Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) and evolutionary analysis reveals evidence of olfactory specialization

Bentz, Ehren J.; Ophir, Alexander G.

doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110521

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…This species is known for its peculiar reproductive physiology, in which females show profound delays in the development of external genitalia well past ‘adulthood’, and they demonstrate incredible plasticity, such that reproductively active females can revert to a vaginally non-patent (or closed to the outside world) state ( 31 ). Furthermore, pouched rats are recognized for their astounding olfactory system and odor discrimination ( 32 – 36 ) and this species has been used as biodetectors for diseases and unexploded ordinances, although it is occasionally mischaracterized as C. gambianus ( 37 – 39 ). The pouched rat’s common name is partially based on its convergent rat-like appearance, but they are only distantly related to traditional lab rat species ( 39 , 40 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in the Southern giant pouched rat and comparison to other rodents

Freeman,

Arenas,

Lee

et al. 2024

Front. Endocrinol.

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Vasopressin and oxytocin are well known and evolutionarily ancient modulators of social behavior. The distribution and relative densities of vasopressin and oxytocin receptors are known to modulate the sensitivity to these signaling molecules. Comparative work is needed to determine which neural networks have been conserved and modified over evolutionary time, and which social behaviors are commonly modulated by nonapeptide signaling. To this end, we used receptor autoradiography to determine the distribution of vasopressin 1a and oxytocin receptors in the Southern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) brain, and to assess the relative densities of these receptors in specific brain regions. We then compared the relative receptor pattern to 23 other species of rodents using a multivariate ANOVA. Pouched rat receptor patterns were strikingly similar to hamsters and voles overall, despite the variation in social organization among species. Uniquely, the pouched rat had dense vasopressin 1a receptor binding in the caudate-putamen (i.e., striatum), an area that might impact affiliative behavior in this species. In contrast, the pouched rat had relatively little oxytocin receptor binding in much of the anterior forebrain. Notably, however, oxytocin receptor binding demonstrated extremely dense binding in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which is associated with the modulation of several social behaviors and a central hub of the social decision-making network. Examination of the nonapeptide system has the potential to reveal insights into species-specific behaviors and general themes in the modulation of social behavior.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in the Southern giant pouched rat and comparison to other rodents

Freeman,

Arenas,

Lee

et al. 2024

Front. Endocrinol.

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“…are large terrestrial rodents from the family Nesomyidae, native to savannahs and evergreen forests of sub-Saharan Africa. These rodents stand out among other rodents for their relatively large olfactory cortex, bulbs, and ample olfactory receptor repertoire, which provide them with strong olfactory capabilities [1][2][3][4]. Due to their acute sense of smell, they have been successfully trained to diagnose tuberculosis cases in humans [5,6], localize people trapped in collapsed structures [7], and employed in life-saving operations to detect anti-personnel landmines [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation ofActinomyces cricetomyissp. nov from orocervicofacial abscesses of African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)

Franklin‐Guild

Labitt

McQueary

et al. 2023

Preprint

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African giant pouched rats are of interest for their unique sense of smell and can be trained for a variety of applications including detection of explosives and infectious diseases. A colony housed at a university animal care facility developed abscesses associated with the jaw and eye in multiple animals. The predominant bacterial species in each case was a catalase-positive Actinomyces-like Gram-positive bacillus. The isolates from different sites and animals matched each other genetically but had sequences and biochemical profiles inconsistent with previously described species of this group. Based on whole genome sequence, biochemical characterization, and fatty acid profile, a novel species of the genus Actinomyces is proposed, namely Actinomyces cricetomys (type strain 186855T). The type strain is deposited at ATCC (TSD-310) and BCCM/LMG (LMG 32803).

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Spontaneous Pituitary Neoplasm in Two Female Geriatric Southern Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)

Voigt,

Nelissen,

Percival

et al. 2023

comp med

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Southern giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) are a small muroid species native to the sub-Saharan Africa. Their exceptionally developed olfactory system, trainability, and relatively small size makes them useful working animals for various applications in humanitarian work. At our institution, a breeding colony of Southern giant pouched rats is maintained to study their physiology and utility as scent detectors. This case report describes the occurrence of spontaneous pituitary neoplasms with distinct clinical presentations in 2 geriatric (approximately 7.5 y old) wild-caught female Southern giant pouched rats. The first pouched rat displayed vestibular deficits, including left-sided head tilt, ataxia, disorientation, and circling. MRI revealed a large, focal heterogeneous mass arising from the pituitary fossa. The second pouched rat presented with polyuria, polydipsia, and hyperglycemia but no neurologic signs. Examination after euthanasia revealed a prolactin (PRL)-expressing pituitary carcinoma and adenoma in the first and second pouched rat, respectively, associated with mammary hyperplasia in both animals. This is the first report of spontaneous PRL-producing pituitary tumors in Southern giant pouched rats.

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Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) and evolutionary analysis reveals evidence of olfactory specialization

Cited by 3 publications

References 93 publications

Characterization of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in the Southern giant pouched rat and comparison to other rodents

Characterization of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in the Southern giant pouched rat and comparison to other rodents

Isolation ofActinomyces cricetomyissp. nov from orocervicofacial abscesses of African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)

Spontaneous Pituitary Neoplasm in Two Female Geriatric Southern Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)

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