1
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Woodruff GC, Willis JH, Johnson E, Phillips PC. Widespread changes in gene expression accompany body size evolution in nematodes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae110. [PMID: 38775657 PMCID: PMC11304970 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Body size is a fundamental trait that drives multiple evolutionary and ecological patterns. Caenorhabditis inopinata is a fig-associated nematode that is exceptionally large relative to other members of the genus, including Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously showed that C. inopinata is large primarily due to postembryonic cell size expansion that occurs during the larval-to-adult transition. Here, we describe gene expression patterns in C. elegans and C. inopinata throughout this developmental period to understand the transcriptional basis of body size change. We performed RNA-seq in both species across the L3, L4, and adult stages. Most genes are differentially expressed across all developmental stages, consistent with C. inopinata's divergent ecology and morphology. We also used a model comparison approach to identify orthologues with divergent dynamics across this developmental period between the 2 species. This included genes connected to neurons, behavior, stress response, developmental timing, and small RNA/chromatin regulation. Multiple hypodermal collagens were also observed to harbor divergent developmental dynamics across this period, and genes important for molting and body morphology were also detected. Genes associated with transforming growth factor β signaling revealed idiosyncratic and unexpected transcriptional patterns given their role in body size regulation in C. elegans. This widespread transcriptional divergence between these species is unexpected and maybe a signature of the ecological and morphological divergence of C. inopinata. Alternatively, transcriptional turnover may be the rule in the Caenorhabditis genus, indicative of widespread developmental system drift among species. This work lays the foundation for future functional genetic studies interrogating the bases of body size evolution in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C Woodruff
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Erik Johnson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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2
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Cagliani R, Forni D, Mozzi A, Fuchs R, Tussia-Cohen D, Arrigoni F, Pozzoli U, De Gioia L, Hagai T, Sironi M. Evolution of Virus-like Features and Intrinsically Disordered Regions in Retrotransposon-derived Mammalian Genes. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae154. [PMID: 39101471 PMCID: PMC11299033 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Several mammalian genes have originated from the domestication of retrotransposons, selfish mobile elements related to retroviruses. Some of the proteins encoded by these genes have maintained virus-like features; including self-processing, capsid structure formation, and the generation of different isoforms through -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Using quantitative approaches in molecular evolution and biophysical analyses, we studied 28 retrotransposon-derived genes, with a focus on the evolution of virus-like features. By analyzing the rate of synonymous substitutions, we show that the -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting mechanism in three of these genes (PEG10, PNMA3, and PNMA5) is conserved across mammals and originates alternative proteins. These genes were targets of positive selection in primates, and one of the positively selected sites affects a B-cell epitope on the spike domain of the PNMA5 capsid, a finding reminiscent of observations in infectious viruses. More generally, we found that retrotransposon-derived proteins vary in their intrinsically disordered region content and this is directly associated with their evolutionary rates. Most positively selected sites in these proteins are located in intrinsically disordered regions and some of them impact protein posttranslational modifications, such as autocleavage and phosphorylation. Detailed analyses of the biophysical properties of intrinsically disordered regions showed that positive selection preferentially targeted regions with lower conformational entropy. Furthermore, positive selection introduces variation in binary sequence patterns across orthologues, as well as in chain compaction. Our results shed light on the evolutionary trajectories of a unique class of mammalian genes and suggest a novel approach to study how intrinsically disordered region biophysical characteristics are affected by evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Cagliani
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Computational Biology Unit, Bosisio Parini 23842, Italy
| | - Diego Forni
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Computational Biology Unit, Bosisio Parini 23842, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mozzi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Computational Biology Unit, Bosisio Parini 23842, Italy
| | - Rotem Fuchs
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dafna Tussia-Cohen
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Federica Arrigoni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Uberto Pozzoli
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Computational Biology Unit, Bosisio Parini 23842, Italy
| | - Luca De Gioia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Tzachi Hagai
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Manuela Sironi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Computational Biology Unit, Bosisio Parini 23842, Italy
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3
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Li Z, Li Z, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Xu Q, Li L, Zeng L, Xue J, Niu H, Zhong J, Yu Q, Li D, Gui M, Huang Y, Tu S, Zhang Z, Song CQ, Wu J, Shen EZ. Mammalian PIWI-piRNA-target complexes reveal features for broad and efficient target silencing. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:1222-1231. [PMID: 38658622 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01287-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is an adaptive defense system wherein piRNAs guide PIWI family Argonaute proteins to recognize and silence ever-evolving selfish genetic elements and ensure genome integrity. Driven by this intensive host-pathogen arms race, the piRNA pathway and its targeted transposons have coevolved rapidly in a species-specific manner, but how the piRNA pathway adapts specifically to target silencing in mammals remains elusive. Here, we show that mouse MILI and human HILI piRNA-induced silencing complexes (piRISCs) bind and cleave targets more efficiently than their invertebrate counterparts from the sponge Ephydatia fluviatilis. The inherent functional differences comport with structural features identified by cryo-EM studies of piRISCs. In the absence of target, MILI and HILI piRISCs adopt a wider nucleic-acid-binding channel and display an extended prearranged piRNA seed as compared with EfPiwi piRISC, consistent with their ability to capture targets more efficiently than EfPiwi piRISC. In the presence of target, the seed gate-which enforces seed-target fidelity in microRNA RISC-adopts a relaxed state in mammalian piRISC, revealing how MILI and HILI tolerate seed-target mismatches to broaden the target spectrum. A vertebrate-specific lysine distorts the piRNA seed, shifting the trajectory of the piRNA-target duplex out of the central cleft and toward the PAZ lobe. Functional analyses reveal that this lysine promotes target binding and cleavage. Our study therefore provides a molecular basis for the piRNA targeting mechanism in mice and humans, and suggests that mammalian piRNA machinery can achieve broad target silencing using a limited supply of piRNA species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lunni Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qikui Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lili Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Zeng
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Center for Cognitive Machines and Computational Health (CMaCH), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junchao Xue
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huilin Niu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qilu Yu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dengfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Miao Gui
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shikui Tu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Center for Cognitive Machines and Computational Health (CMaCH), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Chun-Qing Song
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jianping Wu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - En-Zhi Shen
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.
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4
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Censi ST, Mariani-Costantini R, Granzotto A, Tomassini V, Sensi SL. Endogenous retroviruses in multiple sclerosis: A network-based etiopathogenic model. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102392. [PMID: 38925481 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The present perspective article proposes an etiopathological model for multiple sclerosis pathogenesis and progression associated with the activation of human endogenous retroviruses. We reviewed preclinical, clinical, epidemiological, and evolutionary evidence indicating how the complex, multi-level interplay of genetic traits and environmental factors contributes to multiple sclerosis. We propose that endogenous retroviruses transactivation acts as a critical node in disease development. We also discuss the rationale for combined anti-retroviral therapy in multiple sclerosis as a disease-modifying therapeutic strategy. Finally, we propose that the immuno-pathogenic process triggered by endogenous retrovirus activation can be extended to aging and aging-related neurodegeneration. In this regard, endogenous retroviruses can be envisioned to act as epigenetic noise, favoring the proliferation of disorganized cellular subpopulations and accelerating system-specific "aging". Since inflammation and aging are two sides of the same coin (plastic dis-adaptation to external stimuli with system-specific degree of freedom), the two conditions may be epiphenomenal products of increased epigenomic entropy. Inflammation accelerates organ-specific aging, disrupting communication throughout critical systems of the body and producing symptoms. Overlapping neurological symptoms and syndromes may emerge from the activity of shared molecular networks that respond to endogenous retroviruses' reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano T Censi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
| | - Renato Mariani-Costantini
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Alberto Granzotto
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Valentina Tomassini
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Institute of Neurology, SS Annunziata Hospital, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano L Sensi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Institute of Neurology, SS Annunziata Hospital, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.
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5
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Betancourt AJ, Wei KHC, Huang Y, Lee YCG. Causes and Consequences of Varying Transposable Element Activity: An Evolutionary Perspective. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2024; 25:1-25. [PMID: 38603565 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-120822-105708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites found in nearly all eukaryotes, including humans. This evolutionary success of TEs is due to their replicative activity, involving insertion into new genomic locations. TE activity varies at multiple levels, from between taxa to within individuals. The rapidly accumulating evidence of the influence of TE activity on human health, as well as the rapid growth of new tools to study it, motivated an evaluation of what we know about TE activity thus far. Here, we discuss why TE activity varies, and the consequences of this variation, from an evolutionary perspective. By studying TE activity in nonhuman organisms in the context of evolutionary theories, we can shed light on the factors that affect TE activity. While the consequences of TE activity are usually deleterious, some have lasting evolutionary impacts by conferring benefits on the host or affecting other evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Betancourt
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin H-C Wei
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuheng Huang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, California, USA;
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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6
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Osakabe A, Takizawa Y, Horikoshi N, Hatazawa S, Negishi L, Sato S, Berger F, Kakutani T, Kurumizaka H. Molecular and structural basis of the chromatin remodeling activity by Arabidopsis DDM1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5187. [PMID: 38992002 PMCID: PMC11239853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49465-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The histone H2A variant H2A.W occupies transposons and thus prevents access to them in Arabidopsis thaliana. H2A.W is deposited by the chromatin remodeler DDM1, which also promotes the accessibility of chromatin writers to heterochromatin by an unknown mechanism. To shed light on this question, we solve the cryo-EM structures of nucleosomes containing H2A and H2A.W, and the DDM1-H2A.W nucleosome complex. These structures show that the DNA end flexibility of the H2A nucleosome is higher than that of the H2A.W nucleosome. In the DDM1-H2A.W nucleosome complex, DDM1 binds to the N-terminal tail of H4 and the nucleosomal DNA and increases the DNA end flexibility of H2A.W nucleosomes. Based on these biochemical and structural results, we propose that DDM1 counters the low accessibility caused by nucleosomes containing H2A.W to enable the maintenance of repressive epigenetic marks on transposons and prevent their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihisa Osakabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan.
| | - Yoshimasa Takizawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Horikoshi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suguru Hatazawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Lumi Negishi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shoko Sato
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Frédéric Berger
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tetsuji Kakutani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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7
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Zhang T, Tan S, Tang N, Li Y, Zhang C, Sun J, Guo Y, Gao H, Cai Y, Sun W, Wang C, Fu L, Ma H, Wu Y, Hu X, Zhang X, Gee P, Yan W, Zhao Y, Chen Q, Guo B, Wang H, Zhang YE. Heterologous survey of 130 DNA transposons in human cells highlights their functional divergence and expands the genome engineering toolbox. Cell 2024; 187:3741-3760.e30. [PMID: 38843831 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Experimental studies on DNA transposable elements (TEs) have been limited in scale, leading to a lack of understanding of the factors influencing transposition activity, evolutionary dynamics, and application potential as genome engineering tools. We predicted 130 active DNA TEs from 102 metazoan genomes and evaluated their activity in human cells. We identified 40 active (integration-competent) TEs, surpassing the cumulative number (20) of TEs found previously. With this unified comparative data, we found that the Tc1/mariner superfamily exhibits elevated activity, potentially explaining their pervasive horizontal transfers. Further functional characterization of TEs revealed additional divergence in features such as insertion bias. Remarkably, in CAR-T therapy for hematological and solid tumors, Mariner2_AG (MAG), the most active DNA TE identified, largely outperformed two widely used vectors, the lentiviral vector and the TE-based vector SB100X. Overall, this study highlights the varied transposition features and evolutionary dynamics of DNA TEs and increases the TE toolbox diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongtong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shengjun Tan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Na Tang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuanqing Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenze Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Efficacy and Mechanism on Chinese Medicine for Metabolic Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanyan Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Rengene Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100036, China
| | - Yujia Cai
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenxin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liangzheng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Huijing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yachao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xuechun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Peter Gee
- MaxCyte Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Weihua Yan
- Cold Spring Biotech Corp., Beijing 100031, China
| | - Yahui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Baocheng Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
| | - Haoyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yong E Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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8
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Wood TW, Henriques WS, Cullen HB, Romero M, Blengini CS, Sarathy S, Sorkin J, Bekele H, Jin C, Kim S, Chemiakine A, Khondker RC, Isola JV, Stout MB, Gennarino VA, Mogessie B, Jain D, Schindler K, Suh Y, Wiedenheft B, Berchowitz LE. The retrotransposon-derived capsid genes PNMA1 and PNMA4 maintain reproductive capacity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4559920. [PMID: 39041030 PMCID: PMC11261967 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4559920/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The human genome contains 24 gag-like capsid genes derived from deactivated retrotransposons conserved among eutherians. Although some of their encoded proteins retain the ability to form capsids and even transfer cargo, their fitness benefit has remained elusive. Here we show that the gag-like genes PNMA1 and PNMA4 support reproductive capacity during aging. Analysis of donated human ovaries shows that expression of both genes declines normally with age, while several PNMA1 and PNMA4 variants identified in genome-wide association studies are causally associated with low testosterone, altered puberty onset, or obesity. Six-week-old mice lacking either Pnma1 or Pnma4 are indistinguishable from wild-type littermates, but by six months the mutant mice become prematurely subfertile, with precipitous drops in sex hormone levels, gonadal atrophy, and abdominal obesity; overall they produce markedly fewer offspring than controls. These findings expand our understanding of factors that maintain human reproductive health and lend insight into the domestication of retrotransposon-derived genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W.P. Wood
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - William S. Henriques
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Harrison B. Cullen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mayra Romero
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Cecilia S. Blengini
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Shreya Sarathy
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Julia Sorkin
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Hilina Bekele
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Chen Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Seungsoo Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alexei Chemiakine
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rishad C. Khondker
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - José V.V. Isola
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Michael B. Stout
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Vincenzo A. Gennarino
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Binyam Mogessie
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Devanshi Jain
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yousin Suh
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Luke E. Berchowitz
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
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9
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Wiegand T, Hoffmann FT, Walker MWG, Tang S, Richard E, Le HC, Meers C, Sternberg SH. TnpB homologues exapted from transposons are RNA-guided transcription factors. Nature 2024; 631:439-448. [PMID: 38926585 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07598-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Transposon-encoded tnpB and iscB genes encode RNA-guided DNA nucleases that promote their own selfish spread through targeted DNA cleavage and homologous recombination1-4. These widespread gene families were repeatedly domesticated over evolutionary timescales, leading to the emergence of diverse CRISPR-associated nucleases including Cas9 and Cas12 (refs. 5,6). We set out to test the hypothesis that TnpB nucleases may have also been repurposed for novel, unexpected functions other than CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity. Here, using phylogenetics, structural predictions, comparative genomics and functional assays, we uncover multiple independent genesis events of programmable transcription factors, which we name TnpB-like nuclease-dead repressors (TldRs). These proteins use naturally occurring guide RNAs to specifically target conserved promoter regions of the genome, leading to potent gene repression in a mechanism akin to CRISPR interference technologies invented by humans7. Focusing on a TldR clade found broadly in Enterobacteriaceae, we discover that bacteriophages exploit the combined action of TldR and an adjacently encoded phage gene to alter the expression and composition of the host flagellar assembly, a transformation with the potential to impact motility8, phage susceptibility9, and host immunity10. Collectively, this work showcases the diverse molecular innovations that were enabled through repeated exaptation of transposon-encoded genes, and reveals the evolutionary trajectory of diverse RNA-guided transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Florian T Hoffmann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matt W G Walker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Egill Richard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hoang C Le
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chance Meers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel H Sternberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Ricardo PC, Arias MC, de Souza Araujo N. Decoding bee cleptoparasitism through comparative transcriptomics of Coelioxoides waltheriae and its host Tetrapedia diversipes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12361. [PMID: 38811580 PMCID: PMC11137135 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56261-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Cleptoparasitism, also known as brood parasitism, is a widespread strategy among bee species in which the parasite lays eggs into the nests of the host species. Even though this behavior has significant ecological implications for the dynamics of several species, little is known about the molecular pathways associated with cleptoparasitism. To shed some light on this issue, we used gene expression data to perform a comparative analysis between two solitary neotropical bees: Coelioxoides waltheriae, an obligate parasite, and their specific host Tetrapedia diversipes. We found that ortholog genes involved in signal transduction, sensory perception, learning, and memory formation were differentially expressed between the cleptoparasite and the host. We hypothesize that these genes and their associated molecular pathways are engaged in cleptoparasitism-related processes and, hence, are appealing subjects for further investigation into functional and evolutionary aspects of cleptoparasitism in bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Cseri Ricardo
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Maria Cristina Arias
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Wood TWP, Henriques WS, Cullen HB, Romero M, Blengini CS, Sarathy S, Sorkin J, Bekele H, Jin C, Kim S, Chemiakine A, Khondker RC, Isola JVV, Stout MB, Gennarino VA, Mogessie B, Jain D, Schindler K, Suh Y, Wiedenheft B, Berchowitz LE. The retrotransposon - derived capsid genes PNMA1 and PNMA4 maintain reproductive capacity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.11.592987. [PMID: 38798495 PMCID: PMC11118267 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.11.592987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The human genome contains 24 gag -like capsid genes derived from deactivated retrotransposons conserved among eutherians. Although some of their encoded proteins retain the ability to form capsids and even transfer cargo, their fitness benefit has remained elusive. Here we show that the gag -like genes PNMA1 and PNMA4 support reproductive capacity. Six-week-old mice lacking either Pnma1 or Pnma4 are indistinguishable from wild-type littermates, but by six months the mutant mice become prematurely subfertile, with precipitous drops in sex hormone levels, gonadal atrophy, and abdominal obesity; overall they produce markedly fewer offspring than controls. Analysis of donated human ovaries shows that expression of both genes declines normally with aging, while several PNMA1 and PNMA4 variants identified in genome-wide association studies are causally associated with low testosterone, altered puberty onset, or obesity. These findings expand our understanding of factors that maintain human reproductive health and lend insight into the domestication of retrotransposon-derived genes.
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12
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Wang B, Saleh AA, Yang N, Asare E, Chen H, Wang Q, Chen C, Song C, Gao B. High Diversity of Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposons in Compact Vertebrate Genomes: Insights from Genomes of Tetraodontiformes. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1425. [PMID: 38791643 PMCID: PMC11117352 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the evolutionary profile (including diversity, activity, and abundance) of retrotransposons (RTNs) with long terminal repeats (LTRs) in ten species of Tetraodontiformes. These species, Arothron firmamentum, Lagocephalus sceleratus, Pao palembangensis, Takifugu bimaculatus, Takifugu flavidus, Takifugu ocellatus, Takifugu rubripes, Tetraodon nigroviridis, Mola mola, and Thamnaconus septentrionalis, are known for having the smallest genomes among vertebrates. Data mining revealed a high diversity and wide distribution of LTR retrotransposons (LTR-RTNs) in these compact vertebrate genomes, with varying abundances among species. A total of 819 full-length LTR-RTN sequences were identified across these genomes, categorized into nine families belonging to four different superfamilies: ERV (Orthoretrovirinae and Epsilon retrovirus), Copia, BEL-PAO, and Gypsy (Gmr, Mag, V-clade, CsRN1, and Barthez). The Gypsy superfamily exhibited the highest diversity. LTR family distribution varied among species, with Takifugu bimaculatus, Takifugu flavidus, Takifugu ocellatus, and Takifugu rubripes having the highest richness of LTR families and sequences. Additionally, evidence of recent invasions was observed in specific tetraodontiform genomes, suggesting potential transposition activity. This study provides insights into the evolution of LTR retrotransposons in Tetraodontiformes, enhancing our understanding of their impact on the structure and evolution of host genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqing Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Ahmed A. Saleh
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
- Animal and Fish Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Al-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria 11865, Egypt
| | - Naisu Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Emmanuel Asare
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Quan Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Cai Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Chengyi Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Bo Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (B.W.); (A.A.S.); (N.Y.); (E.A.); (H.C.); (Q.W.); (C.C.); (C.S.)
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13
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Matsushima W, Planet E, Trono D. Ancestral genome reconstruction enhances transposable element annotation by identifying degenerate integrants. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100497. [PMID: 38295789 PMCID: PMC10879028 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that transposable elements (TEs) play important roles in evolution by providing genomes with coding and non-coding sequences. Identification of TE-derived functional elements, however, has relied on TE annotations in individual species, which limits its scope to relatively intact TE sequences. Here, we report a novel approach to uncover previously unannotated degenerate TEs (degTEs) by probing multiple ancestral genomes reconstructed from hundreds of species. We applied this method to the human genome and achieved a 10.8% increase in coverage over the most recent annotation. Further, we discovered that degTEs contribute to various cis-regulatory elements and transcription factor binding sites, including those of a known TE-controlling family, the KRAB zinc-finger proteins. We also report unannotated chimeric transcripts between degTEs and human genes expressed in embryos. This study provides a novel methodology and a freely available resource that will facilitate the investigation of TE co-option events on a full scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayo Matsushima
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Evarist Planet
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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14
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Westerberg I, Ament-Velásquez SL, Vogan AA, Johannesson H. Evolutionary dynamics of the LTR-retrotransposon crapaud in the Podospora anserina species complex and the interaction with repeat-induced point mutations. Mob DNA 2024; 15:1. [PMID: 38218923 PMCID: PMC10787394 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-023-00311-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genome of the filamentous ascomycete Podospora anserina shows a relatively high abundance of retrotransposons compared to other interspersed repeats. The LTR-retrotransposon family crapaud is particularly abundant in the genome, and consists of multiple diverged sequence variations specifically localized in the 5' half of both long terminal repeats (LTRs). P. anserina is part of a recently diverged species-complex, which makes the system ideal to classify the crapaud family based on the observed LTR variation and to study the evolutionary dynamics, such as the diversification and bursts of the elements over recent evolutionary time. RESULTS We developed a sequence similarity network approach to classify the crapaud repeats of seven genomes representing the P. anserina species complex into 14 subfamilies. This method does not utilize a consensus sequence, but instead it connects any copies that share enough sequence similarity over a set sequence coverage. Based on phylogenetic analyses, we found that the crapaud repeats likely diversified in the ancestor of the complex and have had activity at different time points for different subfamilies. Furthermore, while we hypothesized that the evolution into multiple subfamilies could have been a direct effect of escaping the genome defense system of repeat induced point mutations, we found this not to be the case. CONCLUSIONS Our study contributes to the development of methods to classify transposable elements in fungi, and also highlights the intricate patterns of retrotransposon evolution over short timescales and under high mutational load caused by nucleotide-altering genome defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Westerberg
- Department of Ecology, environmental and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - S Lorena Ament-Velásquez
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Aaron A Vogan
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, 752 36, Sweden.
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Ecology, environmental and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden.
- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, 114 18, Sweden.
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15
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Panyushev N, Selitskiy M, Melnichenko V, Lebedev E, Okorokova L, Adonin L. Dynamic Evolution of Repetitive Elements and Chromatin States in Apis mellifera Subspecies. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:89. [PMID: 38254978 PMCID: PMC10815273 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we elucidate the contribution of repetitive DNA sequences to the establishment of social structures in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Despite recent advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of honeybee castes, primarily associated with Notch signaling, the comprehensive identification of specific genomic cis-regulatory sequences remains elusive. Our objective is to characterize the repetitive landscape within the genomes of two honeybee subspecies, namely A. m. mellifera and A. m. ligustica. An observed recent burst of repeats in A. m. mellifera highlights a notable distinction between the two subspecies. After that, we transitioned to identifying differentially expressed DNA elements that may function as cis-regulatory elements. Nevertheless, the expression of these sequences showed minimal disparity in the transcriptome during caste differentiation, a pivotal process in honeybee eusocial organization. Despite this, chromatin segmentation, facilitated by ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, and RNA-seq data, revealed a distinct chromatin state associated with repeats. Lastly, an analysis of sequence divergence among elements indicates successive changes in repeat states, correlating with their respective time of origin. Collectively, these findings propose a potential role of repeats in acquiring novel regulatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Panyushev
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, 197342 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Max Selitskiy
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Vasilina Melnichenko
- International Scientific and Research Institute of Bioengineering, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Egor Lebedev
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
| | | | - Leonid Adonin
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia; (N.P.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Group of Mechanisms for Nanosystems Targeted Delivery, 119121 Moscow, Russia
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16
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Contreras-Garrido A, Galanti D, Movilli A, Becker C, Bossdorf O, Drost HG, Weigel D. Transposon dynamics in the emerging oilseed crop Thlaspi arvense. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011141. [PMID: 38295109 PMCID: PMC10881000 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome evolution is partly driven by the mobility of transposable elements (TEs) which often leads to deleterious effects, but their activity can also facilitate genetic novelty and catalyze local adaptation. We explored how the intraspecific diversity of TE polymorphisms might contribute to the broad geographic success and adaptive capacity of the emerging oil crop Thlaspi arvense (field pennycress). We classified the TE inventory based on a high-quality genome assembly, estimated the age of retrotransposon TE families and comprehensively assessed their mobilization potential. A survey of 280 accessions from 12 regions across the Northern hemisphere allowed us to quantify over 90,000 TE insertion polymorphisms (TIPs). Their distribution mirrored the genetic differentiation as measured by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The number and types of mobile TE families vary substantially across populations, but there are also shared patterns common to all accessions. Ty3/Athila elements are the main drivers of TE diversity in T. arvense populations, while a single Ty1/Alesia lineage might be particularly important for transcriptome divergence. The number of retrotransposon TIPs is associated with variation at genes related to epigenetic regulation, including an apparent knockout mutation in BROMODOMAIN AND ATPase DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN 1 (BRAT1), while DNA transposons are associated with variation at the HSP19 heat shock protein gene. We propose that the high rate of mobilization activity can be harnessed for targeted gene expression diversification, which may ultimately present a toolbox for the potential use of transposition in breeding and domestication of T. arvense.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Galanti
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Movilli
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claude Becker
- LMU Biocenter, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hajk-Georg Drost
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen,Tübingen, Germany
| | - Detlef Weigel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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17
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Willink B, Tunström K, Nilén S, Chikhi R, Lemane T, Takahashi M, Takahashi Y, Svensson EI, Wheat CW. The genomics and evolution of inter-sexual mimicry and female-limited polymorphisms in damselflies. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:83-97. [PMID: 37932383 PMCID: PMC10781644 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02243-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex-limited morphs can provide profound insights into the evolution and genomic architecture of complex phenotypes. Inter-sexual mimicry is one particular type of sex-limited polymorphism in which a novel morph resembles the opposite sex. While inter-sexual mimics are known in both sexes and a diverse range of animals, their evolutionary origin is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the genomic basis of female-limited morphs and male mimicry in the common bluetail damselfly. Differential gene expression between morphs has been documented in damselflies, but no causal locus has been previously identified. We found that male mimicry originated in an ancestrally sexually dimorphic lineage in association with multiple structural changes, probably driven by transposable element activity. These changes resulted in ~900 kb of novel genomic content that is partly shared by male mimics in a close relative, indicating that male mimicry is a trans-species polymorphism. More recently, a third morph originated following the translocation of part of the male-mimicry sequence into a genomic position ~3.5 mb apart. We provide evidence of balancing selection maintaining male mimicry, in line with previous field population studies. Our results underscore how structural variants affecting a handful of potentially regulatory genes and morph-specific genes can give rise to novel and complex phenotypic polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Kalle Tunström
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofie Nilén
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rayan Chikhi
- Sequence Bioinformatics, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Téo Lemane
- University of Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Michihiko Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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18
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Pokharel K, Weldenegodguad M, Dudeck S, Honkatukia M, Lindeberg H, Mazzullo N, Paasivaara A, Peippo J, Soppela P, Stammler F, Kantanen J. Whole-genome sequencing provides novel insights into the evolutionary history and genetic adaptation of reindeer populations in northern Eurasia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23019. [PMID: 38155192 PMCID: PMC10754820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50253-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) play a vital role in the culture and livelihoods of indigenous people across northern Eurasia. These animals are well adapted to harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme cold, limited feed availability and long migration distances. Therefore, understanding the genomics of reindeer is crucial for improving their management, conservation and utilisation. In this study, we have generated a new genome assembly for the Fennoscandian domestic reindeer with high contiguity, making it the most complete reference genome for reindeer to date. The new genome assembly was utilised to explore genetic diversity, population structure and selective sweeps in Eurasian Rangifer tarandus populations which was based on the largest population genomic dataset for reindeer, encompassing 58 individuals from diverse populations. Phylogenetic analyses revealed distinct genetic clusters, with the Finnish wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) standing out as a unique subspecies. Divergence time estimates suggested a separation of ~ 52 thousand years ago (Kya) between the northern European Rangifer tarandus fennicus and Rangifer tarandus tarandus. Our study identified four main genetic clusters: Fennoscandian, the eastern/northern Russian and Alaskan group, the Finnish forest reindeer, and the Svalbard reindeer. Furthermore, two independent reindeer domestication processes were inferred, suggesting separate origins for the domestic Fennoscandian and eastern/northern Russian reindeer. Notably, shared genes under selection, including retroviral genes, point towards molecular domestication processes that aided adaptation of this species to diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kisun Pokharel
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Myllytie 1, 31600, Jokioinen, Finland
| | - Melak Weldenegodguad
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Myllytie 1, 31600, Jokioinen, Finland
| | - Stephan Dudeck
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | | | - Heli Lindeberg
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), 71750, Maaninka, Finland
| | - Nuccio Mazzullo
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Antti Paasivaara
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Paavo Havaksentie 3, 90570, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jaana Peippo
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Myllytie 1, 31600, Jokioinen, Finland
- NordGen-Nordic Genetic Resource Center, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Päivi Soppela
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | | | - Juha Kantanen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Myllytie 1, 31600, Jokioinen, Finland.
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19
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Mendez-Dorantes C, Burns KH. LINE-1 retrotransposition and its deregulation in cancers: implications for therapeutic opportunities. Genes Dev 2023; 37:948-967. [PMID: 38092519 PMCID: PMC10760644 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351051.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1) is the only protein-coding transposon that is active in humans. LINE-1 propagates in the genome using RNA intermediates via retrotransposition. This activity has resulted in LINE-1 sequences occupying approximately one-fifth of our genome. Although most copies of LINE-1 are immobile, ∼100 copies are retrotransposition-competent. Retrotransposition is normally limited via epigenetic silencing, DNA repair, and other host defense mechanisms. In contrast, LINE-1 overexpression and retrotransposition are hallmarks of cancers. Here, we review mechanisms of LINE-1 regulation and how LINE-1 may promote genetic heterogeneity in tumors. Finally, we discuss therapeutic strategies to exploit LINE-1 biology in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Mendez-Dorantes
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Kathleen H Burns
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
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20
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Xu Y, Tang Y, Feng W, Yang Y, Cui Z. Comparative Analysis of Transposable Elements Reveals the Diversity of Transposable Elements in Decapoda and Their Effects on Genomic Evolution. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 25:1136-1146. [PMID: 37923816 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-023-10265-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements that exist in the host genome and exert considerable influence on the evolution of the host genome. Since crustaceans, including decapoda, are considered ideal models for studying the relationship between adaptive evolution and TEs, TEs were identified and classified in the genomes of eight decapoda species and one diplostraca species (as the outgroup) using two strategies, namely homology-based annotation and de novo annotation. The statistics and classification of TEs showed that their proportion in the genome and their taxonomic composition in decapoda were different. Moreover, correlation analysis and transcriptome data demonstrated that there were more PIF-Harbinger TEs in the genomes of Eriocheir sinensis and Scylla paramamosain, and the expression patterns of PIF-Harbingers were significantly altered under air exposure stress conditions. These results signaled that PIF-Harbingers expanded in the genome of E. sinensis and S. paramamosain and might be related to their air exposure tolerance levels. Meanwhile, sequence alignment revealed that some Jockey-like sequences (JLSs) with high similarity to specific regions of the White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) genome existed in all eight decapod species. At the same time, phylogenetic comparison exposed that the phylogenetic tree constructed by JLSs was not in agreement with that of the species tree, and the distribution of each branch was significantly different. The abovementioned results signaled that these WSSV-specific JLSs might transfer horizontally and contribute to the emergence of WSSV. This study accumulated data for expanding research on TEs in decapod species and also provided new insights and future direction for the breeding of stress-resistant and disease-resistant crab breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfeng Xu
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, 214081, China
| | - Yongkai Tang
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, 214081, China
| | - Wenrong Feng
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, 214081, China
| | - Yanan Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China.
| | - Zhaoxia Cui
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China
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21
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Gao D. Introduction of Plant Transposon Annotation for Beginners. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1468. [PMID: 38132293 PMCID: PMC10741241 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Transposons are mobile DNA sequences that contribute large fractions of many plant genomes. They provide exclusive resources for tracking gene and genome evolution and for developing molecular tools for basic and applied research. Despite extensive efforts, it is still challenging to accurately annotate transposons, especially for beginners, as transposon prediction requires necessary expertise in both transposon biology and bioinformatics. Moreover, the complexity of plant genomes and the dynamic evolution of transposons also bring difficulties for genome-wide transposon discovery. This review summarizes the three major strategies for transposon detection including repeat-based, structure-based, and homology-based annotation, and introduces the transposon superfamilies identified in plants thus far, and some related bioinformatics resources for detecting plant transposons. Furthermore, it describes transposon classification and explains why the terms 'autonomous' and 'non-autonomous' cannot be used to classify the superfamilies of transposons. Lastly, this review also discusses how to identify misannotated transposons and improve the quality of the transposon database. This review provides helpful information about plant transposons and a beginner's guide on annotating these repetitive sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongying Gao
- Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID 83210, USA
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22
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Woodruff GC, Willis JH, Johnson E, Phillips PC. Widespread changes in gene expression accompany body size evolution in nematodes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.30.564729. [PMID: 37961435 PMCID: PMC10635002 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Body size is a fundamental trait that drives multiple evolutionary and ecological patterns. Caenorhabditis inopinata is a fig-associated nematode that is exceptionally large relative to other members of the genus, including C. elegans. We previously showed that C. inopinata is large primarily due to postembryonic cell size expansion that occurs during the larval-to-adult transition. Here, we describe gene expression patterns in C. elegans and C. inopinata throughout this developmental period to understand the transcriptional basis of body size change. We performed RNA-seq in both species across the L3, L4, and adult stages. Most genes are differentially expressed across all developmental stages, consistent with C. inopinata's divergent ecology and morphology. We also used a model comparison approach to identify orthologs with divergent dynamics across this developmental period between the two species. This included genes connected to neurons, behavior, stress response, developmental timing, and small RNA/chromatin regulation. Multiple hypodermal collagens were also observed to harbor divergent developmental dynamics across this period, and genes important for molting and body morphology were also detected. Genes associated with TGF-β signaling revealed idiosyncratic and unexpected transcriptional patterns given their role in body size regulation in C. elegans. Widespread transcriptional divergence between these species is unexpected and may be a signature of the ecological and morphological divergence of C. inopinata. Alternatively, transcriptional turnover may be the rule in the Caenorhabditis genus, indicative of widespread developmental system drift among species. This work lays the foundation for future functional genetic studies interrogating the bases of body size evolution in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C Woodruff
- University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Current institution: University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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23
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Shi S, Puzakov MV, Puzakova LV, Ulupova YN, Xiang K, Wang B, Gao B, Song C. Hiker, a new family of DNA transposons encoding transposases with DD35E motifs, displays a distinct phylogenetic relationship with most known DNA transposon families of IS630-Tc1-mariner (ITm). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 188:107906. [PMID: 37586577 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
DNA transposons play a crucial role in determining the size and structure of eukaryotic genomes. In this study, a new family of IS630-Tc1-mariner (ITm) DNA transposons, named Hiker (HK), was identified. HK is characterized by a DD35E catalytic domain and is distinct from all previously known families of the ITm group. Phylogenetic analyses showed that DD35E/Hiker forms a monophyletic clade with DD34E/Gambol, indicating that they may represent a separate superfamily of ITm. A total of 178 Hiker species were identified, with 170 found mainly in Actinopterygii, one in Chondrichthyes, six in Anura and one in Mollusca. Gambol (GM), on the other hand, are found in invertebrates, with 18 in Arthropoda and one in Platyhelminthes. Hiker transposons have a total length ranging from 2.14 to 3.67 kb and contain a single open reading frame that encodes a protein of approximately 370 amino acids (range 311-413 aa). They are flanked by short terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of 16-30 base pairs and two base pair (TA) target-site duplications. In contrast, most transposons of the Gambol family have a total length of 1.35-5.96 kb, encode a transposase protein of approximately 350 amino acids (range 306-374 aa), and are flanked by TIRs that range from 32 to 1097 bp in length. Both Hiker and Gambol transposases have several conserved motifs, including helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs and a DDE domain. Our study observed multiple amplification waves and repeated horizontal transfer (HT) events of HK transposons in vertebrate genomes, indicating their role in diversifying and shaping the genomes of Actinopterygii, Chondrichthyes, and Anura. Conversely, GM transposons showed few Horizontal transfer events. According to cell-based transposition assays, most HK transposons are likely inactive due to the truncated DNA binding domains of their transposases. We present an updated classification of the ITm group based on these findings, which will enhance the understanding of both the evolution of ITm transposons and that of their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Shi
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Mikhail V Puzakov
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Lenninsky ave, 38 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ludmila V Puzakova
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Lenninsky ave, 38 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia N Ulupova
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Lenninsky ave, 38 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kuilin Xiang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Binqing Wang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Bo Gao
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Chengyi Song
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
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24
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Simpson J, Kozak CA, Boso G. Evolutionary conservation of an ancient retroviral gagpol gene in Artiodactyla. J Virol 2023; 97:e0053523. [PMID: 37668369 PMCID: PMC10537755 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00535-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomes of mammals contain fingerprints of past infections by ancient retroviruses that invaded the germline of their ancestors. Most of these endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) contain only remnants of the original retrovirus; however, on rare occasions, ERV genes can be co-opted for a beneficial host function. While most studies of co-opted ERVs have focused on envelope genes, including the syncytins that function in placentation, there are examples of co-opted gag genes including one we recently discovered in simian primates. Here, we searched for other intact gag genes in non-primate mammalian lineages. We began by examining the genomes of extant camel species, which represent a basal lineage in the order Artiodactyla. This identified a gagpol gene with a large open reading frame (ORF) (>3,500 bp) in the same orthologous location in Artiodactyla species but that is absent in other mammals. Thus, this ERV was fixed in the common ancestor of all Artiodactyla at least 64 million years ago. The amino acid sequence of this gene, termed ARTgagpol, contains recognizable matrix, capsid, nucleocapsid, and reverse transcriptase domains in ruminants, with an RNase H domain in camels and pigs. Phylogenetic analysis and structural prediction of its reverse transcriptase and RNase H domains groups ARTgagpol with gammaretroviruses. Transcriptomic analysis shows ARTgagpol expression in multiple tissues suggestive of a co-opted host function. These findings identify the oldest and largest ERV-derived gagpol gene with an intact ORF in mammals, an intriguing milestone in the co-evolution of mammals and retroviruses. IMPORTANCE Retroviruses are unique among viruses that infect animals as they integrate their reverse-transcribed double-stranded DNA into host chromosomes. When this happens in a germline cell, such as sperm, egg, or their precursors, the integrated retroviral copies can be passed on to the next generation as endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). On rare occasions, the genes of these ERVs can be domesticated by the host. In this study we used computational similarity searches to identify an ancient ERV with an intact viral gagpol gene in the genomes of camels that is also found in the same genomic location in other even-toed ungulates suggesting that it is at least 64 million years old. Broad tissue expression and predicted preservation of the reverse transcriptase fold of this protein suggest that it may be domesticated for a host function. This is the oldest known intact gagpol gene of an ancient retrovirus in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J'Zaria Simpson
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine A. Kozak
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Guney Boso
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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25
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Chakrabarty P, Sen R, Sengupta S. From parasites to partners: exploring the intricacies of host-transposon dynamics and coevolution. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:278. [PMID: 37610667 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01206-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements, often referred to as "jumping genes," have long been recognized as genomic parasites due to their ability to integrate and disrupt normal gene function and induce extensive genomic alterations, thereby compromising the host's fitness. To counteract this, the host has evolved a plethora of mechanisms to suppress the activity of the transposons. Recent research has unveiled the host-transposon relationships to be nuanced and complex phenomena, resulting in the coevolution of both entities. Transposition increases the mutational rate in the host genome, often triggering physiological pathways such as immune and stress responses. Current gene transfer technologies utilizing transposable elements have potential drawbacks, including off-target integration, induction of mutations, and modifications of cellular machinery, which makes an in-depth understanding of the host-transposon relationship imperative. This review highlights the dynamic interplay between the host and transposable elements, encompassing various factors and components of the cellular machinery. We provide a comprehensive discussion of the strategies employed by transposable elements for their propagation, as well as the mechanisms utilized by the host to mitigate their parasitic effects. Additionally, we present an overview of recent research identifying host proteins that act as facilitators or inhibitors of transposition. We further discuss the evolutionary outcomes resulting from the genetic interactions between the host and the transposable elements. Finally, we pose open questions in this field and suggest potential avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prayas Chakrabarty
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University Kolkata, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, India
| | - Raneet Sen
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University Kolkata, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, India
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of RNA Metabolism, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Sugopa Sengupta
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University Kolkata, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, India.
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26
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Sheng Y, Wang H, Ou Y, Wu Y, Ding W, Tao M, Lin S, Deng Z, Bai L, Kang Q. Insertion sequence transposition inactivates CRISPR-Cas immunity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4366. [PMID: 37474569 PMCID: PMC10359306 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39964-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas immunity systems safeguard prokaryotic genomes by inhibiting the invasion of mobile genetic elements. Here, we screened prokaryotic genomic sequences and identified multiple natural transpositions of insertion sequences (ISs) into cas genes, thus inactivating CRISPR-Cas defenses. We then generated an IS-trapping system, using Escherichia coli strains with various ISs and an inducible cas nuclease, to monitor IS insertions into cas genes following the induction of double-strand DNA breakage as a physiological host stress. We identified multiple events mediated by different ISs, especially IS1 and IS10, displaying substantial relaxed target specificity. IS transposition into cas was maintained in the presence of DNA repair machinery, and transposition into other host defense systems was also detected. Our findings highlight the potential of ISs to counter CRISPR activity, thus increasing bacterial susceptibility to foreign DNA invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Hengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Applied Mycological Resources and Utilization (South), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 201403, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Meifeng Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Shuangjun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China.
| | - Linquan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Qianjin Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 300308, Tianjin, P. R. China.
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27
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Gable SM, Mendez JM, Bushroe NA, Wilson A, Byars MI, Tollis M. The State of Squamate Genomics: Past, Present, and Future of Genome Research in the Most Speciose Terrestrial Vertebrate Order. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1387. [PMID: 37510292 PMCID: PMC10379679 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071387] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Squamates include more than 11,000 extant species of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians, and display a dazzling diversity of phenotypes across their over 200-million-year evolutionary history on Earth. Here, we introduce and define squamates (Order Squamata) and review the history and promise of genomic investigations into the patterns and processes governing squamate evolution, given recent technological advances in DNA sequencing, genome assembly, and evolutionary analysis. We survey the most recently available whole genome assemblies for squamates, including the taxonomic distribution of available squamate genomes, and assess their quality metrics and usefulness for research. We then focus on disagreements in squamate phylogenetic inference, how methods of high-throughput phylogenomics affect these inferences, and demonstrate the promise of whole genomes to settle or sustain persistent phylogenetic arguments for squamates. We review the role transposable elements play in vertebrate evolution, methods of transposable element annotation and analysis, and further demonstrate that through the understanding of the diversity, abundance, and activity of transposable elements in squamate genomes, squamates can be an ideal model for the evolution of genome size and structure in vertebrates. We discuss how squamate genomes can contribute to other areas of biological research such as venom systems, studies of phenotypic evolution, and sex determination. Because they represent more than 30% of the living species of amniote, squamates deserve a genome consortium on par with recent efforts for other amniotes (i.e., mammals and birds) that aim to sequence most of the extant families in a clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone M Gable
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jasmine M Mendez
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Nicholas A Bushroe
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Adam Wilson
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Michael I Byars
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Marc Tollis
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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28
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Asif-Laidin A, Casier K, Ziriat Z, Boivin A, Viodé E, Delmarre V, Ronsseray S, Carré C, Teysset L. Modeling early germline immunization after horizontal transfer of transposable elements reveals internal piRNA cluster heterogeneity. BMC Biol 2023; 21:117. [PMID: 37226160 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01616-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A fraction of all genomes is composed of transposable elements (TEs) whose mobility needs to be carefully controlled. In gonads, TE activity is repressed by PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a class of small RNAs synthesized by heterochromatic loci enriched in TE fragments, called piRNA clusters. Maintenance of active piRNA clusters across generations is secured by maternal piRNA inheritance providing the memory for TE repression. On rare occasions, genomes encounter horizontal transfer (HT) of new TEs with no piRNA targeting them, threatening the host genome integrity. Naïve genomes can eventually start to produce new piRNAs against these genomic invaders, but the timing of their emergence remains elusive. RESULTS Using a set of TE-derived transgenes inserted in different germline piRNA clusters and functional assays, we have modeled a TE HT in Drosophila melanogaster. We have found that the complete co-option of these transgenes by a germline piRNA cluster can occur within four generations associated with the production of new piRNAs all along the transgenes and the germline silencing of piRNA sensors. Synthesis of new transgenic TE piRNAs is linked to piRNA cluster transcription dependent on Moonshiner and heterochromatin mark deposition that propagates more efficiently on short sequences. Moreover, we found that sequences located within piRNA clusters can have different piRNA profiles and can influence transcript accumulation of nearby sequences. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that genetic and epigenetic properties, such as transcription, piRNA profiles, heterochromatin, and conversion efficiency along piRNA clusters, could be heterogeneous depending on the sequences that compose them. These findings suggest that the capacity of transcriptional signal erasure induced by the chromatin complex specific of the piRNA cluster can be incomplete through the piRNA cluster loci. Finally, these results have revealed an unexpected level of complexity that highlights a new magnitude of piRNA cluster plasticity fundamental for the maintenance of genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amna Asif-Laidin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Karine Casier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
- Present Address: CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire des Eucaryotes, UMR8226, Telomere Biology, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Zoheir Ziriat
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Antoine Boivin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Elise Viodé
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Valérie Delmarre
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Stéphane Ronsseray
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Clément Carré
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Laure Teysset
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, "Transgenerational Epigenetics & Small RNA Biology", Paris, F-75005, France.
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Shi Z, Xu J, Niu L, Shen W, Yan S, Tan Y, Quan X, Cheung E, Huang K, Chen Y, Li L, Hou C. Evolutionarily distinct and sperm-specific supersized chromatin loops are marked by Helitron transposons in Xenopus tropicalis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112151. [PMID: 36827186 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in metazoan genomes and have multifaceted effects on host fitness. However, the mechanisms underlying the functions of TEs are still not fully understood. Here, we combine Hi-C, ATAC-seq, and ChIP-seq assays to report the existence of multimegabase supersized loop (SSL) clusters in the Xenopus tropicalis sperm. We show that SSL anchors are inaccessible and devoid of the architectural protein CTCF, RNA polymerase II, and modified histones. Nearly all SSL anchors are marked by Helitrons, a class II DNA transposon. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that SSL clusters are likely formed via a molecular agent-mediated chromatin condensation process. However, only slightly more SSL anchor-associated genes are expressed at late embryo development stages, suggesting that SSL anchors might only function in sperm. Our work shows an evolutionarily distinct and sperm-specific genome structure marked by a subset of Helitrons, whose establishment and function remain to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoying Shi
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jinsheng Xu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Longjian Niu
- China State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Health and Precision Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuting Yan
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Yongjun Tan
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; China State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xuebo Quan
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Edwin Cheung
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China; Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology of Ministry of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China.
| | - Yonglong Chen
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Li Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Chunhui Hou
- China State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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30
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Li Y. Algal epigenetics: insights from DNA methylation in a symbiotic dinoflagellate. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:289-291. [PMID: 36468447 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yantao Li
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and University of Maryland, 701 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21202, USA
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31
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Kobayashi Y, Shibata TF, Hirakawa H, Nishiyama T, Yamada A, Hasebe M, Shigenobu S, Kawaguchi M. The genome of Lyophyllum shimeji provides insight into the initial evolution of ectomycorrhizal fungal genomes. DNA Res 2023; 30:6969780. [PMID: 36610744 PMCID: PMC9896470 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycorrhizae are one of the most fundamental symbioses between plants and fungi, with ectomycorrhizae being the most widespread in boreal forest ecosystems. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are hypothesized to have evolved convergently from saprotrophic ancestors in several fungal clades, especially members of the subdivision Agaricomycotina. Studies on fungal genomes have identified several typical characteristics of mycorrhizal fungi, such as genome size expansion and decreases in plant cell-wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs). However, genomic changes concerning the evolutionary transition to the ectomycorrhizal lifestyle are largely unknown. In this study, we sequenced the genome of Lyophyllum shimeji, an ectomycorrhizal fungus that is phylogenetically related to saprotrophic species and retains some saprotroph-like traits. We found that the genome of Ly. shimeji strain AT787 lacks both incremental increases in genome size and reduced numbers of PCWDEs. Our findings suggest that the previously reported common genomic traits of mycorrhizal fungi are not essential for the ectomycorrhizal lifestyle, but are a result of abolishing saprotrophic activity. Since Ly. shimeji is commercially consumed as an edible mushroom, the newly available genomic information may also impact research designed to enhance the cultivation of this mushroom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuuki Kobayashi
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: +81-0564-55-7672, (Y.K.)
| | - Tomoko F Shibata
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hideki Hirakawa
- Kazusa DNA Research Institute, 2-6-7 Kazusa-Kamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishiyama
- Research Center for Experimental Modeling of Human Disease, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Yamada
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Kamiina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Mitsuyasu Hasebe
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan,Trans-omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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32
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Puzakov MV, Puzakova LV, Ulupova YN. Differential Activity of Genes with IS630/TC1/MARINER Transposon Fragments in the Genome of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. MOLECULAR GENETICS, MICROBIOLOGY AND VIROLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3103/s089141682204005x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
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33
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Markova DN, Ruma FB, Casola C, Mirsalehi A, Betrán E. Recurrent co-domestication of PIF/Harbinger transposable element proteins in insects. Mob DNA 2022; 13:28. [PMID: 36451208 PMCID: PMC9710019 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-022-00282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish DNA sequences capable of moving and amplifying at the expense of host cells. Despite this, an increasing number of studies have revealed that TE proteins are important contributors to the emergence of novel host proteins through molecular domestication. We previously described seven transposase-derived domesticated genes from the PIF/Harbinger DNA family of TEs in Drosophila and a co-domestication. All PIF TEs known in plants and animals distinguish themselves from other DNA transposons by the presence of two genes. We hypothesize that there should often be co-domestications of the two genes from the same TE because the transposase (gene 1) has been described to be translocated to the nucleus by the MADF protein (gene 2). To provide support for this model of new gene origination, we investigated available insect species genomes for additional evidence of PIF TE domestication events and explored the co-domestication of the MADF protein from the same TE insertion. RESULTS After the extensive insect species genomes exploration of hits to PIF transposases and analyses of their context and evolution, we present evidence of at least six independent PIF transposable elements proteins domestication events in insects: two co-domestications of both transposase and MADF proteins in Anopheles (Diptera), one transposase-only domestication event and one co-domestication in butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), and two transposases-only domestication events in cockroaches (Blattodea). The predicted nuclear localization signals for many of those proteins and dicistronic transcription in some instances support the functional associations of co-domesticated transposase and MADF proteins. CONCLUSIONS Our results add to a co-domestication that we previously described in fruit fly genomes and support that new gene origination through domestication of a PIF transposase is frequently accompanied by the co-domestication of a cognate MADF protein in insects, potentially for regulatory functions. We propose a detailed model that predicts that PIF TE protein co-domestication should often occur from the same PIF TE insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragomira N. Markova
- grid.267315.40000 0001 2181 9515Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX USA
| | - Fatema B. Ruma
- grid.267315.40000 0001 2181 9515Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX USA
| | - Claudio Casola
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA
| | - Ayda Mirsalehi
- grid.267315.40000 0001 2181 9515Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX USA
| | - Esther Betrán
- grid.267315.40000 0001 2181 9515Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX USA
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34
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Torres-Arciga K, Flores-León M, Ruiz-Pérez S, Trujillo-Pineda M, González-Barrios R, Herrera LA. Histones and their chaperones: Adaptive remodelers of an ever-changing chromatinic landscape. Front Genet 2022; 13:1057846. [PMID: 36468032 PMCID: PMC9709290 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1057846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin maintenance and remodeling are processes that take place alongside DNA repair, replication, or transcription to ensure the survival and adaptability of a cell. The environment and the needs of the cell dictate how chromatin is remodeled; particularly where and which histones are deposited, thus changing the canonical histone array to regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. Chromatin is highly dynamic, and histone variants and their chaperones play a crucial role in maintaining the epigenetic regulation at different genomic regions. Despite the large number of histone variants reported to date, studies on their roles in physiological processes and pathologies are emerging but continue to be scarce. Here, we present recent advances in the research on histone variants and their chaperones, with a focus on their importance in molecular mechanisms such as replication, transcription, and DNA damage repair. Additionally, we discuss the emerging role they have in transposable element regulation, aging, and chromatin remodeling syndromes. Finally, we describe currently used methods and their limitations in the study of these proteins and highlight the importance of improving the experimental approaches to further understand this epigenetic machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Torres-Arciga
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan)-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Manuel Flores-León
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Samuel Ruiz-Pérez
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan)-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Magalli Trujillo-Pineda
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan)-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo González-Barrios
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan)-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis A. Herrera
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan)-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBO), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
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35
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Angileri KM, Bagia NA, Feschotte C. Transposon control as a checkpoint for tissue regeneration. Development 2022; 149:dev191957. [PMID: 36440631 PMCID: PMC10655923 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tissue regeneration requires precise temporal control of cellular processes such as inflammatory signaling, chromatin remodeling and proliferation. The combination of these processes forms a unique microenvironment permissive to the expression, and potential mobilization of, transposable elements (TEs). Here, we develop the hypothesis that TE activation creates a barrier to tissue repair that must be overcome to achieve successful regeneration. We discuss how uncontrolled TE activity may impede tissue restoration and review mechanisms by which TE activity may be controlled during regeneration. We posit that the diversification and co-evolution of TEs and host control mechanisms may contribute to the wide variation in regenerative competency across tissues and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M. Angileri
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Nornubari A. Bagia
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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36
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Schley RJ, Pellicer J, Ge X, Barrett C, Bellot S, Guignard MS, Novák P, Suda J, Fraser D, Baker WJ, Dodsworth S, Macas J, Leitch AR, Leitch IJ. The ecology of palm genomes: repeat-associated genome size expansion is constrained by aridity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:433-446. [PMID: 35717562 PMCID: PMC9796251 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Genome size varies 2400-fold across plants, influencing their evolution through changes in cell size and cell division rates which impact plants' environmental stress tolerance. Repetitive element expansion explains much genome size diversity, and the processes structuring repeat 'communities' are analogous to those structuring ecological communities. However, which environmental stressors influence repeat community dynamics has not yet been examined from an ecological perspective. We measured genome size and leveraged climatic data for 91% of genera within the ecologically diverse palm family (Arecaceae). We then generated genomic repeat profiles for 141 palm species, and analysed repeats using phylogenetically informed linear models to explore relationships between repeat dynamics and environmental factors. We show that palm genome size and repeat 'community' composition are best explained by aridity. Specifically, Ty3-gypsy and TIR elements were more abundant in palm species from wetter environments, which generally had larger genomes, suggesting amplification. By contrast, Ty1-copia and LINE elements were more abundant in drier environments. Our results suggest that water stress inhibits repeat expansion through selection on upper genome size limits. However, elements that may associate with stress-response genes (e.g. Ty1-copia) have amplified in arid-adapted palm species. Overall, we provide novel evidence of climate influencing the assembly of repeat 'communities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan J. Schley
- University of ExeterLaver Building, North Park RoadExeterDevonEX4 4QEUK
- Royal Botanic GardensKewSurreyTW9 3ABUK
| | - Jaume Pellicer
- Royal Botanic GardensKewSurreyTW9 3ABUK
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC‐Ajuntament de Barcelona)Passeig del Migdia sn08038BarcelonaSpain
| | - Xue‐Jun Ge
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhou510650China
| | - Craig Barrett
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWV26506USA
| | | | | | - Petr Novák
- Biology Centre, Institute of Plant Molecular BiologyCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | | | | | | | - Steven Dodsworth
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthPortsmouthHampshirePO1 2DYUK
| | - Jiří Macas
- Biology Centre, Institute of Plant Molecular BiologyCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
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37
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Wachtl G, Schád É, Huszár K, Palazzo A, Ivics Z, Tantos Á, Orbán TI. Functional Characterization of the N-Terminal Disordered Region of the piggyBac Transposase. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10317. [PMID: 36142241 PMCID: PMC9499001 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The piggyBac DNA transposon is an active element initially isolated from the cabbage looper moth, but members of this superfamily are also present in most eukaryotic evolutionary lineages. The functionally important regions of the transposase are well described. There is an RNase H-like fold containing the DDD motif responsible for the catalytic DNA cleavage and joining reactions and a C-terminal cysteine-rich domain important for interaction with the transposon DNA. However, the protein also contains a ~100 amino acid long N-terminal disordered region (NTDR) whose function is currently unknown. Here we show that deletion of the NTDR significantly impairs piggyBac transposition, although the extent of decrease is strongly cell-type specific. Moreover, replacing the NTDR with scrambled but similarly disordered sequences did not rescue transposase activity, indicating the importance of sequence conservation. Cell-based transposon excision and integration assays reveal that the excision step is more severely affected by NTDR deletion. Finally, bioinformatic analyses indicated that the NTDR is specific for the piggyBac superfamily and is also present in domesticated, transposase-derived proteins incapable of catalyzing transposition. Our results indicate an essential role of the NTDR in the "fine-tuning" of transposition and its significance in the functions of piggyBac-originated co-opted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerda Wachtl
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Schád
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Huszár
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antonio Palazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Zoltán Ivics
- Transposition and Genome Engineering, Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Ágnes Tantos
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás I. Orbán
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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Modzelewski A, Gan Chong J, Wang T, He L. Mammalian genome innovation through transposon domestication. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:1332-1340. [PMID: 36008480 PMCID: PMC9729749 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00970-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery of transposons, their sheer abundance in host genomes has puzzled many. While historically viewed as largely harmless 'parasitic' DNAs during evolution, transposons are not a mere record of ancient genome invasion. Instead, nearly every element of transposon biology has been integrated into host biology. Here we review how host genome sequences introduced by transposon activities provide raw material for genome innovation and document the distinct evolutionary path of each species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Modzelewski
- Division of Cellular and Developmental Biology, MCB Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA,Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Johnny Gan Chong
- Division of Cellular and Developmental Biology, MCB Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Edison Family Center for Genome Science and System Biology, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lin He
- Division of Cellular and Developmental Biology, MCB Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Galton R, Fejes-Toth K, Bronner ME. Co-option of the piRNA pathway to regulate neural crest specification. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn1441. [PMID: 35947657 PMCID: PMC9365273 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn1441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Across Metazoa, Piwi proteins play a critical role in protecting the germline genome through piRNA-mediated repression of transposable elements. In vertebrates, activity of Piwi proteins and the piRNA pathway was thought to be gonad specific. Our results reveal the expression of Piwil1 in a vertebrate somatic cell type, the neural crest. Piwil1 is expressed at low levels throughout the chicken neural tube, peaking in neural crest cells just before the specification event that enables epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration into the periphery. Loss of Piwil1 impedes neural crest specification and emigration. Small RNA sequencing reveals somatic piRNAs with sequence signatures of an active ping-pong loop. RNA-seq and functional experiments identify the transposon-derived gene ERNI as Piwil1's target in the neural crest. ERNI, in turn, suppresses Sox2 to precisely control the timing of neural crest specification and EMT. Our data provide mechanistic insight into a novel function of the piRNA pathway as a regulator of somatic development in a vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katalin Fejes-Toth
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Marianne E. Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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Lexa M, Cechova M, Nguyen SH, Jedlicka P, Tokan V, Kubat Z, Hobza R, Kejnovsky E. HiC-TE: a computational pipeline for Hi-C data analysis to study the role of repeat family interactions in the genome 3D organization. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:4030-4032. [PMID: 35781332 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The role of repetitive DNA in the 3D organization of the interphase nucleus is a subject of intensive study. In studies of 3D nucleus organization, mutual contacts of various loci can be identified by Hi-C sequencing. Typical analyses use binning of read pairs by location to reduce noise. We use binning by repeat families instead to make similar conclusions about repeat regions. RESULTS To achieve this, we combined Hi-C data, reference genome data and tools for repeat analysis into a Nextflow pipeline identifying and quantifying the contacts of specific repeat families. As an output, our pipeline produces heatmaps showing contact frequency and circular diagrams visualizing repeat contact localization. Using our pipeline with tomato data, we revealed the preferential homotypic interactions of ribosomal DNA, centromeric satellites and some LTR retrotransposon families and, as expected, little contact between organellar and nuclear DNA elements. While the pipeline can be applied to any eukaryotic genome, results in plants provide better coverage, since the built-in TE-greedy-nester software only detects tandems and LTR retrotransposons. Other repeats can be fed via GFF3 files. This pipeline represents a novel and reproducible way to analyze the role of repetitive elements in the 3D organization of genomes. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION https://gitlab.fi.muni.cz/lexa/hic-te/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Lexa
- Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Cechova
- Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Son Hoang Nguyen
- Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Jedlicka
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Tokan
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Kubat
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Hobza
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eduard Kejnovsky
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
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A Genome-Wide Search for Candidate Genes of Meat Production in Jalgin Merino Considering Known Productivity Genes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081337. [PMID: 35893074 PMCID: PMC9331477 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In a group of Jalgin merino rams with no significant influence on the dispersion of the phenotypes of known productivity genes (MSTN, MEF2B, FABP4, etc.), a genome-wide search for associations of individual polymorphisms with intravital indicators of meat productivity was performed. Using the Ovine Infinium HD BeadChip 600K, 606,000 genome loci were evaluated. Twenty-three substitutions were found to be significantly associated with external measurements of the body and ultrasonic parameters. This made it possible to describe 14 candidate genes, the structural features of which can cause changes in animal phenotypes. No closely spaced genes were found for two substitutions. The identified polymorphisms were found in the exons, introns, and adjacent regions of the following genes and transcripts: CDCA2, ENSOARG00000014477, C4BPA, RIPOR2, ENSOARG00000007198, ENSOARG00000026965 (LincRNA), ENSOARG00000026436 (LincRNA), ENSOARG00000026782 (LincRNA), TENM3, RTL8A, MOSPD1, RTL8С, RIMS2, and P4HA3. The detected genes affect the metabolic pathways of cell differentiation and proliferation and are associated with the regulation of the immune system. This confirms their possible participation in the formation of the phenotypes of productivity parameters in animals and indicates the need for further study of the structure of candidate genes in order to identify their internal polymorphisms.
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Jeon YJ, Shin YH, Cheon SJ, Park YD. Identification and Characterization of PTE-2, a Stowaway-like MITE Activated in Transgenic Chinese Cabbage Lines. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071222. [PMID: 35886005 PMCID: PMC9319602 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA fragments that can be replicated or transposed within a genome. TEs make up a high proportion of the plant genome and contribute to genetic diversity and evolution, affecting genome structure or gene activity. Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are short, non-autonomous class II DNA transposable elements. MITEs have specific sequences, target site duplications(TSDs), and terminal inverted repeats(TIRs), which are characteristics of the classification of MITE families. In this study, a Stowaway-like MITE, PTE-2, was activated in transgenic Chinese cabbage lines. PTE-2 was revealed by in silico analysis as the putative activated element in transgenic Chinese cabbage lines. To verify the in silico analysis data, MITE insertion polymorphism (MIP) PCR was conducted and PTE-2 was confirmed to be activated in transgenic Chinese cabbage lines. The activation tendency of the copy elements of PTE-2 at different loci was also analyzed and only one more element was activated in the transgenic Chinese cabbage lines. Analyzing the sequence of MIP PCR products, the TSD sequence and TIR motif of PTE-2 were identified and matched to the characteristics of the Stowaway-like MITE family. In addition, the flanking region of PTE-2 was modified when PTE-2 was activated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Young-Doo Park
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-10-3338-9344; Fax: +82-31-202-8395
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Fueyo R, Judd J, Feschotte C, Wysocka J. Roles of transposable elements in the regulation of mammalian transcription. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:481-497. [PMID: 35228718 PMCID: PMC10470143 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00457-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 64.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise about half of the mammalian genome. TEs often contain sequences capable of recruiting the host transcription machinery, which they use to express their own products and promote transposition. However, the regulatory sequences carried by TEs may affect host transcription long after the TEs have lost the ability to transpose. Recent advances in genome analysis and engineering have facilitated systematic interrogation of the regulatory activities of TEs. In this Review, we discuss diverse mechanisms by which TEs contribute to transcription regulation. Notably, TEs can donate enhancer and promoter sequences that influence the expression of host genes, modify 3D chromatin architecture and give rise to novel regulatory genes, including non-coding RNAs and transcription factors. We discuss how TEs spur regulatory evolution and facilitate the emergence of genetic novelties in mammalian physiology and development. By virtue of their repetitive and interspersed nature, TEs offer unique opportunities to dissect the effects of mutation and genomic context on the function and evolution of cis-regulatory elements. We argue that TE-centric studies hold the key to unlocking general principles of transcription regulation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Fueyo
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julius Judd
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Cardoso-Silva CB, Aono AH, Mancini MC, Sforça DA, da Silva CC, Pinto LR, Adams KL, de Souza AP. Taxonomically Restricted Genes Are Associated With Responses to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:923069. [PMID: 35845637 PMCID: PMC9280035 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.923069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Orphan genes (OGs) are protein-coding genes that are restricted to particular clades or species and lack homology with genes from other organisms, making their biological functions difficult to predict. OGs can rapidly originate and become functional; consequently, they may support rapid adaptation to environmental changes. Extensive spread of mobile elements and whole-genome duplication occurred in the Saccharum group, which may have contributed to the origin and diversification of OGs in the sugarcane genome. Here, we identified and characterized OGs in sugarcane, examined their expression profiles across tissues and genotypes, and investigated their regulation under varying conditions. We identified 319 OGs in the Saccharum spontaneum genome without detected homology to protein-coding genes in green plants, except those belonging to Saccharinae. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 288 sugarcane OGs with detectable expression levels in at least one tissue or genotype. We observed similar expression patterns of OGs in sugarcane genotypes originating from the closest geographical locations. We also observed tissue-specific expression of some OGs, possibly indicating a complex regulatory process for maintaining diverse functional activity of these genes across sugarcane tissues and genotypes. Sixty-six OGs were differentially expressed under stress conditions, especially cold and osmotic stresses. Gene co-expression network and functional enrichment analyses suggested that sugarcane OGs are involved in several biological mechanisms, including stimulus response and defence mechanisms. These findings provide a valuable genomic resource for sugarcane researchers, especially those interested in selecting stress-responsive genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudio Benício Cardoso-Silva
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alexandre Hild Aono
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Melina Cristina Mancini
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Danilo Augusto Sforça
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carla Cristina da Silva
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Agronomy Department, Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Luciana Rossini Pinto
- Sugarcane Research Advanced Centre, Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC/APTA), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Keith L. Adams
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Anete Pereira de Souza
- Center of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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Abstract
Dramatic nuclear reorganization occurs during early development to convert terminally differentiated gametes to a totipotent zygote, which then gives rise to an embryo. Aberrant epigenome resetting severely impairs embryo development and even leads to lethality. How the epigenomes are inherited, reprogrammed, and reestablished in this critical developmental period has gradually been unveiled through the rapid development of technologies including ultrasensitive chromatin analysis methods. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on epigenetic reprogramming in gametogenesis and embryogenesis, and how it contributes to gamete maturation and parental-to-zygotic transition. Finally, we highlight the key questions that remain to be answered to fully understand chromatin regulation and nuclear reprogramming in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhai Du
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
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Structural insights into the evolution of the RAG recombinase. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:353-370. [PMID: 34675378 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00628-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates relies on the assembly of antigen receptor genes by the recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1)-RAG2 (collectively RAG) recombinase in a reaction known as V(D)J recombination. Extensive biochemical and structural evidence indicates that RAG and V(D)J recombination evolved from the components of a RAG-like (RAGL) transposable element through a process known as transposon molecular domestication. This Review describes recent advances in our understanding of the functional and structural transitions that occurred during RAG evolution. We use the structures of RAG and RAGL enzymes to trace the evolutionary adaptations that yielded a RAG recombinase with exquisitely regulated cleavage activity and a multilayered array of mechanisms to suppress transposition. We describe how changes in modes of DNA binding, alterations in the dynamics of protein-DNA complexes, single amino acid mutations and a modular design likely enabled RAG family enzymes to survive and spread in the genomes of eukaryotes. These advances highlight the insight that can be gained from viewing evolution of vertebrate immunity through the lens of comparative genome analyses coupled with structural biology and biochemistry.
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Etchegaray E, Dechaud C, Barbier J, Naville M, Volff JN. Diversity of Harbinger-like Transposons in Teleost Fish Genomes. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111429. [PMID: 35681893 PMCID: PMC9179366 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The study of transposable elements, which are repeated DNA sequences that can insert into new locations in genomes, is of particular interest to genome evolution, as they are sources of mutations but also of new regulatory and coding sequences. Teleost fish are a species-rich clade presenting a high diversity of transposable elements, both quantitatively and qualitatively, making them a very attractive group to investigate the evolution of mobile sequences. We studied Harbinger-like DNA transposons, which are widespread from plants to vertebrates but absent from mammalian genomes. These elements code for both a transposase and a Myb-like protein. We observed high variability in the genomic composition of Harbinger-like sequences in teleost fish. While Harbinger transposons might have been present in a common ancestor of all the fish species studied, ISL2EU elements were possibly gained by horizontal transfer at the base of teleost fish. Transposase and Myb-like protein phylogenies of Harbinger transposons indicated unique origins of the association between both genes and suggests recombination was rare between transposon sublineages. Finally, we report one case of Harbinger horizontal transfer between divergent fish species and the transcriptional activity of both Harbinger and ISL2EU transposons in teleost fish. There was male-biased expression in the gonads of the medaka fish. Abstract Harbinger elements are DNA transposons that are widespread from plants to vertebrates but absent from mammalian genomes. Among vertebrates, teleost fish are the clade presenting not only the largest number of species but also the highest diversity of transposable elements, both quantitatively and qualitatively, making them a very attractive group to investigate the evolution of mobile sequences. We studied Harbinger DNA transposons and the distantly related ISL2EU elements in fish, focusing on representative teleost species compared to the spotted gar, the coelacanth, the elephant shark and the amphioxus. We observed high variability in the genomic composition of Harbinger-like sequences in teleost fish, as they covered 0.002–0.14% of the genome, when present. While Harbinger transposons might have been present in a common ancestor of all the fish species studied here, with secondary loss in elephant shark, our results suggests that ISL2EU elements were gained by horizontal transfer at the base of teleost fish 200–300 million years ago, and that there was secondary loss in a common ancestor of pufferfishes and stickleback. Harbinger transposons code for a transposase and a Myb-like protein. We reconstructed and compared molecular phylogenies of both proteins to get insights into the evolution of Harbinger transposons in fish. Transposase and Myb-like protein phylogenies showed global congruent evolution, indicating unique origin of the association between both genes and suggesting rare recombination between transposon sublineages. Finally, we report one case of Harbinger horizontal transfer between divergent fish species and the transcriptional activity of both Harbinger and ISL2EU transposons in teleost fish. There was male-biased expression in the gonads of the medaka fish.
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Pinto A, Cunha C, Chaves R, Butchbach MER, Adega F. Comprehensive In Silico Analysis of Retrotransposon Insertions within the Survival Motor Neuron Genes Involved in Spinal Muscular Atrophy. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:824. [PMID: 35741345 PMCID: PMC9219815 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are interspersed repetitive and mobile DNA sequences within the genome. Better tools for evaluating TE-derived sequences have provided insights into the contribution of TEs to human development and disease. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease that is caused by deletions or mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene but retention of its nearly perfect orthologue SMN2. Both genes are highly enriched in TEs. To establish a link between TEs and SMA, we conducted a comprehensive, in silico analysis of TE insertions within the SMN1/2 loci of SMA, carrier and healthy genomes. We found an Alu insertion in the promoter region and one L1 element in the 3'UTR that may play an important role in alternative promoter as well as in alternative transcriptional termination. Additionally, several intronic Alu repeats may influence alternative splicing via RNA circularization and causes the presence of new alternative exons. These Alu repeats present throughout the genes are also prone to recombination events that could lead to SMN1 exons deletions and, ultimately, SMA. TE characterization of the SMA genomic region could provide for a better understanding of the implications of TEs on human disease and genomic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albano Pinto
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Cunha
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Raquel Chaves
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matthew E. R. Butchbach
- Division of Neurology, Nemours Children’s Hospital Delaware, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Filomena Adega
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
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Lié O, Renault S, Augé-Gouillou C. SETMAR, a case of primate co-opted genes: towards new perspectives. Mob DNA 2022; 13:9. [PMID: 35395947 PMCID: PMC8994322 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-022-00267-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We carry out a review of the history and biological activities of one domesticated gene in higher primates, SETMAR, by discussing current controversies. Our purpose is to open a new outlook that will serve as a framework for future work about SETMAR, possibly in the field of cognition development. MAIN BODY What is newly important about SETMAR can be summarized as follows: (1) the whole protein sequence is under strong purifying pressure; (2) its role is to strengthen existing biological functions rather than to provide new ones; (3) it displays a tissue-specific pattern of expression, at least for the alternative-splicing it undergoes. Studies reported here demonstrate that SETMAR protein(s) may be involved in essential networks regulating replication, transcription and translation. Moreover, during embryogenesis, SETMAR appears to contribute to brain development. SHORT CONCLUSION Our review underlines for the first time that SETMAR directly interacts with genes involved in brain functions related to vocalization and vocal learning. These findings pave the way for future works regarding SETMAR and the development of cognitive abilities in higher primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Lié
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France
| | - Sylvaine Renault
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France
| | - Corinne Augé-Gouillou
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France. .,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France.
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Drews F, Boenigk J, Simon M. Paramecium epigenetics in development and proliferation. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12914. [PMID: 35363910 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The term epigenetics is used for any layer of genetic information aside from the DNA base-sequence information. Mammalian epigenetic research increased our understanding of chromatin dynamics in terms of cytosine methylation and histone modification during differentiation, aging, and disease. Instead, ciliate epigenetics focused more on small RNA-mediated effects. On the one hand, these do concern the transport of RNA from parental to daughter nuclei, representing a regulated transfer of epigenetic information across generations. On the other hand, studies of Paramecium, Tetrahymena, Oxytricha, and Stylonychia revealed an almost unique function of transgenerational RNA. Rather than solely controlling chromatin dynamics, they control sexual progeny's DNA content quantitatively and qualitatively. Thus epigenetics seems to control genetics, at least genetics of the vegetative macronucleus. This combination offers ciliates, in particular, an epigenetically controlled genetic variability. This review summarizes the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to macronuclear heterogeneity and relates these to nuclear dimorphism. This system's adaptive and evolutionary possibilities raise the critical question of whether such a system is limited to unicellular organisms or binuclear cells. We discuss here the relevance of ciliate genetics and epigenetics to multicellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Drews
- Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Wuppertal
| | | | - Martin Simon
- Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Wuppertal
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