Project description:The formation of viable genetic chimeras in mammals through the transfer of cells between siblings in utero is rare. Using microsatellite DNA markers, we show here that chimerism in marmoset (Callithrix kuhlii) twins is not limited to blood-derived hematopoietic tissues as was previously described. All somatic tissue types sampled were found to be chimeric. Notably, chimerism was demonstrated to be present in germ-line tissues, an event never before documented as naturally occurring in a primate. In fact, we found that chimeric marmosets often transmit sibling alleles acquired in utero to their own offspring. Thus, an individual that contributes gametes to an offspring is not necessarily the genetic parent of that offspring. The presence of somatic and germ-line chimerism may have influenced the evolution of the extensive paternal and alloparental care system of this taxon. Although the exact mechanisms of sociobiological change associated with chimerism have not been fully explored, we show here that chimerism alters relatedness between twins and may alter the perceived relatedness between family members, thus influencing the allocation of parental care. Consistent with this prediction, we found a significant correlation between paternal care effort and the presence of epithelial chimerism, with males carrying chimeric infants more often than nonchimeric infants. Therefore, we propose that the presence of placental chorionic fusion and the exchange of cell lines between embryos may represent a unique adaptation affecting the evolution of cooperative care in this group of primates.
Project description:The Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) is a small, vespertilionid bat species, with a large range extending from the Iberian Peninsula into the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula. In this study, we determine for the first time the complete mitogenome of this species. The P. kuhlii mitogenome is 16,991 base pairs long with 37 genes and 1 control region, showing conserved gene content and order with other vertebrate mitogenomes. The length of the 22 tRNA genes ranges between 60?bp (tRNA-Ser) and 75?bp (tRNA-Leu). The D-loop region is 1553?bp long with low CG content (39.8%).
Project description:Kuhl's pipistrelle is found from Europe and North Africa all of the way to Asia, yet studies have thus far concentrated on the western limit of its distribution. Here we form a multi-marker picture of the diversity of Kuhl's pipistrelle at a mid point in the Arabian peninsula in an attempt to redress the western sampling bias and to represent a region from which no genetic data has thus far been presented for this species. The three Arabian Cytochrome b haplotypes showed a clear divergence of 19 substitutions from those found in either Europe or North Africa. Molecular dating suggests the Arabian population split from the remaining Kuhl's somewhere between 0.7 and 1.7 million years before present around the time of a series of aridification events across northern Africa. Well supported lineages within Arabia are typical of that which may be seen after an expansion from multiple Pleistocene refugia, but may also reflect the loss of intermediate haplotypes during historical population fluctuations. A long-term population contraction coincides with climatic changes towards those conditions more typical of contemporary Arabia.
Project description:Dermal fibroblasts from megabat and microbat, stimulated with dsRNA (poly(I:C)) and controls. Bats can harbor some of the most deadliest viruses to humans while rarely displaying pathogenicity themselves. To study their innate immune response - the expression program that is initiated once a pathogen is senseds, we stimulated dermal fibroblast cells from two species (Rousettus aegyptiacus and Pipistrellus kuhlii) for four hours with dsRNA - a viral RNA mimic that triggers a rapid innate immune response. Subsequently, we profiled the response using bulk RNA-seq.