Diversity, distribution, and significance of transposable elements in the genome of the only selfing hermaphroditic vertebrate Kryptolebias marmoratus

作者：Rhee Jae Sung; Choi Beom Soon; Kim Jaebum; Kim Bo Mi; Lee Young Mi; Kim Il Chan; Kanamori Akira; Choi Ik Young; Schartl Manfred; Lee Jae Seong

来源：Scientific Reports, 2017, 7(1): 40121.

DOI：10.1038/srep40121

The Kryptolebias marmoratus is unique because it is the only self-fertilizing hermaphroditic vertebrate, known to date. It primarily reproduces by internal self-fertilization in a mixed ovary/testis gonad. Here, we report on a high-quality genome assembly for the K. marmoratus South Korea (SK) strain highlighting the diversity and distribution of transposable elements (TEs). We find that K. marmoratus genome maintains number and composition of TEs. This can be an important genomic attribute promoting genome recombination in this selfing fish, while, in addition to a mixed mating strategy, it may also represent a mechanism contributing to the evolutionary adaptation to ecological pressure of the species. Future work should help clarify this point further once genomic information is gathered for other taxa of the family Rivulidae that do not self-fertilize. We provide a valuable genome resource that highlights the potential impact of TEs on the genome evolution of a fish species with an uncommon life cycle.

• 出版日期2017-1-10
• 单位中国极地研究中心