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van Bree EJ, Guimarães RLFP, Lundberg M, Blujdea ER, Rosenkrantz JL, White FTG, Poppinga J, Ferrer-Raventós P, Schneider AFE, Clayton I, Haussler D, Reinders MJT, Holstege H, Ewing AD, Moses C, Jacobs FMJ. A hidden layer of structural variation in transposable elements reveals potential genetic modifiers in human disease-risk loci. Genome Res 2022; 32:656-670. [PMID: 35332097 PMCID: PMC8997352 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275515.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been highly informative in discovering disease-associated loci but are not designed to capture all structural variations in the human genome. Using long-read sequencing data, we discovered widespread structural variation within SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) elements, a class of great ape-specific transposable elements with gene-regulatory roles, which represents a major source of structural variability in the human population. We highlight the presence of structurally variable SVAs (SV-SVAs) in neurological disease-associated loci, and we further associate SV-SVAs to disease-associated SNPs and differential gene expression using luciferase assays and expression quantitative trait loci data. Finally, we genetically deleted SV-SVAs in the BIN1 and CD2AP Alzheimer's disease-associated risk loci and in the BCKDK Parkinson's disease-associated risk locus and assessed multiple aspects of their gene-regulatory influence in a human neuronal context. Together, this study reveals a novel layer of genetic variation in transposable elements that may contribute to identification of the structural variants that are the actual drivers of disease associations of GWAS loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth J van Bree
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rita L F P Guimarães
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Aging, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mischa Lundberg
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Elena R Blujdea
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jimi L Rosenkrantz
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fred T G White
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josse Poppinga
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paula Ferrer-Raventós
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Fleur E Schneider
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabella Clayton
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Haussler
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
| | - Marcel J T Reinders
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, 2628 XE Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Henne Holstege
- Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Aging, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, 2628 XE Delft, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Complex Trait Genetics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adam D Ewing
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Colette Moses
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank M J Jacobs
- Evolutionary Neurogenomics, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Complex Trait Genetics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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52
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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] [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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53
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Shapiro JA. What we have learned about evolutionary genome change in the past 7 decades. Biosystems 2022; 215-216:104669. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2022.104669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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54
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Warmuth VM, Weissensteiner MH, Wolf J. Ineffective silencing of transposable elements on an avian W Chromosome. Genome Res 2022; 32:671-681. [PMID: 35149543 PMCID: PMC8997356 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275465.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the defining features of transposable elements (TEs) is their ability to move to new locations in the host genome. To minimise the potentially deleterious effects of de novo TE insertions, hosts have evolved several mechanisms to control TE activity, including recombination-mediated removal and epigenetic silencing; however, increasing evidence suggests that silencing of TEs is often incomplete. The crow family experienced a recent radiation of LTR retrotransposons (LTRs), offering an opportunity to gain insight into the regulatory control of young, potentially still active TEs. We quantified the abundance of TE-derived transcripts across several tissues in 15 Eurasian crows (Corvus (corone) spp.) raised under common garden conditions and find evidence for ineffective TE suppression on the female-specific W Chromosome. Using RNA-seq data, we show that ~ 9.5% of all transcribed TEs had considerably greater (average: 16-fold) transcript abundance in female crows, and that more than 85% of these female-biased TEs originated on the W Chromosome. After accounting for differences in TE density among chromosomal classes, W-linked TEs were significantly more highly expressed than TEs residing on other chromosomes, consistent with ineffective silencing on the former. Together, our results suggest that the crow W Chromosome acts as a source of transcriptionally active TEs, with possible negative fitness consequences for female birds analogous to Drosophila (an X/Y system), where overexpression of Y-linked TEs is associated with male-specific aging and fitness loss ('toxic Y').
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55
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Tejada-Martinez D, Avelar RA, Lopes I, Zhang B, Novoa G, de Magalhães JP, Trizzino M. Positive Selection and Enhancer Evolution Shaped Lifespan and Body Mass in Great Apes. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab369. [PMID: 34971383 PMCID: PMC8837823 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within primates, the great apes are outliers both in terms of body size and lifespan, since they include the largest and longest-lived species in the order. Yet, the molecular bases underlying such features are poorly understood. Here, we leveraged an integrated approach to investigate multiple sources of molecular variation across primates, focusing on over 10,000 genes, including approximately 1,500 previously associated with lifespan, and additional approximately 9,000 for which an association with longevity has never been suggested. We analyzed dN/dS rates, positive selection, gene expression (RNA-seq), and gene regulation (ChIP-seq). By analyzing the correlation between dN/dS, maximum lifespan, and body mass, we identified 276 genes whose rate of evolution positively correlates with maximum lifespan in primates. Further, we identified five genes, important for tumor suppression, adaptive immunity, metastasis, and inflammation, under positive selection exclusively in the great ape lineage. RNA-seq data, generated from the liver of six species representing all the primate lineages, revealed that 8% of approximately 1,500 genes previously associated with longevity are differentially expressed in apes relative to other primates. Importantly, by integrating RNA-seq with ChIP-seq for H3K27ac (which marks active enhancers), we show that the differentially expressed longevity genes are significantly more likely than expected to be located near a novel "ape-specific" enhancer. Moreover, these particular ape-specific enhancers are enriched for young transposable elements, and specifically SINE-Vntr-Alus. In summary, we demonstrate that multiple evolutionary forces have contributed to the evolution of lifespan and body size in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Tejada-Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto A Avelar
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Inês Lopes
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce Zhang
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Novoa
- Department of Structure of Macromolecules, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología—CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Trizzino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Environmental adaptation in fish induced changes in the regulatory region of fatty acid elongase gene, elovl5, involved in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 204:144-153. [PMID: 35120941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fish are the main source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) for human consumption. In the process of evolution via natural selection, adaptation to distinct environments has likely driven changes in the endogenous capacity for LC-PUFA biosynthesis between marine and freshwater fishes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive changes in this metabolic pathway are poorly understood. Here, we compared the transcriptional regulation of elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (Elovl5), which is one of the critical enzymes in LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathway, in marine large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Comparative transcriptomic and absolute mRNA quantification analyses revealed that the expression of elovl5 in rainbow trout was markedly higher than that in large yellow croaker. Correspondingly, the number of chromatin accessible areas in the regulatory region of elovl5 in rainbow trout was higher than in large yellow croaker, which revealed that chromatin accessibility in the regulatory region of elovl5 in rainbow trout was higher. Furthermore, the differences in sequence and activity of the elovl5 promoter were observed between rainbow trout and large yellow croaker, and transcription factors including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (CEBPβ), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) and upstream stimulatory factor 2 (USF2) displayed different regulatory roles on elovl5 expression between the two species. We propose that changes in the gene regulatory region driven by natural selection likely play a key role in differences in elovl5 expression and the activity of Elovl5, which may influence the LC-PUFA biosynthesis capacities of rainbow trout and large yellow croaker. These findings may also provide opportunities to improve the quality of aquatic products and, consequently, human health.
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57
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Pradhan RK, Ramakrishna W. Transposons: Unexpected players in cancer. Gene 2022; 808:145975. [PMID: 34592349 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transposons are repetitive DNA sequences encompassing about half of the human genome. They play a vital role in genome stability maintenance and contribute to genomic diversity and evolution. Their activity is regulated by various mechanisms considering the deleterious effects of these mobile elements. Various genetic risk factors and environmental stress conditions affect the regulatory pathways causing alteration of transposon expression. Our knowledge of the biological role of transposons is limited especially in various types of cancers. Retrotransposons of different types (LTR-retrotransposons, LINEs and SINEs) regulate a plethora of genes that have a role in cell reprogramming, tumor suppression, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell adhesion and migration, and DNA repair. The regulatory mechanisms of transposons, their deregulation and different mechanisms underlying transposon-mediated carcinogenesis in humans focusing on the three most prevalent types, lung, breast and colorectal cancers, were reviewed. The modes of regulation employed include alternative splicing, deletion, insertion, duplication in genes and promoters resulting in upregulation, downregulation or silencing of genes.
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58
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Bakoulis S, Krautz R, Alcaraz N, Salvatore M, Andersson R. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:2111-2127. [PMID: 35166831 PMCID: PMC8887488 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicolas Alcaraz
- The Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research (CPR), University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marco Salvatore
- The Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robin Andersson
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +45 35330245;
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59
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Nery MF, Rennó M, Picorelli A, Ramos E. A phylogenetic review of cancer resistance highlights evolutionary solutions to Peto’s Paradox. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 45:e20220133. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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60
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Buttler CA, Chuong EB. Emerging roles for endogenous retroviruses in immune epigenetic regulation. Immunol Rev 2022; 305:165-178. [PMID: 34816452 PMCID: PMC8766910 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been significant progress toward understanding the transcriptional networks underlying mammalian immune responses, fueled by advances in regulatory genomic technologies. Epigenomic studies profiling immune cells have generated detailed genome-wide maps of regulatory elements that will be key to deciphering the regulatory networks underlying cellular immune responses and autoimmune disorders. Unbiased analyses of these genomic maps have uncovered endogenous retroviruses as an unexpected ally in the regulation of human immune systems. Despite their parasitic origins, studies are finding an increasing number of examples of retroviral sequences having been co-opted for beneficial immune function and regulation by the host cell. Here, we review how endogenous retroviruses have given rise to numerous regulatory elements that shape the epigenetic landscape of host immune responses. We will discuss the implications of these elements on the function, dysfunction, and evolution of innate immunity.
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61
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Tusso S, Suo F, Liang Y, Du LL, Wolf JBW. Reactivation of transposable elements following hybridization in fission yeast. Genome Res 2021; 32:324-336. [PMID: 34907076 PMCID: PMC8805722 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276056.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization is thought to reactivate transposable elements (TEs) that were efficiently suppressed in the genomes of the parental hosts. Here, we provide evidence for this “genomic shock hypothesis” in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this species, two divergent lineages (Sp and Sk) have experienced recent, likely human-induced, hybridization. We used long-read sequencing data to assemble genomes of 37 samples derived from 31 S. pombe strains spanning a wide range of ancestral admixture proportions. A comprehensive TE inventory revealed exclusive presence of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. Sequence analysis of active full-length elements, as well as solo LTRs, revealed a complex history of homologous recombination. Population genetic analyses of syntenic sequences placed insertion of many solo LTRs before the split of the Sp and Sk lineages. Most full-length elements were inserted more recently, after hybridization. With the exception of a single full-length element with signs of positive selection, both solo LTRs and, in particular, full-length elements carry signatures of purifying selection indicating effective removal by the host. Consistent with reactivation upon hybridization, the number of full-length LTR retrotransposons, varying extensively from zero to 87 among strains, significantly increases with the degree of genomic admixture. This study gives a detailed account of global TE diversity in S. pombe, documents complex recombination histories within TE elements, and provides evidence for the “genomic shock hypothesis.”
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fang Suo
- National Institute of Biological Sciences
| | - Yue Liang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences
| | - Li-Lin Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences
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62
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Zhang Y, Li Z, Zhang Y, Lin K, Peng Y, Ye L, Zhuang Y, Wang M, Xie Y, Guo J, Teng W, Tong Y, Zhang W, Xue Y, Lang Z, Zhang Y. Evolutionary rewiring of the wheat transcriptional regulatory network by lineage-specific transposable elements. Genome Res 2021; 31:2276-2289. [PMID: 34503979 PMCID: PMC8647832 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275658.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
More than 80% of the wheat genome consists of transposable elements (TEs), which act as major drivers of wheat genome evolution. However, their contributions to the regulatory evolution of wheat adaptations remain largely unclear. Here, we created genome-binding maps for 53 transcription factors (TFs) underlying environmental responses by leveraging DAP-seq in Triticum urartu, together with epigenomic profiles. Most TF binding sites (TFBSs) located distally from genes are embedded in TEs, whose functional relevance is supported by purifying selection and active epigenomic features. About 24% of the non-TE TFBSs share significantly high sequence similarity with TE-embedded TFBSs. These non-TE TFBSs have almost no homologous sequences in non-Triticeae species and are potentially derived from Triticeae-specific TEs. The expansion of TE-derived TFBS linked to wheat-specific gene responses, suggesting TEs are an important driving force for regulatory innovations. Altogether, TEs have been significantly and continuously shaping regulatory networks related to wheat genome evolution and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyun Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zijuan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu'e Zhang
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Kande Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Yuan Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Luhuan Ye
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yili Zhuang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Meiyue Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yilin Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingyu Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- Henan University, School of Life Science, Kaifeng, Henan 457000, China
| | - Wan Teng
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yiping Tong
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Yongbiao Xue
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and National Centre for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101 China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Zhaobo Lang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yijing Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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63
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Senft AD, Macfarlan TS. Transposable elements shape the evolution of mammalian development. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:691-711. [PMID: 34354263 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) promote genetic innovation but also threaten genome stability. Despite multiple layers of host defence, TEs actively shape mammalian-specific developmental processes, particularly during pre-implantation and extra-embryonic development and at the maternal-fetal interface. Here, we review how TEs influence mammalian genomes both directly by providing the raw material for genetic change and indirectly via co-evolving TE-binding Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs). Throughout mammalian evolution, individual activities of ancient TEs were co-opted to enable invasive placentation that characterizes live-born mammals. By contrast, the widespread activity of evolutionarily young TEs may reflect an ongoing co-evolution that continues to impact mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Senft
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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64
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Nicolau M, Picault N, Moissiard G. The Evolutionary Volte-Face of Transposable Elements: From Harmful Jumping Genes to Major Drivers of Genetic Innovation. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112952. [PMID: 34831175 PMCID: PMC8616336 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are self-replicating DNA elements that constitute major fractions of eukaryote genomes. Their ability to transpose can modify the genome structure with potentially deleterious effects. To repress TE activity, host cells have developed numerous strategies, including epigenetic pathways, such as DNA methylation or histone modifications. Although TE neo-insertions are mostly deleterious or neutral, they can become advantageous for the host under specific circumstances. The phenomenon leading to the appropriation of TE-derived sequences by the host is known as TE exaptation or co-option. TE exaptation can be of different natures, through the production of coding or non-coding DNA sequences with ultimately an adaptive benefit for the host. In this review, we first give new insights into the silencing pathways controlling TE activity. We then discuss a model to explain how, under specific environmental conditions, TEs are unleashed, leading to a TE burst and neo-insertions, with potential benefits for the host. Finally, we review our current knowledge of coding and non-coding TE exaptation by providing several examples in various organisms and describing a method to identify TE co-option events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Nicolau
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, 66860 Perpignan, France; (M.N.); (N.P.)
- LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Nathalie Picault
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, 66860 Perpignan, France; (M.N.); (N.P.)
- LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Guillaume Moissiard
- LGDP-UMR5096, CNRS, 66860 Perpignan, France; (M.N.); (N.P.)
- LGDP-UMR5096, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France
- Correspondence:
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Hashimoto K, Jouhilahti EM, Töhönen V, Carninci P, Kere J, Katayama S. Embryonic LTR retrotransposons supply promoter modules to somatic tissues. Genome Res 2021; 31:1983-1993. [PMID: 34675070 PMCID: PMC8559712 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275354.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are widely distributed across the human genome. They have accumulated through retroviral integration into germline DNA and are latent genetic modules. Active LTR promoters are observed in germline cells; however, little is known about the mechanisms underlying their active transcription in somatic tissues. Here, by integrating our previous transcriptome data set with publicly available data sets, we show that the LTR families MLT2A1 and MLT2A2 are primarily expressed in human four-cell and eight-cell embryos and are also activated in some adult somatic tissues, particularly pineal gland. Three MLT2A elements function as the promoters and first exons of the protein-coding genes ABCE1, COL5A1, and GALNT13 specifically in the pineal gland of humans but not in that of macaques, suggesting that the exaptation of these LTRs as promoters occurred during recent primate evolution. This analysis provides insight into the possible transition from germline insertion to somatic expression of LTR retrotransposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Hashimoto
- Laboratory for Computational Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Eeva-Mari Jouhilahti
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Virpi Töhönen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Piero Carninci
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.,Human Technopole, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Juha Kere
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.,Folkhälsan Research Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shintaro Katayama
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.,Folkhälsan Research Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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66
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Serrato-Capuchina A, D’Agostino ERR, Peede D, Roy B, Isbell K, Wang J, Matute DR. P-elements strengthen reproductive isolation within the Drosophila simulans species complex. Evolution 2021; 75:2425-2440. [PMID: 34463356 PMCID: PMC8772388 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Determining mechanisms that underlie reproductive isolation (RI) is key to understanding how species boundaries are maintained in nature. Transposable elements (TEs) are ubiquitous across eukaryotic genomes. However, the role of TEs in modulating the strength of RI between species is poorly understood. Several species of Drosophila have been found to harbor P-elements (PEs), yet only D. simulans is known to be currently polymorphic for their presence in wild populations. PEs can cause RI between PE-containing (P) and PE-lacking (M) lineages of the same species. However, it is unclear whether they also contribute to the magnitude of RI between species. Here, we use the simulans species complex to assess whether differences in PE status between D. simulans and its sister species, which do not harbor PEs, contribute to multiple barriers to gene flow between species. We show that crosses involving a P D. simulans father and an M mother from a sister species exhibit lower F1 female fecundity than crosses involving an M D. simulans father and an M sister-species mother. We also find that another TE, I-element, might play a minor role in determining the frequency of dysgenesis between species. Our results suggest that the presence of PEs in a species can strengthen isolation from its sister species, providing evidence that TEs can play a role in RI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Serrato-Capuchina
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Emmanuel R. R. D’Agostino
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
| | - David Peede
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
| | - Baylee Roy
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
| | - Kristin Isbell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
| | - Jeremy Wang
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
| | - Daniel R. Matute
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
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67
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Ullastres A, Merenciano M, González J. Regulatory regions in natural transposable element insertions drive interindividual differences in response to immune challenges in Drosophila. Genome Biol 2021; 22:265. [PMID: 34521452 PMCID: PMC8439047 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02471-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Variation in gene expression underlies interindividual variability in relevant traits including immune response. However, the genetic variation responsible for these gene expression changes remains largely unknown. Among the non-coding variants that could be relevant, transposable element insertions are promising candidates as they have been shown to be a rich and diverse source of cis-regulatory elements. Results In this work, we use a population genetics approach to identify transposable element insertions likely to increase the tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster to bacterial infection by affecting the expression of immune-related genes. We identify 12 insertions associated with allele-specific expression changes in immune-related genes. We experimentally validate three of these insertions including one likely to be acting as a silencer, one as an enhancer, and one with a dual role as enhancer and promoter. The direction in the change of gene expression associated with the presence of several of these insertions is consistent with an increased survival to infection. Indeed, for one of the insertions, we show that this is the case by analyzing both natural populations and CRISPR/Cas9 mutants in which the insertion is deleted from its native genomic context. Conclusions We show that transposable elements contribute to gene expression variation in response to infection in D. melanogaster and that this variation is likely to affect their survival capacity. Because the role of transposable elements as regulatory elements is not restricted to Drosophila, transposable elements are likely to play a role in immune response in other organisms as well. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-021-02471-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ullastres
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Merenciano
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefa González
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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68
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Judd J, Sanderson H, Feschotte C. Evolution of mouse circadian enhancers from transposable elements. Genome Biol 2021; 22:193. [PMID: 34187518 PMCID: PMC8240256 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02409-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements are increasingly recognized as a source of cis-regulatory variation. Previous studies have revealed that transposons are often bound by transcription factors and some have been co-opted into functional enhancers regulating host gene expression. However, the process by which transposons mature into complex regulatory elements, like enhancers, remains poorly understood. To investigate this process, we examined the contribution of transposons to the cis-regulatory network controlling circadian gene expression in the mouse liver, a well-characterized network serving an important physiological function. RESULTS ChIP-seq analyses reveal that transposons and other repeats contribute ~ 14% of the binding sites for core circadian regulators (CRs) including BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1/2, and CRY1/2, in the mouse liver. RSINE1, an abundant murine-specific SINE, is the only transposon family enriched for CR binding sites across all datasets. Sequence analyses and reporter assays reveal that the circadian regulatory activity of RSINE1 stems from the presence of imperfect CR binding motifs in the ancestral RSINE1 sequence. These motifs matured into canonical motifs through point mutations after transposition. Furthermore, maturation occurred preferentially within elements inserted in the proximity of ancestral CR binding sites. RSINE1 also acquired motifs that recruit nuclear receptors known to cooperate with CRs to regulate circadian gene expression specifically in the liver. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the birth of enhancers from transposons is predicated both by the sequence of the transposon and by the cis-regulatory landscape surrounding their genomic integration site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Judd
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Hayley Sanderson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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69
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Almojil D, Bourgeois Y, Falis M, Hariyani I, Wilcox J, Boissinot S. The Structural, Functional and Evolutionary Impact of Transposable Elements in Eukaryotes. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060918. [PMID: 34203645 PMCID: PMC8232201 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are nearly ubiquitous in eukaryotes. The increase in genomic data, as well as progress in genome annotation and molecular biology techniques, have revealed the vast number of ways mobile elements have impacted the evolution of eukaryotes. In addition to being the main cause of difference in haploid genome size, TEs have affected the overall organization of genomes by accumulating preferentially in some genomic regions, by causing structural rearrangements or by modifying the recombination rate. Although the vast majority of insertions is neutral or deleterious, TEs have been an important source of evolutionary novelties and have played a determinant role in the evolution of fundamental biological processes. TEs have been recruited in the regulation of host genes and are implicated in the evolution of regulatory networks. They have also served as a source of protein-coding sequences or even entire genes. The impact of TEs on eukaryotic evolution is only now being fully appreciated and the role they may play in a number of biological processes, such as speciation and adaptation, remains to be deciphered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dareen Almojil
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Yann Bourgeois
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK;
| | - Marcin Falis
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Imtiyaz Hariyani
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Justin Wilcox
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Stéphane Boissinot
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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70
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García-Pérez R, Esteller-Cucala P, Mas G, Lobón I, Di Carlo V, Riera M, Kuhlwilm M, Navarro A, Blancher A, Di Croce L, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, Juan D, Marquès-Bonet T. Epigenomic profiling of primate lymphoblastoid cell lines reveals the evolutionary patterns of epigenetic activities in gene regulatory architectures. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3116. [PMID: 34035253 PMCID: PMC8149829 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23397-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression have a central role in evolution. Here, we extensively profiled a panel of human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and macaque lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), using ChIP-seq for five histone marks, ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, further complemented with whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). We annotated regulatory elements (RE) and integrated chromatin contact maps to define gene regulatory architectures, creating the largest catalog of RE in primates to date. We report that epigenetic conservation and its correlation with sequence conservation in primates depends on the activity state of the regulatory element. Our gene regulatory architectures reveal the coordination of different types of components and highlight the role of promoters and intragenic enhancers (gE) in the regulation of gene expression. We observe that most regulatory changes occur in weakly active gE. Remarkably, novel human-specific gE with weak activities are enriched in human-specific nucleotide changes. These elements appear in genes with signals of positive selection and human acceleration, tissue-specific expression, and particular functional enrichments, suggesting that the regulatory evolution of these genes may have contributed to human adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Glòria Mas
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Lobón
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valerio Di Carlo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Riera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Kuhlwilm
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
- National Institute for Bioinformatics (INB), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoine Blancher
- Laboratoire d'immunologie, CHU de Toulouse, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
- Centre de Physiopathologie Toulouse-Purpan (CPTP), Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Luciano Di Croce
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - David Juan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Tomàs Marquès-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
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71
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Fong SL, Capra JA. Modeling the evolutionary architectures of transcribed human enhancer sequences reveals distinct origins, functions, and associations with human-trait variation. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3681-3696. [PMID: 33973014 PMCID: PMC8382917 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of gene regulatory enhancers in human biology and evolution, we lack a comprehensive model of enhancer evolution and function. This substantially limits our understanding of the genetic basis of species divergence and our ability to interpret the effects of noncoding variants on human traits. To explore enhancer sequence evolution and its relationship to regulatory function, we traced the evolutionary origins of transcribed human enhancer sequences with activity across diverse tissues and cellular contexts from the FANTOM5 consortium. The transcribed enhancers are enriched for sequences of a single evolutionary age (“simple” evolutionary architectures) compared with enhancers that are composites of sequences of multiple evolutionary ages (“complex” evolutionary architectures), likely indicating constraint against genomic rearrangements. Complex enhancers are older, more pleiotropic, and more active across species than simple enhancers. Genetic variants within complex enhancers are also less likely to associate with human traits and biochemical activity. Transposable-element-derived sequences (TEDS) have made diverse contributions to enhancers of both architectures; the majority of TEDS are found in enhancers with simple architectures, while a minority have remodeled older sequences to create complex architectures. Finally, we compare the evolutionary architectures of transcribed enhancers with histone-mark-defined enhancers. Our results reveal that most human transcribed enhancers are ancient sequences of a single age, and thus the evolution of most human enhancers was not driven by increases in evolutionary complexity over time. Our analyses further suggest that considering enhancer evolutionary histories provides context that can aid interpretation of the effects of variants on enhancer function. Based on these results, we propose a framework for analyzing enhancer evolutionary architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Fong
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John A Capra
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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72
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Jansz N, Faulkner GJ. Endogenous retroviruses in the origins and treatment of cancer. Genome Biol 2021; 22:147. [PMID: 33971937 PMCID: PMC8108463 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02357-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are emerging as promising therapeutic targets in cancer. As remnants of ancient retroviral infections, ERV-derived regulatory elements coordinate expression from gene networks, including those underpinning embryogenesis and immune cell function. ERV activation can promote an interferon response, a phenomenon termed viral mimicry. Although ERV expression is associated with cancer, and provisionally with autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, ERV-mediated inflammation is being explored as a way to sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. Here we review ERV co-option in development and innate immunity, the aberrant contribution of ERVs to tumorigenesis, and the wider biomedical potential of therapies directed at ERVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Jansz
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia. .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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73
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Witt E, Svetec N, Benjamin S, Zhao L. Transcription Factors Drive Opposite Relationships between Gene Age and Tissue Specificity in Male and Female Drosophila Gonads. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2104-2115. [PMID: 33481021 PMCID: PMC8097261 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionarily young genes are usually preferentially expressed in the testis across species. Although it is known that older genes are generally more broadly expressed than younger genes, the properties that shaped this pattern are unknown. Older genes may gain expression across other tissues uniformly, or faster in certain tissues than others. Using Drosophila gene expression data, we confirmed previous findings that younger genes are disproportionately testis biased and older genes are disproportionately ovary biased. We found that the relationship between gene age and expression is stronger in the ovary than any other tissue and weakest in testis. We performed ATAC-seq on Drosophila testis and found that although genes of all ages are more likely to have open promoter chromatin in testis than in ovary, promoter chromatin alone does not explain the ovary bias of older genes. Instead, we found that upstream transcription factor (TF) expression is highly predictive of gene expression in ovary but not in testis. In the ovary, TF expression is more predictive of gene expression than open promoter chromatin, whereas testis gene expression is similarly influenced by both TF expression and open promoter chromatin. We propose that the testis is uniquely able to express younger genes controlled by relatively few TFs, whereas older genes with more TF partners are broadly expressed with peak expression most likely in the ovary. The testis allows widespread baseline expression that is relatively unresponsive to regulatory changes, whereas the ovary transcriptome is more responsive to trans-regulation and has a higher ceiling for gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Witt
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Svetec
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sigi Benjamin
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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74
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Lewis EMA, Kaushik K, Sandoval LA, Antony I, Dietmann S, Kroll KL. Epigenetic regulation during human cortical development: Seq-ing answers from the brain to the organoid. Neurochem Int 2021; 147:105039. [PMID: 33915225 PMCID: PMC8387070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in controlling gene expression during complex processes, such as development of the human brain. Mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifying proteins and in the non-protein coding sequences of the genome can potentially alter transcription factor binding or chromatin accessibility. Such mutations can frequently cause neurodevelopmental disorders, therefore understanding how epigenetic regulation shapes brain development is of particular interest. While epigenetic regulation of neural development has been extensively studied in murine models, significant species-specific differences in both the genome sequence and in brain development necessitate human models. However, access to human fetal material is limited and these tissues cannot be grown or experimentally manipulated ex vivo. Therefore, models that recapitulate particular aspects of human fetal brain development, such as the in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), are instrumental for studying the epigenetic regulation of human neural development. Here, we examine recent studies that have defined changes in the epigenomic landscape during fetal brain development. We compare these studies with analogous data derived by in vitro differentiation of hPSCs into specific neuronal cell types or as three-dimensional cerebral organoids. Such comparisons can be informative regarding which aspects of fetal brain development are faithfully recapitulated by in vitro differentiation models and provide a foundation for using experimentally tractable in vitro models of human brain development to study neural gene regulation and the basis of its disruption to cause neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M A Lewis
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Komal Kaushik
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Luke A Sandoval
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Irene Antony
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Sabine Dietmann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Kristen L Kroll
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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75
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Ferrari R, Grandi N, Tramontano E, Dieci G. Retrotransposons as Drivers of Mammalian Brain Evolution. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11050376. [PMID: 33922141 PMCID: PMC8143547 DOI: 10.3390/life11050376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons, a large and diverse class of transposable elements that are still active in humans, represent a remarkable force of genomic innovation underlying mammalian evolution. Among the features distinguishing mammals from all other vertebrates, the presence of a neocortex with a peculiar neuronal organization, composition and connectivity is perhaps the one that, by affecting the cognitive abilities of mammals, contributed mostly to their evolutionary success. Among mammals, hominids and especially humans display an extraordinarily expanded cortical volume, an enrichment of the repertoire of neural cell types and more elaborate patterns of neuronal connectivity. Retrotransposon-derived sequences have recently been implicated in multiple layers of gene regulation in the brain, from transcriptional and post-transcriptional control to both local and large-scale three-dimensional chromatin organization. Accordingly, an increasing variety of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions are being recognized to be associated with retrotransposon dysregulation. We review here a large body of recent studies lending support to the idea that retrotransposon-dependent evolutionary novelties were crucial for the emergence of mammalian, primate and human peculiarities of brain morphology and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ferrari
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy;
| | - Nicole Grandi
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (N.G.); (E.T.)
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (N.G.); (E.T.)
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Giorgio Dieci
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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76
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Panigrahi A, O'Malley BW. Mechanisms of enhancer action: the known and the unknown. Genome Biol 2021; 22:108. [PMID: 33858480 PMCID: PMC8051032 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential gene expression mechanisms ensure cellular differentiation and plasticity to shape ontogenetic and phylogenetic diversity of cell types. A key regulator of differential gene expression programs are the enhancers, the gene-distal cis-regulatory sequences that govern spatiotemporal and quantitative expression dynamics of target genes. Enhancers are widely believed to physically contact the target promoters to effect transcriptional activation. However, our understanding of the full complement of regulatory proteins and the definitive mechanics of enhancer action is incomplete. Here, we review recent findings to present some emerging concepts on enhancer action and also outline a set of outstanding questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Panigrahi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Bert W O'Malley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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77
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Han G, Zhang N, Jiang H, Meng X, Qian K, Zheng Y, Xu J, Wang J. Diversity of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) in lepidopteran insects and evidence of horizontal SINE transfer between baculovirus and lepidopteran hosts. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:226. [PMID: 33789582 PMCID: PMC8010984 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07543-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) belong to non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, which can mobilize dependent on the help of counterpart long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs). Although 234 SINEs have been identified so far, only 23 are from insect species (SINEbase: http://sines.eimb.ru/). Results Here, five SINEs were identified from the genome of Plutella xylostella, among which PxSE1, PxSE2 and PxSE3 were tRNA-derived SINEs, PxSE4 and PxSE5 were 5S RNA-derived SINEs. A total of 18 related SINEs were further identified in 13 lepidopteran insects and a baculovirus. The 3′-tail of PxSE5 shares highly identity with that of LINE retrotransposon, PxLINE1. The analysis of relative age distribution profiles revealed that PxSE1 is a relatively young retrotransposon in the genome of P. xylostella and was generated by recent explosive amplification. Integration pattern analysis showed that SINEs in P. xylostella prefer to insert into or accumulate in introns and regions 5 kb downstream of genes. In particular, the PxSE1-like element, SlNPVSE1, in Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus II genome is highly identical to SfSE1 in Spodoptera frugiperda, SlittSE1 in Spodoptera littoralis, and SlituSE1 in Spodoptera litura, suggesting the occurrence of horizontal transfer. Conclusions Lepidopteran insect genomes harbor a diversity of SINEs. The retrotransposition activity and copy number of these SINEs varies considerably between host lineages and SINE lineages. Host-parasite interactions facilitate the horizontal transfer of SINE between baculovirus and its lepidopteran hosts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07543-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangjie Han
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.,Jiangsu Lixiahe District Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou, 225008, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Heng Jiang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Xiangkun Meng
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Kun Qian
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Yang Zheng
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Jiangsu Lixiahe District Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou, 225008, China.
| | - Jianjun Wang
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture andAgri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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78
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ZNF91 deletion in human embryonic stem cells leads to ectopic activation of SVA retrotransposons and up-regulation of KRAB zinc finger gene clusters. Genome Res 2021; 31:551-563. [PMID: 33722937 PMCID: PMC8015857 DOI: 10.1101/gr.265348.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Transposable element (TE) invasions have shaped vertebrate genomes over the course of evolution. They have contributed an extra layer of species-specific gene regulation by providing novel transcription factor binding sites. In humans, SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) elements are one of three still active TE families; approximately 2800 SVA insertions exist in the human genome, half of which are human-specific. TEs are often silenced by KRAB zinc finger (KZNF) proteins recruiting corepressor proteins that establish a repressive chromatin state. A number of KZNFs have been reported to bind SVAs, but their individual contribution to repressing SVAs and their roles in suppressing SVA-mediated gene-regulatory effects remains elusive. We analyzed the genome-wide binding profile for ZNF91 in human cells and found that ZNF91 interacts with the VNTR region of SVAs. Through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of ZNF91 in human embryonic stem cells, we established that loss of ZNF91 results in increased transcriptional activity of SVAs. In contrast, SVA activation was not observed upon genetic deletion of the ZNF611 gene encoding another strong SVA interactor. Epigenetic profiling confirmed the loss of SVA repression in the absence of ZNF91 and revealed that mainly evolutionary young SVAs gain gene activation-associated epigenetic modifications. Genes close to activated SVAs showed a mild up-regulation, indicating SVAs adopt properties of cis-regulatory elements in the absence of repression. Notably, genome-wide derepression of SVAs elicited the communal up-regulation of KZNFs that reside in KZNF clusters. This phenomenon may provide new insights into the potential mechanisms used by the host genome to sense and counteract TE invasions.
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79
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Transcriptional Silencers: Driving Gene Expression with the Brakes On. Trends Genet 2021; 37:514-527. [PMID: 33712326 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Silencers are regulatory DNA elements that reduce transcription from their target promoters; they are the repressive counterparts of enhancers. Although discovered decades ago, and despite evidence of their importance in development and disease, silencers have been much less studied than enhancers. Recently, however, a series of papers have reported systematic studies of silencers in various model systems. Silencers are often bifunctional regulatory elements that can also act as enhancers, depending on cellular context, and are enriched for expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and disease-associated variants. There is not yet evidence of a 'silencer chromatin signature', in the distribution of histone modifications or associated proteins, that is common to all silencers; instead, silencers may fall into various subclasses, acting by distinct (and possibly overlapping) mechanisms.
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80
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Elmer JL, Hay AD, Kessler NJ, Bertozzi TM, Ainscough EAC, Ferguson-Smith AC. Genomic properties of variably methylated retrotransposons in mouse. Mob DNA 2021; 12:6. [PMID: 33612119 PMCID: PMC7898769 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-021-00235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are enriched in cytosine methylation, preventing their mobility within the genome. We previously identified a genome-wide repertoire of candidate intracisternal A particle (IAP) TEs in mice that exhibit inter-individual variability in this methylation (VM-IAPs) with implications for genome function. RESULTS Here we validate these metastable epialleles and discover a novel class that exhibit tissue specificity (tsVM-IAPs) in addition to those with uniform methylation in all tissues (constitutive- or cVM-IAPs); both types have the potential to regulate genes in cis. Screening for variable methylation at other TEs shows that this phenomenon is largely limited to IAPs, which are amongst the youngest and most active endogenous retroviruses. We identify sequences enriched within cVM-IAPs, but determine that these are not sufficient to confer epigenetic variability. CTCF is enriched at VM-IAPs with binding inversely correlated with DNA methylation. We uncover dynamic physical interactions between cVM-IAPs with low methylation ranges and other genomic loci, suggesting that VM-IAPs have the potential for long-range regulation. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that a recently evolved interplay between genetic sequence, CTCF binding, and DNA methylation at young TEs can result in inter-individual variability in transcriptional outcomes with implications for phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Elmer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH UK
| | - Amir D. Hay
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH UK
| | - Noah J. Kessler
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH UK
| | - Tessa M. Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH UK
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81
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Roller M, Stamper E, Villar D, Izuogu O, Martin F, Redmond AM, Ramachanderan R, Harewood L, Odom DT, Flicek P. LINE retrotransposons characterize mammalian tissue-specific and evolutionarily dynamic regulatory regions. Genome Biol 2021; 22:62. [PMID: 33602314 PMCID: PMC7890895 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate the mechanisms driving regulatory evolution across tissues, we experimentally mapped promoters, enhancers, and gene expression in the liver, brain, muscle, and testis from ten diverse mammals. RESULTS The regulatory landscape around genes included both tissue-shared and tissue-specific regulatory regions, where tissue-specific promoters and enhancers evolved most rapidly. Genomic regions switching between promoters and enhancers were more common across species, and less common across tissues within a single species. Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs) played recurrent evolutionary roles: LINE L1s were associated with tissue-specific regulatory regions, whereas more ancient LINE L2s were associated with tissue-shared regulatory regions and with those switching between promoter and enhancer signatures across species. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses of the tissue-specificity and evolutionary stability among promoters and enhancers reveal how specific LINE families have helped shape the dynamic mammalian regulome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Roller
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ericca Stamper
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Present address: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Diego Villar
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Present address: Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Osagie Izuogu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Fergal Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Aisling M Redmond
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Present address: MRC Cancer Unit, Hutchison-MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Raghavendra Ramachanderan
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Louise Harewood
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Present address: Precision Medicine Centre of Excellence, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Duncan T Odom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
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82
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CRISPR Deletion of a SVA Retrotransposon Demonstrates Function as a cis-Regulatory Element at the TRPV1/TRPV3 Intergenic Region. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041911. [PMID: 33671852 PMCID: PMC7917899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposons are a subclass of transposable elements (TEs) that exist only in primate genomes. TE insertions can be co-opted as cis-regulatory elements (CREs); however, the regulatory potential of SVAs has predominantly been demonstrated using bioinformatic approaches and reporter gene assays. The objective of this study was to demonstrate SVA cis-regulatory activity by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) deletion and subsequent measurement of direct effects on local gene expression. We identified a region on chromosome 17 that was enriched with human-specific SVAs. Comparative gene expression analysis at this region revealed co-expression of TRPV1 and TRPV3 in multiple human tissues, which was not observed in mouse, highlighting key regulatory differences between the two species. Furthermore, the intergenic region between TRPV1 and TRPV3 coding sequences contained a human specific SVA insertion located upstream of the TRPV3 promoter and downstream of the 3′ end of TRPV1, highlighting this SVA as a candidate to study its potential cis-regulatory activity on both genes. Firstly, we generated SVA reporter gene constructs and demonstrated their transcriptional regulatory activity in HEK293 cells. We then devised a dual-targeting CRISPR strategy to facilitate the deletion of this entire SVA sequence and generated edited HEK293 clonal cell lines containing homozygous and heterozygous SVA deletions. In edited homozygous ∆SVA clones, we observed a significant decrease in both TRPV1 and TRPV3 mRNA expression, compared to unedited HEK293. In addition, we also observed an increase in the variability of mRNA expression levels in heterozygous ∆SVA clones. Overall, in edited HEK293 with SVA deletions, we observed a disruption to the co-expression of TRPV1 and TRPV3. Here we provide an example of a human specific SVA with cis-regulatory activity in situ, supporting the role of SVA retrotransposons as contributors to species-specific gene expression.
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83
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Ali A, Han K, Liang P. Role of Transposable Elements in Gene Regulation in the Human Genome. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:118. [PMID: 33557056 PMCID: PMC7913837 DOI: 10.3390/life11020118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), also known as mobile elements (MEs), are interspersed repeats that constitute a major fraction of the genomes of higher organisms. As one of their important functional impacts on gene function and genome evolution, TEs participate in regulating the expression of genes nearby and even far away at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. There are two known principal ways by which TEs regulate the expression of genes. First, TEs provide cis-regulatory sequences in the genome with their intrinsic regulatory properties for their own expression, making them potential factors for regulating the expression of the host genes. TE-derived cis-regulatory sites are found in promoter and enhancer elements, providing binding sites for a wide range of trans-acting factors. Second, TEs encode for regulatory RNAs with their sequences showed to be present in a substantial fraction of miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), indicating the TE origin of these RNAs. Furthermore, TEs sequences were found to be critical for regulatory functions of these RNAs, including binding to the target mRNA. TEs thus provide crucial regulatory roles by being part of cis-regulatory and regulatory RNA sequences. Moreover, both TE-derived cis-regulatory sequences and TE-derived regulatory RNAs have been implicated in providing evolutionary novelty to gene regulation. These TE-derived regulatory mechanisms also tend to function in a tissue-specific fashion. In this review, we aim to comprehensively cover the studies regarding these two aspects of TE-mediated gene regulation, mainly focusing on the mechanisms, contribution of different types of TEs, differential roles among tissue types, and lineage-specificity, based on data mostly in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arsala Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada;
| | - Kyudong Han
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea;
- Center for Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
| | - Ping Liang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada;
- Centre of Biotechnologies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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84
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Zhuo X, Du AY, Pehrsson EC, Li D, Wang T. Epigenomic differences in the human and chimpanzee genomes are associated with structural variation. Genome Res 2021; 31:279-290. [PMID: 33303495 PMCID: PMC7849402 DOI: 10.1101/gr.263491.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Structural variation (SV), including insertions and deletions (indels), is a primary mechanism of genome evolution. However, the mechanism by which SV contributes to epigenome evolution is poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the association between lineage-specific indels and epigenome differences between human and chimpanzee to investigate how SVs might have shaped the epigenetic landscape. By intersecting medium-to-large human-chimpanzee indels (20 bp-50 kb) with putative promoters and enhancers in cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) and repressed regions in induced pluripotent cells (iPSCs), we found that 12% of indels overlap putative regulatory and repressed regions (RRRs), and 15% of these indels are associated with lineage-biased RRRs. Indel-associated putative enhancer and repressive regions are approximately 1.3 times and approximately three times as likely to be lineage-biased, respectively, as those not associated with indels. We found a twofold enrichment of medium-sized indels (20-50 bp) in CpG island (CGI)-containing promoters than expected by chance. Lastly, from human-specific transposable element insertions, we identified putative regulatory elements, including NR2F1-bound putative CNCC enhancers derived from SVAs and putative iPSC promoters derived from LTR5s. Our results show that different types of indels are associated with specific epigenomic diversity between human and chimpanzee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhuo
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Alan Y Du
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Erica C Pehrsson
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Daofeng Li
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- McDonell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
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85
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El-Shehawi AM, Alotaibi SS, Elseehy MM. Genomic Study of COVID-19 Corona Virus Excludes Its Origin from Recombination or Characterized Biological Sources and Suggests a Role for HERVS in Its Wide Range Symptoms. CYTOL GENET+ 2021; 54:588-604. [PMID: 33487779 PMCID: PMC7810191 DOI: 10.3103/s0095452720060031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 corona virus has become a world pandemic which started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China with no confirmed biological source. Various countries reported the genomic sequence of different isolates obtained from infected patients. This allowed us to obtain a number of 38 isolates of full genomic sequences. Alignment of nucleotide (nt) sequence was carried out using Clustal Omega multiple alignment service at the EBI website. Alignment of nt sequence and phylogenetic relationship revealed that the COVID-19 is a new viral strain and its biological source has not been yet detected. The expected orf pattern was different among isolates obtained from the same country or different countries as well as from SARS-CoV isolates or bats CoV suggesting different virus human interaction possibilities during infection and severity. All isolates had the main five orfs (1ab, S, M, N, E), whereas they differed in the expected accessory orfs. Being with the biological source of COVID-19 undetected, the role of human endogenous retrovirus (HERVs) in the regulation of the host cell gene expression or the encoding for products that could modulate COVID-19 infection and the spectrum of its symptoms is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M El-Shehawi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099 21944 Taif, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, 21527 Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Saqer S Alotaibi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099 21944 Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona M Elseehy
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, 21527 Alexandria, Egypt
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86
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Etchegaray E, Naville M, Volff JN, Haftek-Terreau Z. Transposable element-derived sequences in vertebrate development. Mob DNA 2021; 12:1. [PMID: 33407840 PMCID: PMC7786948 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of all vertebrate genomes that can cause deleterious insertions and genomic instability. However, depending on the specific genomic context of their insertion site, TE sequences can sometimes get positively selected, leading to what are called "exaptation" events. TE sequence exaptation constitutes an important source of novelties for gene, genome and organism evolution, giving rise to new regulatory sequences, protein-coding exons/genes and non-coding RNAs, which can play various roles beneficial to the host. In this review, we focus on the development of vertebrates, which present many derived traits such as bones, adaptive immunity and a complex brain. We illustrate how TE-derived sequences have given rise to developmental innovations in vertebrates and how they thereby contributed to the evolutionary success of this lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ema Etchegaray
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France.
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Zofia Haftek-Terreau
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
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87
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Ahmad SF, Singchat W, Jehangir M, Suntronpong A, Panthum T, Malaivijitnond S, Srikulnath K. Dark Matter of Primate Genomes: Satellite DNA Repeats and Their Evolutionary Dynamics. Cells 2020; 9:E2714. [PMID: 33352976 PMCID: PMC7767330 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A substantial portion of the primate genome is composed of non-coding regions, so-called "dark matter", which includes an abundance of tandemly repeated sequences called satellite DNA. Collectively known as the satellitome, this genomic component offers exciting evolutionary insights into aspects of primate genome biology that raise new questions and challenge existing paradigms. A complete human reference genome was recently reported with telomere-to-telomere human X chromosome assembly that resolved hundreds of dark regions, encompassing a 3.1 Mb centromeric satellite array that had not been identified previously. With the recent exponential increase in the availability of primate genomes, and the development of modern genomic and bioinformatics tools, extensive growth in our knowledge concerning the structure, function, and evolution of satellite elements is expected. The current state of knowledge on this topic is summarized, highlighting various types of primate-specific satellite repeats to compare their proportions across diverse lineages. Inter- and intraspecific variation of satellite repeats in the primate genome are reviewed. The functional significance of these sequences is discussed by describing how the transcriptional activity of satellite repeats can affect gene expression during different cellular processes. Sex-linked satellites are outlined, together with their respective genomic organization. Mechanisms are proposed whereby satellite repeats might have emerged as novel sequences during different evolutionary phases. Finally, the main challenges that hinder the detection of satellite DNA are outlined and an overview of the latest methodologies to address technological limitations is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Maryam Jehangir
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Bioscience at Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo 18618-689, Brazil
| | - Aorarat Suntronpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand;
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (A.S.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand;
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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88
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Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that propagate within genomes. Through diverse invasion strategies, TEs have come to occupy a substantial fraction of nearly all eukaryotic genomes, and they represent a major source of genetic variation and novelty. Here we review the defining features of each major group of eukaryotic TEs and explore their evolutionary origins and relationships. We discuss how the unique biology of different TEs influences their propagation and distribution within and across genomes. Environmental and genetic factors acting at the level of the host species further modulate the activity, diversification, and fate of TEs, producing the dramatic variation in TE content observed across eukaryotes. We argue that cataloging TE diversity and dissecting the idiosyncratic behavior of individual elements are crucial to expanding our comprehension of their impact on the biology of genomes and the evolution of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Wells
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850; ,
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850; ,
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89
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Srinivasachar Badarinarayan S, Shcherbakova I, Langer S, Koepke L, Preising A, Hotter D, Kirchhoff F, Sparrer KMJ, Schotta G, Sauter D. HIV-1 infection activates endogenous retroviral promoters regulating antiviral gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10890-10908. [PMID: 33021676 PMCID: PMC7641743 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are known to harbor cis-regulatory elements, their role in modulating cellular immune responses remains poorly understood. Using an RNA-seq approach, we show that several members of the ERV9 lineage, particularly LTR12C elements, are activated upon HIV-1 infection of primary CD4+ T cells. Intriguingly, HIV-1-induced ERVs harboring transcription start sites are primarily found in the vicinity of immunity genes. For example, HIV-1 infection activates LTR12C elements upstream of the interferon-inducible genes GBP2 and GBP5 that encode for broad-spectrum antiviral factors. Reporter assays demonstrated that these LTR12C elements drive gene expression in primary CD4+ T cells. In line with this, HIV-1 infection triggered the expression of a unique GBP2 transcript variant by activating a cryptic transcription start site within LTR12C. Furthermore, stimulation with HIV-1-induced cytokines increased GBP2 and GBP5 expression in human cells, but not in macaque cells that naturally lack the GBP5 gene and the LTR12C element upstream of GBP2. Finally, our findings suggest that GBP2 and GBP5 have already been active against ancient viral pathogens as they suppress the maturation of the extinct retrovirus HERV-K (HML-2). In summary, our findings uncover how human cells can exploit remnants of once-infectious retroviruses to regulate antiviral gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Shcherbakova
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Simon Langer
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany.,Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lennart Koepke
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Andrea Preising
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Dominik Hotter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | | | - Gunnar Schotta
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Daniel Sauter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
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90
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Bhattacharya A, Jha V, Singhal K, Fatima M, Singh D, Chaturvedi G, Dholakia D, Kutum R, Pandey R, Bakken TE, Seth P, Pillai B, Mukerji M. Multiple Alu Exonization in 3'UTR of a Primate-Specific Isoform of CYP20A1 Creates a Potential miRNA Sponge. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 13:5958120. [PMID: 33434274 PMCID: PMC7802813 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alu repeats contribute to phylogenetic novelties in conserved regulatory networks in primates. Our study highlights how exonized Alus could nucleate large-scale mRNA-miRNA interactions. Using a functional genomics approach, we characterize a transcript isoform of an orphan gene, CYP20A1 (CYP20A1_Alu-LT) that has exonization of 23 Alus in its 3'UTR. CYP20A1_Alu-LT, confirmed by 3'RACE, is an outlier in length (9 kb 3'UTR) and widely expressed. Using publically available data sets, we demonstrate its expression in higher primates and presence in single nucleus RNA-seq of 15,928 human cortical neurons. miRanda predicts ∼4,700 miRNA recognition elements (MREs) for ∼1,000 miRNAs, primarily originated within these 3'UTR-Alus. CYP20A1_Alu-LT could be a potential multi-miRNA sponge as it harbors ≥10 MREs for 140 miRNAs and has cytosolic localization. We further tested whether expression of CYP20A1_Alu-LT correlates with mRNAs harboring similar MRE targets. RNA-seq with conjoint miRNA-seq analysis was done in primary human neurons where we observed CYP20A1_Alu-LT to be downregulated during heat shock response and upregulated in HIV1-Tat treatment. In total, 380 genes were positively correlated with its expression (significantly downregulated in heat shock and upregulated in Tat) and they harbored MREs for nine expressed miRNAs which were also enriched in CYP20A1_Alu-LT. MREs were significantly enriched in these 380 genes compared with random sets of differentially expressed genes (P = 8.134e-12). Gene ontology suggested involvement of these genes in neuronal development and hemostasis pathways thus proposing a novel component of Alu-miRNA-mediated transcriptional modulation that could govern specific physiological outcomes in higher primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniket Bhattacharya
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Vineet Jha
- Persistent LABS, Persistent Systems Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Khushboo Singhal
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Mahar Fatima
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Neurovirology Section, National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, Haryana, India
| | - Dayanidhi Singh
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Gaura Chaturvedi
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Dhwani Dholakia
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rintu Kutum
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rajesh Pandey
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
| | | | - Pankaj Seth
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Neurovirology Section, National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, Haryana, India
| | - Beena Pillai
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Mitali Mukerji
- Genomics and Molecular Medicine, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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91
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Miao B, Fu S, Lyu C, Gontarz P, Wang T, Zhang B. Tissue-specific usage of transposable element-derived promoters in mouse development. Genome Biol 2020; 21:255. [PMID: 32988383 PMCID: PMC7520981 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02164-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are a significant component of eukaryotic genomes and play essential roles in genome evolution. Mounting evidence indicates that TEs are highly transcribed in early embryo development and contribute to distinct biological functions and tissue morphology. RESULTS We examine the epigenetic dynamics of mouse TEs during the development of five tissues: intestine, liver, lung, stomach, and kidney. We found that TEs are associated with over 20% of open chromatin regions during development. Close to half of these accessible TEs are only activated in a single tissue and a specific developmental stage. Most accessible TEs are rodent-specific. Across these five tissues, 453 accessible TEs are found to create the transcription start sites of downstream genes in mouse, including 117 protein-coding genes and 144 lincRNA genes, 93.7% of which are mouse-specific. Species-specific TE-derived transcription start sites are found to drive the expression of tissue-specific genes and change their tissue-specific expression patterns during evolution. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that TE insertions increase the regulatory potential of the genome, and some TEs have been domesticated to become a crucial component of gene and regulate tissue-specific expression during mouse tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Miao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
- Department of Genetics, Edison Family Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Shuhua Fu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Paul Gontarz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Edison Family Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA.
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92
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Host Gene Regulation by Transposable Elements: The New, the Old and the Ugly. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101089. [PMID: 32993145 PMCID: PMC7650545 DOI: 10.3390/v12101089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome has been under selective pressure to evolve in response to emerging pathogens and other environmental challenges. Genome evolution includes the acquisition of new genes or new isoforms of genes and changes to gene expression patterns. One source of genome innovation is from transposable elements (TEs), which carry their own promoters, enhancers and open reading frames and can act as ‘controlling elements’ for our own genes. TEs include LINE-1 elements, which can retrotranspose intracellularly and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that represent remnants of past retroviral germline infections. Although once pathogens, ERVs also represent an enticing source of incoming genetic material that the host can then repurpose. ERVs and other TEs have coevolved with host genes for millions of years, which has allowed them to become embedded within essential gene expression programmes. Intriguingly, these host genes are often subject to the same epigenetic control mechanisms that evolved to combat the TEs that now regulate them. Here, we illustrate the breadth of host gene regulation through TEs by focusing on examples of young (The New), ancient (The Old), and disease-causing (The Ugly) TE integrants.
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93
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Takei R, Cadzow M, Markie D, Bixley M, Phipps-Green A, Major TJ, Li C, Choi HK, Li Z, Hu H, Guo H, He M, Shi Y, Stamp LK, Dalbeth N, Merriman TR, Wei WH. Trans-ancestral dissection of urate- and gout-associated major loci SLC2A9 and ABCG2 reveals primate-specific regulatory effects. J Hum Genet 2020; 66:161-169. [PMID: 32778763 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-020-0821-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Gout is a complex inflammatory arthritis affecting ~20% of people with an elevated serum urate level (hyperuricemia). Gout and hyperuricemia are essentially specific to humans and other higher primates, with varied prevalence across ancestral groups. SLC2A9 and ABCG2 are major loci associated with both urate and gout in multiple ancestral groups. However, fine mapping has been challenging due to extensive linkage disequilibrium underlying the associated regions. We used trans-ancestral fine mapping integrated with primate-specific genomic information to address this challenge. Trans-ancestral meta-analyses of GWAS cohorts of either European (EUR) or East Asian (EAS) ancestry resulted in single-variant resolution mappings for SLC2A9 (rs3775948 for urate and rs4697701 for gout) and ABCG2 (rs2622621 for gout). Tests of colocalization of variants in both urate and gout suggested existence of a shared candidate causal variant for SLC2A9 only in EUR and for ABCG2 only in EAS. The fine-mapped gout variant rs4697701 was within an ancient enhancer, whereas rs2622621 was within a primate-specific transposable element, both supported by functional evidence from the Roadmap Epigenomics project in human primary tissues relevant to urate and gout. Additional primate-specific elements were found near both loci and those adjacent to SLC2A9 overlapped with known statistical epistatic interactions associated with urate as well as multiple super-enhancers identified in urate-relevant tissues. We conclude that by leveraging ancestral differences trans-ancestral fine mapping has identified ancestral and functional variants for SLC2A9 or ABCG2 with primate-specific regulatory effects on urate and gout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riku Takei
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Murray Cadzow
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David Markie
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Matt Bixley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Tanya J Major
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Changgui Li
- Shandong Gout Clinical Medical Center, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Hyon K Choi
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.,Institute of Social Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hua Hu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | | | - Hui Guo
- Center for Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Meian He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and the Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Yongyong Shi
- Shandong Gout Clinical Medical Center, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.,Institute of Social Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Lisa K Stamp
- Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Nicola Dalbeth
- Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tony R Merriman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Wen-Hua Wei
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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94
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Turelli P, Playfoot C, Grun D, Raclot C, Pontis J, Coudray A, Thorball C, Duc J, Pankevich EV, Deplancke B, Busskamp V, Trono D. Primate-restricted KRAB zinc finger proteins and target retrotransposons control gene expression in human neurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba3200. [PMID: 32923624 PMCID: PMC7455193 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In the first days of embryogenesis, transposable element-embedded regulatory sequences (TEeRS) are silenced by Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) zinc finger proteins (KZFPs). Many TEeRS are subsequently co-opted in transcription networks, but how KZFPs influence this process is largely unknown. We identify ZNF417 and ZNF587 as primate-specific KZFPs repressing HERVK (human endogenous retrovirus K) and SVA (SINE-VNTR-Alu) integrants in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Expressed in specific regions of the human developing and adult brain, ZNF417/587 keep controlling TEeRS in ESC-derived neurons and brain organoids, secondarily influencing the differentiation and neurotransmission profile of neurons and preventing the induction of neurotoxic retroviral proteins and an interferon-like response. Thus, evolutionarily recent KZFPs and their TE targets partner up to influence human neuronal differentiation and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Turelli
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Playfoot
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dephine Grun
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charlène Raclot
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Pontis
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Coudray
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Thorball
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Duc
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eugenia V. Pankevich
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bart Deplancke
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
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95
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D'Anna F, Van Dyck L, Xiong J, Zhao H, Berrens RV, Qian J, Bieniasz-Krzywiec P, Chandra V, Schoonjans L, Matthews J, De Smedt J, Minnoye L, Amorim R, Khorasanizadeh S, Yu Q, Zhao L, De Borre M, Savvides SN, Simon MC, Carmeliet P, Reik W, Rastinejad F, Mazzone M, Thienpont B, Lambrechts D. DNA methylation repels binding of hypoxia-inducible transcription factors to maintain tumor immunotolerance. Genome Biol 2020; 21:182. [PMID: 32718321 PMCID: PMC7384226 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02087-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypoxia is pervasive in cancer and other diseases. Cells sense and adapt to hypoxia by activating hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs), but it is still an outstanding question why cell types differ in their transcriptional response to hypoxia. RESULTS We report that HIFs fail to bind CpG dinucleotides that are methylated in their consensus binding sequence, both in in vitro biochemical binding assays and in vivo studies of differentially methylated isogenic cell lines. Based on in silico structural modeling, we show that 5-methylcytosine indeed causes steric hindrance in the HIF binding pocket. A model wherein cell-type-specific methylation landscapes, as laid down by the differential expression and binding of other transcription factors under normoxia, control cell-type-specific hypoxia responses is observed. We also discover ectopic HIF binding sites in repeat regions which are normally methylated. Genetic and pharmacological DNA demethylation, but also cancer-associated DNA hypomethylation, expose these binding sites, inducing HIF-dependent expression of cryptic transcripts. In line with such cryptic transcripts being more prone to cause double-stranded RNA and viral mimicry, we observe low DNA methylation and high cryptic transcript expression in tumors with high immune checkpoint expression, but not in tumors with low immune checkpoint expression, where they would compromise tumor immunotolerance. In a low-immunogenic tumor model, DNA demethylation upregulates cryptic transcript expression in a HIF-dependent manner, causing immune activation and reducing tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS Our data elucidate the mechanism underlying cell-type-specific responses to hypoxia and suggest DNA methylation and hypoxia to underlie tumor immunotolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora D'Anna
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laurien Van Dyck
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jieyi Xiong
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hui Zhao
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rebecca V Berrens
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
- The Old Schools, University of Cambridge, Trinity Lane Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Junbin Qian
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pawel Bieniasz-Krzywiec
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vikas Chandra
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Luc Schoonjans
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongsan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jason Matthews
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0372, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julie De Smedt
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbeth Minnoye
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo Amorim
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sepideh Khorasanizadeh
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Qian Yu
- Laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liyun Zhao
- Laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie De Borre
- Laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Savvas N Savvides
- Unit for Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M Celeste Simon
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongsan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wolf Reik
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Fraydoon Rastinejad
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Massimiliano Mazzone
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and Angiogenesis, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bernard Thienpont
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Functional Epigenetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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96
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Ahmad SF, Singchat W, Jehangir M, Panthum T, Srikulnath K. Consequence of Paradigm Shift with Repeat Landscapes in Reptiles: Powerful Facilitators of Chromosomal Rearrangements for Diversity and Evolution. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E827. [PMID: 32708239 PMCID: PMC7397244 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reptiles are notable for the extensive genomic diversity and species richness among amniote classes, but there is nevertheless a need for detailed genome-scale studies. Although the monophyletic amniotes have recently been a focus of attention through an increasing number of genome sequencing projects, the abundant repetitive portion of the genome, termed the "repeatome", remains poorly understood across different lineages. Consisting predominantly of transposable elements or mobile and satellite sequences, these repeat elements are considered crucial in causing chromosomal rearrangements that lead to genomic diversity and evolution. Here, we propose major repeat landscapes in representative reptilian species, highlighting their evolutionary dynamics and role in mediating chromosomal rearrangements. Distinct karyotype variability, which is typically a conspicuous feature of reptile genomes, is discussed, with a particular focus on rearrangements correlated with evolutionary reorganization of micro- and macrochromosomes and sex chromosomes. The exceptional karyotype variation and extreme genomic diversity of reptiles are used to test several hypotheses concerning genomic structure, function, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Maryam Jehangir
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Integrative Genomics Lab-LGI, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Bioscience at Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan
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97
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Co-option of the lineage-specific LAVA retrotransposon in the gibbon genome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:19328-19338. [PMID: 32690705 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006038117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Co-option of transposable elements (TEs) to become part of existing or new enhancers is an important mechanism for evolution of gene regulation. However, contributions of lineage-specific TE insertions to recent regulatory adaptations remain poorly understood. Gibbons present a suitable model to study these contributions as they have evolved a lineage-specific TE called LAVA (LINE-AluSz-VNTR-Alu LIKE), which is still active in the gibbon genome. The LAVA retrotransposon is thought to have played a role in the emergence of the highly rearranged structure of the gibbon genome by disrupting transcription of cell cycle genes. In this study, we investigated whether LAVA may have also contributed to the evolution of gene regulation by adopting enhancer function. We characterized fixed and polymorphic LAVA insertions across multiple gibbons and found 96 LAVA elements overlapping enhancer chromatin states. Moreover, LAVA was enriched in multiple transcription factor binding motifs, was bound by an important transcription factor (PU.1), and was associated with higher levels of gene expression in cis We found gibbon-specific signatures of purifying/positive selection at 27 LAVA insertions. Two of these insertions were fixed in the gibbon lineage and overlapped with enhancer chromatin states, representing putative co-opted LAVA enhancers. These putative enhancers were located within genes encoding SETD2 and RAD9A, two proteins that facilitate accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks and prevent chromosomal rearrangement mutations. Co-option of LAVA in these genes may have influenced regulation of processes that preserve genome integrity. Our findings highlight the importance of considering lineage-specific TEs in studying evolution of gene regulatory elements.
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98
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Evolutionary-driven C-MYC gene expression in mammalian fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11056. [PMID: 32632086 PMCID: PMC7338511 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which mammalian cells share similar transcriptomes remains unclear. Notwithstanding, such cross-species gene expression inquiries have been scarce for defined cell types and most lack the dissection of gene regulatory landscapes. Therefore, the work was aimed to determine C-MYC relative expression across mammalian fibroblasts (Ovis aries and Bos taurus) via cross-species RT-qPCR and comprehensively explore its regulatory landscape by in silico tools. The prediction of transcription factor binding sites in C-MYC and its 2.5 kb upstream sequence revealed substantial variation, thus indicating evolutionary-driven re-wiring of cis-regulatory elements. C-MYC and its downstream target TBX3 were up-regulated in Bos taurus fibroblasts. The relative expression of C-MYC regulators [RONIN (also known as THAP11), RXRβ, and TCF3] and the C-MYC-associated transcript elongation factor CDK9 did not differ between species. Additional in silico analyses suggested Bos taurus-specific C-MYC exonization, alternative splicing, and binding sites for non-coding RNAs. C-MYC protein orthologs were highly conserved, while variation was in the transactivation domain and the leucine zipper motif. Altogether, mammalian fibroblasts display evolutionary-driven C-MYC relative expression that should be instructive for understanding cellular physiology, cellular reprogramming, and C-MYC-related diseases.
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99
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Ghosh A, Platt RN, Vandewege MW, Tabassum R, Hsu CY, Isberg SR, Peterson DG, Finger JW, Kieran TJ, Glenn TC, Gongora J, Ray DA. Identification and characterization of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their transposable element origins in the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus. Anal Biochem 2020; 602:113781. [PMID: 32485163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2020.113781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 18-24 nucleotide regulatory RNAs. They are involved in the regulation of genetic and biological pathways through post transcriptional gene silencing and/or translational repression. Data suggests a slow evolutionary rate for the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) over the past several million years when compared to birds, the closest extant relatives of crocodilians. Understanding gene regulation in the saltwater crocodile in the context of relatively slow genomic change thus holds potential for the investigation of genomics, evolution, and adaptation. Utilizing eleven tissue types and sixteen small RNA libraries, we report 644 miRNAs in the saltwater crocodile with >78% of miRNAs being novel to crocodilians. We also identified potential targets for the miRNAs and analyzed the relationship of the miRNA repertoire to transposable elements (TEs). Results suggest an increased association of DNA transposons with miRNAs when compared to retrotransposons. This work reports the first comprehensive analysis of miRNAs in Crocodylus porosus and addresses the potential impacts of miRNAs in regulating the genome in the saltwater crocodile. In addition, the data suggests a supporting role of TEs as a source for miRNAs, adding to the increasing evidence that TEs play a significant role in the evolution of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Roy N Platt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Michael W Vandewege
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA; Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM, USA
| | | | - Chuan-Yu Hsu
- Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - Sally R Isberg
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The Centre for Crocodile Research, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Daniel G Peterson
- Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - John W Finger
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Troy J Kieran
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Travis C Glenn
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jaime Gongora
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David A Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
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100
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Browning JWL, Rambo TME, McKay BC. Comparative genomic analysis of the 3' UTR of human MDM2 identifies multiple transposable elements, an RLP24 pseudogene and a cluster of novel repeat sequences that arose during primate evolution. Gene 2020; 741:144557. [PMID: 32171824 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.144557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The MDM2 oncogene is a negative regulator of the p53 tumour suppressor. This relationship appears to have originated over a billion years ago. The human MDM2 gene encodes a variety of mRNAs with exceptionally long 3'UTRs (up to 5.7 kb); however, it was unclear whether MDM2 3'UTRs from other species are similarly long or conserved at the sequence level. Here, we report that all but one of the primate species most closely related to humans (greater and lesser apes) have similarly long 3'UTRs with high sequence similarity across their entire length. More distantly related species (Old world monkeys and new world monkeys) tend to have shorter MDM2 3'UTRs homologous to the corresponding position of the human MDM2 3'UTR while non-primate species exhibit little similarity at all. Remarkably, DNA sequences downstream of the shorter primate 3'UTRs are syntenic with distal regions in the human and other ape MDM2 3'UTRs. These homologous non-transcribed intergenic and transcribed 3'UTR-encoding regions are comprised of a variety of transposable elements, an RLP24 pseudogene and a cluster of novel repeat sequences suggestive of another unknown transposable element. Our analysis suggests that the primary difference between long and short MDM2 3'UTRs is a switch in polyA site usage to include conserved transposable elements that remain intergenic in more distantly related primates. It will be important to determine the relative contribution of these elements to post-transcriptional and translational regulation of MDM2 and hence p53-mediated tumour suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bruce C McKay
- Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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