Contradictory Phylogenetic Signals in the Laurasiatheria Anomaly Zone.

Relationships among laurasiatherian clades represent one of the most highly disputed topics in mammalian phylogeny. In this study, we attempt to disentangle laurasiatherian interordinal relationships using two independent genome-level approaches: (1) quantifying retrotransposon presence/absence patterns, and (2) comparisons of exon datasets at the levels of nucleotides and amino acids. The two approaches revealed contradictory phylogenetic signals, possibly due to a high level of ancestral incomplete lineage sorting.

Gene losses in the common vampire bat illuminate molecular adaptations to blood feeding.

Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed exclusively on blood. To uncover genomic changes associated with this dietary adaptation, we generated a haplotype-resolved genome of the common vampire bat and screened 27 bat species for genes that were specifically lost in the vampire bat lineage. We found previously unknown gene losses that relate to reduced insulin secretion ( and ), limited glycogen stores (), and a unique gastric physiology ().

Six reference-quality genomes reveal evolution of bat adaptations.

Bats possess extraordinary adaptations, including flight, echolocation, extreme longevity and unique immunity. High-quality genomes are crucial for understanding the molecular basis and evolution of these traits. Here we incorporated long-read sequencing and state-of-the-art scaffolding protocols to generate, to our knowledge, the first reference-quality genomes of six bat species (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Phyllostomus discolor, Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Molossus molossus).

A highly contiguous genome assembly of the bat hawkmoth Hyles vespertilio (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).

Background: Adapted to different ecological niches, moth species belonging to the Hyles genus exhibit a spectacular diversity of larval color patterns. These species diverged ∼7.5 million years ago, making this rather young genus an interesting system to study a wide range of questions including the process of speciation, ecological adaptation, and adaptive radiation.

Longitudinal comparative transcriptomics reveals unique mechanisms underlying extended healthspan in bats.

Bats are the longest-lived mammals, given their body size. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of their extended healthspans are poorly understood. To address this question we carried out an eight-year longitudinal study of ageing in long-lived bats (Myotis myotis).

Recurrent loss of HMGCS2 shows that ketogenesis is not essential for the evolution of large mammalian brains.

Apart from glucose, fatty acid-derived ketone bodies provide metabolic energy for the brain during fasting and neonatal development. We investigated the evolution of , the key enzyme required for ketone body biosynthesis (ketogenesis). Unexpectedly, we found that three mammalian lineages, comprising cetaceans (dolphins and whales), elephants and mastodons, and Old World fruit bats have lost this gene.

Population level mitogenomics of long-lived bats reveals dynamic heteroplasmy and challenges the Free Radical Theory of Ageing.

Bats are the only mammals capable of true, powered flight, which drives an extremely high metabolic rate. The "Free Radical Theory of Ageing" (FTRA) posits that a high metabolic rate causes mitochondrial heteroplasmy and the progressive ageing phenotype. Contrary to this, bats are the longest-lived order of mammals given their small size and high metabolic rate.

Growing old, yet staying young: The role of telomeres in bats' exceptional longevity.

Understanding aging is a grand challenge in biology. Exceptionally long-lived animals have mechanisms that underpin extreme longevity. Telomeres are protective nucleotide repeats on chromosome tips that shorten with cell division, potentially limiting life span.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Bechstein's bat, (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae).

In this study, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of the Bechstein's bat, . The mitogenome is 17,151 bp in length and is AT-rich with base composition A (27.8%), C (22%), G (16.

Blood miRNomes and transcriptomes reveal novel longevity mechanisms in the long-lived bat, Myotis myotis.

Background: Chiroptera, the bats, are the only order of mammals capable of true self-powered flight. Bats exhibit a number of other exceptional traits such as echolocation, viral tolerance and, perhaps most puzzlingly, extreme longevity given their body size. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving their extended longevity particularly at the levels of gene expression and post-transcriptional regulation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Kuhl's pipistrelle, (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae).

The Kuhl's pipistrelle () is a small, vespertilionid bat species, with a large range extending from the Iberian Peninsula into the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula. In this study, we determine for the first time the complete mitogenome of this species. The mitogenome is 16,991 base pairs long with 37 genes and 1 control region, showing conserved gene content and order with other vertebrate mitogenomes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Greater Mouse-Eared bat, Myotis myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae).

In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of the Greater Mouse-Eared Bat, Myotis myotis. The mitogenome is 17 213 bp with base composition A (34.2%), G (13%), C (22.

A nonlethal sampling method to obtain, generate and assemble whole blood transcriptomes from small, wild mammals.

The acquisition of tissue samples from wild populations is a constant challenge in conservation biology, especially for endangered species and protected species where nonlethal sampling is the only option. Whole blood has been suggested as a nonlethal sample type that contains a high percentage of bodywide and genomewide transcripts and therefore can be used to assess the transcriptional status of an individual, and to infer a high percentage of the genome. However, only limited quantities of blood can be nonlethally sampled from small species and it is not known if enough genetic material is contained in only a few drops of blood, which represents the upper limit of sample collection for some small species.

Transgene- and locus-dependent imprinting reveals allele-specific chromosome conformations.

When positioned into the integrin α-6 gene, an Hoxd9lacZ reporter transgene displayed parental imprinting in mouse embryos. While the expression from the paternal allele was comparable with patterns seen for the same transgene when present at the neighboring HoxD locus, almost no signal was scored at this integration site when the transgene was inherited from the mother, although the Itga6 locus itself is not imprinted. The transgene exhibited maternal allele-specific DNA hypermethylation acquired during oogenesis, and its expression silencing was reversible on passage through the male germ line.