-1 is a conserved protein. The HO-1 "fingerprint" and histidine-25 appear to be fully conserved among all species analyzed. Evidence of positive selection within an α-helix configuration without changes in protein configuration and evidence of purifying selection were found, indicating evolutionary conservation of the coding sequence structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A. Reyes-Ramos
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Ramón Gaxiola-Robles
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, La Paz, Mexico
- Hospital General de Zona No. 1, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, La Paz, Mexico
| | | | - Luis Javier Ramírez-Jirano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Oscar Kurt Bitzer-Quintero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Tania Zenteno-Savín
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, La Paz, Mexico
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18
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Laske TG, Garshelis DL, Iles TL, Iaizzo PA. An engineering perspective on the development and evolution of implantable cardiac monitors in free-living animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200217. [PMID: 34121460 PMCID: PMC8200647 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The latest technologies associated with implantable physiological monitoring devices can record multiple channels of data (including: heart rates and rhythms, activity, temperature, impedance and posture), and coupled with powerful software applications, have provided novel insights into the physiology of animals in the wild. This perspective details past challenges and lessons learned from the uses and developments of implanted biologgers designed for human clinical application in our research on free-ranging American black bears (Ursus americanus). In addition, we reference other research by colleagues and collaborators who have leveraged these devices in their work, including: brown bears (Ursus arctos), grey wolves (Canis lupus), moose (Alces alces), maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). We also discuss the potentials for applications of such devices across a range of other species. To date, the devices described have been used in fifteen different wild species, with publications pending in many instances. We have focused our physiological research on the analyses of heart rates and rhythms and thus special attention will be paid to this topic. We then discuss some major expected step changes such as improvements in sensing algorithms, data storage, and the incorporation of next-generation short-range wireless telemetry. The latter provides new avenues for data transfer, and when combined with cloud-based computing, it not only provides means for big data storage but also the ability to readily leverage high-performance computing platforms using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. These advances will dramatically increase both data quantity and quality and will facilitate the development of automated recognition of extreme physiological events or key behaviours of interest in a broad array of environments, thus further aiding wildlife monitoring and management. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy G Laske
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David L Garshelis
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (retired), 1201 E Hwy 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA
| | - Tinen L Iles
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul A Iaizzo
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.,Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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19
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Blawas AM, Ware KE, Schmaltz E, Zheng L, Spruance J, Allen AS, West N, Devos N, Corcoran DL, Nowacek DP, Eward WC, Fahlman A, Somarelli JA. An integrated comparative physiology and molecular approach pinpoints mediators of breath-hold capacity in dolphins. Evol Med Public Health 2021; 9:420-430. [PMID: 35169481 PMCID: PMC8833867 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab036] [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: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and objectives
Ischemic events, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the number one cause of death globally. Ischemia prevents blood, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen, from reaching tissues, leading to cell and tissue death, and eventual organ failure. While humans are relatively intolerant to ischemic events, other species, such as marine mammals, have evolved a unique tolerance to chronic ischemia/reperfusion during apneic diving. To identify possible molecular features of an increased tolerance for apnea, we examined changes in gene expression in breath-holding dolphins.
Methodology
Here, we capitalized on the adaptations possesed by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for diving as a comparative model of ischemic stress and hypoxia tolerance to identify molecular features associated with breath holding. Given that signals in the blood may influence physiological changes during diving, we used RNA-Seq and enzyme assays to examine time-dependent changes in gene expression in the blood of breath-holding dolphins.
Results
We observed time-dependent upregulation of the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) gene and increased lipoxygenase activity during breath holding. ALOX5 has been shown to be activated during hypoxia in rodent models, and its metabolites, leukotrienes, induce vasoconstriction.
Conclusions and implications
The upregulation of ALOX5 mRNA occurred within the calculated aerobic dive limit of the species, suggesting that ALOX5 may play a role in the dolphin’s physiological response to diving, particularly in a pro-inflammatory response to ischemia and in promoting vasoconstriction. These observations pinpoint a potential molecular mechanism by which dolphins, and perhaps other marine mammals, respond to the prolonged breath holds associated with diving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Blawas
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn E Ware
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Emma Schmaltz
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Larry Zheng
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Jacob Spruance
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Austin S Allen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | | | - Nicolas Devos
- Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David L Corcoran
- Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Douglas P Nowacek
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
- Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - William C Eward
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andreas Fahlman
- Global Diving Research, Inc., Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Research Department, Fundación Oceanogrāfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA
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20
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Derous D, Sahu J, Douglas A, Lusseau D, Wenzel M. Comparative genomics of cetartiodactyla: energy metabolism underpins the transition to an aquatic lifestyle. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa136. [PMID: 33505701 PMCID: PMC7816800 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Foraging disruption caused by human activities is emerging as a key issue in cetacean conservation because it can affect nutrient levels and the amount of energy available to individuals to invest into reproduction. Our ability to predict how anthropogenic stressors affect these ecological processes and ultimately population trajectory depends crucially on our understanding of the complex physiological mechanisms that detect nutrient availability and regulate energy metabolism, foraging behavior and life-history decisions. These physiological mechanisms are likely to differ considerably from terrestrial mammalian model systems. Here, we examine nucleotide substitution rates in cetacean and other artiodactyl genomes to identify signatures of selection in genes associated with nutrient sensing pathways. We also estimated the likely physiological consequences of adaptive amino acid substitutions for pathway functions. Our results highlight that genes involved in the insulin, mTOR and NF-ĸB pathways are subject to significant positive selection in cetaceans compared to terrestrial artiodactyla. These genes may have been positively selected to enable cetaceans to adapt to a glucose-poor diet, to overcome deleterious effects caused by hypoxia during diving (e.g. oxidative stress and inflammation) and to modify fat-depot signaling functions in a manner different to terrestrial mammals. We thus show that adaptation in cetaceans to an aquatic lifestyle significantly affected functions in nutrient sensing pathways. The use of fat stores as a condition index in cetaceans may be confounded by the multiple and critical roles fat has in regulating cetacean metabolism, foraging behavior and diving physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davina Derous
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Jagajjit Sahu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alex Douglas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - David Lusseau
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marius Wenzel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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21
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Antonova EP, Ilyukha VA, Kizhina AG, Uzenbaeva LB, Khizhkin EA, Kalinina SN, Baishnikova IV, Pechorina EF. Age-Related and Seasonal Changes in Muscle Antioxidant Defense and Erythrocyte Morphometric Parameters of a Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s002209302005004x] [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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22
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Abstract
For the last century we have relied on model organisms to help understand fundamental biological processes. Now, with advancements in genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation, non-model organisms may be studied with the same advanced bioanalytical toolkit as model organisms. Proteomics is one such technique, which classically relies on predicted protein sequences to catalog and measure complex proteomes across tissues and biofluids. Applying proteomics to non-model organisms can advance and accelerate biomimicry studies, biomedical advancements, veterinary medicine, agricultural research, behavioral ecology, and food safety. In this postmodel organism era, we can study almost any species, meaning that many non-model organisms are, in fact, important emerging model organisms. Herein we specifically focus on eukaryotic organisms and discuss the steps to generate sequence databases, analyze proteomic data with or without a database, and interpret results as well as future research opportunities. Proteomics is more accessible than ever before and will continue to rapidly advance in the coming years, enabling critical research and discoveries in non-model organisms that were hitherto impossible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Heck
- Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Neely
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, SC, USA
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23
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Lam EK, Allen KN, Torres-Velarde JM, Vázquez-Medina JP. Functional Studies with Primary Cells Provide a System for Genome-to-Phenome Investigations in Marine Mammals. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:348-360. [PMID: 32516367 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine mammals exhibit some of the most dramatic physiological adaptations in their clade and offer unparalleled insights into the mechanisms driving convergent evolution on relatively short time scales. Some of these adaptations, such as extreme tolerance to hypoxia and prolonged food deprivation, are uncommon among most terrestrial mammals and challenge established metabolic principles of supply and demand balance. Non-targeted omics studies are starting to uncover the genetic foundations of such adaptations, but tools for testing functional significance in these animals are currently lacking. Cellular modeling with primary cells represents a powerful approach for elucidating the molecular etiology of physiological adaptation, a critical step in accelerating genome-to-phenome studies in organisms in which transgenesis is impossible (e.g., large-bodied, long-lived, fully aquatic, federally protected species). Gene perturbation studies in primary cells can directly evaluate whether specific mutations, gene loss, or duplication confer functional advantages such as hypoxia or stress tolerance in marine mammals. Here, we summarize how genetic and pharmacological manipulation approaches in primary cells have advanced mechanistic investigations in other non-traditional mammalian species, and highlight the need for such investigations in marine mammals. We also provide key considerations for isolating, culturing, and conducting experiments with marine mammal cells under conditions that mimic in vivo states. We propose that primary cell culture is a critical tool for conducting functional mechanistic studies (e.g., gene knockdown, over-expression, or editing) that can provide the missing link between genome- and organismal-level understanding of physiological adaptations in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Lam
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kaitlin N Allen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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24
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Tift MS, Alves de Souza RW, Weber J, Heinrich EC, Villafuerte FC, Malhotra A, Otterbein LE, Simonson TS. Adaptive Potential of the Heme Oxygenase/Carbon Monoxide Pathway During Hypoxia. Front Physiol 2020; 11:886. [PMID: 32792988 PMCID: PMC7387684 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes catalyze heme into biliverdin, releasing carbon monoxide (CO) and iron into circulation. These byproducts of heme degradation can have potent cytoprotective effects in the face of stressors such as hypoxia and ischemia-reperfusion events. The potential for exogenous use of CO as a therapeutic agent has received increasing attention throughout the past few decades. Further, HO and CO are noted as putatively adaptive in diving mammals and certain high-altitude human populations that are frequently exposed to hypoxia and/or ischemia-reperfusion events, suggesting that HO and endogenous CO afford an evolutionary advantage for hypoxia tolerance and are critical in cell survival and injury avoidance. Our goal is to describe the importance of examining HO and CO in several systems, the physiological links, and the genetic factors that underlie variation in the HO/CO pathway. Finally, we emphasize the ways in which evolutionary perspectives may enhance our understanding of the HO/CO pathway in the context of diverse clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Rodrigo W. Alves de Souza
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Janick Weber
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erica C. Heinrich
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside, School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Francisco C. Villafuerte
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Leo E. Otterbein
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tatum S. Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
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25
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Hindle AG. Diving deep: understanding the genetic components of hypoxia tolerance in marine mammals. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2020; 128:1439-1446. [PMID: 32324472 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00846.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine mammals have highly specialized physiology, exhibited in many species by extreme breath-holding capabilities that allow deep dives and extended submergence. Cardiovascular control and cell-level hypoxia tolerance are key features of this phenotype. Identifying genomic signatures tied to physiology will be valuable in understanding these natural model species, which may generate translational opportunities to human diseases arising from hypoxic stress or tissue injury. Genomic analyses have now been conducted in dolphins, river dolphins, minke whales, bowhead whales, and polar bears, with multispecies studies exploring evolutionary signals across marine mammal lineages, encompassing extinct and extant divers. Single-species genome studies for sirenians do not yet exist. Extant marine mammals arose in three lineages from separate aquatic recolonizations. Their physiological specializations, along with these independent origins create an interesting case to examine convergent evolution. Although molecular mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance are not universally apparent across marine mammal genomic studies, altered evolutionary rates have been identified for genes linked to oxygen binding and transport (e.g., MB, HBA, and HBB), blood pressure control (e.g., endothelin pathway genes), and cell protection in multiple species. Despite convergent phenotypes across clades, instances of identical molecular convergence have been uncommon. Given the inherent logistical and regulatory difficulties associated with functional genetic experiments in marine mammals, several avenues of further investigation are suggested to enable validation of candidate genes for hypoxia tolerance: leveraging phylogeny to better understand convergent phenotypes; ontogenic studies to identify regulation of key genes underlying the elite, adult, hypoxia-tolerant physiology; and cell culture manipulations to understand gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson G Hindle
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
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