Novel de Novo Genome of Cynopterus brachyotis Reveals Evolutionarily Abrupt Shifts in Gene Family Composition across Fruit Bats.

ABSTRACT: Major novel physiological or phenotypic adaptations often require accompanying modifications at the genic level. Conversely, the detection of considerable contractions and/or expansions of gene families can be an indicator of fundamental but unrecognized physiological change. We sequenced a novel fruit bat genome (Cynopterus brachyotis) and adopted a comparative approach to reconstruct the evolution of fruit bats, mapping contractions and expansions of gene families along their evolutionary history. Despite a radical change in life history as compared with other bats (e.g., loss of echolocation, large size, and frugivory), fruit bats have undergone surprisingly limited change in their genic composition, perhaps apart from a potentially novel gene family expansion relating to telomere prote

SUBMITTER: Chattopadhyay B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7151552 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature