本期Nature Communications報(bào)告了“中華全蝎”（東亞地區(qū)一種常見蝎子）的基因組序列草稿,。該基因組突顯了這種蝎子與其獵物相關(guān)的遺傳特征，包括夜行行為,、進(jìn)食特征以及去毒功能等等,，為研究節(jié)肢動(dòng)物的適應(yīng)性和演化提供了一個(gè)寶貴資源,。
蝎子以“活化石”著稱,，代表著一個(gè)獨(dú)特類型的節(jié)肢動(dòng)物,，因?yàn)樗鼈儽３至似涔糯?jié)肢動(dòng)物祖先的原始解剖特征。因此,，它們?yōu)檠芯窟@類動(dòng)物的演化提供了一個(gè)關(guān)鍵模型,。Wenxin Li及同事對(duì)第一個(gè)蝎子基因組進(jìn)行了測(cè)序，以尋找有可能負(fù)責(zé)其長(zhǎng)期生存的基因,。
該小組識(shí)別出32016個(gè)蛋白編碼基因，為在關(guān)鍵生存機(jī)制（其中包括毒液的產(chǎn)生,、對(duì)光做出反應(yīng)的能力和對(duì)來自其獵物的有害毒素的消化等）的調(diào)控中所涉及的基因的演化提供了證據(jù),。他們提出，雖然蝎子比昆蟲所發(fā)生的生理及形態(tài)變化要少,，但它們基因組的多樣化程度可能要大得多,。這些結(jié)果有可能挑戰(zhàn)認(rèn)為蝎子的演化比昆蟲更為保守這樣一個(gè)普遍認(rèn)識(shí)，同時(shí)為研究節(jié)肢動(dòng)物提供一個(gè)獨(dú)特的適應(yīng)性模型,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Nature Communications doi:10.1038/ncomms3602
The genome of Mesobuthus martensii reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods
Zhijian Cao,，Yao Yu,，Yingliang Wu，Pei Hao,，Zhiyong Di,，Yawen He，Zongyun Chen,，Weishan Yang,，Zhiyong Shen，Xiaohua He,，Jia Sheng,，Xiaobo Xu，Bohu Pan,，Jing Feng,，Xiaojuan Yang，Wei Hong,，Wenjuan Zhao,，Zhongjie Li，Kai Huang,，Tian Li et al.
Representing a basal branch of arachnids,， scorpions are known as ‘living fossils’ that maintain an ancient anatomy and are adapted to have survived extreme climate changes. Here we report the genome sequence of Mesobuthus martensii， containing 32,，016 protein-coding genes,， the most among sequenced arthropods. Although M. martensii appears to evolve conservatively， it has a greater gene family turnover than the insects that have undergone diverse morphological and physiological changes,， suggesting the decoupling of the molecular and morphological evolution in scorpions. Underlying the long-term adaptation of scorpions is the expansion of the gene families enriched in basic metabolic pathways,， signalling pathways， neurotoxins and cytochrome P450,， and the different dynamics of expansion between the shared and the scorpion lineage-specific gene families. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses further illustrate the important genetic features associated with prey,， nocturnal behaviour， feeding and detoxification. The M. martensii genome reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods,， offering new insights into the genetic bases of the living fossils.
