Zhang Ya equal reveals the origin of experimental rats and the genetic mechanism of domestication

Recently, Zhang Yaping Of the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with Wu Dongdong, analyzed the origin and domestication genetic mechanism of experimental rats by comparing the genome and transcription group data of wild brown rats and experimental rats. The findings were published
Journal.
experimental rat as a widely used model animal, domesticated by wild brown house mice, is also a domestic animal. Compared with its wild ancestor brown house mice, the experimental rats have changed greatly in morphology, behavior and physiology, but the origin of the experimental rats and the mechanisms leading to their successful domestication are not clear.
Researchers used herd genetics to scan the genetically differentiated areas between wild brown house mice and experimental rat populations and found that a large number of nervous system genes were artificially selected during rat domestication, such as FOXP2 and B3GAT1, which play an important role in learning memory, and rhythm-related genes CLOCK. These genes increased significantly in the neural tissues of laboratory rats, helping to improve learning and memory. The researchers speculate that improved learning memory may be the key to the domestication of experimental rats. In addition, based on transcription group analysis and qPCR data, energy metabolism-related genes were significantly increased in brain tissue in experimental rats, which laid a good foundation for further revealing the genetic mechanism of domestication in experimental rats. (Source: Science Network Guo Shuang)