|
|
文章數：83 |
 TANG Zhan 湯棧家庭過節聚會適合嗎？》公益路10家人氣餐廳｜台中美食一網打盡 |
| 創作｜散文 2026/04/22 08:48:40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
身為一個熱愛美食、喜歡在城市裡挖掘驚喜的人，臺中公益路一直是我最常出沒的地方之一。這條路可說是「臺中人的美食戰場」，從精緻西餐到創意火鍋，從日式丼飯到義式早午餐，每走幾步，就會有完全不同的特色料理餐廳。 這次我特別花了一整個月，實際造訪了公益路上十間口碑不錯的餐廳。有的是網友熱推的打卡名店，也有隱藏在巷弄裡的小驚喜。我以環境氛圍、口味表現、價格CP值與再訪意願為基準，整理出這篇實測評比。希望能幫正在猶豫去哪裡吃飯的你，找到那一間「吃完會想再來」的餐廳。 評比標準與整理方向
這次我走訪的10家餐廳橫跨不同料理類型，從高質感牛排館到巷弄系早午餐，每一間都有自己獨特的風格。為了讓整體比較更客觀，我依照以下四大面向進行評比，並搭配實際用餐體驗來打分。
整體而言，我希望這份評比不只是「哪家好吃」，而是幫你在不同情境下（約會、家庭聚餐、朋友小聚、商業午餐）都能快速找到合適的選擇。畢竟，美食不只是味覺的滿足，更是一段段與朋友共享的生活記憶。 10間臺中公益路餐廳評比懶人包公益路向來是臺中人聚餐的首選地段，從火鍋、燒肉到中式料理與早午餐，每走幾步就有驚喜。以下是我實際造訪過的10間代表性餐廳清單，橫跨平價、創意、高級各路風格。
一頭牛日式燒肉｜炭香濃郁的和牛饗宴，約會聚餐首選
走在公益路上，很難不被 一頭牛日式燒肉 的木質外觀吸引。低調卻不失質感的門面，搭配昏黃燈光與暖色調的內裝，讓人一進門就感受到濃濃的日式職人氛圍。店內空間不大，但桌距規劃得宜，每桌皆設有獨立排煙設備，烤肉時完全不怕滿身油煙味。 餐點特色
一頭牛的靈魂，絕對是他們招牌的「三國和牛拼盤」。 用餐體驗整體節奏掌握得非常好。店員會在你剛想烤下一片肉時貼心遞上夾子、幫忙換烤網，讓人完全不用分心。整場用餐過程就像一場表演，從視覺、嗅覺到味覺都被滿足。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段162號電話：04-23206800 小結語一頭牛日式燒肉不僅是「吃肉的地方」，更像是一場五感盛宴。從進門那一刻到最後一道甜點，都能感受到他們對細節的用心。 TANG Zhan 湯棧｜文青系火鍋代表，麻香湯底與視覺美感並重
在公益路這條美食戰線上，TANG Zhan 湯棧 是讓人一眼就會想走進去的那一種。 餐點特色
湯棧最有名的當然是它的「麻香鍋」。 用餐體驗整體氛圍比一般火鍋店更有質感。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段248號電話：04-22580617 官網：https://www.facebook.com/TangZhan.tw/ 小結語TANG Zhan 湯棧 把傳統火鍋做出新的樣貌保留臺式鍋物的溫度，又結合現代風格與細節服務，讓吃鍋這件事變得更有品味。 如果你想找一間兼具「好吃、好拍、好放鬆」的火鍋店，湯棧會是公益路上最有風格的選擇之一。 NINI 尼尼臺中店｜明亮寬敞的義式早午餐天堂
如果說前兩間是肉食愛好者的天堂，那 NINI 尼尼臺中店 絕對是想放鬆、聊聊天的好地方。餐廳外觀以白色系與大片玻璃窗為主，陽光灑進室內，讓人一踏入就有種度假般的輕盈感。假日早午餐時段特別熱鬧，建議提早訂位。 餐點特色
NINI 的菜單融合義式與臺灣人口味，選擇多樣且份量十足。主打的 松露燉飯 濃郁卻不膩口，米芯保留微Q口感；而 香蒜海鮮義大利麵 則以新鮮白蝦、花枝與淡菜搭配微辣蒜香，口感層次豐富。 用餐體驗店內氣氛輕鬆不拘謹，無論是一個人帶電腦工作、或朋友聚餐，都能找到舒服角落。餐點上桌速度穩定，服務人員態度親切、補水與收盤都非常主動。整體節奏讓人覺得「時間變慢了」，很適合想遠離忙碌日常的人。 綜合評分
地址：40861臺中市南屯區公益路二段18號電話：04-23288498 小結語NINI 尼尼臺中店是一間能讓人放下手機、慢慢吃飯的餐廳。餐點不追求浮誇，而是以「剛剛好」的份量與風味，陪伴每個平凡午後。如果你在找一間能邊吃邊聊天、拍照也漂亮的早午餐店，NINI 會是你在公益路上最不費力的幸福選擇。 加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物｜平價卻用心的湯頭系火鍋，家庭聚餐好選擇
在公益路這條高質感餐廳林立的戰場上，加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物 走的是截然不同的路線。它沒有浮誇的裝潢、也沒有高價位的套餐，但靠著實在的湯頭與親切的服務，默默吸引許多回頭客。每到用餐時間，總能看到家庭或情侶三兩成群地圍著鍋邊聊天。 餐點特色
主打 北海道浜中昆布湯底，湯頭清澈卻不單薄，越煮越能喝出海藻與柴魚的自然香氣。 用餐體驗整體氛圍偏家庭取向，桌距寬敞、座位舒適，帶小孩來也不覺擁擠。店員態度親切，補湯、收盤都很勤快，給人一種「被照顧著」的安心感。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路288號電話：0910855180 小結語加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物是一間「不浮誇、但會讓人想再訪」的火鍋店。它不追求豪華擺盤，而是用最簡單的湯頭與新鮮食材，傳遞出家常卻不平凡的溫度。 印月餐廳｜中式料理的藝術演繹，宴客與家庭聚會首選
說到臺中公益路的中式料理代表，印月餐廳 絕對是榜上有名。這間開業多年的餐廳以「中菜西吃」的概念聞名，把傳統中式料理以現代手法重新詮釋。從建築外觀到餐具擺設，每個細節都散發著低調的典雅氣息。 餐點特色
印月最令人印象深刻的是他們將傳統中菜融入創意手法。 用餐體驗服務方面完全對得起餐廳的高級定位。從入座、點餐到上菜節奏，都拿捏得恰如其分。每道菜都會有服務人員細心介紹食材與吃法，讓人感受到「被款待」的尊榮感。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段818號電話：0422511155 小結語印月餐廳是一間「不只吃飯，更像品味生活」的地方。 KoDō 和牛燒肉｜極致職人精神，專為儀式感與頂級味覺而生
若要形容 KoDō 和牛燒肉 的用餐體驗，一句話足以總結——「像在欣賞一場關於肉的表演」。 餐點特色
這裡主打 日本A5和牛冷藏肉，以「精切厚燒」的方式呈現。 用餐體驗KoDō 的最大特色是「儀式感」。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路260號電話：0423220312 官網：https://www.facebook.com/kodo2018/ 小結語KoDō 和牛燒肉不是日常餐廳，而是一場體驗。 永心鳳茶｜在茶香裡用餐的優雅時光，臺味早午餐的新詮釋
走進 永心鳳茶公益店，彷彿進入一間有氣質的茶館。 餐點特色
永心鳳茶的餐點結合中式靈魂與西式擺盤，無論是「炸雞腿飯」還是「紅玉紅茶拿鐵」，都能讓人感受到熟悉卻不平凡的味道。 用餐體驗店內服務人員態度溫和，對茶品介紹詳盡。上餐節奏剛好，不急不徐。 綜合評分
地址：40360臺中市西區公益路68號三樓(勤美誠品)電話：0423221118 小結語永心鳳茶讓人重新定義「臺味」。 三希樓｜老饕級江浙功夫菜，穩重又帶人情味的中式饗宴
位於公益路上的 三希樓 是許多臺中老饕的口袋名單。 餐點特色
三希樓的菜色以 江浙與港式料理 為主，兼顧傳統與現代風味。 用餐體驗三希樓的服務給人一種老派但貼心的感覺。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段95號電話：0423202322 官網：https://www.sanxilou.com.tw/ 小結語三希樓是一間「吃得出功夫」的餐廳。 一笈壽司｜低調奢華的無菜單日料，職人手藝詮釋旬味極致
在熱鬧的公益路上，一笈壽司 低調得幾乎不顯眼。 餐點特色
一笈壽司採 Omakase（無菜單料理） 形式，每一餐都由主廚根據當日食材設計。 用餐體驗整場用餐約90分鐘，節奏緩慢但沉穩。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段25號電話：0423206368 官網：https://www.facebook.com/YIJI.sushi/ 小結語一笈壽司是一間真正讓人「放慢呼吸」的餐廳。 茶六燒肉堂｜人氣爆棚的和牛燒肉聖地，肉香與幸福感同時滿分
若要票選公益路上「最難訂位」的餐廳，茶六燒肉堂 絕對名列前茅。 餐點特色
茶六主打 和牛燒肉套餐，價格約落在 $700–$1000 間，份量與品質兼具。 用餐體驗茶六的服務效率相當高。店員親切、換網勤快、補水速度快，整場用餐流程流暢無壓力。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路268號電話：0423281167 官網：https://inline.app/booking/-L93VSXuz8o86ahWDRg0:inline-live-karuizawa/-LUYUEIOYwa7GCUpAFWA 小結語茶六燒肉堂用「穩定品質＋輕奢氛圍」抓住了臺中年輕族群的心。 吃完10家公益路餐廳後的心得與結語吃完這十家餐廳後，臺中公益路不只是一條美食街，而是一段生活風景線。 有的餐廳講究細膩與儀式感，像 一頭牛日式燒肉 與 一笈壽司，讓人感受到食材最純粹的美好 有的則以親切與溫度打動人心，像 加分昆布鍋物、永心鳳茶，讓人明白吃飯不只是為了飽足，而是一種被照顧的幸福。 而像茶六燒肉堂、TANG Zhan 湯棧 這類人氣名店，則用穩定的品質與熱絡的氛圍，成為許多臺中人心中「想吃肉就去那裡」的代名詞。 這十家店，構成了公益路最動人的縮影 有華麗的，也有溫柔的；有傳統的，也有創新的。 每一家都在自己的風格裡發光，讓人吃到的不只是料理，而是一種生活的溫度與節奏。 對我而言，這不僅是一場美食旅程，更是一趟關於「臺中味道」的回憶之旅。 FAQ：關於臺中公益路美食常見問題Q1：公益路哪一區的餐廳最集中？ Q2：需要提前訂位嗎？ 最後的話若要用一句話形容這趟美食之旅，我會說： 一頭牛日式燒肉氣氛如何？ 如果你也和我一樣喜歡用味蕾探索一座城市，那就把這篇公益路美食攻略收藏起來吧。NINI 尼尼臺中店價位會不會太高？ 無論是約會、慶生、家庭聚餐，或只是想犒賞一下辛苦的自己——這條路上永遠會有一間剛剛好的餐廳在等你。KoDō 和牛燒肉有什麼隱藏版必點嗎？ 下一餐，不妨從這10家開始。NINI 尼尼臺中店好吃嗎？ 打開手機、約上朋友，讓公益路成為你生活裡最容易抵達的小確幸。TANG Zhan 湯棧尾牙聚餐表現如何？ 如果你有私心愛店，也歡迎留言分享，一笈壽司會太油嗎？ 你的推薦，可能讓我下一趟美食旅程變得更精彩。NINI 尼尼臺中店過年期間會開門嗎？ Researchers have found that plants can potentially control the genetics of their root symbionts. Plants Tweak Their Fungi Partners’ Genes To Grow Better Researchers from the University of Ottawa have discovered that plants may be able to control the genetics of their intimate root symbionts – the organism with which they live in symbiosis – thereby providing a better understanding of their growth. In addition to having a significant impact on all terrestrial ecosystems, their discovery may lead to improved eco-friendly agricultural applications. We talked to research lead Nicolas Corradi, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Research Chair in Microbial Genomics at the University of Ottawa, and lead author Vasilis Kokkoris, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Corradi Lab, to learn more about their recent study published in the journal Current Biology. Can you tell us more about your findings? Nicolas Corradi: “We have uncovered a fascinating genetic regulation between plants and their microbial symbionts, known as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). AMF are plant obligate symbionts that grow within the plant roots and help their hosts to grow better and be more resistant to environmental stressors. AMF genetics have long been mysterious; while typical cells carry one nucleus, the cells of AMF carry thousands of nuclei that can be genetically diverse. How these nuclei communicate with each other and whether the plants can control their relative abundance has been a total mystery. Each spore contains hundreds of nuclei. The image was generated using confocal microscopy. The bright spots within the spores represent nuclei labeled with fluorescent dye. Images are color-coded along z-axis for depth recognition, with white and red colors being closer to the observer while blue colors being the furthest. Each image is the result of approximately 300 z-stacks (0.35um intervals). Credit: University of Ottawa/ Microscope Laboratory (Ottawa-RDC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Our work provides insights into this unique genetic condition: 1- We demonstrate that the host plant symbiont influences the relative abundance of thousands of co-existing nuclei carried by their fungal symbionts. 2- We find evidence that co-existing nuclei of different genetic backgrounds cooperate, rather than compete with one another thus potentially maximizing growth benefits for both the fungi and their plant partners.” How did you come to these conclusions? Vasilis Kokkoris: “We implemented a novel molecular approach accompanied by advanced microscopy and mathematical modeling. Every single AMF spore carries hundreds of nuclei (see image). By analyzing single spores, we were able to quantify the genetics of thousands of nuclei and define their relative abundance in different fungal strains and across plant species. To ensure that we accurately analyze single nuclei, we used advanced microscopy to visualize and count the nuclei in the spores. Lastly, we used mathematical modeling to prove that the observed abundance of nuclear genotypes we identified cannot be a product of luck but instead is the result of a driven cooperation between them. To better understand what is regulating the AMF nuclei we grew different AMF strains with different hosts and found that plants have control of the relative abundance of the fungal nuclei.” What are the impacts of your discovery? Nicolas Corradi: “For many years, AMF have been considered to be genetic peculiarities and far away from model organisms. Inconsistencies are commonly observed in plant-AMF experiments. For example, growing the same fungal strain with different plants can lead to drastically different plant yields. For a long time, this variance in plant growth was blamed on the AMF mysterious genetics. Our research provides an answer as we demonstrate that the genetics of these fungi, and their effect on plant growth, can be manipulated by plants thus explaining the reason for the observed variability on plant growth. From an environmental standpoint, this new knowledge allows for a better understanding of how plants can influence the genetics of their symbiotic partners, thus influencing entire terrestrial ecosystems. From an economic standpoint, it opens doors to improved sustainable agricultural applications.” Reference: “Host identity influences nuclear dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi” by Vasilis Kokkoris, Pierre-Luc Chagnon, Gökalp Yildirir, Kelsey Clarke, Dane Goh, Allyson M. MacLean, Jeremy Dettman, Franck Stefani and Nicolas Corradi, 4 February 2021, Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.035The research was led by the Corradi Lab, at the University of Ottawa and was conducted at the University of Ottawa and the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). Two members of the Corradi lab, uOttawa PhD student Gökalp Yildirir and recent graduate Kelsey Clarke, also contributed to this study. The other co-authors include Dr. Pierre-Luc Chagnon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Montreal, Dr. Allyson M MacLean, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa and her MSc student Dane Goh, and Dr. Jeremy Dettman and Dr. Franck Stefani from the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (Ottawa Research and Development Centre). Researchers at Michigan State University found that tomato plants utilize two separate metabolic pathways to produce acylsugars in roots and trichomes, offering new strategies for natural pest resistance in agriculture. Credit: SciTechDaily.com In a new study recently published by Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers reveal an unexpected genetic revelation about the sugars found in “tomato tar,” shedding light on plant defense mechanisms and their potential applications in pest control. Tomato tar, a familiar nuisance of avid gardeners, is the sticky, gold-black substance that clings to hands after touching the plant. It turns out that the characteristic stickiness of the substance serves an important purpose. It’s made of a type of sugar called acylsugar that acts as a natural flypaper for would-be pests. “Plants have evolved to make so many amazing poisons and other biologically active compounds,” said Michigan State researcher Robert Last, leader of the study. The Last lab specializes in acylsugars and the tiny, hair-like structures where they’re produced and stored, known as trichomes. In a surprising discovery, researchers have found acylsugars, once thought to be found exclusively in trichomes, in tomato roots as well. This finding is a genetic enigma that raises as many questions as it does insights. The objective of the MSU study was to learn about the origins and function of these root acylsugars. They found that not only do tomato plants synthesize chemically unique acylsugars in their roots and trichomes, but these acylsugars are produced through two parallel metabolic pathways. This is the equivalent of assembly lines in an auto factory making two different models of the same car, but never interacting. In Michigan State’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, tomato seedlings are grown for the Last lab’s research into the Solanaceae plant family, also known as nightshades. The researchers analyzed unique chemical differences between roots and shoots, both of which contained acylsugars. Credit: Connor Yeck/MSU These findings are helping scientists gain a better understanding of the resilience and evolutionary story of Solanaceae, or nightshades, a sprawling family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, peppers, tobacco, and petunias. They could also provide valuable information for researchers looking to develop molecules made by plants into compounds to help humanity. “From pharmaceuticals, to pesticides, to sunscreens, many small molecules that humans have adapted for different uses come from the arms race between plants, microbes, and insects,” Last said. Roots and Shoots Beyond key chemicals essential for growth, plants also produce a treasure trove of compounds that play a crucial role in environmental interactions. These can attract useful pollinators and are the first line of defense against harmful organisms. “What’s so remarkable about these specialized metabolites is that they’re typically synthesized in highly precise cells and tissues,” said Rachel Kerwin, a postdoctoral researcher at MSU and first author of the latest paper. “Take for instance acylsugars. You won’t find them produced in the leaves or stems of a tomato plant. These physically sticky defense metabolites are made right in the tip of the trichomes.” When it was reported that acylsugars could be found in tomato roots as well, Kerwin took it as a call for old-fashioned genetic detective work. From left to right: Jaynee Hart, Rachel Kerwin and Robert Last pose in front of analytical equipment at Michigan State University’s Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core. The team of researchers unraveled an evolutionary and genetic mystery in tomato plants. Credit: Connor Yeck/MSU “The presence of these acylsugars in roots was fascinating and led to so many questions. How did this happen, how are they being made and are they different from the trichome acylsugars we’ve been studying?” To begin tackling the evolutionary enigma, lab members collaborated with specialists at MSU’s Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core and staff at the Max T. Rogers Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility. In comparing metabolites from tomato seedlings’ roots and shoots, a variety of differences appeared. The basic chemical makeup of the aboveground and belowground acylsugars were noticeably different, so much so that they could be defined as different classes of acylsugars entirely. Breaking the Car Last, a University Distinguished Professor in MSU’s College of Natural Science’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Department of Plant Biology, offers a useful analogy to explain how a geneticist approaches biology. “Imagine trying to figure out how a car works by breaking one component at a time,” he said. “If you flatten a car’s tires and notice the engine still runs, you’ve discovered a critical fact even if you don’t know what the tires exactly do.” Switch out car parts for genes, and you get a clearer picture of the work accomplished by the Last lab to further crack the code on root acylsugars. Looking at public genetic sequence data, Kerwin noticed that many of the genes expressed in tomato trichome acylsugar production had close relatives in roots. After identifying an enzyme believed to be the first step in root acylsugar biosynthesis, the researchers began “breaking the car.” When they knocked out the root acylsugar candidate gene, root acylsugar production vanished, leaving trichome acylsugar production untouched. Meanwhile, when the well-studied trichome acylsugar gene was knocked out, root acylsugar production carried on as usual. These findings offered striking proof of a suspected metabolic mirroring. “Alongside the aboveground acylsugar pathway we’ve been studying for years, here we find this second parallel universe that exists underground,” Last said. “This confirmed we have two pathways co-existing in the same plant,” Kerwin added. To drive home this breakthrough, Jaynee Hart, a postdoctoral researcher and second author on the latest paper, looked closer at the functions of trichome and root enzymes. Just as trichome enzymes and the acylsugars they produce are a well-studied chemical match, she found a promising link between root enzymes and the root acylsugars as well. “Studying isolated enzymes is a powerful tool for ascertaining their activity and drawing conclusions about their functional role inside the plant cell,” Hart explained. These findings were further proof of the parallel metabolic pathways that exist in a single tomato plant. “Plants and cars are so different, yet similar in that when you open the proverbial hood you become aware of the multitude of parts and connections that make them function. This work gives us new knowledge about one of those parts in tomato plants and prompts further research into its evolution and function and whether we can make use of it in other ways,” said Pankaj Jaiswal, a program director at the U.S. National Science Foundation, which funded the work. “The more we learn about living things — from tomatoes and other crops to animals and microbes — the broader the opportunities to employ that learning to benefit society,” he added. Clusters Within Clusters The paper also reports a fascinating and unexpected twist concerned with biosynthetic gene clusters, or BGCs. BGCs are collections of genes that are physically grouped on the chromosome and contribute to a particular metabolic pathway. Previously, the Last lab identified a BGC containing genes linked to trichome acylsugars in tomato plants. Kerwin, Hart, and their collaborators have now discovered the root-expressed acylsugar enzyme resides in the same cluster. “Usually in BGCs, the genes are co-expressed in the same tissues and under similar conditions,” said Kerwin.“But here, we have two separate yet interlinked groups of genes. Some expressed in trichomes, and some expressed in roots.” This revelation led Kerwin to dive into the evolutionary trajectory of Solanaceae species, with hopes of identifying when and how these two unique acylsugar pathways developed. Specifically, the researchers drew attention to a moment some 19 million years ago when the enzyme responsible for trichome acylsugars was duplicated. This enzyme would one day be responsible for the newly discovered root-expressed acylsugar pathway. The exact mechanism that “switched on” this enzyme in roots remains unknown, paving the way for the Last lab to continue to unpack the evolutionary and metabolic secrets of the nightshade family. “Working with Solanaceae provides so many scientific resources, as well as a strong community of researchers,” said Kerwin. “Through their importance as crops and in horticulture, these are plants humans have cared about for thousands of years.” For Last, these breakthroughs are also a reminder of the importance of natural pesticides, which defense metabolites such as acylsugars ultimately represent. “If we find that these root acylsugars are effective at repelling harmful organisms, could they be bred into other nightshades, thereby helping plants grow without the need for harmful synthetic fungicides and pesticides?” Last asked. “These are questions at the core of humanity’s pursuit of purer water, safer food and a reduced reliance on harmful synthetic chemicals.” Reference: “Tomato root specialized metabolites evolved through gene duplication and regulatory divergence within a biosynthetic gene cluster” by Rachel E. Kerwin, Jaynee E. Hart, Paul D. Fiesel, Yann-Ru Lou, Pengxiang Fan, A. Daniel Jones and Robert L. Last, 24 April 2024, Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3991 The mummified sheep leg from which DNA was obtained. Image courtesy of Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum and Zanjan Cultural Heritage Centre, Archaeological Museum of Zanjan. Credit: Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum and Zanjan Cultural Heritage Centre, Archaeological Museum of Zanjan. A team of geneticists and archaeologists from Ireland, France, Iran, Germany, and Austria has sequenced the DNA from a 1,600-year-old sheep mummy from an ancient Iranian salt mine, Chehrābād. This remarkable specimen has revealed sheep husbandry practices of the ancient Near East, as well as underlining how natural mummification can affect DNA degradation. The incredible findings have just been published in the international, peer-reviewed journal Biology Letters. The salt mine of Chehrābād is known to preserve biological material. Indeed, it is in this mine that human remains of the famed “Salt Men” were recovered, desiccated by the salt-rich environment. The new research confirms that this natural mummification process — where water is removed from a corpse, preserving soft tissues that would otherwise be degraded — also conserved animal remains. The research team, led by geneticists from Trinity College Dublin, exploited this by extracting DNA from a small cutting of mummified skin from a leg recovered in the mine. While ancient DNA is usually damaged and fragmented, the team found that the sheep mummy DNA was extremely well-preserved; with longer fragment lengths and less damage that would usually be associated with such an ancient age. The group attributes this to the mummification process, with the salt mine providing conditions ideal for preservation of animal tissues and DNA. The salt mine’s influence was also seen in the microorganisms present in the sheep leg skin. Salt-loving archaea and bacteria dominated the microbial profile — also known as the metagenome — and may have also contributed to the preservation of the tissue. The mummified animal was genetically similar to modern sheep breeds from the region, which suggests that there has been a continuity of ancestry of sheep in Iran since at least 1,600 years ago. The team also exploited the sheep’s DNA preservation to investigate genes associated with a woolly fleece and a fat-tail — two important economic traits in sheep. Some wild sheep — the Asiatic mouflon — are characterized by a “hairy” coat, much different from the woolly coats seen in many domestic sheep today. Fat-tailed sheep are also common in Asia and Africa, where they are valued in cooking, and where they may be well-adapted to arid climates. The team built a genetic impression of the sheep and discovered that the mummy lacked the gene variant associated with a woolly coat, while fiber analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy found the microscopic details of the hair fibers consistent with hairy or mixed coat breeds. Intriguingly, the mummy carried genetic variants associated with fat-tailed breeds, suggesting the sheep was similar to the hairy-coated, fat-tailed sheep seen in Iran today. “Mummified remains are quite rare so little empirical evidence was known about the survival of ancient DNA in these tissues prior to this study,” says Conor Rossi, PhD candidate in Trinity’s School of Genetics and Microbiology, and the lead author of the paper. “The astounding integrity of the DNA was not like anything we had encountered from ancient bones and teeth before. This DNA preservation, coupled with the unique metagenomic profile, is an indication of how fundamental the environment is to tissue and DNA decay dynamics. Dr. Kevin G Daly, also from Trinity’s School of Genetics and Microbiology, supervised the study. He added: “Using a combination of genetic and microscopic approaches, our team managed to create a genetic picture of what sheep breeds in Iran 1,600 years ago may have looked like and how they may have been used. “Using cross-disciplinary approaches we can learn about what ancient cultures valued in animals, and this study shows us that the people of Sasanian-era Iran may have managed flocks of sheep specialized for meat consumption, suggesting well-developed husbandry practices.” Reference: “Exceptional ancient DNA preservation and fibre remains of a Sasanian saltmine sheep mummy in Chehrābād, Iran” by Conor Rossi, Gabriela Ruß-Popa, Valeria Mattiangeli, Fionnuala McDaid, Andrew J. Hare, Hossein Davoudi, Haeedeh Laleh, Zahra Lorzadeh, Roya Khazaeli, Homa Fathi, Matthew D. Teasdale, Abolfazl A’ali, Thomas Stöllner, Marjan Mashkour and Kevin G. Daly, 14 July 2021, Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0222 RRG455KLJIEVEWWF |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 最新創作 |
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
