Evolutionary and Functional Insights of Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein 1 in Cetacean Wound Healing: The First Identification of LRG1 in the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

Cetaceans exhibit remarkable wound-healing abilities, an adaptation critical for survival in their aquatic environment. This study provides the first identification of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), focusing on its potential role in wound healing. LRG1, a member of the leucine-rich repeat family, is involved in immune regulation, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling in terrestrial mammals. We extracted and analyzed LRG1 from T. truncatus to detect basic evolutionary insights on cetacean wound healing. Comparative analyses indicated that T. truncatus LRG1 exhibits similarities with its terrestrial counterparts but may offer distinct adaptational characters. These findings represent a pivotal first step toward elucidating the molecular evolutionary mechanisms of cetacean wound healing and highlight LRG1 as a promising target for future veterinary clinical applications.