Research Progress

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  Researchers identify an endogenous metabolite that promotes multiple tissue regeneration and delays aging

  Regeneration is an important process of rejuvenating or replacing damaged, diseased, or aged tissues. Regenerative capacity declines with evolution and age. For example, salamanders in lower animals have the complete regenerative capacity in limbs, while in most mammals including humans, limited regeneration and functional recovery capabilities reside in young tissues and decline with age. To date, the molecular mechanism underlying the declined regenerative capacity with evolution and age remains poorly understood. Unlike proteins that are biomacromolecules, the structure of metabolites is relatively similar between species, which makes metabolism an ideal research area for studying evolutionarily conserved biology. Yet, little is known about the small-molecule metabolites that potentially regulate aging and regeneration processes.

  Feb 07, 2022
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  Parallel genomic responses of East Asian tits to historical climate change and high elevation adaptation

  The response of closely related species to shared environmental stress is likely to invoke congruent or similar physiological and/or morphological adaptations, a process termed “parallel evolution”. However, parallelism is typically stronger at the phenotypic level, while genetic solutions to achieve these phenotypic similarities may differ, especially for polygenic traits.

  Dec 08, 2021
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  The gustatory receptor tuned to sinigrin is discovered in the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae

  On July 15, 2021, the team of Prof. Chen-Zhu Wang from Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have published the research paper entitled “Identification of a gustatory receptor tuned to sinigrin in the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae” in PLoS Genetics. This study uncovers that a bitter receptor in P. rapae is tuned to sinigrin, one of the most common and abundant glucosinolates in cruciferous plants.

  Aug 10, 2021
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  Developmental Cell | De novo generation of macrophage from placenta-derived hemogenic endothelium

  On June 30, 2021，Professors Feng Liu (from Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Jing-Dong J. Han (from Peaking university), Hongmei Wang (from Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Berthold Gottgens (from University of Cambridge) collaborate on a paper entitled “De novo generation of macrophage from placenta-derived hemogenic endothelium” in Developmental Cell journal. This work identifies and experimentally validates that a CD44+ subpopulation of placental endothelial cells (ECs) exhibits hemogenic potential. Importantly, lineage tracing using the newly-generated Hoxa13 reporter line shows that Hoxa13-labeled ECs can produce placental macrophages, named Hofbauer cell (HBC)-like cells.

  Jun 30, 2021
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  Tick tock in the brain: Scientists provide molecular insights into primate hippocampal aging

  Deep inside our brain is a region called the hippocampus. It plays a crucial role in learning and memory, and its progressive deterioration with age is functionally linked to a variety of human neurodegenerative diseases. But what drives it down the path of aging?

  May 31, 2021
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  Researchers from the CAS disclose genome-wide variations in the secondary structure of DNA among people

  The genome of each individual varies. A common type of variation, termed Single nucleotide variation (SNV), represents a difference in a single nucleotide in the genomes of peoples. As the most studied genetic variations, SNPs are associated with some important traits of an individual, such as susceptibility to disease, drug response, medical outcome, and other health-related phenotypes.

  May 18, 2021
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  Researchers Reveal the Formation and Disassembly Mechanisms of Membraneless Organelles

  Apr 29, 2021
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  Researchers Provide Novel Insight Into the Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Expansion At Single-Cell Resolution

  Apr 01, 2021
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  Scientists unravelled similar but not identical evolutionary trajectories of birds in adaptation to a high-elevation environment

  Mar 23, 2021
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  Scientists decoded the spatio-temporal dynamics of bird migration routes and the genetics basis of long-distance migration

  To address these issues, the research team led by Dr. Xiangjiang Zhan from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published a study entitled “Climate-driven flyway changes and memory-based long-distance migration” in Nature on March 3th, 2021 (Gu et al., 2021). In the study, they integrated two state-of-art techniques, satellite telemetry tracking and whole genome sequencing, and established a continental-scale migration system of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in Eurasian Arctic.

  Mar 04, 2021