Donna M Bond, Oscar Ortega-Recalde, Melanie K Laird, Takashi Hayakawa, Kyle S Richardson, Finlay C B Reese, Bruce Kyle, Brooke E McIsaac-Williams, Bruce C Robertson, Yolanda van Heezik, Amy L Adams, Wei-Shan Chang, Bettina Haase, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Maximilian Driller, Joanna Collins, Kerstin Howe, Yasuhiro Go, Francoise Thibaud-Nissen, Nicholas C Lister, Paul D Waters, Olivier Fedrigo, Erich D Jarvis, Neil J Gemmell, Alana Alexander, Timothy A Hore
Combining genome assembly with population and functional genomics can provide valuable insights to development and evolution, as well as tools for species management. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a model marsupial threatened in parts of their native range in Australia, but also a major introduced pest in New Zealand. Functional genomics reveals post-natal activation of chemosensory and metabolic genes, reflecting unique adaptations to altricial birth and delayed weaning, a hallmark of marsupial development...
October 17, 2023: Nature Communications