近日，中科院昆明动物所、深圳华大基因研究院等单位对树鼩进行了全基因组测序，并对其分类地位和相关生物学特征进行了深度解析。业内专家认为，该研究解决了长期以来学界关于树鼩与灵长总目的系统发育关系的争议，为其在生物医学研究中用作动物模型奠定了重要的遗传学基础。相关研究成果日前在线发表于《自然—通讯》杂志。
据了解，树鼩因其分子细胞层面与人的相似性，被当做实验动物模型而广泛用于生物医学研究和药物安全性评价。目前，多种人类病毒感染的树鼩模型已建立，并在神经生物学、生殖生物学、免疫学、社会心理学以及衰老研究等领域有着广泛而深入的研究与应用。但树鼩的分类地位尚不明确，且争议很大。
在这项研究中，科研人员利用二代测序技术对一只中国树鼩进行了全基因组测序，总覆盖度高达79X。之后，科研人员又将相关数据与多个物种基因组进行了比较分析。利用全基因组序列重构树鼩与其他物种的系统发育关系，科研人员证实了树鼩与灵长类亲缘关系最为接近，从分子水平上为树鼩分类学研究奠定了科研基础，并且为其代替非人灵长类动物作为实验动物模型提供了重要依据。经过进一步分析树鼩与人类之间的遗传学关系，研究人员共鉴定出28个树鼩与灵长类共有的功能性基因。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/ncomms2416
PMC:
PMID:
Genome of the Chinese tree shrew
Yu Fan,Zhi-Yong Huang,Chang-Chang Cao,Ce-Shi Chen,Yuan-Xin Chen,Ding-Ding Fan,Jing He,Hao-Long Hou,Li Hu,Xin-Tian Hu,Xuan-Ting Jiang,Ren Lai,Yong-Shan Lang,Bin Liang,Sheng-Guang Liao,Dan Mu,Yuan-Ye Ma,Yu-Yu Niu,Xiao-Qing Sun,Jin-Quan Xia
Chinese tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) possess many features valuable in animals used as experimental models in biomedical research. Currently, there are numerous attempts to employ tree shrews as models for a variety of human disorders: depression, myopia, hepatitis B and C virus infections, and hepatocellular carcinoma, to name a few. Here we present a publicly available annotated genome sequence for the Chinese tree shrew. Phylogenomic analysis of the tree shrew and other mammalians highly support its close affinity to primates. By characterizing key factors and signalling pathways in nervous and immune systems, we demonstrate that tree shrews possess both shared common and unique features, and provide a genetic basis for the use of this animal as a potential model for biomedical research.
