Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China.
Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China.
BMC Genom Data. 2021 Oct 27;22(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12863-021-00996-x.
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an endangered mammalian species native to China. Fewer than 2500 giant pandas are known to exist, many of which are bred in captivity as a means to preserve and repopulate the species. Like other captive mammals, giant pandas acquire age-related cataracts, reducing their quality of life. Recent comparative genome-wide methylation analysis revealed 110 differentially methylated genes associated with cataract formation including six also associated with the formation of age-related cataracts in humans.
To investigate the pathological pathway in greater detail, here we used RNA-Seq analysis to investigate the differential expression profiles of genes in three giant pandas with cataracts and three healthy controls. We identified more than 700 differentially expressed genes, 29 of which were selected for further analysis based on their low q-value. We found that many of the genes encoded regulatory and signaling proteins associated with the control of cell growth, migration, differentiation and apoptosis, supporting previous research indicating a key role for apoptosis in cataract formation.
The identification of genes involved in the formation of age-related cataracts could facilitate the development of predictive markers, preventative measures and even new therapies to improve the life of captive animals.
大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）是一种原产于中国的濒危哺乳动物。已知现存的大熊猫不到 2500 只，其中许多是在圈养中繁殖的，以保护和重新繁殖该物种。与其他圈养哺乳动物一样，大熊猫会患上与年龄相关的白内障，降低其生活质量。最近的全基因组比较甲基化分析揭示了 110 个与白内障形成相关的差异甲基化基因，其中包括 6 个也与人类年龄相关性白内障的形成有关的基因。
为了更详细地研究病理途径，我们在这里使用 RNA-Seq 分析来研究 3 只患有白内障的大熊猫和 3 只健康对照的差异表达基因谱。我们鉴定出了超过 700 个差异表达基因，其中 29 个根据其低 q 值被选择用于进一步分析。我们发现，许多基因编码与细胞生长、迁移、分化和凋亡控制相关的调节和信号蛋白，这支持了先前的研究表明凋亡在白内障形成中起着关键作用。
鉴定与年龄相关性白内障形成相关的基因，可以促进预测标志物、预防措施甚至新疗法的开发，以改善圈养动物的生活。
