Comparative Tissue Identification and Characterization of Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Globally Distributed Blue Shark...

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Genomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulators in animals and plants, but their roles in sharks remain largely unexplored.
• Understanding lncRNA expression and function is essential for advancing comparative genomics and evolutionary studies in elasmobranchs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and characterize lncRNAs in the blue shark (Prionace glauca).
• To investigate the expression patterns, including stable and tissue-specific lncRNAs, across four key tissues.
• To predict functions of differentially expressed lncRNAs and their target genes.

Main Methods:

• High-throughput sequencing of liver, spleen, muscle, and kidney tissues from blue sharks.
• Bioinformatics analysis for lncRNA identification and expression profiling.
• Prediction of lncRNA-target gene interactions and functional enrichment analysis (Gene Ontology).

Main Results:

• Identification of 21,932 high-confidence lncRNAs in the blue shark.
• Discovery of 8,984 stably expressed and 3,067 tissue-specific lncRNAs.
• Analysis of 45,007 differentially expressed lncRNAs, with significant differences observed between kidney and muscle tissues.
• Functional enrichment analysis linked DE lncRNAs to tissue-specific processes like muscle function, metabolism, and immune responses.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comprehensive catalog of lncRNAs in the blue shark.
• Novel insights into tissue-specific lncRNA expression and their functional relevance in sharks were revealed.
• The findings establish a foundation for future functional studies of lncRNAs in shark biology and conservation.