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Bétermier M, Klobutcher LA, Orias E. Programmed chromosome fragmentation in ciliated protozoa: multiple means to chromosome ends. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0018422. [PMID: 38009915 PMCID: PMC10732028 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00184-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYCiliated protozoa undergo large-scale developmental rearrangement of their somatic genomes when forming a new transcriptionally active macronucleus during conjugation. This process includes the fragmentation of chromosomes derived from the germline, coupled with the efficient healing of the broken ends by de novo telomere addition. Here, we review what is known of developmental chromosome fragmentation in ciliates that have been well-studied at the molecular level (Tetrahymena, Paramecium, Euplotes, Stylonychia, and Oxytricha). These organisms differ substantially in the fidelity and precision of their fragmentation systems, as well as in the presence or absence of well-defined sequence elements that direct excision, suggesting that chromosome fragmentation systems have evolved multiple times and/or have been significantly altered during ciliate evolution. We propose a two-stage model for the evolution of the current ciliate systems, with both stages involving repetitive or transposable elements in the genome. The ancestral form of chromosome fragmentation is proposed to have been derived from the ciliate small RNA/chromatin modification process that removes transposons and other repetitive elements from the macronuclear genome during development. The evolution of this ancestral system is suggested to have potentiated its replacement in some ciliate lineages by subsequent fragmentation systems derived from mobile genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Bétermier
- Department of Genome Biology, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lawrence A. Klobutcher
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UCONN Health (University of Connecticut), Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Eduardo Orias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Cheng CY, Romero DP, Zoltner M, Yao MC, Turkewitz AP. Structure and dynamics of the contractile vacuole complex in Tetrahymena thermophila. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs261511. [PMID: 37902010 PMCID: PMC10729820 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The contractile vacuole complex (CVC) is a dynamic and morphologically complex membrane organelle, comprising a large vesicle (bladder) linked with a tubular reticulum (spongiome). CVCs provide key osmoregulatory roles across diverse eukaryotic lineages, but probing the mechanisms underlying their structure and function is hampered by the limited tools available for in vivo analysis. In the experimentally tractable ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, we describe four proteins that, as endogenously tagged constructs, localize specifically to distinct CVC zones. The DOPEY homolog Dop1p and the CORVET subunit Vps8Dp localize both to the bladder and spongiome but with different local distributions that are sensitive to osmotic perturbation, whereas the lipid scramblase Scr7p colocalizes with Vps8Dp. The H+-ATPase subunit Vma4 is spongiome specific. The live imaging permitted by these probes revealed dynamics at multiple scales including rapid exchange of CVC-localized and soluble protein pools versus lateral diffusion in the spongiome, spongiome extension and branching, and CVC formation during mitosis. Although the association with DOP1 and VPS8D implicate the CVC in endosomal trafficking, both the bladder and spongiome might be isolated from bulk endocytic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Yin Cheng
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Daniel P. Romero
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Martin Zoltner
- Biotechnology Biomedicine Centre of the Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Meng-Chao Yao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Aaron P. Turkewitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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3
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Cheng CY, Hernández J, Turkewitz AP. VPS8D, a CORVET subunit, is required to maintain the contractile vacuole complex in Tetrahymena thermophila. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.07.566071. [PMID: 37986963 PMCID: PMC10659352 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.566071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Contractile vacuole complexes (CVCs) are complex osmoregulatory organelles, with vesicular (bladder) and tubular (spongiome) subcompartments. The mechanisms that underlie their formation and maintenance within the eukaryotic endomembrane network are poorly understood. In the Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, six differentiated CORVETs (class C core vacuole/endosome tethering complexes), with Vps8 subunits designated A-F, are likely to direct endosomal trafficking. Vps8Dp localizes to both bladder and spongiome. We show by inducible knockdown that VPS8D is essential to CVC organization and function. VPS8D knockdown increased susceptibility to osmotic shock, tolerated in the wildtype but triggering irreversible lethal swelling in the mutant. The knockdown rapidly triggered contraction of the spongiome and lengthened the period of the bladder contractile cycle. More prolonged knockdown resulted in disassembly of both the spongiome and bladder, and dispersal of proteins associated with those compartments. In stressed cells where the normally singular bladder is replaced by numerous vesicles bearing bladder markers, Vps8Dp concentrated conspicuously at long-lived inter-vesicle contact sites, consistent with tethering activity. Similarly, Vps8Dp in cell-free preparations accumulated at junctions formed after vacuoles came into close contact. Also consistent with roles for Vps8Dp in tethering and/or fusion were the emergence in knockdown cells of multiple vacuole-related structures, replacing the single bladder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Yin Cheng
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Josefina Hernández
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aaron P. Turkewitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Li C, Fu Y, Tian Y, Zang Z, Gentekaki E, Wang Z, Warren A, Li L. Comparative transcriptome and antioxidant biomarker response reveal molecular mechanisms to cope with zinc ion exposure in the unicellular eukaryote Paramecium. J Hazard Mater 2023; 453:131364. [PMID: 37080029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of industry has resulted in excessive environmental zinc exposure which has caused various health problems in a wide range of organisms including humans. The mechanisms by which aquatic microorganisms respond to environmental zinc stress are still poorly understood. Paramecium, a well-known ciliated protozoan and a popular cell model in heavy metal stress response studies, was chosen as the test unicellular eukaryotic organism in the present research. In this work, Paramecium cf. multimicronucleatum cells were exposed in different levels of zinc ion (0.1 and 1.0 mg/L) for different periods of exposure (1 and 4 days), and then analyzed population growth, transcriptomic profiles and physiological changes in antioxidant enzymes to explore the toxicity and detoxification mechanisms during the zinc stress response. Results demonstrated that long-term zinc exposure could have restrained population growth in ciliates, however, the response mechanism to zinc exposure in ciliates is likely to show a dosage-dependent and time-dependent manner. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified the characters by high-throughput sequencing, which remarkably enriched in the phagosome, indicating that the phagosome pathway might mediate the uptake of zinc, while the pathways of ABC transporters and Na+/K+-transporting ATPase contributed to the efflux transport of excessive zinc ions and the maintenance of osmotic balance, respectively. The accumulation of zinc ions triggered a series of adverse effects, including damage to DNA and proteins, disturbance of mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress. In addition, we found that gene expression changed significantly for metal ion binding, energy metabolism, and oxidation-reduction processes. RT-qPCR of ten genes involved in important biological functions further validated the results of the transcriptome analysis. We also continuously monitored changes in activity of four antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD and GSH-PX), all of which peaked on day 4 in cells subjected to zinc stress. Collectively, our results indicate that excessive environmental zinc exposure initially causes damage to cellular structure and function and then initiates detoxification mechanisms to maintain homeostasis in P. cf. multimicronucleatum cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congjun Li
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Yingxuan Tian
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Zihan Zang
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Zhenyuan Wang
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Lifang Li
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China.
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Gao Y, Solberg T, Wang C, Gao F. Small RNA-mediated genome rearrangement pathways in ciliates. Trends Genet 2023; 39:94-97. [PMID: 36371355 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Most eukaryotes employ a combination of transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing mechanisms to suppress transposons, yet ciliates employ a more extreme approach. They separate germline and somatic functions into distinct nuclei, enabling the elimination of transposons from the active somatic genome through diverse small RNA-mediated genome rearrangement pathways during sexual processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyi Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Therese Solberg
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Chundi Wang
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity & Evolution, Ocean College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Singh M, Seah BKB, Emmerich C, Singh A, Woehle C, Huettel B, Byerly A, Stover NA, Sugiura M, Harumoto T, Swart EC. Origins of genome-editing excisases as illuminated by the somatic genome of the ciliate Blepharisma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213887120. [PMID: 36669098 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213887120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Massive DNA excision occurs regularly in ciliates, ubiquitous microbial eukaryotes with somatic and germline nuclei in the same cell. Tens of thousands of internally eliminated sequences (IESs) scattered throughout the ciliate germline genome are deleted during the development of the streamlined somatic genome. The genus Blepharisma represents one of the two high-level ciliate clades (subphylum Postciliodesmatophora) and, unusually, has dual pathways of somatic nuclear and genome development. This makes it ideal for investigating the functioning and evolution of these processes. Here we report the somatic genome assembly of Blepharisma stoltei strain ATCC 30299 (41 Mbp), arranged as numerous telomere-capped minichromosomal isoforms. This genome encodes eight PiggyBac transposase homologs no longer harbored by transposons. All appear subject to purifying selection, but just one, the putative IES excisase, has a complete catalytic triad. We hypothesize that PiggyBac homologs were ancestral excisases that enabled the evolution of extensive natural genome editing.
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Seah BKB, Singh M, Emmerich C, Singh A, Woehle C, Huettel B, Byerly A, Stover NA, Sugiura M, Harumoto T, Swart EC. MITE infestation accommodated by genome editing in the germline genome of the ciliate Blepharisma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213985120. [PMID: 36669106 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213985120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
During their development following sexual conjugation, ciliates excise numerous internal eliminated sequences (IESs) from a copy of the germline genome to produce the functional somatic genome. Most IESs are thought to have originated from transposons, but the presumed homology is often obscured by sequence decay. To obtain more representative perspectives on the nature of IESs and ciliate genome editing, we assembled 40,000 IESs of Blepharisma stoltei, a species belonging to a lineage (Heterotrichea) that diverged early from those of the intensively studied model ciliate species. About a quarter of IESs were short (<115 bp), largely nonrepetitive, and with a pronounced ~10 bp periodicity in length; the remainder were longer (up to 7 kbp) and nonperiodic and contained abundant interspersed repeats. Contrary to the expectation from current models, the assembled Blepharisma germline genome encodes few transposases. Instead, its most abundant repeat (8,000 copies) is a Miniature Inverted-repeat Transposable Element (MITE), apparently a deletion derivative of a germline-limited Pogo-family transposon. We hypothesize that MITEs are an important source of IESs whose proliferation is eventually self-limiting and that rather than defending the germline genomes against mobile elements, transposase domestication actually facilitates the accumulation of junk DNA.
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Abstract
Adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates relies on the assembly of antigen receptor genes by the recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1)-RAG2 (collectively RAG) recombinase in a reaction known as V(D)J recombination. Extensive biochemical and structural evidence indicates that RAG and V(D)J recombination evolved from the components of a RAG-like (RAGL) transposable element through a process known as transposon molecular domestication. This Review describes recent advances in our understanding of the functional and structural transitions that occurred during RAG evolution. We use the structures of RAG and RAGL enzymes to trace the evolutionary adaptations that yielded a RAG recombinase with exquisitely regulated cleavage activity and a multilayered array of mechanisms to suppress transposition. We describe how changes in modes of DNA binding, alterations in the dynamics of protein-DNA complexes, single amino acid mutations and a modular design likely enabled RAG family enzymes to survive and spread in the genomes of eukaryotes. These advances highlight the insight that can be gained from viewing evolution of vertebrate immunity through the lens of comparative genome analyses coupled with structural biology and biochemistry.
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Molière A, Beer KB, Wehman AM. Dopey proteins are essential but overlooked regulators of membrane trafficking. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:274973. [PMID: 35388894 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopey family proteins play crucial roles in diverse processes from morphogenesis to neural function and are conserved from yeast to mammals. Understanding the mechanisms behind these critical functions could have major clinical significance, as dysregulation of Dopey proteins has been linked to the cognitive defects in Down syndrome, as well as neurological diseases. Dopey proteins form a complex with the non-essential GEF-like protein Mon2 and an essential lipid flippase from the P4-ATPase family. Different combinations of Dopey, Mon2 and flippases have been linked to regulating membrane remodeling, from endosomal recycling to extracellular vesicle formation, through their interactions with lipids and other membrane trafficking regulators, such as ARL1, SNX3 and the kinesin-1 light chain KLC2. Despite these important functions and their likely clinical significance, Dopey proteins remain understudied and their roles elusive. Here, we review the major scientific discoveries relating to Dopey proteins and detail key open questions regarding their function to draw attention to these fascinating enigmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Molière
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Katharina B Beer
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ann M Wehman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA.,Rudolf Virchow Center, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, D-97080, Würzburg, Germany
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Sellis D, Guérin F, Arnaiz O, Pett W, Lerat E, Boggetto N, Krenek S, Berendonk T, Couloux A, Aury JM, Labadie K, Malinsky S, Bhullar S, Meyer E, Sperling L, Duret L, Duharcourt S. Massive colonization of protein-coding exons by selfish genetic elements in Paramecium germline genomes. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001309. [PMID: 34324490 PMCID: PMC8354472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes with both a germline genome and a somatic genome in the same cytoplasm. The somatic macronucleus (MAC), responsible for gene expression, is not sexually transmitted but develops from a copy of the germline micronucleus (MIC) at each sexual generation. In the MIC genome of Paramecium tetraurelia, genes are interrupted by tens of thousands of unique intervening sequences called internal eliminated sequences (IESs), which have to be precisely excised during the development of the new MAC to restore functional genes. To understand the evolutionary origin of this peculiar genomic architecture, we sequenced the MIC genomes of 9 Paramecium species (from approximately 100 Mb in Paramecium aurelia species to >1.5 Gb in Paramecium caudatum). We detected several waves of IES gains, both in ancestral and in more recent lineages. While the vast majority of IESs are single copy in present-day genomes, we identified several families of mobile IESs, including nonautonomous elements acquired via horizontal transfer, which generated tens to thousands of new copies. These observations provide the first direct evidence that transposable elements can account for the massive proliferation of IESs in Paramecium. The comparison of IESs of different evolutionary ages indicates that, over time, IESs shorten and diverge rapidly in sequence while they acquire features that allow them to be more efficiently excised. We nevertheless identified rare cases of IESs that are under strong purifying selection across the aurelia clade. The cases examined contain or overlap cellular genes that are inactivated by excision during development, suggesting conserved regulatory mechanisms. Similar to the evolution of introns in eukaryotes, the evolution of Paramecium IESs highlights the major role played by selfish genetic elements in shaping the complexity of genome architecture and gene expression. A comparative genomics study of nine Paramecium species reveals successful invasion of genes by transposable elements in their germline genomes, showing that the internal eliminated sequences (IESs) followed an evolutionary trajectory remarkably similar to that of spliceosomal introns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diamantis Sellis
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Frédéric Guérin
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Arnaiz
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Walker Pett
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emmanuelle Lerat
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nicole Boggetto
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Sascha Krenek
- TU Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Arnaud Couloux
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Université d’Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Université d’Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Karine Labadie
- Genoscope, Institut de biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Sophie Malinsky
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Simran Bhullar
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Eric Meyer
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Linda Sperling
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Université de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- * E-mail: (LD); (SD)
| | - Sandra Duharcourt
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (LD); (SD)
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Guérineau M, Bessa L, Moriau S, Lescop E, Bontems F, Mathy N, Guittet E, Bischerour J, Bétermier M, Morellet N. The unusual structure of the PiggyMac cysteine-rich domain reveals zinc finger diversity in PiggyBac-related transposases. Mob DNA 2021; 12:12. [PMID: 33926516 PMCID: PMC8086355 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-021-00240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposons are mobile genetic elements that colonize genomes and drive their plasticity in all organisms. DNA transposon-encoded transposases bind to the ends of their cognate transposons and catalyze their movement. In some cases, exaptation of transposon genes has allowed novel cellular functions to emerge. The PiggyMac (Pgm) endonuclease of the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia is a domesticated transposase from the PiggyBac family. It carries a core catalytic domain typical of PiggyBac-related transposases and a short cysteine-rich domain (CRD), flanked by N- and C-terminal extensions. During sexual processes Pgm catalyzes programmed genome rearrangements (PGR) that eliminate ~ 30% of germline DNA from the somatic genome at each generation. How Pgm recognizes its DNA cleavage sites in chromatin is unclear and the structure-function relationships of its different domains have remained elusive. RESULTS We provide insight into Pgm structure by determining the fold adopted by its CRD, an essential domain required for PGR. Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, we show that the Pgm CRD binds two Zn2+ ions and forms an unusual binuclear cross-brace zinc finger, with a circularly permutated treble-clef fold flanked by two flexible arms. The Pgm CRD structure clearly differs from that of several other PiggyBac-related transposases, among which is the well-studied PB transposase from Trichoplusia ni. Instead, the arrangement of cysteines and histidines in the primary sequence of the Pgm CRD resembles that of active transposases from piggyBac-like elements found in other species and of human PiggyBac-derived domesticated transposases. We show that, unlike the PB CRD, the Pgm CRD does not bind DNA. Instead, it interacts weakly with the N-terminus of histone H3, whatever its lysine methylation state. CONCLUSIONS The present study points to the structural diversity of the CRD among transposases from the PiggyBac family and their domesticated derivatives, and highlights the diverse interactions this domain may establish with chromatin, from sequence-specific DNA binding to contacts with histone tails. Our data suggest that the Pgm CRD fold, whose unusual arrangement of cysteines and histidines is found in all PiggyBac-related domesticated transposases from Paramecium and Tetrahymena, was already present in the ancestral active transposase that gave rise to ciliate domesticated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Guérineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Luiza Bessa
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
- Present addresses: Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Séverine Moriau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Ewen Lescop
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - François Bontems
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Nathalie Mathy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
- Reproduction et Développement des Plantes UMR 5667, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Eric Guittet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Julien Bischerour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Mireille Bétermier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - Nelly Morellet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
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Abstract
Transposable elements have both detrimental and beneficial effects on their host genome. Tetrahymena is a unicellular eukaryote that deals with transposable elements in a unique way. It has a separate somatic and germline genome in two nuclei in a single cell. During sexual reproduction, a small RNA directed system compares the germline and somatic genome to identify transposable elements and related sequences. These are subsequently marked by heterochromatin and excised. In this Review, current knowledge of this system and the gaps therein are discussed. Additionally, the possibility to exploit the Tetrahymena machinery for genome editing and its advantages over the widely used CRISPR-Cas9 system will be explored. While the bacterial derived CRISPR-Cas9 has difficulty to access eukaryotic chromatin, Tetrahymena proteins are adept at acting in a chromatin context. Furthermore, Tetrahymena based gene therapy in humans might be a safer alternative to Cas9 because the latter can trigger an immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolien Bastiaanssen
- Department of BioNanoScience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chirlmin Joo
- Department of BioNanoScience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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13
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Abstract
Ciliates are a highly divergent group of unicellular eukaryotes with separate somatic and germline genomes found in distinct dimorphic nuclei. This characteristic feature is tightly linked to extremely laborious developmentally regulated genome rearrangements in the development of a new somatic genome/nuclei following sex. The transformation from germline to soma genome involves massive DNA elimination mediated by non-coding RNAs, chromosome fragmentation, as well as DNA amplification. In this review, we discuss the similarities and differences in the genome reorganization processes of the model ciliates Paramecium and Tetrahymena (class Oligohymenophorea), and the distantly related Euplotes, Stylonychia, and Oxytricha (class Spirotrichea).
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Rzeszutek
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310, Rzeszow, Poland.
| | - Xyrus X Maurer-Alcalá
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mariusz Nowacki
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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14
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Wang J, Veronezi GMB, Kang Y, Zagoskin M, O'Toole ET, Davis RE. Comprehensive Chromosome End Remodeling during Programmed DNA Elimination. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3397-3413.e4. [PMID: 32679104 PMCID: PMC7484210 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Germline and somatic genomes are in general the same in a multicellular organism. However, programmed DNA elimination leads to a reduced somatic genome compared to germline cells. Previous work on the parasitic nematode Ascaris demonstrated that programmed DNA elimination encompasses high-fidelity chromosomal breaks and loss of specific genome sequences including a major tandem repeat of 120 bp and ~1,000 germline-expressed genes. However, the precise chromosomal locations of these repeats, breaks regions, and eliminated genes remained unknown. We used PacBio long-read sequencing and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) to obtain fully assembled chromosomes of Ascaris germline and somatic genomes, enabling a complete chromosomal view of DNA elimination. We found that all 24 germline chromosomes undergo comprehensive chromosome end remodeling with DNA breaks in their subtelomeric regions and loss of distal sequences including the telomeres at both chromosome ends. All new Ascaris somatic chromosome ends are recapped by de novo telomere healing. We provide an ultrastructural analysis of Ascaris DNA elimination and show that eliminated DNA is incorporated into double membrane-bound structures, similar to micronuclei, during telophase of a DNA elimination mitosis. These micronuclei undergo dynamic changes including loss of active histone marks and localize to the cytoplasm following daughter nuclei formation and cytokinesis where they form autophagosomes. Comparative analysis of nematode chromosomes suggests that chromosome fusions occurred, forming Ascaris sex chromosomes that become independent chromosomes following DNA elimination breaks in somatic cells. These studies provide the first chromosomal view and define novel features and functions of metazoan programmed DNA elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | - Giovana M B Veronezi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Kang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Maxim Zagoskin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eileen T O'Toole
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Richard E Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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15
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Abstract
Ciliates are an interesting model system for investigating diverse functions of noncoding RNAs, especially in genome defence pathways. During sexual development, the ciliate somatic genome undergoes massive rearrangement and reduction through removal of transposable elements and other repetitive DNA. This is guided by a multitude of noncoding RNAs of different sizes and functions, the extent of which is only recently becoming clear. The genome rearrangement pathways evolved as a defence against parasitic DNA, but interestingly also use the transposable elements and transposases to execute their own removal. Thus, ciliates are also a good model for the coevolution of host and transposable element, and the mutual dependence between the two. In this review, we summarise the genome rearrangement pathways in three diverse species of ciliate, with focus on recent discoveries and the roles of noncoding RNAs. Ciliate genomes undergo massive rearrangement and reduction during development. Transposon elimination is guided by small RNAs and carried out by transposases. New pathways for noncoding RNA production have recently been discovered in ciliates. Diverse ciliate species have different mechanisms for RNA-guided genome remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Allen
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Tsakou-Ngouafo L, Paganini J, Kaufman J, Pontarotti P. Origins of the RAG Transposome and the MHC. Trends Immunol 2020; 41:561-571. [PMID: 32467030 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
How innate immunity gave rise to adaptive immunity in vertebrates remains unknown. We propose an evolutionary scenario beginning with pathogen-associated molecular pattern(s) (PAMPs) being presented by molecule(s) on one cell to specific receptor(s) on other cells, much like MHC molecules and T cell receptors (TCRs). In this model, mutations in MHC-like molecule(s) that bound new PAMP(s) would not be recognized by original TCR-like molecule(s), and new MHC-like gene(s) would be lost by neutral drift. Integrating recombination activating gene (RAG) transposon(s) in a TCR-like gene would result in greater recognition diversity, with new MHC-like variants recognized and selected, along with a new RAG/TCR-like system. MHC genes would be selected to present many peptides, through multigene families, allelic polymorphism, and peptide-binding promiscuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Tsakou-Ngouafo
- Aix Marseille University IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille France 3, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | | | - Jim Kaufman
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK; University of Cambridge, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB2 0ES, UK; University of Edinburgh, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- Aix Marseille University IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille France 3, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France; SNC5039 CNRS, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseilles, France.
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17
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Martin EC, Vicari C, Tsakou-Ngouafo L, Pontarotti P, Petrescu AJ, Schatz DG. Identification of RAG-like transposons in protostomes suggests their ancient bilaterian origin. Mob DNA 2020; 11:17. [PMID: 32399063 PMCID: PMC7204232 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00214-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background V(D) J recombination is essential for adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates and is initiated by the RAG1-RAG2 endonuclease. The RAG1 and RAG2 genes are thought to have evolved from a RAGL (RAG-like) transposon containing convergently-oriented RAG1-like (RAG1L) and RAG2-like (RAG2L) genes. Elements resembling this presumptive evolutionary precursor have thus far only been detected convincingly in deuterostomes, leading to the model that the RAGL transposon first appeared in an early deuterostome. Results We have identified numerous RAGL transposons in the genomes of protostomes, including oysters and mussels (phylum Mollusca) and a ribbon worm (phylum Nemertea), and in the genomes of several cnidarians. Phylogenetic analyses are consistent with vertical evolution of RAGL transposons within the Bilateria clade and with its presence in the bilaterian ancestor. Many of the RAGL transposons identified in protostomes are intact elements containing convergently oriented RAG1L and RAG2L genes flanked by terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) and target site duplications with striking similarities with the corresponding elements in deuterostomes. In addition, protostome genomes contain numerous intact RAG1L-RAG2L adjacent gene pairs that lack detectable flanking TIRs. Domains and critical active site and structural amino acids needed for endonuclease and transposase activity are present and conserved in many of the predicted RAG1L and RAG2L proteins encoded in protostome genomes. Conclusions Active RAGL transposons were present in multiple protostome lineages and many were likely transmitted vertically during protostome evolution. It appears that RAGL transposons were broadly active during bilaterian evolution, undergoing multiple duplication and loss/fossilization events, with the RAGL genes that persist in present day protostomes perhaps constituting both active RAGL transposons and domesticated RAGL genes. Our findings raise the possibility that the RAGL transposon arose earlier in evolution than previously thought, either in an early bilaterian or prior to the divergence of bilaterians and non-bilaterians, and alter our understanding of the evolutionary history of this important group of transposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza C Martin
- 1Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Célia Vicari
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Louis Tsakou-Ngouafo
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,SNC5039 CNRS, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Andrei J Petrescu
- 1Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - David G Schatz
- 4Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, Box 208011, New Haven, CT 06520-8011 USA
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18
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Abello A, Régnier V, Arnaiz O, Le Bars R, Bétermier M, Bischerour J. Functional diversification of Paramecium Ku80 paralogs safeguards genome integrity during precise programmed DNA elimination. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008723. [PMID: 32298257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene duplication and diversification drive the emergence of novel functions during evolution. Because of whole genome duplications, ciliates from the Paramecium aurelia group constitute a remarkable system to study the evolutionary fate of duplicated genes. Paramecium species harbor two types of nuclei: a germline micronucleus (MIC) and a somatic macronucleus (MAC) that forms from the MIC at each sexual cycle. During MAC development, ~45,000 germline Internal Eliminated Sequences (IES) are excised precisely from the genome through a 'cut-and-close' mechanism. Here, we have studied the P. tetraurelia paralogs of KU80, which encode a key DNA double-strand break repair factor involved in non-homologous end joining. The three KU80 genes have different transcription patterns, KU80a and KU80b being constitutively expressed, while KU80c is specifically induced during MAC development. Immunofluorescence microscopy and high-throughput DNA sequencing revealed that Ku80c stably anchors the PiggyMac (Pgm) endonuclease in the developing MAC and is essential for IES excision genome-wide, providing a molecular explanation for the previously reported Ku-dependent licensing of DNA cleavage at IES ends. Expressing Ku80a under KU80c transcription signals failed to complement a depletion of endogenous Ku80c, indicating that the two paralogous proteins have distinct properties. Domain-swap experiments identified the α/β domain of Ku80c as the major determinant for its specialized function, while its C-terminal part is required for excision of only a small subset of IESs located in IES-dense regions. We conclude that Ku80c has acquired the ability to license Pgm-dependent DNA cleavage, securing precise DNA elimination during programmed rearrangements. The present study thus provides novel evidence for functional diversification of genes issued from a whole-genome duplication.
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19
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Jaspan VN, Taye ME, Carle CM, Chung JJ, Chalker DL. Boundaries of eliminated heterochromatin of Tetrahymena are positioned by the DNA-binding protein Ltl1. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:7348-7362. [PMID: 31194876 PMCID: PMC6698652 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During differentiation of the Tetrahymena thermophila somatic nucleus, its germline-derived DNA undergoes extensive reorganization including the removal of ∼50 Mb from thousands of loci called internal eliminated sequences (IESs). IES-associated chromatin is methylated on lysines 9 and 27 of histone H3, marking newly formed heterochromatin for elimination. To ensure that this reorganized genome maintains essential coding and regulatory sequences, the boundaries of IESs must be accurately defined. In this study, we show that the developmentally expressed protein encoded by Lia3-Like 1 (LTL1) (Ttherm_00499370) is necessary to direct the excision boundaries of particular IESs. In ΔLTL1 cells, boundaries of eliminated loci are aberrant and heterogeneous. The IESs regulated by Ltl1 are distinct from those regulated by the guanine-quadruplex binding Lia3 protein. Ltl1 has a general affinity for double stranded DNA (Kd ∼ 350 nM) and binds specifically to a 50 bp A+T rich sequence flanking each side of the D IES (Kd ∼ 43 nM). Together these data reveal that Ltl1 and Lia3 control different subsets of IESs and that their mechanisms for flanking sequence recognition are distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita N Jaspan
- Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Marta E Taye
- Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Christine M Carle
- Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Joyce J Chung
- Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Douglas L Chalker
- Biology Department, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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20
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Bétermier M, Borde V, de Villartay JP. Coupling DNA Damage and Repair: an Essential Safeguard during Programmed DNA Double-Strand Breaks? Trends Cell Biol 2019; 30:87-96. [PMID: 31818700 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most toxic DNA lesions given their oncogenic potential. Nevertheless, programmed DSBs (prDSBs) contribute to several biological processes. Formation of prDSBs is the 'price to pay' to achieve these essential biological functions. Generated by domesticated PiggyBac transposases, prDSBs have been integrated in the life cycle of ciliates. Created by Spo11 during meiotic recombination, they constitute a driving force of evolution and ensure balanced chromosome content for successful reproduction. Produced by the RAG1/2 recombinase, they are required for the development of the adaptive immune system in many species. The coevolution of processes that couple introduction of prDSBs to their accurate repair may constitute an effective safeguard against genomic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Bétermier
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Valérie Borde
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR3244, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre de Villartay
- Laboratory of Genome Dynamics in the Immune System, INSERM UMR1163, Université Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.
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21
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Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that colonize genomes and threaten genome integrity. As a result, several mechanisms appear to have emerged during eukaryotic evolution to suppress TE activity. However, TEs are ubiquitous and account for a prominent fraction of most eukaryotic genomes. We argue that the evolutionary success of TEs cannot be explained solely by evasion from host control mechanisms. Rather, some TEs have evolved commensal and even mutualistic strategies that mitigate the cost of their propagation. These coevolutionary processes promote the emergence of complex cellular activities, which in turn pave the way for cooption of TE sequences for organismal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Cosby
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Ni-Chen Chang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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22
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Mutazono M, Noto T, Mochizuki K. Diversification of small RNA amplification mechanisms for targeting transposon-related sequences in ciliates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14639-44. [PMID: 31262823 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903491116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The silencing of repetitive transposable elements (TEs) is ensured by signal amplification of the initial small RNA trigger, which occurs at distinct steps of TE silencing in different eukaryotes. How such a variety of secondary small RNA biogenesis mechanisms has evolved has not been thoroughly elucidated. Ciliated protozoa perform small RNA-directed programmed DNA elimination of thousands of TE-related internal eliminated sequences (IESs) in the newly developed somatic nucleus. In the ciliate Paramecium, secondary small RNAs are produced after the excision of IESs. In this study, we show that in another ciliate, Tetrahymena, secondary small RNAs accumulate at least a few hours before their derived IESs are excised. We also demonstrate that DNA excision is dispensable for their biogenesis in this ciliate. Therefore, unlike in Paramecium, small RNA amplification occurs before IES excision in Tetrahymena This study reveals the remarkable diversity of secondary small RNA biogenesis mechanisms, even among ciliates with similar DNA elimination processes, and thus raises the possibility that the evolution of TE-targeting small RNA amplification can be traced by investigating the DNA elimination mechanisms of ciliates.
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23
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Lin CYG, Chao JL, Tsai HK, Chalker D, Yao MC. Setting boundaries for genome-wide heterochromatic DNA deletions through flanking inverted repeats in Tetrahymena thermophila. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:5181-5192. [PMID: 30918956 PMCID: PMC6547420 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells pack their genomic DNA into euchromatin and heterochromatin. Boundaries between these domains have been shown to be set by boundary elements. In Tetrahymena, heterochromatin domains are targeted for deletion from the somatic nuclei through a sophisticated programmed DNA rearrangement mechanism, resulting in the elimination of 34% of the germline genome in ∼10,000 dispersed segments. Here we showed that most of these deletions occur consistently with very limited variations in their boundaries among inbred lines. We identified several potential flanking regulatory sequences, each associated with a subset of deletions, using a genome-wide motif finding approach. These flanking sequences are inverted repeats with the copies located at nearly identical distances from the opposite ends of the deleted regions, suggesting potential roles in boundary determination. By removing and testing two such inverted repeats in vivo, we found that the ability for boundary maintenance of the associated deletion were lost. Furthermore, we analyzed the deletion boundaries in mutants of a known boundary-determining protein, Lia3p and found that the subset of deletions that are affected by LIA3 knockout contained common features of flanking regulatory sequences. This study suggests a common mechanism for setting deletion boundaries by flanking inverted repeats in Tetrahymena thermophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Yi Gabriela Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Lan Chao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Huai-Kuang Tsai
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Douglas Chalker
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Meng-Chao Yao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan
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24
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Abstract
In most eukaryotes, telomerase counteracts chromosome erosion by adding repetitive sequence to terminal ends. Drosophila melanogaster instead relies on specialized retrotransposons that insert exclusively at telomeres. This exchange of goods between host and mobile element-wherein the mobile element provides an essential genome service and the host provides a hospitable niche for mobile element propagation-has been called a "genomic symbiosis." However, these telomere-specialized, jockey family retrotransposons may actually evolve to "selfishly" overreplicate in the genomes that they ostensibly serve. Under this model, we expect rapid diversification of telomere-specialized retrotransposon lineages and, possibly, the breakdown of this ostensibly symbiotic relationship. Here we report data consistent with both predictions. Searching the raw reads of the 15-Myr-old melanogaster species group, we generated de novo jockey retrotransposon consensus sequences and used phylogenetic tree-building to delineate four distinct telomere-associated lineages. Recurrent gains, losses, and replacements account for this retrotransposon lineage diversity. In Drosophila biarmipes, telomere-specialized elements have disappeared completely. De novo assembly of long reads and cytogenetics confirmed this species-specific collapse of retrotransposon-dependent telomere elongation. Instead, telomere-restricted satellite DNA and DNA transposon fragments occupy its terminal ends. We infer that D. biarmipes relies instead on a recombination-based mechanism conserved from yeast to flies to humans. Telomeric retrotransposon diversification and disappearance suggest that persistently "selfish" machinery shapes telomere elongation across Drosophila rather than completely domesticated, symbiotic mobile elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Saint-Leandre
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Son C Nguyen
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Mia T Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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25
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Maurer-Alcalá XX, Nowacki M. Evolutionary origins and impacts of genome architecture in ciliates. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1447:110-118. [PMID: 31074010 PMCID: PMC6767857 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Genome architecture is well diversified among eukaryotes in terms of size and content, with many being radically shaped by ancient and ongoing genome conflicts with transposable elements (e.g., the large transposon‐rich genomes common among plants). In ciliates, a group of microbial eukaryotes with distinct somatic and germ‐line genomes present in a single cell, the consequences of these genome conflicts are most apparent in their developmentally programmed genome rearrangements. This complicated developmental phenomenon has largely overshadowed and outpaced our understanding of how germ‐line and somatic genome architectures have influenced the evolutionary dynamism and potential in these taxa. In our review, we highlight three central concepts: how the evolution of atypical ciliate germ‐line genome architectures is linked to ancient genome conflicts; how the complex, epigenetically guided transformation of germline to soma during development can generate widespread genetic variation; and how these features, coupled with their unusual life cycle, have increased the rate of molecular evolution linked to genome architecture in these taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariusz Nowacki
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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26
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Zhao X, Xiong J, Mao F, Sheng Y, Chen X, Feng L, Dui W, Yang W, Kapusta A, Feschotte C, Coyne RS, Miao W, Gao S, Liu Y. RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression controls transposable elements in Tetrahymena. Genes Dev 2019; 33:348-364. [PMID: 30808657 PMCID: PMC6411011 DOI: 10.1101/gad.320796.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Zhao et al. show that in the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, germline-specific internally eliminated sequences (IESs) become transcriptionally activated in mutants deficient in the RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression pathway. Their findings suggest that the interplay between RNAi and Polycomb repression is a widely conserved phenomenon whose ancestral role is epigenetic silencing of TEs. RNAi and Polycomb repression play evolutionarily conserved and often coordinated roles in transcriptional silencing. Here, we show that, in the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, germline-specific internally eliminated sequences (IESs)—many related to transposable elements (TEs)—become transcriptionally activated in mutants deficient in the RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression pathway. Germline TE mobilization also dramatically increases in these mutants. The transition from noncoding RNA (ncRNA) to mRNA production accompanies transcriptional activation of TE-related sequences and vice versa for transcriptional silencing. The balance between ncRNA and mRNA production is potentially affected by cotranscriptional processing as well as RNAi and Polycomb repression. We posit that interplay between RNAi and Polycomb repression is a widely conserved phenomenon, whose ancestral role is epigenetic silencing of TEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fengbiao Mao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Yalan Sheng
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lifang Feng
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Wen Dui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Wentao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Aurélie Kapusta
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Robert S Coyne
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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27
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Bischerour J, Bhullar S, Denby Wilkes C, Régnier V, Mathy N, Dubois E, Singh A, Swart E, Arnaiz O, Sperling L, Nowacki M, Bétermier M. Six domesticated PiggyBac transposases together carry out programmed DNA elimination in Paramecium. eLife 2018; 7:37927. [PMID: 30223944 PMCID: PMC6143343 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The domestication of transposable elements has repeatedly occurred during evolution and domesticated transposases have often been implicated in programmed genome rearrangements, as remarkably illustrated in ciliates. In Paramecium, PiggyMac (Pgm), a domesticated PiggyBac transposase, carries out developmentally programmed DNA elimination, including the precise excision of tens of thousands of gene-interrupting germline Internal Eliminated Sequences (IESs). Here, we report the discovery of five groups of distant Pgm-like proteins (PgmLs), all able to interact with Pgm and essential for its nuclear localization and IES excision genome-wide. Unlike Pgm, PgmLs lack a conserved catalytic site, suggesting that they rather have an architectural function within a multi-component excision complex embedding Pgm. PgmL depletion can increase erroneous targeting of residual Pgm-mediated DNA cleavage, indicating that PgmLs contribute to accurately position the complex on IES ends. DNA rearrangements in Paramecium constitute a rare example of a biological process jointly managed by six distinct domesticated transposases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Bischerour
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Simran Bhullar
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Cyril Denby Wilkes
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vinciane Régnier
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Univ Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Mathy
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emeline Dubois
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Aditi Singh
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Estienne Swart
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Arnaiz
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Linda Sperling
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mariusz Nowacki
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mireille Bétermier
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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28
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Maurer-Alcalá XX, Yan Y, Pilling OA, Knight R, Katz LA. Twisted Tales: Insights into Genome Diversity of Ciliates Using Single-Cell 'Omics. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1927-1939. [PMID: 29945193 PMCID: PMC6101598 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of robust single-cell 'omics techniques enables studies of uncultivable species, allowing for the (re)discovery of diverse genomic features. In this study, we combine single-cell genomics and transcriptomics to explore genome evolution in ciliates (a > 1 Gy old clade). Analysis of the data resulting from these single-cell 'omics approaches show: 1) the description of the ciliates in the class Karyorelictea as "primitive" is inaccurate because their somatic macronuclei contain loci of varying copy number (i.e., they have been processed by genome rearrangements from the zygotic nucleus); 2) gene-sized somatic chromosomes exist in the class Litostomatea, consistent with Balbiani's (1890) observation of giant chromosomes in this lineage; and 3) gene scrambling exists in the underexplored Postciliodesmatophora (the classes Heterotrichea and Karyorelictea, abbreviated here as the Po-clade), one of two major clades of ciliates. Together these data highlight the complex evolutionary patterns underlying germline genome architectures in ciliates and provide a basis for further exploration of principles of genome evolution in diverse microbial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xyrus X Maurer-Alcalá
- Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst.,Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.,Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ying Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia A Pilling
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego.,Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, San Diego
| | - Laura A Katz
- Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst.,Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
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29
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Abstract
Programmed genome rearrangements in ciliates provide fascinating examples of flexible epigenetic genome regulations and important insights into the interaction between transposable elements (TEs) and host genomes. DNA elimination in Tetrahymena thermophila removes approximately 12 000 internal eliminated sequences (IESs), which correspond to one-third of the genome, when the somatic macronucleus (MAC) differentiates from the germline micronucleus (MIC). More than half of the IESs, many of which show high similarity to TEs, are targeted for elimination in cis by the small RNA-mediated genome comparison of the MIC to the MAC. Other IESs are targeted for elimination in trans by the same small RNAs through repetitive sequences. Furthermore, the small RNA–heterochromatin feedback loop ensures robust DNA elimination. Here, we review an updated picture of the DNA elimination mechanism, discuss the physiological and evolutionary roles of DNA elimination, and outline the key questions that remain unanswered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Noto
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002, CNRS and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Kazufumi Mochizuki
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002, CNRS and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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30
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Feng L, Wang G, Hamilton EP, Xiong J, Yan G, Chen K, Chen X, Dui W, Plemens A, Khadr L, Dhanekula A, Juma M, Dang HQ, Kapler GM, Orias E, Miao W, Liu Y. A germline-limited piggyBac transposase gene is required for precise excision in Tetrahymena genome rearrangement. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:9481-9502. [PMID: 28934495 PMCID: PMC5766162 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmentally programmed genome rearrangement accompanies differentiation of the silent germline micronucleus into the transcriptionally active somatic macronucleus in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. Internal eliminated sequences (IES) are excised, followed by rejoining of MAC-destined sequences, while fragmentation occurs at conserved chromosome breakage sequences, generating macronuclear chromosomes. Some macronuclear chromosomes, referred to as non-maintained chromosomes (NMC), are lost soon after differentiation. Large NMC contain genes implicated in development-specific roles. One such gene encodes the domesticated piggyBac transposase TPB6, required for heterochromatin-dependent precise excision of IES residing within exons of functionally important genes. These conserved exonic IES determine alternative transcription products in the developing macronucleus; some even contain free-standing genes. Examples of precise loss of some exonic IES in the micronucleus and retention of others in the macronucleus of related species suggest an evolutionary analogy to introns. Our results reveal that germline-limited sequences can encode genes with specific expression patterns and development-related functions, which may be a recurring theme in eukaryotic organisms experiencing programmed genome rearrangement during germline to soma differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Feng
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guangying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Eileen P Hamilton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Guanxiong Yan
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wen Dui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amber Plemens
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lara Khadr
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Arjune Dhanekula
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mina Juma
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hung Quang Dang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Kapler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Eduardo Orias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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31
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Jangam D, Feschotte C, Betrán E. Transposable Element Domestication As an Adaptation to Evolutionary Conflicts. Trends Genet 2017; 33:817-831. [PMID: 28844698 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish genetic units that typically encode proteins that enable their proliferation in the genome and spread across individual hosts. Here we review a growing number of studies that suggest that TE proteins have often been co-opted or 'domesticated' by their host as adaptations to a variety of evolutionary conflicts. In particular, TE-derived proteins have been recurrently repurposed as part of defense systems that protect prokaryotes and eukaryotes against the proliferation of infectious or invasive agents, including viruses and TEs themselves. We argue that the domestication of TE proteins may often be the only evolutionary path toward the mitigation of the cost incurred by their own selfish activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diwash Jangam
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Present address: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Esther Betrán
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
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