ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8703-3678
Current Organisation
Zhejiang University
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Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 11-08-2023
Abstract: Using DNA methylation profiles ( n = 15,456) from 348 mammalian species, we constructed phyloepigenetic trees that bear marked similarities to traditional phylogenetic ones. Using unsupervised clustering across all s les, we identified 55 distinct cytosine modules, of which 30 are related to traits such as maximum life span, adult weight, age, sex, and human mortality risk. Maximum life span is associated with methylation levels in HOXL subclass homeobox genes and developmental processes and is potentially regulated by pluripotency transcription factors. The methylation state of some modules responds to perturbations such as caloric restriction, ablation of growth hormone receptors, consumption of high-fat diets, and expression of Yamanaka factors. This study reveals an intertwined evolution of the genome and epigenome that mediates the biological characteristics and traits of different mammalian species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-06-2023
Abstract: Genetics tools are used in applied conservation management for taxonomic identification, delineation of management units, management of wild populations, captive breeding and reintroduction and control of invasive species, disease and hybridisation. To assess the extent to which genetic tools are being used for applied conservation management, we conducted a systematic literature review of over 53,767 papers focussing on wildlife research that reported results on species delineation, translocations and population augmentation. We synthesised information on papers that used genetics tools in an expressly applied manner across all wildlife species. We found that the application of genetics tools in conservation management was biased towards fishes, mammals and birds and northern hemisphere locations, especially the United States and Europe. Despite genetics tools being a highly published topic, it was difficult to find published applications of these tools in both the primary and the grey literature. Of the 115 papers on 152 species that could be considered an applied use of a genetics tool expressly for conservation management, only 49 had definable applied outcomes. The remaining 66 made recommendations, but it was often unclear if the recommendations were ever used to make conservation management decisions because of the time‐lag between publication of the initial recommendation and publication of the results of the use of the tool in a conservation management situation, as well as the lack of dissemination in the primary literature. Our study highlights the relative low publication rate of applications of genetics tools compared to the general conservation genetics field. These tools appear to have either a low percentage of translations into publication (‘conservation genetics publishing gap’) or a poor uptake among wildlife conservation managers (‘conservation genetics gap’)—the two are indistinguishable in this review. Policy implications . Conservation genetics tools must be brought to the forefront of conservation policy and management. Users should support the use of systems and accessible databases to increase the uptake of genetics tools for conservation in applied management decisions for wildlife, reducing barriers to disseminating the results to other end users and interested parties.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-08-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S43587-023-00462-6
Abstract: Aging, often considered a result of random cellular damage, can be accurately estimated using DNA methylation profiles, the foundation of pan-tissue epigenetic clocks. Here, we demonstrate the development of universal pan-mammalian clocks, using 11,754 methylation arrays from our Mammalian Methylation Consortium, which encompass 59 tissue types across 185 mammalian species. These predictive models estimate mammalian tissue age with high accuracy ( r 0.96). Age deviations correlate with human mortality risk, mouse somatotropic axis mutations and caloric restriction. We identified specific cytosines with methylation levels that change with age across numerous species. These sites, highly enriched in polycomb repressive complex 2-binding locations, are near genes implicated in mammalian development, cancer, obesity and longevity. Our findings offer new evidence suggesting that aging is evolutionarily conserved and intertwined with developmental processes across all mammals.
No related grants have been discovered for Yang Zhao.