Giant lungfish genome elucidates the conquest of land by vertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Lungfishes belong to lobe-fined fish (Sarcopterygii) that, in the Devonian period, 'conquered' the land and ultimately gave rise to all land vertebrates, including humans^1-3. Here we determine the chromosome-quality genome of the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri), which is known to have the largest genome of any animal. The vast size of this genome, which is about 14× larger than that of humans, is attributable mostly to huge intergenic regions and introns with high repeat content (around 90%), the components of which resemble those of tetrapods (comprising mainly long interspersed nuclear elements) more than they do those of ray-finned fish. The lungfish genome continues to expand independently (its transposable elements are still active), through mechanisms different

SUBMITTER: Meyer A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7875771 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature