The ricefield eel (Monopterus albus) is the only protogynous hermaphrodite freshwater fish. How this species changes its sex remains elusive. By performing comparative transcriptome analysis, we tentatively propose that a temperature-induced sex reversal mechanism is at work in ricefield eel, similar to that in embryonic reptiles. We show that warm temperature induces the expression of male sex determination genes in ovarian tissues, and that temperature-induced up-regulation of male genes depends on Trpv4, a thermosensor that can sense thermal cues.  

This study uncovers dynamic immune adaptations during pregnancy through single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells at different pregnancy stages. A gradual reduction in cytotoxicity of T and NK cells, along with decreased MHC-II and CD40 signaling in T and B cells, suggests weakened adaptive immunity. Meanwhile, upregulated pro-inflammatory genes in monocytes may compensate for this reduction. Late pregnancy shows a transition toward immune activation in dendritic and CD4+ T cells. Notably, we highlight a novel pro-aging effect of pregnancy, which may reverse postpartum. These findings enhance our understanding of pregnancy immunity and its impact on disease risk.

Though the sense of touch underlies how we and most other animals interact with the world around us, much remains unknown about how this sense is processed in the brain. Researchers from Heidelberg University and Ludwig Maximillan University Munich in Germany measured the neuronal activity differences between active touch and passive touch in mice. As reported April 8^th in the open-access journal, PLOS Biology, the researchers find that active and passive touch are processed by different pathways in the brain.

In a new study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, Harvard researchers in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, formally describe Helmetia expansa, offering new insights into its anatomy, behavior and evolutionary relationships.