跟著城市嚮導「老臺北胃」,用味道認識臺北
很多朋友來臺北,
都會問我同一個問題:
「臺北小吃那麼多,到底該從哪裡開始吃?」
夜市裡攤位一字排開、老店藏在巷弄轉角,
看起來都很有名,卻又怕吃錯、踩雷,
結果行程走完,反而沒真正記住臺北的味道。
我常被朋友笑說是「老臺北胃」。
不是因為特別會吃,而是因為在這座城市待久了,
知道哪些味道是陪著臺北人成長的日常。
這篇文章,就是我整理的一份清單。
如果你第一次來臺北,
我會帶你從這 10 樣最具代表性的臺北小吃開始,
不追一時爆紅、不走浮誇路線,
而是讓你吃完後能真正理解
原來,這就是臺灣的小吃文化。
跟著老臺北胃走,
用最簡單的方式,
把臺北的味道,一樣一樣記在心裡。
我怎麼選出這 10 大臺北小吃?
在臺北,
你隨便走進一條夜市或老街,
都可以輕易列出 30 種以上的小吃。
所以這份清單,
不是「臺北最好吃」的排名,
而是我站在「第一次來臺北的旅客」角度,
做的推薦。
身為一個被朋友稱作「老臺北胃」的人,
我選這 10 樣小吃時,心裡一直放著幾個原則。
一吃就知道:這就是臺灣味
燒烤、火鍋很好吃,
但換個城市、換個國家,也吃得到。
我挑的,是那種
只要一入口,就會讓人聯想到的臺灣味。
不需要解釋太多,舌頭就能懂。
不只是好吃,而是有「臺北日常感」
臺北的小吃迷人,
不只在味道,
而在它融入生活的方式。
我在意的是:
- 會不會出現在早餐、宵夜、下班後
- 有沒有陪伴這座城市很久的記憶
吃完之後,你會記得臺北
最後一個標準很簡單。
如果你回到家,
還會突然想起某個味道、某碗熱湯、某個攤位的香氣
那它就值得被放進這份清單裡。
接下來的 10 樣臺北小吃,
就是我會親自帶朋友去吃的在地美食。
不趕行程、不拚數量,
而是一口一口,
慢慢認識臺北。
第 1 家:饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店)|一碗就懂臺灣人的日常


如果只能用一道料理,
來解釋臺灣人的日常飲食,
那我一定會先帶你吃滷肉飯。
在臺北,滷肉飯不是什麼特別的節慶料理,
而是從早餐、午餐到宵夜,
默默陪著很多人長大的味道。
而在眾多滷肉飯之中,
饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店),
我很常帶第一次來臺北的朋友造訪的一家。
為什麼第一站,我會選饌堂?
饌堂的滷肉飯,走的是**「黑金系」路線**。
滷汁顏色深、香氣厚,
卻不死鹹、不油膩。
滷肉切得細緻,
肥肉入口即化,搭配熱騰騰的白飯,
每一口都是很完整、很臺灣的味道。
對第一次吃滷肉飯的旅客來說,
這種風味夠經典、也夠穩定,
不需要太多心理準備,就能理解為什麼臺灣人這麼愛它。
不只是好吃,而是「現在的臺北感」
饌堂並不是那種躲在深巷裡的老攤,
空間乾淨、節奏俐落,
卻沒有失去滷肉飯該有的靈魂。
這也是我會推薦給旅客的原因之一:
它保留了臺灣小吃的核心味道,
同時也讓第一次來臺北的人,
吃得安心、坐得舒服。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
如果是第一次來:
- 一定要點招牌黑金滷肉飯
- 可以加一顆滷蛋,風味會更完整
- 搭配簡單的小菜,就很有臺灣家常感
這不是那種吃完會驚呼「哇!」的料理,
而是會讓你在幾口之後,
慢慢理解
原來,臺灣人的日常,就是這樣被一碗飯照顧著。
地址:103臺北市大同區雙連街55號1樓
電話:0225501379
第 2 家:富宏牛肉麵|臺北深夜也醒著的一碗熱湯

如果說滷肉飯代表的是臺灣人的日常,
那牛肉麵,
就是很多臺北人心中最有份量的一餐。
而在臺北提到牛肉麵,
富宏牛肉麵,
幾乎是夜貓族、加班族、外地旅客一定會被帶去的一站。
為什麼老臺北胃會帶你來吃富宏?
富宏最讓人印象深刻的,
不是華麗裝潢,
而是那鍋永遠冒著熱氣的紅燒湯頭。
湯色濃而不混,
帶著牛骨與醬香慢慢熬出的厚度,
喝起來溫潤、不刺激,
卻會在嘴裡留下很深的記憶點。
牛肉給得大方,
燉到軟嫩卻不鬆散,
搭配彈性十足的麵條,
每一口都很直接、很臺北。
不分時間,任何時候都適合的一碗麵
富宏牛肉麵最迷人的地方,
在於它陪伴了無數個臺北的夜晚。
不管是深夜下班、看完演唱會、
或是剛抵達臺北、還沒適應時差,
這裡總有一碗熱湯在等你。
對旅客來說,
這種不用算時間、不用擔心打烊的安心感,
本身就是一種臺北特色。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來富宏,我會這樣點:
- 紅燒牛肉麵是首選
- 如果想吃得更過癮,可以加點牛筋或牛肚
- 湯先喝一口原味,再視情況調整辣度
這不是精緻料理,
卻是一碗能在任何時刻撐住你的牛肉麵。
在臺北,
很多夜晚,
就是靠這樣一碗熱湯走過來的。
地址:108臺北市萬華區洛陽街67號
電話:0223713028
菜單:https://www.facebook.com/pages/富宏牛肉麵-原建宏牛肉麵/
第 3 家:士林夜市・吉彖皮蛋涼麵|臺北夏天最有記憶點的一口清爽

如果你在夏天來到臺北,
一定會很快發現一件事
這座城市,真的很熱。
也正因為這樣,
臺北的小吃世界裡,
才會出現像「涼麵」這樣的存在。
而在士林夜市,
吉彖皮蛋涼麵,
就是我很常帶旅客來吃的一家。
為什麼在夜市,我會帶你吃涼麵?
很多人對夜市的印象,
都是炸物、熱湯、重口味。
但真正的臺北夜市,
其實也很懂得照顧人的胃。
吉彖的涼麵,
冰涼的麵條拌上濃郁芝麻醬,
再加上切得細緻的皮蛋,
入口的第一瞬間,
就是一種「被降溫」的感覺。
那種清爽,
不是沒味道,
而是在濃香與清涼之間取得剛剛好的平衡。
皮蛋,是靈魂,也是臺灣味的關鍵
對很多外國旅客來說,
皮蛋是既好奇、又有點猶豫的存在。
但我常說,
如果要嘗試皮蛋,
涼麵是一個非常溫柔的起點。
芝麻醬的香氣會先接住味蕾,
皮蛋的風味則在後段慢慢出現,
不衝、不嗆,
反而多了一層深度。
很多人吃完後,
都會露出那種「原來是這樣啊」的表情。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次點吉彖皮蛋涼麵,我會建議:
- 一定要選皮蛋款,才吃得到特色
- 醬料先拌勻,再吃,風味會更完整
- 如果天氣真的很熱,這一碗會救你一整晚
這不是華麗的小吃,
卻非常臺北。
在悶熱的夜晚,
站在夜市人潮裡,
吃著一碗涼麵,
你會突然明白——
原來臺北的小吃,連氣候都一起考慮進去了。
地址:111臺北市士林區基河路114號
電話:0981014155
菜單:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064238763064
第 4 家:胖老闆誠意肉粥|臺北人深夜最踏實的一碗粥

如果你問我,
臺北人在深夜、下班後,
最容易感到被安慰的食物是什麼——
我會毫不猶豫地說:肉粥。
而提到肉粥,
胖老闆誠意肉粥,
就是很多老臺北人口中的那一味。
為什麼這一碗粥,會被叫做「誠意」?
胖老闆的肉粥,看起來很簡單。
白粥、肉燥、配菜,
沒有華麗擺盤,也沒有複雜作法。
但真正坐下來吃,你會發現:
這碗粥,不敷衍任何一個細節。
粥體滑順、不稀薄,
肉燥香而不膩,
搭配各式家常小菜,
一口一口吃下去,
很自然就會放慢速度。
這種味道,
不是要你驚艷,
而是要你安心。
這不是觀光小吃,而是臺北人的生活片段
胖老闆誠意肉粥,
最迷人的地方,
就是它的客人。
你會看到:
- 剛下班的上班族
- 熬夜後來吃一碗熱粥的人
- 熟門熟路、點菜不用看菜單的老客人
這些畫面,
比任何裝潢都更能說明這家店在臺北的位置。
對旅客來說,
這是一個走進臺北人日常的入口。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來吃,我會這樣建議:
- 肉粥一定要點,這是主角
- 配幾樣小菜一起吃,才有完整體驗
- 不用急,慢慢吃,這碗粥就是要你放鬆
這不是為了拍照而存在的小吃,
而是那種
**會讓人記得「那天晚上,我在臺北吃了一碗很溫暖的粥」**的味道。
地址:10491臺北市中山區長春路89-3號
電話:0913806139
第 5 家:圓環邊蚵仔煎|夜市裡最不能缺席的臺灣經典

如果要選一道
最常出現在旅客記憶裡的臺灣小吃,
蚵仔煎一定排得上前幾名。
而在臺北,
圓環邊蚵仔煎,
就是那種很多臺北人從小吃到大的存在。
為什麼蚵仔煎,這麼能代表臺灣?
蚵仔煎的魅力,
不在於精緻,
而在於它把幾種看似簡單的食材,
煎成了一種獨特的口感。
新鮮蚵仔的海味、
雞蛋的香氣、
地瓜粉形成的滑嫩外皮,
最後再淋上甜中帶鹹的醬汁,
一口下去,
就是夜市的完整畫面。
這種味道,
很難在其他國家找到替代品。
圓環邊,吃的是記憶感
圓環邊蚵仔煎,
沒有多餘的包裝,
也不刻意迎合潮流。
它留下來的原因很簡單
味道夠穩、節奏夠快、
讓人一吃就知道「對,就是這個」。
對旅客來說,
這是一家
不需要研究、不需要比較,就能安心點蚵仔煎的地方。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃蚵仔煎,我會這樣建議:
- 趁熱吃,口感最好
- 不用急著加辣,先吃原味
- 醬汁是靈魂,別急著把它拌掉
蚵仔煎不是細嚼慢嚥的料理,
它屬於人聲鼎沸、鍋鏟作響的夜市時刻。
站在人群裡,
吃著一盤熱騰騰的蚵仔煎,
你會很清楚地感受到
這,就是臺北的夜晚。
地址:103臺北市大同區寧夏路46號
電話:0225580198
菜單:https://oystera.com.tw/menu
第 6 家:阿淑清蒸肉圓|第一次吃肉圓,就該從這裡開始

說到臺灣小吃,
很多人腦中一定會出現「肉圓」兩個字。
但真正吃過之後才會發現,
肉圓,從來不只有一種樣子。
在臺北,
阿淑清蒸肉圓,
就是我很常拿來介紹「清蒸派肉圓」的一家。
清蒸肉圓,和你想像的不一樣
不少旅客對肉圓的第一印象,
來自油炸版本,
外皮厚、口感重。
而阿淑的清蒸肉圓,
完全是另一個方向。
外皮晶瑩、滑嫩,
帶著自然的彈性,
不油、不膩,
一入口反而顯得清爽。
內餡扎實,
豬肉香氣清楚,
搭配特製醬汁,
味道層次簡單卻很乾淨。
為什麼我會推薦給第一次來臺北的旅客?
因為這顆肉圓,
不需要適應期。
它不刺激、不厚重,
即使是第一次嘗試臺灣小吃的人,
也能輕鬆接受。
對旅客來說,
這是一顆
「吃得懂、也記得住」的肉圓。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來阿淑,我會這樣吃:
- 直接點一顆清蒸肉圓,吃原味
- 醬汁先別全部拌開,邊吃邊調整
- 放慢速度,感受外皮的口感變化
這不是夜市裡熱鬧喧囂的料理,
而是那種
安靜地展現臺灣小吃功夫的味道。
當你吃完這顆肉圓,
會更明白一件事
臺灣小吃的魅力,
往往藏在這些細節裡。
地址:242新北市新莊區復興路一段141號
電話:0229975505
第 7 家:胡記米粉湯|一碗最貼近臺北早晨的味道

如果說前面幾樣小吃,
是臺北的熱鬧與記憶,
那麼米粉湯,
就是這座城市最真實的日常。
而在臺北,
胡記米粉湯,
是很多人從小吃到大的存在。
為什麼米粉湯,這麼「臺北」?
米粉湯不是重口味料理,
它靠的不是刺激,
而是一碗清澈卻有深度的湯。
胡記的湯頭,
用豬骨慢慢熬出香氣,
喝起來清爽、不油,
卻能在喉嚨留下溫度。
米粉細軟,
吸附湯汁後入口順滑,
簡單到不能再簡單,
卻正是臺北人習以為常的早晨風景。
配菜,才是這一碗的靈魂延伸
在胡記吃米粉湯,
主角雖然是湯,
但真正讓人滿足的,
往往是那些小菜。
紅燒肉、豬內臟、燙青菜,
隨意點上幾樣,
湯一口、菜一口,
就是很多臺北人記憶中的早餐組合。
對旅客來說,
這是一種
不需要解釋,就能融入的臺北生活感。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來胡記,我會這樣建議:
- 一定要點米粉湯,湯先喝
- 再配 1~2 樣小菜,體驗會完整很多
- 這一餐適合慢慢吃,不用趕
這不是為了觀光而存在的小吃,
而是一碗
每天準時出現在臺北人生活裡的湯。
當你坐在店裡,
聽著湯勺碰撞的聲音,
你會突然感覺到——
原來,臺北的早晨,
就是從這樣一碗米粉湯開始的。
地址:106臺北市大安區大安路一段9號1樓
電話:0227212120
第 8 家:藍家割包|一口咬下的臺灣街頭記憶

如果要選一道
外國旅客一看到就會好奇、吃完又會記住的小吃,
割包,一定在名單裡。
而在臺北,
藍家割包,
就是我很放心帶旅客來認識這道經典的一站。
割包,為什麼被叫做「臺灣漢堡」?
割包的結構其實很簡單:
鬆軟的白饅頭、
燉得入味的滷五花肉、
酸菜、花生粉、香菜。
但真正迷人的,
是這些元素組合在一起時,
形成的層次感。
肉香、甜味、鹹味、清爽度,
在一口之間同時出現,
沒有誰搶戲,
卻彼此剛好。
這種平衡感,
正是臺灣小吃很迷人的地方。
藍家割包不是走浮誇路線,
它給人的感覺很直接
就是你期待中的割包樣子。
饅頭柔軟不乾,
五花肉肥瘦比例恰到好處,
入口即化卻不膩口,
花生粉的甜香收尾,
讓整體味道非常完整。
對第一次吃割包的旅客來說,
這是一個
不會出錯、也很容易愛上的版本。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃藍家割包,我會這樣建議:
- 直接點招牌割包,不要改配料
- 如果有香菜,建議保留,味道會更完整
- 趁熱吃,饅頭口感最好
割包不是精緻料理,
卻非常有記憶點。
站在街頭,
拿著一顆熱騰騰的割包,
邊走邊吃,
你會很清楚地感受到
這一口,就是臺灣的街頭生活。
地址:100臺北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷8弄3號
電話:0223682060
菜單:https://instagram.com/lan_jia_gua_bao?utm_medium=copy_link
第 9 家:御品元冰火湯圓|臺北夜晚最溫柔的一碗甜

吃了一整天的臺北小吃,
到了這個時候,
胃其實已經差不多滿了。
但只要天氣一涼,
或夜色慢慢降下來,
你還是會想找一碗——
不是為了吃飽,而是為了舒服的甜點。
這時候,我通常會帶你來 御品元冰火湯圓。
為什麼叫「冰火」?這碗湯圓的關鍵就在這裡
御品元最有特色的地方,
就在於它的「冰火交錯」。
熱騰騰的湯圓,
外皮軟糯、內餡濃香,
搭配冰涼清甜的桂花蜜湯,
一口下去,
溫度在嘴裡交替出現。
不是衝突,
而是一種很細膩的平衡。
這樣的吃法,
也正是臺灣甜點很擅長的地方——
不張揚,但很有記憶點。
這是一碗,會讓人慢下來的甜點
和夜市裡熱鬧的甜品不同,
御品元的冰火湯圓,
更像是一個讓人停下腳步的存在。
你會發現,
坐在這裡吃湯圓的人,
說話聲都會不自覺地變小。
對旅客來說,
這不只是吃甜點,
而是一個
把白天的熱鬧慢慢收進回憶裡的時刻。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃御品元,我會這樣建議:
- 點招牌冰火湯圓,體驗完整特色
- 先單吃湯圓,再搭配湯一起吃
- 放慢速度,這一碗不適合趕時間
這不是為了拍照而存在的甜點,
而是一碗
會讓你記得「那天晚上在臺北,很舒服」的湯圓。
地址:106臺北市大安區通化街39巷50弄31號
電話:0955861816
菜單:https://instagram.com/lan_jia_gua_bao
第 10 家:頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店|把臺北的味道,留在最後一口清甜

走到這一站,
其實已經不需要再吃什麼大份量的東西了。
這時候,
最適合的,
是一杯不吵鬧、不張揚,
卻會默默留在記憶裡的飲品。
頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶,
就是我很常用來替一天畫下句點的選擇。
綠豆沙牛奶,為什麼這麼「臺灣」?
在臺灣,
飲料不只是解渴,
而是一種生活節奏。
綠豆沙牛奶看起來簡單,
但真正好喝的版本,
靠的是火候、比例,
還有耐心。
頃刻間的綠豆沙,
口感細緻、不粗顆,
甜度自然、不膩口,
牛奶的加入,
讓整杯變得柔順而溫和。
這不是衝擊味蕾的飲料,
而是一種
喝完之後,會覺得剛剛那一刻很舒服的甜。
為什麼我會用它當作最後一站?
因為它很臺北。
你可以外帶,
邊走邊喝;
也可以站在店門口,
慢慢把杯子喝空。
沒有儀式感,
卻很真實。
對旅客來說,
這杯綠豆沙牛奶,
就像是把今天吃過的所有味道,
溫柔地整理好,
帶走。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次喝頃刻間,我會這樣建議:
- 直接點招牌綠豆沙牛奶
- 正常甜就很剛好,不用特別調整
- 找個角落慢慢喝,別急著趕路
這一杯,
不會讓你驚呼,
卻會在回程的路上,
突然想起來。
原來,臺北的味道,是這樣結束一天的。
地址:111臺北市士林區小北街1號
電話:0228818619
菜單:https://instagram.com/chill_out_moment?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
如果只有 3 天的自助旅行在臺北,怎麼吃這 10 家?
第一次來臺北,
時間有限、胃容量也有限,
與其每一家都趕,不如照著節奏吃。
這份 3 天小吃路線,
是老臺北胃會帶朋友實際走的版本:
不爆走、不硬塞,
讓你每天都吃得剛剛好。
臺北 3 天小吃推薦行程表(老臺北胃版本)
|
天數 |
時段 |
店家名稱 |
小吃類型 |
|
Day 1 |
午餐 |
饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店) |
滷肉飯 |
|
Day 1 |
下午 |
阿淑清蒸肉圓 |
肉圓 |
|
Day 1 |
晚餐 |
富宏牛肉麵 |
牛肉麵 |
|
Day 1 |
宵夜 |
胖老闆誠意肉粥 |
粥品 |
|
Day 2 |
早餐 |
胡記米粉湯 |
米粉湯 |
|
Day 2 |
下午 |
藍家割包 |
割包 |
|
Day 2 |
晚上 |
士林夜市-吉彖皮蛋涼麵 |
涼麵 |
|
Day 2 |
夜市 |
圓環邊蚵仔煎 |
蚵仔煎 |
|
Day 3 |
下午 |
御品元冰火湯圓 |
甜點 |
|
Day 3 |
收尾 |
頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店 |
飲品 |
雖然每個小吃的地點都有一點距離,但是你也知道,好吃的小吃,是值得你花一點時間前往品嘗
老臺北胃的小提醒
- 不需要每一家都點到最滿
- 留一點餘裕,才會想再回來
- 臺北小吃的魅力,不在於吃多少,而在於記住了什麼味道
當你照著這 3 天走完,
你會發現,
臺北不是靠一兩道名菜被記住的,
而是靠這些看似日常、卻很真實的小吃。
下次再來,老臺北胃再帶你吃更深的那一輪。
老臺北胃帶路|這 10 口,就是我心中的臺北

寫到這裡,
其實已經不是在推薦哪一家小吃了。
而是在回頭看,
這座城市,是怎麼用食物陪著人生活的。
滷肉飯、牛肉麵、肉粥、米粉湯,
不是為了成為觀光名單而存在,
而是每天默默出現在臺北人的日子裡。
夜市裡的蚵仔煎、涼麵、割包,
熱鬧、吵雜、節奏很快,
卻也正是臺北最真實的樣子。
而最後那碗湯圓、那杯綠豆沙牛奶,
則是在一天結束時,
替味蕾留下一個溫柔的句點。
如果你問我,
「這 10 家是不是臺北最好吃的小吃?」
我會說,
它們不一定是排行榜第一名,
卻是我真的會帶朋友去吃的版本。
因為它們吃得到:
- 臺北人的日常
- 巷弄裡的熟悉感
- 不需要解釋,就能被理解的味道
如果你是第一次來臺北,
跟著這份清單走,
你不一定會吃得最飽,
但你一定會記得——
臺北,是什麼味道。
而如果有一天,
你又再回到這座城市,
走進熟悉的街口、
看到冒著熱氣的小攤,
你也會開始懂得,
為什麼老臺北胃,
總是記得這些看似平凡的滋味。
因為,真正留在心裡的,
從來不是吃過多少,
而是哪一口,讓你想起臺北。
胖老闆誠意肉粥不加辣好吃嗎?
走完這 10 家,
你可能會發現一件事士林夜市-吉彖皮蛋涼麵容易接受嗎?
臺北的小吃,其實不急著被你記住。
它們就安靜地存在在街角、夜市、轉彎處,阿淑清蒸肉圓推薦點什麼?
等你有一天,再回到這座城市。頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店會不會膩?
如果你是第一次來臺北,圓環邊蚵仔煎夏天適合吃嗎?
希望這份「老臺北胃帶路」的清單,
能幫你少一點猶豫、多一點安心。
不用擔心踩雷,頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店推薦必點嗎?
也不用為了排行而奔波,頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店好吃嗎?
只要照著節奏走,
你就會吃到屬於自己的臺北味道。
而如果你已經來過臺北,
那更希望這篇文章,頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店會不會太甜?
能帶你走進那些
你可能錯過、卻一直都在的日常小吃。
因為真正迷人的旅行,
從來不是把清單全部打勾,
而是某一天,
你突然想起那碗飯、那口湯、那杯甜,阿淑清蒸肉圓會不會太鹹?
然後在心裡對自己說一句:頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店份量有誠意嗎?
「下次再去臺北,還想再吃一次。」
把這篇文章存起來、分享給一起旅行的人,
或是在規劃行程時,再回來看看。
讓味道,成為你認識臺北的方式。
下一次來臺北,
別急著走遠。
老臺北胃,御品元冰火湯圓好吃嗎?
會一直在這些地方,
等你再回來。
Researchers have sequenced the complete X and Y chromosomes of several great ape species, revealing significant evolutionary variations, especially in the rapidly evolving Y chromosome. This study, highlighting both stable and dynamic genomic regions, offers new insights into primate and human evolution, as well as the conservation of these endangered species. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Complete X and Y chromosome sequences from six different primate species have been successfully mapped, revealing a rich diversity among these species and providing deeper insights into their evolutionary processes. This extensive genomic mapping highlights the unique and shared characteristics across these species, offering a clearer understanding of their evolutionary trajectories. A team of scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has generated the first complete chromosome sequences from non-human primates. Published today (May 29) in the journal Nature, these sequences uncover remarkable variation between the Y chromosomes of different species, showing rapid evolution, in addition to revealing previously unstudied regions of great ape genomes. Since these primate species are the closest living relatives to humans, the new sequences can provide insights into human evolution. The researchers focused on the X and Y chromosomes, which play roles in sexual development and fertility, among many other biological functions. They sequenced chromosomes from five great ape species, chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, as well as one other primate species that is more distantly related to humans, the siamang gibbon. “These chromosome sequences add a significant amount of new information,” said Brandon Pickett, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of NIH, and an author of the study. “Only the chimpanzee genome sequence was fairly complete before this, but even that still had large gaps, especially in regions of repetitive DNA.” Complete X and Y chromosome sequences from six primate species reveal species diversity and insights into evolution. Credit: Ernesto Del Aguila III, National Human Genome Research Institute Advances in DNA Analysis Analyzing these new sequences, the researchers estimated that 62 to 66% of the X chromosomes and 75 to 82% of the Y chromosomes are composed of repetitive DNA sequences. These sequences are much more challenging for scientists to characterize, and studying repetitive DNA has only become possible in recent years due to new DNA sequencing technologies and analysis methods. The researchers compared the sequences of the ape chromosomes to the human X and Y chromosomes to understand their evolutionary histories. Like the human X and Y, the great ape Y chromosomes have far fewer genes compared to the X chromosomes. The researchers also used a computational method called alignment, which indicates regions of the chromosome that have stayed relatively the same over the course of evolution, revealing the effects of different evolutionary pressures on different parts of the genome. The researchers found that over 90% of the ape X chromosome sequences aligned to the human X chromosome, showing that the X chromosomes have remained relatively unchanged over millions of years of evolution. However, only 14% to 27% of the ape Y chromosome sequences aligned to the human Y chromosome. Surprising Variations in Y Chromosomes “The extent of the differences between the Y chromosomes of these species was very surprising,” said Kateryna Makova, Ph.D., a professor at Pennsylvania State University and leader of the study. “Some of these species diverged from the human lineage only seven million years ago, which is not a lot of time in terms of evolution. This shows that the Y chromosomes are evolving very fast.” A notable difference among the primate Y chromosomes is their length. For example, the Y chromosome from the Sumatran orangutan is twice as long as the gibbon’s Y chromosome. Variation in the number and types of DNA repeats accounts for some of the differences in chromosome lengths. One type of repeat is called a palindrome, a DNA sequence which contains inverted DNA repeats. DNA palindromes are similar to language palindromes such as “racecar” or “kayak,” in which the letters in the first half of the word repeat in reverse in the second half of the word, so the sequence of the letters is the same forwards and backwards. However, the DNA palindromes can be over one hundred thousand letters long. Unique Gene Variations and Future Research The researchers found that the DNA palindromes on the primate X and Y chromosomes almost always contain genes, which repeat in many copies along the length of the chromosome. Most genes in primate genomes have only two copies, one on each chromosome in a pair. Researchers suspect that having many copies in these palindromes helps to protect genes, especially on the Y chromosome. Since there is typically only one Y chromosome per cell, if a gene on the Y chromosome is damaged, there is not another chromosome with a copy of the gene that can be used as a template to repair the damage. “Having these genes in palindromes is like keeping a backup copy,” said Adam Phillippy, Ph.D., a senior investigator at NHGRI and senior author of the study. “We know that many of these genes are performing important functions, and so we expected to see the same genes in palindromes across different species, but this doesn’t seem to be the case.” The researchers studied several groups of genes contained within the palindromes, many of which play roles in sperm production and are thus important for fertility. While palindromes were found on all the primate Y chromosomes studied, the specific palindrome sequences and the genes contained in these palindromes were often distinct for each species. “There may be even more variation we’re not yet seeing,” said Dr. Phillippy. “On the human Y chromosome, some genes can vary in number between individuals. For each of these other primate species, we’re only looking at a single individual. We don’t know what the rest of the population looks like yet and what other variations we might find.” “However, we have some insights from prior work by our group that suggests extensive variation in the number of copies of Y chromosome genes in humans and other apes,” Dr. Makova added. These great ape chromosome sequences also resolve the sequences of another type of repeat called a DNA satellite, which is a large stretch of repeating sequence. Among the great ape chromosomes, the researchers identified several previously unknown, species-specific satellite sequences. These sequences provide important insights into great ape genomes, as DNA satellites are present across the genome. Specifically, they are concentrated near the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, and in another region called a centromere, which helps the chromosomes organize during cell division. The centromere sequences of these species were completely unknown before this study and another recent research effort conducted by many of the same researchers. “Having these satellite sequences from great apes open up new territory to explore,” said Dr. Makova, “and similar to our other findings about the Y chromosome, we can see that the centromere of the Y chromosome is highly dynamic.” Implications for Conservation and Understanding Evolution These chromosome sequences can help researchers study the evolution of great apes, including humans. The researchers are currently working to describe the entire genomes of these great ape species, but even alone, the X and Y chromosome sequences offer many insights, especially about the evolutionary forces on the Y chromosome that contribute to its rapid evolution. One factor is that there is typically only one Y chromosome per cell, which leads to accumulating changes to the DNA sequence. Another evolutionary force, Dr. Makova said, is a phenomenon known as male mutation bias. Compared to egg production, sperm production involves more DNA replication. With each replication, there is a chance that the DNA sequence changes. This affects all chromosomes but is particularly impactful for the Y chromosome. Another potential factor is having a small population size, which can influence evolutionary rates. Not only do these ape species have limited populations in the wild, but the Y chromosomes are only present in half the population, further limiting the effective population size of this particular part of the genome. “It’s important to remember that these great ape species are all endangered,” said Dr. Makova. “Not only can we learn about human evolution from these sequences, but we can apply what we know about their genomes and human genomes to better understand the biology and reproduction of these endangered species.” Reference: “The complete sequence and comparative analysis of ape sex chromosomes” by Kateryna D. Makova, Brandon D. Pickett, Robert S. Harris, Gabrielle A. Hartley, Monika Cechova, Karol Pal, Sergey Nurk, DongAhn Yoo, Qiuhui Li, Prajna Hebbar, Barbara C. McGrath, Francesca Antonacci, Margaux Aubel, Arjun Biddanda, Matthew Borchers, Erich Bornberg-Bauer, Gerard G. Bouffard, Shelise Y. Brooks, Lucia Carbone, Laura Carrel, Andrew Carroll, Pi-Chuan Chang, Chen-Shan Chin, Daniel E. Cook, Sarah J. C. Craig, Luciana de Gennaro, Mark Diekhans, Amalia Dutra, Gage H. Garcia, Patrick G. S. Grady, Richard E. Green, Diana Haddad, Pille Hallast, William T. Harvey, Glenn Hickey, David A. Hillis, Savannah J. Hoyt, Hyeonsoo Jeong, Kaivan Kamali, Sergei L. Kosakovsky Pond, Troy M. LaPolice, Charles Lee, Alexandra P. Lewis, Yong-Hwee E. Loh, Patrick Masterson, Kelly M. McGarvey, Rajiv C. McCoy, Paul Medvedev, Karen H. Miga, Katherine M. Munson, Evgenia Pak, Benedict Paten, Brendan J. Pinto, Tamara Potapova, Arang Rhie, Joana L. Rocha, Fedor Ryabov, Oliver A. Ryder, Samuel Sacco, Kishwar Shafin, Valery A. Shepelev, Viviane Slon, Steven J. Solar, Jessica M. Storer, Peter H. Sudmant, Sweetalana, Alex Sweeten, Michael G. Tassia, Françoise Thibaud-Nissen, Mario Ventura, Melissa A. Wilson, Alice C. Young, Huiqing Zeng, Xinru Zhang, Zachary A. Szpiech, Christian D. Huber, Jennifer L. Gerton, Soojin V. Yi, Michael C. Schatz, Ivan A. Alexandrov, Sergey Koren, Rachel J. O’Neill, Evan E. Eichler and Adam M. Phillippy, 29 May 2024, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07473-2
Using a new method, scientists have discovered that cells lose about 4% of their mass as they enter cell division. They are essentially taking out the trash to give their offspring a fresh start. Cells may use this strategy to clear out toxic byproducts and give their offspring a fresh start. MIT scientists have discovered that before cells start to divide, they do a little cleanup, throwing out molecules that they appear not to need anymore. Using a new method they developed for measuring the dry mass of cells, the researchers found that cells lose about 4 percent of their mass as they enter cell division. The researchers believe that this emptying of trash helps cells to give their offspring a “clean slate,” free of the parent cell’s accumulated junk. “Our hypothesis is that cells might be throwing out things that are building up, toxic components or just things that don’t function properly that you don’t want to have there. It could allow the newborn cells to be born with more functional contents,” says Teemu Miettinen, an MIT research scientist and the lead author of the new study. Scott Manalis, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering in the departments of Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, is the senior author of the paper, which was published on May 10, 2022, in the journal eLife. MIT biological engineering undergraduates Kevin Ly and Alice Lam are also authors of the paper. Measuring Mass Measuring the dry mass of a cell — the weight of its contents not including the water — is commonly done using a microscopy technique called quantitative phase microscopy. This technique can measure cell growth, but it does not reveal information about the molecular content of the dry mass and it is difficult to use with cells that grow in suspension. Manalis’ lab has previously developed a technique for measuring the buoyant mass of cells, which is their mass as they float in a fluid such as water. This method measures buoyant mass by flowing cells through a channel embedded in a vibrating cantilever, which can be done repeatedly to track changes in a particular cell’s mass over many hours or days. MIT researchers have discovered that before cells start to divide, they toss waste products. In this image, the magenta represents DNA, and the green represents a lysosomal marker on the surface of the cells, which is an indicator of lysosomal exocytosis. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers For their new study, the researchers wanted to adapt the technique so that it could be used to calculate the dry mass of cells, as well as the density of the dry mass. About 10 years ago, they had discovered that they could calculate a cell’s dry mass if they first measured the cell in normal water and then in heavy water (which contains deuterium instead of ordinary hydrogen). These two measurements can be used to calculate the cell’s dry mass. However, heavy water is toxic to cells, so they were only able to obtain a single measurement per cell. Last year, Miettinen set out to see if he could design a system in which cells could be measured repeatedly with minimal exposure to heavy water. In the system he came up with, cells are exposed to heavy water very briefly as they flow through microfluidic channels. It takes only one second for a cell to completely exchange its water content, so the researchers could measure the cell’s mass when it was full of heavy water, compare it to the mass in normal water, and then calculate the dry mass. “Our idea was that if we minimize the cells’ exposure to the heavy water, we could engineer the system so that we could repeat this measurement over extended time periods without hurting the cell,” Miettinen says. “That enabled us for the first time to track not just the dry mass of a cell, which is what others do using microscopic methods, but also the density of the dry mass, which informs us of the cell’s biomolecular composition.” The researchers showed that their dry mass measurements qualitatively agreed with previous work using quantitative phase microscopy. And, in addition to providing density of the dry mass, the MIT team’s method enables higher temporal resolution, which proved to be useful for revealing dynamics during mitosis (cell division). Taking Out the Trash In cells undergoing mitosis, the researchers used their new technique to study what happens to cell mass and composition during that process. In a 2019 paper, Miettinen and Manalis found that buoyant mass increases slightly as mitosis begins. However, other studies that used quantitative phase microscopy suggested that cells might retain or lose dry mass early in cell division. In the new study, the MIT team measured three types of cancer cells, which are easier to study because they divide more frequently than healthy cells. To their surprise, the researchers found that the dry mass of cells actually decreases when they enter the cell division cycle. This mass is regained later on, before division is complete. Further experiments revealed that as cells enter mitosis, they ramp up activity of a process called lysosomal exocytosis. Lysosomes are cell organelles that break down or recycle cellular waste products, and exocytosis is the process they use to jettison any molecules that aren’t needed anymore. The researchers also found that the density of the dry mass increases as the cells lose dry mass, leading them to believe that the cells are losing low-density molecules such as lipids or lipoproteins. They hypothesize that cells use this process to clear out toxic molecules before dividing. “What we are seeing is that cells might be trying to throw out damaged components before dividing,” Miettinen says. The researchers speculate that their findings may help explain why neurons, which do not divide, are more likely to accumulate toxic proteins such as Tau or amyloid beta, which are linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings could also be relevant to cancer: Cancer cells can expel some chemotherapy drugs using exocytosis, helping them to become resistant to the drugs. In theory, preventing exocytosis from occurring before cell division could help to make cancer cells more susceptible to such drugs. “There are diseases where we might want upregulate exocytosis, for example in neurodegenerative diseases, but then there are diseases like cancer where maybe we want to dial it down,” Miettinen says. “In the future, if we could better understand the molecular mechanism behind this, and find a way to trigger it outside of mitosis or prevent it during mitosis, we could really have a new toggle to use when treating disease.” Reference: “Single-cell monitoring of dry mass and dry mass density reveals exocytosis of cellular dry contents in mitosis” by Teemu P Miettinen, Kevin S Ly, Alice Lam, Scott R Manalis, 10 May 2022, eLife. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.76664 The research was funded by the MIT Center for Cancer Precision Medicine, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, the Cancer Systems Biology Consortium, and the Koch Institute Support (core) Grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Polar bear from the Western Hudson Bay region. Credit: David McGeachy More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates. During three summer weeks, 20 polar bears closely observed by scientists tried different strategies to maintain energy reserves, including resting, scavenging, and foraging. Yet nearly all of them lost weight rapidly: on average around 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, per day. Ineffective Adaptation Strategies Some have speculated that polar bears might adapt to the longer ice-free seasons due to climate warming by acting like their grizzly bear relatives and either rest or eat terrestrial food. The polar bears in this study tried versions of both strategies—with little success. “Neither strategy will allow polar bears to exist on land beyond a certain amount of time. Even those bears that were foraging lost body weight at the same rate as those that laid down,” said Charles Robbins, director of the Washington State University Bear Center and co-author of the study in the journal Nature Communications. “Polar bears are not grizzly bears wearing white coats. They’re very, very different.” Images from polar bear collar cameras document activity through the summer season, and inform a new research study by USGS and Washington State University. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey and Washington State University Usually larger than grizzly bears, adult male polar bears can reach 10 feet in length and weigh 1,500 pounds compared to grizzly bears’ 8 feet and 800 pounds. To maintain that great mass, polar bears rely on the energy-rich fat of seals, which they best catch on the ice. Research Methodology and Findings Little has been known about polar bear energy expenditure and behavior when confined to land, so researchers used collars with video cameras and GPS to track polar bears summering in the western Hudson Bay region of Manitoba, Canada. They wanted to see what the specialized ice hunters ate and did during the extended time on land when their preferred seal prey was out of reach. The researchers also weighed the bears before and after the observation period and measured their energy expenditures. Polar bear from the Western Hudson Bay region. Credit: David McGeachy “We found a real diversity of bear behaviors, and as a result, we saw a diverse range of energy expenditures,” said lead author Anthony Pagano, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Polar Bear Research Program and former WSU post-doctoral researcher. Many of the adult male polar bears simply laid down to conserve energy, burning calories at rates similar to hibernation. Others, actively searched for food, consuming bird and caribou carcasses as well as berries, kelp, and grasses. In all, the researchers found a five-fold range in energy expenditure from an adult male that rested 98% of the time to the most active who clocked 330 kilometers (205 miles). Some adult females spent as much as 40% of their time foraging. Yet all that activity didn’t pay off. “The terrestrial foods did give them some energetic benefit, but ultimately, the bears had to spend more energy to access those resources,” said Pagano. Three polar bears went for long swims – one swimming 175 kilometers (about 110 miles) across the bay. Two found carcasses in the water, a beluga, and a seal, but neither bear could feed on their finds while swimming nor bring them back to land. Only one bear out of the 20 gained weight after stumbling across a dead marine mammal on land. Still taken from video captured by a polar bear collar used in the study. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey and Washington State University Impact of Climate Change on Polar Bears The study focused on the southernmost extent of the polar bear range in western Hudson Bay, where climate warming is likely impacting the bears at a faster rate than other Arctic regions. The polar bear population in the area has already declined by an estimated 30% since 1987. This study indicates that polar bears across the Arctic are at risk of starvation as the ice-free period continues to grow. “As polar bears are forced on land earlier, it cuts into the period that they normally acquire the majority of the energy they need to survive,” said Pagano. “With increased land use, the expectation is that we’ll likely see increases in starvation, particularly with adolescents and females with cubs.” Reference: “Polar bear energetic and behavioral strategies on land with implications for surviving the ice-free period” by Anthony M. Pagano, Karyn D. Rode, Nicholas J. Lunn, David McGeachy, Stephen N. Atkinson, Sean D. Farley, Joy A. Erlenbach and Charles T. Robbins, 13 February 2024, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44682-1 This research received support from the National Science Foundation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Detroit Zoological Association, Polar Bears International, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and WSU.
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