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Starvation resistance in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus requires a conserved supplementary nuclear receptor Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Tobias Theska, Tess Renahan, Ralf J. Sommer
Nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) are a deeply-conserved superfamily of metazoan transcription factors, which fine-tune the expression of their regulatory target genes in response to a plethora of sensory inputs. In nematodes, NHRs underwent an explosive expansion and many species have hundreds of nhr genes, most of which remain functionally uncharacterized. However, recent studies have reported that
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Correction: Deep-sea ctenostome bryozoans: revision of the family Pachyzoidae, with description of a new genus and three new species from Zealandia Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Thomas Schwaha, Dennis P. Gordon
Zoological Letters (2024) 10:4 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40851-024-00226-z Following publication of the original article, it was brought to the journal's attention that due to an error in processing the proofs of the article, the article had published with a duplicate of Figure 6 in place of Figure 5. Figure 5 has since been corrected in the article. The publisher thanks you for reading this erratum
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Bat pollinators: a decade of monitoring reveals declining visitation rates for some species in Thailand Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Alyssa B. Stewart, Supawan Srilopan, Kanuengnit Wayo, Piriya Hassa, Michele R. Dudash, Sara Bumrungsri
Bats are important pollinators, but they are difficult to study since they are volant and nocturnal. Thus, long-term studies of nectarivorous bats are scarce, despite their potential to help assess trends in bat populations and their pollination services. We used capture rates of nectarivorous bats at chiropterophilous flowers in order to examine temporal trends in bat visitation in an area that is
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Deep-sea ctenostome bryozoans: revision of the family Pachyzoidae, with description of a new genus and three new species from Zealandia Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Thomas Schwaha, Dennis P. Gordon
Pachyzoidae is a little-known family of deep-sea ctenostome Bryozoa that until now was monospecific for Pachyzoon atlanticum. Originally described from the Atlantic Ocean, the genus was also found off southeastern New Caledonia in deep waters of the geological continent of Zealandia. Pachyzoon atlanticum forms globular to flat round colonies, living on soft, muddy to sandy bottoms with a few rhizoidal
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Neuromuscular organization of the benthic ctenophore, Vallicula multiformis Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-30 Kurato Mohri, Hiroshi Watanabe
Ctenophora is the earliest metazoan taxon with neurons and muscles. Recent studies have described genetic, physiological, and cellular characteristics of the neural and muscular systems of this phylogenically important lineage. However, despite the ecological diversity of ctenophore niches, including both pelagic and benthic forms, studies have focused predominantly on pelagic species. In the present
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Color vision evolution in egg-laying mammals: insights from visual photoreceptors and daily activities of Australian echidnas Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-02 Shiina Sakamoto, Yuka Matsushita, Akihiro Itoigawa, Takumi Ezawa, Takeshi Fujitani, Kenichiro Takakura, Yang Zhou, Guojie Zhang, Frank Grutzner, Shoji Kawamura, Takashi Hayakawa
Egg-laying mammals (monotremes) are considered “primitive” due to traits such as oviparity, cloaca, and incomplete homeothermy, all of which they share with reptiles. Two groups of monotremes, the terrestrial echidna (Tachyglossidae) and semiaquatic platypus (Ornithorhynchidae), have evolved highly divergent characters since their emergence in the Cenozoic era. These evolutionary differences, notably
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Epimorphic development in tropical shallow-water Nymphonidae (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) revealed by fluorescence imaging Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-02 Claudia P. Arango, Georg Brenneis
Extant lineages of sea spiders (Pycnogonida) exhibit different types of development. Most commonly, pycnogonids hatch as a minute, feeding protonymphon larva with subsequent anamorphic development. However, especially in cold water habitats at higher latitudes and in the deep sea, some taxa have large, lecithotrophic larvae, or even undergo extended embryonic development with significantly advanced
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Comparative analysis of Hmx expression and the distribution of neuronal somata in the trigeminal ganglion in lamprey and shark: insights into the homology of the trigeminal nerve branches and the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate jaw Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-05 Motoki Tamura, Ryota Ishikawa, Yuki Nakanishi, Juan Pascual-Anaya, Makiko Fukui, Takashi Saitou, Fumiaki Sugahara, Filippo M. Rijli, Shigeru Kuratani, Daichi G. Suzuki, Yasunori Murakami
The evolutionary origin of the jaw remains one of the most enigmatic events in vertebrate evolution. The trigeminal nerve is a key component for understanding jaw evolution, as it plays a crucial role as a sensorimotor interface for the effective manipulation of the jaw. This nerve is also found in the lamprey, an extant jawless vertebrate. The trigeminal nerve has three major branches in both the
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Homology of the head sensory structures between Heterotardigrada and Eutardigrada supported in a new species of water bear (Ramazzottiidae: Ramazzottius) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-27 Ji-Hoon Kihm, Krzysztof Zawierucha, Hyun Soo Rho, Tae-Yoon S. Park
Phylum Tardigrada is represented by microscopic eight-legged panarthropods that inhabit terrestrial and marine environments. Although tardigrades are emerging model animals for areas of research including physiology, evolutionary biology, and astrobiology, knowledge of their external morphology remains insufficient. For instance, homologies between marine and terrestrial relatives largely remain unexplored
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A review of the genus Muusoctopus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) from Arctic waters Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-11-16 Alexey V. Golikov, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Martin E. Blicher, Lis L. Jørgensen, Ekaterina I. Korneeva, Steinunn H. Olafsdottir, Elena I. Shagimardanova, Leyla H. Shigapova, Denis V. Zakharov, Olga L. Zimina, Rushan M. Sabirov
We report two Arctic species of incirrate octopods new to science. One is formally described here as Muusoctopus aegir Golikov, Gudmundsson & Sabirov sp. nov. while the other, Muusoctopus sp. 1, is not formally described due to a limited number of samples (all are immature individuals). These two species differ from each other, and from other Muusoctopus, especially in: 1) absence of stylets (in M
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Cell type specific polyploidization in the royal fat body of termite queens Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-11 Tomonari Nozaki, Eisuke Tasaki, Kenji Matsuura
Tissue-specific endopolyploidy is widespread among plants and animals and its role in organ development and function has long been investigated. In insects, the fat body cells of sexually mature females produce substantial amounts of egg yolk precursor proteins (vitellogenins) and exhibit high polyploid levels, which is considered crucial for boosting egg production. Termites are social insects with
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Male spiny frogs enter the underwater battlefield with loose skin exhibiting enhanced penetration of capillaries into the epidermis Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-06 Shuang Xu, Qiang Dai, Yuchi Zheng
The skin has multiple functions, and capillaries can penetrate the epidermis to shorten the diffusion path while allowing maintenance of overall epidermal thickness for nonrespiratory roles. However, a method for quantifying the capillary penetration extent is lacking. Such a method may facilitate making comparisons and detecting associations, potentially making the extent a useful variable in biological
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Difference in sulfur regulation mechanism between tube-dwelling and free-moving polychaetes sympatrically inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal chimneys Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-04 Tomoko Koito, Yusuke Ito, Akihiko Suzuki, Akihiro Tame, Tetsuro Ikuta, Miwa Suzuki, Satoshi Mitsunobu, Makoto Sugimura, Koji Inoue
The environment around deep sea hydrothermal vents is characterized by an abundance of sulfur compounds, including toxic hydrogen sulfide. However, numerous communities of various invertebrates are found in it. It is suggested that invertebrates in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents detoxify sulfur compounds by biosynthesis of taurine-related compounds in the body. On the other hand, the vent endemic
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Correction: Morphological and radiological mapping of dental cusps in relation to spatial constraints on tooth shape of one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-09-01 Atef M. Erasha, Mohammed Nazih, Safwat Ali, Mohamed Alsafy, Samir El-gendy, Ramy K. A. Sayed
Zoological Letters (2023) 9:14 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40851-023-00213-w Following publication of the original article [1], it came to the journal’s attention that the article had been processed with an out-of-date manuscript file, which was out of date because the quality of the article’s English still required some improvement. The published article has since been updated with the correct manuscript
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Variation in responses to photoperiods and temperatures in Japanese medaka from different latitudes Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-22 Ai Shinomiya, Daisuke Adachi, Tsuyoshi Shimmura, Miki Tanikawa, Naoshi Hiramatsu, Shigeho Ijiri, Kiyoshi Naruse, Mitsuru Sakaizumi, Takashi Yoshimura
Seasonal changes are more robust and dynamic at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes, and animals sense seasonal changes in the environment and alter their physiology and behavior to better adapt to harsh winter conditions. However, the genetic basis for sensing seasonal changes, including the photoperiod and temperature, remains unclear. Medaka (Oryzias latipes species complex), widely distributed
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A new species of cascade frog (Anura: Ranidae: Amolops) from central Yunnan, China Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-17 Shangjing Tang, Tao Sun, Shuo Liu, Sangdi Luo, Guohua Yu, Lina Du
A new species of the genus Amolops, Amolops ailao sp. nov., is described from central Yunnan, China. The new species belongs to the A. mantzorum species group. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combination of mitochondrial 16S rRNA, COI, and cytb genes revealed that the new species is the sister taxon to Amolops ottorum with strong support. Genetically, the new species differs from A. ottorum by 5
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Morphological and radiological mapping of dental cusps in relation to spatial constraints on tooth shape of one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-06-19 Atef M. Erasha, Mohammed Nazih, Safwat Ali, Mohamed Alsafy, Samir El-gendy, Ramy K. A. Sayed
A significant extent of researches in veterinary study have been focused on dental structure; however, there are scanty ones on the orientation and identification of their cusps. Therefore, the present article aimed to spot a light on arrangement pattern of dental cusps in the camel as a folivorous and graminivorous animal. This study was conducted on eight heads of adult, healthy camel of both sexes
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Progesterone initiates tendril formation in the oviducal gland during egg encapsulation in cloudy catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-30 Koya Shimoyama, Mai Kawano, Nobuhiro Ogawa, Kotaro Tokunaga, Wataru Takagi, Makito Kobayashi, Susumu Hyodo
The diverse reproductive strategies of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and skates) have attracted research attention, but the endocrine control of reproduction is still incompletely known in elasmobranchs. By long-term monitoring of the egg-laying cycle in cloudy catsharks (Scyliorhinus torazame), we recently demonstrated a transient increase in plasma progesterone (P4) levels just prior to the appearance
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Scleral appearance is not a correlate of domestication in mammals Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-29 Kai R. Caspar, Lisa Hüttner, Sabine Begall
Numerous hypotheses try to explain the unusual appearance of the human eye with its bright sclera and transparent conjunctiva and how it could have evolved from a dark-eyed phenotype, as is present in many non-human primates. Recently, it has been argued that pigmentation defects induced by self-domestication may have led to bright-eyed ocular phenotypes in humans and some other primate lineages, such
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Bones and all: a new critically endangered Pantepui species of Stefania (Anura: Hemiphractidae) and a new osteological synapomorphy for the genus Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-25 Philippe J. R. Kok
The hemiphractid frog genus Stefania is one of the many ancient (near-) endemic lineages of vertebrates inhabiting the biodiverse Pantepui biogeographical region in the Guiana Shield Highlands of northern South America—the famous “Lost World” of Arthur Conan Doyle. Previous molecular analyses of the genus Stefania have indicated that species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships are often incongruent
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The use of polarized light in the zonal orientation of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-18 Alberto Ugolini, Takahiko Hariyama, David C. Wilcockson, Luca Mercatelli
It is well known that the celestial polarization is used as a compass cue by many species of insects and crustaceans. Although it has been shown that the sandhopper Talitrus saltator perceives polarized light and possesses an arrangement of the rhabdomeres that could allow e-vector interpretation and utilization, T. saltator does not use the e-vector of the skylight polarization as a compass cue when
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Photoreceptor genes in a trechine beetle, Trechiama kuznetsovi, living in the upper hypogean zone Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Takuma Niida, Yuto Terashima, Hitoshi Aonuma, Shigeyuki Koshikawa
To address how organisms adapt to a new environment, subterranean organisms whose ancestors colonized subterranean habitats from surface habitats have been studied. Photoreception abilities have been shown to have degenerated in organisms living in caves and calcrete aquifers. Meanwhile, the organisms living in a shallow subterranean environment, which are inferred to reflect an intermediate stage
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Context-specific variation and repeatability in behavioral traits of bent-wing bats Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-07 Yu-Jen Kuo, Ya-Fu Lee, Yen-Min Kuo, Yik Ling Tai
Animals may show consistent among-individual behavioral differences over time and in different contexts, and these tendencies may be correlated to one another and emerge as behavioral syndromes. The cross-context variation in these behavioral tendencies, however, is rarely explored with animals in contexts associated with different locomotion modes. This study assessed the variation and repeatability
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New insights into the retinal microstructure-diurnal activity relationship in the African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata) (Lichtenstein, 1823) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-03-18 Neveen E. R. El-Bakary, Mohamed A. M. Alsafy, Samir A. A. El-Gendy, Samar M. Ez Elarab
The retinae of diurnal vertebrates have characteristics. Most lizards are strictly diurnal, and their retinal morphology is still unknown. The retina of the African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata) was studied using light and transmission electron microscopy. The retina's ten layers were all detected. The inner nuclear layer was the thickest by an average of 67.66 μm, and the inner plexiform
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Type 1 vomeronasal receptor expression in juvenile and adult lungfish olfactory organ Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-03-10 Shoko Nakamuta, Yoshio Yamamoto, Masao Miyazaki, Atsuhiro Sakuma, Masato Nikaido, Nobuaki Nakamuta
Lungfish are the most closely related fish to tetrapods. The olfactory organ of lungfish contains lamellae and abundant recesses at the base of lamellae. Based on the ultrastructural and histochemical characteristics, the lamellar olfactory epithelium (OE), covering the surface of lamellae, and the recess epithelium, contained in the recesses, are thought to correspond to the OE of teleosts and the
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Coelomocytes of the Oligochaeta earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) as evolutionary key of defense: a morphological study Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-03-04 Alessio Alesci, Gioele Capillo, Angelo Fumia, Marco Albano, Emmanuele Messina, Nunziacarla Spanò, Simona Pergolizzi, Eugenia Rita Lauriano
Metazoans have several mechanisms of internal defense for their survival. The internal defense system evolved alongside the organisms. Annelidae have circulating coelomocytes that perform functions comparable to the phagocytic immune cells of vertebrates. Several studies have shown that these cells are involved in phagocytosis, opsonization, and pathogen recognition processes. Like vertebrate macrophages
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Origin of the propatagium in non-avian dinosaurs Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-23 Yurika Uno, Tatsuya Hirasawa
Avian wings as organs for aerial locomotion are furnished with a highly specialized musculoskeletal system compared with the forelimbs of other tetrapod vertebrates. Among the specializations, the propatagium, which accompanies a skeletal muscle spanning between the shoulder and wrist on the leading edge of the wing, represents an evolutionary novelty established at a certain point in the lineage toward
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A review of the reproductive system in anuran amphibians Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-13 Maribel Méndez-Tepepa, Cuauhtémoc Morales-Cruz, Edelmira García-Nieto, Arely Anaya-Hernández
Reproductive biology is an important topic that is well explored in many vertebrates, but information about frogs’ reproductive mechanisms could be improved. Therefore, this review aims to provide organized and specific information on frog reproduction. First, we developed schemes that illustrate the general information regarding reproductive biological mechanisms in frogs in a specific way. Then,
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Air–breathing behavior underlies the cell death in limbs of Rana pirica tadpoles Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-01-09 Ono, Satomi F., Cordeiro, Ingrid Rosenburg, Kishida, Osamu, Ochi, Haruki, Tanaka, Mikiko
Amphibians shape their limbs by differential outgrowth of digits and interdigital regions. In contrast, amniotes employ cell death, an additional developmental system, to determine the final shape of limbs. Previous work has shown that high oxygen availability is correlated with the induction of cell death in developing limbs. Given the diversity of life histories of amphibians, it is conceivable that
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Structural and immunohistochemical analysis of the cellular compositions of the liver of molly fish (Poecilia sphenops), focusing on its immune role Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2023-01-05 Hussein, Marwa M., Sayed, Ramy K. A., Mokhtar, Doaa M.
The liver of fish is considered an ideal model for studying the collaboration between environmental agents and the health state of the fish, where it gives good indications about aquatic ecosystem status. Therefore, this study presented immune roles for the liver in molly fish (Poecilia sphenops), using immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hepatocytes’ sinusoidal structures
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Gene transcriptional profiles in gonads of Bacillus taxa (Phasmida) with different cytological mechanisms of automictic parthenogenesis Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-26 Forni, Giobbe, Mikheyev, Alexander S., Luchetti, Andrea, Mantovani, Barbara
The evolution of automixis – i.e., meiotic parthenogenesis – requires several features, including ploidy restoration after meiosis and maintenance of fertility. Characterizing the relative contribution of novel versus pre-existing genes and the similarities in their expression and sequence evolution is fundamental to understand the evolution of reproductive novelties. Here we identify gonads-biased
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Morphological evolution and diversity of pectoral fin skeletons in teleosts Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-26 Tanaka, Yoshitaka, Miura, Hiroki, Tamura, Koji, Abe, Gembu
The Teleostei class has the most species of the fishes. Members of this group have pectoral fins, enabling refined movements in the water. Although teleosts live in a diverse set of environments, the skeletal pattern of pectoral fins in teleosts is considered to show little morphological variability. Here, in order to elucidate variations in pectoral fin skeletons and to identify their evolutionary
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Morphology and morphometry of the inner ear of the dromedary camel and their influence on the efficiency of hearing and equilibrium Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-10-27 Ali, Safwat, Esmat, Abdelraheem, Erasha, Atef, Yasuda, Masahiro, Alsafy, Mohamed
The inner ear morphology and size are linked to hearing and balance ability. The goal of this study was to determine the morphology and morphometrics of the dromedary camel's inner ear and how it influences hearing accommodation and equilibrium in the desert environment. Gross morphology, computed tomography images, and the endocast were used to show the inner ear morphology. A caliper and ImageJ software
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Medaka, Oryzias latipes, egg envelopes are created by ovarian-expressed ZP proteins and liver-expressed choriogenins Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-07-28 Birk, Devun S., Onose, Shinji, Kinoshita, Masato, Murata, Kenji
The medaka (Oryzias latipes) egg envelope (chorion) is composed of three major glycoproteins, Zona Interna (ZI)-1, -2, and -3, that originate in the spawning female liver as the precursor proteins Choriogenin (Chg.)H, Chg.Hm, and Chg.L, respectively. These ZI and Chg. proteins contain a structural ZP protein domain that is conserved among the egg envelope proteins of all animals. While ovarian expression
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Allogeneic testes transplanted into partially castrated adult medaka (Oryzias latipes) can produce donor-derived offspring by natural mating over a prolonged period Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-07-25 Kayo, Daichi, Kanda, Shinji, Okubo, Kataaki
Generally, successful testis transplantation has been considered to require immune suppression in the recipient to avoid rejection of the transplanted tissue. In the present study, we demonstrate in medaka that allogeneic adult testicular tissue will engraft in adult recipients immediately after partial castration without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. The allografted testes are retained in the
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Ancient rivers shaped the current genetic diversity of the wood mouse (Apodemus speciosus) on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-06-21 Sato, Jun J., Yasuda, Kouki
The current distributions of organisms have been shaped by both current and past geographical barriers. However, it remains unclear how past geographical factors—currently cryptic on the sea floor—affected the current distributions of terrestrial animals. Here, we examined the effects of currently cryptic ancient rivers on current genetic differentiation of the large Japanese wood mouse, Apodemus speciosus
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Midnight/midday-synchronized expression of cryptochrome genes in the eyes of three teleost species, zebrafish, goldfish, and medaka Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-06-07 Nakagawa, Marika, Okano, Keiko, Saratani, Yuya, Shoji, Yosuke, Okano, Toshiyuki
Photoperiodic responses are observed in many organisms living in the temperate zones. The circadian clock is involved in photoperiodic time measurement; however, the underlying molecular mechanism for detection of the day length remains unknown. We previously compared the expression profiles of the Cryptochrome(Cry) genes in the zebrafish eye and reported that Cry1ab has a double peak with variable
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A new, widespread venomous mammal species: hemolytic activity of Sorex araneus venom is similar to that of Neomys fodiens venom Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-06-07 Kowalski, Krzysztof, Marciniak, Paweł, Rychlik, Leszek
Venom production has evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom, although it is rare among mammals. Venomous shrews produce toxins in their salivary glands and use their venoms to hunt and store prey. Thus far, the toxicity and composition of shrew venoms have been studied only in two shrew species: the northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, and the Eurasian water shrew, Neomys
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An approach for elucidating dermal fibroblast dedifferentiation in amphibian limb regeneration Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-04-28 Satoh, Akira, Kashimoto, Rena, Ohashi, Ayaka, Furukawa, Saya, Yamamoto, Sakiya, Inoue, Takeshi, Hayashi, Toshinori, Agata, Kiyokazu
Urodele amphibians, Pleurodeles waltl and Ambystoma mexicanum, have organ-level regeneration capability, such as limb regeneration. Multipotent cells are induced by an endogenous mechanism in amphibian limb regeneration. It is well known that dermal fibroblasts receive regenerative signals and turn into multipotent cells, called blastema cells. However, the induction mechanism of the blastema cells
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A transcriptomic reevaluation of the accessory olfactory organ in Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-02-08 Sakuma, Atsuhiro, Zhang, Zicong, Suzuki, Eri, Nagasawa, Tatsuki, Nikaido, Masato
Fish possess one olfactory organ called the olfactory epithelium (OE), by which various chemical substances are detected. On the other hand, tetrapods possess two independent olfactory organs called the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and vomeronasal organ (VNO), each of which mainly detects general odorants and pheromones, respectively. Traditionally, the VNO, so-called concentrations of vomeronasal
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Gene expression alterations from reversible to irreversible stages during coral metamorphosis Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-01-25 Ishii, Yuu, Hatta, Masayuki, Deguchi, Ryusaku, Kawata, Masakado, Maruyama, Shinichiro
For corals, metamorphosis from planktonic larvae to sedentary polyps is an important life event, as it determines the environment in which they live for a lifetime. Although previous studies on the reef-building coral Acropora have clarified a critical time point during metamorphosis when cells are committed to their fates, as defined by an inability to revert back to their previous states as swimming
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Ultrastructure of cerebral eyes in Oweniidae and Chaetopteridae (Annelida) – implications for the evolution of eyes in Annelida Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-01-25 Purschke, Günter, Vodopyanov, Stepan, Baller, Anjilie, von Palubitzki, Tim, Bartolomaeus, Thomas, Beckers, Patrick
Recent phylogenomic studies have revealed a robust, new hypothesis of annelid phylogeny. Most surprisingly, a few early branching lineages formed a basal grade, whereas the majority of taxa were categorized as monophyletic Pleistoannelida. Members of these basal groups show a comparatively simple organization lacking certain characters regarded to be annelid specific. Thus, the evolution of organ systems
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Linoleic acid as corpse recognition signal in a social aphid Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-01-06 Shibao, Harunobu, Kutsukake, Mayako, Matsuyama, Shigeru, Fukatsu, Takema
Social insect colonies constantly produce dead insects, which cause sanitary problems and potentially foster deadly pathogens and parasites. Hence, many social insects have evolved a variety of hygienic behaviors to remove cadavers from the colonies. To that end, they have to discriminate dead insects from live ones, where chemical cues should play important roles. In ants, bees and termites, such
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Targeted deletion of liver-expressed Choriogenin L results in the production of soft eggs and infertility in medaka, Oryzias latipes Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2022-01-04 Murata, Kenji, Kinoshita, Masato
Egg envelopes (chorions) in medaka, Oryzias latipes, are composed of three major glycoproteins: ZI-1, − 2, and − 3. These gene-encoded chorion glycoproteins are expressed in the liver and/or ovarian oocytes of sexually mature female fish. In medaka, the glycoproteins produced in the female liver are induced by estrogen as Choriogenin (Chg.) H and Chg. H minor (m), which correspond to the zona pellucida
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Hedgehog signaling controls mouth opening in the amphioxus Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-12-24 Hu, Guangwei, Li, Guang, Wang, Yiquan
The left-sided position of the mouth in amphioxus larvae has fascinated researchers for a long time. Despite the fundamental importance of mouth development in the amphioxus, the molecular regulation of its development is almost unknown. In our previous study, we showed that Hh mutation in the amphioxus leads to no mouth opening, indicating a requirement of Hh signaling for amphioxus mouth formation
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Paedomorphosis in the Ezo salamander (Hynobius retardatus) rediscovered after almost 90 years Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-12-08 Okamiya, Hisanori, Sugime, Ryohei, Furusawa, Chiharu, Inoue, Yoshihiro, Kishida, Osamu
Although paedomorphosis is widespread across salamander families, only two species have ever been documented to exhibit paedomorphosis in Hynobiidae. One of these two exceptional species is Hynobius retardatus in which paedomorphosis was first reported in 1924, in specimens from Lake Kuttara in Hokkaido. This population became extinct after the last observation in 1932; since then, no paedomorphs of
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Detailed morphology of tentacular apparatus and central nervous system in Owenia borealis (Annelida, Oweniidae) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-12-05 Temereva, Elena, Rimskaya-Korsakova, Nadezhda, Dyachuk, Vyacheslav
The Oweniidae are marine annelids with many unusual features of organ system, development, morphology, and ultrastructure. Together with magelonids, oweniids have been placed within the Palaeoannelida, a sister group to all remaining annelids. The study of this group may increase our understanding of the early evolution of annelids (including their radiation and diversification). In the current research
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The importance of being integrative: a remarkable case of synonymy in the genus Viridiscus (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-11-20 Gąsiorek, Piotr, Vončina, Katarzyna, Nelson, Diane R., Michalczyk, Łukasz
There are two predominant sources of taxonomically useful morphological variability in the diverse tardigrade family Echiniscidae: the internal structure and surface sculpture of the cuticular plates covering the dorsum (sculpturing) and the arrangement and morphology of the trunk appendages (chaetotaxy). However, since the appendages often exhibit intraspecific variation (they can be reduced or can
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Polymorphism in the symmetries of gastric pouch arrangements in the sea anemone D. lineata Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-09-06 Sarper, Safiye E., Hirai, Tamami, Matsuyama, Take, Kuratani, Shigeru, Fujimoto, Koichi
Symmetry in the arrangement of body parts is a distinctive phylogenetic feature of animals. Cnidarians show both bilateral and radial symmetries in their internal organs, such as gastric pouches and muscles. However, how different symmetries appear during the developmental process remains unknown. Here, we report intraspecific variations in the symmetric arrangement of gastric pouches, muscles, and
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The balance of crystalline and amorphous regions in the fibroin structure underpins the tensile strength of bagworm silk Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-07-26 Nobuaki Kono, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Ayaka Tateishi, Keiji Numata, Kazuharu Arakawa
Protein-based materials are considered versatile biomaterials, and their biodegradability is an advantage for sustainable development. Bagworm produces strong silk for use in unique situations throughout its life stages. Rigorous molecular analyses of Eumeta variegata suggested that the particular mechanical properties of its silk are due to the coexistence of poly-A and GA motifs. However, little
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The digestive tract as an essential organ for water acquisition in marine teleosts: lessons from euryhaline eels Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-06-21 Yoshio Takei
Adaptation to a hypertonic marine environment is one of the major topics in animal physiology research. Marine teleosts lose water osmotically from the gills and compensate for this loss by drinking surrounding seawater and absorbing water from the intestine. This situation is in contrast to that in mammals, which experience a net osmotic loss of water after drinking seawater. Water absorption in fishes
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Integrative taxonomy resolves species identities within the Macrobiotus pallarii complex (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-05-27 Daniel Stec, Matteo Vecchi, Magdalena Dudziak, Paul J. Bartels, Sara Calhim, Łukasz Michalczyk
The taxonomy of many groups of meiofauna is challenging due to their low number of diagnostic morphological characters and their small body size. Therefore, with the advent of molecular techniques that provide a new source of traits, many cryptic species have started to be discovered. Tardigrades are not an exception, and many once thought to be cosmopolitan taxa are being found to be complexes of
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The formation of a hatching line in the serosal cuticle confers multifaceted adaptive functions on the eggshell of a cicada Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-05-13 Minoru Moriyama, Kouji Yasuyama, Hideharu Numata
Insect eggshells must meet various demands of developing embryos. These demands sometimes conflict with each other; therefore, there are tradeoffs between eggshell properties, such as robustness and permeability. To meet these conflicting demands, particular eggshell structures have evolved in diverse insect species. Here, we report a rare eggshell structure found in the eggshell of a cicada, Cryptotympana
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Structure of a hinge joint with textured sliding surfaces in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-05-11 Miloš Vittori
The study of joints in terrestrial arthropods can provide insights into the evolutionary optimization of contacting surfaces that slide without lubrication. This work reports on the structure of the joint between the propodus and the dactylus in terrestrial isopods, the most successful group of crustaceans on land, focusing on the woodlouse Porcellio scaber. The joints were studied using fluorescence
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New Indomalayan Nebularmis species (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae) provoke a discussion on its intrageneric diversity Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-04-12 Piotr Gąsiorek, Katarzyna Vončina, Joanna Ciosek, Mariana Veloso, Paulo Fontoura, Łukasz Michalczyk
Recent years have brought undeniable progress in tardigrade taxonomy, and speciose complexes were detected in a number of phylogenetic lineages. The family Echiniscidae is one such lineage; it is one of the most diverse groups of limno-terrestrial tardigrades and can be characterized as having achieved great evolutionary success. In this contribution, using populations representing several species
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Digit ratio in the common toad Bufo bufo: the effects of reduced fingers and of age dependency Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-03-25 Mikołaj Kaczmarski, Jan M. Kaczmarek, Łukasz Jankowiak, Krzysztof Kolenda, Piotr Tryjanowski
Despite the growing number of studies describing digit ratio patterns in tetrapods, knowledge concerning certain basic issues is still scarce. In lower vertebrates such as tailless amphibians (Anura), the numbering of individual fingers on the forelimbs and their homology with the fingers of other vertebrates pose an unsolved problem. Based on reviewed data on anuran limb development, we argue that
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d-Tryptophan enhances the reproductive organ-specific expression of the amino acid transporter homolog Dr-SLC38A9 involved in the sexual induction of planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-03-20 Takanobu Maezawa, Masaki Ishikawa, Kiyono Sekii, Go Nagamatsu, Ryohei Furukawa, Kazuya Kobayashi
Many animals switch between asexual and sexual reproduction in nature. We previously established a system for the sexual induction of planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis by feeding asexual planarians with minced sexual planarians. We identified dl-tryptophan (Trp) as one of the sex-inducing substances. dl-Trp can induce ovarian development, the first and essential step of sexual induction. d-Trp must act
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Developmental fates of shark head cavities reveal mesodermal contributions to tendon progenitor cells in extraocular muscles Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Shunya Kuroda, Noritaka Adachi, Rie Kusakabe, Shigeru Kuratani
Vertebrate extraocular muscles (EOMs) function in eye movements. The EOMs of modern jawed vertebrates consist primarily of four recti and two oblique muscles innervated by three cranial nerves. The developmental mechanisms underlying the establishment of this complex and the evolutionarily conserved pattern of EOMs are unknown. Chondrichthyan early embryos develop three pairs of overt epithelial coeloms
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Influence of Quaternary environmental changes on mole populations inferred from mitochondrial sequences and evolutionary rate estimation Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Azusa Nakamoto, Masashi Harada, Reiko Mitsuhashi, Kimiyuki Tsuchiya, Alexey P. Kryukov, Akio Shinohara, Hitoshi Suzuki
Quaternary environmental changes fundamentally influenced the genetic diversity of temperate-zone terrestrial animals, including those in the Japanese Archipelago. The genetic diversity of present-day populations is taxon- and region-specific, but its determinants are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed cytochrome b gene (Cytb) sequences (1140 bp) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to elucidate the factors
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Functional identification of an opsin kinase underlying inactivation of the pineal bistable opsin parapinopsin in zebrafish Zool. Lett. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2021-02-12 Baoguo Shen, Seiji Wada, Haruka Nishioka, Takashi Nagata, Emi Kawano-Yamashita, Mitsumasa Koyanagi, Akihisa Terakita
In the pineal organ of zebrafish larvae, the bistable opsin parapinopsin alone generates color opponency between UV and visible light. Our previous study suggested that dark inactivation of the parapinopsin photoproduct, which activates G-proteins, is important for the regulation of the amount of the photoproduct. In turn, the photoproduct is responsible for visible light sensitivity in color opponency