Copper-mediated shifts in transcriptomic responses of intestines in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles to lead stress

The differential transcriptomic responses of intestines in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles to Pb alone or in the presence of Cu were evaluated. After de novo assembly, 105,107 unigenes were generated. Compared to the control group, 7387, 6937, and 11139 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the treatment of Pb+Cu0, Pb+Cu16, and Pb+Cu64, respectively. In addition, functional annotation and enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed substantial transcriptional reprogramming of diverse molecular and biological pathways were induced in all heavy metal treatments.