The transcriptome of the newt Cynops orientalis provides new insights into evolution and function of sexual gene networks in sarcopterygians

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 5445
• Main Authors: Biscotti, Maria Assunta, Carducci, Federica, Barucca, Marco, Gerdol, Marco, Pallavicini, Alberto, Schartl, Manfred, Canapa, Adriana, Adolfi, Mateus Contar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 25-03-2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/136; 631/181; Amphibians; Amphibians - genetics; Animals; Cynops orientalis; Devonian; Fibroblast Growth Factors; Fishes - genetics; Gametogenesis; Gametogenesis - genetics; Gene Expression; Gene Regulatory Networks - genetics; Genes; Genome - genetics; Genomes; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Next-generation sequencing; Salamandridae - genetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sex Differentiation - genetics; Transcriptome - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Vertebrates; Vertebrates - genetics; Whole Genome Sequencing; Zebrafish Proteins
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62408-x

Amphibians evolved in the Devonian period about 400 Mya and represent a transition step in tetrapod evolution. Among amphibians, high-throughput sequencing data are very limited for Caudata, due to their largest genome sizes among terrestrial vertebrates. In this paper we present the transcriptome from the fire bellied newt
Cynops orientalis
. Data here presented display a high level of completeness, comparable to the fully sequenced genomes available from other amphibians. Moreover, this work focused on genes involved in gametogenesis and sexual development. Surprisingly, the
gsdf
gene was identified for the first time in a tetrapod species, so far known only from bony fish and basal sarcopterygians. Our analysis failed to isolate
fgf24
and
foxl
3, supporting the possible loss of both genes in the common ancestor of Rhipidistians. In
Cynops
, the expression analysis of genes described to be sex-related in vertebrates singled out an expected functional role for some genes, while others displayed an unforeseen behavior, confirming the high variability of the sex-related pathway in vertebrates.