Project description:The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is an endangered species found in the mountains of eastern and northern Asia. Its populations have declined for various reasons, and this species has been designated as legally protected in South Korea. Although various ecological studies have been conducted on long-tailed gorals, none have investigated the gut microbiome until now. In the present study, we compared the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome of seven populations of Korean long-tailed gorals. By analyzing the gut microbiome composition for each regional population, it was found that four phyla-Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria-were the most dominant in all regions on average. The alpha diversity of the gut microbiome of the goral population in the northern regions was high, while that in the southern regions was low. Through the analysis of beta diversity, the seven long-tailed goral populations have been divided into three groups: the Seoraksan population, the Samcheock population, and the Wangpicheon population. It was possible to confirm the regional migration of the animals using the gut microbiome based on the site-relational network analysis. It was found that the most stable population of long-tailed gorals in Korea was the Seoraksan population, and the closely related groups were the Samcheok and Wangpicheon populations, respectively. Wangpicheon appeared to be a major point of dispersal in the migration route of Korean long-tailed gorals.

| S-EPMC8468579 | biostudies-literature

Habitat Characteristics Coincidence of Dead and Living Long-Tailed Gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) According to Extreme Snowfall.

Project description:The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is a critically endangered herbivore in South Korea. Despite government efforts to recover the population through reintroduction programs, the animal remains vulnerable to heavy snowfall. From March to June 2010, 24 animals were found dead due to heavy snowfall in the Wangpi Stream basin. In this study, we hypothesized that gorals that died due to snowfall are low-status individuals that lived in the sub-optimal or non-suitable areas. Using the occurrence data from extensive field surveys from 2008 to 2010 in the Wangpi Stream and the carcass location data, we (1) defined the goral habitat characteristics and (2) compared the habitat characteristics between dead and living gorals using ensemble species distribution modeling. The results suggested that the sites where dead gorals were found were highly related to typical goral habitats. These results implied that the optimal goral habitats could become uninhabitable following heavy snowfall. Most of the dead animals were pregnant females or were young, implying that they could not escape their primary habitats due to lower mobility. Thus, when there is a climate catastrophe, the optimal goral habitats should be considered for rescue and artificial feeding.

| S-EPMC8067025 | biostudies-literature

Chromosome-level genome provides insight into the evolution and conservation of the threatened goral (Naemorhedus goral).

Project description:BackgroundGorals Naemorhedus resemble both goats and antelopes, which prompts much debate about the intragenus species delimitation and phylogenetic status of the genus Naemorhedus within the subfamily Caprinae. Their evolution is believed to be linked to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). To better understand its phylogenetics, the genetic information is worth being resolved.ResultsBased on a sample from the eastern margin of QTP, we constructed the first reference genome for Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral, using PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C technology. The 2.59 Gb assembled genome had a contig N50 of 3.70 Mb and scaffold N50 of 106.66 Mb, which anchored onto 28 pseudo chromosomes. A total of 20,145 protein-coding genes were predicted in the assembled genome, of which 99.93% were functionally annotated. Phylogenetically, the goral was closely related to muskox on the mitochondrial genome level and nested into the takin-muskox clade on the genome tree, rather than other so-called goat-antelopes. The cladogenetic event among muskox, takin and goral occurred sequentially during the late Miocene (~ 11 - 5 Mya), when the QTP experienced a third dramatic uplift with consequent profound changes in climate and environment. Several chromosome fusions and translocations were observed between goral and takin/muskox. The expanded gene families in the goral genome were mainly related to the metabolism of drugs and diseases, so as the positive selected genes. The Ne of goral continued to decrease since ~ 1 Mya during the Pleistocene with active glaciations.ConclusionThe high-quality goral genome provides insights into the evolution and valuable information for the conservation of this threatened group.

| S-EPMC10804785 | biostudies-literature

Tbx6b ChIP-chip on Ciona intestinalis embryo (early gastrula)

Project description:A genomic overview of in vivo binding of a transcription factor Tbx6b in the ascidian early gastrula embryo.

2010-03-09 | GSE17694 | GEO

Otx ChIP-chip on Ciona intestinalis embryo (early gastrula)

Project description:A genomic overview of in vivo binding of a transcription factor Otx in the ascidian early gastrula embryo.

2010-03-09 | GSE17690 | GEO