Publications by authors named "Qinguo Wei"

Background/objectives: Mitochondrial genomes are widely used in phylogenetics and evolutionary and ecological research.

Methods: In this study, the newest mitochondrial genome of was assembled and annotated. The comparative mitochondrial genome and selection pressure analyses were used to examine the terrestrial adaptive evolution characteristics of and other terrestrial reptiles.

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Background: Semi-aquatic mammals represent a transitional phase in the evolutionary spectrum between terrestrial and aquatic mammals. The sense of balance is crucial for mammalian locomotion, and in semi-aquatic mammals, the structural foundation of this sense (the vestibular system) shows distinct morphological adaptations to both aquatic and terrestrial environments compared to their terrestrial counterparts. Despite this, the precise molecular mechanisms driving these adaptations remain elusive.

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Cyanobacterial blooms are one of the most common stressors aquatic plants and animals encounter in freshwater ecosystems such as rivers and lakes. Following such outbreaks, some cyanobacteria release toxins, notably microcystins, which are highly toxic. Although numerous studies have explored the effects of microcystins on fish, their in-situ effects on the fish gut microbiome remain unexamined.

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Microorganisms are a crucial component of lake ecosystems and significant contributors to biogeochemical cycles. However, the understanding of how primary microorganism groups (e.g.

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and are two otter species, which successfully occupied semi-aquatic habitats and diverged from other Mustelidae. Herein, the full-length mitochondrial genome sequences were constructed for these two otter species for the first time. Comparative mitochondrial genome, selection pressure, and phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs) analyses were conducted to determine the structure and evolutionary characteristics of their mitochondrial genomes.

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The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula) is a medium-sized carnivore that is widely distributed across much of Asia and occupies an extensive variety of habitats. We reported a high-quality genome assembly of this organism that was generated using Oxford Nanopore and Hi-C technologies. The final genome sequences contained 215 contigs with a total size of 2,449.

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Black-billed capercaillie () was listed as a first-class state-protected animal because it was endangered in China (Category I). This study is the first to examine the diversity and composition of gut microbiome in the wild. We collected fecal samples from five black-billed capercaillie flock roosting sites (each 20 km apart) in one day.

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The gastrointestinal tract of animals contains microbiota, forming a complex microecosystem. Gut microbes and their metabolites can regulate the development of host innate and adaptive immune systems. Animal immune systems maintain intestinal symbiotic microbiota homeostasis.

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Many mammals develop specific immune responses owing to the changes in their ecological niche and diet that are essential for animal survival. However, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) serve as the first line of defense in innate immunity and generate immune responses in the host. However, the evolutionary impacts on PRR genes in Carnivora are not well studied.

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Aquatic fungi form both morphologically and ecologically diverse communities. However, lake ecosystems are frequently overlooked as fungal habitats, despite the potentially important role of fungi in matter cycling and energy flow. Hulun Lake is a typical example of a seasonal glacial lake; however, previous studies have only focused on bacteria in this ecosystem.

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The gut microbiome can help the host adapt to a variety of environments and is affected by many factors. Marine carnivores have unique habitats in extreme environments. The question of whether marine habitats surpass phylogeny to drive the convergent evolution of the gut microbiome in marine carnivores remains unanswered.

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The Gobiidae family occupy one of the most diverse habitat ranges of all fishes. One key reason for their successful colonization of different habitats is their ability to adapt to different energy demands. This energy requirement is related to the ability of mitochondria in cells to generate energy via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how high-altitude environments, particularly in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, influence the gut microbiomes of two groups of animals: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) and Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates).
  • Researchers used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze gut microbiome compositions at both high and low altitudes, finding that high-altitude ungulates had distinct microbiomes that differed significantly from those at lower altitudes.
  • The results suggested that while high altitude does not drive convergent evolution at the order level in ungulates, it does affect the diversity and specific microbial communities, highlighting unique adaptations of these animals to extreme environments
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how high-altitude environments influence the evolution of vertebrate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), focusing on energy requirements for different altitudes.
  • Researchers found that high-altitude vertebrates have a significantly higher ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions in their mtDNA protein-coding genes, indicating faster evolutionary rates.
  • The analysis identified seven rapidly evolving genes common in high-altitude species, implying that the low oxygen levels at high altitudes drive the evolution of these organisms to meet their increased energy demands.
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Gut microbiome influence the health and evolution of mammals and multiple factors modulate the structure and function of gut microbiome. However, the specific changes of the diets and phylogeny on the gut microbiome were unclear. Here, we compared the gut microbiome of 16 rare wild mammals.

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The Eyebrowed Thrush () is a highly migratory bird, which breeds in northeastern Asia and overwinters in southeastern Asia. We obtained the mitochondrial genome of by Sanger sequencing. The mitogenome was 16,739 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one control region.

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Microbial communities play an important role in water quality regulation and biogeochemical cycling in freshwater ecosystems. However, there is a lack of research on the seasonal variation in lake water microorganisms in cold environments. In this study, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing was used to explore the microbial community and its influencing factors in Hulun Lake water during different seasons.

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are a group of mollusks, almost all of which live in a dark and humid environment during their life cycle. In this study, the complete mitogenome of was sequenced using next generation sequencing, analyzed and compared with other Stylommatophorans. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 14,314 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region.

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This study aimed to identify the effects of host species on the gut microbial flora in three species (, , and ) from the subfamily Caprinae, by excluding the impact of environment factors. We investigated the differences in intestinal flora of three species belonging to Caprinae, which were raised in identical conditions. Fecal samples were collected from tahr, mouflon, and bharal, and the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing.

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Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) encoded by the gene family can regulate development and physiology in animals. However, their evolutionary characteristics in Carnivora are largely unknown. In this study, we identified 660 sequences of three types of genes from 30 unannotated genomes of Carnivora animals (before 7th May 2020), and the genes from 52 Carnivora species were analyzed through the method of comparative genomics.

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The gut microbiome is integral for the host's living and environmental adaptation and crucially important for understanding host adaptive mechanisms. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) dominates a wider ecological niche and more complicated habitat than that of the corsac fox (V. corsac).

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The co-evolution of gut microbes and the host plays a vital role in the survival and reproduction of the host. The dhole () has been listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; therefore, conservation and effective breeding of dholes are essential. Effective estrus can promote reproduction.

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