Physeter macrocephalus Transcriptome or Gene expression

Physeter macrocephalus (sperm whale) is being sequenced as an aquatic model organism for the study of respiratory disease, metal toxicity and cancer. Whales are known to accumulate high levels of metals such as chromium, a human lung carcinogen and contributor to other forms of lung disease. Given that the levels of chromium in whale tissue are sufficient to seriously impair or even kill terrestrial mammals, it is hypothesized that marine mammals have evolved novel repair mechanisms that can protect their DNA from metals like chromium. Hypoxia is a well-known cause of respiratory-related diseases such as sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary emphysema. Marine mammals, however, can dive to great depths for prolonged periods of time and not experience these ill effects of hypoxia. The availability of sperm whale genome resources will allow scientists to investigate the molecular pathways contributing to these adaptations.

抹香鲸（Physeter macrocephalus）正被作为水生模式生物开展全基因组测序，以开展呼吸系统疾病、金属毒性与癌症的相关研究。现有研究表明，鲸类可在体内富集高浓度金属，例如铬——其作为人类肺部致癌物，同时也是其他肺部疾病的致病诱因。鉴于鲸类组织中的铬含量足以严重损伤陆生哺乳动物的机体，甚至导致其死亡，研究人员推测海洋哺乳动物已演化出全新的脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）修复机制，能够保护自身遗传物质免受铬等金属的损害。缺氧是引发睡眠呼吸暂停、慢性阻塞性肺疾病、肺气肿等呼吸系统疾病的明确诱因。但海洋哺乳动物能够长时间深潜至极深水域，却不会受到缺氧带来的各类不良影响。抹香鲸基因组资源的面世，将助力科学家深入探究驱动这些适应性特征的分子通路。