title: Transcriptome sequencing of the blind subterranean mole rat, Spalax galili: utility and potential for the discovery of novel evolutionary patterns.
abstract: The blind subterranean mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies) is a model animal for survival under extreme environments due to its ability to live in underground habitats under severe hypoxic stress and darkness. Here we report the transcriptome sequencing of Spalax galili, a chromosomal type of S. ehrenbergi. cDNA pools from muscle and brain tissues isolated from animals exposed to hypoxic and normoxic conditions were sequenced using Sanger, GS FLX, and GS FLX Titanium technologies. Assembly of the sequences yielded over 51,000 isotigs with homology to ∼12,000 mouse, rat or human genes. Based on these results, it was possible to detect large numbers of splice variants, SNPs, and novel transcribed regions. In addition, multiple differential expression patterns were detected between tissues and treatments. The results presented here will serve as a valuable resource for future studies aimed at identifying genes and gene regions evolved during the adaptive radiation associated with underground life of the blind mole rat.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Assaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korol
authors.forename: Sariel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.forename: Alvaro G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Jyothi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thimmapuram
authors.forename: Shahjahan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avivi
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Band
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D051381:Rats; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D046308:Spalax / Q000235:genetics*; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary