The first chromosome-level genome assembly and transcriptome sequencing provide insights into cantharidin production of the blister beetles  

作　　者：Chuang ZHOU Xiaofeng ZHENG Lei WANG Bisong YUE Chao DU Xu LIU 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Ecoenvironment(Ministry of Education),College of Life Sciences,Sichuan University,Chengdu,P.R.China [2]Institute of Plant Protection,Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Chengdu,P.R.China [3]Baotou Teachers College,Baotou,P.R.China

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2024年第5期929-940,共12页整合动物学(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant number:31960117);the Miaozi Project in Science and Technology Innovation Program of Sichuan Province(grant number:2022006).

摘　　要：Blister beetles(Coleoptera:Meloidae)produce a natural defensive toxin cantharidin(CTD),which has been used for various cancer treatments and other diseases.Currently,the lack of chromosome-level reference genomes in Meloidae limits further understanding of the mechanism of CTD biosynthesis and environmental adaptation.In this study,the chromosome-level genome assembly of Mylabris phalerata was generated based on PacBio and Hi-C sequencing.This reference genome was about 136.68 Mb in size with contig N50 of 9.17 Mb and composed of 12 chromosomes.In comparison to six other Coleoptera insects,M.phalerata exhibited multiple expanded gene families enriched in juvenile hormone(JH)biosynthetic process pathway,farnesol dehydrogenase activity,and cytochrome P450,which may be related to CTD biosynthesis.Consistently,the transcriptomic analysis suggested the“terpenoid backbone biosynthesis”pathway and“the juvenile hormone”as putative core pathways of CTD biosynthesis and presented eight up-regulated differential expression genes in male adults as candidate genes.It is possible that the restricted feeding niche and lifestyle of M.phalerata were the cause of the gene family’s contraction of odorant binding proteins.The ABC transporters(ABCs)related to exporting bound toxins out of the cell and the resistance to the self-secreted toxins(e.g.CTD)were also contracted,possibly due to other self-protection strategies in M.phalerata.A foundation of understanding CTD biosynthesis and environmental adaptation of blister beetles will be established by our reference genome and discoveries.

关 键 词：blister beetle cantharidin biosynthesis chromosome-level genome cytochrome P450 differentially expressed gene Mylabris phalerata sexual dimorphism 

分 类 号：R59[医药卫生—内科学]