Transcriptional landscapes of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Dev Biol. 2018 Jan 15;433(2):227-239. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.022. Epub 2017 Dec 25.

Abstract

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the vertebrate model system with the highest regeneration capacity. Experimental tools established over the past 100 years have been fundamental to start unraveling the cellular and molecular basis of tissue and limb regeneration. In the absence of a reference genome for the Axolotl, transcriptomic analysis become fundamental to understand the genetic basis of regeneration. Here we present one of the most diverse transcriptomic data sets for Axolotl by profiling coding and non-coding RNAs from diverse tissues. We reconstructed a population of 115,906 putative protein coding mRNAs as full ORFs (including isoforms). We also identified 352 conserved miRNAs and 297 novel putative mature miRNAs. Systematic enrichment analysis of gene expression allowed us to identify tissue-specific protein-coding transcripts. We also found putative novel and conserved microRNAs which potentially target mRNAs which are reported as important disease candidates in heart and liver.

Keywords: Axolotl; Coding and non-coding RNAseq; MicroRNAs; Regenerative tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ambystoma mexicanum / genetics*
  • Ambystoma mexicanum / physiology
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Gene Library
  • Gene Ontology
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / biosynthesis
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Organ Specificity
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Regeneration / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Species Specificity
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering