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Synthetic moss. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:831-832. [PMID: 38906995 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01733-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
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2
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Liu C, Fu S, Yi C, Liu Y, Huang Y, Guo X, Zhang K, Liu Q, Birchler JA, Han F. Unveiling the distinctive traits of functional rye centromeres: minisatellites, retrotransposons, and R-loop formation. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024:10.1007/s11427-023-2524-0. [PMID: 38805064 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2524-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Centromeres play a vital role in cellular division by facilitating kinetochore assembly and spindle attachments. Despite their conserved functionality, centromeric DNA sequences exhibit rapid evolution, presenting diverse sizes and compositions across species. The functional significance of rye centromeric DNA sequences, particularly in centromere identity, remains unclear. In this study, we comprehensively characterized the sequence composition and organization of rye centromeres. Our findings revealed that these centromeres are primarily composed of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) and interspersed minisatellites. We systematically classified LTR-RTs into five categories, highlighting the prevalence of younger CRS1, CRS2, and CRS3 of CRSs (centromeric retrotransposons of Secale cereale) were primarily located in the core centromeres and exhibited a higher association with CENH3 nucleosomes. The minisatellites, mainly derived from retrotransposons, along with CRSs, played a pivotal role in establishing functional centromeres in rye. Additionally, we observed the formation of R-loops at specific regions of CRS1, CRS2, and CRS3, with both rye pericentromeres and centromeres exhibiting enrichment in R-loops. Notably, these R-loops selectively formed at binding regions of the CENH3 nucleosome in rye centromeres, suggesting a potential role in mediating the precise loading of CENH3 to centromeres and contributing to centromere specification. Our work provides insights into the DNA sequence composition, distribution, and potential function of R-loops in rye centromeres. This knowledge contributes valuable information to understanding the genetics and epigenetics of rye centromeres, offering implications for the development of synthetic centromeres in future plant modifications and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shulan Fu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Genetics and Breeding, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Congyang Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yuhong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianrui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Kaibiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - James A Birchler
- Division of Biological Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, 65211-7400, USA
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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3
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Dawe RK. Engineering better artificial chromosomes. Science 2024; 383:1292-1293. [PMID: 38513045 DOI: 10.1126/science.ado4328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Constructing human artificial chromosomes in yeast avoids unintended multimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kelly Dawe
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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4
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Naish M, Henderson IR. The structure, function, and evolution of plant centromeres. Genome Res 2024; 34:161-178. [PMID: 38485193 PMCID: PMC10984392 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278409.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Centromeres are essential regions of eukaryotic chromosomes responsible for the formation of kinetochore complexes, which connect to spindle microtubules during cell division. Notably, although centromeres maintain a conserved function in chromosome segregation, the underlying DNA sequences are diverse both within and between species and are predominantly repetitive in nature. The repeat content of centromeres includes high-copy tandem repeats (satellites), and/or specific families of transposons. The functional region of the centromere is defined by loading of a specific histone 3 variant (CENH3), which nucleates the kinetochore and shows dynamic regulation. In many plants, the centromeres are composed of satellite repeat arrays that are densely DNA methylated and invaded by centrophilic retrotransposons. In some cases, the retrotransposons become the sites of CENH3 loading. We review the structure of plant centromeres, including monocentric, holocentric, and metapolycentric architectures, which vary in the number and distribution of kinetochore attachment sites along chromosomes. We discuss how variation in CENH3 loading can drive genome elimination during early cell divisions of plant embryogenesis. We review how epigenetic state may influence centromere identity and discuss evolutionary models that seek to explain the paradoxically rapid change of centromere sequences observed across species, including the potential roles of recombination. We outline putative modes of selection that could act within the centromeres, as well as the role of repeats in driving cycles of centromere evolution. Although our primary focus is on plant genomes, we draw comparisons with animal and fungal centromeres to derive a eukaryote-wide perspective of centromere structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Naish
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Ian R Henderson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
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5
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Chen LG, Lan T, Zhang S, Zhao M, Luo G, Gao Y, Zhang Y, Du Q, Lu H, Li B, Jiao B, Hu Z, Ma Y, Zhao Q, Wang Y, Qian W, Dai J, Jiao Y. A designer synthetic chromosome fragment functions in moss. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:228-239. [PMID: 38278952 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01595-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Rapid advances in DNA synthesis techniques have enabled the assembly and engineering of viral and microbial genomes, presenting new opportunities for synthetic genomics in multicellular eukaryotic organisms. These organisms, characterized by larger genomes, abundant transposons and extensive epigenetic regulation, pose unique challenges. Here we report the in vivo assembly of chromosomal fragments in the moss Physcomitrium patens, producing phenotypically virtually wild-type lines in which one-third of the coding region of a chromosomal arm is replaced by redesigned, chemically synthesized fragments. By eliminating 55.8% of a 155 kb endogenous chromosomal region, we substantially simplified the genome without discernible phenotypic effects, implying that many transposable elements may minimally impact growth. We also introduced other sequence modifications, such as PCRTag incorporation, gene locus swapping and stop codon substitution. Despite these substantial changes, the complex epigenetic landscape was normally established, albeit with some three-dimensional conformation alterations. The synthesis of a partial multicellular eukaryotic chromosome arm lays the foundation for the synthetic moss genome project (SynMoss) and paves the way for genome synthesis in multicellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Ge Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianlong Lan
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mengkai Zhao
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guangyu Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Gao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingwei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Houze Lu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bimeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bingke Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingxin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Wenfeng Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Junbiao Dai
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yuling Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, China.
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6
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Wang ML, Lin XJ, Mo BX, Kong WW. Plant Artificial Chromosomes: Construction and Transformation. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:15-24. [PMID: 38163256 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
With the decline of cultivated land and increase of the population in recent years, an agricultural revolution is urgently needed to produce more food to improve the living standards of humans. As one of the foundations of synthetic biology, artificial chromosomes hold great potential for advancing crop improvement. They offer opportunities to increase crop yield and quality, while enhancing crop resistance to disease. The progress made in plant artificial chromosome technology enables selective modification of existing chromosomes or the synthesis of new ones to improve crops and study gene function. However, current artificial chromosome technologies still face limitations, particularly in the synthesis of repeat sequences and the transformation of large DNA fragments. In this review, we will introduce the structure of plant centromeres, the construction of plant artificial chromosomes, and possible methods for transforming large fragments into plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming L Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiao J Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Bei X Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wen W Kong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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7
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Puchta H, Houben A. Plant chromosome engineering - past, present and future. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:541-552. [PMID: 37984056 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous chromosomal rearrangements (CRs) play an essential role in speciation, genome evolution and crop domestication. To be able to use the potential of CRs for breeding, plant chromosome engineering was initiated by fragmenting chromosomes by X-ray irradiation. With the rise of the CRISPR/Cas system, it became possible to induce double-strand breaks (DSBs) in a highly efficient manner at will at any chromosomal position. This has enabled a completely new level of predesigned chromosome engineering. The genetic linkage between specific genes can be broken by inducing chromosomal translocations. Natural inversions, which suppress genetic exchange, can be reverted for breeding. In addition, various approaches for constructing minichromosomes by downsizing regular standard A or supernumerary B chromosomes, which could serve as future vectors in plant biotechnology, have been developed. Recently, a functional synthetic centromere could be constructed. Also, different ways of genome haploidization have been set up, some based on centromere manipulations. In the future, we expect to see even more complex rearrangements, which can be combined with previously developed engineering technologies such as recombinases. Chromosome engineering might help to redefine genetic linkage groups, change the number of chromosomes, stack beneficial genes on mini cargo chromosomes, or set up genetic isolation to avoid outcrossing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Puchta
- Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences (JKIP) - Molecular Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Andreas Houben
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466, Seeland, Germany
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8
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Zhou R, Jenkins JW, Zeng Y, Shu S, Jang H, Harding SA, Williams M, Plott C, Barry KW, Koriabine M, Amirebrahimi M, Talag J, Rajasekar S, Grimwood J, Schmitz RJ, Dawe RK, Schmutz J, Tsai CJ. Haplotype-resolved genome assembly of Populus tremula × P. alba reveals aspen-specific megabase satellite DNA. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:1003-1017. [PMID: 37675609 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Populus species play a foundational role in diverse ecosystems and are important renewable feedstocks for bioenergy and bioproducts. Hybrid aspen Populus tremula × P. alba INRA 717-1B4 is a widely used transformation model in tree functional genomics and biotechnology research. As an outcrossing interspecific hybrid, its genome is riddled with sequence polymorphisms which present a challenge for sequence-sensitive analyses. Here we report a telomere-to-telomere genome for this hybrid aspen with two chromosome-scale, haplotype-resolved assemblies. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the repetitive landscape and identified both tandem repeat array-based and array-less centromeres. Unexpectedly, the most abundant satellite repeats in both haplotypes lie outside of the centromeres, consist of a 147 bp monomer PtaM147, frequently span >1 megabases, and form heterochromatic knobs. PtaM147 repeats are detected exclusively in aspens (section Populus) but PtaM147-like sequences occur in LTR-retrotransposons of closely related species, suggesting their origin from the retrotransposons. The genomic resource generated for this transformation model genotype has greatly improved the design and analysis of genome editing experiments that are highly sensitive to sequence polymorphisms. The work should motivate future hypothesis-driven research to probe into the function of the abundant and aspen-specific PtaM147 satellite DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhou
- School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jerry W Jenkins
- HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | - Yibing Zeng
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Shengqiang Shu
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Hosung Jang
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Scott A Harding
- School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Melissa Williams
- HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | | | - Kerrie W Barry
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Maxim Koriabine
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Mojgan Amirebrahimi
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Jayson Talag
- Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Shanmugam Rajasekar
- Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - R Kelly Dawe
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
| | - Chung-Jui Tsai
- School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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9
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Jiao Y, Wang Y. Towards Plant Synthetic Genomics. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2023; 5:0020. [PMID: 37849467 PMCID: PMC10578142 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in DNA synthesis techniques have allowed the assembly and engineering of viral and microbial genomes. Multicellular eukaryotic organisms, with their larger genomes, abundant transposons, and prevalent epigenetic regulation, present a new frontier to synthetic genomics. Plant synthetic genomics have long been proposed, and exciting progress has been made using the top-down approach. In this perspective, we propose applying bottom-up genome synthesis in multicellular plants, starting from the model moss Physcomitrium patens, in which homologous recombination, DNA delivery, and regeneration are possible, although further optimizations are necessary. We then discuss technical barriers, including genome assembly and plant transformation, associated with synthetic genomics in seed plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuling Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences,
Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies,
Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Life Sciences,
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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10
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Finseth F. Female meiotic drive in plants: mechanisms and dynamics. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 82:102101. [PMID: 37633231 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Female meiosis is fundamentally asymmetric, creating an arena for genetic elements to compete for inclusion in the egg to maximize their transmission. Centromeres, as mediators of chromosomal segregation, are prime candidates to evolve via 'female meiotic drive'. According to the centromere-drive model, the asymmetry of female meiosis ignites a coevolutionary arms race between selfish centromeres and kinetochore proteins, the by-product of which is accelerated sequence divergence. Here, I describe and compare plant models that have been instrumental in uncovering the mechanistic basis of female meiotic drive (maize) and the dynamics of active selfish centromeres in nature (monkeyflowers). Then, I speculate on the mechanistic basis of drive in monkeyflowers, discuss how centromere strength influences chromosomal segregation in plants, and describe new insights into the evolution of plant centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Findley Finseth
- W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer Colleges, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
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11
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Henderson IR. Creating synthetic maize centromeres. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:379-380. [PMID: 36928773 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01366-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Henderson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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