Publications by authors named "Boxiong Guo"
Article Synopsis
- High-altitude and marine mammals both face challenges from low oxygen levels (hypoxia) but have developed similar lung adaptations characterized by elastic fibers.
- The study analyzed the genetic changes related to these adaptations, revealing significant shifts in gene families associated with pulmonary fibrosis and highlighting specific genes that have evolved convergently in both mammal groups.
- Additionally, the research uncovered genetic changes that may impact reproductive functions, suggesting links between their adaptations to hypoxia and reproductive capabilities.
Background: Cetaceans, having experienced prolonged adaptation to aquatic environments, have undergone evolutionary changes in their respiratory systems. This process of evolution has resulted in the emergence of distinctive phenotypic traits, notably the abundance of elastic fibers and thickened alveolar walls in their lungs, which may facilitate alveolar collapse during diving. This structure helps selective exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, while minimizing nitrogen exchange, thereby reducing the risk of DCS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe marine environment presents challenges for wound healing in cetaceans, despite their remarkable recovery abilities with minimal infections or complications. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this efficient wound healing remains underexplored. To better understand the molecular mechanisms behind wound healing in cetaceans, we investigated the evolutionary patterns of 37 wound healing-related genes in representative mammals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Mammals have developed different kidney shapes over time, and scientists are trying to understand how these changes happened and why.
- They found that the simplest kidney type, called the unilobar kidney, is what all mammals originally had and that larger mammals or those living in water often have a more complex kidney called the discrete multirenculate kidney.
- By studying 45 genes linked to kidney problems, researchers identified 12 important genes that might have helped these complex kidneys evolve, and they also found changes in some genes that are important for how certain body parts grow and develop.