Phylogenetic relationships within the class mammalia: A study using mitochondrial 12S RNA sequences

The interrelationships of the three mammalian groups, Monotremata, Marsupialia, and Eutheria, have been studied using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene. The results suggest that the monotremes diverged from the living therians only shortly before eutherians and marsupials separated from each other, although there is some evidence for a slowdown in rate of base change in the monotreme lineage. Whtin the Monotremata, the two extant species of tachyglossids show a very close genetic relationship and the data suggest a very recent divergence. We have also confirmed that the Patagonian Monito del Monte,Dromiciops australis, is more closely related to the australidephian marsupials than it is to other South American species.     

The origin and evolution of vertebrate sex chromosomes and dosage compensation

In mammals, birds, snakes and many lizards and fish, sex is determined genetically (either male XY heterogamy or female ZW heterogamy), whereas in alligators, and in many reptiles and turtles, the temperature at which eggs are incubated determines sex. Evidently, different sex-determining systems (and sex chromosome pairs) have evolved independently in different vertebrate lineages. Homology shared by Xs and Ys (and Zs and Ws) within species demonstrates that differentiated sex chromosomes were once homologous, and that the sex-specific non-recombining Y (or W) was progressively degraded. Consequently, genes are left in single copy in the heterogametic sex, which results in an imbalance of the dosage of genes on the sex chromosomes between the sexes, and also relative to the autosomes. Dosage compensation has evolved in diverse species to compensate for these dose differences, with the stringency of compensation apparently differing greatly between lineages, perhaps reflecting the concentration of genes on the original autosome pair that required dosage compensation. We discuss the organization and evolution of amniote sex chromosomes, and hypothesize that dosage insensitivity might predispose an autosome to evolving function as a sex chromosome.     

Phylogenetic differences of mammalian basal metabolic rate are not explained by mitochondrial basal proton leak

Metabolic rates of mammals presumably increased during the evolution of endothermy, but molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying basal metabolic rate (BMR) are still not understood. It has been established that mitochondrial basal proton leak contributes significantly to BMR. Comparative studies among a diversity of eutherian mammals showed that BMR correlates with body mass and proton leak. Here, we studied BMR and mitochondrial basal proton leak in liver of various marsupial species. Surprisingly, we found that the mitochondrial proton leak was greater in marsupials than in eutherians, although marsupials have lower BMRs. To verify our finding, we kept similar-sized individuals of a marsupial opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and a eutherian rodent (Mesocricetus auratus) species under identical conditions, and directly compared BMR and basal proton leak. We confirmed an approximately 40 per cent lower mass specific BMR in the opossum although its proton leak was significantly higher (approx. 60%). We demonstrate that the increase in BMR during eutherian evolution is not based on a general increase in the mitochondrial proton leak, although there is a similar allometric relationship of proton leak and BMR within mammalian groups. The difference in proton leak between endothermic groups may assist in elucidating distinct metabolic and habitat requirements that have evolved during mammalian divergence.     

Monotremes as Pretribosphenic Mammals

An abundance of evidence points to the conclusion that monotremes are phyletically allied with pretribosphenic, rather than with tribosphenic, mammals. Monotremes do not have a tribosphenic dentition. Character analyses that apply tribosphenic cusp terminology to monotreme dentitions are implicitly limited thereby. A review of the molar dentition of living and fossil monotremes suggests that upper molars are composed of a strongly developed pretribosphenic paracone and metacone and a series of stylar cusps attached to them in a bicrescentic, or dilambdodont, fashion. The lower molars are composed of a trigonid, with a pretribosphenic protoconid, paraconid, and metaconid, and distal metacristid. The paraconid of m1 is reduced or lost. The talonid is composed of the pretribosphenic hypoconid, hypoconulid, and cristid obliqua. There is no evidence for a tribosphenic entoconid, nor for a talonid basin. There was no tribosphenic protocone. Monotremes are not related to other taxa included in Australosphenida. The dentition of Cretaceous taxa, such as Teinolophos and Steropodon, apparently still functioned by orthal mechanisms, whereas by the medial Paleocene (Monotrematum) and later (Obdurodon), monotremes appear to have accommodated a diet of soft-bodied organisms that left little trace of a mastication regime that had changed to apical wear via propalinal motion. Monotremes appear to be modern representatives of a Mesozoic radiation of pretribosphenic mammals centered largely in Gondwana, where they still reside today.     

Electrophoretic variation of supernatant malate dehydrogenase in marsupials

Starch gel electrophoresis of supernatant malate dehydrogenase (MDH A₂) was performed on erythrocyte samples from 505 individual animals representative of 33 marsupial species. Most species exhibited electrophoretically identical forms of MDH A₂ activity with the exception of the grey kangaroos, Trichosurus possums, and bandicoots, thus confirming the phylogenetic relatedness of animals within each group and the conservative nature of this enzyme. Polymorphisms were observed in two of the six species analyzed whose mobilities were non-standard. Allelic isozyme patterns and those from interspecies F₁ hybrids between grey kangaroos and other macropods were consistent with a dimeric subunit structure and an autosomal locus (MDH-A) encoding the enzyme.Supported in part by grants from the Australian Research Grants Committee.     

Developmental genes during placentation: insights from mouse mutants

Placenta,a temporary organ first formed during the development of a new life is essential for the survival and growth of the fetus in eutherian mammals.It serves as an interface for the exchange of nutrients,gases and wastes between the maternal and fetal compartments.During the past decades,studies employing gene-engineered mouse mutants have revealed a wide range of signaling molecules governing the trophoblast development and function during placentation under various pathophysiological conditions.Here,we summarize the recent progress with particular respect to the involvement of developmental genes during placentation.     

Developmental Stages of Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) freitasi Rego, Magalhaes & Siqueira, 1957 in the Opossum Didelphis marsupialis (Marsupialia, Didelphidae)

Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) freitasi, a parasite of marsupials of the genus Didelphis, has been found to undergo in the lumen of the scent (anal) glands of its vertebrate host, a cycle such as usually occurs in the intestinal tract of the insect vectors of trypanosomatids and similar to what has been reported for Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi. The invertebrate host of Trypanosoma freitasi is still unknown. Developmental stages of the trypanosome in its mammalian host, especially the dividing epimastigotes, multinucleate plasmodial forms and rosettes found in the lumen of the scent glands of a naturally infected Didelphis marsupialis are described and illustrated.     

Genomic analysis of Drosophila melanogaster telomeres: full-length copies of HeT-A and TART elements at telomeres

The repetitive nature of heterochromatin hampers its analysis in general genome-sequencing projects. Specific studies are needed to extend the sequence into telomeric and centromeric heterochromatin. Drosophila telomeres lack the telomerase-generated repeats that are characteristic of other eukaryotic chromosomes. Instead, they consist of tandem arrays of HeT-A and TART elements. Herein, we present the genomic organization of the telomeres in the isogenic strain (y; cn bw sp) that was used for the Drosophila melanogaster sequencing project. The data indicate that the canonical features of telomere organization are widely conserved in evolution. In addition, we have identified full-length elements, likely competent elements, for HeT-A and TART.