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Dong Y, Huang L, Liu L. Comparative analysis of testicular fusion in Spodoptera litura (cutworm) and Bombyx mori (silkworm): Histological and transcriptomic insights. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 356:114562. [PMID: 38848820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Spodoptera litura commonly known as the cutworm, is among the most destructive lepidopteran pests affecting over 120 plants species. The powerful destructive nature of this lepidopteran is attributable to its high reproductive capacity. The testicular fusion that occurs during metamorphosis from larvae to pupa in S.litura positively influences the reproductive success of the offspring. In contrast, Bombyx mori, the silkworm, retains separate testes throughout its life and does not undergo this fusion process. Microscopic examination reveals that during testicular fusion in S.litura, the peritoneal sheath becomes thinner and more translucent, whereas in B.mori, the analogous region thickens. The outer basement membrane in S.litura exhibits fractures, discontinuity, and uneven thickness accompanied by a significant presence of cellular secretions, large cell size, increased vesicles, liquid droplets, and a proliferation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. In contrast, the testicular peritoneal sheath of B.mori at comparable developmental stage exhibits minimal change. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the testicular peritoneal sheath reveals a substantial difference in gene expression between the two species. The disparity in differential expressed genes (DEGs) is linked to an enrichment of numerous transcription factors, intracellular signaling pathways involving Ca2+ and GTPase, as well as intracellular protein transport and signaling pathways. Meanwhile, structural proteins including actin, chitin-binding proteins, membrane protein fractions, cell adhesion, extracellular matrix proteins are predominantly identified. Moreover, the study highlights the enrichment of endopeptidases, serine proteases, proteolytic enzymes and matrix metalloproteins, which may play a role in the degradation of the outer membrane. Five transcription factors-Slforkhead, Slproline, Slcyclic, Slsilk, and SlD-ETS were identified, and their expression pattern were confirmed by qRT-PCR. they are candidates for participating in the regulation of testicular fusion. Our findings underscore significant morphological and trancriptomic variation in the testicular peritoneal sheath of S.litura compared to the silkworm, with substantial changes at the transcriptomic level coinciding with testicular fusion. The research provides valuable clues for understanding the complex mechanisms underlying this unique phenomenon in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqun Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Lihua Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
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Bourdon G, Chevaleyre C, Estienne A, Péchoux C, Bourgeais J, Hérault O, Ba M, Ramé C, Dupont J, Ducluzeau PH, Froment P. The hepatokine FGF21 stopped lipogenesis and reduced testosterone production in mLTC-1 Leydig Cell Line. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 594:112350. [PMID: 39233040 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Beyond their link to metabolic issues like type 2 diabetes, factors like lifestyle, environment, and excess weight may also influence fertility. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a liver-derived hormone linked to energy balance, has recently emerged as a potential player in female mammalian reproduction. In male, only two studies have described potential effects of FGF21 on fertility. A recent study has described a negative correlation observed in obese patients presenting a low testosterone level associated with elevated FGF21 plasma levels. To investigate the role of FGF21 in steroidogenesis, we have studied the involvement of FGF21 in lipid and steroid activity by Leydig cells. Leydig cell model expressed all FGF21 receptors and β-Klotho cofactor as determined by RT-qPCR and by western-blot. Cultured mLTC-1 Leydig cell line exposed to increasing FGF21 concentration induced phosphorylation (Ser 473) of Akt and modified the CREB factor activity, suggesting the functionality of the FGF21 pathway. FGF21 consequences on mLTC-1 Leydig cells are inhibition of the lipid synthesis, leading to a reduction in the content of lipid droplets. The drop in lipid synthesis is associated with a reduction in the amount of lipids (mainly PUFA, cholesterol esterified, and triglycerides) as measured by lipidomic approach. The main consequence is to reduce the quantity of cholesterol, the steroid precursor, in mLTC-1 Leydig cells and is associated with a low production in testosterone. The decrease in androgens was also associated with a reduction in the steroid enzyme genes expression, which are under the control of CREB activity, and present a lower activity due to low cAMP intracellular levels. In vivo, steroid production was lowering after FGF21 administration in adult male mice associated to a decrease in progressive motility and velocity of sperm. In addition, these experimental data are reinforced by a data mining analysis focused on "gonad" terms in 1,319,905 article references showing the link already described between FGF21 with the fatty acids pathways, cholesterol storage, and steroid production. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Leydig cells in the testes present a functional FGF21 pathway, which regulates lipid metabolism and steroid function. In mLTC-1 Leydig cells, FGF21 reduced cholesterol, PUFA content, and testosterone production. Finally, this work highlighted that the hepatokine FGF21 could have a negative impact on androgen synthesis and testicular activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bourdon
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Claire Chevaleyre
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Anthony Estienne
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Christine Péchoux
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jérôme Bourgeais
- INSERM UMR 1069 N2C, Team LNOx, Tours University, 37000, Tours, France
| | - Olivier Hérault
- INSERM UMR 1069 N2C, Team LNOx, Tours University, 37000, Tours, France
| | - Mouhamadou Ba
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, MaIAGE, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France; Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, BioinfOmics, MIGALE Bioinformatics Facility, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Christelle Ramé
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Joëlle Dupont
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France
| | - Pierre-Henri Ducluzeau
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France; Internal Medicine Department, Unit of Endocrinology, CHRU Tours, F-37044, Tours, France
| | - Pascal Froment
- INRAE UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France.
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Lee H, Han DW, La H, Park C, Kang K, Kwon O, Uhm SJ, Song H, Do JT, Choi Y, Hong K. DOT1-like histone lysine methyltransferase is critical for adult vessel maintenance and functions. Anim Biosci 2024; 37:1635-1643. [PMID: 38665093 PMCID: PMC11366529 DOI: 10.5713/ab.23.0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) is the only known histone H3K79 methyltransferase essential for the development of the embryonic cardiovascular system, including the heart, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels, through transcriptional regulation. Our previous study demonstrated that Dot1l deletion results in aberrant lymphatic development and function. However, its precise function in the postnatal cardiovascular system remains unknown. METHODS Using conditional and inducible Dot1l knockout (KO) mice, along with a reporter strain carrying the Geo gene at the Dot1l locus, DOT1L expression and its function in the vascular system during postnatal life were investigated. To assess vessel morphology and vascular permeability, we administered Latex or Evans blue dye to KO mice. In addition, in vitro tube formation and cell migration assays were performed using DOT1L-depleted human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Changes in the expression of vascular genes in HUVECs were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate that conditional Dot1l knockout in the Tg (Tie2-cre) strain results in abnormal blood vessel formation and lymphatic anomalies in the intestine. In a mouse model of Rosa26-creER-mediated inducible Dot1l knockout, we observed vascular phenotypes, including increased vascular permeability and brain hemorrhage, when DOT1L was deleted in adulthood. Additionally, DOT1L depletion in cultured HUVECs led to impaired cell migration and tube formation, likely due to altered gene transcription. These findings highlight the essential role of DOT1L in maintaining vascular integrity and function during embryonic development and postnatal life. CONCLUSION Our study revealed that DOT1L is required for the maintenance of adult vascular function through the regulation of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- HeeJi Lee
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Dong Wook Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020,
China
| | - Hyeonwoo La
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Chanhyeok Park
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Kiye Kang
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Ohbeom Kwon
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Sang Jun Uhm
- Department of Animal Science, Sangji University, Wonju 26339,
Korea
| | - Hyuk Song
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Jeong Tae Do
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Youngsok Choi
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
| | - Kwonho Hong
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029,
Korea
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Degalez F, Bardou P, Lagarrigue S. GEGA (Gallus Enriched Gene Annotation): an online tool providing genomics and functional information across 47 tissues for a chicken gene-enriched atlas gathering Ensembl and Refseq genome annotations. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae101. [PMID: 39157583 PMCID: PMC11327871 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
GEGA is a user-friendly tool designed to navigate through various genomic and functional information related to an enriched gene atlas in chicken that integrates the gene catalogues from the two reference databases, NCBI-RefSeq and EMBL-Ensembl/GENCODE, along with four additional rich resources such as FAANG and NONCODE. Using the latest GRCg7b genome assembly, GEGA encompasses a total of 78 323 genes, including 24 102 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and 44 428 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), significantly increasing the number of genes provided by each resource independently. However, GEGA is more than just a gene database. It offers a range of features that allow us to go deeper into the functional aspects of these genes. Users can explore gene expression and co-expression profiles across 47 tissues from 36 datasets and 1400 samples, discover tissue-specific variations and their expression as a function of sex or age and extract orthologous genes or their genomic configuration relative to the closest gene. For the communities interested in a specific gene, a list of genes or a quantitative trait locus region in chicken, GEGA's user-friendly interface facilitates efficient gene analysis, easy downloading of results and a multitude of graphical representations, from genomic information to detailed visualization of expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Degalez
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| | - Philippe Bardou
- Sigenae, GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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Arnskötter F, da Silva PBG, Schouw ME, Lukasch C, Bianchini L, Sieber L, Garcia-Lopez J, Ahmad ST, Li Y, Lin H, Joshi P, Spänig L, Radoš M, Roiuk M, Sepp M, Zuckermann M, Northcott PA, Patrizi A, Kutscher LM. Loss of Elp1 in cerebellar granule cell progenitors models ataxia phenotype of Familial Dysautonomia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 199:106600. [PMID: 38996985 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial Dysautonomia (FD) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a splice site mutation in the gene ELP1, which disproportionally affects neurons. While classically characterized by deficits in sensory and autonomic neurons, neuronal defects in the central nervous system have also been described. Although ELP1 expression remains high in the normal developing and adult cerebellum, its role in cerebellar development is unknown. To explore the role of Elp1 in the cerebellum, we knocked out Elp1 in cerebellar granule cell progenitors (GCPs) and examined the outcome on animal behavior and cellular composition. We found that GCP-specific conditional knockout of Elp1 (Elp1cKO) resulted in ataxia by 8 weeks of age. Cellular characterization showed that the animals had smaller cerebella with fewer granule cells. This defect was already apparent as early as 7 days after birth, when Elp1cKO animals also had fewer mitotic GCPs and shorter Purkinje dendrites. Through molecular characterization, we found that loss of Elp1 was associated with an increase in apoptotic cell death and cell stress pathways in GCPs. Our study demonstrates the importance of ELP1 in the developing cerebellum, and suggests that loss of Elp1 in the GC lineage may also play a role in the progressive ataxia phenotypes of FD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Arnskötter
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patricia Benites Goncalves da Silva
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Mackenna E Schouw
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Chiara Lukasch
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Luca Bianchini
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Sieber
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Jesus Garcia-Lopez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of In vivo Pharmacology-Immunology, Tempest Therapeutics, Brisbane, CA, USA
| | - Shiekh Tanveer Ahmad
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yiran Li
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hong Lin
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Piyush Joshi
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Lisa Spänig
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Radoš
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
| | - Mykola Roiuk
- Signal Transduction in Cancer and Metabolism, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mari Sepp
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Zuckermann
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Preclinical Modeling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul A Northcott
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Annarita Patrizi
- Schaller Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena M Kutscher
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany; National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, A partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany.
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McLamb F, Feng Z, Vu JP, Griffin L, Vasquez MF, Bozinovic G. Lagging Brain Gene Expression Patterns of Drosophila melanogaster Young Adult Males Confound Comparisons Between Sexes. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04427-7. [PMID: 39196495 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04427-7] [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: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Many species, including fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), are sexually dimorphic. Phenotypic variation in morphology, physiology, and behavior can affect development, reproduction, health, and aging. Therefore, designating sex as a variable and sex-blocking should be considered when designing experiments. The brain regulates phenotypes throughout the lifespan by balancing survival and reproduction, and sex-specific development at each life stage is likely. Changes in morphology and physiology are governed by differential gene expression, a quantifiable molecular marker for age- and sex-specific variations. We assessed the fruit fly brain transcriptome at three adult ages for gene expression signatures of sex, age, and sex-by-age: 6698 genes were differentially expressed between sexes, with the most divergence at 3 days. Between ages, 31.1% of 6084 differentially expressed genes (1890 genes) share similar expression patterns from 3 to 7 days in females, and from 7 to 14 days in males. Most of these genes (90.5%, 1712) were upregulated and enriched for chemical stimulus detection and/or cilium regulation. Our data highlight an important delay in male brain gene regulation compared to females. Because significant delays in expression could confound comparisons between sexes, studies of sexual dimorphism at phenotypically comparable life stages rather than chronological age should be more biologically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flannery McLamb
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Extended Studies, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zuying Feng
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeanne P Vu
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lindsey Griffin
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Extended Studies, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Miguel F Vasquez
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Goran Bozinovic
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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7
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Leushkin E, Kaessmann H. Identification of old coding regions disproves the hominoid de novo status of genes. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02513-6. [PMID: 39187607 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02513-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Leushkin
- Center for Molecular Biology, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Henrik Kaessmann
- Center for Molecular Biology, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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Brooks ER, Moorman AR, Bhattacharya B, Prudhomme I, Land M, Alcorn HL, Sharma R, Pe'er D, Zallen JA. A single-cell atlas of spatial and temporal gene expression in the mouse cranial neural plate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.25.609458. [PMID: 39229123 PMCID: PMC11370589 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.25.609458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
The formation of the mammalian brain requires regionalization and morphogenesis of the cranial neural plate, which transforms from an epithelial sheet into a closed tube that provides the structural foundation for neural patterning and circuit formation. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling is important for cranial neural plate patterning and closure, but the transcriptional changes that give rise to the spatially regulated cell fates and behaviors that build the cranial neural tube have not been systematically analyzed. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing to generate an atlas of gene expression at six consecutive stages of cranial neural tube closure in the mouse embryo. Ordering transcriptional profiles relative to the major axes of gene expression predicted spatially regulated expression of 870 genes along the anterior-posterior and mediolateral axes of the cranial neural plate and reproduced known expression patterns with over 85% accuracy. Single-cell RNA sequencing of embryos with activated SHH signaling revealed distinct SHH-regulated transcriptional programs in the developing forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, suggesting a complex interplay between anterior-posterior and mediolateral patterning systems. These results define a spatiotemporally resolved map of gene expression during cranial neural tube closure and provide a resource for investigating the transcriptional events that drive early mammalian brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Brooks
- HHMI and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
- North Carolina State University
| | - Andrew R Moorman
- HHMI and Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | | | - Ian Prudhomme
- HHMI and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Max Land
- HHMI and Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Heather L Alcorn
- HHMI and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Roshan Sharma
- HHMI and Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
| | - Dana Pe'er
- HHMI and Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute
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Katsura Y, Shigenobu S, Satta Y. Adaptive Evolution and Functional Differentiation of Testis-Expressed Genes in Theria. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2316. [PMID: 39199849 PMCID: PMC11350913 DOI: 10.3390/ani14162316] [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: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene expression patterns differ in different tissues, and the expression pattern of genes in the mammalian testis is known to be extremely variable in different species. To clarify how the testis transcriptomic pattern has evolved in particular species, we examined the evolution of the adult testis transcriptome in Theria using 10 species: two marsupials (opossum and Tasmanian devil), six eutherian (placental) mammals (human, chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, rhesus macaque, and mouse), and two outgroup species (platypus and chicken). We show that 22 testis-expressed genes are marsupial-specific, suggesting their acquisition in the stem lineage of marsupials after the divergence from eutherians. Despite the time length of the eutherian stem lineage being similar to that of the marsupial lineage, acquisition of testis-expressed genes was not found in the stem lineage of eutherians; rather, their expression patterns differed by species, suggesting rapid gene evolution in the eutherian ancestors. Fifteen testis-expressed genes are therian-specific, and for three of these genes, the evolutionary tempo is markedly faster in eutherians than in marsupials. Our phylogenetic analysis of Rho GTPase-activating protein 28 (ARHGAP28) suggests the adaptive evolution of this gene in the eutherians, probably together with the expression pattern differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukako Katsura
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama 484-8506, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-0867, Japan;
| | - Yoko Satta
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama 240-0193, Japan;
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10
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María Del Rocío PB, Palomares Bralo M, Vanhooydonck M, Hamerlinck L, D'haene E, Leimbacher S, Jacobs EZ, De Cock L, D'haenens E, Dheedene A, Malfait Z, Vantomme L, Silva A, Rooney K, Santos-Simarro F, Lleuger-Pujol R, García-Miñaúr S, Losantos-García I, Menten B, Gestri G, Ragge N, Sadikovic B, Bogaert E, Syx D, Callewaert B, Vergult S. Loss-of-function of the Zinc Finger Homeobox 4 ( ZFHX4) gene underlies a neurodevelopmental disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.08.07.24311381. [PMID: 39148819 PMCID: PMC11326360 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.07.24311381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
8q21.11 microdeletions encompassing the gene encoding transcription factor ZFHX4, have previously been associated by us with a syndromic form of intellectual disability, hypotonia, decreased balance and hearing loss. Here, we report on 57 individuals, 52 probands and 5 affected family members, with protein truncating variants (n=36), (micro)deletions (n=20) or an inversion (n=1) affecting ZFHX4 with variable developmental delay and intellectual disability, distinctive facial characteristics, morphological abnormalities of the central nervous system, behavioral alterations, short stature, hypotonia, and occasionally cleft palate and anterior segment dysgenesis. The phenotypes associated with 8q21.11 microdeletions and ZFHX4 intragenic loss-of-function variants largely overlap, identifying ZFHX4 as the main driver for the microdeletion syndrome, although leukocyte-derived DNA shows a mild common methylation profile for (micro)deletions only. We identify ZFHX4 as a transcription factor that is increasingly expressed during human brain development and neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, ZFHX4 interacting factors identified via IP-MS in neural progenitor cells, suggest an important role for ZFHX4 in cellular and developmental pathways, especially during histone modifications, cytosolic transport and development. Additionally, using CUT&RUN, we observed that ZFHX4 binds with the promoter regions of genes with crucial roles in embryonic, neuron and axon development. Since loss-of-function variants in ZFHX4 are found with consistent dysmorphic facial features, we investigated whether the disruption of zfhx4 causes craniofacial abnormalities in zebrafish. First-generation (F0) zfhx4 crispant zebrafish, (mosaic) mutant for zfhx4 loss-of-function variants, have significantly shorter Meckel's cartilages and smaller ethmoid plates compared to control zebrafish. Furthermore, behavioral assays show a decreased movement frequency in the zfhx4 crispant zebrafish in comparison with control zebrafish larvae. Although further research is needed, our in vivo work suggests a role for zfhx4 in facial skeleton patterning, palatal development and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pérez Baca María Del Rocío
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - María Palomares Bralo
- CIBERER-ISCIII and INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain
- ITHACA- European Reference Network, Spain
| | - Michiel Vanhooydonck
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lisa Hamerlinck
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sebastian Leimbacher
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Z Jacobs
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laurenz De Cock
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Erika D'haenens
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Dheedene
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Zoë Malfait
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lies Vantomme
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ananilia Silva
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen Rooney
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Santos-Simarro
- Unit of Molecular Diagnostics and Clinical Genetics, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdiSBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Roser Lleuger-Pujol
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Doctor Josep Trueta University Hospital; Precision Oncology Group (OncoGIR-Pro), Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIGBI), Girona, Spain
| | - Sixto García-Miñaúr
- CIBERER-ISCIII and INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain
- ITHACA- European Reference Network, Spain
| | | | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gaia Gestri
- University College London, London, England, Great Britain
| | - Nicola Ragge
- Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Womens Hospital, Lavender House, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Elke Bogaert
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Delfien Syx
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Starr AL, Nishimura T, Igarashi KJ, Funamoto C, Nakauchi H, Fraser HB. Disentangling cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors underlying evolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592777. [PMID: 38798687 PMCID: PMC11118348 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
A key goal of developmental biology is to determine the extent to which cells and organs develop autonomously, as opposed to requiring interactions with other cells or environmental factors. Chimeras have played a foundational role in this by enabling qualitative classification of cell-intrinsically vs. extrinsically driven processes. Here, we extend this framework to precisely decompose evolutionary divergence in any quantitative trait into cell-intrinsic, extrinsic, and intrinsic-extrinsic interaction components. Applying this framework to thousands of gene expression levels in reciprocal rat-mouse chimeras, we found that the majority of their divergence is attributable to cell-intrinsic factors, though extrinsic factors also play an integral role. For example, a rat-like extracellular environment extrinsically up-regulates the expression of a key transcriptional regulator of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response in some but not all cell types, which in turn strongly predicts extrinsic up-regulation of its target genes and of the ER stress response pathway as a whole. This effect is also seen at the protein level, suggesting propagation through multiple regulatory levels. Applying our framework to a cellular trait, neuronal differentiation, revealed a complex interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Finally, we show that imprinted genes are dramatically mis-expressed in species-mismatched environments, suggesting that mismatch between rapidly evolving intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms controlling gene imprinting may contribute to barriers to interspecies chimerism. Overall, our conceptual framework opens new avenues to investigate the mechanistic basis of developmental processes and evolutionary divergence across myriad quantitative traits in any multicellular organism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshiya Nishimura
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- WPI Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe), Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan (current address for T.N.)
- Division of Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Department of Genome Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kyomi J. Igarashi
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Chihiro Funamoto
- Division of Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Department of Genome Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Nakauchi
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Hunter B. Fraser
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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12
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Padilla-Morales B, Acuña-Alonzo AP, Kilili H, Castillo-Morales A, Díaz-Barba K, Maher KH, Fabian L, Mourkas E, Székely T, Serrano-Meneses MA, Cortez D, Ancona S, Urrutia AO. Sexual size dimorphism in mammals is associated with changes in the size of gene families related to brain development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6257. [PMID: 39048570 PMCID: PMC11269740 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50386-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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sexual size dimorphism often reflects the intensity of sexual selection, yet its connection to genomic evolution remains unexplored. Gene family size evolution can reflect shifts in the relative importance of different molecular functions. Here, we investigate the associate between brain development gene repertoire to sexual size dimorphism using 124 mammalian species. We reveal significant changes in gene family size associations with sexual size dimorphism. High levels of dimorphism correlate with an expansion of gene families enriched in olfactory sensory perception and a contraction of gene families associated with brain development functions, many of which exhibited particularly high expression in the human adult brain. These findings suggest a relationship between intense sexual selection and alterations in gene family size. These insights illustrate the complex interplay between sexual dimorphism, gene family size evolution, and their roles in mammalian brain development and function, offering a valuable understanding of mammalian genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Padilla-Morales
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | | | - Huseyin Kilili
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Karina Díaz-Barba
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico city, 04510, Mexico
- Licenciatura en ciencias genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, 62210, México
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Laurie Fabian
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Evangelos Mourkas
- Zoonosis Science Centre, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Martin-Alejandro Serrano-Meneses
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Sta. Catarina Mártir, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, 72810, México
| | - Diego Cortez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, 62210, México
| | - Sergio Ancona
- Instituto de Ecología, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, UNAM, México City, 04510, México
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
- Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico city, 04510, Mexico.
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13
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Tilliole P, Fix S, Godin JD. hnRNPs: roles in neurodevelopment and implication for brain disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1411639. [PMID: 39086926 PMCID: PMC11288931 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1411639] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) constitute a family of multifunctional RNA-binding proteins able to process nuclear pre-mRNAs into mature mRNAs and regulate gene expression in multiple ways. They comprise at least 20 different members in mammals, named from A (HNRNP A1) to U (HNRNP U). Many of these proteins are components of the spliceosome complex and can modulate alternative splicing in a tissue-specific manner. Notably, while genes encoding hnRNPs exhibit ubiquitous expression, increasing evidence associate these proteins to various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy, microcephaly, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or dementias, highlighting their crucial role in the central nervous system. This review explores the evolution of the hnRNPs family, highlighting the emergence of numerous new members within this family, and sheds light on their implications for brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Tilliole
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM, U1258, Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Simon Fix
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM, U1258, Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Juliette D. Godin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, Illkirch, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM, U1258, Illkirch, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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14
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Schmidt C, Cohen S, Gudenas BL, Husain S, Carlson A, Westelman S, Wang L, Phillips JJ, Northcott PA, Weiss WA, Schwer B. PRDM6 promotes medulloblastoma by repressing chromatin accessibility and altering gene expression. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16074. [PMID: 38992221 PMCID: PMC11239875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66811-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
SNCAIP duplication may promote Group 4 medulloblastoma via induction of PRDM6, a poorly characterized member of the PRDF1 and RIZ1 homology domain-containing (PRDM) family of transcription factors. Here, we investigated the function of PRDM6 in human hindbrain neuroepithelial stem cells and tested PRDM6 as a driver of Group 4 medulloblastoma. We report that human PRDM6 localizes predominantly to the nucleus, where it causes widespread repression of chromatin accessibility and complex alterations of gene expression patterns. Genome-wide mapping of PRDM6 binding reveals that PRDM6 binds to chromatin regions marked by histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation that are located within, or proximal to, genes. Moreover, we show that PRDM6 expression in neuroepithelial stem cells promotes medulloblastoma. Surprisingly, medulloblastomas derived from PRDM6-expressing neuroepithelial stem cells match human Group 3, but not Group 4, medulloblastoma. We conclude that PRDM6 expression has oncogenic potential but is insufficient to drive Group 4 medulloblastoma from neuroepithelial stem cells. We propose that both PRDM6 and additional factors, such as specific cell-of-origin features, are required for Group 4 medulloblastoma. Given the lack of PRDM6 expression in normal tissues and its oncogenic potential shown here, we suggest that PRDM6 inhibition may have therapeutic value in PRDM6-expressing medulloblastomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Schmidt
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Cohen
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Aging Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian L Gudenas
- Division of Brain Tumor Research, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sarah Husain
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Annika Carlson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Westelman
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Linyu Wang
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joanna J Phillips
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Tumor SPORE Biorepository, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paul A Northcott
- Division of Brain Tumor Research, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Bjoern Schwer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Bakar Aging Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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15
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Wang Q, Ding X, Xu Z, Wang B, Wang A, Wang L, Ding Y, Song S, Chen Y, Zhang S, Jiang L, Ding X. The mouse multi-organ proteome from infancy to adulthood. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5752. [PMID: 38982135 PMCID: PMC11233712 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50183-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The early-life organ development and maturation shape the fundamental blueprint for later-life phenotype. However, a multi-organ proteome atlas from infancy to adulthood is currently not available. Herein, we present a comprehensive proteomic analysis of ten mouse organs (brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, intestine, muscle and skin) at three crucial developmental stages (1-, 4- and 8-weeks after birth) acquired using data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry. We detect and quantify 11,533 protein groups across the ten organs and obtain 115 age-related differentially expressed protein groups that are co-expressed in all organs from infancy to adulthood. We find that spliceosome proteins prevalently play crucial regulatory roles in the early-life development of multiple organs, and detect organ-specific expression patterns and sexual dimorphism. This multi-organ proteome atlas provides a fundamental resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying early-life organ development and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwen Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinwen Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixiao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Boqian Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiting Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sunfengda Song
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Youming Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lai Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianting Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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16
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Cummins M, Watson C, Edwards RJ, Mattick JS. The Evolution of Ultraconserved Elements in Vertebrates. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae146. [PMID: 39058500 PMCID: PMC11276968 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultraconserved elements were discovered two decades ago, arbitrarily defined as sequences that are identical over a length ≥ 200 bp in the human, mouse, and rat genomes. The definition was subsequently extended to sequences ≥ 100 bp identical in at least three of five mammalian genomes (including dog and cow), and shown to have undergone rapid expansion from ancestors in fish and strong negative selection in birds and mammals. Since then, many more genomes have become available, allowing better definition and more thorough examination of ultraconserved element distribution and evolutionary history. We developed a fast and flexible analytical pipeline for identifying ultraconserved elements in multiple genomes, dedUCE, which allows manipulation of minimum length, sequence identity, and number of species with a detectable ultraconserved element according to specified parameters. We suggest an updated definition of ultraconserved elements as sequences ≥ 100 bp and ≥97% sequence identity in ≥50% of placental mammal orders (12,813 ultraconserved elements). By mapping ultraconserved elements to ∼200 species, we find that placental ultraconserved elements appeared early in vertebrate evolution, well before land colonization, suggesting that the evolutionary pressures driving ultraconserved element selection were present in aquatic environments in the Cambrian-Devonian periods. Most (>90%) ultraconserved elements likely appeared after the divergence of gnathostomes from jawless predecessors, were largely established in sequence identity by early Sarcopterygii evolution-before the divergence of lobe-finned fishes from tetrapods-and became near fixed in the amniotes. Ultraconserved elements are mainly located in the introns of protein-coding and noncoding genes involved in neurological and skeletomuscular development, enriched in regulatory elements, and dynamically expressed throughout embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell Cummins
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Cadel Watson
- School of Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Richard J Edwards
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - John S Mattick
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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17
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Huang Y, Dziegielewska KM, Habgood MD, Qiu F, Leandro ACC, Callaghan PD, Curran JE, VandeBerg JL, Saunders NR. ABC Efflux Transporters and Solute Carriers in the Early Developing Brain of a Marsupial Monodelphis domestica (South American Gray Short-Tailed Opossum). J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25655. [PMID: 38980080 PMCID: PMC11257411 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
This study used a marsupial Monodelphis domestica, which is born very immature and most of its development is postnatal without placental protection. RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to identify the expression of influx and efflux transporters (ATP-binding cassettes [ABCs] and solute carriers [SLCs]) and metabolizing enzymes in brains of newborn to juvenile Monodelphis. Results were compared to published data in the developing eutherian rat. To test the functionality of these transporters at similar ages, the entry of paracetamol (acetaminophen) into the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was measured using liquid scintillation counting following a single administration of the drug along with its radiolabelled tracer [3H]. Drug permeability studies found that in Monodelphis, brain entry of paracetamol was already restricted at P5; it decreased further in the first week of life and then remained stable until the oldest age group tested (P110). Transcriptomic analysis of Monodelphis brain showed that expression of transporters and their metabolizing enzymes in early postnatal (P) pups (P0, P5, and P8) was relatively similar, but by P109, many more transcripts were identified. When transcriptomes of newborn Monodelphis brain and E19 rat brain and placenta were compared, several transporters present in the rat placenta were also found in the newborn Monodelphis brain. These were absent from E19 rat brain but were present in the adult rat brain. These data indicate that despite its extreme immaturity, the newborn Monodelphis brain may compensate for the lack of placental protection during early brain development by upregulating protective mechanisms, which in eutherian animals are instead present in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | | | - Mark D Habgood
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Fiona Qiu
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Ana CC Leandro
- Division of Human Genetics and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA
| | - Paul D Callaghan
- ANSTO – Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, New Illawarra Rd, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Joanne E Curran
- Division of Human Genetics and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA
| | - John L VandeBerg
- Division of Human Genetics and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA
| | - Norman R Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
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18
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de Jong IEM, Wells RG. In Utero Extrahepatic Bile Duct Damage and Repair: Implications for Biliary Atresia. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2024; 27:291-310. [PMID: 38762769 PMCID: PMC11340255 DOI: 10.1177/10935266241247479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a cholangiopathy affecting the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) of newborns. The etiology and pathophysiology of BA are not fully understood; however, multiple causes of damage and obstruction of the neonatal EHBD have been identified. Initial damage to the EHBD likely occurs before birth. We discuss how different developmental stages in utero and birth itself could influence the susceptibility of the fetal EHBD to damage and a damaging wound-healing response. We propose that a damage-repair response of the fetal and neonatal EHBD involving redox stress and a program of fetal wound healing could-regardless of the cause of the initial damage-lead to either obstruction and BA or repair of the duct and recovery. This overarching concept should guide future research targeted toward identification of factors that contribute to recovery as opposed to progression of injury and fibrosis. Viewing BA through the lens of an in utero damage-repair response could open up new avenues for research and suggests exciting new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris E. M. de Jong
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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19
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Anglada-Girotto M, Moakley DF, Zhang C, Miravet-Verde S, Califano A, Serrano L. Disentangling the splicing factor programs underlying complex molecular phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.600051. [PMID: 38979366 PMCID: PMC11230296 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.600051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The regulation of exon inclusion through alternative splicing tunes the cell's behavior by increasing the functional diversity of the transcriptome and the proteome. Splicing factors work in concert to generate gene isoform pools that contribute to cell phenotypes yet their activity is controlled by multiple regulatory and signaling layers. This hinders identification of functional, phenotype-specific splicing factors using traditional single-omic measurements, such as their mutational state or expression. To address this challenge, we propose repurposing the virtual inference of protein activity by enriched regulon analysis (VIPER) to measure splicing factor activity solely from their downstream exon transcriptomic inclusion signatures. This approach is effective in assessing the effect of co-occurring splicing factor perturbations, as well as their post-translational regulation. As proof of concept, we dissect recurrent splicing factor programs underlying tumorigenesis including aberrantly activated factors acting as oncogenes and inactivated ones acting as tumor suppressors, which are undetectable by more conventional methodologies. Activation and inactivation of these cancer splicing programs effectively stratifies overall survival, as well as cancer hallmarks such as proliferation and immune evasion. Altogether, repurposing network-based inference of protein activity for splicing factor networks distills common, functionally relevant splicing programs in otherwise heterogeneous molecular contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Anglada-Girotto
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Daniel F. Moakley
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, USA 10032
| | - Chaolin Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, USA 10032
| | - Samuel Miravet-Verde
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
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20
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Gao Y, Liu GE, Ma L, Fang L, Li CJ, Baldwin RL. Transcriptomic profiling of gastrointestinal tracts in dairy cattle during lactation reveals molecular adaptations for milk synthesis. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00257-1. [PMID: 38925453 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
During lactation, dairy cattle's digestive tract requires significant adaptations to meet the increased nutrient demands for milk production. As we attempt to improve milk-related traits through selective pressure, it is crucial to understand the biological functions of the epithelia of the rumen, small intestine, and colonic tissues in response to changes in physiological state driven by changes in nutrient demands for milk synthesis. In this study, we obtained a total of 108 transcriptome profiles from three tissues (epithelia of the colon, duodenum, and rumen) of five Holstein cows, spanning eight time points from the early, mid, late lactation periods to the dry period. On average 97.06% of reads were successfully mapped to the reference genome assembly ARS-UCD1.2. We analyzed 27,607 gene expression patterns at multiple periods, enabling direct comparisons within and among tissues during different lactation stages, including early and peak lactation. We identified 1645, 813, and 2187 stage-specific genes in the colon, duodenum, and rumen, respectively, which were enriched for common or specific biological functions among different tissues. Time series analysis categorized the expressed genes within each tissue into four clusters. Furthermore, when the three tissues were analyzed collectively, 36 clusters of similarly expressed genes were identified. By integrating other comprehensive approaches such as gene co-expression analyses, functional enrichment, and cell type deconvolution, we gained profound insights into cattle lactation, revealing tissue-specific characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract and shedding light on the intricate molecular adaptations involved in nutrient absorption, immune regulation, and cellular processes for milk synthesis during lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ransom L Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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21
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Calamari ZT, Song A, Cohen E, Akter M, Roy RD, Hallikas O, Christensen MM, Li P, Marangoni P, Jernvall J, Klein OD. Vole genomics links determinate and indeterminate growth of teeth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.18.572015. [PMID: 38187646 PMCID: PMC10769287 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Continuously growing teeth are an important innovation in mammalian evolution, yet genetic regulation of continuous growth by stem cells remains incompletely understood. Dental stem cells responsible for tooth crown growth are lost at the onset of tooth root formation. Genetic signaling that initiates this loss is difficult to study with the ever-growing incisor and rooted molars of mice, the most common mammalian dental model species, because signals for root formation overlap with signals that pattern tooth size and shape (i.e., cusp patterns). Different species of voles (Cricetidae, Rodentia, Glires) have evolved rooted and unrooted molars that have similar size and shape, providing alternative models for studying roots. We assembled a de novo genome of Myodes glareolus, a vole with high-crowned, rooted molars, and performed genomic and transcriptomic analyses in a broad phylogenetic context of Glires (rodents and lagomorphs) to assess differential selection and evolution in tooth forming genes. We identified 15 dental genes with changing synteny relationships and six dental genes undergoing positive selection across Glires, two of which were undergoing positive selection in species with unrooted molars, Dspp and Aqp1. Decreased expression of both genes in prairie voles with unrooted molars compared to bank voles supports the presence of positive selection and may underlie differences in root formation. Bulk transcriptomics analyses of embryonic molar development in bank voles also demonstrated conserved patterns of dental gene expression compared to mice, with species-specific variation likely related to developmental timing and morphological differences between mouse and vole molars. Our results support ongoing evolution of dental genes across Glires, revealing the complex evolutionary background of convergent evolution for ever-growing molars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T. Calamari
- Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Andrew Song
- Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Cornell University, 616 Thurston Ave, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Emily Cohen
- Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA
- New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 34th St, New York, NY 10010
| | - Muspika Akter
- Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Rishi Das Roy
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Hallikas
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mona M. Christensen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pengyang Li
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Suite 2416, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Pauline Marangoni
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Suite 2416, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jukka Jernvall
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ophir D. Klein
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Suite 2416, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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22
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Nagy N, Hádinger N, Tóth O, Rácz GA, Pintér T, Gál Z, Urbán M, Gócza E, Hiripi L, Acsády L, Vértessy BG. Characterization of dUTPase expression in mouse postnatal development and adult neurogenesis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13139. [PMID: 38849394 PMCID: PMC11161619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63405-0] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The enzyme dUTPase has an essential role in maintaining genomic integrity. In mouse, nuclear and mitochondrial isoforms of the enzyme have been described. Here we present the isoform-specific mRNA expression levels in different murine organs during development using RT-qPCR. In this study, we analyzed organs of 14.5-day embryos and of postnatal 2-, 4-, 10-week- and 13-month-old mice. We demonstrate organ-, sex- and developmental stage-specific differences in the mRNA expression levels of both isoforms. We found high mRNA expression level of the nuclear isoform in the embryo brain, and the expression level remained relatively high in the adult brain as well. This was surprising, since dUTPase is known to play an important role in proliferating cells, and mass production of neural cells is completed by adulthood. Thus, we investigated the pattern of the dUTPase protein expression specifically in the adult brain with immunostaining and found that dUTPase is present in the germinative zones, the subventricular and the subgranular zones, where neurogenesis occurs and in the rostral migratory stream where neuroblasts migrate to the olfactory bulb. These novel findings suggest that dUTPase may have a role in cell differentiation and indicate that accurate dTTP biosynthesis can be vital, especially in neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolett Nagy
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, HUN-REN, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Nóra Hádinger
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, HUN-REN, Szigony utca 43, 1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Otília Tóth
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, HUN-REN, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, 1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Attila Rácz
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, HUN-REN, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, 1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Pintér
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Szent-Györgyi Albert utca 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Gál
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Szent-Györgyi Albert utca 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Martin Urbán
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Szent-Györgyi Albert utca 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Elen Gócza
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Szent-Györgyi Albert utca 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - László Hiripi
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Szent-Györgyi Albert utca 4, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
- Laboratory Animal Science Coordination Center, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, 1089, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Acsády
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, HUN-REN, Szigony utca 43, 1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, HUN-REN, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, BME Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, 1111, Budapest, Hungary.
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23
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Marconi A, Vernaz G, Karunaratna A, Ngochera MJ, Durbin R, Santos ME. Genetic and developmental divergence in the neural crest programme between cichlid fish species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.578004. [PMID: 38352436 PMCID: PMC10862805 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Neural crest (NC) is a vertebrate-specific embryonic progenitor cell population at the basis of important vertebrate features such as the craniofacial skeleton and pigmentation patterns. Despite the wide-ranging variation of NC-derived traits across vertebrates, the contribution of NC to species diversification remains underexplored. Here, leveraging the adaptive diversity of African Great Lakes' cichlid species, we combined comparative transcriptomics and population genomics to investigate the evolution of the NC genetic programme in the context of their morphological divergence. Our analysis revealed substantial differences in transcriptional landscapes across somitogenesis, an embryonic period coinciding with NC development and migration. This included dozens of genes with described functions in the vertebrate NC gene regulatory network, several of which showed signatures of positive selection. Among candidates showing between-species expression divergence, we focused on teleost-specific paralogs of the NC-specifier sox10 (sox10a and sox10b) as prime candidates to influence NC development. These genes, expressed in NC cells, displayed remarkable spatio-temporal variation in cichlids, suggesting their contribution to inter-specific morphological differences. Finally, through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we demonstrated the functional divergence between cichlid sox10 paralogs, with the acquisition of a novel skeletogenic function by sox10a. When compared to the teleost models zebrafish and medaka, our findings reveal that sox10 duplication, although retained in most teleost lineages, had variable functional fates across their phylogeny. Altogether, our study suggests that NC-related processes - particularly those controlled by sox10s - might be involved in generating morphological diversification between species and lays the groundwork for further investigations into mechanisms underpinning vertebrate NC diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maxon J. Ngochera
- Senga Bay Fisheries Research Center, Malawi Fisheries Department, P.O. Box 316, Salima, Malawi
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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24
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Shraim R, Mooney B, Conkrite KL, Weiner AK, Morin GB, Sorensen PH, Maris JM, Diskin SJ, Sacan A. IMMUNOTAR - Integrative prioritization of cell surface targets for cancer immunotherapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.04.597422. [PMID: 38895237 PMCID: PMC11185603 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.04.597422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality globally. Recent improvements in survival have been facilitated by the development of less toxic immunotherapies; however, identifying targets for immunotherapies remains a challenge in the field. To address this challenge, we developed IMMUNOTAR, a computational tool that systematically prioritizes and identifies candidate immunotherapeutic targets. IMMUNOTAR integrates user-provided RNA-sequencing or proteomics data with quantitative features extracted from publicly available databases based on predefined optimal immunotherapeutic target criteria and quantitatively prioritizes potential surface protein targets. We demonstrate the utility and flexibility of IMMUNOTAR using three distinct datasets, validating its effectiveness in identifying both known and new potential immunotherapeutic targets within the analyzed cancer phenotypes. Overall, IMMUNOTAR enables the compilation of data from multiple sources into a unified platform, allowing users to simultaneously evaluate surface proteins across diverse criteria. By streamlining target identification, IMMUNOTAR empowers researchers to efficiently allocate resources and accelerate immunotherapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawan Shraim
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health System, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brian Mooney
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karina L. Conkrite
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amber K. Weiner
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Gregg B. Morin
- Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Poul H. Sorensen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John M. Maris
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sharon J. Diskin
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ahmet Sacan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health System, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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25
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Rimoldi M, Wang N, Zhang J, Villar D, Odom DT, Taipale J, Flicek P, Roller M. DNA methylation patterns of transcription factor binding regions characterize their functional and evolutionary contexts. Genome Biol 2024; 25:146. [PMID: 38844976 PMCID: PMC11155190 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification which has numerous roles in modulating genome function. Its levels are spatially correlated across the genome, typically high in repressed regions but low in transcription factor (TF) binding sites and active regulatory regions. However, the mechanisms establishing genome-wide and TF binding site methylation patterns are still unclear. RESULTS Here we use a comparative approach to investigate the association of DNA methylation to TF binding evolution in mammals. Specifically, we experimentally profile DNA methylation and combine this with published occupancy profiles of five distinct TFs (CTCF, CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, FOXA1) in the liver of five mammalian species (human, macaque, mouse, rat, dog). TF binding sites are lowly methylated, but they often also have intermediate methylation levels. Furthermore, biding sites are influenced by the methylation status of CpGs in their wider binding regions even when CpGs are absent from the core binding motif. Employing a classification and clustering approach, we extract distinct and species-conserved patterns of DNA methylation levels at TF binding regions. CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, and FOXA1 share the same methylation patterns, while CTCF's differ. These patterns characterize alternative functions and chromatin landscapes of TF-bound regions. Leveraging our phylogenetic framework, we find DNA methylation gain upon evolutionary loss of TF occupancy, indicating coordinated evolution. Furthermore, each methylation pattern has its own evolutionary trajectory reflecting its genomic contexts. CONCLUSIONS Our epigenomic analyses indicate a role for DNA methylation in TF binding changes across species including that specific DNA methylation profiles characterize TF binding and are associated with their regulatory activity, chromatin contexts, and evolutionary trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Rimoldi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Jilin Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Diego Villar
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present Address Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Duncan T Odom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present address Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Maša Roller
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
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Bucknor EMV, Johnson E, Efthymiou S, Alvi JR, Sultan T, Houlden H, Maroofian R, Karimiani EG, Finelli MJ, Oliver PL. Neuroinflammation and Lysosomal Abnormalities Characterise the Essential Role for Oxidation Resistance 1 in the Developing and Adult Cerebellum. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:685. [PMID: 38929124 PMCID: PMC11201099 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in the TLDc family of proteins cause a range of severe childhood-onset neurological disorders with common clinical features that include cerebellar neurodegeneration, ataxia and epilepsy. Of these proteins, oxidation resistance 1 (OXR1) has been implicated in multiple cellular pathways related to antioxidant function, transcriptional regulation and cellular survival; yet how this relates to the specific neuropathological features in disease remains unclear. Here, we investigate a range of loss-of-function mouse model systems and reveal that constitutive deletion of Oxr1 leads to a rapid and striking neuroinflammatory response prior to neurodegeneration that is associated with lysosomal pathology. We go on to show that neuroinflammation and cell death in Oxr1 knockouts can be completely rescued by the neuronal expression of Oxr1, suggesting that the phenotype is driven by the cell-intrinsic defects of neuronal cells lacking the gene. Next, we generate a ubiquitous, adult inducible knockout of Oxr1 that surprisingly displays rapid-onset ataxia and cerebellar neurodegeneration, establishing for the first time that the distinctive pathology associated with the loss of Oxr1 occurs irrespective of developmental stage. Finally, we describe two new homozygous human pathogenic variants in OXR1 that cause neurodevelopmental delay, including a novel stop-gain mutation. We also compare functionally two missense human pathogenic mutations in OXR1, including one newly described here, that cause different clinical phenotypes but demonstrate partially retained neuroprotective activity against oxidative stress. Together, these data highlight the essential role of Oxr1 in modulating neuroinflammatory and lysosomal pathways in the mammalian brain and support the hypothesis that OXR1 protein dosage may be critical for pathological outcomes in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eboni M. V. Bucknor
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Errin Johnson
- The Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1B 5EE, UK
| | - Javeria R. Alvi
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children Hospital, University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore 54660, Pakistan
| | - Tipu Sultan
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children Hospital, University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore 54660, Pakistan
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1B 5EE, UK
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1B 5EE, UK
| | - Ehsan G. Karimiani
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW18 0RE, UK
- Department of Medical Genetics, Next Generation Genetic Polyclinic, Mashhad 009851, Iran
| | - Mattéa J. Finelli
- School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Peter L. Oliver
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
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27
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Ma F, Zheng C. Single-cell phylotranscriptomics of developmental and cell type evolution. Trends Genet 2024; 40:495-510. [PMID: 38490933 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.02.005] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell phylotranscriptomics is an emerging tool to reveal the molecular and cellular mechanisms of evolution. We summarize its utility in studying the hourglass pattern of ontogenetic evolution and for understanding the evolutionary history of cell types. The developmental hourglass model suggests that the mid-embryonic stage is the most conserved period of development across species, which is supported by morphological and molecular studies. Single-cell phylotranscriptomic analysis has revealed previously underappreciated heterogeneity in transcriptome ages among lineages and cell types throughout development, and has identified the lineages and tissues that drive the whole-organism hourglass pattern. Single-cell transcriptome age analyses also provide important insights into the origin of germ layers, the different selective forces on tissues during adaptation, and the evolutionary relationships between cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chaogu Zheng
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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28
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Bénitière F, Duret L, Necsulea A. GTDrift: a resource for exploring the interplay between genetic drift, genomic and transcriptomic characteristics in eukaryotes. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae064. [PMID: 38867915 PMCID: PMC11167491 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We present GTDrift, a comprehensive data resource that enables explorations of genomic and transcriptomic characteristics alongside proxies of the intensity of genetic drift in individual species. This resource encompasses data for 1506 eukaryotic species, including 1413 animals and 93 green plants, and is organized in three components. The first two components contain approximations of the effective population size, which serve as indicators of the extent of random genetic drift within each species. In the first component, we meticulously investigated public databases to assemble data on life history traits such as longevity, adult body length and body mass for a set of 979 species. The second component includes estimations of the ratio between the rate of non-synonymous substitutions and the rate of synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) in protein-coding sequences for 1324 species. This ratio provides an estimate of the efficiency of natural selection in purging deleterious substitutions. Additionally, we present polymorphism-derived N e estimates for 66 species. The third component encompasses various genomic and transcriptomic characteristics. With this component, we aim to facilitate comparative transcriptomics analyses across species, by providing easy-to-use processed data for more than 16 000 RNA-seq samples across 491 species. These data include intron-centered alternative splicing frequencies, gene expression levels and sequencing depth statistics for each species, obtained with a homogeneous analysis protocol. To enable cross-species comparisons, we provide orthology predictions for conserved single-copy genes based on BUSCO gene sets. To illustrate the possible uses of this database, we identify the most frequently used introns for each gene and we assess how the sequencing depth available for each species affects our power to identify major and minor splice variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bénitière
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- Laboratoire d’Écologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5023, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anamaria Necsulea
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
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29
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Azumah R, Hummitzsch K, Anderson RA, Rodgers RJ. Expression of transforming growth factor β signalling molecules and their correlations with genes in loci linked to polycystic ovary syndrome in human foetal and adult tissues. Reprod Fertil Dev 2024; 36:RD23174. [PMID: 38894494 DOI: 10.1071/rd23174] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Context Altered signalling of androgens, anti-Müllerian hormone or transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) during foetal development have been implicated in the predisposition to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in later life, aside from its genetic predisposition. In foetal ovarian fibroblasts, TGFβ1 has been shown to regulate androgen signalling and seven genes located in loci associated with PCOS. Since PCOS exhibits a myriad of symptoms, it likely involves many different organs. Aims To identify the relationships between TGFβ signalling molecules and PCOS candidate genes in different tissues associated with PCOS. Methods Using RNA sequencing data, we examined the expression patterns of TGFβ signalling molecules in the human ovary, testis, heart, liver, kidney, brain tissue, and cerebellum from 4 to 20weeks of gestation and postnatally. We also examined the correlations between gene expression of TGFβ signalling molecules and PCOS candidate genes. Key results TGFβ signalling molecules were dynamically expressed in most tissues prenatally and/or postnatally. FBN3 , a PCOS candidate gene involved in TGFβ signalling, was expressed during foetal development in all tissues. The PCOS candidate genes HMGA2, YAP1 , and RAD50 correlated significantly (P TGFBR1 in six out of the seven tissues examined. Conclusions This study suggests that possible crosstalk occurs between genes in loci associated with PCOS and TGFβ signalling molecules in multiple tissues, particularly during foetal development. Implications Thus, alteration in TGFβ signalling during foetal development could affect many tissues contributing to the multiple phenotypes of PCOS in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafiatu Azumah
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Katja Hummitzsch
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Richard A Anderson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Raymond J Rodgers
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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30
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Necsulea A. Tissue specificity follows gene duplication. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1068-1069. [PMID: 38622361 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02394-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Anamaria Necsulea
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France.
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31
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Kumar C, Roy JK. Decoding the epigenetic mechanism of mammalian sex determination. Exp Cell Res 2024; 439:114011. [PMID: 38531506 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114011] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Sex determination embodies a dynamic and intricate developmental process wielding significant influence over the destiny of bipotential gonads, steering them towards male or female gonads. Gonadal differentiation and the postnatal manifestation of the gonadal phenotype involve a sophisticated interplay of transcription factors such as SOX9 and FOXL2. Central to this interplay are chromatin modifiers regulating the mutual antagonism during this interplay. In this review, the key findings and knowledge gaps in DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA-mediated control throughout mammalian gonadal development are covered. Furthermore, it explores the role of the developing brain in playing a pivotal role in the initiation of gonadogenesis and the subsequent involvement of gonadal hormone/hormone receptor in fine-tuning sexual differentiation. Based on promising facts, the role of the developing brain through the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis is explained and suggested as a novel hypothesis. The article also discusses the potential impact of ecological factors on the human epigenome in relation to sex determination and trans-generational epigenetics in uncovering novel genes and mechanisms involved in sex determination and gonadal differentiation. We have subtly emphasized the disruptions in epigenetic regulations contributing to sexual disorders, which further allows us to raise certain questions, decipher approaches for handling these questions and setting up the direction of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cash Kumar
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Jagat Kumar Roy
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
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Mantica F, Iñiguez LP, Marquez Y, Permanyer J, Torres-Mendez A, Cruz J, Franch-Marro X, Tulenko F, Burguera D, Bertrand S, Doyle T, Nouzova M, Currie PD, Noriega FG, Escriva H, Arnone MI, Albertin CB, Wotton KR, Almudi I, Martin D, Irimia M. Evolution of tissue-specific expression of ancestral genes across vertebrates and insects. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1140-1153. [PMID: 38622362 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02398-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression is arguably the main mechanism underlying the phenotypic diversity of tissues within and between species. Here we assembled an extensive transcriptomic dataset covering 8 tissues across 20 bilaterian species and performed analyses using a symmetric phylogeny that allowed the combined and parallel investigation of gene expression evolution between vertebrates and insects. We specifically focused on widely conserved ancestral genes, identifying strong cores of pan-bilaterian tissue-specific genes and even larger groups that diverged to define vertebrate and insect tissues. Systematic inferences of tissue-specificity gains and losses show that nearly half of all ancestral genes have been recruited into tissue-specific transcriptomes. This occurred during both ancient and, especially, recent bilaterian evolution, with several gains being associated with the emergence of unique phenotypes (for example, novel cell types). Such pervasive evolution of tissue specificity was linked to gene duplication coupled with expression specialization of one of the copies, revealing an unappreciated prolonged effect of whole-genome duplications on recent vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Mantica
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis P Iñiguez
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yamile Marquez
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jon Permanyer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Torres-Mendez
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefa Cruz
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Franch-Marro
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Frank Tulenko
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Demian Burguera
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephanie Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins; BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Toby Doyle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Marcela Nouzova
- Institute of Parasitology, CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Peter D Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- EMBL Australia; Victorian Node, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Fernando G Noriega
- Biology and BSI, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Parasitology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hector Escriva
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins; BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Caroline B Albertin
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Karl R Wotton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Isabel Almudi
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics and IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Martin
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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33
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Bassani S, Chrast J, Ambrosini G, Voisin N, Schütz F, Brusco A, Sirchia F, Turban L, Schubert S, Abou Jamra R, Schlump JU, DeMille D, Bayrak-Toydemir P, Nelson GR, Wong KN, Duncan L, Mosera M, Gilissen C, Vissers LELM, Pfundt R, Kersseboom R, Yttervik H, Hansen GÅM, Smeland MF, Butler KM, Lyons MJ, Carvalho CMB, Zhang C, Lupski JR, Potocki L, Flores-Gallegos L, Morales-Toquero R, Petit F, Yalcin B, Tuttle A, Elloumi HZ, McCormick L, Kukolich M, Klaas O, Horvath J, Scala M, Iacomino M, Operto F, Zara F, Writzl K, Maver A, Haanpää MK, Pohjola P, Arikka H, Kievit AJA, Calandrini C, Iseli C, Guex N, Reymond A. Variant-specific pathophysiological mechanisms of AFF3 differently influence transcriptome profiles. Genome Med 2024; 16:72. [PMID: 38811945 PMCID: PMC11137988 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01339-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We previously described the KINSSHIP syndrome, an autosomal dominant disorder associated with intellectual disability (ID), mesomelic dysplasia and horseshoe kidney, caused by de novo variants in the degron of AFF3. Mouse knock-ins and overexpression in zebrafish provided evidence for a dominant-negative mode of action, wherein an increased level of AFF3 resulted in pathological effects. METHODS Evolutionary constraints suggest that other modes-of-inheritance could be at play. We challenged this hypothesis by screening ID cohorts for individuals with predicted-to-be damaging variants in AFF3. We used both animal and cellular models to assess the deleteriousness of the identified variants. RESULTS We identified an individual with a KINSSHIP-like phenotype carrying a de novo partial duplication of AFF3 further strengthening the hypothesis that an increased level of AFF3 is pathological. We also detected seventeen individuals displaying a milder syndrome with either heterozygous Loss-of-Function (LoF) or biallelic missense variants in AFF3. Consistent with semi-dominance, we discovered three patients with homozygous LoF and one compound heterozygote for a LoF and a missense variant, who presented more severe phenotypes than their heterozygous parents. Matching zebrafish knockdowns exhibit neurological defects that could be rescued by expressing human AFF3 mRNA, confirming their association with the ablation of aff3. Conversely, some of the human AFF3 mRNAs carrying missense variants identified in affected individuals did not rescue these phenotypes. Overexpression of mutated AFF3 mRNAs in zebrafish embryos produced a significant increase of abnormal larvae compared to wild-type overexpression further demonstrating deleteriousness. To further assess the effect of AFF3 variation, we profiled the transcriptome of fibroblasts from affected individuals and engineered isogenic cells harboring + / + , KINSSHIP/KINSSHIP, LoF/ + , LoF/LoF or KINSSHIP/LoF AFF3 genotypes. The expression of more than a third of the AFF3 bound loci is modified in either the KINSSHIP/KINSSHIP or the LoF/LoF lines. While the same pathways are affected, only about one third of the differentially expressed genes are common to the homozygote datasets, indicating that AFF3 LoF and KINSSHIP variants largely modulate transcriptomes differently, e.g. the DNA repair pathway displayed opposite modulation. CONCLUSIONS Our results and the high pleiotropy shown by variation at this locus suggest that minute changes in AFF3 function are deleterious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sissy Bassani
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, Lausanne, CH, 1015, Switzerland
- Present address: Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacqueline Chrast
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, Lausanne, CH, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna Ambrosini
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Norine Voisin
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, Lausanne, CH, 1015, Switzerland
- Present address: Sophia Genetics, St Sulpice, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Schütz
- Biostatistics Platform, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Neurosciences Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Medical Genetics Unit, Città Della Salute E Della Scienza University Hospital, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Fabio Sirchia
- Department of Neurosciences Rita Levi-Montalcini, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Medical Genetics Unit, Città Della Salute E Della Scienza University Hospital, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Present address: Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Present address: Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lydia Turban
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanna Schubert
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rami Abou Jamra
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan-Ulrich Schlump
- Department of Pediatrics, Centre for Neuromedicine, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke Gerhard-Kienle-Weg, Herdecke, Germany
| | - Desiree DeMille
- Genomics Analysis 396, ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Gary Rex Nelson
- Pediatric Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kristen Nicole Wong
- Pediatric Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Laura Duncan
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Center North, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Present address: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mackenzie Mosera
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Center North, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christian Gilissen
- Department of Human Genetics, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisenka E L M Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rolph Pfundt
- Department of Human Genetics, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rogier Kersseboom
- Center for Genetic Developmental Disorders Southwest, Zuidwester, Middelharnis, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Yttervik
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | | | | | | | - Claudia M B Carvalho
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI), Broadway, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chaofan Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lorraine Potocki
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Binnaz Yalcin
- Inserm UMR1231, University of Burgundy, 21000, Dijon, France
| | | | | | - Lane McCormick
- Department of Genetics, Cook Children's Medical Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Mary Kukolich
- Department of Genetics, Cook Children's Medical Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Oliver Klaas
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Judit Horvath
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Marcello Scala
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, 16132, Italy
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Iacomino
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Operto
- Department of Medicine, Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Federico Zara
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, 16132, Italy
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Karin Writzl
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aleš Maver
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maria K Haanpää
- Department of Genomics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pia Pohjola
- Department of Genomics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Harri Arikka
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Anneke J A Kievit
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Camilla Calandrini
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Iseli
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Guex
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Reymond
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, Lausanne, CH, 1015, Switzerland.
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Chen WB, Zhang MF, Yang F, Hua JL. Applications of single-cell RNA sequencing in spermatogenesis and molecular evolution. Zool Res 2024; 45:575-585. [PMID: 38766742 PMCID: PMC11188606 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.010] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenic cell heterogeneity is determined by the complex process of spermatogenesis differentiation. However, effectively revealing the regulatory mechanisms underlying mammalian spermatogenic cell development and differentiation via traditional methods is difficult. Advances in technology have led to the emergence of many single-cell transcriptome sequencing protocols, which have partially addressed these challenges. In this review, we detail the principles of 10x Genomics technology and summarize the methods for downstream analysis of single-cell transcriptome sequencing data. Furthermore, we explore the role of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in revealing the heterogeneity of testicular ecological niche cells, delineating the establishment and disruption of testicular immune homeostasis during human spermatogenesis, investigating abnormal spermatogenesis in humans, and, ultimately, elucidating the molecular evolution of mammalian spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bo Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Meng-Fei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fan Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jin-Lian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. E-mail:
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35
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Asiaee A, Abrams ZB, Pua HH, Coombes KR. Transcriptome Complexity Disentangled: A Regulatory Molecules Approach. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.17.537241. [PMID: 37131792 PMCID: PMC10153180 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.17.537241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are fundamental regulators of gene expression, cell state, and biological processes. This study investigated whether a small subset of TFs and miRNAs could accurately predict genome-wide gene expression. We analyzed 8895 samples across 31 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas and identified 28 miRNA and 28 TF clusters using unsupervised learning. Medoids of these clusters could differentiate tissues of origin with 92.8% accuracy, demonstrating their biological relevance. We developed Tissue-Agnostic and Tissue-Aware models to predict 20,000 gene expressions using the 56 selected medoid miRNAs and TFs. The Tissue-Aware model attained an R 2 of 0.70 by incorporating tissue-specific information. Despite measuring only 1/400th of the transcriptome, the prediction accuracy was comparable to that achieved by the 1000 landmark genes. This suggests the transcriptome has an intrinsically low-dimensional structure that can be captured by a few regulatory molecules. Our approach could enable cheaper transcriptome assays and analysis of low-quality samples. It also provides insights into genes that are heavily regulated by miRNAs/TFs versus alternative mechanisms. However, model transportability was impacted by dataset discrepancies, especially in miRNA distribution. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of a biology-guided approach for robust transcriptome representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Asiaee
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Zachary B. Abrams
- Institute for Informatics, Washington University, 4444 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Heather H. Pua
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 Medical Center Dr, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Kevin R. Coombes
- Department of Population Health Science, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 15th St, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Kagan F, Hejnol A. Comparative Analysis of Maternal Gene Expression Patterns Unravels Evolutionary Signatures Across Reproductive Modes. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae081. [PMID: 38679468 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae081] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal genes have a pivotal role in regulating metazoan early development. As such their functions have been extensively studied since the dawn of developmental biology. The temporal and spatial dynamics of their transcripts have been thoroughly described in model organisms and their functions have been undergoing heavy investigations. Yet, less is known about the evolutionary changes shaping their presence within diverse oocytes. Due to their unique maternal inheritance pattern, a high degree is predicted to be present when it comes to their expression. Insofar only limited and conflicting results have emerged around it. Here, we set out to elucidate which evolutionary changes could be detected in the maternal gene expression patterns using phylogenetic comparative methods on RNAseq data from 43 species. Using normalized gene expression values and fold change information throughout early development we set out to find the best-fitting evolutionary model. Through modeling, we find evidence supporting both the high degree of divergence and constraint on gene expression values, together with their temporal dynamics. Furthermore, we find that maternal gene expression alone can be used to explain the reproductive modes of different species. Together, these results suggest a highly dynamic evolutionary landscape of maternal gene expression. We also propose a possible functional dichotomy of maternal genes which is influenced by the reproductive strategy undertaken by examined species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Kagan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Jena, Germany
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37
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Dai P, Ma C, Chen C, Liang M, Dong S, Chen H, Zhang X. Unlocking Genetic Mysteries during the Epic Sperm Journey toward Fertilization: Further Expanding Cre Mouse Lines. Biomolecules 2024; 14:529. [PMID: 38785936 PMCID: PMC11117649 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The spatiotemporal expression patterns of genes are crucial for maintaining normal physiological functions in animals. Conditional gene knockout using the cyclization recombination enzyme (Cre)/locus of crossover of P1 (Cre/LoxP) strategy has been extensively employed for functional assays at specific tissue or developmental stages. This approach aids in uncovering the associations between phenotypes and gene regulation while minimizing interference among distinct tissues. Various Cre-engineered mouse models have been utilized in the male reproductive system, including Dppa3-MERCre for primordial germ cells, Ddx4-Cre and Stra8-Cre for spermatogonia, Prm1-Cre and Acrv1-iCre for haploid spermatids, Cyp17a1-iCre for the Leydig cell, Sox9-Cre for the Sertoli cell, and Lcn5/8/9-Cre for differentiated segments of the epididymis. Notably, the specificity and functioning stage of Cre recombinases vary, and the efficiency of recombination driven by Cre depends on endogenous promoters with different sequences as well as the constructed Cre vectors, even when controlled by an identical promoter. Cre mouse models generated via traditional recombination or CRISPR/Cas9 also exhibit distinct knockout properties. This review focuses on Cre-engineered mouse models applied to the male reproductive system, including Cre-targeting strategies, mouse model screening, and practical challenges encountered, particularly with novel mouse strains over the past decade. It aims to provide valuable references for studies conducted on the male reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiaoning Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; (P.D.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (M.L.); (S.D.); (H.C.)
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38
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Jubran J, Slutsky R, Rozenblum N, Rokach L, Ben-David U, Yeger-Lotem E. Machine-learning analysis reveals an important role for negative selection in shaping cancer aneuploidy landscapes. Genome Biol 2024; 25:95. [PMID: 38622679 PMCID: PMC11020441 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03225-7] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes within a cell, is a hallmark of cancer. Patterns of aneuploidy differ across cancers, yet are similar in cancers affecting closely related tissues. The selection pressures underlying aneuploidy patterns are not fully understood, hindering our understanding of cancer development and progression. RESULTS Here, we apply interpretable machine learning methods to study tissue-selective aneuploidy patterns. We define 20 types of features corresponding to genomic attributes of chromosome-arms, normal tissues, primary tumors, and cancer cell lines (CCLs), and use them to model gains and losses of chromosome arms in 24 cancer types. To reveal the factors that shape the tissue-specific cancer aneuploidy landscapes, we interpret the machine learning models by estimating the relative contribution of each feature to the models. While confirming known drivers of positive selection, our quantitative analysis highlights the importance of negative selection for shaping aneuploidy landscapes. This is exemplified by tumor suppressor gene density being a better predictor of gain patterns than oncogene density, and vice versa for loss patterns. We also identify the importance of tissue-selective features and demonstrate them experimentally, revealing KLF5 as an important driver for chr13q gain in colon cancer. Further supporting an important role for negative selection in shaping the aneuploidy landscapes, we find compensation by paralogs to be among the top predictors of chromosome arm loss prevalence and demonstrate this relationship for one paralog interaction. Similar factors shape aneuploidy patterns in human CCLs, demonstrating their relevance for aneuploidy research. CONCLUSIONS Our quantitative, interpretable machine learning models improve the understanding of the genomic properties that shape cancer aneuploidy landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juman Jubran
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Rachel Slutsky
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Rozenblum
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Rokach
- Department of Software & Information Systems Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Uri Ben-David
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Esti Yeger-Lotem
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel.
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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39
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Carvalho S, Zea-Redondo L, Tang TCC, Stachel-Braum P, Miller D, Caldas P, Kukalev A, Diecke S, Grosswendt S, Grosso AR, Pombo A. SRRM2 splicing factor modulates cell fate in early development. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060415. [PMID: 38656788 PMCID: PMC11070786 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryo development is an orchestrated process that relies on tight regulation of gene expression to guide cell differentiation and fate decisions. The Srrm2 splicing factor has recently been implicated in developmental disorders and diseases, but its role in early mammalian development remains unexplored. Here, we show that Srrm2 dosage is critical for maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency and cell identity. Srrm2 heterozygosity promotes loss of stemness, characterised by the coexistence of cells expressing naive and formative pluripotency markers, together with extensive changes in gene expression, including genes regulated by serum-response transcription factor (SRF) and differentiation-related genes. Depletion of Srrm2 by RNA interference in embryonic stem cells shows that the earliest effects of Srrm2 heterozygosity are specific alternative splicing events on a small number of genes, followed by expression changes in metabolism and differentiation-related genes. Our findings unveil molecular and cellular roles of Srrm2 in stemness and lineage commitment, shedding light on the roles of splicing regulators in early embryogenesis, developmental diseases and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Carvalho
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology (GABBA), ICBAS, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luna Zea-Redondo
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tsz Ching Chloe Tang
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Stachel-Braum
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Exploratory Diagnostic Sciences (EDS) 10178 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), From Cell State to Function Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Duncan Miller
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Pluripotent Stem Cells Platform, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paulo Caldas
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Alexander Kukalev
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Diecke
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Pluripotent Stem Cells Platform, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Grosswendt
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Exploratory Diagnostic Sciences (EDS) 10178 Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), From Cell State to Function Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ana Rita Grosso
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana Pombo
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Epigenetic Regulation and Chromatin Structure Group, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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40
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Lambourne L, Mattioli K, Santoso C, Sheynkman G, Inukai S, Kaundal B, Berenson A, Spirohn-Fitzgerald K, Bhattacharjee A, Rothman E, Shrestha S, Laval F, Yang Z, Bisht D, Sewell JA, Li G, Prasad A, Phanor S, Lane R, Campbell DM, Hunt T, Balcha D, Gebbia M, Twizere JC, Hao T, Frankish A, Riback JA, Salomonis N, Calderwood MA, Hill DE, Sahni N, Vidal M, Bulyk ML, Fuxman Bass JI. Widespread variation in molecular interactions and regulatory properties among transcription factor isoforms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584681. [PMID: 38617209 PMCID: PMC11014633 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Most human Transcription factors (TFs) genes encode multiple protein isoforms differing in DNA binding domains, effector domains, or other protein regions. The global extent to which this results in functional differences between isoforms remains unknown. Here, we systematically compared 693 isoforms of 246 TF genes, assessing DNA binding, protein binding, transcriptional activation, subcellular localization, and condensate formation. Relative to reference isoforms, two-thirds of alternative TF isoforms exhibit differences in one or more molecular activities, which often could not be predicted from sequence. We observed two primary categories of alternative TF isoforms: "rewirers" and "negative regulators", both of which were associated with differentiation and cancer. Our results support a model wherein the relative expression levels of, and interactions involving, TF isoforms add an understudied layer of complexity to gene regulatory networks, demonstrating the importance of isoform-aware characterization of TF functions and providing a rich resource for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Lambourne
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaia Mattioli
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clarissa Santoso
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gloria Sheynkman
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sachi Inukai
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Babita Kaundal
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anna Berenson
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kerstin Spirohn-Fitzgerald
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anukana Bhattacharjee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Elisabeth Rothman
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Florent Laval
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Zhipeng Yang
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepa Bisht
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jared A Sewell
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Guangyuan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Anisa Prasad
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard College, Cambridge MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Phanor
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan Lane
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Toby Hunt
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dawit Balcha
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marinella Gebbia
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Twizere
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Tong Hao
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Frankish
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Josh A Riback
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nathan Salomonis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Michael A Calderwood
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David E Hill
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nidhi Sahni
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marc Vidal
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha L Bulyk
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juan I Fuxman Bass
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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41
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Ding W, Li X, Zhang J, Ji M, Zhang M, Zhong X, Cao Y, Liu X, Li C, Xiao C, Wang J, Li T, Yu Q, Mo F, Zhang B, Qi J, Yang JC, Qi J, Tian L, Xu X, Peng Q, Zhou WZ, Liu Z, Fu A, Zhang X, Zhang JJ, Sun Y, Hu B, An NA, Zhang L, Li CY. Adaptive functions of structural variants in human brain development. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl4600. [PMID: 38579006 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl4600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Quantifying the structural variants (SVs) in nonhuman primates could provide a niche to clarify the genetic backgrounds underlying human-specific traits, but such resource is largely lacking. Here, we report an accurate SV map in a population of 562 rhesus macaques, verified by in-house benchmarks of eight macaque genomes with long-read sequencing and another one with genome assembly. This map indicates stronger selective constrains on inversions at regulatory regions, suggesting a strategy for prioritizing them with the most important functions. Accordingly, we identified 75 human-specific inversions and prioritized them. The top-ranked inversions have substantially shaped the human transcriptome, through their dual effects of reconfiguring the ancestral genomic architecture and introducing regional mutation hotspots at the inverted regions. As a proof of concept, we linked APCDD1, located on one of these inversions and down-regulated specifically in humans, to neuronal maturation and cognitive ability. We thus highlight inversions in shaping the human uniqueness in brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqiu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangshang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Biomedical Pioneer Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yong Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 119S Fourth Ring Rd W, Fengtai District, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoge Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunqiong Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Chunfu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Boya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhuan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie-Chun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Juntian Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinwei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Zhen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhijin Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Aisi Fu
- Wuhan Dgensee Clinical Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiuqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Jun Zhang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Encephalopathy, National International Joint Research Center for Molecular Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Yujie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Biomedical Pioneer Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Baoyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ni A An
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan-Yun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming 650092, China
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42
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Fishburn AT, Florio CJ, Lopez NJ, Link NL, Shah PS. Molecular functions of ANKLE2 and its implications in human disease. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050554. [PMID: 38691001 PMCID: PMC11103583 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Ankyrin repeat and LEM domain-containing 2 (ANKLE2) is a scaffolding protein with established roles in cell division and development, the dysfunction of which is increasingly implicated in human disease. ANKLE2 regulates nuclear envelope disassembly at the onset of mitosis and its reassembly after chromosome segregation. ANKLE2 dysfunction is associated with abnormal nuclear morphology and cell division. It regulates the nuclear envelope by mediating protein-protein interactions with barrier to autointegration factor (BANF1; also known as BAF) and with the kinase and phosphatase that modulate the phosphorylation state of BAF. In brain development, ANKLE2 is crucial for proper asymmetric division of neural progenitor cells. In humans, pathogenic loss-of-function mutations in ANKLE2 are associated with primary congenital microcephaly, a condition in which the brain is not properly developed at birth. ANKLE2 is also linked to other disease pathologies, including congenital Zika syndrome, cancer and tauopathy. Here, we review the molecular roles of ANKLE2 and the recent literature on human diseases caused by its dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T. Fishburn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Cole J. Florio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nick J. Lopez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nichole L. Link
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Priya S. Shah
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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43
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Li G, Zhu W, Tian M, Liu R, Ruan Y, Liu C. Genome-Wide Identification of the SPP/SPPL Gene Family and BnaSPPL4 Regulating Male Fertility in Rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3936. [PMID: 38612746 PMCID: PMC11012144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073936] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and its homologs, signal peptide peptidase-like (SPPL) proteases, are members of the GxGD-type aspartyl protease family, which is widespread in plants and animals and is a class of transmembrane proteins with significant biological functions. SPP/SPPLs have been identified; however, the functions of SPP/SPPL in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) have not been reported. In this study, 26 SPP/SPPLs were identified in rapeseed and categorized into three groups: SPP, SPPL2, and SPPL3. These members mainly contained the Peptidase_A22 and PA domains, which were distributed on 17 out of 19 chromosomes. Evolutionary analyses indicated that BnaSPP/SPPLs evolved with a large number of whole-genome duplication (WGD) events and strong purifying selection. Members are widely expressed and play a key role in the growth and development of rapeseed. The regulation of rapeseed pollen fertility by the BnaSPPL4 gene was further validated through experiments based on bioinformatics analysis, concluding that BnaSPPL4 silencing causes male sterility. Cytological observation showed that male infertility caused by loss of BnaSPPL4 gene function occurs late in the mononucleate stage due to microspore dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangze Li
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Minyu Tian
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Ying Ruan
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Chunlin Liu
- Yuelushan Laboratory, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (G.L.); (W.Z.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (Y.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Provincial on Crop Epigenetic Regulation and Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
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44
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Barton LJ, Roa-de la Cruz L, Lehmann R, Lin B. The journey of a generation: advances and promises in the study of primordial germ cell migration. Development 2024; 151:dev201102. [PMID: 38607588 PMCID: PMC11165723 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The germline provides the genetic and non-genetic information that passes from one generation to the next. Given this important role in species propagation, egg and sperm precursors, called primordial germ cells (PGCs), are one of the first cell types specified during embryogenesis. In fact, PGCs form well before the bipotential somatic gonad is specified. This common feature of germline development necessitates that PGCs migrate through many tissues to reach the somatic gonad. During their journey, PGCs must respond to select environmental cues while ignoring others in a dynamically developing embryo. The complex multi-tissue, combinatorial nature of PGC migration is an excellent model for understanding how cells navigate complex environments in vivo. Here, we discuss recent findings on the migratory path, the somatic cells that shepherd PGCs, the guidance cues somatic cells provide, and the PGC response to these cues to reach the gonad and establish the germline pool for future generations. We end by discussing the fate of wayward PGCs that fail to reach the gonad in diverse species. Collectively, this field is poised to yield important insights into emerging reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacy J. Barton
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Lorena Roa-de la Cruz
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Ruth Lehmann
- Whitehead Institute and Department of Biology, MIT, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Benjamin Lin
- Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
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45
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Liu MM, Fan CQ, Zhang GL. A Single-Cell Landscape of Spermioteleosis in Mice and Pigs. Cells 2024; 13:563. [PMID: 38607002 PMCID: PMC11011153 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Spermatozoa acquired motility and matured in epididymis after production in the testis. However, there is still limited understanding of the specific characteristics of sperm development across different species. In this study, we employed a comprehensive approach to analyze cell compositions in both testicular and epididymal tissues, providing valuable insights into the changes occurring during meiosis and spermiogenesis in mouse and pig models. Additionally, we identified distinct gene expression signatures associated with various spermatogenic cell types. (2) Methods: To investigate the differences in spermatogenesis between mice and pigs, we constructed a single-cell RNA dataset. (3) Results: Our findings revealed notable differences in testicular cell clusters between these two species. Furthermore, distinct gene expression patterns were observed among epithelial cells from different regions of the epididymis. Interestingly, regional gene expression patterns were also identified within principal cell clusters of the mouse epididymis. Moreover, through analysing differentially expressed genes related to the epididymis in both mouse and pig models, we successfully identified potential marker genes associated with sperm development and maturation for each species studied. (4) Conclusions: This research presented a comprehensive single-cell landscape analysis of both testicular and epididymal tissues, shedding light on the intricate processes involved in spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, specifically within mouse and pig models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guo-Liang Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; (M.-M.L.); (C.-Q.F.)
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46
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Zhang X, Yang W, Blair D, Hu W, Yin M. RNA-seq analysis reveals changes in mRNA expression during development in Daphnia mitsukuri. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:302. [PMID: 38515024 PMCID: PMC10958850 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10210-8] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal transcriptional variation is a major contributor to functional evolution and the developmental process. Parthenogenetic water fleas of the genus Daphnia (Cladocera) provide an ideal model to characterize gene expression patterns across distinct developmental stages. Herein, we report RNA-seq data for female Daphnia mitsukuri at three developmental stages: the embryo, juvenile (three timepoints) and adult. Comparisons of gene expression patterns among these three developmental stages and weighted gene co-expression network analysis based on expression data across developmental stages identified sets of genes underpinning each of the developmental stages of D. mitsukuri. Specifically, highly expressed genes (HEGs) at the embryonic developmental stage were associated with cell proliferation, ensuring the necessary foundation for subsequent development; HEGs at the juvenile stages were associated with chemosensory perception, visual perception and neurotransmission, allowing individuals to enhance detection of potential environmental risks; HEGs at the adult stage were associated with antioxidative defensive systems, enabling adults to mount an efficient response to perceived environmental risks. Additionally, we found a significant overlap between expanded gene families of Daphnia species and HEGs at the juvenile stages, and these genes were associated with visual perception and neurotransmission. Our work provides a resource of developmental transcriptomes, and comparative analyses that characterize gene expression dynamics throughout development of Daphnia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuping Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwu Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, China
| | - David Blair
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Wei Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingbo Yin
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, China.
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47
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Ascensão-Ferreira M, Martins-Silva R, Saraiva-Agostinho N, Barbosa-Morais NL. betAS: intuitive analysis and visualization of differential alternative splicing using beta distributions. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:337-353. [PMID: 38278530 PMCID: PMC10946425 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079764.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Next-generation RNA sequencing allows alternative splicing (AS) quantification with unprecedented resolution, with the relative inclusion of an alternative sequence in transcripts being commonly quantified by the proportion of reads supporting it as percent spliced-in (PSI). However, PSI values do not incorporate information about precision, proportional to the respective AS events' read coverage. Beta distributions are suitable to quantify inclusion levels of alternative sequences, using reads supporting their inclusion and exclusion as surrogates for the two distribution shape parameters. Each such beta distribution has the PSI as its mean value and is narrower when the read coverage is higher, facilitating the interpretability of its precision when plotted. We herein introduce a computational pipeline, based on beta distributions accurately modeling PSI values and their precision, to quantitatively and visually compare AS between groups of samples. Our methodology includes a differential splicing significance metric that compromises the magnitude of intergroup differences, the estimation uncertainty in individual samples, and the intragroup variability, being therefore suitable for multiple-group comparisons. To make our approach accessible and clear to both noncomputational and computational biologists, we developed betAS, an interactive web app and user-friendly R package for visual and intuitive differential splicing analysis from read count data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Ascensão-Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Rita Martins-Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Nuno Saraiva-Agostinho
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - Nuno L Barbosa-Morais
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
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48
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Mao YX, Li Y, Yang Z, Xu N, Zhang S, Wang X, Yang X, Sun Q, Mao Y. Comparative transcriptome analysis between rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta) and crab-eating macaques ( M. fascicularis). Zool Res 2024; 45:299-310. [PMID: 38485500 PMCID: PMC11017088 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.322] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding gene expression variations between species is pivotal for deciphering the evolutionary diversity in phenotypes. Rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta, MMU) and crab-eating macaques ( M. fascicularis, MFA) serve as crucial nonhuman primate biomedical models with different phenotypes. To date, however, large-scale comparative transcriptome research between these two species has not yet been fully explored. Here, we conducted systematic comparisons utilizing newly sequenced RNA-seq data from 84 samples (41 MFA samples and 43 MMU samples) encompassing 14 common tissues. Our findings revealed a small fraction of genes (3.7%) with differential expression between the two species, as well as 36.5% of genes with tissue-specific expression in both macaques. Comparison of gene expression between macaques and humans indicated that 22.6% of orthologous genes displayed differential expression in at least two tissues. Moreover, 19.41% of genes that overlapped with macaque-specific structural variants showed differential expression between humans and macaques. Of these, the FAM220A gene exhibited elevated expression in humans compared to macaques due to lineage-specific duplication. In summary, this study presents a large-scale transcriptomic comparison between MMU and MFA and between macaques and humans. The discovery of gene expression variations not only enhances the biomedical utility of macaque models but also contributes to the wider field of primate genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xiang Mao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Yamei Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Zikun Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
- Zhiyuan College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Shilong Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xuankai Wang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xiangyu Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. E-mail:
| | - Yafei Mao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
- Center for Genomic Research, International Institutes of Medicine, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, Zhejiang 322000, China. E-mail:
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49
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Bénitière F, Necsulea A, Duret L. Random genetic drift sets an upper limit on mRNA splicing accuracy in metazoans. eLife 2024; 13:RP93629. [PMID: 38470242 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Most eukaryotic genes undergo alternative splicing (AS), but the overall functional significance of this process remains a controversial issue. It has been noticed that the complexity of organisms (assayed by the number of distinct cell types) correlates positively with their genome-wide AS rate. This has been interpreted as evidence that AS plays an important role in adaptive evolution by increasing the functional repertoires of genomes. However, this observation also fits with a totally opposite interpretation: given that 'complex' organisms tend to have small effective population sizes (Ne), they are expected to be more affected by genetic drift, and hence more prone to accumulate deleterious mutations that decrease splicing accuracy. Thus, according to this 'drift barrier' theory, the elevated AS rate in complex organisms might simply result from a higher splicing error rate. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed 3496 transcriptome sequencing samples to quantify AS in 53 metazoan species spanning a wide range of Ne values. Our results show a negative correlation between Ne proxies and the genome-wide AS rates among species, consistent with the drift barrier hypothesis. This pattern is dominated by low abundance isoforms, which represent the vast majority of the splice variant repertoire. We show that these low abundance isoforms are depleted in functional AS events, and most likely correspond to errors. Conversely, the AS rate of abundant isoforms, which are relatively enriched in functional AS events, tends to be lower in more complex species. All these observations are consistent with the hypothesis that variation in AS rates across metazoans reflects the limits set by drift on the capacity of selection to prevent gene expression errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bénitière
- Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anamaria Necsulea
- Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
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50
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Pérez Baca MDR, Jacobs EZ, Vantomme L, Leblanc P, Bogaert E, Dheedene A, De Cock L, Haghshenas S, Foroutan A, Levy MA, Kerkhof J, McConkey H, Chen CA, Batzir NA, Wang X, Palomares M, Carels M, Dermaut B, Sadikovic B, Menten B, Yuan B, Vergult S, Callewaert B. Haploinsufficiency of ZFHX3, encoding a key player in neuronal development, causes syndromic intellectual disability. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:509-528. [PMID: 38412861 PMCID: PMC10940049 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.01.013] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) result from impaired development and functioning of the brain. Here, we identify loss-of-function (LoF) variation in ZFHX3 as a cause for syndromic intellectual disability (ID). ZFHX3 is a zinc-finger homeodomain transcription factor involved in various biological processes, including cell differentiation and tumorigenesis. We describe 42 individuals with protein-truncating variants (PTVs) or (partial) deletions of ZFHX3, exhibiting variable intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, recurrent facial features, relative short stature, brachydactyly, and, rarely, cleft palate. ZFHX3 LoF associates with a specific methylation profile in whole blood extracted DNA. Nuclear abundance of ZFHX3 increases during human brain development and neuronal differentiation. ZFHX3 was found to interact with the chromatin remodeling BRG1/Brm-associated factor complex and the cleavage and polyadenylation complex, suggesting a function in chromatin remodeling and mRNA processing. Furthermore, ChIP-seq for ZFHX3 revealed that it predominantly binds promoters of genes involved in nervous system development. We conclude that loss-of-function variants in ZFHX3 are a cause of syndromic ID associating with a specific DNA methylation profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Del Rocío Pérez Baca
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Z Jacobs
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lies Vantomme
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pontus Leblanc
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elke Bogaert
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Dheedene
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laurenz De Cock
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sadegheh Haghshenas
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Aidin Foroutan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Michael A Levy
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Jennifer Kerkhof
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Haley McConkey
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Chun-An Chen
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nurit Assia Batzir
- Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikvah 4920235, Israel
| | - Xia Wang
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - María Palomares
- INGEMM, Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular, IdiPAZ, Hospital Universitario la Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marieke Carels
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; VIB UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart Dermaut
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bo Yuan
- Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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