De novo sequencing, assembly and analysis of eight different transcriptomes from the Malayan pangolin.
Pangolins are scale-covered mammals, containing eight endangered species. Maintaining pangolins in captivity is a significant challenge, in part because little is known about their genetics. Here we provide the first large-scale sequencing of the critically endangered Manis javanica transcriptomes from eight different organs using Illumina HiSeq technology, yielding ~75 Giga bases and 89,754 unigenes. We found some unigenes involved in the insect hormone biosynthesis pathway and also 747 lipids metabolism-related unigenes that may be insightful to understand the lipid metabolism system in pangolins. Comparative analysis between M. javanica and other mammals revealed many pangolin-specific genes significantly over-represented in stress-related processes, cell proliferation and external stimulus, probably reflecting the traits and adaptations of the analyzed pregnant female M. javanica. Our study provides an invaluable resource for future functional works that may be highly relevant for the conservation of pangolins.
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Aini
A
Mohamed Yusoff
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tze King
TK
Tan
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Ranjeev
R
Hari
National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
Klaus-Peter
KP
Koepfli
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Wei Yee
WY
Wee
CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 177, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.|Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
Agostinho
A
Antunes
Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Peninsular Malaysia, KM 10, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Frankie Thomas
FT
Sitam
Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Peninsular Malaysia, KM 10, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Jeffrine Japning
JJ
Rovie-Ryan
Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Peninsular Malaysia, KM 10, Jalan Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kayal Vizi
KV
Karuppannan
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Guat Jah
GJ
Wong
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.|Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Leonard
L
Lipovich
McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63108, USA.
Wesley C
WC
Warren
Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics St. Petersburg State University St. Petersburg, 199004, Russia.|Oceanographic Center, 8000 N. Ocean Drive, Nova Southeastern University, Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33004, USA.
Stephen J
SJ
O'Brien
Genome Informatics Research Laboratory, High Impact Research (HIR) Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Siew Woh
SW
Choo
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D056727:Endangered Species; D000073566:Eutheria / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D063990:Gene Ontology; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / Q000379:methods*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity