Full-Length Transcriptome Characterization and Molecular Analysis of the Longfin Batfish (Platax teira)

Platax teira is a marine fish species with both ornamental and economic value, but it faces challenges in aquaculture due to environmental stress and disease. Genetic research on P. teira has been limited due to the limitations of the partially incomplete reference genome and the lack of a complete transcriptome. In this study, we utilized PacBio SMRT sequencing to generate a full-length transcriptome for P. teira, obtaining 39,770 isoforms, including 32,265 known gene-related transcripts and 4730 novel transcripts from 3455 new genes. All novel genes were annotated, and enrichment analysis revealed significant associations between immune-related pathways, such as cAMP, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and Wnt. We also identified 14,398 alternative splicing events, 2754 alternative polyadenylation events, 42,250 SSRs, 1569 transcription factors, and 2067 long non-coding RNAs. Additionally, protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis of immune-related pathways predicted chemokines as key immune factors among novel genes. Domain prediction analysis highlighted the diverse functional potential of immune factors such as NLRC3, tyrosine kinase 2, and A2M in different alternative splicing events. Overall, the characterization of the full-length transcriptome dataset of P. teira lays the foundation for further studies on its genetic analysis and immune regulation.