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Almeida MV, Blumer M, Yuan CU, Sierra P, Price JL, Quah FX, Friman A, Dallaire A, Vernaz G, Putman ALK, Smith AM, Joyce DA, Butter F, Haase AD, Durbin R, Santos ME, Miska EA. Dynamic co-evolution of transposable elements and the piRNA pathway in African cichlid fishes. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.01.587621. [PMID: 38617250 PMCID: PMC11014572 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.01.587621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
East African cichlid fishes have diversified in an explosive fashion, but the (epi)genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity of these fishes remains largely unknown. Although transposable elements (TEs) have been associated with phenotypic variation in cichlids, little is known about their transcriptional activity and epigenetic silencing. Here, we describe dynamic patterns of TE expression in African cichlid gonads and during early development. Orthology inference revealed an expansion of piwil1 genes in Lake Malawi cichlids, likely driven by PiggyBac TEs. The expanded piwil1 copies have signatures of positive selection and retain amino acid residues essential for catalytic activity. Furthermore, the gonads of African cichlids express a Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway that target TEs. We define the genomic sites of piRNA production in African cichlids and find divergence in closely related species, in line with fast evolution of piRNA-producing loci. Our findings suggest dynamic co-evolution of TEs and host silencing pathways in the African cichlid radiations. We propose that this co-evolution has contributed to cichlid genomic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Moritz Blumer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Chengwei Ulrika Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Pío Sierra
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jonathan L. Price
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Fu Xiang Quah
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Aleksandr Friman
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Alexandra Dallaire
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Present address: Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, Basel, 4051, Switzerland
| | - Audrey L. K. Putman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alan M. Smith
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Domino A. Joyce
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Quantitative Proteomics, Ackermannweg 4, Mainz, 55128, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer, Greifswald, 17493, Germany
| | - Astrid D. Haase
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - M. Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Eric A. Miska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
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Edgley DE, Carruthers M, Gabagambi NP, Saxon AD, Smith AM, Joyce DA, Vernaz G, Santos ME, Turner GF, Genner MJ. Lateral line system diversification during the early stages of ecological speciation in cichlid fish. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:24. [PMID: 38378480 PMCID: PMC10877828 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02214-5] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanosensory lateral line system is an important sensory modality in fishes, informing multiple behaviours related to survival including finding food and navigating in dark environments. Given its ecological importance, we may expect lateral line morphology to be under disruptive selection early in the ecological speciation process. Here we quantify the lateral line system morphology of two ecomorphs of the cichlid fish Astatotilapia calliptera in crater Lake Masoko that have diverged from common ancestry within the past 1,000 years. RESULTS Based on geometric morphometric analyses of CT scans, we show that the zooplanktivorous benthic ecomorph that dominates the deeper waters of the lake has large cranial lateral line canal pores, relative to those of the nearshore invertebrate-feeding littoral ecomorph found in the shallower waters. In contrast, fluorescence imaging revealed no evidence for divergence between ecomorphs in the number of either superficial or canal neuromasts. We illustrate the magnitude of the variation we observe in Lake Masoko A. calliptera in the context of the neighbouring Lake Malawi mega-radiation that comprises over 700 species. CONCLUSIONS These results provide the first evidence of divergence in this often-overlooked sensory modality in the early stages of ecological speciation, suggesting that it may have a role in the broader adaptive radiation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan E Edgley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Madeleine Carruthers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Nestory P Gabagambi
- Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Kyela Centre, P.O. Box 98, Kyela, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Andrew D Saxon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alan M Smith
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Domino A Joyce
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK, Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Martin J Genner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Marconi A, Vernaz G, Karunaratna A, Ngochera MJ, Durbin R, Emília Santos M. Variation in Neural Crest Development and Functional Divergence of sox10 Paralogs Contribute to Morphological Diversification in Cichlid Fishes. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.30.578004. [PMID: 38352436 PMCID: PMC10862805 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific embryonic progenitor cell population at the basis of important vertebrate features such as the craniofacial skeleton and pigmentation patterns. Despite the wide-ranging variation of NC-derived traits across vertebrates, the contribution of NC to species diversification remains largely unexplored. Here, by leveraging the adaptive diversity of African Great Lakes' cichlid species, we combined comparative transcriptomics and population genomics to investigate the role of NC development in morphological diversification. Our analysis revealed substantial differences in transcriptional landscapes across somitogenesis, an embryonic period coinciding with NC development and migration. Notably, several NC-related gene expression clusters showed both species-specific divergence in transcriptional landscapes and signatures of positive selection. Specifically, we identified two paralogs of the sox10 gene as prime NC-related candidates contributing to interspecific morphological variation, which displayed remarkable spatio-temporal expression variation in cichlids. Finally, through CRISPR-KO mutants, we experimentally validated the functional divergence between sox10 paralogs, with the acquisition of a novel role in cichlid skeletogenesis by sox10-like. Our study demonstrates the central role of NC-related processes - in particular those controlled by sox10s - in generating morphological diversification among closely-related species and lays the groundwork for further investigations into the mechanisms underpinning vertebrate NC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maxon J. Ngochera
- Senga Bay Fisheries Research Center, Malawi Fisheries Department, P.O. Box 316, Salima, Malawi
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Vernaz G, Hudson AG, Santos ME, Fischer B, Carruthers M, Shechonge AH, Gabagambi NP, Tyers AM, Ngatunga BP, Malinsky M, Durbin R, Turner GF, Genner MJ, Miska EA. Epigenetic divergence during early stages of speciation in an African crater lake cichlid fish. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1940-1951. [PMID: 36266459 PMCID: PMC9715432 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01894-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic variation can alter transcription and promote phenotypic divergence between populations facing different environmental challenges. Here, we assess the epigenetic basis of diversification during the early stages of speciation. Specifically, we focus on the extent and functional relevance of DNA methylome divergence in the very young radiation of Astatotilapia calliptera in crater Lake Masoko, southern Tanzania. Our study focuses on two lake ecomorphs that diverged approximately 1,000 years ago and a population in the nearby river from which they separated approximately 10,000 years ago. The two lake ecomorphs show no fixed genetic differentiation, yet are characterized by different morphologies, depth preferences and diets. We report extensive genome-wide methylome divergence between the two lake ecomorphs, and between the lake and river populations, linked to key biological processes and associated with altered transcriptional activity of ecologically relevant genes. Such genes differing between lake ecomorphs include those involved in steroid metabolism, hemoglobin composition and erythropoiesis, consistent with their divergent habitat occupancy. Using a common-garden experiment, we found that global methylation profiles are often rapidly remodeled across generations but ecomorph-specific differences can be inherited. Collectively, our study suggests an epigenetic contribution to the early stages of vertebrate speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Vernaz
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Alan G Hudson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bettina Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Alexandra M Tyers
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Milan Malinsky
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Martin J Genner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
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5
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Almeida MV, Vernaz G, Putman AL, Miska EA. Taming transposable elements in vertebrates: from epigenetic silencing to domestication. Trends Genet 2022; 38:529-553. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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6
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Vernaz G, Malinsky M, Svardal H, Du M, Tyers AM, Santos ME, Durbin R, Genner MJ, Turner GF, Miska EA. Mapping epigenetic divergence in the massive radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5870. [PMID: 34620871 PMCID: PMC8497601 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26166-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic variation modulates gene expression and can be heritable. However, knowledge of the contribution of epigenetic divergence to adaptive diversification in nature remains limited. The massive evolutionary radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes displaying extensive phenotypic diversity despite extremely low sequence divergence is an excellent system to study the epigenomic contribution to adaptation. Here, we present a comparative genome-wide methylome and transcriptome study, focussing on liver and muscle tissues in phenotypically divergent cichlid species. In both tissues we find substantial methylome divergence among species. Differentially methylated regions (DMR), enriched in evolutionary young transposons, are associated with transcription changes of ecologically-relevant genes related to energy expenditure and lipid metabolism, pointing to a link between dietary ecology and methylome divergence. Unexpectedly, half of all species-specific DMRs are shared across tissues and are enriched in developmental genes, likely reflecting distinct epigenetic developmental programmes. Our study reveals substantial methylome divergence in closely-related cichlid fishes and represents a resource to study the role of epigenetics in species diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Vernaz
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Milan Malinsky
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Svardal
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mingliu Du
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexandra M Tyers
- School of Natural Sciences, Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Martin J Genner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - George F Turner
- School of Natural Sciences, Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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Puntambekar S, Newhouse R, San-Miguel J, Chauhan R, Vernaz G, Willis T, Wayland MT, Umrania Y, Miska EA, Prabakaran S. Author Correction: Evolutionary divergence of novel open reading frames in cichlids speciation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8557. [PMID: 33854196 PMCID: PMC8047039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88187-7] [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] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha Puntambekar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Rachel Newhouse
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jaime San-Miguel
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Ruchi Chauhan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.,The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Thomas Willis
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Matthew T Wayland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Yagnesh Umrania
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.,Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Sudhakaran Prabakaran
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India. .,Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK. .,St. Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0BN, UK.
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8
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Puntambekar S, Newhouse R, San-Miguel J, Chauhan R, Vernaz G, Willis T, Wayland MT, Umrania Y, Miska EA, Prabakaran S. Evolutionary divergence of novel open reading frames in cichlids speciation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21570. [PMID: 33299045 PMCID: PMC7726158 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78555-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel open reading frames (nORFs) with coding potential may arise from noncoding DNA. Not much is known about their emergence, functional role, fixation in a population or contribution to adaptive radiation. Cichlids fishes exhibit extensive phenotypic diversification and speciation. Encounters with new environments alone are not sufficient to explain this striking diversity of cichlid radiation because other taxa coexistent with the Cichlidae demonstrate lower species richness. Wagner et al. analyzed cichlid diversification in 46 African lakes and reported that both extrinsic environmental factors and intrinsic lineage-specific traits related to sexual selection have strongly influenced the cichlid radiation, which indicates the existence of unknown molecular mechanisms responsible for rapid phenotypic diversification, such as emergence of novel open reading frames (nORFs). In this study, we integrated transcriptomic and proteomic signatures from two tissues of two cichlids species, identified nORFs and performed evolutionary analysis on these nORF regions. Our results suggest that the time scale of speciation of the two species and evolutionary divergence of these nORF genomic regions are similar and indicate a potential role for these nORFs in speciation of the cichlid fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha Puntambekar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Rachel Newhouse
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jaime San-Miguel
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Ruchi Chauhan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Thomas Willis
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Matthew T Wayland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Yagnesh Umrania
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Sudhakaran Prabakaran
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
- St. Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0BN, UK.
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Gapp K, van Steenwyk G, Germain PL, Matsushima W, Rudolph KLM, Manuella F, Roszkowski M, Vernaz G, Ghosh T, Pelczar P, Mansuy IM, Miska EA. Alterations in sperm long RNA contribute to the epigenetic inheritance of the effects of postnatal trauma. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2162-2174. [PMID: 30374190 PMCID: PMC7473836 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0271-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric diseases have a strong heritable component known to not be restricted to DNA sequence-based genetic inheritance alone but to also involve epigenetic factors in germ cells. Initial evidence suggested that sperm RNA is causally linked to the transmission of symptoms induced by traumatic experiences. Here, we show that alterations in long RNA in sperm contribute to the inheritance of specific trauma symptoms. Injection of long RNA fraction from sperm of males exposed to postnatal trauma recapitulates the effects on food intake, glucose response to insulin and risk-taking in adulthood whereas the small RNA fraction alters body weight and behavioural despair. Alterations in long RNA are maintained after fertilization, suggesting a direct link between sperm and embryo RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Gapp
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - G van Steenwyk
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Brain Research Institute, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - P L Germain
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Brain Research Institute, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - W Matsushima
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - K L M Rudolph
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - F Manuella
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Brain Research Institute, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - M Roszkowski
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Brain Research Institute, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - G Vernaz
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - T Ghosh
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - P Pelczar
- Center for Transgenic Models, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 22, CH-4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - I M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Brain Research Institute, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - E A Miska
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
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10
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Aloia L, McKie MA, Vernaz G, Cordero-Espinoza L, Aleksieva N, van den Ameele J, Antonica F, Font-Cunill B, Raven A, Aiese Cigliano R, Belenguer G, Mort RL, Brand AH, Zernicka-Goetz M, Forbes SJ, Miska EA, Huch M. Epigenetic remodelling licences adult cholangiocytes for organoid formation and liver regeneration. Nat Cell Biol 2019; 21:1321-1333. [PMID: 31685987 PMCID: PMC6940196 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [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: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Following severe or chronic liver injury, adult ductal cells (cholangiocytes) contribute to regeneration by restoring both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. We recently showed that ductal cells clonally expand as self-renewing liver organoids that retain their differentiation capacity into both hepatocytes and ductal cells. However, the molecular mechanisms by which adult ductal-committed cells acquire cellular plasticity, initiate organoids and regenerate the damaged tissue remain largely unknown. Here, we describe that ductal cells undergo a transient, genome-wide, remodelling of their transcriptome and epigenome during organoid initiation and in vivo following tissue damage. TET1-mediated hydroxymethylation licences differentiated ductal cells to initiate organoids and activate the regenerative programme through the transcriptional regulation of stem-cell genes and regenerative pathways including the YAP-Hippo signalling. Our results argue in favour of the remodelling of genomic methylome/hydroxymethylome landscapes as a general mechanism by which differentiated cells exit a committed state in response to tissue damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Aloia
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mikel Alexander McKie
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Lucía Cordero-Espinoza
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Niya Aleksieva
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jelle van den Ameele
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Francesco Antonica
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Berta Font-Cunill
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander Raven
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - German Belenguer
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Richard L Mort
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK
| | - Andrea H Brand
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Stuart J Forbes
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Meritxell Huch
- The Wellcome Trust/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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