The Insect Circulatory System: Structure, Function, and Evolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián F. Hillyer ◽  
Günther Pass
Keyword(s):  
Translational Medicine ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
And Function

Although the insect circulatory system is involved in a multitude of vital physiological processes, it has gone grossly understudied. This review highlights this critical physiological system by detailing the structure and function of the circulatory organs, including the dorsal heart and the accessory pulsatile organs that supply hemolymph to the appendages. It also emphasizes how the circulatory system develops and ages and how, by means of reflex bleeding and functional integration with the immune system, it supports mechanisms for defense against predators and microbial invaders, respectively. Beyond that, this review details evolutionary trends and novelties associated with this system, as well as the ways in which this system also plays critical roles in thermoregulation and tracheal ventilation in high-performance fliers. Finally, this review highlights how novel discoveries could be harnessed for the control of vector-borne diseases and for translational medicine, and it details principal knowledge gaps that necessitate further investigation.

Matrix Metalloproteinases in Invertebrates

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1068-1081
Author(s):  
Xi Liu ◽  
Dongwu Liu ◽  
Yangyang Shen ◽  
Mujie Huang ◽  
Lili Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Matrix Metalloproteinases ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Regulatory Mechanism ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Catalytic Domains ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Disease Occurrence ◽  
Complex Functions ◽  
And Function

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to a family of metal-dependent endopeptidases which contain a series of conserved pro-peptide domains and catalytic domains. MMPs have been widely found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. MMPs are involved in regulating numerous physiological processes, pathological processes, and immune responses. In addition, MMPs play a key role in disease occurrence, including tumors, cardiovascular diseases, and other diseases. Compared with invertebrate MMPs, vertebrate MMPs have diverse subtypes and complex functions. Therefore, it is difficult to study the function of MMPs in vertebrates. However, it is relatively easy to study invertebrate MMPs because there are fewer subtypes of MMPs in invertebrates. In the present review, the structure and function of MMPs in invertebrates were summarized, which will provide a theoretical basis for investigating the regulatory mechanism of MMPs in invertebrates.

Neural system-enriched gene expression: relationship to biological pathways and neurological diseases

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Zhang ◽  
Amy Moseley ◽  
Anil G. Jegga ◽  
Ashima Gupta ◽  
David P. Witte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene List ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Psychiatric Disease ◽  
And Function

To understand the commitment of the genome to nervous system differentiation and function, we sought to compare nervous system gene expression to that of a wide variety of other tissues by gene expression database construction and mining. Gene expression profiles of 10 different adult nervous tissues were compared with that of 72 other tissues. Using ANOVA, we identified 1,361 genes whose expression was higher in the nervous system than other organs and, separately, 600 genes whose expression was at least threefold higher in one or more regions of the nervous system compared with their median expression across all organs. Of the 600 genes, 381 overlapped with the 1,361-gene list. Limited in situ gene expression analysis confirmed that identified genes did represent nervous system-enriched gene expression, and we therefore sought to evaluate the validity and significance of these top-ranked nervous system genes using known gene literature and gene ontology categorization criteria. Diverse functional categories were present in the 381 genes, including genes involved in intracellular signaling, cytoskeleton structure and function, enzymes, RNA metabolism and transcription, membrane proteins, as well as cell differentiation, death, proliferation, and division. We searched existing public sites and identified 110 known genes related to mental retardation, neurological disease, and neurodegeneration. Twenty-one of the 381 genes were within the 110-gene list, compared with a random expectation of 5. This suggests that the 381 genes provide a candidate set for further analyses in neurological and psychiatric disease studies and that as a field, we are as yet, far from a large-scale understanding of the genes that are critical for nervous system structure and function. Together, our data indicate the power of profiling an individual biologic system in a multisystem context to gain insight into the genomic basis of its structure and function.

Nervous System Structure and Function

Neurology ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 11-67
Author(s):  
Charles Clarke ◽  
Roger Lemon
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
System Structure ◽  
And Function

The evolution of air-breathing respiratory faculties in craniotes

2019 ◽  
pp. 177-191
Author(s):  
Steven F. Perry ◽  
Markus Lambertz ◽  
Anke Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Body Wall ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Control Of Breathing ◽  
Body Wall Muscle ◽  
Positive Pressure ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Swim Bladder ◽  
Body Wall Musculature ◽  
And Function

The origin of lungs from a swim bladder, swim bladder from lungs, or both from a relatively undifferentiated respiratory pharynx remains unresolved. Once present, the lungs can be ventilated by a positive-pressure buccal pump, which can be easily derived from the gill ventilation sequence in a lungfish, or by negative-pressure aspiration. Although aspiration breathing is characteristic of amniotes, it has also been observed in a lungfish and body wall muscle contraction in response to respiratory stimuli has even been reported in lamprey larvae. The hypaxial body wall musculature used for aspiration breathing is also necessary for locomotion in most amniotes, just when respiratory demand is greatest. This paradox, called Carrier’s constraint, is a major limiting factor in the evolution of high-performance faculties, and the evolution of anatomical and physiological specializations that circumvent it characterize most major amniote groups. Serendipitous combinations have resulted in evolutionary cascades and high-performance groups such as birds and mammals. Complementing evolution are the capacities for acclimatization and adaptation not only in the structure and function of the gas exchanger, but also in the control of breathing and the composition of the blood.

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