Happy National Panda Day!! Today, we celebrate one of the most beloved animals around the world. Giant pandas, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, are native to China and are the only living member of the genus, Ailuropoda. Pandas are members of the carnivorous Ursidae bear family. However, they have evolved to eat a diet consisting of close to 99% bamboo. Their jaws, teeth, digestive system and even their paws with a “false thumb” have evolved to support their strange diet.
Giant pandas have the gut microbiome and genome of a carnivore. Thus, they do not have digestive enzymes capable of breaking down bamboo cellulose fibers. Pandas consume about 12 kilograms of bamboo shoots, leaves, and stems each day. However, they can only digest about 17% of what they ingest. The reason behind their unique dietary choice has long puzzled researchers.
In a new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences, researchers from China West Normal University identified 57 microRNAs from bamboo. These microRNAs can cross the gut barrier and enter the bloodstream and tissues of the pandas. There, they can alter gene expression. In fact, they linked bamboo microRNAs to changes in the animal’s dopamine, smell, and taste pathways. Such changes may be what encourage the animals to consume bamboo.
Sources
H Tan, C Wang, F Li, Y Peng, J Sima, Y Li, L Deng, K Wu, Z Xu, Z Zhang. Cross-kingdom regulation of gene expression in giant pandas via plant-derived mRNA. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 12: 1509698, 2025. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1509698
- Buzz-off! Nature’s hornet, wasp, bee and predator control
- Physiology on the road: Celebrating physiology in Indiana
Categories: Diet and Exercise, Environment, Extreme Animals, Most Popular, Nature's Solutions
Tags: animal, conservation, Giant Panda, microRNA, National Panda Day, panda, science, zoo
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 