Transcriptome assembly for a colour-polymorphic grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus) with a very large genome size

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• The club-legged grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus) is a promising model for studying color polymorphism, sexual ornamentation, and genome size evolution.
• Limited molecular resources currently hinder research on this species.
• A de novo transcriptome assembly is presented as a crucial reference resource.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive transcriptome assembly for Gomphocerus sibiricus.
• To provide a foundational resource for gene expression and genotype-phenotype association studies.
• To facilitate comparative genomic and evolutionary research.

Main Methods:

• High-throughput Illumina sequencing generated over 5 million paired-end reads.
• Multiple de novo transcriptome assemblers (Trinity, SOAPdenovo-trans, Oases/Velvet) were utilized.
• Contigs were combined and annotated using InterProScan 5, BLASTx, and the dammit! pipeline.

Main Results:

• An assembly of 82,251 contigs with an N50 of 1357 was generated, showing favorable comparison to other orthopteran assemblies.
• Approximately 87% of transcripts were annotated, revealing genes involved in pigmentation.
• 76,221 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified, and the mitochondrial genome and Wolbachia sequences were assembled.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a significant genomic resource for Gomphocerus sibiricus, enabling genotype-phenotype association studies.
• The assembled transcriptome and associated genetic data will advance research on this species' unique biological traits.
• Mitochondrial and Wolbachia sequences offer valuable data for comparative evolutionary studies.