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Colón-Santos S, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Campillo-Balderas JA, Hernández-Morales R, Jácome R, Muñoz-Velasco I, Rodriguez LE, Schaible MJ, Schaible GA, Szeinbaum N, Thweatt JL, Trubl G. Chapter 2: What Is Life? ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S40-S56. [PMID: 38498820 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The question "What is life?" has existed since the beginning of recorded history. However, the scientific and philosophical contexts of this question have changed and been refined as advancements in technology have revealed both fine details and broad connections in the network of life on Earth. Understanding the framework of the question "What is life?" is central to formulating other questions such as "Where else could life be?" and "How do we search for life elsewhere?" While many of these questions are addressed throughout the Astrobiology Primer 3.0, this chapter gives historical context for defining life, highlights conceptual characteristics shared by all life on Earth as well as key features used to describe it, discusses why it matters for astrobiology, and explores both challenges and opportunities for finding an informative operational definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. (Former)
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
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Rungratanawanich W, Ballway JW, Wang X, Won KJ, Hardwick JP, Song BJ. Post-translational modifications of histone and non-histone proteins in epigenetic regulation and translational applications in alcohol-associated liver disease: Challenges and research opportunities. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 251:108547. [PMID: 37838219 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation is a process that takes place through adaptive cellular pathways influenced by environmental factors and metabolic changes to modulate gene activity with heritable phenotypic variations without altering the DNA sequences of many target genes. Epigenetic regulation can be facilitated by diverse mechanisms: many different types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone and non-histone nuclear proteins, DNA methylation, altered levels of noncoding RNAs, incorporation of histone variants, nucleosomal positioning, chromatin remodeling, etc. These factors modulate chromatin structure and stability with or without the involvement of metabolic products, depending on the cellular context of target cells or environmental stimuli, such as intake of alcohol (ethanol) or Western-style high-fat diets. Alterations of epigenetics have been actively studied, since they are frequently associated with multiple disease states. Consequently, explorations of epigenetic regulation have recently shed light on the pathogenesis and progression of alcohol-associated disorders. In this review, we highlight the roles of various types of PTMs, including less-characterized modifications of nuclear histone and non-histone proteins, in the epigenetic regulation of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and other disorders. We also describe challenges in characterizing specific PTMs and suggest future opportunities for basic and translational research to prevent or treat ALD and many other disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiramon Rungratanawanich
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jacob W Ballway
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kyoung-Jae Won
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA
| | - James P Hardwick
- Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA.
| | - Byoung-Joon Song
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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3
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Recio-Vega R, Facio-Campos RA, Hernández-González SI, Olivas-Calderón E. State of the Art of Genomic Technology in Toxicology: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119618. [PMID: 37298568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid growth of genomics techniques has revolutionized and impacted, greatly and positively, the knowledge of toxicology, ushering it into a "new era": the era of genomic technology (GT). This great advance permits us to analyze the whole genome, to know the gene response to toxicants and environmental stressors, and to determine the specific profiles of gene expression, among many other approaches. The aim of this work was to compile and narrate the recent research on GT during the last 2 years (2020-2022). A literature search was managed using the PubMed and Medscape interfaces on the Medline database. Relevant articles published in peer-reviewed journals were retrieved and their main results and conclusions are mentioned briefly. It is quite important to form a multidisciplinary taskforce on GT with the aim of designing and implementing a comprehensive, collaborative, and a strategic work plan, prioritizing and assessing the most relevant diseases, so as to decrease human morbimortality due to exposure to environmental chemicals and stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rolando Adair Facio-Campos
- Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Chemical Sciences, Juarez University of Durango State, Gomez Palacio 35010, Mexico
| | - Sandra Isabel Hernández-González
- Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Chemical Sciences, Juarez University of Durango State, Gomez Palacio 35010, Mexico
| | - Edgar Olivas-Calderón
- Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Chemical Sciences, Juarez University of Durango State, Gomez Palacio 35010, Mexico
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Vinarski MV. Pattern Without Process: Eugen Smirnov and the Earliest Project of Numerical Taxonomy (1923-1938). JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF BIOLOGY 2022; 55:559-583. [PMID: 36251224 DOI: 10.1007/s10739-022-09688-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The progress towards mathematization or, in a broader context, towards an increased "objectivity" is one of the main trends in the development of biological systematics in the past century. It is commonplace to start the history of numerical taxonomy with the works of R. R. Sokal and P. H. A. Sneath that in the 1960s laid the foundations of this school of taxonomy. In this article, I discuss the earliest research program in this field, developed in the 1920s by the Russian entomologist and biometrician Eugen (Evgeniy Sergeevich) Smirnov. The theoretical and methodological grounds of this program are considered based on the published works of Smirnov as well as some archival sources. The influence of Smirnov's evolutionary (mechano-Lamarckian) convictions on the development of this project of "exact systematics" is analyzed as well as the author's attempts to establish a novel concept of "mathematical essentialism" in animal taxonomy. The probable causes of the failure of Smirnov's project are viewed from both externalist and internalist perspectives, including the opposition to the use of quantitative methods in biology by some of the Lysenkoist ideologists in the USSR. A brief comparison of Smirnov's research program with that developed 40 years later by Sokal and Sneath is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V Vinarski
- Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
- Saint-Petersburg Branch of the S.I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
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5
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Tikhodeyev ON. Prions as Non-Canonical Hereditary Factors. RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422060126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Nejabati HR, Shahnazi V, Faridvand Y, Fathi-Maroufi N, Bahrami-Asl Z, Nikanfar S, Nouri M. Epididymosomes: the black box of Darwin’s pangenesis? Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 27:6031918. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaaa079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Darwin, in the pangenesis theory, imagined particles, named as ‘gemmules’, which are released from all (‘pan’) cells of the body. By cell–cell communication and also circulation through the body, they finally reach the germ cells to participate in the generation (‘genesis’) of the new individual. It has been shown that circulatory exosomes are affected by environmental stressors and they can reach the parental germ cells. Therefore, in the mirror of his theory, circulatory exosomes could interact with epididymosomes: epididymis-derived exosomes which have a wide spectrum of variation in content and size, are very sensitive to environmental stressors, and may be involved in translating external information to the germ cells. The protein and RNA cargo would be transferred by epididymosomes to sperm during sperm maturation, which would be then delivered to the embryo at fertilization and inherited by offspring. Therefore, in this study, we will briefly discuss Darwin’s pangenesis theory and its possible relation with epididymosomes. We believed that epididymosomes could be considered as an attractive candidate for the storage of RNA contents, changing the epigenome of the next generations, and allowing the reappearance acquired characteristics of ancestors. Therefore, epididymosomes, as a black box of Darwin’s pangenesis, may unravel parental life history and also disclose the historical events that affect the life of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Reza Nejabati
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Vahideh Shahnazi
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Yousef Faridvand
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nazila Fathi-Maroufi
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Bahrami-Asl
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saba Nikanfar
- Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nouri
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Tikhodeyev ON. The evolutionary role of the environment: back to Lamarck and Darwin, not to Darwinism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:140241. [PMID: 32605778 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg N Tikhodeyev
- Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University emb. 7/9, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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8
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Liu Y. Revisiting Darwin's thoughts on environmentally induced heritable changes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:139540. [PMID: 32475722 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Liu
- Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2R3, Canada.
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Gardini ES, Chen GG, Fiacco S, Mernone L, Willi J, Turecki G, Ehlert U. Differential ESR1 Promoter Methylation in the Peripheral Blood-Findings from the Women 40+ Healthy Aging Study. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3654. [PMID: 32455834 PMCID: PMC7279168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Estrogen receptor α (ERα) contributes to maintaining biological processes preserving health during aging. DNA methylation changes of ERα gene (ESR1) were established as playing a direct role in the regulation of ERα levels. In this study, we hypothesized decreased DNA methylation of ESR1 associated with postmenopause, lower estradiol (E2) levels, and increased age among healthy middle-aged and older women. Methods We assessed DNA methylation of ESR1 promoter region from dried blood spots (DBSs) and E2 from saliva samples in 130 healthy women aged 40-73 years. Results We found that postmenopause and lower E2 levels were associated with lower DNA methylation of a distal regulatory region, but not with DNA methylation of proximal promoters. Conclusion Our results indicate that decreased methylation of ESR1 cytosine-phosphate-guanine island (CpGI) shore may be associated with conditions of lower E2 in older healthy women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena S. Gardini
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (E.S.G.); (S.F.); (L.M.); (J.W.)
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gary G. Chen
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; (G.G.C.); (G.T.)
| | - Serena Fiacco
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (E.S.G.); (S.F.); (L.M.); (J.W.)
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Mernone
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (E.S.G.); (S.F.); (L.M.); (J.W.)
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jasmine Willi
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (E.S.G.); (S.F.); (L.M.); (J.W.)
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; (G.G.C.); (G.T.)
| | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; (E.S.G.); (S.F.); (L.M.); (J.W.)
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Efimova OA, Koltsova AS, Krapivin MI, Tikhonov AV, Pendina AA. Environmental Epigenetics and Genome Flexibility: Focus on 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3223. [PMID: 32370155 PMCID: PMC7247348 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Convincing evidence accumulated over the last decades demonstrates the crucial role of epigenetic modifications for mammalian genome regulation and its flexibility. DNA methylation and demethylation is a key mechanism of genome programming and reprogramming. During ontogenesis, the DNA methylome undergoes both programmed changes and those induced by environmental and endogenous factors. The former enable accurate activation of developmental programs; the latter drive epigenetic responses to factors that directly or indirectly affect epigenetic biochemistry leading to alterations in genome regulation and mediating organism response to environmental transformations. Adverse environmental exposure can induce aberrant DNA methylation changes conducive to genetic dysfunction and, eventually, various pathologies. In recent years, evidence was derived that apart from 5-methylcytosine, the DNA methylation/demethylation cycle includes three other oxidative derivatives of cytosine-5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine, and 5-carboxylcytosine. 5hmC is a predominantly stable form and serves as both an intermediate product of active DNA demethylation and an essential hallmark of epigenetic gene regulation. This makes 5hmC a potential contributor to epigenetically mediated responses to environmental factors. In this state-of-the-art review, we consolidate the latest findings on environmentally induced adverse effects on 5hmC patterns in mammalian genomes. Types of environmental exposure under consideration include hypnotic drugs and medicines (i.e., phenobarbital, diethylstilbestrol, cocaine, methamphetamine, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide), as well as anthropogenic pollutants (i.e., heavy metals, particulate air pollution, bisphenol A, hydroquinone, and pentachlorophenol metabolites). We put a special focus on the discussion of molecular mechanisms underlying environmentally induced alterations in DNA hydroxymethylation patterns and their impact on genetic dysfunction. We conclude that DNA hydroxymethylation is a sensitive biosensor for many harmful environmental factors each of which specifically targets 5hmC in different organs, cell types, and DNA sequences and induces its changes through a specific metabolic pathway. The associated transcriptional changes suggest that environmentally induced 5hmC alterations play a role in epigenetically mediated genome flexibility. We believe that knowledge accumulated in this review together with further studies will provide a solid basis for new approaches to epigenetic therapy and chemoprevention of environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity involving 5hmC patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Efimova
- D. O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Mendeleevskaya line 3, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.S.K.); (M.I.K.); (A.V.T.); (A.A.P.)
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