Similar degenerative patterns of olfactory receptor genes in the giant panda and marine carnivores
Abstract
Olfactory receptor (OR) genes constitute the largest mammalian gene family and are critical for olfactory perception and ecological adaptation. OR gene variation is associated with interspecific differences in habitat, diet, and sensory reliance, yet the relative contributions of these ecological factors to OR evolution remain unclear. Here, we systematically analyzed OR repertoires across 25 carnivoran species occupying diverse niches. Marine carnivorans exhibit convergent OR degeneration, with fewer intact genes and ancestral orthologs, higher pseudogene ratios, and relaxed purifying selection compared with terrestrial species. Notably, bamboo-specialized giant pandas display identical degenerative signatures, possessing the smallest intact OR repertoire and most lost ancestral OR groups among terrestrial carnivorans. Our models show habitat primarily shapes intact OR quantity, while dietary specialization governs pseudogenization and selective constraints. These findings reveal convergent OR functional decay under aquatic adaptation and extreme dietary specialization, illustrating complex links between lifestyle and chemosensory genome evolution in mammals.
Versions
Related
- Role of olfactory receptor Olfr544 in neuronal cells: Insights into neurite outgrowth and CREB signaling
- Functional Profiling of a Human Odorant Receptor Using Olfactory Cilia Links its Activation to Odor Quality
- Prediction of the binding modes between key differential flavor compounds in tobacco leaves at different maturity stages and the olfactory receptor OR1D2
- Pediatric and adult primary human airway epithelia exhibit similar rhinovirus C replication, innate responses, and expression of protein receptor
- Large carnivores, dominant scavengers, and livestock management pressure shape carrion-associated vertebrates guilds in the Patagonian steppe
BibTeX
@article{kang2026similar,
title = {{Similar degenerative patterns of olfactory receptor genes in the giant panda and marine carnivores}},
author = {Liwen Kang and Junjie Chen and Mingsheng Hong and Wei Wei and Zuofu Xiang and Zejun Zhang},
journal = {iScience},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2026.117936},
url = {https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03319-5},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Similar degenerative patterns of olfactory receptor genes in the giant panda and marine carnivores
AU - Liwen Kang
AU - Junjie Chen
AU - Mingsheng Hong
AU - Wei Wei
AU - Zuofu Xiang
AU - Zejun Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/17
JO - iScience
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117936
UR - https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03319-5
AB - Olfactory receptor (OR) genes constitute the largest mammalian gene family and are critical for olfactory perception and ecological adaptation. OR gene variation is associated with interspecific differences in habitat, diet, and sensory reliance, yet the relative contributions of these ecological factors to OR evolution remain unclear. Here, we systematically analyzed OR repertoires across 25 carnivoran species occupying diverse niches. Marine carnivorans exhibit convergent OR degeneration, with fewer intact genes and ancestral orthologs, higher pseudogene ratios, and relaxed purifying selection compared with terrestrial species. Notably, bamboo-specialized giant pandas display identical degenerative signatures, possessing the smallest intact OR repertoire and most lost ancestral OR groups among terrestrial carnivorans. Our models show habitat primarily shapes intact OR quantity, while dietary specialization governs pseudogenization and selective constraints. These findings reveal convergent OR functional decay under aquatic adaptation and extreme dietary specialization, illustrating complex links between lifestyle and chemosensory genome evolution in mammals.
SN - 2589-0042
ER -