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Evolution of sexual systems, sex chromosomes and sex-linked gene transcription in flatworms and roundworms. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3239. [PMID: 35688815 PMCID: PMC9187692 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30578-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species with separate male and female individuals (termed ‘gonochorism’ in animals) have sex-linked genome regions. Here, we investigate evolutionary changes when genome regions become completely sex-linked, by analyses of multiple species of flatworms (Platyhelminthes; among which schistosomes recently evolved gonochorism from ancestral hermaphroditism), and roundworms (Nematoda) which have undergone independent translocations of different autosomes. Although neither the evolution of gonochorism nor translocations fusing ancestrally autosomal regions to sex chromosomes causes inevitable loss of recombination, we document that formerly recombining regions show genomic signatures of recombination suppression in both taxa, and become strongly genetically degenerated, with a loss of most genes. Comparisons with hermaphroditic flatworm transcriptomes show masculinisation and some defeminisation in schistosome gonad gene expression. We also find evidence that evolution of sex-linkage in nematodes is accompanied by transcriptional changes and dosage compensation. Our analyses also identify sex-linked genes that could assist future research aimed at controlling some of these important parasites. Transitions between hermaphroditic and separate sexes are relatively understudied in animals compared to pants. Here, Wang et al. reconstruct the evolution of separate sexes in the flatworms and complex changes of sex chromosomes in the roundworms.
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2
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Ellis RE. Sex Determination in Nematode Germ Cells. Sex Dev 2022:1-18. [PMID: 35172320 PMCID: PMC9378769 DOI: 10.1159/000520872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal germ cells differentiate as sperm or as oocytes. These sexual fates are controlled by complex regulatory pathways to ensure that the proper gametes are made at the appropriate times. SUMMARY Nematodes like Caenorhabditis elegans and its close relatives are ideal models for studying how this regulation works, because the XX animals are self-fertile hermaphrodites that produce both sperm and oocytes. In these worms, germ cells use the same signal transduction pathway that functions in somatic cells. This pathway determines the activity of the transcription factor TRA-1, a Gli protein that can repress male genes. However, the pathway is extensively modified in germ cells, largely by the action of translational regulators like the PUF proteins. Many of these modifications play critical roles in allowing the XX hermaphrodites to make sperm in an otherwise female body. Finally, TRA-1 cooperates with chromatin regulators in the germ line to control the activity of fog-1 and fog-3, which are essential for spermatogenesis. FOG-1 and FOG-3 work together to determine germ cell fates by blocking the translation of oogenic transcripts. Key Messages: Although there is great diversity in how germ cell fates are controlled in other animals, many of the key nematode genes are conserved, and the critical role of translational regulators may be universal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Ellis
- Department of Molecular Biology, Rowan University SOM, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
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3
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Sepe RM, Ghiron JHL, Zucchetti I, Caputi L, Tarallo R, Crocetta F, De Santis R, D'Aniello S, Sordino P. The EJC component Magoh in non-vertebrate chordates. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:295-304. [PMID: 32632492 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00664-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Earliest craniates possess a newly enlarged, elaborated forebrain with new cell types and neuronal networks. A key question in vertebrate evolution is when and how this cerebral expansion took place. The exon-junction complex (EJC) plays an essential role in mRNA processing of all Eukarya. Recently, it has been proposed that the EJC represses recursive RNA splicing in Deuterostomes, with implication in human brain diseases like microcephaly and depression. However, the EJC or EJC subunit contribution to brain development in non-vertebrate Deuterostomes remained unknown. Being interested in the evolution of chordate characters, we focused on the model species, Branchiostoma lanceolatum (Cephalochordata) and Ciona robusta (Tunicata), with the aim to investigate the ancestral and the derived expression state of Magoh orthologous genes. This study identifies that Magoh is part of a conserved syntenic group exclusively in vertebrates and suggests that Magoh has experienced duplication and loss events in mammals. During early development in amphioxus and ascidian, maternal contribution and zygotic expression of Magoh genes in various types of progenitor cells and tissues are consistent with the condition observed in other Bilateria. Later in development, we also show expression of Magoh in the brain of cephalochordate and ascidian larvae. Collectively, these results provide a basis to further define what functional role(s) Magoh exerted during nervous system development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Maria Sepe
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Jung Hee Levialdi Ghiron
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Ivana Zucchetti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Caputi
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tarallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Crocetta
- Department of Integrated Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Rosaria De Santis
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Paolo Sordino
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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Kimball C, Powers K, Dustin J, Poirier V, Pellettieri J. The exon junction complex is required for stem and progenitor cell maintenance in planarians. Dev Biol 2020; 457:119-127. [PMID: 31557470 PMCID: PMC8544814 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Named for its assembly near exon-exon junctions during pre-mRNA splicing, the exon junction complex (EJC) regulates multiple aspects of RNA biochemistry, including export of spliced mRNAs from the nucleus and translation. Transcriptome analyses have revealed broad EJC occupancy of spliced metazoan transcripts, yet inhibition of core subunits has been linked to surprisingly specific phenotypes and a growing number of studies support gene-specific regulatory roles. Here we report results from a classroom-based RNAi screen revealing the EJC is necessary for regeneration in the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. RNAi animals rapidly lost the stem and progenitor cells that drive formation of new tissue during both regeneration and cell turnover, but exhibited normal amputation-induced changes in gene expression in differentiated tissues. Together with previous reports that partial loss of EJC function causes stem cell defects in Drosophila and mice, our observations implicate the EJC as a conserved, posttranscriptional regulator of gene expression in stem cell lineages. This work also highlights the combined educational and scientific impacts of discovery-based research in the undergraduate biology curriculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Kimball
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Kaleigh Powers
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - John Dustin
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
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Gong P, Li J, He C. Exon junction complex (EJC) core genes play multiple developmental roles in Physalis floridana. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 98:545-563. [PMID: 30426309 PMCID: PMC6280879 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-018-0795-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Molecular and functional characterization of four gene families of the Physalis exon junction complex (EJC) core improved our understanding of the evolution and function of EJC core genes in plants. The exon junction complex (EJC) plays significant roles in posttranscriptional regulation of genes in eukaryotes. However, its developmental roles in plants are poorly known. We characterized four EJC core genes from Physalis floridana that were named PFMAGO, PFY14, PFeIF4AIII and PFBTZ. They shared a similar phylogenetic topology and were expressed in all examined organs. PFMAGO, PFY14 and PFeIF4AIII were localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm while PFBTZ was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. No protein homodimerization was observed, but they could form heterodimers excluding the PFY14-PFBTZ heterodimerization. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of PFMAGO or PFY14 aborted pollen development and resulted in low plant survival due to a leaf-blight-like phenotype in the shoot apex. Carpel functionality was also impaired in the PFY14 knockdowns, whereas pollen maturation was uniquely affected in PFBTZ-VIGS plants. Once PFeIF4AIII was strongly downregulated, plant survival was reduced via a decomposing root collar after flowering and Chinese lantern morphology was distorted. The expression of Physalis orthologous genes in the DYT1-TDF1-AMS-bHLH91 regulatory cascade that is associated with pollen maturation was significantly downregulated in PFMAGO-, PFY14- and PFBTZ-VIGS flowers. Intron-retention in the transcripts of P. floridana dysfunctional tapetum1 (PFDYT1) occurred in these mutated flowers. Additionally, the expression level of WRKY genes in defense-related pathways in the shoot apex of PFMAGO- or PFY14-VIGS plants and in the root collar of PFeIF4AIII-VIGS plants was significantly downregulated. Taken together, the Physalis EJC core genes play multiple roles including a conserved role in male fertility and newly discovered roles in Chinese lantern development, carpel functionality and defense-related processes. These data increase our understanding of the evolution and functions of EJC core genes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pichang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chaoying He
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Studies on reproductive stress caused by candidate Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. Gene 2018; 649:113-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.01.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Alternative Splicing Profile and Sex-Preferential Gene Expression in the Female and Male Pacific Abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8030099. [PMID: 28282934 PMCID: PMC5368703 DOI: 10.3390/genes8030099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to characterize the female or male transcriptome of the Pacific abalone and further increase genomic resources, we sequenced the mRNA of full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries derived from pooled tissues of female and male Haliotis discus hannai by employing the Iso-Seq protocol of the PacBio RSII platform. We successfully assembled whole full-length cDNA sequences and constructed a transcriptome database that included isoform information. After clustering, a total of 15,110 and 12,145 genes that coded for proteins were identified in female and male abalones, respectively. A total of 13,057 putative orthologs were retained from each transcriptome in abalones. Overall Gene Ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analyzed in each database showed a similar composition between sexes. In addition, a total of 519 and 391 isoforms were genome-widely identified with at least two isoforms from female and male transcriptome databases. We found that the number of isoforms and their alternatively spliced patterns are variable and sex-dependent. This information represents the first significant contribution to sex-preferential genomic resources of the Pacific abalone. The availability of whole female and male transcriptome database and their isoform information will be useful to improve our understanding of molecular responses and also for the analysis of population dynamics in the Pacific abalone.
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Picard MAL, Boissier J, Roquis D, Grunau C, Allienne JF, Duval D, Toulza E, Arancibia N, Caffrey CR, Long T, Nidelet S, Rohmer M, Cosseau C. Sex-Biased Transcriptome of Schistosoma mansoni: Host-Parasite Interaction, Genetic Determinants and Epigenetic Regulators Are Associated with Sexual Differentiation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004930. [PMID: 27677173 PMCID: PMC5038963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among more than 20,000 species of hermaphroditic trematodes, Schistosomatidae are unusual since they have evolved gonochorism. In schistosomes, sex is determined by a female heterogametic system, but phenotypic sexual dimorphism appears only after infection of the vertebrate definitive host. The completion of gonad maturation occurs even later, after pairing. To date, the molecular mechanisms that trigger the sexual differentiation in these species remain unknown, and in vivo studies on the developing schistosomulum stages are lacking. To study the molecular basis of sex determination and sexual differentiation in schistosomes, we investigated the whole transcriptome of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni in a stage- and sex-comparative manner. Methodology/ Principal Findings We performed a RNA-seq on males and females for five developmental stages: cercariae larvae, three in vivo schistosomulum stages and adults. We detected 7,168 genes differentially expressed between sexes in at least one of the developmental stages, and 4,065 of them were functionally annotated. Transcriptome data were completed with H3K27me3 histone modification analysis using ChIP-Seq before (in cercariae) and after (in adults) the phenotypic sexual dimorphism appearance. In this paper we present (i) candidate determinants of the sexual differentiation, (ii) sex-biased players of the interaction with the vertebrate host, and (iii) different dynamic of the H3K27me3 histone mark between sexes as an illustration of sex-biased epigenetic landscapes. Conclusions/ Significance Our work presents evidence that sexual differentiation in S. mansoni is accompanied by distinct male and female transcriptional landscapes of known players of the host-parasite crosstalk, genetic determinants and epigenetic regulators. Our results suggest that such combination could lead to the optimized sexual dimorphism of this parasitic species. As S. mansoni is pathogenic for humans, this study represents a promising source of therapeutic targets, providing not only data on the parasite development in interaction with its vertebrate host, but also new insights on its reproductive function. Parasitic flatworms include more than 20,000 species that are classically hermaphrodites. Among them, the roughly hundred species of Schistosomatidae are intriguing because they are gonochoric. Schistosomes are responsible of the second most important parasitic disease worldwide, and eggs are the main cause of the inflammatory symptoms. Thus, studying the sexual reproduction mechanisms of schistosomes is of particular interest for drug development. Schistosome’s sex is genetically determined by the presence of sex chromosomes: ZZ in males or ZW in females. There is, however, no phenotypic dimorphism in the larval stages: sexual dimorphism appears only in the vertebrate host. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic sexual dimorphism, we performed a transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) in five different stages of the parasite lifecycle as well as a chromatin status analysis (ChIP-Seq) in the non-differentiated stage cercariae and in the adult differentiated stage, for males and females separately. Our work presents evidence that sexual differentiation in S. mansoni is accompanied by distinct male and female transcriptional landscapes of known players of the host-parasite crosstalk, developmental pathways and epigenetic regulators. Our sex-comparative approach provides therefore new potential therapeutic targets to affect development and sexual reproduction of parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion A. L. Picard
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - David Roquis
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Christoph Grunau
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Jean-François Allienne
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - David Duval
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Eve Toulza
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Nathalie Arancibia
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Thavy Long
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Céline Cosseau
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
- * E-mail:
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Cruz-Reyes J, Mooers BHM, Abu-Adas Z, Kumar V, Gulati S. DEAH-RHA helicase•Znf cofactor systems in kinetoplastid RNA editing and evolutionarily distant RNA processes. RNA & DISEASE 2016; 3. [PMID: 27540585 PMCID: PMC4987287 DOI: 10.14800/rd.1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-zinc finger proteins are an emerging class of cofactors in DEAH-RHA RNA helicases across highly divergent eukaryotic lineages. DEAH-RHA helicase•zinc finger cofactor partnerships predate the split of kinetoplastid protozoa, which include several human pathogens, from other eukaryotic lineages 100-400 Ma. Despite a long evolutionary history, the prototypical DEAH-RHA domains remain highly conserved. This short review focuses on a recently identified DEAH-RHA helicase•zinc finger cofactor system in kinetoplastid RNA editing, and its potential functional parallels with analogous systems in embryogenesis control in nematodes and antivirus protection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cruz-Reyes
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Blaine H M Mooers
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Zakaria Abu-Adas
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shelly Gulati
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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Mangio RS, Votra S, Pruyne D. The canonical eIF4E isoform of C. elegans regulates growth, embryogenesis, and germline sex-determination. Biol Open 2015; 4:843-51. [PMID: 25979704 PMCID: PMC4571089 DOI: 10.1242/bio.011585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
eIF4E plays a conserved role in initiating protein synthesis, but with multiple eIF4E isoforms present in many organisms, these proteins also adopt specialized functions. Previous RNAi studies showed that ife-3, encoding the sole canonical eIF4E isoform of Caenorhabditis elegans, is essential for viability. Using ife-3 gene mutations, we show here that it is maternal ife-3 function that is essential for embryogenesis, but ife-3 null progeny of heterozygous animals are viable. We find that zygotic ife-3 function promotes body growth and regulates germline development in hermaphrodite worms. Specifically, the normal transition from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the hermaphrodite germline fails in ife-3 mutants. This failure to switch is reversed by inhibiting expression of the key masculinizing gene, fem-3, suggesting ife-3 resembles a growing number of genes that promote the sperm/oocyte switch by acting genetically as upstream inhibitors of fem-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard S Mangio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - SarahBeth Votra
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - David Pruyne
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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Ihsan H, Khan MR, Ajmal W, Ali GM. WsMAGO2, a duplicated MAGO NASHI protein with fertility attributes interacts with MPF2-like MADS-box proteins. PLANTA 2015; 241:1173-1187. [PMID: 25630441 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-015-2247-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
WsMAGO2 a duplicated protein in Withania through interactions with MPF2-like proteins affects male fertility by producing fewer flowers and aborted non-viable pollens/seeds regulated by anther-specific GAATTTGTGA motif. The MAGO NASHIs are highly conserved genes that encode proteins known to be involved in RNA physiology and many other developmental processes including germ cell differentiation in animals. However, their structural and functional implications in plants as fertility function proteins remained fragmented. MAGO (shorter name of MAGO NASHI) proteins form heterodimers with MPF2-like MADS-box proteins which are recruited in calyx identity and male fertility in Solanaceous plants. Four MAGO genes namely WsMAGO1 and WsMAGO2 and TaMAGO1 and TaMAGO2 were isolated from Withania somnifera and Tubocapsicum anomalum, respectively. These genes have duplicated probably due to whole genome duplication event. Dysfunction of WsMAGO2 through double-stranded RNAi in Withania revealed suppression of RNA transcripts, non-viable pollens, fewer flowers and aborted non-viable seeds in the developing berry suggesting a role of this protein in many traits particularly male fertility. WsMAGO2 flaunted stronger yeast 2-hybrid interactions with MPF2-like proteins WSA206, WSB206 and TAB201 than other MAGO counterparts. The native transcripts of WsMAGO2 culminated in stamens and seed-bearing berries though other MAGO orthologs also exhibited expression albeit at lower level. Coding sequences of the two orthologs are highly conserved, but they differ substantially in their upstream promoter regions. Remarkably, WsMAGO2 promoter is enriched with many anther-specific cis-motifs common in fertility function genes promoters. Among them, disruption of GAATTTGTGA abolished YFP/GUS gene expression in anthers alluding towards its involvement in regulating expression of MAGO in anther. Our findings support a possible recruitment of WsMAGO2 in fertility trait in Withania. These genes have practical application in hybrid production through cytoplasmic male sterility maintenance for enhancement in crops yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humera Ihsan
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan
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12
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Gong P, Zhao M, He C. Slow co-evolution of the MAGO and Y14 protein families is required for the maintenance of their obligate heterodimerization mode. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84842. [PMID: 24416299 PMCID: PMC3885619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The exon junction complex (EJC) plays important roles in RNA metabolisms and the development of eukaryotic organisms. MAGO (short form of MAGO NASHI) and Y14 (also Tsunagi or RBM8) are the EJC core components. Their biological roles have been well investigated in various species, but the evolutionary patterns of the two gene families and their protein-protein interactions are poorly known. Genome-wide survey suggested that the MAGO and Y14 two gene families originated in eukaryotic organisms with the maintenance of a low copy. We found that the two protein families evolved slowly; however, the MAGO family under stringent purifying selection evolved more slowly than the Y14 family that was under relative relaxed purifying selection. MAGO and Y14 were obliged to form heterodimer in a eukaryotic organism, and this obligate mode was plesiomorphic. Lack of binding of MAGO to Y14 as functional barrier was observed only among distantly species, suggesting that a slow co-evolution of the two protein families. Inter-protein co-evolutionary signal was further quantified in analyses of the Tol-MirroTree and co-evolution analysis using protein sequences. About 20% of the 41 significantly correlated mutation groups (involving 97 residues) predicted between the two families was clade-specific. Moreover, around half of the predicted co-evolved groups and nearly all clade-specific residues fell into the minimal interaction domains of the two protein families. The mutagenesis effects of the clade-specific residues strengthened that the co-evolution is required for obligate MAGO-Y14 heterodimerization mode. In turn, the obliged heterodimerization in an organism serves as a strong functional constraint for the co-evolution of the MAGO and Y14 families. Such a co-evolution allows maintaining the interaction between the proteins through large evolutionary time scales. Our work shed a light on functional evolution of the EJC genes in eukaryotes, and facilitates to understand the co-evolutionary processes among protein families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pichang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Man Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoying He
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Llera-Herrera R, García-Gasca A, Abreu-Goodger C, Huvet A, Ibarra AM. Identification of male gametogenesis expressed genes from the scallop Nodipecten subnodosus by suppressive subtraction hybridization and pyrosequencing. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73176. [PMID: 24066034 PMCID: PMC3774672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great advances in sequencing technologies, genomic and transcriptomic information for marine non-model species with ecological, evolutionary, and economical interest is still scarce. In this work we aimed to identify genes expressed during spermatogenesis in the functional hermaphrodite scallop Nodipecten subnodosus (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Pectinidae), with the purpose of obtaining a panel of genes that would allow for the study of differentially transcribed genes between diploid and triploid scallops in the context of meiotic arrest and reproductive sterility. Because our aim was to isolate genes involved in meiosis and other testis maturation-related processes, we generated suppressive subtractive hybridization libraries of testis vs. inactive gonad. We obtained 352 and 177 ESTs by clone sequencing, and using pyrosequencing (454-Roche) we maximized the identified ESTs to 34,276 reads. A total of 1,153 genes from the testis library had a blastx hit and GO annotation, including genes specific for meiosis, spermatogenesis, sex-differentiation, and transposable elements. Some of the identified meiosis genes function in chromosome pairing (scp2, scp3), recombination and DNA repair (dmc1, rad51, ccnb1ip1/hei10), and meiotic checkpoints (rad1, hormad1, dtl/cdt2). Gene expression analyses in different gametogenic stages in both sexual regions of the gonad of meiosis genes confirmed that the expression was specific or increased towards the maturing testis. Spermatogenesis genes included known testis-specific ones (kelch-10, shippo1, adad1), with some of these known to be associated to sterility. Sex differentiation genes included one of the most conserved genes at the bottom of the sex-determination cascade (dmrt1). Transcript from transposable elements, reverse transcriptase, and transposases in this library evidenced that transposition is an active process during spermatogenesis in N. subnodosus. In relation to the inactive library, we identified 833 transcripts with functional annotation related to activation of the transcription and translation machinery, as well as to germline control and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Llera-Herrera
- Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | | | - Cei Abreu-Goodger
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Arnaud Huvet
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, (IFREMER), Centre de Bretagne, Plouzané, France
| | - Ana M. Ibarra
- Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- * E-mail:
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Noatynska A, Gotta M, Meraldi P. Mitotic spindle (DIS)orientation and DISease: cause or consequence? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 199:1025-35. [PMID: 23266953 PMCID: PMC3529530 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201209015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Correct alignment of the mitotic spindle during cell division is crucial for cell fate determination, tissue organization, and development. Mutations causing brain diseases and cancer in humans and mice have been associated with spindle orientation defects. These defects are thought to lead to an imbalance between symmetric and asymmetric divisions, causing reduced or excessive cell proliferation. However, most of these disease-linked genes encode proteins that carry out multiple cellular functions. Here, we discuss whether spindle orientation defects are the direct cause for these diseases, or just a correlative side effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Noatynska
- Department of Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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15
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Translational control in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 757:205-47. [PMID: 22872479 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4015-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Translational control is a prevalent form of gene expression regulation in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line. Linking the amount of protein synthesis to mRNA quantity and translational accessibility in the cell cytoplasm provides unique advantages over DNA-based controls for developing germ cells. This mode of gene expression is especially exploited in germ cell fate decisions and during oogenesis, when the developing oocytes stockpile hundreds of different mRNAs required for early embryogenesis. Consequently, a dense web of RNA regulators, consisting of diverse RNA-binding proteins and RNA-modifying enzymes, control the translatability of entire mRNA expression programs. These RNA regulatory networks are tightly coupled to germ cell developmental progression and are themselves under translational control. The underlying molecular mechanisms and RNA codes embedded in the mRNA molecules are beginning to be understood. Hence, the C. elegans germ line offers fertile grounds for discovering post-transcriptional mRNA regulatory mechanisms and emerges as great model for a systems level understanding of translational control during development.
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16
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Abstract
How morphological diversity arises is a key question in evolutionary developmental biology. As a long-term approach to address this question, we are developing the water bear Hypsibius dujardini (Phylum Tardigrada) as a model system. We expect that using a close relative of two well-studied models, Drosophila (Phylum Arthropoda) and Caenorhabditis elegans (Phylum Nematoda), will facilitate identifying genetic pathways relevant to understanding the evolution of development. Tardigrades are also valuable research subjects for investigating how organisms and biological materials can survive extreme conditions. Methods to disrupt gene activity are essential to each of these efforts, but no such method yet exists for the Phylum Tardigrada. We developed a protocol to disrupt tardigrade gene functions by double-stranded RNA-mediated RNA interference (RNAi). We showed that targeting tardigrade homologs of essential developmental genes by RNAi produced embryonic lethality, whereas targeting green fluorescent protein did not. Disruption of gene functions appears to be relatively specific by two criteria: targeting distinct genes resulted in distinct phenotypes that were consistent with predicted gene functions and by RT-PCR, RNAi reduced the level of a target mRNA and not a control mRNA. These studies represent the first evidence that gene functions can be disrupted by RNAi in the phylum Tardigrada. Our results form a platform for dissecting tardigrade gene functions for understanding the evolution of developmental mechanisms and survival in extreme environments.
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A specific set of exon junction complex subunits is required for the nuclear retention of unspliced RNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Cell Biol 2012; 33:444-56. [PMID: 23149939 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01298-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The exon junction complex (EJC) is highly conserved in many organisms and is involved in various steps of mRNA metabolism. During the course of investigating the role of EJC in the germ line sex determination of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we found that depletion of one of the three core subunits (Y14, MAG-1, and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4III [eIF4AIII]) or one auxiliary subunit (UAP56) of EJC resulted in the cytoplasmic leakage of unspliced RNAs from almost all of the C. elegans protein-coding genes examined thus far. This leakage was also observed with the depletion of several splicing factors, including SF3b, IBP160, and PRP19, all of which genetically interacted with Y14. We also found that Y14 physically interacts with both pre-mRNA and spliceosomal U snRNAs, especially U2 snRNA, and that the interaction was abolished when both IBP160 and PRP19 were depleted. Our results strongly suggest that a specific set of EJC subunits is recruited onto introns and interacts with components of the spliceosome, including U2 snRNP, to provide a critical signal for the surveillance and nuclear retention of unspliced RNAs in C. elegans.
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OASIS: online application for the survival analysis of lifespan assays performed in aging research. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23525. [PMID: 21858155 PMCID: PMC3156233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aging is a fundamental biological process. Characterization of genetic and environmental factors that influence lifespan is a crucial step toward understanding the mechanisms of aging at the organism level. To capture the different effects of genetic and environmental factors on lifespan, appropriate statistical analyses are needed. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed an online application for survival analysis (OASIS) that helps conduct various novel statistical tasks involved in analyzing survival data in a user-friendly manner. OASIS provides standard survival analysis results including Kaplan-Meier estimates and mean/median survival time by taking censored survival data. OASIS also provides various statistical tests including comparison of mean survival time, overall survival curve, and survival rate at specific time point. To visualize survival data, OASIS generates survival and log cumulative hazard plots that enable researchers to easily interpret their experimental results. Furthermore, we provide statistical methods that can analyze variances among survival datasets. In addition, users can analyze proportional effects of risk factors on survival. Conclusions/Significance OASIS provides a platform that is essential to facilitate efficient statistical analyses of survival data in the field of aging research. Web application and a detailed description of algorithms are accessible from http://sbi.postech.ac.kr/oasis.
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Inaki M, Kato D, Utsugi T, Onoda F, Hanaoka F, Murakami Y. Genetic analyses using a mouse cell cycle mutant identifies magoh as a novel gene involved in Cdk regulation. Genes Cells 2011; 16:166-78. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2010.01479.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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20
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Woodruff GC, Eke O, Baird SE, Félix MA, Haag ES. Insights into species divergence and the evolution of hermaphroditism from fertile interspecies hybrids of Caenorhabditis nematodes. Genetics 2010; 186:997-1012. [PMID: 20823339 PMCID: PMC2975280 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.110.120550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2010] [Accepted: 08/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The architecture of both phenotypic variation and reproductive isolation are important problems in evolutionary genetics. The nematode genus Caenorhabditis includes both gonochoristic (male/female) and androdioecious (male/hermaprodite) species. However, the natural genetic variants distinguishing reproductive mode remain unknown, and nothing is known about the genetic basis of postzygotic isolation in the genus. Here we describe the hybrid genetics of the first Caenorhabditis species pair capable of producing fertile hybrid progeny, the gonochoristic Caenorhabditis sp. 9 and the androdioecious C. briggsae. Though many interspecies F(1) arrest during embryogenesis, a viable subset develops into fertile females and sterile males. Reciprocal parental crosses reveal asymmetry in male-specific viability, female fertility, and backcross viability. Selfing and spermatogenesis are extremely rare in XX F(1), and almost all hybrid self-progeny are inviable. Consistent with this, F(1) females do not express male-specific molecular germline markers. We also investigated three approaches to producing hybrid hermaphrodites. A dominant mutagenesis screen for self-fertile F(1) hybrids was unsuccessful. Polyploid F(1) hybrids with increased C. briggsae genomic material did show elevated rates of selfing, but selfed progeny were mostly inviable. Finally, the use of backcrosses to render the hybrid genome partial homozygous for C. briggsae alleles did not increase the incidence of selfing or spermatogenesis relative to the F(1) generation. These hybrid animals were genotyped at 23 loci, and significant segregation distortion (biased against C. briggsae) was detected at 13 loci. This, combined with an absence of productive hybrid selfing, prevents formulation of simple hypotheses about the genetic architecture of hermaphroditism. In the near future, this hybrid system will likely be fruitful for understanding the genetics of reproductive isolation in Caenorhabditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C. Woodruff
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 and Institut Jacques Monod, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Onyinyechi Eke
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 and Institut Jacques Monod, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Scott E. Baird
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 and Institut Jacques Monod, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Marie-Anne Félix
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 and Institut Jacques Monod, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Eric S. Haag
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435 and Institut Jacques Monod, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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21
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Murray SM, Yang SY, Van Doren M. Germ cell sex determination: a collaboration between soma and germline. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2010; 22:722-9. [PMID: 21030233 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2010.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Revised: 09/27/2010] [Accepted: 09/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination is regulated very differently in the soma vs. the germline, yet both processes are critical for the creation of the male and female gametes. In general, the soma plays an essential role in regulating sexual identity of the germline. However, in some species, such as Drosophila and mouse, the sex chromosome constitution of the germ cells makes an autonomous contribution to germline sexual development. Here we review how the soma and germline cooperate to determine germline sexual identity for some important model systems, the fly, the worm and the mouse, and discuss some of the implications of 'dual control' (soma plus germline) as compared to species where germline sex is dictated only by the surrounding soma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl M Murray
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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22
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Peptide aptamer: a powerful potential tool in plant functional genomics. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2010; 32:548-54. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2010.00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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23
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Zhao W, Zhou F, Zhou X, Hou Y, He Y, Cheng H, Zhou R. Mago, a vertebrate homolog of Drosophila Mago nashi protein, is a component of the chromatoid body in the cytoplasm of the postmeiotic spermatid. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2010; 314:232-41. [PMID: 19908226 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.21331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Post-transcriptional regulations play a crucial role during spermatogenesis of the vertebrates. Chromatoid body (CB) is a characteristic spermatid organelle that is supposed to exert its role in post-transcriptional processes, but its real functions remain largely unknown. Here we report identification of Mago from the rice field eel, and show its evolutionary conservation, differential expression and localization during gonadal transformation. The Mago interacts with Y14, which may facilitate nuclear export of both proteins in the Sertoli cells. Importantly, we have determined Mago as a novel component of the CB in the cytoplasm of the developing spermatid. Addition of Mago to the component list of the CB undoubtedly provides new clue as to the functions of the CB during spermatogenesis in the vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhao
- Department of Genetics and Center for Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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24
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The identification, expression profile, and preliminary characterization of Tsunagi protein from Schistosoma japonicum. Parasitol Res 2010; 107:615-21. [PMID: 20467751 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-010-1904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Tsunagi is an evolutionarily conserved protein, which is required for germ line differentiation during the development of Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. In this paper, we describe a homologue of the Tsunagi protein from Schistosoma japonicum (SjTsunagi). The gene for this protein was isolated from S. japonicum using degenerate and anchored polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the deduced protein has sequence homology and similarity to Tsunagi protein of other species, including C. elegans, D. melanogaster, Xenopus laevis, Mus musculus, and human. Amino acid sequence analysis showed the presence of a conserved RNA recognition motif. The predicted protein encoded by SjTsunagi gene is 177 amino acids in length with an estimated molecular mass of 20 kD. Immunoblot and reverse transcription-PCR analysis confirms SjTsunagi protein is expressed in eggs, cercariae, schistosomula, and adult female and adult male parasites. Pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assay confirms that protein of SjTsunagi can interact with SjMago nashi in vitro. Taken together, this is the first report of the expression and preliminary characterization analysis of the SjTsunagi gene from S. japonicum.
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25
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Zielinska DF, Gnad F, Jedrusik-Bode M, Wiśniewski JR, Mann M. Caenorhabditis elegans Has a Phosphoproteome Atypical for Metazoans That Is Enriched in Developmental and Sex Determination Proteins. J Proteome Res 2009; 8:4039-49. [DOI: 10.1021/pr900384k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorota F. Zielinska
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faβberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Gnad
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faβberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Monika Jedrusik-Bode
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faβberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jacek R. Wiśniewski
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faβberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faβberg 11, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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26
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Chu FH, Chen YR, Lee CH, Chang TT. Molecular characterization and expression analysis of Acmago and AcY14 in Antrodia cinnamomea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 113:577-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycres.2009.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2008] [Revised: 12/04/2008] [Accepted: 01/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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27
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Konishi T, Uodome N, Sugimoto A. TheCaenorhabditis elegansDDX-23, a homolog of yeast splicing factor PRP28, is required for the sperm-oocyte switch and differentiation of various cell types. Dev Dyn 2008; 237:2367-77. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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28
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Zhao ZR, Lei L, Liu M, Zhu SC, Ren CP, Wang XN, Shen JJ. Schistosoma japonicum: inhibition of Mago nashi gene expression by shRNA-mediated RNA interference. Exp Parasitol 2008; 119:379-84. [PMID: 18466902 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2008.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2007] [Revised: 03/25/2008] [Accepted: 03/26/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful reverse genetics tool and holds enormous therapeutic potential for various diseases, including parasite infections. siRNAs bind their complementary mRNA and lead to degradation of their specific mRNA targets. RNAi has been widely used for functional analysis of specific genes in various cells and organisms. In this paper, we tested the potential of silencing the expression of the Mago nashi gene in Schistosoma japonicum by siRNAs derived from shRNA expressed by mammalian Pol III promoter H1. Schistosomula, transformed from cercariae by mechanical shearing of the tails, were electroporated with Mago nashi shRNA expression vector. Aliquots of parasites were harvested at days 1, 3, and 5 after electroporation, respectively. Levels of Mago nashi mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. The results showed that shRNA expressed from mammalian Pol III promoter H1 specifically reduced the levels of Mago nashi mRNA and proteins in S. japonicum. Changes in testicular lobes were apparent when parasites were introduced into mammalian hosts. Thus, vector-mediated gene silencing is applicable to S. japonicum, which provides a means for the functional analysis of genes in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-rong Zhao
- Department of Microbiology & Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China
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29
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Abstract
Sexual identity is one of the most important factors that determine how an animal will develop. Although it controls many dimorphic tissues in the body, its most ancient role is in the germ line, where it species that some cells become sperm, and others become eggs. In most animals, these two fates occur in distinct sexes. However, certain nematodes like C. elegans produce XX hermaphrodites, which make both types of gametes. In these animals, a core sex-determination pathway regulates the development of both the body and the germ line. However, modifier genes alter the activity of this pathway in germ cells, and these changes are critical for allowing XX animals to produce oocytes and sperm in an otherwise female body. In this review, I focus on (1) the core sex-determination pathway, (2) the activity of the transcription factor TRA-1 and its immediate targets fog-1 and fog-3 in germ cells, (3) how the regulation of tra-2 activity allows XX spermatogenesis, and (4) how the regulation of fem-3 activity maintains the appropriate balance between TRA-2 and FEM-3 in the germ line. Finally, I consider the major questions in this field that are driving new research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Ellis
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, B303 Science Center, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA
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30
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Samuelson AV, Carr CE, Ruvkun G. Gene activities that mediate increased life span of C. elegans insulin-like signaling mutants. Genes Dev 2007; 21:2976-94. [PMID: 18006689 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1588907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Genetic and RNA interference (RNAi) screens for life span regulatory genes have revealed that the daf-2 insulin-like signaling pathway plays a major role in Caenorhabditis elegans longevity. This pathway converges on the DAF-16 transcription factor and may regulate life span by controlling the expression of a large number of genes, including free-radical detoxifying genes, stress resistance genes, and pathogen resistance genes. We conducted a genome-wide RNAi screen to identify genes necessary for the extended life span of daf-2 mutants and identified approximately 200 gene inactivations that shorten daf-2 life span. Some of these gene inactivations dramatically shorten daf-2 mutant life span but less dramatically shorten daf-2; daf-16 mutant or wild-type life span. Molecular and behavioral markers for normal aging and for extended life span in low insulin/IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) signaling were assayed to distinguish accelerated aging from general sickness and to examine age-related phenotypes. Detailed demographic analysis, molecular markers of aging, and insulin signaling mutant test strains were used to filter progeric gene inactivations for specific acceleration of aging. Highly represented in the genes that mediate life span extension in the daf-2 mutant are components of endocytotic trafficking of membrane proteins to lysosomes. These gene inactivations disrupt the increased expression of the DAF-16 downstream gene superoxide dismutase sod-3 in a daf-2 mutant, suggesting trafficking between the insulin-like receptor and DAF-16. The activities of these genes may normally decline during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew V Samuelson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
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31
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PYM binds the cytoplasmic exon-junction complex and ribosomes to enhance translation of spliced mRNAs. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2007; 14:1173-9. [PMID: 18026120 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2007] [Accepted: 09/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNAs produced by splicing are translated more efficiently than those produced from similar intronless precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs). The exon-junction complex (EJC) probably mediates this enhancement; however, the specific link between the EJC and the translation machinery has not been identified. The EJC proteins Y14 and magoh remain bound to spliced mRNAs after their export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and are removed only when these mRNAs are translated. Here we show that PYM, a 29-kDa protein that binds the Y14-magoh complex in the cytoplasm, also binds, via a separate domain, to the small (40S) ribosomal subunit and the 48S preinitiation complex. Furthermore, PYM knockdown reduces the translation efficiency of a reporter protein produced from intron-containing, but not intronless, pre-mRNA. We suggest that PYM functions as a bridge between EJC-bearing spliced mRNAs and the translation machinery to enhance translation of the mRNAs.
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32
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Knobloch J, Beckmann S, Burmeister C, Quack T, Grevelding CG. Tyrosine kinase and cooperative TGFβ signaling in the reproductive organs of Schistosoma mansoni. Exp Parasitol 2007; 117:318-36. [PMID: 17553494 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2007.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2007] [Revised: 04/06/2007] [Accepted: 04/16/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Drug-induced suppression of female schistosome sexual maturation is an auspicious strategy to combat schistosomiasis since the eggs are the causative agent. The establishment of drug targets requires knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of the female reproductive organs, which include vitellarium and ovary. This review summarizes recent studies suggesting tyrosine kinases as important factors for the regulation of female gonad development. In this context, especially cytoplasmatic tyrosine kinases of the Src class seem to play dominant roles. Moreover, experimental data and theoretical concepts are provided supporting a crosstalk between tyrosine kinase and TGFbeta signaling in the production of vitellocytes. Finally, we take advantage from the schistosome genome project to propose a model for the regulation of vitelline-cell production and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Knobloch
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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He C, Sommer H, Grosardt B, Huijser P, Saedler H. PFMAGO, a MAGO NASHI-like factor, interacts with the MADS-domain protein MPF2 from Physalis floridana. Mol Biol Evol 2007; 24:1229-41. [PMID: 17339635 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msm041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MADS-domain proteins serve as regulators of plant development and often form dimers and higher order complexes to function. Heterotopic expression of MPF2, a MADS-box gene, in reproductive tissues is a key component in the evolution of the inflated calyx syndrome in Physalis, but RNAi studies demonstrate that MPF2 has also acquired a role in male fertility in Physalis floridana. Using the yeast 2-hybrid system, we have now identified numerous MPF2-interacting MADS-domain proteins from Physalis, including homologs of SOC1, AP1, SEP1, SEP3, AG, and AGL6. Among the many non-MADS-domain proteins recovered was a homolog of MAGO NASHI, a highly conserved RNA-binding protein known to be involved in many developmental processes including germ cell differentiation. Two MAGO genes, termed P. floridana mago nashi1 (PFMAGO1) and PFMAGO2, were isolated from P. floridana. Both copies were found to be coexpressed in leaves, fruits, and, albeit at lower level, also in roots, stems, and flowers. DNA sequence analysis revealed that, although the coding sequences of the 2 genes are highly conserved, they differ substantially in their intron and promoter sequences. Two-hybrid screening of a Physalis expression library with both PFMAGO1 and PFMAGO2 as baits yielded numerous gene products, including an Y14-like protein. Y14 is an RNA-binding protein that forms part of various "gene expression machines." The function of MPF2 and 2 PFMAGO proteins in ensuring male fertility and evolution of calyx development in Physalis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoying He
- Department of Molecular Plant Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany.
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Agudo D, Agudo Garcillán D, Gómez-Esquer F, Díaz-Gil G, Martínez-Arribas F, Delcán J, Schneider J, Palomar MA, Linares R. Proteomic analysis of the Gallus gallus embryo at stage-29 of development. Proteomics 2006; 5:4946-57. [PMID: 16287166 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200402056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The chicken (Gallus gallus) is one of the primary models for embryological and developmental studies. In order to begin to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the normal and abnormal development of the chicken, we used 2-DE to construct a whole-embryo proteome map. Proteins were separated by IEF on IPG strips, and by 11% SDS-PAGE) gels. Protein identification was performed by means of PMF with MALDI-TOF-MS. In all, 105 protein spots were identified, 35 of them implicated in embryo development, 10 related with some diseases, and 16, finally, being proteins that have never been identified, purified or characterized in the chicken before. This map will be updated continuously and will serve as a reference database for investigators, studying changes at the protein level under different physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Agudo
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud III, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Avenida de Atenas, S/N E28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
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35
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Kawano T, Kataoka N, Dreyfuss G, Sakamoto H. Ce-Y14 and MAG-1, components of the exon-exon junction complex, are required for embryogenesis and germline sexual switching in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mech Dev 2004; 121:27-35. [PMID: 14706697 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2003.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Y14 is a component of the splicing-dependent exon-exon junction complex (EJC) and is involved in the mRNA quality control system called nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. It has recently been shown that together with another EJC component, Mago, the Drosophila homologue DmY14/Tsunagi is required for proper localization of oskar mRNA during oogenesis, a process critical for posterior formation in Drosophila development. Here we show that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Ce-Y14 and MAG-1 (Mago homologue) are required for late embryogenesis and proper germline sexual differentiation. Like in other organisms, Ce-Y14 preferentially binds to spliced mRNA and specifically interacts with MAG-1. Consistent with the evolutionarily conserved interaction between Y14 and Mago homologues, suppression of Ce-Y14 by RNAi resulted in the same phenotypes as those caused by RNAi of mag-1 lethality during late embryogenesis and masculinization of the adult hermaphrodite germline. Our results demonstrate that the evolutionarily conserved interaction between two EJC components, Ce-Y14 and MAG-1, has critical developmental roles in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taizo Kawano
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodaicho, Nadaku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
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MacMorris M, Brocker C, Blumenthal T. UAP56 levels affect viability and mRNA export in Caenorhabditis elegans. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2003; 9:847-57. [PMID: 12810918 PMCID: PMC1370451 DOI: 10.1261/rna.5480803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2003] [Accepted: 04/14/2003] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Expression of a gfp transgene in the intestines of living Caenorhabditis elegans has been measured following depletion by RNAi of a variety of known splicing factors and mRNA export proteins. Reduction of most splicing factors showed only a small effect on expression of the transgene in the animal injected with dsRNA, although most of these RNAi's resulted in embryonic lethality in their offspring. In contrast, RNAi of nxf-1, the worm homolog of mammalian NXF1/TAP, a key component of the mRNA export machinery, resulted in dramatic suppression of GFP expression in the injected animals. When we tested other proteins previously reported to be involved in marking mRNAs for export, we obtained widely divergent results. Whereas RNAi of the worm REF/Aly homologs had no obvious effect, either in the injected animals or their offspring, RNAi of UAP56, reported to be the partner of REF/Aly, resulted in strong suppression of GFP expression due to nuclear retention of its mRNA. Overexpression of UAP56 also resulted in rapid loss of GFP expression and lethality at all stages of development. We conclude that UAP56 plays a key role in mRNA export in C. elegans, but that REF/Aly may not. It also appears that some RNA processing factors are required for viability (e.g., U2AF, PUF60, SRp54, SAP49, PRP8, U1-70K), whereas others are not (e.g., U2A', CstF50).
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret MacMorris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA
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Longman D, Johnstone IL, Cáceres JF. The Ref/Aly proteins are dispensable for mRNA export and development in Caenorhabditis elegans. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2003; 9:881-891. [PMID: 12810921 PMCID: PMC1370454 DOI: 10.1261/rna.5420503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2003] [Accepted: 04/14/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The mRNA export pathway is highly conserved throughout evolution. We have used RNA interference (RNAi) to functionally characterize bona fide RNA export factors and components of the exon-exon junction complex (EJC) in Caenorhabditis elegans. RNAi of CeNXT1/p15, the binding partner of CeNXF1/TAP, caused early embryonic lethality, demonstrating an essential function of this gene during C. elegans development. Moreover, depletion of this protein resulted in nuclear accumulation of poly(A)(+) RNAs, supporting a direct role of NXT1/p15 in mRNA export in C. elegans. Previously, we have shown that RNAi of CeSRm160, a protein of the EJC complex, resulted in wild-type phenotype; in the present study, we demonstrate that RNAi of CeY14, another component of this complex, results in embryonic lethality. In contrast, depletion of the EJC component CeRNPS1 results in no discernible phenotype. Proteins of the REF/Aly family act as adaptor proteins mediating the recruitment of the mRNA export factor, NXF1/TAP, to mRNAs. The C. elegans genome encodes three members of the REF/Aly family. RNAi of individual Ref genes, or codepletion of two Ref genes in different combinations, resulted in wild-type phenotype. Simultaneous suppression of all three Ref genes did not compromise viability or progression through developmental stages in the affected progeny, and only caused a minor defect in larval mobility. Furthermore, no defects in mRNA export were observed upon simultaneous depletion of all three REF proteins. These results suggest the existence of multiple adaptor proteins that mediate mRNA export in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasa Longman
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, Scotland, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Splicing of pre-mRNA in eukaryotes imprints the resulting mRNA with a specific multiprotein complex, the exon-exon junction complex (EJC), at the sites of intron removal. The proteins of the EJC, Y14, Magoh, Aly/REF, RNPS1, Srm160, and Upf3, play critical roles in postsplicing processing, including nuclear export and cytoplasmic localization of the mRNA, and the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) surveillance process. Y14 and Magoh are of particular interest because they remain associated with the mRNA in the same position after its export to the cytoplasm and require translation of the mRNA for removal. This tenacious, persistent, splicing-dependent, yet RNA sequence-independent, association suggests an important signaling function and must require distinct structural features for these proteins. RESULTS We describe the high-resolution structure and biochemical properties of the highly conserved human Y14 and Magoh proteins. Magoh has an unusual structure comprised of an extremely flat, six-stranded anti-parallel beta sheet packed against two helices. Surprisingly, Magoh binds with high affinity to the RNP motif RNA binding domain (RBD) of Y14 and completely masks its RNA binding surface. CONCLUSIONS The structure and properties of the Y14-Magoh complex suggest how the pre-mRNA splicing machinery might control the formation of a stable EJC-mRNA complex at splice junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Kong Lau
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059, USA
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Yi CE, Bekker JM, Miller G, Hill KL, Crosbie RH. Specific and potent RNA interference in terminally differentiated myotubes. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:934-9. [PMID: 12421826 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m205946200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) interference is a potent mechanism for sequence-specific silencing of gene expression and represents an invaluable approach for investigating gene function in normal and diseased states as well as for drug target validation. Here, we report that skeletal muscle myoblasts and terminally differentiated myotubes are susceptible to RNA interference. We employed an approach in which dsRNA is generated by cellular transcription from plasmids containing long (1 kilobase) inverted DNA repeats of the target gene rather than using dsRNA synthesized in vitro. We show that gene silencing by this method is effective for endogenously expressed genes as well as for exogenous reporter genes. An analysis of the expression of several endogenous genes and exogenous reporters demonstrates that the silencing effect is specific for the target gene containing sequences within the inverted repeat. Our method eliminates the need to chemically synthesize dsRNA and is not accompanied by global repression of gene expression. Furthermore, we show for the first time that sequence-specific dsRNA-mediated gene silencing is possible in differentiated, multinucleated skeletal muscle myotubes. These findings provide an important molecular tool for the examination of protein function in terminally differentiated muscle cells and provide alternative approaches for generating disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Yi
- Department of Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 90025, USA
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Fjose A, Ellingsen S, Wargelius A, Seo HC. RNA interference: mechanisms and applications. BIOTECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REVIEW 2002; 7:31-57. [PMID: 11686048 DOI: 10.1016/s1387-2656(01)07032-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a phenomenon induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in which gene expression is inhibited through specific degradation of mRNA. The mechanism involves conversion of dsRNA into short RNAs that direct ribonucleases to homologous mRNA targets. This process is related to normal defence against viruses and mobilisation of transposons. Treatment with dsRNA has become an important method for analysing gene functions in invertebrate organisms. RNAi has also been demonstrated in several vertebrate species but with lower efficiency. Development of procedures for in vivo production of dsRNA may provide efficient tools for tissue- and stage-specific gene targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fjose
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, HIB, PO Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway.
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41
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Maine EM. RNAi As a tool for understanding germline development in Caenorhabditis elegans: uses and cautions. Dev Biol 2001; 239:177-89. [PMID: 11784027 DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2001.0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
RNA-mediated genetic interference (RNAi) has become a very useful tool for analyzing gene function in development and other processes. RNAi can be used as a complement to traditional genetic studies or as a primary means of determining biological function. However, the efficacy of RNAi depends on a variety of factors that the researcher must take into consideration. This review focuses on germline development in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and discusses the uses and limitations of RNAi in providing new information about gene function as well as the possible endogenous role RNAi plays in germline physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Maine
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 108 College Place, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA.
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Kataoka N, Diem MD, Kim V, Yong J, Dreyfuss G. Magoh, a human homolog of Drosophila mago nashi protein, is a component of the splicing-dependent exon-exon junction complex. EMBO J 2001; 20:6424-33. [PMID: 11707413 PMCID: PMC125744 DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.22.6424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein Y14 binds preferentially to mRNAs produced by splicing and is a component of a multiprotein complex that assembles approximately 20 nucleotides upstream of exon-exon junctions. This complex probably has important functions in post-splicing events including nuclear export and nonsense-mediated decay of mRNA. We show that Y14 binds to two previously reported components, Aly/REF and RNPS1, and to the mRNA export factor TAP. Moreover, we identified magoh, a human homolog of the Drosophila mago nashi gene product, as a novel component of the complex. Magoh binds avidly and directly to Y14 and TAP, but not to other known components of the complex, and is found in Y14-containing mRNPs in vivo. Importantly, magoh also binds to mRNAs produced by splicing upstream (approximately 20 nucleotides) of exon- exon junctions and its binding to mRNA persists after export. These experiments thus reveal specific protein-protein interactions among the proteins of the splicing-dependent mRNP complex and suggest an important role for the highly evolutionarily conserved magoh protein in this complex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - V.Narry Kim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6148, USA
Present address: Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea Corresponding author e-mail:
| | | | - Gideon Dreyfuss
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6148, USA
Present address: Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea Corresponding author e-mail:
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Swidzinski JA, Zaplachinski ST, Chuong SD, Wong JF, Muench DG. Molecular characterization and expression analysis of a highly conserved rice mago nashil homolog. Genome 2001; 44:394-400. [PMID: 11444698 DOI: 10.1139/g01-025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mago Nashi, a protein initially shown to be essential in the development of the Drosophila oocyte, is highly conserved among species and shows no homology to any other known cellular proteins. Here we report the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA and a partial gene that encode rice Mago Nashi protein homologs. In addition, we present the tissue-specific expression pattern of mago nashi at the level of RNA and protein. The rice Mago Nashi protein shares at least 73% amino acid identity with all known animal homologs. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis indicates that two copies of the mago nashi gene exist in the rice genome, one of which has identical intron positions to those found in an Arabidopsis homolog. mago nashi is expressed in root, leaf and developing seed tissue as determined by RNA and protein gel blot analysis. Evidence from Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and human studies of Mago Nashi suggests that a major function of this protein is its involvement in RNA localization. The highly conserved amino acid sequence of all Mago Nashi protein homologs across kingdoms suggests that the plant version of this protein may similarly be involved in RNA localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Swidzinski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- N Matova
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA.
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