1
|
Yakovenko I, Agronin J, Smith LC, Oren M. Guardian of the Genome: An Alternative RAG/Transib Co-Evolution Hypothesis for the Origin of V(D)J Recombination. Front Immunol 2021; 12:709165. [PMID: 34394111 PMCID: PMC8355894 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.709165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The appearance of adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates is termed the immunological 'Big Bang' because of the short evolutionary time over which it developed. Underlying it is the recombination activating gene (RAG)-based V(D)J recombination system, which initiates the sequence diversification of the immunoglobulins and lymphocyte antigen receptors. It was convincingly argued that the RAG1 and RAG2 genes originated from a single transposon. The current dogma postulates that the V(D)J recombination system was established by the split of a primordial vertebrate immune receptor gene into V and J segments by a RAG1/2 transposon, in parallel with the domestication of the same transposable element in a separate genomic locus as the RAG recombinase. Here, based on a new interpretation of previously published data, we propose an alternative evolutionary hypothesis suggesting that two different elements, a RAG1/2 transposase and a Transib transposon invader with RSS-like terminal inverted repeats, co-evolved to work together, resulting in a functional recombination process. This hypothesis offers an alternative understanding of the acquisition of recombinase function by RAGs and the origin of the V(D)J system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Yakovenko
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Jacob Agronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - L. Courtney Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Matan Oren
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Etchegaray E, Naville M, Volff JN, Haftek-Terreau Z. Transposable element-derived sequences in vertebrate development. Mob DNA 2021; 12:1. [PMID: 33407840 PMCID: PMC7786948 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of all vertebrate genomes that can cause deleterious insertions and genomic instability. However, depending on the specific genomic context of their insertion site, TE sequences can sometimes get positively selected, leading to what are called "exaptation" events. TE sequence exaptation constitutes an important source of novelties for gene, genome and organism evolution, giving rise to new regulatory sequences, protein-coding exons/genes and non-coding RNAs, which can play various roles beneficial to the host. In this review, we focus on the development of vertebrates, which present many derived traits such as bones, adaptive immunity and a complex brain. We illustrate how TE-derived sequences have given rise to developmental innovations in vertebrates and how they thereby contributed to the evolutionary success of this lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ema Etchegaray
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France.
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| | - Zofia Haftek-Terreau
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Majkowski M, Laszkiewicz A, Sniezewski L, Grzmil P, Pawlicka B, Tomczyk I, Michniewicz M, Kapusniak V, Janik S, Chodaczek G, Cebrat M. Lack of NWC protein (c11orf74 homolog) in murine spermatogenesis results in reduced sperm competitiveness and impaired ability to fertilize egg cells in vitro. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208649. [PMID: 30521625 PMCID: PMC6283527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
NWC is an uncharacterised protein containing three strongly conserved domains not found in any other known protein. Previously, we reported that the NWC protein is detected in cells in the germinal layer in murine testes (strain: C57BL/6), and its knockout results in no obvious phenotype. We determined the NWC expression pattern during spermatogenesis, and found this protein in spermatocytes and round spermatids, but not in epididymal sperm. Although NWC knockout males are fertile, we further characterised their reproductive potential employing non-standard mating that better simulates the natural conditions by including sperm competition. Such an approach revealed that the sperm of knockout males fail to successfully compete with control sperm. After analysing selected characteristics of the male reproductive system, we found that NWC knockout sperm had a reduced ability to fertilize cumulus-intact eggs during IVF. This is the first report describing a subtle phenotype of NWC knockout mice that could be detected under non-standard mating conditions. Our results indicate that NWC plays an important role in spermatogenesis and its deficiency results in the production of functionally impaired sperm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Majkowski
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Laszkiewicz
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Sniezewski
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Grzmil
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Bernadetta Pawlicka
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Igor Tomczyk
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Martyna Michniewicz
- Vivarium, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Violetta Kapusniak
- Chair of Biostructure and Physiology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Sylwia Janik
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Chodaczek
- Laboratory of Confocal Microscopy, PORT Polish Centre for Technology Development, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Cebrat
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|