State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Life Sciences School, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.
Zool Res. 2020 May 18;41(3):328-340. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.038.
Leopard coral groupers belong to the genus of the Epinephelidae family and are important fish for coral reef ecosystems and the marine aquaculture industry. To promote future research of this species, a high-quality chromosome-level genome was assembled using PacBio sequencing and Hi-C technology. A 787.06 Mb genome was assembled, with 99.7% (784.57 Mb) of bases anchored to 24 chromosomes. The leopard coral grouper genome size was smaller than that of other groupers, which may be related to its ancient status among grouper species. A total of 22 317 protein-coding genes were predicted. This high-quality genome of the leopard coral grouper is the first genomic resource for and should provide a pivotal genetic foundation for further research. Phylogenetic analysis of the leopard coral grouper and 12 other fish species showed that this fish is closely related to the brown-marbled grouper. Expanded genes in the leopard coral grouper genome were mainly associated with immune response and movement ability, which may be related to the adaptive evolution of this species to its habitat. In addition, we also identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with carotenoid metabolism between red and brown-colored leopard coral groupers. These genes may play roles in skin color decision by regulating carotenoid content in these groupers.
豹纹石斑鱼属于鮨科，是珊瑚礁生态系统和海水养殖业的重要鱼类。为了促进对该物种的未来研究，我们使用 PacBio 测序和 Hi-C 技术组装了高质量的染色体水平基因组。组装得到了一个 787.06 Mb 的基因组，其中 99.7%（784.57 Mb）的碱基锚定在 24 条染色体上。豹纹石斑鱼的基因组大小小于其他石斑鱼，这可能与其在石斑鱼物种中的古老地位有关。共预测到 22317 个蛋白质编码基因。豹纹石斑鱼的高质量基因组是首个基因组资源，应该为进一步的研究提供关键的遗传基础。豹纹石斑鱼和其他 12 种鱼类的系统发育分析表明，这种鱼与褐带石斑鱼关系密切。豹纹石斑鱼基因组中扩张的基因主要与免疫反应和运动能力有关，这可能与该物种对其栖息地的适应性进化有关。此外，我们还鉴定了红棕色豹纹石斑鱼之间与类胡萝卜素代谢相关的差异表达基因 (DEGs)。这些基因可能通过调节这些石斑鱼体内的类胡萝卜素含量来发挥作用，决定其体色。
