1
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Kyriacou RG, Mulhair PO, Holland PWH. GC Content Across Insect Genomes: Phylogenetic Patterns, Causes and Consequences. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:138-152. [PMID: 38491221 PMCID: PMC10978632 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10160-5] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The proportions of A:T and G:C nucleotide pairs are often unequal and can vary greatly between animal species and along chromosomes. The causes and consequences of this variation are incompletely understood. The recent release of high-quality genome sequences from the Darwin Tree of Life and other large-scale genome projects provides an opportunity for GC heterogeneity to be compared across a large number of insect species. Here we analyse GC content along chromosomes, and within protein-coding genes and codons, of 150 insect species from four holometabolous orders: Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. We find that protein-coding sequences have higher GC content than the genome average, and that Lepidoptera generally have higher GC content than the other three insect orders examined. GC content is higher in small chromosomes in most Lepidoptera species, but this pattern is less consistent in other orders. GC content also increases towards subtelomeric regions within protein-coding genes in Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Two species of Diptera, Bombylius major and B. discolor, have very atypical genomes with ubiquitous increase in AT content, especially at third codon positions. Despite dramatic AT-biased codon usage, we find no evidence that this has driven divergent protein evolution. We argue that the GC landscape of Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera genomes is influenced by GC-biased gene conversion, strongest in Lepidoptera, with some outlier taxa affected drastically by counteracting processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo G Kyriacou
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Peter O Mulhair
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Peter W H Holland
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
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2
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Kemmler CL, Smolikova J, Moran HR, Mannion BJ, Knapp D, Lim F, Czarkwiani A, Hermosilla Aguayo V, Rapp V, Fitch OE, Bötschi S, Selleri L, Farley E, Braasch I, Yun M, Visel A, Osterwalder M, Mosimann C, Kozmik Z, Burger A. Conserved enhancers control notochord expression of vertebrate Brachyury. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6594. [PMID: 37852970 PMCID: PMC10584899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell type-specific expression of key transcription factors is central to development and disease. Brachyury/T/TBXT is a major transcription factor for gastrulation, tailbud patterning, and notochord formation; however, how its expression is controlled in the mammalian notochord has remained elusive. Here, we identify the complement of notochord-specific enhancers in the mammalian Brachyury/T/TBXT gene. Using transgenic assays in zebrafish, axolotl, and mouse, we discover three conserved Brachyury-controlling notochord enhancers, T3, C, and I, in human, mouse, and marsupial genomes. Acting as Brachyury-responsive, auto-regulatory shadow enhancers, in cis deletion of all three enhancers in mouse abolishes Brachyury/T/Tbxt expression selectively in the notochord, causing specific trunk and neural tube defects without gastrulation or tailbud defects. The three Brachyury-driving notochord enhancers are conserved beyond mammals in the brachyury/tbxtb loci of fishes, dating their origin to the last common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. Our data define the vertebrate enhancers for Brachyury/T/TBXTB notochord expression through an auto-regulatory mechanism that conveys robustness and adaptability as ancient basis for axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie L Kemmler
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jana Smolikova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hannah R Moran
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Brandon J Mannion
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Dunja Knapp
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabian Lim
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Czarkwiani
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Viviana Hermosilla Aguayo
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Rapp
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Olivia E Fitch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Seraina Bötschi
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Licia Selleri
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emma Farley
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ingo Braasch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Maximina Yun
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Axel Visel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Marco Osterwalder
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mosimann
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Alexa Burger
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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3
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Wells JN, Chang NC, McCormick J, Coleman C, Ramos N, Jin B, Feschotte C. Transposable elements drive the evolution of metazoan zinc finger genes. Genome Res 2023; 33:1325-1339. [PMID: 37714714 PMCID: PMC10547256 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277966.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Cys2-His2 zinc finger genes (ZNFs) form the largest family of transcription factors in metazoans. ZNF evolution is highly dynamic and characterized by the rapid expansion and contraction of numerous subfamilies across the animal phylogeny. The forces and mechanisms underlying rapid ZNF evolution remain poorly understood, but there is growing evidence that, in tetrapods, the targeting and repression of lineage-specific transposable elements (TEs) plays a critical role in the evolution of the Krüppel-associated box ZNF (KZNF) subfamily. Currently, it is unknown whether this function and coevolutionary relationship is unique to KZNFs or is a broader feature of metazoan ZNFs. Here, we present evidence that genomic conflict with TEs has been a central driver of the diversification of ZNFs in animals. Sampling from 3221 genome assemblies, we show that the copy number of retroelements correlates with that of ZNFs across at least 750 million years of metazoan evolution. Using computational predictions, we show that ZNFs preferentially bind TEs in diverse animal species. We further investigate the largest ZNF subfamily found in cyprinid fish, which is characterized by a conserved sequence we dubbed the fish N-terminal zinc finger-associated (FiNZ) domain. Zebrafish possess approximately 700 FiNZ-ZNFs, many of which are evolving adaptively under positive selection. Like mammalian KZNFs, most zebrafish FiNZ-ZNFs are expressed at the onset of zygotic genome activation, and blocking their translation using morpholinos during early embryogenesis results in derepression of transcriptionally active TEs. Together, these data suggest that ZNF diversification has been intimately connected to TE expansion throughout animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Wells
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA;
| | - Ni-Chen Chang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - John McCormick
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Caitlyn Coleman
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Nathalie Ramos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Bozhou Jin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA;
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4
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Kemmler CL, Smolikova J, Moran HR, Mannion BJ, Knapp D, Lim F, Czarkwiani A, Hermosilla Aguayo V, Rapp V, Fitch OE, Bötschi S, Selleri L, Farley E, Braasch I, Yun M, Visel A, Osterwalder M, Mosimann C, Kozmik Z, Burger A. Conserved enhancer logic controls the notochord expression of vertebrate Brachyury. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.20.536761. [PMID: 37131681 PMCID: PMC10153258 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.20.536761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The cell type-specific expression of key transcription factors is central to development. Brachyury/T/TBXT is a major transcription factor for gastrulation, tailbud patterning, and notochord formation; however, how its expression is controlled in the mammalian notochord has remained elusive. Here, we identify the complement of notochord-specific enhancers in the mammalian Brachyury/T/TBXT gene. Using transgenic assays in zebrafish, axolotl, and mouse, we discover three Brachyury-controlling notochord enhancers T3, C, and I in human, mouse, and marsupial genomes. Acting as Brachyury-responsive, auto-regulatory shadow enhancers, deletion of all three enhancers in mouse abolishes Brachyury/T expression selectively in the notochord, causing specific trunk and neural tube defects without gastrulation or tailbud defects. Sequence and functional conservation of Brachyury-driving notochord enhancers with the brachyury/tbxtb loci from diverse lineages of fishes dates their origin to the last common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. Our data define the enhancers for Brachyury/T/TBXTB notochord expression as ancient mechanism in axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie L. Kemmler
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jana Smolikova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hannah R. Moran
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Brandon J. Mannion
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dunja Knapp
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabian Lim
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Czarkwiani
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Viviana Hermosilla Aguayo
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Rapp
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Olivia E. Fitch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Seraina Bötschi
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Licia Selleri
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emma Farley
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Ingo Braasch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Maximina Yun
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Axel Visel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Marco Osterwalder
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Berne University Hospital, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mosimann
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the ASCR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexa Burger
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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5
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Wang X, Hu W, Li X, Huang D, Li Q, Chan H, Zeng J, Xie C, Chen H, Liu X, Gin T, Wang MH, Cheng ASL, Kang W, To KF, Plewczynski D, Zhang Q, Chen X, Chan DCW, Ko H, Wong SH, Yu J, Chan MTV, Zhang L, Wu WKK. Single-Hit Inactivation Drove Tumor Suppressor Genes Out of the X Chromosome during Evolution. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1482-1491. [PMID: 35247889 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-related genes are under intense evolutionary pressure. In this study, we conjecture that X-linked tumor suppressor genes (TSG) are not protected by the Knudson's two-hit mechanism and are therefore subject to negative selection. Accordingly, nearly all mammalian species exhibited lower TSG-to-noncancer gene ratios on their X chromosomes compared with nonmammalian species. Synteny analysis revealed that mammalian X-linked TSGs were depleted shortly after the emergence of the XY sex-determination system. A phylogeny-based model unveiled a higher X chromosome-to-autosome relocation flux for human TSGs. This was verified in other mammals by assessing the concordance/discordance of chromosomal locations of mammalian TSGs and their orthologs in Xenopus tropicalis. In humans, X-linked TSGs are younger or larger in size. Consistently, pan-cancer analysis revealed more frequent nonsynonymous somatic mutations of X-linked TSGs. These findings suggest that relocation of TSGs out of the X chromosome could confer a survival advantage by facilitating evasion of single-hit inactivation. SIGNIFICANCE This work unveils extensive trafficking of TSGs from the X chromosome to autosomes during evolution, thus identifying X-linked TSGs as a genetic Achilles' heel in tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiansong Wang
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangchun Li
- Public Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Huang
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hung Chan
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Judeng Zeng
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuan Xie
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Huarong Chen
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Tony Gin
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Maggie Haitian Wang
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Division of Biostatistics, Center for Clinical Research and Biostatistics, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ka-Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Dariusz Plewczynski
- Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Qingpeng Zhang
- School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Danny Cheuk Wing Chan
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ho Ko
- Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Margaret K. L. Cheung Research Center for Management of Parkinsonism, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Sunny Hei Wong
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Jun Yu
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Matthew Tak Vai Chan
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - William Ka Kei Wu
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
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6
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Petrović A, Ban J, Tomljanović I, Pongrac M, Ivaničić M, Mikašinović S, Mladinic M. Establishment of Long-Term Primary Cortical Neuronal Cultures From Neonatal Opossum Monodelphis domestica. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:661492. [PMID: 33815068 PMCID: PMC8012671 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.661492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary dissociated neuronal cultures have become a standard model for studying central nervous system (CNS) development. Such cultures are predominantly prepared from the hippocampus or cortex of rodents (mice and rats), while other mammals are less used. Here, we describe the establishment and extensive characterization of the primary dissociated neuronal cultures derived from the cortex of the gray South American short-tailed opossums, Monodelphis domestica. Opossums are unique in their ability to fully regenerate their CNS after an injury during their early postnatal development. Thus, we used cortex of postnatal day (P) 3–5 opossum to establish long-surviving and nearly pure neuronal cultures, as well as mixed cultures composed of radial glia cells (RGCs) in which their neurogenic and gliogenic potential was confirmed. Both types of cultures can survive for more than 1 month in vitro. We also prepared neuronal cultures from the P16–18 opossum cortex, which were composed of astrocytes and microglia, in addition to neurons. The long-surviving opossum primary dissociated neuronal cultures represent a novel mammalian in vitro platform particularly useful to study CNS development and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonela Petrović
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jelena Ban
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ivana Tomljanović
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marta Pongrac
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Matea Ivaničić
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Sanja Mikašinović
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Miranda Mladinic
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
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7
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An interplay between compositional constraint and natural selection dictates the codon usage pattern among select Galliformes. Biosystems 2021; 204:104390. [PMID: 33636205 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Galliformes are believed to be the first avian order that started living in human association and became domesticated. Members of this order ranged from common to rare species. Next-generation sequencing has availed researchers with the whole genome sequences of five Galliformes; chicken, helmeted Guinea fowl, turkey, Japanese quail, and peafowl. Bioinformatic analysis based on codon usage, evolution, and species-specific functional enrichment can provide some crucial information aiding proper understanding of their genomic strategies. In this study, we investigated the genomic features of chicken, helmeted guinea fowl, turkey, and Japanese quail. Their genomes were AT biased although the potentially highly expressed genes contained more GC than AT. Cytosine dominated the third position of frequently used optimal codons. Mutational pressures in the analyzed Galliformes were in the range of 0.2-0.6%. Neutrality plot, translational selection index, and mutational responsive index indicated the dominance of selection pressure over mutational pressure among Galliformes. A pair of di-nucleotides, TpA and CpG, was found to be used less frequently than others in protein-coding genes since both of them are associated with the conversion of euchromatin to heterochromatin. Functional enrichment analysis revealed the dominance of proteins associated with fundamental biological processes. In turkey, chicken and helmeted Guinea fowl proteins with immunity-boosting capacity prevailed along with proteins needed for signal transduction and maintenance of central dogma. Evolutionary analysis indicated a bias towards synonymous substitution than non-synonymous mutation.
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8
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Kasai F, O'Brien PCM, Ferguson-Smith MA. Squamate Chromosome Size and GC Content Assessed by Flow Karyotyping. Cytogenet Genome Res 2019; 157:46-52. [PMID: 30904910 DOI: 10.1159/000497265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome homologies in reptiles have been investigated extensively by gene mapping and chromosome painting. Relative chromosome size can be estimated roughly from conventional karyotypes, but chromosome GC content cannot be evaluated by any of these approaches. However, GC content can be obtained by whole-genome sequencing, although complete data are available only for a limited number of reptilian species. Chromosomes can be characterized by size and GC content in bivariate flow karyotypes, in which the distribution of peaks represents the differences. We have analysed flow karyotypes from 9 representative squamate species and show chromosome profiles for each species based on the relationship between size and GC content. Our results reveal that the GC content of macrochromosomes is invariable in the 9 species. A higher GC content was found in microchromosomes, similar to profiles previously determined in crocodile, turtle, and chicken. The findings suggest that karyotype evolution in reptiles is characterized by unique features of chromosome GC content.
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9
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Kasai F, O'Brien PCM, Pereira JC, Ferguson-Smith MA. Marsupial chromosome DNA content and genome size assessed from flow karyotypes: invariable low autosomal GC content. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171539. [PMID: 30224977 PMCID: PMC6124049 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Extensive chromosome homologies revealed by cross-species chromosome painting between marsupials have suggested a high level of genome conservation during evolution. Surprisingly, it has been reported that marsupial genome sizes vary by more than 1.2 Gb between species. We have shown previously that individual chromosome sizes and GC content can be measured in flow karyotypes, and have applied this method to compare four marsupial species. Chromosome sizes and GC content were calculated for the grey short-tailed opossum (2n = 18), tammar wallaby (2n = 16), Tasmanian devil (2n = 14) and fat-tailed dunnart (2n = 14), resulting in genome sizes of 3.41, 3.31, 3.17 and 3.25 Gb, respectively. The findings under the same conditions allow a comparison between the four species, indicating that the genomes of these four species are 1-8% larger than human. We show that marsupial genomes are characterized by a low GC content invariable between autosomes and distinct from the higher GC content of the marsupial × chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumio Kasai
- Author for correspondence: Fumio Kasai e-mail:
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10
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Guschanski K, Warnefors M, Kaessmann H. The evolution of duplicate gene expression in mammalian organs. Genome Res 2017; 27:1461-1474. [PMID: 28743766 PMCID: PMC5580707 DOI: 10.1101/gr.215566.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene duplications generate genomic raw material that allows the emergence of novel functions, likely facilitating adaptive evolutionary innovations. However, global assessments of the functional and evolutionary relevance of duplicate genes in mammals were until recently limited by the lack of appropriate comparative data. Here, we report a large-scale study of the expression evolution of DNA-based functional gene duplicates in three major mammalian lineages (placental mammals, marsupials, egg-laying monotremes) and birds, on the basis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from nine species and eight organs. We observe dynamic changes in tissue expression preference of paralogs with different duplication ages, suggesting differential contribution of paralogs to specific organ functions during vertebrate evolution. Specifically, we show that paralogs that emerged in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates are enriched for genes with brain-specific expression and provide evidence for differential forces underlying the preferential emergence of young testis- and liver-specific expressed genes. Further analyses uncovered that the overall spatial expression profiles of gene families tend to be conserved, with several exceptions of pronounced tissue specificity shifts among lineage-specific gene family expansions. Finally, we trace new lineage-specific genes that may have contributed to the specific biology of mammalian organs, including the little-studied placenta. Overall, our study provides novel and taxonomically broad evidence for the differential contribution of duplicate genes to tissue-specific transcriptomes and for their importance for the phenotypic evolution of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Guschanski
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, S-75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Warnefors
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henrik Kaessmann
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Silva L, Antunes A. Vomeronasal Receptors in Vertebrates and the Evolution of Pheromone Detection. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2017; 5:353-370. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022516-022801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Silva
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4050-208 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4050-208 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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12
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Deakin JE, Kruger-Andrzejewska M. Marsupials as models for understanding the role of chromosome rearrangements in evolution and disease. Chromosoma 2016; 125:633-44. [PMID: 27255308 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-016-0603-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome rearrangements have been implicated in diseases, such as cancer, and speciation, but it remains unclear whether rearrangements are causal or merely a consequence of these processes. Two marsupial families with very different rates of karyotype evolution provide excellent models in which to study the role of chromosome rearrangements in a disease and evolutionary context. The speciose family Dasyuridae displays remarkable karyotypic conservation, with all species examined to date possessing nearly identical karyotypes. Despite the seemingly high degree of chromosome stability within this family, they appear prone to developing tumours, including transmissible devil facial tumours. In contrast, chromosome rearrangements have been frequent in the evolution of the species-rich family Macropodidae, which displays a high level of karyotypic diversity. In particular, the genus Petrogale (rock-wallabies) displays an extraordinary level of chromosome rearrangement among species. For six parapatric Petrogale species, it appears that speciation has essentially been caught in the act, providing an opportunity to determine whether chromosomal rearrangements are a cause or consequence of speciation in this system. This review highlights the reasons that these two marsupial families are excellent models for testing hypotheses for hotspots of chromosome rearrangement and deciphering the role of chromosome rearrangements in disease and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine E Deakin
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia.
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13
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Figuet E, Ballenghien M, Romiguier J, Galtier N. Biased gene conversion and GC-content evolution in the coding sequences of reptiles and vertebrates. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 7:240-50. [PMID: 25527834 PMCID: PMC4316630 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian and avian genomes are characterized by a substantial spatial heterogeneity of GC-content, which is often interpreted as reflecting the effect of local GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC), a meiotic repair bias that favors G and C over A and T alleles in high-recombining genomic regions. Surprisingly, the first fully sequenced nonavian sauropsid (i.e., reptile), the green anole Anolis carolinensis, revealed a highly homogeneous genomic GC-content landscape, suggesting the possibility that gBGC might not be at work in this lineage. Here, we analyze GC-content evolution at third-codon positions (GC3) in 44 vertebrates species, including eight newly sequenced transcriptomes, with a specific focus on nonavian sauropsids. We report that reptiles, including the green anole, have a genome-wide distribution of GC3 similar to that of mammals and birds, and we infer a strong GC3-heterogeneity to be already present in the tetrapod ancestor. We further show that the dynamic of coding sequence GC-content is largely governed by karyotypic features in vertebrates, notably in the green anole, in agreement with the gBGC hypothesis. The discrepancy between third-codon positions and noncoding DNA regarding GC-content dynamics in the green anole could not be explained by the activity of transposable elements or selection on codon usage. This analysis highlights the unique value of third-codon positions as an insertion/deletion-free marker of nucleotide substitution biases that ultimately affect the evolution of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emeric Figuet
- CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, France
| | - Marion Ballenghien
- CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, France
| | - Jonathan Romiguier
- CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, France Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Galtier
- CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, UMR 5554, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, France
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14
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Why do a wide variety of animals retain multiple isoforms of cyclooxygenase? Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2014; 109-111:14-22. [PMID: 24721150 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase (COX) has been cloned from the phyla Cnidaria, Mollusca, Arthropoda, and Chordata of the animal kingdom. Many organisms have multiple COX isoforms that have arisen from gene duplication. It is not well understood why there are multiple COX isoforms in the same organism, or when duplication of the COX gene occurred. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of the evolutionary history of COX in the animal kingdom and discuss the reasons why the multiple COX system has been retained so widely. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that all COX genes in animals may descend from a common ancestor and that the duplication of an ancestral COX gene might occur within each lineage after the divergence of the animal. In most instances, the expressions of multiple COX isoforms are separately regulated and these isoforms play different and important pathophysiological roles in each organism. This may be the reason why multiple COX isoforms are widely retained.
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15
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Seelke AMH, Dooley JC, Krubitzer LA. Photic preference of the short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Neuroscience 2014; 269:273-80. [PMID: 24709041 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.03.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is a nocturnal South American marsupial that has been gaining popularity as a laboratory animal. However, compared to traditional laboratory animals like rats, very little is known about its behavior, either in the wild or in a laboratory setting. Here we investigated the photic preference of the short-tailed opossum. Opossums were placed in a circular testing arena and allowed to move freely between dark (0 lux) and light (∼1.4, 40, or 400 lux) sides of the arena. In each of these conditions opossums spent significantly more time in the dark than in the illuminated side and a greater proportion of time in the dark than would be expected by chance. In the high-contrast (∼400 lux) illumination condition, the mean bout length (i.e., duration of one trip on the light or dark side) was significantly longer on the dark side than on the light side. When we examined the number of bouts greater than 30 and 60s in duration, we found a significant difference between the light and dark sides in all light contrast conditions. These data indicate that the short-tailed opossum prefers the dark to the light, and can also detect very slight differences in light intensity. We conclude that although rats and opossums share many similar characteristics, including ecological niche, their divergent evolutionary heritage results in vastly different behavioral capabilities. Only by observing the behavioral capabilities and preferences of opossums will we be able to manipulate the experimental environment to best elicit and elucidate their behavior and alterations in behavior that can arise from experimental manipulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M H Seelke
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, United States
| | - J C Dooley
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, United States
| | - L A Krubitzer
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, United States; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, United States.
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16
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Genome-wide histone state profiling of fibroblasts from the opossum, Monodelphis domestica, identifies the first marsupial-specific imprinted gene. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:89. [PMID: 24484454 PMCID: PMC3912494 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Imprinted genes have been extensively documented in eutherian mammals and found to exhibit significant interspecific variation in the suites of genes that are imprinted and in their regulation between tissues and developmental stages. Much less is known about imprinted loci in metatherian (marsupial) mammals, wherein studies have been limited to a small number of genes previously known to be imprinted in eutherians. We describe the first ab initio search for imprinted marsupial genes, in fibroblasts from the opossum, Monodelphis domestica, based on a genome-wide ChIP-seq strategy to identify promoters that are simultaneously marked by mutually exclusive, transcriptionally opposing histone modifications. Results We identified a novel imprinted gene (Meis1) and two additional monoallelically expressed genes, one of which (Cstb) showed allele-specific, but non-imprinted expression. Imprinted vs. allele-specific expression could not be resolved for the third monoallelically expressed gene (Rpl17). Transcriptionally opposing histone modifications H3K4me3, H3K9Ac, and H3K9me3 were found at the promoters of all three genes, but differential DNA methylation was not detected at CpG islands at any of these promoters. Conclusions In generating the first genome-wide histone modification profiles for a marsupial, we identified the first gene that is imprinted in a marsupial but not in eutherian mammals. This outcome demonstrates the practicality of an ab initio discovery strategy and implicates histone modification, but not differential DNA methylation, as a conserved mechanism for marking imprinted genes in all therian mammals. Our findings suggest that marsupials use multiple epigenetic mechanisms for imprinting and support the concept that lineage-specific selective forces can produce sets of imprinted genes that differ between metatherian and eutherian lines.
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17
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Qi Y, Li H, Wills RH, Perez-Hurtado P, Yu X, Kilgour DPA, Barrow MP, Lin C, O’Connor PB. Absorption-mode Fourier transform mass spectrometry: the effects of apodization and phasing on modified protein spectra. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2013; 24:828-34. [PMID: 23568027 PMCID: PMC4024093 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-013-0600-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The method of phasing broadband Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) spectra allows plotting the spectra in the absorption-mode; this new approach significantly improves the quality of the data at no extra cost. Herein, an internal calibration method for calculating the phase function has been developed and successfully applied to the top-down spectra of modified proteins, where the peak intensities vary by 100×. The result shows that the use of absorption-mode spectra allows more peaks to be discerned within the recorded data, and this can reveal much greater information about the protein and modifications under investigation. In addition, noise and harmonic peaks can be assigned immediately in the absorption-mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Qi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Huilin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Rebecca H. Wills
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Pilar Perez-Hurtado
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Xiang Yu
- Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 USA
- Mass Spectrometry Resource, Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - David. P. A. Kilgour
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Mark P. Barrow
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
| | - Cheng Lin
- Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 USA
- Mass Spectrometry Resource, Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Peter B. O’Connor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom, CV4 7AL
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18
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Katsura Y, Satta Y. No evidence for a second evolutionary stratum during the early evolution of mammalian sex chromosomes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45488. [PMID: 23094017 PMCID: PMC3477149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes originated from a pair of autosomes, and homologous genes on the sex chromosomes (gametologs) differentiated through recombination arrest between the chromosomes. It was hypothesized that this differentiation in eutherians took place in a stepwise fashion and left a footprint on the X chromosome termed "evolutionary strata." The evolutionary stratum hypothesis claims that strata 1 and 2 (which correspond to the first two steps of chromosomal differentiation) were generated in the stem lineage of Theria or before the divergence between eutherians and marsupials. However, this prediction relied solely on the molecular clock hypothesis between pairs of human gametologs, and molecular evolution of marsupial sex chromosomal genes has not yet been investigated. In this study, we analyzed the following 7 pairs of marsupial gametologs, together with their eutherian orthologs that reside in stratum 1 or 2: SOX3/SRY, RBMX/Y, RPS4X/Y, HSFX/Y, XKRX/Y, SMCX/Y (KDM5C/D, JARID1C/D), and UBE1X/Y (UBA1/UBA1Y). Phylogenetic analyses and estimated divergence time of these gametologs reveal that they all differentiated at the same time in the therian ancestor. We have also provided strong evidence for gene conversion that occurred in the 3' region of the eutherian stratum 2 genes (SMCX/Y and UBE1X/Y). The results of the present study show that (1) there is no compelling evidence for the second stratum in the stem lineage of Theria; (2) gene conversion, which may have occurred between SMCX/Y and UBE1X/Y in the eutherian lineage, potentially accounts for their apparently lower degree of overall divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yoko Satta
- Department of Evolutionary Study of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- * E-mail:
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19
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Dalloul RA, Long JA, Zimin AV, Aslam L, Beal K, Ann Blomberg L, Bouffard P, Burt DW, Crasta O, Crooijmans RPMA, Cooper K, Coulombe RA, De S, Delany ME, Dodgson JB, Dong JJ, Evans C, Frederickson KM, Flicek P, Florea L, Folkerts O, Groenen MAM, Harkins TT, Herrero J, Hoffmann S, Megens HJ, Jiang A, de Jong P, Kaiser P, Kim H, Kim KW, Kim S, Langenberger D, Lee MK, Lee T, Mane S, Marcais G, Marz M, McElroy AP, Modise T, Nefedov M, Notredame C, Paton IR, Payne WS, Pertea G, Prickett D, Puiu D, Qioa D, Raineri E, Ruffier M, Salzberg SL, Schatz MC, Scheuring C, Schmidt CJ, Schroeder S, Searle SMJ, Smith EJ, Smith J, Sonstegard TS, Stadler PF, Tafer H, Tu Z(J, Van Tassell CP, Vilella AJ, Williams KP, Yorke JA, Zhang L, Zhang HB, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Reed KM. Multi-platform next-generation sequencing of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo): genome assembly and analysis. PLoS Biol 2010; 8:e1000475. [PMID: 20838655 PMCID: PMC2935454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 320] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A synergistic combination of two next-generation sequencing platforms with a detailed comparative BAC physical contig map provided a cost-effective assembly of the genome sequence of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Heterozygosity of the sequenced source genome allowed discovery of more than 600,000 high quality single nucleotide variants. Despite this heterozygosity, the current genome assembly (∼1.1 Gb) includes 917 Mb of sequence assigned to specific turkey chromosomes. Annotation identified nearly 16,000 genes, with 15,093 recognized as protein coding and 611 as non-coding RNA genes. Comparative analysis of the turkey, chicken, and zebra finch genomes, and comparing avian to mammalian species, supports the characteristic stability of avian genomes and identifies genes unique to the avian lineage. Clear differences are seen in number and variety of genes of the avian immune system where expansions and novel genes are less frequent than examples of gene loss. The turkey genome sequence provides resources to further understand the evolution of vertebrate genomes and genetic variation underlying economically important quantitative traits in poultry. This integrated approach may be a model for providing both gene and chromosome level assemblies of other species with agricultural, ecological, and evolutionary interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami A. Dalloul
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Julie A. Long
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Aleksey V. Zimin
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Luqman Aslam
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kathryn Beal
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Le Ann Blomberg
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Pascal Bouffard
- Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - David W. Burt
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Oswald Crasta
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Chromatin Inc., Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Kristal Cooper
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Roger A. Coulombe
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Supriyo De
- Gene Expression and Genomics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mary E. Delany
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jerry B. Dodgson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jennifer J. Dong
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Clive Evans
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | | | - Paul Flicek
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Liliana Florea
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Otto Folkerts
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Chromatin Inc., Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Martien A. M. Groenen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tim T. Harkins
- Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Javier Herrero
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Hoffmann
- Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- LIFE Project, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hendrik-Jan Megens
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andrew Jiang
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Pieter de Jong
- Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Pete Kaiser
- Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Heebal Kim
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Population Genetics, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu-Won Kim
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Population Genetics, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sungwon Kim
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - David Langenberger
- Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mi-Kyung Lee
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Taeheon Lee
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Population Genetics, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Shrinivasrao Mane
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Guillaume Marcais
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Manja Marz
- Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Philipps-Universität Marburg, Pharmazeutische Chemie, Marburg, Germany
| | - Audrey P. McElroy
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Thero Modise
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mikhail Nefedov
- Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Cédric Notredame
- Comparative Bioinformatics, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Universitat Pompeus Fabre, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ian R. Paton
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - William S. Payne
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Geo Pertea
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dennis Prickett
- Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Daniela Puiu
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dan Qioa
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Emanuele Raineri
- Comparative Bioinformatics, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Universitat Pompeus Fabre, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magali Ruffier
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven L. Salzberg
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael C. Schatz
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chantel Scheuring
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carl J. Schmidt
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Steven Schroeder
- Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. J. Searle
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Smith
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline Smith
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Tad S. Sonstegard
- Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Peter F. Stadler
- Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Hakim Tafer
- Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zhijian (Jake) Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Curtis P. Van Tassell
- Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Albert J. Vilella
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly P. Williams
- Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - James A. Yorke
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Liqing Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hong-Bin Zhang
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kent M. Reed
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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Nam K, Mugal C, Nabholz B, Schielzeth H, Wolf JBW, Backström N, Künstner A, Balakrishnan CN, Heger A, Ponting CP, Clayton DF, Ellegren H. Molecular evolution of genes in avian genomes. Genome Biol 2010; 11:R68. [PMID: 20573239 PMCID: PMC2911116 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2010-11-6-r68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Revised: 06/18/2010] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Obtaining a draft genome sequence of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the second bird genome to be sequenced, provides the necessary resource for whole-genome comparative analysis of gene sequence evolution in a non-mammalian vertebrate lineage. To analyze basic molecular evolutionary processes during avian evolution, and to contrast these with the situation in mammals, we aligned the protein-coding sequences of 8,384 1:1 orthologs of chicken, zebra finch, a lizard and three mammalian species. Results We found clear differences in the substitution rate at fourfold degenerate sites, being lowest in the ancestral bird lineage, intermediate in the chicken lineage and highest in the zebra finch lineage, possibly reflecting differences in generation time. We identified positively selected and/or rapidly evolving genes in avian lineages and found an over-representation of several functional classes, including anion transporter activity, calcium ion binding, cell adhesion and microtubule cytoskeleton. Conclusions Focusing specifically on genes of neurological interest and genes differentially expressed in the unique vocal control nuclei of the songbird brain, we find a number of positively selected genes, including synaptic receptors. We found no evidence that selection for beneficial alleles is more efficient in regions of high recombination; in fact, there was a weak yet significant negative correlation between ω and recombination rate, which is in the direction predicted by the Hill-Robertson effect if slightly deleterious mutations contribute to protein evolution. These findings set the stage for studies of functional genetics of avian genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiwoong Nam
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, S-752 36, Sweden
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21
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Contrasting GC-content dynamics across 33 mammalian genomes: relationship with life-history traits and chromosome sizes. Genome Res 2010; 20:1001-9. [PMID: 20530252 DOI: 10.1101/gr.104372.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The origin, evolution, and functional relevance of genomic variations in GC content are a long-debated topic, especially in mammals. Most of the existing literature, however, has focused on a small number of model species and/or limited sequence data sets. We analyzed more than 1000 orthologous genes in 33 fully sequenced mammalian genomes, reconstructed their ancestral isochore organization in the maximum likelihood framework, and explored the evolution of third-codon position GC content in representatives of 16 orders and 27 families. We showed that the previously reported erosion of GC-rich isochores is not a general trend. Several species (e.g., shrew, microbat, tenrec, rabbit) have independently undergone a marked increase in GC content, with a widening gap between the GC-poorest and GC-richest classes of genes. The intensively studied apes and (especially) murids do not reflect the general placental pattern. We correlated GC-content evolution with species life-history traits and cytology. Significant effects of body mass and genome size were detected, with each being consistent with the GC-biased gene conversion model.
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22
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Duret L, Galtier N. Biased gene conversion and the evolution of mammalian genomic landscapes. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2009; 10:285-311. [PMID: 19630562 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-082908-150001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recombination is typically thought of as a symmetrical process resulting in large-scale reciprocal genetic exchanges between homologous chromosomes. Recombination events, however, are also accompanied by short-scale, unidirectional exchanges known as gene conversion in the neighborhood of the initiating double-strand break. A large body of evidence suggests that gene conversion is GC-biased in many eukaryotes, including mammals and human. AT/GC heterozygotes produce more GC- than AT-gametes, thus conferring a population advantage to GC-alleles in high-recombining regions. This apparently unimportant feature of our molecular machinery has major evolutionary consequences. Structurally, GC-biased gene conversion explains the spatial distribution of GC-content in mammalian genomes-the so-called isochore structure. Functionally, GC-biased gene conversion promotes the segregation and fixation of deleterious AT --> GC mutations, thus increasing our genomic mutation load. Here we review the recent evidence for a GC-biased gene conversion process in mammals, and its consequences for genomic landscapes, molecular evolution, and human functional genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Duret
- Université de Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
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Abstract
To take full advantage of the mouse as a model organism, it is essential to distinguish lineage-specific biology from what is shared between human and mouse. Investigations into shared genetic elements common to both have been well served by the draft human and mouse genome sequences. More recently, the virtually complete euchromatic sequences of the two reference genomes have been finished. These reveal a high ( approximately 5%) level of sequence duplications that had previously been recalcitrant to sequencing and assembly. Within these duplications lie large numbers of rodent- or primate-specific genes. In the present paper, we review the sequence properties of the two genomes, dwelling most on the duplications, deletions and insertions that separate each of them from their most recent common ancestor, approx. 90 million years ago. We consider the differences in gene numbers and repertoires between the two species, and speculate on their contributions to lineage-specific biology. Loss of ancient single-copy genes are rare, as are gains of new functional genes through retrotransposition. Instead, most changes to the gene repertoire have occurred in large multicopy families. It has been proposed that numbers of such 'environmental genes' rise and fall, and their sequences change, as adaptive responses to infection and other environmental pressures, including conspecific competition. Nevertheless, many such genes may be under little or no selection.
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Abstract
Orthology analysis aims at identifying orthologous genes and gene products from different organisms and, therefore, is a powerful tool in modern computational and experimental biology. Although reconciliation-based orthology methods are generally considered more accurate than distance-based ones, the traditional parsimony-based implementation of reconciliation-based orthology analysis (most parsimonious reconciliation [MPR]) suffers from a number of shortcomings. For example, 1) it is limited to orthology predictions from the reconciliation that minimizes the number of gene duplication and loss events, 2) it cannot evaluate the support of this reconciliation in relation to the other reconciliations, and 3) it cannot make use of prior knowledge (e.g., about species divergence times) that provides auxiliary information for orthology predictions. We present a probabilistic approach to reconciliation-based orthology analysis that addresses all these issues by estimating orthology probabilities. The method is based on the gene evolution model, an explicit evolutionary model for gene duplication and gene loss inside a species tree, that generalizes the standard birth-death process. We describe the probabilistic approach to orthology analysis using 2 experimental data sets and show that the use of orthology probabilities allows a more informative analysis than MPR and, in particular, that it is less sensitive to taxon sampling problems. We generalize these anecdotal observations and show, using data generated under biologically realistic conditions, that MPR give false orthology predictions at a substantial frequency. Last, we provide a new orthology prediction method that allows an orthology and paralogy classification with any chosen sensitivity/specificity combination from the spectra of achievable combinations. We conclude that probabilistic orthology analysis is a strong and more advanced alternative to traditional orthology analysis and that it provides a framework for sophisticated comparative studies of processes in genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bengt Sennblad
- Stockholm Bioinformatics Center, Department of Biochemistry, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
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25
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Lineage-specific biology revealed by a finished genome assembly of the mouse. PLoS Biol 2009; 7:e1000112. [PMID: 19468303 PMCID: PMC2680341 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 347] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2008] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A finished clone-based assembly of the mouse genome reveals extensive recent sequence duplication during recent evolution and rodent-specific expansion of certain gene families. Newly assembled duplications contain protein-coding genes that are mostly involved in reproductive function. The mouse (Mus musculus) is the premier animal model for understanding human disease and development. Here we show that a comprehensive understanding of mouse biology is only possible with the availability of a finished, high-quality genome assembly. The finished clone-based assembly of the mouse strain C57BL/6J reported here has over 175,000 fewer gaps and over 139 Mb more of novel sequence, compared with the earlier MGSCv3 draft genome assembly. In a comprehensive analysis of this revised genome sequence, we are now able to define 20,210 protein-coding genes, over a thousand more than predicted in the human genome (19,042 genes). In addition, we identified 439 long, non–protein-coding RNAs with evidence for transcribed orthologs in human. We analyzed the complex and repetitive landscape of 267 Mb of sequence that was missing or misassembled in the previously published assembly, and we provide insights into the reasons for its resistance to sequencing and assembly by whole-genome shotgun approaches. Duplicated regions within newly assembled sequence tend to be of more recent ancestry than duplicates in the published draft, correcting our initial understanding of recent evolution on the mouse lineage. These duplicates appear to be largely composed of sequence regions containing transposable elements and duplicated protein-coding genes; of these, some may be fixed in the mouse population, but at least 40% of segmentally duplicated sequences are copy number variable even among laboratory mouse strains. Mouse lineage-specific regions contain 3,767 genes drawn mainly from rapidly-changing gene families associated with reproductive functions. The finished mouse genome assembly, therefore, greatly improves our understanding of rodent-specific biology and allows the delineation of ancestral biological functions that are shared with human from derived functions that are not. The availability of an accurate genome sequence provides the bedrock upon which modern biomedical research is based. Here we describe a high-quality assembly, Build 36, of the mouse genome. This assembly was put together by aligning overlapping individual clones representing parts of the genome, and it provides a more complete picture than previous assemblies, because it adds much rodent-specific sequence that was previously unavailable. The addition of these sequences provides insight into both the genomic architecture and the gene complement of the mouse. In particular, it highlights recent gene duplications and the expansion of certain gene families during rodent evolution. An improved understanding of the mouse genome and thus mouse biology will enhance the utility of the mouse as a model for human disease.
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26
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Cutter AD, Dey A, Murray RL. Evolution of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome. Mol Biol Evol 2009; 26:1199-234. [PMID: 19289596 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msp048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental problem in genome biology is to elucidate the evolutionary forces responsible for generating nonrandom patterns of genome organization. As the first metazoan to benefit from full-genome sequencing, Caenorhabditis elegans has been at the forefront of research in this area. Studies of genomic patterns, and their evolutionary underpinnings, continue to be augmented by the recent push to obtain additional full-genome sequences of related Caenorhabditis taxa. In the near future, we expect to see major advances with the onset of whole-genome resequencing of multiple wild individuals of the same species. In this review, we synthesize many of the important insights to date in our understanding of genome organization and function that derive from the evolutionary principles made explicit by theoretical population genetics and molecular evolution and highlight fertile areas for future research on unanswered questions in C. elegans genome evolution. We call attention to the need for C. elegans researchers to generate and critically assess nonadaptive hypotheses for genomic and developmental patterns, in addition to adaptive scenarios. We also emphasize the potential importance of evolution in the gonochoristic (female and male) ancestors of the androdioecious (hermaphrodite and male) C. elegans as the source for many of its genomic and developmental patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and the Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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27
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Derrien T, Thézé J, Vaysse A, André C, Ostrander EA, Galibert F, Hitte C. Revisiting the missing protein-coding gene catalog of the domestic dog. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:62. [PMID: 19193219 PMCID: PMC2644713 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2008] [Accepted: 02/04/2009] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among mammals for which there is a high sequence coverage, the whole genome assembly of the dog is unique in that it predicts a low number of protein-coding genes, ~19,000, compared to the over 20,000 reported for other mammalian species. Of particular interest are the more than 400 of genes annotated in primates and rodent genomes, but missing in dog. Results Using over 14,000 orthologous genes between human, chimpanzee, mouse rat and dog, we built multiple pairwise synteny maps to infer short orthologous intervals that were targeted for characterizing the canine missing genes. Based on gene prediction and a functionality test using the ratio of replacement to silent nucleotide substitution rates (dN/dS), we provide compelling structural and functional evidence for the identification of 232 new protein-coding genes in the canine genome and 69 gene losses, characterized as undetected gene or pseudogenes. Gene loss phyletic pattern analysis using ten species from chicken to human allowed us to characterize 28 canine-specific gene losses that have functional orthologs continuously from chicken or marsupials through human, and 10 genes that arose specifically in the evolutionary lineage leading to rodent and primates. Conclusion This study demonstrates the central role of comparative genomics for refining gene catalogs and exploring the evolutionary history of gene repertoires, particularly as applied for the characterization of species-specific gene gains and losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Derrien
- Institut de Génétique et Développement, CNRS UMR6061, Université de Rennes 1, Léon Bernard, Rennes, France.
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28
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Abstract
The strategic importance of the genome sequence of the gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, accrues from both the unique phylogenetic position of metatherian (marsupial) mammals and the fundamental biologic characteristics of metatherians that distinguish them from other mammalian species. Metatherian and eutherian (placental) mammals are more closely related to one another than to other vertebrate groups, and owing to this close relationship they share fundamentally similar genetic structures and molecular processes. However, during their long evolutionary separation these alternative mammals have developed distinctive anatomical, physiologic, and genetic features that hold tremendous potential for examining relationships between the molecular structures of mammalian genomes and the functional attributes of their components. Comparative analyses using the opossum genome have already provided a wealth of new evidence regarding the importance of noncoding elements in the evolution of mammalian genomes, the role of transposable elements in driving genomic innovation, and the relationships between recombination rate, nucleotide composition, and the genomic distributions of repetitive elements. The genome sequence is also beginning to enlarge our understanding of the evolution and function of the vertebrate immune system, and it provides an alternative model for investigating mechanisms of genomic imprinting. Equally important, availability of the genome sequence is fostering the development of new research tools for physical and functional genomic analyses of M. domestica that are expanding its versatility as an experimental system for a broad range of research applications in basic biology and biomedically oriented research.
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30
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Copley RR. The animal in the genome: comparative genomics and evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2008; 363:1453-61. [PMID: 18192189 PMCID: PMC2614226 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparisons between completely sequenced metazoan genomes have generally emphasized how similar their encoded protein content is, even when the comparison is between phyla. Given the manifest differences between phyla and, in particular, intuitive notions that some animals are more complex than others, this creates something of a paradox. Simplistic explanations have included arguments such as increased numbers of genes; greater numbers of protein products produced through alternative splicing; increased numbers of regulatory non-coding RNAs and increased complexity of the cis-regulatory code. An obvious value of complete genome sequences lies in their ability to provide us with inventories of such components. I examine progress being made in linking genome content to the pattern of animal evolution, and argue that the gap between genomic and phenotypic complexity can only be understood through the totality of interacting components.
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31
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Vasquez SX, Hansen MS, Bahadur AN, Hockin MF, Kindlmann GL, Nevell L, Wu IQ, Grunwald DJ, Weinstein DM, Jones GM, Johnson CR, Vandeberg JL, Capecchi MR, Keller C. Optimization of volumetric computed tomography for skeletal analysis of model genetic organisms. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2008; 291:475-87. [PMID: 18286615 DOI: 10.1002/ar.20670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Forward and reverse genetics now allow researchers to understand embryonic and postnatal gene function in a broad range of species. Although some genetic mutations cause obvious morphological change, other mutations can be more subtle and, without adequate observation and quantification, might be overlooked. For the increasing number of genetic model organisms examined by the growing field of phenomics, standardized but sensitive methods for quantitative analysis need to be incorporated into routine practice to effectively acquire and analyze ever-increasing quantities of phenotypic data. In this study, we present platform-independent parameters for the use of microscopic x-ray computed tomography (microCT) for phenotyping species-specific skeletal morphology of a variety of different genetic model organisms. We show that microCT is suitable for phenotypic characterization for prenatal and postnatal specimens across multiple species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio X Vasquez
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA
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Warren WC, Hillier LW, Marshall Graves JA, Birney E, Ponting CP, Grützner F, Belov K, Miller W, Clarke L, Chinwalla AT, Yang SP, Heger A, Locke DP, Miethke P, Waters PD, Veyrunes F, Fulton L, Fulton B, Graves T, Wallis J, Puente XS, López-Otín C, Ordóñez GR, Eichler EE, Chen L, Cheng Z, Deakin JE, Alsop A, Thompson K, Kirby P, Papenfuss AT, Wakefield MJ, Olender T, Lancet D, Huttley GA, Smit AFA, Pask A, Temple-Smith P, Batzer MA, Walker JA, Konkel MK, Harris RS, Whittington CM, Wong ESW, Gemmell NJ, Buschiazzo E, Vargas Jentzsch IM, Merkel A, Schmitz J, Zemann A, Churakov G, Kriegs JO, Brosius J, Murchison EP, Sachidanandam R, Smith C, Hannon GJ, Tsend-Ayush E, McMillan D, Attenborough R, Rens W, Ferguson-Smith M, Lefèvre CM, Sharp JA, Nicholas KR, Ray DA, Kube M, Reinhardt R, Pringle TH, Taylor J, Jones RC, Nixon B, Dacheux JL, Niwa H, Sekita Y, Huang X, Stark A, Kheradpour P, Kellis M, Flicek P, Chen Y, Webber C, Hardison R, Nelson J, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Delehaunty K, Markovic C, Minx P, Feng Y, Kremitzki C, Mitreva M, Glasscock J, Wylie T, Wohldmann P, Thiru P, Nhan MN, Pohl CS, Smith SM, Hou S, Nefedov M, de Jong PJ, Renfree MB, Mardis ER, Wilson RK. Genome analysis of the platypus reveals unique signatures of evolution. Nature 2008; 453:175-83. [PMID: 18464734 PMCID: PMC2803040 DOI: 10.1038/nature06936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 475] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2007] [Accepted: 03/25/2008] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We present a draft genome sequence of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. This monotreme exhibits a fascinating combination of reptilian and mammalian characters. For example, platypuses have a coat of fur adapted to an aquatic lifestyle; platypus females lactate, yet lay eggs; and males are equipped with venom similar to that of reptiles. Analysis of the first monotreme genome aligned these features with genetic innovations. We find that reptile and platypus venom proteins have been co-opted independently from the same gene families; milk protein genes are conserved despite platypuses laying eggs; and immune gene family expansions are directly related to platypus biology. Expansions of protein, non-protein-coding RNA and microRNA families, as well as repeat elements, are identified. Sequencing of this genome now provides a valuable resource for deep mammalian comparative analyses, as well as for monotreme biology and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley C Warren
- Genome Sequencing Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8501, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, St Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
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Heger A, Ponting CP. Evolutionary rate analyses of orthologs and paralogs from 12 Drosophila genomes. Genome Res 2007; 17:1837-49. [PMID: 17989258 DOI: 10.1101/gr.6249707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The newly sequenced genome sequences of 11 Drosophila species provide the first opportunity to investigate variations in evolutionary rates across a clade of closely related species. Protein-coding genes were predicted using established Drosophila melanogaster genes as templates, with recovery rates ranging from 81%-97% depending on species divergence and on genome assembly quality. Orthology and paralogy assignments were shown to be self-consistent among the different Drosophila species and to be consistent with regions of conserved gene order (synteny blocks). Next, we investigated the rates of diversification among these species' gene repertoires with respect to amino acid substitutions and to gene duplications. Constraints on amino acid sequences appear to have been most pronounced on D. ananassae and least pronounced on D. simulans and D. erecta terminal lineages. Codons predicted to have been subject to positive selection were found to be significantly over-represented among genes with roles in immune response and RNA metabolism, with the latter category including each subunit of the Dicer-2/r2d2 heterodimer. The vast majority of gene duplications (96.5%) and synteny rearrangements were found to occur, as expected, within single Müller elements. We show that the rate of ancient gene duplications was relatively uniform. However, gene duplications in terminal lineages are strongly skewed toward very recent events, consistent with either a rapid-birth and rapid-death model or the presence of large proportions of copy number variable genes in these Drosophila populations. Duplications were significantly more frequent among trypsin-like proteases and DM8 putative lipid-binding domain proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Heger
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom.
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Mikkelsen TS, Wakefield MJ, Aken B, Amemiya CT, Chang JL, Duke S, Garber M, Gentles AJ, Goodstadt L, Heger A, Jurka J, Kamal M, Mauceli E, Searle SMJ, Sharpe T, Baker ML, Batzer MA, Benos PV, Belov K, Clamp M, Cook A, Cuff J, Das R, Davidow L, Deakin JE, Fazzari MJ, Glass JL, Grabherr M, Greally JM, Gu W, Hore TA, Huttley GA, Kleber M, Jirtle RL, Koina E, Lee JT, Mahony S, Marra MA, Miller RD, Nicholls RD, Oda M, Papenfuss AT, Parra ZE, Pollock DD, Ray DA, Schein JE, Speed TP, Thompson K, VandeBerg JL, Wade CM, Walker JA, Waters PD, Webber C, Weidman JR, Xie X, Zody MC, Graves JAM, Ponting CP, Breen M, Samollow PB, Lander ES, Lindblad-Toh K. Genome of the marsupial Monodelphis domestica reveals innovation in non-coding sequences. Nature 2007; 447:167-77. [PMID: 17495919 DOI: 10.1038/nature05805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 508] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2006] [Accepted: 04/03/2007] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We report a high-quality draft of the genome sequence of the grey, short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). As the first metatherian ('marsupial') species to be sequenced, the opossum provides a unique perspective on the organization and evolution of mammalian genomes. Distinctive features of the opossum chromosomes provide support for recent theories about genome evolution and function, including a strong influence of biased gene conversion on nucleotide sequence composition, and a relationship between chromosomal characteristics and X chromosome inactivation. Comparison of opossum and eutherian genomes also reveals a sharp difference in evolutionary innovation between protein-coding and non-coding functional elements. True innovation in protein-coding genes seems to be relatively rare, with lineage-specific differences being largely due to diversification and rapid turnover in gene families involved in environmental interactions. In contrast, about 20% of eutherian conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) are recent inventions that postdate the divergence of Eutheria and Metatheria. A substantial proportion of these eutherian-specific CNEs arose from sequence inserted by transposable elements, pointing to transposons as a major creative force in the evolution of mammalian gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarjei S Mikkelsen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
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