The oyster genome reveals stress adaptation and complexity of shell formation

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas belongs to one of the most species-rich but genomically poorly explored phyla, the Mollusca. Here we report the sequencing and assembly of the oyster genome using short reads and a fosmid-pooling strategy, along with transcriptomes of development and stress response and the proteome of the shell. The oyster genome is highly polymorphic and rich in repetitive sequences, with some transposable elements still actively shaping variation. Transcriptome studies reveal an extensive set of genes responding to environmental stress. The expansion of genes coding for heat shock protein 70 and inhibitors of apoptosis is probably central to the oyster’s adaptation to sessile life in the highly stressful intertidal zone. Our analyses also show that shell formation in molluscs is more complex than currently understood and involves extensive participation of cells and their exosomes. The oyster genome sequence fills a void in our understanding of the Lophotrochozoa. The sequencing and assembly of the highly polymorphic oyster genome through a combination of short reads and fosmid pooling, complemented with extensive transcriptome analysis of development and stress response and proteome analysis of the shell, provides new insight into oyster biology and adaptation to a highly changeable environment. Oysters are keystone species in estuarine ecology and among the most important aquaculture species worldwide. The sequencing and assembly of the genome of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, are now reported. Comparisons with other genomes reveal an expansion of defence genes as an adaptation to life as a sessile species in the intertidal zone, a surprisingly complex pathway for shell formation and dramatic evolution of genes related to larval development, highlighting their adaptive significance for marine invertebrates.