1
|
Weibel CA, Wheeler AL, James JE, Willis SM, McShea H, Masel J. The protein domains of vertebrate species in which selection is more effective have greater intrinsic structural disorder. eLife 2024; 12:RP87335. [PMID: 39239703 PMCID: PMC11379457 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87335] [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] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution posits variation among species in the effectiveness of selection. In an idealized model, the census population size determines both this minimum magnitude of the selection coefficient required for deleterious variants to be reliably purged, and the amount of neutral diversity. Empirically, an 'effective population size' is often estimated from the amount of putatively neutral genetic diversity and is assumed to also capture a species' effectiveness of selection. A potentially more direct measure of the effectiveness of selection is the degree to which selection maintains preferred codons. However, past metrics that compare codon bias across species are confounded by among-species variation in %GC content and/or amino acid composition. Here, we propose a new Codon Adaptation Index of Species (CAIS), based on Kullback-Leibler divergence, that corrects for both confounders. We demonstrate the use of CAIS correlations, as well as the Effective Number of Codons, to show that the protein domains of more highly adapted vertebrate species evolve higher intrinsic structural disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Weibel
- Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
- Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Andrew L Wheeler
- Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Jennifer E James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Sara M Willis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Hanon McShea
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Joanna Masel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kotari I, Kosiol C, Borges R. The Patterns of Codon Usage between Chordates and Arthropods are Different but Co-evolving with Mutational Biases. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae080. [PMID: 38667829 PMCID: PMC11108087 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae080] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Different frequencies amongst codons that encode the same amino acid (i.e. synonymous codons) have been observed in multiple species. Studies focused on uncovering the forces that drive such codon usage showed that a combined effect of mutational biases and translational selection works to produce different frequencies of synonymous codons. However, only few have been able to measure and distinguish between these forces that may leave similar traces on the coding regions. Here, we have developed a codon model that allows the disentangling of mutation, selection on amino acids and synonymous codons, and GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) which we employed on an extensive dataset of 415 chordates and 191 arthropods. We found that chordates need 15 more synonymous codon categories than arthropods to explain the empirical codon frequencies, which suggests that the extent of codon usage can vary greatly between animal phyla. Moreover, methylation at CpG sites seems to partially explain these patterns of codon usage in chordates but not in arthropods. Despite the differences between the two phyla, our findings demonstrate that in both, GC-rich codons are disfavored when mutations are GC-biased, and the opposite is true when mutations are AT-biased. This indicates that selection on the genomic coding regions might act primarily to stabilize its GC/AT content on a genome-wide level. Our study shows that the degree of synonymous codon usage varies considerably among animals, but is likely governed by a common underlying dynamic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Kotari
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carolin Kosiol
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Rui Borges
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Weibel CA, Wheeler AL, James JE, Willis SM, McShea H, Masel J. The protein domains of vertebrate species in which selection is more effective have greater intrinsic structural disorder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.03.02.530449. [PMID: 38712167 PMCID: PMC11071303 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.02.530449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution posits variation among species in the effectiveness of selection. In an idealized model, the census population size determines both this minimum magnitude of the selection coefficient required for deleterious variants to be reliably purged, and the amount of neutral diversity. Empirically, an "effective population size" is often estimated from the amount of putatively neutral genetic diversity and is assumed to also capture a species' effectiveness of selection. A potentially more direct measure of the effectiveness of selection is the degree to which selection maintains preferred codons. However, past metrics that compare codon bias across species are confounded by among-species variation in %GC content and/or amino acid composition. Here we propose a new Codon Adaptation Index of Species (CAIS), based on Kullback-Leibler divergence, that corrects for both confounders. We demonstrate the use of CAIS correlations, as well as the Effective Number of Codons, to show that the protein domains of more highly adapted vertebrate species evolve higher intrinsic structural disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Weibel
- Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- present address: Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, California, USA
| | - Andrew L. Wheeler
- Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Jennifer E. James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- present address: Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Sara M. Willis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- present address: University Information Technology Services, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Hanon McShea
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University
| | - Joanna Masel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
McInerney JO. Prokaryotic Pangenomes Act as Evolving Ecosystems. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6775222. [PMID: 36288801 PMCID: PMC9851318 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding adaptation to the local environment is a central tenet and a major focus of evolutionary biology. But this is only part of the adaptionist story. In addition to the external environment, one of the main drivers of genome composition is genetic background. In this perspective, I argue that there is a growing body of evidence that intra-genomic selective pressures play a significant part in the composition of prokaryotic genomes and play a significant role in the origin, maintenance and structuring of prokaryotic pangenomes.
Collapse
|
5
|
Miller JB, Meurs TE, Hodgman MW, Song B, Miller KN, Ebbert MTW, Kauwe JSK, Ridge PG. The Ramp Atlas: facilitating tissue and cell-specific ramp sequence analyses through an intuitive web interface. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac039. [PMID: 35664804 PMCID: PMC9155233 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ramp sequences occur when the average translational efficiency of codons near the 5′ end of highly expressed genes is significantly lower than the rest of the gene sequence, which counterintuitively increases translational efficiency by decreasing downstream ribosomal collisions. Here, we show that the relative codon adaptiveness within different tissues changes the existence of a ramp sequence without altering the underlying genetic code. We present the first comprehensive analysis of tissue and cell type-specific ramp sequences and report 3108 genes with ramp sequences that change between tissues and cell types, which corresponds with increased gene expression within those tissues and cells. The Ramp Atlas (https://ramps.byu.edu/) allows researchers to query precomputed ramp sequences in 18 388 genes across 62 tissues and 66 cell types and calculate tissue-specific ramp sequences from user-uploaded FASTA files through an intuitive web interface. We used The Ramp Atlas to identify seven SARS-CoV-2 genes and seven human SARS-CoV-2 entry factor genes with tissue-specific ramp sequences that may help explain viral proliferation within those tissues. We anticipate that The Ramp Atlas will facilitate personalized and creative tissue-specific ramp sequence analyses for both human and viral genes that will increase our ability to utilize this often-overlooked regulatory region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Miller
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504, USA
| | - Taylor E Meurs
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Matthew W Hodgman
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504, USA
| | - Benjamin Song
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Kyle N Miller
- Department of Computer Science, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT 84058, USA
| | - Mark T W Ebbert
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504, USA
| | - John S K Kauwe
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Perry G Ridge
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
A Genome-Wide Profiling of Glioma Patients with an IDH1 Mutation Using the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer Database. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13174299. [PMID: 34503108 PMCID: PMC8428353 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Glioma patients that present a somatic mutation in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene have a significantly better prognosis and overall survival than patients with the wild-type genotype. An IDH1 mutation is hypothesized to occur early during cellular transformation and leads to further genetic instability. A genome-wide profiling of glioma patients in the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database was performed to classify the genetic differences in IDH1-mutant versus IDH1-wildtype patients. This classification will aid in a better understanding of how this specific mutation influences the genetic make-up of glioma and the resulting prognosis. Key differences in co-mutation and gene expression levels were identified that correlate with an improved prognosis. Abstract Gliomas are differentiated into two major disease subtypes, astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma, which are then characterized as either IDH (isocitrate dehydrogenase)-wild type or IDH-mutant due to the dramatic differences in prognosis and overall survival. Here, we investigated the genetic background of IDH1-mutant gliomas using the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database. In astrocytoma patients, we found that IDH1 is often co-mutated with TP53, ATRX, AMBRA1, PREX1, and NOTCH1, but not CHEK2, EGFR, PTEN, or the zinc finger transcription factor ZNF429. The majority of the mutations observed in these genes were further confirmed to be either drivers or pathogenic by the Cancer-Related Analysis of Variants Toolkit (CRAVAT). Gene expression analysis showed down-regulation of DRG2 and MSN expression, both of which promote cell proliferation and invasion. There was also significant over-expression of genes such as NDRG3 and KCNB1 in IDH1-mutant astrocytoma patients. We conclude that IDH1-mutant glioma is characterized by significant genetic changes that could contribute to a better prognosis in glioma patients.
Collapse
|
7
|
Seoighe C, Kiniry SJ, Peters A, Baranov PV, Yang H. Selection Shapes Synonymous Stop Codon Use in Mammals. J Mol Evol 2020; 88:549-561. [PMID: 32617614 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-020-09957-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetic models of the evolution of protein-coding sequences can provide insights into the selection pressures that have shaped them. In the application of these models synonymous nucleotide substitutions, which do not alter the encoded amino acid, are often assumed to have limited functional consequences and used as a proxy for the neutral rate of evolution. The ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates is then used to categorize the selective regime that applies to the protein (e.g., purifying selection, neutral evolution, diversifying selection). Here, we extend the Muse and Gaut model of codon evolution to explore the extent of purifying selection acting on substitutions between synonymous stop codons. Using a large collection of coding sequence alignments, we estimate that a high proportion (approximately 57%) of mammalian genes are affected by selection acting on stop codon preference. This proportion varies substantially by codon, with UGA stop codons far more likely to be conserved. Genes with evidence of selection acting on synonymous stop codons have distinctive characteristics, compared to unconserved genes with the same stop codon, including longer [Formula: see text] untranslated regions (UTRs) and shorter mRNA half-life. The coding regions of these genes are also much more likely to be under strong purifying selection pressure. Our results suggest that the preference for UGA stop codons found in many multicellular eukaryotes is selective rather than mutational in origin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathal Seoighe
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Stephen J Kiniry
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Andrew Peters
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Pavel V Baranov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Haixuan Yang
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Laurin-Lemay S, Philippe H, Rodrigue N. Multiple Factors Confounding Phylogenetic Detection of Selection on Codon Usage. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1463-1472. [PMID: 29596640 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting selection on codon usage (CU) is a difficult task, since CU can be shaped by both the mutational process and selective constraints operating at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels. Yang and Nielsen (2008) developed a test (which we call CUYN) for detecting selection on CU using two competing mutation-selection models of codon substitution. The null model assumes that CU is determined by the mutation bias alone, whereas the alternative model assumes that both mutation bias and/or selection act on CU. In applications on mammalian-scale alignments, the CUYN test detects selection on CU for numerous genes. This is surprising, given the small effective population size of mammals, and prompted us to use simulations to evaluate the robustness of the test to model violations. Simulations using a modest level of CpG hypermutability completely mislead the test, with 100% false positives. Surprisingly, a high level of false positives (56.1%) resulted simply from using the HKY mutation-level parameterization within the CUYN test on simulations conducted with a GTR mutation-level parameterization. Finally, by using a crude optimization procedure on a parameter controlling the CpG hypermutability rate, we find that this mutational property could explain a very large part of the observed mammalian CU. Altogether, our work emphasizes the need to evaluate the potential impact of model violations on statistical tests in the field of molecular phylogenetic analysis. The source code of the simulator and the mammalian genes used are available as a GitHub repository (https://github.com/Simonll/LikelihoodFreePhylogenetics.git).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Laurin-Lemay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Robert-Cedergren Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hervé Philippe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Robert-Cedergren Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Théorisation et de Modélisation de la Biodiversité, Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UMR CNRS 5321, Moulis, Ariège, France
| | - Nicolas Rodrigue
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, and School of Mathematics and Statistics, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Galtier N, Roux C, Rousselle M, Romiguier J, Figuet E, Glémin S, Bierne N, Duret L. Codon Usage Bias in Animals: Disentangling the Effects of Natural Selection, Effective Population Size, and GC-Biased Gene Conversion. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1092-1103. [PMID: 29390090 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Selection on codon usage bias is well documented in a number of microorganisms. Whether codon usage is also generally shaped by natural selection in large organisms, despite their relatively small effective population size (Ne), is unclear. In animals, the population genetics of codon usage bias has only been studied in a handful of model organisms so far, and can be affected by confounding, nonadaptive processes such as GC-biased gene conversion and experimental artefacts. Using population transcriptomics data, we analyzed the relationship between codon usage, gene expression, allele frequency distribution, and recombination rate in 30 nonmodel species of animals, each from a different family, covering a wide range of effective population sizes. We disentangled the effects of translational selection and GC-biased gene conversion on codon usage by separately analyzing GC-conservative and GC-changing mutations. We report evidence for effective translational selection on codon usage in large-Ne species of animals, but not in small-Ne ones, in agreement with the nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution. C- and T-ending codons tend to be preferred over synonymous G- and A-ending ones, for reasons that remain to be determined. In contrast, we uncovered a conspicuous effect of GC-biased gene conversion, which is widespread in animals and the main force determining the fate of AT↔GC mutations. Intriguingly, the strength of its effect was uncorrelated with Ne.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Galtier
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Camille Roux
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, CNRS, Université de Lille-Sciences et Technologies, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Marjolaine Rousselle
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Jonathan Romiguier
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emeric Figuet
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Glémin
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Bierne
- UMR5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abrahams L, Hurst LD. Adenine Enrichment at the Fourth CDS Residue in Bacterial Genes Is Consistent with Error Proofing for +1 Frameshifts. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 34:3064-3080. [PMID: 28961919 PMCID: PMC5850271 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond selection for optimal protein functioning, coding sequences (CDSs) are under selection at the RNA and DNA levels. Here, we identify a possible signature of “dual-coding,” namely extensive adenine (A) enrichment at bacterial CDS fourth sites. In 99.07% of studied bacterial genomes, fourth site A use is greater than expected given genomic A-starting codon use. Arguing for nucleotide level selection, A-starting serine and arginine second codons are heavily utilized when compared with their non-A starting synonyms. Several models have the ability to explain some of this trend. In part, A-enrichment likely reduces 5′ mRNA stability, promoting translation initiation. However T/U, which may also reduce stability, is avoided. Further, +1 frameshifts on the initiating ATG encode a stop codon (TGA) provided A is the fourth residue, acting either as a frameshift “catch and destroy” or a frameshift stop and adjust mechanism and hence implicated in translation initiation. Consistent with both, genomes lacking TGA stop codons exhibit weaker fourth site A-enrichment. Sequences lacking a Shine–Dalgarno sequence and those without upstream leader genes, that may be more error prone during initiation, have greater utilization of A, again suggesting a role in initiation. The frameshift correction model is consistent with the notion that many genomic features are error-mitigation factors and provides the first evidence for site-specific out of frame stop codon selection. We conjecture that the NTG universal start codon may have evolved as a consequence of TGA being a stop codon and the ability of NTGA to rapidly terminate or adjust a ribosome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liam Abrahams
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Paul P, Malakar AK, Chakraborty S. Codon usage vis-a-vis start and stop codon context analysis of three dicot species. J Genet 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-018-0892-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
12
|
Im EH, Choi SS. Synonymous Codon Usage Controls Various Molecular Aspects. Genomics Inform 2017; 15:123-127. [PMID: 29307137 PMCID: PMC5769864 DOI: 10.5808/gi.2017.15.4.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Synonymous sites are generally considered to be functionally neutral. However, there are recent contradictory findings suggesting that synonymous alleles might have functional roles in various molecular aspects. For instance, a recent study demonstrated that synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms have a similar effect size as nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in human disease association studies. Researchers have recognized synonymous codon usage bias (SCUB) in the genomes of almost all species and have investigated whether SCUB is due to random nucleotide compositional bias or to natural selection of any functional exposure generated by synonymous mutations. One of the most prominent observations on the non-neutrality of synonymous codons is the correlation between SCUB and levels of gene expression, such that highly expressed genes tend to have a higher preference toward so-called optimal codons than lowly expressed genes. In relation, it is known that amounts of cognate tRNAs that bind to optimal codons are significantly higher than the amounts of cognate tRNAs that bind to non-optimal codons in genomes. In the present paper, we review various functions that synonymous codons might have other than regulating expression levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eu-Hyun Im
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, and Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| | - Sun Shim Choi
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, and Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
|
14
|
Wen Y, Zou Z, Li H, Xiang Z, He N. Analysis of codon usage patterns in Morus notabilis based on genome and transcriptome data. Genome 2017; 60:473-484. [PMID: 28177830 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2016-0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Codons play important roles in regulating gene expression levels and mRNA half-lives. However, codon usage and related studies in multicellular organisms still lag far behind those in unicellular organisms. In this study, we describe for the first time genome-wide patterns of codon bias in Morus notabilis (mulberry tree), and analyze genome-wide codon usage in 12 other species within the order Rosales. The codon usage of M. notabilis was affected by nucleotide composition, mutation pressure, nature selection, and gene expression level. Translational selection optimal codons were identified and highly expressed genes of M. notabilis tended to use the optimal codons. Genes with higher expression levels have shorter coding region and lower amino acid complexity. Housekeeping genes showed stronger translational selection, which, notably, was not caused by the large differences between the expression level of housekeeping genes and other genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.,State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ziliang Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.,State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Hongshun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.,State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhonghuai Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.,State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ningjia He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.,State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yang L, Zhang Z, He S. Both Male-Biased and Female-Biased Genes Evolve Faster in Fish Genomes. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:3433-3445. [PMID: 27742722 PMCID: PMC5203780 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females often display extensive phenotypic differences, and many of these sexual dimorphisms are thought to result from differences between males and females in expression of genes present in both sexes. Sex-biased genes have been shown to exhibit accelerated rates of evolution in a wide array of species, however the cause of this remains enigmatic. In this study, we investigate the extent and evolutionary dynamics of sex-biased gene expression in zebrafish. Our results indicate that both male-biased genes and female-biased genes exhibit accelerated evolution at the protein level. In order to differentiate between adaptive and nonadaptive causes, we tested for codon usage bias and signatures of different selective regimes in our sequence data. Our results show that both male- and female-biased genes show signatures consistent with adaptive evolution. In order to test the generality of our findings across fish, we also analyzed publicly available data on sticklebacks, and found results consistent with our findings in zebrafish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liandong Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaolei Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shunping He
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Genome-wide comparative analysis of codon usage bias and codon context patterns among cyanobacterial genomes. Mar Genomics 2016; 32:31-39. [PMID: 27733306 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
With the increasing accumulation of genomic sequence information of prokaryotes, the study of codon usage bias has gained renewed attention. The purpose of this study was to examine codon selection pattern within and across cyanobacterial species belonging to diverse taxonomic orders and habitats. We performed detailed comparative analysis of cyanobacterial genomes with respect to codon bias. Our analysis reflects that in cyanobacterial genomes, A- and/or T-ending codons were used predominantly in the genes whereas G- and/or C-ending codons were largely avoided. Variation in the codon context usage of cyanobacterial genes corresponded to the clustering of cyanobacteria as per their GC content. Analysis of codon adaptation index (CAI) and synonymous codon usage order (SCUO) revealed that majority of genes are associated with low codon bias. Codon selection pattern in cyanobacterial genomes reflected compositional constraints as major influencing factor. It is also identified that although, mutational constraint may play some role in affecting codon usage bias in cyanobacteria, compositional constraint in terms of genomic GC composition coupled with environmental factors affected codon selection pattern in cyanobacterial genomes.
Collapse
|
17
|
Chen CYA, Shyu AB. Emerging Themes in Regulation of Global mRNA Turnover in cis. Trends Biochem Sci 2016; 42:16-27. [PMID: 27647213 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2016.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
mRNA is the molecule that conveys genetic information from DNA to the translation apparatus. mRNAs in all organisms display a wide range of stability, and mechanisms have evolved to selectively and differentially regulate individual mRNA stability in response to intracellular and extracellular cues. In recent years, three seemingly distinct aspects of RNA biology-mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, alternative 3' end processing and polyadenylation (APA), and mRNA codon usage-have been linked to mRNA turnover, and all three aspects function to regulate global mRNA stability in cis. Here, we discuss the discovery and molecular dissection of these mechanisms in relation to how they impact the intrinsic decay rate of mRNA in eukaryotes, leading to transcriptome reprogramming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chyi-Ying A Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ann-Bin Shyu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Velazquez-Salinas L, Zarate S, Eschbaumer M, Pereira Lobo F, Gladue DP, Arzt J, Novella IS, Rodriguez LL. Selective Factors Associated with the Evolution of Codon Usage in Natural Populations of Arboviruses. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159943. [PMID: 27455096 PMCID: PMC4959722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses (arthropod borne viruses) have life cycles that include both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts with substantial differences in vector and host specificity between different viruses. Most arboviruses utilize RNA for their genetic material and are completely dependent on host tRNAs for their translation, suggesting that virus codon usage could be a target for selection. In the current study we analyzed the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) patterns of 26 arboviruses together with 25 vectors and hosts, including 8 vertebrates and 17 invertebrates. We used hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to identify trends in codon usage. HCA demonstrated that the RSCU of arboviruses reflects that of their natural hosts, but not that of dead-end hosts. Of the two major components identified by PCA, the first accounted for 62.1% of the total variance, and among the 59 codons analyzed in this study, the leucine codon CTG had the highest correlation with the first principal component, however isoleucine had the highest correlation during amino acid analysis. Nucleotide and dinucleotide composition were the variables that explained most of the total codon usage variance. The results suggest that the main factors driving the evolution of codon usage in arboviruses is based on the nucleotide and dinucleotide composition present in the host. Comparing codon usage of arboviruses and potential vector hosts can help identifying potential vectors for emerging arboviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, New York, United States of America.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Selene Zarate
- Autonomous University of Mexico City, Genomics Sciences Program, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Michael Eschbaumer
- Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, New York, United States of America.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Francisco Pereira Lobo
- Laboratório Multiusuário de Bioinformática, Embrapa Informática Agropecuária, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) Campinas, Brazil
| | - Douglas P Gladue
- Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, New York, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Arzt
- Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, New York, United States of America
| | - Isabel S Novella
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Luis L Rodriguez
- Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yin H, Ma L, Wang G, Li M, Zhang Z. Old genes experience stronger translational selection than young genes. Gene 2016; 590:29-34. [PMID: 27259662 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.05.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Selection on synonymous codon usage for translation efficiency and/or accuracy has been identified as a widespread mechanism in many living organisms. However, it remains unknown whether translational selection associates closely with gene age and acts differentially on genes with different evolutionary ages. To address this issue, here we investigate the strength of translational selection acting on different aged genes in human. Our results show that old genes present stronger translational selection than young genes, demonstrating that translational selection correlates positively with gene age. We further explore the difference of translational selection in duplicates vs. singletons and in housekeeping vs. tissue-specific genes. We find that translational selection acts comparably in old singletons and old duplicates and stronger translational selection in old genes is contributed primarily by housekeeping genes. For young genes, contrastingly, singletons experience stronger translational selection than duplicates, presumably due to redundant function of duplicated genes during their early evolutionary stage. Taken together, our results indicate that translational selection acting on a gene would not be constant during all stages of evolution, associating closely with gene age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lina Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guangyu Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mengwei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
He J, Liu H, Yang J, Dong X, Wu C. Abundant members of Scavenger receptors family and their identification, characterization and expression against Vibrio alginolyticus infection in juvenile Larimichthys crocea. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 50:297-309. [PMID: 26876357 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Scavenger receptors (SRs) are crucial pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to defense pathogen infection in fish innate immunity. In this paper, some members in SRs family of Larimichthys crocea were identified, including eight genes in the class A, B, D and F families. (G + C) % of all SRs members held 51% ∼ 59%, and these genes were no obvious codon bias by analyzing the distribution of A-, T-, G- and C-ended codons. The order of Enc for all SRs members by sequencing was LycCD68 > LycSCARA5 > LycSCARB1 > LycCD163 > LycMARCO > LycSREC1 > LycSCARA3 > LycSREC2. Moreover, different lengths and numbers of exons and introns led to the diverse mRNAs and respective functional domains or motifs, for example, an optional cysteine-rich (SRCR) domain in LycMARCO and LycSCARA5, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF-like domain in LycSREC1 and LycSREC2. The sub-cellular localization demonstrated SRs members mainly located in plasma membrane or extracellular matrix. Further, all of the SRs members in L. crocea were almost low expressed in heart, gill and intestine, whereas high in spleen and liver. After stimulation by Vibrio alginolyticus, the class A and F families were induced significantly, but the class B and D families expressed less even none after pathogenic infection. All the findings would pave the way to understand not only the evolution of the SR-mediated immune response, but also the complexity of fish immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu He
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, PR China
| | - Huihui Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, PR China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, PR China
| | - Xiangli Dong
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, PR China
| | - Changwen Wu
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kim JJ, Yu J, Bag J, Bakovic M, Cant JP. Translation attenuation via 3' terminal codon usage in bovine csn1s2 is responsible for the difference in αs2- and β-casein profile in milk. RNA Biol 2015; 12:354-67. [PMID: 25826667 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2015.1017231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The rate of secretion of αs2-casein into bovine milk is approximately 25% of that of β-casein, yet mammary expression of their respective mRNA transcripts (csn1s2 and csn2) is not different. Our objective was to identify molecular mechanisms that explain the difference in translation efficiency between csn1s2 and csn2. Cell-free translational efficiency of csn2 was 5 times that of csn1s2. Transcripts of csn1s2 distributed into heavier polysomes than csn2 transcripts, indicating an attenuation of elongation and/or termination. Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of the 5' and 3' UTRs on translational efficiency were different with luciferase and casein sequences in the coding regions. Substituting the 5' and 3' UTRs from csn2 into csn1s2 did not improve csn1s2 translation, implicating the coding region itself in the translation difference. Deletion of a 28-codon fragment from the 3' terminus of the csn1s2 coding region, which displays codons with low correlations to cell fitness, increased translation to a par with csn2. We conclude that the usage of the last 28 codons of csn1s2 is the main regulatory element that attenuates its expression and is responsible for the differential translational expression of csn1s2 and csn2.
Collapse
Key Words
- 40S, small ribosomal subunit
- 60S, large ribosomal subunit
- AA, amino acid
- ARE, AU-rich element
- Apaf-1, apoptosis protease activating factor 1
- DLG1, disc large 1 ncosuppressor
- FMR1, fragile X mental retardation 1
- HRP, horseradish eroxidase
- IE, inhibitory element
- IRE, iron-responsive element
- IRES, nternal ribosome entry site
- IRP, iron-regulatory protein
- MACT, bovine mammary epithelial cell
- PABP, poly(A) binding protein
- PAGE, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- PCR, polymerase chain reaction
- PVDF, polyvinylidene fluoride
- RACE, rapid amplification of cDNA ends
- RBP, RNA-binding protein
- RRL, rabbit reticulocyte lysate
- RT, reverse transcription
- SDS, sodium dodecyl sulfate
- SE, standard error
- STR, single-stranded nucleic acid binding protein
- TBS-T, Tris-buffered saline containing 0.5%
- TfR, transferrin receptor
- Tween 20
- UTR, untranslated region
- aa-tRNA, aminoacyl-tRNA
- aaRS, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase
- bovine casein
- cDNA, complementary DNA
- cell-free translation
- coding region
- codon usage
- eEF, eukaryotic elongation factor
- eIF, eukaryotic initiation factor
- eRF, eukaryotic termination factor
- m7G, 7-methylated uanidine
- mRNA, messenger RNA
- qPCR, real-time polymerase chain reaction
- sAUG, start codon
- tRNA, transfer RNA
- translational efficiency
- uAUG, upstream start codon
- uORF, open reading frame
- untranslated region
- ΔG, free energy
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie J Kim
- a Animal and Poultry Science; University of Guelph ; Guelph , Ontario , Canada
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Price N, Graur D. Are Synonymous Sites in Primates and Rodents Functionally Constrained? J Mol Evol 2015; 82:51-64. [PMID: 26563252 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-015-9719-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It has been claimed that synonymous sites in mammals are under selective constraint. Furthermore, in many studies the selective constraint at such sites in primates was claimed to be more stringent than that in rodents. Given the larger effective population sizes in rodents than in primates, the theoretical expectation is that selection in rodents would be more effective than that in primates. To resolve this contradiction between expectations and observations, we used processed pseudogenes as a model for strict neutral evolution, and estimated selective constraint on synonymous sites using the rate of substitution at pseudosynonymous and pseudononsynonymous sites in pseudogenes as the neutral expectation. After controlling for the effects of GC content, our results were similar to those from previous studies, i.e., synonymous sites in primates exhibited evidence for higher selective constraint that those in rodents. Specifically, our results indicated that in primates up to 24% of synonymous sites could be under purifying selection, while in rodents synonymous sites evolved neutrally. To further control for shifts in GC content, we estimated selective constraint at fourfold degenerate sites using a maximum parsimony approach. This allowed us to estimate selective constraint using mutational patterns that cause a shift in GC content (GT ↔ TG, CT ↔ TC, GA ↔ AG, and CA ↔ AC) and ones that do not (AT ↔ TA and CG ↔ GC). Using this approach, we found that synonymous sites evolve neutrally in both primates and rodents. Apparent deviations from neutrality were caused by a higher rate of C → A and C → T mutations in pseudogenes. Such differences are most likely caused by the shift in GC content experienced by pseudogenes. We conclude that previous estimates according to which 20-40% of synonymous sites in primates were under selective constraint were most likely artifacts of the biased pattern of mutation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Price
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | - Dan Graur
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204-5001, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
A Comprehensive Analysis of Codon Usage Patterns in Blunt Snout Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) Based on RNA-Seq Data. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:11996-2013. [PMID: 26016504 PMCID: PMC4490425 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160611996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) is an important fish species for its delicacy and high economic value in China. Codon usage analysis could be helpful to understand its codon biology, mRNA translation and vertebrate evolution. Based on RNA-Seq data for M. amblycephala, high-frequency codons (CUG, AGA, GUG, CAG and GAG), as well as low-frequency ones (NUA and NCG codons) were identified. A total of 724 high-frequency codon pairs were observed. Meanwhile, 14 preferred and 199 avoided neighboring codon pairs were also identified, but bias was almost not shown with one or more intervening codons inserted between the same pairs. Codon usage bias in the regions close to start and stop codons indicated apparent heterogeneity, which even occurs in the flanking nucleotide sequence. Codon usage bias (RSCU and SCUO) was related to GC3 (GC content of 3rd nucleotide in codon) bias. Six GO (Gene ontology) categories and the number of methylation targets were influenced by GC3. Codon usage patterns comparison among 23 vertebrates showed species specificities by using GC contents, codon usage and codon context analysis. This work provided new insights into fish biology and new information for breeding projects.
Collapse
|
24
|
Kessler MD, Dean MD. Effective population size does not predict codon usage bias in mammals. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3887-900. [PMID: 25505518 PMCID: PMC4242573 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Synonymous codons are not used at equal frequency throughout the genome, a phenomenon termed codon usage bias (CUB). It is often assumed that interspecific variation in the intensity of CUB is related to species differences in effective population sizes (Ne), with selection on CUB operating less efficiently in species with small Ne. Here, we specifically ask whether variation in Ne predicts differences in CUB in mammals and report two main findings. First, across 41 mammalian genomes, CUB was not correlated with two indirect proxies of Ne (body mass and generation time), even though there was statistically significant evidence of selection shaping CUB across all species. Interestingly, autosomal genes showed higher codon usage bias compared to X-linked genes, and high-recombination genes showed higher codon usage bias compared to low recombination genes, suggesting intraspecific variation in Ne predicts variation in CUB. Second, across six mammalian species with genetic estimates of Ne (human, chimpanzee, rabbit, and three mouse species: Mus musculus, M. domesticus, and M. castaneus), Ne and CUB were weakly and inconsistently correlated. At least in mammals, interspecific divergence in Ne does not strongly predict variation in CUB. One hypothesis is that each species responds to a unique distribution of selection coefficients, confounding any straightforward link between Ne and CUB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Kessler
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, California, 90089
| | - Matthew D Dean
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, California, 90089
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Gingold H, Tehler D, Christoffersen N, Nielsen M, Asmar F, Kooistra S, Christophersen N, Christensen LL, Borre M, Sørensen K, Andersen L, Andersen C, Hulleman E, Wurdinger T, Ralfkiær E, Helin K, Grønbæk K, Ørntoft T, Waszak S, Dahan O, Pedersen J, Lund A, Pilpel Y. A Dual Program for Translation Regulation in Cellular Proliferation and Differentiation. Cell 2014; 158:1281-1292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 353] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
26
|
Sensory rewiring in an echolocator: genome-wide modification of retinogenic and auditory genes in the bat Myotis davidii. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2014; 4:1825-35. [PMID: 25096539 PMCID: PMC4199690 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.011262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bats comprise 20% of all mammalian species and display a number of characteristics, including true flight, echolocation, and a heightened ability to resist viral load that uniquely position this group for comparative genomic studies. Here we searched for evidence of genomic variation consistent with sensory rewiring through bat evolution. We focused on two species with divergent sensory preferences. Myotis davidii is a bat species that echolocates and possesses dim- but not daylight-adapted vision whereas the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) has highly developed day vision but does not echolocate. Using the naked mole rat as a reference, we found five functional genes (CYP1A2, RBP3, GUCY2F, CRYBB1, and GRK7) encoding visual proteins that have degenerated into pseudogenes in M. davidii but not P. alecto. In a second approach genome-wide codon usage bias (CUB) was compared between the two bat species. This CUB ranking systematically enriched for vision-related (CLN8, RD3, IKZF1, LAMC3, CRX, SOX8, VAX2, HPS1, RHO, PRPH2, and SOX9) and hearing-related (TPRN, TMIE, SLC52A3, OTOF, WFS1, SOD1, TBX18, MAP1A, OTOS, GPX1, and USH1G) machinery in M. davidii but not P. alecto. All vision and hearing genes selectively enriched in M. davidii for which orthologs could be identified also were more biased in the echolocating M. lucifugus than the nonecholocating P. vampyrus. We suggest that the existence of codon bias in vision- and hearing-related genes in a species that has evolved echolocation implies CUB is part of evolution’s toolkit to rewire sensory systems. We propose that the two genetic changes (pseudogene formation and CUB) collectively paint a picture of that incorporates a combination of destruction and gain-of-function. Together, they help explain how natural selection has reduced physiological costs associated with the development of a smaller eye poorly adapted to day vision but that also contribute to enhanced dim light vision and the hearing adaptations consonant with echolocation.
Collapse
|
27
|
Ma L, Cui P, Zhu J, Zhang Z, Zhang Z. Translational selection in human: more pronounced in housekeeping genes. Biol Direct 2014; 9:17. [PMID: 25011537 PMCID: PMC4100034 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6150-9-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Translational selection is a ubiquitous and significant mechanism to regulate protein expression in prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes. Recent evidence has shown that translational selection is weakly operative in highly expressed genes in human and other vertebrates. However, it remains unclear whether translational selection acts differentially on human genes depending on their expression patterns. RESULTS Here we report that human housekeeping (HK) genes that are strictly defined as genes that are expressed ubiquitously and consistently in most or all tissues, are under stronger translational selection. CONCLUSIONS These observations clearly show that translational selection is also closely associated with expression pattern. Our results suggest that human HK genes are more efficiently and/or accurately translated into proteins, which will inevitably open up a new understanding of HK genes and the regulation of gene expression. REVIEWERS This article was reviewed by Yuan Yuan, Baylor College of Medicine; Han Liang, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (nominated by Dr Laura Landweber) Eugene Koonin, NCBI, NLM, NIH, United States of America Sandor Pongor, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and biotechnology (ICGEB), Italy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Zhang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No,1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Evidence that natural selection on codon usage in Drosophila pseudoobscura varies across codons. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2014; 4:681-92. [PMID: 24531731 PMCID: PMC4059240 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.010488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Like other species of Drosophila, Drosophila pseudoobscura has a distinct bias toward the usage of C- and G-ending codons. Previous studies have indicated that this bias is due, at least in part, to natural selection. Codon bias clearly differs among amino acids (and other codon classes) in Drosophila, which may reflect differences in the intensity of selection on codon usage. Ongoing natural selection on synonymous codon usage should be reflected in the shapes of the site frequency spectra of derived states at polymorphic positions. Specifically, regardless of other demographic effects on the spectrum, it should be shifted toward higher values for changes from less-preferred to more-preferred codons, and toward lower values for the converse. If the intensity of natural selection is increased, shifts in the site frequency spectra should be more pronounced. A total of 33,729 synonymous polymorphic sites on Chromosome 2 in D. pseudoobscura were analyzed. Shifts in the site frequency spectra are consistent with differential intensity of natural selection on codon usage, with stronger shifts associated with higher codon bias. The shifts, in general, are greater for polymorphic synonymous sites than for polymorphic intron sites, also consistent with natural selection. However, unlike observations in D. melanogaster, codon bias is not reduced in areas of low recombination in D. pseudoobscura; the site frequency spectrum signal for selection on codon usage remains strong in these regions. However, diversity is reduced, as expected. It is possible that estimates of low recombination reflect a recent change in recombination rate.
Collapse
|
29
|
Weber CC, Boussau B, Romiguier J, Jarvis ED, Ellegren H. Evidence for GC-biased gene conversion as a driver of between-lineage differences in avian base composition. Genome Biol 2014; 15:549. [PMID: 25496599 PMCID: PMC4290106 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-014-0549-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While effective population size (Ne) and life history traits such as generation time are known to impact substitution rates, their potential effects on base composition evolution are less well understood. GC content increases with decreasing body mass in mammals, consistent with recombination-associated GC biased gene conversion (gBGC) more strongly impacting these lineages. However, shifts in chromosomal architecture and recombination landscapes between species may complicate the interpretation of these results. In birds, interchromosomal rearrangements are rare and the recombination landscape is conserved, suggesting that this group is well suited to assess the impact of life history on base composition. RESULTS Employing data from 45 newly and 3 previously sequenced avian genomes covering a broad range of taxa, we found that lineages with large populations and short generations exhibit higher GC content. The effect extends to both coding and non-coding sites, indicating that it is not due to selection on codon usage. Consistent with recombination driving base composition, GC content and heterogeneity were positively correlated with the rate of recombination. Moreover, we observed ongoing increases in GC in the majority of lineages. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence that gBGC may drive patterns of nucleotide composition in avian genomes and are consistent with more effective gBGC in large populations and a greater number of meioses per unit time; that is, a shorter generation time. Thus, in accord with theoretical predictions, base composition evolution is substantially modulated by species life history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Weber
- />Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bastien Boussau
- />Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Erich D Jarvis
- />Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA
| | - Hans Ellegren
- />Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Yona AH, Bloom-Ackermann Z, Frumkin I, Hanson-Smith V, Charpak-Amikam Y, Feng Q, Boeke JD, Dahan O, Pilpel Y. tRNA genes rapidly change in evolution to meet novel translational demands. eLife 2013; 2:e01339. [PMID: 24363105 PMCID: PMC3868979 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in expression patterns may occur when organisms are presented with new environmental challenges, for example following migration or genetic changes. To elucidate the mechanisms by which the translational machinery adapts to such changes, we perturbed the tRNA pool of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by tRNA gene deletion. We then evolved the deletion strain and observed that the genetic adaptation was recurrently based on a strategic mutation that changed the anticodon of other tRNA genes to match that of the deleted one. Strikingly, a systematic search in hundreds of genomes revealed that anticodon mutations occur throughout the tree of life. We further show that the evolution of the tRNA pool also depends on the need to properly couple translation to protein folding. Together, our observations shed light on the evolution of the tRNA pool, demonstrating that mutation in the anticodons of tRNA genes is a common adaptive mechanism when meeting new translational demands. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01339.001 Genes contain the blueprints for the proteins that are essential for countless biological functions and processes, and the path that leads from a particular gene to the corresponding protein is long and complex. The genetic information stored in the DNA must first be transcribed to produce a messenger RNA molecule, which then has to be translated to produce a string of amino acids that fold to form a protein. The translation step is performed by a molecular machine called the ribosome, with transfer RNA molecules bringing the amino acids that are needed to make the protein. The information in messenger RNA is stored as a series of letters, with groups of three letters called codons representing the different amino acids. Since there are four letters—A, C, G and U—it is possible to form 64 different codons. And since there are only 20 amino acids, two or more different codons can specify the same amino acid (for example, AGU and AGC both specify serine), and two or more different transfer RNA molecules can take this amino acid to the ribosome. Moreover, some codons are found more often than others in the messenger RNA molecules, so the genes that encode the related transfer RNA molecules are more common than the genes for other transfer RNA molecules. Environmental pressures mean that organisms must adapt to survive, with some genes and proteins increasing in importance, and others becoming less important. Clearly the relative numbers of the different transfer RNA molecules will also need to change to reflect these evolutionary changes, but the details of how this happens were not understood. Now Yona et al. have explored this issue by studying yeast cells that lack a gene for one of the less common transfer RNA molecules (corresponding to the codon AGG, which specifies the amino acid arginine). At first this mutation resulted in slower growth of the yeast cells, but after being allowed to evolve over 200 generations, the rate of growth matched that of a normal strain with all transfer RNA genes. Yona et al. found that the gene for a more common transfer RNA molecule, corresponding to the codon AGA, which also specifies arginine, had mutated to AGG. As a result, the mutated yeast was eventually able to produce proteins as quickly as wild type yeast. Moreover, further experiments showed that the levels of some transfer RNAs are kept deliberately low in order to slow down the production of proteins so as to ensure that the proteins assume their correct structure. But does the way these cells evolved in the lab resemble what happened in nature? To address this question Yona et al. examined a database of transfer RNA sequences from more than 500 species, and found evidence for the same codon-based switching mechanism in many species across the tree of life. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01339.002
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avihu H Yona
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Halligan DL, Kousathanas A, Ness RW, Harr B, Eöry L, Keane TM, Adams DJ, Keightley PD. Contributions of protein-coding and regulatory change to adaptive molecular evolution in murid rodents. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003995. [PMID: 24339797 PMCID: PMC3854965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of regulatory versus protein change to adaptive evolution has long been controversial. In principle, the rate and strength of adaptation within functional genetic elements can be quantified on the basis of an excess of nucleotide substitutions between species compared to the neutral expectation or from effects of recent substitutions on nucleotide diversity at linked sites. Here, we infer the nature of selective forces acting in proteins, their UTRs and conserved noncoding elements (CNEs) using genome-wide patterns of diversity in wild house mice and divergence to related species. By applying an extension of the McDonald-Kreitman test, we infer that adaptive substitutions are widespread in protein-coding genes, UTRs and CNEs, and we estimate that there are at least four times as many adaptive substitutions in CNEs and UTRs as in proteins. We observe pronounced reductions in mean diversity around nonsynonymous sites (whether or not they have experienced a recent substitution). This can be explained by selection on multiple, linked CNEs and exons. We also observe substantial dips in mean diversity (after controlling for divergence) around protein-coding exons and CNEs, which can also be explained by the combined effects of many linked exons and CNEs. A model of background selection (BGS) can adequately explain the reduction in mean diversity observed around CNEs. However, BGS fails to explain the wide reductions in mean diversity surrounding exons (encompassing ∼100 Kb, on average), implying that there is a substantial role for adaptation within exons or closely linked sites. The wide dips in diversity around exons, which are hard to explain by BGS, suggest that the fitness effects of adaptive amino acid substitutions could be substantially larger than substitutions in CNEs. We conclude that although there appear to be many more adaptive noncoding changes, substitutions in proteins may dominate phenotypic evolution. We present an analysis of the genome sequences of multiple wild house mice. Wild house mice are about ten times more genetically diverse than humans, reflecting the large effective population size of the species. This manifests itself as more effective natural selection acting against deleterious mutations and favouring advantageous mutations in mice than in humans. We show that there are strong signals of adaptive evolution at many sites in the genome. We estimate that 80% of adaptive changes in the genome are in gene regulatory elements and only 20% are in protein-coding genes. We find that nucleotide diversity is markedly reduced close to gene regulatory elements and protein-coding gene sequences. The reductions around regulatory elements can be explained by selection purging deleterious mutations that occur in the elements themselves, but this process only partially explains the diversity reductions around protein-coding genes. Recurrent adaptive evolution, which can also cause local reductions in diversity via selective sweeps, may be necessary to fully explain the patterns in diversity that we observe surrounding genes. Although most adaptive molecular evolution appears to be regulatory, adaptive phenotypic change may principally be driven by structural change in proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Halligan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rob W. Ness
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bettina Harr
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Lél Eöry
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas M. Keane
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Adams
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D. Keightley
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|