{"title":"The Importance of Sleep in Animals and Its Potential Vulnerability to Climate Change.","authors":"Won Young Lee, Paul-Antoine Libourel","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-072112","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-072112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sleep is a universal behavior across animals, critical for physiological homeostasis, cognitive function, and development. Throughout evolution, animals have adapted to environmental changes, but current rapid climate change may threaten sleep patterns adapted to specific ecological niches through rising temperatures, shifting precipitation, and extreme weather. Despite the importance of sleep, climate change-driven sleep disruptions are not well-considered. We introduce the importance of sleep and examine how climate change affects sleep in different biogeographical zones (polar, tropical, dry, and marine and coastal regions), highlighting region-specific vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we discuss the cascading effects of sleep disruption on species interactions, population dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. We emphasize the need for long-term ecological studies, advances in sleep-measurement technologies in free-living animals, and the integration of sleep ecology into conservation strategies. Future priorities include assessing variability within and between individuals, the fitness costs of sleep loss, and the potential for evolutionary adaptation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"251-272"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145497342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicolaï Hoffmann, Aurore Besson, Christophe Hitte, Jocelyn Plassais, Thomas Derrien
{"title":"Long Noncoding RNAs in Dogs: Comparative Insights Across Species and Breeds.","authors":"Nicolaï Hoffmann, Aurore Besson, Christophe Hitte, Jocelyn Plassais, Thomas Derrien","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-073201","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-073201","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of gene expression, yet their annotation and functional characterization remain challenging, especially in nonclassical model organisms. In this review, we explore the landscape of lncRNAs in dogs (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) and other species, highlighting recent advances in genome assemblies, transcriptomic resources, and computational tools for lncRNA discovery. We discuss the advantages of the canine system for studying genotype-phenotype relationships, including its rich breed diversity, well-characterized diseases, and simplified genetic architecture. We describe how both short- and long-read RNA-sequencing technologies, in combination with curated reference annotations from Ensembl and RefSeq, have enabled the detection of thousands of novel canine lncRNAs. However, we also point out discrepancies across assemblies and annotation strategies, which underscore the importance of integrating multi-omic data and refining computational pipelines. Using comparative genomics, we illustrate lncRNA conservation across dog breeds and species and review emerging examples of phenotype-associated or differentially expressed lncRNAs. Finally, we argue for a transition toward pangenome and pan-transcriptome approaches, which can better capture transcript diversity and structural variation across breeds. Such frameworks will be essential for the future functional annotation of lncRNAs and their application to both veterinary and human biomedical research.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"85-106"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Metazoan Selenoproteome.","authors":"Max Ticó, Marco Mariotti","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-072943","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-072943","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Selenoproteins incorporate selenocysteine (Sec), a noncanonical amino acid analogous to cysteine with selenium in place of sulfur. Sec is inserted co-translationally via a unique recoding process that redefines the UGA stop codon in selenoprotein transcripts, marked by the Sec insertion sequence (SECIS) element in the 3' untranslated region. Metazoans display striking diversity in their selenoproteomes. Although many animals, including mammals, depend on selenoproteins for critical roles in redox homeostasis and signaling, thyroid hormone metabolism, and stress responses, other lineages have lost the entire Sec pathway. We summarize the molecular biology of Sec, covering its biosynthesis, metabolism, insertion, and regulatory mechanisms. We then examine the evolutionary dynamics of selenoproteins across metazoa, including gene duplications, losses, and substitutions of Sec to cysteine. Finally, we present an updated survey of known metazoan selenoprotein families, detailing their structure, function, and phylogenetic distribution. Altogether, we offer a comprehensive view of selenoprotein evolution and function in animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"107-135"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145490734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dogs as a Model for Cancer: An Update.","authors":"Joelle M Fenger, Cheryl A London","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-101930","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-101930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spontaneous cancers in client-owned dogs often closely recapitulate their human counterparts with respect to clinical presentation, histological features, molecular profiles, response and resistance to therapy, and the evolution of drug-resistant metastases. In several instances, the incorporation of dogs with cancer into the preclinical development path of cancer therapeutics has influenced outcomes by helping to establish pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics relationships, dose/regimen, expected clinical toxicities, and ultimately the potential for biologic activity. As our understanding regarding the molecular drivers and immune landscape of canine cancers has improved, unique opportunities have emerged to leverage this spontaneous model as a mechanism to better guide cancer drug development so that therapies likely to fail are eliminated earlier, whereas those with true potential are optimized prior to human trials. Both pets and people benefit from this approach, because it provides dogs with access to cutting-edge cancer treatments and helps to insure that people are given treatments with a greater probability of success.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":"14 1","pages":"341-374"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146229451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jessica M da Silva, Laura D Bertola, J Andrew DeWoody, Tammy Steeves, Paul Sunnucks, Sibelle T Vilaça, Sean Hoban
{"title":"Conserving Genetic and Genomic Diversity in Accordance with the Global Biodiversity Framework.","authors":"Jessica M da Silva, Laura D Bertola, J Andrew DeWoody, Tammy Steeves, Paul Sunnucks, Sibelle T Vilaça, Sean Hoban","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-070756","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-070756","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adopted in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) under the Convention on Biological Diversity outlines a visionary road map guiding humanity's relationship with nature. KMGBF commitments require active intervention, sustained monitoring and scientific reporting, capacity building for tools and technologies, and cooperation among 196 signatories. Genetic diversity, which underlies adaptation and fitness, is a core tenet of the KMGBF. This article aims to distill the KMGBF to help researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties achieve its commitments. In five sections, we address (<i>a</i>) the KMGBF's terminology and scope, (<i>b</i>) the intersection of KMGBF targets with genetic diversity, (<i>c</i>) genetic monitoring for tracking its progress, (<i>d</i>) paradigms and decision frameworks to guide genetic conservation actions, and (<i>e</i>) emerging frontiers. A better understanding of the KMGBF will help researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties more effectively engage and fulfill global, national, and local commitments to the conservation of our planet's biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"399-428"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hasina Abdul, Timm Konold, John Spiropoulos, Patrick A Lewis
{"title":"New Frontiers in Animal Prion Diseases.","authors":"Hasina Abdul, Timm Konold, John Spiropoulos, Patrick A Lewis","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-102335","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-102335","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are a group of fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disorders caused by the misfolding of prion proteins, leading to severe neuropathology and death. Since the description of scrapie in sheep several centuries ago, significant advancements have been made in understanding the spectrum of prion diseases, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Despite decades of research, critical gaps remain in our understanding of prion replication mechanisms, interspecies transmission, and the environmental persistence of prions. Advances in molecular imaging, including cryo-electron microscopy, have been instrumental in visualizing prion-associated aggregates in affected brain tissues, providing critical insights into their conformation and strain-specific structures. We explore the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research in animals, major scientific breakthroughs, and the pressing need for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Addressing these challenges is essential for controlling the spread of prion diseases, and reducing their impact on public health and agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"319-339"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145524139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carolyn J Hogg, Elspeth A McLennan, Katherine A Farquharson, Katherine Belov
{"title":"From Discovery to Preservation: The Changing Face of Tasmanian Devil Research.","authors":"Carolyn J Hogg, Elspeth A McLennan, Katherine A Farquharson, Katherine Belov","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-070903","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-070903","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tasmanian devils are globally renowned for their calamitous decline over the past 30 years due to two contagious clonal cancers and the heroic efforts of researchers, conservationists, and the community to bring them back from the brink of extinction. Scientific investigations into the world's largest marsupial carnivore commenced in the early 1900s. This systematic review follows the changing face of scientific research into Tasmanian devils. It reflects on how science moved from biological investigations in the 1950s and 1960s, to ecological studies in the 1980s and 1990s, to the discovery of the first clonal cancer in 1996, followed by a flurry of work to understand the disease and develop a vaccine, establish and manage an insurance program, and then roll out a translocation program that alleviated small population pressures and maintained devils in the wild. Over this period, technology has changed rapidly, from camera traps to satellite collars and microsatellites to whole-genome sequencing. Through this, societal support for the species has never wavered, and the species persists in the wild.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"375-397"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145507813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ups and Downs of a Sexologist and One-Time Phytologist.","authors":"R Michael Roberts","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-091701","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-091701","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article charts the history of a scientific career that began in the plant sciences and is ending in research on the placenta-brain axis and on the developmental origins of the mammalian placenta. In the middle was the characterization of uteroferrin and interferon-τ, the role of the latter in maternal recognition of pregnancy, and the development of a commercial pregnancy test for dairy cows. The article also emphasizes the roles personal upheavals and happenchance played in shaping a professional life and dealing with an incident of scientific malfeasance that threatened it. The article concludes with a discussion of the difficulties of practicing science during the twilight years.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144975547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Roles and Regulation of DNA Methylation in Early Mammalian Development.","authors":"Elena Ivanova, Gavin Kelsey","doi":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-085652","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-animal-030424-085652","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>DNA methylation was the earliest epigenetic mark discovered-it is essential for mammalian development and forms a molecular memory that can transcend generations, as in the phenomenon of genomic imprinting. Set against this long-term potential, methylation is dynamic across the life cycle, with genome-wide changes at germ-cell specification, gametogenesis, and preimplantation development accompanying major shifts in cell potency. With a tool kit of precision genetic reagents, the mouse has been a mainstay in developing mechanistic understanding of how methylation is targeted to the genome and in exploring its susceptibility to environmental factors, such as parental diet. The availability of genome sequence from many more species combined with the ability to profile methylation and other epigenetic marks in very small numbers of cells now provides rich epigenomic information from other mammals. This information has begun to reveal both similarities as well as surprising differences in the way in which methylation is patterned across the genome among mammals. Such knowledge will be critical in assessing the outcomes of interventions during assisted reproduction in human clinical practice and livestock production.</p>","PeriodicalId":48953,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Animal Biosciences","volume":" ","pages":"137-160"},"PeriodicalIF":12.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}