The genome of the golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata provides insight into stress tolerance and invasive adaptation

Abstract

BackgroundThe golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) is a freshwater snail listed among the top 100 worst invasive species worldwide and a noted agricultural and quarantine pest that causes great economic losses. It is characterized by fast growth, strong stress tolerance, a high reproduction rate, and adaptation to a broad range of environments.ResultsHere, we used long-read sequencing to produce a 440-Mb high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the P. canaliculata genome. In total, 50 Mb (11.4%) repeat sequences and 21,533 gene models were identified in the genome. The major findings of this study include the recent explosion of DNA/hAT-Charlie transposable elements, the expansion of the P450 gene family, and the constitution of the cellular homeostasis system, which contributes to ecological plasticity in stress adaptation. In addition, the high transcriptional levels of perivitelline genes in the ovary and albumen gland promote the function of nutrient supply and defense ability in eggs. Furthermore, the gut metagenome also contains diverse genes for food digestion and xenobiotic degradation.ConclusionsThese findings collectively provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of the ecological plasticity and high invasiveness.

Giant African snail genomes provide insights into molluscan whole-genome duplication and aquatic-terrestrial transition

“…In this study, recent TE explosions were observed in all 4 invasive mollusks but were absent in the other noninvasive mollusks. Genes located near recently emerged TEs were enriched in the function of stress responses, which is consistent with our previous findings in the golden apple snail 39 , indicating that the recent TE explosion might be a common genetic force contributing to biological invasion. In addition, WGD has been proposed to provide robustness of genetic variation and redundant gene resources for the rapid evolution of novel functions, driving phenotypic complexity and ecological adaptation.…”

“…However, the available genomic resources for Mollusca are still quite insufficient in comparison with those for other large phyla such as Arthropoda and Nematoda 29, 30 . The genomes of aquatic mollusks such as California sea hare 31 , Pacific oyster 32 , pearl oyster 33, 34 , owl limpet 35 , California two-spot octopus 36 , golden mussel 37 , Biomphalaria glabrata 38 , and golden apple snail 39 have been sequenced, whereas few terrestrial species in Mollusca have well-documented genomic information. Recently, the genomic data of the invasive land snail A. fulica were released, but without in-depth studies of related biological issues 40 .…”

Genome-wide discovery, and computational and transcriptional characterization of an AIG gene family in the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a vector for Schistosoma mansoni

“…The featured domains include AIG1, coiled-coil, TMi (transmembrane domain from inside to outside of a membrane), TMo (transmembrane domain from outside to inside of a membrane), and other special functional domains: DD-CARD (death domain CARD type), DD-Fas (death domain Fas type), Hint (hint/hedgehog), armadillo (ARM)-type fold and Pkinase (protein kinase). c. Gene structures corresponding to representative transcripts of AIG genes were shown with exon, intron and untranslated region (UTR) in different colors Table 2 Summary of predicted numbers of AIG family members in B. glabrata and 9 molluscan species Phylogenetic relationships among B. glabrata and 9 additional molluscan species were inferred according to published literature [37][38][39] seemed to originate with B. pfeifferi sequences, but most contained terminal branches from both species, again emphasizing the overall similar representation of AIGs across the two species. At least five major clusters contained only B. pfeifferi sequences, and the overall number of terminal branches represented by B. pfeifferi was higher (142) than for B. glabrata (101).…”

The Immune Response of the Invasive Golden Apple Snail to a Nematode-Based Molluscicide Involves Different Organs

“…Indexed among the worst invasive species in the world, the freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata has gained significant attention within the scientific community [1,2]. This is principally due to the different typologies of damages that the snail can cause to human economy and health.…”

“…With the idea of targeting the golden apple snail immune system as a tool to control its distribution, we sought to investigate the basic immune components in this snail. As all lophotrochozoa, P. canaliculata possesses an exclusively innate immune system [4], which, together with specific anatomical and physiological features [1], contributes to the snail's notorious adaptability. Morphological, ultrastructural, and flow cytometry studies converged towards the conclusion that the snail immune cellular component is principally represented by circulating hemocytes, divided into Group I and Group II hemocytes on the basis of their size.…”