Molecular profile of Treeshrew, a promising experimental animal for medical research

Abstract

Scandentia order in Euarchontoglires consists of two families, Tupaiidae and Ptilocercidae , including five genera that contain 20 species. Genus Tupaia having 15 species is the largest genus in the order Scandentia . Most species in Scandentia have a karyotype 2n=52–68, therein, the well-known common treeshrew ( Tupaia glis ) has 2n=60; Northern treeshrew ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis , has 2n=62; pygmy treeshrew ( Tupaia minor ) has 2n=66 and mountain treeshrew ( Tupaia montana ) has 2=68, whereas only one species Mindanao treeshrew ( Urogaleeveretti ) has 2n=44. The whole genome Northern treeshrew ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis ) was sequenced and assembled recently. The size of a 2.86 GB genome was assembled that contains approximately 22 063 protein coding genes very closer to human gene number, and contains 35% of the repeat important element, and 14% of the dominated transposeon in the treeshrew genome. The functional annotation of some important genes and gene families will facilitate treeshrew becoming a promising experimental animal for medicine evaluation alternative to nonhuman primates.