Cell
Volume 163, Issue 6, 3 December 2015, Pages 1527-1538
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Insights into Sex Chromosome Evolution and Aging from the Genome of a Short-Lived Fish

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.10.071Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • The genome sequence of a very short-lived fish is a resource for aging research

  • The sex chromosomes display features of early mammalian XY evolution

  • Aging-related genes are clustered in specific genomic regions

  • Transcriptional profiles show similarities between developmental arrest and aging

Summary

The killifish Nothobranchius furzeri is the shortest-lived vertebrate that can be bred in the laboratory. Its rapid growth, early sexual maturation, fast aging, and arrested embryonic development (diapause) make it an attractive model organism in biomedical research. Here, we report a draft sequence of its genome that allowed us to uncover an intra-species Y chromosome polymorphism representing—in real time—different stages of sex chromosome formation that display features of early mammalian XY evolution “in action.” Our data suggest that gdf6Y, encoding a TGF-β family growth factor, is the master sex-determining gene in N. furzeri. Moreover, we observed genomic clustering of aging-related genes, identified genes under positive selection, and revealed significant similarities of gene expression profiles between diapause and aging, particularly for genes controlling cell cycle and translation. The annotated genome sequence is provided as an online resource (http://www.nothobranchius.info/NFINgb).

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Co-first author

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Co-senior author

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Present address: Deep Sequencing Group SFB 655, Biotechnology Center, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden 01307, Germany

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Present address: Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA