Research
Our main aim is to explore and understand the population adaption and speciation by various methods, such as genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metagenomics. For this, we mainly focus on two study systems.
Here are some themes and techniques that we currently work on:
地下啮齿动物的适应性进化
Adaptive evolution of subterranean rodents
地下鼠是一类终生地下生活的植食性小哺乳动物的总称，全世界地下鼠共有250多种，广泛分布于亚洲、非洲、美洲、欧洲大陆，多生活于开放地带如热带草原、草原、山地、干旱及半干旱地区，也有一些生活在茂密的灌丛和森林。
在长期的进化过程中，地下鼠形成了特殊的适应性进化特征，这对于研究生物钟调节与长寿现象、低氧适应与抗癌特性等具有重要的学术意义和应用价值，是值得关注的研究方向。有关地下鼠的相关资料自古就有记载，《尔雅·释兽》称鼢鼠、鼹鼠“地中行者”，又有《本草拾遗》载：“隐鼠，阴穿地中行，见日月光则死，于深山林木下土中有之，主大瘘疮。”
‘Subterranean rodent’ is a general term for a class of small mammals that live underground. There are more than 250 species of underground rats around the world, widely distributed in Asia, Africa, America, and the Europe, living mostly in open areas such as savannas, grasslands, mountains, arid and semi-arid areas, and some of them live in dense thickets and forests.
During the long-term evolutionary process, the subterranean mice have evolved special adaptive evolutionary characteristics, which are of great study significance and application value for researches of biological clock regulation and longevity, hypoxia adaptation and anti-cancer properties.
我们拟从以下几个方面研究地下啮齿动物适应性进化的分子机制，并探索形成这些表型可能的平行进化或趋同进化机制。
1.地下鼠的长寿特征 地下鼠的某些种类的寿命很长，例如普通鼠类寿命一般为1-3年，而盲鼹鼠的寿命可达22年，裸鼹鼠最长寿命可达31年，是普通鼠类寿命的10倍以上。地下鼠的长寿机制尚不清楚，推测可能与黑暗环境中的生物钟调控变异有关。
Some species of subterranean rodent have long lifespans. For example, common mice typically live 1-3 years, while blind mole rats can live up to 22 years and naked mole rats can live up to 31 years, which is more than 10 times the lifespan of mice. The mechanism of longevity in subterranean mice remains unknown, ones inferred that it may be related to variation in the regulation of the biological clock in dark environments.
2.地下鼠黑暗环境中的昼夜节律 生物钟一般严格受外部光信号调节，表现出显着的24小时节律性。然而，生活在地下黑暗洞道中的地下鼠受光周期的影响小，褪黑激素参与程度低，进化了出内源性的24小时昼夜活动节律。探索地下鼠在黑暗的洞道内调节自身的昼夜节律，对光周期紊乱的人群以及深海工作人员、太空探索人员有着重要价值。
Biological clocks are generally regulated strictly by external light signals and exhibit significant 24-hour rhythmicity. However, subterranean rats living in dark underground cave tunnels are less affected by photoperiod, have low melatonin involvement, and have evolved an endogenous 24-hour circadian rhythm. Exploration of the subterranean rats’ regulation of their own circadian rhythms in dark cave tunnels could be of great value to people with photoperiodic disorders, as well as to deep-sea workers and space explorers.
3.地下鼠低氧适应 地下鼠对低氧的长期适应，使其成为研究低氧适应的理想实验动物。色田鼠对急性和慢性低氧均具有较强的适应能力，分子机制主要包括高效的能量利用、严格的血管生成调控，以及多层面的细胞修复与凋亡调节；能量代谢和细胞增殖/凋亡水平高。
The long-term adaptation of the subterranean rats to hypoxia makes it an ideal experimental animal for studying hypoxic adaptation. Chromatic voles have a strong capacity to adapt to both acute and chronic hypoxia, and the molecular mechanisms mainly include efficient energy utilization, strict regulation of angiogenesis, and multi-level regulation of cell repair and apoptosis; high levels of energy metabolism and cell proliferation/apoptosis.
4.地下鼠和抗癌研究 研究发现体外培养的裸鼹鼠成纤维细胞会分泌大量的高分子量透明质酸（High-molecular-mass hyaluronan, HMM-HA），作者们证实这正是裸鼹鼠能够抵抗癌症发生的重要原因。我们拟以其他地下鼠物种为对象，研究地下鼠类抗癌的分子机制。
Research found that in vitro cultured nudibranch fibroblasts secrete large amounts of high-molecular-mass hyaluronan (HMM-HA), which the authors demonstrated to be an important reason for the ability of nudibranchs to resist cancer development. We propose to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cancer resistance in the subterranean rodents by using other subterranean rodent species.
高原草地小哺乳动物适应性进化与管理
Adaptive evolution and managment of small mammal in upland grasslands
青藏高原是我国乃至北半球气候变化的启张器和调节器，不仅直接影响我国东部和西南部气候的变化，对北半球、甚至全球的气候变化，都具有明显的敏感性和调节性。不同地区导致草地退化的主要因素不尽相同，导致青藏高原草地退化最主要的因子是过度放牧和植食性小哺乳动物种群爆发。
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the initiator and regulator of climate change in China and even in the northern hemisphere, and not only directly influences the climate change in the eastern and southwestern parts of China, but also has obvious sensitivity and regulation to the climate change in the northern hemisphere and even globally. The main factors leading to grassland degradation vary from region to region, and the most important factors leading to grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are overgrazing and outbreaks of vegetative small mammal.
高原鼠兔（学名：Ochotona curzoniae）为鼠兔属的哺乳动物，又名鸣声鼠、石兔。分布于青藏高原及附近地区。该物种的模式产地在西藏南部[1]。高原鼠兔是典型的草食性动物，在草原上以青草为食。 根据化石证据显示，高原鼠兔的进化史已有3700万年的时间，在鼠兔属中是非常原始的一种。在青藏高原隆升过程中，它们逐渐扩散到周边地区，远到日本、欧洲和美洲。
The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a mammal of the genus Ochotona, also known as the songbird and the rock hare. It is distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and nearby areas. The type locality of this species is in southern Tibet. Plateau pika are typical herbivores, feeding on grasses in the grasslands. According to fossil evidence, the plateau pika has an evolutionary history of 37 million years and is a very primitive species in the genus Sage-grouse. During the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, they gradually spread to the surrounding areas, as far as Japan, Europe and America.
长期的高原草地保护研究中，人们发现，高原鼠兔并非是引起草地退化的原因,而是草地退化的结果。而且，鉴于它在高原生态系统中的地位，灭鼠只会适得其反。把鼠兔和它所在的生境作为一个整体，系统地研究和管理。这种观点的依据是，鼠兔对草地的作用利弊往往取决于它们的数量和种群密度。越来越多的科学家认为，应当利用一些综合性的措施，比如动态轮牧、退牧还草、牧草种植、鼠兔控制等方式，维持家畜、草场和鼠兔的生态协调。
Long-term researches on plateau grassland conservation has revealed that the plateau pika is not the main cause of grassland degradation, but rather the result of it. Moreover, given its position in the plateau ecosystem, it is counterproductive to eradicate the pika. The plateau pika and its habitat should be studied and managed systematically as a whole. This view is based on the fact that the benefits and drawbacks of sage-grouse action on grasslands often depend on their numbers and population densities. A growing number of scientists believe that integrated measures, such as dynamic rotational grazing, grazing restoration, pasture planting, and sage-grouse control, should be used to maintain the ecological harmony of livestock, pasture, and pikas.
我们通过不同研究不同刺激作用，如天敌、食物组分等，对高原鼠兔生理生化和生活状态的影响，研究高原鼠兔应激的神经生理学机制和遗传学机制，为高原鼠兔管理和高原草地保护奠定基础。
We study the neurophysiological mechanisms and molecular mechanisms of stress in plateau pika through different effects of different stimuli factors, such as natural enemies and food components, on the physiology, biochemistry and living conditions of plateau pika, and lay the foundation for plateau pika management and plateau grassland conservation.