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Dayal S, Chaubey D, Joshi DC, Ranmale S, Pillai B. Noncoding RNAs: Emerging regulators of behavioral complexity. Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA 2024; 15:e1847. [PMID: 38702948 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian genome encodes thousands of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), ranging in size from about 20 nucleotides (microRNAs or miRNAs) to kilobases (long non-coding RNAs or lncRNAs). ncRNAs contribute to a layer of gene regulation that could explain the evolution of massive phenotypic complexity even as the number of protein-coding genes remains unaltered. We propose that low conservation, poor expression, and highly restricted spatiotemporal expression patterns-conventionally considered ncRNAs may affect behavior through direct, rapid, and often sustained regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, or translational levels. Besides these direct roles, their effect during neurodevelopment may manifest as behavioral changes later in the organism's life, especially when exposed to environmental cues like stress and seasonal changes. The lncRNAs affect behavior through diverse mechanisms like sponging of miRNAs, recruitment of chromatin modifiers, and regulation of alternative splicing. We highlight the need for synthesis between rigorously designed behavioral paradigms in model organisms and the wide diversity of behaviors documented by ethologists through field studies on organisms exquisitely adapted to their environmental niche. Comparative genomics and the latest advancements in transcriptomics provide an unprecedented scope for merging field and lab studies on model and non-model organisms to shed light on the role of ncRNAs in driving the behavioral responses of individuals and groups. We touch upon the technical challenges and contentious issues that must be resolved to fully understand the role of ncRNAs in regulating complex behavioral traits. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanovar Dayal
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Divya Chaubey
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Dheeraj Chandra Joshi
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Samruddhi Ranmale
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India
| | - Beena Pillai
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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2
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Wang Y, Tang X, Lu J. Convergent and divergent evolution of microRNA-mediated regulation in metazoans. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:525-545. [PMID: 37987240 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been studied extensively to understand their roles in gene regulation and evolutionary processes. This review focuses on how miRNA-mediated regulation has evolved in bilaterian animals, highlighting both convergent and divergent evolution. Since animals and plants display significant differences in miRNA biogenesis and target recognition, the 'independent origin' hypothesis proposes that miRNA pathways in these groups independently evolved from the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, leading to modern miRNA repertoires through convergent evolution. However, recent evidence raises the alternative possibility that the miRNA pathway might have already existed in the last common ancestor of eukaryotes, and that the differences in miRNA pathway and miRNA repertoires among animal and plant lineages arise from lineage-specific innovations and losses of miRNA pathways, miRNA acquisition, and loss of miRNAs after eukaryotic divergence. The repertoire of miRNAs has considerably expanded during bilaterian evolution, primarily through de novo creation and duplication processes, generating new miRNAs. Although ancient functionally established miRNAs are rarely lost, many newly emerged miRNAs are transient and lineage specific, following a birth-death evolutionary pattern aligning with the 'out-of-the-testis' and 'transcriptional control' hypotheses. Our focus then shifts to the convergent molecular evolution of miRNAs. We summarize how miRNA clustering and seed mimicry contribute to this phenomenon, and we review how miRNAs from different sources converge to degrade maternal messenger RNAs (mRNAs) during animal development. Additionally, we describe how miRNAs evolve across species due to changes in sequence, seed shifting, arm switching, and spatiotemporal expression patterns, which can result in variations in target sites among orthologous miRNAs across distant strains or species. We also provide a summary of the current understanding regarding how the target sites of orthologous miRNAs can vary across strains or distantly related species. Although many paralogous miRNAs retain their seed or mature sequences after duplication, alterations can occur in the seed or mature sequences or expression patterns of paralogous miRNAs, leading to functional diversification. We discuss our current understanding of the functional divergence between duplicated miRNAs, and illustrate how the functional diversification of duplicated miRNAs impacts target site evolution. By investigating these topics, we aim to enhance our current understanding of the functions and evolutionary dynamics of miRNAs. Additionally, we shed light on the existing challenges in miRNA evolutionary studies, particularly the complexity of deciphering the role of miRNA-mediated regulatory network evolution in shaping gene expression divergence and phenotypic differences among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirong Wang
- Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Xiaolu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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3
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Fromm B, Sorger T. Rapid adaptation of cellular metabolic rate to the MicroRNA complements of mammals and its relevance to the evolution of endothermy. iScience 2024; 27:108740. [PMID: 38327773 PMCID: PMC10847693 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The metabolic efficiency of mammalian cells depends on the attenuation of intrinsic translation noise by microRNAs. We devised a metric of cellular metabolic rate (cMR), rMR/Mexp optimally fit to the number of microRNA families (mirFam), that is robust to variation in mass and sensitive to body temperature (Tb), consistent with the heat dissipation limit theory of Speakman and Król (2010). Using mirFam as predictor, an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process of stabilizing selection, with an adaptive shift at the divergence of Boreoeutheria, accounted for 95% of the variation in cMR across mammals. Branchwise rates of evolution of cMR, mirFam and Tb concurrently increased 6- to 7-fold at the divergence of Boreoeutheria, independent of mass. Cellular MR variation across placental mammals was also predicted by the sum of model conserved microRNA-target interactions, revealing an unexpected degree of integration of the microRNA-target apparatus into the energy economy of the mammalian cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Fromm
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Thomas Sorger
- Department of Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
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4
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Baden T, Briseño J, Coffing G, Cohen-Bodénès S, Courtney A, Dickerson D, Dölen G, Fiorito G, Gestal C, Gustafson T, Heath-Heckman E, Hua Q, Imperadore P, Kimbara R, Król M, Lajbner Z, Lichilín N, Macchi F, McCoy MJ, Nishiguchi MK, Nyholm SV, Otjacques E, Pérez-Ferrer PA, Ponte G, Pungor JR, Rogers TF, Rosenthal JJC, Rouressol L, Rubas N, Sanchez G, Santos CP, Schultz DT, Seuntjens E, Songco-Casey JO, Stewart IE, Styfhals R, Tuanapaya S, Vijayan N, Weissenbacher A, Zifcakova L, Schulz G, Weertman W, Simakov O, Albertin CB. Cephalopod-omics: Emerging Fields and Technologies in Cephalopod Biology. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1226-1239. [PMID: 37370232 PMCID: PMC10755191 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Few animal groups can claim the level of wonder that cephalopods instill in the minds of researchers and the general public. Much of cephalopod biology, however, remains unexplored: the largest invertebrate brain, difficult husbandry conditions, and complex (meta-)genomes, among many other things, have hindered progress in addressing key questions. However, recent technological advancements in sequencing, imaging, and genetic manipulation have opened new avenues for exploring the biology of these extraordinary animals. The cephalopod molecular biology community is thus experiencing a large influx of researchers, emerging from different fields, accelerating the pace of research in this clade. In the first post-pandemic event at the Cephalopod International Advisory Council (CIAC) conference in April 2022, over 40 participants from all over the world met and discussed key challenges and perspectives for current cephalopod molecular biology and evolution. Our particular focus was on the fields of comparative and regulatory genomics, gene manipulation, single-cell transcriptomics, metagenomics, and microbial interactions. This article is a result of this joint effort, summarizing the latest insights from these emerging fields, their bottlenecks, and potential solutions. The article highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the cephalopod-omics community and provides an emphasis on continuous consolidation of efforts and collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - John Briseño
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Gabrielle Coffing
- Biology Department: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA
| | - Sophie Cohen-Bodénès
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amy Courtney
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Dominick Dickerson
- Friday Harbor Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98250, USA
| | - Gül Dölen
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Graziano Fiorito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Camino Gestal
- Laboratory of Marine Molecular Pathobiology, Institute of Marine Research (IIM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Vigo 36208, Spain
| | | | - Elizabeth Heath-Heckman
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Qiaz Hua
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Pamela Imperadore
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Ryosuke Kimbara
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225, Japan
| | - Mirela Król
- Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań 61-712, Poland
| | - Zdeněk Lajbner
- Physics and Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Nicolás Lichilín
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Filippo Macchi
- Program in Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Matthew J McCoy
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michele K Nishiguchi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 N. Lake Blvd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Spencer V Nyholm
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Eve Otjacques
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
- Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, Carnegie Institution for Science, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Pedro Antonio Pérez-Ferrer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 N. Lake Blvd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Giovanna Ponte
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Judit R Pungor
- Biology Department: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA
| | - Thea F Rogers
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Joshua J C Rosenthal
- Marine Biological Laboratory, The Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015, USA
| | - Lisa Rouressol
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Noelle Rubas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Gustavo Sanchez
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Catarina Pereira Santos
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jeremea O Songco-Casey
- Biology Department: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA
| | - Ian Erik Stewart
- Neural Circuits and Behaviour Lab, Max‐Delbrück‐Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Ruth Styfhals
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Surangkana Tuanapaya
- Laboratory of genetics and applied breeding of molluscs, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Nidhi Vijayan
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | | | - Lucia Zifcakova
- Physics and Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | | | - Willem Weertman
- Friday Harbor Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98250, USA
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Caroline B Albertin
- Marine Biological Laboratory, The Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015, USA
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Destanović D, Schultz DT, Styfhals R, Cruz F, Gómez-Garrido J, Gut M, Gut I, Fiorito G, Simakov O, Alioto TS, Ponte G, Seuntjens E. A chromosome-level reference genome for the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797). G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad220. [PMID: 37850903 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Cephalopods are emerging animal models and include iconic species for studying the link between genomic innovations and physiological and behavioral complexities. Coleoid cephalopods possess the largest nervous system among invertebrates, both for cell counts and brain-to-body ratio. Octopus vulgaris has been at the center of a long-standing tradition of research into diverse aspects of cephalopod biology, including behavioral and neural plasticity, learning and memory recall, regeneration, and sophisticated cognition. However, no chromosome-scale genome assembly was available for O. vulgaris to aid in functional studies. To fill this gap, we sequenced and assembled a chromosome-scale genome of the common octopus, O. vulgaris. The final assembly spans 2.8 billion basepairs, 99.34% of which are in 30 chromosome-scale scaffolds. Hi-C heatmaps support a karyotype of 1n = 30 chromosomes. Comparisons with other octopus species' genomes show a conserved octopus karyotype and a pattern of local genome rearrangements between species. This new chromosome-scale genome of O. vulgaris will further facilitate research in all aspects of cephalopod biology, including various forms of plasticity and the neural machinery underlying sophisticated cognition, as well as an understanding of cephalopod evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalila Destanović
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Ruth Styfhals
- Department of Biology, Lab of Developmental Neurobiology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Fernando Cruz
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | | | - Marta Gut
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Ivo Gut
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Graziano Fiorito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Tyler S Alioto
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Giovanna Ponte
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Department of Biology, Lab of Developmental Neurobiology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- KU Leuven Institute for Single Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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Voss G, Rosenthal JJC. High-level RNA editing diversifies the coleoid cephalopod brain proteome. Brief Funct Genomics 2023; 22:525-532. [PMID: 37981860 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid and cuttlefish) have unusually complex nervous systems. The coleoid nervous system is also the only one currently known to recode the majority of expressed proteins through A-to-I RNA editing. The deamination of adenosine by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes produces inosine, which is interpreted as guanosine during translation. If this occurs in an open reading frame, which is the case for tens of thousands of editing sites in coleoids, it can recode the encoded protein. Here, we describe recent findings aimed at deciphering the mechanisms underlying high-level recoding and its adaptive potential. We describe the complement of ADAR enzymes in cephalopods, including a recently discovered novel domain in sqADAR1. We further summarize current evidence supporting an adaptive role of high-level RNA recoding in coleoids, and review recent studies showing that a large proportion of recoding sites is temperature-sensitive. Despite these new findings, the mechanisms governing the high level of RNA recoding in coleoid cephalopods remain poorly understood. Recent advances using genome editing in squid may provide useful tools to further study A-to-I RNA editing in these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gjendine Voss
- The Eugene Bell Center, The Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole MA 02543, United States
| | - Joshua J C Rosenthal
- The Eugene Bell Center, The Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole MA 02543, United States
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Zolboot N, Xiao Y, Du JX, Ghanem MM, Choi SY, Junn MJ, Zampa F, Huang Z, MacRae IJ, Lippi G. MicroRNAs are necessary for the emergence of Purkinje cell identity. bioRxiv 2023:2023.09.28.560023. [PMID: 37808721 PMCID: PMC10557743 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.560023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Brain computations are dictated by the unique morphology and connectivity of neuronal subtypes, features established by closely timed developmental events. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical for brain development, but current technologies lack the spatiotemporal resolution to determine how miRNAs instruct the steps leading to subtype identity. Here, we developed new tools to tackle this major gap. Fast and reversible miRNA loss-of-function revealed that miRNAs are necessary for cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) differentiation, which previously appeared miRNA-independent, and resolved distinct miRNA critical windows in PC dendritogenesis and climbing fiber synaptogenesis, key determinants of PC identity. To identify underlying mechanisms, we generated a mouse model, which enables precise mapping of miRNAs and their targets in rare cell types. With PC-specific maps, we found that the PC-enriched miR-206 drives exuberant dendritogenesis and modulates synaptogenesis. Our results showcase vastly improved approaches for dissecting miRNA function and reveal that many critical miRNA mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Highlights Fast miRNA loss-of-function with T6B impairs postnatal Purkinje cell developmentReversible T6B reveals critical miRNA windows for dendritogenesis and synaptogenesisConditional Spy3-Ago2 mouse line enables miRNA-target network mapping in rare cellsPurkinje cell-enriched miR-206 regulates its unique dendritic and synaptic morphology.
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Umu SU, Paynter VM, Trondsen H, Buschmann T, Rounge TB, Peterson KJ, Fromm B. Accurate microRNA annotation of animal genomes using trained covariance models of curated microRNA complements in MirMachine. Cell Genom 2023; 3:100348. [PMID: 37601971 PMCID: PMC10435380 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The annotation of microRNAs depends on the availability of transcriptomics data and expert knowledge. This has led to a gap between the availability of novel genomes and high-quality microRNA complements. Using >16,000 microRNAs from the manually curated microRNA gene database MirGeneDB, we generated trained covariance models for all conserved microRNA families. These models are available in our tool MirMachine, which annotates conserved microRNAs within genomes. We successfully applied MirMachine to a range of animal species, including those with large genomes and genome duplications and extinct species, where small RNA sequencing is hard to achieve. We further describe a microRNA score of expected microRNAs that can be used to assess the completeness of genome assemblies. MirMachine closes a long-persisting gap in the microRNA field by facilitating automated genome annotation pipelines and deeper studies into the evolution of genome regulation, even in extinct organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Uğur Umu
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vanessa M. Paynter
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Håvard Trondsen
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Trine B. Rounge
- Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin J. Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Bastian Fromm
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Langschied F, Leisegang MS, Brandes RP, Ebersberger I. ncOrtho: efficient and reliable identification of miRNA orthologs. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e71. [PMID: 37260093 PMCID: PMC10359484 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators that finetune gene expression via translational repression or degradation of their target mRNAs. Despite their functional relevance, frameworks for the scalable and accurate detection of miRNA orthologs are missing. Consequently, there is still no comprehensive picture of how miRNAs and their associated regulatory networks have evolved. Here we present ncOrtho, a synteny informed pipeline for the targeted search of miRNA orthologs in unannotated genome sequences. ncOrtho matches miRNA annotations from multi-tissue transcriptomes in precision, while scaling to the analysis of hundreds of custom-selected species. The presence-absence pattern of orthologs to 266 human miRNA families across 402 vertebrate species reveals four bursts of miRNA acquisition, of which the most recent event occurred in the last common ancestor of higher primates. miRNA families are rarely modified or lost, but notable exceptions for both events exist. miRNA co-ortholog numbers faithfully indicate lineage-specific whole genome duplications, and miRNAs are powerful markers for phylogenomic analyses. Their exceptionally low genetic diversity makes them suitable to resolve clades where the phylogenetic signal is blurred by incomplete lineage sorting of ancestral alleles. In summary, ncOrtho allows to routinely consider miRNAs in evolutionary analyses that were thus far reserved to protein-coding genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Langschied
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Matthias S Leisegang
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site RheinMain, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ralf P Brandes
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Center of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site RheinMain, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ingo Ebersberger
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (S-BIK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Soutschek M, Schratt G. Non-coding RNA in the wiring and remodeling of neural circuits. Neuron 2023:S0896-6273(23)00341-0. [PMID: 37230080 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The brain constantly adapts to changes in the environment, a capability that underlies memory and behavior. Long-term adaptations require the remodeling of neural circuits that are mediated by activity-dependent alterations in gene expression. Over the last two decades, it has been shown that the expression of protein-coding genes is significantly regulated by a complex layer of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) interactions. The aim of this review is to summarize recent discoveries regarding the functional involvement of ncRNAs during different stages of neural circuit development, activity-dependent circuit remodeling, and circuit maladapations underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to the intensively studied microRNA (miRNA) family, we focus on more recently added ncRNA classes, such as long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), and discuss the complex regulatory interactions between these different RNAs. We conclude by discussing the potential relevance of ncRNAs for cell-type and -state-specific regulation in the context of memory formation, the evolution of human cognitive abilities, and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Soutschek
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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11
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Kagan D, Batabyal A, Lukowiak K. Remember the poke: microRNAs are required for long-term memory formation following operant conditioning in Lymnaea. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:403-410. [PMID: 36622417 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01604-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in learning and memory formation by controlling the expression of genes through epigenetic processes. Although miRNAs unquestionably play a role in memory, past literature focusing on whether miRNAs play key roles in the consolidation of associative long-term memory in Lymnaea contained confounding variables. Using operant conditioning of aerial respiratory behaviour, we investigated long-term memory (LTM) formation after injection of poly-L-lysine (PLL), an inhibitor of Dicer-mediated miRNA biogenesis, in Lymnaea stagnalis. Homeostatic breathing experiments were also performed to test whether PLL affects breathing. Homeostatic breathing was significantly suppressed 45 min but not 24 h after PLL injection. The operant conditioning procedure involved two 30-min training sessions separated by 1 h to cause LTM. Using this operant conditioning procedure, LTM formation was significantly impaired when snails were injected with PLL 15 min after the second training session. In contrast, when snails were injected with PLL 24 h before the first training session, LTM formation was not impaired. These results are consistent with past literature and highlight an important role for miRNAs in LTM formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Kagan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ken Lukowiak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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12
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Jenike AE, Jenike KM, Peterson KJ, Fromm B, Halushka MK. Direct observation of the evolution of cell-type-specific microRNA expression signatures supports the hematopoietic origin model of endothelial cells. Evol Dev 2023; 25:226-239. [PMID: 37157156 PMCID: PMC10302300 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of specialized cell-types is a long-standing interest of biologists, but given the deep time-scales very difficult to reconstruct or observe. microRNAs have been linked to the evolution of cellular complexity and may inform on specialization. The endothelium is a vertebrate-specific specialization of the circulatory system that enabled a critical new level of vasoregulation. The evolutionary origin of these endothelial cells is unclear. We hypothesized that Mir-126, an endothelial cell-specific microRNA may be informative. We here reconstruct the evolutionary history of Mir-126. Mir-126 likely appeared in the last common ancestor of vertebrates and tunicates, which was a species without an endothelium, within an intron of the evolutionary much older EGF Like Domain Multiple (Egfl) locus. Mir-126 has a complex evolutionary history due to duplications and losses of both the host gene and the microRNA. Taking advantage of the strong evolutionary conservation of the microRNA among Olfactores, and using RNA in situ hybridization, we localized Mir-126 in the tunicate Ciona robusta. We found exclusive expression of the mature Mir-126 in granular amebocytes, supporting a long-proposed scenario that endothelial cells arose from hemoblasts, a type of proto-endothelial amoebocyte found throughout invertebrates. This observed change of expression of Mir-126 from proto-endothelial amoebocytes in the tunicate to endothelial cells in vertebrates is the first direct observation of the evolution of a cell-type in relation to microRNA expression indicating that microRNAs can be a prerequisite of cell-type evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana E. Jenike
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
| | - Katharine M. Jenike
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
| | - Kevin J. Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH, USA
| | - Bastian Fromm
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, 9006 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marc K. Halushka
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
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13
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Vand-Rajabpour F, Savage M, Belote RL, Judson-Torres RL. Critical Considerations for Investigating MicroRNAs during Tumorigenesis: A Case Study in Conceptual and Contextual Nuances of miR-211-5p in Melanoma. Epigenomes 2023; 7:9. [PMID: 37218870 PMCID: PMC10204420 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7020009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs fundamental to metazoan development and disease. Although the aberrant regulation of microRNAs during mammalian tumorigenesis is well established, investigations into the contributions of individual microRNAs are wrought with conflicting observations. The underlying cause of these inconsistencies is often attributed to context-specific functions of microRNAs. We propose that consideration of both context-specific factors, as well as underappreciated fundamental concepts of microRNA biology, will permit a more harmonious interpretation of ostensibly diverging data. We discuss the theory that the biological function of microRNAs is to confer robustness to specific cell states. Through this lens, we then consider the role of miR-211-5p in melanoma progression. Using literature review and meta-analyses, we demonstrate how a deep understating of domain-specific contexts is critical for moving toward a concordant understanding of miR-211-5p and other microRNAs in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Vand-Rajabpour
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6447, Tehran 14176-13151, Iran
| | - Meghan Savage
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rachel L. Belote
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert L. Judson-Torres
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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14
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Gutnick T, Neef A, Cherninskyi A, Ziadi-Künzli F, Di Cosmo A, Lipp HP, Kuba MJ. Recording electrical activity from the brain of behaving octopus. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1171-1178.e4. [PMID: 36827988 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Octopuses, which are among the most intelligent invertebrates,1,2,3,4 have no skeleton and eight flexible arms whose sensory and motor activities are at once autonomous and coordinated by a complex central nervous system.5,6,7,8 The octopus brain contains a very large number of neurons, organized into numerous distinct lobes, the functions of which have been proposed based largely on the results of lesioning experiments.9,10,11,12,13 In other species, linking brain activity to behavior is done by implanting electrodes and directly correlating electrical activity with observed animal behavior. However, because the octopus lacks any hard structure to which recording equipment can be anchored, and because it uses its eight flexible arms to remove any foreign object attached to the outside of its body, in vivo recording of electrical activity from untethered, behaving octopuses has thus far not been possible. Here, we describe a novel technique for inserting a portable data logger into the octopus and implanting electrodes into the vertical lobe system, such that brain activity can be recorded for up to 12 h from unanesthetized, untethered octopuses and can be synchronized with simultaneous video recordings of behavior. In the brain activity, we identified several distinct patterns that appeared consistently in all animals. While some resemble activity patterns in mammalian neural tissue, others, such as episodes of 2 Hz, large amplitude oscillations, have not been reported. By providing an experimental platform for recording brain activity in behaving octopuses, our study is a critical step toward understanding how the brain controls behavior in these remarkable animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Gutnick
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Physics and Biology Unit, 904 0495 Okinawa, Japan; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Andreas Neef
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Fabienne Ziadi-Künzli
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Nonlinear and Non-equilibrium Physics Unit, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael J Kuba
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Physics and Biology Unit, 904 0495 Okinawa, Japan; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 26, 80126 Napoli, Italy
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15
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Borowiec BG. Did microRNAs make octopuses smart? J Exp Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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16
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Styfhals R, Zolotarov G, Hulselmans G, Spanier KI, Poovathingal S, Elagoz AM, De Winter S, Deryckere A, Rajewsky N, Ponte G, Fiorito G, Aerts S, Seuntjens E. Cell type diversity in a developing octopus brain. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7392. [PMID: 36450803 PMCID: PMC9712504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35198-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Octopuses are mollusks that have evolved intricate neural systems comparable with vertebrates in terms of cell number, complexity and size. The brain cell types that control their sophisticated behavioral repertoire are still unknown. Here, we profile the cell diversity of the paralarval Octopus vulgaris brain to build a cell type atlas that comprises mostly neural cells, but also multiple glial subtypes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. We spatially map cell types to the vertical, subesophageal and optic lobes. Investigation of cell type conservation reveals a shared gene signature between glial cells of mouse, fly and octopus. Genes related to learning and memory are enriched in vertical lobe cells, which show molecular similarities with Kenyon cells in Drosophila. We construct a cell type taxonomy revealing transcriptionally related cell types, which tend to appear in the same brain region. Together, our data sheds light on cell type diversity and evolution in the octopus brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Styfhals
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Grygoriy Zolotarov
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gert Hulselmans
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Katina I Spanier
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | | | - Ali M Elagoz
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Seppe De Winter
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Astrid Deryckere
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, US
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giovanna Ponte
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Graziano Fiorito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Stein Aerts
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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