Article Evidence for a Saponin Biosynthesis Pathway in the Body Wall of the Commercially Significant Sea Cucumber Holothuria scabra Shahida Akter Mitu 1, Utpal Bose 1,2,3, Saowaros Suwansa-ard 1, Luke H. Turner 1, Min Zhao 1, Abigail Elizur 1, Steven M. Ogbourne 1, Paul Nicholas Shaw 3 and Scott F. Cummins 1,* 1 Genecology Research Center, Faculty of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia;
[email protected] (S.A.M.);
[email protected] (U.B.);
[email protected] (S.S.);
[email protected] (L.H.T.);
[email protected] (M.Z.);
[email protected] (A.E.);
[email protected] (S.M.O.) 2 CSIRO Agriculture and Food, St Lucia, Brisbane 4067, Queensland, Australia 3 School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4067, Queensland, Australia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +61-7-5456-5501 Received: 9 August 2017; Accepted: 31 October 2017; Published: 7 November 2017 Abstract: The sea cucumber (phylum Echinodermata) body wall is the first line of defense and is well known for its production of secondary metabolites; including vitamins and triterpenoid glycoside saponins that have important ecological functions and potential benefits to human health. The genes involved in the various biosynthetic pathways are unknown. To gain insight into these pathways in an echinoderm, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis and functional annotation of the body wall and the radial nerve of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra; to define genes associated with body wall metabolic functioning and secondary metabolite biosynthesis.