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Walter NG. Are non-protein coding RNAs junk or treasure?: An attempt to explain and reconcile opposing viewpoints of whether the human genome is mostly transcribed into non-functional or functional RNAs. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300201. [PMID: 38351661 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300201] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The human genome project's lasting legacies are the emerging insights into human physiology and disease, and the ascendance of biology as the dominant science of the 21st century. Sequencing revealed that >90% of the human genome is not coding for proteins, as originally thought, but rather is overwhelmingly transcribed into non-protein coding, or non-coding, RNAs (ncRNAs). This discovery initially led to the hypothesis that most genomic DNA is "junk", a term still championed by some geneticists and evolutionary biologists. In contrast, molecular biologists and biochemists studying the vast number of transcripts produced from most of this genome "junk" often surmise that these ncRNAs have biological significance. What gives? This essay contrasts the two opposing, extant viewpoints, aiming to explain their bases, which arise from distinct reference frames of the underlying scientific disciplines. Finally, it aims to reconcile these divergent mindsets in hopes of stimulating synergy between scientific fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils G Walter
- Center for RNA Biomedicine, Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Xie F, Guo W, Wang X, Zhou K, Guo S, Liu Y, Sun T, Li S, Xu Z, Yuan Q, Zhang H, Gu X, Xing J, Liu S. Mutational profiling of mitochondrial DNA reveals an epithelial ovarian cancer-specific evolutionary pattern contributing to high oxidative metabolism. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1523. [PMID: 38193640 PMCID: PMC10775184 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1523] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) heavily relies on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and exhibits distinct mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming. Up to now, the evolutionary pattern of somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in EOC tissues and their potential roles in metabolic remodelling have not been systematically elucidated. METHODS Based on a large somatic mtDNA mutation dataset from private and public EOC cohorts (239 and 118 patients, respectively), we most comprehensively characterised the EOC-specific evolutionary pattern of mtDNA mutations and investigated its biological implication. RESULTS Mutational profiling revealed that the mitochondrial genome of EOC tissues was highly unstable compared with non-cancerous ovary tissues. Furthermore, our data indicated the delayed heteroplasmy accumulation of mtDNA control region (mtCTR) mutations and near-complete absence of mtCTR non-hypervariable segment (non-HVS) mutations in EOC tissues, which is consistent with stringent negative selection against mtCTR mutation. Additionally, we observed a bidirectional and region-specific evolutionary pattern of mtDNA coding region mutations, manifested as significant negative selection against mutations in complex V (ATP6/ATP8) and tRNA loop regions, and potential positive selection on mutations in complex III (MT-CYB). Meanwhile, EOC tissues showed higher mitochondrial biogenesis compared with non-cancerous ovary tissues. Further analysis revealed the significant association between mtDNA mutations and both mitochondrial biogenesis and overall survival of EOC patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study presents a comprehensive delineation of EOC-specific evolutionary patterns of mtDNA mutations that aligned well with the specific mitochondrial metabolic remodelling, conferring novel insights into the functional roles of mtDNA mutations in EOC tumourigenesis and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanfan Xie
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXijing HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Wenjie Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Xingguo Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXijing HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Kaixiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Shanshan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Tianlei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Shengjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Zhiyang Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXijing HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Qing Yuan
- Institute of Medical ResearchNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Huanqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Xiwen Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of PathologyXijing Hospital and School of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Jinliang Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Shujuan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyXijing HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anChina
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3
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Guan TX, Lu ZP, Liu ML, Xun LL, Fang MF, Li ZH. Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Gypsophila huashanensis Y. W. Tsui & D. Q. Lu, an endemic herb species in China. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2023; 8:643-647. [PMID: 37312972 PMCID: PMC10259312 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2023.2220436] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gypsophila huashanensis Y. W. Tsui & D. Q. Lu (Caryophyllaceae) is an endemic herb species to the Qinling Mountains in China. In this study, we characterized its whole plastid genome using the Illumina sequencing platform. The complete plastid genome of G. huashanensis is 152,457 bp in length, including a large single-copy DNA region of 83,476 bp, a small single-copy DNA region of 17,345 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat DNA sequences of 25,818 bp. The genome contains 130 genes comprising 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Evolutionary analysis showed that the non-coding regions of Caryophyllaceae exhibit a higher level of divergence than the exon regions. Gene site selection analysis suggested that 11 coding protein genes (accD, atpF, ndhA, ndhB, petB, petD, rpoCl, rpoC2, rps16, ycfl, and ycf2) have some sites under protein sequence evolution. Phylogenetic analysis showed that G. huashanensis is most closely related to the congeneric species G. oldhamiana. These results are very useful for studying phylogenetic evolution and species divergence in the family Caryophyllaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Xia Guan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhao-Ping Lu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mi-Li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lu-Lu Xun
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Centre for Conservation and Utilization of Botanical Resources, Xi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province (Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province), Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min-Feng Fang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhong-Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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4
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Guo W, Liu Y, Ji X, Guo S, Xie F, Chen Y, Zhou K, Zhang H, Peng F, Wu D, Wang Z, Guo X, zhao Q, Gu X, Xing J. Mutational signature of mtDNA confers mechanistic insight into oxidative metabolism remodeling in colorectal cancer. Theranostics 2023; 13:324-338. [PMID: 36593960 PMCID: PMC9800724 DOI: 10.7150/thno.78718] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Mitochondrial dysfunction caused by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and subsequent metabolic defects are closely involved in tumorigenesis and progression in a cancer-type specific manner. To date, the mutational pattern of mtDNA somatic mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and its clinical implication are still not completely clear. Methods: In the present study, we generated a large mtDNA somatic mutation dataset from three CRC cohorts (432, 1,015, and 845 patients, respectively) and then most comprehensively characterized the CRC-specific evolutionary pattern and its clinical implication. Results: Our results showed that the mtDNA control region (mtCTR) with a high mutation density exhibited a distinct mutation spectrum characterizing a high enrichment of L-strand C > T mutations, which was contrary to the H-strand C > T mutational bias observed in the mtDNA coding region (mtCDR) (P < 0.001). Further analysis clearly confirmed the relaxed evolutionary selection of mtCTR mutations, which was mainly characterized by the similar distribution of hypervariable region (HVS) and non-HVS mutation density. Moreover, significant negative selection was identified in mutations of mtDNA complex V (ATP6/ATP8) and tRNA loop regions. Although our data showed that oxidative metabolism was commonly increased in CRC cells, mtDNA somatic mutations in CRC tissues were not closely associated with mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative metabolism, and clinical progression, suggesting a cancer-type specific relationship between mtDNA mutations and mitochondrial metabolic functions in CRC cells. Conclusion: Our study identified the CRC-specific evolutionary mode of mtDNA mutations, which is possibly matched to specific mitochondrial metabolic remodeling and confers new mechanic insight into CRC tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoying Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shanshan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fanfan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanxing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaixiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huanqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fan Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Dan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhenni Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qi zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiwen Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital and School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Jinliang Xing, Tel: +86-29-84774551; Fax: +86-29-84774551; E-mail: . Xiwen Gu, Tel: +86-29-84775497; Fax: +86-29-84775497; E-mail:
| | - Jinliang Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,✉ Corresponding authors: Jinliang Xing, Tel: +86-29-84774551; Fax: +86-29-84774551; E-mail: . Xiwen Gu, Tel: +86-29-84775497; Fax: +86-29-84775497; E-mail:
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5
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Qi T, Xu Y, Zhou T, Gu W. The Evolution of G-quadruplex Structure in mRNA Untranslated Region. Evol Bioinform Online 2021; 17:11769343211035140. [PMID: 34366661 DOI: 10.1177/11769343211035140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) is a kind of non-canonical high-order secondary structure with important biological functions and is enriched in untranslated regions (UTRs) of protein-coding genes. However, how rG4 structures evolve is largely unknown. Here, we systematically investigated the evolution of RNA sequences around UTR rG4 structures in 5 eukaryotic organisms. We found universal selection on UTR sequences, which facilitated rG4 formation in all the organisms that we analyzed. While G-rich sequences were preferred in the rG4 structural region, C-rich sequences were selectively not preferred. The selective pressure acting on rG4 structures in the UTRs of genes with higher G content was significantly smaller. Furthermore, we found that rG4 structures experienced smaller evolutionary selection near the translation initiation region in the 5' UTR, near the polyadenylation signals in the 3' UTR, and in regions flanking the miRNA targets in the 3' UTR. These results suggest universal selection for rG4 formation in the UTRs of eukaryotic genomes and the selection may be related to the biological functions of rG4s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuming Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Wanjun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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6
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Dong PB, Wang RN, Afzal N, Liu ML, Yue M, Liu JN, Tan JL, Li ZH. Phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution of woody forest tree family Aceraceae based on plastid phylogenomics and nuclear gene variations. Genomics 2021; 113:2365-2376. [PMID: 34051325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The forest tree family Aceraceae is widespread in the northern hemisphere and it has ecological and economic importance. However, the phylogenetic relationships and classifications within the family are still controversial due to transitional intraspecific morphological characteristics and introgression hybridization among species. In this study, we determined the evolutionary relationships and molecular evolution of Aceraceae based on plastid phylogenomics and two nuclear gene variations. Phylogenetic analysis based on the plastid genomes suggested that Aceraceae species can be divided into two larger sub-clades corresponding to the two genera Acer and Dipteronia. Conjoint analysis of the plastid and nuclear gene sequences supported the classification with two genera in the family. Molecular dating showed that the two genera diverged 60.2 million years ago, which is generally consistently with previously reported results. Divergence hotspots and positively selected genes identified in the plastid genomes could be useful genetic resources in Aceraceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Bin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Ruo-Nan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Nawal Afzal
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Mi-Li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Jian-Ni Liu
- Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Jiang-Li Tan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
| | - Zhong-Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
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7
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Abstract
Mimivirus is one of the most complex and largest viruses known. The origin and evolution of Mimivirus and other giant viruses have been a subject of intense study in the last two decades. The two prevailing hypotheses on the origin of Mimivirus and other viruses are the reduction hypothesis, which posits that viruses emerged from modern unicellular organisms; whereas the virus-first hypothesis proposes viruses as relics of precellular forms of life. In this study, to gain insights into the origin of Mimivirus, we have carried out extensive phylogenetic, correlation, and multidimensional scaling analyses of the putative proteins involved in the replication of its 1.2-Mb large genome. Correlation analysis and multidimensional scaling methods were validated using bacteriophage, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic replication proteins before applying to Mimivirus. We show that a large fraction of mimiviral replication proteins, including polymerase B, clamp, and clamp loaders are of eukaryotic origin and are coevolving. Although phylogenetic analysis places some components along the lineages of phage and bacteria, we show that all the replication-related genes have been homogenized and are under purifying selection. Collectively our analysis supports the idea that Mimivirus originated from a complex cellular ancestor. We hypothesize that Mimivirus has largely retained complex replication machinery reminiscent of its progenitor while losing most of the other genes related to processes such as metabolism and translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriya Patil
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Kiran Kondabagil
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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8
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Rosenfeld CS, Hekman JP, Johnson JL, Lyu Z, Ortega MT, Joshi T, Mao J, Vladimirova AV, Gulevich RG, Kharlamova AV, Acland GM, Hecht EE, Wang X, Clark AG, Trut LN, Behura SK, Kukekova AV. Hypothalamic transcriptome of tame and aggressive silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes) identifies gene expression differences shared across brain regions. Genes Brain Behav 2019; 19:e12614. [PMID: 31605445 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The underlying neurological events accompanying dog domestication remain elusive. To reconstruct the domestication process in an experimental setting, silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been deliberately bred for tame vs aggressive behaviors for more than 50 generations at the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. The hypothalamus is an essential part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and regulates the fight-or-flight response, and thus, we hypothesized that selective breeding for tameness/aggressiveness has shaped the hypothalamic transcriptomic profile. RNA-seq analysis identified 70 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Seven of these genes, DKKL1, FBLN7, NPL, PRIMPOL, PTGRN, SHCBP1L and SKIV2L, showed the same direction expression differences in the hypothalamus, basal forebrain and prefrontal cortex. The genes differentially expressed across the three tissues are involved in cell division, differentiation, adhesion and carbohydrate processing, suggesting an association of these processes with selective breeding. Additionally, 159 transcripts from the hypothalamus demonstrated differences in the abundance of alternative spliced forms between the tame and aggressive foxes. Weighted gene coexpression network analyses also suggested that gene modules in hypothalamus were significantly associated with tame vs aggressive behavior. Pathways associated with these modules include signal transduction, interleukin signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and peptide ligand-binding receptors (eg, G-protein coupled receptor [GPCR] ligand binding). Current studies show the selection for tameness vs aggressiveness in foxes is associated with unique hypothalamic gene profiles partly shared with other brain regions and highlight DEGs involved in biological processes such as development, differentiation and immunological responses. The role of these processes in fox and dog domestication remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jessica P Hekman
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Zhen Lyu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Madison T Ortega
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Trupti Joshi
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jiude Mao
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Anastasiya V Vladimirova
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Rimma G Gulevich
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anastasiya V Kharlamova
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Gregory M Acland
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Andrew G Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Lyudmila N Trut
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Susanta K Behura
- MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Anna V Kukekova
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
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9
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Su XZ, Lane KD, Xia L, Sá JM, Wellems TE. Plasmodium Genomics and Genetics: New Insights into Malaria Pathogenesis, Drug Resistance, Epidemiology, and Evolution. Clin Microbiol Rev 2019; 32:e00019-19. [PMID: 31366610 DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00019-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan Plasmodium parasites are the causative agents of malaria, a deadly disease that continues to afflict hundreds of millions of people every year. Infections with malaria parasites can be asymptomatic, with mild or severe symptoms, or fatal, depending on many factors such as parasite virulence and host immune status. Malaria can be treated with various drugs, with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) being the first-line choice. Recent advances in genetics and genomics of malaria parasites have contributed greatly to our understanding of parasite population dynamics, transmission, drug responses, and pathogenesis. However, knowledge gaps in parasite biology and host-parasite interactions still remain. Parasites resistant to multiple antimalarial drugs have emerged, while advanced clinical trials have shown partial efficacy for one available vaccine. Here we discuss genetic and genomic studies of Plasmodium biology, host-parasite interactions, population structures, mosquito infectivity, antigenic variation, and targets for treatment and immunization. Knowledge from these studies will advance our understanding of malaria pathogenesis, epidemiology, and evolution and will support work to discover and develop new medicines and vaccines.
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10
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Fumagalli M, Camus SM, Diekmann Y, Burke A, Camus MD, Norman PJ, Joseph A, Abi-Rached L, Benazzo A, Rasteiro R, Mathieson I, Topf M, Parham P, Thomas MG, Brodsky FM. Genetic diversity of CHC22 clathrin impacts its function in glucose metabolism. eLife 2019; 8:41517. [PMID: 31159924 PMCID: PMC6548504 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CHC22 clathrin plays a key role in intracellular membrane traffic of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 in humans. We performed population genetic and phylogenetic analyses of the CHC22-encoding CLTCL1 gene, revealing independent gene loss in at least two vertebrate lineages, after arising from gene duplication. All vertebrates retained the paralogous CLTC gene encoding CHC17 clathrin, which mediates endocytosis. For vertebrates retaining CLTCL1, strong evidence for purifying selection supports CHC22 functionality. All human populations maintained two high frequency CLTCL1 allelic variants, encoding either methionine or valine at position 1316. Functional studies indicated that CHC22-V1316, which is more frequent in farming populations than in hunter-gatherers, has different cellular dynamics than M1316-CHC22 and is less effective at controlling GLUT4 membrane traffic, altering its insulin-regulated response. These analyses suggest that ancestral human dietary change influenced selection of allotypes that affect CHC22's role in metabolism and have potential to differentially influence the human insulin response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Fumagalli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom.,Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephane M Camus
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yoan Diekmann
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Burke
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marine D Camus
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Norman
- Division of Bioinformatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Colorado, Aurora, United States
| | - Agnel Joseph
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College and University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laurent Abi-Rached
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Andrea Benazzo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Rita Rasteiro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Iain Mathieson
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College and University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Parham
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Mark G Thomas
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frances M Brodsky
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College and University College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Abstract
Historically, the observation of naturally occurring cases of prion disease led to the classification of different susceptibility grades and to the designation of prion resistant species. However, the development of highly efficient in vitro prion propagation systems and the generation of ad hoc transgenic models allowed determining that leporidae and equidae families have been erroneously considered resistant to prion infection. On the contrary, similar approaches revealed an unexpected high level of resistance of the canidae family. In PLoS Pathogens [ 1 ], we describe experiments directed toward elucidating which are the determinants of the alleged prion resistance of this family. Studies based on the sequence of the canine prion protein coupled with structural in silico analysis identified a key residue probably implicated in this resistance. Cell and brain-based PMCA highlighted that the presence of aspartic or glutamic acid at codon 163 of the canid PrP, strongly inhibits prion replication in vitro. Transgenic animals carrying this substitution in mouse PrP were resistant to prion infection after intracerebral challenge with different mouse prion strains. The confirmation of the importance of this substitution and its exclusivity in this family, suggests it could have been evolutionarily favored, due to their diet based on carrion and small ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hasier Eraña
- a CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia , Derio , Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- a CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia , Derio , Spain.,b IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science , Bilbao , Spain
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12
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Li X, Jusup M, Wang Z, Li H, Shi L, Podobnik B, Stanley HE, Havlin S, Boccaletti S. Punishment diminishes the benefits of network reciprocity in social dilemma experiments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:30-5. [PMID: 29259113 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1707505115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Network reciprocity has been widely advertised in theoretical studies as one of the basic cooperation-promoting mechanisms, but experimental evidence favoring this type of reciprocity was published only recently. When organized in an unchanging network of social contacts, human subjects cooperate provided the following strict condition is satisfied: The benefit of cooperation must outweigh the total cost of cooperating with all neighbors. In an attempt to relax this condition, we perform social dilemma experiments wherein network reciprocity is aided with another theoretically hypothesized cooperation-promoting mechanism-costly punishment. The results reveal how networks promote and stabilize cooperation. This stabilizing effect is stronger in a smaller-size neighborhood, as expected from theory and experiments. Contrary to expectations, punishment diminishes the benefits of network reciprocity by lowering assortment, payoff per round, and award for cooperative behavior. This diminishing effect is stronger in a larger-size neighborhood. An immediate implication is that the psychological effects of enduring punishment override the rational response anticipated in quantitative models of cooperation in networks.
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13
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Abstract
CpG islands (CGIs) are associated with ∼60% of mammalian promoters. Most unmethylated CGIs exhibit transcriptional activity, which has led to their co-option as promoters by retrogenes. CGIs may also serve as alternative promoters for downstream genes with methylated promoters, with implications on aberrant activation of oncogenes in cancer phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrutii Sarda
- a Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- a Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
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14
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Abstract
A large number of studies demonstrated the importance of different HIV RNA structural elements at all stages of the viral life cycle. Nevertheless, the significance of many of these structures is unknown, and plausibly new regions containing RNA structure-mediated regulatory signals remain to be identified. An important characteristic of genomic regions carrying functionally significant secondary structures is their mutational robustness, that is, the extent to which a sequence remains constant in spite of despite mutations in terms of its underlying secondary structure. Structural robustness to mutations is expected to be important in the case of functional RNA structures in viruses with high mutation rate; it may prevent fitness loss due to disruption of possibly functional conformations, pointing to the specific significance of the corresponding genomic region. In the current work, we perform a genome-wide computational analysis to detect signals of a direct evolutionary selection for strong folding and RNA structure-based mutational robustness within HIV coding sequences. We provide evidence that specific regions of HIV structural genes undergo an evolutionary selection for strong folding; in addition, we demonstrate that HIV Rev responsive element seems to undergo a direct evolutionary selection for increased secondary structure robustness to point mutations. We believe that our analysis may enable a better understanding of viral evolutionary dynamics at the RNA structural level and may benefit to practical efforts of engineering antiviral vaccines and novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Goz
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University , Ramat Aviv, Israel .,2 SynVaccine Ltd . Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University , Ramat Aviv, Israel .,2 SynVaccine Ltd . Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, Israel .,3 Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University , Ramat Aviv, Israel
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15
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Zhao K, Du J, Rui Y, Zheng W, Kang J, Hou J, Wang K, Zhang W, Simon VA, Yu XF. Evolutionarily conserved pressure for the existence of distinct G2/M cell cycle arrest and A3H inactivation functions in HIV-1 Vif. Cell Cycle 2015; 14:838-47. [PMID: 25590520 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2014.1000212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 Vif assembles the Cul5-EloB/C E3 ubiquitin ligase to induce proteasomal degradation of the cellular antiviral APOBEC3 proteins. Detailed structural studies have confirmed critical functional domains in Vif that we have previously identified as important for the interaction of EloB/C, Cul5, and CBFβ. However, the mechanism by which Vif recognizes substrates remains poorly understood. Specific regions of Vif have been identified as being responsible for binding and depleting APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F. Interestingly, we have now identified distinct yet overlapping domains that are required for HIV-1 Vif-mediated G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest and APOBEC3H degradation, but not for the inactivation of APOBEC3G or APOBEC3F. Surprisingly, Vif molecules from primary HIV-1 variants that caused G2/M arrest were unable to inactivate APOBEC3H; on the other hand, HIV-1 Vif variants that could inactivate APOBEC3H were unable to induce G2/M arrest. All of these Vif variants still maintained the ability to inactivate APOBEC3G/F. Thus, primary HIV-1 variants have evolved to possess distinct functional activities that allow them to suppress APOBEC3H or cause G2 cell cycle arrest, using mutually exclusive interface domains. APOBEC3H depletion and G2 arrest are apparently evolutionary selected features that cannot co-exist on a single Vif molecule. The existence and persistence of both types of HIV-1 Vif variant suggests the importance of APOBEC3H suppression and cell cycle regulation for HIV-1's survival in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhao
- a Institute of Virology and AIDS Research ; First Hospital of Jilin University ; Changchun , Jilin , China
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16
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Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) constitute the most common type of genetic variation in humans. SNPs introducing premature termination codons (PTCs), herein called X-SNPs, can alter the stability and function of transcripts and proteins and thus are considered to be biologically important. Initial studies suggested a strong selection against such variations/mutations. In this study, we undertook a genome-wide systematic screening to identify human X-SNPs using the dbSNP database. Our results demonstrated the presence of 28 X-SNPs from 28 genes with known minor allele frequencies. Eight X-SNPs (28.6 per cent) were predicted to cause transcript degradation by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Seventeen X-SNPs (60.7 per cent) resulted in moderate to severe truncation at the C-terminus of the proteins (deletion of >50 per cent of the amino acids). The majority of the X-SNPs (78.6 per cent) represent commonly occurring SNPs, by contrast with the rarely occurring disease-causing PTC mutations. Interestingly, X-SNPs displayed a non-uniform distribution across human populations: eight X-SNPs were reported to be prevalent across three different human populations, whereas six X-SNPs were found exclusively in one or two population(s). In conclusion, we have systematically investigated human SNPs introducing PTCs with respect to their possible biological consequences, distributions across different human populations and evolutionary aspects. We believe that the SNPs reported here are likely to affect gene/protein function, although their biological and evolutionary roles need to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevtap Savas
- Fred A. Litwin Centre for Cancer Genetics, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G IX5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 100 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5G IL5, Canada
| | - Sukru Tuzmen
- Cancer Drug Development Laboratory, Translational Genomics Research Institure, 13208 East Shea Blvd, Suite 110, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Hilmi Ozcelik
- Fred A. Litwin Centre for Cancer Genetics, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G IX5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 100 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5G IL5, Canada
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