Zoological Research最新文献

{"title":"<i>Lycium barbaru</i>m glycopeptide ameliorates aberrant neuronal activity via ER stress modulation in ventral forebrain organoids derived from depressive patients.","authors":"Meng-Dan Tao, Can Wang, Xin-Hao Wu, Qi Chen, Wei-Wei Gao, Min Xu, Yuan Hong, Xiao Han, Wan-Ying Zhu, Qian Zhu, Yan Liu, Xing Guo","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.016","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition associated with substantial personal, societal, and economic costs. Despite considerable advances in research, most conventional antidepressant therapies fail to achieve adequate response in a significant proportion of patients, underscoring the need for novel, mechanism-based interventions. <i>Lycium barbarum</i> glycopeptide (LbGp), a bioactive compound with emerging neuroprotective properties, has been proposed as a candidate for antidepressant development; however, its therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, ventral forebrain organoids were generated from patients with MDD to investigate disease-related neurophysiological abnormalities. These organoids exhibited disrupted neuronal morphology, diminished calcium signaling, and impaired electrophysiological activity. Administration of LbGp effectively restored structural and functional deficits in MDD-derived organoids. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that LbGp ameliorated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. To investigate the causative role of ER stress, control organoids were treated with the ER stress agonist CCT020312, which elicited neural activity impairments resembling those observed in MDD organoids. Notably, LbGp reversed the phenotypic consequences of CCT020312 exposure in control organoids. In conclusion, ventral forebrain organoids derived from individuals with MDD demonstrated that LbGp ameliorates disease-associated phenotypes by modulating ER stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"841-850"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464367/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144610030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medulla-free barb rami highlight the morphological diversity of early feathers.","authors":"Yan-Yun Zhang, Jia-Wei Tang, Ying Wang, Shuo Wang","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.435","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.435","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent advances have deepened our understanding of the evolutionary and developmental origins of feather branching architectures. However, the internal tissue differentiation within these branches has received limited attention. This study examined eight fossilized feathers preserved in early Late Cretaceous Burmese amber, characterized by barb rami composed entirely of cortical tissue with no internal medulla. Based on barb rami morphology, the feathers were categorized into three distinct morphotypes. Comparative analysis with feather development in extant chickens suggested minimal tissue differentiation in these early feathers. Functional simulations further revealed that modern barb rami configurations provide greater aerodynamic stability than medulla-free early feathers under most conditions, highlighting flexural stiffness as a key factor in the evolution of feather branches. The presence of medulla-free barb rami suggests that although the three-level hierarchical branching pattern characteristic of modern feathers had emerged by the Jurassic, tissue differentiation within feather branches remained developmentally unstable during the Late Cretaceous. This instability likely contributed to the structural variability of early feathers, enabling morphologies that no longer persist in modern birds.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"773-787"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomical mapping of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes in the tree shrew brain.","authors":"Ya-Tao Wang, Qi-Qi Xu, Shuo-Wen Wang, Jin-Kun Guo, Shuai-Deng Wang, Xin-Ya Qin, Qing-Hong Shan, Yu Wang, Rong-Yu Liu, Yue-Xiong Yang, Chen-Wei Wang, Peng Chen, Jiang-Ning Zhou","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.035","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Astrocytes are associated with varying brain size between rodents and primates. As a close evolutionary relative of primates, the tree shrew ( <i>Tupaia belangeri</i>) provides a valuable comparative model for investigating glial architecture. However, the anatomical distribution and morphological characteristics of astrocytes in the tree shrew brain remain poorly characterized. In this study, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunofluorescence was employed to systematically examine the spatial distribution and morphology of astrocytes in the whole brain of tree shrews. Notably, GFAP-immunoreactive (ir) astrocytes were detected throughout the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon. Distinct laminar distribution was evident in regions such as the main olfactory bulb and hippocampus. Semi-quantitative comparisons revealed significant regional differences in astrocyte density between tree shrews and mice, encompassing the main olfactory bulb, accessory olfactory bulb, olfactory tubercle, cortex, hippocampus, cortical amygdaloid nucleus, hypothalamus, thalamus, superior colliculus, interpeduncular nucleus, median raphe nucleus, and parabrachial nucleus. Compared to mice, tree shrews exhibited higher astrocyte density with increased morphological complexity in the posterior hypothalamic nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, and periaqueductal gray, but lower density with greater morphological complexity in the hippocampus and substantia nigra. In the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area, GFAP-ir astrocytes displayed comparable densities between tree shrews and mice but exhibited region-specific differences in morphological complexity. This study provides the first brain-wide mapping of GFAP-ir astrocytes in tree shrews, revealing marked interspecies differences in their distribution and morphology, and establishing a neuroanatomical framework for understanding astrocyte involvement in diverse physiological and behavioral functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"877-892"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144709592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distributions of parvalbumin, calbindin-D28k, and calretinin in the cerebrum of Chinese tree shrews ( <i>Tupaia belangeri chinensis</i>): A high-resolution neuroanatomical resource.","authors":"Rong Zhang, Jia-Li Long, Yi-Fan Ye, Hao-Yun Ye, Xiao-Nan Zhao, Xing Cai, Li Lu","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.095","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Chinese tree shrew (<i>Tupaia belangeri chinensis</i>) has gained prominence as a model organism due to its phylogenetic proximity to primates, offering distinct advantages over traditional rodent models in biomedical research. However, the neuroanatomy of this species remains insufficiently defined, limiting its utility in neurophysiological and neuropathological studies. In this study, immunofluorescence microscopy was employed to comprehensively map the distribution of three calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin, calbindin D-28k, and calretinin, across the tree shrew cerebrum. Serial brain sections in sagittal, coronal, and horizontal planes from 12 individuals generated a dataset of 3 638 cellular-resolution images. This dataset, accessible via Science Data Bank (https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.23471), provides detailed region- and laminar-selective distributions of calcium-binding proteins valuable for the cyto- and chemoarchitectural characterization of the tree shrew cerebrum. This resource will not only advance our understanding of brain organization and facilitate basic and translational neuroscience research in tree shrews but also enhance comparative and evolutionary analyses across species.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"893-911"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144709594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"YAP1 promotes adipogenesis by regulating the negative feedback mechanism of the Hippo signaling pathway via LATS2.","authors":"Mei Zhou, Yue-Qi Zhao, Wei Yan, Xue-Feng Fu, Li-Hui Zhang, Hong-Yan Zhang, Ge-Gen-Tu-Ya Bao, Dong-Jun Liu","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.404","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) represent a readily accessible and important source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) capable of multilineage differentiation. The Hippo signaling pathway effector <i>YAP</i> has emerged as a pivotal regulator of stem cell fate, yet the specific molecular mechanism by which it modulates lipogenic differentiation of ADSCs has not been clearly defined. In this study, goat ADSCs (gADSCs) isolated from Albas goats in Inner Mongolia were used to investigate the role of YAP1 in adipogenic differentiation. Overexpression of YAP1 significantly promoted the differentiation of ADSCs into adipocytes, an effect accompanied by up-regulation of LATS2 and activation of the negative feedback loop of the Hippo signaling pathway. Elevated LATS2 expression induced YAP phosphorylation, leading to reduced nuclear levels of YAP and TAZ and their subsequent accumulation in the cytoplasm. YAP1 overexpression up-regulated LATS2 expression, which, in turn, enhanced the adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs. This pro-adipogenic effect of YAP1 was dependent on LATS2 kinase activity. These findings indicate that overexpression of YAP1 promotes ADSC adipogenesis by inducing LATS2 expression and activating the Hippo pathway negative feedback loop. Elucidating the molecular role of YAP in ADSC lipogenic differentiation holds great significance for regulating stem cell fate, treating metabolic disorders, and promoting hair follicle growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"851-862"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144709576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discovery of an ancient Himalayan birch mouse lineage illuminates the evolution of the family Sicistidae (Rodentia: Dipodoidea), with descriptions of a new genus and two new species.","authors":"Zhong-Xu Zhu, Quan Li, Wen-Yu Song, Xue-You Li, Andrey Lissovsky, Mu-Yang Wang, Xiao-Xin Pei, Kang Luo, Jing Luo, Ming-Jin Pu, Chang-Zhe Pu, Hong-Jiao Wang, Zhu Liu, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Xue-Long Jiang","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.013","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birch mice (family Sicistidae) are small dipodoid rodents distributed in regions surrounding the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and extending across the Palearctic. In China, members of the genus <i>Sicista</i> are rarely recorded, and their systematics remain poorly resolved. As part of the Second Xizang Plateau Expedition by the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, systematic surveys conducted in southern Xizang and the western Tianshan Mountains yielded two previously unrecognized species. Two specimens from southern Xizang were found to occupy a deeply divergent phylogenetic position within Sicistidae. Morphological assessments and molecular phylogenetic analyses of both extant and fossil Sicistidae, along with total-evidence dating and ancestral distribution reconstruction, identified these specimens as representatives of an ancient extant lineage that diverged from <i>Sicista</i> approximately 20.38 million years ago. This lineage is designated as a new genus, defined by the new species <i>Breviforamen shannanensis</i> <b>gen.</b> <i><b>et</b></i> <b>sp. nov.</b> Furthermore, 11 specimens from the Tianshan Mountains are described as a second new species, <i>Sicista brevicauda</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, based on diagnostic morphological and genetic features. Ancestral distribution reconstructions, combined with fossil records, indicate an early Miocene origin for Sicistidae across a broad region spanning the \"Gobi\" Desert to parts of North America. Climatic deterioration and increasing desertification during the mid-Miocene likely drove southward dispersal of <i>Breviforamen</i> <b>gen. nov.</b> into southern Xizang prior to the complete formation of the Yarlung Zangbo River. Overall, these findings broaden current understanding of Sicistidae diversity, elucidate the origin and dispersal patterns of the family, and highlight the presence of an ancient relict lineage in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"921-938"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464362/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144709593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic insights into the convergent evolution of desert adaptation in camels and antelopes.","authors":"Jiong Zhou, Xiao-Fang Zhou, Hui-Shan Yue, Wu Chen, Bin Li, Bo-Tong Zhou, Zi-He Li, Ze-Cheng Du, Yi-Fan Mao, Wen Wang, Dong-Dong Wu, Ge Han, Bao Wang, Lei Chen","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.440","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extreme heat and chronic water scarcity present formidable challenges to large desert-dwelling mammals. In addition to camels, antelopes within the Hippotraginae and Alcelaphinae subfamilies also exhibit remarkable physiological and genetic specializations for desert survival. Among them, the critically endangered addax ( <i>Addax nasomaculatus</i>) represents the most desert-adapted antelope species. However, the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying desert adaptations remain largely unexplored. Herein, a high-quality genome assembly of the addax was generated to investigate the molecular evolution of desert adaptation in camels and desert antelopes. Comparative genomic analyses identified 136 genes harboring convergent amino acid substitutions implicated in crucial biological processes, including water reabsorption, fat metabolism, and stress response. Notably, a convergent R146S amino acid mutation in the prostaglandin EP2 receptor gene <i>PTGER2</i> significantly reduced receptor activity, potentially facilitating large-mammal adaptation to arid environments. Lineage-specific innovations were also identified in desert antelopes, including previously uncharacterized conserved non-coding elements. Functional assays revealed that several of these elements exerted significant regulatory effects <i>in vitro</i>, suggesting potential roles in adaptive gene expression. Additionally, signals of introgression and variation in genetic load were observed, indicating their possible influence on desert adaptation. These findings provide insights into the sequential evolutionary processes that drive physiological resilience in arid environments and highlight the importance of convergent evolution in shaping adaptive traits in large terrestrial mammals.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"939-952"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144709596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic, transcriptomic, and genomic analyses reveal the spatiotemporal patterns and associated genes of coarse hair density in goats.","authors":"Ji-Pan Zhang, Min Xiao, Jia-Bei Fang, De-Li Huang, Yong-Ju Zhao","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.034","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genetic regulation of hair density in animals remains poorly understood. The Dazu black goat, characterized by its black coarse hair and white skin, provides a unique model for dissecting coarse hair density (CHD). Using high-resolution micro-camera imaging, this study analyzed 905 skin images, 33 skin transcriptomes, 272 whole-genome sequences, and 182 downloaded transcriptomes. Morphological assessment from juvenile to adult stages revealed the thickening of hair shafts accompanied by a progressive decline in density, largely attributable to rapid surface expansion of the trunk skin. Transcriptomic comparison between high- and low-CHD individuals identified 572 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A genome-wide association study detected 25 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms ( <i>P</i><9.07e-8) and mapped 48 annotated genes, with the most prominent association signal located near <i>GJA1</i> on chr9.15931585-18621011. Literature review and Venn analysis highlighted six genes ( <i>GJA1</i>, <i>GPRC5D</i>, <i>CD1D</i>, <i>CD207</i>, <i>TFAM</i>, and <i>CXCL12</i>) with documented roles in skin and hair biology, and three genes ( <i>GJA1</i>, <i>GPRC5D</i>, and <i>ATP6V1B1</i>) overlapped with DEGs. Multiple-tissue transcriptomic profiling, western blotting, immunohistochemical staining, and skin single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed that <i>GJA1</i> and <i>GPRC5D</i> were highly and specifically expressed in skin, particularly within hair follicles. Expression was localized predominantly to follicular stem cells and dermal papilla cells, suggesting a significant role in folliculogenesis and structural maintenance. Cross-validation using four public datasets further demonstrated positive correlations between <i>GJA1</i> and <i>GPRC5D</i> expression and hair follicle density. The innovative micro-camera application allowed the elucidation of spatiotemporal patterns and genes associated with CHD, thereby addressing a significant knowledge gap in animal hair density.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"825-840"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144610044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Static magnetic field exposure modulates gut microbiota and host metabolism to alleviate high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.","authors":"Guo-Fu Chen, Juan-Juan Liu, Jing-Ming Fu, Chuan-Lin Feng, Guo-Feng Cheng, Ze-Min Fang, Xin Zhang, Xiao-Fei Tian","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.462","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.462","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Static magnetic field (SMF) exposure exerts notable regulatory effects on metabolic disorders, yet its influence on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and gut microbiota during disease progression remains unclear. In this study, MAFLD was induced in mice via a high-fat diet (HFD), followed by exposure to a 0.2 T SMF for 12 h per day over a 10 week period. SMF treatment significantly attenuated body weight gain, alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation, and improved liver function. Sequencing analysis of intestinal contents revealed a significant increase in microbial diversity and enrichment of beneficial bacterial taxa under SMF exposure. Integrated multi-omics analysis and Spearman correlation further demonstrated that SMF significantly reduced the expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and modulated pathways related to polyunsaturated fatty acid and glutamate metabolism, in close association with shifts in beneficial gut microbiota. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling of liver tissue indicated that SMF inhibited fatty acid synthesis and elongation by regulating the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ ( <i>PPARγ</i>), thereby contributing to reduced hepatic burden. These findings highlight SMF as a promising non-invasive strategy for MAFLD intervention and provide insights into the microbiota-mediated metabolic axis underlying its therapeutic effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"761-772"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464374/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insight into molecular and neural mechanisms of general anesthesia from the invertebrate model <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>.","authors":"Jia-Yue Gao, Tao Luo, Chang Liu","doi":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.021","DOIUrl":"10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>General anesthesia (GA) is a pharmacologically induced, reversible state characterized by unconsciousness, amnesia, analgesia, and immobility in response to noxious stimuli. Accumulating evidence from animal models has elucidated diverse mechanisms of the action underlying GA, including disruption of large-scale brain network connectivity, regulation of multiple neural pathways, and modulation of specific receptors and ion channels. Despite advances in dissecting the neurobiological basis of anesthetic action, the precise cellular and circuit-level processes remain incompletely understood, limiting the development of safer and more effective strategies. Recent studies in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>, a genetically tractable model organism offering robust genetic analysis, advanced imaging capabilities, and compact neural architecture, have yielded critical insights into the conserved neurobiological mechanisms of GA, offering translational value for mammalian systems. This review outlines: 1) experimental paradigms used to evaluate anesthetic sensitivity and behavioral responses in <i>Drosophila</i>; 2) molecular targets and their mechanistic roles in mediating GA; and 3) neural circuit architectures and activity patterns shared by GA and sleep. Cross-species comparisons are integrated to highlight conserved mechanisms that may guide the development of more refined anesthetic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48636,"journal":{"name":"Zoological Research","volume":"46 4","pages":"792-810"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12464368/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144610033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}