Genome-wide analysis of homeobox genes from Mesobuthus martensii reveals Hox gene duplication in scorpions

In the first complete genome-wide analysis of homeobox genes in Chelicerata, one hundred forty-nine homeobox genes were identified from the Asian scorpion, Mesobuthus martensii (Arachnida: Scorpiones: Buthidae) based on our newly assembled genome sequence with approximately 248 × coverage. The identified homeobox genes were categorized into eight classes including 82 families. Transcriptome data confirmed that more than half of the genes were expressed in adults. Interestingly, it is hypothesized that the scorpion M. martensii may have two Hox clusters. The first complete genome-wide analysis of homeobox genes in Chelicerata not only reveals the repertoire of scorpion, arachnid and chelicerate homeobox genes, but also shows some insights into the evolution of arthropod homeobox genes.230