A garter snake transcriptome: pyrosequencing, de novo assembly, and sex-specific differences.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The reptiles, characterized by both diversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, provide a comprehensive system for comparative studies of metabolism, physiology, and development. However, molecular resources for ectothermic reptiles are severely limited, hampering our ability to study the genetic basis for many evolutionarily important traits such as metabolic plasticity, extreme longevity, limblessness, venom, and freeze tolerance. Here we use massively parallel sequencing (454 GS-FLX Titanium) to generate a transcriptome of the western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) with two goals in mind. First, we develop a molecular resource for an ectothermic reptile; and second, we use these sex-specific transcriptomes to identify differences in the presence of e

SUBMITTER: Schwartz TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3014983 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature