Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
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| chronic cold exposure increases skeletal muscle oxidative structure and function in monodelphis domestica, a marsupial lacking brown adipose tissue. | monodelphis domestica (marsupialia: didelphidae) was used as a model animal to investigate and compare muscle adaptation to exercise training and cold exposure. the experimental treatment consisted of four groups of animals: either warm or cold acclimation temperature and with or without endurance exercise training. maximal aerobic capacity during a running vo2max test in the warm-exercised or cold-exposed (with or without exercise) groups was about 130 ml o(2)/kg/min, significantly higher than ... | 2008 | 14988803 |
| evolution of the opossum major histocompatibility complex: evidence for diverse alternative splice patterns and low polymorphism among class i genes. | the opossum major histocompatibility complex (mhc) shares a similar organization with that of non-mammals while containing a diverse set of class i genes more like that of eutherian (placental) mammals. there are 11 class i loci in the opossum mhc region, seven of which are known to be transcribed. the previously described monodelphis domestica (modo)-ua1 and modo-ug display characteristics consistent with their being classical and non-classical class i genes, respectively. here we describe the ... | 2009 | 19191910 |
| factors involved in inflammation-induced developmental white matter damage. | developmental white matter damage is a brain pathology associated with several long-term neurological disorders. an inflammatory insult has been suggested as the major instigating event. this study investigated the relative influence of inflammation, blood-brain barrier permeability and glial ontogeny in white matter damage. systemic inflammation was induced in monodelphis domestica (opossum) by serial intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide at different stages of brain development. vol ... | 2009 | 19152829 |
| marsupial-specific micrornas evolved from marsupial-specific transposable elements. | using a direct mirna cloning strategy we previously identified fourteen marsupial- or species-specific micrornas in the marsupial species monodelphis domestica. in the present study we examined each of the pre-mirnas and their flanking sequences and demonstrate that half of these mirnas evolved from marsupial-specific transposable elements. these findings reinforce the view that transposable elements are a previously unappreciated source of new, lineage-specific micrornas. | 2009 | 19577616 |
| an architectonic study of the neocortex of the short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica) belong to the branch of marsupial mammals that diverged from eutherian mammals approximately 180 million years ago. they are small in size, lack a marsupial pouch, and may have retained more morphological characteristics of early marsupial neocortex than most other marsupials. in the present study, we used several different histochemical and immunochemical procedures to reveal the architectonic characteristics of cortical areas in short-tailed opossu ... | 2009 | 19546531 |
| american marsupials chromosomes: why study them? | marsupials, one of the three main groups of mammals, are only found in australia and in the american continent. studies performed in australian marsupials have demonstrated the great potential provided by the group for the understanding of basic genetic mechanisms and chromosome evolution in mammals. genetic studies in american marsupials are relatively scarce and cytogenetic data of most species are restricted to karyotype descriptions, usually without banding patterns. nevertheless, the first ... | 2009 | 21637437 |
| horizontal spinning of transposons. | the term 'horizontal transfer (ht)' refers to the transfer of genetic material between two reproductively isolated organisms. ht is thought to occur rarely in eukaryotes compared to vertical inheritance, the transmission of dna from parent to offspring. in a recent study we have provided evidence that a family of dna transposons, called space invaders or spin, independently invaded horizontally the genome of seven distantly related tetrapod species and subsequently amplified to high copy number ... | 2009 | 19704906 |
| developmental expression of spontaneous activity in the spinal cord of postnatal opossums, monodelphis domestica: an anatomical study. | using sulforhodamine-101 (sr101) labeling and calcium imaging on in vitro preparations, we investigated the development of spontaneous activity in the spinal enlargements of a marsupial born more immature than eutherian mammals, the opossum monodelphis domestica. following the retrograde transport of calcium green dye from the limb nerves, we observed the occurrence of spontaneous calcium waves activating the motor columns of the cervical enlargement of opossums aged from p3 to p15 (day of birth ... | 2009 | 19501058 |
| mechanics of generating friction during locomotion on rough and smooth arboreal trackways. | traveling on arboreal substrates is common among most small mammals living anywhere vegetation grows. because arboreal supports vary considerably in surface texture, animals must be able to adjust their locomotor biomechanics to remain stable on such supports. i examined how gray short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica), which are generalized marsupials living on or near the ground, adjust to travel on rough and smooth 2 cm-diameter arboreal trackways. limb contact position was determined v ... | 2009 | 19329749 |
| cellular transfer of macromolecules across the developing choroid plexus of monodelphis domestica. | choroid plexus epithelial cells secrete cerebrospinal fluid (csf) and transfer molecules from blood into csf. tight junctions between choroidal epithelial cells are functionally effective from early in development: the route of transfer is suggested to be transcellular. routes of transfer for endogenous and exogenous plasma proteins and dextrans were studied in monodelphis domestica (opossum). pups at postnatal (p) days 1-65 and young adults were injected with biotinylated dextrans (3-70 kda) an ... | 2009 | 19200232 |
| lung development of monotremes: evidence for the mammalian morphotype. | the reproductive strategies and the extent of development of neonates differ markedly between the three extant mammalian groups: the monotremata, marsupialia, and eutheria. monotremes and marsupials produce highly altricial offspring whereas the neonates of eutherian mammals range from altricial to precocial. the ability of the newborn mammal to leave the environment in which it developed depends highly on the degree of maturation of the cardio-respiratory system at the time of birth. the lung s ... | 2009 | 19051249 |
| progesterone receptor in the forebrain of female gray short-tailed opossums: effects of exposure to male stimuli. | progesterone receptor immunoreactivity (prir) in brain areas involved in reproductive behavior in eutherian species was examined for the first time in a female marsupial, the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica, hereinafter, opossum). prir in nuclei of neurons, measured as area covered by stained nuclei, was seen in the arcuate nucleus (arc); anteroventral periventricular nucleus (avpv); bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (bst); medial preoptic area (mpoa), and ventromedial hypotha ... | 2009 | 19000689 |
| the effects of substrate texture on the mechanics of quadrupedal arboreal locomotion in the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | among small mammals, the ability to move on tree trunks, branches, and twigs is nearly ubiquitous. performance and locomotor mechanics on arboreal substrates may be influenced by variation in the coefficient of friction between the hands/feet of the animal and the surface of the arboreal substrate. to test this, i examined speed, substrate reaction forces, and torque around the long axis of two cylindrical trackways with rough and smooth surfaces in gray short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domest ... | 2009 | 19691059 |
| reduction of the number of new cells reaching olfactory bulbs impairs olfactory perception in the adult opossum. | in adult mammals cells generated in the subventricular zone (svz) migrate to olfactory bulbs (ob). functional significance of this continuous neurogenesis is not clear. we injected opossums (monodelphis domestica) for seven consecutive days with a 5ht(1a) agonist (8-oh-dpat or buspirone) or its antagonist way100635. one hour after each of these injections bromodeoxyuridine (brdu) a marker of dividing cells was also injected. two months later, when newly generated neurons settled in the ob and ma ... | 2009 | 19593331 |
| a porcine gene, pbk, differentially expressed in the longissimus muscle from meishan and large white pig. | an investigation of differences in gene expression in the longissimus muscle of meishan and large white pigs was undertaken, using the mrna display technique. a fragment of one differentially expressed gene was isolated and sequenced, whereupon the complete cdna sequence was then obtained by using the rapid amplification of cdna ends (race). the nucleotide sequence of the gene is not related to any known porcine gene. sequence analysis revealed that the open reading frame of this gene encodes a ... | 2009 | 21637452 |
| evolutionary history of the somatostatin and somatostatin receptors. | somatostatin and its receptors have a critical role in mammalian growth through their control pattern of secretion of growth hormone, but the evolutionary history of somatostatin and somatostatin receptors are ill defined. we used comparative whole genome analysis of danio rerio, carassius auratus, xenopus tropicalis, gallus gallus, monodelphis domestica, homo sapiens, sus scrofa, bos taurus, mus musculus, rattus norvegicus, canis lupus familiaris, ovis aries, equus caballus, pan troglodytes and ... | 2009 | 19417543 |
| emx3 is required for the differentiation of dorsal telencephalic neurons. | emx3 is first expressed in prospective telencephalic cells at the anterior border of the zebrafish neural plate. knockdown of emx3 function by morpholino reduces the expression of markers specific to dorsal telencephalon, and impairs axon tract formation. rescue of both early and late markers requires low-level expression of emx3 at the one- or two-somite stage. higher emx3 expression levels cause dorsal telencephalic markers to expand ventrally, which points to a possible role of emx3 in specif ... | 2009 | 19650145 |
| embryonic nervous system genes predominate in searches for dinucleotide simple sequence repeats flanked by conserved sequences. | to study evolution of dinucleotide simple sequence repeats (dissrs) we searched recently available mammalian genomes for utr-localized dissrs with conserved upstream flanking sequences (cfs). there were 252 reported homo sapiens genes containing the repeats (ac)n, (gt)n, (ag)n or (ct)n in their utrs including 22 (8.7%) with dissr-upstream flanking sequences conserved comparing divergent mammalian lineages represented by homo sapiens and the marsupial, monodelphis domestica. of these 22 genes, 19 ... | 2009 | 18952158 |
| evolutionary insights into duffy gene in mammalian taxa with comparative genetic analysis. | evolutionary analyses of genes conserved across taxa are keys to understand the complexity of gene and genome variation. since malaria is a highly infectious human disease and its susceptibility in human is genetically controlled, characterization and evolutionary analyses of such genes are of prime importance to understand genetic mechanisms of disease susceptibility. in the present study we have characterized and performed comparative genomic analyses of the human duffy gene responsible for ma ... | 2009 | 19724088 |
| characterization and evolution of vertebrate indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenases idos from monotremes and marsupials. | indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (ido1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (tdo) are tryptophan-degrading enzymes that catalyze the first step in tryptophan catabolism via the kynurenine pathway. tdo is widely distributed in both eukaryotes and bacteria. in contrast, ido has been found only in mammals and yeast. in 2007, a third enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-2 (ido2), was discovered. ido2 is found not only in mammals but also in lower vertebrates. interestingly, the km value of ido2 for l-trp was 5 ... | 2009 | 19402226 |
| key features of the x inactivation process are conserved between marsupials and eutherians. | in female marsupials, x chromosome inactivation (xci) is imprinted, affecting the paternal x chromosome. one model, supported by recent studies, proposes that xci in marsupials is achieved through inheritance of an already silent x chromosome from the father, with xci initiated by meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (msci). this model is appealing because marsupials have no xist gene and the marsupial inactive x chromosome is epigenetically dissimilar to that of mice, apparently lacking repressi ... | 2009 | 19716301 |
| evaluation of the chagas stat-pak assay for detection of trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in wildlife reservoirs. | an immunochromatographic assay (chagas stat-pak) was evaluated for the detection of trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in 4 species of wildlife reservoirs. antibodies to t. cruzi were detected in raccoons (procyon lotor) (naturally and experimentally infected) and degus (octodon degu) (experimentally-infected) using the chagas stat-pak. in naturally exposed wild raccoons, the chagas stat-pak had a sensitivity and specificity of 66.7-80.0% and 96.3%, respectively. compared with indirect immunofluoresce ... | 2009 | 19016578 |
| the laboratory opossum (monodelphis domestica) as a natural mammalian model for human cancer research. | this study established that human cancer cells (a375 melanoma, ht-29 colon cancer, pc-3p prostate cancer) that were xenografted into suckling opossums could proliferate and globally metastasize as early as 11 days after injection. light and electron microscopic examinations (ht-29 colon cancer) determined that the cellular features exhibited by the xenogeneic human tumors grown in laboratory opossums were consistent with those observed in tumors removed from humans. the tumor induction rate, pat ... | 2009 | 19079623 |
| the partial 5-ht1a receptor agonist buspirone enhances neurogenesis in the opossum (monodelphis domestica). | we demonstrate for the first time that neurogenesis in the adult monodelphis opossum has a typical mammalian pattern and occurs only in the dentate gyrus (dg) and subventricular zone (svz) of the lateral ventricles. in these two brain regions neurogenesis is present throughout the lifespan, although its rate is reduced by half in the old age. treatment with buspirone, a partial 5-ht1a receptor agonist which is used in human clinic as an anxiolytic agent, boosts proliferation in the svz and dg in ... | 2009 | 19249192 |
| utr dinucleotide simple sequence repeat evolution exhibits recurring patterns including regulatory sequence motif replacements. | new genome sequence information was used to study evolution of 22 dinucleotide simple sequence repeat (dissr) sites whose upstream flanking sequences were shown to be conserved comparing homo sapiens with the marsupial, monodelphis domestica. among mammals, most of these dissr sites were conserved both upstream and downstream of the dissr. however, individual dissrs were frequently replaced by alternative repeats. conserved among mammals examined, the vsnl1 gene's 3' utr-localized (ac)n repeat r ... | 2009 | 18955121 |
| characterization and evolution of vertebrate indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenases idos from monotremes and marsupials. | indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (ido1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (tdo) are tryptophan-degrading enzymes that catalyze the first step in tryptophan catabolism via the kynurenine pathway. tdo is widely distributed in both eukaryotes and bacteria. in contrast, ido has been found only in mammals and yeast. in 2007, a third enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-2 (ido2), was discovered. ido2 is found not only in mammals but also in lower vertebrates. interestingly, the k(m) value of ido2 for l-trp was ... | 2009 | 19416693 |
| conservation of a chromosome arm in two distantly related marsupial species. | marsupials, which diverged from eutherian mammals 150 million years ago (mya), occupy a phylogenetic position that is very valuable in genome comparisons of mammal and other vertebrate species. within the marsupials, the australian and american clades (represented by the tammar wallaby macropus eugenii, and the opossum monodelphis domestica) diverged about 70 mya. g-banding and chromosome painting suggest that tammar wallaby chromosome 6q has homology to opossum chromosome 7q. we tested this con ... | 2009 | 19420927 |
| the marsupial cd8 gene locus: molecular cloning and expression analysis of the alpha and beta sequences in the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica) and the tammar wallaby (macropus eugenii). | in eutherian mammals, cd8 is a key receptor of cytotoxic t cells and plays a pivotal role in the recognition and elimination of infected host cells by cell-mediated cytotoxicity. here, we report the molecular cloning and expression analysis of cd8alpha and cd8beta cdnas in two marsupial species, the gray short-tailed opossum and the tammar wallaby. the opossum and tammar cd8 sequences share a high degree of amino acid identity of 63% (cd8alpha) and 57% (cd8beta) to each other as well as 36-45% ( ... | 2009 | 19135263 |
| formation of 5alpha-reduced androgens in the testes and urogenital tract of the grey short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica. | testicular 5alpha-reduced androgens, largely 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (androstanediol), are responsible for virilisation of pouch young in one marsupial (the tammar wallaby), but are not formed until later in development in another marsupial (the brushtail possum) and in rodents. because the mechanism of virilisation of the urogenital tract in the grey short-tailed opossum monodelphis domestica has never been defined, androgen formation and metabolism were investigated in this specie ... | 2009 | 19486601 |
| cone visual pigments in two species of south american marsupials. | marsupials are largely confined to australasia and to central and south america. the visual pigments that underlie the photosensitivity of the retina have been examined in a number of species from the former group where evidence for trichromatic colour vision has been found, but none from the latter. in this paper, we report the cone opsin sequences from two nocturnal south american marsupial species, the gray short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica, and the big-eared opossum, didelphis auri ... | 2009 | 19133321 |
| on the genomics of immunoglobulins in the gray, short-tailed opossum monodelphis domestica. | annotated maps of the igh, igk, and igl loci in the gray, short-tailed opossum monodelphis domestica were generated from analyses of the available whole genome sequence for this species. analyses of their content and organization confirmed a number of previous conclusions based on characterization of complementary dnas encoding opossum immunoglobulin heavy and light chains and limited genomic analysis, including (a) the predominance of a single immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (ighv) s ... | 2009 | 19609519 |
| brief communication: forelimb compliance in arboreal and terrestrial opossums. | primates display high forelimb compliance (increased elbow joint yield) compared to most other mammals. forelimb compliance, which is especially marked among arboreal primates, moderates vertical oscillations of the body and peak vertical forces and may represent a basal adaptation of primates for locomotion on thin, flexible branches. however, larney and larson (am j phys anthropol 125 [2004] 42-50) reported that marsupials have forelimb compliance comparable to or greater than that of most pri ... | 2010 | 19902451 |
| molecular characterisation of the cd79a and cd79b subunits of the b cell receptor complex in the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica) and tammar wallaby (macropus eugenii): delayed b cell immunocompetence in marsupial neonates. | the b cell receptor (bcr) is a multiprotein complex that is pivotal to antigen recognition and signal transduction in b cells. it consists of an antigen binding component, membrane ig (mig), non-covalently associated with the signaling component, a disulphide-linked heterodimer of cd79a and cd79b. in this study, the gene and corresponding cdna for cd79a and cd79b in the gray short-tailed opossum, as well as the cdna sequences for cd79a and cd79b in the tammar wallaby, are described. many of the ... | 2010 | 20399507 |
| cortico-cerebral histogenesis in the opossum monodelphis domestica: generation of a hexalaminar neocortex in the absence of a basal proliferative compartment. | the metatherian monodelphis domestica, commonly known as the south-american short-tailed opossum, is an appealing animal model for developmental studies on cortico-cerebral development. given its phylogenetic position, it can help in tracing evolutionary origins of key traits peculiar to the eutherian central nervous system. the capability of its pup to regenerate damaged cortico-spinal connections makes it an ideal substrate for regenerative studies. recent sequencing of its genome and the ex u ... | 2010 | 20302607 |
| phylogenetic analysis of the ms4a and tmem176 gene families. | the ms4a gene family in humans includes cd20 (ms4a1), fcrbeta (ms4a2), htm4 (ms4a3), and at least 13 other syntenic genes encoding membrane proteins, most having characteristic tetraspanning topology. expression of ms4a genes is variable in tissues throughout the body; however, several are limited to cells in the hematopoietic system where they have known roles in immune cell functions. genes in the small tmem176 group share significant sequence similarity with ms4a genes and there is evidence o ... | 2010 | 20186339 |
| experimental infection of two south american reservoirs with four distinct strains of trypanosoma cruzi. | trypanosoma cruzi (tc), the causative agent of chagas disease, is a diverse species with 2 primary genotypes, tci and tcii, with tcii further subdivided into 5 subtypes (iia-e). this study evaluated infection dynamics of 4 genetically and geographically diverse t. cruzi strains in 2 south american reservoirs, degus (octodon degus) and grey short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica). based on prior suggestions of a genotype-host association, we hypothesized that degus (placental) would more re ... | 2010 | 20128943 |
| behavioural observations of singly-housed grey short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica) in standard and enriched environments. | the grey short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica) has been used in biomedical research for over three decades. it is normally housed in standard rat cages and appears to have adapted well to captivity. owing to their aggressive behaviour towards each other, adult males are normally housed singly and may spend considerable periods of time in social isolation. we wanted to carry out a preliminary study on the behaviour of singly-housed male short-tailed opossums in two different settings: a st ... | 2010 | 20807718 |
| structure and expression of two nuclear receptor genes in marsupials: insights into the evolution of the antisense overlap between the α-thyroid hormone receptor and rev-erbα. | alternative processing of α-thyroid hormone receptor (trα, nr1a1) mrnas gives rise to two functionally antagonistic nuclear receptors: trα1, the α-type receptor, and trα2, a non-hormone binding variant that is found only in mammals. trα2 shares an unusual antisense coding overlap with mrna for rev-erbα (nr1d1), another nuclear receptor protein. in this study we examine the structure and expression of these genes in the gray short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica, in comparison with that of ... | 2010 | 21143985 |
| the subventricular zone is the developmental milestone of a 6-layered neocortex: comparisons in metatherian and eutherian mammals. | the major lineages of mammals (eutheria, metatheria, and monotremata) diverged more than 100 million years ago and have undergone independent changes in the neocortex. we found that adult south american gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica) and tammar wallaby (macropus eugenii) possess a significantly lower number of cerebral cortical neurons compared with the mouse (mus musculus). to determine whether the difference is reflected in the development of the cortical germinal zones, the ... | 2010 | 19726493 |
| comparative genomics and proteomics of vertebrate diacylglycerol acyltransferase (dgat), acyl coa wax alcohol acyltransferase (awat) and monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (mgat). | blat (blast-like alignment tool) analyses of the opossum (monodelphis domestica) and zebrafish (danio rerio) genomes were undertaken using amino acid sequences of the acylglycerol acyltransferase (agat) superfamily. evidence is reported for 8 opossum monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-like (mgat) (e.c. 2.3.1.22) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase-like (dgat) (e.c. 2.3.1.20) genes and proteins, including dgat1, dgat2, dgat2l6 (dgat2-like protein 6), awat1 (acyl coa wax alcohol acyltransferase 1), a ... | 2010 | 20374941 |
| normal organ weights, serum chemistry, hematology, and cecal and nasopharyngeal bacterial cultures in the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | gray short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica) currently are used in genetic, developmental, oncology, and neurologic research. little is known about their natural flora or potential for pathogenic infectious disease. the present study aims to improve existing comparative normal blood and organ weight values available to researchers and to describe flora of clinically normal m. domestica to obtain an understanding of potential pathogenic flora in clinically abnormal animals. for evaluation o ... | 2010 | 20819383 |
| modification of protein transfer across blood/cerebrospinal fluid barrier in response to altered plasma protein composition during development. | a developmentally regulated protein-specific transfer mechanism across choroid plexus epithelial cells has previously been proposed to contribute to the characteristically high concentration of protein in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) in the immature brain. here we demonstrate that this mechanism is sensitive to protein variations in plasma resulting in changed numbers of transferring cells for individual proteins and altered transfer into the csf. pups of monodelphis domestica at postnatal day (p)9 ... | 2010 | 21138490 |
| distribution of the neuronal gap junction protein connexin36 in the spinal cord enlargements of developing and adult opossums, monodelphis domestica. | we use opossums monodelphis domestica to study the development of mammalian motor systems. the immature forelimbs of the newborn perform rhythmic and alternating movements that are likely under spinal control. the hindlimbs start moving in the second week. chemical synapses are scant in the spinal enlargements of neonatal opossums and the presence of electrochemical synapses has not been evaluated in this species or in other marsupials. as a first step aiming at evaluating the existence of such ... | 2010 | 20134154 |
| development of the lateral ventricular choroid plexus in a marsupial, monodelphis domestica. | choroid plexus epithelial cells are the site of blood/cerebrospinal fluid (csf) barrier and regulate molecular transfer between the two compartments. their mitotic activity in the adult is low. during development, the pattern of growth and timing of acquisition of functional properties of plexus epithelium are not known. | 2010 | 20920364 |
| chemical communication and reproduction in the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | the gray short-tailed opossum is one of the most widely studied of all marsupials and an important model for study of olfactory communication, particularly as it relates to pheromonal activation of reproduction. males respond to differentially to female skin gland secretions and urine from anestrous females, while females respond only skin gland secretions, particularly that of the suprasternal gland. divergent responses by male and female opossums to odors from these different body sources are ... | 2010 | 20831955 |
| ontogenetic variation in the bony labyrinth of monodelphis domestica (mammalia: marsupialia) following ossification of the inner ear cavities. | ontogeny, or the development of an individual from conception to death, is a major source of variation in vertebrate morphology. all anatomical systems are affected by ontogeny, and knowledge of the ontogenetic history of these systems is important to understand when formulating biological interpretations of evolutionary history and physiology. the present study is focused on how variation affects the bony labyrinth across a growth series of an extant mammal after ossification of the inner ear c ... | 2010 | 20730862 |
| differential expression of intestinal genes in opossums with high and low responses to dietary cholesterol. | high and low responding opossums (monodelphis domestica) differ in their plasma very low density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein (vldl+ldl) cholesterol concentrations when they consume a high cholesterol diet, which is due in part to absorption of a higher percentage of dietary cholesterol in high responders. we compared the expression of a set of genes that influence cholesterol absorption in high and low responders fed a basal or a high cholesterol and low fat (hclf) diet. up-regulatio ... | 2010 | 20721351 |
| the divergent development of the apical ectodermal ridge in the marsupial monodelphis domestica. | marsupials give birth after short gestation times to neonates that have an intriguing combination of precocial and altricial features, based on their functional necessity after birth. perhaps most noticeably, marsupial newborns have highly developed forelimbs, which provide the propulsion necessary for the newborn's crawl to the teat. to achieve their advanced state at birth, the development of marsupial forelimbs is accelerated. the development of the newborn's hind limb, which plays no part in ... | 2010 | 20665811 |
| localization of genes for v+ldl plasma cholesterol levels on two diets in the opossum monodelphis domestica. | plasma cholesterol levels among individuals vary considerably in response to diet. however, the genes that influence this response are largely unknown. non-hdl (v+ldl) cholesterol levels vary dramatically among gray, short-tailed opossums fed an atherogenic diet, and we previously reported that two quantitative trait loci (qtls) influenced v+ldl cholesterol on two diets. we used hypothesis-free, genome-wide linkage analyses on data from 325 pedigreed opossums and located one qtl for v+ldl choles ... | 2010 | 20650928 |
| husbandry of monodelphis domestica in the study of mammalian embryogenesis. | monodelphis domestica, commonly called the laboratory opossum, is a useful laboratory animal for studying marsupial embryogenesis and mammalian development. females breed year-round and the animals can be sustainably bred indoors. the authors draw on their own laboratory's experience to supplement previously published research on laboratory opossums. they describe a breeding protocol that reliably produces timed-pregnant m. domestica. additionally, the authors discuss general laboratory opossum ... | 2010 | 20567232 |
| perinatal exposure to progesterone, estradiol, or mifepristone affects sexual differentiation of behavior in opossums (monodelphis domestica). | the effects of perinatal exposure to progesterone (p) and estradiol (e) on sexual differentiation of behavior and morphology were examined by treating male and female gray short-tailed opossums on postnatal day 8 with progesterone alone (p), p plus estradiol (e) (pe), the p receptor antagonist mifepristone/ru486 (mif), or corn oil control (c) and gonadectomizing them before puberty. when given female hormone replacement therapy in adulthood and tested with intact stimulus males, mif animals show ... | 2010 | 20362579 |
| the developmental reduction of the marsupial coracoid: a case study in monodelphis domestica. | during their embryogenesis, marsupials develop a unique structure, the shoulder arch, which provides the structural and muscle-attachment support necessary for the newborn's crawl to the teat. one of the most pronounced and important aspects of the shoulder arch is an enlarged coracoid. after marsupial newborns reach the teat, the shoulder arch is remodeled and the coracoid is reduced to a small process on the scapula. although an understanding of marsupial coracoid reduction has the potential t ... | 2010 | 20151407 |
| necrosis of the pinnae in a grey short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | 2010 | 20097895 | |
| early differentiation and migration of cranial neural crest in the opossum, monodelphis domestica. | marsupial mammals are born at a highly altricial state. nonetheless, the neonate must be capable of considerable functional independence. comparative studies have shown that in marsupials the morphogenesis of many structures critical to independent function are advanced relative to overall development. many skeletal and muscular elements in the facial region show particular heterochrony. because neural crest cells are crucial to forming and patterning much of the face, this study investigates wh ... | 2010 | 12622729 |
| cage change intervals for opossums (monodelphis domestica) in individually ventilated cages. | the opossum monodelphis domestica is the most commonly used marsupial in biomedical research. at our institution, these opossums are housed in polycarbonate (35.6 cm × 25.4 cm × 17.8 cm) individually ventilated cages. previous studies of the cage microenvironment of rodents housed in individually ventilated cages have demonstrated that the cage-change frequency could be extended from 7 to 14 d, without detriment to the animals' wellbeing. we sought to determine whether the cage change frequency ... | 2011 | 22330710 |
| age-dependent changes in the proteome following complete spinal cord transection in a postnatal south american opossum (monodelphis domestica). | recovery from severe spinal injury in adults is limited, compared to immature animals who demonstrate some capacity for repair. using laboratory opossums (monodelphis domestica), the aim was to compare proteomic responses to injury at two ages: one when there is axonal growth across the lesion and substantial behavioural recovery and one when no axonal growth occurs. anaesthetized pups at postnatal day (p) 7 or p28 were subjected to complete transection of the spinal cord at thoracic level t10. ... | 2011 | 22110655 |
| spontaneous development of full weight-supported stepping after complete spinal cord transection in the neonatal opossum, monodelphis domestica. | spinal cord trauma in the adult nervous system usually results in permanent loss of function below the injury level. the immature spinal cord has greater capacity for repair and can develop considerable functionality by adulthood. this study used the marsupial laboratory opossum monodelphis domestica, which is born at a very early stage of neural development. complete spinal cord transection was made in the lower-thoracic region of pups at postnatal-day 7 (p7) or p28, and the animals grew to adu ... | 2011 | 22073202 |
| sparc/osteonectin, an endogenous mechanism for targeting albumin to the blood-cerebrospinal fluid interface during brain development. | specialized populations of choroid plexus epithelial cells have previously been shown to be responsible for the transfer of individual plasma proteins from blood to the cerebrospinal fluid (csf), contributing to their characteristically high concentrations in csf of the developing brain. the mechanism of this protein transfer remains elusive. using a marsupial, monodelphis domestica, we demonstrate that the albumin-binding protein sparc (osteonectin/bm-40/culture-shock protein) is present in a s ... | 2011 | 21899600 |
| genomic identification of chemokines and cytokines in opossum. | the cytokine repertoire of marsupials is largely unknown. the sequencing of the opossum genome has expedited the identification of many immune genes. however, many genes have not been identified using automated annotation pipelines because of high levels of sequence divergence. to fill gaps in our knowledge of the cytokine gene complement in marsupials, we searched the genome assembly of the gray short-tailed opossum for chemokine, interleukin, colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor, a ... | 2011 | 21214366 |
| histone h3 trimethylation at lysine 9 marks the inactive metaphase x chromosome in the marsupial monodelphis domestica. | in somatic cells of female marsupial and eutherian mammals, x chromosome inactivation (xci) occurs. xci results in the transcriptional silencing of one of the two x chromosomes and is accompanied by specific covalent histone modifications attributable to the inactive chromatin state. because data about repressed chromatin of the inactive x chromosome (xi) in marsupials are sparse, we examined in more detail the distribution of active and inactive chromatin markers on metaphase x chromosomes of a ... | 2011 | 21110203 |
| active vibrissal sensing in rodents and marsupials. | in rats, the long facial whiskers (mystacial macrovibrissae) are repetitively and rapidly swept back and forth during exploration in a behaviour known as 'whisking'. in this paper, we summarize previous evidence from rats, and present new data for rat, mouse and the marsupial grey short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica) showing that whisking in all three species is actively controlled both with respect to movement of the animal's body and relative to environmental structure. using automatic ... | 2011 | 21969685 |
| characterization, expression profile, polymorphism and association of porcine nat9 gene. | the n-acetyltransferase 9 (nat9) is an important reproduction related gene. in this study, we cloned the full-length cdna sequence of porcine nat9 gene through the rapid amplification of cdna ends method. the porcine nat9 gene encodes a protein of 206 amino acids which shares high homology with the nat9 of seven species: rhesus monkey (87%), chimpanzee (87%), human (87%), horse (86%), rat (80%), mouse (79%) and gray short-tailed opossum (79%). this gene is structured in six exons and five intron ... | 2011 | 21688147 |
| recent advances in sunlight-induced carcinogenesis using the xiphophorus melanoma model. | unlike breast and prostate cancers, the nature and sequence of critical genetic and epigenetic events involved in the initiation and progression of melanoma are not well understood. a contributing factor to this dilemma, especially given our current understanding of the importance of uv light in melanoma etiology, is the lack of quality uv-inducible melanoma animal models. in this study we elaborate on the capability of uv light to induce cutaneous malignant melanomas (cmm) in xiphophorus fishes ... | 2011 | 21457786 |
| hypothesis on the dual origin of the mammalian subplate. | the development of the mammalian neocortex relies heavily on subplate. the proportion of this cell population varies considerably in different mammalian species. subplate is almost undetectable in marsupials, forms a thin, but distinct layer in mouse and rat, a larger layer in carnivores and big-brained mammals as pig, and a highly developed embryonic structure in human and non-human primates. the evolutionary origin of subplate neurons is the subject of current debate. some hypothesize that sub ... | 2011 | 21519390 |
| 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. surpr ... | 2011 | 21632624 |
| molecular cloning, sequence characterization, polymorphism and association analysis of porcine ropn1 gene. | the full-length cdna sequence of one porcine gene, ropn1, was isolated using the rapid amplification of cdna ends (race) method based on one pig est sequence which was highly homologous to the coding sequence of human ropn1 gene. the porcine ropn1 gene encodes a protein of 212 amino acids which shares high homology with the rhophilin associated protein 1 (ropn1) of eight species: gray short-tailed opossum (96%), horse (95%), cattle (94%), mouse (93%), rat (92%), chimpanzee (85%), human (85%) and ... | 2011 | 21667248 |
| evolution and development of the mammalian dentition: insights from the marsupial monodelphis domestica. | to understand developmental mechanisms of evolutionary change, we must first know how different morphologies form. the vast majority of our knowledge on the developmental genetics of tooth formation derives from studies in mice, which have relatively derived mammalian dentitions. the marsupial monodelphis domestica has a more plesiomorphic heterodont dentition with incisors, canines, premolars, and molars on both the upper and the lower jaws, and a deciduous premolar. the complexity of the m. do ... | 2011 | 21108317 |
| Investigation of Chagas disease in four periurban areas in northeastern Brazil: epidemiologic survey in man, vectors, non-human hosts and reservoirs. | Chagas disease was investigated in four periurban areas of Ceará state, northeastern Brazil, through serological, parasitological and molecular methods in humans, reservoirs and vectors. A cross-sectional survey revealed a seroprevalence rate of 1.2% (13/1076 residents, six also proving positive through PCR). Trypanosoma cruzi infection was not detected in children under 10 years old. Triatoma pseudomaculata prevailed in the peridomiciles: 63 specimens, 69% (34/49) infected with trypanosomatids. ... | 2011 | 22136953 |
| cladistic analysis of olfactory and vomeronasal systems. | most tetrapods possess two nasal organs for detecting chemicals in their environment, which are the sensory detectors of the olfactory and vomeronasal systems. the seventies' view that the olfactory system was only devoted to sense volatiles, whereas the vomeronasal system was exclusively specialized for pheromone detection was challenged by accumulating data showing deep anatomical and functional interrelationships between both systems. in addition, the assumption that the vomeronasal system ap ... | 2011 | 21290004 |
| A first-generation integrated tammar wallaby map and its use in creating a tammar wallaby first-generation virtual genome map. | The limited (2X) coverage of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) genome sequence dataset currently presents a challenge for assembly and anchoring onto chromosomes. To provide a framework for this assembly, it would be a great advantage to have a dense map of the tammar wallaby genome. However, only limited mapping data are available for this non-model species, comprising a physical map and a linkage map. | 2011 | 21854555 |
| Physical mapping of innate immune genes, mucins and lysozymes, and other non-mucin proteins in the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). | Sequencing of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) genome has the potential to be an extremely valuable resource for investigating evolutionary and developmental aspects of the mammalian immune system. However, the tammar wallaby genome has only been sequenced to a 2-fold depth and consists of small contigs, leaving many sequence gaps, many putative orthologs unpredicted and the location of genes within the genome unknown. In the case of low sequenced genomes, physical maps of genes on chromoso ... | 2011 | 21846968 |
| mapping the prion protein distribution in marsupials: insights from comparing opossum with mouse cns. | the cellular form of the prion protein (prp(c)) is a sialoglycoprotein widely expressed in the central nervous system (cns) of mammalian species during neurodevelopment and in adulthood. the location of the protein in the cns may play a role in the susceptibility of a species to fatal prion diseases, which are also known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tses). to date, little is known about prp(c) distribution in marsupial mammals, for which no naturally occurring prion diseases ... | 2012 | 23209725 |
| different strategies of exploration and phenotypic variability of the locomotor behavior in new environment: comparative study of the laboratory opossum (monodelphis domestica) and wistar rat (rattus norvegicus). | spontaneous locomotor activity of opossums and wistar rats during a two-hour session in the open field has been recorded, assessed and behavior of individuals of the two species compared. afterwards, groups of highly active (ha) and low active (la) opossums and rats were selected on the basis of the distance traveled in the test. differences between the selected groups were evaluated. opossums were generally more active, moving faster and covering longer distance. they spent more time in the cen ... | 2012 | 23377274 |
| use of habitats by non-volant small mammals in cerrado in central brazil. | non-volant small mammals are organisms capable of yielding precise information on richness, abundance and species composition variations related to the use of habitats. the aim of this research was to compare these variations in cerrado sensu stricto, palm forest, gallery forest and rocky field. from may 1999 to february 2000, we surveyed non-volant small mammals (hence small mammals) in serra das araras ecological station. we captured 218 individuals and recaptured 62 individuals, belonging to ... | 2012 | 23295519 |
| microscopic anatomy of the lower respiratory tract of the grey short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | the respiratory tracts of seven grey short-tailed opossums were histologically examined. six opossums were prepared by perfusion with buffered formalin. opossum seven was perfused with gluteraldehyde. samples taken from the respiratory passages and lungs of specimens 1-6 were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. a mixture of methylene and azure blue was used for specimen 7. the trachea and right and left principal bronchi are lined with a pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with occasi ... | 2012 | 21919952 |
| visual acuity in the short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | monodelphis domestica (short-tailed opossum) is an emerging animal model for studies of neural development due to the extremely immature state of the nervous system at birth and its subsequent rapid growth to adulthood. yet little is known about its normal sensory discrimination abilities. in the present investigation, visual acuity was determined in this species using the optokinetic test (opt), which relies on involuntary head tracking of a moving stimulus and can be easily elicited using a ro ... | 2012 | 22871523 |
| disparate igf1 expression and growth in the fore- and hind limbs of a marsupial mammal (monodelphis domestica). | proper regulation of growth is essential to all stages of life, from development of the egg into an embryo to the maintenance of normal cell cycle progression in adults. however, despite growth's importance to basic biology and health, little is known about how mammalian growth is regulated. in this study, we investigated the molecular basis of the highly disparate growth of opossum fore- and hind limbs in utero. we first used a novel, opossum-specific microarray to identify several growth-relat ... | 2012 | 22821864 |
| a vpreb3 homologue in a marsupial, the gray short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica. | a vpreb surrogate light (sl) chain was identified for the first time in a marsupial, the opossum monodelphis domestica. comparing the opossum vpreb to homologues from eutherian (placental mammals) and avian species supported the marsupial gene being vpreb3. vpreb3 is a protein that is not known to traffic to the cell surface as part of the pre-b cell receptor. rather, vpreb3 associates with nascent immunoglobulin chains in the endoplasmic reticulum. homologues of other known sl chains vpreb1, vp ... | 2012 | 22684248 |
| shape, variance and integration during craniogenesis: contrasting marsupial and placental mammals. | studies of morphological integration can provide insight into developmental patterns, even in extinct taxa known only from skeletal remains, thus making them an important tool for studies of evolutionary development. however, interpreting patterns of integration and assessing their significance for organismal evolution requires detailed understanding of the developmental interactions that shape integration and how those interactions change through ontogeny. thus far, relatively little comparativ ... | 2012 | 22356604 |
| early postnatal b cell ontogeny and antibody repertoire maturation in the opossum, monodelphis domestica. | marsupials are a lineage of mammals noted for giving birth to highly altricial young, which complete much of their "fetal" development externally attached to a teat. postnatal b cell ontogeny and diversity was investigated in a model marsupial species, the gray short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica. the results support the initiation of b cell development late in gestation and progressing into the first two weeks of postnatal life. transcription of cd79a and cd79b was detected in embryonic ... | 2012 | 23029324 |
| heterochrony in somitogenesis rate in a model marsupial, monodelphis domestica. | marsupial newborns are highly altricial and also show a wide array of shifts in the rate or timing of developmental events so that certain neonatal structures are quite mature. one particularly notable feature is the steep gradient in development along the anterior-posterior axis such that anterior structures are generally well developed relative to posterior ones. here, we study somitogenesis in the marsupial, monodelphis domestica, and document two heterochronies that may be important in gener ... | 2012 | 23016977 |
| convergent and divergent evolution of genomic imprinting in the marsupial monodelphis domestica. | genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon resulting in parent-of-origin specific monoallelic gene expression. it is postulated to have evolved in placental mammals to modulate intrauterine resource allocation to the offspring. in this study, we determined the imprint status of metatherian orthologues of eutherian imprinted genes. | 2012 | 22899817 |
| response to novelty in the laboratory wistar rat, wild-captive wwcps rat, and the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica). | behavior of the laboratory gray short-tailed opossums (monodelphis domestica), warsaw wild captive pisula stryjek rats (wwcps) and laboratory rats (wistar) has been registered in the period of familiarization with a new environment and consecutive confrontation with a novel, innocuous object placed in that familiarized environment. in the new environment the sequence of anxiety, investigation, and habituation was shortest in the opossum, longer in the laboratory rat and longest in the wwcps rat. ... | 2012 | 22776746 |
| rsx is a metatherian rna with xist-like properties in x-chromosome inactivation. | in female (xx) mammals, one of the two x chromosomes is inactivated to ensure an equal dose of x-linked genes with males (xy). x-chromosome inactivation in eutherian mammals is mediated by the non-coding rna xist. xist is not found in metatherians (marsupials), and how x-chromosome inactivation is initiated in these mammals has been the subject of speculation for decades. using the marsupial monodelphis domestica, here we identify rsx (rna-on-the-silent x), an rna that has properties consistent ... | 2012 | 22722828 |
| recombination, transcription, and diversity of a partially germline-joined vh in a mammal. | full or partially germline-joined v genes have been described in a number of different vertebrate lineages where they can contribute to the expressed antibody repertoire through different mechanisms. here we demonstrate that vh3.1, a partially germline-joined vh gene in the opossum monodelphis domestica, can undergo v(d)j recombination to generate productive igh transcripts. vh3.1 is fused to a dh gene segment in the germline dna and is the only known example of a germline-joined vh in a mammal. ... | 2012 | 22710822 |
| immunolocalization of cation-chloride cotransporters in the developing and mature spinal cord of opossums, monodelphis domestica. | spinal inhibition is required to generate coordinated outputs between antagonistic muscles during locomotion. it relies on low neuronal chloride concentration set by two cation-chloride cotransporters, nkcc1 and kcc2 which, respectively, pumps cl(-) in or out of neurons. it is generally accepted that nkcc1 is gradually inactivated during development, while kcc2 is upregulated and activated, resulting in low intracellular [cl(-)]. newborn opossums are very immature but perform rhythmic and altern ... | 2013 | 23720613 |
| cephalic sensory influence on forelimb movement in newborn opossums, monodelphis domestica. | like other marsupials, the opossum monodelphis domestica is born very immature and crawls, unaided by the mother, from the urogenital opening to a nipple where it attaches and pursues its development. if the alternate, rhythmic movements of the forelimbs which allow this locomotion are generated by the developing spinal motor networks, sensory information is nonetheless needed to guide the newborn to a nipple. behavioral, anatomical and physiological studies suggest that the auditory and the vis ... | 2013 | 23103914 |
| weight-bearing locomotion in the developing opossum, monodelphis domestica following spinal transection: remodeling of neuronal circuits caudal to lesion. | complete spinal transection in the mature nervous system is typically followed by minimal axonal repair, extensive motor paralysis and loss of sensory functions caudal to the injury. in contrast, the immature nervous system has greater capacity for repair, a phenomenon sometimes called the infant lesion effect. this study investigates spinal injuries early in development using the marsupial opossum monodelphis domestica whose young are born very immature, allowing access to developmental stages ... | 2013 | 23951105 |
| a connection to the past: monodelphis domestica provides insight into the organization and connectivity of the brains of early mammals. | the current experiment is one of a series of comparative studies in our laboratory designed to determine the network of somatosensory areas that are present in the neocortex of the mammalian common ancestor. such knowledge is critical for appreciating the basic functional circuitry that all mammals possess and how this circuitry was modified to generate species-specific, sensory-mediated behavior. our animal model, the gray short-tailed opossum (monodelphis domestica), is a marsupial that is pro ... | 2013 | 23784751 |
| the evolution of active vibrissal sensing in mammals: evidence from vibrissal musculature and function in the marsupial opossum monodelphis domestica. | facial vibrissae, or whiskers, are found in nearly all extant mammal species and are likely to have been present in early mammalian ancestors. a sub-set of modern mammals, including many rodents, move their long mystacial whiskers back and forth at high speed whilst exploring in a behaviour known as 'whisking'. it is not known whether the vibrissae of early mammals moved in this way. the grey short-tailed opossum, monodelphis domestica, is considered a useful species from the perspective of trac ... | 2013 | 23737559 |
| expression and cellular distribution of ubiquitin in response to injury in the developing spinal cord of monodelphis domestica. | ubiquitin, an 8.5 kda protein associated with the proteasome degradation pathway has been recently identified as differentially expressed in segment of cord caudal to site of injury in developing spinal cord. here we describe ubiquitin expression and cellular distribution in spinal cord up to postnatal day p35 in control opossums (monodelphis domestica) and in response to complete spinal transection (t10) at p7, when axonal growth through site of injury occurs, and p28 when this is no longer pos ... | 2013 | 23626776 |
| expression patterns of oct4, cdx2, tead4, and yap1 proteins during blastocyst formation in embryos of the marsupial, monodelphis domestica wagner. | the marsupial blastocyst forms in an entirely different manner from its eutherian counterpart, involving cell-zona rather than cell-cell adhesion during the 8- to-16-cell transition. while the eutherian blastocyst consists of a spherical trophoblast completely enveloping a pluripotent inner cell mass, or pluriblast, the marsupial blastocyst forms initially as a bowl-shaped monolayer of cells lining the zona pellucida at the embryonic pole (ep). this monolayer contains a small patch of centrally ... | 2013 | 23607301 |
| forelimb preferences in quadrupedal marsupials and their implications for laterality evolution in mammals. | acquisition of upright posture in evolution has been argued to facilitate manual laterality in primates. owing to the high variety of postural habits marsupials can serve as a suitable model to test whether the species-typical body posture shapes forelimb preferences in non-primates or this phenomenon emerged only in the course of primate evolution. in the present study we aimed to explore manual laterality in marsupial quadrupeds and compare them with the results in the previously studied biped ... | 2013 | 23497116 |
| correlation between dopaminergic phenotype and expression of calretinin in the midbrain nuclei of the opossum (monodelphis domestica): an immunohistological study. | we investigated distribution and morphology of neurons of the midbrain nuclei: the ventral tegmental area (vta), substantia nigra (sn) and periaqueductal gray (pag) of the adult grey short-tailed opossums that were double immunolabeled for the presence of calretinin (cr) and/or tyrosine hydroxylase (th). the majority of th-immunopositive neurons and fibers were located in the vta, sn, and only scarce population of small neurons expressing th was present in the pag. in the sn 80 percent of th-exp ... | 2013 | 24457643 |
| differential changes in the cellular composition of the developing marsupial brain. | throughout development both the body and the brain change at remarkable rates. specifically, the number of cells in the brain undergoes dramatic nonlinear changes, first exponentially increasing in cell number and then decreasing in cell number. different cell types, such as neurons and glia, undergo these changes at different stages of development. the current investigation used the isotropic fractionator method to examine the changes in cellular composition at multiple developmental milestones ... | 2013 | 23322491 |
| development of the marsupial shoulder girdle complex: a case study in monodelphis domestica. | during their embryogenesis, marsupials transiently develop a unique structure, the shoulder arch, which provides the structural support and muscle-attachments necessary for the newborn's crawl to the teat. one of the most pronounced and functionally important aspects of the shoulder arch is an enlarged coracoid. the goal of this study is to determine the molecular basis of shoulder arch formation in marsupials. to achieve this goal, this study investigates the relative expression of several gene ... | 2013 | 23331914 |
| revision of the family listropsoralgidae fain, 1965 (acariformes: sarcoptoidea)-skin parasites of marsupials and rodents. | the family listropsoralgidae fain, 1965 (acariformes: sarcoptoidea) is represented by the permanent skin ectoparasites associated with the south american and australian marsupials (12 species) and the south american rodents of the family echimyidae (1 species). the phylogenetic relationships of these mites (12 ingroup and 2 outgroup species) are reconstructed on the basis of the maximum parsimony (mp) and bayesian analyses (ba) of 76 morphological characters. mp analysis confirmed monophyly of t ... | 2013 | 24699778 |
| the discovery of foxl2 paralogs in chondrichthyan, coelacanth and tetrapod genomes reveals an ancient duplication in vertebrates. | the foxl2 (forkhead box l2) gene is an important member of the forkhead domain family, primarily responsible for the development of ovaries during female sex differentiation. the evolutionary studies conducted previously considered the presence of paralog foxl2 copies only in teleosts. however, to search for possible paralog copies in other groups of vertebrates and ensure that all predicted copies were homolog to the foxl2 gene, a broad evolutionary analysis was performed, based on the forkhead ... | 2013 | 23549337 |
| the oocyte of a new world marsupial, monodelphis domestica: structure, formation, and function of the enveloping mucoid layer. | ovulated oocytes of the gray short-tailed opossum monodelphis domestica are surrounded by a thin zona pellucida and are devoid of a cumulus oophorus. in the ampulla of the oviduct, oocytes acquire a thick mucoid layer composed of concentrically arranged fibrillar material. exocytosis by the secretory cells of the oviductal epithelium occurs in the region of the oviduct adjacent to the egg. this suggests that the oocyte-zona-mucus layer complex may influence the oviductal epithelium to secrete. d ... | 2013 | 3612053 |
| molecular identification and expression of lyn tyrosine kinase isoforms in marsupials. | lyn is a tyrosine kinase molecule required for modulation of signalling cascades in cell populations including b lymphocytes of the mammalian immune system. we have characterised the coding domain of the marsupial lyn gene of two macropod marsupials; the tammar wallaby (macropus eugenii) and the bridled nailtail wallaby (onychogalea fraenata) and show the co-expression of two lyn isoforms in cells and tissues of these and three other marsupials (brush-tail possum, trichosurus vulpecula; american ... | 2013 | 23522727 |