Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-2-5
pubmed:abstractText
Elasmobranchs are among the most primitive existing species exhibiting fundamental vertebrate characteristics, such as neural crest, jaws, teeth, and an adaptive immune system. They are also among the earliest-evolved vertebrates with a closed, pressurized circulatory system and related signaling molecules. Although many species are used experimentally, the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) and little skate (Raja erinacea) have particular advantages and are the most commonly used elasmobranch biomedical models. These animals display powerful molecular systems for dealing with salt and water homeostasis, cell volume regulation, and environmental and internal osmotic sensing. They have become important unique models in studies of transport-related diseases such as cystic fibrosis and anion or xenobiotic transport. Much of this work has relied on physiological experiments combined with molecular approaches and the advantages of comparative genomic analyses to identify conserved regions representing functional protein domains. Recent work has seen the development of cell cultures and the beginning of expressed sequence tags (EST) and genomic libraries. Other areas in which elasmobranches have played critical roles include immunology and neurobiology. It also appears that sharks have tissue regenerative capability beyond what is commonly seen in mammals. For example, sharks and skates possess a region of renal regeneration, with new tubules being formed continually through adulthood. As comparative functional genomics comes of age, these comparative vertebrate models may play an increasing role in the larger picture of human biomedical research. There is plenty of ocean to share.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:status
PubMed-not-MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
1557-8542
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
1
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
111-20
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Cell and molecular biology of marine elasmobranchs: Squalus acanthias and Raja erinacea.
pubmed:affiliation
Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Salsbury Cove, Maine 04672, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article