Maternal Regulation of Milk Composition, Milk Production, and Pouch Young Development During Lactation in the Tammar Wallaby (Macropus eugenii )1

Trott, Josephine F.; Simpson, Kaylene J.; Moyle, Richard L. C.; Hearn, C.; Shaw, Geoff; Nicholas, Kevin R.; Renfree, Marilyn B.

doi:10.1095/biolreprod.102.005934

Cited by 104 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…We know that the lactating tammar regulates these changes in milk composition, which in turn determines the rate of pouch young growth and development. If a pouch young at an early stage of lactation is transferred to the mammary gland of a tammar at a later stage of lactation, the fostered young will grow and develop at an accelerated rate (3). Much of the equivalent development in eutherians occurs in utero.…”

Section: The Tammar As a Model System To Study Lactationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phase 3 of lactation (200 -330 days) is characterized by dramatic changes in milk production and composition with an elevated level of protein and lipid and low levels of carbohydrate (3,4). Broadly there are two groups of milk protein genes expressed during the lactation cycle; one group of genes is induced to high levels around parturition and expressed throughout lactation, and a second group of genes are expressed only during specific phases of lactation (Fig.…”

Section: Milk Protein Gene Expression: Naturally Occurring Gene Knockmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The tammar wallaby: A model to examine endocrine and local control of lactation

et al. 2007

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SummaryMarsupials, such as the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), have adopted a reproductive strategy that is very different to eutherians. Both the rate of production and the composition of milk changes progressively during the lactation cycle to meet the nutritional demands of an altricial young. The tammar therefore provides a valuable model to study changes in milk composition, and in particular the genes that code for proteins secreted in the milk, to more accurately assess the role of gene products regulating either development of the young or mammary function. IUBMB Life, 59: 146-150, 2007 Keywords Marsupial; milk protein; WAP; involution; lactation; neonate; mammary; milk. THE TAMMAR AS A MODEL SYSTEM TO STUDY LACTATIONMost of our laboratory and livestock species have been subject to intense selective breeding for many decades to improve the quality of milk produced -but can the wallaby reveal its ancient secrets of regulating lactation to increase our understanding of the lactation cycle? The increasingly popular approach of bioprospecting for genes and bioactive molecules from native animals and plants provides new resources for the advancement of agriculture and biotechnology. The application of new technology to species with unusual reproductive strategies allows the identification and study of regulatory mechanisms and molecules that are present but not readily apparent in other species.Marsupials, such as the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), have adopted a reproductive strategy that is very different to eutherians (1, 2). It includes a short gestation of 26 days, birth of an immature young and a relatively long lactation of 300 days. Both the rate of production and the composition of milk, particularly the proteins, change progressively during the lactation cycle to meet the nutritional demands required for the considerable development of the pouch young prior to weaning (Fig. 1a). We know that the lactating tammar regulates these changes in milk composition, which in turn determines the rate of pouch young growth and development. If a pouch young at an early stage of lactation is transferred to the mammary gland of a tammar at a later stage of lactation, the fostered young will grow and develop at an accelerated rate (3). Much of the equivalent development in eutherians occurs in utero. Therefore it is possible that many of the biological factors that regulate development of eutherian embryos are delivered in the milk by the mammary gland of marsupials. This allows researchers to access all the bioactives in milk, to examine the processes by which the mammary gland produces these factors and examine their potential function.Monotremes, extant egg laying mammals (platypus and echidna), and marsupials both begin consuming milk at a very

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Section: The Tammar As a Model System To Study Lactationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Milk Protein Gene Expression: Naturally Occurring Gene Knockmentioning

confidence: 99%

The tammar wallaby: A model to examine endocrine and local control of lactation

et al. 2007

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“…Teniendo como referencia el trabajo de Trott et al (2003), el período de lactancia de estos organismos se puede dividir en cuatro fases. La fase 1 corresponde a la gestación cuyo proceso es de cerca de 26 días tiempo en el que las cuatro glándulas mamarías de la hembra preñada se preparan para la lactancia y producen calostro.…”

Section: Glándulas Mamariasunclassified

Lactancia: la firma de los mamíferos

Álvarez¹

2016

Apunt. cienc. soc.

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Mammals are vertebrate animals whose main feature is breastfeeding the period in which females feed their young with milk from their mammary glands and thus protect them and help to ensure their survival. Breastfeeding starts immediately after birth of the offspring and extends until they can get their food alone; the time coincides with the decrease in the expression of the gene coding for the enzyme lactase that is which breaks lactose from milk thus allowing direct use of glucose metabolism of the individual. However, in the case of man, the expression of lactase extends for much of his life. This allows him to continue consuming milk, although it should be noted that that milk comes from different species to his and it is that, to tame cattle the discovery of the milking process meant a breakthrough for the human being, because that way he does not have to sacrifice the animal to obtain a highly nutritious food. This article aims to revise some aspects of the breastfeeding of the different subclasses of mammals, the importance of the milk and how the man has been able to get it from other species of mammals for their own consumption.

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“…There is concomitant growth and development of the mammary gland in the quokka as in other macropods over this period. This could simplistically be attributed to a 'demand and supply' response of the mammary gland to the increasing appetite of the young joey; however, it has been demonstrated in the tammar wallaby that the mother exercises considerable control of the development of the young through inherent sequential changes in milk composition (31) . In contrast, wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.)) usually suckle about six young in a litter.…”

Section: Duration Of Lactation and Neonatal Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been found that when younger animals are fostered onto lactating females (that were at a more advanced stage of lactation) gross milk composition and secretion of specific milk proteins remained unchanged and the developmental rate of the fostered young dramatically increased (31) . Therefore, the female tammar regulates the functional development of the mammary gland during lactation and the synthesis and secretion of milk in turn regulates the development of the young regardless of its age.…”

Section: 'Altricial' Neonatal Metabolismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of lactation: nutritionv.protection with special reference to five mammalian species

2008

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The evolutionary origin of the mammary gland has been difficult to establish because little knowledge can be gained on the origin of soft tissue organs from fossil evidence. One approach to resolve the origin of lactation has compared the anatomy of existing primitive mammals to skin glands, whilst another has examined the metabolic and molecular synergy between mammary gland development and the innate immune system. We have reviewed the physiology of lactation in five mammalian species with special reference to these theories. In all species, milk fulfils dual functions of providing protection and nutrition to the young and, furthermore, within species the quality and quantity of milk are highly conserved despite maternal malnutrition or illness. There are vast differences in birth weight, milk production, feeding frequency, macronutrient concentration, growth rate and length of lactation between rabbits, quokkas (Setonix brachyurus), pigs, cattle and humans. The components that protect the neonate against infection do so without causing inflammation. Many protective components are not unique to the mammary gland and are shared with the innate immune system. In contrast, many of the macronutrients in milk are unique to the mammary gland, have evolved from components of the innate immune system, and have either retained or developed multiple functions including the provision of nourishment and protection of the hatchling/neonate. Thus, there is a strong argument to suggest that the mammary gland evolved from the inflammatory response; however, the extensive protection that has developed in milk to actively avoid triggering inflammation seems to be a contradiction.

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Maternal Regulation of Milk Composition, Milk Production, and Pouch Young Development During Lactation in the Tammar Wallaby (Macropus eugenii )1

Cited by 104 publications

References 24 publications

The tammar wallaby: A model to examine endocrine and local control of lactation

The tammar wallaby: A model to examine endocrine and local control of lactation

Lactancia: la firma de los mamíferos

Evolution of lactation: nutritionv.protection with special reference to five mammalian species

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