Chromosome-level genome assemblies of two littorinid marine snails indicate genetic basis of intertidal adaptation and ancient karyotype evolved from bilaterian ancestors.

ABSTRACT: Living in the intertidal environment, littorinid snails are excellent models for understanding genetic mechanisms underlying adaptation to harsh fluctuating environments. Furthermore, the karyotypes of littorinid snails, with the same chromosome number as the presumed bilaterian ancestor, make them valuable for investigating karyotype evolution from the bilaterian ancestor to mollusks. Here, we generated high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies for 2 littorinid marine snails, Littorina brevicula (927.94 Mb) and Littoraria sinensis (882.51 Mb), with contig N50 of 3.43 Mb and 2.31 Mb, respectively. Comparative genomic analyses identified 92 expanded gene families and 85 positively selected genes as potential candidates possibly associated with intertidal adaptation in the littorinid

SUBMITTER: Wang YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11423352 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature