Journal Scope
Primates and Animal Models Conservation and Utilization of Animal ResourcesAnimal Diversity and Evolution
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磁性纳米氧化铁药物介导的脑磁刺激新策略可快速改善小鼠抑郁样行为
磁刺激极大地促进了神经科学的进步，其中高频（10 Hz）重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）刺激左背外侧前额叶皮层（DLPFC）已于2008年获得美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）的批准，用于治疗成人难治性抑郁。但目前rTMS仍然存在技术局限性，包括穿透力差，磁刺激聚焦精度不足，刺激深度有限等。特别是在小动物精神疾病模型中，即使最小的通用线圈也会刺激整个半球甚至整个大脑，无法做到精准定位，难以研究rTMS的神经调控机制等脑科学相关的重大科学问题。针对此问题，我们提出了利用获得中国FDA批准的超顺磁性纳米氧化铁（SPIO）药物，结合轻度磁脉冲序列，以提高局部皮层敏感性的磁性脑刺激的新策略，即联合磁性刺激系统（c-MSS）。小鼠左前额叶皮层中与人类DLPFC同源的脑区为PrL，磁共振成像证明SPIO可稳定存在于PrL脑区至少11天。从细胞、动物和体外模型多方面证明了c-MSS的安全性和物理性特征。建立慢性不可预测的轻度应激（CUMS）抑郁模型小鼠，使用0.1T c-MSS（每次5分钟，每天两次）进行磁干预，结果表明10 Hz磁刺激5天可快速改善CUMS小鼠的抑郁样症状，这可能与增加脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）和改善下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴有密切关系。c-MSS是一种可精准刺激小动物任意皮层靶标的新方法，这一项研究成果将极大地丰富磁刺激的潜在应用领域，促进基于磁性纳米药物的磁刺激技术临床转化。
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印支灰叶猴 (Trachypithecus crepusculus) 林层利用及森林覆盖率对乌叶猴属 (Trachypithecus) 地栖性的影响
研究动物在不同栖息地条件下表现出的行为弹性对于濒危物种保护来说至关重要。乌叶猴属动物生活在多样的栖息地中，表现出不同的林层利用模式；然而栖息地结构对于林层利用的影响尚未得到深入研究。本研究于2012年6月至2016年1月调查了印支灰叶猴 (Trachypithecus crepusculus) 在无量山原始常绿林中的林层利用模式，并且比较了印支灰叶猴和其它5个乌叶猴属物种在林层利用和地栖行为上的异同。不同于生活在喀斯特石山的叶猴，印支灰叶猴研究群体表现出高度的树栖性，在地面活动的时间只占总活动时间的2.9%。研究群体倾向于在较高的林层休息，在较低的林层 (<20m) 移动；在地面的时间主要用于食土，极少用于取食其它食物。这些林层利用模式与石山叶猴 (黑叶猴，T. francoisi) 在连续性较好的森林中的行为相似。本研究还发现乌叶猴属地栖程度与栖息地森林覆盖率之间存在显著的负相关关系，这种关系在石山叶猴内部也具有显著性，暗示石山叶猴因森林覆盖率的下降而提高了地栖性。本研究结果揭示了乌叶猴属物种在林层利用方面的行为弹性，强调了连续程度高的森林对于叶猴保护的重要性。
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2019年人类冠状病毒(HCoV-19)引起人畜共患病溯源研究的重要性
2019年人类冠状病毒（HCoV-19/SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV）感染引起2019年肺炎爆发，造成对人类全球性威胁。作者参考两种引起人类严重肺炎的新型冠状病毒SARS-CoV和MERS-CoV的流行病学数据，总结了HCoV-19人畜共患病起源的现有数据。作者建议今后应加紧HCoV-19的溯源研究，为控制和预防该病提供重要的科学依据。
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基于全基因组数据解析新型冠状病毒演化和传播
2019年12月中旬新型肺炎疫情(COVID-19)在湖北武汉爆发，截至2020年2月29日，新冠病毒SARS-CoV-2（2019-nCoV/HCoV-19）已感染全球85 000多人。在本研究中，我们使用了GISAID EpiFluTM数据库中的93个完整新冠病毒基因组来解析新冠病毒在疫情爆发前两个月的演化，以及人际传播情况。我们采用系统发育网状分析方法，构建了SARS-CoV-2基因组的单倍型的演化关系，并进一步对病毒的潜在种群大小变化进行估算。利用公式t =τ/ 2u，基于扩展参数tau（τ）推算了病毒可能发生扩张（即大量人传人）日期。在新冠病毒基因组的八个编码区中共发现120个的变异位点，关联119个密码子有79个非同义和40个同义替换。我们猜测40个改变氨基酸属性的非同义替换可能与病毒适应性有关。另外，我们分析中没有检测到病毒重组事件。从93个病毒基因组中鉴定出58种单倍型，将其划分为五组用于传播和扩散分析。通过蝙蝠冠状病毒基因组（bat-RaTG13-CoV）作为外群，我们发现单倍型H13和H38可能是古老的单倍型，单倍型H1是从单倍型H3演化而来。种群扩张时间估算发现在2020年1月6日和2019年12月8日可能发生大量人传人。此外，我们利用谱系流行病学方法回溯了一些人际传播事件。同时，这种方法可以用于寻找感染病例的病毒感染源。
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短腿蟾属（无尾目：角蟾科）复查并恢复平头短腿蟾的有效性及描述一新种
最近，关于广义角蟾属有诸多分类争论，其中也包括单系群短腿蟾。短腿蟾具有明显的可识别的形态特征，且最近所有分子系统学研究都表明其为一个稳定的单系群，因此将其作为一个独立属是合理的。本研究对该属做了全面复查，并基于形态学差异和系统发育关系提出了两个种组，同时认为平头短腿蟾是一个有效种，其与宽头短腿蟾有较大遗传分化和显著形态差异。此外，基于采自中国东南部的一系列标本，描述了一新种——东方短腿蟾。至此，短腿蟾属成员增加到7个，其多样性显然被低估了。另外，基于分类便利性、单系性和紧凑性原则，本研究还讨论了角蟾亚科其他单系群的属级分类地位问题。
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利用两种携带不同荧光蛋白的逆行感染的腺相关病毒证明小鼠副嗅球的向心投射具有弥散特征
脊椎动物拥有主嗅和副嗅两套嗅觉系统，共同感知和处理挥发性和非挥发性的社会性化学信息，进而调控不同的性行为和社会行为。副嗅球是副嗅系统进行信息传递和处理的第一级中枢，位于主嗅球的背后侧。由于其特殊的解剖位置和缺乏特异性分子细胞标记，我们对副嗅球的内部和外部神经网络了解得非常有限。本文中，我们利用可以在轴突末端吸收并逆行传递和感染神经元胞体的腺相关病毒（retro-rAAV），在小鼠副嗅皮层（终纹床核、皮层杏仁核前侧、中央杏仁核和皮层杏仁核后内侧）注射retro-rAAV，成功实现了对小鼠副嗅球内投射神经元的荧光标记，证明了该方法的有效性。在此基础上，我们利用携带不同荧光蛋白的retro-rAAV分别注射在上述不同的副嗅皮层，发现了副嗅球内投射神经元被共标，证明了小鼠副嗅球内投射神经元向心投射具有弥散的特征（1对多），与主嗅球的投射神经元类似。此外，我们还发现投射到不同皮层的副嗅球投射神经元被感染的数量有所不同，表明单个投射神经元的信息在向心传递过程中，可能会传递到不同皮层内不同数量的皮层神经元。这些结果为我们理解脊椎动物副嗅系统对外周环境中的气味信息的编码和解码机制提供了一定的神经环路基础。
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神经保护甾体减轻急性低压缺氧引起的食蟹猴脑损伤
高原是地球上最恶劣的环境之一，最主要的特点是低气压所导致的缺氧。暴露在低压缺氧环境下，未习服人群会出现脑损伤，在严重情况下甚至会发展成为致命性的高原脑水肿。长期以来，人们应用一些遗传背景和人类差异较大的动物研究高原相关疾病，这可能延缓了防治这些疾病的研发进展。在这项研究中，我们应用非人灵长类动物食蟹猴为研究对象，通过对白细胞和大脑皮层进行转录组测序的方法来探索低压缺氧引起脑损伤的机制，并评价两种具有神经保护功能的甾体——孕酮和5α-androst-3β,5,6β-triol （TRIOL）在这个模型上的药效与可能分子机制。暴露在急性低压缺氧环境下，食蟹猴出现了与人类高原脑水肿相似的症状，包括行为失调、脑含水量升高、神经元受损以及血管源性脑水肿等。白细胞转录组数据分析揭示了经典的缺氧反应通路HIF-1信号，以及一些新发现的关键性通路如维生素D受体信号，这些通路可能共同调控了低压缺氧所导致的炎症反应。急性低压缺氧也改变了大脑的转录调控模式，激活了血管发生的调控通路，并抑制了有氧呼吸和蛋白折叠相关的通路，而这些通路很有可能与脑损伤的病理机制相关。整体上两种甾体的药效相似，都可以显著有效减轻急性低压缺氧所造成的脑损伤和大脑转录谱的改变，但功能分析显示两种药物却作用在不同的通路上，孕酮可以有效的提高红细胞生成，而TRIOL可以减轻谷氨酸兴奋性毒性。总之，本研究加深了我们对急性低压缺氧诱发脑损伤病理机制的理解，并为缺氧性脑损伤的药物研发提供了潜在的候选化合物。
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Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Basic and translational breast cancer research relies heavily on experimental animal models. Ideally, such models for breast cancer should have commonality with human breast cancer in terms of tumor etiology, biological behavior, pathology, and response to therapeutics. This review introduces current progress in different breast cancer experimental animal models and analyzes their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and potential applications. Finally, we propose future research directions for breast cancer animal models.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Basic and translational breast cancer research relies heavily on experimental animal models. Ideally, such models for breast cancer should have commonality with human breast cancer in terms of tumor etiology, biological behavior, pathology, and response to therapeutics. This review introduces current progress in different breast cancer experimental animal models and analyzes their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and potential applications. Finally, we propose future research directions for breast cancer animal models.
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Aging is an essential factor affecting metabolic activities and disease resistance. The macaques have been used as a model species for primate evolutionary and biomedical studies. To study the gene expression in the Macaca thibetana (TM) and to clarify its differences to humans, we applied RNA-Seq to determine blood transcriptomes from 24 TMs. A total of 2,523 age-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and two significant age-related gene modules were identified by co-expression analysis. Some age-related pathways, such as the FoxO signaling pathway was significantly enriched by up-regulated DEGs and positively age-related core genes. There were shared 279 common DEGs, including 111 up-regulated, 141 down-regulated and 27 DEGs with different directions between TMs and humans. Our study suggests that aging is a critical factor affecting gene expression in TMs. The findings of the similarity and difference of gene expression profiles between TMs and humans could provide new insights into primate evolution and benefit the biomedical research about TM.
Aging is an essential factor affecting metabolic activities and disease resistance. The macaques have been used as a model species for primate evolutionary and biomedical studies. To study the gene expression in the Macaca thibetana (TM) and to clarify its differences to humans, we applied RNA-Seq to determine blood transcriptomes from 24 TMs. A total of 2,523 age-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and two significant age-related gene modules were identified by co-expression analysis. Some age-related pathways, such as the FoxO signaling pathway was significantly enriched by up-regulated DEGs and positively age-related core genes. There were shared 279 common DEGs, including 111 up-regulated, 141 down-regulated and 27 DEGs with different directions between TMs and humans. Our study suggests that aging is a critical factor affecting gene expression in TMs. The findings of the similarity and difference of gene expression profiles between TMs and humans could provide new insights into primate evolution and benefit the biomedical research about TM.
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We record Theloderma pyaukkya for the first time in China based on one specimen collected from western Yunnan. Morphologically, the individual from Yunnan agrees well with the original description of T. pyaukkya and phylogenetically, it clustered together with type specimens including holotype of T. pyaukkya from Kachin State (northern Myanmar) with strong support. The taxonomic status of T. pyaukkya from Chin State (western Myanmar) needs further examination. In addition, we record Theloderma moloch in Yunnan for the first time. Thus, there have been seven Theloderma species recorded in Yunnan, China, namely Theloderma albopunctatum, T. baibungense, T. bicolor, T. gordoni, T. moloch, T. pyaukkya, and T. rhododiscus.
We record Theloderma pyaukkya for the first time in China based on one specimen collected from western Yunnan. Morphologically, the individual from Yunnan agrees well with the original description of T. pyaukkya and phylogenetically, it clustered together with type specimens including holotype of T. pyaukkya from Kachin State (northern Myanmar) with strong support. The taxonomic status of T. pyaukkya from Chin State (western Myanmar) needs further examination. In addition, we record Theloderma moloch in Yunnan for the first time. Thus, there have been seven Theloderma species recorded in Yunnan, China, namely Theloderma albopunctatum, T. baibungense, T. bicolor, T. gordoni, T. moloch, T. pyaukkya, and T. rhododiscus.
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2020, 41(4): 351-364.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.046
Understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying particular adaptations/phenotypes of organisms is one of the core issues of evolutionary biology. The use of genomic data has greatly advanced our understandings on this issue, as well as other aspects of evolutionary biology, including molecular adaptation, speciation, and even conservation of endangered species. Despite the well-recognized advantages, usages of genomic data are still limited to non-mammal vertebrate groups, partly due to the difficulties in assembling large or highly heterozygous genomes. Although this is particularly the case for amphibians, nonetheless, several comparative and population genomic analyses have shed lights into the speciation and adaptation processes of amphibians in a complex landscape, giving a promising hope for a wider application of genomics in the previously believed challenging groups of organisms. At the same time, these pioneer studies also allow us to realize numerous challenges in studying the molecular adaptations and/or phenotypic evolutionary mechanisms of amphibians. In this review, we first summarize the recent progresses in the study of adaptive evolution of amphibians based on genomic data, and then we give perspectives regarding how to effectively identify key pathways underlying the evolution of complex traits in the genomic era, as well as directions for future research.
2020, 41(4): 365-372.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.043
Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by all cell types in the brain and play a role in cell-cell communication through the transfer of cargo or encapsulation. Exosomes in the brain have considerable impact on neuronal development, activation, and regeneration. In addition, exosomes are reported to be involved in the onset and propagation of various neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss the content of exosomes derived from major cell types in the brain, and their function under physiological and pathological conditions.
2020, 41(4): 373-380.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.047
Studies on behavioral flexibility in response to habitat differences and degradation are crucial for developing conservation strategies for endangered species. Trachypithecus species inhabit various habitats and display different patterns of strata use; however, the effect of habitat structure on strata use remains poorly studied. Here, we investigated strata use patterns of Indo-Chinese gray langurs (Trachypithecus crepusculus) in a primary evergreen forest in Mt. Wuliang, southwest China, from June 2012 to January 2016. In addition, we compared T. crepusculus strata use and terrestriality with five other Trachypithecus species from previous studies. Unlike langurs living in karst forests, our study group was typically arboreal and spent only 2.9% of time on the ground. The group showed a preference for higher strata when resting and lower strata (<20 m) when moving. The langurs primarily used time on the ground for geophagy, but otherwise avoided the ground during feeding. These strata use patterns are similar to those of limestone langurs (T. francoisi) when using continuous forests. At the genus level (n=6 species), we found a negative relationship between habitat forest cover and terrestriality. This negative relationship was also true for the five limestone langur species, implying limestone langurs increase territoriality in response to decreased forest cover. Our results document behavioral flexibility in strata use of Trachypithecus langurs and highlight the importance of the protection of continuous forests to promote langur conservation.
2020, 41(4): 381-394.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.076
Magnetic brain stimulation has greatly contributed to the advancement of neuroscience. However, challenges remain in the power of penetration and precision of magnetic stimulation, especially in small animals. Here, a novel combined magnetic stimulation system (c-MSS) was established for brain stimulation in mice. The c-MSS uses a mild magnetic pulse sequence and injection of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanodrugs to elevate local cortical susceptibility. After imaging of the SPIO nanoparticles in the left prelimbic (PrL) cortex in mice, we determined their safety and physical characteristics. Depressive-like behavior was established in mice using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model. SPIO nanodrugs were then delivered precisely to the left PrL cortex using in situ injection. A 0.1 T magnetic field (adjustable frequency) was used for magnetic stimulation (5 min/session, two sessions daily). Biomarkers representing therapeutic effects were measured before and after c-MSS intervention. Results showed that c-MSS rapidly improved depressive-like symptoms in CUMS mice after stimulation with a 10 Hz field for 5 d, combined with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, which enhanced neuronal activity due to SPIO nanoparticle-mediated effects. The c-MSS was safe and effective, representing a novel approach in the selective stimulation of arbitrary cortical targets in small animals, playing a bioelectric role in neural circuit regulation, including antidepressant effects in CUMS mice. This expands the potential applications of magnetic stimulation and progresses brain research towards clinical application.
2020, 41(4): 395-409.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.037
Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) causes devastating losses in aquaculture. Coumarin has an advantageous structure for the design of novel antiviral agents with high affinity and specificity. In this study, we evaluated a hydroxycoumarin medicine, i.e., 7-(6-benzimidazole) coumarin (C10), regarding its anti-SVCV effects in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that up to 12.5 mg/L C10 significantly inhibited SVCV replication in the epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cell line, with a maximum inhibitory rate of >97%. Furthermore, C10 significantly reduced cell death and relieved cellular morphological damage in SVCV-infected cells. Decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) also suggested that C10 not only protected mitochondria, but also reduced apoptosis in SVCV-infected cells. For in vivo studies, intraperitoneal injection of C10 resulted in an anti-SVCV effect and substantially enhanced the survival rate of virus-infected zebrafish. Furthermore, C10 significantly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) to maintain antioxidant-oxidant balance within the host, thereby contributing to inhibition of SVCV replication. The up-regulation of six interferon (IFN)-related genes also demonstrated that C10 indirectly activated IFNs for the clearance of SVCV in zebrafish. This was beneficial for the continuous maintenance of antiviral effects because of the low viral loads in fish. Thus, C10 is suggested as a therapeutic agent with great potential against SVCV infection in aquaculture.
2020, 41(4): 410-422.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.048
Pseudomonas plecoglossicida is a rod-shaped, gram-negative bacterium with flagella. It causes visceral white spot disease and high mortality in Larimichthys crocea during culture, resulting in serious economic loss. Analysis of transcriptome and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data showed that dksA gene expression was significantly up-regulated after 48 h of infection with Epinephelus coioides (log2FC=3.12, P<0.001). RNAi of five shRNAs significantly reduced the expression of dksA in P. plecoglossicida, and the optimal silencing efficiency was 96.23%. Compared with wild-type strains, the symptoms of visceral white spot disease in L. crocea infected with RNAi strains were reduced, with time of death delayed by 48 h and mortality reduced by 25%. The dksA silencing led to a substantial down-regulation in cellular component-, flagellum-, and ribosome assembly-related genes in P. plecoglossicida, and the significant up-regulation of fliC may be a way in which virulence is maintained in P. plecoglossicida. The GO and KEGG results showed that RNAi strain infection in L. crocea led to the down-regulation of inflammatory factor genes in immune-related pathways, which were associated with multiple immune response processes. Results also showed that dksA was a virulence gene in P. plecoglossicida. Compared with the wild-type strains, RNAi strain infection induced a weaker immune response in L. crocea.
2020, 41(4): 423-430.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.011
The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray, 1835) is a large anadromous fish species, which is under considerable threat due to dramatic declines in population numbers. In the current study, population genetic diversity and individual reproductive success were assessed using nuclear microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeat, SSR) and complete mitochondrial (mtDNA) genome analysis of juveniles born in 2014. Results showed the existence of size polymorphism in the mtDNA genome of Chinese sturgeon, which was caused by a repeat motif. Population genetic diversity was high based on both SSR (Ho: 0.728±0.211; He: 0.779±0.122) and mtDNA genome analyses (H: 0.876±0.0035; Pi: 0.0011±0.0010). A positive inbreeding coefficient (FIS: 0.066±0.143) was also found, indicating the occurrence of inbreeding. Reconstruction of sibling groups identified 11 mothers and 11 fathers involved in reproduction of Chinese sturgeons in 2014. Variance in individual reproductive success was not significant, with reproductive success of parent fish instead shown to be relatively even (P=0.997>0.05), thus suggesting the absence of sweepstakes reproductive success (SRS). These results indicate that, in regard to conservation, loss of genetic diversity due to the effects of SRS is not of particular concern. However, we must focus on having an adequate number of adults and suitable environmental conditions to ensure that fish can reproduce.
2020, 41(4): 431-436.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.044
During the breast-feeding period, infants undergo remarkable changes, including rapid physiological and developmental growth. However, little is known about gene expression features and sex-specific gene expression in breast-feeding infants. In this study, we sequenced 32 blood transcriptomes from 16 breast-feeding rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) infants and their lactating mothers. We identified 218 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between infants and mothers, including 91 up-regulated and 127 down-regulated DEGs in the infant group. Functional enrichment analysis of the up-regulated DEGs and unique hub genes in infants showed primary enrichment in immunity, growth, and development. Protein-protein interaction analysis also revealed that genes at key positions in infants were mainly related to development and immunity. However, we only detected 23 DEGs between female and male infants, including three DEGs located on chromosome X and 14 DEGs located on chromosome Y. Of these DEGs, TMF1 regulated nuclear protein 1 (Trnp1), which was highly expressed in female infants, is crucial for controlling the tangential and radial expansion of the cerebral cortex in mammals. Thus, our study provides novel insight into the gene expression features of breast-feeding infants in non-human primates (NHPs) and reveals sex-specific gene expression between these infants.
2020, 41(4): 437-443.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.056
Sleep is indispensable for human health, with sleep disorders initiating a cascade of negative consequences. As our closest phylogenetic relatives, non-human primates (NHPs) are invaluable for comparative sleep studies and exhibit tremendous potential for improving our understanding of human sleep and related disorders. Previous work on measuring sleep in NHPs has mostly used electroencephalography or videography. In this study, simultaneous videography and actigraphy were applied to observe sleep patterns in 10 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) over seven nights (12 h per night). The durations of wake, transitional sleep, and relaxed sleep were scored by analysis of animal behaviors from videography and actigraphy data, using the same behavioral criteria for each state, with findings then compared. Here, results indicated that actigraphy constituted a reliable approach for scoring the state of sleep in monkeys and showed a significant correlation with that scored by videography. Epoch-by-epoch analysis further indicated that actigraphy was more suitable for scoring the state of relaxed sleep, correctly identifying 97.57% of relaxed sleep in comparison with video analysis. Only 34 epochs (0.13%) and 611 epochs (2.30%) were differently interpreted as wake and transitional sleep compared with videography analysis. The present study validated the behavioral criteria and actigraphy methodology for scoring sleep, which can be considered as a useful and a complementary technique to electroencephalography and/or videography analysis for sleep studies in NHPs.
2020, 41(4): 444-448.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.088
Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are valuable experimental animals for studies on neurodegenerative diseases due to their evolutionarily close relationship to humans (Zhang et al., 2014 ). Rhesus monkeys also display similar hallmarks of aging and neurodegeneration as humans, including formation of senile plaques in the brain (Beckman et al., 2019 ; Paspalas et al., 2018 ). However, changes in formaldehyde (FA) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of rhesus monkeys with aging have not been reported. Additionally, whether changes in CSF FA are correlated with changes in amyloid-β (Aβ) concentrations have not yet been explored. Here, the CSF levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, and FA were measured in 56 rhesus monkeys of different ages, ranging from 4 to 26 years old. Results revealed significant declines in Aβ40 and Aβ42, and an increase in FA with age. Interestingly, the increase in FA levels was negatively correlated with Aβ40 and Aβ42 concentrations in aged rhesus monkeys but not in young and middle-aged monkeys. These results appear to parallel changes seen within human aging, i.e., decreased levels of CSF Aβ and increased levels of FA in normal aged adults and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. These findings further indicate that rhesus monkeys are a reliable model for studying age-related neurological disorders such as AD and suggest that FA is an important factor in AD development and may be used as a diagnostic indicator of such disease.
2020, 41(4): 449-454.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.049
Intestinal biopsy is a basic experimental method for studying pathological changes in the intestinal tract during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In this study, jejunal resection and anastomosis were successfully performed in 12 Chinese rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). The sampled gut tissues were then examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence detection, and RNA quality analysis to ensure suitability for histological, physiological, pathological, and immunological detection, as well as mechanistic analysis at the cellular and molecular level. Importantly, the surgery did not affect the ratio or number of immune cells in peripheral blood or the concentration of lipids, proteins, and vitamins in plasma, which are important indicators of nutritional status. Our results thus indicated that jejunal resection and anastomosis are feasible, and that immune homeostasis and intestinal barrier integrity are not altered by surgery. All macaques recovered well (except for one), with no postoperative complications. Therefore, this animal surgery may be applicable for longitudinal intestinal research related to diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Infanticide by unrelated individuals is widely reported in the animal kingdom; however, little is known about cases perpetrated by a parent, particularly the mother. This article reports on three cases of mother-initiated infanticide in Qinling golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) recorded from video and camera images. Based on previous reports in other animals, we propose that the infanticide events observed in golden takins were related to the parental manipulation mechanism – i.e., killing an unhealthy infant to allow the mother to invest more care in potentially healthy offspring, and gain more fruitful reproductive opportunities. This appears to be an evolutionary-based selection strategy, whereby a species can prosper and succeed under the challenges of natural selection. However, further studies on both captive and wild populations are required to answer the various questions raised from our observations.
2020, 41(4): 458-464.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.021
The egg laying behavior of brood parasites is at the heart of studies on host co-evolution. Therefore, research on egg laying behavior can improve our understanding of brood parasitism and associated processes. Over a seven year study period, we monitored 455 oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) nests during the egg laying period, 250 of which were parasitized by common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus). We collected 53 clear videos of common cuckoo parasitism, analyzed all recorded parasitic behavior in detail, and summarized the process of brood parasitism. Furthermore, based on analyses of the field video recordings, we propose a new explanation for egg removal behavior, namely the delivery hypothesis, i.e., egg pecking and biting by cuckoos may facilitate fast egg-laying and parasitism by reducing host attention and attack, with egg removal a side effect of egg pecking and biting. We concluded that common cuckoos change their behavior when hosts are present at the nest, with a set of behaviors performed to deal with host attack and successfully complete parasitic egg-laying regardless of time of day.
2020, 41(4): 465-470.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.050
A new species of Tibetan loach, Triplophysa weiheensis sp. nov., is described from the Weihe River in Gansu Province, China, based on morphological and molecular analyses. The new species can be distinguished from all known congeners by a unique combination of the following characters: scaleless; snout abruptly sloping downward, anterior to anterior nostril; lower jaw crescentic, not sharp; body without obvious mottling; lateral line interrupted on posterior trunk at pelvic-fin distal extremity; caudal-peduncle length 2.0–2.7 times its depth; branched rays of pectoral fin 10–11; branched rays of pelvic fin 5–6; inner gill rakers on 1st gill arch 14–16; vertebrae 4+34–36; intestine with 6–7 loops, length ca. 1.8 times SL (n=3); bony capsule of air bladder small and thin; posterior chamber of air bladder absent.
2020, 41(4): 471-475.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.099
Cis-regulatory elements play an important role in the development of traits and disease in organisms (Ma et al., 2020 ; Woolfe et al., 2005 ) and their annotation could facilitate genetic studies. The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) (Davis et al., 2018 ) and Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) (FAANG Consortium et al., 2015 ) offer pioneering data on regulatory elements in several species. Currently, however, regulatory element annotation data remain limited for most organisms. In this study, we developed a tool (OrthReg) for annotating conserved orthologous cis-regulatory elements in targeted genomes using an annotated reference genome. Cross-species validation of this annotation tool using human and mouse ENCODE data confirmed the robustness of this strategy. To explore the efficiency of the tool, we annotated the pig genome and identified more than 28 million regulatory annotation records using the reference human ENCODE data. With this regulatory annotation, some putative regulatory non-coding variants were identified within domestication sweeps in European and East Asian pigs. Thus, this tool can utilize data produced by ENCODE, FAANG, and similar projects, and can be easily extended to customized experimental data. The extensive application of this tool will help to identify informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in post-genome-wide association studies and resequencing analysis of organisms with limited regulatory annotation data.
Vol 41, No 4 (18 July 2020)
Indexed by SCI-E
2019 影响因子 2.638
12/168 Zoology (Q1)
2020 Journal Citation Reports®
双月刊, 始于 1980
主编: Yong-Gang Yao
ISSN 2095-8137
CN 53-1229/Q
期刊动态More >
- Acknowledgments to reviewers of Zoological Research
- “2020动物学前沿论坛”第一轮通知
- Zoological Research入选2018百种中国杰出学术期刊
- Zoological Research喜获首个影响因子
- 中国科学院昆明动物研究所六十周年纪念系列活动—— “2019动物学前沿论坛”在云南昆明召开
- 2019年度 Zoological Research编委扩大会议在昆明召开
- 昆明动物所60周年所庆系列活动——“2019动物学前沿论坛”第3轮通知
- “2019动物学前沿论坛”第2轮通知
- 2018第八届灵长类生物医学国际研讨会会议邀请
- 2018 Frontiers in Zoology Symposium
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