Publication Type: | Journal Article |
Year of Publication: | 2015 |
Authors: | O. Nishimura, Hosoda, K., Kawaguchi, E., Yazawa, S., Hayashi, T., Inoue, T., Umesono, Y., Agata, K. |
Secondary Authors: | B. Fu |
Journal: | PLoS ONE |
Volume: | 10 |
Issue: | 11 |
Pagination: | e0143525 |
Date Published: | 2015 |
ISBN Number: | 1932-6203 |
Abstract: | We established a laboratory clonal strain of freshwater planarian (Dugesia japonica) that was derived from a single individual and that continued to undergo autotomous asexual reproduction for more than 20 years, and we performed large-scale genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis on it. Despite the fact that a completely clonal strain of the planarian was used, an unusually large number of mutations were detected. To enable quantitative genetic analysis of such a unique organism, we developed a new model called the Reference Gene Model, and used it to conduct large-scale transcriptome analysis. The results revealed large numbers of mutations not only outside but also inside gene-coding regions. Non-synonymous SNPs were detected in 74% of the genes for which valid ORFs were predicted. Interestingly, the high-mutation genes, such as metabolism- and defense-related genes, were correlated with genes that were previously identified as diverse genes among different planarian species. Although a large number of amino acid substitutions were apparently accumulated during asexual reproduction over this long period of time, the planarian maintained normal body-shape, behaviors, and physiological functions. The results of the present study reveal a unique aspect of asexual reproduction. |
URL: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654569/ |
Short Title: | PLoS One |
Unusually Large Number of Mutations in Asexually Reproducing Clonal Planarian Dugesia japonica
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