Article
Evolutionary Biology
Rafael Eiji Iwama, Michael Tessler, Mark E. Siddall, Sebastian Kvist
Summary: Blood-feeding parasites have evolved specific molecular features, such as anticoagulatory proteins, to inhibit host hemostasis in order to efficiently feed on blood. The antistasin-like protein family, found in bloodfeeding insects, bats, and leeches, is also present in non-bloodfeeding invertebrates like cnidarians and mollusks. The study aims to understand the evolution of antistasin-like proteins in leeches, identifying distinct clades and potential independent origins of salivary proteins secreted by leeches.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Jiwei Qi, Fanglei Shi, Baowei Zhang, Xiao Chen, Jie Xing, Keisuke Furumitsu, Joel B. Corush, Atsuko Yamaguchi, Jie Zhang
Summary: This study examined the population genetic structure and demographic history of three Indo-West Pacific species of sharpnose rays. The results showed high levels of genetic variation within and between species, suggesting the importance of considering genetic differentiation in conservation efforts. The findings have significant implications for preserving stingray biodiversity.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Chengzhang Li, Huiying Xie, Yajing Sun, Ying Zeng, Ziyao Tian, Xiaohan Chen, Edmond Sanganyado, Jianqing Lin, Liangliang Yang, Ping Li, Bo Liang, Wenhua Liu
Summary: This study provides the first comparative analysis of the gut and skin wound microbiomes in an Indo-Pacific finless porpoise. The microbial richness increased from the foregut to the hindgut, and the composition of the microbiomes varied. Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were dominant in the gastrointestinal tract, while Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were dominant in the skin wounds. Potential pathogens for mammals were identified in both the gut and skin wounds. The study reveals species-specific gut microbiomes in the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise and highlights the potential threat of environmental pathogens to cetaceans.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shun Ito, Daishi Yamazaki, Yuichi Kameda, Osamu Kagawa, Bin Ye, Takumi Saito, Kazuki Kimura, Van Tu Do, Satoshi Chiba, Takahiro Hirano
Summary: East Asia, particularly the Japanese Archipelago, is a hotspot for biodiversity, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. This study focused on terrestrial slugs of the genus Meghimatium and used molecular phylogenetics to investigate their evolutionary history. The study revealed higher species diversity than previously thought based on morphological studies, suggesting that traditional classification based on traits such as body size and color may be unreliable. The findings also indicated that further taxonomic revisions using multi-locus analyses are necessary.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Siwen Xu, Bo Wang, Bin Han, Yimin Yang
Summary: This study investigates Indo-Pacific glass beads from the Astana necropolis in Xinjiang, China and finds that they share similar chemical compositions with Sasanian glassware from Veh Ardasir. The dominance of Sasanian glass compositions and the imported cobalt materials suggest that Sasanian craftsmen mastered the drawn technique and traded their glass across central Eurasia.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Achyut Kumar Banerjee, Hui Feng, Yuting Lin, Zhuangwei Hou, Weixi Li, Huiyu Shao, Zida Luo, Wuxia Guo, Yelin Huang
Summary: This study identifies historical geoclimatic factors that have resulted in low genetic diversity and strong phylogeographic structure in a cryptoviviparous mangrove species. The findings suggest conservation actions and highlight the importance of phylogeographic studies for understanding genetic diversity and conservation implications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pierre Lesturgie, Serge Planes, Stefano Mona
Summary: Dispersal abilities greatly influence population genetic structure, which in turn affects the coalescence pattern of lineages. Understanding the variation of effective population size (N-e) is crucial for devising conservation strategies in endangered species.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sally C. Y. Lau, Jan M. Strugnell, Chester J. Sands, Catarina N. S. Silva, Nerida G. Wilson
Summary: Understanding the drivers of evolutionary innovation is crucial for understanding how evolutionary processes unfold. This study examined the Southern Ocean brittle stars and found that the species Ophionotus victoriae and O. hexactis are closely related with interspecific gene flow. Different refugia were identified for each species during the late Pleistocene, and gene flow was observed between different oceanic currents and local oceanographic regimes. A strong association was detected between outlier loci and salinity in O. hexactis, suggesting adaptation related to evolutionary innovations. These findings provide valuable insights into the drivers of innovation in the Southern Ocean fauna.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lu Gong, Xiaoxia Ding, Wan Guan, Danchun Zhang, Jing Zhang, Junqi Bai, Wen Xu, Juan Huang, Xiaohui Qiu, Xiasheng Zheng, Danyan Zhang, Shijie Li, Zhihai Huang, He Su
Summary: This study sequenced and analyzed the complete chloroplast genomes of three species in genus Amomum, identifying genetic markers for species identification and evolutionary analysis. The findings revealed a natural hybridization event in A. villosum and provided insights into the evolutionary relationships within the genus.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mingxin Guo, Zhongren Zhang, Shipeng Li, Qun Lian, Pengcheng Fu, Yali He, Jinxin Qiao, Keke Xu, Linpei Liu, Miaoyan Wu, Zheran Du, Sunan Li, Junjie Wang, Peiyin Shao, Qiang Yu, Gan Xu, Dengke Li, Yongkang Wang, Shan Tian, Jing Zhao, Xue Feng, Ruiqiang Li, Wenkai Jiang, Xusheng Zhao
Summary: The Chinese jujube is an important perennial fruit tree crop with economic, ecological, and nutritional value. Through population genomic analysis, it was found that jujube's primary domestication center was in the Shanxi-Shaanxi area of China, before it spread into East and South China. Divergence events analysis suggested a divergence between Ziziphus acidojujuba and Ziziphus jujuba around 2.7 million years ago, indicating a possible long pre-domestication period. The study also identified genetic markers associated with seed-setting rate and fruit weight regulation in jujubes, providing insights into the genetic basis of jujube evolution and domestication.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jing Chen, Han Liu, Ravi Gooneratne, Yao Wang, Weimin Wang
Summary: This study established the whole genome database of Megalobrama populations using re-sequencing technology and revealed the population genetic structure and evolutionary relationships. Candidate genes related to feeding habit variations were identified, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of environmental adaptability in Megalobrama populations. The findings of this study contribute to the conservation and utilization of Megalobrama germplasm resources.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tianming Lan, Haimeng Li, Shangchen Yang, Minhui Shi, Lei Han, Sunil Kumar Sahu, Yaxian Lu, Jiangang Wang, Mengchao Zhou, Hui Liu, Junxuan Huang, Qing Wang, Yixin Zhu, Li Wang, Yanchun Xu, Chuyu Lin, Huan Liu, Zhijun Hou
Summary: The researchers report a high-quality genome of the raccoon dog and discover some unique characteristics of this species. The raccoon dog has intact taste receptor genes, expanded gene families, and positively selected genes related to digestion, absorption, foraging, and detoxification, which likely support its omnivorous nature. In addition, the raccoon dog shows enriched GO terms in energy metabolism and positively selected immune genes, indicating a diverse immune system. Several expanded gene families and positively selected genes related to lipid metabolism and insulin resistance may contribute to the raccoon dog's winter sleep.
Article
Biology
Jiaming Hu, Michael V. Westbury, Junxia Yuan, Zhen Zhang, Shungang Chen, Bo Xiao, Xindong Hou, Hailong Ji, Xulong Lai, Michael Hofreiter, Guilian Sheng
Summary: Cave hyenas, extinct bone-cracking carnivores from the family Hyaenidae, were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene and became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene. A study of two cave hyena fossils from northeastern China suggests a split of the Asian cave hyena mitochondrial lineage from their European and African relatives around 1.85 million years ago, in line with the earliest Crocuta fossil dating to approximately 2 million years ago. Comparisons of genetic diversity indicate cave hyenas had higher diversity than extant species, likely due to non-monophyletic lineages. The joint female effective population size of Crocuta experienced declines during the Late Pleistocene.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marlene Haider, Martin P. P. Schilling, Markus H. H. Moest, Florian M. M. Steiner, Birgit C. C. Schlick-Steiner, Wolfgang Arthofer
Summary: This study explores the evolutionary history of Machilis pallida using RNAseq data, showing that different variant types can capture distinct aspects of the evolutionary history and discussing the impact of factors such as parthenogenesis, polyploidy, and survival during glaciation on evolution. It highlights the need for further research and emphasizes the importance of this study.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Libin Chen, Weiwei Jiang, Wanyan Wu, Siyuan Zhang, Juncheng Cai, Ting Lv, Bin Xiang, Qiuyan Lin, Ming Liao, Chan Ding, Tao Ren
Summary: This study identified the prevalence of GI-19 and GI-7 subtypes of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in China and investigated the evolution and transmission dynamics of the GI-7 subtype. The results suggested that the GI-7 subtype originated from Taiwan and spread mainly in South China, with low codon usage bias in the S1 gene. The findings provide valuable insights for the prevention and control of viral infection.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Michael Tessler, Amalie Barrio, Elizabeth Borda, Rebecca Rood-Goldman, Morgan Hill, Mark E. Siddall
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brett C. Gonzalez, Alejandro Martinez, Elizabeth Borda, Thomas M. Iliffe, Diego Fontaneto, Katrine Worsaae
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Parasitology
Sean P. Graham, Elizabeth Borda
COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY
(2010)
Article
Parasitology
Ricardo Rocha, Elizabeth Borda, Franco Andreone, Goncalo M. Rosa
COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY
(2012)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Brian W. Kot, Richard Sears, Dany Zbinden, Elizabeth Borda, Malcolm S. Gordon
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2014)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joseph B. Ahrens, Elizabeth Borda, Romulo Barroso, Paulo C. Paiva, Alexandra M. Campbell, Alexander Wolf, Maggy M. Nugues, Greg W. Rouse, Anja Schulze
Article
Biology
E. Borda, Jerry D. Kudenov
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
(2014)
Article
Biology
Elizabeth Borda, Jerry D. Kudenov, Pierre Chevaldonne, James A. Blake, Daniel Desbruyeres, Marie-Claire Fabri, Stephane Hourdez, Fredrik Pleijel, Timothy M. Shank, Nerida G. Wilson, Anja Schulze, Greg W. Rouse
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2013)
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Elizabeth Borda, Jerry D. Kudenov, Christina Bienhold, Greg W. Rouse
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark E. Siddall, Megan Barkdull, Michael Tessler, Mercer R. Brugler, Elizabeth Borda, Evon Hekkala
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ariadna Avila-Garcia, Carlos Sanchez, Elizabeth Borda, Barbara Gonzalez-Acosta, Leonardo Huato-Soberanis, Jaime Gomez-Gutierrez
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Julian Mueller, Anja Schumacher, Elizabeth Borda, Greg W. Rouse, Thomas Bartolomaeus, Ekin Tilic
Summary: The study examines the chaetae of the Amphinomidae and Euphrosinidae annelid clades, revealing their ultrastructure, composition, and evolutionary relationships, providing insights into their characteristics.
INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lauren Ballou, David Brankovits, Efrain M. Chavez-Solis, Jose M. Chavez Diaz, Brett C. Gonzalez, Shari Rohret, Alexa Salinas, Arielle Liu, Nuno Simoes, Fernando Alvarez, Maria Pia Miglietta, Thomas M. Iliffe, Elizabeth Borda
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Typhlatya genus in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, revealing conflicts in previous species classifications and the discovery of new genetic lineages. The research emphasizes the importance of using integrative and interdisciplinary approaches when assessing biodiversity in complex and poorly studied aquifers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brett C. Gonzalez, Alejandro Martinez, Elizabeth Borda, Thomas M. Iliffe, Danny Eibye-Jacobsen, Katrine Worsaae