Secor S M, Diamond J
Department of Physiology, University of California Medical School, Los Angeles 90095-1751, USA.
Nature. 1998 Oct 15;395(6703):659-62. doi: 10.1038/27131.
Investigation of vertebrate regulatory biology is restricted by the modest response amplitudes in mammalian model species that derive from a lifestyle of frequent small meals. By contrast, ambush-hunting snakes eat huge meals after long intervals. In juvenile pythons during feeding, there are large and rapid increases in metabolism and secretion, in the activation of enzymes and transporter proteins, and in tissue growth. These responses enable an economic hypothesis concerning the evolution of regulation to be tested. Combined with other experimental advantages, these features recommend juvenile pythons as the equivalent of a squid axon in vertebrate regulatory biology.
脊椎动物调节生物学的研究受到哺乳动物模型物种适度反应幅度的限制，这些物种的生活方式是频繁少食多餐。相比之下，伏击捕猎的蛇类在长时间间隔后会吃下大量食物。在幼年蟒蛇进食期间，新陈代谢和分泌、酶和转运蛋白的激活以及组织生长都会大幅快速增加。这些反应使得一个关于调节进化的经济假说得以检验。结合其他实验优势，这些特征使幼年蟒蛇成为脊椎动物调节生物学中相当于乌贼轴突的研究对象。
