Insights into Dietary Switch in Cetaceans: Evidence from Molecular Evolution of Proteinases and Lipases

Li, Guiting; Wei, Huiyuan; Bi, Juanjuan; Ding, Xiaoyue; Li, Lili; Xu, Shixia; Yang, Guang

doi:10.1007/s00239-020-09952-2

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Pseudogenization of sweet, umami, and bitter taste receptor genes reported in cetaceans (Zhu et al, 2014) and loss or major reduction of umami taste sensation reported in pinnipeds (Sato and Wolsan, 2012) might be explained by the effects of dietary changes and feeding behavior of swallowing food whole without mastication. The dietary transformation of marine mammals also involves the adaptation of enzymes related to food digestion (Li et al, 2020a). Wang et al (2016) found that protease (CTRC, PRSS1, and TMPRSS15) and lipase (CYP7A1, LIPF, and PNLIP) coding genes are positively selected, suggesting that cetaceans have evolved an enhanced digestion capacity for proteins and lipids, the major nutritional components of their prey (fishes and invertebrates).…”

Section: Secondary Aquatic Adaptations In Marine Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants

Wang

et al. 2023

Sci. China Life Sci.

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Wild animals and plants have developed a variety of adaptive traits driven by adaptive evolution, an important strategy for species survival and persistence. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution is the key to understanding species diversification, phenotypic convergence, and inter-species interaction. As the genome sequences of more and more non-model organisms are becoming available, the focus of studies on molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution has shifted from the candidate gene method to genetic mapping based on genome-wide scanning. In this study, we reviewed the latest research advances in wild animals and plants, focusing on adaptive traits, convergent evolution, and coevolution. Firstly, we focused on the adaptive evolution of morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits. Secondly, we reviewed the phenotypic convergences of life history traits and responding to environmental pressures, and the underlying molecular convergence mechanisms. Thirdly, we summarized the advances of coevolution, including the four main types: mutualism, parasitism, predation and competition. Overall, these latest advances greatly increase our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms for diverse adaptive traits and species interaction, demonstrating that the development of evolutionary biology has been greatly accelerated by multi-omics technologies. Finally, we highlighted the emerging trends and future prospects around the above three aspects of adaptive evolution.

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Section: Secondary Aquatic Adaptations In Marine Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants

Wang

et al. 2023

Sci. China Life Sci.

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“…Mutations in the aforementioned transcriptional factors impact their regulatory functions (e.g., binding affinity to target genes, chromatin remodeling, and histone modification), consequently modifying the transcriptional patterns of their target genes [11,54]. Target genes include genes involved in determining vertebrate body size (e.g., ELK1, LHX3, and PITX1), suggesting that these mutations are involved in the adaptive variation of cetacean body size and skeletal morphology [11,53,55].…”

Section: Adaptations For Colonization Of Aquatic and Terrestrial Envi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review

Sosa

Pilot

2023

Genes

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Adaptive evolution is a process in which variation that confers an evolutionary advantage in a specific environmental context arises and is propagated through a population. When investigating this process, researchers have mainly focused on describing advantageous phenotypes or putative advantageous genotypes. A recent increase in molecular data accessibility and technological advances has allowed researchers to go beyond description and to make inferences about the mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution. In this systematic review, we discuss articles from 2016 to 2022 that investigated or reviewed the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution in vertebrates in response to environmental variation. Regulatory elements within the genome and regulatory proteins involved in either gene expression or cellular pathways have been shown to play key roles in adaptive evolution in response to most of the discussed environmental factors. Gene losses were suggested to be associated with an adaptive response in some contexts. Future adaptive evolution research could benefit from more investigations focused on noncoding regions of the genome, gene regulation mechanisms, and gene losses potentially yielding advantageous phenotypes. Investigating how novel advantageous genotypes are conserved could also contribute to our knowledge of adaptive evolution.

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Functional or Vestigial? The Genomics of the Pineal Gland in Xenarthra

et al. 2021

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Vestigial organs are historical echoes of past phenotypes. Determining whether a specific organ constitutes a functional or vestigial structure can be a challenging task, given that distinct levels of atrophy may arise between and within lineages. The mammalian pineal gland, an endocrine organ involved in melatonin biorhythmicity, represents a classic example, often yielding contradicting anatomical observations. In Xenarthra (sloths, anteaters and armadillos), a peculiar mammalian order, the presence of a distinct pineal organ was clearly observed in some species (i.e.Linnaeus's two-toed sloth) but undetected in other closely related species (i.e. brown-throated sloth). In the nine-banded armadillo, contradicting evidence supports either functional or vestigial scenarios. Thus, to untangle the physiological status of the pineal gland in Xenarthra, we used a genomic approach to investigate the evolution of the gene hub responsible for melatonin synthesis and signaling. We show that both synthesis and signaling compartments are eroded and were lost independently. Additionally, by expanding our analysis to 157 mammal genomes we offer a comprehensive view showing that species with very distinctive habitats and lifestyles have convergently evolved a similar phenotype: Cetacea, Pholidota, Dermoptera, Sirenia and Xenarthra. Our findings suggest that the recurrent inactivation of melatonin genes correlates with pineal atrophy, and endorse the use of genomic analyses to ascertain the physiological status of suspected vestigial structures.

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Insights into Dietary Switch in Cetaceans: Evidence from Molecular Evolution of Proteinases and Lipases

Cited by 4 publications

References 54 publications

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution in wild animals and plants

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review

Functional or Vestigial? The Genomics of the Pineal Gland in Xenarthra

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