The National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG) in Barcelona (Spain) participated in an international study focused on the study of the octopus, analyzing the complete sequence of its genome at the chromosomal scale, which will allow us to better understand the functioning of the special brain. this animal..
As CNAG said in a statement this Thursday, the initiative will provide the scientific community with a new tool to deepen the study of the nervous system, learning and memory, not only in cephalopods but also in mammals. .
The results served to clarify previous genomic studies, particularly to characterize the diversity of the developing brain, the evolution of cephalopod brains, and the non-coding RNA repertoire of these species.
The brain is more complex than the human brain
The study details that the octopus genome assembly contains 2.8 billion base pairs, 99.34% of which are located on 30 chromosomes, and its annotation includes 23,424 protein-coding genes.
By comparison, the human genome contains 20,000 genes concentrated on 23 chromosomes.
Cephalopods are marine species whose head is attached to their limbs, such as squid, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus, and in some cases their size can be impressive, measuring more than 20 meters.
What makes cephalopods unique is their nervous system, the largest among invertebrates, which allows them to perform such sophisticated behaviors as gathering all the information from their environment to adapt their color and shape, or even using tools for their convenience.
Due to its complex nervous system, its advanced learning ability and its exceptional camouflage abilities, it was necessary to delve into the study of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris, studying its genome at a chromosomal scale that has not yet been described in detail.
Fascinating study of complex genomes
A study that was published in the journal ‘G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics’, received funding from the international EASI-Genomics project, an initiative to provide sequencing technologies to researchers in academia and industry.
“It is very gratifying to see that such a difficult project as this one achieves such impressive results. Once again the boundaries of what is possible with genomic technologies have been crossed when it comes to treating very complicated genomes,” emphasized EASI-Genomics coordinator Ivo Gut.
“The study highlights the need for close collaboration between researchers who are trying to go further and the cutting-edge operations of centers like CNAG,” added Gut.
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