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Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture

Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture

Published on: October 23, 2019

Transcriptomic and epigenomic characterization of the developing bat wing.

Walter L Eckalbar^1,2, Stephen A Schlebusch³, Mandy K Mason³

¹Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Nature Genetics

|March 29, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers sequenced the genome of the Natal long-eared bat (Miniopterus natalensis) to uncover genetic factors behind bat wing development. They identified key genes and regulatory elements involved in shaping these unique flying limbs.

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Last Updated: Mar 23, 2026

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Developmental biology

Background:

Bats are unique mammals with powered flight, yet the genetic basis of wing development remains largely unknown.
Understanding bat wing formation offers insights into evolutionary adaptations for flight.

Purpose of the Study:

To decipher the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying bat wing development.
To identify genes and regulatory elements contributing to the evolution of bat wings.

Main Methods:

Genome sequencing of Miniopterus natalensis.
RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and ChIP-sequencing (H3K27ac, H3K27me3) on developing bat limbs.
Comparative genomics and pathway analyses.

Main Results:

Over 7,000 genes and long noncoding RNAs showed differential expression between forelimbs and hindlimbs.
Thousands of differentially modified regulatory regions were identified in limb development.
Bat-accelerated genomic regions were found near limb-associated genes, suggesting roles in wing evolution.

Conclusions:

Multiple genetic components, including specific genes and regulatory elements, contribute to bat wing formation.
Differential gene regulation and mesenchymal condensation play roles in the unique growth of bat forelimbs.
This study provides crucial insights into the genetic underpinnings of a major morphological innovation in bats.