哺乳动物毛色形成机制与影响因素

哺乳动物拥有丰富多彩的毛色,对于多种多样的动物毛色,影响其形成的可能原因较多,遗传物质与环境的相互作用不可忽视。本文针对调控黑色素细胞形成及褐黑色素、真黑色素合成的相关基因,分析了哺乳动物毛色形成的可能机制,并对研究不同毛色动物的同种动物遗传差异的方法进行了讨论。     

黑素皮质素受体1——哺乳动物黑色素形成中的关键基因MC1R——the Key Gene in Mammalian Melanin Synthesis

黑色素的形成与产生在动物的生长发育过程中受到许多基因的调控。本文综述了近年来被广泛研究的哺乳动物黑色素形成调控中的一个关键基因——黑素皮质素受体1（melanocortin-1-receptor, MC1R）基因的作用机制、DNA序列变异与黑色素性状之间的关系,并且对另一重要的脊椎动物类群——鸟类中MC1R基因的确定与突变情况作以概述,此外对乌骨鸡富含黑色素的原因和鸟类的黑色素形成机制也进行了探讨。Abstract: The study of the molecular regulation mechanism of melanin synthesis during animal development has become a new focus recently .The synthesis and production of melanin during animal development are regulated by many genes. This paper summarized the molecular function mechanism of melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene and the relationship between the consequences of polymorphic variation of the gene and melanin traits, in addition to summarized the identification and mutation of MC1R gene in birds. Furthermore, the reason of abundant melanin in silkies and melanin synthesis mechanism in birds are all also discussed here.     

黑色素相关研究中动物模型的应用进展

为提供黑色素类动物实验相关参考资料,对黑色素相关疾病发生机制和药物防治研究中常用的模式生物和实验动物进行了综述。通过介绍斑马鱼、Smyth line鸡、C57BL小鼠、无毛小鼠、棕黄色豚鼠等多种实验动物的研究用途,为黑色素的相关实验研究提供参考。     

黑木耳黑色素对急性肝损伤的改善作用

黑色素是一种广泛存在于动物、植物、细菌及真菌中的生物色素,具有多种生物功能及良好的生物活性。黑木耳以“黑”出名,其富含的黑色素具有广阔开发应用价值。本研究旨在评价黑木耳黑色素对急性肝损伤的改善作用。首先应用傅里叶红外光谱初步对提取的黑木耳黑色素进行鉴定,再通过DPPH自由基及羟基自由基清除实验证实提取的黑木耳黑色素体外抗氧化能力,并进一步以四氯化碳致小鼠急性肝损伤为模型,通过检测血清酶指标、肝功指标的变化及病理切片情况,来评价黑木耳黑色素体内抗氧化及保肝效果。结果表明,提取的黑木耳黑色素具有黑色素特征的官能团结构和良好的体外抗氧化能力,对DPPH自由基和羟基（OH）自由基清除的EC₅₀分别为0.0887mg/mL、2.2030mg/mL;动物体内实验中,与模型组对比,给药组（黑木耳黑色素）的小鼠血清中ALT、AST含量显著降低（P<0.01）,肝脏中MDA含量显著降低（P<0.01）和SOD活性显著升高（P<0.01）,并且肝细胞病理状态明显改善。本文报道了黑木耳黑色素在体内能有效改善四氯化碳诱导的小鼠肝损伤,为黑木耳的功能产品开发提供了新思路和研究基础。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌酪氨酸酶基因的克隆表达及应用初探

酪氨酸酶基因编码的酪氨酸酶是生物体合成黑色素的关键酶。采用比较酪氨酸酶的同源保守结构域氨基酸序列的方法设计引物 ,从苏云金芽胞杆菌 (Bacillusthuringiensis) 4D11中通过PCR扩增得到了包含酪氨酸酶基因的DNA片段。将该片段亚克隆到载体pGEM_7zf上并转入大肠杆菌DH5α ,所得到的转化子在添加了L_酪氨酸的LB培养基中能合成可溶性的黑色素。测定该菌株黑色素的产量和在紫外光照射后的菌体活力 ,结果表明该基因产生的黑色素能在一定程度上保护菌体免受紫外辐射     

巴西粒毛盘菌黑色素理化性质与结构

对巴西粒毛盘菌黑色素性质和结构进行了研究,结果表明该黑色素易溶于NaOH溶液和二甲亚砜,微溶于蒸馏水,不溶于甲醇、乙酸乙酯、HCl、无水乙醇、氯仿、丙酮、乙腈;该黑色素在pH≥7时稳定,pH≤6时产生沉淀;对温度、光、UV、Na2SO3、苯甲酸钠、柠檬酸、蔗糖、K+、Na+、Ca2+、Al3+、Cu2+均具有良好的稳定性,而对H2O2、Mg2+、Fe3+、Mn2+不稳定。电镜扫描显示该黑色素是一种表面不规则的片状晶体,红外光谱分析表明该黑色素含有芳环、-OH、-NH、-COOH和噻嗪环等官能团,推断其属于真黑色素和棕黑色素混合型黑色素。     

黑色素形成机理、生物学功能和应用开发的研究进展

黑色素（melanin）是一类化学结构极其复杂、非均质的酚类或吲哚类物质聚合体,是自然界中最为丰富的天然色素,广泛存在于各种动物、植物和微生物中。根据合成途径和中间代谢产物的不同,黑色素主要可分为为真黑素（eumelanin）、棕黑素（pheomelanin）、异黑色素（allomelanin）三大类。其中异黑色素又包括脓黑素（pyomelanin）、1,8-二羟基萘（dihydroxynaphalene, DHN）黑色素等。基于黑色素的生化功能,它们在工业、医药、农业中都有广泛用途,是重要的生物资源。本文主要介绍天然黑色素在动植物和微生物中的合成途径、生物学功能以及有潜力的获取方法和应用前景。     

食用菌黑色素代谢的研究进展

黑色素的代谢对食用菌的生长发育具有至关重要的影响,黑色素的代谢异常导致了食用菌白色新品种的出现。对食用菌黑色素代谢的影响因子进行了综述,对黑色素代谢异常与食用菌白化菌株形成的关系进行了阐述,并介绍了食用菌黑色素的形成途径,对黑色素合成过程中的关键酶类及其抑制剂的研究进行了简要概括,主要包括酪氨酸酶、漆酶和聚酮合成酶的研究。并展望了食用菌黑色素代谢今后主要的研究方向,旨在为白色食用菌的进一步开发和利用提供参考。     

酪氨酸酶与羊驼毛色相关性的研究

为揭示羊驼毛色形成机理以及毛用性状改良奠定基础,选用羊驼作为试验动物群体,以酪氨酸酶作为影响羊驼毛色性状的候选基因,采用荧光定量PCR技术、免疫组织化学、免疫印迹等生物学方法从基因与蛋白方面分析了羊驼酪氨酸酶(tyrosinase,TYR)在不同毛色个体的表达量.荧光定量PCR结果显示TYR基因在棕色个体中的mRNA表...     

大鲵Agouti基因的克隆、表达及多态性分析

刺鼠信号蛋白(Agouti)是哺乳动物和鸟类黑色素合成过程中的重要调控因子,影响动物的体色(毛色)。为研究Agouti在两栖动物体色形成过程中的作用,本研究利用PCR技术扩增得到大鲵Andrias davidianus的Agouti基因部分cDNA序列并进行了相关的生物信息学分析,进一步使用实时荧光定量PCR检测了大鲵Agouti基因在皮肤、肝脏等10个组织和器官中的表达情况,并检测了4种不同体色大鲵皮肤组织中Agouti基因的表达量。同时采用直接测序法,比较了不同体色大鲵Agouti基因编码区的序列差异。结果显示,大鲵Agouti基因cDNA序列长1 068 bp,开放阅读框399 bp,编码132个氨基酸残基。蛋白质同源性分析表明,大鲵Agouti蛋白具有与其他物种一致的保守Agouti结构域,其蛋白质序列与两栖爬行类序列相似性较高,与哺乳动物和鸟类相似性较低。系统进化分析显示,大鲵Agouti基因与高山倭蛙Nanorana parkeri、美国短吻鳄Alligator mississippiensis、中华鳖Pelodiscus sinensis等物种的亲缘关系较近。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,Agouti基因mRNA在大鲵不同组织中均有表达,皮肤中的表达量最高。在4种不同体色大鲵皮肤组织中,黄色皮肤中的Agouti基因表达量高于其他体色。不同体色大鲵Agouti基因编码区序列一致。大鲵Agouti基因独特的序列特征及其表达的组织特异性暗示了其在两栖动物体色形成过程中可能具有与其他物种不同的调控机制。这些结果为进一步研究Agouti在大鲵体色形成过程中的作用提供了基础资料。     

Elements of butterfly wing patterns

The color patterns on the wings of butterflies are unique among animal color patterns in that the elements that make up the overall pattern are individuated. Unlike the spots and stripes of vertebrate color patterns, the elements of butterfly wing patterns have identities that can be traced from species to species, and typically across genera and families. Because of this identity it is possible to recognize homologies among pattern elements and to study their evolution and diversification. Individuated pattern elements evolved from non-individuated precursors by compartmentalization of the wing into areas that became developmentally autonomous with respect to color pattern formation. Developmental compartmentalization led to the evolution of serially repeated elements and the emergence of serial homology. In these compartments, serial homologues were able to acquire site-specific developmental regulation and this, in turn, allowed them to diverge morphologically. Compartmentalization of the wing also reduced the developmental correlation among pattern elements. The release from this developmental constraint, we believe, enabled the great evolutionary radiation of butterfly wing patterns. During pattern evolution, the same set of individual pattern elements is arranged in novel ways to produce species-specific patterns, including such adaptations as mimicry and camouflage.     

An epigenetic model for pigment patterning based on mechanical and cellular interactions

Pigment patterning in animals generally occurs during early developmental stages and has ecological, physiological, ethological, and evolutionary significance. Despite the relative simplicity of color patterns, their emergence depends upon multilevel complex processes. Thus, theoretical models have become necessary tools to further understand how such patterns emerge. Recent studies have reevaluated the importance of epigenetic, as well as genetic factors in developmental pattern formation. Yet epigenetic phenomena, specially those related to physical constraints that might be involved in the emergence of color patterns, have not been fully studied. In this article, we propose a model of color patterning in which epigenetic aspects such as cell migration, cell-tissue interactions, and physical and mechanical phenomena are central. This model considers that motile cells embedded in a fibrous, viscoelastic matrix-mesenchyme-can deform it in such a way that tension tracks are formed. We postulate that these tracks act, in turn, as guides for subsequent cell migration and establishment, generating long-range phenomenological interactions. We aim to describe some general aspects of this developmental phenomenon with a rather simple mathematical model. Then we discuss our model in the context of available experimental and morphological evidence for reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, and compare it with other patterning models. We also put forward novel testable predictions derived from our model, regarding, for instance, the localization of the postulated tension tracks, and we propose new experiments. Finally, we discuss how the proposed mechanism could constitute a dynamic patterning module accounting for pattern formation in many animal lineages.     

Warning signals are seductive: Relative contributions of color and pattern to predator avoidance and mate attraction in Heliconius butterflies

Visual signaling in animals can serve many uses, including predator deterrence and mate attraction. In many cases, signals used to advertise unprofitability to predators are also used for intraspecific communication. Although aposematism and mate choice are significant forces driving the evolution of many animal phenotypes, the interplay between relevant visual signals remains little explored. Here, we address this question in the aposematic passion‐vine butterfly Heliconius erato by using color‐ and pattern‐manipulated models to test the contributions of different visual features to both mate choice and warning coloration. We found that the relative effectiveness of a model at escaping predation was correlated with its effectiveness at inducing mating behavior, and in both cases wing color was more predictive of presumptive fitness benefits than wing pattern. Overall, however, a combination of the natural (local) color and pattern was most successful for both predator deterrence and mate attraction. By exploring the relative contributions of color versus pattern composition in predation and mate preference studies, we have shown how both natural and sexual selection may work in parallel to drive the evolution of specific animal color patterns.     

Rapid color change in fish and amphibians – function,regulation, and emerging applications

Physiological color change is important for background matching, thermoregulation as well as signaling and is in vertebrates mediated by synchronous intracellular transport of pigmented organelles in chromatophores. We describe functions of and animal situations where color change occurs. A summary of endogenous and external factors that regulate this color change in fish and amphibians is provided, with special emphasis on extracellular stimuli. We describe not only color change in skin, but also highlight studies on color change that occurs using chromatophores in other areas such as iris and on the inside of the body. In addition, we discuss the growing field that applies melanophores and skin color in toxicology and as biosensors, and point out research areas with future potential.     

Quantitative genetics of a carotenoid-based color: heritability and persistent natal environmental effects in the great tit

The information content of signals such as animal coloration depends on the extent to which variation reflects underlying biological processes. Although animal coloration has received considerable attention, little work has addressed the quantitative genetics of color variation in natural populations. We investigated the quantitative genetics of a carotenoid-based color patch, the ventral plumage of mature great tits (Parus major), in a wild population. Carotenoid-based colors are often suggested to reflect environmental variation in carotenoid availability, but numerous mechanisms could also lead to genetic variation in coloration. Analyses of individuals of known origin showed that, although plumage chromaticity (i.e., color) was moderately heritable, there was no significant heritability to achromaticity (i.e., brightness). We detected multiple long-lasting effects of natal environment, with hatching date and brood size both negatively related to plumage chromaticity at maturity. Our reflectance measures contrasted in their spatiotemporal sensitivity, with plumage chromaticity exhibiting significant spatial variation and achromatic variation exhibiting marked annual variation. Hence, color variation in this species reflects both genetic and environmental influences on different scales. Our analyses demonstrate the context dependence of components of color variation and suggest that color patches may convey multiple aspects of individual state.     

Pluripotential rabbit embryonic stem (ES) cells are capable of forming overt coat color chimeras following injection into blastocysts

The isolation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cell lines from preimplantation rabbit embryos and their in vitro properties have been previously described. In the present investigation, these ES cell lines were further characterized and their capacity to contribute to formation of adult, fertile animals upon injection into recipient New Zealand White blastocysts demonstrated. The efficiency of chimera formation was low (5% of live born), but the degree of chimerism, as assessed by coat color contribution from the Dutch belted strain, was high (10–50%). Thus a significant step is taken toward the development of gene-targeting technology in the rabbit, an animal whose physiology and size lend itself to unique applications in biomedical research. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.