1
|
Verstraete MH, Dini P, Orellana D, Uribe-Salazar JM, Veras MM, Carneiro F, Daels P, Fernandes CB. Placental homogeneity: Characterizing transcriptional variation among equine chorioallantoic locations. Theriogenology 2024; 229:75-82. [PMID: 39167835 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The proper function of the placenta is essential for the health and growth of the fetus and the mother. The placenta relies on dynamic gene expression for its correct and timely development and function. Although numerous studies have identified genes vital for placental functions, equine placental molecular research has primarily focused on single placental locations, in sharp contrast with the broader approach in human studies. Here, we hypothesized that the molecular differences across different regions of the equine placenta are negligible because of its diffuse placental type with a macroscopic homogenous distribution of villi across the placental surface. We compared the transcriptome and stereological findings of the body, pregnant horn, and non-pregnant horn within the equine chorioallantois. Our transcriptomic analysis indicates that the variation between regions of the placenta within individuals is less than the variation observed between individuals. A low number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (n = 8) was identified when comparing pregnant and non-pregnant horns within the same placenta, suggesting a remarkable molecular uniformity. A higher number of DEGs was identified when comparing each horn to the body (193 DEGs comparing pregnant horn with body and 207 DEGs comparing non-pregnant horn with body). Genes with a higher expression in the body were associated with processes such as extracellular matrix synthesis and remodeling, which is relevant for placental maturation and placenta-endometrial separation at term and implies asynchrony of these processes across locations. The stereological analysis showed no differences in microcotyledonary density, and width between the locations. However, we observed a greater chorioallantoic thickness in the body and pregnant horn compared to the non-pregnant horn. Overall, our findings reveal a uniform transcriptomic profile across the placental horns, alongside a more distinct gene expression pattern between the uterine body and horns. These regional differences in gene expression suggest a different pace in the placental maturation and detachment among the placental locations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margo H Verstraete
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Pouya Dini
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Daniela Orellana
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Mariana M Veras
- Laboratory of environmental and experimental pathology, School of medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francieli Carneiro
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Peter Daels
- Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Claudia B Fernandes
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bugno-Poniewierska M, Jankowska M, Raudsepp T, Kowalska K, Pawlina-Tyszko K, Szmatola T. Molecular cytogenetic screening of sex chromosome abnormalities in young horse populations. Equine Vet J 2024; 56:786-795. [PMID: 38785417 DOI: 10.1111/evj.14097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromosomal abnormalities occur in the equine population at a rate of approximately 2%. The use of molecular cytogenetic techniques allows a more accurate identification of chromosomal abnormalities, especially those with a low rate of abnormal metaphases, demonstrating that the actual incidence in equine populations is higher. OBJECTIVES Estimation of the number of carriers of karyotypic abnormalities in a sample from a population of young horses of various breeds, using molecular cytogenetic techniques. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional. METHODS Venous blood samples were collected from 500 young horses representing 5 breeds (Purebred Arabian, Hucul, Polish primitive horse [Konik], Małopolska, Coldblood, Silesian). Chromosomes and DNA were obtained from blood lymphocytes and evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and PCR, using probes and markers for the sex chromosomes and select autosomes. RESULTS Nineteen horses, 18 mares and 1 stallion, were diagnosed with different chromosomal abnormalities: 17 cases of mosaic forms of sex chromosome aneuploidies with a very low incidence (0.6%-4.7%), one case of a SRY-negative 64,XY sex reversal mare, and one mare with X-autosome translocation. The percentage of sex chromosomal aberrations was established as 3.8% in the whole population, 6.08% in females and 0.49% in males. MAIN LIMITATIONS Limited sample size, confined to horses from Poland. CONCLUSIONS The rate of sex chromosomal abnormalities we identified was almost double that reported in previous population studies that used classical chromosome staining techniques. FISH allowed the detection of aneuploid cell lines which had a very low incidence. The FISH technique is a faster and more precise method for karyotype examination; however, it is usually focused on only one or two chromosomes while banding karyotyping includes the entire chromosome set.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Bugno-Poniewierska
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Jankowska
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kowalska
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland
| | - Klaudia Pawlina-Tyszko
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland
| | - Tomasz Szmatola
- Department of Animal Molecular Biology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland
- Centre of Experimental and Innovative Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Peña FJ, Martín-Cano FE, Becerro-Rey L, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gaitskell-Phillips G, da Silva-Álvarez E, Gil MC. The future of equine semen analysis. Reprod Fertil Dev 2024; 36:RD23212. [PMID: 38467450 DOI: 10.1071/rd23212] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
We are currently experiencing a period of rapid advancement in various areas of science and technology. The integration of high throughput 'omics' techniques with advanced biostatistics, and the help of artificial intelligence, is significantly impacting our understanding of sperm biology. These advances will have an appreciable impact on the practice of reproductive medicine in horses. This article provides a brief overview of recent advances in the field of spermatology and how they are changing assessment of sperm quality. This article is written from the authors' perspective, using the stallion as a model. We aim to portray a brief overview of the changes occurring in the assessment of sperm motility and kinematics, advances in flow cytometry, implementation of 'omics' technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence/self-learning in data analysis. We also briefly discuss how some of the advances can be readily available to the practitioner, through the implementation of 'on-farm' devices and telemedicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando J Peña
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Francisco Eduardo Martín-Cano
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Laura Becerro-Rey
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Cristina Ortega-Ferrusola
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Gemma Gaitskell-Phillips
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Eva da Silva-Álvarez
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - María Cruz Gil
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu X, Chen W, Huang B, Wang X, Peng Y, Zhang X, Chai W, Khan MZ, Wang C. Advancements in copy number variation screening in herbivorous livestock genomes and their association with phenotypic traits. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1334434. [PMID: 38274664 PMCID: PMC10808162 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1334434] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNVs) have garnered increasing attention within the realm of genetics due to their prevalence in human, animal, and plant genomes. These structural genetic variations have demonstrated associations with a broad spectrum of phenotypic diversity, economic traits, environmental adaptations, epidemics, and other essential aspects of both plants and animals. Furthermore, CNVs exhibit extensive sequence variability and encompass a wide array of genomes. The advancement and maturity of microarray and sequencing technologies have catalyzed a surge in research endeavors pertaining to CNVs. This is particularly prominent in the context of livestock breeding, where molecular markers have gained prominence as a valuable tool in comparison to traditional breeding methods. In light of these developments, a contemporary and comprehensive review of existing studies on CNVs becomes imperative. This review serves the purpose of providing a brief elucidation of the fundamental concepts underlying CNVs, their mutational mechanisms, and the diverse array of detection methods employed to identify these structural variations within genomes. Furthermore, it seeks to systematically analyze the recent advancements and findings within the field of CNV research, specifically within the genomes of herbivorous livestock species, including cattle, sheep, horses, and donkeys. The review also highlighted the role of CNVs in shaping various phenotypic traits including growth traits, reproductive traits, pigmentation and disease resistance etc., in herbivorous livestock. The main goal of this review is to furnish readers with an up-to-date compilation of knowledge regarding CNVs in herbivorous livestock genomes. By integrating the latest research findings and insights, it is anticipated that this review will not only offer pertinent information but also stimulate future investigations into the realm of CNVs in livestock. In doing so, it endeavors to contribute to the enhancement of breeding strategies, genomic selection, and the overall improvement of herbivorous livestock production and resistance to diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Muhammad Zahoor Khan
- Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Changfa Wang
- Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jevit MJ, Castaneda C, Paria N, Das PJ, Miller D, Antczak DF, Kalbfleisch TS, Davis BW, Raudsepp T. Trio-binning of a hinny refines the comparative organization of the horse and donkey X chromosomes and reveals novel species-specific features. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20180. [PMID: 37978222 PMCID: PMC10656420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47583-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We generated single haplotype assemblies from a hinny hybrid which significantly improved the gapless contiguity for horse and donkey autosomal genomes and the X chromosomes. We added over 15 Mb of missing sequence to both X chromosomes, 60 Mb to donkey autosomes and corrected numerous errors in donkey and some in horse reference genomes. We resolved functionally important X-linked repeats: the DXZ4 macrosatellite and ampliconic Equine Testis Specific Transcript Y7 (ETSTY7). We pinpointed the location of the pseudoautosomal boundaries (PAB) and determined the size of the horse (1.8 Mb) and donkey (1.88 Mb) pseudoautosomal regions (PARs). We discovered distinct differences in horse and donkey PABs: a testis-expressed gene, XKR3Y, spans horse PAB with exons1-2 located in Y and exon3 in the X-Y PAR, whereas the donkey XKR3Y is Y-specific. DXZ4 had a similar ~ 8 kb monomer in both species with 10 copies in horse and 20 in donkey. We assigned hundreds of copies of ETSTY7, a sequence horizontally transferred from Parascaris and massively amplified in equids, to horse and donkey X chromosomes and three autosomes. The findings and products contribute to molecular studies of equid biology and advance research on X-linked conditions, sex chromosome regulation and evolution in equids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Jevit
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Caitlin Castaneda
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Nandina Paria
- Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX, 75219, USA
| | - Pranab J Das
- ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig, Rani, Guwahati, Assam, 781131, India
| | - Donald Miller
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Douglas F Antczak
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Theodore S Kalbfleisch
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Brian W Davis
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
De Coster T, Van Poucke M, Bogado Pascottini O, Angel-Velez D, Van den Branden E, Peere S, Papas M, Gerits I, Govaere J, Peelman L, Vermeesch JR, Van Soom A, Smits K. Single closed-tube quantitative real-time PCR assay with dual-labelled probes for improved sex determination of equine embryos. Animal 2023; 17:100952. [PMID: 37913607 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100952] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to fulfilling many breeders' curiosity, equine embryonic sex determination can have a profound commercial impact. However, the application of currently described assays for equine embryonic sexing has rendered variable diagnosis and validation rates, with sensitivity being the main problem. In addition, while pregnancy results of in vivo-flushed equine embryos following a needle aspiration biopsy equal those of non-biopsied embryos, the effect on in vitro-produced embryos is unknown. Here, we aimed to develop a highly sensitive and specific assay for equine sex determination that can be directly performed on few embryonic cells, and to test the effect of a needle aspiration biopsy on the viability of the in vitro-produced embryo. To this end, a multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay with dual-labelled probes was designed to allow the simultaneous generation of both male-specific and control fragments in a single closed-tube reaction, avoiding potential sample loss or contamination. To improve sensitivity, multicopy and polymeric genes were chosen to be specifically amplified, i.e., eight copies of Y-chromosomal ETSTY5 as male-specific and four autosomal UBC monomers as control fragment. Specificity was enhanced by the equine-specific character of ETSTY5 and by using dual-labelled probes. The assay was optimised with equine male and female genomic DNA and demonstrated a 100% accuracy and a >95% qPCR efficiency down to 10 pg of DNA. The assay was subsequently applied to determine the sex of 44 in vitro-produced embryos, collecting trophectoderm biopsies by means of a needle aspiration biopsy and herniating cells. Of all trophectoderm biopsies and herniating cell samples (n = 54), 87% could be diagnosed. Assay results were validated on a second sample obtained from the biopsied embryo (n = 18) or, by ultrasound-based sex determination of the foetus (n = 7) following the transfer of the biopsied embryo to a recipient mare, with about half of the embryos being fillies and colts. The needle aspiration biopsy procedure did not impair initial pregnancy rate or early pregnancy losses as compared to non-biopsied embryos. In conclusion, we report a safe, reliable, fast, and cost-effective assay for equine sex determination which was validated for the sex determination of in vitro-produced embryos based on few embryonic cells, and needle aspiration biopsy did not impair the embryo's viability. The assay and safe biopsy strategy hold potential for other applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T De Coster
- Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Laboratory for Cytogenetics and Genome Research, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - M Van Poucke
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - O Bogado Pascottini
- Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - D Angel-Velez
- Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Research Group in Animal Sciences - INCA-CES, Universidad CES, Medellin, Colombia
| | - E Van den Branden
- Clinic of Large Animal Reproduction, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - S Peere
- Clinic of Large Animal Reproduction, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - M Papas
- Clinic of Large Animal Reproduction, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - I Gerits
- Clinic of Large Animal Reproduction, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - J Govaere
- Clinic of Large Animal Reproduction, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - L Peelman
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - J R Vermeesch
- Laboratory for Cytogenetics and Genome Research, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - A Van Soom
- Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - K Smits
- Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Giontella A, Cardinali I, Sarti FM, Silvestrelli M, Lancioni H. Y-Chromosome Haplotype Report among Eight Italian Horse Breeds. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1602. [PMID: 37628653 PMCID: PMC10454838 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081602] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Horse domestication and breed selection processes have profoundly influenced the development and transformation of human society and civilization over time. Therefore, their origin and history have always attracted much attention. In Italy, several local breeds have won prestigious awards thanks to their unique traits and socio-cultural peculiarities. Here, for the first time, we report the genetic variation of three loci of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) of four local breeds and another one (Lipizzan, UNESCO) well-represented in the Italian Peninsula. The analysis also includes data from three Sardinian breeds and another forty-eight Eurasian and Mediterranean horse breeds retrieved from GenBank for comparison. Three haplotypes (HT1, HT2, and HT3) were found in Italian stallions, with different spatial distributions between breeds. HT1 (the ancestral haplotype) was frequent, especially in Bardigiano and Monterufolino, HT2 (Neapolitan/Oriental wave) was found in almost all local breeds, and HT3 (Thoroughbred wave) was detected in Maremmano and two Sardinian breeds (Sardinian Anglo-Arab and Sarcidano). This differential distribution is due to three paternal introgressions of imported stallions from foreign countries to improve local herds; however, further genetic analyses are essential to reconstruct the genetic history of native horse breeds, evaluate the impact of selection events, and enable conservation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (A.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Maria Sarti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Silvestrelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (A.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kaufmann P, Wiberg RAW, Papachristos K, Scofield DG, Tellgren-Roth C, Immonen E. Y-Linked Copy Number Polymorphism of Target of Rapamycin Is Associated with Sexual Size Dimorphism in Seed Beetles. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad167. [PMID: 37479678 PMCID: PMC10414808 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad167] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Y chromosome is theorized to facilitate evolution of sexual dimorphism by accumulating sexually antagonistic loci, but empirical support is scarce. Due to the lack of recombination, Y chromosomes are prone to degenerative processes, which poses a constraint on their adaptive potential. Yet, in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus segregating Y linked variation affects male body size and thereby sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Here, we assemble C. maculatus sex chromosome sequences and identify molecular differences associated with Y-linked SSD variation. The assembled Y chromosome is largely euchromatic and contains over 400 genes, many of which are ampliconic with a mixed autosomal and X chromosome ancestry. Functional annotation suggests that the Y chromosome plays important roles in males beyond primary reproductive functions. Crucially, we find that, besides an autosomal copy of the gene target of rapamycin (TOR), males carry an additional TOR copy on the Y chromosome. TOR is a conserved regulator of growth across taxa, and our results suggest that a Y-linked TOR provides a male specific opportunity to alter body size. A comparison of Y haplotypes associated with male size difference uncovers a copy number variation for TOR, where the haplotype associated with decreased male size, and thereby increased sexual dimorphism, has two additional TOR copies. This suggests that sexual conflict over growth has been mitigated by autosome to Y translocation of TOR followed by gene duplications. Our results reveal that despite of suppressed recombination, the Y chromosome can harbor adaptive potential as a male-limited supergene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Kaufmann
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (Evolutionary Biology program), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R Axel W Wiberg
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (Evolutionary Biology program), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Ecology Division, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Douglas G Scofield
- Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christian Tellgren-Roth
- National Genomics Infrastructure, Uppsala Genome Center, SciLifeLab, BioMedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elina Immonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (Evolutionary Biology program), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Batcher K, Varney S, Raudsepp T, Jevit M, Dickinson P, Jagannathan V, Leeb T, Bannasch D. Ancient segmentally duplicated LCORL retrocopies in equids. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286861. [PMID: 37289743 PMCID: PMC10249811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286861] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
LINE-1 is an active transposable element encoding proteins capable of inserting host gene retrocopies, resulting in retro-copy number variants (retroCNVs) between individuals. Here, we performed retroCNV discovery using 86 equids and identified 437 retrocopy insertions. Only 5 retroCNVs were shared between horses and other equids, indicating that the majority of retroCNVs inserted after the species diverged. A large number (17-35 copies) of segmentally duplicated Ligand Dependent Nuclear Receptor Corepressor Like (LCORL) retrocopies were present in all equids but absent from other extant perissodactyls. The majority of LCORL transcripts in horses and donkeys originate from the retrocopies. The initial LCORL retrotransposition occurred 18 million years ago (17-19 95% CI), which is coincident with the increase in body size, reduction in digit number, and changes in dentition that characterized equid evolution. Evolutionary conservation of the LCORL retrocopy segmental amplification in the Equidae family, high expression levels and the ancient timeline for LCORL retrotransposition support a functional role for this structural variant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Batcher
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Scarlett Varney
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Matthew Jevit
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter Dickinson
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tosso Leeb
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Danika Bannasch
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gong Y, Li Y, Liu X, Ma Y, Jiang L. A review of the pangenome: how it affects our understanding of genomic variation, selection and breeding in domestic animals? J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:73. [PMID: 37143156 PMCID: PMC10161434 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00860-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As large-scale genomic studies have progressed, it has been revealed that a single reference genome pattern cannot represent genetic diversity at the species level. While domestic animals tend to have complex routes of origin and migration, suggesting a possible omission of some population-specific sequences in the current reference genome. Conversely, the pangenome is a collection of all DNA sequences of a species that contains sequences shared by all individuals (core genome) and is also able to display sequence information unique to each individual (variable genome). The progress of pangenome research in humans, plants and domestic animals has proved that the missing genetic components and the identification of large structural variants (SVs) can be explored through pangenomic studies. Many individual specific sequences have been shown to be related to biological adaptability, phenotype and important economic traits. The maturity of technologies and methods such as third-generation sequencing, Telomere-to-telomere genomes, graphic genomes, and reference-free assembly will further promote the development of pangenome. In the future, pangenome combined with long-read data and multi-omics will help to resolve large SVs and their relationship with the main economic traits of interest in domesticated animals, providing better insights into animal domestication, evolution and breeding. In this review, we mainly discuss how pangenome analysis reveals genetic variations in domestic animals (sheep, cattle, pigs, chickens) and their impacts on phenotypes and how this can contribute to the understanding of species diversity. Additionally, we also go through potential issues and the future perspectives of pangenome research in livestock and poultry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Gong
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
- National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yefang Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
- National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xuexue Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
- National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
- Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, 31000, France
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
- National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Lin Jiang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
- National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Woodward E, Schlingmann K, Tobias J, Turner R. Characterisation of the testicular transcriptome in stallions with age-related testicular degeneration. Equine Vet J 2023; 55:239-252. [PMID: 35569039 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related testicular degeneration can be defined as the progressive deterioration of the testis that typically occurs in middle-aged or older males and that leads to diminished testicular function and subfertility. In the equine breeding industry, genetically valuable males maintain their value as breeding animals well into old age. Because testicular degeneration is common in middle-aged and older stallions, the disease often has a significant negative impact on a stallion's breeding career and leads to economic losses in the horse breeding industry. OBJECTIVE Because testicular degeneration is a tissue autologous disease in the horse, the objective of this study was to use whole-transcriptome sequencing to compare the testicular transcriptomes of normal, fertile stallions to those of stallions affected by age-related testicular degeneration in order to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease. STUDY DESIGN Cross sectional. METHODS Testicular tissue samples from clinical castrations or euthanasia were collected from normal healthy (n = 3) or older subfertile (n = 4) stallions. Samples were processed and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 Sequencing System. Bioinformatic analysis of the data was performed in R/RStudio, and the transcriptomes were compared between the two groups. Genes were considered to be differentially expressed between healthy and diseased tissue if they demonstrated at least a ±1.5× fold change difference and had a false discovery rate-adjusted P value <0.05. Gene ontology analysis was performed using Ingenuity® IPA. RESULTS Analyses of differential expression of individual genes, as well as computer-based gene ontology analysis, identified upregulation of cytokine-mediated inflammatory pathways in testes from stallions affected with testicular degeneration. This upregulation of inflammation was associated with upregulation of cell survival pathways, inhibition of apoptotic pathways and increases in collagen formation. MAIN LIMITATIONS There are unavoidable confounding factors (e.g. differences in breed, management, environment, age) that could create non disease-related genetic variation between our normal and affected samples. In addition, there are practical limitations to applying computer-based gene ontology analysis to equine samples. Gene ontology software relies on published information (mostly non-equine), and some biological processes (e.g. apoptosis and inflammation) are more commonly studied than others and so are over-represented in the literature and therefore more likely to be identified by computer algorithms. Caution should be taken when interpreting the data, as alterations in gene expression can be the cause of disease processes or can be the result of disease processes. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that chronic, low-grade inflammation may be involved in the pathophysiology of age-related testicular degeneration in stallions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Woodward
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Karen Schlingmann
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John Tobias
- Penn Genome Analysis Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Regina Turner
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pei S, Cao X, Wang X, Li F, Yue X. Identification of Y-SNPs within ovine MSY region and their association with testicular size. Theriogenology 2023; 197:295-300. [PMID: 36527866 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.12.010] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The screening of genomic variations within the male-specific region of the mammalian Y chromosome (MSY) is one of the most effective ways to investigate paternal evolutionary history and identify molecular markers related to male fertility. The current study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within single-copy genes of the ovine MSY, and confirm whether they are associated with testicular size. A total of 21 Y-specific gene fragments were successfully amplified to screen Y-SNPs in 956 rams across nine sheep breeds. Three Y-SNPs, including SRY16: g.88 A > G in South African Mutton Merino sheep, ZFY16: g.146 C > T in Suffolk and South African Mutton Merino sheep, and EIF2S3Y2: g.77 C > G in Hu and Tan sheep, were identified using DNA-pooled sequencing and PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. The investigation of the global distribution for three Y-SNPs showed that the C allele of ZFY16: g.146 C > T co-segregated with haplogroup y-HC, and the C/G allele of EIF2S3Y2: g.77 C > G co-segregated with haplogroup y-HA/y-HB1 in Hu sheep according to data mining from a previous study. In addition, association analysis revealed that ZFY16: g.146 C > T had a significant effect on yearling scrotal circumference in Suffolk sheep, and EIF2S3Y2: g.77 C > G was significantly associated with testicular and epididymis weight in Hu sheep (P ≤ 0.05). The current study concluded that Y-SNPs were associated with testicular size in specific sheep, which provides valuable candidate makers for selecting elite rams at an early age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengwei Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Xuetao Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Xinji Wang
- Extension Station of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine in Minqin, Minqin County, 733300, China
| | - Fadi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Xiangpeng Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cardinali I, Giontella A, Tommasi A, Silvestrelli M, Lancioni H. Unlocking Horse Y Chromosome Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122272. [PMID: 36553539 PMCID: PMC9777570 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The present equine genetic variation mirrors the deep influence of intensive breeding programs during the last 200 years. Here, we provide a comprehensive current state of knowledge on the trends and prospects on the variation in the equine male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY), which was assembled for the first time in 2018. In comparison with the other 12 mammalian species, horses are now the most represented, with 56 documented MSY genes. However, in contrast to the high variability in mitochondrial DNA observed in many horse breeds from different geographic areas, modern horse populations demonstrate extremely low genetic Y-chromosome diversity. The selective pressures employed by breeders using pedigree data (which are not always error-free) as a predictive tool represent the main cause of this lack of variation in the Y-chromosome. Nevertheless, the detailed phylogenies obtained by recent fine-scaled Y-chromosomal genotyping in many horse breeds worldwide have contributed to addressing the genealogical, forensic, and population questions leading to the reappraisal of the Y-chromosome as a powerful genetic marker to avoid the loss of biodiversity as a result of selective breeding practices, and to better understand the historical development of horse breeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: (I.C.); (A.G.)
| | - Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: (I.C.); (A.G.)
| | - Anna Tommasi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Castaneda C, Radović L, Felkel S, Juras R, Davis BW, Cothran EG, Wallner B, Raudsepp T. Copy number variation of horse Y chromosome genes in normal equine populations and in horses with abnormal sex development and subfertility: relationship of copy number variations with Y haplogroups. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac278. [PMID: 36227030 PMCID: PMC9713435 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Structural rearrangements like copy number variations in the male-specific Y chromosome have been associated with male fertility phenotypes in human and mouse but have been sparsely studied in other mammalian species. Here, we designed digital droplet PCR assays for 7 horse male-specific Y chromosome multicopy genes and SRY and evaluated their absolute copy numbers in 209 normal male horses of 22 breeds, 73 XY horses with disorders of sex development and/or infertility, 5 Przewalski's horses and 2 kulans. This established baseline copy number for these genes in horses. The TSPY gene showed the highest copy number and was the most copy number variable between individuals and breeds. SRY was a single-copy gene in most horses but had 2-3 copies in some indigenous breeds. Since SRY is flanked by 2 copies of RBMY, their copy number variations were interrelated and may lead to SRY-negative XY disorders of sex development. The Przewalski's horse and kulan had 1 copy of SRY and RBMY. TSPY and ETSTY2 showed significant copy number variations between cryptorchid and normal males (P < 0.05). No significant copy number variations were observed in subfertile/infertile males. Notably, copy number of TSPY and ETSTY5 differed between successive male generations and between cloned horses, indicating germline and somatic mechanisms for copy number variations. We observed no correlation between male-specific Y chromosome gene copy number variations and male-specific Y chromosome haplotypes. We conclude that the ampliconic male-specific Y chromosome reference assembly has deficiencies and further studies with an improved male-specific Y chromosome assembly are needed to determine selective constraints over horse male-specific Y chromosome gene copy number and their relation to stallion reproduction and male biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Castaneda
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784-4458, USA
| | - Lara Radović
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Sabine Felkel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Computational Biology, BOKU University of Life Sciences and Natural Resources, Vienna 1190, Austria
| | - Rytis Juras
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784-4458, USA
| | - Brian W Davis
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784-4458, USA
| | - Ernest Gus Cothran
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784-4458, USA
| | - Barbara Wallner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784-4458, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pei S, Xu H, Wang L, Li F, Li W, Yue X. Copy number variation of ZNF280BY across eight sheep breeds and its association with testicular size of Hu sheep. J Anim Sci 2022; 100:6624001. [PMID: 35775620 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ZNF280BY, a bovid-specific Y chromosome gene, was firstly found to be highly expressed in bovine testis, indicating it may play important roles in testicular development and male fertility. In this study, we firstly cloned the full-length cDNA of ovine ZNF280BY containing 1993 bp, and with a 1632 bp open reading frame. ZNF280BY was predominantly expressed in the testis, and its expression level was significantly higher in large testis than in small testis in Hu sheep at 6 months of age. In addition, the expression level of ZNF280BY significantly increased during testicular development, showing the highest expression level at 12 months of age. ZNF280BY showed copy number variation (CNV) in 723 rams from eight sheep breeds, ranging from 17 to 514 copies, with a median copy number of 188. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the CNV of ZNF280BY was negatively correlated with testis size in Hu sheep. Furthermore, its mRNA expression level in testis had no significant correlation with the CNV but was significantly correlated with testis size. This study concluded that the expression of ZNF280BY was closely related to testicular development, and the CNV of ZNF280BY could be used as an important genetic marker to evaluate the ram reproductive capacity at an early stage in Hu sheep.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengwei Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| | - Haiyue Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| | - Fadi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| | - Wanhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| | - Xiangpeng Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ghosh S, Kjöllerström J, Metcalfe L, Reed S, Juras R, Raudsepp T. The Second Case of Non-Mosaic Trisomy of Chromosome 26 with Homologous Fusion 26q;26q in the Horse. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070803. [PMID: 35405793 PMCID: PMC8996834 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We present chromosome and DNA analysis of a normal Thoroughbred mare and her abnormal foal born with neurologic defects. We show that the foal has an abnormal karyotype with three copies of chromosome 26 (trisomy chr26), instead of the normal two. However, two of the three chr26 have fused, forming an unusual derivative chromosome. Chromosomes of the dam are normal, suggesting that the chromosome abnormality found in the foal happened during egg or sperm formation or after fertilization. Analysis of the foal and the dam with chr26 DNA markers indicates that the extra chr26 in the foal is likely of maternal origin and that the unusual derivative chromosome resulted from the fusion of two parental chr26. We demonstrate that although conventional karyotype analysis can accurately identify chromosome abnormalities, determining the mechanism and parental origin of these abnormalities requires DNA analysis. Most curiously, this is the second case of trisomy chr26 with unusual derivative chromosome in the horse, whereas all other equine trisomies have three separate copies of the chromosome involved. Because horse chr26 shares genetic similarity with human chr21, which trisomy causes Down syndrome, common features between trisomies of horse chr26 and human chr21 are discussed. Abstract We present cytogenetic and genotyping analysis of a Thoroughbred foal with congenital neurologic disorders and its phenotypically normal dam. We show that the foal has non-mosaic trisomy for chromosome 26 (ECA26) but normal 2n = 64 diploid number because two copies of ECA26 form a metacentric derivative chromosome der(26q;26q). The dam has normal 64,XX karyotype indicating that der(26q;26q) in the foal originates from errors in parental meiosis or post-fertilization events. Genotyping ECA26 microsatellites in the foal and its dam suggests that trisomy ECA26 is likely of maternal origin and that der(26q;26q) resulted from Robertsonian fusion. We demonstrate that conventional and molecular cytogenetic approaches can accurately identify aneuploidy with a derivative chromosome but determining the mechanism and parental origin of the rearrangement requires genotyping with chromosome-specific polymorphic markers. Most curiously, this is the second case of trisomy ECA26 with der(26q;26q) in the horse, whereas all other equine autosomal trisomies are ‘traditional’ with three separate chromosomes. We discuss possible ECA26 instability as a contributing factor for the aberration and likely ECA26-specific genetic effects on the clinical phenotype. Finally, because ECA26 shares evolutionary homology with human chromosome 21, which trisomy causes Down syndrome, cytogenetic, molecular, and phenotypic similarities between trisomies ECA26 and HSA21 are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharmila Ghosh
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (S.G.); (J.K.); (R.J.)
| | - Josefina Kjöllerström
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (S.G.); (J.K.); (R.J.)
| | - Laurie Metcalfe
- Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, KY 40580, USA; (L.M.); (S.R.)
| | - Stephen Reed
- Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, KY 40580, USA; (L.M.); (S.R.)
| | - Rytis Juras
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (S.G.); (J.K.); (R.J.)
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (S.G.); (J.K.); (R.J.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cristina R, Viviana G, Domenico I, Filomena M, Angela P, Alfredo P. State of the art on the physical mapping of the Y-chromosome in the <i>Bovidae</i> and comparison with other species. Anim Biosci 2022; 35:1289-1302. [PMID: 35240029 PMCID: PMC9449390 DOI: 10.5713/ab.21.0480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The next generation sequencing has significantly contributed to clarify the genome structure of many species of zootechnical interest. However, to date, some portions of the genome, especially those linked to a heterogametic nature such as the Y chromosome, are difficult to assemble and many gaps are still present. It is well known that the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is an excellent tool for identifying genes unequivocably mapped on chromosomes. Therefore, FISH can contribute to the localization of unplaced genome sequences, as well as to correct assembly errors generated by comparative bioinformatics. To this end, it is necessary to have starting points; therefore, in this study, we reviewed the physically mapped genes on the Y chromosome of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and alpacas. A total of 208 loci were currently mapped by FISH. 89 were located in the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) and 119 were identified in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR). The loci reported in MSY and PAR were respectively: 18 and 25 in Bos taurus, 5 and 7 in Bubalus bubalis, 5 and 24 in Ovis aries, 5 and 19 in Capra hircus, 10 and 16 in Sus scrofa, 46 and 18 in Equus caballus. While in Vicugna pacos only 10 loci are reported in the PAR region. The correct knowledge and assembly of all genome sequences, including those of genes mapped on the Y chromosome, will help to elucidate their biological processes, as well as to discover and exploit potentially epistasis effects useful for selection breeding programs.
Collapse
|
18
|
Ramos L, Antunes A. Decoding sex: Elucidating sex determination and how high-quality genome assemblies are untangling the evolutionary dynamics of sex chromosomes. Genomics 2022; 114:110277. [PMID: 35104609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is a diverse and widespread process. In gonochoristic species, the differentiation of sexes occurs through diverse mechanisms, influenced by environmental and genetic factors. In most vertebrates, a master-switch gene is responsible for triggering a sex determination network. However, only a few genes have acquired master-switch functions, and this process is associated with the evolution of sex-chromosomes, which have a significant influence in evolution. Additionally, their highly repetitive regions impose challenges for high-quality sequencing, even using high-throughput, state-of-the-art techniques. Here, we review the mechanisms involved in sex determination and their role in the evolution of species, particularly vertebrates, focusing on sex chromosomes and the challenges involved in sequencing these genomic elements. We also address the improvements provided by the growth of sequencing projects, by generating a massive number of near-gapless, telomere-to-telomere, chromosome-level, phased assemblies, increasing the number and quality of sex-chromosome sequences available for further studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luana Ramos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Molecular Cytogenetic and Y Copy Number Analysis of a Reciprocal ECAY-ECA13 Translocation in a Stallion with Complete Meiotic Arrest. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121892. [PMID: 34946841 PMCID: PMC8701272 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121892] [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: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a detailed molecular cytogenetic analysis of a reciprocal translocation between horse (ECA) chromosomes Y and 13 in a Friesian stallion with complete meiotic arrest and azoospermia. We use dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization with select ECAY and ECA13 markers and show that the translocation breakpoint in ECAY is in the multicopy region and in ECA13, at the centromere. One resulting derivative chromosome, Y;13p, comprises of ECAY heterochromatin (ETSTY7 array), a small single copy and partial Y multicopy region, and ECA13p. Another derivative chromosome 13q;Y comprises of ECA13q and most of the single copy ECAY, the pseudoautosomal region and a small part of the Y multicopy region. A copy number (CN) analysis of select ECAY multicopy genes shows that the Friesian stallion has significantly (p < 0.05) reduced CNs of TSPY, ETSTY1, and ETSTY5, suggesting that the translocation may not be completely balanced, and genetic material is lost. We discuss likely meiotic behavior of abnormal chromosomes and theorize about the possible effect of the aberration on Y regulation and the progression of meiosis. The study adds a unique case to equine clinical cytogenetics and contributes to understanding the role of the Y chromosome in male meiosis.
Collapse
|
20
|
Akter R, El-Hage CM, Sansom FM, Carrick J, Devlin JM, Legione AR. Metagenomic investigation of potential abortigenic pathogens in foetal tissues from Australian horses. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:713. [PMID: 34600470 PMCID: PMC8487468 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08010-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abortion in horses leads to economic and welfare losses to the equine industry. Most cases of equine abortions are sporadic, and the cause is often unknown. This study aimed to detect potential abortigenic pathogens in equine abortion cases in Australia using metagenomic deep sequencing methods. RESULTS After sequencing and analysis, a total of 68 and 86 phyla were detected in the material originating from 49 equine abortion samples and 8 samples from normal deliveries, respectively. Most phyla were present in both groups, with the exception of Chlamydiae that were only present in abortion samples. Around 2886 genera were present in the abortion samples and samples from normal deliveries at a cut off value of 0.001% of relative abundance. Significant differences in species diversity between aborted and normal tissues was observed. Several potential abortigenic pathogens were identified at a high level of relative abundance in a number of the abortion cases, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, Pantoea agglomerans, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Chlamydia psittaci. CONCLUSIONS This work revealed the presence of several potentially abortigenic pathogens in aborted specimens. No novel potential abortigenic agents were detected. The ability to screen samples for multiple pathogens that may not have been specifically targeted broadens the frontiers of diagnostic potential. The future use of metagenomic approaches for diagnostic purposes is likely to be facilitated by further improvements in deep sequencing technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rumana Akter
- Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, The Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Charles M El-Hage
- Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, The Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Fiona M Sansom
- Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, The Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Joan Carrick
- Equine Specialist Consulting, Scone, New South Wales, 2337, Australia
| | - Joanne M Devlin
- Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, The Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Alistair R Legione
- Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, The Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Goszczynski DE, Tinetti PS, Choi YH, Ross PJ, Hinrichs K. Allele-specific expression analysis reveals conserved and unique features of preimplantation development in equine ICSI embryos. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:1416-1426. [PMID: 34515759 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic genome activation and dosage compensation are major genetic events in early development. Combined analysis of single embryo RNA-seq data and parental genome sequencing was used to evaluate parental contributions to early development and investigate X-chromosome dynamics. In addition, we evaluated dimorphism in gene expression between male and female embryos. Evaluation of parent-specific gene expression revealed a minor increase in paternal expression at the 4-cell stage that increased at the 8-cell stage. We also detected eight genes with allelic expression bias that may have an important role in early development, notably NANOGNB. The main actor in X-chromosome inactivation, XIST, was significantly upregulated at the 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages in female embryos, with high expression at the latter. Sexual dimorphism in gene expression was identified at all stages, with strong representation of the X-chromosome in females from the 16-cell to the blastocyst stage. Female embryos showed biparental X-chromosome expression at all stages after the 4-cell stage, demonstrating the absence of imprinted X-inactivation at the embryo level. The analysis of gene dosage showed incomplete dosage compensation (0.5 < X:A < 1) in MII oocytes and embryos up to the 4-cell stage, an increase of the X:A ratio at the 16-cell and morula stages after genome activation, and a decrease of the X:A ratio at the blastocyst stage, which might be associated with the beginning of X-chromosome inactivation. This study represents the first critical analysis of parent- and sex-specific gene expression in early equine embryos produced in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D E Goszczynski
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - P S Tinetti
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Y H Choi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - P J Ross
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - K Hinrichs
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Li R, Yang P, Dai X, Asadollahpour Nanaei H, Fang W, Yang Z, Cai Y, Zheng Z, Wang X, Jiang Y. A near complete genome for goat genetic and genomic research. Genet Sel Evol 2021; 53:74. [PMID: 34507524 PMCID: PMC8434745 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-021-00668-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Goat, one of the first domesticated livestock, is a worldwide important species both culturally and economically. The current goat reference genome, known as ARS1, is reported as the first nonhuman genome assembly using 69× PacBio sequencing. However, ARS1 suffers from incomplete X chromosome and highly fragmented Y chromosome scaffolds. Results Here, we present a very high-quality de novo genome assembly, Saanen_v1, from a male Saanen dairy goat, with the first goat Y chromosome scaffold based on 117× PacBio long-read sequencing and 118× Hi-C data. Saanen_v1 displays a high level of completeness thanks to the presence of centromeric and telomeric repeats at the proximal and distal ends of two-thirds of the autosomes, and a much reduced number of gaps (169 vs. 773). The completeness and accuracy of the Saanen_v1 genome assembly are also evidenced by more assembled sequences on the chromosomes (2.63 Gb for Saanen_v1 vs. 2.58 Gb for ARS1), a slightly increased mapping ratio for transcriptomic data, and more genes anchored to chromosomes. The eight putative large assembly errors (1 to ~ 7 Mb each) found in ARS1 were amended, and for the first time, the substitution rate of this ruminant Y chromosome was estimated. Furthermore, sequence improvement in Saanen_v1, compared with ARS1, enables us to assign the likely correct positions for 4.4% of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) probes in the widely used GoatSNP50 chip. Conclusions The updated goat genome assembly including both sex chromosomes (X and Y) and the autosomes with high-resolution quality will serve as a valuable resource for goat genetic research and applications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12711-021-00668-5.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xuelei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hojjat Asadollahpour Nanaei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenwen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhirui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yudong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhuqing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xihong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Rd 22, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Naftaly AS, Pau S, White MA. Long-read RNA sequencing reveals widespread sex-specific alternative splicing in threespine stickleback fish. Genome Res 2021; 31:1486-1497. [PMID: 34131005 PMCID: PMC8327910 DOI: 10.1101/gr.274282.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alternate isoforms are important contributors to phenotypic diversity across eukaryotes. Although short-read RNA-sequencing has increased our understanding of isoform diversity, it is challenging to accurately detect full-length transcripts, preventing the identification of many alternate isoforms. Long-read sequencing technologies have made it possible to sequence full-length alternative transcripts, accurately characterizing alternative splicing events, alternate transcription start and end sites, and differences in UTR regions. Here, we use Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) long-read RNA-sequencing (Iso-Seq) to examine the transcriptomes of five organs in threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a widely used genetic model species. The threespine stickleback fish has a refined genome assembly in which gene annotations are based on short-read RNA sequencing and predictions from coding sequence of other species. This suggests some of the existing annotations may be inaccurate or alternative transcripts may not be fully characterized. Using Iso-Seq we detected thousands of novel isoforms, indicating many isoforms are absent in the current Ensembl gene annotations. In addition, we refined many of the existing annotations within the genome. We noted many improperly positioned transcription start sites that were refined with long-read sequencing. The Iso-Seq-predicted transcription start sites were more accurate and verified through ATAC-seq. We also detected many alternative splicing events between sexes and across organs. We found a substantial number of genes in both somatic and gonadal samples that had sex-specific isoforms. Our study highlights the power of long-read sequencing to study the complexity of transcriptomes, greatly improving genomic resources for the threespine stickleback fish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice S Naftaly
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Shana Pau
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA
| | - Michael A White
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Moretti C, Blanco M, Ialy-Radio C, Serrentino ME, Gobé C, Friedman R, Battail C, Leduc M, Ward MA, Vaiman D, Tores F, Cocquet J. Battle of the Sex Chromosomes: Competition between X and Y Chromosome-Encoded Proteins for Partner Interaction and Chromatin Occupancy Drives Multicopy Gene Expression and Evolution in Muroid Rodents. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:3453-3468. [PMID: 32658962 PMCID: PMC7743899 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission distorters (TDs) are genetic elements that favor their own transmission to the detriments of others. Slx/Slxl1 (Sycp3-like-X-linked and Slx-like1) and Sly (Sycp3-like-Y-linked) are TDs, which have been coamplified on the X and Y chromosomes of Mus species. They are involved in an intragenomic conflict in which each favors its own transmission, resulting in sex ratio distortion of the progeny when Slx/Slxl1 versus Sly copy number is unbalanced. They are specifically expressed in male postmeiotic gametes (spermatids) and have opposite effects on gene expression: Sly knockdown leads to the upregulation of hundreds of spermatid-expressed genes, whereas Slx/Slxl1-deficiency downregulates them. When both Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are knocked down, sex ratio distortion and gene deregulation are corrected. Slx/Slxl1 and Sly are, therefore, in competition but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. By comparing their chromatin-binding profiles and protein partners, we show that SLX/SLXL1 and SLY proteins compete for interaction with H3K4me3-reader SSTY1 (Spermiogenesis-specific-transcript-on-the-Y1) at the promoter of thousands of genes to drive their expression, and that the opposite effect they have on gene expression is mediated by different abilities to recruit SMRT/N-Cor transcriptional complex. Their target genes are predominantly spermatid-specific multicopy genes encoded by the sex chromosomes and the autosomal Speer/Takusan. Many of them have coamplified with not only Slx/Slxl1/Sly but also Ssty during muroid rodent evolution. Overall, we identify Ssty as a key element of the X versus Y intragenomic conflict, which may have influenced gene content and hybrid sterility beyond Mus lineage since Ssty amplification on the Y predated that of Slx/Slxl1/Sly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Moretti
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Mélina Blanco
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Côme Ialy-Radio
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Clara Gobé
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Christophe Battail
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, IRIG, Biology of Cancer and Infection UMR_S 1036, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marjorie Leduc
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Plateforme Protéomique 3P5, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Tores
- Plateforme de Bio-informatique, Institut Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cocquet
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Horse Clinical Cytogenetics: Recurrent Themes and Novel Findings. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030831. [PMID: 33809432 PMCID: PMC8001954 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical cytogenetic studies in horses have been ongoing for over half a century and clearly demonstrate that chromosomal disorders are among the most common non-infectious causes of decreased fertility, infertility, and congenital defects. Large-scale cytogenetic surveys show that almost 30% of horses with reproductive or developmental problems have chromosome aberrations, whereas abnormal karyotypes are found in only 2-5% of the general population. Among the many chromosome abnormalities reported in the horse, most are unique or rare. However, all surveys agree that there are two recurrent conditions: X-monosomy and SRY-negative XY male-to-female sex reversal, making up approximately 35% and 11% of all chromosome abnormalities, respectively. The two are signature conditions for the horse and rare or absent in other domestic species. The progress in equine genomics and the development of molecular tools, have qualitatively improved clinical cytogenetics today, allowing for refined characterization of aberrations and understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms. While cutting-edge genomics tools promise further improvements in chromosome analysis, they will not entirely replace traditional cytogenetics, which still is the most straightforward, cost-effective, and fastest approach for the initial evaluation of potential breeding animals and horses with reproductive or developmental disorders.
Collapse
|
26
|
Sex assignment in a non-model organism in the absence of field records using Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) data. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-021-01203-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
27
|
Rabinowitz MJ, Huffman PJ, Haney NM, Kohn TP. Y-Chromosome Microdeletions: A Review of Prevalence, Screening, and Clinical Considerations. Appl Clin Genet 2021; 14:51-59. [PMID: 33603438 PMCID: PMC7886244 DOI: 10.2147/tacg.s267421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletions within the male-specific region of the Y-chromosome, known as Y-Chromosome Microdeletions (YCMs), are present in as many as 5% and 10% of severe oligospermic and azoospermic men, respectively. These microdeletions are distinguished by which segment of the Y chromosome is absent, identified as AZFa (the most proximal segment), AZFb (middle), and AZFc (distal). The reported prevalence of YCMs within the world’s populations of infertile men displays vast heterogeneity, ranging from less than 2% to over 24% based on region and ethnicity. AZFc is the most commonly identified YCM, and its phenotypic presentation provides for the highest chance for fertility through artificial reproductive techniques. Conversely, deletions identified in the subregions of AZFa, AZFb, or any combination of regions containing these segments, are associated with low probabilities of achieving pregnancy. A putative mechanism explaining this discrepancy lies within the expression of autosomal, DAZ-like genes which could serve to “rescue” wild type AZFc gene expression and hence spermatogenesis. Nevertheless, recent reports challenge this dogma and stress the importance of further analysis when an AZFb deletion is detected. The screening thresholds to determine which oligospermic and azoospermic men are tested for potential YCMs has been recently contested. More recent literature supports lowering the threshold from 5 million sperm/mL of ejaculate to 1 million/mL as the frequency of YCMs in men with sperm concentrations between 1 and 5 million sperm/mL is very low (~0.8%). As such, subsequent guidelines should recommend a lower screening threshold. While YCMs are extremely common globally, the understanding of their clinical significance in the field remains scattered and without consensus. Furthermore, very little is currently known about partial deletions within the AZFc region, such as b1/b3, b2/b3, and gr/gr. Hence, this review aimed to summarize and discuss modern trends in the epidemiology, screening guidelines, and clinical considerations pertaining to YCMs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Rabinowitz
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Phillip J Huffman
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nora M Haney
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Taylor P Kohn
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Bellott DW, Page DC. Dosage-sensitive functions in embryonic development drove the survival of genes on sex-specific chromosomes in snakes, birds, and mammals. Genome Res 2021; 31:198-210. [PMID: 33479023 PMCID: PMC7849413 DOI: 10.1101/gr.268516.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Different ancestral autosomes independently evolved into sex chromosomes in snakes, birds, and mammals. In snakes and birds, females are ZW and males are ZZ; in mammals, females are XX and males are XY. Although X and Z Chromosomes retain nearly all ancestral genes, sex-specific W and Y Chromosomes suffered extensive genetic decay. In both birds and mammals, the genes that survived on sex-specific chromosomes are enriched for broadly expressed, dosage-sensitive regulators of gene expression, subject to strong purifying selection. To gain deeper insight into the processes that govern survival on sex-specific chromosomes, we carried out a meta-analysis of survival across 41 species-three snakes, 24 birds, and 14 mammals-doubling the number of ancestral genes under investigation and increasing our power to detect enrichments among survivors relative to nonsurvivors. Of 2564 ancestral genes, representing an eighth of the ancestral amniote genome, only 324 survive on present-day sex-specific chromosomes. Survivors are enriched for dosage-sensitive developmental processes, particularly development of neural crest-derived structures, such as the face. However, there was no enrichment for expression in sex-specific tissues, involvement in sex determination or gonadogenesis pathways, or conserved sex-biased expression. Broad expression and dosage sensitivity contributed independently to gene survival, suggesting that pleiotropy imposes additional constraints on the evolution of dosage compensation. We propose that maintaining the viability of the heterogametic sex drove gene survival on amniote sex-specific chromosomes, and that subtle modulation of the expression of survivor genes and their autosomal orthologs has disproportionately large effects on development and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Li H, Hou J, Chen Z, Zeng J, Ni Y, Li Y, Xiao X, Zhou Y, Zhang N, Long D, Liu H, Yang L, Bai X, Li Q, Li T, Che D, Li L, Wang X, Zhang P, Liao M. FifBase: a comprehensive fertility-associated indicators factor database for domestic animals. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6120284. [PMID: 33497436 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertility refers to the ability of animals to maintain reproductive function and give birth to offspring, which is an important indicator to measure the productivity of animals. Fertility is affected by many factors, among which environmental factors may also play key roles. During the past years, substantial research studies have been conducted to detect the factors related to fecundity, including genetic factors and environmental factors. However, the identified genes associated with fertility from countless previous studies are randomly dispersed in the literature, whereas some other novel fertility-related genes are needed to detect from omics-based datasets. Here, we constructed a fertility index factor database FifBase based on manually curated published literature and RNA-Seq datasets. During the construction of the literature group, we obtained 3301 articles related to fecundity for 13 species from PubMed, involving 2823 genes, which are related to 75 fecundity indicators or 47 environmental factors. Eventually, 1558 genes associated with fertility were filtered in 10 species, of which 1088 and 470 were from RNA-Seq datasets and text mining data, respectively, involving 2910 fertility-gene pairs and 58 fertility-environmental factors. All these data were cataloged into FifBase (http://www.nwsuaflmz.com/FifBase/), where the fertility-related factor information, including gene annotation and environmental factors, can be browsed, retrieved and downloaded with the user-friendly interface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Junyao Hou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ziyu Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jingyu Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu Ni
- College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yayu Li
- College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xia Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yaqi Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Deyu Long
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongfei Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Luyu Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyue Bai
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qun Li
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongtong Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dongxue Che
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Leijie Li
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, SJTU Yale Joint Center Biostatistics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mingzhi Liao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
An 8.22 Mb Assembly and Annotation of the Alpaca ( Vicugna pacos) Y Chromosome. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12010105. [PMID: 33467186 PMCID: PMC7830431 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique evolutionary dynamics and complex structure make the Y chromosome the most diverse and least understood region in the mammalian genome, despite its undisputable role in sex determination, development, and male fertility. Here we present the first contig-level annotated draft assembly for the alpaca (Vicugna pacos) Y chromosome based on hybrid assembly of short- and long-read sequence data of flow-sorted Y. The latter was also used for cDNA selection providing Y-enriched testis transcriptome for annotation. The final assembly of 8.22 Mb comprised 4.5 Mb of male specific Y (MSY) and 3.7 Mb of the pseudoautosomal region. In MSY, we annotated 15 X-degenerate genes and two novel transcripts, but no transposed sequences. Two MSY genes, HSFY and RBMY, are multicopy. The pseudoautosomal boundary is located between SHROOM2 and HSFY. Comparative analysis shows that the small and cytogenetically distinct alpaca Y shares most of MSY sequences with the larger dromedary and Bactrian camel Y chromosomes. Most of alpaca X-degenerate genes are also shared with other mammalian MSYs, though WWC3Y is Y-specific only in alpaca/camels and the horse. The partial alpaca Y assembly is a starting point for further expansion and will have applications in the study of camelid populations and male biology.
Collapse
|
31
|
Donkey genomes provide new insights into domestication and selection for coat color. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6014. [PMID: 33293529 PMCID: PMC7723042 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19813-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge about the evolutionary history of donkeys is still incomplete due to the lack of archeological and whole-genome diversity data. To fill this gap, we have de novo assembled a chromosome-level reference genome of one male Dezhou donkey and analyzed the genomes of 126 domestic donkeys and seven wild asses. Population genomics analyses indicate that donkeys were domesticated in Africa and conclusively show reduced levels of Y chromosome variability and discordant paternal and maternal histories, possibly reflecting the consequences of reproductive management. We also investigate the genetic basis of coat color. While wild asses show diluted gray pigmentation (Dun phenotype), domestic donkeys display non-diluted black or chestnut coat colors (non-Dun) that were probably established during domestication. Here, we show that the non-Dun phenotype is caused by a 1 bp deletion downstream of the TBX3 gene, which decreases the expression of this gene and its inhibitory effect on pigment deposition. A new donkey reference genome and comparisons with wild asses yields insights into the evolutionary history of donkey domestication and identifies a genetic variant that results in the non-Dun coat colours of domestic donkeys.
Collapse
|
32
|
Murphy WJ, Foley NM, Bredemeyer KR, Gatesy J, Springer MS. Phylogenomics and the Genetic Architecture of the Placental Mammal Radiation. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2020; 9:29-53. [PMID: 33228377 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-061220-023149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The genomes of placental mammals are being sequenced at an unprecedented rate. Alignments of hundreds, and one day thousands, of genomes spanning the rich living and extinct diversity of species offer unparalleled power to resolve phylogenetic controversies, identify genomic innovations of adaptation, and dissect the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation. We highlight outstanding questions about the earliest phases of placental mammal diversification and the promise of newer methods, as well as remaining challenges, toward using whole genome data to resolve placental mammal phylogeny. The next phase of mammalian comparative genomics will see the completion and application of finished-quality, gapless genome assemblies from many ordinal lineages and closely related species. Interspecific comparisons between the most hypervariable genomic loci will likely reveal large, but heretofore mostly underappreciated, effects on population divergence, morphological innovation, and the origin of new species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
| | - Nicole M Foley
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
| | - Kevin R Bredemeyer
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
| | - John Gatesy
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Mark S Springer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Orlando L. The Evolutionary and Historical Foundation of the Modern Horse: Lessons from Ancient Genomics. Annu Rev Genet 2020; 54:563-581. [PMID: 32960653 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-021920-011805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The domestication of the horse some 5,500 years ago followed those of dogs, sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs by ∼2,500-10,000 years. By providing fast transportation and transforming warfare, the horse had an impact on human history with no equivalent in the animal kingdom. Even though the equine sport industry has considerable economic value today, the evolutionary history underlying the emergence of the modern domestic horse remains contentious. In the last decade, novel sequencing technologies have revolutionized our capacity to sequence the complete genome of organisms, including from archaeological remains. Applied to horses, these technologies have provided unprecedented levels of information and have considerably changed models of horse domestication. This review illustrates how ancient DNA, especially ancient genomes, has inspired researchers to rethink the process by which horses were first domesticated and then diversified into a variety of breeds showing a range of traits that are useful to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Orlando
- Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31000 Toulouse, France;
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Hughes JF, Skaletsky H, Pyntikova T, Koutseva N, Raudsepp T, Brown LG, Bellott DW, Cho TJ, Dugan-Rocha S, Khan Z, Kremitzki C, Fronick C, Graves-Lindsay TA, Fulton L, Warren WC, Wilson RK, Owens E, Womack JE, Murphy WJ, Muzny DM, Worley KC, Chowdhary BP, Gibbs RA, Page DC. Sequence analysis in Bos taurus reveals pervasiveness of X-Y arms races in mammalian lineages. Genome Res 2020; 30:1716-1726. [PMID: 33208454 PMCID: PMC7706723 DOI: 10.1101/gr.269902.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies of Y Chromosome evolution have focused primarily on gene decay, a consequence of suppression of crossing-over with the X Chromosome. Here, we provide evidence that suppression of X-Y crossing-over unleashed a second dynamic: selfish X-Y arms races that reshaped the sex chromosomes in mammals as different as cattle, mice, and men. Using super-resolution sequencing, we explore the Y Chromosome of Bos taurus (bull) and find it to be dominated by massive, lineage-specific amplification of testis-expressed gene families, making it the most gene-dense Y Chromosome sequenced to date. As in mice, an X-linked homolog of a bull Y-amplified gene has become testis-specific and amplified. This evolutionary convergence implies that lineage-specific X-Y coevolution through gene amplification, and the selfish forces underlying this phenomenon, were dominatingly powerful among diverse mammalian lineages. Together with Y gene decay, X-Y arms races molded mammalian sex chromosomes and influenced the course of mammalian evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Skaletsky
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Terje Raudsepp
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Laura G Brown
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | - Ting-Jan Cho
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan-Rocha
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ziad Khan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Colin Kremitzki
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Catrina Fronick
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Tina A Graves-Lindsay
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Lucinda Fulton
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Elaine Owens
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - James E Womack
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Bhanu P Chowdhary
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Martínez-Pacheco M, Tenorio M, Almonte L, Fajardo V, Godínez A, Fernández D, Cornejo-Páramo P, Díaz-Barba K, Halbert J, Liechti A, Székely T, Urrutia AO, Cortez D. Expression Evolution of Ancestral XY Gametologs across All Major Groups of Placental Mammals. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:2015-2028. [PMID: 32790864 PMCID: PMC7674692 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Placental mammals present 180 million-year-old Y chromosomes that have retained a handful of dosage-sensitive genes. However, the expression evolution of Y-linked genes across placental groups has remained largely unexplored. Here, we expanded the number of Y gametolog sequences by analyzing ten additional species from previously unexplored groups. We detected seven remarkably conserved genes across 25 placental species with known Y repertoires. We then used RNA-seq data from 17 placental mammals to unveil the expression evolution of XY gametologs. We found that Y gametologs followed, on average, a 3-fold expression loss and that X gametologs also experienced some expression reduction, particularly in primates. Y gametologs gained testis specificity through an accelerated expression decay in somatic tissues. Moreover, despite the substantial expression decay of Y genes, the combined expression of XY gametologs in males is higher than that of both X gametologs in females. Finally, our work describes several features of the Y chromosome in the last common mammalian ancestor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Almonte
- Center for Genome Sciences, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | - Alan Godínez
- Center for Genome Sciences, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Jean Halbert
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Angelica Liechti
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tamas Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom.,Ecology Institute, UNAM, Mexico
| | - Diego Cortez
- Center for Genome Sciences, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Xu L, Irestedt M, Zhou Q. Sequence Transpositions Restore Genes on the Highly Degenerated W Chromosomes of Songbirds. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1267. [PMID: 33126459 PMCID: PMC7692361 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The female-specific W chromosomes of most Neognathae birds are highly degenerated and gene-poor. Previous studies have demonstrated that the gene repertoires of the Neognathae bird W chromosomes, despite being in small numbers, are conserved across bird species, likely due to purifying selection maintaining the regulatory and dosage-sensitive genes. Here we report the discovery of DNA-based sequence duplications from the Z to the W chromosome in birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae, Passeriformes), through sequence transposition. The original transposition involved nine genes, but only two of them (ANXA1 and ALDH1A1) survived on the W chromosomes. Both ANXA1 and ALDH1A1 are predicted to be dosage-sensitive, and the expression of ANXA1 is restricted to ovaries in all the investigated birds. These analyses suggest the newly transposed gene onto the W chromosomes can be favored for their role in restoring dosage imbalance or through female-specific selection. After examining seven additional songbird genomes, we further identified five other transposed genes on the W chromosomes of Darwin's finches and one in the great tit, expanding the observation of the Z-to-W transpositions to a larger range of bird species, but not all transposed genes exhibit dosage-sensitivity or ovary-biased expression We demonstrate a new mechanism by which the highly degenerated W chromosomes of songbirds can acquire genes from the homologous Z chromosomes, but further functional investigations are needed to validate the evolutionary forces underlying the transpositions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luohao Xu
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Li R, Yang P, Li M, Fang W, Yue X, Nanaei HA, Gan S, Du D, Cai Y, Dai X, Yang Q, Cao C, Deng W, He S, Li W, Ma R, Liu M, Jiang Y. A Hu sheep genome with the first ovine Y chromosome reveal introgression history after sheep domestication. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 64:1116-1130. [PMID: 32997330 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1807-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Y chromosome plays key roles in male fertility and reflects the evolutionary history of paternal lineages. Here, we present a de novo genome assembly of the Hu sheep with the first draft assembly of ovine Y chromosome (oMSY), using nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technologies. The oMSY that we generated spans 10.6 Mb from which 775 Y-SNPs were identified by applying a large panel of whole genome sequences from worldwide sheep and wild Iranian mouflons. Three major paternal lineages (HY1a, HY1b and HY2) were defined across domestic sheep, of which HY2 was newly detected. Surprisingly, HY2 forms a monophyletic clade with the Iranian mouflons and is highly divergent from both HY1a and HY1b. Demographic analysis of Y chromosomes, mitochondrial and nuclear genomes confirmed that HY2 and the maternal counterpart of lineage C represented a distinct wild mouflon population in Iran that diverge from the direct ancestor of domestic sheep, the wild mouflons in Southeastern Anatolia. Our results suggest that wild Iranian mouflons had introgressed into domestic sheep and thereby introduced this Iranian mouflon specific lineage carrying HY2 to both East Asian and Africa sheep populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Peng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Wenwen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Xiangpeng Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Hojjat Asadollahpour Nanaei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Shangquan Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi, 832000, China
| | - Duo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Yudong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Xuelei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Qimeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Chunna Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Weidong Deng
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Sangang He
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Grass feeding Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830026, China
| | - Wenrong Li
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Grass feeding Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830026, China
| | - Runlin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Mingjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Grass feeding Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830026, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Peichel CL, McCann SR, Ross JA, Naftaly AFS, Urton JR, Cech JN, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Myers RM, Kingsley DM, White MA. Assembly of the threespine stickleback Y chromosome reveals convergent signatures of sex chromosome evolution. Genome Biol 2020; 21:177. [PMID: 32684159 PMCID: PMC7368989 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heteromorphic sex chromosomes have evolved repeatedly across diverse species. Suppression of recombination between X and Y chromosomes leads to degeneration of the Y chromosome. The progression of degeneration is not well understood, as complete sequence assemblies of heteromorphic Y chromosomes have only been generated across a handful of taxa with highly degenerate sex chromosomes. Here, we describe the assembly of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) Y chromosome, which is less than 26 million years old and at an intermediate stage of degeneration. Our previous work identified that the non-recombining region between the X and the Y spans approximately 17.5 Mb on the X chromosome. RESULTS We combine long-read sequencing with a Hi-C-based proximity guided assembly to generate a 15.87 Mb assembly of the Y chromosome. Our assembly is concordant with cytogenetic maps and Sanger sequences of over 90 Y chromosome BAC clones. We find three evolutionary strata on the Y chromosome, consistent with the three inversions identified by our previous cytogenetic analyses. The threespine stickleback Y shows convergence with more degenerate sex chromosomes in the retention of haploinsufficient genes and the accumulation of genes with testis-biased expression, many of which are recent duplicates. However, we find no evidence for large amplicons identified in other sex chromosome systems. We also report an excellent candidate for the master sex-determination gene: a translocated copy of Amh (Amhy). CONCLUSIONS Together, our work shows that the evolutionary forces shaping sex chromosomes can cause relatively rapid changes in the overall genetic architecture of Y chromosomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L. Peichel
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shaugnessy R. McCann
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
| | - Joseph A. Ross
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | | | - James R. Urton
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jennifer N. Cech
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - Richard M. Myers
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - David M. Kingsley
- Department of Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Michael A. White
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Liu S, Yang Y, Pan Q, Sun Y, Ma H, Liu Y, Wang M, Zhao C, Wu C. Ancient Patrilineal Lines and Relatively High ECAY Diversity Preserved in Indigenous Horses Revealed With Novel Y-Chromosome Markers. Front Genet 2020; 11:467. [PMID: 32508879 PMCID: PMC7253630 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Extremely low nucleotide diversity of modern horse Y-chromosome has been reported, and only poor phylogenetic resolution could be resulted from limited Y-chromosome markers. In this study, three types of horse Y-chromosome markers, including Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), copy number variants (CNVs), and allele-specific CNVs, were developed by screening more than 300 male horses from 23 indigenous Chinese horse populations and 4 imported horse breeds. Fourteen segregating sites including a novel SNP in the AMELY gene were found in approximately 53 kb of male-specific Y-chromosome sequences. CNVs were detected at 11 of 14 sites, while allele-specific CNVs at 6 polymorphic sites in repeated fragments were also determined. The phylogenetic analyses with the SNPs identified in this study and previously published 51 SNPs obtained mainly from European horses showed that indigenous Chinese horses exhibit much deeper divergence than European and Middle Eastern horses, while individuals of Chinese horses with the C allele of the AMELY gene constituted the most ancient group. Via SNPs, CNVs, and allele-specific CNVs, much higher diversity of paternal lines can be detected than those identified with merely SNPs. Our results indicated that there are ancient paternal horse lines preserved in southwestern China, which sheds new light on the domestication and immigration of horses, and suggest that the priorities of the conservation should be given to the ancient and rare paternal lines. These three marker types provided finer phylogenetic resolution of horse patrilineal lines, and the strategies used in the present study also provide valuable reference for the genetic studies of other mammalian patrilineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuqin Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunzhou Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjie Pan
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Shandong, China
| | - Yujiang Sun
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Shandong, China
| | - Hongying Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunjiang Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, Beijing, China
| | - Changxin Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Equine Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Cytogenetic Mapping of 35 New Markers in the Alpaca ( Vicugna pacos). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11050522. [PMID: 32397072 PMCID: PMC7288448 DOI: 10.3390/genes11050522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpaca is a camelid species of broad economic, biological and biomedical interest, and an essential part of the cultural and historical heritage of Peru. Recently, efforts have been made to improve knowledge of the alpaca genome, and its genetics and cytogenetics, to develop molecular tools for selection and breeding. Here, we report cytogenetic mapping of 35 new markers to 19 alpaca autosomes and the X chromosome. Twenty-eight markers represent alpaca SNPs, of which 17 are located inside or near protein-coding genes, two are in ncRNA genes and nine are intergenic. The remaining seven markers correspond to candidate genes for fiber characteristics (BMP4, COL1A2, GLI1, SFRP4), coat color (TYR) and development (CHD7, PAX7). The results take the tally of cytogenetically mapped markers in alpaca to 281, covering all 36 autosomes and the sex chromosomes. The new map assignments overall agree with human–camelid conserved synteny data, except for mapping BMP4 to VPA3, suggesting a hitherto unknown homology with HSA14. The findings validate, refine and correct the current alpaca assembly VicPac3.1 by anchoring unassigned sequence scaffolds, and ordering and orienting assigned scaffolds. The study contributes to the improvement in the alpaca reference genome and advances camelid molecular cytogenetics.
Collapse
|
41
|
Acosta A, Suárez-Varón G, Rodríguez-Miranda LA, Lira-Noriega A, Aguilar-Gómez D, Gutiérrez-Mariscal M, Hernández-Gallegos O, Méndez-de-la-Cruz F, Cortez D. Corytophanids Replaced the Pleurodont XY System with a New Pair of XY Chromosomes. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2666-2677. [PMID: 31557287 PMCID: PMC6761961 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all lizard families in the pleurodont clade share the same XY system. This system was meticulously studied in Anolis carolinensis, where it shows a highly degenerated Y chromosome and a male-specific X chromosome dosage compensation mechanism. Corytophanids (casque-headed lizards) have been proposed as the only family in the pleurodont clade to lack the XY system. In this study, we worked with extensive genomic and transcriptomic data from Basiliscus vittatus, a member of the Corytophanidae family that inhabits the tropical rainforests of Mexico. We confirmed that B. vittatus underwent a sex chromosome system turnover, which consisted in the loss of the pleurodont XY system and the gain of a new pair of XY chromosomes that are orthologous to chicken chromosome 17. We estimated the origin of the sex chromosome system to have occurred ∼63 Ma in the ancestor of corytophanids. Moreover, we identified 12 XY gametologues with particular attributes, such as functions related to the membrane and intracellular trafficking, very low expression levels, blood specificity, and incomplete dosage compensation in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel Suárez-Varón
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico
| | | | - Andrés Lira-Noriega
- CONACYT Research Fellow, Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, México
| | | | | | - Oswaldo Hernández-Gallegos
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico
| | | | - Diego Cortez
- Center for Genome Sciences, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Liu R, Low WY, Tearle R, Koren S, Ghurye J, Rhie A, Phillippy AM, Rosen BD, Bickhart DM, Smith TPL, Hiendleder S, Williams JL. New insights into mammalian sex chromosome structure and evolution using high-quality sequences from bovine X and Y chromosomes. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:1000. [PMID: 31856728 PMCID: PMC6923926 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6364-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian X chromosomes are mainly euchromatic with a similar size and structure among species whereas Y chromosomes are smaller, have undergone substantial evolutionary changes and accumulated male specific genes and genes involved in sex determination. The pseudoautosomal region (PAR) is conserved on the X and Y and pair during meiosis. The structure, evolution and function of mammalian sex chromosomes, particularly the Y chromsome, is still poorly understood because few species have high quality sex chromosome assemblies. RESULTS Here we report the first bovine sex chromosome assemblies that include the complete PAR spanning 6.84 Mb and three Y chromosome X-degenerate (X-d) regions. The PAR comprises 31 genes, including genes that are missing from the X chromosome in current cattle, sheep and goat reference genomes. Twenty-nine PAR genes are single-copy genes and two are multi-copy gene families, OBP, which has 3 copies and BDA20, which has 4 copies. The Y chromosome X-d1, 2a and 2b regions contain 11, 2 and 2 gametologs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The ruminant PAR comprises 31 genes and is similar to the PAR of pig and dog but extends further than those of human and horse. Differences in the pseudoautosomal boundaries are consistent with evolutionary divergence times. A bovidae-specific expansion of members of the lipocalin gene family in the PAR reported here, may affect immune-modulation and anti-inflammatory responses in ruminants. Comparison of the X-d regions of Y chromosomes across species revealed that five of the X-Y gametologs, which are known to be global regulators of gene activity and candidate sexual dimorphism genes, are conserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruijie Liu
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Wai Yee Low
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rick Tearle
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sergey Koren
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jay Ghurye
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Lab 3104A, Biomolecular Science Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Arang Rhie
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adam M Phillippy
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, ARS USDA, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Derek M Bickhart
- Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Laboratory, ARS USDA, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Stefan Hiendleder
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - John L Williams
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Kruger AN, Brogley MA, Huizinga JL, Kidd JM, de Rooij DG, Hu YC, Mueller JL. A Neofunctionalized X-Linked Ampliconic Gene Family Is Essential for Male Fertility and Equal Sex Ratio in Mice. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3699-3706.e5. [PMID: 31630956 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian sex chromosomes harbor an abundance of newly acquired ampliconic genes, although their functions require elucidation [1-9]. Here, we demonstrate that the X-linked Slx and Slxl1 ampliconic gene families represent mouse-specific neofunctionalized copies of a meiotic synaptonemal complex protein, Sycp3. In contrast to the meiotic role of Sycp3, CRISPR-loxP-mediated multi-megabase deletions of the Slx (5 Mb) and Slxl1 (2.3Mb) ampliconic regions result in post-meiotic defects, abnormal sperm, and male infertility. Males carrying Slxl1 deletions sire more male offspring, whereas males carrying Slx and Slxl1 duplications sire more female offspring, which directly correlates with Slxl1 gene dosage and gene expression levels. SLX and SLXL1 proteins interact with spindlin protein family members (SPIN1 and SSTY1/2) and males carrying Slxl1 deletions downregulate a sex chromatin modifier, Scml2, leading us to speculate that Slx and Slxl1 function in chromatin regulation. Our study demonstrates how newly acquired X-linked genes can rapidly evolve new and essential functions and how gene amplification can increase sex chromosome transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Kruger
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michele A Brogley
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jamie L Huizinga
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Kidd
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dirk G de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Reproductive Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Jacob L Mueller
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, 1241 E. Catherine Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL. Ten years of the horse reference genome: insights into equine biology, domestication and population dynamics in the post-genome era. Anim Genet 2019; 50:569-597. [PMID: 31568563 PMCID: PMC6825885 DOI: 10.1111/age.12857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The horse reference genome from the Thoroughbred mare Twilight has been available for a decade and, together with advances in genomics technologies, has led to unparalleled developments in equine genomics. At the core of this progress is the continuing improvement of the quality, contiguity and completeness of the reference genome, and its functional annotation. Recent achievements include the release of the next version of the reference genome (EquCab3.0) and generation of a reference sequence for the Y chromosome. Horse satellite‐free centromeres provide unique models for mammalian centromere research. Despite extremely low genetic diversity of the Y chromosome, it has been possible to trace patrilines of breeds and pedigrees and show that Y variation was lost in the past approximately 2300 years owing to selective breeding. The high‐quality reference genome has led to the development of three different SNP arrays and WGSs of almost 2000 modern individual horses. The collection of WGS of hundreds of ancient horses is unique and not available for any other domestic species. These tools and resources have led to global population studies dissecting the natural history of the species and genetic makeup and ancestry of modern breeds. Most importantly, the available tools and resources, together with the discovery of functional elements, are dissecting molecular causes of a growing number of Mendelian and complex traits. The improved understanding of molecular underpinnings of various traits continues to benefit the health and performance of the horse whereas also serving as a model for complex disease across species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - C J Finno
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - R R Bellone
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - J L Petersen
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0908, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Azoospermia and Y Chromosome-Autosome Translocation in a Friesian Stallion. J Equine Vet Sci 2019; 82:102781. [PMID: 31732110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This case report describes spermatogenic arrest and azoospermia in a stallion with a unique Y chromosome-autosome translocation. Clinical diagnosis of azoospermia was based on history of infertility and evaluation of ejaculates collected for artificial insemination. Clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation of the external and internal genitalia did not reveal any abnormalities except for smaller than normal testicular size. Azoospermia of testicular origin was confirmed by determining alkaline phosphatase concentration in semen. Histological evaluation of testicular tissue after castration confirmed early spermatogenic arrest. Cytogenetic evaluation showed the presence of translocation between the Y chromosome and chromosome 13. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of azoospermia with a cytogenetically detected Y chromosome abnormality, suggesting that the horse Y chromosome may carry sequences critical for normal spermatogenesis.
Collapse
|
46
|
Rando HM, Wadlington WH, Johnson JL, Stutchman JT, Trut LN, Farré M, Kukekova AV. The Red Fox Y-Chromosome in Comparative Context. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E409. [PMID: 31142040 PMCID: PMC6627929 DOI: 10.3390/genes10060409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While the number of mammalian genome assemblies has proliferated, Y-chromosome assemblies have lagged behind. This discrepancy is caused by biological features of the Y-chromosome, such as its high repeat content, that present challenges to assembly with short-read, next-generation sequencing technologies. Partial Y-chromosome assemblies have been developed for the cat (Feliscatus), dog (Canislupusfamiliaris), and grey wolf (Canislupuslupus), providing the opportunity to examine the red fox (Vulpesvulpes) Y-chromosome in the context of closely related species. Here we present a data-driven approach to identifying Y-chromosome sequence among the scaffolds that comprise the short-read assembled red fox genome. First, scaffolds containing genes found on the Y-chromosomes of cats, dogs, and wolves were identified. Next, analysis of the resequenced genomes of 15 male and 15 female foxes revealed scaffolds containing male-specific k-mers and patterns of inter-sex copy number variation consistent with the heterogametic chromosome. Analyzing variation across these two metrics revealed 171 scaffolds containing 3.37 Mbp of putative Y-chromosome sequence. The gene content of these scaffolds is consistent overall with that of the Y-chromosome in other carnivore species, though the red fox Y-chromosome carries more copies of BCORY2 and UBE1Y than has been reported in related species and fewer copies of SRY than in other canids. The assignment of these scaffolds to the Y-chromosome serves to further characterize the content of the red fox draft genome while providing resources for future analyses of canid Y-chromosome evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Halie M Rando
- Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - William H Wadlington
- Tropical Research and Education Center, Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Jeremy T Stutchman
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Lyudmila N Trut
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.
| | - Marta Farré
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
| | - Anna V Kukekova
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Felkel S, Vogl C, Rigler D, Dobretsberger V, Chowdhary BP, Distl O, Fries R, Jagannathan V, Janečka JE, Leeb T, Lindgren G, McCue M, Metzger J, Neuditschko M, Rattei T, Raudsepp T, Rieder S, Rubin CJ, Schaefer R, Schlötterer C, Thaller G, Tetens J, Velie B, Brem G, Wallner B. The horse Y chromosome as an informative marker for tracing sire lines. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6095. [PMID: 30988347 PMCID: PMC6465346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42640-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the Y chromosome is the best-established way to reconstruct paternal family history in humans. Here, we applied fine-scaled Y-chromosomal haplotyping in horses with biallelic markers and demonstrate the potential of our approach to address the ancestry of sire lines. We de novo assembled a draft reference of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome from Illumina short reads and then screened 5.8 million basepairs for variants in 130 specimens from intensively selected and rural breeds and nine Przewalski's horses. Among domestic horses we confirmed the predominance of a young'crown haplogroup' in Central European and North American breeds. Within the crown, we distinguished 58 haplotypes based on 211 variants, forming three major haplogroups. In addition to two previously characterised haplogroups, one observed in Arabian/Coldblooded and the other in Turkoman/Thoroughbred horses, we uncovered a third haplogroup containing Iberian lines and a North African Barb Horse. In a genealogical showcase, we distinguished the patrilines of the three English Thoroughbred founder stallions and resolved a historic controversy over the parentage of the horse 'Galopin', born in 1872. We observed two nearly instantaneous radiations in the history of Central and Northern European Y-chromosomal lineages that both occurred after domestication 5,500 years ago.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Felkel
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
- Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Vogl
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Doris Rigler
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Viktoria Dobretsberger
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | | | - Ottmar Distl
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, 30559, Germany
| | - Ruedi Fries
- Lehrstuhl fuer Tierzucht, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, 3001, Switzerland
| | - Jan E Janečka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, 15282, USA
| | - Tosso Leeb
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, 3001, Switzerland
| | - Gabriella Lindgren
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Molly McCue
- Veterinary Population Medicine Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Julia Metzger
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, 30559, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Rattei
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Computational Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Terje Raudsepp
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4458, USA
| | - Stefan Rieder
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Avenches, 1580, Switzerland
| | - Carl-Johan Rubin
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 75123, Sweden
| | - Robert Schaefer
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Avenches, 1580, Switzerland
| | - Christian Schlötterer
- Institut fuer Populationsgenetik, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Georg Thaller
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Kiel, Kiel, 24098, Germany
| | - Jens Tetens
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Kiel, Kiel, 24098, Germany
- Functional Breeding Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Brandon Velie
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Gottfried Brem
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Barbara Wallner
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Kim SW, Jo A, Im J, Lee HE, Kim HS. Expression analysis of miR-221-3p and its target genes in horses. Genes Genomics 2019; 41:459-465. [PMID: 30604147 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-018-00778-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A microRNA (miRNA) is a small non-coding RNA (ncRNA) approximately 20 nucleotides long and it affects gene expression through mRNA cleavage or translational repression. Horses (Equus caballus) have been domesticated and bred to enhance their speed for racing. It has been studied extensively with genetic diversity, origins and evolution. OBJECTIVES We examined expression patterns of miR-221-3p and its target gene CDKN1C in various horse tissues. METHODS We used bioinformatic tools to examine target gene, seed region and evolutionary conservation of miR-221-3p. The expression patterns of miR-221-3p and its target gene CDKN1C were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS Among eight tissues of horse, miR-221-3p was highly expressed in cerebellum and spleen. On the other hand, only medulla was highly expressed in CDKN1C gene. CONCLUSION Our study provides expression data of miR-221-3p and CDKN1C gene in horse and suggests the fundamental information for future studies in relation to functional importance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- So-Won Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Ara Jo
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jennifer Im
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Eun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea. .,Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
|