Transcriptomic Insight into the Melon Morphology of Toothed Whales for Aquatic Molecular Developments

Jayan Duminda Mahesh Senevirathna, Ryo Yonezawa, Taiki Saka, Yoji Igarashi, Noriko Funasaka, Kazutoshi Yoshitake, Shigeharu Kinoshita and Shuichi Asakawa
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Jayan Duminda Mahesh Senevirathna: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Ryo Yonezawa: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Taiki Saka: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Yoji Igarashi: Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
Noriko Funasaka: Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
Kazutoshi Yoshitake: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Shigeharu Kinoshita: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Shuichi Asakawa: Laboratory of Aquatic Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: Aquatic habitats are home to large animals such as marine mammals. Toothed whales have special fat deposits in the forehead region (called the melon ) of their heads that are associated with echolocation underwater. This fat is also important industrially for human use. Due to the lack of gene expression information on the melon fat of toothed whales, we investigated the melon morphology via the transcriptomic approach. Four parts of the melons of three individual Risso’s dolphins were used for total RNA extraction, cDNA library preparation, and sequencing via next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. After the downstream analysis of raw sequence data, we determined that the outer layer of the melon’s ML4 region played multifunctional roles. The 36 differentially expressed genes of outer melon included ASB5 , MYH13 , MYOM2 , and MYOM3 . These genes are associated with muscle function and energy metabolism. Gene clustering and functional enrichment analyses also represented enrichments, such as the pentose phosphate pathway and morphogenesis related to lipid metabolism and muscle functions. This study will be crucial for muscle and fat functional-related molecular studies on aquatic mammals. Additionally, the study presents potential pathways, such as melon fat biosynthesis, for sustainable future developments.

Keywords: lipids; transcriptomics; gene expression; fat biosynthesis; marine mammals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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