Neuroscience has historically exploited a wide diversity of animal taxa. Recently, however, research has focused increasingly on a few model species. This trend has accelerated with the genetic revolution, as genomic sequences and genetic tools became available for a few species, which formed a bottleneck. This coalescence on a small set of model species comes with several costs that are often not considered, especially in the current drive to use mice explicitly as models for human diseases. Comparative studies of strategically chosen non-model species can complement model species research and yield more rigorous studies. As genetic sequences and tools become available for many more species, we are poised to emerge from the bottleneck and once again exploit the rich biological diversity offered by comparative studies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2015.02.008 | DOI Listing |
Theor Appl Genet
January 2025
Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, AgroParisTech, GQE - Le Moulon, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Phenomic selection based on parental spectra can be used to predict GCA and SCA in a sparse factorial design. Prediction approaches such as genomic selection can be game changers in hybrid breeding. They allow predicting the genetic values of hybrids without the need for their physical production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenes Dev
December 2024
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
The gene-regulatory mechanisms controlling the expression of the germline PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway components within the gonads of metazoan species remain largely unexplored. In contrast to the male germline piRNA pathway, which in mice is known to be activated by the testis-specific transcription factor A-MYB, the nature of the ovary-specific gene-regulatory network driving the female germline piRNA pathway remains a mystery. Here, using as a model, we combined multiple genomics approaches to reveal the transcription factor Ovo as regulator of the germline piRNA pathway in ovarian germ cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, NO.1800, Lihu avenue, Wuxi 214122, China.
Inducible systems are crucial to metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, enabling organisms that function as biosensors and produce valuable compounds. However, almost all inducible systems are strain-specific, limiting comparative analyses and applications across strains rapidly. This study designed and presented a robust workflow for developing the cross-species inducible system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biotechnol J
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China.
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), the integral components in the manufacture of digital displays, have engendered environmental concerns due to extensive utilization and intensive emission. Despite their prevalence and ecotoxicity, the LCM impacts on plant growth and agricultural yield remain inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated the specific response mechanisms of tobacco, a pivotal agricultural crop and model plant, to four representative LCMs (2OdF3B, 5CB, 4PiMeOP, 2BzoCP) through integrative molecular and physiological approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Fish Biol
January 2025
Aquatic Systems Biology Unit, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
Animal growth is a fundamental component of population dynamics, which is closely tied to mortality, fecundity, and maturation. As a result, estimating growth often serves as the basis of population assessments. In fish, analysing growth typically involves fitting a growth model to age-at-length data derived from counting growth rings in calcified structures.
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