18 Newly Assembled Snake Genomes

The study presents genome assemblies for 18 snake species that represent all modern snake families and have never before had their whole genome sequenced.* From these new genome assemblies, the team extracted thousands of loci commonly used in systematic and phylogenomic studies, including target-capture datasets composed of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and anchored hybrid enriched loci (AHEs), as well as traditional Sanger loci. The phylogenetic relationships inferred from the two target-capture loci datasets were identical with each other, and strongly congruent with previously published snake phylogenies. To show the additional utility of these novel genomes for investigative evolutionary research, the researchers mined the genome assemblies of two snake species endemic to New Guinea (S. admiraltiensis and T. doriae) for the ATP1a3 gene, a thoroughly researched indicator of resistance to toad toxin ingestion by squamates. The results indicated that both snakes possess the genotype for toad toxin resistance, despite the fact that New Guinea had no toads until the human-mediated introduction of Cane Toads in the 1930s. These species each have the same exact genetic mutation as their Australian relatives which are known to eat the invasive cane toads in Australia; this suggests that the New Guinea snakes also possess resistance to bufotoxins and could safely eat cane toads as well. Overall, the paper demonstrates the utility of short-read high-coverage genomes, as well as improving the deficit of available squamate genomes with associated voucher specimens._____________________________________*  Acrochordus granulatus, Aparallactus werneri, Boaedon fuliginosus, Calamaria suluensis, Cerberus rynchops, Grayia smithii, Imantodes cenchoa, Mimophis mahfalensis, Oxyrhabdium leporinum, Pareas carinatus, Psammodynastes pulverulentus, Pseudoxenodon macrops, Pseudoxyrhopus heterurus, Sibynophis collaris, Stegonotus admiraltiensis, Toxicocalamus goodenoughensis, Trimeresurus albolabris, and Tropidonophis doriae.
August 23. 2024