The genome of a thorny species: comparative genomic analysis among South and North American Cactaceae.

The first South American cactus nuclear genome assembly associated with comparative genomic analyses provides insights into nuclear and plastid genomic features, such as size, transposable elements, and metabolic processes related to cactus development. Here, we assembled the partial genome, plastome, and transcriptome of Cereus fernambucensis (Cereeae, Cactaceae), a representative species of the South American core Cactoideae. We accessed other genomes and transcriptomes available for cactus species to compare the heterozygosity level, genome size, transposable elements, orthologous genes, and plastome structure.

Phylogenomic analyses and divergence time estimation of Elateroidea (Coleoptera) based on RNA-Seq data.

Bioluminescence, the emission of visible light in a living organism, is an intriguing phenomenon observed in different species and environments. In terrestrial organisms, the bioluminescence is observed mainly in beetles of the Elateroidea superfamily (Coleoptera). Several phylogenetic studies have been used different strategies to propose a scenario for the origin and evolution of the bioluminescence within this group, however some of them showed incongruences, mainly about the relationship of the bioluminescent families.