美国马里兰大学Utpal Pal小组绘制出高质量的肩突硬蜱基因组，促进了蜱虫科学的发展。这一研究成果于2023年1月19日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然—遗传学》上。

研究人员通过对一个个体内的两个单倍型进行测序，并辅以染色体水平的支架和全长RNA亚型测序，获得了一个完全重新注释的基因组，其中包括新的蛋白质编码基因和各种RNA物种。对重复DNA的分析确定了转座因子，而对蜱虫相关细菌序列的检查得到了改进的布氏立克次体基因组。研究人员展示了肩突硬蜱基因组如何通过贡献新的注释、基因模型和表观遗传功能、基因家族的扩展、深入蛋白质组目录的发展和野生蜱的遗传变异来推进蜱虫科学。总的来说，研究人员报告了对蜱虫生物学的新理解以及未来对蜱虫传播感染干预的关键遗传资源和生物学见解。

据悉，由于缺乏高质量的基因组，有关蜱虫的生物学知识和抗蜱虫措施的开发受到了阻碍，而肩突硬蜱和相关蜱虫能够传播普遍的感染。

附：英文原文

Title: A high-quality Ixodes scapularis genome advances tick science

Author: De, Sandip, Kingan, Sarah B., Kitsou, Chrysoula, Portik, Daniel M., Foor, Shelby D., Frederick, Julia C., Rana, Vipin S., Paulat, Nicole S., Ray, David A., Wang, Yan, Glenn, Travis C., Pal, Utpal

Issue&Volume: 2023-01-19

Abstract: Ixodes spp. and related ticks transmit prevalent infections, although knowledge of their biology and development of anti-tick measures have been hindered by the lack of a high-quality genome. In the present study, we present the assembly of a 2.23-Gb Ixodes scapularis genome by sequencing two haplotypes within one individual, complemented by chromosome-level scaffolding and full-length RNA isoform sequencing, yielding a fully reannotated genome featuring thousands of new protein-coding genes and various RNA species. Analyses of the repetitive DNA identified transposable elements, whereas the examination of tick-associated bacterial sequences yielded an improved Rickettsia buchneri genome. We demonstrate how the Ixodes genome advances tick science by contributing to new annotations, gene models and epigenetic functions, expansion of gene families, development of in-depth proteome catalogs and deciphering of genetic variations in wild ticks. Overall, we report critical genetic resources and biological insights impacting our understanding of tick biology and future interventions against tick-transmitted infections.

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01275-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01275-w