Transcriptomic analysis of embryo development in the invasive snail Pomacea canaliculata

Abstract

A scarcity of genomic data hinders progress in understanding gene expression of Pomacea canaliculata embryogenesis. This study used RNA-Seq (Illumina) to characterize gene expression across four stages of embryo development of P. canaliculata from early stage II (endoderm formation) to later stage V (appearance of shell pigmentation). A total of 35,100 unigenes were annotated and gene expression patterns were considered in relation to organogenesis of albumen gland, nervous system, circadian rhythm, immune system and shell formation. This is the first use of next-generation sequencing to catalogue gene expression in the developing embryo of P. canaliculata and provides primary data for future molecular ecological studies of this invasive snail.