Eye-Transcriptome and Genome-Wide Sequencing for Scolecophidia: Implications for Inferring the Visual System of the Ancestral Snake
Genome Biology and Evolution, vol. 13
Abstract
Molecular genetic data have recently been incorporated in attempts to reconstruct the ecology of the ancestral snake, though this has been limited by a paucity of data for one of the two main extant snake taxa, the highly fossorial Scolecophidia. Here we present and analyze vision genes from the first eye-transcriptomic and genome-wide data for Scolecophidia, for Anilios bicolor, and A. bituberculatus, respectively. We also present immunohistochemistry data for retinal anatomy and visual opsin-gene expression in Anilios. Analyzed in the context of 19 lepidosaurian genomes and 12 eye transcriptomes, the new genome-wide and transcriptomic data provide evidence for a much more reduced visual system in Anilios than in non-scolecophidian (=alethinophidian) snakes and in lizards. In Anilios, there is no evidence of the presence of 7 of the 12 genes associated with alethinophidian photopic (cone) phototransduction. This indicates extensive gene loss and many of these candidate gene losses occur also in highly fossorial mammals with reduced vision. Although recent phylogenetic studies have found evidence for scolecophidian paraphyly, the loss in Anilios of visual genes that are present in alethinophidians implies that the ancestral snake had a better-developed visual system than is known for any extant scolecophidian.
Authors 12
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David J. Gower corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
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Keio University · University of Bristol
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Yamagata, Japan
School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Affiliation as printed
Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Leiden University · Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Bruno F. Simões corresponding
University of Bristol · The University of Adelaide · University of Plymouth
Affiliation as printed
School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
School of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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