The Harderian gland transcriptomes of Caraiba andreae, Cubophis cantherigerus and Tretanorhinus variabilis, three colubroid snakes from Cuba

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Vol. 111; no. 6; pp. 1720 - 1727
• Main Authors: Domínguez-Pérez, Dany, Durban, Jordi, Agüero-Chapin, Guillermin, López, Javier Torres, Molina-Ruiz, Reinaldo, Almeida, Daniela, Calvete, Juan J., Vasconcelos, Vítor, Antunes, Agostinho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2019
• Subjects: Animals; Caraiba andreae; Colubridae - genetics; Colubridae - metabolism; Cuba; Cubophis cantherigerus; Dipsadinae; Gene Expression Regulation - physiology; Harderian Gland - metabolism; Non-front-fanged snakes; Reptilian Proteins - biosynthesis; Reptilian Proteins - genetics; Snake cephalic gland transcriptomics; Snake Venoms - biosynthesis; Snake Venoms - genetics; Transcriptome - physiology; Tretanorhinus variabilis; Cuba; Dipsadinae; Snake cephalic gland transcriptomics; Cubophis cantherigerus; Non-front-fanged snakes; Caraiba andreae; Tretanorhinus variabilis
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2018.11.026

The Harderian gland is a cephalic structure, widely distributed among vertebrates. In snakes, the Harderian gland is anatomically connected to the vomeronasal organ via the nasolacrimal duct, and in some species can be larger than the eyes. The function of the Harderian gland remains elusive, but it has been proposed to play a role in the production of saliva, pheromones, thermoregulatory lipids and growth factors, among others. Here, we have profiled the transcriptomes of the Harderian glands of three non-front-fanged colubroid snakes from Cuba: Caraiba andreae (Cuban Lesser Racer); Cubophis cantherigerus (Cuban Racer); and Tretanorhinus variabilis (Caribbean Water Snake), using Illumina HiSeq2000 100 bp paired-end. In addition to ribosomal and non-characterized proteins, the most abundant transcripts encode putative transport/binding, lipocalin/lipocalin-like, and bactericidal/permeability-increasing-like proteins. Transcripts coding for putative canonical toxins described in venomous snakes were also identified. This transcriptional profile suggests a more complex function than previously recognized for this enigmatic organ. •First transcriptomic analysis of a reptile Harderian gland•Transcriptomes of the Harderian glands revealed for three non-front-fanged colubroid snakes from Cuba•Lipocalin/lipocalin-like and bactericidal/permeability-increasing-like proteins occurred among the most abundant transcripts•Transcripts coding for putative canonical toxins described in venomous snakes were also identified•Transcriptional profile suggests a more complex function than previously recognized for the Harderian gland