11月2日,，武漢大學(xué)傳出消息：由該校領(lǐng)銜并與上海生物信息技術(shù)研究中心合作,，在國際上首次完成了全球生物量最大的蝎種——馬氏正鉗蝎（俗稱東亞鉗蝎）的基因組測序,，由此揭示了蝎子這種獨(dú)特的節(jié)肢動物適應(yīng)模式,。
該研究成果10月15日在線發(fā)表于《自然—通訊》（國際權(quán)威雜志《自然》子刊之一）,，武大李文鑫教授與中科院上海生命科學(xué)研究院李亦學(xué)研究員,、李軒研究員是共同通訊作者,。
蝎子是一類特殊的節(jié)肢動物,，歷經(jīng)了4億多年的生存與進(jìn)化。它的毒液中,，包含有各種不同類型的毒素組分,，全世界每年被蝎子蟄傷的人約有120萬左右,，其中部分致死。
此次完成的馬氏正鉗蝎基因組測序,，預(yù)測了32016個蛋白質(zhì)編碼基因,，并分析闡明了蝎子的捕食、夜間行為,、感光與解毒等重要遺傳特征的分子基礎(chǔ),，從而揭示了蝎子在漫長的進(jìn)化過程中對環(huán)境的適應(yīng)性機(jī)制。
馬氏正鉗蝎在我國已有2000余年的藥用史,，被用于治療類風(fēng)濕關(guān)節(jié)炎,、中風(fēng)、癲癇癥和慢性疼痛等疾病,。蝎子毒液中的許多活性成分,，已成為現(xiàn)代生物藥物開發(fā)的重要資源。該成果揭開了蝎毒素的多樣性“面紗”,，有助于開發(fā)利用,。 （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.
