The Genome of the Yellow Mealworm, Tenebrio molitor : It's Bigger Than You Think

• Published in: Genes 2023-12, Vol.14 (12), p.2209
• Main Authors: Oppert, Brenda, Dossey, Aaron T, Chu, Fu-Chyun, Šatović-Vukšić, Eva, Plohl, Miroslav, Smith, Timothy P L, Koren, Sergey, Olmstead, Morgan L, Leierer, Dewey, Ragan, Gail, Johnston, J Spencer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin; Animals; CRISPR; Eggs; Embryos; Environmental impact; Feeds; Females; Flour; Flow cytometry; Food chains; Food industry; Genetic engineering; Genetic transformation; Genomes; Insects; Livestock; Nucleotide sequence; Protein sources; Proteins; Satellite DNA; Tenebrio molitor; Transcriptomes
• ISSN: 2073-4425; 2073-4425
• DOI: 10.3390/genes14122209

Insects are a sustainable source of protein for human food and animal feed. We present a genome assembly, CRISPR gene editing, and life stage-specific transcriptomes for the yellow mealworm, , one of the most intensively farmed insects worldwide. Long and short reads and long-range data were obtained from a male pupa. Sequencing transcripts from 12 life stages resulted in 279 million reads for gene prediction and genetic engineering. A unique plasmid delivery system containing guide RNAs targeting the eye color gene flanking the muscle gene promoter and EGFP marker was used in CRISPR/Cas9 transformation. The assembly is approximately 53% of the genome size of 756.8 ± 9.6 Mb, measured using flow cytometry. Assembly was complicated by a satellitome of at least 11 highly conserved satDNAs occupying 28% of the genome. The injection of the plasmid into embryos resulted in knock-out of and knock-in of EGFP. The genome of is longer than current assemblies (including ours) due to a substantial amount (26.5%) of only one highly abundant satellite DNA sequence. Genetic sequences and transformation tools for an insect important to the food and feed industries will promote the sustainable utilization of mealworms and other farmed insects.