RNA-sequencing indicates high hemocyanin expression as a key strategy for cold adaptation in the Antarctic amphipod Eusirus cf. giganteus clade g3

We here report the de novo transcriptome assembly and functional annotation of Eusirus cf. giganteus clade g3, providing the first database of expressed sequences from this giant Antarctic amphipod. RNA-sequencing, carried out on the whole body of a single juvenile individual likely undergoing molti...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:BIOCELL
Main Authors: Greco S., Agostino E. D., Manfrin C., Gaetano A. S., Furlanis G., Capanni F., Santovito G., Edomi P., Giulianini P. G., Gerdol M.
Other Authors: Greco, S., Agostino, E. D., Manfrin, C., Gaetano, A. S., Furlanis, G., Capanni, F., Santovito, G., Edomi, P., Giulianini, P. G., Gerdol, M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Tech Science Press 2021
Subjects:
Amphipod
Antarctica
Cold adaptation
Hemocyanin
Transcriptome
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Giganteus
Antarc*
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11577/3402167
https://doi.org/10.32604/BIOCELL.2021.016121
Description
Summary:We here report the de novo transcriptome assembly and functional annotation of Eusirus cf. giganteus clade g3, providing the first database of expressed sequences from this giant Antarctic amphipod. RNA-sequencing, carried out on the whole body of a single juvenile individual likely undergoing molting, revealed the dominant expression of hemocyanins. The mRNAs encoding these oxygen-binding proteins cumulatively accounted for about 40% of the total transcriptional effort, highlighting the key biological importance of high hemocyanin production in this Antarctic amphipod species. We speculate that this observation may mirror a strategy previously described in Antarctic cephalopods, which compensates for the decreased ability to release oxygen to peripheral tissues at sub-zero temperatures by massively increasing total blood hemocyanin content compared with temperate species. These preliminary results will undoubtedly require confirmation through proteomic and biochemical analyses aimed at characterizing the oxygen-binding properties of E. cf. giganteus clade g3 hemocyanins and at investigating whether other Antarctic arthropod species exploit similar adaptations to cope with the challenges posed by the extremeconditions of the polar environment.

Similar Items