Integrated genomics and transcriptomics reveal molecular insights into extreme dietary adaptation in vampire bats
- 1Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
Abstract
Vampire bats are the only tetrapods that feed exclusively on blood. To uncover the molecular changes associated with this extreme dietary specialization, we generated six new reference genomes, including genomes of all three vampire bat species, and integrated comparative analyses of gene sequence evolution (selection signatures, duplications, and losses) with transcriptomic data from six major organs to identify shifts in gene expression. Our integrative analyses reveal sequence or expression changes in 150 genes that provide insights into the molecular biology of sanguivory. Through comparative analyses and experiments, we show that the enlarged vampire bat stomach has increased connective tissue content, likely facilitating extreme expansion, is pH-neutral, and exhibits reduced mucus production, together providing molecular insights into its shift from a digestive to an absorptive organ for water, electrolytes, and vitamins. We further uncover pathway-level molecular changes associated with altered gastrointestinal motility; trypsin-dependent protein digestion; upregulated amino acid catabolism with key aspects diverging from other mammals; impaired dietary fat digestion counterbalanced by increased fatty acid synthesis; defective sugar metabolism and natural insulin deficiency; enhanced heme iron absorption; and adult splenic erythropoiesis. Together, these findings provide an integrated view of molecular changes associated with one of the most extreme dietary transitions among vertebrates.
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BibTeX
@misc{liu2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated genomics and transcriptomics reveal molecular insights into extreme dietary adaptation in vampire bats}},
author = {S. Liu and M. B. Freitas and S. S. R. Sartori and M. Albertini and E. Leushkin and I. A. van Tussenbroek and A. E. Morales and M. Pippel and T. Brown and A. F. R. de Sousa and R. A. de Paula and I. Patmanidis and W. Jespers and L. Hilgers and X. Yi and B. Bein and Y. Malovichko and T. Schell and C. Greve and S. Winkler and A. B. Hamadou and M. Blumer and G. Prange and J. C. H. Cueria and M. Koessl and Y. Winter and S. Dilrosun and S. D. Bechan and M. D. Engstrom and D. Jafferally and Z. Norman and F. Sornoza and L. M. Davalos and B. Lim and S. Vernes and M. Hiller and A. Gonzales-Irribarren},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.64898/2026.07.24.740446},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.24.740446v2},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Integrated genomics and transcriptomics reveal molecular insights into extreme dietary adaptation in vampire bats
AU - S. Liu
AU - M. B. Freitas
AU - S. S. R. Sartori
AU - M. Albertini
AU - E. Leushkin
AU - I. A. van Tussenbroek
AU - A. E. Morales
AU - M. Pippel
AU - T. Brown
AU - A. F. R. de Sousa
AU - R. A. de Paula
AU - I. Patmanidis
AU - W. Jespers
AU - L. Hilgers
AU - X. Yi
AU - B. Bein
AU - Y. Malovichko
AU - T. Schell
AU - C. Greve
AU - S. Winkler
AU - A. B. Hamadou
AU - M. Blumer
AU - G. Prange
AU - J. C. H. Cueria
AU - M. Koessl
AU - Y. Winter
AU - S. Dilrosun
AU - S. D. Bechan
AU - M. D. Engstrom
AU - D. Jafferally
AU - Z. Norman
AU - F. Sornoza
AU - L. M. Davalos
AU - B. Lim
AU - S. Vernes
AU - M. Hiller
AU - A. Gonzales-Irribarren
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/24
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.07.24.740446
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.24.740446v2
AB - Vampire bats are the only tetrapods that feed exclusively on blood. To uncover the molecular changes associated with this extreme dietary specialization, we generated six new reference genomes, including genomes of all three vampire bat species, and integrated comparative analyses of gene sequence evolution (selection signatures, duplications, and losses) with transcriptomic data from six major organs to identify shifts in gene expression. Our integrative analyses reveal sequence or expression changes in 150 genes that provide insights into the molecular biology of sanguivory. Through comparative analyses and experiments, we show that the enlarged vampire bat stomach has increased connective tissue content, likely facilitating extreme expansion, is pH-neutral, and exhibits reduced mucus production, together providing molecular insights into its shift from a digestive to an absorptive organ for water, electrolytes, and vitamins. We further uncover pathway-level molecular changes associated with altered gastrointestinal motility; trypsin-dependent protein digestion; upregulated amino acid catabolism with key aspects diverging from other mammals; impaired dietary fat digestion counterbalanced by increased fatty acid synthesis; defective sugar metabolism and natural insulin deficiency; enhanced heme iron absorption; and adult splenic erythropoiesis. Together, these findings provide an integrated view of molecular changes associated with one of the most extreme dietary transitions among vertebrates.
ER -