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Feng Y, Yang M, Fan Z, Zhao W, Kim P, Zhou X. COVIDanno, COVID-19 annotation in human. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1129103. [PMID: 37497545 PMCID: PMC10366449 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1129103] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has caused a global health crisis. Despite ongoing efforts to treat patients, there is no universal prevention or cure available. One of the feasible approaches will be identifying the key genes from SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. SARS-CoV-2-infected in vitro model, allows easy control of the experimental conditions, obtaining reproducible results, and monitoring of infection progression. Currently, accumulating RNA-seq data from SARS-CoV-2 in vitro models urgently needs systematic translation and interpretation. To fill this gap, we built COVIDanno, COVID-19 annotation in humans, available at http://biomedbdc.wchscu.cn/COVIDanno/. The aim of this resource is to provide a reference resource of intensive functional annotations of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among different time points of COVID-19 infection in human in vitro models. To do this, we performed differential expression analysis for 136 individual datasets across 13 tissue types. In total, we identified 4,935 DEGs. We performed multiple bioinformatics/computational biology studies for these DEGs. Furthermore, we developed a novel tool to help users predict the status of SARS-CoV-2 infection for a given sample. COVIDanno will be a valuable resource for identifying SARS-CoV-2-related genes and understanding their potential functional roles in different time points and multiple tissue types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Feng
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengyuan Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Fan
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weiling Zhao
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pora Kim
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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2
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Currey L, Thor S, Piper M. TEAD family transcription factors in development and disease. Development 2021; 148:269158. [PMID: 34128986 DOI: 10.1242/dev.196675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The balance between stem cell potency and lineage specification entails the integration of both extrinsic and intrinsic cues, which ultimately influence gene expression through the activity of transcription factors. One example of this is provided by the Hippo signalling pathway, which plays a central role in regulating organ size during development. Hippo pathway activity is mediated by the transcriptional co-factors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), which interact with TEA domain (TEAD) proteins to regulate gene expression. Although the roles of YAP and TAZ have been intensively studied, the roles played by TEAD proteins are less well understood. Recent studies have begun to address this, revealing that TEADs regulate the balance between progenitor self-renewal and differentiation throughout various stages of development. Furthermore, it is becoming apparent that TEAD proteins interact with other co-factors that influence stem cell biology. This Primer provides an overview of the role of TEAD proteins during development, focusing on their role in Hippo signalling as well as within other developmental, homeostatic and disease contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Currey
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Stefan Thor
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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Rohith BN, Shyamala BV. Developmental Deformity Due to
scalloped
Non‐Function in
Drosophila
Brain Leads to Cognitive Impairment. Dev Neurobiol 2019; 79:236-251. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Chandler CH, Chari S, Kowalski A, Choi L, Tack D, DeNieu M, Pitchers W, Sonnenschein A, Marvin L, Hummel K, Marier C, Victory A, Porter C, Mammel A, Holms J, Sivaratnam G, Dworkin I. How well do you know your mutation? Complex effects of genetic background on expressivity, complementation, and ordering of allelic effects. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007075. [PMID: 29166655 PMCID: PMC5718557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
For a given gene, different mutations influence organismal phenotypes to varying degrees. However, the expressivity of these variants not only depends on the DNA lesion associated with the mutation, but also on factors including the genetic background and rearing environment. The degree to which these factors influence related alleles, genes, or pathways similarly, and whether similar developmental mechanisms underlie variation in the expressivity of a single allele across conditions and among alleles is poorly understood. Besides their fundamental biological significance, these questions have important implications for the interpretation of functional genetic analyses, for example, if these factors alter the ordering of allelic series or patterns of complementation. We examined the impact of genetic background and rearing environment for a series of mutations spanning the range of phenotypic effects for both the scalloped and vestigial genes, which influence wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetic background and rearing environment influenced the phenotypic outcome of mutations, including intra-genic interactions, particularly for mutations of moderate expressivity. We examined whether cellular correlates (such as cell proliferation during development) of these phenotypic effects matched the observed phenotypic outcome. While cell proliferation decreased with mutations of increasingly severe effects, surprisingly it did not co-vary strongly with the degree of background dependence. We discuss these findings and propose a phenomenological model to aid in understanding the biology of genes, and how this influences our interpretation of allelic effects in genetic analysis. Different mutations in a gene, or in genes with related functions, can have effects of varying severity. Studying sets of mutations and analyzing how they interact are essential components of a geneticist's toolkit. However, the effects caused by a mutation depend not only on the mutation itself, but on additional genetic variation throughout an organism's genome and on the environment that organism has experienced. Therefore, identifying how the genomic and environmental context alter the expression of mutations is critical for making reliable inferences about how genes function. Yet studies on this context dependence have largely been limited to single mutations in single genes. We examined how the genomic and environmental context influence the expression of multiple mutations in two related genes affecting the fruit fly wing. Our results show that the genetic and environmental context generally affect the expression of related mutations in similar ways. However, the interactions between two different mutations in a single gene sometimes depended strongly on context. In addition, cell proliferation in the developing wing and adult wing size were not affected by the genetic and environmental context in similar ways in mutant flies, suggesting that variation in cell growth cannot fully explain how mutations affect wings. Overall, our findings show that context can have a big impact on the interpretation of genetic experiments, including how we draw conclusions about gene function and cause-and-effect relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H. Chandler
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Sudarshan Chari
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Alycia Kowalski
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Lin Choi
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - David Tack
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Michael DeNieu
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - William Pitchers
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Anne Sonnenschein
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Leslie Marvin
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Kristen Hummel
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Christian Marier
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Andrew Victory
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Cody Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Anna Mammel
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Julie Holms
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Chari S, Dworkin I. The conditional nature of genetic interactions: the consequences of wild-type backgrounds on mutational interactions in a genome-wide modifier screen. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003661. [PMID: 23935530 PMCID: PMC3731224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenotypic outcome of a mutation cannot be simply mapped onto the underlying DNA variant. Instead, the phenotype is a function of the allele, the genetic background in which it occurs and the environment where the mutational effects are expressed. While the influence of genetic background on the expressivity of individual mutations is recognized, its consequences on the interactions between genes, or the genetic network they form, is largely unknown. The description of genetic networks is essential for much of biology; yet if, and how, the topologies of such networks are influenced by background is unknown. Furthermore, a comprehensive examination of the background dependent nature of genetic interactions may lead to identification of novel modifiers of biological processes. Previous work in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated that wild-type genetic background influences the effects of an allele of scalloped (sd), with respect to both its principal consequence on wing development and its interactions with a mutation in optomotor blind. In this study we address whether the background dependence of mutational interactions is a general property of genetic systems by performing a genome wide dominant modifier screen of the sd(E3) allele in two wild-type genetic backgrounds using molecularly defined deletions. We demonstrate that ~74% of all modifiers of the sd(E3) phenotype are background-dependent due in part to differential sensitivity to genetic perturbation. These background dependent interactions include some with qualitative differences in the phenotypic outcome, as well as instances of sign epistasis. This suggests that genetic interactions are often contingent on genetic background, with flexibility in genetic networks due to segregating variation in populations. Such background dependent effects can substantially alter conclusions about how genes influence biological processes, the potential for genetic screens in alternative wild-type backgrounds identifying new loci that contribute to trait expression, and the inferences of the topology of genetic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Chari
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Program in Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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6
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Genomic consequences of background effects on scalloped mutant expressivity in the wing of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2008; 181:1065-76. [PMID: 19064709 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.108.096453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic background effects contribute to the phenotypic consequences of mutations and are pervasive across all domains of life that have been examined, yet little is known about how they modify genetic systems. In part this is due to the lack of tractable model systems that have been explicitly developed to study the genetic and evolutionary consequences of background effects. In this study we demonstrate that phenotypic expressivity of the scalloped(E3) (sd(E3)) mutation of Drosophila melanogaster is background dependent and is the result of at least one major modifier segregating between two standard lab wild-type strains. We provide evidence that at least one of the modifiers is linked to the vestigial region and demonstrate that the background effects modify the spatial distribution of known sd target genes in a genotype-dependent manner. In addition, microarrays were used to examine the consequences of genetic background effects on the global transcriptome. Expression differences between wild-type strains were found to be as large as or larger than the effects of mutations with substantial phenotypic effects, and expression differences between wild type and mutant varied significantly between genetic backgrounds. Significantly, we demonstrate that the epistatic interaction between sd(E3) and an optomotor blind mutation is background dependent. The results are discussed within the context of developing a complex but more realistic view of the consequences of genetic background effects with respect to mutational analysis and studies of epistasis and cryptic genetic variation segregating in natural populations.
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Abstract
Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) must select—from a large repertoire—which odor receptors to express. In Drosophila, most ORNs express one of 60 Or genes, and most Or genes are expressed in a single ORN class in a process that produces a stereotyped receptor-to-neuron map. The construction of this map poses a problem of receptor gene regulation that is remarkable in its dimension and about which little is known. By using a phylogenetic approach and the genome sequences of 12 Drosophila species, we systematically identified regulatory elements that are evolutionarily conserved and specific for individual Or genes of the maxillary palp. Genetic analysis of these elements supports a model in which each receptor gene contains a zip code, consisting of elements that act positively to promote expression in a subset of ORN classes, and elements that restrict expression to a single ORN class. We identified a transcription factor, Scalloped, that mediates repression. Some elements are used in other chemosensory organs, and some are conserved upstream of axon-guidance genes. Surprisingly, the odor response spectra and organization of maxillary palp ORNs have been extremely well-conserved for tens of millions of years, even though the amino acid sequences of the receptors are not highly conserved. These results, taken together, define the logic by which individual ORNs in the maxillary palp select which odor receptors to express. Odors are detected by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Which odor an individual neuron detects is dictated by the odor receptors it expresses. Odor receptors are encoded by large families of genes, and an individual neuron must thus select the gene it expresses from among many possibilities. The mechanism underlying this choice is largely unknown. We have examined the problem of receptor gene choice in the fruit fly Drosophila, whose maxillary palp contains six functional classes of ORNs, each expressing different odor receptor genes. By comparing the DNA sequences flanking these genes in 12 different species of Drosophila, we have identified regulatory elements that are evolutionarily conserved and specific to each odor receptor. Genetic analysis of these elements showed that some act positively to dictate expression in a subset of ORNs, while others act negatively to restrict the expression of a receptor gene to a particular ORN class. We identified a transcription factor, Scalloped, that mediates repression. We were surprised to find that the odor response spectra of these neurons have been well-conserved for tens of millions of years, even though the amino acid sequences of their receptors have diverged considerably. How does an olfactory receptor neuron select which odor receptor to express? A computational analysis of 12Drosophila genomes combined with mutational analysis identifies conservedcis elements and defines a regulatory code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anandasankar Ray
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Wynand van der Goes van Naters
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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8
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Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful animal model to study the processes underlying behavioural responses to chemical cues. This paper provides a review of the important literature to present recent advances in our understanding of how gustatory and olfactory stimuli are perceived. An overview is given of the experimental procedures currently used to characterize the fly chemosensory behaviour. Since this species provides extremely useful genetic tools, a focus is made on those allowing to manipulate behaviour, and hence to understand its molecular and cellular bases. Such tools include single-gene mutants and the Gal4/UAS system. They can be combined with studies of the natural polymorphism of behavioural responses. Recent data obtained with these various approaches unravel some important aspects of taste and olfaction. These appear as rather complex processes, as revealed by results showing dose-dependence, plasticity and sexual dimorphism. Taken together, these results and the available tools open interesting perspectives for the years to come, in our attempts to make the link between genes and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Marc Devaud
- CNRS UPR 2580, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34000, Montpellier, France
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9
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Halder G, Carroll SB. Binding of the Vestigial co-factor switches the DNA-target selectivity of the Scalloped selector protein. Development 2001; 128:3295-305. [PMID: 11546746 DOI: 10.1242/dev.128.17.3295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The formation and identity of organs and appendages are regulated by specific selector genes that encode transcription factors that regulate potentially large sets of target genes. The DNA-binding domains of selector proteins often exhibit relatively low DNA-binding specificity in vitro. It is not understood how the target selectivity of most selector proteins is determined in vivo. The Scalloped selector protein controls wing development in Drosophila by regulating the expression of numerous target genes and forming a complex with the Vestigial protein. We show that binding of Vestigial to Scalloped switches the DNA-binding selectivity of Scalloped. Two conserved domains of the Vestigial protein that are not required for Scalloped binding in solution are required for the formation of the heterotetrameric Vestigial-Scalloped complex on DNA. We suggest that Vestigial affects the conformation of Scalloped to create a wing cell-specific DNA-binding selectivity. The modification of selector protein DNA-binding specificity by co-factors appears to be a general mechanism for regulating their target selectivity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Halder
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison,WI 53706, USA.
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10
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Mann RS, Morata G. The developmental and molecular biology of genes that subdivide the body of Drosophila. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2001; 16:243-71. [PMID: 11031237 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.16.1.243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
During the past decade, much progress has been made in understanding how the adult fly is built. Some old concepts such as those of compartments and selector genes have been revitalized. In addition, recent work suggests the existence of genes involved in the regionalization of the adult that do not have all the features of selector genes. Nevertheless, they generate morphological distinctions within the body plan. Here we re-examine some of the defining criteria of selector genes and suggest that these newly characterized genes fulfill many, but not all, of these criteria. Further, we propose that these genes can be classified according to the domains in which they function. Finally, we discuss experiments that address the molecular mechanisms by which selector and selector-like gene products function in the fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Mann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, 701 West 168th Street, New York 10032, USA.
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11
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Drosophila melanogaster chemosensory and muscle development: Identification and properties of a novel allele ofscalloped and of a new locus, SG18.1, in a Gal4 enhancer trap screen. J Genet 1999. [DOI: 10.1007/bf02924560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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12
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D'Souza J, Cheah PY, Gros P, Chia W, Rodrigues V. Functional complementation of the malvolio mutation in the taste pathway of Drosophila melanogaster by the human natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (Nramp-1). J Exp Biol 1999; 202:1909-15. [PMID: 10377272 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.202.14.1909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The malvolio (mvl) gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a protein with a high degree of homology to natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (Nramps). This family of integral membrane proteins, many of which appear to function as cation transporters, is remarkably conserved in several phylogenetically distinct species. In Drosophila melanogaster, the protein Mvl is expressed in macrophages and in differentiated neurons; loss-of-function mutations lead to defects in gustatory behaviour. The human Nramp-1 protein was expressed in Drosophila melanogaster using the hsp70 promoter. Overexpression in normal animals does not lead to any alterations in their behaviour or physiology. In mutants, however, ubiquitous expression of human Nramp-1 can totally rescue the taste defect. This finding that Nramp-1 can complement the taste defect in mvl mutants provides a potent means of exploiting behavioural genetics to dissect the function of Nramp-1 and to identify other molecules involved with this transport system.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D'Souza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, Bombay 400005, India
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13
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Abstract
Over the last 30 years, several hundred behavioural mutants have been isolated in Drosophila. Only a fraction of these are well characterized genetically, behaviourally, and structurally. From six areas of behaviour a set of 24 well-studied mutants was chosen, in which the behavioural defect is probably caused by a central dysfunction and not by an impairment of sensory input or motor output. In all cases, the affected genes can be mutated to more than just a behavioural phenotype. Most genes in the sample are essential. Thus, phenotypic specificity is caused by the specificity of the mutation and not by the gene being a 'behavioural gene'. This study investigates how partial functional inactivation in these loci is brought about genetically. In particular, an attempt is made to discern whether behavioural mutations affect part of a protein's functional repertoire, a subset of protein isoforms, or the spatio-temporal expression of a gene. Not unexpectedly, in view of the predominant use of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) as mutagen, the majority of sampled mutations fall into the first two categories. The potentially richest source of genetic versatility, the spatio-temporal modulation of promoter activity by enhancers and silencers, has thus been insufficiently exploited for obtaining behavioural mutants. Various mutagens are reviewed as to their suitability in inducing selective regulatory mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- G O Pflugfelder
- Theodor-Boveri-Institut (Biozentrum), Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Universität Würzburg Am Hubland, Germany.
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14
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Stewart AF, Suzow J, Kubota T, Ueyama T, Chen HH. Transcription factor RTEF-1 mediates alpha1-adrenergic reactivation of the fetal gene program in cardiac myocytes. Circ Res 1998; 83:43-9. [PMID: 9670917 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.83.1.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alpha1-adrenergic receptor stimulation induces cardiac myocytes to hypertrophy and reactivates many fetal genes, including beta-myosin heavy chain (betaMyHC) and skeletal alpha-actin (SKA), by signaling through myocyte-specific CAT (M-CAT) cis elements, binding sites of the transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1) family of transcription factors. To examine functional differences between TEF-1 and related to TEF-1 (RTEF-1) in alpha1-adrenergic reactivation of the fetal program, expression constructs were cotransfected with betaMyHC and SKA promoter/reporter constructs in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. TEF-I overexpression tended to transactivate a minimal betaMyHC promoter but significantly interfered with a minimal SKA promoter. In contrast, RTEF-1 transactivated both the minimal betaMyHC and SKA promoters. TEF-1 and RTEF-I also affected the alpha1-adrenergic response of the betaMyHC and SKA promoters differently. TEF-1 had no effect. In contrast, RTEF-1 potentiated the alpha1-adrenergic responses of the SKA promoter and of a -3.3-kb betaMyHC promoter. To determine why the promoters responded differently to TEF-1 and RTEF-1, promoters with mutated M-CAT elements were tested in the same way. The betaMyHC promoter required an intact M-CAT element to respond to TEF-1 and RTEF-1, whereas the SKA promoter M-CAT was required for the TEF-1 response but not for the RTEF-1 response, suggesting that SKA promoter-specific cofactors may be involved. By competition gel shift assay, the M-CAT of the minimal betaMyHC promoter had a lower affinity than that of the SKA promoter, which partly explains the different responses of these promoters to TEF-1. These results highlight functional differences between TEF-1 and RTEF-1 and suggest a novel function of RTEF-1 in mediating the alpha1-adrenergic response in hypertrophic cardiac myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Stewart
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. als6+@pitt.edu
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15
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Jacquemin P, Sapin V, Alsat E, Evain-Brion D, Dollé P, Davidson I. Differential expression of the TEF family of transcription factors in the murine placenta and during differentiation of primary human trophoblasts in vitro. Dev Dyn 1998; 212:423-36. [PMID: 9671946 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0177(199807)212:3<423::aid-aja10>3.0.co;2-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the molecular cloning of murine (m) Transcriptional Enhancer Factor (TEF)-5 belonging to the TEF family of transcription factors. We show that mTEF-5 is specifically expressed in trophoblast giant cells and other extra-embryonic structures at early stages of development. At later stages, mTEF-5 is specifically expressed in the labyrinthine region of the placenta and in several embryonic tissues. We further show that the other mTEFs are differentially expressed in extraembryonic structures and in the mature placenta. Interestingly, human (h)TEF-5 is specifically expressed in the differentiated syncytiotrophoblast of the human term placenta and its expression is upregulated during the differentiation of cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblast in vitro, whereas that of hTEF-1 is down-regulated. Together with previous results describing hTEF-binding sites in the human placental lactogen-B gene enhancer, these novel observations support a role for hTEF-5 in the regulation of this gene. We further propose that the hTEF factors may play a more general role in placental gene regulation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Jacquemin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, Illkirch, France
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16
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Jayaram VC, Siddiqi O. Gust J, a salt-insensitive mutant ofDrosophila melanogaster. J Genet 1997. [DOI: 10.1007/bf02923557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Reed DR, Bachmanov AA, Beauchamp GK, Tordoff MG, Price RA. Heritable variation in food preferences and their contribution to obesity. Behav Genet 1997; 27:373-87. [PMID: 9519563 PMCID: PMC3647229 DOI: 10.1023/a:1025692031673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
What an animal chooses to eat can either induce or retard the development of obesity; this review summarizes what is known about the genetic determinants of nutrient selection and its impact on obesity in humans and rodents. The selection of macronutrients in the diet appears to be, in part, heritable. Genes that mediate the consumption of sweet-tasting carbohydrate sources have been mapped and are being isolated and characterized. Excessive dietary fat intake is strongly tied to obesity, and several studies suggest that a preference for fat and the resulting obesity are partially genetically determined. Identifying genes involved in the excess consumption of dietary fat will be an important key to our understanding of the genetic disposition toward common dietary obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Reed
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
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Jacquemin P, Martial JA, Davidson I. Human TEF-5 is preferentially expressed in placenta and binds to multiple functional elements of the human chorionic somatomammotropin-B gene enhancer. J Biol Chem 1997; 272:12928-37. [PMID: 9148898 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.272.20.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the cloning of a cDNA encoding the human transcription factor hTEF-5, containing the TEA/ATTS DNA binding domain and related to the TEF family of transcription factors. hTEF-5 is expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle, but the strongest expression is observed in the placenta and in placenta-derived JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells. In correlation with its placental expression, we show that hTEF-5 binds to several functional enhansons of the human chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS)-B gene enhancer. We define a novel functional element in this enhancer comprising tandemly repeated sites to which hTEF-5 binds cooperatively. In the corresponding region of the hCS-A enhancer, which is known to be inactive, this element is inactivated by a naturally occurring single base mutation that disrupts hTEF-5 binding. We further show that the binding of the previously described placental protein f/chorionic somatomammotropin enhancer factor-1 to TEF-binding sites is disrupted by monoclonal antibodies directed against the TEA domain and that this factor is a proteolytic degradation product of the TEF factors. These results strongly suggest that hTEF-5 regulates the activity of the hCS-B gene enhancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Jacquemin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, Collège de France, B.P. 163-67404 Illkirch Cédex, France
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Deshpande N, Chopra A, Rangarajan A, Shashidhara LS, Rodrigues V, Krishna S. The human transcription enhancer factor-1, TEF-1, can substitute for Drosophila scalloped during wingblade development. J Biol Chem 1997; 272:10664-8. [PMID: 9099715 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.272.16.10664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The human transcription enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1) belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins that have a DNA binding TEA domain. TEF-1 shares a 98% homology with Drosophila scalloped (sd) in the DNA binding domain and a 50% similarity in the activation domain. We have expressed human TEF-1 in Drosophila under the hsp-70 promoter and find that it can substitute for Sd function. The transformants rescue the wingblade defects as well as the lethality of loss-of-function alleles. Observation of reporter activity in the imaginal wing discs of the enhancer-trap alleles suggests that TEF-1 is capable of promoting sd gene regulation. The functional capability of the TEF-1 product was assessed by comparing the extent of rescue by heat shock (hs)-TEF-1 with that of hs-sd. The finding that TEF-1 can function in vivo during wingblade development offers a potent genetic system for the analysis of its function and in the identification of the molecular partners of TEF-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Deshpande
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR Center, Bangalore 560012, India
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Jacquemin P, Hwang JJ, Martial JA, Dollé P, Davidson I. A novel family of developmentally regulated mammalian transcription factors containing the TEA/ATTS DNA binding domain. J Biol Chem 1996; 271:21775-85. [PMID: 8702974 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.271.36.21775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe the molecular cloning of two novel human and murine transcription factors containing the TEA/ATTS DNA binding domain and related to transcriptional enhancer factor-1 (TEF-1). These factors bind to the consensus TEA/ATTS cognate binding site exemplified by the GT-IIC and Sph enhansons of the SV40 enhancer but differ in their ability to bind cooperatively to tandemly repeated sites. The human TEFs are differentially expressed in cultured cell lines and the mouse (m)TEFs are differentially expressed in embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues in early post-implantation embryos. Strikingly, at later stages of embryogenesis, mTEF-3 is specifically expressed in skeletal muscle precursors, whereas mTEF-1 is expressed not only in developing skeletal muscle but also in the myocardium. Together with previous data, these results point to important, partially redundant, roles for these TEF proteins in myogenesis and cardiogenesis. In addition, mTEF-1 is strongly coexpressed with mTEF-4 in mitotic neuroblasts, while accentuated mTEF-4 expression is also observed in the gut and the nephrogenic region of the kidney. These observations suggest additional roles for the TEF proteins in central nervous system development and organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Jacquemin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, Collège de France, B.P. 163-67404 Illkirch Cédex, France
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Murugasu-Oei B, Balakrishnan R, Yang X, Chia W, Rodrigues V. Mutations in masquerade, a novel serine-protease-like molecule, affect axonal guidance and taste behavior in Drosophila. Mech Dev 1996; 57:91-101. [PMID: 8817456 DOI: 10.1016/0925-4773(96)00537-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The masquerade (mas) locus encodes an extracellular molecule with a striking similarity to serine proteases. The serine residue, which is essential for enzymatic activity, has been substituted by glycine, suggesting that MAS could serve to antagonize serine protease activity [Murugasu-Oei et al. (1995), Genes Dev. 9, 139-154]. We describe the expression pattern of mas mRNA and protein in the developing embryonic, larval and pupal nervous system and in the epidermis. Total loss of mas function is lethal and results in aberrations in the embryonic central and peripheral nervous systems, consistent with a role in axonal guidance. The possibility that the observed deficits in taste behavior, exhibited by animals with partial loss of mas function, are a result of defects in the adult brain are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Murugasu-Oei
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Ray K, Rodrigues V. The function of the proneural genes achaete and scute in the spatio-temporal patterning of the adult labellar bristles of Drosophila melanogaster. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1994; 203:340-350. [PMID: 28305827 DOI: 10.1007/bf00457805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/1993] [Accepted: 08/17/1993] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The sensory precursors for labellar taste bristles develop from the labial disc in three distinct temporal waves occurring at 0 h, 8 h and 14 h of pupal development. In each temporal wave, transcripts for the achaete (ac) and scute (sc) genes are expressed in overlapping patterns in cells of the disc epithelium prior to the appearance of sensory mother cells (SMCs). No bristles form in mutant flies in which the ac and sc genes are absent. When the sc gene alone is deleted, a set of seven bristles fail to form. Pulses of ubiquitous sc + expression during pupal development, in a strain mutant for both ac and sc, can result in flies with all the labellar bristles at their correct positions. sc + pulses at times corresponding to the initiation of each of the waves of SMC specification in the disc was sufficient to restore bristle pattern. Bristles were not induced at ectopic positions and times as a result of the ubiquitous expression of sc +. These results suggest that the proneural genes ac and sc do not themselves set the pattern of the labellar bristles. Instead, they are required for the elaboration of the pattern set by other gene products. We also show that the formation and positioning of the later waves of bristles can take place even in the absence of bristles normally specified earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishanu Ray
- Molecular Biology Unit, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, 400005, Colaba, Bombay, India
| | - Veronica Rodrigues
- Molecular Biology Unit, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, 400005, Colaba, Bombay, India
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