Identification of a novel hepacivirus in Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) from Shaanxi, China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: An CH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9170912 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Identification of a novel hepacivirus in Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) from Shaanxi, China.
An Cui-Hong CH Li Juan J Wang Yi-Ting YT Nie Shou-Min SM Chang Wen-Hui WH Zhou Hong H Xu Lin L Sun Yang-Xin YX Shi Wei-Feng WF Li Ci-Xiu CX
Virologica Sinica 20220119 2
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Project description:The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a member of the rodent family that displays several features not found in mice or rats, including sensory specializations and social patterns more similar to those in humans. These features have made gerbils a valuable animal for research studies of auditory and visual processing, brain development, learning and memory, and neurological disorders. Here, we report the whole gerbil annotated genome sequence, and identify important similarities and differences to the human and mouse genomes. We further analyze the chromosomal structure of eight genes with high relevance for controlling neural signaling and demonstrate a high degree of homology between these genes in mouse and gerbil. This homology increases the likelihood that individual genes can be rapidly identified in gerbil and used for genetic manipulations. The availability of the gerbil genome provides a foundation for advancing our knowledge towards understanding evolution, behavior and neural function in mammals. ACCESSION NUMBER: The Whole Genome Shotgun sequence data from this project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession NHTI00000000. The version described in this paper is version NHTI01000000. The fragment reads, and mate pair reads have been deposited in the Sequence Read Archive under BioSample accession SAMN06897401.
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Project description:A new stereotaxic brain atlas of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), an important animal model in neurosciences, is presented. It combines high-quality histological material for identification of brain structures with reliable stereotaxic coordinates. The atlas consists of high-resolution images of frontal sections alternately stained for cell bodies (Nissl) and myelinated fibers (Gallyas) of 62 rostro-caudal levels at intervals of 350 μm. Brain structures were named according to the Paxinos nomenclature for rodents. The accuracy of the stereotaxic coordinate system was improved substantially by comparing and matching the series of histological sections to in vivo brain images of the gerbil obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The skull outlines corresponding to the MR images were acquired using X-ray computerized tomography (CT) and were used to establish the relationship between coordinates of brain structures and skull. Landmarks such as lambda, bregma, ear canals and occipital crest can be used to line up skull and brain in standard atlas coordinates. An easily reproducible protocol allows sectioning of experimental brains in the standard frontal plane of the atlas.
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Project description:Telomeric DNA repeats are key features of chromosomes that allow the maintenance of integrity and stability in the telomeres. However, interstitial telomere sites (ITSs) can also be found along the chromosomes, especially near the centromere, where they may appear following chromosomal rearrangements like Robertsonian translocations. There is no defined role for ITSs, but they are linked to DNA damage-prone sites. We were interested in studying the structural organization of ITSs during meiosis, a kind of cell division in which programmed DNA damage events and noticeable chromatin reorganizations occur. Here we describe the presence of highly amplified ITSs in the pericentromeric region of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) chromosomes. During meiosis, ITSs show a different chromatin conformation than DNA repeats at telomeres, appearing more extended and accumulating heterochromatin markers. Interestingly, ITSs also recruit the telomeric proteins RAP1 and TRF1, but in a stage-dependent manner, appearing mainly at late prophase I stages. We did not find a specific accumulation of DNA repair factors to the ITSs, such as γH2AX or RAD51 at these stages, but we could detect the presence of MLH1, a marker for reciprocal recombination. However, contrary to previous reports, we did not find a specific accumulation of crossovers at ITSs. Intriguingly, some centromeric regions of metacentric chromosomes may bind the nuclear envelope through the association to SUN1 protein, a feature usually performed by telomeres. Therefore, ITSs present a particular and dynamic chromatin configuration in meiosis, which could be involved in maintaining their genetic stability, but they additionally retain some features of distal telomeres, provided by their capability to associate to telomere-binding proteins.
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Project description:Principal neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) receive strong and temporally precise excitatory input from globular bushy cells in the cochlear nucleus through the calyx of Held. The extremely large synaptic currents produced by the calyx have sometimes led to the view of the MNTB as a simple relay synapse which converts incoming excitation to outgoing inhibition. However, electrophysiological and anatomical studies have shown the additional presence of inhibitory glycinergic currents that are large enough to suppress action potentials in MNTB neurons at least in some cases. The source(s) of glycinergic inhibition to MNTB are not fully understood. One major extrinsic source of glycinergic inhibitory input to MNTB is the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body. However, it has been suggested that MNTB neurons receive additional inhibitory inputs via intrinsic connections (collaterals of glycinergic projections of MNTB neurons). While several authors have postulated their presence, these collaterals have never been examined in detail. Here we test the hypothesis that collaterals of MNTB principal cells provide glycinergic inhibition to the MNTB. We injected dye into single principal neurons in the MNTB, traced their projections, and immunohistochemically identified their synapses. We found that collaterals terminate within the MNTB and provide an additional source of inhibition to other principal cells, creating an inhibitory microcircuit within the MNTB. Only about a quarter to a third of MNTB neurons receive such collateral inputs. This microcircuit could produce side band inhibition and enhance frequency tuning of MNTB neurons, consistent with physiological observations.
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Project description:Drumming is a non-vocal auditory display producing airborne as well as seismic vibrations by tapping body extremities on a surface. It is mostly described as an alarm signal but is also discussed to signal dominance or mating quality. To clarify the function of drumming in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), we compared the occurrence of drumming during predator, opposite-sex and same-sex encounters. We tested 48 captive Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) in three experiments. In predator experiments, subjects were exposed alone or with their cagemate to aerial and terrestrial predator dummies. In social encounter experiments, familiar and unfamiliar male-female dyads and same-sex dyads were confronted. For the same-sex encounters, a dominance index was calculated for each subject based on the number of won and lost conflicts. Drumming and drumming-call combinations were counted, and a multi-parametric sound analysis was performed. In all experiments drumming and drumming-call combinations occurred. In predator experiments, more subjects drummed when confronted with the predator stimulus than in the habituation phase. In social encounter experiments, more subjects drummed when facing an unfamiliar than a familiar conspecific. In addition, the accompanying call type and body posture of the sender differed between experiments. Thus, we suggest that whereas drumming signals an increased arousal state of the sender, the accompanying call type and the body posture signal context specific information.
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Project description:By using the combination of reverse-transcription PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods, a cDNA encoding mast cell tryptase was successfully cloned from the small intestine of Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. The cDNA was 1219 bp long including 810 bp of an open reading frame. Based on the deduced amino acid sequences of known mast cell tryptases of other species, the gerbil mast cell tryptase (gMCT) was highly similar to mouse mast cell protease (mMCP)-7, and seems to be translated as a prepro-enzyme with 25 amino acids of signal and activation peptides and 245 amino acids of mature enzyme. The gMCT mRNA was preferentially transcribed in the intestinal mucosa and to a far lesser extent in the connective tissue such as skin and tongue. Moreover, kinetic study after infection revealed that the amount of gMCT mRNA in the small intestine correlated well with the degree of intestinal mastocytosis. Throughout the course of infection, enzyme-histochemically detectable tryptase activity was limited to mucosal mast cells. Since mucosal mast cells of other rodents, including mice and rats, do not express tryptases, this is the first report of rodent mast cell tryptase expressed in the intestinal mucosa.
| S-EPMC1135719 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThe Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus) has long been recognized as a permissive host for the filarial parasite Brugia malayi; however, it is nonpermissive to another filarial parasite, canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis). By elucidating differences in the early response to infection, we sought to identify mechanisms involved in the species-specific clearance of these parasites. We hypothesized that the early clearance of D. immitis in intraperitoneal infection of the jird is immune mediated and parasite species dependent.MethodsJird peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) were isolated and their attachment to parasite larvae assessed in vitro under various conditions: D. immitis and B. malayi cultured separately, co-culture of both parasites, incubation before addition of cells, culture of heat-killed parasites, and culture with PECs isolated from jirds with mature B. malayi infection. The cells attaching to larvae were identified by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn vitro cell attachment to live D. immitis was high (mean = 99.6%) while much lower for B. malayi (mean = 5.56%). This species-specific attachment was also observed when both filarial species were co-cultured, with no significant change from controls (U(9, 14) = 58.5, p = 0.999). When we replicated these experiments with PECs derived from jirds subcutaneously infected with B. malayi, the results were similar (99.4% and 4.72% of D. immitis and B. malayi, respectively, exhibited cell attachment). Heat-killing the parasites significantly reduced cell attachment to D. immitis (mean = 71.9%; U(11, 14) = 7.5, p < 0.001) while increasing attachment to B. malayi (mean = 16.7%; U(9, 15) = 20, p = 0.002). Cell attachment to both species was reduced when larvae were allowed a 24-h pre-incubation period prior to the addition of cells. The attaching cells were identified as macrophages by immunohistochemistry.ConclusionsThese results suggest a strongly species-dependent response from which B. malayi could not confer protection by proxy in co-culture. The changes in cell attachment following heat-killing and pre-incubation suggest a role for excretory/secretory products in host immune evasion and/or antigenicity. The nature of this attachment is the subject of ongoing study and may provide insight into filarial host specificity.
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Project description:BackgroundAs the quest to eradicate malaria continues, there remains a need to gain further understanding of the disease, particularly with regard to pathogenesis. This is facilitated, apart from in vitro and clinical studies, mainly via in vivo mouse model studies. However, there are few studies that have used gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) as animal models. Thus, this study is aimed at characterizing the effects of Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in gerbils, as well as the underlying pathogenesis.MethodsGerbils, 5-7 weeks old were infected by PbA via intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106 (0.2 mL) infected red blood cells. Parasitemia, weight gain/loss, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and body temperature changes in both control and infected groups were monitored over a duration of 13 days. RNA was extracted from the brain, spleen and whole blood to assess the immune response to PbA infection. Organs including the brain, spleen, heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were removed aseptically for histopathology.ResultsGerbils were susceptible to PbA infection, showing significant decreases in the hemoglobin concentration, RBC counts, body weights and body temperature, over the course of the infection. There were no neurological signs observed. Both pro-inflammatory (IFNγ and TNF) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines were significantly elevated. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were also observed. PbA parasitized RBCs were observed in the organs, using routine light microscopy and in situ hybridization.ConclusionGerbils may serve as a good model for severe malaria to further understand its pathogenesis.
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