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Draft genome of the Eutardigrade Milnesium tardigradum sheds light on ecdysozoan evolution

View ORCID ProfileFelix Bemm, Laura Burleigh, Frank Förster, Roland Schmucki, Martin Ebeling, Christian J. Janzen, Thomas Dandekar, Ralph O. Schill, Ulrich Certa, Jörg Schultz
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/122309
Felix Bemm
1Department of Bioinformatics, University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
2Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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  • ORCID record for Felix Bemm
Laura Burleigh
3Roche Products Limited, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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Frank Förster
1Department of Bioinformatics, University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
4Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB), 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Roland Schmucki
5Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland
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Martin Ebeling
5Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland
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Christian J. Janzen
6Department of Zoology I, Biocenter, University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Thomas Dandekar
1Department of Bioinformatics, University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Ralph O. Schill
7Institute of Biomaterials and biomolecular Systems, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
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Ulrich Certa
5Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland
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Jörg Schultz
1Department of Bioinformatics, University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
4Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB), 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Abstract

Tardigrades are among the most stress tolerant animals and survived even unassisted exposure to space in low earth orbit. Still, the adaptations leading to these unusual physiological features remain unclear. Even the phylogenetic position of this phylum within the Ecdysozoa is unclear. Complete genome sequences might help to address these questions as genomic adaptations can be revealed and phylogenetic reconstructions can be based on new markers. Here, we present a first draft genome of a species from the family Milnesiidae, namely Milnesium tardigradum. We consistently place M. tardigradum and the two previously sequenced Hypsibiidae species, Hypsibius dujardini and Ramazzottius varieornatus, as sister group of the nematodes with the arthropods as outgroup. Based on this placement, we identify a massive gene loss thus far attributed to the nematodes which predates their split from the tardigrades. We provide a comprehensive catalog of protein domain expansions linked to stress response and show that previously identified tardigrade-unique proteins are erratically distributed across the genome of M. tardigradum. We further suggest alternative pathways to cope with high stress levels that are yet unexplored in tardigrades and further promote the phylum Tardigrada as a rich source of stress protection genes and mechanisms.

  • Abbreviations
    ROS
    Reactive Oxygen Species
    HSP
    Heat Shock Protein
    LEA
    Late Embryo abundant
    AOX
    Alternative Oxidase
    HGT
    Horizontal Gene Transfer
    HMM
    hidden Markov model
    CAHS
    Cytoplasmic Abundant Heat Soluble
    SAHS
    Secretory Abundant Heat Soluble
    MAHS
    Mitochondrial Abundant Heat Soluble
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    Posted September 05, 2017.
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    Draft genome of the Eutardigrade Milnesium tardigradum sheds light on ecdysozoan evolution
    Felix Bemm, Laura Burleigh, Frank Förster, Roland Schmucki, Martin Ebeling, Christian J. Janzen, Thomas Dandekar, Ralph O. Schill, Ulrich Certa, Jörg Schultz
    bioRxiv 122309; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/122309
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    Draft genome of the Eutardigrade Milnesium tardigradum sheds light on ecdysozoan evolution
    Felix Bemm, Laura Burleigh, Frank Förster, Roland Schmucki, Martin Ebeling, Christian J. Janzen, Thomas Dandekar, Ralph O. Schill, Ulrich Certa, Jörg Schultz
    bioRxiv 122309; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/122309

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