Dataset Information

Temporomandibular joint and Giant Panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) adaptation to bamboo diet.

ABSTRACT: Here, we present new evidence that evolutionary adaptation of the Ailuripodinae lineage to bamboo diet has taken place by morphological adaptations in the masticatory system. The giant panda in the wild and in captivity removes without an exception the outer skin of all bamboo shoots, rich in abrasive and toxic compounds, by the highly adapted premolars P3 and P4. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) allows sidewise movement of the jaw and the premolars can, in a cusp-to-cusp position, remove the poorly digestible outer skin of the bamboo before crushing the bamboo with molars. Based on the evidence presented here, we suggest that adaptation of TMJ to lateral movement for enabling cusp-to-cusp contact of premolars is the crucial evolutionary factor as which we consider the key to understand the Ailuropodinae lineage adaptive pathway to utilize the bamboo resource.

SUBMITTER: Vallittu PK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8271028 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Temporomandibular joint and Giant Panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) adaptation to bamboo diet.

Vallittu Pekka K PK Varrela Juha J Salo Jukka J Rengui Li L Shanshan Ling L Shan Huang H Zhang Hemin H Niemelä Pekka P

Scientific reports 20210709 1

Here, we present new evidence that evolutionary adaptation of the Ailuripodinae lineage to bamboo diet has taken place by morphological adaptations in the masticatory system. The giant panda in the wild and in captivity removes without an exception the outer skin of all bamboo shoots, rich in abrasive and toxic compounds, by the highly adapted premolars P3 and P4. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) allows sidewise movement of the jaw and the premolars can, in a cusp-to-cusp position, remove the p ...[more]

PMID: 34244613

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Project description:A growing body of behavioral and genetic information indicates that taste perception and food sources are highly coordinated across many animal species. For example, sweet taste perception is thought to serve to detect and motivate consumption of simple sugars in plants that provide calories. Supporting this is the observation that most plant-eating mammals examined exhibit functional sweet perception, whereas many obligate carnivores have independently lost function of their sweet taste receptors and exhibit no avidity for simple sugars that humans describe as tasting sweet. As part of a larger effort to compare taste structure/function among species, we examined both the behavioral and the molecular nature of sweet taste in a plant-eating animal that does not consume plants with abundant simple sugars, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We evaluated two competing hypotheses: as plant-eating mammals, they should have a well-developed sweet taste system; however, as animals that do not normally consume plants with simple sugars, they may have lost sweet taste function, as has occurred in strict carnivores. In behavioral tests, giant pandas avidly consumed most natural sugars and some but not all artificial sweeteners. Cell-based assays revealed similar patterns of sweet receptor responses toward many of the sweeteners. Using mixed pairs of human and giant panda sweet taste receptor units (hT1R2+gpT1R3 and gpT1R2+hT1R3) we identified regions of the sweet receptor that may account for behavioral differences in giant pandas versus humans toward various sugars and artificial sweeteners. Thus, despite the fact that the giant panda's main food, bamboo, is very low in simple sugars, the species has a marked preference for several compounds that taste sweet to humans. We consider possible explanations for retained sweet perception in this species, including the potential extra-oral functions of sweet taste receptors that may be required for animals that consume plants.

Project description:Gut microbiota plays a vital role in obtaining nutrition from bamboo for giant pandas. However, low cellulase activity has been observed in the panda's gut. Besides, no specific pathway has been implicated in lignin digestion by gut microbiota of pandas. Therefore, the mechanism by which they obtain nutrients is still controversial. It is necessary to elucidate the precise pathways employed by gut microbiota of pandas to degrade lignin. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in pandas were explored by comparing 209 metagenomic sequencing data from wild species with different feeding habits. Lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. The gut microbiome of wild bamboo-eating specialists was enriched with genes from pathways implicated in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate into acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA, which can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, was found to be the main bacteria to provide genes involved in lignin or lignin derivative degradation. Herein, three Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of wild pandas showed the laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activity and extracellular lignin degradation ability in vitro. A potential mechanism for pandas to obtain nutrition from bamboo was proposed based on the results. This study provides novel insights into the adaptive evolution of pandas from the perspective of lignin metabolism.ImportanceAlthough giant pandas only feed on bamboo, the mechanism of lignin digestion in pandas is unclear. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in wild pandas were explored by comparing gut metagenomic from species with different feeding habits. Results showed that lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. Genes from pathways involved in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate via beta-ketoadipate pathway were also enriched in bamboo-eating pandas. The final products of the above process, such as acetyl-CoA, can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, mainly provides genes involved in lignin degradation. Herein, Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of pandas could degrade extracellular lignin. These findings suggest that gut microbiome of pandas is crucial in obtaining nutrition from lignin via Pseudomonas, as the main lignin-degrading bacteria.

Project description:BackgroundThe giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a threatened endemic Chinese species and a flagship species of national and global conservation concern. Life history theory proposes that reproduction and immunity can be mutually constraining and interrelated. Knowledge of immunity changes of male giant pandas during the breeding season is limited.ResultsHere, we researched peripheral blood gene expression profiles associated with immunity. Thirteen captive giant pandas, ranging from 9 to 11 years old, were divided into two groups based on their reproductive status. We identified 318 up-regulated DEGs and 43 down-regulated DEGs, which were enriched in 87 GO terms and 6 KEGG pathways. Additionally, we obtained 45 immune-related genes with altered expression, mostly up-regulated, and identified four hub genes HSPA4, SUGT1, SOD1, and IL1B in PPI analysis. These 45 genes were related to pattern recognition receptors, autophagy, peroxisome, proteasome, natural killer cell, antigen processing and presentation. SUGT1 and IL1B were related to pattern recognition receptors. HSP90AA1 was the most up-regulated gene and is a member of heat shock protein 90 family. HSP90 contributes to the translocation of extracellular antigen. KLRD1 encodes CD94, whose complex is an inhibitor of the cytotoxic activity of NK cells, was down-regulated. IGIP, which has the capability of inducing IgA production by B cells, was down-regulated, suggesting low concentration of IgA in male giant pandas. Our results suggest that most immune-related genes were up-regulated and more related to innate immune than adaptive immune.ConclusionsOur results indicated that breeding male giant pandas presented an immunoenhancement in innate immunity, enhanced antigen presentation and processing in cellular immunity compared to non-breeding males. The humoral immunity of male giant pandas may show a tendency to decrease during the breeding season. This study will provide a foundation for further studies of immunity and reproduction in male giant pandas.

Dataset Information

Temporomandibular joint and Giant Panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) adaptation to bamboo diet.

Publications

Temporomandibular joint and Giant Panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) adaptation to bamboo diet.

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