本期Nature Communications發(fā)表了東北虎的第一個完整基因組序列以及來自白色孟加拉虎,、非洲獅,、白色非洲獅和雪豹的基因組序列。比較分析突顯了與它們的肉食性和肌肉力量都相一致的基因組特征,。這些序列為研究大型貓科動物的遺傳多樣性和保守性提供了一個寶貴的資源。
老虎是世界上最大的貓科動物,，被預(yù)測如果不采取有效保護措施的話很快就會滅絕,。野生老虎種群（目前估計總數(shù)不超過4000只）的保護現(xiàn)在是動物保護工作者的一大目標(biāo)。Jong Bhak及同事發(fā)表了第一個老虎基因組序列,，這是利用來自韓國愛寶樂園動物園的一只9歲老虎的DNA獲得的,；他們同時還對另外四種豹屬動物的基因組進行了測序,，目的是更好地了解大型貓科動物對掠食性生活方式的適應(yīng)情況以及它們的演化。
通過對包括老虎,、人類,、狗和小鼠在內(nèi)的基因組進行比較分析，該研究小組識別出了能夠體現(xiàn)肉食習(xí)性的大型貓科動物特有的1376個基因,，并為在肌肉收縮和肌動蛋白細胞骨架中所涉及的基因的迅速演化提供了證據(jù),。該小組還識別出在雪豹對高海拔適應(yīng)性中可能起重要作用的兩個候選基因，同時還在白獅子中發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個潛在的毛色基因,。(生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Nature Communications doi:10.1038/ncomms3433
The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes
Yun Sung Cho,Li Hu,Haolong Hou,Hang Lee,Jiaohui Xu, Soowhan Kwon,Sukhun Oh, Hak-Min Kim,Sungwoong Jho, Sangsoo Kim,Young-Ah Shin,Byung Chul Kim, Hyunmin Kim,Chang-uk Kim,Shu-Jin Luo,Warren E. Johnson,Klaus-Peter Koepfli,Anne Schmidt-Küntzel,Jason A. Turner, Laurie Marker et al.
Tigers and their close relatives (Panthera) are some of the world’s most endangered species. Here we report the de novo assembly of an Amur tiger whole-genome sequence as well as the genomic sequences of a white Bengal tiger, African lion, white African lion and snow leopard. Through comparative genetic analyses of these genomes, we find genetic signatures that may reflect molecular adaptations consistent with the big cats’ hypercarnivorous diet and muscle strength. We report a snow leopard-specific genetic determinant in EGLN1 (Met39>Lys39), which is likely to be associated with adaptation to high altitude. We also detect a TYR260G>A mutation likely responsible for the white lion coat colour. Tiger and cat genomes show similar repeat composition and an appreciably conserved synteny. Genomic data from the five big cats provide an invaluable resource for resolving easily identifiable phenotypes evident in very close, but distinct, species.
