1
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Branchi I. Uncovering the determinants of brain functioning, behavior and their interplay in the light of context. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:4687-4706. [PMID: 38558227 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16331] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Notwithstanding the huge progress in molecular and cellular neuroscience, our ability to understand the brain and develop effective treatments promoting mental health is still limited. This can be partially ascribed to the reductionist, deterministic and mechanistic approaches in neuroscience that struggle with the complexity of the central nervous system. Here, I introduce the Context theory of constrained systems proposing a novel role of contextual factors and genetic, molecular and neural substrates in determining brain functioning and behavior. This theory entails key conceptual implications. First, context is the main driver of behavior and mental states. Second, substrates, from genes to brain areas, have no direct causal link to complex behavioral responses as they can be combined in multiple ways to produce the same response and different responses can impinge on the same substrates. Third, context and biological substrates play distinct roles in determining behavior: context drives behavior, substrates constrain the behavioral repertoire that can be implemented. Fourth, since behavior is the interface between the central nervous system and the environment, it is a privileged level of control and orchestration of brain functioning. Such implications are illustrated through the Kitchen metaphor of the brain. This theoretical framework calls for the revision of key concepts in neuroscience and psychiatry, including causality, specificity and individuality. Moreover, at the clinical level, it proposes treatments inducing behavioral changes through contextual interventions as having the highest impact to reorganize the complexity of the human mind and to achieve a long-lasting improvement in mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Branchi
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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2
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Grandchamp A, Kühl L, Lebherz M, Brüggemann K, Parsch J, Bornberg-Bauer E. Population genomics reveals mechanisms and dynamics of de novo expressed open reading frame emergence in Drosophila melanogaster. Genome Res 2023; 33:872-890. [PMID: 37442576 PMCID: PMC10519401 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277482.122] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Novel genes are essential for evolutionary innovations and differ substantially even between closely related species. Recently, multiple studies across many taxa showed that some novel genes arise de novo, that is, from previously noncoding DNA. To characterize the underlying mutations that allowed de novo gene emergence and their order of occurrence, homologous regions must be detected within noncoding sequences in closely related sister genomes. So far, most studies do not detect noncoding homologs of de novo genes because of incomplete assemblies and annotations, and long evolutionary distances separating genomes. Here, we overcome these issues by searching for de novo expressed open reading frames (neORFs), the not-yet fixed precursors of de novo genes that emerged within a single species. We sequenced and assembled genomes with long-read technology and the corresponding transcriptomes from inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster, derived from seven geographically diverse populations. We found line-specific neORFs in abundance but few neORFs shared by lines, suggesting a rapid turnover. Gain and loss of transcription is more frequent than the creation of ORFs, for example, by forming new start and stop codons. Consequently, the gain of ORFs becomes rate limiting and is frequently the initial step in neORFs emergence. Furthermore, transposable elements (TEs) are major drivers for intragenomic duplications of neORFs, yet TE insertions are less important for the emergence of neORFs. However, highly mutable genomic regions around TEs provide new features that enable gene birth. In conclusion, neORFs have a high birth-death rate, are rapidly purged, but surviving neORFs spread neutrally through populations and within genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grandchamp
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Lucas Kühl
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Marie Lebherz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Kathrin Brüggemann
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - John Parsch
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Department of Protein Evolution, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Evolution and implications of de novo genes in humans. Nat Ecol Evol 2023:10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y. [PMID: 36928843 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Genes and translated open reading frames (ORFs) that emerged de novo from previously non-coding sequences provide species with opportunities for adaptation. When aberrantly activated, some human-specific de novo genes and ORFs have disease-promoting properties-for instance, driving tumour growth. Thousands of putative de novo coding sequences have been described in humans, but we still do not know what fraction of those ORFs has readily acquired a function. Here, we discuss the challenges and controversies surrounding the detection, mechanisms of origin, annotation, validation and characterization of de novo genes and ORFs. Through manual curation of literature and databases, we provide a thorough table with most de novo genes reported for humans to date. We re-evaluate each locus by tracing the enabling mutations and list proposed disease associations, protein characteristics and supporting evidence for translation and protein detection. This work will support future explorations of de novo genes and ORFs in humans.
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4
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de Lorenzo V. Innovation versus novelty in microbial systems. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:167-170. [PMID: 36335556 PMCID: PMC10098617 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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5
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Çakır U, Gabed N, Brunet M, Roucou X, Kryvoruchko I. Mosaic translation hypothesis: chimeric polypeptides produced via multiple ribosomal frameshifting as a basis for adaptability. FEBS J 2023; 290:370-378. [PMID: 34743413 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
How many different proteins can be produced from a single spliced transcript? Genome annotation projects overlook the coding potential of reading frames other than that of the reference open reading frames (refORFs). Recently, alternative open reading frames (altORFs) and their translational products, alternative proteins, have been shown to carry out important functions in various organisms. AltORFs overlapping refORFs or other altORFs in a different reading frame may be involved in one fundamental mechanism so far overlooked. A few years ago, it was proposed that altORFs may act as building blocks for chimeric (mosaic) polypeptides, which are produced via multiple ribosomal frameshifting events from a single mature transcript. We adopt terminology from that earlier discussion and call this mechanism mosaic translation. This way of extracting and combining genetic information may significantly increase proteome diversity. Thus, we hypothesize that this mechanism may have contributed to the flexibility and adaptability of organisms to a variety of environmental conditions. Specialized ribosomes acting as sensors probably played a central role in this process. Importantly, mosaic translation may be the main source of protein diversity in genomes that lack alternative splicing. The idea of mosaic translation is a testable hypothesis, although its direct demonstration is challenging. Should mosaic translation occur, we would currently highly underestimate the complexity of translation mechanisms and thus the proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umut Çakır
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Noujoud Gabed
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Department, Oran High School of Biological Sciences (ESSBO), Oran, Algeria
| | - Marie Brunet
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Genetics Service, Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), QC, Canada
| | - Xavier Roucou
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Igor Kryvoruchko
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
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6
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Evolutionary New Genes in a Growing Paradigm. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091605. [PMID: 36140774 PMCID: PMC9498540 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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7
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Mudge JM, Ruiz-Orera J, Prensner JR, Brunet MA, Calvet F, Jungreis I, Gonzalez JM, Magrane M, Martinez TF, Schulz JF, Yang YT, Albà MM, Aspden JL, Baranov PV, Bazzini AA, Bruford E, Martin MJ, Calviello L, Carvunis AR, Chen J, Couso JP, Deutsch EW, Flicek P, Frankish A, Gerstein M, Hubner N, Ingolia NT, Kellis M, Menschaert G, Moritz RL, Ohler U, Roucou X, Saghatelian A, Weissman JS, van Heesch S. Standardized annotation of translated open reading frames. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:994-999. [PMID: 35831657 PMCID: PMC9757701 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01369-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Mudge
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jorge Ruiz-Orera
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
| | - John R Prensner
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Marie A Brunet
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Genetics Service, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ferriol Calvet
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Irwin Jungreis
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jose Manuel Gonzalez
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michele Magrane
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas F Martinez
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jana Felicitas Schulz
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Yucheng T Yang
- Program in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - M Mar Albà
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julie L Aspden
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- LeedsOmics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Pavel V Baranov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ariel A Bazzini
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Elspeth Bruford
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maria Jesus Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lorenzo Calviello
- Functional Genomics Centre, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
- Computational Biology Centre, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Couso
- Centro Andaluz de Biologia del Desarrollo, CSIC-UPO, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adam Frankish
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark Gerstein
- Program in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Statistics & Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Norbert Hubner
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicholas T Ingolia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gerben Menschaert
- Biobix, Lab of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Uwe Ohler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Xavier Roucou
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Alan Saghatelian
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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8
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Klein B, Holmér L, Smith KM, Johnson MM, Swain A, Stolp L, Teufel AI, Kleppe AS. A computational exploration of resilience and evolvability of protein-protein interaction networks. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1352. [PMID: 34857859 PMCID: PMC8639913 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02867-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks represent complex intra-cellular protein interactions, and the presence or absence of such interactions can lead to biological changes in an organism. Recent network-based approaches have shown that a phenotype's PPI network's resilience to environmental perturbations is related to its placement in the tree of life; though we still do not know how or why certain intra-cellular factors can bring about this resilience. Here, we explore the influence of gene expression and network properties on PPI networks' resilience. We use publicly available data of PPIs for E. coli, S. cerevisiae, and H. sapiens, where we compute changes in network resilience as new nodes (proteins) are added to the networks under three node addition mechanisms-random, degree-based, and gene-expression-based attachments. By calculating the resilience of the resulting networks, we estimate the effectiveness of these node addition mechanisms. We demonstrate that adding nodes with gene-expression-based preferential attachment (as opposed to random or degree-based) preserves and can increase the original resilience of PPI network in all three species, regardless of gene expression distribution or network structure. These findings introduce a general notion of prospective resilience, which highlights the key role of network structures in understanding the evolvability of phenotypic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Klein
- Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-Technical Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ludvig Holmér
- grid.419684.60000 0001 1214 1861Center for Data Analytics, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Keith M. Smith
- grid.12361.370000 0001 0727 0669Department of Physics and Mathematics, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mackenzie M. Johnson
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Anshuman Swain
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Laura Stolp
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Graduate School of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ashley I. Teufel
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA ,grid.209665.e0000 0001 1941 1940Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM USA ,grid.469272.c0000 0001 0180 5693Texas A&M University, San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - April S. Kleppe
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany ,grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Department of Clinical Medicine (MOMA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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9
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Menger FM, Rizvi SAA. Evolution of Complexity. Molecular Aspects of Preassembly. Molecules 2021; 26:6618. [PMID: 34771027 PMCID: PMC8587518 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26216618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
An extension of neo-Darwinism, termed preassembly, states that genetic material required for many complex traits, such as echolocation, was present long before emergence of the traits. Assembly of genes and gene segments had occurred over protracted time-periods within large libraries of non-coding genes. Epigenetic factors ultimately promoted transfers from noncoding to coding genes, leading to abrupt formation of the trait via de novo genes. This preassembly model explains many observations that to this present day still puzzle biologists: formation of super-complexity in the absence of multiple fossil precursors, as with bat echolocation and flowering plants; major genetic and physical alterations occurring in just a few thousand years, as with housecat evolution; lack of precursors preceding lush periods of species expansion, as in the Cambrian explosion; and evolution of costly traits that exceed their need during evolutionary times, as with human intelligence. What follows in this paper is a mechanism that is not meant to supplant neo-Darwinism; instead, preassembly aims to supplement current ideas when complexity issues leave them struggling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Syed A. A. Rizvi
- School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23669, USA; or
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10
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Calatayud S, Garcia-Risco M, Pedrini-Martha V, Eernisse DJ, Dallinger R, Palacios Ò, Capdevila M, Albalat R. Modularity in Protein Evolution: Modular Organization and De Novo Domain Evolution in Mollusk Metallothioneins. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:424-436. [PMID: 32915992 PMCID: PMC7826182 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MTs) are proteins devoted to the control of metal homeostasis and detoxification, and therefore, MTs have been crucial for the adaptation of the living beings to variable situations of metal bioavailability. The evolution of MTs is, however, not yet fully understood, and to provide new insights into it, we have investigated the MTs in the diverse classes of Mollusks. We have shown that most molluskan MTs are bimodular proteins that combine six domains—α, β1, β2, β3, γ, and δ—in a lineage-specific manner. We have functionally characterized the Neritimorpha β3β1 and the Patellogastropoda γβ1 MTs, demonstrating the metal-binding capacity of the new γ domain. Our results have revealed a modular organization of mollusk MT, whose evolution has been impacted by duplication, loss, and de novo emergence of domains. MTs represent a paradigmatic example of modular evolution probably driven by the structural and functional requirements of metal binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Calatayud
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mario Garcia-Risco
- Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Veronika Pedrini-Martha
- Department of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Douglas J Eernisse
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
| | - Reinhard Dallinger
- Department of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Òscar Palacios
- Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Mercè Capdevila
- Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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11
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Lange A, Patel PH, Heames B, Damry AM, Saenger T, Jackson CJ, Findlay GD, Bornberg-Bauer E. Structural and functional characterization of a putative de novo gene in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1667. [PMID: 33712569 PMCID: PMC7954818 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21667-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative genomic studies have repeatedly shown that new protein-coding genes can emerge de novo from noncoding DNA. Still unknown is how and when the structures of encoded de novo proteins emerge and evolve. Combining biochemical, genetic and evolutionary analyses, we elucidate the function and structure of goddard, a gene which appears to have evolved de novo at least 50 million years ago within the Drosophila genus. Previous studies found that goddard is required for male fertility. Here, we show that Goddard protein localizes to elongating sperm axonemes and that in its absence, elongated spermatids fail to undergo individualization. Combining modelling, NMR and circular dichroism (CD) data, we show that Goddard protein contains a large central α-helix, but is otherwise partially disordered. We find similar results for Goddard's orthologs from divergent fly species and their reconstructed ancestral sequences. Accordingly, Goddard's structure appears to have been maintained with only minor changes over millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lange
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Prajal H Patel
- Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Brennen Heames
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Adam M Damry
- Research School of Chemistry, ANU College of Science, Canberra, Australia
| | - Thorsten Saenger
- Department of Pediatric Kidney, Liver and Metabolic Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Colin J Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, ANU College of Science, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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12
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Gaertner B, van Heesch S, Schneider-Lunitz V, Schulz JF, Witte F, Blachut S, Nguyen S, Wong R, Matta I, Hübner N, Sander M. A human ESC-based screen identifies a role for the translated lncRNA LINC00261 in pancreatic endocrine differentiation. eLife 2020; 9:e58659. [PMID: 32744504 PMCID: PMC7423336 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a heterogenous group of RNAs, which can encode small proteins. The extent to which developmentally regulated lncRNAs are translated and whether the produced microproteins are relevant for human development is unknown. Using a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based pancreatic differentiation system, we show that many lncRNAs in direct vicinity of lineage-determining transcription factors (TFs) are dynamically regulated, predominantly cytosolic, and highly translated. We genetically ablated ten such lncRNAs, most of them translated, and found that nine are dispensable for pancreatic endocrine cell development. However, deletion of LINC00261 diminishes insulin+ cells, in a manner independent of the nearby TF FOXA2. One-by-one disruption of each of LINC00261's open reading frames suggests that the RNA, rather than the produced microproteins, is required for endocrine development. Our work highlights extensive translation of lncRNAs during hESC pancreatic differentiation and provides a blueprint for dissection of their coding and noncoding roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjoern Gaertner
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Sebastiaan van Heesch
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
| | - Valentin Schneider-Lunitz
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
| | - Jana Felicitas Schulz
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
| | - Franziska Witte
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
| | - Susanne Blachut
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
| | - Steven Nguyen
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Regina Wong
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Ileana Matta
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Norbert Hübner
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)BerlinGermany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH)BerlinGermany
- Charité -UniversitätsmedizinBerlinGermany
| | - Maike Sander
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pediatric Diabetes Research Center, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
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Brunet MA, Leblanc S, Roucou X. Reconsidering proteomic diversity with functional investigation of small ORFs and alternative ORFs. Exp Cell Res 2020; 393:112057. [PMID: 32387289 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of functional yet non-annotated open reading frames (ORFs) throughout the genome of several species presents an unprecedented challenge in current genome annotation. These novel ORFs are shorter than annotated ones and many can be found on the same RNA, in opposition to current assumptions in annotation methodologies. Whilst the literature lacks consensus, these novel ORFs are commonly referred to as small ORFs (sORFs) or alternative ORFs (alt-ORFs). Unannotated ORFs represent an overlooked layer of complexity in the coding potential of genomes and are transforming our current vision of the nature of coding genes. In this review, we outline what constitutes a sORF or an alt-ORF and emphasize differences between both nomenclatures. We then describe complementary large-scale methods to accurately discover novel ORFs as well as yield functional insights on the novel proteins they encode. While serendipitous discoveries highlighted the functional importance of some novel ORFs, omics methods facilitate and improve their characterization to better understand physiological and pathological pathways. Functional annotation of sORFs, alt-ORFs and their corresponding microproteins will likely help fundamental and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Brunet
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Canada.
| | - Sebastien Leblanc
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Canada
| | - Xavier Roucou
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Canada.
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