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Cited by 171Polar Research and EcologyGenomics and Phylogenetic StudiesChromosomal and Genetic Variations

Compact genome of the Antarctic midge is likely an adaptation to an extreme environment

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Kelley, Joanna L., Peyton, Justin T., Fiston-Lavier, Anna-Sophie, Teets, Nicholas M., Yee, Muh-Ching, Johnston, J. Spencer, Bustamante, Carlos D., Lee, Richard E. +1 more·2014·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/ncomms5611PMC PMC4164542
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Abstract

The midge, Belgica antarctica, is the only insect endemic to Antarctica, and thus it offers a powerful model for probing responses to extreme temperatures, freeze tolerance, dehydration, osmotic stress, ultraviolet radiation and other forms of environmental stress. Here we present the first genome assembly of an extremophile, the first dipteran in the family Chironomidae, and the first Antarctic eukaryote to be sequenced. At 99 megabases, B. antarctica has the smallest insect genome sequenced thus far. Although it has a similar number of genes as other Diptera, the midge genome has very low repeat density and a reduction in intron length. Environmental extremes appear to constrain genome architecture, not gene content. The few transposable elements present are mainly ancient, inactive retroelements. An abundance of genes associated with development, regulation of metabolism and responses to external stimuli may reflect adaptations for surviving in this harsh environment. The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is the only insect endemic to Antarctica. Here, the authors sequence the B. antarcticagenome, the smallest insect genome yet reported, and suggest that genes involved in development, metabolism and stimuli response may have had a role in how this insect adapted to survive in such a harsh environment.

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  • Genome compaction has been documented across diverse vertebrate and invertebrate lineages irrespective of body size, with compact genomes consistently showing predictable signatures of repeat depletion and structural simplification.

    “Genome compaction has been documented across diverse vertebrate and invertebrate lineages irrespective of body size, with compact genomes consistently showing predictable signatures of repeat depletion and structural simplification (e.g., refs. 31, 55, and 56).”

    From Convergent genome streamlining accompanies independent miniaturization in the world’s smallest fishes (2026) · cites this paper as [55]

    The Results link the Antarctic midge’s compact genome to fewer repeats and transposable elements and shorter introns. The Discussion reports similar reductions in non-genic DNA in a plant and a pufferfish. These examples support compaction in more than one lineage, but the paper does not establish that the pattern is consistent across diverse vertebrates and invertebrates or independent of body size. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Kelley, J. L., Peyton, J. T., Fiston-Lavier, A.-S., Teets, N. M., Yee, M.-C., Johnston, J. S., Bustamante, C. D., Lee, R. E., & Denlinger, D. L.
Affiliations
  • Washington State University (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • University of Florida (US)
  • Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
  • Texas A&M University (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Kelley, Joanna L.
  • Denlinger, David L.
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2014-08-12
Volume
5
Issue
1
Pages
4611-4611
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/ncomms5611
PMC
PMC4164542
OpenAlex
W2104602847
Cited by
171
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 3
FWCI
10.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • OakTrust (Texas A&M University Libraries) (submittedVersion)
  • Scholarly Commons - MU (Miami University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (0837559, 0837613)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH NRSA GM087069, F32GM087069)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Polar Research and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
Keywords
Belgica antarctica, genome assembly, compact genome, genome size reduction, extremophile adaptation, freezing tolerance, dehydration, osmotic stress, ultraviolet radiation, transposable elements, retrotransposons, intron length, repeat content, Chironomidae, Diptera, gene content
MeSH terms
Acclimatization, Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Antarctic Regions, Chironomidae, Cold Temperature, DNA, Environment, Multigene Family, Introns, Genes, Insect, Genome, Insect

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