Title |
Minke whale genome and aquatic adaptation in cetaceans
|
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Published in |
Nature Genetics, November 2013
|
DOI | 10.1038/ng.2835 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Hyung-Soon Yim, Yun Sung Cho, Xuanmin Guang, Sung Gyun Kang, Jae-Yeon Jeong, Sun-Shin Cha, Hyun-Myung Oh, Jae-Hak Lee, Eun Chan Yang, Kae Kyoung Kwon, Yun Jae Kim, Tae Wan Kim, Wonduck Kim, Jeong Ho Jeon, Sang-Jin Kim, Dong Han Choi, Sungwoong Jho, Hak-Min Kim, Junsu Ko, Hyunmin Kim, Young-Ah Shin, Hyun-Ju Jung, Yuan Zheng, Zhuo Wang, Yan Chen, Ming Chen, Awei Jiang, Erli Li, Shu Zhang, Haolong Hou, Tae Hyung Kim, Lili Yu, Sha Liu, Kung Ahn, Jesse Cooper, Sin-Gi Park, Chang Pyo Hong, Wook Jin, Heui-Soo Kim, Chankyu Park, Kyooyeol Lee, Sung Chun, Phillip A Morin, Stephen J O'Brien, Hang Lee, Jumpei Kimura, Dae Yeon Moon, Andrea Manica, Jeremy Edwards, Byung Chul Kim, Sangsoo Kim, Jun Wang, Jong Bhak, Hyun Sook Lee, Jung-Hyun Lee |
Abstract |
The shift from terrestrial to aquatic life by whales was a substantial evolutionary event. Here we report the whole-genome sequencing and de novo assembly of the minke whale genome, as well as the whole-genome sequences of three minke whales, a fin whale, a bottlenose dolphin and a finless porpoise. Our comparative genomic analysis identified an expansion in the whale lineage of gene families associated with stress-responsive proteins and anaerobic metabolism, whereas gene families related to body hair and sensory receptors were contracted. Our analysis also identified whale-specific mutations in genes encoding antioxidants and enzymes controlling blood pressure and salt concentration. Overall the whale-genome sequences exhibited distinct features that are associated with the physiological and morphological changes needed for life in an aquatic environment, marked by resistance to physiological stresses caused by a lack of oxygen, increased amounts of reactive oxygen species and high salt levels. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 11 | 18% |
United Kingdom | 4 | 7% |
Brazil | 3 | 5% |
Japan | 2 | 3% |
Germany | 2 | 3% |
France | 2 | 3% |
India | 2 | 3% |
Spain | 1 | 2% |
Netherlands | 1 | 2% |
Other | 3 | 5% |
Unknown | 29 | 48% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 36 | 60% |
Scientists | 21 | 35% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 5% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 5 | 1% |
Sweden | 2 | <1% |
Switzerland | 2 | <1% |
France | 2 | <1% |
Brazil | 2 | <1% |
China | 2 | <1% |
Norway | 1 | <1% |
Chile | 1 | <1% |
Finland | 1 | <1% |
Other | 7 | 1% |
Unknown | 442 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 94 | 20% |
Researcher | 92 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 62 | 13% |
Student > Master | 61 | 13% |
Professor | 19 | 4% |
Other | 68 | 15% |
Unknown | 71 | 15% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 239 | 51% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 100 | 21% |
Computer Science | 10 | 2% |
Environmental Science | 7 | 1% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 6 | 1% |
Other | 22 | 5% |
Unknown | 83 | 18% |