Octopuses are among the most intriguing creatures on Earth. They have remarkable intelligence, complex behaviors, and amazing adaptations to their environment.
But how did they evolve to be so different from other animals?
A new study has shed some light on this question by revealing the genomic composition of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, at the chromosome level.
A chromosome-scale genome map for the octopus
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
The common octopus is an important model organism for neuroscience, cognition research, and developmental biology.
However, until now, there was no detailed information on how its genetic information is arranged at the chromosome level.
This gap has been filled by a team of scientists from the University of Vienna, the KU Leuven, the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, who used advanced technologies in genomics research to create a chromosome-scale genome map for the octopus.
The study, published in the journal G3: Genes / Genomes / Genetics, determined that the octopus genome consists of 2.8 billion base pairs organized in 30 chromosomes.
This is slightly smaller than the human genome, which has 3.2 billion base pairs and 23 pairs of chromosomes.
However, the octopus genome has about 10,000 more genes than humans, giving it a total of 33,0003.
The researchers attributed this expansion to the widespread shuffling of the genome and the appearance of novel genes that helped the octopus to survive.
The chromosome-scale genome map for the octopus will enable scientists to better understand the characteristics and biology of these fascinating animals, as well as their evolutionary history.
For example, one of the features that makes octopuses unique is their neuronal plasticity, which means their brain's ability to change and adapt as they learn and experience new things.
Another feature that makes octopuses stand out is their ability to regenerate parts of their bodies, such as arms and eyes, as well as their rapid changes of their body patterns, which are important for camouflage and communication.
These traits are likely influenced by the presence of transposons, or "jumping genes," which are small pieces of DNA that can move from one location in the genome to another.
Nearly half of the octopus genome is composed of transposons, which may have contributed to its structural rearrangement and innovation.
The researchers hoped that their study will inspire further research on cephalopod genomes and their evolution, and that their work will raise awareness and appreciation for these amazing animals, which are threatened by overfishing and habitat loss.
"Octopuses are fascinating animals-and serve as important model organisms in neuroscience, cognition research and developmental biology," said first author Dalila Destanović, a scientist at the Simakov Laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology at the University of Vienna.
"With our current technologies used in genomics research, we were able to create a kind of 'genome map' for the octopus, showing how genetic information is arranged at the chromosome level," she added.
