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Chu J, Newman J, Cho J. Molecular Mimicry of Transposable Elements in Plants. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2025; 66:490-495. [PMID: 38808931 PMCID: PMC12085086 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcae058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA elements that are particularly abundant in the plant genomes. They have long been considered as junk DNA; however, a growing body of evidence suggests that TE insertions promote genetic diversity that is essential for the adaptive evolution of a species. Thus far, studies have mainly investigated the cis-acting regulatory roles of TEs generated by their insertions nearby or within the host genes. However, the trans-acting effects of TE-derived RNA and DNA remained obscure to date. TEs contain various regulatory elements within their sequences that can accommodate the binding of specific RNAs and proteins. Recently, it was suggested that some of these cellular regulators are shared between TEs and the host genes, and the competition for the common host factors underlies the fine-tuned developmental reprogramming. In this review, we will highlight and discuss the latest discoveries on the biological functions of plant TEs, with a particular focus on their competitive binding with specific developmental regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Beijing 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Josephine Newman
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jungnam Cho
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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2
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Bergman A, Crist AB, Lopez-Maestre H, Blanc H, Castelló-Sanjuán M, Frangeul L, Varet H, Daron J, Merkling SH, Saleh MC, Lambrechts L. Limited impact of the siRNA pathway on transposable element expression in Aedes aegypti. BMC Biol 2025; 23:130. [PMID: 40361089 PMCID: PMC12076837 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-025-02225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2025] [Indexed: 05/15/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can change their position within a genome. In insects, small RNA pathways are central to the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of TE expression. The Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is particularly important in germline tissues, where it silences TE transcripts via small RNAs of 24-30 nucleotides (nt) in length produced from genomic precursor transcripts as well as through a "ping-pong" amplification cycle. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway helps restrict TE expression in somatic tissues via 21nt small RNAs produced from double-stranded RNA by the endonuclease Dicer2, which guide an RNA-induced silencing complex to degrade complementary RNAs. However, much of this knowledge comes from studies of the model insect Drosophila melanogaster. In the mosquito Aedes aegypti, a medically significant vector species, the siRNA pathway has mainly been investigated in connection with its antiviral role, leaving open whether it also regulates TE expression. RESULTS We investigated the expression of TEs and small RNAs in both somatic and gonadal tissues of a Dicer2 mutant line of Ae. aegypti and its wild-type counterpart. Our results show a modified pattern of TE expression and a decrease in TE-derived 21nt RNAs in the Dicer2 mutant, but no major shift of TE transcript abundance. The lack of a functional siRNA pathway also causes perturbations in piRNA ping-pong signatures and the expression of certain piRNA-associated genes, but without clear evidence for compensation by increased piRNA pathway activity. CONCLUSIONS The mosquito Ae. aegypti produces siRNAs derived from TEs but these lack a critical role in the regulation of TE expression both in somatic and in gonadal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bergman
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France.
| | - Anna B Crist
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Lopez-Maestre
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Blanc
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Paris, France
| | - Mauro Castelló-Sanjuán
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Frangeul
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
| | - Josquin Daron
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
| | - Sarah H Merkling
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
| | - Maria-Carla Saleh
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Paris, France
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France.
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Prokopov D, Tunbak H, Leddy E, Drylie B, Camera F, Deniz Ö. Transposable elements as genome regulators in normal and malignant haematopoiesis. Blood Cancer J 2025; 15:87. [PMID: 40328728 PMCID: PMC12056191 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-025-01295-9] [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: 02/20/2025] [Revised: 04/16/2025] [Accepted: 04/23/2025] [Indexed: 05/08/2025] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) constitute over half of the human genome and have played a profound role in genome evolution. While most TEs have lost the ability to transpose, many retain functional elements that serve as drivers of genome innovation, including the emergence of novel genes and regulatory elements. Recent advances in experimental and bioinformatic methods have provided new insights into their roles in human biology, both in health and disease. In this review, we discuss the multifaceted roles of TEs in haematopoiesis, highlighting their contributions to both normal and pathological contexts. TEs influence gene regulation by reshaping gene-regulatory networks, modulating transcriptional activity, and creating novel regulatory elements. These activities play key roles in maintaining normal haematopoietic processes and supporting cellular regeneration. However, in haematological malignancies, TE reactivation can disrupt genomic integrity, induce structural variations, and dysregulate transcriptional programmes, thereby driving oncogenesis. By examining the impact of TE activity on genome regulation and variation, we highlight their pivotal roles in both normal haematopoietic processes and haematological cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Prokopov
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Hale Tunbak
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Eve Leddy
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Bryce Drylie
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Francesco Camera
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Özgen Deniz
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- QMUL Centre for Epigenetics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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Miao B, Luo X, Ademovic A, Yang Y, Wu TP, Zhang BA. Expression spectrum of TE-derived transcripts in human adult tissues. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.03.29.646092. [PMID: 40236116 PMCID: PMC11996354 DOI: 10.1101/2025.03.29.646092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2025]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are vital components of eukaryotic genomes and have played a critical role in genome evolution. Although most TEs are silenced in the mammalian genome, increasing evidence suggests that certain TEs are actively involved in gene regulation during early developmental stages. However, the extent to which human TEs drive gene transcription in adult tissues remains largely unexplored. In this study, we systematically analyzed 17,329 human transcriptomes to investigate how TEs influence gene transcription across 47 adult tissues. Our findings reveal that TE-derived transcripts are broadly expressed in human tissues, contributing to both housekeeping functions and tissue-specific gene regulation. We identified sex-specific expression of TE-derived transcripts regulated by sex hormones in breast tissue between females and males. Our results demonstrated that TE-derived alternative transcription initiation significantly enhances the variety of translated protein products, e.g., changes in the N-terminal peptide length of WNT2B caused by TE-derived transcription result in isoform-specific subcellular localization. Additionally, we identified 68 human-specific TE-derived transcripts associated with metabolic processes and environmental adaptation. Together, these findings highlight the pivotal evolutionary role of TEs in shaping the human transcriptome, demonstrating how conserved and human-specific TEs contribute to transcriptional and translational innovation in human genome evolution.
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Wang C, Lei B, Bao Y, Wang Z, Chen C, Zhang Y, Qin S, Sun T, Tang Z, Liu Y. Multi-omics analysis reveals critical cis-regulatory roles of transposable elements in livestock genomes. iScience 2025; 28:112049. [PMID: 40104067 PMCID: PMC11914811 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2025] [Indexed: 03/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are important sources of genetic and regulatory variation, yet their functional roles in domesticated animals remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, we comprehensively annotated TE types, ages, and distributions in the genomes of pig (Sus scrofa), cattle (Bos taurus), and chicken (Gallus gallus). Our analysis revealed species-specific patterns in TE abundance, amplification, and activity in modern genomes. By integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic data, we explored the impact of specific TE types on cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and constructed a TE expression atlas across five tissues in all three species. Our findings underscored the critical roles of tissue-specific TE expression and chromatin accessibility in regulating tissue-specific biological processes. Most notably, we developed a computational framework to uncover TE-mediated gene regulatory networks (TE-GRNs). Our findings provide valuable insights into the regulatory functions of TEs in livestock and offer a robust approach for studying TE-GRNs in diverse biological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
| | - Bowen Lei
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
| | - Yongzhou Bao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P.R. China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Henan University, Shenzhen 518000, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P.R. China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Henan University, Shenzhen 518000, P.R. China
| | - Choulin Chen
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P.R. China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Henan University, Shenzhen 518000, P.R. China
| | - Shenghua Qin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
| | - Tao Sun
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
| | - Zhonglin Tang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan 528226, P.R. China
| | - Yuwen Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, P.R. China
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan 528226, P.R. China
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Mangoni D, Mazzetti A, Ansaloni F, Simi A, Tartaglia GG, Pandolfini L, Gustincich S, Sanges R. From the genome's perspective: Bearing somatic retrotransposition to leverage the regulatory potential of L1 RNAs. Bioessays 2025; 47:e2400125. [PMID: 39520370 PMCID: PMC11755705 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 10/16/2024] [Accepted: 10/23/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genomic elements constituting a big fraction of eukaryotic genomes. They ignite an evolutionary arms race with host genomes, which in turn evolve strategies to restrict their activity. Despite being tightly repressed, TEs display precisely regulated expression patterns during specific stages of mammalian development, suggesting potential benefits for the host. Among TEs, the long interspersed nuclear element (LINE-1 or L1) has been found to be active in neurons. This activity prompted extensive research into its possible role in cognition. So far, no specific cause-effect relationship between L1 retrotransposition and brain functions has been conclusively identified. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence suggests that interactions between L1 RNAs and RNA/DNA binding proteins encode specific messages that cells utilize to activate or repress entire transcriptional programs. We summarize recent findings highlighting the activity of L1 RNAs at the non-coding level during early embryonic and brain development. We propose a hypothesis suggesting a mutualistic relationship between L1 mRNAs and the host cell. In this scenario, cells tolerate a certain rate of retrotransposition to leverage the regulatory effects of L1s as non-coding RNAs on potentiating their mitotic potential. In turn, L1s benefit from the cell's proliferative state to increase their chance to mobilize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Mangoni
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Aurora Mazzetti
- Area of NeuroscienceInternational School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)TriesteItaly
| | - Federico Ansaloni
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Alessandro Simi
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Center for Human Technologies, RNA Systems BiologyIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Luca Pandolfini
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Stefano Gustincich
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
| | - Remo Sanges
- Center for Human Technologies, Non‐Coding RNAs and RNA‐Based TherapeuticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)GenovaItaly
- Area of NeuroscienceInternational School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)TriesteItaly
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Ranjan G, Scaria V, Sivasubbu S. Syntenic lncRNA locus exhibits DNA regulatory functions with sequence evolution. Gene 2025; 933:148988. [PMID: 39378975 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 10/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
Syntenic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) often show limited sequence conservation across species, prompting concern in the field. This study delves into functional signatures of syntenic lncRNAs between humans and zebrafish. Syntenic lncRNAs are highly expressed in zebrafish, with ∼90 % located near protein-coding genes, either in sense or antisense orientation. During early zebrafish development and in human embryonic stem cells (H1-hESC), syntenic lncRNA loci are enriched with cis-regulatory repressor signatures, influencing the expression of development-associated genes. In later zebrafish developmental stages and specific human cell lines, these syntenic lncRNA loci function as enhancers or transcription start sites (TSS) for protein-coding genes. Analysis of transposable elements (TEs) in syntenic lncRNA sequences revealed intriguing patterns: human lncRNAs are enriched in simple repeat elements, while their zebrafish counterparts show enrichment in LTR elements. This sequence evolution likely arises from post-rearrangement mutations that enhance DNA elements or cis-regulatory functions. It may also contribute to vertebrate innovation by creating novel transcription factor binding sites within the locus. This study highlights the conserved functionality of syntenic lncRNA loci through DNA elements, emphasizing their conserved roles across species despite sequence divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyan Ranjan
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, Delhi 110024, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Vinod Scaria
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, Delhi 110024, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation, Mumbai, India.; Dr. D. Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, India.
| | - Sridhar Sivasubbu
- CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, Delhi 110024, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation, Mumbai, India.; Dr. D. Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, India.
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Chour M, Porteu F, Depil S, Alcazer V. Endogenous retroelements in hematological malignancies: From epigenetic dysregulation to therapeutic targeting. Am J Hematol 2025; 100:116-130. [PMID: 39387681 PMCID: PMC11625990 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2024] [Revised: 09/30/2024] [Accepted: 10/02/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024]
Abstract
Endogenous retroelements (EREs), which comprise half of the human genome, play a pivotal role in genome dynamics. Some EREs retained the ability to encode proteins, although most degenerated or served as a source for novel genes and regulatory elements during evolution. Despite ERE repression mechanisms developed to maintain genome stability, widespread pervasive ERE activation is observed in cancer including hematological malignancies. Challenging the perception of noncoding DNA as "junk," EREs are underestimated contributors to cancer driver mechanisms as well as antitumoral immunity by providing innate immune ligands and tumor antigens. This review highlights recent progress in understanding ERE co-option events in cancer and focuses on the controversial debate surrounding their causal role in shaping malignant phenotype. We provide insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of ERE research in hematological malignancies and their clinical implications in these cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Chour
- Département de Biologie, Master Biosciences‐SantéÉcole Normale Supérieure de LyonLyonFrance
- Centre International de Recherche en InfectiologieINSERM U1111 CNRS UMR530LyonFrance
| | - Françoise Porteu
- Institut Gustave RoussyINSERM U1287 Université Paris SaclayVillejuifFrance
| | - Stéphane Depil
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de LyonUMR INSERM U1052 CNRS 5286 Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Centre Léon BérardLyonFrance
- ErVimmuneLyonFrance
- Centre Léon BérardLyonFrance
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1LyonFrance
| | - Vincent Alcazer
- Centre International de Recherche en InfectiologieINSERM U1111 CNRS UMR530LyonFrance
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1LyonFrance
- Service d'hématologie CliniqueCentre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Hospices Civils de LyonPierre‐BéniteFrance
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Liang W, Stubbe M, Pleninger L, Hofferek A, Stubbe H, Mai J, Özer S, Frishman D, Schreiner S, Vincendeau M. HERV reactivation by adenovirus infection is associated with viral immune regulation. Microbes Infect 2024:105466. [PMID: 39716530 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 11/08/2024] [Accepted: 12/16/2024] [Indexed: 12/25/2024]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which are normally silenced by methylation or mutation, can be reactivated by a variety of environmental factors, including infection with exogenous viruses. In this work, we investigated the transcriptional activity of HERVs following infection of human liver cells (HepaRG) with human adenovirus C serotype 5 (HAdV-C5). HAdV-C5 infection results in reactivation of several HERV groups as well as differentially expressed genes. Interestingly, in HAdV-C5 infection, upregulated genes that were in close chromosomal proximity to upregulated HERV loci were associated with influencing viral carcinogenesis and inflammatory signaling. We also identified an FBXO17 transcript encoding an intronic ERVK9-11 sense sequence upon HAdV-C5 infection. FBXO17 has previously been described as an important factor in the regulation of the interferon response. This suggests that specific HERV groups may have the potential to trigger gene networks and influence viral immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Liang
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Miona Stubbe
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lisa Pleninger
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Hofferek
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans Stubbe
- Medical Department II, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, German, Germany
| | - Julia Mai
- Institute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salih Özer
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Frishman
- Department of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Sabrina Schreiner
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (Resolving Infection Susceptibility; EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Michelle Vincendeau
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
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Poloni JF, Oliveira FHS, Feltes BC. Localization is the key to action: regulatory peculiarities of lncRNAs. Front Genet 2024; 15:1478352. [PMID: 39737005 PMCID: PMC11683014 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1478352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 11/27/2024] [Indexed: 01/01/2025] Open
Abstract
To understand the transcriptomic profile of an individual cell in a multicellular organism, we must comprehend its surrounding environment and the cellular space where distinct molecular stimuli responses are located. Contradicting the initial perception that RNAs were nonfunctional and that only a few could act in chromatin remodeling, over the last few decades, research has revealed that they are multifaceted, versatile regulators of most cellular processes. Among the various RNAs, long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) regulate multiple biological processes and can even impact cell fate. In this sense, the subcellular localization of lncRNAs is the primary determinant of their functions. It affects their behavior by limiting their potential molecular partner and which process it can affect. The fine-tuned activity of lncRNAs is also tissue-specific and modulated by their cis and trans regulation. Hence, the spatial context of lncRNAs is crucial for understanding the regulatory networks by which they influence and are influenced. Therefore, predicting a lncRNA's correct location is not just a technical challenge but a critical step in understanding the biological meaning of its activity. Hence, examining these peculiarities is crucial to researching and discussing lncRNAs. In this review, we debate the spatial regulation of lncRNAs and their tissue-specific roles and regulatory mechanisms. We also briefly highlight how bioinformatic tools can aid research in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bruno César Feltes
- Department of Biophysics, Laboratory of DNA Repair and Aging, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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11
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Ballesio F, Pepe G, Ausiello G, Novelletto A, Helmer-Citterich M, Gherardini PF. Human lncRNAs harbor conserved modules embedded in different sequence contexts. Noncoding RNA Res 2024; 9:1257-1270. [PMID: 39040814 PMCID: PMC11261117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the structure of human long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) genes to investigate whether the non-coding transcriptome is organized in modular domains, as is the case for protein-coding genes. To this aim, we compared all known human lncRNA exons and identified 340 pairs of exons with high sequence and/or secondary structure similarity but embedded in a dissimilar sequence context. We grouped these pairs in 106 clusters based on their reciprocal similarities. These shared modules are highly conserved between humans and the four great ape species, display evidence of purifying selection and likely arose as a result of recent segmental duplications. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms driving the evolution of the non-coding genome and suggests additional strategies towards deciphering the functional complexity of this class of molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ballesio
- PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gerardo Pepe
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ausiello
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Novelletto
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
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12
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Gan Y, Wang L, Liu G, Guo X, Zhou Y, Chang K, Zhang Z, Yan F, Liu Q, Chen B. Transposable Elements Contribute to the Regulation of Long Noncoding RNAs in Drosophila melanogaster. INSECTS 2024; 15:950. [PMID: 39769552 PMCID: PMC11678190 DOI: 10.3390/insects15120950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2024] [Revised: 11/28/2024] [Accepted: 11/29/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Abstract
Background: Transposable elements (TEs) and noncoding sequences are major components of the genome, yet their functional contributions to long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are not well understood. Although many lncRNAs originating from TEs (TE-lncRNAs) have been identified across various organisms, their characteristics and regulatory roles, particularly in insects, remain largely unexplored. This study integrated multi-omics data to investigate TE-lncRNAs in D. melanogaster, focusing on the influence of transposons across different omics levels. Results: We identified 16,118 transposons overlapping with lncRNA sequences that constitute 2119 TE-lncRNAs (40.4% of all lncRNAs) using 256 public RNA-seq samples and 15 lncRNA-seq samples of Drosophila S2 cells treated with heavy metals. Of these, 67.2% of TE-lncRNAs contain more than one TE. The LTR/Gypsy family was the most common transposon insertion. Transposons preferred to insert into promoters, transcription starting sites, and intronic regions, especially in chromosome ends. Compared with lncRNAs, TE-lncRNAs showed longer lengths, a lower conservation, and lower levels but a higher specificity of expression. Multi-omics data analysis revealed positive correlations between transposon insertions and chromatin openness at the pre-transcriptional level. Notably, a total of 516 TE-lncRNAs provided transcriptional factor binding sites through transposon insertions. The regulatory network of a key transcription factor was rewired by transposons, potentially recruiting other transcription factors to exert regulatory functions under heavy metal stress. Additionally, 99 TE-lncRNAs were associated with m6A methylation modification sites, and 115 TE-lncRNAs potentially provided candidate small open reading frames through transposon insertions. Conclusions: Our data analysis demonstrated that TEs contribute to the regulation of lncRNAs. TEs not only promote the transcriptional regulation of lncRNAs, but also facilitate their post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuli Gan
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (Y.G.); (L.W.); (X.G.)
- Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;
| | - Lingyan Wang
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (Y.G.); (L.W.); (X.G.)
| | - Guoxian Liu
- Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;
| | - Xiruo Guo
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (Y.G.); (L.W.); (X.G.)
| | - Yiming Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Kexin Chang
- Key Laboratory of Herbage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; (K.C.); (F.Y.)
| | - Zhonghui Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Fang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Herbage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China; (K.C.); (F.Y.)
| | - Qi Liu
- Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;
| | - Bing Chen
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (Y.G.); (L.W.); (X.G.)
- Hebei Basic Science Center for Biotic Interaction, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
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13
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Werner A, Kanhere A, Wahlestedt C, Mattick JS. Natural antisense transcripts as versatile regulators of gene expression. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:730-744. [PMID: 38632496 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00723-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as a major class of gene products that have central roles in cell and developmental biology. Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are an important subset of lncRNAs that are expressed from the opposite strand of protein-coding and non-coding genes and are a genome-wide phenomenon in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In eukaryotes, a myriad of NATs participate in regulatory pathways that affect expression of their cognate sense genes. Recent developments in the study of NATs and lncRNAs and large-scale sequencing and bioinformatics projects suggest that whether NATs regulate expression, splicing, stability or translation of the sense transcript is influenced by the pattern and degrees of overlap between the sense-antisense pair. Moreover, epigenetic gene regulatory mechanisms prevail in somatic cells whereas mechanisms dependent on the formation of double-stranded RNA intermediates are prevalent in germ cells. The modulating effects of NATs on sense transcript expression make NATs rational targets for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John S Mattick
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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14
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Song Y, Wen H, Zhai X, Jia L, Li L. Functional Bidirectionality of ERV-Derived Long Non-Coding RNAs in Humans. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:10481. [PMID: 39408810 PMCID: PMC11476766 DOI: 10.3390/ijms251910481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2024] [Revised: 09/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are widely recognized as the result of exogenous retroviruses infecting the ancestral germline, stabilizing integration and vertical transmission during human genetic evolution. To date, endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) appear to have been selected for human physiological functions with the loss of retrotransposable capabilities. ERV elements were previously regarded as junk DNA for a long time. Since then, the aberrant activation and expression of ERVs have been observed in the development of many kinds of human diseases, and their role has been explored in a variety of human disorders such as cancer. The results show that specific ERV elements play respective crucial roles. Among them, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) transcribed from specific long-terminal repeat regions of ERVs are often key factors. lncRNAs are over 200 nucleotides in size and typically bind to DNA, RNA, and proteins to perform biological functions. Dysregulated lncRNAs have been implicated in a variety of diseases. In particular, studies have shown that the aberrant expression of some ERV-derived lncRNAs has a tumor-suppressive or oncogenic effect, displaying significant functional bidirectionality. Therefore, theses lncRNAs have a promising future as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to explore the concise relationship between ERVs and cancers. In this review, we first summarize the role of ERV-derived lncRNAs in physiological regulation, mainly including immunomodulation, the maintenance of pluripotency, and erythropoiesis. In addition, pathological regulation examples of their aberrant activation and expression leading to carcinogenesis are highlighted, and specific mechanisms of occurrence are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Song
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.S.); (H.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China;
| | - Hongling Wen
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory Technology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.S.); (H.W.)
| | - Xiuli Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China;
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230000, China
| | - Lei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China;
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China;
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15
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Plewka P, Szczesniak M, Stepien A, Pasieka R, Wanowska E, Makalowska I, Raczynska K. Novel function of U7 snRNA in the repression of HERV1/LTR12s and lincRNAs in human cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:10504-10519. [PMID: 39189459 PMCID: PMC11417402 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
U7 snRNA is part of the U7 snRNP complex, required for the 3' end processing of replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs in S phase of the cell cycle. Here, we show that U7 snRNA plays another function in inhibiting the expression of a subset of long terminal repeats of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV1/LTR12s) and LTR12-containing long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs), both bearing sequence motifs that perfectly match the 5' end of U7 snRNA. We demonstrate that U7 snRNA inhibits LTR12 and lincRNA transcription and propose a mechanism in which U7 snRNA hampers the binding/activity of the NF-Y transcription factor to CCAAT motifs within LTR12 elements. Thereby, U7 snRNA plays a protective role in maintaining the silencing of deleterious genetic elements in selected types of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Plewka
- Department of Gene Expression, Laboratory of RNA Processing, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Michal W Szczesniak
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Agata Stepien
- Department of Gene Expression, Laboratory of RNA Processing, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Robert Pasieka
- Department of Gene Expression, Laboratory of RNA Processing, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Wanowska
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Izabela Makalowska
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Dorota Raczynska
- Department of Gene Expression, Laboratory of RNA Processing, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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16
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Wang Y, Zhang Y, Li R, Qian B, Du X, Qiu X, Chen M, Shi G, Wei J, Wei XL, Wu Q. Exploration on cold adaptation of Antarctic lichen via detection of positive selection genes. IMA Fungus 2024; 15:29. [PMID: 39252145 PMCID: PMC11386357 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-024-00160-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Lichen as mutualistic symbiosis is the dominant organism in various extreme terrestrial environment on Earth, however, the mechanisms of their adaptation to extreme habitats have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we chose the Antarctic dominant lichen species Usnea aurantiacoatra to generate a high-quality genome, carried out phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and identify genes under positive selection. We performed functional enrichment analysis on the positively selected genes (PSGs) and found that most of the PSGs focused on transmembrane transporter activity and vacuole components. This suggest that the genes related to energy storage and transport in Antarctic U. aurantiacoatra were affected by environmental pressure. Inside of the 86 PSGs screened, two protein interaction networks were identified, which were RNA helicase related proteins and regulator of G-protein signaling related proteins. The regulator of the G-protein signaling gene (UaRGS1) was chosen to perform further verification by the lichen genetic manipulation system Umbilicaria muhlenbergii. Given that the absence of UmRgs1 resulted in elevated lethality to cold shock, the role for UaRgs1 in Antarctic U. aurantiacoatra resistance to cold can be inferred. The investigation of lichen adaptation to extreme environments at the molecular level will be opened up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Rong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Ben Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin Du
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuyun Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mengmeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guohui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jiangchun Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin-Li Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Qi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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17
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Zhang H, Frith MC. Evolution and subfamilies of HERVL human endogenous retrovirus. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2024; 4:vbae110. [PMID: 39139705 PMCID: PMC11319637 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbae110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Background Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which blur the boundary between virus and transposable element, are genetic material derived from retroviruses and have important implications for evolution. This study examines the diversity and evolution of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) of the HERVL family, which has long terminal repeats (LTRs) named MLT2. Results By probability-based sequence comparison, we uncover systematic annotation errors that conceal the true complexity and diversity of transposable elements (TEs) in the human genome. Our analysis identifies new subfamilies within the MLT2 group, proposes a refined classification scheme, and constructs new consensus sequences. We present an evolutionary analysis including phylogenetic trees that elucidate the relationships between these subfamilies and their contributions to human evolution. The results underscore the significance of accurate TE annotation in understanding genome evolution, highlighting the potential for misclassified TEs to impact interpretations of genomic studies. Availability and implementation Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Martin C Frith
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, AIST, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, AIST, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
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18
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Borgognone A, Casadellà M, Martínez de Lagrán M, Paredes R, Clotet B, Dierssen M, Elizalde-Torrent A. Lamivudine modulates the expression of neurological impairment-related genes and LINE-1 retrotransposons in brain tissues of a Down syndrome mouse model. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1386944. [PMID: 39100749 PMCID: PMC11294114 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1386944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Elevated activity of retrotransposons is increasingly recognized to be implicated in a wide range of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases, including Down syndrome (DS), which is the most common chromosomal condition causing intellectual disability globally. Previous research by our group has revealed that treatment with lamivudine, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, improved neurobehavioral phenotypes and completely rescued hippocampal-dependent recognition memory in a DS mouse model, Ts65Dn. We hypothesized that retrotransposition rates would increase in the Ts65Dn mouse model, and lamivudine could block retrotransposons. We analyzed the differentially expressed long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) mapping on MMU16 and 17, and showed for the first time that retrotransposition could be associated with Ts65Dn's pathology, as misregulation of L1 was found in brain tissues associated with trisomy. In the cerebral cortex, 6 out of 26 upregulated L1s in trisomic treated mice were located in the telomeric region of MMU16 near Ttc3, Kcnj6, and Dscam genes. In the hippocampus, one upregulated L1 element in trisomic treated mice was located near the Fgd4 gene on MMU16. Moreover, two downregulated L1s rescued after treatment with lamivudine were located in the intronic region of Nrxn1 (MMU17) and Snhg14 (MMU7), implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. To gain further insight into the mechanism of this improvement, we here analyzed the gene expression profile in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of trisomic mice treated and no-treated with lamivudine compared to their wild-type littermates. We found that treatment with lamivudine rescued the expression of 24% of trisomic genes in the cortex (located on mouse chromosome (MMU) 16 and 17) and 15% in the hippocampus (located in the human chromosome 21 orthologous regions), with important DS candidate genes such as App and Ets2, rescued in both regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - María Martínez de Lagrán
- Center for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Paredes
- IrsiCaixa, Badalona, Spain
- Department of Infeccious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases Service, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Lluita contra les Infeccions, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa, Badalona, Spain
- Department of Infeccious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Infectious Diseases Service, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Spain
- Fundació Lluita contra les Infeccions, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Mara Dierssen
- Center for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Camarena ME, Theunissen P, Ruiz M, Ruiz-Orera J, Calvo-Serra B, Castelo R, Castro C, Sarobe P, Fortes P, Perera-Bel J, Albà MM. Microproteins encoded by noncanonical ORFs are a major source of tumor-specific antigens in a liver cancer patient meta-cohort. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3628. [PMID: 38985879 PMCID: PMC11235171 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The expression of tumor-specific antigens during cancer progression can trigger an immune response against the tumor. Here, we investigate if microproteins encoded by noncanonical open reading frames (ncORFs) are a relevant source of tumor-specific antigens. We analyze RNA sequencing data from 117 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors and matched healthy tissue together with ribosome profiling and immunopeptidomics data. Combining human leukocyte antigen-epitope binding predictions and experimental validation experiments, we conclude that around 40% of the tumor-specific antigens in HCC are likely to be derived from ncORFs, including two peptides that can trigger an immune response in humanized mice. We identify a subset of 33 tumor-specific long noncoding RNAs expressing novel cancer antigens shared by more than 10% of the HCC samples analyzed, which, when combined, cover a large proportion of the patients. The results of the study open avenues for extending the range of anticancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Theunissen
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra (UNAV), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marta Ruiz
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra (UNAV), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jorge Ruiz-Orera
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatriz Calvo-Serra
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert Castelo
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Castro
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra (UNAV), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra (UNAV), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Clinic University of Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Puri Fortes
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra (UNAV), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Clinic University of Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
- Spanish Network for Advanced Therapies (TERAV ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M Mar Albà
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Li Y, Lyu R, Chen S, Wang Y, Sun MA. TEENA: an integrated web server for transposable element enrichment analysis in various model and non-model organisms. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:W126-W131. [PMID: 38747349 PMCID: PMC11223789 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in the genomes of various eukaryote organisms. Increasing evidence suggests that TEs can play crucial regulatory roles-usually by creating cis-elements (e.g. enhancers and promoters) bound by distinct transcription factors (TFs). TE-derived cis-elements have gained unprecedented attentions recently, and one key step toward their understanding is to identify the enriched TEs in distinct genomic intervals (e.g. a set of enhancers or TF binding sites) as candidates for further study. Nevertheless, such analysis remains challenging for researchers unfamiliar with TEs or lack strong bioinformatic skills. Here, we present TEENA (Transposable Element ENrichment Analyzer) to streamline TE enrichment analysis in various organisms. It implements an optimized pipeline, hosts the genome/gene/TE annotations of almost one hundred species, and provides multiple parameters to enable its flexibility. Taking genomic interval data as the only user-supplied file, it can automatically retrieve the corresponding annotations and finish a routine analysis in a couple minutes. Multiple case studies demonstrate that it can produce highly reliable results matching previous knowledge. TEENA can be freely accessed at: https://sun-lab.yzu.edu.cn/TEENA. Due to its easy-to-use design, we expect it to facilitate the studies of the regulatory function of TEs in various model and non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhuo Li
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
| | - Renzhe Lyu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
| | - Yejun Wang
- Youth Innovation Team of Medical Bioinformatics, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Ming-an Sun
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 Jiangsu, China
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21
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Lebherz MK, Fouks B, Schmidt J, Bornberg-Bauer E, Grandchamp A. DNA Transposons Favor De Novo Transcript Emergence Through Enrichment of Transcription Factor Binding Motifs. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae134. [PMID: 38934893 PMCID: PMC11264136 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae134] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
De novo genes emerge from noncoding regions of genomes via succession of mutations. Among others, such mutations activate transcription and create a new open reading frame (ORF). Although the mechanisms underlying ORF emergence are well documented, relatively little is known about the mechanisms enabling new transcription events. Yet, in many species a continuum between absent and very prominent transcription has been reported for essentially all regions of the genome. In this study, we searched for de novo transcripts by using newly assembled genomes and transcriptomes of seven inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster, originating from six European and one African population. This setup allowed us to detect sample specific de novo transcripts, and compare them to their homologous nontranscribed regions in other samples, as well as genic and intergenic control sequences. We studied the association with transposable elements (TEs) and the enrichment of transcription factor motifs upstream of de novo emerged transcripts and compared them with regulatory elements. We found that de novo transcripts overlap with TEs more often than expected by chance. The emergence of new transcripts correlates with regions of high guanine-cytosine content and TE expression. Moreover, upstream regions of de novo transcripts are highly enriched with regulatory motifs. Such motifs are more enriched in new transcripts overlapping with TEs, particularly DNA TEs, and are more conserved upstream de novo transcripts than upstream their 'nontranscribed homologs'. Overall, our study demonstrates that TE insertion is important for transcript emergence, partly by introducing new regulatory motifs from DNA TE families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bertrand Fouks
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Julian Schmidt
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna Grandchamp
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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22
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Skalon EK, Panyushev NV, Podgornaya OI, Smolyaninova AR, Solovyeva AI. Expression of Transposable Elements throughout the Fasciola hepatica Trematode Life Cycle. Noncoding RNA 2024; 10:39. [PMID: 39051373 PMCID: PMC11270206 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna10040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes. The extensive body of evidence suggests that although they were once considered "genomic parasites", transposons and their transcripts perform specific functions, such as regulation of early embryo development. Understanding the role of TEs in such parasites as trematodes is becoming critically important. Fasciola hepatica, a parasite affecting humans and livestock, undergoes a complex life cycle in diverse environments and hosts, and knowledge about its life cycle regulation is scarce so far. METHODS We summarized the data regarding the repetitive elements in F. hepatica and conducted bulk RNA-seq analysis across its life cycle stages. TE expression profiles were analyzed, focusing on differential expression and potential homology with previously described long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). RESULTS Differential expression analysis revealed stage-specific TE transcription patterns, notably peaking during egg and metacercariae stages. Some TEs showed homology with known lncRNAs and contained putative transcription factor binding sites. Interestingly, TE transcription levels were highest in eggs and metacercariae compared to adults, suggesting regulatory roles in trematode life cycle transitions. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that TEs may play roles in regulating trematode life cycle transitions. Moreover, TE homology with lncRNAs underscores their significance in gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta K. Skalon
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | | | - Olga I. Podgornaya
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.I.P.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Anastasia R. Smolyaninova
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.I.P.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Anna I. Solovyeva
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia;
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.I.P.); (A.R.S.)
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23
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Morales-Vicente DA, Tahira AC, Woellner-Santos D, Amaral MS, Berzoti-Coelho MG, Verjovski-Almeida S. The Human Developing Cerebral Cortex Is Characterized by an Elevated De Novo Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Excitatory Neurons. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae123. [PMID: 38913688 PMCID: PMC11221658 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae123] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The outstanding human cognitive capacities are computed in the cerebral cortex, a mammalian-specific brain region and the place of massive biological innovation. Long noncoding RNAs have emerged as gene regulatory elements with higher evolutionary turnover than mRNAs. The many long noncoding RNAs identified in neural tissues make them candidates for molecular sources of cerebral cortex evolution and disease. Here, we characterized the genomic and cellular shifts that occurred during the evolution of the long noncoding RNA repertoire expressed in the developing cerebral cortex and explored putative roles for these long noncoding RNAs in the evolution of the human brain. Using transcriptomics and comparative genomics, we comprehensively annotated the cortical transcriptomes of humans, rhesus macaques, mice, and chickens and classified human cortical long noncoding RNAs into evolutionary groups as a function of their predicted minimal ages. Long noncoding RNA evolutionary groups showed differences in expression levels, splicing efficiencies, transposable element contents, genomic distributions, and transcription factor binding to their promoters. Furthermore, older long noncoding RNAs showed preferential expression in germinative zones, outer radial glial cells, and cortical inhibitory (GABAergic) neurons. In comparison, younger long noncoding RNAs showed preferential expression in cortical excitatory (glutamatergic) neurons, were enriched in primate and human-specific gene co-expression modules, and were dysregulated in neurodevelopmental disorders. These results suggest different evolutionary routes for older and younger cortical long noncoding RNAs, highlighting old long noncoding RNAs as a possible source of molecular evolution of conserved developmental programs; conversely, we propose that the de novo expression of primate- and human-specific young long noncoding RNAs is a putative source of molecular evolution and dysfunction of cortical excitatory neurons, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Morales-Vicente
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana C Tahira
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daisy Woellner-Santos
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Murilo S Amaral
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria G Berzoti-Coelho
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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24
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Das S, Zea Rojas MP, Tran EJ. Novel insights on the positive correlation between sense and antisense pairs on gene expression. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1864. [PMID: 39087253 PMCID: PMC11626863 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
A considerable proportion of the eukaryotic genome undergoes transcription, leading to the generation of noncoding RNA molecules that lack protein-coding information and are not subjected to translation. These noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are well recognized to have essential roles in several biological processes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent the most extensive category of ncRNAs found in the human genome. Much research has focused on investigating the roles of cis-acting lncRNAs in the regulation of specific target gene expression. In the majority of instances, the regulation of sense gene expression by its corresponding antisense pair occurs in a negative (discordant) manner, resulting in the suppression of the target genes. The notion that a negative correlation exists between sense and antisense pairings is, however, not universally valid. In fact, several recent studies have reported a positive relationship between corresponding cis antisense pairs within plants, budding yeast, and mammalian cancer cells. The positive (concordant) correlation between anti-sense and sense transcripts leads to an increase in the level of the sense transcript within the same genomic loci. In addition, mechanisms such as altering chromatin structure, the formation of R loops, and the recruitment of transcription factors can either enhance transcription or stabilize sense transcripts through their antisense pairs. The primary objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive understanding of both aspects of antisense regulation, specifically focusing on the positive correlation between sense and antisense transcripts in the context of eukaryotic gene expression, including its implications towards cancer progression. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > 3' End Processing Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadeep Das
- Department of BiochemistryPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | | | - Elizabeth J. Tran
- Department of BiochemistryPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
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25
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Srivastav SP, Feschotte C, Clark AG. Rapid evolution of piRNA clusters in the Drosophila melanogaster ovary. Genome Res 2024; 34:711-724. [PMID: 38749655 PMCID: PMC11216404 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278062.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The piRNA pathway is a highly conserved mechanism to repress transposable element (TE) activity in the animal germline via a specialized class of small RNAs called piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). piRNAs are produced from discrete genomic regions called piRNA clusters (piCs). Although the molecular processes by which piCs function are relatively well understood in Drosophila melanogaster, much less is known about the origin and evolution of piCs in this or any other species. To investigate piC origin and evolution, we use a population genomic approach to compare piC activity and sequence composition across eight geographically distant strains of D. melanogaster with high-quality long-read genome assemblies. We perform annotations of ovary piCs and genome-wide TE content in each strain. Our analysis uncovers extensive variation in piC activity across strains and signatures of rapid birth and death of piCs. Most TEs inferred to be recently active show an enrichment of insertions into old and large piCs, consistent with the previously proposed "trap" model of piC evolution. In contrast, a small subset of active LTR families is enriched for the formation of new piCs, suggesting that these TEs have higher proclivity to form piCs. Thus, our findings uncover processes leading to the origin of piCs. We propose that piC evolution begins with the emergence of piRNAs from individual insertions of a few select TE families prone to seed new piCs that subsequently expand by accretion of insertions from most other TE families during evolution to form larger "trap" clusters. Our study shows that TEs themselves are the major force driving the rapid evolution of piCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyam P Srivastav
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Andrew G Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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26
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Xiong W, Lu L, Li J. Long non-coding RNAs with essential roles in neurodegenerative disorders. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1212-1220. [PMID: 37905867 PMCID: PMC11467921 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Recently, with the advent of high-resolution and high-throughput sequencing technologies, an increasing number of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be involved in the regulation of neuronal function in the central nervous system with specific spatiotemporal patterns, across different neurodegenerative diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs during neurodegeneration remain poorly understood. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the biology of lncRNAs and focuses on introducing the latest identified roles, regulatory mechanisms, and research status of lncRNAs in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Finally, this review discusses the potential values of lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases, hoping to provide broader implications for developing effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wandi Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Lin Lu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
- PKU/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
- PKU/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
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27
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Lin X, Yin J, Wang Y, Yao J, Li QQ, Latzel V, Bossdorf O, Zhang YY. Environment-induced heritable variations are common in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4615. [PMID: 38816460 PMCID: PMC11139905 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49024-3] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Parental or ancestral environments can induce heritable phenotypic changes, but whether such environment-induced heritable changes are a common phenomenon remains unexplored. Here, we subject 14 genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana to 10 different environmental treatments and observe phenotypic and genome-wide gene expression changes over four successive generations. We find that all treatments caused heritable phenotypic and gene expression changes, with a substantial proportion stably transmitted over all observed generations. Intriguingly, the susceptibility of a genotype to environmental inductions could be predicted based on the transposon abundance in the genome. Our study thus challenges the classic view that the environment only participates in the selection of heritable variation and suggests that the environment can play a significant role in generating of heritable variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohe Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Junjie Yin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jing Yao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Qingshun Q Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Biomedical Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Vit Latzel
- Institute of Botany of the CAS, Zamek 1, 252 43, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Institute of Evolution & Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yuan-Ye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
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28
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Wang L, Bitar M, Lu X, Jacquelin S, Nair S, Sivakumaran H, Hillman KM, Kaufmann S, Ziegman R, Casciello F, Gowda H, Rosenbluh J, Edwards SL, French JD. CRISPR-Cas13d screens identify KILR, a breast cancer risk-associated lncRNA that regulates DNA replication and repair. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:101. [PMID: 38745269 PMCID: PMC11094906 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02021-y] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have surpassed the number of protein-coding genes, yet the majority have no known function. We previously discovered 844 lncRNAs that were genetically linked to breast cancer through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here, we show that a subset of these lncRNAs alter breast cancer risk by modulating cell proliferation, and provide evidence that a reduced expression on one lncRNA increases breast cancer risk through aberrant DNA replication and repair. METHODS We performed pooled CRISPR-Cas13d-based knockdown screens in breast cells to identify which of the 844 breast cancer-associated lncRNAs alter cell proliferation. We selected one of the lncRNAs that increased cell proliferation, KILR, for follow-up functional studies. KILR pull-down followed by mass spectrometry was used to identify binding proteins. Knockdown and overexpression studies were performed to assess the mechanism by which KILR regulates proliferation. RESULTS We show that KILR functions as a tumor suppressor, safeguarding breast cells against uncontrolled proliferation. The half-life of KILR is significantly reduced by the risk haplotype, revealing an alternative mechanism by which variants alter cancer risk. Mechanistically, KILR sequesters RPA1, a subunit of the RPA complex required for DNA replication and repair. Reduced KILR expression promotes breast cancer cell proliferation by increasing the available pool of RPA1 and speed of DNA replication. Conversely, KILR overexpression promotes apoptosis in breast cancer cells, but not normal breast cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm lncRNAs as mediators of breast cancer risk, emphasize the need to annotate noncoding transcripts in relevant cell types when investigating GWAS variants and provide a scalable platform for mapping phenotypes associated with lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Mainá Bitar
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Xue Lu
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sebastien Jacquelin
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
- Macrophage Biology Laboratory, Mater Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sneha Nair
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Haran Sivakumaran
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kristine M Hillman
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Susanne Kaufmann
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Rebekah Ziegman
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Francesco Casciello
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Harsha Gowda
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Joseph Rosenbluh
- Cancer Research Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Functional Genomics Platform, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Stacey L Edwards
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Juliet D French
- Cancer Research Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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29
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Shao Z, Hu J, Jandura A, Wilk R, Jachimowicz M, Ma L, Hu C, Sundquist A, Das I, Samuel-Larbi P, Brill JA, Krause HM. Spatially revealed roles for lncRNAs in Drosophila spermatogenesis, Y chromosome function and evolution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3806. [PMID: 38714658 PMCID: PMC11076287 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47346-w] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Unlike coding genes, the number of lncRNA genes in organism genomes is relatively proportional to organism complexity. From plants to humans, the tissues with highest numbers and levels of lncRNA gene expression are the male reproductive organs. To learn why, we initiated a genome-wide analysis of Drosophila lncRNA spatial expression patterns in these tissues. The numbers of genes and levels of expression observed greatly exceed those previously reported, due largely to a preponderance of non-polyadenylated transcripts. In stark contrast to coding genes, the highest numbers of lncRNAs expressed are in post-meiotic spermatids. Correlations between expression levels, localization and previously performed genetic analyses indicate high levels of function and requirement. More focused analyses indicate that lncRNAs play major roles in evolution by controlling transposable element activities, Y chromosome gene expression and sperm construction. A new type of lncRNA-based particle found in seminal fluid may also contribute to reproductive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhantao Shao
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jack Hu
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Allison Jandura
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ronit Wilk
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Jachimowicz
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lingfeng Ma
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chun Hu
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Abby Sundquist
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Indrani Das
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Julie A Brill
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Henry M Krause
- Donnelly Ctr., 160 College St., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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30
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Wang WQ, Liu XF, Zhu YJ, Zhu JZ, Liu C, Wang ZY, Shen XX, Allan AC, Yin XR. Identification of miRNA858 long-loop precursors in seed plants. THE PLANT CELL 2024; 36:1637-1654. [PMID: 38114096 PMCID: PMC11062470 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of nonprotein-coding short transcripts that provide a layer of post-transcriptional regulation essential to many plant biological processes. MiR858, which targets the transcripts of MYB transcription factors, can affect a range of secondary metabolic processes. Although miR858 and its 187-nt precursor have been well studied in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), a systematic investigation of miR858 precursors and their functions across plant species is lacking due to a problem in identifying the transcripts that generate this subclass. By re-evaluating the transcript of miR858 and relaxing the length cut-off for identifying hairpins, we found in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) that miR858 has long-loop hairpins (1,100 to 2,100 nt), whose intervening sequences between miRNA generating complementary sites were longer than all previously reported miRNA hairpins. Importantly, these precursors of miR858 containing long-loop hairpins (termed MIR858L) are widespread in seed plants including Arabidopsis, varying between 350 and 5,500 nt. Moreover, we showed that MIR858L has a greater impact on proanthocyanidin and flavonol levels in both Arabidopsis and kiwifruit. We suggest that an active MIR858L-MYB regulatory module appeared in the transition of early land plants to large upright flowering plants, making a key contribution to plant secondary metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-qiu Wang
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiao-fen Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yong-jing Zhu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jia-zhen Zhu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chao Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhi-ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Xue-ren Yin
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Han Z, Wang Z, Rittschof D, Huang Z, Chen L, Hao H, Yao S, Su P, Huang M, Zhang YY, Ke C, Feng D. New genes helped acorn barnacles adapt to a sessile lifestyle. Nat Genet 2024; 56:970-981. [PMID: 38654131 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01733-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Barnacles are the only sessile lineages among crustaceans, and their sessile life begins with the settlement of swimming larvae (cyprids) and the formation of protective shells. These processes are crucial for adaptation to a sessile lifestyle, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. While investigating these mechanisms in the acorn barnacle, Amphibalanus amphitrite, we discovered a new gene, bcs-6, which is involved in the energy metabolism of cyprid settlement and originated from a transposon by acquiring the promoter and cis-regulatory element. Unlike mollusks, the barnacle shell comprises alternate layers of chitin and calcite and requires another new gene, bsf, which generates silk-like fibers that efficiently bind chitin and aggregate calcite in the aquatic environment. Our findings highlight the importance of exploring new genes in unique adaptative scenarios, and the results will provide important insights into gene origin and material development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaofang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhixuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Daniel Rittschof
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Zekun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Liying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huanhuan Hao
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shanshan Yao
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Pei Su
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Miaoqin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuan-Ye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Caihuan Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Danqing Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
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32
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Wang C, Chen C, Lei B, Qin S, Zhang Y, Li K, Zhang S, Liu Y. Constructing eRNA-mediated gene regulatory networks to explore the genetic basis of muscle and fat-relevant traits in pigs. Genet Sel Evol 2024; 56:28. [PMID: 38594607 PMCID: PMC11003151 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-024-00897-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) play a crucial role in transcriptional regulation. While significant progress has been made in understanding epigenetic regulation mediated by eRNAs, research on the construction of eRNA-mediated gene regulatory networks (eGRN) and the identification of critical network components that influence complex traits is lacking. RESULTS Here, employing the pig as a model, we conducted a comprehensive study using H3K27ac histone ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data to construct eRNA expression profiles from multiple tissues of two distinct pig breeds, namely Enshi Black (ES) and Duroc. In addition to revealing the regulatory landscape of eRNAs at the tissue level, we developed an innovative network construction and refinement method by integrating RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals and enhancer-modulating effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) measured by self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (STARR-seq) experiments. Using this approach, we unraveled eGRN that significantly influence the growth and development of muscle and fat tissues, and identified several novel genes that affect adipocyte differentiation in a cell line model. CONCLUSIONS Our work not only provides novel insights into the genetic basis of economic pig traits, but also offers a generalizable approach to elucidate the eRNA-mediated transcriptional regulation underlying a wide spectrum of complex traits for diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Choulin Chen
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Bowen Lei
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenghua Qin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Henan University, Shenzhen, 518000, People's Republic of China
| | - Kui Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China.
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuwen Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China.
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan, 528226, People's Republic of China.
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Yin Q, Qu Z, Mathew R, Zeng L, Du Z, Xue Y, Liu D, Zheng X. Epitranscriptomic orchestrations: Unveiling the regulatory paradigm of m6A, A-to-I editing, and m5C in breast cancer via long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e3996. [PMID: 38561942 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3996] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) poses a persistent global health challenge, particularly in countries with elevated human development indices linked to factors such as increased life expectancy, education, and wealth. Despite therapeutic progress, challenges persist, and the role of epitranscriptomic RNA modifications in BC remains inadequately understood. The epitranscriptome, comprising diverse posttranscriptional modifications on RNA molecules, holds the potential to intricately modulate RNA function and regulation, implicating dysregulation in various diseases, including BC. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), acting as posttranscriptional regulators, influence physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. RNA modifications in long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) add an extra layer to gene expression control. This review delves into recent insights into epitranscriptomic RNA modifications, such as N-6-methyladenosine (m6A), adenine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing, and 5-methylcytosine (m5C), specifically in the context of lncRNA and miRNAs in BC, highlighting their potential implications in BC development and progression. Understanding this intricate regulatory landscape is vital for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying BC and identifying potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinan Yin
- Precision Medicine Laboratory, School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Zhifeng Qu
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Regina Mathew
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Li Zeng
- Precision Medicine Laboratory, School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Zhe Du
- Precision Medicine Laboratory, School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Yun Xue
- Precision Medicine Laboratory, School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Dechun Liu
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xuewei Zheng
- Precision Medicine Laboratory, School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
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Bhatt U, Cucchiarini A, Luo Y, Evans CW, Mergny JL, Iyer KS, Smith NM. Preferential formation of Z-RNA over intercalated motifs in long noncoding RNA. Genome Res 2024; 34:217-230. [PMID: 38355305 PMCID: PMC10984386 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278236.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Secondary structure is a principal determinant of lncRNA function, predominantly regarding scaffold formation and interfaces with target molecules. Noncanonical secondary structures that form in nucleic acids have known roles in regulating gene expression and include G-quadruplexes (G4s), intercalated motifs (iMs), and R-loops (RLs). In this paper, we used the computational tools G4-iM Grinder and QmRLFS-finder to predict the formation of each of these structures throughout the lncRNA transcriptome in comparison to protein-coding transcripts. The importance of the predicted structures in lncRNAs in biological contexts was assessed by combining our results with publicly available lncRNA tissue expression data followed by pathway analysis. The formation of predicted G4 (pG4) and iM (piM) structures in select lncRNA sequences was confirmed in vitro using biophysical experiments under near-physiological conditions. We find that the majority of the tested pG4s form highly stable G4 structures, and identify many previously unreported G4s in biologically important lncRNAs. In contrast, none of the piM sequences are able to form iM structures, consistent with the idea that RNA is unable to form stable iMs. Unexpectedly, these C-rich sequences instead form Z-RNA structures, which have not been previously observed in regions containing cytosine repeats and represent an interesting and underexplored target for protein-RNA interactions. Our results highlight the prevalence and potential structure-associated functions of noncanonical secondary structures in lncRNAs, and show G4 and Z-RNA structure formation in many lncRNA sequences for the first time, furthering the understanding of the structure-function relationship in lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uditi Bhatt
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Anne Cucchiarini
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Yu Luo
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Cameron W Evans
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - K Swaminathan Iyer
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Nicole M Smith
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia;
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35
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Hoffmann LB, Li B, Zhao Q, Wei W, Leighton LJ, Bredy TW, Pang TY, Hannan AJ. Chronically high stress hormone levels dysregulate sperm long noncoding RNAs and their embryonic microinjection alters development and affective behaviours. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:590-601. [PMID: 38114632 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02350-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on paternal epigenetic inheritance have shown that sperm RNAs play a role in this type of inheritance. The microinjection of sperm small noncoding RNAs into fertilised mouse oocytes induces reprogramming of the early embryo, which is thought to be responsible for the differences observed in adult phenotype. While sperm long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have also been investigated in a previous study, their microinjection into fertilised oocytes did not yield conclusive results regarding their role in modulating brain development and adult behavioural phenotypes. Therefore, in the current study we sought to investigate this further. We used our previously established paternal corticosterone (stress hormone) model to assess sperm lncRNA expression using CaptureSeq, a sequencing technique that is more sensitive than the ones used in other studies in the field. Paternal corticosterone exposure led to dysregulation of sperm long noncoding RNA expression, which encompassed lncRNAs, circular RNAs and transposable element transcripts. Although they have limited functional annotation, bioinformatic approaches indicated the potential of these lncRNAs in regulating brain development and function. We then separated and isolated the sperm lncRNAs and performed microinjections into fertilised oocytes, to generate embryos with modulated lncRNA populations. We observed that the resulting adult offspring had lower body weight and altered anxiety and affective behavioural responses, demonstrating roles for lncRNAs in modulating development and brain function. This study provides novel insights into the roles of lncRNAs in epigenetic inheritance, including impacts on brain development and behaviours of relevance to affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Hoffmann
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - B Li
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Q Zhao
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - W Wei
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - L J Leighton
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - T W Bredy
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - T Y Pang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - A J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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36
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Lanciano S, Philippe C, Sarkar A, Pratella D, Domrane C, Doucet AJ, van Essen D, Saccani S, Ferry L, Defossez PA, Cristofari G. Locus-level L1 DNA methylation profiling reveals the epigenetic and transcriptional interplay between L1s and their integration sites. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100498. [PMID: 38309261 PMCID: PMC10879037 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Long interspersed element 1 (L1) retrotransposons are implicated in human disease and evolution. Their global activity is repressed by DNA methylation, but deciphering the regulation of individual copies has been challenging. Here, we combine short- and long-read sequencing to unveil L1 methylation heterogeneity across cell types, families, and individual loci and elucidate key principles involved. We find that the youngest primate L1 families are specifically hypomethylated in pluripotent stem cells and the placenta but not in most tumors. Locally, intronic L1 methylation is intimately associated with gene transcription. Conversely, the L1 methylation state can propagate to the proximal region up to 300 bp. This phenomenon is accompanied by the binding of specific transcription factors, which drive the expression of L1 and chimeric transcripts. Finally, L1 hypomethylation alone is typically insufficient to trigger L1 expression due to redundant silencing pathways. Our results illuminate the epigenetic and transcriptional interplay between retrotransposons and their host genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lanciano
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Claude Philippe
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Arpita Sarkar
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - David Pratella
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Cécilia Domrane
- University Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Paris, France
| | - Aurélien J Doucet
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Dominic van Essen
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Simona Saccani
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Laure Ferry
- University Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Paris, France
| | | | - Gael Cristofari
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France.
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37
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Takahashi Ueda M. Retrotransposon-derived transcripts and their functions in immunity and disease. Genes Genet Syst 2024; 98:305-319. [PMID: 38199240 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.23-00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons, which account for approximately 42% of the human genome, have been increasingly recognized as "non-self" pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) due to their virus-like sequences. In abnormal conditions such as cancer and viral infections, retrotransposons that are aberrantly expressed due to impaired epigenetic suppression display PAMPs, leading to their recognition by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of the innate immune system and triggering inflammation. This viral mimicry mechanism has been observed in various human diseases, including aging and autoimmune disorders. However, recent evidence suggests that retrotransposons possess highly regulated immune reactivity and play important roles in the development and function of the immune system. In this review, I discuss a wide range of retrotransposon-derived transcripts, their role as targets in immune recognition, and the diseases associated with retrotransposon activity. Furthermore, I explore the implications of chimeric transcripts formed between retrotransposons and known gene mRNAs, which have been previously underestimated, for the increase of immune-related gene isoforms and their influence on immune function. Retrotransposon-derived transcripts have profound and multifaceted effects on immune system function. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide a better understanding of the complex relationship between retrotransposon transcripts and immune defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahoko Takahashi Ueda
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
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38
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Jiang T, Zhou ZM, Ling ZQ, Zhang Q, Wu ZZ, Yang JW, Yang SY, Yang B, Huang LS. Pig H3K4me3, H3K27ac, and gene expression profiles reveal reproductive tissue-specific activity of transposable elements. Zool Res 2024; 45:138-151. [PMID: 38155423 PMCID: PMC10839656 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory sequences and transposable elements (TEs) account for a large proportion of the genomic sequences of species; however, their roles in gene transcription, especially tissue-specific expression, remain largely unknown. Pigs serve as an excellent animal model for studying genomic sequence biology due to the extensive diversity among their wild and domesticated populations. Here, we conducted an integrated analysis using H3K27ac ChIP-seq, H3K4me3 ChIP-seq, and RNA-seq data from 10 different tissues of seven fetuses and eight closely related adult pigs. We aimed to annotate the regulatory elements and TEs to elucidate their associations with histone modifications and mRNA expression across different tissues and developmental stages. Based on correlation analysis between mRNA expression and H3K27ac and H3K4me3 peak activity, results indicated that H3K27ac exhibited stronger associations with gene expression than H3K4me3. Furthermore, 1.45% of TEs overlapped with either the H3K27ac or H3K4me3 peaks, with the majority displaying tissue-specific activity. Notably, a TE subfamily (LTR4C_SS), containing binding motifs for SIX1 and SIX4, showed specific enrichment in the H3K27ac peaks of the adult and fetal ovaries. RNA-seq analysis also revealed widespread expression of TEs in the exons or promoters of genes, including 4 688 TE-containing transcripts with distinct development stage-specific and tissue-specific expression. Of note, 1 967 TE-containing transcripts were enriched in the testes. We identified a long terminal repeat (LTR), MLT1F1, acting as a testis-specific alternative promoter in SRPK2 (a cell cycle-related protein kinase) in our pig dataset. This element was also conserved in humans and mice, suggesting either an ancient integration of TEs in genes specifically expressed in the testes or parallel evolutionary patterns. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that TEs are deeply embedded in the genome and exhibit important tissue-specific biological functions, particularly in the reproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Zi-Qi Ling
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Zhong-Zi Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Jia-Wen Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Si-Yu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China
| | - Bin Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China. E-mail:
| | - Lu-Sheng Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China. E-mail:
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Lu X. Regulation of endogenous retroviruses in murine embryonic stem cells and early embryos. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad052. [PMID: 37604781 PMCID: PMC10794949 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are important components of transposable elements that constitute ∼40% of the mouse genome. ERVs exhibit dynamic expression patterns during early embryonic development and are engaged in numerous biological processes. Therefore, ERV expression must be closely monitored in cells. Most studies have focused on the regulation of ERV expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and during early embryonic development. This review touches on the classification, expression, and functions of ERVs in mouse ESCs and early embryos and mainly discusses ERV modulation strategies from the perspectives of transcription, epigenetic modification, nucleosome/chromatin assembly, and post-transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
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40
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Stévant I, Gonen N, Poulat F. Transposable elements acquire time- and sex-specific transcriptional and epigenetic signatures along mouse fetal gonad development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1327410. [PMID: 38283992 PMCID: PMC10811072 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1327410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Gonadal sex determination in mice is a complex and dynamic process, which is crucial for the development of functional reproductive organs. The expression of genes involved in this process is regulated by a variety of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that transposable elements (TEs), which are a class of mobile genetic elements, play a significant role in regulating gene expression during embryogenesis and organ development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the involvement of TEs in the regulation of gene expression during mouse embryonic gonadal development. Through bioinformatics analysis, we aimed to identify and characterize specific TEs that operate as regulatory elements for sex-specific genes, as well as their potential mechanisms of regulation. We identified TE loci expressed in a time- and sex-specific manner along fetal gonad development that correlate positively and negatively with nearby gene expression, suggesting that their expression is integrated to the gonadal regulatory network. Moreover, chromatin accessibility and histone post-transcriptional modification analyses in differentiating supporting cells revealed that TEs are acquiring a sex-specific signature for promoter-, enhancer-, and silencer-like elements, with some of them being proximal to critical sex-determining genes. Altogether, our study introduces TEs as the new potential players in the gene regulatory network that controls gonadal development in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Stévant
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UMR9002 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nitzan Gonen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Francis Poulat
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UMR9002 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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41
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Gu X, Wang M, Zhang XO. TE-TSS: an integrated data resource of human and mouse transposable element (TE)-derived transcription start site (TSS). Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D322-D333. [PMID: 37956335 PMCID: PMC10767810 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in the genome and serve as crucial regulatory elements. Some TEs function as epigenetically regulated promoters, and these TE-derived transcription start sites (TSSs) play a crucial role in regulating genes associated with specific functions, such as cancer and embryogenesis. However, the lack of an accessible database that systematically gathers TE-derived TSS data is a current research gap. To address this, we established TE-TSS, an integrated data resource of human and mouse TE-derived TSSs (http://xozhanglab.com/TETSS). TE-TSS has compiled 2681 RNA sequencing datasets, spanning various tissues, cell lines and developmental stages. From these, we identified 5768 human TE-derived TSSs and 2797 mouse TE-derived TSSs, with 47% and 38% being experimentally validated, respectively. TE-TSS enables comprehensive exploration of TSS usage in diverse samples, providing insights into tissue-specific gene expression patterns and transcriptional regulatory elements. Furthermore, TE-TSS compares TE-derived TSS regions across 15 mammalian species, enhancing our understanding of their evolutionary and functional aspects. The establishment of TE-TSS facilitates further investigations into the roles of TEs in shaping the transcriptomic landscape and offers valuable resources for comprehending their involvement in diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobing Gu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Mingdong Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiao-Ou Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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42
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Russo M, Piccolo V, Polizzese D, Prosperini E, Borriero C, Polletti S, Bedin F, Marenda M, Michieletto D, Mandana GM, Rodighiero S, Cuomo A, Natoli G. Restrictor synergizes with Symplekin and PNUTS to terminate extragenic transcription. Genes Dev 2023; 37:1017-1040. [PMID: 38092518 PMCID: PMC10760643 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351057.123] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Transcription termination pathways mitigate the detrimental consequences of unscheduled promiscuous initiation occurring at hundreds of thousands of genomic cis-regulatory elements. The Restrictor complex, composed of the Pol II-interacting protein WDR82 and the RNA-binding protein ZC3H4, suppresses processive transcription at thousands of extragenic sites in mammalian genomes. Restrictor-driven termination does not involve nascent RNA cleavage, and its interplay with other termination machineries is unclear. Here we show that efficient termination at Restrictor-controlled extragenic transcription units involves the recruitment of the protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) regulatory subunit PNUTS, a negative regulator of the SPT5 elongation factor, and Symplekin, a protein associated with RNA cleavage complexes but also involved in cleavage-independent and phosphatase-dependent termination of noncoding RNAs in yeast. PNUTS and Symplekin act synergistically with, but independently from, Restrictor to dampen processive extragenic transcription. Moreover, the presence of limiting nuclear levels of Symplekin imposes a competition for its recruitment among multiple transcription termination machineries, resulting in mutual regulatory interactions. Hence, by synergizing with Restrictor, Symplekin and PNUTS enable efficient termination of processive, long-range extragenic transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Russo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Viviana Piccolo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Danilo Polizzese
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Elena Prosperini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Carolina Borriero
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Sara Polletti
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Fabio Bedin
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Mattia Marenda
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Gaurav Madappa Mandana
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Simona Rodighiero
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cuomo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy
| | - Gioacchino Natoli
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan I-20139, Italy;
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43
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Kornienko AE, Nizhynska V, Molla Morales A, Pisupati R, Nordborg M. Population-level annotation of lncRNAs in Arabidopsis reveals extensive expression variation associated with transposable element-like silencing. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 36:85-111. [PMID: 37683092 PMCID: PMC10734619 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are understudied and underannotated in plants. In mammals, lncRNA loci are nearly as ubiquitous as protein-coding genes, and their expression is highly variable between individuals of the same species. Using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, we aimed to elucidate the true scope of lncRNA transcription across plants from different regions and study its natural variation. We used transcriptome deep sequencing data sets spanning hundreds of natural accessions and several developmental stages to create a population-wide annotation of lncRNAs, revealing thousands of previously unannotated lncRNA loci. While lncRNA transcription is ubiquitous in the genome, most loci appear to be actively silenced and their expression is extremely variable between natural accessions. This high expression variability is largely caused by the high variability of repressive chromatin levels at lncRNA loci. High variability was particularly common for intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs), where pieces of transposable elements (TEs) present in 50% of these lincRNA loci are associated with increased silencing and variation, and such lncRNAs tend to be targeted by the TE silencing machinery. We created a population-wide lncRNA annotation in Arabidopsis and improve our understanding of plant lncRNA genome biology, raising fundamental questions about what causes transcription and silencing across the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra E Kornienko
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Viktoria Nizhynska
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Almudena Molla Morales
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Rahul Pisupati
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Magnus Nordborg
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
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44
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Zhang S, Wang R, Zhu X, Zhang L, Liu X, Sun L. Characteristics and expression of lncRNA and transposable elements in Drosophila aneuploidy. iScience 2023; 26:108494. [PMID: 38125016 PMCID: PMC10730892 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy can globally affect the expression of the whole genome, which is detrimental to organisms. Dosage-sensitive regulators usually have multiple intermolecular interactions, and changes in their stoichiometry are responsible for the dysregulation of the regulatory network. Currently, studies on noncoding genes in aneuploidy are relatively rare. We studied the characteristics and expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and transposable elements (TEs) in aneuploid Drosophila. It is found that lncRNAs and TEs are affected by genomic imbalance and appear to be more sensitive to an inverse dosage effect than mRNAs. Several dosage-sensitive lncRNAs and TEs were detected for their expression patterns during embryogenesis, and their biological functions in the ovary and testes were investigated using tissue-specific RNAi. This study advances our understanding of the noncoding sequences in imbalanced genomes and provides a novel perspective for the study of aneuploidy-related human diseases such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ruixue Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xilin Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ludan Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lin Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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45
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Lu Y, Ran Y, Li H, Wen J, Cui X, Zhang X, Guan X, Cheng M. Micropeptides: origins, identification, and potential role in metabolism-related diseases. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2023; 24:1106-1122. [PMID: 38057268 PMCID: PMC10710913 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2300128] [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: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
With the development of modern sequencing techniques and bioinformatics, genomes that were once thought to be noncoding have been found to encode abundant functional micropeptides (miPs), a kind of small polypeptides. Although miPs are difficult to analyze and identify, a number of studies have begun to focus on them. More and more miPs have been revealed as essential for energy metabolism homeostasis, immune regulation, and tumor growth and development. Many reports have shown that miPs are especially essential for regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and regulating mitochondrial function. MiPs are also involved in the progression of related diseases. This paper reviews the sources and identification of miPs, as well as the functional significance of miPs for metabolism-related diseases, with the aim of revealing their potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Min Cheng
- School of Basic Medicine Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China.
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46
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Drozdov A, Lebedev E, Adonin L. Comparative Analysis of Bivalve and Sea Urchin Genetics and Development: Investigating the Dichotomy in Bilateria. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17163. [PMID: 38138992 PMCID: PMC10742642 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417163] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This comprehensive review presents a comparative analysis of early embryogenesis in Protostomia and Deuterostomia, the first of which exhibit a mosaic pattern of development, where cells are fated deterministically, while Deuterostomia display a regulatory pattern of development, where the fate of cells is indeterminate. Despite these fundamental differences, there are common transcriptional mechanisms that underline their evolutionary linkages, particularly in the field of functional genomics. By elucidating both conserved and unique regulatory strategies, this review provides essential insights into the comparative embryology and developmental dynamics of these groups. The objective of this review is to clarify the shared and distinctive characteristics of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. This will contribute to the extensive areas of functional genomics, evolutionary biology and developmental biology, and possibly lay the foundation for future research and discussion on this seminal topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoliy Drozdov
- Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Egor Lebedev
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia;
| | - Leonid Adonin
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia;
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 119121 Moscow, Russia
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Sala L, Kumar M, Prajapat M, Chandrasekhar S, Cosby RL, La Rocca G, Macfarlan TS, Awasthi P, Chari R, Kruhlak M, Vidigal JA. AGO2 silences mobile transposons in the nucleus of quiescent cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1985-1995. [PMID: 37985687 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01151-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Argonaute 2 (AGO2) is a cytoplasmic component of the miRNA pathway, with essential roles in development and disease. Yet little is known about its regulation in vivo. Here we show that in quiescent mouse splenocytes, AGO2 localizes almost exclusively to the nucleus. AGO2 subcellular localization is modulated by the Pi3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, a well-established regulator of quiescence. Signaling through this pathway in proliferating cells promotes AGO2 cytoplasmic accumulation, at least in part by stimulating the expression of TNRC6, an essential AGO2 binding partner in the miRNA pathway. In quiescent cells in which mTOR signaling is low, AGO2 accumulates in the nucleus, where it binds to young mobile transposons co-transcriptionally to repress their expression via its catalytic domain. Our data point to an essential but previously unrecognized nuclear role for AGO2 during quiescence as part of a genome-defense system against young mobile elements and provide evidence of RNA interference in the soma of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sala
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Manish Kumar
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mahendra Prajapat
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Srividya Chandrasekhar
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rachel L Cosby
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- The National Institute for General Medical Sciences, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gaspare La Rocca
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Parirokh Awasthi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, The National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, The National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kruhlak
- CCR Confocal Microscopy Core Facility, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joana A Vidigal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Wang C, Lei B, Liu Y. An Analysis of a Transposable Element Expression Atlas during 27 Developmental Stages in Porcine Skeletal Muscle: Unveiling Molecular Insights into Pork Production Traits. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3581. [PMID: 38003198 PMCID: PMC10668843 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The development and growth of porcine skeletal muscle determine pork quality and yield. While genetic regulation of porcine skeletal muscle development has been extensively studied using various omics data, the role of transposable elements (TEs) in this context has been less explored. To bridge this gap, we constructed a comprehensive atlas of TE expression throughout the developmental stages of porcine skeletal muscle. This was achieved by integrating porcine TE genomic coordinates with whole-transcriptome RNA-Seq data from 27 developmental stages. We discovered that in pig skeletal muscle, active Tes are closely associated with active epigenomic marks, including low levels of DNA methylation, high levels of chromatin accessibility, and active histone modifications. Moreover, these TEs include 6074 self-expressed TEs that are significantly enriched in terms of muscle cell development and myofibril assembly. Using the TE expression data, we conducted a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and identified a module that is significantly associated with muscle tissue development as well as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of the signals of pig meat and carcass traits. Within this module, we constructed a TE-mediated gene regulatory network by adopting a unique multi-omics integration approach. This network highlighted several established candidate genes associated with muscle-relevant traits, including HES6, CHRNG, ACTC1, CHRND, MAMSTR, and PER2, as well as novel genes like ENSSSCG00000005518, ENSSSCG00000033601, and PIEZO2. These novel genes hold promise for regulating muscle-related traits in pigs. In summary, our research not only enhances the TE-centered dissection of the genetic basis underlying pork production traits, but also offers a general approach for constructing TE-mediated regulatory networks to study complex traits or diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (C.W.); (B.L.)
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Bowen Lei
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (C.W.); (B.L.)
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Yuwen Liu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (C.W.); (B.L.)
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
- Innovation Group of Pig Genome Design and Breeding, Research Centre for Animal Genome, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan 528226, China
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Qian J, Ibrahim HMM, Erz M, Kümmel F, Panstruga R, Kusch S. Long noncoding RNAs emerge from transposon-derived antisense sequences and may contribute to infection stage-specific transposon regulation in a fungal phytopathogen. Mob DNA 2023; 14:17. [PMID: 37964319 PMCID: PMC10648671 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-023-00305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genome of the obligate biotrophic phytopathogenic barley powdery mildew fungus Blumeria hordei is inflated due to highly abundant and possibly active transposable elements (TEs). In the absence of the otherwise common repeat-induced point mutation transposon defense mechanism, noncoding RNAs could be key for regulating the activity of TEs and coding genes during the pathogenic life cycle. RESULTS We performed time-course whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) of total RNA derived from infected barley leaf epidermis at various stages of fungal pathogenesis and observed significant transcript accumulation and time point-dependent regulation of TEs in B. hordei. Using a manually curated consensus database of 344 TEs, we discovered phased small RNAs mapping to 104 consensus transposons, suggesting that RNA interference contributes significantly to their regulation. Further, we identified 5,127 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) genome-wide in B. hordei, of which 823 originated from the antisense strand of a TE. Co-expression network analysis of lncRNAs, TEs, and coding genes throughout the asexual life cycle of B. hordei points at extensive positive and negative co-regulation of lncRNAs, subsets of TEs and coding genes. CONCLUSIONS Our work suggests that similar to mammals and plants, fungal lncRNAs support the dynamic modulation of transcript levels, including TEs, during pivotal stages of host infection. The lncRNAs may support transcriptional diversity and plasticity amid loss of coding genes in powdery mildew fungi and may give rise to novel regulatory elements and virulence peptides, thus representing key drivers of rapid evolutionary adaptation to promote pathogenicity and overcome host defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangzhao Qian
- Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Heba M M Ibrahim
- Department of Biosystems, Division of Plant Biotechnics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
- Present address: Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-2, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Myriam Erz
- Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Florian Kümmel
- Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Present address: Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-Von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ralph Panstruga
- Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Kusch
- Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056, Aachen, Germany.
- Present address: Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
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Garza R, Atacho DA, Adami A, Gerdes P, Vinod M, Hsieh P, Karlsson O, Horvath V, Johansson PA, Pandiloski N, Matas-Fuentes J, Quaegebeur A, Kouli A, Sharma Y, Jönsson ME, Monni E, Englund E, Eichler EE, Gale Hammell M, Barker RA, Kokaia Z, Douse CH, Jakobsson J. LINE-1 retrotransposons drive human neuronal transcriptome complexity and functional diversification. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9543. [PMID: 37910626 PMCID: PMC10619931 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The genetic mechanisms underlying the expansion in size and complexity of the human brain remain poorly understood. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) retrotransposons are a source of divergent genetic information in hominoid genomes, but their importance in physiological functions and their contribution to human brain evolution are largely unknown. Using multiomics profiling, we here demonstrate that L1 promoters are dynamically active in the developing and the adult human brain. L1s generate hundreds of developmentally regulated and cell type-specific transcripts, many that are co-opted as chimeric transcripts or regulatory RNAs. One L1-derived long noncoding RNA, LINC01876, is a human-specific transcript expressed exclusively during brain development. CRISPR interference silencing of LINC01876 results in reduced size of cerebral organoids and premature differentiation of neural progenitors, implicating L1s in human-specific developmental processes. In summary, our results demonstrate that L1-derived transcripts provide a previously undescribed layer of primate- and human-specific transcriptome complexity that contributes to the functional diversification of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Garza
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Diahann A. M. Atacho
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Anita Adami
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Patricia Gerdes
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Meghna Vinod
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - PingHsun Hsieh
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Ofelia Karlsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Vivien Horvath
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Pia A. Johansson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ninoslav Pandiloski
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC B11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jon Matas-Fuentes
- Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC B11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Annelies Quaegebeur
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge and Department of Pathology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Antonina Kouli
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Yogita Sharma
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie E. Jönsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Emanuela Monni
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Restorative Neurology, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Elisabet Englund
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Evan E. Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Molly Gale Hammell
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
- Institute for Systems Genetics, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Roger A. Barker
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Zaal Kokaia
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Restorative Neurology, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Christopher H. Douse
- Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC B11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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