1
|
Lahnsteiner A, Ellmer V, Oberlercher A, Liutkeviciute Z, Schönauer E, Paulweber B, Aigner E, Risch A. G-quadruplex forming regions in GCK and TM6SF2 are targets for differential DNA methylation in metabolic disease and hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20215. [PMID: 39215018 PMCID: PMC11364803 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70749-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The alarming increase in global rates of metabolic diseases (MetDs) and their association with cancer risk renders them a considerable burden on our society. The interplay of environmental and genetic factors in causing MetDs may be reflected in DNA methylation patterns, particularly at non-canonical (non-B) DNA structures, such as G-quadruplexes (G4s) or R-loops. To gain insight into the mechanisms of MetD progression, we focused on DNA methylation and functional analyses on intragenic regions of two MetD risk genes, the glucokinase (GCK) exon 7 and the transmembrane 6 superfamily 2 (TM6SF2) intron 2-exon 3 boundary, which harbor non-B DNA motifs for G4s and R-loops.Pyrosequencing of 148 blood samples from a nested cohort study revealed significant differential methylation in GCK and TM6SF2 in MetD patients versus healthy controls. Furthermore, these regions harbor hypervariable and differentially methylated CpGs also in hepatocellular carcinoma versus normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Permanganate/S1 nuclease footprinting with direct adapter ligation (PDAL-Seq), native polyacrylamide DNA gel electrophoresis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed the formation of G4 structures in these regions and demonstrated that their topology and stability is affected by DNA methylation. Detailed analyses including histone marks, chromatin conformation capture data, and luciferase reporter assays, highlighted the cell-type specific regulatory function of the target regions. Based on our analyses, we hypothesize that changes in DNA methylation lead to topological changes, especially in GCK exon 7, and cause the activation of alternative regulatory elements or potentially play a role in alternative splicing.Our analyses provide a new view on the mechanisms underlying the progression of MetDs and their link to hepatocellular carcinomas, unveiling non-B DNA structures as important key players already in early disease stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Lahnsteiner
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Victoria Ellmer
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Oberlercher
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Zita Liutkeviciute
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Esther Schönauer
- Division of Structural Biology, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Bernhard Paulweber
- First Department of Medicine, University Clinic Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elmar Aigner
- First Department of Medicine, University Clinic Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Angela Risch
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Saczuk K, Dudek M, Matczyszyn K, Deiana M. Advancements in molecular disassembly of optical probes: a paradigm shift in sensing, bioimaging, and therapeutics. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:1390-1416. [PMID: 38963132 DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00186a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The majority of self-assembled fluorescent dyes suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), which detrimentally affects their diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness. While aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active dyes offer a promising solution to overcome this limitation, they may face significant challenges as the intracellular environment often prevents aggregation, leading to disassembly and posing challenges for AIE fluorogens. Recent progress in signal amplification through the disassembly of ACQ dyes has opened new avenues for creating ultrasensitive optical sensors and enhancing phototherapeutic outcomes. These advances are well-aligned with cutting-edge technologies such as single-molecule microscopy and targeted molecular therapies. This work explores the concept of disaggregation-induced emission (DIE), showcasing the revolutionary capabilities of DIE-based dyes from their design to their application in sensing, bioimaging, disease monitoring, and treatment in both cellular and animal models. Our objective is to provide an in-depth comparison of aggregation versus disaggregation mechanisms, aiming to stimulate further advancements in the design and utilization of ACQ fluorescent dyes through DIE technology. This initiative is poised to catalyze scientific progress across a broad spectrum of disciplines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Saczuk
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Marta Dudek
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Matczyszyn
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
- International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM(2)), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Marco Deiana
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
L Rocha J, Lou RN, Sudmant PH. Structural variation in humans and our primate kin in the era of telomere-to-telomere genomes and pangenomics. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 87:102233. [PMID: 39042999 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102233] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Structural variants (SVs) account for the majority of base pair differences both within and between primate species. However, our understanding of inter- and intra-species SV has been historically hampered by the quality of draft primate genomes and the absence of genome resources for key taxa. Recently, advances in long-read sequencing and genome assembly have begun to radically reshape our understanding of SVs. Two landmark achievements include the publication of a human telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome as well as the development of the first human pangenome reference. In this review, we first look back to the major works laying the foundation for these projects. We then examine the ways in which T2T genome assemblies and pangenomes are transforming our understanding of and approach to primate SV. Finally, we discuss what the future of primate SV research may look like in the era of T2T genomes and pangenomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana L Rocha
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA. https://twitter.com/@joanocha
| | - Runyang N Lou
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA. https://twitter.com/@NicolasLou10
| | - Peter H Sudmant
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA; Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fracchioni G, Vailati S, Grazioli M, Pirota V. Structural Unfolding of G-Quadruplexes: From Small Molecules to Antisense Strategies. Molecules 2024; 29:3488. [PMID: 39124893 PMCID: PMC11314335 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29153488] [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: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical nucleic acid secondary structures that have gathered significant interest in medicinal chemistry over the past two decades due to their unique structural features and potential roles in a variety of biological processes and disorders. Traditionally, research efforts have focused on stabilizing G4s, while in recent years, the attention has progressively shifted to G4 destabilization, unveiling new therapeutic perspectives. This review provides an in-depth overview of recent advances in the development of small molecules, starting with the controversial role of TMPyP4. Moreover, we described effective metal complexes in addition to G4-disrupting small molecules as well as good G4 stabilizing ligands that can destabilize G4s in response to external stimuli. Finally, we presented antisense strategies as a promising approach for destabilizing G4s, with a particular focus on 2'-OMe antisense oligonucleotide, peptide nucleic acid, and locked nucleic acid. Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of understanding G4 dynamics as well as ongoing efforts to develop selective G4-unfolding strategies that can modulate their biological function and therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Fracchioni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (G.F.); (S.V.); (M.G.)
- G4-INTERACT Group, Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Vailati
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (G.F.); (S.V.); (M.G.)
- PhD National Program in One Health Approaches to Infectious Diseases and Life Science Research, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marta Grazioli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (G.F.); (S.V.); (M.G.)
| | - Valentina Pirota
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (G.F.); (S.V.); (M.G.)
- G4-INTERACT Group, Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 27100 Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jia H, Tan S, Cai Y, Guo Y, Shen J, Zhang Y, Ma H, Zhang Q, Chen J, Qiao G, Ruan J, Zhang YE. Low-input PacBio sequencing generates high-quality individual fly genomes and characterizes mutational processes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5644. [PMID: 38969648 PMCID: PMC11226609 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49992-6] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-read sequencing, exemplified by PacBio, revolutionizes genomics, overcoming challenges like repetitive sequences. However, the high DNA requirement ( > 1 µg) is prohibitive for small organisms. We develop a low-input (100 ng), low-cost, and amplification-free library-generation method for PacBio sequencing (LILAP) using Tn5-based tagmentation and DNA circularization within one tube. We test LILAP with two Drosophila melanogaster individuals, and generate near-complete genomes, surpassing preexisting single-fly genomes. By analyzing variations in these two genomes, we characterize mutational processes: complex transpositions (transposon insertions together with extra duplications and/or deletions) prefer regions characterized by non-B DNA structures, and gene conversion of transposons occurs on both DNA and RNA levels. Concurrently, we generate two complete assemblies for the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia in these flies and similarly detect transposon conversion. Thus, LILAP promises a broad PacBio sequencing adoption for not only mutational studies of flies and their symbionts but also explorations of other small organisms or precious samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hangxing Jia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Shengjun Tan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yingao Cai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanyan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jieyu Shen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqiong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huijing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingzhu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gexia Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jue Ruan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yong E Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yi C, Liu Q, Huang Y, Liu C, Guo X, Fan C, Zhang K, Liu Y, Han F. Non-B-form DNA is associated with centromere stability in newly-formed polyploid wheat. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1479-1488. [PMID: 38639838 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2513-9] [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: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Non-B-form DNA differs from the classic B-DNA double helix structure and plays a crucial regulatory role in replication and transcription. However, the role of non-B-form DNA in centromeres, especially in polyploid wheat, remains elusive. Here, we systematically analyzed seven non-B-form DNA motif profiles (A-phased DNA repeat, direct repeat, G-quadruplex, inverted repeat, mirror repeat, short tandem repeat, and Z-DNA) in hexaploid wheat. We found that three of these non-B-form DNA motifs were enriched at centromeric regions, especially at the CENH3-binding sites, suggesting that non-B-form DNA may create a favorable loading environment for the CENH3 nucleosome. To investigate the dynamics of centromeric non-B form DNA during the alloploidization process, we analyzed DNA secondary structure using CENH3 ChIP-seq data from newly formed allotetraploid wheat and its two diploid ancestors. We found that newly formed allotetraploid wheat formed more non-B-form DNA in centromeric regions compared with their parents, suggesting that non-B-form DNA is related to the localization of the centromeric regions in newly formed wheat. Furthermore, non-B-form DNA enriched in the centromeric regions was found to preferentially form on young LTR retrotransposons, explaining CENH3's tendency to bind to younger LTR. Collectively, our study describes the landscape of non-B-form DNA in the wheat genome, and sheds light on its potential role in the evolution of polyploid centromeres.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Congyang Yi
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuhong Huang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianrui Guo
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chaolan Fan
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kaibiao Zhang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Fangpu Han
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Laigre E, Bonnet H, Beauvineau C, Lavergne T, Verga D, Defrancq E, Dejeu J, Teulade-Fichou MP. Systematic Evaluation of Benchmark G4 Probes and G4 Clinical Drugs using three Biophysical Methods: A Guideline to Evaluate Rapidly G4-Binding Affinity. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400210. [PMID: 38619969 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400210] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
G-quadruplex DNA structures (G4) are proven to interfere with most genetic and epigenetic processes. Small molecules binding these structures (G4 ligands) are invaluable tools to probe G4-biology and address G4-druggability in various diseases (cancer, viral infections). However, the large number of reported G4 ligands (>1000) could lead to confusion while selecting one for a given application. Herein we conducted a systematic affinity ranking of 11 popular G4 ligands vs 5 classical G4 sequences using FRET-melting, G4-FID assays and SPR. Interestingly SPR data globally align with the rankings obtained from the two semi-quantitative assays despite discrepancies due to limits and characteristics of each assay. In the whole, PhenDC3 emerges as the most potent binder irrespective of the G4 sequence. Immediately below PDS, PDC-360A, BRACO19, TMPyP4 and RHPS4 feature strong to medium binding again with poor G4 topology discrimination. More strikingly, the G4 drugs Quarfloxin, CX5461 and c-PDS exhibit weak affinity with all G4s studied. Finally, NMM and Cu-ttpy showed heterogeneous behaviors due, in part, to their physicochemical particularities poorly compatible with screening conditions. The remarkable properties of PhenDC3 led us to propose its use for benchmarking FRET-melting and G4-FID assays for rapid G4-affinity evaluation of newly developed ligands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Laigre
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - H Bonnet
- DCM, UMR 5250, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 570 Rue de la Chimie, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - C Beauvineau
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - T Lavergne
- DCM, UMR 5250, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 570 Rue de la Chimie, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - D Verga
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - E Defrancq
- DCM, UMR 5250, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 570 Rue de la Chimie, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - J Dejeu
- DCM, UMR 5250, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 570 Rue de la Chimie, 38000, Grenoble, France
- SUPMICROTECH, Université Franche-Comté, CNRS, Institut FEMTO-ST, 25000, Besançon, France
| | - M-P Teulade-Fichou
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Caporale LH. Evolutionary feedback from the environment shapes mechanisms that generate genome variation. J Physiol 2024; 602:2601-2614. [PMID: 38194279 DOI: 10.1113/jp284411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Darwin recognized that 'a grand and almost untrodden field of inquiry will be opened, on the causes and laws of variation.' However, because the Modern Synthesis assumes that the intrinsic probability of any individual mutation is unrelated to that mutation's potential adaptive value, attention has been focused on selection rather than on the intrinsic generation of variation. Yet many examples illustrate that the term 'random' mutation, as widely understood, is inaccurate. The probabilities of distinct classes of variation are neither evenly distributed across a genome nor invariant over time, nor unrelated to their potential adaptive value. Because selection acts upon variation, multiple biochemical mechanisms can and have evolved that increase the relative probability of adaptive mutations. In effect, the generation of heritable variation is in a feedback loop with selection, such that those mechanisms that tend to generate variants that survive recurring challenges in the environment would be captured by this survival and thus inherited and accumulated within lineages of genomes. Moreover, because genome variation is affected by a wide range of biochemical processes, genome variation can be regulated. Biochemical mechanisms that sense stress, from lack of nutrients to DNA damage, can increase the probability of specific classes of variation. A deeper understanding of evolution involves attention to the evolution of, and environmental influences upon, the intrinsic variation generated in gametes, in other words upon the biochemical mechanisms that generate variation across generations. These concepts have profound implications for the types of questions that can and should be asked, as omics databases become more comprehensive, detection methods more sensitive, and computation and experimental analyses even more high throughput and thus capable of revealing the intrinsic generation of variation in individual gametes. These concepts also have profound implications for evolutionary theory, which, upon reflection it will be argued, predicts that selection would increase the probability of generating adaptive mutations, in other words, predicts that the ability to evolve itself evolves.
Collapse
|
9
|
Makova KD, Pickett BD, Harris RS, Hartley GA, Cechova M, Pal K, Nurk S, Yoo D, Li Q, Hebbar P, McGrath BC, Antonacci F, Aubel M, Biddanda A, Borchers M, Bornberg-Bauer E, Bouffard GG, Brooks SY, Carbone L, Carrel L, Carroll A, Chang PC, Chin CS, Cook DE, Craig SJC, de Gennaro L, Diekhans M, Dutra A, Garcia GH, Grady PGS, Green RE, Haddad D, Hallast P, Harvey WT, Hickey G, Hillis DA, Hoyt SJ, Jeong H, Kamali K, Pond SLK, LaPolice TM, Lee C, Lewis AP, Loh YHE, Masterson P, McGarvey KM, McCoy RC, Medvedev P, Miga KH, Munson KM, Pak E, Paten B, Pinto BJ, Potapova T, Rhie A, Rocha JL, Ryabov F, Ryder OA, Sacco S, Shafin K, Shepelev VA, Slon V, Solar SJ, Storer JM, Sudmant PH, Sweetalana, Sweeten A, Tassia MG, Thibaud-Nissen F, Ventura M, Wilson MA, Young AC, Zeng H, Zhang X, Szpiech ZA, Huber CD, Gerton JL, Yi SV, Schatz MC, Alexandrov IA, Koren S, O'Neill RJ, Eichler EE, Phillippy AM. The complete sequence and comparative analysis of ape sex chromosomes. Nature 2024; 630:401-411. [PMID: 38811727 PMCID: PMC11168930 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07473-2] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Apes possess two sex chromosomes-the male-specific Y chromosome and the X chromosome, which is present in both males and females. The Y chromosome is crucial for male reproduction, with deletions being linked to infertility1. The X chromosome is vital for reproduction and cognition2. Variation in mating patterns and brain function among apes suggests corresponding differences in their sex chromosomes. However, owing to their repetitive nature and incomplete reference assemblies, ape sex chromosomes have been challenging to study. Here, using the methodology developed for the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) human genome, we produced gapless assemblies of the X and Y chromosomes for five great apes (bonobo (Pan paniscus), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii)) and a lesser ape (the siamang gibbon (Symphalangus syndactylus)), and untangled the intricacies of their evolution. Compared with the X chromosomes, the ape Y chromosomes vary greatly in size and have low alignability and high levels of structural rearrangements-owing to the accumulation of lineage-specific ampliconic regions, palindromes, transposable elements and satellites. Many Y chromosome genes expand in multi-copy families and some evolve under purifying selection. Thus, the Y chromosome exhibits dynamic evolution, whereas the X chromosome is more stable. Mapping short-read sequencing data to these assemblies revealed diversity and selection patterns on sex chromosomes of more than 100 individual great apes. These reference assemblies are expected to inform human evolution and conservation genetics of non-human apes, all of which are endangered species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon D Pickett
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Monika Cechova
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Karol Pal
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sergey Nurk
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - DongAhn Yoo
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Qiuhui Li
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Prajna Hebbar
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- MPI for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gerard G Bouffard
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shelise Y Brooks
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Hillsboro, OR, USA
| | - Laura Carrel
- Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Chen-Shan Chin
- Foundation of Biological Data Sciences, Belmont, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mark Diekhans
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Amalia Dutra
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gage H Garcia
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Diana Haddad
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pille Hallast
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Glenn Hickey
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - David A Hillis
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | - Hyeonsoo Jeong
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles Lee
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Yong-Hwee E Loh
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Masterson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kelly M McGarvey
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Karen H Miga
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Evgenia Pak
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benedict Paten
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Arang Rhie
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joana L Rocha
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Fedor Ryabov
- Masters Program in National Research, University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Samuel Sacco
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Steven J Solar
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Sweetalana
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Alex Sweeten
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Françoise Thibaud-Nissen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario Ventura
- Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Alice C Young
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Xinru Zhang
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Soojin V Yi
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Sergey Koren
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Evan E Eichler
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Adam M Phillippy
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rudnizky S, Murray PJ, Wolfe CH, Ha T. Single-Macromolecule Studies of Eukaryotic Genomic Maintenance. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2024; 75:209-230. [PMID: 38382570 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-090722-010601] [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: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Genomes are self-organized and self-maintained as long, complex macromolecules of chromatin. The inherent heterogeneity, stochasticity, phase separation, and chromatin dynamics of genome operation make it challenging to study genomes using ensemble methods. Various single-molecule force-, fluorescent-, and sequencing-based techniques rooted in different disciplines have been developed to fill critical gaps in the capabilities of bulk measurements, each providing unique, otherwise inaccessible, insights into the structure and maintenance of the genome. Capable of capturing molecular-level details about the organization, conformational changes, and packaging of genetic material, as well as processive and stochastic movements of maintenance factors, a single-molecule toolbox provides an excellent opportunity for collaborative research to understand how genetic material functions in health and malfunctions in disease. In this review, we discuss novel insights brought to genomic sciences by single-molecule techniques and their potential to continue to revolutionize the field-one molecule at a time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Rudnizky
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter J Murray
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Clara H Wolfe
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kanata E, Duffié R, Schulz EG. Establishment and maintenance of random monoallelic expression. Development 2024; 151:dev201741. [PMID: 38813842 PMCID: PMC11166465 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201741] [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: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
This Review elucidates the regulatory principles of random monoallelic expression by focusing on two well-studied examples: the X-chromosome inactivation regulator Xist and the olfactory receptor gene family. Although the choice of a single X chromosome or olfactory receptor occurs in different developmental contexts, common gene regulatory principles guide monoallelic expression in both systems. In both cases, an event breaks the symmetry between genetically and epigenetically identical copies of the gene, leading to the expression of one single random allele, stabilized through negative feedback control. Although many regulatory steps that govern the establishment and maintenance of monoallelic expression have been identified, key pieces of the puzzle are still missing. We provide an overview of the current knowledge and models for the monoallelic expression of Xist and olfactory receptors. We discuss their similarities and differences, and highlight open questions and approaches that could guide the study of other monoallelically expressed genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Kanata
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rachel Duffié
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Edda G. Schulz
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bartas M, Brázda V, Pečinka P. Special Issue "Bioinformatics of Unusual DNA and RNA Structures". Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5226. [PMID: 38791265 PMCID: PMC11121459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105226] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acids are not only static carriers of genetic information but also play vital roles in controlling cellular lifecycles through their fascinating structural diversity [...].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
| | - Václav Brázda
- Institute of Biophysics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Amato J, Randazzo A, Pagano B. Chemistry and Biology of Noncanonical Nucleic Acid Structures: From Physicochemical Properties to Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4952. [PMID: 38732170 PMCID: PMC11084433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094952] [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: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight significant and new aspects concerning the chemistry and biology of noncanonical nucleic acid structures, with emphasis on their structure, stability, and conformational equilibria, as well as on the biological relevance of their interactions with proteins and ligands [...].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bruno Pagano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (J.A.); (A.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Gagna CE, Yodice AN, D'Amico J, Elkoulily L, Gill SM, DeOcampo FG, Rabbani M, Kaur J, Shah A, Ahmad Z, Lambert MW, Clark Lambert W. Novel B-DNA dermatophyte assay for demonstration of canonical DNA in dermatophytes: Histopathologic characterization by artificial intelligence. Clin Dermatol 2024; 42:233-258. [PMID: 38185195 DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
We describe a novel assay and artificial intelligence-driven histopathologic approach identifying dermatophytes in human skin tissue sections (ie, B-DNA dermatophyte assay) and demonstrate, for the first time, the presence of dermatophytes in tissue using immunohistochemistry to detect canonical right-handed double-stranded (ds) B-DNA. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-ds-B-DNA monoclonal antibodies with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues to determine the presence of dermatophytes. The B-DNA assay resulted in a more accurate identification of dermatophytes, nuclear morphology, dimensions, and gene expression of dermatophytes (ie, optical density values) than periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Grocott methenamine silver (GMS), or hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. The novel assay guided by artificial intelligence allowed for efficient identification of different types of dermatophytes (eg, hyphae, microconidia, macroconidia, and arthroconidia). Using the B-DNA dermatophyte assay as a clinical tool for diagnosing dermatophytes is an alternative to PAS, GMS, and H&E as a fast and inexpensive way to accurately detect dermatophytosis and reduce the number of false negatives. Our assay resulted in superior identification, sensitivity, life cycle stages, and morphology compared to H&E, PAS, and GMS stains. This method detects a specific structural marker (ie, ds-B-DNA), which can assist with diagnosis of dermatophytes. It represents a significant advantage over methods currently in use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claude E Gagna
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; Department of Dermatology, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; Department of Medicine, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
| | - Anthony N Yodice
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Juliana D'Amico
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Lina Elkoulily
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Shaheryar M Gill
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Francis G DeOcampo
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Maryam Rabbani
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Jai Kaur
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Aangi Shah
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Zainab Ahmad
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Muriel W Lambert
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; Department of Dermatology, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - W Clark Lambert
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; Department of Dermatology, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; Department of Medicine, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mérida-Cerro JA, Maraver-Cárdenas P, Rondón AG, Aguilera A. Rat1 promotes premature transcription termination at R-loops. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3623-3635. [PMID: 38281203 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae033] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Certain DNA sequences can adopt a non-B form in the genome that interfere with DNA-templated processes, including transcription. Among the sequences that are intrinsically difficult to transcribe are those that tend to form R-loops, three-stranded nucleic acid structures formed by a DNA-RNA hybrid and the displaced ssDNA. Here we compared the transcription of an endogenous gene with and without an R-loop-forming sequence inserted. We show that, in agreement with previous in vivo and in vitro analyses, transcription elongation is delayed by R-loops in yeast. Importantly, we demonstrate that the Rat1 transcription terminator factor facilitates transcription throughout such structures by inducing premature termination of arrested RNAPIIs. We propose that RNase H degrades the RNA moiety of the hybrid, providing an entry site for Rat1. Thus, we have uncovered an unanticipated function of Rat1 as a transcription restoring factor opening up the possibility that it may also promote transcription through other genomic DNA structures intrinsically difficult to transcribe. If R-loop-mediated transcriptional stress is not relieved by Rat1, it will cause genomic instability, probably through the increase of transcription-replication conflicts, a deleterious situation that could lead to cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Mérida-Cerro
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain; Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Pablo Maraver-Cárdenas
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain; Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana G Rondón
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain; Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Andrés Aguilera
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain; Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Cathcart B, Cheedipudi SM, Rouhi L, Zhao Z, Gurha P, Marian AJ. DNA double-stranded breaks, a hallmark of aging, defined at the nucleotide resolution, are increased and associated with transcription in the cardiac myocytes in LMNA-cardiomyopathy. Cardiovasc Res 2024:cvae063. [PMID: 38577741 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvae063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS An intrinsic feature of gene transcription is the formation of DNA superhelices near the transcription bubble, which are resolved upon induction of transient double-stranded breaks (DSBs) by topoisomerases. Unrepaired DSBs are pathogenic as they lead to cell cycle arrest, senescence, inflammation, and organ dysfunction. We posit that DSBs would be more prevalent at the genomic sites that are associated with gene expression. The objectives were to identify and characterize genome-wide DSBs at the nucleotide resolution and determine the association of DSBs with transcription in cardiac myocytes. METHODS AND RESULTS We identified the genome-wide DSBs in ∼1 million cardiac myocytes per heart in three wild-type and three myocyte-specific LMNA-deficient (Myh6-Cre:LmnaF/F) mice by END-Sequencing. The prevalence of DSBs was 0.8% and 2.2% in the wild-type and Myh6-Cre:LmnaF/F myocytes, respectively. The END-Seq signals were enriched for 8 and 6764 DSBs in the wild-type and Myh6-Cre:LmnaF/F myocytes, respectively (q < 0.05). The DSBs were preferentially localized to the gene regions, transcription initiation sites, cardiac transcription factor motifs, and the G quadruplex forming structures. Because LMNA regulates transcription through the lamin-associated domains (LADs), we defined the LADs in cardiac myocytes by a Cleavage Under Targets & Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN) assay (N = 5). On average there were 818 LADs per myocyte. Constitutive LADs (cLADs), defined as LADs that were shared by at least three genomes (N = 2572), comprised about a third of the mouse cardiac myocyte genomes. Transcript levels of the protein-coding genes located at the cLADs (N = 3975) were ∼16-fold lower than those at the non-LAD regions (N = ∼17 778). The prevalence of DSBs was higher in the non-LAD as compared to the cLAD regions. Likewise, DSBs were more common in the loss-of-LAD regions, defined as the genomic regions in the Myh6-Cre:LmnaF/F that were juxtaposed to the LAD regions in the wild-type myocytes. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first identification of the DSBs, at the nucleotide resolution in the cardiovascular system. The prevalence of DSBs was higher in the genomic regions associated with transcription. Because transcription is pervasive, DSBs are expected to be common and pathogenic in various states and aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Cathcart
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sirisha M Cheedipudi
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leila Rouhi
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics and School of Public Health, UTHealth, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Priyatansh Gurha
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ali J Marian
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Suite C900A, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Trizna L, Olajoš J, Víglaský V. DNA minicircles capable of forming a variety of non-canonical structural motifs. Front Chem 2024; 12:1384201. [PMID: 38595699 PMCID: PMC11002140 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1384201] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Although more than 10% of the human genome has the potential to fold into non-B DNA, the formation of non-canonical structural motifs as part of long dsDNA chains are usually considered as unfavorable from a thermodynamic point of view. However, recent experiments have confirmed that non-canonical motifs do exist and are non-randomly distributed in genomic DNA. This distribution is highly dependent not only on the DNA sequence but also on various other factors such as environmental conditions, DNA topology and the expression of specific cellular factors in different cell types. In this study, we describe a new strategy used in the preparation of DNA minicircles containing different non-canonical motifs which arise as a result of imperfect base pairing between complementary strands. The approach exploits the fact that imperfections in the pairing of complementary strands thermodynamically weaken the dsDNA structure at the expense of enhancing the formation of non-canonical motifs. In this study, a completely different concept of stable integration of a non-canonical motif into dsDNA is presented. Our approach allows the integration of various types of non-canonical motifs into the dsDNA structure such as hairpin, cruciform, G-quadruplex and i-motif forms but also combinations of these forms. Small DNA minicircles have recently become the subject of considerable interest in both fundamental research and in terms of their potential therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Viktor Víglaský
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bhatt U, Cucchiarini A, Luo Y, Evans CW, Mergny JL, Iyer KS, Smith NM. Preferential formation of Z-RNA over intercalated motifs in long noncoding RNA. Genome Res 2024; 34:217-230. [PMID: 38355305 PMCID: PMC10984386 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278236.123] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Secondary structure is a principal determinant of lncRNA function, predominantly regarding scaffold formation and interfaces with target molecules. Noncanonical secondary structures that form in nucleic acids have known roles in regulating gene expression and include G-quadruplexes (G4s), intercalated motifs (iMs), and R-loops (RLs). In this paper, we used the computational tools G4-iM Grinder and QmRLFS-finder to predict the formation of each of these structures throughout the lncRNA transcriptome in comparison to protein-coding transcripts. The importance of the predicted structures in lncRNAs in biological contexts was assessed by combining our results with publicly available lncRNA tissue expression data followed by pathway analysis. The formation of predicted G4 (pG4) and iM (piM) structures in select lncRNA sequences was confirmed in vitro using biophysical experiments under near-physiological conditions. We find that the majority of the tested pG4s form highly stable G4 structures, and identify many previously unreported G4s in biologically important lncRNAs. In contrast, none of the piM sequences are able to form iM structures, consistent with the idea that RNA is unable to form stable iMs. Unexpectedly, these C-rich sequences instead form Z-RNA structures, which have not been previously observed in regions containing cytosine repeats and represent an interesting and underexplored target for protein-RNA interactions. Our results highlight the prevalence and potential structure-associated functions of noncanonical secondary structures in lncRNAs, and show G4 and Z-RNA structure formation in many lncRNA sequences for the first time, furthering the understanding of the structure-function relationship in lncRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uditi Bhatt
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Anne Cucchiarini
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Yu Luo
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Cameron W Evans
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - K Swaminathan Iyer
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Nicole M Smith
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia;
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kligfeld H, Han I, Abraham A, Shukla V. Alternative DNA structures in hematopoiesis and adaptive immunity. Adv Immunol 2024; 161:109-126. [PMID: 38763699 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ai.2024.03.002] [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: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Besides the canonical B-form, DNA also adopts alternative non-B form conformations which are highly conserved in all domains of life. While extensive research over decades has centered on the genomic functions of B-form DNA, understanding how non-B-form conformations influence functional genomic states remains a fundamental and open question. Recent studies have ascribed alternative DNA conformations such as G-quadruplexes and R-loops as important functional features in eukaryotic genomes. This review delves into the biological importance of alternative DNA structures, with a specific focus on hematopoiesis and adaptive immunity. We discuss the emerging roles of G-quadruplex and R-loop structures, the two most well-studied alternative DNA conformations, in the hematopoietic compartment and present evidence for their functional roles in normal cellular physiology and associated pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather Kligfeld
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Isabella Han
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ajay Abraham
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vipul Shukla
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Flynn JM, Yamashita YM. The implications of satellite DNA instability on cellular function and evolution. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 156:152-159. [PMID: 37852904 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Abundant tandemly repeated satellite DNA is present in most eukaryotic genomes. Previous limitations including a pervasive view that it was uninteresting junk DNA, combined with challenges in studying it, are starting to dissolve - and recent studies have found important functions for satellite DNAs. The observed rapid evolution and implied instability of satellite DNA now has important significance for their functions and maintenance within the genome. In this review, we discuss the processes that lead to satellite DNA copy number instability, and the importance of mechanisms to manage the potential negative effects of instability. Satellite DNA is vulnerable to challenges during replication and repair, since it forms difficult-to-process secondary structures and its homology within tandem arrays can result in various types of recombination. Satellite DNA instability may be managed by DNA or chromatin-binding proteins ensuring proper nuclear localization and repair, or by proteins that process aberrant structures that satellite DNAs tend to form. We also discuss the pattern of satellite DNA mutations from recent mutation accumulation (MA) studies that have tracked changes in satellite DNA for up to 1000 generations with minimal selection. Finally, we highlight examples of satellite evolution from studies that have characterized satellites across millions of years of Drosophila fruit fly evolution, and discuss possible ways that selection might act on the satellite DNA composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jullien M Flynn
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lahnsteiner A, Craig SJC, Kamali K, Weissensteiner B, McGrath B, Risch A, Makova KD. In vivo detection of DNA secondary structures using permanganate/S1 footprinting with direct adapter ligation and sequencing (PDAL-Seq). Methods Enzymol 2024; 695:159-191. [PMID: 38521584 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.12.003] [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: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
DNA secondary structures are essential elements of the genomic landscape, playing a critical role in regulating various cellular processes. These structures refer to G-quadruplexes, cruciforms, Z-DNA or H-DNA structures, amongst others (collectively called 'non-B DNA'), which DNA molecules can adopt beyond the B conformation. DNA secondary structures have significant biological roles, and their landscape is dynamic and can rearrange due to various factors, including changes in cellular conditions, temperature, and DNA-binding proteins. Understanding this dynamic nature is crucial for unraveling their functions in cellular processes. Detecting DNA secondary structures remains a challenge. Conventional methods, such as gel electrophoresis and chemical probing, have limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Emerging techniques, including next-generation sequencing and single-molecule approaches, offer promise but face challenges since these techniques are mostly limited to only one type of secondary structure. Here we describe an updated version of a technique permanganate/S1 nuclease footprinting, which uses potassium permanganate to trap single-stranded DNA regions as found in many non-B structures, in combination with S1 nuclease digest and adapter ligation to detect genome-wide non-B formation. To overcome technical hurdles, we combined this method with direct adapter ligation and sequencing (PDAL-Seq). Furthermore, we established a user-friendly pipeline available on Galaxy to standardize PDAL-Seq data analysis. This optimized method allows the analysis of many types of DNA secondary structures that form in a living cell and will advance our knowledge of their roles in health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Lahnsteiner
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Sarah J C Craig
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, Wartik Laboratory, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kaivan Kamali
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, Wartik Laboratory, University Park, PA, United States
| | | | - Barbara McGrath
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, Wartik Laboratory, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Angela Risch
- Division of Cancer (Epi-)Genetics, Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (CTBI), University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Kateryna D Makova
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, Wartik Laboratory, University Park, PA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lawson CL, Berman H, Chen L, Vallat B, Zirbel C. The Nucleic Acid Knowledgebase: a new portal for 3D structural information about nucleic acids. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D245-D254. [PMID: 37953312 PMCID: PMC10767938 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Nucleic Acid Knowledgebase (nakb.org) is a new data resource, updated weekly, for experimentally determined 3D structures containing DNA and/or RNA nucleic acid polymers and their biological assemblies. NAKB indexes nucleic acid-containing structures derived from all major structure determination methods (X-ray, NMR and EM), including all held by the Protein Data Bank (PDB). As the planned successor to the Nucleic Acid Database (NDB), NAKB's design preserves all functionality of the NDB and provides novel nucleic acid-centric content, including structural and functional annotations, as well as annotations from and links to external resources. A variety of custom interactive tools have been developed to enable rapid exploration and drill-down of NAKB's content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Lawson
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Helen M Berman
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Brinda Vallat
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Craig L Zirbel
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lorenzatti A, Piga EJ, Gismondi M, Binolfi A, Margarit E, Calcaterra N, Armas P. Genetic variations in G-quadruplex forming sequences affect the transcription of human disease-related genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:12124-12139. [PMID: 37930868 PMCID: PMC10711447 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad948] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Guanine-rich DNA strands can fold into non-canonical four-stranded secondary structures named G-quadruplexes (G4s). G4s folded in proximal promoter regions (PPR) are associated either with positive or negative transcriptional regulation. Given that single nucleotide variants (SNVs) affecting G4 folding (G4-Vars) may alter gene transcription, and that SNVs are associated with the human diseases' onset, we undertook a novel comprehensive study of the G4-Vars genome-wide (G4-variome) to find disease-associated G4-Vars located into PPRs. We developed a bioinformatics strategy to find disease-related SNVs located into PPRs simultaneously overlapping with putative G4-forming sequences (PQSs). We studied five G4-Vars disturbing in vitro the folding and stability of the G4s located into PPRs, which had been formerly associated with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (GRIN2B), a severe familiar coagulopathy (F7), atopic dermatitis (CSF2), myocardial infarction (SIRT1) and deafness (LHFPL5). Results obtained in cultured cells for these five G4-Vars suggest that the changes in the G4s affect the transcription, potentially contributing to the development of the mentioned diseases. Collectively, data reinforce the general idea that G4-Vars may impact on the different susceptibilities to human genetic diseases' onset, and could be novel targets for diagnosis and drug design in precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Lorenzatti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S2000EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ernesto J Piga
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S2000EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Mauro Gismondi
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Suipacha 531, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Andrés Binolfi
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S2000EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Plataforma Argentina de Biología Estructural y Metabolómica (PLABEM), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S200EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Margarit
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Suipacha 531, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Nora B Calcaterra
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S2000EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Pablo Armas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda, Rosario S2000EZP, Santa Fe, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sengupta P, Jamroskovic J, Sabouri N. A beginner's handbook to identify and characterize i-motif DNA. Methods Enzymol 2023; 695:45-70. [PMID: 38521590 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.11.001] [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: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Genomic DNA exhibits an innate ability to manifest diverse sequence-dependent secondary structures, serving crucial functions in gene regulation and cellular equilibrium. While extensive research has confirmed the formation of G-quadruplex structures by guanine-rich sequences in vitro and in cells, recent investigations have turned the quadruplex community's attention to the cytosine (C)-rich complementary strands that can adopt unique tetra-stranded conformation, termed as intercalated motif or i-motif. I-motifs are stabilized by hemi-protonated C:CH+ base pairs under acidic conditions. Initially, the in vivo occurrence of i-motifs was underestimated because their formation is favored at non-physiological pH. However, groundbreaking research utilizing the structure-specific iMab antibody and high-throughput sequencing have recently detected their conserved dispersion throughout the genome, challenging previous assumptions. Given the evolving nature of this research field, it becomes imperative to conduct independent in vitro experiments aimed at identifying potential i-motif formation in C-rich sequences and consolidating the findings to address the properties of i-motifs. This chapter serves as an introductory guide for the swift identification of novel i-motifs, where we present an experimental framework for investigating and characterizing i-motif sequences in vitro. In this chapter, we selected a synthetic oligonucleotide (C7T3) sequence and outlined appropriate methodologies for annealing the i-motif structure into suitable buffers. Then, we validated its formation by CD (Circular Dichroism) and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy. Finally, we provided a thorough account of the step-by-step procedures to investigate the effect of i-motif formation on the stalling or retardation of DNA replication using high resolution primer extension assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pallabi Sengupta
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Jamroskovic
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nasim Sabouri
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Makova KD, Pickett BD, Harris RS, Hartley GA, Cechova M, Pal K, Nurk S, Yoo D, Li Q, Hebbar P, McGrath BC, Antonacci F, Aubel M, Biddanda A, Borchers M, Bomberg E, Bouffard GG, Brooks SY, Carbone L, Carrel L, Carroll A, Chang PC, Chin CS, Cook DE, Craig SJ, de Gennaro L, Diekhans M, Dutra A, Garcia GH, Grady PG, Green RE, Haddad D, Hallast P, Harvey WT, Hickey G, Hillis DA, Hoyt SJ, Jeong H, Kamali K, Kosakovsky Pond SL, LaPolice TM, Lee C, Lewis AP, Loh YHE, Masterson P, McCoy RC, Medvedev P, Miga KH, Munson KM, Pak E, Paten B, Pinto BJ, Potapova T, Rhie A, Rocha JL, Ryabov F, Ryder OA, Sacco S, Shafin K, Shepelev VA, Slon V, Solar SJ, Storer JM, Sudmant PH, Sweetalana, Sweeten A, Tassia MG, Thibaud-Nissen F, Ventura M, Wilson MA, Young AC, Zeng H, Zhang X, Szpiech ZA, Huber CD, Gerton JL, Yi SV, Schatz MC, Alexandrov IA, Koren S, O’Neill RJ, Eichler E, Phillippy AM. The Complete Sequence and Comparative Analysis of Ape Sex Chromosomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.30.569198. [PMID: 38077089 PMCID: PMC10705393 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Apes possess two sex chromosomes-the male-specific Y and the X shared by males and females. The Y chromosome is crucial for male reproduction, with deletions linked to infertility. The X chromosome carries genes vital for reproduction and cognition. Variation in mating patterns and brain function among great apes suggests corresponding differences in their sex chromosome structure and evolution. However, due to their highly repetitive nature and incomplete reference assemblies, ape sex chromosomes have been challenging to study. Here, using the state-of-the-art experimental and computational methods developed for the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) human genome, we produced gapless, complete assemblies of the X and Y chromosomes for five great apes (chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean and Sumatran orangutans) and a lesser ape, the siamang gibbon. These assemblies completely resolved ampliconic, palindromic, and satellite sequences, including the entire centromeres, allowing us to untangle the intricacies of ape sex chromosome evolution. We found that, compared to the X, ape Y chromosomes vary greatly in size and have low alignability and high levels of structural rearrangements. This divergence on the Y arises from the accumulation of lineage-specific ampliconic regions and palindromes (which are shared more broadly among species on the X) and from the abundance of transposable elements and satellites (which have a lower representation on the X). Our analysis of Y chromosome genes revealed lineage-specific expansions of multi-copy gene families and signatures of purifying selection. In summary, the Y exhibits dynamic evolution, while the X is more stable. Finally, mapping short-read sequencing data from >100 great ape individuals revealed the patterns of diversity and selection on their sex chromosomes, demonstrating the utility of these reference assemblies for studies of great ape evolution. These complete sex chromosome assemblies are expected to further inform conservation genetics of nonhuman apes, all of which are endangered species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brandon D. Pickett
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Monika Cechova
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Karol Pal
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sergey Nurk
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - DongAhn Yoo
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Qiuhui Li
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Prajna Hebbar
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Erich Bomberg
- University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- MPI for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gerard G. Bouffard
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shelise Y. Brooks
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Hillsboro, OR, USA
| | - Laura Carrel
- Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Chen-Shan Chin
- Foundation of Biological Data Sciences, Belmont, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mark Diekhans
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Amalia Dutra
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gage H. Garcia
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Diana Haddad
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pille Hallast
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Glenn Hickey
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - David A. Hillis
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | - Hyeonsoo Jeong
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles Lee
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Patrick Masterson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Karen H. Miga
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Evgenia Pak
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benedict Paten
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Arang Rhie
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Fedor Ryabov
- Masters Program in National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Samuel Sacco
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Steven J. Solar
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Sweetalana
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Alex Sweeten
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Françoise Thibaud-Nissen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Alice C. Young
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Xinru Zhang
- Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Soojin V. Yi
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Sergey Koren
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Evan Eichler
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam M. Phillippy
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Smirnov E, Molínová P, Chmúrčiaková N, Vacík T, Cmarko D. Non-canonical DNA structures in the human ribosomal DNA. Histochem Cell Biol 2023; 160:499-515. [PMID: 37750997 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02233-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Non-canonical structures (NCS) refer to the various forms of DNA that differ from the B-conformation described by Watson and Crick. It has been found that these structures are usual components of the genome, actively participating in its essential functions. The present review is focused on the nine kinds of NCS appearing or likely to appear in human ribosomal DNA (rDNA): supercoiling structures, R-loops, G-quadruplexes, i-motifs, DNA triplexes, cruciform structures, DNA bubbles, and A and Z DNA conformations. We discuss the conditions of their generation, including their sequence specificity, distribution within the locus, dynamics, and beneficial and detrimental role in the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Smirnov
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavla Molínová
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Chmúrčiaková
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Vacík
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dušan Cmarko
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhao C, Ma Y, Zhang M, Gao X, Liang W, Qin Y, Fu Y, Jia M, Song H, Gao C, Zhao W. Polyamine metabolism controls B-to-Z DNA transition to orchestrate DNA sensor cGAS activity. Immunity 2023; 56:2508-2522.e6. [PMID: 37848037 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) is a universal double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensor that recognizes foreign and self-DNA in the cytoplasm and initiates innate immune responses and has been implicated in various infectious and non-infectious contexts. cGAS binds to the backbone of dsDNA and generates the second messenger, cGAMP, which activates the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Here, we show that the endogenous polyamines spermine and spermidine attenuated cGAS activity and innate immune responses. Mechanistically, spermine and spermidine induced the transition of B-form DNA to Z-form DNA (Z-DNA), thereby decreasing its binding affinity with cGAS. Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine catabolism that decreases the cellular concentrations of spermine and spermidine, enhanced cGAS activation by inhibiting cellular Z-DNA accumulation; SAT1 deficiency promoted herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) replication in vivo. The results indicate that spermine and spermidine induce dsDNA to adopt the Z-form conformation and that SAT1-mediated polyamine metabolism orchestrates cGAS activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyuan Zhao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yunjin Ma
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Minghui Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoyan Gao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wenbo Liang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Qin
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yue Fu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Mutian Jia
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hui Song
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Chengjiang Gao
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province, and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Li H, Song K, Li B, Zhang X, Wang D, Dong S, Yang L. CRISPR/Cas9 Editing Sites Identification and Multi-Elements Association Analysis in Camellia sinensis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15317. [PMID: 37894996 PMCID: PMC10607008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015317] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 is an efficient genome-editing tool, and the identification of editing sites and potential influences in the Camellia sinensis genome have not been investigated. In this study, bioinformatics methods were used to characterise the Camellia sinensis genome including editing sites, simple sequence repeats (SSRs), G-quadruplexes (GQ), gene density, and their relationships. A total of 248,134,838 potential editing sites were identified in the genome, and five PAM types, AGG, TGG, CGG, GGG, and NGG, were observed, of which 66,665,912 were found to be specific, and they were present in all structural elements of the genes. The characteristic region of high GC content, GQ density, and PAM density in contrast to low gene density and SSR density was identified in the chromosomes in the joint analysis, and it was associated with secondary metabolites and amino acid biosynthesis pathways. CRISPR/Cas9, as a technology to drive crop improvement, with the identified editing sites and effector elements, provides valuable tools for functional studies and molecular breeding in Camellia sinensis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Long Yang
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ng C, Samanta A, Mandrup OA, Tsang E, Youssef S, Klausen LH, Dong M, Nijenhuis MAD, Gothelf KV. Folding Double-Stranded DNA into Designed Shapes with Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2302497. [PMID: 37311656 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302497] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The compaction and organization of genomic DNA is a central mechanism in eukaryotic cells, but engineered architectural control over double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is notably challenging. Here, long dsDNA templates are folded into designed shapes via triplex-mediated self-assembly. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) bind purines in dsDNA via normal or reverse Hoogsteen interactions. In the triplex origami methodology, these non-canonical interactions are programmed to compact dsDNA (linear or plasmid) into well-defined objects, which demonstrate a variety of structural features: hollow and raster-filled, single- and multi-layered, with custom curvatures and geometries, and featuring lattice-free, square-, or honeycomb-pleated internal arrangements. Surprisingly, the length of integrated and free-standing dsDNA loops can be modulated with near-perfect efficiency; from hundreds down to only six bp (2 nm). The inherent rigidity of dsDNA promotes structural robustness and non-periodic structures of almost 25.000 nt are therefore formed with fewer unique starting materials, compared to other DNA-based self-assembly methods. Densely triplexed structures also resist degradation by DNase I. Triplex-mediated dsDNA folding is methodologically straightforward and orthogonal to Watson-Crick-based methods. Moreover, it enables unprecedented spatial control over dsDNA templates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Ng
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Anirban Samanta
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Ole Aalund Mandrup
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Emily Tsang
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Sarah Youssef
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Lasse Hyldgaard Klausen
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Mingdong Dong
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Minke A D Nijenhuis
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Kurt V Gothelf
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ma H, Ding W, Chen Y, Zhou J, Chen W, Lan C, Mao H, Li Q, Yan W, Su H. Centromere Plasticity With Evolutionary Conservation and Divergence Uncovered by Wheat 10+ Genomes. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad176. [PMID: 37541261 PMCID: PMC10422864 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres (CEN) are the chromosomal regions that play a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability. The underlying highly repetitive DNA sequences can evolve quickly in most eukaryotes, and promote karyotype evolution. Despite their variability, it is not fully understood how these widely variable sequences ensure the homeostasis of centromere function. In this study, we investigated the genetics and epigenetics of CEN in a population of wheat lines from global breeding programs. We captured a high degree of sequences, positioning, and epigenetic variations in the large and complex wheat CEN. We found that most CENH3-associated repeats are Cereba element of retrotransposons and exhibit phylogenetic homogenization across different wheat lines, but the less-associated repeat sequences diverge on their own way in each wheat line, implying specific mechanisms for selecting certain repeat types as functional core CEN. Furthermore, we observed that CENH3 nucleosome structures display looser wrapping of DNA termini on complex centromeric repeats, including the repositioned CEN. We also found that strict CENH3 nucleosome positioning and intrinsic DNA features play a role in determining centromere identity among different lines. Specific non-B form DNAs were substantially associated with CENH3 nucleosomes for the repositioned centromeres. These findings suggest that multiple mechanisms were involved in the adaptation of CENH3 nucleosomes that can stabilize CEN. Ultimately, we proposed a remarkable epigenetic plasticity of centromere chromatin within the diverse genomic context, and the high robustness is crucial for maintaining centromere function and genome stability in wheat 10+ lines as a result of past breeding selections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wentao Ding
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caixia Lan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hailiang Mao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhao Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Handong Su
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Panova VV, Dolinnaya NG, Novoselov KA, Savitskaya VY, Chernykh IS, Kubareva EA, Alexeevski AV, Zvereva MI. Conserved G-Quadruplex-Forming Sequences in Mammalian TERT Promoters and Their Effect on Mutation Frequency. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1478. [PMID: 37511853 PMCID: PMC10381784 DOI: 10.3390/life13071478] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutations in the promoter region of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene have been identified in many types of cancer. The hTERT promoter is known to be enriched with sequences that enable the formation of G-quadruplex (G4) structures, whose presence is associated with elevated mutagenicity and genome instability. Here, we used a bioinformatics tool (QGRS mapper) to search for G4-forming sequences (G4 motifs) in the 1000 bp TERT promoter regions of 141 mammalian species belonging to 20 orders, 5 of which, including primates and predators, contain more than 10 species. Groups of conserved G4 motifs and single-nucleotide variants within these groups were discovered using a block alignment approach (based on the Nucleotide PanGenome explorer). It has been shown that: (i) G4 motifs are predominantly located in the region proximal to the transcription start site (up to 400 bp) and are over-represented on the non-coding strand of the TERT promoters, (ii) 11 to 22% of the G4 motifs found are evolutionarily conserved across the related organisms, and (iii) a statistically significant higher frequency of nucleotide substitutions in the conserved G4 motifs compared to the surrounding regions was confirmed only for the order Primates. These data support the assumption that G4s can interfere with the DNA repair process and affect the evolutionary adaptation of organisms and species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vera V Panova
- Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Nina G Dolinnaya
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Kirill A Novoselov
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Viktoriia Yu Savitskaya
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Ivan S Chernykh
- Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Elena A Kubareva
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Andrei V Alexeevski
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119992, Russia
- Department of Mathematics, Scientific Research Institute for System Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskii Prospekt 36-1, Moscow 117218, Russia
| | - Maria I Zvereva
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow 119991, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Li G, Su G, Wang Y, Wang W, Shi J, Li D, Sui G. Integrative genomic analyses of promoter G-quadruplexes reveal their selective constraint and association with gene activation. Commun Biol 2023; 6:625. [PMID: 37301913 PMCID: PMC10257653 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05015-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) regulate DNA replication and gene transcription, and are enriched in promoters without fully appreciated functional relevance. Here we show high selection pressure on putative G4 (pG4) forming sequences in promoters through investigating genetic and genomic data. Analyses of 76,156 whole-genome sequences reveal that G-tracts and connecting loops in promoter pG4s display lower or higher allele frequencies, respectively, than pG4-flanking regions, and central guanines (Gs) in G-tracts show higher selection pressure than other Gs. Additionally, pG4-promoters produce over 72.4% of transcripts, and promoter G4-containing genes are expressed at relatively high levels. Most genes repressed by TMPyP4, a G4-ligand, regulate epigenetic processes, and promoter G4s are enriched with gene activation histone marks, chromatin remodeler and transcription factor binding sites. Consistently, cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs) are enriched in promoter pG4s and their G-tracts. Overall, our study demonstrates selective constraint of promoter G4s and reinforces their stimulative role in gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangyue Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Gongbo Su
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Yunxuan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Wenmeng Wang
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Jinming Shi
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Dangdang Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Guangchao Sui
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Xu Q, Kowalski J. NBBC: a non-B DNA burden explorer in cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2023:7177884. [PMID: 37224529 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternate (non-B) DNA-forming structures, such as Z-DNA, G-quadruplex, triplex have demonstrated a potential role in cancer etiology. It has been found that non-B DNA-forming sequences can stimulate genetic instability in human cancer genomes, implicating them in the development of cancer and other genetic diseases. While there exist several non-B prediction tools and databases, they lack the ability to both analyze and visualize non-B data within a cancer context. Herein, we introduce NBBC, a non-B DNA burden explorer in cancer, that offers analyses and visualizations for non-B DNA forming motifs. To do so, we introduce 'non-B burden' as a metric to summarize the prevalence of non-B DNA motifs at the gene-, signature- and genomic site-levels. Using our non-B burden metric, we developed two analyses modules within a cancer context to assist in exploring both gene- and motif-level non-B type heterogeneity among gene signatures. NBBC is designed to serve as a new analysis and visualization platform for the exploration of non-B DNA, guided by non-B burden as a novel marker.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xu
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeanne Kowalski
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Krall JB, Nichols PJ, Henen MA, Vicens Q, Vögeli B. Structure and Formation of Z-DNA and Z-RNA. Molecules 2023; 28:843. [PMID: 36677900 PMCID: PMC9867160 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite structural differences between the right-handed conformations of A-RNA and B-DNA, both nucleic acids adopt very similar, left-handed Z-conformations. In contrast to their structural similarities and sequence preferences, RNA and DNA exhibit differences in their ability to adopt the Z-conformation regarding their hydration shells, the chemical modifications that promote the Z-conformation, and the structure of junctions connecting them to right-handed segments. In this review, we highlight the structural and chemical properties of both Z-DNA and Z-RNA and delve into the potential factors that contribute to both their similarities and differences. While Z-DNA has been extensively studied, there is a gap of knowledge when it comes to Z-RNA. Where such information is lacking, we try and extend the principles of Z-DNA stability and formation to Z-RNA, considering the inherent differences of the nucleic acids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B. Krall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Parker J. Nichols
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Morkos A. Henen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Quentin Vicens
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Beat Vögeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| |
Collapse
|