Project description:Selective breeding of domestic dogs has generated diverse breeds often optimized for performing specialized tasks. Despite the heritability of breed-typical behavioral traits, identification of causal loci has proven challenging due to the complexity of canine population structure. We overcome longstanding difficulties in identifying genetic drivers of canine behavior by developing an innovative framework for understanding relationships between breeds and the behaviors that define them utilizing genetic data for over 4,000 domestic, semi-feral and wild canids and behavioral survey data for over 46,000 dogs. We identify ten major canine genetic lineages and their behavioral correlates and show that breed diversification is predominantly driven by non-coding regulatory variation. We determine that lineage-associated genes converge in neurodevelopmental co-expression networks, identifying a sheepdog-associated enrichment for interrelated axon guidance functions. This work presents a scaffold for canine diversification that positions the domestic dog as an unparalleled system for revealing the genetic origins of behavioral diversity.
Project description:Transcriptional characteristics of genes in the midgut of domestic silkworms after 24 h exposure to phoxim through whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray.
Project description:High-altitude adaptation is a representative example of vertebrates getting adapted to harsh and extreme environments. To investigate the miRNA expression alterations of goats that were induced by high altitude stress, we performed comparative miRNA transcriptome analysis on six hypoxia-sensitive tissues (heart, kidney, liver, lung, skeletal muscle and spleen) in two indigenous goat populations from distinct altitudes (600 m and 3000 m). We obtained the expression of 1391 mature miRNAs and identified 138 differentially expressed miRNAs between altitudes. Combined with tissue specificity analysis, we illustrated alterations of expression levels between altitudes and among tissues, which suggested the coexisting tissue-specific and tissue-conserved mechanism for hypoxia adaptation. Notably, the interplay between DE miRNA and DE target genes strongly indicated post-transcriptional regulation in HIF-1 signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway and p53 signaling pathway, which might play a significant role in high altitude adaptation in domestic goats. These results provide insights into the complicated miRNA expression pattern and regulatory mechanism of high altitude adaptation in domestic goats.
