High occurrence of functional new chimeric genes in survey of rice chromosome 3 short arm genome sequences

Fusion transcripts in plants: hidden layer of transcriptome complexity

In the realm of genetic information, fusion transcripts contribute to the intricate complexity of the transcriptome across various organisms. Recently, Cong et al. investigated these RNAs in rice, maize, soybean, and arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), revealing conserved characteristics. These findings enhance our understanding of the functional roles and evolutionary significance of these fusion transcripts.

The landscape of fusion transcripts in plants: a new insight into genome complexity

BACKGROUND

Fusion transcripts (FTs), generated by the fusion of genes at the DNA level or RNA-level splicing events significantly contribute to transcriptome diversity. FTs are usually considered unique features of neoplasia and serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for multiple cancers. The latest findings show the presence of FTs in normal human physiology. Several discrete reports mentioned the presence of fusion transcripts in planta, has important roles in stress responses, morphological alterations, or traits (e.g. seed size, etc.).

RESULTS

In this study, we identified 169,197 fusion transcripts in 2795 transcriptome datasets of Arabidopsis thaliana, Cicer arietinum, and Oryza sativa by using a combination of tools, and confirmed the translational activity of 150 fusion transcripts through proteomic datasets. Analysis of the FT junction sequences and their association with epigenetic factors, as revealed by ChIP-Seq datasets, demonstrated an organised process of fusion formation at the DNA level. We investigated the possible impact of three-dimensional chromatin conformation on intra-chromosomal fusion events by leveraging the Hi-C datasets with the incidence of fusion transcripts. We further utilised the long-read RNA-Seq datasets to validate the most reoccurring fusion transcripts in each plant species followed by further authentication through RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that a significant portion of fusion events may be attributed to alternative splicing during transcription, accounting for numerous fusion events without a proportional increase in the number of RNA pairs. Even non-nuclear DNA transcripts from mitochondria and chloroplasts can participate in intra- and inter-chromosomal fusion formation. Genes in close spatial proximity are more prone to undergoing fusion formation, especially in intra-chromosomal FTs. Most of the fusion transcripts may not undergo translation and serve as long non-coding RNAs. The low validation rate of FTs in plants indicated that the fusion transcripts are expressed at very low levels, like in the case of humans. FTs often originate from parental genes involved in essential biological processes, suggesting their relevance across diverse tissues and stress conditions. This study presents a comprehensive repository of fusion transcripts, offering valuable insights into their roles in vital physiological processes and stress responses.

PFusionDB: a comprehensive database of plant-specific fusion transcripts

Fusion transcripts (FTs) are well known cancer biomarkers, relatively understudied in plants. Here, we developed PFusionDB (www.nipgr.ac.in/PFusionDB), a novel plant-specific fusion-transcript database. It is a comprehensive repository of 80,170, 39,108, 83,330, and 11,500 unique fusions detected in 1280, 637, 697, and 181 RNA-Seq samples of Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa japonica, Oryza sativa indica, and Cicer arietinum respectively. Here, a total of 76,599 (Arabidopsis thaliana), 35,480 (Oryza sativa japonica), 72,099 (Oryza sativa indica), and 9524 (Cicer arietinum) fusion transcripts are non-recurrent i.e., only found in one sample. Identification of FTs was performed by using a total of five tools viz. EricScript-Plants, STAR-Fusion, TrinityFusion, SQUID, and MapSplice. At PFusionDB, available fundamental details of fusion events includes the information of parental genes, junction sequence, expression levels of fusion transcripts, breakpoint coordinates, strand information, tissue type, treatment information, fusion type, PFusionDB ID, and Sequence Read Archive (SRA) ID. Further, two search modules: 'Simple Search' and 'Advanced Search', along with a 'Browse' option to data download, are present for the ease of users. Three distinct modules viz. 'BLASTN', 'SW Align', and 'Mapping' are also available for efficient query sequence mapping and alignment to FTs. PFusionDB serves as a crucial resource for delving into the intricate world of fusion transcript in plants, providing researchers with a foundation for further exploration and analysis. Database URL: www.nipgr.ac.in/PFusionDB.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-04132-1.

Gene fusion as an important mechanism to generate new genes in the genus Oryza

BACKGROUND

Events of gene fusion have been reported in several organisms. However, the general role of gene fusion as part of new gene origination remains unknown.

RESULTS

We conduct genome-wide interrogations of four Oryza genomes by designing and implementing novel pipelines to detect fusion genes. Based on the phylogeny of ten plant species, we detect 310 fusion genes across four Oryza species. The estimated rate of origination of fusion genes in the Oryza genus is as high as 63 fusion genes per species per million years, which is fixed at 16 fusion genes per species per million years and much higher than that in flies. By RNA sequencing analysis, we find more than 44% of the fusion genes are expressed and 90% of gene pairs show strong signals of purifying selection. Further analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 knockout lines indicates that newly formed fusion genes regulate phenotype traits including seed germination, shoot length and root length, suggesting the functional significance of these genes.

CONCLUSIONS

We detect new fusion genes that may drive phenotype evolution in Oryza. This study provides novel insights into the genome evolution of Oryza.

APOK3, a pollen killer antidote in Arabidopsis thaliana

The principles of heredity state that the two alleles carried by a heterozygote are equally transmitted to the progeny. However, genomic regions that escape this rule have been reported in many organisms. It is notably the case of genetic loci referred to as gamete killers, where one allele enhances its transmission by causing the death of the gametes that do not carry it. Gamete killers are of great interest, particularly to understand mechanisms of evolution and speciation. Although being common in plants, only a few, all in rice, have so far been deciphered to the causal genes. Here, we studied a pollen killer found in hybrids between two accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. Exploring natural variation, we observed this pollen killer in many crosses within the species. Genetic analyses revealed that three genetically linked elements are necessary for pollen killer activity. Using mutants, we showed that this pollen killer works according to a poison-antidote model, where the poison kills pollen grains not producing the antidote. We identified the gene encoding the antidote, a chimeric protein addressed to mitochondria. De novo genomic sequencing in twelve natural variants with different behaviors regarding the pollen killer revealed a hyper variable locus, with important structural variations particularly in killer genotypes, where the antidote gene recently underwent duplications. Our results strongly suggest that the gene has newly evolved within A. thaliana. Finally, we identified in the protein sequence polymorphisms related to its antidote activity.

Genetic Dissection of Seed Dormancy using Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Timing of germination determines whether a new plant life cycle can be initiated; therefore, appropriate dormancy and rapid germination under diverse environmental conditions are the most important features for a seed. However, the genetic architecture of seed dormancy and germination behavior remains largely elusive. In the present study, a linkage analysis for seed dormancy and germination behavior was conducted using a set of 146 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs), of which each carries a single or a few chromosomal segments of Nipponbare (NIP) in the background of Zhenshan 97 (ZS97). A total of 36 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for six germination parameters were identified. Among them, qDOM3.1 was validated as a major QTL for seed dormancy in a segregation population derived from the qDOM3.1 near-isogenic line, and further delimited into a genomic region of 90 kb on chromosome 3. Based on genetic analysis and gene expression profiles, the candidate genes were restricted to eight genes, of which four were responsive to the addition of abscisic acid (ABA). Among them, LOC_Os03g01540 was involved in the ABA signaling pathway to regulate seed dormancy. The results will facilitate cloning the major QTLs and understanding the genetic architecture for seed dormancy and germination in rice and other crops.

Rapid evolution of protein diversity by de novo origination in Oryza

New protein-coding genes that arise de novo from non-coding DNA sequences contribute to protein diversity. However, de novo gene origination is challenging to study as it requires high-quality reference genomes for closely related species, evidence for ancestral non-coding sequences, and transcription and translation of the new genes. High-quality genomes of 13 closely related Oryza species provide unprecedented opportunities to understand de novo origination events. Here, we identify a large number of young de novo genes with discernible recent ancestral non-coding sequences and evidence of translation. Using pipelines examining the synteny relationship between genomes and reciprocal-best whole-genome alignments, we detected at least 175 de novo open reading frames in the focal species O. sativa subspecies japonica, which were all detected in RNA sequencing-based transcriptomes. Mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics and ribosomal profiling show translational evidence for 57% of the de novo genes. In recent divergence of Oryza, an average of 51.5 de novo genes per million years were generated and retained. We observed evolutionary patterns in which excess indels and early transcription were favoured in origination with a stepwise formation of gene structure. These data reveal that de novo genes contribute to the rapid evolution of protein diversity under positive selection.

Reproductive Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs Exhibit Male Gamete Specificity and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2-Mediated Repression

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been characterized extensively in animals and are involved in several processes, including homeobox gene expression and X-chromosome inactivation. In comparison, there has been much less detailed characterization of plant lncRNAs, and the number of distinct lncRNAs encoded in plant genomes and their regulation by developmental and epigenetic mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed transcriptome data from Asian rice (Oryza sativa) and identified 6,309 long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs), focusing on their expression in reproductive tissues and organs. Most O. sativa lincRNAs were expressed in a highly tissue-specific manner, with an unexpectedly high fraction specifically expressed in male gametes. Mutation of a component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex2 (PRC2) resulted in derepression of another large class of lincRNAs, whose expression is correlated with H3K27 trimethylation in developing panicles. Overlap with the sperm cell-specific lincRNAs suggests that epigenetic repression of lincRNAs in the panicles was partially relieved in the male germline. Expression of a subset of lincRNAs also showed modulation by drought in reproductive tissues. Comparison with other cereal genomes showed that the lincRNAs generally have low levels of conservation at both the sequence and structural levels. Use of a novelty detection support vector machine model enabled the detection of nucleotide sequence and structural homology in ∼10% and ∼4% of the lincRNAs in genomes of purple false brome (Brachypodium distachyon) and maize (Zea mays), respectively. This is the first study to report on a large number of lncRNAs that are targets of repression by PRC2 rather than mediating regulation via PRC2. That the vast majority of the lincRNAs reported here do not overlap with those of other rice studies indicates that these are a significant addition to the known lincRNAs in rice.

Emergence of a Novel Chimeric Gene Underlying Grain Number in Rice

Grain number is an important factor in determining grain production of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The molecular genetic basis for grain number is complex. Discovering new genes involved in regulating rice grain number increases our knowledge regarding its molecular mechanisms and aids breeding programs. Here, we identified GRAINS NUMBER 2 (GN2), a novel gene that is responsible for rice grain number, from "Yuanjiang" common wild rice (O. rufipogon Griff.). Transgenic plants overexpressing GN2 showed less grain number, reduced plant height, and later heading date than control plants. Interestingly, GN2 arose through the insertion of a 1094-bp sequence from LOC_Os02g45150 into the third exon of LOC_Os02g56630, and the inserted sequence recruited its nearby sequence to generate the chimeric GN2 The gene structure and expression pattern of GN2 were distinct from those of LOC_Os02g45150 and LOC_Os02g56630 Sequence analysis showed that GN2 may be generated in the natural population of Yuanjiang common wild rice. In this study, we identified a novel functional chimeric gene and also provided information regarding the molecular mechanisms regulating rice grain number.

Evolutionary Fates and Dynamic Functionalization of Young Duplicate Genes in Arabidopsis Genomes

Gene duplication is a primary means to generate genomic novelties, playing an essential role in speciation and adaptation. Particularly in plants, a high abundance of duplicate genes has been maintained for significantly long periods of evolutionary time. To address the manner in which young duplicate genes were derived primarily from small-scale gene duplication and preserved in plant genomes and to determine the underlying driving mechanisms, we generated transcriptomes to produce the expression profiles of five tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana and the closely related species Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella Based on the quantitative analysis metrics, we investigated the evolutionary processes of young duplicate genes in Arabidopsis. We determined that conservation, neofunctionalization, and specialization are three main evolutionary processes for Arabidopsis young duplicate genes. We explicitly demonstrated the dynamic functionalization of duplicate genes along the evolutionary time scale. Upon origination, duplicates tend to maintain their ancestral functions; but as they survive longer, they might be likely to develop distinct and novel functions. The temporal evolutionary processes and functionalization of plant duplicate genes are associated with their ancestral functions, dynamic DNA methylation levels, and histone modification abundances. Furthermore, duplicate genes tend to be initially expressed in pollen and then to gain more interaction partners over time. Altogether, our study provides novel insights into the dynamic retention processes of young duplicate genes in plant genomes.

Evolutionary Fates and Dynamic Functionalization of Young Duplicate Genes in Arabidopsis Genomes

Gene duplication is a primary means to generate genomic novelties, playing an essential role in speciation and adaptation. Particularly in plants, a high abundance of duplicate genes has been maintained for significantly long periods of evolutionary time. To address the manner in which young duplicate genes were derived primarily from small-scale gene duplication and preserved in plant genomes and to determine the underlying driving mechanisms, we generated transcriptomes to produce the expression profiles of five tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana and the closely related species Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella Based on the quantitative analysis metrics, we investigated the evolutionary processes of young duplicate genes in Arabidopsis. We determined that conservation, neofunctionalization, and specialization are three main evolutionary processes for Arabidopsis young duplicate genes. We explicitly demonstrated the dynamic functionalization of duplicate genes along the evolutionary time scale. Upon origination, duplicates tend to maintain their ancestral functions; but as they survive longer, they might be likely to develop distinct and novel functions. The temporal evolutionary processes and functionalization of plant duplicate genes are associated with their ancestral functions, dynamic DNA methylation levels, and histone modification abundances. Furthermore, duplicate genes tend to be initially expressed in pollen and then to gain more interaction partners over time. Altogether, our study provides novel insights into the dynamic retention processes of young duplicate genes in plant genomes.

DNA methylation changes facilitated evolution of genes derived from Mutator-like transposable elements

Background

Mutator-like transposable elements, a class of DNA transposons, exist pervasively in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes, with more than 10,000 copies identified in the rice genome. These elements can capture ectopic genomic sequences that lead to the formation of new gene structures. Here, based on whole-genome comparative analyses, we comprehensively investigated processes and mechanisms of the evolution of putative genes derived from Mutator-like transposable elements in ten Oryza species and the outgroup Leersia perieri, bridging ~20 million years of evolutionary history.

Results

Our analysis identified thousands of putative genes in each of the Oryza species, a large proportion of which have evidence of expression and contain chimeric structures. Consistent with previous reports, we observe that the putative Mutator-like transposable element-derived genes are generally GC-rich and mainly derive from GC-rich parental sequences. Furthermore, we determine that Mutator-like transposable elements capture parental sequences preferentially from genomic regions with low methylation levels and high recombination rates. We explicitly show that methylation levels in the internal and terminated inverted repeat regions of these elements, which might be directed by the 24-nucleotide small RNA-mediated pathway, are different and change dynamically over evolutionary time. Lastly, we demonstrate that putative genes derived from Mutator-like transposable elements tend to be expressed in mature pollen, which have undergone de-methylation programming, thereby providing a permissive expression environment for newly formed/transposable element-derived genes.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that DNA methylation may be a primary mechanism to facilitate the origination, survival, and regulation of genes derived from Mutator-like transposable elements, thus contributing to the evolution of gene innovation and novelty in plant genomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-0954-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Complete chloroplast and ribosomal sequences for 30 accessions elucidate evolution of Oryza AA genome species

Cytoplasmic chloroplast (cp) genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nR) are the primary sequences used to understand plant diversity and evolution. We introduce a high-throughput method to simultaneously obtain complete cp and nR sequences using Illumina platform whole-genome sequence. We applied the method to 30 rice specimens belonging to nine Oryza species. Concurrent phylogenomic analysis using cp and nR of several of specimens of the same Oryza AA genome species provides insight into the evolution and domestication of cultivated rice, clarifying three ambiguous but important issues in the evolution of wild Oryza species. First, cp-based trees clearly classify each lineage but can be biased by inter-subspecies cross-hybridization events during speciation. Second, O. glumaepatula, a South American wild rice, includes two cytoplasm types, one of which is derived from a recent interspecies hybridization with O. longistminata. Third, the Australian O. rufipogan-type rice is a perennial form of O. meridionalis.