Transcriptomic Analysis of Intraspecific Heterosis and Growth Performance in Geographically Diverse Populations of Ruditapes philippinarum.

Heterosis refers to the phenomenon in which the progeny resulting from the cross of two parents with different genetic backgrounds exhibit superior traits compared to their parents, such as faster growth rate, higher yield, stronger stress resistance, and better adaptability. In this study, we used the hybrid progeny (150 days of age) of two wild populations of R. philippinarum in northern China (Dalian and Weihai) as samples to preliminarily explore the growth heterosis. In addition, transcriptome sequencing was performed on the hybrid group and the inbred group, showing that there were 2510 DEGs in the DW vs DD groups, 1755 DEGs in the WD vs DD groups, 781 DEGs in the DW vs WW groups, 115 DEGs in the WD vs WW groups, and 582 DEGs in the WD vs DW groups. The MEGF, BMP10, and NOTCH genes play an important role in early development after hybridization. In addition, qPCR results were consistent with RNA-seq data, indicating the reliability of RNA-seq data. Our results provide molecular insights into heterosis.