Project description:Three adult individuals of the Octopus vulgaris were collected from the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). For each animal, total RNA was isolated from the supra- (SEM), sub- (SUB) esophageal masses, optic lobes (OL) and the arms (ARM). The RNA-sequencing has been performed using Illumina technology.
Project description:Identifying natural bioactive peptides from the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797) skin mucus by-products using proteogenomic analysis
Project description:Coleoid cephalopods possess a highly complex nervous system and a rich behavioral repertoire that is unique within the invertebrates and is comparable to – but evolved independently from – the vertebrates (Shigeno et al. 2018). To explain this complexity, previous studies have implicated a unusually high level of mRNA editing in transcripts expressed in both the octopus and squid nervous system (Albertin et al. 2015; Alon et al. 2015; Liscovitch-Brauer et al. 2017). We have sequenced RNA across 18 tissues from the octopus O. vulgaris, and analyzed the extent of mRNA isoform usage as well as the expression of microRNAs in the nervous system in comparison to non-neuronal tissues.
Project description:Octopuses are mollusks that evolved intricate neural systems which are comparable with vertebrates in terms of cell number, complexity and size. Exactly how an octopus increases its neural cell number so dramatically and whether an increase in cell type diversity enables higher cognitive function and complex behavior is still unknown. To profile the cell diversity of the developing octopus brain we applied 10x Genomics’ single-cell/nuclei RNA sequencing technology. At hatching, the Octopus vulgaris brain possesses the main lobes and connections of an adult brain, but which cell types are present remains elusive. We were able to identify 42 robust cell types comprising mostly neural cells, as well as multiple glial subtypes and other non-neuronal populations such as endothelial cells and fibroblasts. In situ expression analysis of marker genes allowed spatial mapping of clusters, including vertical lobe cells and several optic lobe cell types. Investigation of cell type conservation indicated similar gene expression signatures between glial cells of mice, fly and octopus. Genes related to memory and learning were found enriched in vertical lobe cells, that showed molecular similarities with Kenyon cells in Drosophila but not to any mouse cell type. Lastly, we also analyzed the expression of newly expanded gene families (protocadherins, C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors and G-protein coupled receptors) and found that these are enriched in specific cell types. Taken together, our data gives insight into cell type evolution and the composition of the complex octopus brain.
Project description:The saliva of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) has been the subject of biochemical study for over a century. A combination of bioassays, behavioural studies and molecular analysis on O. vulgaris and related species suggests that it should contain a mixture of highly potent neurotoxins and degradative proteins. However, a lack of genomic and transcriptomic data has meant that the amino acid sequences of these proteins remain almost entirely unknown. To address this, we assembled the salivary gland transcriptome of O. vulgaris and combined it with high resolution mass spectrometry data from the posterior and anterior salivary glands of two adults, the posterior salivary glands of six paralarvae and the saliva from a single adult. We identified a total of 2810 protein groups from across this range of salivary tissues and age classes, including 84 with homology to known venom protein families. Additionally, we found 21 short secreted cysteine rich protein groups of which 12 were specific to cephalopods. By combining protein expression data with phylogenetic analysis we demonstrate that serine proteases expanded dramatically within the cephalopod lineage and that cephalopod specific proteins are strongly associated with the salivary apparatus.
Project description:Common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is an economically important cephalopod species. However, its rearing under captivity is currently challenged by massive mortalities previous to their juvenile stage due to nutritional and environmental factors. Dissecting the genetic basis and regulatory mechanism behind this mortality requires genomic background knowledge. A transcriptomic sequencing of 10 dph octopus paralarvae from different experimental conditions was constructed via RNA-seq. A total of 613,767,530 raw reads were filtered and de novo assembled into 363,527 contigs of which 82,513 were annotated in UniProt carrying also their GO and KEGG information. Differential gene expression analysis was carried out on paralarvae reared under different diet regimes and temperatures, also including wild paralarvae. Genes related to lipid metabolism exhibited higher transcriptional levels in individuals whose diet includes crustacean zoeas, which had an impact over their development and immune response capability. High temperature induces acclimation processes at the time that increase metabolic demands and oxidative stress. Wild individuals show an expression profile unexpectedly similar to Artemia fed individuals. Proteomic results support the hypothesis revealed by transcriptional analysis. The comparative study of the O. vulgaris transcriptomic profiles allowed the identification of genes that deserve to be further studied as candidates for biomarkers of development and health. The results obtained here on the transcriptional variations of genes caused by diet and temperature will provide new perspectives in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind nutritional and temperature requirements of common octopus that will open new opportunities to deepen in paralarvae rearing requirements.