Exploring the gonad transcriptome of two extreme male pigs with RNA-seq

MBASED: allele-specific expression detection in cancer tissues and cell lines

Allele-specific gene expression, ASE, is an important aspect of gene regulation. We developed a novel method MBASED, meta-analysis based allele-specific expression detection for ASE detection using RNA-seq data that aggregates information across multiple single nucleotide variation loci to obtain a gene-level measure of ASE, even when prior phasing information is unavailable. MBASED is capable of one-sample and two-sample analyses and performs well in simulations. We applied MBASED to a panel of cancer cell lines and paired tumor-normal tissue samples, and observed extensive ASE in cancer, but not normal, samples, mainly driven by genomic copy number alterations.

Comprehensive analysis of the whole transcriptomes from two different pig breeds using RNA-Seq method

Next-generation sequencing RNA-Seq technology is a powerful tool that creates new possibilities for whole-transcriptome analysis. In our study, the RNA-Seq method was applied to analyze global changes in transcriptome from muscle tissue (m. semimembranosus) in two pig breeds (Pietrain and Polish Landrace, PL). The breeds differ in terms of muscularity, growth rate and reproduction traits. Using three different approaches (deseq, cufflinks and edger) and taking into account the most restrictive criteria, 35 genes differentially expressed between Pietrain and PL pigs were identified. In both breeds, the most abundant were transcripts encoding ribosomal and cytoskeletal proteins (TPM3, TCAP, TMOD4, TPM2, TNNC1) and calcium-binding proteins involved in muscle contraction, calcium-mediated signaling or cation transport (CASQ1, MLC2V, SLC25A4, MYL3). In PL pigs, we identified up-regulation of several genes that play crucial roles in reproduction: female gamete generation (BDP1, PTPN21, USP9X), fertilization (EGFR) and embryonic development (CPEB4). In the Pietrain breed, only seven genes were over-expressed (CISH, SPP1, TUBA8, ATP6V1C2, IGKC, predicted LOC100510960 and LOC100626400), and they play important roles in, for example, negative regulation of apoptosis, immune response, cell-cell signaling, cell growth and migration as well as the metabolic process. The functions of the majority of selected genes were consistent with phenotypic variation in investigated breeds; thus, we proposed a new panel of candidate genes that can be associated with economically important pig traits.

Differences in muscle transcriptome among pigs phenotypically extreme for fatty acid composition

BACKGROUND

Besides having an impact on human health, the porcine muscle fatty acid profile determines meat quality and taste. The RNA-Seq technologies allowed us to explore the pig muscle transcriptome with an unprecedented detail. The aim of this study was to identify differentially-expressed genes between two groups of 6 sows belonging to an Iberian × Landrace backcross with extreme phenotypes according to FA profile.

RESULTS

We sequenced the muscle transcriptome acquiring 787.5 M of 75 bp paired-end reads. About 85.1% of reads were mapped to the reference genome. Of the total reads, 79.1% were located in exons, 6.0% in introns and 14.9% in intergenic regions, indicating expressed regions not annotated in the reference genome. We identified a 34.5% of the intergenic regions as interspersed repetitive regions. We predicted a total of 2,372 putative proteins. Pathway analysis with 131 differentially-expressed genes revealed that the most statistically-significant metabolic pathways were related with lipid metabolism. Moreover, 18 of the differentially-expressed genes were located in genomic regions associated with IMF composition in an independent GWAS study in the same genetic background. Thus, our results indicate that the lipid metabolism of FAs is differently modulated when the FA composition in muscle differs. For instance, a high content of PUFA may reduce FA and glucose uptake resulting in an inhibition of the lipogenesis. These results are consistent with previous studies of our group analysing the liver and the adipose tissue transcriptomes providing a view of each of the main organs involved in lipid metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained in the muscle transcriptome analysis increase the knowledge of the gene regulation of IMF deposition, FA profile and meat quality, in terms of taste and nutritional value. Besides, our results may be important in terms of human health.

Structured RNAs and synteny regions in the pig genome

Background

Annotating mammalian genomes for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) is nontrivial since far from all ncRNAs are known and the computational models are resource demanding. Currently, the human genome holds the best mammalian ncRNA annotation, a result of numerous efforts by several groups. However, a more direct strategy is desired for the increasing number of sequenced mammalian genomes of which some, such as the pig, are relevant as disease models and production animals.

Results

We present a comprehensive annotation of structured RNAs in the pig genome. Combining sequence and structure similarity search as well as class specific methods, we obtained a conservative set with a total of 3,391 structured RNA loci of which 1,011 and 2,314, respectively, hold strong sequence and structure similarity to structured RNAs in existing databases. The RNA loci cover 139 cis-regulatory element loci, 58 lncRNA loci, 11 conflicts of annotation, and 3,183 ncRNA genes. The ncRNA genes comprise 359 miRNAs, 8 ribozymes, 185 rRNAs, 638 snoRNAs, 1,030 snRNAs, 810 tRNAs and 153 ncRNA genes not belonging to the here fore mentioned classes. When running the pipeline on a local shuffled version of the genome, we obtained no matches at the highest confidence level. Additional analysis of RNA-seq data from a pooled library from 10 different pig tissues added another 165 miRNA loci, yielding an overall annotation of 3,556 structured RNA loci. This annotation represents our best effort at making an automated annotation. To further enhance the reliability, 571 of the 3,556 structured RNAs were manually curated by methods depending on the RNA class while 1,581 were declared as pseudogenes. We further created a multiple alignment of pig against 20 representative vertebrates, from which RNAz predicted 83,859 de novo RNA loci with conserved RNA structures. 528 of the RNAz predictions overlapped with the homology based annotation or novel miRNAs. We further present a substantial synteny analysis which includes 1,004 lineage specific de novo RNA loci and 4 ncRNA loci in the known annotation specific for Laurasiatheria (pig, cow, dolphin, horse, cat, dog, hedgehog).

Conclusions

We have obtained one of the most comprehensive annotations for structured ncRNAs of a mammalian genome, which is likely to play central roles in both health modelling and production. The core annotation is available in Ensembl 70 and the complete annotation is available at http://rth.dk/resources/rnannotator/susscr102/version1.02.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-459) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Analysis of differential gene expression and novel transcript units of ovine muscle transcriptomes

In this study, we characterized differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the muscle transcriptomes of Small-tailed Han sheep and Dorper sheep and predicted novel transcript units using high-throughput RNA sequencing technology. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that 1,300 DEGs were involved in cellular processes, metabolic pathways, and the actin cytoskeleton pathway. Importantly, we identified 34 DEGs related to muscle cell development and differentiation. Additionally, we were able to optimize the gene structure and predict the untranslated regions (UTRs) for some of the DEGs. Among the 123,678 novel predicted transcript units (TUs), 15,015 units were predicted protein sequences. The reliability of the sequencing data was verified through qRT-PCR analysis of 12 genes. These results will provide useful information for functional genetic research in the future.

Extensive expression differences along porcine small intestine evidenced by transcriptome sequencing

The aim of this study was to analyse gene expression along the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) and in the ileal Peyer's patches in four young pigs with no clinical signs of disease by transcriptome sequencing. Multidimensional scaling evidenced that samples clustered by tissue type rather than by individual, thus prefiguring a relevant scenario to draw tissue-specific gene expression profiles. Accordingly, 1,349 genes were found differentially expressed between duodenum and jejunum, and up to 3,455 genes between duodenum and ileum. Additionally, a considerable number of differentially expressed genes were found by comparing duodenum (7,027 genes), jejunum (6,122 genes), and ileum (6,991 genes) with ileal Peyer's patches tissue. Functional analyses revealed that most of the significant differentially expressed genes along small intestinal tissues were involved in the regulation of general biological processes such as cell development, signalling, growth and proliferation, death and survival or cell function and maintenance. These results suggest that the intrinsic large turnover of intestinal tissues would have local specificities at duodenum, ileum and jejunum. In addition, in concordance with their biological function, enteric innate immune pathways were overrepresented in ileal Peyer's patches. The reported data provide an expression map of the cell pathway variation in the different small intestinal tissues. Furthermore, expression levels measured in healthy individuals could help to understand changes in gene expression that occur in dysbiosis or pathological states.

Identification of species-specific novel transcripts in pig reproductive tissues using RNA-seq

Although structural properties of the porcine reproductive system are shared by many placental mammals, some combination of these properties is unique to pigs. To explore whether genomic elements specific to pigs could potentially underlie this uniqueness, we made the first step to identify novel transcripts in two representative pig reproductive tissues by the technique of massively parallel sequencing. To automate the whole process, we built a computational pipeline, which can also be easily extended for similar studies in other species. In total, 5516 and 9061 novel transcripts were found, and 159 and 252 novel transcripts appear to be specific to pigs for the placenta and testis respectively. Furthermore, these novel transcripts were found to be enriched in quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions for reproduction traits in pigs. We validated eight of these novel transcripts by quantitative real-time PCR. With respect to their genomic organization and their functional relationship to reproduction, these transcripts need to be further validated and explored in various pig breeds to better comprehend the relevant aspects of pig physiology that contribute to reproductive performance.

Analysis of porcine adipose tissue transcriptome reveals differences in de novo fatty acid synthesis in pigs with divergent muscle fatty acid composition

Background

In pigs, adipose tissue is one of the principal organs involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism. It is particularly involved in the overall fatty acid synthesis with consequences in other lipid-target organs such as muscles and the liver. With this in mind, we have used massive, parallel high-throughput sequencing technologies to characterize the porcine adipose tissue transcriptome architecture in six Iberian x Landrace crossbred pigs showing extreme phenotypes for intramuscular fatty acid composition (three per group).

Results

High-throughput RNA sequencing was used to generate a whole characterization of adipose tissue (backfat) transcriptome. A total of 4,130 putative unannotated protein-coding sequences were identified in the 20% of reads which mapped in intergenic regions. Furthermore, 36% of the unmapped reads were represented by interspersed repeats, SINEs being the most abundant elements. Differential expression analyses identified 396 candidate genes among divergent animals for intramuscular fatty acid composition. Sixty-two percent of these genes (247/396) presented higher expression in the group of pigs with higher content of intramuscular SFA and MUFA, while the remaining 149 showed higher expression in the group with higher content of PUFA. Pathway analysis related these genes to biological functions and canonical pathways controlling lipid and fatty acid metabolisms. In concordance with the phenotypic classification of animals, the major metabolic pathway differentially modulated between groups was de novo lipogenesis, the group with more PUFA being the one that showed lower expression of lipogenic genes.

Conclusions

These results will help in the identification of genetic variants at loci that affect fatty acid composition traits. The implications of these results range from the improvement of porcine meat quality traits to the application of the pig as an animal model of human metabolic diseases.

Identification of genes regulating growth and fatness traits in pig through hypothalamic transcriptome analysis

Previous studies on Iberian × Landrace (IBMAP) pig intercrosses have enabled the identification of several quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions related to growth and fatness traits; however, the genetic variation underlying those QTLs are still unknown. These traits are not only relevant because of their impact on economically important production traits, but also because pig constitutes a widely studied animal model for human obesity and obesity-related diseases. The hypothalamus is the main gland regulating growth, food intake, and fat accumulation. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify genes and/or gene transcripts involved in the determination of growth and fatness in pig by a comparison of the whole hypothalamic transcriptome (RNA-Seq) in two groups of phenotypically divergent IBMAP pigs. Around 16,000 of the ∼25.010 annotated genes were expressed in these hypothalamic samples, with most of them showing intermediate expression levels. Functional analyses supported the key role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of growth, fat accumulation, and energy expenditure. Moreover, 58,927 potentially new isoforms were detected. More than 250 differentially expressed genes and novel transcript isoforms were identified between the two groups of pigs. Twenty-one DE genes/transcripts that colocalized in previously identified QTL regions and/or whose biological functions are related to the traits of interest were explored in more detail. Additionally, the transcription factors potentially regulating these genes and the subjacent networks and pathways were also analyzed. This study allows us to propose strong candidate genes for growth and fatness based on expression patterns, genomic location, and network interactions.

Transcriptome profiling identifies differentially expressed genes in postnatal developing pituitary gland of miniature pig

In recent years, Tibetan pig and Bama pig are popularly used as animal models for medical researches. However, little genomic information is available for the two breeds, particularly regarding gene expression pattern at the whole-transcriptome level. In this study, we characterized the pituitary transcriptome profile along their postnatal developmental stages within and between the two breeds in order to illustrate the differential dynamics and functions of differentially expressed genes. We obtained a total of ∼300 million 80-bp paired-end reads, detected 15 715 previously annotated genes. Most of the genes (90.33%) were shared between the two breeds with the main functions in metabolic process. Four hormone genes (GH, PRL, LHB, and FSHB) were detected in all samples with extremely high levels of expression. Functional differences between the three developmental stages (infancy, puberty and adulthood) in each breed were dominantly presented by the gene expressions at the first stage. That is, Bama pig was over-represented in the genes involved in the cellular process, while Tibetan pig was over-represented in the genes represented by the reproductive process. The identified SNPs indicated that the divergence between the miniature pig breeds and the large pig (Duroc) were greater than that between the two miniature pig breeds. This study substantially expands our knowledge concerning the genes transcribed in the pig pituitary gland and provides an overview of pituitary transcriptome dynamics throughout the period of postnatal development.

Analysis of stress-responsive transcriptome in the intestine of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) using RNA-seq

Identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and regulated pathways in response to stressors using a whole-genome approach is critical to understanding the mechanisms underlying stress responses. We challenged Asian seabass with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Vibrio harveyi, high salinity and fasting, and sequenced six cDNA libraries of intestine samples using Roche 454 RNA-seq. Over 1 million reads (average size: 516 bp) were obtained. The de novo assembly obtained 83 911 unisequences with an average length of 747 bp. In total, 62.3% of the unisequences were annotated. We observed overall similar expression profiles among different challenges, while a number of DEGs and regulated pathways were identified under specific challenges. More than 1000 DEGs and over 200 regulated pathways for each stressor were identified. Thirty-seven genes were differentially expressed in response to all challenges. Our data suggest that there is a global coordination and fine-tuning of gene regulation during different challenges. In addition, we detected dramatic immune responses in intestines under different stressors. This study is the first step towards the comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying stress responses and supplies significant transcriptome resources for studying biological questions in non-model fish species.

Transcriptional activity of transposable elements in coelacanth

The morphological stasis of coelacanths has long suggested a slow evolutionary rate. General genomic stasis might also imply a decrease of transposable elements activity. To evaluate the potential activity of transposable elements (TEs) in "living fossil" species, transcriptomic data of Latimeria chalumnae and its Indonesian congener Latimeria menadoensis were compared through the RNA-sequencing mapping procedures in three different organs (liver, testis, and muscle). The analysis of coelacanth transcriptomes highlights a significant percentage of transcribed TEs in both species. Major contributors are LINE retrotransposons, especially from the CR1 family. Furthermore, some particular elements such as a LF-SINE and a LINE2 sequences seem to be more expressed than other elements. The amount of TEs expressed in testis suggests possible transposition burst in incoming generations. Moreover, significant amount of TEs in liver and muscle transcriptomes were also observed. Analyses of elements displaying marked organ-specific expression gave us the opportunity to highlight exaptation cases, that is, the recruitment of TEs as new cellular genes, but also to identify a new Latimeria-specific family of Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements called CoeG-SINEs. Overall, transcriptome results do not seem to be in line with a slow-evolving genome with poor TE activity.

Characterization and comparative analyses of muscle transcriptomes in Dorper and small-tailed Han sheep using RNA-Seq technique

The sheep is an important domestic animal and model for many types of medically relevant research. An investigation of gene expression in ovine muscle would significantly advance our understanding of muscle growth. RNA-seq is a recently developed analytical approach for transcriptome profiling via high-throughput sequencing. Although RNA-seq has been recently applied to a wide variety of organisms, few RNA-seq studies have been conducted in livestock, particularly in sheep. In this study, two cDNA libraries were constructed from the biceps brachii of one Small-tailed Han sheep (SH) and one Dorper sheep (DP). The Illumina high-throughput sequencing technique and bioinformatics were used to determine transcript abundances and characteristics. For the SH and DP libraries, we obtained a total of 50,264,608 and 52,794,216 high quality reads, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of the reads could be mapped to the sheep genome. In addition, 40,481 and 38,851 potential coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs) were observed, respectively, of which a total of 59,139 cSNP coordinates were different between the two samples. Up to 5,116 and 5,265 respective reference genes had undergone 13,827 and 15,684 alternative splicing events. A total of 6,989 reference genes were extended at the 5’, 3’ or both ends, and 123,678 novel transcript units were found. A total of 1,300 significantly differentially expressed genes were identified between the two libraries. These results suggest that there are many differences in the muscle transcriptomes between these two animals. This study addresses a preliminary analysis and offers a foundation for future genomic research in the sheep.

Identification of the novel candidate genes and variants in boar liver tissues with divergent skatole levels using RNA deep sequencing

Boar taint is the unpleasant odour of meat derived from non-castrated male pigs, caused by the accumulation of androstenone and skatole in fat. Skatole is a tryptophan metabolite produced by intestinal bacteria in gut and catabolised in liver. Since boar taint affects consumer's preference, the aim of this study was to perform transcriptome profiling in liver of boars with divergent skatole levels in backfat by using RNA-Seq. The total number of reads produced for each liver sample ranged from 11.8 to 39.0 million. Approximately 448 genes were differentially regulated (p-adjusted <0.05). Among them, 383 genes were up-regulated in higher skatole group and 65 were down-regulated (p<0.01, FC>1.5). Differentially regulated genes in the high skatole liver samples were enriched in metabolic processes such as small molecule biochemistry, protein synthesis, lipid and amino acid metabolism. Pathway analysis identified the remodeling of epithelial adherens junction and TCA cycle as the most dominant pathways which may play important roles in skatole metabolism. Differential gene expression analysis identified candidate genes in ATP synthesis, cytochrome P450, keratin, phosphoglucomutase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and solute carrier family. Additionally, polymorphism and association analysis revealed that mutations in ATP5B, KRT8, PGM1, SLC22A7 and IDH1 genes could be potential markers for skatole levels in boars. Furthermore, expression analysis of exon usage of three genes (ATP5B, KRT8 and PGM1) revealed significant differential expression of exons of these genes in different skatole levels. These polymorphisms and exon expression differences may have impacts on the gene activity ultimately leading to skatole variation and could be used as genetic marker for boar taint related traits. However, further validation is required to confirm the effect of these genetic markers in other pig populations in order to be used in genomic selection against boar taint in pig breeding programs.

Detecting and comparing non-coding RNAs in the high-throughput era

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the field of non-coding RNA. This surge is a direct consequence of the discovery of a huge number of new non-coding genes and of the finding that many of these transcripts are involved in key cellular functions. In this context, accurately detecting and comparing RNA sequences has become important. Aligning nucleotide sequences is a key requisite when searching for homologous genes. Accurate alignments reveal evolutionary relationships, conserved regions and more generally any biologically relevant pattern. Comparing RNA molecules is, however, a challenging task. The nucleotide alphabet is simpler and therefore less informative than that of amino-acids. Moreover for many non-coding RNAs, evolution is likely to be mostly constrained at the structural level and not at the sequence level. This results in very poor sequence conservation impeding comparison of these molecules. These difficulties define a context where new methods are urgently needed in order to exploit experimental results to their full potential. This review focuses on the comparative genomics of non-coding RNAs in the context of new sequencing technologies and especially dealing with two extremely important and timely research aspects: the development of new methods to align RNAs and the analysis of high-throughput data.

RNA deep sequencing reveals novel candidate genes and polymorphisms in boar testis and liver tissues with divergent androstenone levels

Boar taint is an unpleasant smell and taste of pork meat derived from some entire male pigs. The main causes of boar taint are the two compounds androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one) and skatole (3-methylindole). It is crucial to understand the genetic mechanism of boar taint to select pigs for lower androstenone levels and thus reduce boar taint. The aim of the present study was to investigate transcriptome differences in boar testis and liver tissues with divergent androstenone levels using RNA deep sequencing (RNA-Seq). The total number of reads produced for each testis and liver sample ranged from 13,221,550 to 33,206,723 and 12,755,487 to 46,050,468, respectively. In testis samples 46 genes were differentially regulated whereas 25 genes showed differential expression in the liver. The fold change values ranged from −4.68 to 2.90 in testis samples and −2.86 to 3.89 in liver samples. Differentially regulated genes in high androstenone testis and liver samples were enriched in metabolic processes such as lipid metabolism, small molecule biochemistry and molecular transport. This study provides evidence for transcriptome profile and gene polymorphisms of boars with divergent androstenone level using RNA-Seq technology. Digital gene expression analysis identified candidate genes in flavin monooxygenease family, cytochrome P450 family and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase family. Moreover, polymorphism and association analysis revealed mutation in IRG6, MX1, IFIT2, CYP7A1, FMO5 and KRT18 genes could be potential candidate markers for androstenone levels in boars. Further studies are required for proving the role of candidate genes to be used in genomic selection against boar taint in pig breeding programs.

Research progress in allele-specific expression and its regulatory mechanisms

Although the majority of genes are expressed equally from both alleles, some genes are differentially expressed. Organisms possess characteristics to preferentially express a particular allele under regulatory factors, which is termed allele-specific expression (ASE). It is one of the important genetic factors that lead to phenotypic variation and can be used to identify the variance of gene regulation factors. ASE indicates mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs function. Here, we review a broad survey of progress in ASE studies, and what this simple yet very effective approach can offer in functional genomics, and possible implications toward our better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of complex traits.

Liver transcriptome profile in pigs with extreme phenotypes of intramuscular fatty acid composition

BACKGROUND

New advances in high-throughput technologies have allowed for the massive analysis of genomic data, providing new opportunities for the characterization of the transcriptome architectures. Recent studies in pigs have employed RNA-Seq to explore the transcriptome of different tissues in a reduced number of animals. The main goal of this study was the identification of differentially-expressed genes in the liver of Iberian x Landrace crossbred pigs showing extreme phenotypes for intramuscular fatty acid composition using RNA-Seq.

RESULTS

The liver transcriptomes of two female groups (H and L) with phenotypically extreme intramuscular fatty acid composition were sequenced using RNA-Seq. A total of 146 and 180 unannotated protein-coding genes were identified in intergenic regions for the L and H groups, respectively. In addition, a range of 5.8 to 7.3% of repetitive elements was found, with SINEs being the most abundant elements. The expression in liver of 186 (L) and 270 (H) lncRNAs was also detected. The higher reproducibility of the RNA-Seq data was validated by RT-qPCR and porcine expression microarrays, therefore showing a strong correlation between RT-qPCR and RNA-Seq data (ranking from 0.79 to 0.96), as well as between microarrays and RNA-Seq (r=0.72). A differential expression analysis between H and L animals identified 55 genes differentially-expressed between groups. Pathways analysis revealed that these genes belong to biological functions, canonical pathways and three gene networks related to lipid and fatty acid metabolism. In concordance with the phenotypic classification, the pathways analysis inferred that linolenic and arachidonic acids metabolism was altered between extreme individuals. In addition, a connection was observed among the top three networks, hence suggesting that these genes are interconnected and play an important role in lipid and fatty acid metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study RNA-Seq was used as a tool to explore the liver transcriptome of pigs with extreme phenotypes for intramuscular fatty acid composition. The differential gene expression analysis showed potential gene networks which affect lipid and fatty acid metabolism. These results may help in the design of selection strategies to improve the sensorial and nutritional quality of pork meat.

The research strategies for probing the function of long noncoding RNAs

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a new frontier in molecular genetics and molecular biology. They have a tremendous potential for advancing our comprehensive understanding of biological processes in huma n health and disease. The transcripts of lncRNAs are easy to find, but sorting out what they do remains the biggest challenge in lncRNAs' research field. In the paper, we highlight recent progress regarding the methods to explore the roles of lncRNAs.