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Zimmermann B, Montenegro JD, Robb SMC, Fropf WJ, Weilguny L, He S, Chen S, Lovegrove-Walsh J, Hill EM, Chen CY, Ragkousi K, Praher D, Fredman D, Schultz D, Moran Y, Simakov O, Genikhovich G, Gibson MC, Technau U. Topological structures and syntenic conservation in sea anemone genomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8270. [PMID: 38092765 PMCID: PMC10719294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44080-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently little information about the evolution of gene clusters, genome architectures and karyotypes in early branching animals. Slowly evolving anthozoan cnidarians can be particularly informative about the evolution of these genome features. Here we report chromosome-level genome assemblies of two related anthozoans, the sea anemones Nematostella vectensis and Scolanthus callimorphus. We find a robust set of 15 chromosomes with a clear one-to-one correspondence between the two species. Both genomes show chromosomal conservation, allowing us to reconstruct ancestral cnidarian and metazoan chromosomal blocks, consisting of at least 19 and 16 ancestral linkage groups, respectively. We show that, in contrast to Bilateria, the Hox and NK clusters of investigated cnidarians are largely disintegrated, despite the presence of staggered hox/gbx expression in Nematostella. This loss of microsynteny conservation may be facilitated by shorter distances between cis-regulatory sequences and their cognate transcriptional start sites. We find no clear evidence for topologically associated domains, suggesting fundamental differences in long-range gene regulation compared to vertebrates. These data suggest that large sets of ancestral metazoan genes have been retained in ancestral linkage groups of some extant lineages; yet, higher order gene regulation with associated 3D architecture may have evolved only after the cnidarian-bilaterian split.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan D Montenegro
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sofia M C Robb
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Whitney J Fropf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Lukas Weilguny
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Shiyuan Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eric M Hill
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Katerina Ragkousi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Daniela Praher
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Fredman
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Darrin Schultz
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Max Perutz laboratories, University of Vienna, Dr. Bohrgasse 5, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Sumner JT, Andrasz CL, Johnson CA, Wax S, Anderson P, Keeling EL, Davidson JM. De novo genome assembly and comparative genomics for the colonial ascidian Botrylloides violaceus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad181. [PMID: 37555394 PMCID: PMC10542563 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Ascidians have the potential to reveal fundamental biological insights related to coloniality, regeneration, immune function, and the evolution of these traits. This study implements a hybrid assembly technique to produce a genome assembly and annotation for the botryllid ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus. A hybrid genome assembly was produced using Illumina, Inc. short and Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing technologies. The resulting assembly is comprised of 831 contigs, has a total length of 121 Mbp, N50 of 1 Mbp, and a BUSCO score of 96.1%. Genome annotation identified 13 K protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis with other tunicates reveals patterns of conservation and divergence within orthologous gene families even among closely related species. Characterization of the Wnt gene family, encoding signaling ligands involved in development and regeneration, reveals conserved patterns of subfamily presence and gene copy number among botryllids. This supports the use of genomic data from nonmodel organisms in the investigation of biological phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T Sumner
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Cassidy L Andrasz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Christine A Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Sarah Wax
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Paul Anderson
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Elena L Keeling
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Jean M Davidson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
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3
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Otero-Ruiz A, Rodriguez-Anaya LZ, Lares-Villa F, Lozano Aguirre Beltrán LF, Lares-Jiménez LF, Gonzalez-Galaviz JR, Cruz-Mendívil A. Functional annotation and comparative genomics analysis of Balamuthia mandrillaris reveals potential virulence-related genes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14318. [PMID: 37653073 PMCID: PMC10471605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Balamuthia mandrillaris is a pathogenic protozoan that causes a rare but almost always fatal infection of the central nervous system and, in some cases, cutaneous lesions. Currently, the genomic data for this free-living amoeba include the description of several complete mitochondrial genomes. In contrast, two complete genomes with draft quality are available in GenBank, but none of these have a functional annotation. In the present study, the complete genome of B. mandrillaris isolated from a freshwater artificial lagoon was sequenced and assembled, obtaining an assembled genome with better assembly quality parameter values than the currently available genomes. Afterward, the genome mentioned earlier, along with strains V039 and 2046, were subjected to functional annotation. Finally, comparative genomics analysis was performed, and it was found that homologous genes in the core genome potentially involved in the virulence of Acanthamoeba spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi. Moreover, eleven of fifteen genes were identified in the three strains described as potential target genes to develop new treatment approaches for B. mandrillaris infections. These results describe proteins in this protozoan's complete genome and help prioritize which target genes could be used to develop new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Otero-Ruiz
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Especialidad en Biotecnología, Departamento de Biotecnología y Ciencias Alimentarias, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 85000, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico
| | | | - Fernando Lares-Villa
- Departamento de Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 85000, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Luis Fernando Lozano Aguirre Beltrán
- Unidad de Análisis Bioinformáticos, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Luis Fernando Lares-Jiménez
- Departamento de Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 85000, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico
| | | | - Abraham Cruz-Mendívil
- CONAHCYT-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Sinaloa, 81101, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico
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4
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Roberts MB, Schultz DT, Gatins R, Escalona M, Bernardi G. Chromosome-level genome of the three-spot damselfish, Dascyllus trimaculatus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkac339. [PMID: 36905099 PMCID: PMC10085752 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Damselfishes (Family: Pomacentridae) are a group of ecologically important, primarily coral reef fishes that include over 400 species. Damselfishes have been used as model organisms to study recruitment (anemonefishes), the effects of ocean acidification (spiny damselfish), population structure, and speciation (Dascyllus). The genus Dascyllus includes a group of small-bodied species, and a complex of relatively larger bodied species, the Dascyllus trimaculatus species complex that is comprised of several species including D. trimaculatus itself. The three-spot damselfish, D. trimaculatus, is a widespread and common coral reef fish species found across the tropical Indo-Pacific. Here, we present the first-genome assembly of this species. This assembly contains 910 Mb, 90% of the bases are in 24 chromosome-scale scaffolds, and the Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs score of the assembly is 97.9%. Our findings confirm previous reports of a karyotype of 2n = 47 in D. trimaculatus in which one parent contributes 24 chromosomes and the other 23. We find evidence that this karyotype is the result of a heterozygous Robertsonian fusion. We also find that the D. trimaculatus chromosomes are each homologous with single chromosomes of the closely related clownfish species, Amphiprion percula. This assembly will be a valuable resource in the population genomics and conservation of Damselfishes, and continued studies of the karyotypic diversity in this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- May B Roberts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Remy Gatins
- Department of Marine Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Giacomo Bernardi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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5
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Lara A, Simonson BT, Ryan JF, Jegla T. Genome-Scale Analysis Reveals Extensive Diversification of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels in Stem Cnidarians. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:6994550. [PMID: 36669828 PMCID: PMC9989356 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are highly diverse in the cnidarian model organism Nematostella vectensis (Anthozoa), but little is known about the evolutionary origins of this channel diversity and its conservation across Cnidaria. Here, we examined the evolution of voltage-gated K+ channels in Cnidaria by comparing genomes and transcriptomes of diverse cnidarian species from Anthozoa and Medusozoa. We found an average of over 40 voltage-gated K+ channel genes per species, and a phylogenetic reconstruction of the Kv, KCNQ, and Ether-a-go-go (EAG) gene families identified 28 voltage-gated K+ channels present in the last common ancestor of Anthozoa and Medusozoa (23 Kv, 1 KCNQ, and 4 EAG). Thus, much of the diversification of these channels took place in the stem cnidarian lineage prior to the emergence of modern cnidarian classes. In contrast, the stem bilaterian lineage, from which humans evolved, contained no more than nine voltage-gated K+ channels. These results hint at a complexity to electrical signaling in all cnidarians that contrasts with the perceived anatomical simplicity of their neuromuscular systems. These data provide a foundation from which the function of these cnidarian channels can be investigated, which will undoubtedly provide important insights into cnidarian physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Lara
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Benjamin T Simonson
- Department of Biology and Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Timothy Jegla
- Department of Biology and Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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Papa Y, Wellenreuther M, Morrison MA, Ritchie PA. Genome assembly and isoform analysis of a highly heterozygous New Zealand fisheries species, the tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus). G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 13:6883520. [PMID: 36477875 PMCID: PMC9911067 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although being some of the most valuable and heavily exploited wild organisms, few fisheries species have been studied at the whole-genome level. This is especially the case in New Zealand, where genomics resources are urgently needed to assist fisheries management. Here, we generated 55 Gb of short Illumina reads (92× coverage) and 73 Gb of long Nanopore reads (122×) to produce the first genome assembly of the marine teleost tarakihi [Nemadactylus macropterus (Forster, 1801)], a highly valuable fisheries species in New Zealand. An additional 300 Mb of Iso-Seq reads were obtained to assist in gene annotation. The final genome assembly was 568 Mb long with an N50 of 3.37 Mb. The genome completeness was high, with 97.8% of complete Actinopterygii Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Heterozygosity values estimated through k-mer counting (1.00%) and bi-allelic SNPs (0.64%) were high compared with the same values reported for other fishes. Iso-Seq analysis recovered 91,313 unique transcripts from 15,515 genes (mean ratio of 5.89 transcripts per gene), and the most common alternative splicing event was intron retention. This highly contiguous genome assembly and the isoform-resolved transcriptome will provide a useful resource to assist the study of population genomics and comparative eco-evolutionary studies in teleosts and related organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvan Papa
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- Seafood Production Group, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Nelson 7010, New Zealand,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Mark A Morrison
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Peter A Ritchie
- Corresponding author: Te Toki A Rata, Gate 7, Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.
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7
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Tzertzinis G, Baker B, Benner J, Brown E, Corrêa IR, Ettwiller L, McClung C, Schildkraut I. Coelenterazine sulfotransferase from Renilla muelleri. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276315. [PMID: 36251663 PMCID: PMC9576082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The luciferin sulfokinase (coelenterazine sulfotransferase) of Renilla was previously reported to activate the storage form, luciferyl sulfate (coelenterazine sulfate) to luciferin (coelenterazine), the substrate for the luciferase bioluminescence reaction. The gene coding for the coelenterazine sulfotransferase has not been identified. Here we used a combined proteomic/transcriptomic approach to identify and clone the sulfotransferase cDNA. Multiple isoforms of coelenterazine sulfotransferase were identified from the anthozoan Renilla muelleri by intersecting its transcriptome with the LC-MS/MS derived peptide sequences of coelenterazine sulfotransferase purified from Renilla. Two of the isoforms were expressed in E. coli, purified, and partially characterized. The encoded enzymes display sulfotransferase activity that is comparable to that of the native sulfotransferase isolated from Renilla reniformis that was reported in 1970. The bioluminescent assay for sensitive detection of 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate (PAP) using the recombinant sulfotransferase is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Tzertzinis
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brenda Baker
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jack Benner
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Brown
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ivan R. Corrêa
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Colleen McClung
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ira Schildkraut
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Holstein TW. The role of cnidarian developmental biology in unraveling axis formation and Wnt signaling. Dev Biol 2022; 487:74-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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Oba Y, Schultz DT. Firefly genomes illuminate the evolution of beetle bioluminescent systems. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 50:100879. [PMID: 35091104 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fireflies are one of the best-known bioluminescent organisms, and the reaction mechanism and ecological utility of bioluminescence have been well-studied. Genome assemblies of six species of bioluminescent beetles have recently been published. These studies have focused on the evolution of novelties; luciferase, and the biosynthesis of luciferin and defensive chemicals. For example, clustering of the luciferase gene with acyl-CoA synthetase genes on a chromosome in luminous beetle genomes suggests the involvement of tandem gene duplications and neofunctionalization during the evolution of beetle bioluminescence. Several candidate genes for critical roles in beetle bioluminescence have been identified, but their functional analyses are still ongoing. The establishment of a long-term mass-rearing system and strain will be the key for the post-genome research on bioluminescent beetles. Lastly, the application of contemporary chromosome-scale genome assembly techniques to luminous beetles will help resolve outstanding evolutionary questions, such as how many times bioluminescence evolved in this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Oba
- Department of Environmental Biology, Chubu University, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan.
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039, United States
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10
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Guo Q, Atkinson SD, Xiao B, Zhai Y, Bartholomew JL, Gu Z. A myxozoan genome reveals mosaic evolution in a parasitic cnidarian. BMC Biol 2022; 20:51. [PMID: 35177085 PMCID: PMC8855578 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01249-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parasite evolution has been conceptualized as a process of genetic loss and simplification. Contrary to this model, there is evidence of expansion and conservation of gene families related to essential functions of parasitism in some parasite genomes, reminiscent of widespread mosaic evolution—where subregions of a genome have different rates of evolutionary change. We found evidence of mosaic genome evolution in the cnidarian Myxobolus honghuensis, a myxozoan parasite of fish, with extremely simple morphology. Results We compared M. honghuensis with other myxozoans and free-living cnidarians, and determined that it has a relatively larger myxozoan genome (206 Mb), which is less reduced and less compact due to gene retention, large introns, transposon insertion, but not polyploidy. Relative to other metazoans, the M. honghuensis genome is depleted of neural genes and has only the simplest animal immune components. Conversely, it has relatively more genes involved in stress resistance, tissue invasion, energy metabolism, and cellular processes compared to other myxozoans and free-living cnidarians. We postulate that the expansion of these gene families is the result of evolutionary adaptations to endoparasitism. M. honghuensis retains genes found in free-living Cnidaria, including a reduced nervous system, myogenic components, ANTP class Homeobox genes, and components of the Wnt and Hedgehog pathways. Conclusions Our analyses suggest that the M. honghuensis genome evolved as a mosaic of conservative, divergent, depleted, and enhanced genes and pathways. These findings illustrate that myxozoans are not as genetically simple as previously regarded, and the evolution of some myxozoans is driven by both genomic streamlining and expansion. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01249-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxiang Guo
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Aquatic Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Stephen D Atkinson
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Bin Xiao
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Aquatic Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Zhai
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Aquatic Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Jerri L Bartholomew
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Zemao Gu
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Aquatic Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Xia WX, Li HR, Ge JH, Liu YW, Li HH, Su YH, Wang HZ, Guo HF, Dai YX, Liu YW, Gou XC. High-continuity genome assembly of the jellyfish Chrysaora quinquecirrha. Zool Res 2021; 42:130-134. [PMID: 33377334 PMCID: PMC7840447 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Atlantic sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) has an important evolutionary position due to its high ecological value. However, due to limited sequencing technologies and complex jellyfish genomic sequences, the current C. quinquecirrha genome assembly is highly fragmented. Here, we used the most advanced high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology to obtain high-coverage sequencing data of the C. quinquecirrha genome. We then anchored these data to the previously published contig-level assembly to improve the genome. Finally, a high-continuity genome sequence of C. quinquecirrha was successfully assembled, which contained 1 882 scaffolds with a N50 length of 3.83 Mb. The N50 length of the genome assembly was 5.23 times longer than the previously released one, and additional analysis revealed that it had a high degree of genomic continuity and accuracy. Acquisition of the high-continuity genome sequence of C. quinquecirrha not only provides a basis for the study of jellyfish evolution through comparative genomics but also provides an important resource for studies on jellyfish growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang-Xiao Xia
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Hao-Rong Li
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Jing-Hao Ge
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Yao-Wu Liu
- ZhiQiao Research Institute, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Hong-Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Yan-Hua Su
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Hai-Zhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Hui-Fang Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Infection and Immune Disorders, School of Basic Medical Science, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Dai
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Yao-Wen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. E-mail:
| | - Xing-Chun Gou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710021, China. E-mail:
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Allio R, Tilak MK, Scornavacca C, Avenant NL, Kitchener AC, Corre E, Nabholz B, Delsuc F. High-quality carnivoran genomes from roadkill samples enable comparative species delineation in aardwolf and bat-eared fox. eLife 2021; 10:e63167. [PMID: 33599612 PMCID: PMC7963486 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In a context of ongoing biodiversity erosion, obtaining genomic resources from wildlife is essential for conservation. The thousands of yearly mammalian roadkill provide a useful source material for genomic surveys. To illustrate the potential of this underexploited resource, we used roadkill samples to study the genomic diversity of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), both having subspecies with similar disjunct distributions in Eastern and Southern Africa. First, we obtained reference genomes with high contiguity and gene completeness by combining Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. Then, we showed that the two subspecies of aardwolf might warrant species status (P. cristatus and P. septentrionalis) by comparing their genome-wide genetic differentiation to pairs of well-defined species across Carnivora with a new Genetic Differentiation index (GDI) based on only a few resequenced individuals. Finally, we obtained a genome-scale Carnivora phylogeny including the new aardwolf species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allio
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Marie-Ka Tilak
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Celine Scornavacca
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Nico L Avenant
- National Museum and Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums ScotlandEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Erwan Corre
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, ABiMS, Station Biologique de RoscoffRoscoffFrance
| | - Benoit Nabholz
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)ParisFrance
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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13
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The Genome Sequence of the Octocoral Paramuricea clavata - A Key Resource To Study the Impact of Climate Change in the Mediterranean. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2941-2952. [PMID: 32660973 PMCID: PMC7467007 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The octocoral, Paramuricea clavata, is a habitat-forming anthozoan with a key ecological role in rocky benthic and biodiversity-rich communities in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic. Shallow populations of P. clavata in the North-Western Mediterranean are severely affected by warming-induced mass mortality events (MMEs). These MMEs have differentially impacted individuals and populations of P. clavata (i.e., varied levels of tissue necrosis and mortality rates) over thousands of kilometers of coastal areas. The eco-evolutionary processes, including genetic factors, contributing to these differential responses remain to be characterized. Here, we sequenced a P. clavata individual with short and long read technologies, producing 169.98 Gb of Illumina paired-end and 3.55 Gb of Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) reads. We obtained a de novo genome assembly accounting for 607 Mb in 64,145 scaffolds. The contig and scaffold N50s are 19.15 Kb and 23.92 Kb, respectively. Despite of the low contiguity of the assembly, its gene completeness is relatively high, including 75.8% complete and 9.4% fragmented genes out of the 978 metazoan genes contained in the metazoa_odb9 database. A total of 62,652 protein-coding genes have been annotated. This assembly is one of the few octocoral genomes currently available. This is undoubtedly a valuable resource for characterizing the genetic bases of the differential responses to thermal stress and for the identification of thermo-resistant individuals and populations. Overall, having the genome of P. clavata will facilitate studies of various aspects of its evolutionary ecology and elaboration of effective conservation plans such as active restoration to overcome the threats of global change.
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Haghshenas E, Asghari H, Stoye J, Chauve C, Hach F. HASLR: Fast Hybrid Assembly of Long Reads. iScience 2020; 23:101389. [PMID: 32781410 PMCID: PMC7419660 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Third-generation sequencing technologies from companies such as Oxford Nanopore and Pacific Biosciences have paved the way for building more contiguous and potentially gap-free assemblies. The larger effective length of their reads has provided a means to overcome the challenges of short to mid-range repeats. Currently, accurate long read assemblers are computationally expensive, whereas faster methods are not as accurate. Moreover, despite recent advances in third-generation sequencing, researchers still tend to generate accurate short reads for many of the analysis tasks. Here, we present HASLR, a hybrid assembler that uses error-prone long reads together with high-quality short reads to efficiently generate accurate genome assemblies. Our experiments show that HASLR is not only the fastest assembler but also the one with the lowest number of misassemblies on most of the samples, while being on par with other assemblers in terms of contiguity and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Haghshenas
- School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Hossein Asghari
- School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Jens Stoye
- Faculty of Technology and Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Cedric Chauve
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, Canada; LaBRI, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Faraz Hach
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H3Z6, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.
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15
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Xia W, Li H, Cheng W, Li H, Mi Y, Gou X, Liu Y. High-Quality Genome Assembly of Chrysaora quinquecirrha Provides Insights Into the Adaptive Evolution of Jellyfish. Front Genet 2020; 11:535. [PMID: 32582283 PMCID: PMC7287180 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Jellyfish, such as Chrysaora quinquecirrha, hold an important evolutionary position and have great ecological value. However, limited genomic resources are currently available for studying their basic genetic and development processes. Here, we de novo assembled the first high-quality reference genome of C. quinquecirrha, and successfully annotated 21,606 protein-coding genes. Codon usage analysis identified the frequent use of low-GC-content codons during protein-coding gene translation. Analysis of the relative evolution rate indicated that jellyfish had a faster evolution rate than sea anemones but slower rate than the species in Hydra. Phylogenetic analysis with two other species of jellyfish indicated that Aurelia aurita and Nemopilema nomurai have a closer relationship with each other than with C. quinquecirrha, with divergence from their common ancestor occurring ≈475.7 million years ago. Our study not only showed the genomic characteristics and molecular adaptive evolution of C. quinquecirrha, but also provides valuable genomic resources for further study on complex developmental processes and environmental adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangxiao Xia
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haorong Li
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenmin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Honghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Yajing Mi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xingchun Gou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaowen Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Institute of Basic Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Gene Editing and Animal Cloning in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
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The genome of the sea anemone Actinia equina (L.): Meiotic toolkit genes and the question of sexual reproduction. Mar Genomics 2020; 53:100753. [PMID: 32057717 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2020.100753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The beadlet anemone Actinia equina (L.) (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Actiniidae) is one of the most familiar organisms of the North European intertidal zone. Once considered a single, morphologically variable species across northern Europe, it is now recognised as one member of a variable species complex. Previous studies of distribution, aggression, allozymes and mitochondrial DNA suggest that the diversity in form and colour within A. equina may hide still unrecognised species diversity. To empower further study of A. equina population genetics and systematics, we sequenced (PacBio Sequel) the genome of a single A. equina individual to produce a high-quality genome assembly (contig N50 = 492,607 bp, 1485 contigs, number of protein coding genes = 47,671, 97% BUSCO completeness). There is debate as to whether A. equina reproduces solely asexually, since no reliable, consistent evidence of sexual reproduction has been found. To gain further insight, we examined the genome for evidence of a 'meiotic toolkit' - genes believed to be found consistently in sexually reproducing organisms - and demonstrate that the A. equina genome appears not to have this full complement. Additionally, Smudgeplot analysis, coupled with high haplotype diversity, indicates this genome assembly to be of ambiguous ploidy, suggesting that A. equina may not be diploid. The suggested polyploid nature of this species coupled with the deficiency in meiotic toolkit genes, indicates that further field and laboratory studies of this species is warranted to understand how this species reproduces and what role ploidy may play in speciation within this speciose genus.
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Kadobianskyi M, Schulze L, Schuelke M, Judkewitz B. Hybrid genome assembly and annotation of Danionella translucida. Sci Data 2019; 6:156. [PMID: 31451709 PMCID: PMC6710283 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0161-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying neuronal circuits at cellular resolution is very challenging in vertebrates due to the size and optical turbidity of their brains. Danionella translucida, a close relative of zebrafish, was recently introduced as a model organism for investigating neural network interactions in adult individuals. Danionella remains transparent throughout its life, has the smallest known vertebrate brain and possesses a rich repertoire of complex behaviours. Here we sequenced, assembled and annotated the Danionella translucida genome employing a hybrid Illumina/Nanopore read library as well as RNA-seq of embryonic, larval and adult mRNA. We achieved high assembly continuity using low-coverage long-read data and annotated a large fraction of the transcriptome. This dataset will pave the way for molecular research and targeted genetic manipulation of this novel model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykola Kadobianskyi
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisanne Schulze
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Schuelke
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Judkewitz
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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18
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Ohdera A, Ames CL, Dikow RB, Kayal E, Chiodin M, Busby B, La S, Pirro S, Collins AG, Medina M, Ryan JF. Box, stalked, and upside-down? Draft genomes from diverse jellyfish (Cnidaria, Acraspeda) lineages: Alatina alata (Cubozoa), Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa). Gigascience 2019; 8:giz069. [PMID: 31257419 PMCID: PMC6599738 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giz069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthozoa, Endocnidozoa, and Medusozoa are the 3 major clades of Cnidaria. Medusozoa is further divided into 4 clades, Hydrozoa, Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa-the latter 3 lineages make up the clade Acraspeda. Acraspeda encompasses extraordinary diversity in terms of life history, numerous nuisance species, taxa with complex eyes rivaling other animals, and some of the most venomous organisms on the planet. Genomes have recently become available within Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, but there are currently no published genomes within Staurozoa and Cubozoa. FINDINGS Here we present 3 new draft genomes of Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), Alatina alata (Cubozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa) for which we provide a preliminary orthology analysis that includes an inventory of their respective venom-related genes. Additionally, we identify synteny between POU and Hox genes that had previously been reported in a hydrozoan, suggesting this linkage is highly conserved, possibly dating back to at least the last common ancestor of Medusozoa, yet likely independent of vertebrate POU-Hox linkages. CONCLUSIONS These draft genomes provide a valuable resource for studying the evolutionary history and biology of these extraordinary animals, and for identifying genomic features underlying venom, vision, and life history traits in Acraspeda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Ohdera
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 326 Mueller, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Cheryl L Ames
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Rebecca B Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - Ehsan Kayal
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- UPMC, CNRS, FR2424, ABiMS, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Marta Chiodin
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Ben Busby
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Sean La
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Barnaby, British Columbia, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Stacy Pirro
- Iridian Genomes, Inc., 6213 Swords Way, Bethesda, MD, 20817, USA
| | - Allen G Collins
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA's Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 326 Mueller, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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19
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Jiang JB, Quattrini AM, Francis WR, Ryan JF, Rodríguez E, McFadden CS. A hybrid de novo assembly of the sea pansy (Renilla muelleri) genome. Gigascience 2019; 8:giz026. [PMID: 30942866 PMCID: PMC6446218 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giz026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 3,000 species of octocorals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) inhabit an expansive range of environments, from shallow tropical seas to the deep-ocean floor. They are important foundation species that create coral "forests," which provide unique niches and 3-dimensional living space for other organisms. The octocoral genus Renilla inhabits sandy, continental shelves in the subtropical and tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Renilla is especially interesting because it produces secondary metabolites for defense, exhibits bioluminescence, and produces a luciferase that is widely used in dual-reporter assays in molecular biology. Although several anthozoan genomes are currently available, the majority of these are hexacorals. Here, we present a de novo assembly of an azooxanthellate shallow-water octocoral, Renilla muelleri. FINDINGS We generated a hybrid de novo assembly using MaSuRCA v.3.2.6. The final assembly included 4,825 scaffolds and a haploid genome size of 172 megabases (Mb). A BUSCO assessment found 88% of metazoan orthologs present in the genome. An Augustus ab initio gene prediction found 23,660 genes, of which 66% (15,635) had detectable similarity to annotated genes from the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, or to the Uniprot database. Although the R. muelleri genome may be smaller (172 Mb minimum size) than other publicly available coral genomes (256-448 Mb), the R. muelleri genome is similar to other coral genomes in terms of the number of complete metazoan BUSCOs and predicted gene models. CONCLUSIONS The R. muelleri hybrid genome provides a novel resource for researchers to investigate the evolution of genes and gene families within Octocorallia and more widely across Anthozoa. It will be a key resource for future comparative genomics with other corals and for understanding the genomic basis of coral diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Jiang
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Andrea M Quattrini
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Warren R Francis
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense M 5230, Denmark
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Estefanía Rodríguez
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Catherine S McFadden
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, 1250 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA 91711, USA
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20
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Laumer CE, Gruber-Vodicka H, Hadfield MG, Pearse VB, Riesgo A, Marioni JC, Giribet G. Support for a clade of Placozoa and Cnidaria in genes with minimal compositional bias. eLife 2018; 7:e36278. [PMID: 30373720 PMCID: PMC6277202 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogenetic placement of the morphologically simple placozoans is crucial to understanding the evolution of complex animal traits. Here, we examine the influence of adding new genomes from placozoans to a large dataset designed to study the deepest splits in the animal phylogeny. Using site-heterogeneous substitution models, we show that it is possible to obtain strong support, in both amino acid and reduced-alphabet matrices, for either a sister-group relationship between Cnidaria and Placozoa, or for Cnidaria and Bilateria as seen in most published work to date, depending on the orthologues selected to construct the matrix. We demonstrate that a majority of genes show evidence of compositional heterogeneity, and that support for the Cnidaria + Bilateria clade can be assigned to this source of systematic error. In interpreting these results, we caution against a peremptory reading of placozoans as secondarily reduced forms of little relevance to broader discussions of early animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Laumer
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonUnited Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories-European Bioinformatics InstituteHinxtonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Michael G Hadfield
- Kewalo Marine LaboratoryPacific Biosciences Research Center and the University of Hawaii-ManoaHonoluluUnited States
| | - Vicki B Pearse
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzUnited States
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Invertebrate Division, Life Sciences DepartmentThe Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - John C Marioni
- Wellcome Trust Sanger InstituteHinxtonUnited Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratories-European Bioinformatics InstituteHinxtonUnited Kingdom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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