中国真蝎科分类和转录组学研究

With a long medicinal history and comprehensive medical function, scorpions are important resources of Chinese Herbal Medicine. The kinds of scorpion toxins are rich and varied, they can regulate manifold ion channels specifically, are the great concerned important natural drug resources. The foundation of scorpion taxonomy research is unsubstantial in our country that leads to the difficulty from species identification in the study of scorpion toxins. The family Euscorpiidae is the biggest scorpion group known in our country, mainly distributing in Xizang. A scorpion investigation in the distribution regions of euscorpiid species: Xizang, Yunnan, and Hubei, was finished by our project team preliminarily. We found the biodiversity of the family Euscorpiidae is complex in Xizang and needs more scientific expedition and research. In order to investigate the resources of euscorpiid scorpions of our country and exploit their toxins, this project will performing the identification of euscorpiid scorpions of our country and the diversity investigation of euscorpiid scorpions in Xizang based on the previous investigation, and then revise the fauna of the family Euscorpiidae of our country. This project will sequence and study the transcriptomes of the typical medical euscorpiid species, exploit their toxin genes, analyse the differences and similarities of toxins among different groups of the order Scorpiones, and discuss the origin and evolution of scorpion toxins. Finally, the comparisons of the transcriptomes and toxins from different euscorpiid scorpion species will be used for analysis the biological features and adaptive evolution of euscorpiid scorpions. This subject will promote the exploitation of scorpions and their toxin resources, and the in-depth research of scorpion biology in our country.

蝎的药用历史悠久，医药作用广泛，是重要的中药资源。蝎毒素多肽种类多样，可特异性调节多种类型的离子通道，是备受关注的天然药物资源。我国蝎目分类学基础研究薄弱，为蝎毒素研究中的蝎物种鉴定增加了难度。真蝎科是我国蝎目已知的最大类群，主要分布于西藏。本项目组已对西藏、云南和湖北三个真蝎分布区进行了初步调查，发现西藏的真蝎科多样性复杂，有必要进一步研究。为调查我国真蝎多样性资源，发掘和利用真蝎毒素多肽，本项目拟在前期调查的基础上开展国产真蝎的鉴定和西藏真蝎的多样性调查，修订我国真蝎科分类区系；对具有药用价值的真蝎科代表物种进行转录组学研究，发掘真蝎毒素基因资源，分析蝎目类群间毒素的异同，探讨蝎毒素的起源进化；分析真蝎种间转录组和毒素的异同，探讨真蝎的生物学特征和适应进化。本项目将推动我国对蝎及其毒素资源的开发利用和对蝎生物学的深入研究。

蝎是传统的中药材资源，其毒素可特异性调节多种类型的离子通道，是颇受关注的天然药物资源。我国蝎目分类学的研究基础薄弱，为蝎目及其毒素研究中的物种鉴定增加了难度。真蝎科是我国蝎目各类群中的种类最多的科，主要分布于西藏。本项目以西藏真蝎科物种的分类、转录组和同源异形现象为主要研究内容。在对我国真蝎科分布区进行了初步调查的基础上,赴西藏30县（区）对真蝎科物种进行针对性野外调查，共采集300余号标本。初步鉴定发现西藏分布真蝎科的真蝎属和琵蝎属两属，发现和描述了真蝎属1新种1新记录种，琵蝎属1新种，修订了两属的名录及检索表。完成了2个代表物种的转录组测序和初步分析。在浅黄琵蝎中发现了罕见的同源异形案例，其双叶状的生殖厣和栉器被转化为行走的步足，一个异常的腹板上挨着书肺生出一个类似于古生代蝎子化石形态的外翻结构。通过与现生蝎的胚胎对比分析得出的结论是：所观察到的形态与胚胎发育过程中同源异形基因的异常表达相一致。这一异常标本的表型表明，生殖厣、栉器和部分书肺可能来自蝎祖先腹部附肢的端节，而不是外叶。这一解释与著名的“祖先鳃”假说相矛盾，但与古生代蝎子化石记录的特征和现代蝎子胚胎学相一致。这些工作为我国蝎目分类和生物学研究提供了基础信息；同源异形蝎研究为揭示蝎目的生殖厣（生殖结构）、栉器（嗅觉器官）和书肺（呼吸器官）的演化提供了重要的证据。