The genome of Mesobuthus martensii mapped

The genes of Mesobuthus martensii are revealed in a major study in Nature Communications. Photo: Jan Ove Rein (C)

 In a recent publication in Nature Communication, a group of Chinese scientists present the first complete scorpion genome. It is the Chinese scorpion, Mesobuthus martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Buthidae), which has been under the magnifying glass. M. martensii, which is a common species in China and well known from traditional medicine, research and as a food item, was found to have the most protein-coding genes among all sequenced arthropods so far. The M. martensii genome reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods, offering new insights into the genetic bases of the living fossils (as scorpions may be regarded as they have retained many of the primary features of Palezoic scorpions).

Abstract:
Representing a basal branch of arachnids, scorpions are known as ‘living fossils’ that maintain an ancient anatomy and are adapted to have survived extreme climate changes. Here we report the genome sequence of Mesobuthus martensii, containing 32,016 protein-coding genes, the most among sequenced arthropods. Although M. martensii appears to evolve conservatively, it has a greater gene family turnover than the insects that have undergone diverse morphological and physiological changes, suggesting the decoupling of the molecular and morphological evolution in scorpions. Underlying the long-term adaptation of scorpions is the expansion of the gene families enriched in basic metabolic pathways, signalling pathways, neurotoxins and cytochrome P450, and the different dynamics of expansion between the shared and the scorpion lineage-specific gene families. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses further illustrate the important genetic features associated with prey, nocturnal behaviour, feeding and detoxification. The M. martensii genome reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods, offering new insights into the genetic bases of the living fossils.

Reference:
Cao Z, Yu Y, Wu Y, Hao P, Di Z, He Y, et al. The genome of Mesobuthus martensii reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2602. DOI: 10.10387ncomms3602. [Free full text]

Thanks to Drs. Wenxin Li & Zhiyong Di for sending me a copy of their paper!