13 documents found, page 1 of 2
Evolution of chitin-synthase in molluscs and their response to ocean acidification
Cardoso, João; Power, Deborah Mary; Peng, MaoxiaoChitin-synthase (CHS) is found in most eukaryotes and has a complex evolutionary history. Research into CHS has mainly been in the context of biomineralization of mollusc shells an area of high interest due to the consequences of ocean acidification. Exploration of CHS at the genomic level in molluscs, the evolution of isoforms, their tissue distribution, and response to environmental challenges are largely unk...
Differential tissue immune stimulation through immersion in bacterial and viral...
Sousa, Carmen; Peng, Maoxiao; Guerreiro, Pedro; Cardoso, João; Chen, Liangbiao; Canario, Adelino; Power, DeborahThe genome evolution of Antarctic notothenioids has been modulated by their extreme environment over millennia and more recently by human -caused constraints such as overfishing and climate change. Here we investigated the characteristics of the immune system in Notothenia rossii and how it responds to 8 h immersion in viral (Poly I:C, polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid) and bacterial (LPS, lipopolysaccharide) pr...
The physiological effect of polystyrene nanoplastic particles on fish and human...
Peng, Maoxiao; Félix, Rute C.; Canario, Adelino; Power, DeborahNumerous studies have identified the detrimental effects for the biosphere of large plastic debris, the effect of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) is less clear. The skin is the first point of contact with NPs, and skin fibroblasts have a vital role in maintaining skin structure and function. Here, a comparative approach is taken using three fibroblast cell lines from the zebrafish (SJD.1), human male...
Regulatory mechanism of bivalve shell biomineralization and its response to glo...
Peng, MaoxiaoBivalves are one of the most diverse animal groups in the ocean and are found everywhere on Earth. They provide important ecosystem services in the marine environment as they filter environmental waters but also contribute to the nutrient and carbon cycle and are a rich source of nutrients for humans and other animals. Aquaculture of marine bivalve is an economically important industry worldwide that is current...
Revisiting the evolution of family B1 GPCRs and ligands: insights from mollusca
Cardoso, João; Mc Shane, Jennifer; Li, Zhi; Peng, Maoxiao; Power, Deborah MaryFamily B1 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the most well studied neuropeptide receptor families since they play a central role in many biological processes including endocrine, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and reproduction in animals. The genes for these receptors emerged from a common ancestral gene in bilaterian genomes and evolved via gene/genome duplications and deletions in vertebrate and...
Core genes of biomineralization and cis-regulatory long non-coding RNA regulate...
Peng, Maoxiao; Cardoso, João; Pearson, Gareth Anthony; Canario, Adelino; Power, Deborah MaryBivalve molluscs are abundant in marine and freshwater systems and contribute essential ecosystem services. They are characterized by an exuberant diversity of biomineralized shells and typically have two symmetric valves (a.k.a shells), but oysters (Ostreidae), some clams (Anomiidae and Chamidae) and scallops (Pectinida) have two asymmetrical valves. Predicting and modelling the likely consequences of ocean ac...
Neuropeptides regulate shell growth in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus gallop...
Li, Zhi; Peng, Maoxiao; Félix, Rute; Cardoso, João; Power, Deborah MaryIn bivalves, which are molluscs enclosed in a biomineralized shell, a diversity of neuropeptide precursors has been described but their involvement in shell growth has been largely neglected. Here, using a symmetric marine bivalve, the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), we uncover a role for the neuroendocrine system and neuropeptides in shell production. We demonstrate that the mantle is rich in...
Domain-dependent evolution explains functional homology of protostome and deute...
Peng, Maoxiao; Li, Zhi; Cardoso, João; Niu, Donghong; Liu, Xiaojun; Dong, Zhiguo; Li, Jiale; Power, DeborahComplement proteins emerged early in evolution but outside the vertebrate clade they are poorly characterized. An evolutionary model of C3 family members revealed that in contrast to vertebrates the evolutionary trajectory of C3-like genes in cnidarian, protostomes and invertebrate deuterostomes was highly divergent due to independent lineage and species-specific duplications. The deduced C3-like and vertebrate...
RNAi-mediated knock-down of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase gene changes growth o...
Li, Zhi; Peng, Maoxiao; Power, Deborah; Niu, Donghong; Dong, Zhiguo; Li, JialeDopamine beta-hydroxylase (D beta H) plays an essential role in the synthesis of catecholamines (CA) in neuroen-docrine networks. In the razor clam, Sinonovacula constricta a novel gene for D beta H (ScD beta H-alpha) was identified that belongs to the copper type II ascorbate-dependent monooxygenase family. Expression analysis revealed ScD beta H-alpha gene transcripts were abundant in the liver and expressed ...
Evolution and potential function in molluscs of neuropeptide and receptor homol...
Li, Zhi; Cardoso, João; Peng, Maoxiao; Inácio, João P. S.; Power, DeborahThe allatostatins (ASTs), AST-A, AST-B and AST-C, have mainly been investigated in insects. They are a large group of small pleotropic alloregulatory neuropeptides that are unrelated in sequence and activate receptors of the rhodopsin G-protein coupled receptor family (GPCRs). The characteristics and functions of the homologue systems in the molluscs (Buccalin, MIP and AST-C-like), the second most diverse group...