Chamaeleo calyptratus (veiled chameleon) chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation provides insights into the evolution of reptiles and developmental mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: The family Chamaeleonidae comprises 228 species, boasting an extensive geographic spread and an array of evolutionary novelties and adaptations, but a paucity of genetic and molecular analyses. Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) has emerged as a tractable research organism for the study of squamate early development and evolution. Here we report a chromosomal-level assembly and annotation of the veiled chameleon genome. We note a remarkable chromosomal conservation across squamates, but comparisons to more distant genomes reveal GC peaks correlating with ancestral chromosome fusion events. We subsequently identified the XX/XY region on chromosome 5, confirming environmental-independent sex determination in veiled chameleons. Furthermore, our analysis of the Hox gene fam

SUBMITTER: Shylo NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11398420 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature