Andrias davidianus Transcriptome or Gene expression

Chinese giant salamander rapidly transition from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults, with a concomitant transfer of respiration from gills to lungs prior to metamorphosis. Herein, in order to test the hypothesis that candidate miRNA regulate the respiratory system transition from water to land, we used Chinese giant salamander which represents the amphibian with two key development stages to identify the differently expressed miRNAs and their corresponded target genes and performed the real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for confirmation in gill, lung and skin tissues. A high-coverage Chinese giant salamander reference transcriptome was also generated and assembled and putative regulation network of miRNA differentially expressed during such morpho-functional adjustments. Our study will provide understanding of role of miRNA mediated regulated networks in the transition from aquatic to land.