Genome Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Recent Species-specific Gene Duplications in the Plastic Gilthead Sea Bream

Abstract

20Gilthead sea bream is an economically important fish species that is remarkably well-adapted to 21 farming and changing environments. Understanding the genomic basis of this plasticity will serve 22 42 diversification in the evolution of gilthead sea bream genome during its successful adaptation to a 43 changing and pathogen-rich environment. This issue also underscores a role of evolutionary routes 44 3 for rapid increase of the gene repertoire in teleost fish that are independent of polyploidization. 45 Since gilthead sea bream has a well-recognized plasticity, the current study will advance our 46 understanding of fish biology and how organisms of this taxon interact with the environment. 47 48 Keywords 49 Gilthead sea bream, phylogenomics, gene duplications, transposon mobilization, immune 50 response, response to stimulus, adaptive plasticity.51