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Cissé OH, Ma L, Kovacs JA. Retracing the evolution of Pneumocystis species, with a focus on the human pathogen Pneumocystis jirovecii. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024:e0020222. [PMID: 38587383 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00202-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYEvery human being is presumed to be infected by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii at least once in his or her lifetime. This fungus belongs to a large group of species that appear to exclusively infect mammals, with P. jirovecii being the only one known to cause disease in humans. The mystery of P. jirovecii origin and speciation is just beginning to unravel. Here, we provide a review of the major steps of P. jirovecii evolution. The Pneumocystis genus likely originated from soil or plant-associated organisms during the period of Cretaceous ~165 million years ago and successfully shifted to mammals. The transition coincided with a substantial loss of genes, many of which are related to the synthesis of nutrients that can be scavenged from hosts or cell wall components that could be targeted by the mammalian immune system. Following the transition, the Pneumocystis genus cospeciated with mammals. Each species specialized at infecting its own host. Host specialization is presumably built at least partially upon surface glycoproteins, whose protogene was acquired prior to the genus formation. P. jirovecii appeared at ~65 million years ago, overlapping with the emergence of the first primates. P. jirovecii and its sister species P. macacae, which infects macaques nowadays, may have had overlapping host ranges in the distant past. Clues from molecular clocks suggest that P. jirovecii did not cospeciate with humans. Molecular evidence suggests that Pneumocystis speciation involved chromosomal rearrangements and the mounting of genetic barriers that inhibit gene flow among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Cissé OH, Curran SJ, Folco HD, Liu Y, Bishop L, Wang H, Fischer ER, Davis AS, Combs C, Thapar S, Dekker JP, Grewal S, Cushion M, Ma L, Kovacs JA. Regional centromere configuration in the fungal pathogens of the Pneumocystis genus. mBio 2024; 15:e0318523. [PMID: 38380929 PMCID: PMC10936427 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03185-23] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are constricted chromosomal regions that are essential for cell division. In eukaryotes, centromeres display a remarkable architectural and genetic diversity. The basis of centromere-accelerated evolution remains elusive. Here, we focused on Pneumocystis species, a group of mammalian-specific fungal pathogens that form a sister taxon with that of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an important genetic model for centromere biology research. Methods allowing reliable continuous culture of Pneumocystis species do not currently exist, precluding genetic manipulation. CENP-A, a variant of histone H3, is the epigenetic marker that defines centromeres in most eukaryotes. Using heterologous complementation, we show that the Pneumocystis CENP-A ortholog is functionally equivalent to CENP-ACnp1 of S. pombe. Using organisms from a short-term in vitro culture or infected animal models and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq, we identified CENP-A bound regions in two Pneumocystis species that diverged ~35 million years ago. Each species has a unique short regional centromere (<10 kb) flanked by heterochromatin in 16-17 monocentric chromosomes. They span active genes and lack conserved DNA sequence motifs and repeats. These features suggest an epigenetic specification of centromere function. Analysis of centromeric DNA across multiple Pneumocystis species suggests a vertical transmission at least 100 million years ago. The common ancestry of Pneumocystis and S. pombe centromeres is untraceable at the DNA level, but the overall architectural similarity could be the result of functional constraint for successful chromosomal segregation.IMPORTANCEPneumocystis species offer a suitable genetic system to study centromere evolution in pathogens because of their phylogenetic proximity with the non-pathogenic yeast S. pombe, a popular model for cell biology. We used this system to explore how centromeres have evolved after the divergence of the two clades ~ 460 million years ago. To address this question, we established a protocol combining short-term culture and ChIP-Seq to characterize centromeres in multiple Pneumocystis species. We show that Pneumocystis have short epigenetic centromeres that function differently from those in S. pombe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H. Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shelly J. Curran
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - H. Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yueqin Liu
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lisa Bishop
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Honghui Wang
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Fischer
- Microscopy Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - A. Sally Davis
- Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Christian Combs
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabrina Thapar
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John P. Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiv Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Melanie Cushion
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A. Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Chen C, Wu S, Sun Y, Zhou J, Chen Y, Zhang J, Birchler JA, Han F, Yang N, Su H. Three near-complete genome assemblies reveal substantial centromere dynamics from diploid to tetraploid in Brachypodium genus. Genome Biol 2024; 25:63. [PMID: 38439049 PMCID: PMC10910784 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03206-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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Centromeres are critical for maintaining genomic stability in eukaryotes, and their turnover shapes genome architectures and drives karyotype evolution. However, the co-evolution of centromeres from different species in allopolyploids over millions of years remains largely unknown. RESULTS Here, we generate three near-complete genome assemblies, a tetraploid Brachypodium hybridum and its two diploid ancestors, Brachypodium distachyon and Brachypodium stacei. We detect high degrees of sequence, structural, and epigenetic variations of centromeres at base-pair resolution between closely related Brachypodium genomes, indicating the appearance and accumulation of species-specific centromere repeats from a common origin during evolution. We also find that centromere homogenization is accompanied by local satellite repeats bursting and retrotransposon purging, and the frequency of retrotransposon invasions drives the degree of interspecies centromere diversification. We further investigate the dynamics of centromeres during alloploidization process, and find that dramatic genetics and epigenetics architecture variations are associated with the turnover of centromeres between homologous chromosomal pairs from diploid to tetraploid. Additionally, our pangenomes analysis reveals the ongoing variations of satellite repeats and stable evolutionary homeostasis within centromeres among individuals of each Brachypodium genome with different polyploidy levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide unprecedented information on the genomic, epigenomic, and functional diversity of highly repetitive DNA between closely related species and their allopolyploid genomes at both coarse and fine scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanye Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Siying Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yishuang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - James A Birchler
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ning Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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Narayanan A, Reza MH, Sanyal K. Behind the scenes: Centromere-driven genomic innovations in fungal pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012080. [PMID: 38547101 PMCID: PMC10977804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Md. Hashim Reza
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, India
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Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Shea T, Bowers K, McGinley-Smith S, Mohammad AW, Gnirke A, Yurkov AM, Nowrousian M, Sun S, Cuomo CA, Heitman J. Comparative genomics of Cryptococcus and Kwoniella reveals pathogenesis evolution and contrasting karyotype dynamics via intercentromeric recombination or chromosome fusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573464. [PMID: 38234769 PMCID: PMC10793447 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
A large-scale comparative genomic analysis was conducted for the global human fungal pathogens within the Cryptococcus genus, compared to non-pathogenic Cryptococcus species, and related species from the sister genus Kwoniella. Chromosome-level genome assemblies were generated for multiple species of both genera, resulting in a dataset encompassing virtually all of their known diversity. Although Cryptococcus and Kwoniella have comparable genome sizes (about 19.2 and 22.9 Mb) and similar gene content, hinting at pre-adaptive pathogenic potential, our analysis found evidence in pathogenic Cryptococcus species of specific examples of gene gain (via horizontal gene transfer) and gene loss, which might represent evolutionary signatures of pathogenic development. Genome analysis also revealed a significant variation in chromosome number and structure between the two genera. By combining synteny analysis and experimental centromere validation, we found that most Cryptococcus species have 14 chromosomes, whereas most Kwoniella species have fewer (11, 8, 5 or even as few as 3). Reduced chromosome number in Kwoniella is associated with formation of giant chromosomes (up to 18 Mb) through repeated chromosome fusion events, each marked by a pericentric inversion and centromere loss. While similar chromosome inversion-fusion patterns were observed in all Kwoniella species with fewer than 14 chromosomes, no such pattern was detected in Cryptococcus. Instead, Cryptococcus species with less than 14 chromosomes, underwent chromosome reductions primarily through rearrangements associated with the loss of repeat-rich centromeres. Additionally, Cryptococcus genomes exhibited frequent interchromosomal translocations, including intercentromeric recombination facilitated by transposons shared between centromeres. Taken together, our findings advance our understanding of genomic changes possibly associated with pathogenicity in Cryptococcus and provide a foundation to elucidate mechanisms of centromere loss and chromosome fusion driving distinct karyotypes in closely related fungal species, including prominent global human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Terrance Shea
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katharine Bowers
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Andreas Gnirke
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrey M. Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Minou Nowrousian
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Deng Y, Guo L, Lin L, Li Y, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Yuan B, Ke L, Xie B, Ming R. Meiosis in an asymmetric dikaryotic genome of Tremella fuciformis Tr01 facilitates new chromosome formation. Genome Biol 2023; 24:280. [PMID: 38053144 PMCID: PMC10696834 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03093-7] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dikaryotic stage dominates most of the life cycle in basidiomycetes, and each cell carries two different haploid nuclei. Accurate phasing of these two nuclear genomes and their interactions have long been of interest. RESULTS We combine PacBio HiFi reads, Nanopore ultra-long reads, and Hi-C data to generate a complete, high-quality asymmetric dikaryotic genome of Tremella fuciformis Tr01, including Haplotypes A and B genomes. We assemble a meiotic haploid DBZ04 genome and detect three recombination events in these two haplotypes. We identify several chromosomal rearrangements that lead to differences in chromosome number, length, content, and sequence arrangement between these two haplotypes. Each nucleus contains a two-speed genome, harboring three accessory chromosomes and two accessory compartments that affect horizontal chromatin transfer between nuclei. We find few basidiospores are ejected from fruiting bodies of Tr01. Most monospore isolates sequenced belong to Tr01-Haplotype A genome architecture. More than one-third of monospore isolates carry one or two extra chromosomes including Chr12B and two new chromosomes ChrN1 and ChrN2. We hypothesize that homologous regions of seven sister chromatids pair into a large complex during meiosis, followed by inter-chromosomal recombination at physical contact sites and formation of new chromosomes. CONCLUSION We assemble two haplotype genomes of T. fuciformis Tr01 and provide the first overview of basidiomycetous genomes with discrete genomic architecture. Meiotic activities of asymmetric dikaryotic genomes result in formation of new chromosomes, aneuploidy of some daughter cells, and inviability of most other daughter cells. We propose a new approach for breeding of sporeless mushroom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Deng
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Lin Guo
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Longji Lin
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Yuefeng Li
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Jinxiang Zhang
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Bin Yuan
- Zhangzhou Institute of Agricultural Science, Zhangzhou, Fujian, 363005, China
| | - Lina Ke
- Zhangzhou Institute of Agricultural Science, Zhangzhou, Fujian, 363005, China
| | - Baogui Xie
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
| | - Ray Ming
- Center for Genomics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1201 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Coelho MA, Ianiri G, David-Palma M, Theelen B, Goyal R, Narayanan A, Lorch JM, Sanyal K, Boekhout T, Heitman J. Frequent transitions in mating-type locus chromosomal organization in Malassezia and early steps in sexual reproduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305094120. [PMID: 37523560 PMCID: PMC10410736 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305094120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi in the basidiomycete genus Malassezia are the most prevalent eukaryotic microbes resident on the skin of human and other warm-blooded animals and have been implicated in skin diseases and systemic disorders. Analysis of Malassezia genomes revealed that key adaptations to the skin microenvironment have a direct genomic basis, and the identification of mating/meiotic genes suggests a capacity to reproduce sexually, even though no sexual cycle has yet been observed. In contrast to other bipolar or tetrapolar basidiomycetes that have either two linked mating-type-determining (MAT) loci or two MAT loci on separate chromosomes, in Malassezia species studied thus far the two MAT loci are arranged in a pseudobipolar configuration (linked on the same chromosome but capable of recombining). By generating additional chromosome-level genome assemblies, and an improved Malassezia phylogeny, we infer that the pseudobipolar arrangement was the ancestral state of this group and revealed six independent transitions to tetrapolarity, seemingly driven by centromere fission or translocations in centromere-flanking regions. Additionally, in an approach to uncover a sexual cycle, Malassezia furfur strains were engineered to express different MAT alleles in the same cell. The resulting strains produce hyphae reminiscent of early steps in sexual development and display upregulation of genes associated with sexual development as well as others encoding lipases and a protease potentially relevant for pathogenesis of the fungus. Our study reveals a previously unseen genomic relocation of mating-type loci in fungi and provides insight toward the identification of a sexual cycle in Malassezia, with possible implications for pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso86100, Italy
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Bart Theelen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Rohit Goyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru560064, India
| | - Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru560064, India
| | - Jeffrey M. Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI53711
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru560064, India
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht3584 CT, The Netherlands
- College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
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Ma H, Ding W, Chen Y, Zhou J, Chen W, Lan C, Mao H, Li Q, Yan W, Su H. Centromere Plasticity With Evolutionary Conservation and Divergence Uncovered by Wheat 10+ Genomes. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad176. [PMID: 37541261 PMCID: PMC10422864 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres (CEN) are the chromosomal regions that play a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability. The underlying highly repetitive DNA sequences can evolve quickly in most eukaryotes, and promote karyotype evolution. Despite their variability, it is not fully understood how these widely variable sequences ensure the homeostasis of centromere function. In this study, we investigated the genetics and epigenetics of CEN in a population of wheat lines from global breeding programs. We captured a high degree of sequences, positioning, and epigenetic variations in the large and complex wheat CEN. We found that most CENH3-associated repeats are Cereba element of retrotransposons and exhibit phylogenetic homogenization across different wheat lines, but the less-associated repeat sequences diverge on their own way in each wheat line, implying specific mechanisms for selecting certain repeat types as functional core CEN. Furthermore, we observed that CENH3 nucleosome structures display looser wrapping of DNA termini on complex centromeric repeats, including the repositioned CEN. We also found that strict CENH3 nucleosome positioning and intrinsic DNA features play a role in determining centromere identity among different lines. Specific non-B form DNAs were substantially associated with CENH3 nucleosomes for the repositioned centromeres. These findings suggest that multiple mechanisms were involved in the adaptation of CENH3 nucleosomes that can stabilize CEN. Ultimately, we proposed a remarkable epigenetic plasticity of centromere chromatin within the diverse genomic context, and the high robustness is crucial for maintaining centromere function and genome stability in wheat 10+ lines as a result of past breeding selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wentao Ding
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caixia Lan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hailiang Mao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhao Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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Kuse R, Ishii K. Flexible Attachment and Detachment of Centromeres and Telomeres to and from Chromosomes. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1016. [PMID: 37371596 DOI: 10.3390/biom13061016] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate transmission of genomic information across multiple cell divisions and generations, without any losses or errors, is fundamental to all living organisms. To achieve this goal, eukaryotes devised chromosomes. Eukaryotic genomes are represented by multiple linear chromosomes in the nucleus, each carrying a centromere in the middle, a telomere at both ends, and multiple origins of replication along the chromosome arms. Although all three of these DNA elements are indispensable for chromosome function, centromeres and telomeres possess the potential to detach from the original chromosome and attach to new chromosomal positions, as evident from the events of telomere fusion, centromere inactivation, telomere healing, and neocentromere formation. These events seem to occur spontaneously in nature but have not yet been elucidated clearly, because they are relatively infrequent and sometimes detrimental. To address this issue, experimental setups have been developed using model organisms such as yeast. In this article, we review some of the key experiments that provide clues as to the extent to which these paradoxical and elusive features of chromosomally indispensable elements may become valuable in the natural context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riku Kuse
- Laboratory of Chromosome Function and Regulation, Graduate School of Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi 782-8502, Japan
| | - Kojiro Ishii
- Laboratory of Chromosome Function and Regulation, Graduate School of Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi 782-8502, Japan
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10
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Coelho MA, Ianiri G, David-Palma M, Theelen B, Goyal R, Narayanan A, Lorch JM, Sanyal K, Boekhout T, Heitman J. Frequent transitions in mating-type locus chromosomal organization in Malassezia and early steps in sexual reproduction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.25.534224. [PMID: 36993584 PMCID: PMC10055393 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.25.534224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Fungi in the basidiomycete genus Malassezia are the most prevalent eukaryotic microbes resident on the skin of human and other warm-blooded animals and have been implicated in skin diseases and systemic disorders. Analysis of Malassezia genomes revealed that key adaptations to the skin microenvironment have a direct genomic basis, and the identification of mating/meiotic genes suggests a capacity to reproduce sexually, even though no sexual cycle has yet been observed. In contrast to other bipolar or tetrapolar basidiomycetes that have either two linked mating-type-determining ( MAT ) loci or two MAT loci on separate chromosomes, in Malassezia species studied thus far the two MAT loci are arranged in a pseudobipolar configuration (linked on the same chromosome but capable of recombining). By incorporating newly generated chromosome-level genome assemblies, and an improved Malassezia phylogeny, we infer that the pseudobipolar arrangement was the ancestral state of this group and revealed six independent transitions to tetrapolarity, seemingly driven by centromere fission or translocations in centromere- flanking regions. Additionally, in an approach to uncover a sexual cycle, Malassezia furfur strains were engineered to express different MAT alleles in the same cell. The resulting strains produce hyphae reminiscent of early steps in sexual development and display upregulation of genes associated with sexual development as well as others encoding lipases and a protease potentially relevant for pathogenesis of the fungus. Our study reveals a previously unseen genomic relocation of mating-type loci in fungi and provides insight towards the discovery of a sexual cycle in Malassezia , with possible implications for pathogenicity. Significance Statement Malassezia , the dominant fungal group of the mammalian skin microbiome, is associated with numerous skin disorders. Sexual development and yeast-to-hyphae transitions, governed by genes at two mating-type ( MAT ) loci, are thought to be important for fungal pathogenicity. However, Malassezia sexual reproduction has never been observed. Here, we used chromosome-level assemblies and comparative genomics to uncover unforeseen transitions in MAT loci organization within Malassezia , possibly related with fragility of centromeric-associated regions. Additionally, by expressing different MAT alleles in the same cell, we show that Malassezia can undergo hyphal development and this phenotype is associated with increased expression of key mating genes along with other genes known to be virulence factors, providing a possible connection between hyphal development, sexual reproduction, and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso 86100, Italy
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Bart Theelen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Rohit Goyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru 560064, India
| | - Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru 560064, India
| | - Jeffrey M. Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru 560064, India
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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11
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Cissé OH, Curran S, Folco HD, Liu Y, Bishop L, Wang H, Fischer ER, Davis AS, Babb-Biernacki S, Doyle VP, Richards JK, Hassan SA, Dekker JP, Khil PP, Brenchley JM, Grewal S, Cushion M, Ma L, Kovacs JA. The Host Adapted Fungal Pathogens of Pneumocystis Genus Utilize Genic Regional Centromeres. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.12.540427. [PMID: 37425787 PMCID: PMC10327204 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.12.540427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Centromeres are genomic regions that coordinate accurate chromosomal segregation during mitosis and meiosis. Yet, despite their essential function, centromeres evolve rapidly across eukaryotes. Centromeres are often the sites of chromosomal breaks which contribute to genome shuffling and promote speciation by inhibiting gene flow. How centromeres form in strongly host-adapted fungal pathogens has yet to be investigated. Here, we characterized the centromere structures in closely related species of mammalian-specific pathogens of the fungal phylum of Ascomycota. Methods allowing reliable continuous culture of Pneumocystis species do not currently exist, precluding genetic manipulation. CENP-A, a variant of histone H3, is the epigenetic marker that defines centromeres in most eukaryotes. Using heterologous complementation, we show that the Pneumocystis CENP-A ortholog is functionally equivalent to CENP-ACnp1 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Using organisms from a short-term in vitro culture or infected animal models and ChIP-seq, we identified centromeres in three Pneumocystis species that diverged ~100 million years ago. Each species has a unique short regional centromere (< 10kb) flanked by heterochromatin in 16-17 monocentric chromosomes. They span active genes and lack conserved DNA sequence motifs and repeats. CENP-C, a scaffold protein that links the inner centromere to the kinetochore appears dispensable in one species, suggesting a kinetochore rewiring. Despite the loss of DNA methyltransferases, 5-methylcytosine DNA methylation occurs in these species, though not related to centromere function. These features suggest an epigenetic specification of centromere function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ousmane H Cissé
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shelly Curran
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - H Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yueqin Liu
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lisa Bishop
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Honghui Wang
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Fischer
- Microscopy Unit, Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - A Sally Davis
- Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, USA
| | - Spenser Babb-Biernacki
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Vinson P Doyle
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Lousiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Jonathan K Richards
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Lousiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Sergio A Hassan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John P Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Pavel P Khil
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason M Brenchley
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy, and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiv Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Melanie Cushion
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Kovacs
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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12
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Zhou S, Wu Y, Zhao Y, Zhang Z, Jiang L, Liu L, Zhang Y, Tang J, Yuan YJ. Dynamics of synthetic yeast chromosome evolution shaped by hierarchical chromatin organization. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad073. [PMID: 37223244 PMCID: PMC10202648 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic genome evolution provides a dynamic approach for systematically and straightforwardly exploring evolutionary processes. Synthetic Chromosome Rearrangement and Modification by LoxP-mediated Evolution (SCRaMbLE) is an evolutionary system intrinsic to the synthetic yeast genome that can rapidly drive structural variations. Here, we detect over 260 000 rearrangement events after the SCRaMbLEing of a yeast strain harboring 5.5 synthetic yeast chromosomes (synII, synIII, synV, circular synVI, synIXR and synX). Remarkably, we find that the rearrangement events exhibit a specific landscape of frequency. We further reveal that the landscape is shaped by the combined effects of chromatin accessibility and spatial contact probability. The rearrangements tend to occur in 3D spatially proximal and chromatin-accessible regions. The enormous numbers of rearrangements mediated by SCRaMbLE provide a driving force to potentiate directed genome evolution, and the investigation of the rearrangement landscape offers mechanistic insights into the dynamics of genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Limin Jiang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Epigenetic Group, FrasergenBioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jijun Tang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Department of Computer Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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13
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Wang T, Wang B, Hua X, Tang H, Zhang Z, Gao R, Qi Y, Zhang Q, Wang G, Yu Z, Huang Y, Zhang Z, Mei J, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Li Y, Meng X, Wang Y, Pan H, Chen S, Li Z, Shi H, Liu X, Deng Z, Chen B, Zhang M, Gu L, Wang J, Ming R, Yao W, Zhang J. A complete gap-free diploid genome in Saccharum complex and the genomic footprints of evolution in the highly polyploid Saccharum genus. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:554-571. [PMID: 36997685 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01378-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A diploid genome in the Saccharum complex facilitates our understanding of evolution in the highly polyploid Saccharum genus. Here we have generated a complete, gap-free genome assembly of Erianthus rufipilus, a diploid species within the Saccharum complex. The complete assembly revealed that centromere satellite homogenization was accompanied by the insertions of Gypsy retrotransposons, which drove centromere diversification. An overall low rate of gene transcription was observed in the palaeo-duplicated chromosome EruChr05 similar to other grasses, which might be regulated by methylation patterns mediated by homologous 24 nt small RNAs, and potentially mediating the functions of many nucleotide-binding site genes. Sequencing data for 211 accessions in the Saccharum complex indicated that Saccharum probably originated in the trans-Himalayan region from a diploid ancestor (x = 10) around 1.9-2.5 million years ago. Our study provides new insights into the origin and evolution of Saccharum and accelerates translational research in cereal genetics and genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyou Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Baiyu Wang
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiuting Hua
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Haibao Tang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, College of Forestry, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ruiting Gao
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yiying Qi
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, China
| | - Zehuai Yu
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yongji Huang
- Institute of Oceanography, Marine Biotechnology Center, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Mei
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yixing Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yihan Li
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Xue Meng
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Haoran Pan
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuqi Chen
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhen Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Huihong Shi
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xinlong Liu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement, Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kaiyuan, China
| | - Zuhu Deng
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Baoshan Chen
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Muqing Zhang
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Lianfeng Gu
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, College of Forestry, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ray Ming
- Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei Yao
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.
| | - Jisen Zhang
- State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical AgroBiological Resources and Guangxi Key Lab for Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.
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14
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The human pathobiont Malassezia furfur secreted protease Mfsap1 regulates cell dispersal and exacerbates skin inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2212533119. [PMID: 36442106 PMCID: PMC9894114 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212533119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Malassezia form the dominant eukaryotic microbial community on the human skin. The Malassezia genus possesses a repertoire of secretory hydrolytic enzymes involved in protein and lipid metabolism which alter the external cutaneous environment. The exact role of most Malassezia secreted enzymes, including those in interaction with the epithelial surface, is not well characterized. In this study, we compared the expression level of secreted proteases, lipases, phospholipases, and sphingomyelinases of Malassezia globosa in healthy subjects and seborrheic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis patients. We observed upregulated gene expression of the previously characterized secretory aspartyl protease MGSAP1 in both diseased groups, in lesional and non-lesional skin sites, as compared to healthy subjects. To explore the functional roles of MGSAP1 in skin disease, we generated a knockout mutant of the homologous protease MFSAP1 in the genetically tractable Malassezia furfur. We observed the loss of MFSAP1 resulted in dramatic changes in the cell adhesion and dispersal in both culture and a human 3D reconstituted epidermis model. In a murine model of Malassezia colonization, we further demonstrated Mfsap1 contributes to inflammation as observed by reduced edema and inflammatory cell infiltration with the knockout mutant versus wildtype. Taken together, we show that this dominant secretory Malassezia aspartyl protease has an important role in enabling a planktonic cellular state that can potentially aid in colonization and additionally as a virulence factor in barrier-compromised skin, further highlighting the importance of considering the contextual relevance when evaluating the functions of secreted microbial enzymes.
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15
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Jaitly P, Legrand M, Das A, Patel T, Chauvel M, Maufrais C, d’Enfert C, Sanyal K. A phylogenetically-restricted essential cell cycle progression factor in the human pathogen Candida albicans. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4256. [PMID: 35869076 PMCID: PMC9307598 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31980-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, we identify potential mechanisms underlying such instability by conducting an overexpression screen monitoring chromosomal stability in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Analysis of ~1000 genes uncovers six chromosomal stability (CSA) genes, five of which are related to cell division genes of other organisms. The sixth gene, CSA6, appears to be present only in species belonging to the CUG-Ser clade, which includes C. albicans and other human fungal pathogens. The protein encoded by CSA6 localizes to the spindle pole bodies, is required for exit from mitosis, and induces a checkpoint-dependent metaphase arrest upon overexpression. Thus, Csa6 is an essential cell cycle progression factor that is restricted to the CUG-Ser fungal clade, and could therefore be explored as a potential antifungal target. Chromosomal instability caused by cell division errors is associated with antifungal drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Here, Jaitly et al. identify several genes involved in chromosomal stability in Candida albicans, including a phylogenetically restricted gene encoding an essential cell-cycle progression factor.
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16
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Zhou J, Liu Y, Guo X, Birchler JA, Han F, Su H. Centromeres: From chromosome biology to biotechnology applications and synthetic genomes in plants. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:2051-2063. [PMID: 35722725 PMCID: PMC9616519 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Centromeres are the genomic regions that organize and regulate chromosome behaviours during cell cycle, and their variations are associated with genome instability, karyotype evolution and speciation in eukaryotes. The highly repetitive and epigenetic nature of centromeres were documented during the past half century. With the aid of rapid expansion in genomic biotechnology tools, the complete sequence and structural organization of several plant and human centromeres were revealed recently. Here, we systematically summarize the current knowledge of centromere biology with regard to the DNA compositions and the histone H3 variant (CENH3)-dependent centromere establishment and identity. We discuss the roles of centromere to ensure cell division and to maintain the three-dimensional (3D) genomic architecture in different species. We further highlight the potential applications of manipulating centromeres to generate haploids or to induce polyploids offspring in plant for breeding programs, and of targeting centromeres with CRISPR/Cas for chromosome engineering and speciation. Finally, we also assess the challenges and strategies for de novo design and synthesis of centromeres in plant artificial chromosomes. The biotechnology applications of plant centromeres will be of great potential for the genetic improvement of crops and precise synthetic breeding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryShenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed DesignChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xianrui Guo
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life SciencesLinyi UniversityLinyiChina
| | - James A. Birchler
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed DesignChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryShenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
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17
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Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Gene Transfer in a Major Human Skin Commensal Fungus, Malassezia globosa. Appl Microbiol 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/applmicrobiol2040063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although the fungal microbiome in human skin mainly comprises lipophilic yeasts, including Malassezia species, these microorganisms can cause various dermatitis conditions, including pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, folliculitis, and atopic dermatitis, depending on the host condition. Both Malassezia globosa and Malassezia restricta are major species implicated in Malassezia-related dermatitis. However, the pathogenicity of these microorganisms has not been revealed at the genetic level owing to the lack of a genetic recombination system. Therefore, we developed a gene recombination system for M. globosa using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated gene transfer of the target gene FKB1, which encodes the FKBP12 protein that binds the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus. The wild-type strain of M. globosa was sensitive to tacrolimus, whereas the FKB1 deletion mutant was resistant to tacrolimus. Reintroduction of FKB1 into the FKB1 deletion mutant restored wild-type levels of susceptibility to tacrolimus. Moreover, an FKB1-eGFP fusion gene was generated and expression of this fusion protein was observed in the cytoplasm. This newly developed gene recombination system for M. globosa will help further our understanding of the pathogenesis of M. globosa-related dermatitis at the genetic level.
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18
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Ianiri G, LeibundGut-Landmann S, Dawson TL. Malassezia: A Commensal, Pathogen, and Mutualist of Human and Animal Skin. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:757-782. [PMID: 36075093 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-040820-010114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Identified in the late nineteenth century as a single species residing on human skin, Malassezia is now recognized as a diverse genus comprising 18 species inhabiting not only skin but human gut, hospital environments, and even deep-sea sponges. All cultivated Malassezia species are lipid dependent, having lost genes for lipid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. The surging interest in Malassezia results from development of tools to improve sampling, culture, identification, and genetic engineering, which has led to findings implicating it in numerous skin diseases, Crohn disease, and pancreatic cancer. However, it has become clear that Malassezia plays a multifaceted role in human health, with mutualistic activity in atopic dermatitis and a preventive effect against other skin infections due to its potential to compete with skin pathogens such as Candida auris. Improved understanding of complex microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions will be required to define Malassezia's role in human and animal health and disease so as to design targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann
- Section of Immunology, Faculty of Vetsuisse, and Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas L Dawson
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; .,Department of Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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19
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Lysak MA. Celebrating Mendel, McClintock, and Darlington: On end-to-end chromosome fusions and nested chromosome fusions. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2475-2491. [PMID: 35441689 PMCID: PMC9252491 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of eukaryotic genomes is accompanied by fluctuations in chromosome number, reflecting cycles of chromosome number increase (polyploidy and centric fissions) and decrease (chromosome fusions). Although all chromosome fusions result from DNA recombination between two or more nonhomologous chromosomes, several mechanisms of descending dysploidy are exploited by eukaryotes to reduce their chromosome number. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics have accelerated the identification of inter-genome chromosome collinearity and gross chromosomal rearrangements and have shown that end-to-end chromosome fusions (EEFs) and nested chromosome fusions (NCFs) may have played a more important role in the evolution of eukaryotic karyotypes than previously thought. The present review aims to summarize the limited knowledge on the origin, frequency, and evolutionary implications of EEF and NCF events in eukaryotes and especially in land plants. The interactions between nonhomologous chromosomes in interphase nuclei and chromosome (mis)pairing during meiosis are examined for their potential importance in the origin of EEFs and NCFs. The remaining open questions that need to be addressed are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Lysak
- CEITEC—Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, CZ-625 00, Czech Republic
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20
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Fonseca PLC, De-Paula RB, Araújo DS, Tomé LMR, Mendes-Pereira T, Rodrigues WFC, Del-Bem LE, Aguiar ERGR, Góes-Neto A. Global Characterization of Fungal Mitogenomes: New Insights on Genomic Diversity and Dynamism of Coding Genes and Accessory Elements. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:787283. [PMID: 34925295 PMCID: PMC8672057 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.787283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi comprise a great diversity of species with distinct ecological functions and lifestyles. Similar to other eukaryotes, fungi rely on interactions with prokaryotes and one of the most important symbiotic events was the acquisition of mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles found in eukaryotic cells whose main function is to generate energy through aerobic respiration. Mitogenomes (mtDNAs) are double-stranded circular or linear DNA from mitochondria that may contain core genes and accessory elements that can be replicated, transcribed, and independently translated from the nuclear genome. Despite their importance, investigative studies on the diversity of fungal mitogenomes are scarce. Herein, we have evaluated 788 curated fungal mitogenomes available at NCBI database to assess discrepancies and similarities among them and to better understand the mechanisms involved in fungal mtDNAs variability. From a total of 12 fungal phyla, four do not have any representative with available mitogenomes, which highlights the underrepresentation of some groups in the current available data. We selected representative and non-redundant mitogenomes based on the threshold of 90% similarity, eliminating 81 mtDNAs. Comparative analyses revealed considerable size variability of mtDNAs with a difference of up to 260 kb in length. Furthermore, variation in mitogenome length and genomic composition are generally related to the number and length of accessory elements (introns, HEGs, and uORFs). We identified an overall average of 8.0 (0–39) introns, 8.0 (0–100) HEGs, and 8.2 (0–102) uORFs per genome, with high variation among phyla. Even though the length of the core protein-coding genes is considerably conserved, approximately 36.3% of the mitogenomes evaluated have at least one of the 14 core coding genes absent. Also, our results revealed that there is not even a single gene shared among all mitogenomes. Other unusual genes in mitogenomes were also detected in many mitogenomes, such as dpo and rpo, and displayed diverse evolutionary histories. Altogether, the results presented in this study suggest that fungal mitogenomes are diverse, contain accessory elements and are absent of a conserved gene that can be used for the taxonomic classification of the Kingdom Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula L C Fonseca
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Department of Biological Science (DCB), Center of Biotechnology and Genetics (CBG), Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus, Brazil
| | - Ruth B De-Paula
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Daniel S Araújo
- Program in Bioinformatics, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Luiz Marcelo Ribeiro Tomé
- Molecular and Computational Biology of Fungi Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thairine Mendes-Pereira
- Molecular and Computational Biology of Fungi Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz-Eduardo Del-Bem
- Program of Bioinformatics, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Department of Botany, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Eric R G R Aguiar
- Department of Biological Science (DCB), Center of Biotechnology and Genetics (CBG), Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus, Brazil
| | - Aristóteles Góes-Neto
- Molecular and Computational Biology of Fungi Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Program of Bioinformatics, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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21
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The human fungal pathogen Malassezia and its role in cancer. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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22
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Zhou S, Wu Y, Xie ZX, Jia B, Yuan YJ. Directed genome evolution driven by structural rearrangement techniques. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12788-12807. [PMID: 34651628 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00722j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Directed genome evolution simulates the process of natural evolution at the genomic level in the laboratory to generate desired phenotypes. Here we review the applications of recent technological advances in genome writing and editing to directed genome evolution, with a focus on structural rearrangement techniques. We highlight how these techniques can be used to generate diverse genotypes, and to accelerate the evolution of phenotypic traits. We also discuss the perspectives of directed genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Zhou
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ze-Xiong Xie
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Bin Jia
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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23
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Zhao Q, Meng Y, Wang P, Qin X, Cheng C, Zhou J, Yu X, Li J, Lou Q, Jahn M, Chen J. Reconstruction of ancestral karyotype illuminates chromosome evolution in the genus Cucumis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:1243-1259. [PMID: 34160852 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Karyotype dynamics driven by complex chromosome rearrangements constitute a fundamental issue in evolutionary genetics. The evolutionary events underlying karyotype diversity within plant genera, however, have rarely been reconstructed from a computed ancestral progenitor. Here, we developed a method to rapidly and accurately represent extant karyotypes with the genus, Cucumis, using highly customizable comparative oligo-painting (COP) allowing visualization of fine-scale genome structures of eight Cucumis species from both African-origin and Asian-origin clades. Based on COP data, an evolutionary framework containing a genus-level ancestral karyotype was reconstructed, allowing elucidation of the evolutionary events that account for the origin of these diverse genomes within Cucumis. Our results characterize the cryptic rearrangement hotspots on ancestral chromosomes, and demonstrate that the ancestral Cucumis karyotype (n = 12) evolved to extant Cucumis genomes by hybridizations and frequent lineage- and species-specific genome reshuffling. Relative to the African species, the Asian species, including melon (Cucumis melo, n = 12), Cucumis hystrix (n = 12) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus, n = 7), had highly shuffled genomes caused by large-scale inversions, centromere repositioning and chromothripsis-like rearrangement. The deduced reconstructed ancestral karyotype for the genus allowed us to propose evolutionary trajectories and specific events underlying the origin of these Cucumis species. Our findings highlight that the partitioned evolutionary plasticity of Cucumis karyotype is primarily located in the centromere-proximal regions marked by rearrangement hotspots, which can potentially serve as a reservoir for chromosome evolution due to their fragility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinzheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ya Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Panqiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiaodong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Chunyan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Junguo Zhou
- College of Horticulture and landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453000, China
| | - Xiaqing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ji Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Qunfeng Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Molly Jahn
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
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24
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Boekhout T, Aime MC, Begerow D, Gabaldón T, Heitman J, Kemler M, Khayhan K, Lachance MA, Louis EJ, Sun S, Vu D, Yurkov A. The evolving species concepts used for yeasts: from phenotypes and genomes to speciation networks. FUNGAL DIVERS 2021; 109:27-55. [PMID: 34720775 PMCID: PMC8550739 DOI: 10.1007/s13225-021-00475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Here we review how evolving species concepts have been applied to understand yeast diversity. Initially, a phenotypic species concept was utilized taking into consideration morphological aspects of colonies and cells, and growth profiles. Later the biological species concept was added, which applied data from mating experiments. Biophysical measurements of DNA similarity between isolates were an early measure that became more broadly applied with the advent of sequencing technology, leading to a sequence-based species concept using comparisons of parts of the ribosomal DNA. At present phylogenetic species concepts that employ sequence data of rDNA and other genes are universally applied in fungal taxonomy, including yeasts, because various studies revealed a relatively good correlation between the biological species concept and sequence divergence. The application of genome information is becoming increasingly common, and we strongly recommend the use of complete, rather than draft genomes to improve our understanding of species and their genome and genetic dynamics. Complete genomes allow in-depth comparisons on the evolvability of genomes and, consequently, of the species to which they belong. Hybridization seems a relatively common phenomenon and has been observed in all major fungal lineages that contain yeasts. Note that hybrids may greatly differ in their post-hybridization development. Future in-depth studies, initially using some model species or complexes may shift the traditional species concept as isolated clusters of genetically compatible isolates to a cohesive speciation network in which such clusters are interconnected by genetic processes, such as hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M. Catherine Aime
- Dept Botany and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Dominik Begerow
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC–CNS), Jordi Girona, 29, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Martin Kemler
- Evolution of Plants and Fungi, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Kantarawee Khayhan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, 56000 Thailand
| | - Marc-André Lachance
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Edward J. Louis
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH UK
| | - Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Duong Vu
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrey Yurkov
- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Brunswick, Germany
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25
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D’Andreano S, Viñes J, Francino O. Whole-Genome Sequencing and De Novo Assembly of Malassezia pachydermatis Isolated from the Ear Canal of a Dog with Otitis. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:e0020521. [PMID: 34042482 PMCID: PMC8201622 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00205-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We have de novo assembled the genome sequence of Malassezia pachydermatis isolated from a canine otitis sample with Nanopore-only long reads. With 99× coverage and 8.23 Mbp, the genome sequence was assembled in 10 contigs, with 6 of them corresponding to chromosomes, improving the scaffolding of previous genome assemblies for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. D’Andreano
- SVGM, Molecular Genetics Veterinary Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Vetgenomics, Edifici EUREKA, PRUAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J. Viñes
- SVGM, Molecular Genetics Veterinary Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Vetgenomics, Edifici EUREKA, PRUAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - O. Francino
- SVGM, Molecular Genetics Veterinary Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Narayanan A, Vadnala RN, Ganguly P, Selvakumar P, Rudramurthy SM, Prasad R, Chakrabarti A, Siddharthan R, Sanyal K. Functional and Comparative Analysis of Centromeres Reveals Clade-Specific Genome Rearrangements in Candida auris and a Chromosome Number Change in Related Species. mBio 2021; 12:e00905-21. [PMID: 33975937 PMCID: PMC8262905 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00905-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The thermotolerant multidrug-resistant ascomycete Candida auris rapidly emerged since 2009 causing systemic infections worldwide and simultaneously evolved in different geographical zones. The molecular events that orchestrated this sudden emergence of the killer fungus remain mostly elusive. Here, we identify centromeres in C. auris and related species, using a combined approach of chromatin immunoprecipitation and comparative genomic analyses. We find that C. auris and multiple other species in the Clavispora/Candida clade shared a conserved small regional GC-poor centromere landscape lacking pericentromeres or repeats. Further, a centromere inactivation event led to karyotypic alterations in this species complex. Interspecies genome analysis identified several structural chromosomal changes around centromeres. In addition, centromeres are found to be rapidly evolving loci among the different geographical clades of the same species of C. auris Finally, we reveal an evolutionary trajectory of the unique karyotype associated with clade 2 that consists of the drug-susceptible isolates of C. aurisIMPORTANCECandida auris, the killer fungus, emerged as different geographical clades, exhibiting multidrug resistance and high karyotype plasticity. Chromosomal rearrangements are known to play key roles in the emergence of new species, virulence, and drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. Centromeres, the genomic loci where microtubules attach to separate the sister chromatids during cell division, are known to be hot spots of breaks and downstream rearrangements. We identified the centromeres in C. auris and related species to study their involvement in the evolution and karyotype diversity reported in C. auris We report conserved centromere features in 10 related species and trace the events that occurred at the centromeres during evolution. We reveal a centromere inactivation-mediated chromosome number change in these closely related species. We also observe that one of the geographical clades, the East Asian clade, evolved along a unique trajectory, compared to the other clades and related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy Narayanan
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Rakesh Netha Vadnala
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Promit Ganguly
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Pavitra Selvakumar
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Shivaprakash M Rudramurthy
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Haryana, India
| | - Arunaloke Chakrabarti
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rahul Siddharthan
- Computational Biology, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences/HBNI, Chennai, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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27
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Vijaya Chandra SH, Srinivas R, Dawson TL, Common JE. Cutaneous Malassezia: Commensal, Pathogen, or Protector? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:614446. [PMID: 33575223 PMCID: PMC7870721 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.614446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The skin microbial community is a multifunctional ecosystem aiding prevention of infections from transient pathogens, maintenance of host immune homeostasis, and skin health. A better understanding of the complex milieu of microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions will be required to define the ecosystem's optimal function and enable rational design of microbiome targeted interventions. Malassezia, a fungal genus currently comprising 18 species and numerous functionally distinct strains, are lipid-dependent basidiomycetous yeasts and integral components of the skin microbiome. The high proportion of Malassezia in the skin microbiome makes understanding their role in healthy and diseased skin crucial to development of functional skin health knowledge and understanding of normal, healthy skin homeostasis. Over the last decade, new tools for Malassezia culture, detection, and genetic manipulation have revealed not only the ubiquity of Malassezia on skin but new pathogenic roles in seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and pancreatic ductal carcinoma. Application of these tools continues to peel back the layers of Malassezia/skin interactions, including clear examples of pathogenicity, commensalism, and potential protective or beneficial activities creating mutualism. Our increased understanding of host- and microbe-specific interactions should lead to identification of key factors that maintain skin in a state of healthy mutualism or, in turn, initiate pathogenic changes. These approaches are leading toward development of new therapeutic targets and treatment options. This review discusses recent developments that have expanded our understanding of Malassezia's role in the skin microbiome, with a focus on its multiple roles in health and disease as commensal, pathogen, and protector.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramasamy Srinivas
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thomas L Dawson
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - John E Common
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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28
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Cook DE, Kramer HM, Torres DE, Seidl MF, Thomma BPHJ. A unique chromatin profile defines adaptive genomic regions in a fungal plant pathogen. eLife 2020; 9:e62208. [PMID: 33337321 PMCID: PMC7781603 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomes store information at scales beyond the linear nucleotide sequence, which impacts genome function at the level of an individual, while influences on populations and long-term genome function remains unclear. Here, we addressed how physical and chemical DNA characteristics influence genome evolution in the plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. We identified incomplete DNA methylation of repetitive elements, associated with specific genomic compartments originally defined as Lineage-Specific (LS) regions that contain genes involved in host adaptation. Further chromatin characterization revealed associations with features such as H3 Lys-27 methylated histones (H3K27me3) and accessible DNA. Machine learning trained on chromatin data identified twice as much LS DNA as previously recognized, which was validated through orthogonal analysis, and we propose to refer to this DNA as adaptive genomic regions. Our results provide evidence that specific chromatin profiles define adaptive genomic regions, and highlight how different epigenetic factors contribute to the organization of these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Cook
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State UniversityManhattanUnited States
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
| | - H Martin Kramer
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
| | - David E Torres
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Michael F Seidl
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Bart P H J Thomma
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenNetherlands
- University of Cologne, Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS)CologneGermany
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe K. Ross
- Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Lorenz
- Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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30
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Seidl MF, Kramer HM, Cook DE, Fiorin GL, van den Berg GCM, Faino L, Thomma BPHJ. Repetitive Elements Contribute to the Diversity and Evolution of Centromeres in the Fungal Genus Verticillium. mBio 2020; 11:e01714-20. [PMID: 32900804 PMCID: PMC7482064 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01714-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are chromosomal regions that are crucial for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis, and failed centromere formation can contribute to chromosomal anomalies. Despite this conserved function, centromeres differ significantly between and even within species. Thus far, systematic studies into the organization and evolution of fungal centromeres remain scarce. In this study, we identified the centromeres in each of the 10 species of the fungal genus Verticillium and characterized their organization and evolution. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of the centromere-specific histone CenH3 (ChIP-seq) and chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) followed by high-throughput sequencing identified eight conserved, large (∼150-kb), AT-, and repeat-rich regional centromeres that are embedded in heterochromatin in the plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae Using Hi-C, we similarly identified repeat-rich centromeres in the other Verticillium species. Strikingly, a single degenerated long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon is strongly associated with centromeric regions in some but not all Verticillium species. Extensive chromosomal rearrangements occurred during Verticillium evolution, of which some could be linked to centromeres, suggesting that centromeres contributed to chromosomal evolution. The size and organization of centromeres differ considerably between species, and centromere size was found to correlate with the genome-wide repeat content. Overall, our study highlights the contribution of repetitive elements to the diversity and rapid evolution of centromeres within the fungal genus VerticilliumIMPORTANCE The genus Verticillium contains 10 species of plant-associated fungi, some of which are notorious pathogens. Verticillium species evolved by frequent chromosomal rearrangements that contribute to genome plasticity. Centromeres are instrumental for separation of chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis, and failed centromere functionality can lead to chromosomal anomalies. Here, we used a combination of experimental techniques to identify and characterize centromeres in each of the Verticillium species. Intriguingly, we could strongly associate a single repetitive element to the centromeres of some of the Verticillium species. The presence of this element in the centromeres coincides with increased centromere sizes and genome-wide repeat expansions. Collectively, our findings signify a role of repetitive elements in the function, organization, and rapid evolution of centromeres in a set of closely related fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Seidl
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - H Martin Kramer
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - David E Cook
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Gabriel L Fiorin
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Luigi Faino
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Environmental Biology Department, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Bart P H J Thomma
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- University of Cologne, Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Cologne, Germany
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31
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Ianiri G, Heitman J. Approaches for Genetic Discoveries in the Skin Commensal and Pathogenic Malassezia Yeasts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:393. [PMID: 32850491 PMCID: PMC7426719 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Malassezia includes yeasts belong to the subphylum Ustilaginomycotina within the Basidiomycota. Malassezia yeasts are commonly found as commensals on human and animal skin. Nevertheless, Malassezia species are also associated with several skin disorders, such as dandruff/seborrheic dermatitis, atopic eczema, pityriasis versicolor, and folliculitis. More recently, associations of Malassezia with Crohn's disease, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation have been reported. The increasing availability of genomic and molecular tools have played a crucial role in understanding the genetic basis of Malassezia commensalism and pathogenicity. In the present review we report genomics advances in Malassezia highlighting unique features that potentially impacted Malassezia biology and host adaptation. Furthermore, we describe the recently developed protocols for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in Malassezia, and their applications for random insertional mutagenesis or targeted gene replacement strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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Abstract
Diversity within the fungal kingdom is evident from the wide range of morphologies fungi display as well as the various ecological roles and industrial purposes they serve. Technological advances, particularly in long-read sequencing, coupled with the increasing efficiency and decreasing costs across sequencing platforms have enabled robust characterization of fungal genomes. These sequencing efforts continue to reveal the rampant diversity in fungi at the genome level. Here, we discuss studies that have furthered our understanding of fungal genetic diversity and genomic evolution. These studies revealed the presence of both small-scale and large-scale genomic changes. In fungi, research has recently focused on many small-scale changes, such as how hypermutation and allelic transmission impact genome evolution as well as how and why a few specific genomic regions are more susceptible to rapid evolution than others. High-throughput sequencing of a diverse set of fungal genomes has also illuminated the frequency, mechanisms, and impacts of large-scale changes, which include chromosome structural variation and changes in chromosome number, such as aneuploidy, polyploidy, and the presence of supernumerary chromosomes. The studies discussed herein have provided great insight into how the architecture of the fungal genome varies within species and across the kingdom and how modern fungi may have evolved from the last common fungal ancestor and might also pave the way for understanding how genomic diversity has evolved in all domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby J. Priest
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
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Guin K, Sreekumar L, Sanyal K. Implications of the Evolutionary Trajectory of Centromeres in the Fungal Kingdom. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 74:835-853. [PMID: 32706633 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-011720-122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome segregation during the cell cycle is an evolutionarily conserved, fundamental biological process. Dynamic interaction between spindle microtubules and the kinetochore complex that assembles on centromere DNA is required for faithful chromosome segregation. The first artificial minichromosome was constructed by cloning the centromere DNA of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Since then, centromeres have been identified in >60 fungal species. The DNA sequence and organization of the sequence elements are highly diverse across these fungal centromeres. In this article, we provide a comprehensive view of the evolution of fungal centromeres. Studies of this process facilitated the identification of factors influencing centromere specification, maintenance, and propagation through many generations. Additionally, we discuss the unique features and plasticity of centromeric chromatin and the involvement of centromeres in karyotype evolution. Finally, we discuss the implications of recurrent loss of RNA interference (RNAi) and/or heterochromatin components on the trajectory of the evolution of fungal centromeres and propose the centromere structure of the last common ancestor of three major fungal phyla-Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Guin
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
| | - Lakshmi Sreekumar
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India; , ,
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34
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Goh JPZ, Ianiri G, Heitman J, Dawson TL. Expression of a Malassezia Codon Optimized mCherry Fluorescent Protein in a Bicistronic Vector. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:367. [PMID: 32793513 PMCID: PMC7387403 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fluorescent proteins allows a multitude of approaches from live imaging and fixed cells to labeling of whole organisms, making it a foundation of diverse experiments. Tagging a protein of interest or specific cell type allows visualization and studies of cell localization, cellular dynamics, physiology, and structural characteristics. In specific instances fluorescent fusion proteins may not be properly functional as a result of structural changes that hinder protein function, or when overexpressed may be cytotoxic and disrupt normal biological processes. In our study, we describe application of a bicistronic vector incorporating a Picornavirus 2A peptide sequence between a NAT antibiotic selection marker and mCherry. This allows expression of multiple genes from a single open reading frame and production of discrete protein products through a cleavage event within the 2A peptide. We demonstrate integration of this bicistronic vector into a model Malassezia species, the haploid strain M. furfur CBS 14141, with both active selection, high fluorescence, and proven proteolytic cleavage. Potential applications of this technology can include protein functional studies, Malassezia cellular localization, and co-expression of genes required for targeted mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joleen P. Z. Goh
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency of Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giuseppe Ianiri
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Thomas L. Dawson
- Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Agency of Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Drug Discovery, School of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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35
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Guin K, Chen Y, Mishra R, Muzaki SRBM, Thimmappa BC, O'Brien CE, Butler G, Sanyal A, Sanyal K. Spatial inter-centromeric interactions facilitated the emergence of evolutionary new centromeres. eLife 2020; 9:e58556. [PMID: 32469306 PMCID: PMC7292649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres of Candida albicans form on unique and different DNA sequences but a closely related species, Candida tropicalis, possesses homogenized inverted repeat (HIR)-associated centromeres. To investigate the mechanism of centromere type transition, we improved the fragmented genome assembly and constructed a chromosome-level genome assembly of C. tropicalis by employing PacBio sequencing, chromosome conformation capture sequencing (3C-seq), chromoblot, and genetic analysis of engineered aneuploid strains. Further, we analyzed the 3D genome organization using 3C-seq data, which revealed spatial proximity among the centromeres as well as telomeres of seven chromosomes in C. tropicalis. Intriguingly, we observed evidence of inter-centromeric translocations in the common ancestor of C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Identification of putative centromeres in closely related Candida sojae, Candida viswanathii and Candida parapsilosis indicates loss of ancestral HIR-associated centromeres and establishment of evolutionary new centromeres (ENCs) in C. albicans. We propose that spatial proximity of the homologous centromere DNA sequences facilitated karyotype rearrangements and centromere type transitions in human pathogenic yeasts of the CUG-Ser1 clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnendu Guin
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Radha Mishra
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | | | - Bhagya C Thimmappa
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
| | - Caoimhe E O'Brien
- School Of Biomolecular & Biomed Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Geraldine Butler
- School Of Biomolecular & Biomed Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Amartya Sanyal
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific ResearchBangaloreIndia
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36
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Schotanus K, Heitman J. Centromere deletion in Cryptococcus deuterogattii leads to neocentromere formation and chromosome fusions. eLife 2020; 9:56026. [PMID: 32310085 PMCID: PMC7188483 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deuterogattii is RNAi-deficient and lacks active transposons in its genome. C. deuterogattii has regional centromeres that contain only transposon relics. To investigate the impact of centromere loss on the C. deuterogattii genome, either centromere 9 or 10 was deleted. Deletion of either centromere resulted in neocentromere formation and interestingly, the genes covered by these neocentromeres maintained wild-type expression levels. In contrast to cen9∆ mutants, cen10∆ mutant strains exhibited growth defects and were aneuploid for chromosome 10. At an elevated growth temperature (37°C), the cen10∆ chromosome was found to have undergone fusion with another native chromosome in some isolates and this fusion restored wild-type growth. Following chromosomal fusion, the neocentromere was inactivated, and the native centromere of the fused chromosome served as the active centromere. The neocentromere formation and chromosomal fusion events observed in this study in C. deuterogattii may be similar to events that triggered genomic changes within the Cryptococcus/Kwoniella species complex and may contribute to speciation throughout the eukaryotic domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Schotanus
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
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37
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Sun S, Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Priest SJ, Heitman J. The Evolution of Sexual Reproduction and the Mating-Type Locus: Links to Pathogenesis of Cryptococcus Human Pathogenic Fungi. Annu Rev Genet 2019; 53:417-444. [PMID: 31537103 PMCID: PMC7025156 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-024755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus species utilize a variety of sexual reproduction mechanisms, which generate genetic diversity, purge deleterious mutations, and contribute to their ability to occupy myriad environmental niches and exhibit a range of pathogenic potential. The bisexual and unisexual cycles of pathogenic Cryptococcus species are stimulated by properties associated with their environmental niches and proceed through well-characterized signaling pathways and corresponding morphological changes. Genes governing mating are encoded by the mating-type (MAT) loci and influence pathogenesis, population dynamics, and lineage divergence in Cryptococcus. MAT has undergone significant evolutionary changes within the Cryptococcus genus, including transition from the ancestral tetrapolar state in nonpathogenic species to a bipolar mating system in pathogenic species, as well as several internal reconfigurations. Owing to the variety of established sexual reproduction mechanisms and the robust characterization of the evolution of mating and MAT in this genus, Cryptococcus species provide key insights into the evolution of sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Sun
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA;
| | - Marco A Coelho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA;
| | - Márcia David-Palma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA;
| | - Shelby J Priest
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA;
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA;
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