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Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:441-468

California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA.

Nonhuman primates are critically important animal models in which to study complex human diseases, understand biological functions, and address the safety of new diagnostics and therapies proposed for human use. They have genetic, physiologic, immunologic, and developmental similarities when compared to humans and therefore provide important preclinical models of human health and disease. This review highlights select research areas that demonstrate the importance of nonhuman primates in translational research. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:i-ii

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:241-257

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; email:

The lack of preclinical models of spontaneous ovarian cancer (OVCA), a fatal gynecological malignancy, is a significant barrier to generating information on early changes indicative of OVCA. In contrast to rodents, laying hens develop OVCA spontaneously, with remarkable similarities to OVCA in women regarding tumor histology, OVCA dissemination, immune responses, and risk factors. These important features of OVCA will be useful to develop an early detection test for OVCA, which would significantly reduce mortality rates; preventive strategies; immunotherapeutics; prevention of resistance to chemotherapeutics; and exploration of gene therapies. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:17-37

Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Daishouji, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan; email:

Tardigrades are ubiquitous meiofauna that are especially renowned for their exceptional extremotolerance to various adverse environments, including pressure, temperature, and even ionizing radiation. This is achieved through a reversible halt of metabolism triggered by desiccation, a phenomenon called anhydrobiosis. Recent establishment of genome resources for two tardigrades, and , accelerated research to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind anhydrobiosis, leading to the discovery of many tardigrade-unique proteins. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:303-324

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; email:

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arthropod-borne, segmented double-stranded RNA virus that can cause severe disease in both wild and domestic ruminants. BTV evolves via several key mechanisms, including the accumulation of mutations over time and the reassortment of genome segments.Additionally, BTV must maintain fitness in two disparate hosts, the insect vector and the ruminant. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:203-226

Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email:

Animals harbor diverse communities of microbes within their gastrointestinal tracts. Phylogenetic relationship, diet, gut morphology, host physiology, and ecology all influence microbiome composition within and between animal clades. Emerging evidence points to host genetics as also playing a role in determining gut microbial composition within species. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02;10:63-80

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; email:

Toxin evolution in animals is one of the most fascinating and complex subjects of scientific inquiry today. Gaining an understanding of toxins poses a multifaceted challenge given the diverse modes of acquisition, evolutionary adaptations, and abiotic components that affect toxin phenotypes. Here, we highlight some of the main genetic and ecological factors that influence toxin evolution and discuss the role of antagonistic interactions and coevolutionary dynamics in shaping the direction and extent of toxicity and resistance in animals. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 23;10:177-201. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel; email:

Animal microbiomes are occasionally considered as an extension of host anatomy, physiology, and even their genomic architecture. Their compositions encompass variable and constant portions when examined across multiple hosts. The latter, termed the core microbiome, is viewed as more accommodated to its host environment and suggested to benefit host fitness. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 29;10:151-176. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Biology Department, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Microbial communities associated with deep-sea animals are critical to the establishment of novel biological communities in unusual environments. Over the past few decades, rapid exploration of the deep sea has enabled the discovery of novel microbial communities, some of which form symbiotic relationships with animal hosts. Symbiosis in the deep sea changes host physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution over time and space. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 29;10:281-301. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Reproduction and Early Development Research Group, Discovery and Translational Science Department, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom; email:

Considerable progress has been made with the development of culture systems for the in vitro growth and maturation (IVGM) of oocytes from the earliest-staged primordial follicles and from the more advanced secondary follicles in rodents, ruminants, nonhuman primates, and humans. Successful oocyte production in vitro depends on the development of a dynamic culture strategy that replicates the follicular microenvironment required for oocyte activation and to support oocyte growth and maturation in vivo while enabling the coordinated and timely acquisition of oocyte developmental competence. Significant heterogeneity exists between the culture protocols used for different stages of follicle development and for different species. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 18;10:1-15. Epub 2021 Nov 18.

Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

Procedures to maintain viability of mammalian gametes and embryos in vitro, including cryopreservation, have been exceedingly valuable for my research over the past 55 years. Keeping sperm viable in vitro enables artificial insemination, which, when combined with selective breeding, often is the most effective approach to making rapid genetic change in a population. Superovulation and embryo transfer constitute a parallel approach for amplifying reproduction of female mammals. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 17;10:107-130. Epub 2021 Nov 17.

Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; email:

During the teleost radiation, extensive development of the direct innervation mode of hypothalamo-pituitary communication was accompanied by loss of the median eminence typical of mammals. Cells secreting follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone cells are directly innervated, distinct populations in the anterior pituitary. So far, ∼20 stimulatory and ∼10 inhibitory neuropeptides, 3 amines, and 3 amino acid neurotransmitters are implicated in the control of reproduction. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 15;10:259-279. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; email:

Analogies between placentation, in particular the behavior of trophoblast cells, and cancer have been noted since the beginning of the twentieth century. To what degree these can be explained as a consequence of the evolution of placentation has been unclear. In this review, we conclude that many similarities between trophoblast and cancer cells are shared with other, phylogenetically older processes than placentation. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 15;10:131-150. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

MH Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA; email:

Thoroughbred horses have been selected for racing performance for more than 400 years. Despite continued selection, race times have not improved significantly during the past 60 years, raising the question of whether genetic variation for racing performance still exists. Studies using phenotypes such as race time, money earned, and handicapping, however, demonstrate that there is extensive variation within these traits and that they are heritable. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 15;10:227-240. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; email:

Demand for ruminant products (dairy products, beef, and sheep meat) is increasing rapidly with population and income growth and the acceleration of urbanization. However, ruminant animals exert the highest environmental impacts and consume the most resources in the livestock system. Increasing studies have focused on various measures to reduce ammonia, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource depletion from ruminant production to consumption. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 10;10:469-490. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom; email:

There is a remarkable diversity in the animal kingdom regarding mechanisms underlying the production, maturation, structure, and function of sperm cells. Spermatology studies contribute to the knowledge of species diversity and also provide information about individual or population fitness. Furthermore, this fundamental research is required before collected spermatozoa can be used for conservation breeding, including assisted reproduction and cryobanking. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 10;10:325-348. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA; email:

Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease present in the Americas, is caused by the parasite and is transmitted by triatomine kissing bug vectors. Hundreds of vertebrate host species are involved in the ecology of Chagas disease. The sylvatic nature of most triatomines found in the United States accounts for high levels of animal infections but few reports of human infections. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 10;10:395-417. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.

As medical and pharmacological technology advances, new and complex modalities of disease treatment that are more personalized and targeted are being developed. Often these modalities must be validated in the presence of critical components of the human biological system. Given the incongruencies between murine and human biology, as well as the human-tropism of certain drugs and pathogens, the selection of animal models that accurately recapitulate the intricacies of the human biological system becomes more salient for disease modeling and preclinical testing. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 10;10:81-106. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; email:

Repeatedly and recently evolved sympatric morphs exhibiting consistent phenotypic differences provide natural experimental replicates of speciation. Because such morphs are observed frequently in Salmonidae, this clade provides a rare opportunity to uncover the genomic mechanisms underpinning speciation. Such insight is also critical for conserving salmonid diversity, the loss of which could have significant ecological and economic consequences. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 8;10:39-62. Epub 2021 Nov 8.

Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA; email:

Antarctic notothenioid fishes are the classic example of vertebrate adaptive radiation in a marine environment. Notothenioids diversified from a single common ancestor ∼22 Mya to between 120 and 140 species today, and they represent ∼90% of fish biomass on the continental shelf of Antarctica. As they diversified in the cold Southern Ocean, notothenioids evolved numerous traits, including osteopenia, anemia, cardiomegaly, dyslipidemia, and aglomerular kidneys, that are beneficial or tolerated in their environment but are pathological in humans. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 1;10:349-372. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, United Kingdom; email:

T cells are an essential component of the adaptive immune system. Over the last 15 years, a constantly growing toolbox with which to study T cell biology in pigs has allowed detailed investigations on these cells in various viral and bacterial infections. This review provides an overview on porcine CD4, CD8, and γδ T cells and the current knowledge on the differentiation of these cells following antigen encounter. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 26;10:491-511. Epub 2021 Oct 26.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA; email:

Reproductive science in the context of conservation biology is often understood solely in terms of breeding threatened species. Although technologies developed primarily for agriculture or biomedicine have a potentially important role in species conservation, their effectiveness is limited if we regard the main objective of animal conservation as helping to support populations rather than to breed a small number of individuals. The global threats facing wild species include the consequences of climate change, population growth, urbanization, atmospheric and water pollution, and the release of chemicals into the environment, to cite but a few. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 26;10:419-439. Epub 2021 Oct 26.

Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and Department of Biology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA; email:

As the most phenotypically diverse mammalian species that shares human environments and access to sophisticated healthcare, domestic dogs have unique potential to inform our understanding of the determinants of aging. Here we outline key concepts in the study of aging and illustrate the value of research with dogs, which can improve dog health and support translational discoveries. We consider similarities and differences in aging and age-related diseases in dogs and humans and summarize key advances in our understanding of genetic and environmental risk factors for morbidity and mortality in dogs. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2022 02 26;10:373-393. Epub 2021 Oct 26.

Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA; email:

An estimated 1.3 million infections and 420 deaths occur annually in the United States, with an estimated economic burden of $3.7 billion. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02;9:203-224

Mitochondrial Genetics Group, Robinson Research Institute and School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; email:

Our understanding of the interactions between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes is becoming increasingly important as they are extensively involved in establishing early development and developmental progression. Evidence from various biological systems indicates the interdependency between the genomes, which requires a high degree of compatibility and synchrony to ensure effective cellular function throughout development and in the resultant offspring. During development, waves of DNA demethylation, de novo methylation, and maintenance methylation act on the nuclear genome and typify oogenesis and pre- and postimplantation development. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02;9:313-332

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA; email:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to animal and human health. Antimicrobial use has been identified as a major driver of AMR, and reductions in use are a focal point of interventions to reduce resistance. Accordingly, stakeholders in human health and livestock production have implemented antimicrobial stewardship programs aimed at reducing use. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02;9

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02 18;9:355-377. Epub 2020 Dec 18.

Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA; email:

Fresh meat quality is greatly determined through biochemical changes occurring in the muscle during its conversion to meat. These changes are key to imparting a unique set of characteristics on fresh meat, including its appearance, ability to retain moisture, and texture. Skeletal muscle is an extremely heterogeneous tissue composed of different types of fibers that have distinct contractile and metabolic properties. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02 15;9:265-288. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia.

The use of Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals (BMCs) has been proposed recently as a tool for the improvement of coral health, with knowledge in this research topic advancing rapidly. BMCs are defined as consortia of microorganisms that contribute to coral health through mechanisms that include () promoting coral nutrition and growth, () mitigating stress and impacts of toxic compounds, () deterring pathogens, and () benefiting early life-stage development. Here, we review the current proposed BMC approach and outline the studies that have proven its potential to increase coral resilience to stress. Read More

Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021 02 14;9:289-311. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA; email:

Host-associated microbiomes contribute in many ways to the homeostasis of the metaorganism. The microbiome's contributions range from helping to provide nutrition and aiding growth, development, and behavior to protecting against pathogens and toxic compounds. Here we summarize the current knowledge of the diversity and importance of the microbiome to animals, using representative examples of wild and domesticated species. Read More