%0 Unpublished Work %1 Blumer2021-gz %A Blumer, Moritz %A Brown, Tom %A Freitas, Mariella Bontempo %A Destro, Ana Luiza %A Oliveira, Juraci A %A Morales, Ariadna %A Schell, Tilman %A Greve, Carola %A Pippel, Martin %A Jebb, David %A Hecker, Nikolai %A Ahmed, Alexis-Walid %A Kirilenko, Bogdan %A Foote, Maddy %A Janke, Axel %A Lim, Burton K %A Hiller, Michael %D 2021 %J bioRxiv %K %T Gene losses in the common vampire bat illuminate molecular adaptations to blood feeding %X AbstractFeeding exclusively on blood, vampire bats represent the only obligate sanguivorous lineage among mammals. To uncover genomic changes associated with adaptations to this unique dietary specialization, we generated a new haplotype-resolved reference-quality genome of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and screened 26 bat species for genes that were specifically lost in the vampire bat lineage. We discovered previously-unknown gene losses that relate to metabolic and physiological changes, such as reduced insulin secretion (FFAR1,SLC30A8), limited glycogen stores (PPP1R3E), and a distinct gastric physiology (CTSE). Other gene losses likely reflect the biased nutrient composition (ERN2,CTRL) and distinct pathogen diversity of blood (RNASE7). Interestingly, the loss ofREP15likely helped vampire bats to adapt to high dietary iron levels by enhancing iron excretion and the loss of the 24S-hydroxycholesterol metabolizing enzymeCYP39A1could contribute to their exceptional cognitive abilities. Finally, losses of key cone phototransduction genes (PDE6H,PDE6C) suggest that these strictly-nocturnal bats completely lack cone-based vision. These findings enhance our understanding of vampire bat biology and the genomic underpinnings of adaptations to sanguivory.

@unpublished{Blumer2021-gz, abstract = {AbstractFeeding exclusively on blood, vampire bats represent the only obligate sanguivorous lineage among mammals. To uncover genomic changes associated with adaptations to this unique dietary specialization, we generated a new haplotype-resolved reference-quality genome of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and screened 26 bat species for genes that were specifically lost in the vampire bat lineage. We discovered previously-unknown gene losses that relate to metabolic and physiological changes, such as reduced insulin secretion (FFAR1,SLC30A8), limited glycogen stores (PPP1R3E), and a distinct gastric physiology (CTSE). Other gene losses likely reflect the biased nutrient composition (ERN2,CTRL) and distinct pathogen diversity of blood (RNASE7). Interestingly, the loss ofREP15likely helped vampire bats to adapt to high dietary iron levels by enhancing iron excretion and the loss of the 24S-hydroxycholesterol metabolizing enzymeCYP39A1could contribute to their exceptional cognitive abilities. Finally, losses of key cone phototransduction genes (PDE6H,PDE6C) suggest that these strictly-nocturnal bats completely lack cone-based vision. These findings enhance our understanding of vampire bat biology and the genomic underpinnings of adaptations to sanguivory.}, added-at = {2024-09-10T11:56:37.000+0200}, author = {Blumer, Moritz and Brown, Tom and Freitas, Mariella Bontempo and Destro, Ana Luiza and Oliveira, Juraci A and Morales, Ariadna and Schell, Tilman and Greve, Carola and Pippel, Martin and Jebb, David and Hecker, Nikolai and Ahmed, Alexis-Walid and Kirilenko, Bogdan and Foote, Maddy and Janke, Axel and Lim, Burton K and Hiller, Michael}, biburl = {https://puma.scadsai.uni-leipzig.de/bibtex/28e948b1fd387fe16d23c4fab0f97ecde/scadsfct}, interhash = {5ed8ecefa924ff0cbbcf350e95af63b9}, intrahash = {8e948b1fd387fe16d23c4fab0f97ecde}, journal = {bioRxiv}, keywords = {}, month = oct, timestamp = {2024-09-10T15:15:57.000+0200}, title = {Gene losses in the common vampire bat illuminate molecular adaptations to blood feeding}, year = 2021 }