Genomic-transcriptomic analysis reveals Syrian hamster as a superior human disease animal model

Abstract Backgroud: The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) has shown promise as a human diseases model, recapitulating features of different human diseases including the emerging COVID-19. However, the landscape of its genome and transcriptome has not been systematically dissected, restricting its potential applications. Results: Here we provide a complete analysis of the genome and transcriptome of the Syrian hamster and found that its lineage diverged from that of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) around 29.4 million years ago. 21,387 protein-coding genes were identified, with 90.03% of the 2.56G base pair sequence being anchored to 22 chromosomes. The further comparison of the transcriptomes from 15 tissues of the Syrian hamster disclosed that Syrian hamster shares a pattern of alternative splicing modes more similar to humans, compared to rats and mice. A integrated genomic-transcriptomic analysis revealed that Syrian hamster also has genetic and biological advantages as a superior animal model for cardiovascular diseases. Strikingly, several genes involved in SARS-COV-2 infection including ACE2present a higher homology with humans than other rodents and show the same function as the human counterparts. Conclusion: The detailed molecular characterisation of the Syrian hamster in the present study opens a wealth of fundamental resources from this small rodent for future research into human disease pathology and treatment.