Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China.
Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 27;11(1):19162. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-98561-0.
As the main digestive organ, the small intestine plays a vital role in the digestion of animals. At present, most of the research on animal feeding habits focuses on carnivores and herbivores. However, the mechanism of feeding and digestion in omnivores remains unclear. This study aims to reveal the molecular basis of the omnivorous adaptive evolution of Melinae by comparing the transcriptome of the small intestines of Asian Badgers (Meles leucurus) and Northern Hog Badgers (Arctonyx albogularis). We obtained high-quality small intestinal transcriptome data from these two species. Key genes and signalling pathways were analysed through Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and other databases. Research has mainly found that orthologous genes related to six enzymes have undergone adaptive evolution. In addition, the study also found three digestion-related pathways (cGMP-PKG, cAMP, and Hippo). They are related to the digestion and absorption of nutrients, the secretion of intestinal fluids, and the transport of food through the small intestine, which may help omnivorous animals adapt to an omnivorous diet. Our study provides insight into the adaptation of Melinae to omnivores and affords a valuable transcriptome resource for future research.
作为主要的消化器官，小肠在动物消化过程中起着至关重要的作用。目前，大多数关于动物进食习性的研究都集中在肉食动物和草食动物上。然而，杂食动物的进食和消化机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在通过比较亚洲獾（Meles leucurus）和北豚尾狸（Arctonyx albogularis）的小肠转录组，揭示 Melinae 杂食性适应进化的分子基础。我们从这两个物种中获得了高质量的小肠转录组数据。通过基因本体论（GO）、京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）和其他数据库，分析了关键基因和信号通路。研究主要发现，与六种酶相关的同源基因发生了适应性进化。此外，该研究还发现了三个与消化相关的途径（cGMP-PKG、cAMP 和 Hippo）。它们与营养物质的消化和吸收、肠道液体的分泌以及食物通过小肠的运输有关，这可能有助于杂食动物适应杂食性饮食。我们的研究为 Melinae 适应杂食性提供了新的见解，并为未来的研究提供了有价值的转录组资源。
