Nowa1p and Nowa2p: novel putative RNA binding proteins involved in trans-nuclear crosstalk in Paramecium tetraurelia

Two paralogous PHD finger proteins participate in natural genome editing in Paramecium tetraurelia

The unicellular eukaryote Paramecium tetraurelia contains functionally distinct nuclei: germline micronuclei (MICs) and a somatic macronucleus (MAC). During sex, the MIC genome is reorganized into a new MAC genome and the old MAC is lost. Almost 45,000 unique internal eliminated sequences (IESs) distributed throughout the genome require precise excision to guarantee a functional new MAC genome. Here, we characterize a pair of paralogous PHD finger proteins involved in DNA elimination. DevPF1, the early-expressed paralog, is present in only some of the gametic and post-zygotic nuclei during meiosis. Both DevPF1 and DevPF2 localize in the new developing MACs, where IES excision occurs. Upon DevPF2 knockdown (KD), long IESs are preferentially retained and late-expressed small RNAs decrease; no length preference for retained IESs was observed in DevPF1-KD and development-specific small RNAs were abolished. The expression of at least two genes from the new MAC with roles in genome reorganization seems to be influenced by DevPF1- and DevPF2-KD. Thus, both PHD fingers are crucial for new MAC genome development, with distinct functions, potentially via regulation of non-coding and coding transcription in the MICs and new MACs.

Small-RNA-guided histone modifications and somatic genome elimination in ciliates

Transposable elements and other repeats are repressed by small-RNA-guided histone modifications in fungi, plants and animals. The specificity of silencing is achieved through base-pairing of small RNAs corresponding to the these genomic loci to nascent noncoding RNAs, which allows the recruitment of histone methyltransferases that methylate histone H3 on lysine 9. Self-reinforcing feedback loops enhance small RNA production and ensure robust and heritable repression. In the unicellular ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia, small-RNA-guided histone modifications lead to the elimination of transposable elements and their remnants, a definitive form of repression. In this organism, germline and somatic functions are separated within two types of nuclei with different genomes. At each sexual cycle, development of the somatic genome is accompanied by the reproducible removal of approximately a third of the germline genome. Instead of recruiting a H3K9 methyltransferase, small RNAs corresponding to eliminated sequences tether Polycomb Repressive Complex 2, which in ciliates has the unique property of catalyzing both lysine 9 and lysine 27 trimethylation of histone H3. These histone modifications that are crucial for the elimination of transposable elements are thought to guide the endonuclease complex, which triggers double-strand breaks at these specific genomic loci. The comparison between ciliates and other eukaryotes underscores the importance of investigating small-RNAs-directed chromatin silencing in a diverse range of organisms. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > RNAi: Mechanisms of Action.

Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins are required for DNA elimination in Paramecium

Chromosome (SMC) proteins are a large family of ATPases that play important roles in the organization and dynamics of chromatin. They are central regulators of chromosome dynamics and the core component of condensin. DNA elimination during zygotic somatic genome development is a characteristic feature of ciliated protozoa such as Paramecium This process occurs after meiosis, mitosis, karyogamy, and another mitosis, which result in the formation of a new germline and somatic nuclei. The series of nuclear divisions implies an important role of SMC proteins in Paramecium sexual development. The relationship between DNA elimination and SMC has not yet been described. Here, we applied RNA interference, genome sequencing, mRNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, and mass spectrometry to investigate the roles of SMC components in DNA elimination. Our results show that SMC4-2 is required for genome rearrangement, whereas SMC4-1 is not. Functional diversification of SMC4 in Paramecium led to a formation of two paralogues where SMC4-2 acquired a novel, development-specific function and differs from SMC4-1. Moreover, our study suggests a competitive relationship between these two proteins.

Inter-generational nuclear crosstalk links the control of gene expression to programmed genome rearrangement during the Paramecium sexual cycle

Multinucleate cells are found in many eukaryotes, but how multiple nuclei coordinate their functions is still poorly understood. In the cytoplasm of the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia, two micronuclei (MIC) serving sexual reproduction coexist with a somatic macronucleus (MAC) dedicated to gene expression. During sexual processes, the MAC is progressively destroyed while still ensuring transcription, and new MACs develop from copies of the zygotic MIC. Several gene clusters are successively induced and switched off before vegetative growth resumes. Concomitantly, programmed genome rearrangement (PGR) removes transposons and their relics from the new MACs. Development of the new MACs is controlled by the old MAC, since the latter expresses genes involved in PGR, including the PGM gene encoding the essential PiggyMac endonuclease that cleaves the ends of eliminated sequences. Using RNA deep sequencing and transcriptome analysis, we show that impairing PGR upregulates key known PGR genes, together with ∼600 other genes possibly also involved in PGR. Among these genes, 42% are no longer induced when no new MACs are formed, including 180 genes that are co-expressed with PGM under all tested conditions. We propose that bi-directional crosstalk between the two coexisting generations of MACs links gene expression to the progression of MAC development.

Chromatin remodeling is required for sRNA-guided DNA elimination in Paramecium

Small RNAs mediate the silencing of transposable elements and other genomic loci, increasing nucleosome density and preventing undesirable gene expression. The unicellular ciliate Paramecium is a model to study dynamic genome organization in eukaryotic cells, given its unique feature of nuclear dimorphism. Here, the formation of the somatic macronucleus during sexual reproduction requires eliminating thousands of transposon remnants (IESs) and transposable elements scattered throughout the germline micronuclear genome. The elimination process is guided by Piwi-associated small RNAs and leads to precise cleavage at IES boundaries. Here we show that IES recognition and precise excision are facilitated by recruiting ISWI1, a Paramecium homolog of the chromatin remodeler ISWI. ISWI1 knockdown substantially inhibits DNA elimination, quantitatively similar to development-specific sRNA gene knockdowns but with much greater aberrant IES excision at alternative boundaries. We also identify key development-specific sRNA biogenesis and transport proteins, Ptiwi01 and Ptiwi09, as ISWI1 cofactors in our co-immunoprecipitation studies. Nucleosome profiling indicates that increased nucleosome density correlates with the requirement for ISWI1 and other proteins necessary for IES excision. We propose that chromatin remodeling together with small RNAs is essential for efficient and precise DNA elimination in Paramecium.

The transient Spt4-Spt5 complex as an upstream regulator of non-coding RNAs during development

The Spt4-Spt5 complex is conserved and essential RNA polymerase elongation factor. To investigate the role of the Spt4-Spt5 complex in non-coding transcription during development, we used the unicellular model Paramecium tetraurelia. In this organism harboring both germline and somatic nuclei, massive transcription of the entire germline genome takes place during meiosis. This phenomenon starts a series of events mediated by different classes of non-coding RNAs that control developmentally programmed DNA elimination. We focused our study on Spt4, a small zinc-finger protein encoded in P. tetraurelia by two genes expressed constitutively and two genes expressed during meiosis. SPT4 genes are not essential in vegetative growth, but they are indispensable for sexual reproduction, even though genes from both expression families show functional redundancy. Silencing of the SPT4 genes resulted in the absence of double-stranded ncRNAs and reduced levels of scnRNAs - 25 nt-long sRNAs produced from these double-stranded precursors in the germline nucleus. Moreover, we observed that the presence of a germline-specific Spt4-Spt5m complex is necessary for transfer of the scnRNA-binding PIWI protein between the germline and somatic nucleus. Our study establishes that Spt4, together with Spt5m, is essential for expression of the germline genome and necessary for developmental genome rearrangements.

Transformation with Artificial Chromosomes in Oxytricha trifallax and Their Applications

Oxytricha trifallax, like other ciliates, has separate germline and somatic nuclei. The diploid germline genome in the micronucleus is composed of long conventional chromosomes. The macronucleus contains a somatic genome which is naturally fragmented into thousands of kilobase-sized chromosomes. Here, we develop a method to stably incorporate artificial chromosomes into the macronucleus. We report two cases of successful transformation and demonstrate the use of somatic transformation to investigate gene regulation and gene function in Oxytricha We show that the transformed artificial chromosomes are maintained through multiple asexual divisions. Furthermore, they support the transcriptional regulation of the native chromosome from which they were derived and are translated to produce functional proteins. To test if transformed chromosomes are amenable to practical applications, we generated a tagged version of a representative gene (AL1) and used it to co-precipitate associated proteins. This revealed an association with nucleic acid binding proteins, specifically RNA-binding proteins, and RNA immunoprecipitation of AL1 revealed its association with multiple RNAs. The use of artificial chromosomes in Oxytricha enables an array of genetic and molecular biological assays, as well as new avenues of inquiry into the epigenetic programming of macronuclear development and genome rearrangement.

A mating-type mutagenesis screen identifies a zinc-finger protein required for specific DNA excision events in Paramecium

In the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia, functional genes are reconstituted during development of the somatic macronucleus through the precise excision of ∼45 000 single-copy Internal Eliminated Sequences (IESs), thought to be the degenerate remnants of ancient transposon insertions. Like introns, IESs are marked only by a weak consensus at their ends. How such a diverse set of sequences is faithfully recognized and precisely excised remains unclear: specialized small RNAs have been implicated, but in their absence up to ∼60% of IESs are still correctly excised. To get further insight, we designed a mutagenesis screen based on the hypersensitivity of a specific excision event in the mtA gene, which determines mating types. Unlike most IES-containing genes, the active form of mtA is the unexcised one, allowing the recovery of hypomorphic alleles of essential IES recognition/excision factors. Such is the case of one mutation recovered in the Piwi gene PTIWI09, a key player in small RNA-mediated IES recognition. Another mutation identified a novel protein with a C2H2 zinc finger, mtGa, which is required for excision of a small subset of IESs characterized by enrichment in a 5-bp motif. The unexpected implication of a sequence-specific factor establishes a new paradigm for IES recognition and/or excision.

Two Sets of Piwi Proteins Are Involved in Distinct sRNA Pathways Leading to Elimination of Germline-Specific DNA

Piwi proteins and piRNAs protect eukaryotic germlines against the spread of transposons. During development in the ciliate Paramecium, two Piwi-dependent sRNA classes are involved in the elimination of transposons and transposon-derived DNA: scan RNAs (scnRNAs), associated with Ptiwi01 and Ptiwi09, and iesRNAs, whose binding partners we now identify as Ptiwi10 and Ptiwi11. scnRNAs derive from the maternal genome and initiate DNA elimination during development, whereas iesRNAs continue DNA targeting until the removal process is complete. Here, we show that scnRNAs and iesRNAs are processed by distinct Dicer-like proteins and bind Piwi proteins in a mutually exclusive manner, suggesting separate biogenesis pathways. We also demonstrate that the PTIWI10 gene is transcribed from the developing nucleus and that its transcription depends on prior DNA excision, suggesting a mechanism of gene expression control triggered by the removal of short DNA segments interrupting the gene.

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Identification of two Piwi proteins (Ptiwi10/11) associated with iesRNAs

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Piwi proteins bind Dicer-produced sRNAs and remove passenger strands

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Ptiwi10 is expressed from the new somatic macronucleus

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DNA elimination activates gene transcription

A meiosis-specific Spt5 homolog involved in non-coding transcription

Spt5 is a conserved and essential transcriptional regulator that binds directly to RNA polymerase and is involved in transcription elongation, polymerase pausing and various co-transcriptional processes. To investigate the role of Spt5 in non-coding transcription, we used the unicellular model Paramecium tetraurelia. In this ciliate, development is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that use different classes of non-coding RNAs to target DNA elimination. We identified two SPT5 genes. One (STP5v) is involved in vegetative growth, while the other (SPT5m) is essential for sexual reproduction. We focused our study on SPT5m, expressed at meiosis and associated with germline nuclei during sexual processes. Upon Spt5m depletion, we observed absence of scnRNAs, piRNA-like 25 nt small RNAs produced at meiosis. The scnRNAs are a temporal copy of the germline genome and play a key role in programming DNA elimination. Moreover, Spt5m depletion abolishes elimination of all germline-limited sequences, including sequences whose excision was previously shown to be scnRNA-independent. This suggests that in addition to scnRNA production, Spt5 is involved in setting some as yet uncharacterized epigenetic information at meiosis. Our study establishes that Spt5m is crucial for developmental genome rearrangements and necessary for scnRNA production.

Improved methods and resources for paramecium genomics: transcription units, gene annotation and gene expression

Background

The 15 sibling species of the Paramecium aurelia cryptic species complex emerged after a whole genome duplication that occurred tens of millions of years ago. Given extensive knowledge of the genetics and epigenetics of Paramecium acquired over the last century, this species complex offers a uniquely powerful system to investigate the consequences of whole genome duplication in a unicellular eukaryote as well as the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that drive speciation. High quality Paramecium gene models are important for research using this system. The major aim of the work reported here was to build an improved gene annotation pipeline for the Paramecium lineage.

Results

We generated oriented RNA-Seq transcriptome data across the sexual process of autogamy for the model species Paramecium tetraurelia. We determined, for the first time in a ciliate, candidate P. tetraurelia transcription start sites using an adapted Cap-Seq protocol. We developed TrUC, multi-threaded Perl software that in conjunction with TopHat mapping of RNA-Seq data to a reference genome, predicts transcription units for the annotation pipeline. We used EuGene software to combine annotation evidence. The high quality gene structural annotations obtained for P. tetraurelia were used as evidence to improve published annotations for 3 other Paramecium species. The RNA-Seq data were also used for differential gene expression analysis, providing a gene expression atlas that is more sensitive than the previously established microarray resource.

Conclusions

We have developed a gene annotation pipeline tailored for the compact genomes and tiny introns of Paramecium species. A novel component of this pipeline, TrUC, predicts transcription units using Cap-Seq and oriented RNA-Seq data. TrUC could prove useful beyond Paramecium, especially in the case of high gene density. Accurate predictions of 3′ and 5′ UTR will be particularly valuable for studies of gene expression (e.g. nucleosome positioning, identification of cis regulatory motifs). The P. tetraurelia improved transcriptome resource, gene annotations for P. tetraurelia, P. biaurelia, P. sexaurelia and P. caudatum, and Paramecium-trained EuGene configuration are available through ParameciumDB (http://paramecium.i2bc.paris-saclay.fr). TrUC software is freely distributed under a GNU GPL v3 licence (https://github.com/oarnaiz/TrUC).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3887-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Heterochromatin aggregation during DNA elimination in Tetrahymena is facilitated by a prion-like protein

Regulated aggregations of prion and prion-like proteins play physiological roles in various biological processes. However, their structural roles in the nucleus are poorly understood. Here, we show that the prion-like protein Jub6p is involved in the regulation of chromatin structure in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila Jub6p forms sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-resistant aggregates when it is ectopically expressed in vegetative cells and binds to RNA in vitro Jub6p is a heterochromatin component and is important for the formation of heterochromatin bodies during the process of programmed DNA elimination. We suggest that RNA-protein aggregates formed by Jub6p are an essential architectural component for the assembly of heterochromatin bodies.

Programmed Rearrangement in Ciliates: Paramecium

Programmed genome rearrangements in the ciliate Paramecium provide a nice illustration of the impact of transposons on genome evolution and plasticity. During the sexual cycle, development of the somatic macronucleus involves elimination of ∼30% of the germline genome, including repeated DNA (e.g., transposons) and ∼45,000 single-copy internal eliminated sequences (IES). IES excision is a precise cut-and-close process, in which double-stranded DNA cleavage at IES ends depends on PiggyMac, a domesticated piggyBac transposase. Genome-wide analysis has revealed that at least a fraction of IESs originate from Tc/mariner transposons unrelated to piggyBac. Moreover, genomic sequences with no transposon origin, such as gene promoters, can be excised reproducibly as IESs, indicating that genome rearrangements contribute to the control of gene expression. How the system has evolved to allow elimination of DNA sequences with no recognizable conserved motif has been the subject of extensive research during the past two decades. Increasing evidence has accumulated for the participation of noncoding RNAs in epigenetic control of elimination for a subset of IESs, and in trans-generational inheritance of alternative rearrangement patterns. This chapter summarizes our current knowledge of the structure of the germline and somatic genomes for the model species Paramecium tetraurelia, and describes the DNA cleavage and repair factors that constitute the IES excision machinery. We present an overview of the role of specialized RNA interference machineries and their associated noncoding RNAs in the control of DNA elimination. Finally, we discuss how RNA-dependent modification and/or remodeling of chromatin may guide PiggyMac to its cognate cleavage sites.

TFIIS-Dependent Non-coding Transcription Regulates Developmental Genome Rearrangements

Because of their nuclear dimorphism, ciliates provide a unique opportunity to study the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the communication between germline and somatic lineages. In these unicellular eukaryotes, a new somatic nucleus develops at each sexual cycle from a copy of the zygotic (germline) nucleus, while the old somatic nucleus degenerates. In the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia, the genome is massively rearranged during this process through the reproducible elimination of repeated sequences and the precise excision of over 45,000 short, single-copy Internal Eliminated Sequences (IESs). Different types of ncRNAs resulting from genome-wide transcription were shown to be involved in the epigenetic regulation of genome rearrangements. To understand how ncRNAs are produced from the entire genome, we have focused on a homolog of the TFIIS elongation factor, which regulates RNA polymerase II transcriptional pausing. Six TFIIS-paralogs, representing four distinct families, can be found in P. tetraurelia genome. Using RNA interference, we showed that TFIIS4, which encodes a development-specific TFIIS protein, is essential for the formation of a functional somatic genome. Molecular analyses and high-throughput DNA sequencing upon TFIIS4 RNAi demonstrated that TFIIS4 is involved in all kinds of genome rearrangements, including excision of ~48% of IESs. Localization of a GFP-TFIIS4 fusion revealed that TFIIS4 appears specifically in the new somatic nucleus at an early developmental stage, before IES excision. RT-PCR experiments showed that TFIIS4 is necessary for the synthesis of IES-containing non-coding transcripts. We propose that these IES+ transcripts originate from the developing somatic nucleus and serve as pairing substrates for germline-specific short RNAs that target elimination of their homologous sequences. Our study, therefore, connects the onset of zygotic non coding transcription to the control of genome plasticity in Paramecium, and establishes for the first time a specific role of TFIIS in non-coding transcription in eukaryotes.

Paramecium tetraurelia provides an excellent model for studying the mechanisms involved in the production of non-coding transcripts and their mode of action. Different types of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were shown to be implicated in the programmed DNA elimination process that occurs in this organism. At each sexual cycle, during development of the somatic nucleus from the germline nucleus, the genome is massively rearranged through the reproducible elimination of germline-specific sequences including thousands of short, single copy, non-coding Internal Eliminated Sequences (IES). Here, we demonstrate, using RNA interference, that the TFIIS4 gene encoding a development-specific homolog of RNA polymerase II elongation factor TFIIS, is indispensable for ncRNA synthesis in the new somatic nucleus. TFIIS4 depletion impairs the assembly of a functional somatic genome and affects excision of a large fraction of IESs, which leads to strong lethality in the sexual progeny. We propose that TFIIS4-dependent ncRNAs provide an important component of the molecular machinery that is responsible for developmental genome remodeling in Paramecium.

Pdsg1 and Pdsg2, novel proteins involved in developmental genome remodelling in Paramecium

The epigenetic influence of maternal cells on the development of their progeny has long been studied in various eukaryotes. Multicellular organisms usually provide their zygotes not only with nutrients but also with functional elements required for proper development, such as coding and non-coding RNAs. These maternally deposited RNAs exhibit a variety of functions, from regulating gene expression to assuring genome integrity. In ciliates, such as Paramecium these RNAs participate in the programming of large-scale genome reorganization during development, distinguishing germline-limited DNA, which is excised, from somatic-destined DNA. Only a handful of proteins playing roles in this process have been identified so far, including typical RNAi-derived factors such as Dicer-like and Piwi proteins. Here we report and characterize two novel proteins, Pdsg1 and Pdsg2 (Paramecium protein involved in Development of the Somatic Genome 1 and 2), involved in Paramecium genome reorganization. We show that these proteins are necessary for the excision of germline-limited DNA during development and the survival of sexual progeny. Knockdown of PDSG1 and PDSG2 genes affects the populations of small RNAs known to be involved in the programming of DNA elimination (scanRNAs and iesRNAs) and chromatin modification patterns during development. Our results suggest an association between RNA-mediated trans-generational epigenetic signal and chromatin modifications in the process of Paramecium genome reorganization.

Integrative data analysis indicates an intrinsic disordered domain character of Argonaute-binding motifs

MOTIVATION

Argonaute-interacting WG/GW proteins are characterized by the presence of repeated sequence motifs containing glycine (G) and tryptophan (W). The motifs seem to be remarkably adaptive to amino acid substitutions and their sequences show non-contiguity. Our previous approach to the detection of GW domains, based on scoring their gross amino acid composition, allowed annotation of several novel proteins involved in gene silencing. The accumulation of new experimental data and more advanced applications revealed some deficiency of the algorithm in prediction selectivity. Additionally, W-motifs, though critical in gene regulation, have not yet been annotated in any available online resources.

RESULTS

We present an improved set of computational tools allowing efficient management and annotation of W-based motifs involved in gene silencing. The new prediction algorithms provide novel functionalities by annotation of the W-containing domains at the local sequence motif level rather than by overall compositional properties. This approach represents a significant improvement over the previous method in terms of prediction sensitivity and selectivity. Application of the algorithm allowed annotation of a comprehensive list of putative Argonaute-interacting proteins across eukaryotes. An in-depth characterization of the domains' properties indicates its intrinsic disordered character. In addition, we created a knowledge-based portal (whub) that provides access to tools and information on RNAi-related tryptophan-containing motifs.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The web portal and tools are freely available at http://www.comgen.pl/whub.

CONTACT

wmk@amu.edu.pl

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Paramecium tetraurelia chromatin assembly factor-1-like protein PtCAF-1 is involved in RNA-mediated control of DNA elimination

Genome-wide DNA remodelling in the ciliate Paramecium is ensured by RNA-mediated trans-nuclear crosstalk between the germline and the somatic genomes during sexual development. The rearrangements include elimination of transposable elements, minisatellites and tens of thousands non-coding elements called internally eliminated sequences (IESs). The trans-nuclear genome comparison process employs a distinct class of germline small RNAs (scnRNAs) that are compared against the parental somatic genome to select the germline-specific subset of scnRNAs that subsequently target DNA elimination in the progeny genome. Only a handful of proteins involved in this process have been identified so far and the mechanism of DNA targeting is unknown. Here we describe chromatin assembly factor-1-like protein (PtCAF-1), which we show is required for the survival of sexual progeny and localizes first in the parental and later in the newly developing macronucleus. Gene silencing shows that PtCAF-1 is required for the elimination of transposable elements and a subset of IESs. PTCAF-1 depletion also impairs the selection of germline-specific scnRNAs during development. We identify specific histone modifications appearing during Paramecium development which are strongly reduced in PTCAF-1 depleted cells. Our results demonstrate the importance of PtCAF-1 for the epigenetic trans-nuclear cross-talk mechanism.

Local effect of enhancer of zeste-like reveals cooperation of epigenetic and cis-acting determinants for zygotic genome rearrangements

In the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia, differentiation of the somatic nucleus from the zygotic nucleus is characterized by massive and reproducible deletion of transposable elements and of 45,000 short, dispersed, single-copy sequences. A specific class of small RNAs produced by the germline during meiosis, the scnRNAs, are involved in the epigenetic regulation of DNA deletion but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K27me3 and H3K9me3) displays a dynamic nuclear localization that is altered when the endonuclease required for DNA elimination is depleted. We identified the putative histone methyltransferase Ezl1 necessary for H3K27me3 and H3K9me3 establishment and show that it is required for correct genome rearrangements. Genome-wide analyses show that scnRNA-mediated H3 trimethylation is necessary for the elimination of long, repeated germline DNA, while single copy sequences display differential sensitivity to depletion of proteins involved in the scnRNA pathway, Ezl1- a putative histone methyltransferase and Dcl5- a protein required for iesRNA biogenesis. Our study reveals cis-acting determinants, such as DNA length, also contribute to the definition of germline sequences to delete. We further show that precise excision of single copy DNA elements, as short as 26 bp, requires Ezl1, suggesting that development specific H3K27me3 and H3K9me3 ensure specific demarcation of very short germline sequences from the adjacent somatic sequences.

The unicellular eukaryote Paramecium tetraurelia provides an extraordinary model for studying the mechanisms involved in zygotic genome rearrangements. At each sexual cycle, differentiation of the somatic nucleus from the zygotic nucleus is characterized by extensive remodeling of the entire somatic genome, which includes the precise excision of 45,000 short noncoding germline DNA segments to reconstitute functional open reading frames. Exploiting the unique properties of the Paramecium genome, we show that the enhancer of zeste like protein Ezl1 is necessary for histone H3 trimethylation on lysines 27 and 9 and is required for the precise excision of 31,000 of these single copy, dispersed germline DNA segments that can be as short as 26 bp in length. This implies that histone marks usually associated with heterochromatin may contribute to the precise demarcation of segments that are even shorter than the length of DNA wrapped around a single nucleosome. A quantitative analysis of high throughput sequencing datasets further shows that the underlying genetic properties of the germline DNA segments might act in concert with epigenetic signals to define germline specific sequences.

Ku-mediated coupling of DNA cleavage and repair during programmed genome rearrangements in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia

During somatic differentiation, physiological DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) can drive programmed genome rearrangements (PGR), during which DSB repair pathways are mobilized to safeguard genome integrity. Because of their unique nuclear dimorphism, ciliates are powerful unicellular eukaryotic models to study the mechanisms involved in PGR. At each sexual cycle, the germline nucleus is transmitted to the progeny, but the somatic nucleus, essential for gene expression, is destroyed and a new somatic nucleus differentiates from a copy of the germline nucleus. In Paramecium tetraurelia, the development of the somatic nucleus involves massive PGR, including the precise elimination of at least 45,000 germline sequences (Internal Eliminated Sequences, IES). IES excision proceeds through a cut-and-close mechanism: a domesticated transposase, PiggyMac, is essential for DNA cleavage, and DSB repair at excision sites involves the Ligase IV, a specific component of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. At the genome-wide level, a huge number of programmed DSBs must be repaired during this process to allow the assembly of functional somatic chromosomes. To understand how DNA cleavage and DSB repair are coordinated during PGR, we have focused on Ku, the earliest actor of NHEJ-mediated repair. Two Ku70 and three Ku80 paralogs are encoded in the genome of P. tetraurelia: Ku70a and Ku80c are produced during sexual processes and localize specifically in the developing new somatic nucleus. Using RNA interference, we show that the development-specific Ku70/Ku80c heterodimer is essential for the recovery of a functional somatic nucleus. Strikingly, at the molecular level, PiggyMac-dependent DNA cleavage is abolished at IES boundaries in cells depleted for Ku80c, resulting in IES retention in the somatic genome. PiggyMac and Ku70a/Ku80c co-purify as a complex when overproduced in a heterologous system. We conclude that Ku has been integrated in the Paramecium DNA cleavage factory, enabling tight coupling between DSB introduction and repair during PGR.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are potential threats for chromosome stability, but they are usually repaired by two major pathways, homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). DSBs can also be essential during physiological processes, such as the programmed removal of germline sequences that takes place in various eukaryotes, including ciliates, during somatic differentiation. We use the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia as a unicellular model to study how DNA breakage and DSB repair are coordinated during programmed genome rearrangements. In this organism, assembly of the somatic genome involves the elimination of ∼25% of germline DNA, including the precise excision of thousands of short Internal Eliminated Sequences (IES) scattered along germline chromosomes. A domesticated piggyBac transposase, PiggyMac, is required for double-strand DNA cleavage at IES ends and IES excision sites are very precisely repaired by the NHEJ pathway. Here, we report that a specialized Ku heterodimer, specifically expressed during programmed genome rearrangements, is an essential partner of PiggyMac and activates DNA cleavage. We propose that incorporation of DSB repair proteins in a pre-cleavage complex constitutes a safe and efficient way for Paramecium to direct thousands of programmed DSBs to the NHEJ pathway and make sure that somatic chromosomes are assembled correctly.

Genome-wide analysis of genetic and epigenetic control of programmed DNA deletion

During the development of the somatic genome from the Paramecium germline genome the bulk of the copies of ∼45 000 unique, internal eliminated sequences (IESs) are deleted. IES targeting is facilitated by two small RNA (sRNA) classes: scnRNAs, which relay epigenetic information from the parental nucleus to the developing nucleus, and iesRNAs, which are produced and used in the developing nucleus. Why only certain IESs require sRNAs for their removal has been enigmatic. By analyzing the silencing effects of three genes: PGM (responsible for DNA excision), DCL2/3 (scnRNA production) and DCL5 (iesRNA production), we identify key properties required for IES elimination. Based on these results, we propose that, depending on the exact combination of their lengths and end bases, some IESs are less efficiently recognized or excised and have a greater requirement for targeting by scnRNAs and iesRNAs. We suggest that the variation in IES retention following silencing of DCL2/3 is not primarily due to scnRNA density, which is comparatively uniform relative to IES retention, but rather the genetic properties of IESs. Taken together, our analyses demonstrate that in Paramecium the underlying genetic properties of developmentally deleted DNA sequences are essential in determining the sensitivity of these sequences to epigenetic control.

Insights into three whole-genome duplications gleaned from the Paramecium caudatum genome sequence

Paramecium has long been a model eukaryote. The sequence of the Paramecium tetraurelia genome reveals a history of three successive whole-genome duplications (WGDs), and the sequences of P. biaurelia and P. sexaurelia suggest that these WGDs are shared by all members of the aurelia species complex. Here, we present the genome sequence of P. caudatum, a species closely related to the P. aurelia species group. P. caudatum shares only the most ancient of the three WGDs with the aurelia complex. We found that P. caudatum maintains twice as many paralogs from this early event as the P. aurelia species, suggesting that post-WGD gene retention is influenced by subsequent WGDs and supporting the importance of selection for dosage in gene retention. The availability of P. caudatum as an outgroup allows an expanded analysis of the aurelia intermediate and recent WGD events. Both the Guanine+Cytosine (GC) content and the expression level of preduplication genes are significant predictors of duplicate retention. We find widespread asymmetrical evolution among aurelia paralogs, which is likely caused by gradual pseudogenization rather than by neofunctionalization. Finally, cases of divergent resolution of intermediate WGD duplicates between aurelia species implicate this process acts as an ongoing reinforcement mechanism of reproductive isolation long after a WGD event.

Genome-defence small RNAs exapted for epigenetic mating-type inheritance

In the ciliate Paramecium, transposable elements and their single-copy remnants are deleted during the development of somatic macronuclei from germline micronuclei, at each sexual generation. Deletions are targeted by scnRNAs, small RNAs produced from the germ line during meiosis that first scan the maternal macronuclear genome to identify missing sequences, and then allow the zygotic macronucleus to reproduce the same deletions. Here we show that this process accounts for the maternal inheritance of mating types in Paramecium tetraurelia, a long-standing problem in epigenetics. Mating type E depends on expression of the transmembrane protein mtA, and the default type O is determined during development by scnRNA-dependent excision of the mtA promoter. In the sibling species Paramecium septaurelia, mating type O is determined by coding-sequence deletions in a different gene, mtB, which is specifically required for mtA expression. These independently evolved mechanisms suggest frequent exaptation of the scnRNA pathway to regulate cellular genes and mediate transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of essential phenotypic polymorphisms.

Functional diversification of Dicer-like proteins and small RNAs required for genome sculpting

In eukaryotes, small RNAs (sRNAs) have key roles in development, gene expression regulation, and genome integrity maintenance. In ciliates, such as Paramecium, sRNAs form the heart of an epigenetic system that has evolved from core eukaryotic gene silencing components to selectively target DNA for deletion. In Paramecium, somatic genome development from the germline genome accurately eliminates the bulk of typically gene-interrupting, noncoding DNA. We have discovered an sRNA class (internal eliminated sequence [IES] sRNAs [iesRNAs]), arising later during Paramecium development, which originates from and precisely delineates germline DNA (IESs) and complements the initial sRNAs ("scan" RNAs [scnRNAs]) in targeting DNA for elimination. We show that whole-genome duplications have facilitated successive differentiations of Paramecium Dicer-like proteins, leading to cooperation between Dcl2 and Dcl3 to produce scnRNAs and to the production of iesRNAs by Dcl5. These innovations highlight the ability of sRNA systems to acquire capabilities, including those in genome development and integrity.

Epigenetics of ciliates

Research using ciliates revealed early examples of epigenetic phenomena and continues to provide novel findings. These protozoans maintain separate germline and somatic nuclei that carry transcriptionally silent and active genomes, respectively. Examining the differences in chromatin within distinct nuclei of Tetrahymena identified histone variants and established that transcriptional regulators act by modifying histones. Formation of somatic nuclei requires both transcriptional activation of silent chromatin and large-scale DNA elimination. This somatic genome remodeling is directed by homologous RNAs, acting with an RNA interference (RNAi)-related machinery. Furthermore, the content of the parental somatic genome provides a homologous template to guide this genome restructuring. The mechanisms regulating ciliate DNA rearrangements reveal the surprising power of homologous RNAs to remodel the genome and transmit information transgenerationally.

The Oxytricha trifallax macronuclear genome: a complex eukaryotic genome with 16,000 tiny chromosomes

With more chromosomes than any other sequenced genome, the macronuclear genome of Oxytricha trifallax has a unique and complex architecture, including alternative fragmentation and predominantly single-gene chromosomes.

The macronuclear genome of the ciliate Oxytricha trifallax displays an extreme and unique eukaryotic genome architecture with extensive genomic variation. During sexual genome development, the expressed, somatic macronuclear genome is whittled down to the genic portion of a small fraction (∼5%) of its precursor “silent” germline micronuclear genome by a process of “unscrambling” and fragmentation. The tiny macronuclear “nanochromosomes” typically encode single, protein-coding genes (a small portion, 10%, encode 2–8 genes), have minimal noncoding regions, and are differentially amplified to an average of ∼2,000 copies. We report the high-quality genome assembly of ∼16,000 complete nanochromosomes (∼50 Mb haploid genome size) that vary from 469 bp to 66 kb long (mean ∼3.2 kb) and encode ∼18,500 genes. Alternative DNA fragmentation processes ∼10% of the nanochromosomes into multiple isoforms that usually encode complete genes. Nucleotide diversity in the macronucleus is very high (SNP heterozygosity is ∼4.0%), suggesting that Oxytricha trifallax may have one of the largest known effective population sizes of eukaryotes. Comparison to other ciliates with nonscrambled genomes and long macronuclear chromosomes (on the order of 100 kb) suggests several candidate proteins that could be involved in genome rearrangement, including domesticated MULE and IS1595-like DDE transposases. The assembly of the highly fragmented Oxytricha macronuclear genome is the first completed genome with such an unusual architecture. This genome sequence provides tantalizing glimpses into novel molecular biology and evolution. For example, Oxytricha maintains tens of millions of telomeres per cell and has also evolved an intriguing expansion of telomere end-binding proteins. In conjunction with the micronuclear genome in progress, the O. trifallax macronuclear genome will provide an invaluable resource for investigating programmed genome rearrangements, complementing studies of rearrangements arising during evolution and disease.

The macronuclear genome of the ciliate Oxytricha trifallax, contained in its somatic nucleus, has a unique genome architecture. Unlike its diploid germline genome, which is transcriptionally inactive during normal cellular growth, the macronuclear genome is fragmented into at least 16,000 tiny (∼3.2 kb mean length) chromosomes, most of which encode single actively transcribed genes and are differentially amplified to a few thousand copies each. The smallest chromosome is just 469 bp, while the largest is 66 kb and encodes a single enormous protein. We found considerable variation in the genome, including frequent alternative fragmentation patterns, generating chromosome isoforms with shared sequence. We also found limited variation in chromosome amplification levels, though insufficient to explain mRNA transcript level variation. Another remarkable feature of Oxytricha's macronuclear genome is its inordinate fondness for telomeres. In conjunction with its possession of tens of millions of chromosome-ending telomeres per macronucleus, we show that Oxytricha has evolved multiple putative telomere-binding proteins. In addition, we identified two new domesticated transposase-like protein classes that we propose may participate in the process of genome rearrangement. The macronuclear genome now provides a crucial resource for ongoing studies of genome rearrangement processes that use Oxytricha as an experimental or comparative model.

The Paramecium germline genome provides a niche for intragenic parasitic DNA: evolutionary dynamics of internal eliminated sequences

Insertions of parasitic DNA within coding sequences are usually deleterious and are generally counter-selected during evolution. Thanks to nuclear dimorphism, ciliates provide unique models to study the fate of such insertions. Their germline genome undergoes extensive rearrangements during development of a new somatic macronucleus from the germline micronucleus following sexual events. In Paramecium, these rearrangements include precise excision of unique-copy Internal Eliminated Sequences (IES) from the somatic DNA, requiring the activity of a domesticated piggyBac transposase, PiggyMac. We have sequenced Paramecium tetraurelia germline DNA, establishing a genome-wide catalogue of ∼45,000 IESs, in order to gain insight into their evolutionary origin and excision mechanism. We obtained direct evidence that PiggyMac is required for excision of all IESs. Homology with known P. tetraurelia Tc1/mariner transposons, described here, indicates that at least a fraction of IESs derive from these elements. Most IES insertions occurred before a recent whole-genome duplication that preceded diversification of the P. aurelia species complex, but IES invasion of the Paramecium genome appears to be an ongoing process. Once inserted, IESs decay rapidly by accumulation of deletions and point substitutions. Over 90% of the IESs are shorter than 150 bp and present a remarkable size distribution with a ∼10 bp periodicity, corresponding to the helical repeat of double-stranded DNA and suggesting DNA loop formation during assembly of a transpososome-like excision complex. IESs are equally frequent within and between coding sequences; however, excision is not 100% efficient and there is selective pressure against IES insertions, in particular within highly expressed genes. We discuss the possibility that ancient domestication of a piggyBac transposase favored subsequent propagation of transposons throughout the germline by allowing insertions in coding sequences, a fraction of the genome in which parasitic DNA is not usually tolerated.

Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes that rearrange their genomes at every sexual generation when a new somatic macronucleus, responsible for gene expression, develops from a copy of the germline micronucleus. In Paramecium, assembly of a functional somatic genome requires precise excision of interstitial DNA segments, the Internal Eliminated Sequences (IES), involving a domesticated piggyBac transposase, PiggyMac. To study IES origin and evolution, we sequenced germline DNA and identified 45,000 IESs. We found that at least some of these unique-copy elements are decayed Tc1/mariner transposons and that IES insertion is likely an ongoing process. After insertion, elements decay rapidly by accumulation of deletions and substitutions. The 93% of IESs shorter than 150 bp display a remarkable size distribution with a periodicity of 10 bp, the helical repeat of double-stranded DNA, consistent with the idea that evolution has only retained IESs that can form a double-stranded DNA loop during assembly of an excision complex. We propose that the ancient domestication of a piggyBac transposase, which provided a precise excision mechanism, enabled transposons to subsequently invade Paramecium coding sequences, a fraction of the genome that does not usually tolerate parasitic DNA.

Transposon Invasion of the Paramecium Germline Genome Countered by a Domesticated PiggyBac Transposase and the NHEJ Pathway

Sequences related to transposons constitute a large fraction of extant genomes, but insertions within coding sequences have generally not been tolerated during evolution. Thanks to their unique nuclear dimorphism and to their original mechanism of programmed DNA elimination from their somatic nucleus (macronucleus), ciliates are emerging model organisms for the study of the impact of transposable elements on genomes. The germline genome of the ciliate Paramecium, located in its micronucleus, contains thousands of short intervening sequences, the IESs, which interrupt 47% of genes. Recent data provided support to the hypothesis that an evolutionary link exists between Paramecium IESs and Tc1/mariner transposons. During development of the macronucleus, IESs are excised precisely thanks to the coordinated action of PiggyMac, a domesticated piggyBac transposase, and of the NHEJ double-strand break repair pathway. A PiggyMac homolog is also required for developmentally programmed DNA elimination in another ciliate, Tetrahymena. Here, we present an overview of the life cycle of these unicellular eukaryotes and of the developmentally programmed genome rearrangements that take place at each sexual cycle. We discuss how ancient domestication of a piggyBac transposase might have allowed Tc1/mariner elements to spread throughout the germline genome of Paramecium, without strong counterselection against insertion within genes.

RNA-guided DNA rearrangements in ciliates: is the best genome defence a good offence?

Genomes, like crazy patchwork quilts, are stitched together over evolutionary time from diverse elements, including some unwelcome invaders. To deal with parasitic mobile elements, most eukaryotes employ a genome self-defensive manoeuvre to recognise and silence such elements by homology-dependent interactions with RNA-protein complexes that alter chromatin. Ciliated protozoa employ more 'offensive' tactics by actually unstitching and reassembling their somatic genomes at every sexual generation to eliminate transposons and their remnants, using as patterns the maternal genomes that were rearranged in the previous cycle. Genetic and genomic studies of the distant relatives Paramecium and Tetrahymena have begun to reveal how such events are carried out with remarkable precision. Whole genome, non-coding transcripts from the maternal genome are compared with transcripts from the zygotic genome that are processed through an RNA interference (RNAi)-related process. Sequences found only in the latter are targeted for elimination by the resulting short 'scanRNAs' in many thousand DNA splicing reactions initiated by a domesticated transposase. The involvement of widely conserved mechanisms and protein factors clearly shows the relatedness of these phenomena to RNAi-mediated heterochromatic gene silencing. Such malleability of the genome on a generational time scale also has profound evolutionary implications, possibly including the epigenetic inheritance of acquired adaptive traits.

Developmentally programmed, RNA-directed genome rearrangement in Tetrahymena

Developmentally programmed genome rearrangement has been observed in a variety of eukaryotes from vertebrates to worms to protists, and it provides an interesting exception to the general rule of the constancy of the genome. DNA elimination in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena is one of the most well-characterized programmed genome rearrangement events. DNA elimination in the newly formed macronucleus of Tetrahymena is epigenetically regulated by the DNA sequence of the parental macronucleus. Dicer-produced, Piwi-associated small RNAs mediate this epigenetic regulation, probably through a whole-genome comparison of the germline micronucleus to the somatic macronucleus. However, a correlation between small RNAs and programmed genome rearrangement could not be detected in the worm Ascaris suum. Therefore, different types of eukaryotes may have developed unique solutions to perform genome rearrangement.

RNA-Mediated Epigenetic Programming of Genome Rearrangements

RNA, normally thought of as a conduit in gene expression, has a novel mode of action in ciliated protozoa. Maternal RNA templates provide both an organizing guide for DNA rearrangements and a template that can transport somatic mutations to the next generation. This opportunity for RNA-mediated genome rearrangement and DNA repair is profound in the ciliate Oxytricha, which deletes 95% of its germline genome during development in a process that severely fragments its chromosomes and then sorts and reorders the hundreds of thousands of pieces remaining. Oxytricha's somatic nuclear genome is therefore an epigenome formed through RNA templates and signals arising from the previous generation. Furthermore, this mechanism of RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance can function across multiple generations, and the discovery of maternal template RNA molecules has revealed new biological roles for RNA and has hinted at the power of RNA molecules to sculpt genomic information in cells.

Taking RISCs with Ago hookers

Argonautes are central and common components of crucial effectors of RNA silencing pathways. Although earlier steps in these pathways, such as small RNA biogenesis and their loading into AGO, have been quite well described, our knowledge on regulation of the action of AGO and their partners is still poor. Recent breakthroughs have highlighted the existence in many eukaryotes of an evolutionarily conserved motif, the Ago-hook, in factors implicated in AGO action. Furthermore, it has been shown that certain plant pathogen proteins have co-opted the Ago-hook as a means of evasion of plant defense systems. Here we discuss the roles and properties of Ago-hook proteins in divergent RNAi-related pathways.

Keeping the soma free of transposons: programmed DNA elimination in ciliates

Many transposon-related sequences are removed from the somatic macronucleus of ciliates during sexual reproduction. In the ciliate Tetrahymena, an RNAi-related mechanism produces small noncoding RNAs that induce heterochromatin formation, which is followed by DNA elimination. Because RNAi-related mechanisms repress transposon activities in a variety of eukaryotes, the DNA elimination mechanism of ciliates might have evolved from these types of transposon-silencing mechanisms. Nuclear dimorphism allows ciliates to identify any DNA that has invaded the germ-line micronucleus using small RNAs and a whole genome comparison of the micronucleus and the somatic macronucleus.

DNA elimination in ciliates: transposon domestication and genome surveillance

Ciliated protozoa extensively remodel their somatic genomes during nuclear development, fragmenting their chromosomes and removing large numbers of internal eliminated sequences (IESs). The sequences eliminated are unique and repetitive DNAs, including transposons. Recent studies have identified transposase proteins that appear to have been domesticated and are used by these cells to eliminate DNA not wanted in the somatic macronucleus. This DNA elimination process is guided by meiotically produced small RNAs, generated in the germline nucleus, that recognize homologous sequences leading to their removal. These scan RNAs are found in complexes with PIWI proteins. Before they search the developing genome for IESs to eliminate, they scan the parental somatic nucleus and are removed from the pool if they match homologous sequences in that previously reorganized genome. In Tetrahymena, the scan RNAs target heterochromatin modifications to mark IESs for elimination. This DNA elimination pathway in ciliates shares extensive similarity with piRNA-mediated silencing of metazoans and highlights the remarkable ability of homologous RNAs to shape developing genomes.

Functional study of genes essential for autogamy and nuclear reorganization in Paramecium

Like all ciliates, Paramecium tetraurelia is a unicellular eukaryote that harbors two kinds of nuclei within its cytoplasm. At each sexual cycle, a new somatic macronucleus (MAC) develops from the germ line micronucleus (MIC) through a sequence of complex events, which includes meiosis, karyogamy, and assembly of the MAC genome from MIC sequences. The latter process involves developmentally programmed genome rearrangements controlled by noncoding RNAs and a specialized RNA interference machinery. We describe our first attempts to identify genes and biological processes that contribute to the progression of the sexual cycle. Given the high percentage of unknown genes annotated in the P. tetraurelia genome, we applied a global strategy to monitor gene expression profiles during autogamy, a self-fertilization process. We focused this pilot study on the genes carried by the largest somatic chromosome and designed dedicated DNA arrays covering 484 genes from this chromosome (1.2% of all genes annotated in the genome). Transcriptome analysis revealed four major patterns of gene expression, including two successive waves of gene induction. Functional analysis of 15 upregulated genes revealed four that are essential for vegetative growth, one of which is involved in the maintenance of MAC integrity and another in cell division or membrane trafficking. Two additional genes, encoding a MIC-specific protein and a putative RNA helicase localizing to the old and then to the new MAC, are specifically required during sexual processes. Our work provides a proof of principle that genes essential for meiosis and nuclear reorganization can be uncovered following genome-wide transcriptome analysis.

Functional specialization of Piwi proteins in Paramecium tetraurelia from post-transcriptional gene silencing to genome remodelling

Proteins of the Argonaute family are small RNA carriers that guide regulatory complexes to their targets. The family comprises two major subclades. Members of the Ago subclade, which are present in most eukaryotic phyla, bind different classes of small RNAs and regulate gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Piwi subclade members appear to have been lost in plants and fungi and were mostly studied in metazoa, where they bind piRNAs and have essential roles in sexual reproduction. Their presence in ciliates, unicellular organisms harbouring both germline micronuclei and somatic macronuclei, offers an interesting perspective on the evolution of their functions. Here, we report phylogenetic and functional analyses of the 15 Piwi genes from Paramecium tetraurelia. We show that four constitutively expressed proteins are involved in siRNA pathways that mediate gene silencing throughout the life cycle. Two other proteins, specifically expressed during meiosis, are required for accumulation of scnRNAs during sexual reproduction and for programmed genome rearrangements during development of the somatic macronucleus. Our results indicate that Paramecium Piwi proteins have evolved to perform both vegetative and sexual functions through mechanisms ranging from post-transcriptional mRNA cleavage to epigenetic regulation of genome rearrangements.

Gene expression in a paleopolyploid: a transcriptome resource for the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia

Background

The genome of Paramecium tetraurelia, a unicellular model that belongs to the ciliate phylum, has been shaped by at least 3 successive whole genome duplications (WGD). These dramatic events, which have also been documented in plants, animals and fungi, are resolved over evolutionary time by the loss of one duplicate for the majority of genes. Thanks to a low rate of large scale genome rearrangement in Paramecium, an unprecedented large number of gene duplicates of different ages have been identified, making this organism an outstanding model to investigate the evolutionary consequences of polyploidization. The most recent WGD, with 51% of pre-duplication genes still in 2 copies, provides a snapshot of a phase of rapid gene loss that is not accessible in more ancient polyploids such as yeast.

Results

We designed a custom oligonucleotide microarray platform for P. tetraurelia genome-wide expression profiling and used the platform to measure gene expression during 1) the sexual cycle of autogamy, 2) growth of new cilia in response to deciliation and 3) biogenesis of secretory granules after massive exocytosis. Genes that are differentially expressed during these time course experiments have expression patterns consistent with a very low rate of subfunctionalization (partition of ancestral functions between duplicated genes) in particular since the most recent polyploidization event.

Conclusions

A public transcriptome resource is now available for Paramecium tetraurelia. The resource has been integrated into the ParameciumDB model organism database, providing searchable access to the data. The microarray platform, freely available through NimbleGen Systems, provides a robust, cost-effective approach for genome-wide expression profiling in P. tetraurelia. The expression data support previous studies showing that at short evolutionary times after a whole genome duplication, gene dosage balance constraints and not functional change are the major determinants of gene retention.

The conjugation-specific Die5 protein is required for development of the somatic nucleus in both Paramecium and Tetrahymena

Development in ciliated protozoa involves extensive genome reorganization within differentiating macronuclei, which shapes the somatic genome of the next vegetative generation. Major events of macronuclear differentiation include excision of internal eliminated sequences (IESs), chromosome fragmentation, and genome amplification. Proteins required for these events include those with homology throughout eukaryotes as well as proteins apparently unique to ciliates. In this study, we identified the ciliate-specific Defective in IES Excision 5 (DIE5) genes of Paramecium tetraurelia (PtDIE5) and Tetrahymena thermophila (TtDIE5) as orthologs that encode nuclear proteins expressed exclusively during development. Abrogation of PtDie5 protein (PtDie5p) function by RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing or TtDie5p by gene disruption resulted in the failure of developing macronuclei to differentiate into new somatic nuclei. Tetrahymena DeltaDIE5 cells arrested late in development and failed to complete genome amplification, whereas RNAi-treated Paramecium cells highly amplified new macronuclear DNA before the failure in differentiation, findings that highlight clear differences in the biology of these distantly related species. Nevertheless, IES excision and chromosome fragmentation failed to occur in either ciliate, which strongly supports that Die5p is a critical player in these processes. In Tetrahymena, loss of zygotic expression during development was sufficient to block nuclear differentiation. This observation, together with the finding that knockdown of Die5p in Paramecium still allows genome amplification, indicates that this protein acts late in macronuclear development. Even though DNA rearrangements in these two ciliates look to be quite distinct, analysis of DIE5 establishes the action of a conserved mechanism within the genome reorganization pathway.

Distinct RNA-dependent RNA polymerases are required for RNAi triggered by double-stranded RNA versus truncated transgenes in Paramecium tetraurelia

In many eukaryotes, RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) play key roles in the RNAi pathway. They have been implicated in the recognition and processing of aberrant transcripts triggering the process, and in amplification of the silencing response. We have tested the functions of RdRP genes from the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia in experimentally induced and endogenous mechanisms of gene silencing. In this organism, RNAi can be triggered either by high-copy, truncated transgenes or by directly feeding cells with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Surprisingly, dsRNA-induced silencing depends on the putatively functional RDR1 and RDR2 genes, which are required for the accumulation of both primary siRNAs and a distinct class of small RNAs suggestive of secondary siRNAs. In contrast, a third gene with a highly divergent catalytic domain, RDR3, is required for siRNA accumulation when RNAi is triggered by truncated transgenes. Our data further implicate RDR3 in the accumulation of previously described endogenous siRNAs and in the regulation of the surface antigen gene family. While only one of these genes is normally expressed in any clonal cell line, the knockdown of RDR3 leads to co-expression of multiple antigens. These results provide evidence for a functional specialization of Paramecium RdRP genes in distinct RNAi pathways operating during vegetative growth.

PiggyMac, a domesticated piggyBac transposase involved in programmed genome rearrangements in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia

Programmed genome rearrangements drive functional gene assembly in ciliates during the development of the somatic macronucleus. The elimination of germline sequences is directed by noncoding RNAs and is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks, but the enzymes responsible for DNA cleavage have not been identified. We show here that PiggyMac (Pgm), a domesticated piggyBac transposase, is required for these rearrangements in Paramecium tetraurelia. A GFP-Pgm fusion localizes in developing macronuclei, where rearrangements take place, and RNAi-mediated silencing of PGM abolishes DNA cleavage. This is the first in vivo evidence suggesting an essential endonucleolytic function of a domesticated piggyBac transposase.

Epigenetic inheritance in ciliates

2009 marks not only the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth but also publication of the first scientific evolutionary theory, Lamarck's Philosophie Zoologique. While Lamarck embraced the notion of the inheritance of acquired characters, he did not invent it (Burkhardt, 1984). New phenomena discovered recently offer molecular pathways for the transmission of several acquired characters. Ciliates have long provided model systems to study phenomena that bypass traditional modes of inheritance. RNA, normally thought of as a conduit in gene expression, displays a novel mode of action in ciliated protozoa. For example, maternal RNA templates provide both an organizing guide for DNA rearrangements in Oxytricha and a template that can transmit spontaneous mutations that may arise during somatic growth to the next generation, providing two such mechanisms of so-called Lamarckian inheritance. This suggests that the somatic ciliate genome is really an 'epigenome', formed through templates and signals arising from the previous generation. This review will discuss these new biological roles for RNA, including non-coding 'template' RNA molecules. The evolutionary consequences of viable mechanisms in ciliates to transmit acquired characters may create an additional store of heritable variation that contributes to the cosmopolitan success of this diverse lineage of microbial eukaryotes.

Two GW repeat proteins interact with Tetrahymena thermophila argonaute and promote genome rearrangement

In conjugating Tetrahymena thermophila, massive DNA elimination occurs upon the development of the new somatic genome from the germ line genome. Small, approximately 28-nucleotide scan RNAs (scnRNAs) and Twi1p, an Argonaute family member, mediate H3K27me3 and H3K9me3 histone H3 modifications, which lead to heterochromatin formation and the excision of the heterochromatinized germ line-limited sequences. In our search for new factors involved in developmental DNA rearrangement, we identified two Twi1p-interacting proteins, Wag1p and CnjBp. Both proteins contain GW (glycine and tryptophan) repeats, which are characteristic of several Argonaute-interacting proteins in other organisms. Wag1p and CnjBp colocalize with Twi1p in the parental macronucleus early in conjugation and in the new developing macronucleus during later developmental stages. Around the time DNA elimination occurs, Wag1p forms multiple nuclear bodies in the developing macronuclei that do not colocalize with heterochromatic DNA elimination structures. Analyses of DeltaWAG1, DeltaCnjB, and double DeltaWAG1 DeltaCnjB knockout strains revealed that WAG1 and CnjB genes need to be deleted together to inhibit the downregulation of specific scnRNAs, the formation of DNA elimination structures, and DNA excision. Thus, Wag1p and CnjBp are two novel players with overlapping functions in RNA interference-mediated genome rearrangement in Tetrahymena.

Developmental genome rearrangements in ciliates: a natural genomic subtraction mediated by non-coding transcripts

Several classes of non-protein-coding RNAs have recently been identified as epigenetic regulators of developmental genome rearrangements in ciliates, providing an interesting insight into the role of genome-wide transcription. In these unicellular eukaryotes, extensive rearrangements of the germline genome occur during the development of a new somatic macronucleus from the germline micronucleus. Rearrangement patterns are not dictated by the germline sequence, but reproduce the pre-existing rearrangements of the maternal somatic genome, implying a homology-dependent global comparison of germline and somatic genomes. We review recent evidence showing that this is achieved by a natural genomic subtraction, computed by pairing interactions between meiosis-specific, germline scnRNAs (small RNAs that resemble metazoan piRNAs) and longer non-coding transcripts from the somatic genome. We focus on current models for the RNA-based mechanisms enabling the cell to recognize the germline sequences to be eliminated from the somatic genome and to maintain an epigenetic memory of rearrangement patterns across sexual generations.

Silencing-associated and meiosis-specific small RNA pathways in Paramecium tetraurelia

Distinct small RNA pathways are involved in the two types of homology-dependent effects described in Paramecium tetraurelia, as shown by a functional analysis of Dicer and Dicer-like genes and by the sequencing of small RNAs. The siRNAs that mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing when cells are fed with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) were found to comprise two subclasses. DCR1-dependent cleavage of the inducing dsRNA generates approximately 23-nt primary siRNAs from both strands, while a different subclass of approximately 24-nt RNAs, characterized by a short untemplated poly-A tail, is strictly antisense to the targeted mRNA, suggestive of secondary siRNAs that depend on an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. An entirely distinct pathway is responsible for homology-dependent regulation of developmental genome rearrangements after sexual reproduction. During early meiosis, the DCL2 and DCL3 genes are required for the production of a highly complex population of approximately 25-nt scnRNAs from all types of germline sequences, including both strands of exons, introns, intergenic regions, transposons and Internal Eliminated Sequences. A prominent 5'-UNG signature, and a minor fraction showing the complementary signature at positions 21-23, indicate that scnRNAs are cleaved from dsRNA precursors as duplexes with 2-nt 3' overhangs at both ends, followed by preferential stabilization of the 5'-UNG strand.

Maternal noncoding transcripts antagonize the targeting of DNA elimination by scanRNAs in Paramecium tetraurelia

The germline genome of ciliates is extensively rearranged during the development of a new somatic macronucleus from the germline micronucleus, after sexual events. In Paramecium tetraurelia, single-copy internal eliminated sequences (IESs) are precisely excised from coding sequences and intergenic regions. For a subset of IESs, introduction of the IES sequence into the maternal macronucleus specifically inhibits excision of the homologous IES in the developing zygotic macronucleus, suggesting that epigenetic regulation of excision involves a global comparison of germline and somatic genomes. ScanRNAs (scnRNAs) produced during micronuclear meiosis by a developmentally regulated RNAi pathway have been proposed to mediate this transnuclear cross-talk. In this study, microinjection experiments provide direct evidence that 25-nucleotide (nt) scnRNAs promote IES excision. We further show that noncoding RNAs are produced from the somatic maternal genome, both during vegetative growth and during sexual events. Maternal inhibition of IES excision is abolished when maternal somatic transcripts containing an IES are targeted for degradation by a distinct RNAi pathway involving 23-nt siRNAs. The results strongly support a scnRNA/macronuclear RNA scanning model in which a natural genomic subtraction, occurring during meiosis between deletion-inducing scnRNAs and antagonistic transcripts from the maternal macronucleus, regulates rearrangements of the zygotic genome.

Developmentally programmed DNA splicing in Paramecium reveals short-distance crosstalk between DNA cleavage sites

Somatic genome assembly in the ciliate Paramecium involves the precise excision of thousands of short internal eliminated sequences (IESs) that are scattered throughout the germline genome and often interrupt open reading frames. Excision is initiated by double-strand breaks centered on the TA dinucleotides that are conserved at each IES boundary, but the factors that drive cleavage site recognition remain unknown. A degenerate consensus was identified previously at IES ends and genetic analyses confirmed the participation of their nucleotide sequence in efficient excision. Even for wild-type IESs, however, variant excision patterns (excised or nonexcised) may be inherited maternally through sexual events, in a homology-dependent manner. We show here that this maternal epigenetic control interferes with the targeting of DNA breaks at IES ends. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a mutation in the TA at one end of an IES impairs DNA cleavage not only at the mutant end but also at the wild-type end. We conclude that crosstalk between both ends takes place prior to their cleavage and propose that the ability of an IES to adopt an excision-prone conformation depends on the combination of its nucleotide sequence and of additional determinants.

The growing catalog of small RNAs and their association with distinct Argonaute/Piwi family members

Several distinct classes of small RNAs, some newly identified, have been discovered to play important regulatory roles in diverse cellular processes. These classes include siRNAs, miRNAs, rasiRNAs and piRNAs. Each class binds to distinct members of the Argonaute/Piwi protein family to form ribonucleoprotein complexes that recognize partially, or nearly perfect, complementary nucleic acid targets, and that mediate a variety of regulatory processes, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing. Based on the known relationship of Argonaute/Piwi proteins with distinct classes of small RNAs, we can now predict how many new classes of small RNAs or silencing processes remain to be discovered.