Studying aquatic adaptation of amniotes based on the comparative genomics of sea snakes

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07184
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Kishida Takushi 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 特定助教 (40527892)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TODA Mamoru 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, 准教授 (40378534)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: デノボアセンブル / 感覚受容体遺伝子 / 嗅覚 / AQP2

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, whole-genomes of amphibious and fully aquatic sea snakes were sequenced and assembled, and compared with that of terrestrial snakes. As a result, it is suggested that many chemosensory receptor genes were lost from the genomes of sea snakes. In addition, expression of RNA sequences of remaining chemosensory receptor genes is not confirmed in the nasal cavity of fully aquatic sea snakes. Degeneration of the chemosensory receptor genes is also confirmed in the case of cetaceans, suggesting convergent evolution being caused by aquatic adaptation. However, unlike cetaceans, it is revealed that fully aquatic sea snakes can smell underwater. No fully aquatic amniotes are known to be able to smell underwater and sea snakes are the only exception from this rule.

Free Research Field

進化生物学