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Vontzou N, Pei Y, Mueller JC, Reifová R, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Schlebusch SA, Suh A. Songbird germline-restricted chromosome as a potential arena of genetic conflicts. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 83:102113. [PMID: 37734346 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Genetic conflicts can arise between components of the genome with different inheritance strategies. The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds shows unusual mitotic and meiotic transmission compared with the rest of the genome. It is excluded from somatic cells and maintained only in the germline. It is usually present in one copy in the male germline and eliminated during spermatogenesis, while in the female germline, it usually occurs in two copies and behaves as a regular chromosome. Here, we review what is known about the GRC's evolutionary history, genetic content, and expression and discuss how it may be involved in different types of genetic conflicts. Finally, we interrogate the potential role of the GRC in songbird germline development, highlighting several unsolved mysteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Vontzou
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | - Yifan Pei
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jakob C Mueller
- Department of Ornithology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany. https://twitter.com/@fjruizruano
| | - Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander Suh
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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2
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Borodin PM. Germline-restricted chromosomes of the songbirds. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2023; 27:641-650. [PMID: 38023808 PMCID: PMC10643108 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-23-75] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) are present in the genomes of germline cells and absent from somatic cells. A GRC is found in all species of the songbirds (Passeri) and in none of the other bird orders studied to date. This indicates that GRC originated in the common ancestor of the songbirds. The germline-restricted chromosome is permanently absent from somatic cells of the songbird, while female germline cells usually contain two copies of GRC and male ones have one copy. In females, GRCs undergo synapsis and restricted recombination in their terminal regions during meiotic prophase. In males, it is almost always eliminated from spermatocytes. Thus, GRC is inherited almost exclusively through the maternal lineage. The germline-restricted chromosome is a necessary genomic element in the germline cells of songbirds. To date, the GRC genetic composition has been studied in four species only. Some GRC genes are actively expressed in female and male gonads, controlling the development of germline cells and synthesis of the proteins involved in the organization of meiotic chromosomes. Songbird species vary in GRC size and genetic composition. The GRC of each bird species consists of amplified and modified copies of genes from the basic genome of that species. The level of homology between GRCs of different species is relatively low, indicating a high rate of genetic evolution of this chromosome. Transmission through the maternal lineage and suppression of the recombination contribute significantly to the accelerated evolution of GRCs. One may suggest that the rapid coordinated evolution between the GRC genes and the genes of the basic genome in the songbirds might be responsible for the explosive speciation and adaptive radiation of this most species-rich and diverse infraorder of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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3
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Schlebusch SA, Rídl J, Poignet M, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Reif J, Pajer P, Pačes J, Albrecht T, Suh A, Reifová R. Rapid gene content turnover on the germline-restricted chromosome in songbirds. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4579. [PMID: 37516764 PMCID: PMC10387091 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds represents a taxonomically widespread example of programmed DNA elimination. Despite its apparent indispensability, we still know very little about the GRC's genetic composition, function, and evolutionary significance. Here we assemble the GRC in two closely related species, the common and thrush nightingale. In total we identify 192 genes across the two GRCs, with many of them present in multiple copies. Interestingly, the GRC appears to be under little selective pressure, with the genetic content differing dramatically between the two species and many GRC genes appearing to be pseudogenized fragments. Only one gene, cpeb1, has a complete coding region in all examined individuals of the two species and shows no copy number variation. The acquisition of this gene by the GRC corresponds with the earliest estimates of the GRC origin, making it a good candidate for the functional indispensability of the GRC in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Rídl
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Manon Poignet
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pajer
- Military Health Institute, Military Medical Agency, Tychonova 1, 160 01, Prague 6, San Antonio, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pačes
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Barutc AR, Frit AJ, McCor RP, Nick JA, Asla M. Heat shock factor 5 establishes the male germ-line meiotic sex chromosome inactivation through regulation of Smarca4. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15194. [PMID: 37206036 PMCID: PMC10189179 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation is an essential event in male germ cell development, which is directed by DNA damage response signaling independent of Xist RNA to silence the transcription activity of the sex chromosomes. However, the specific mechanism of establishment and maintenance of meiotic chromosome silencing is still unclear. Here we identify the HSF5 as a testicular specific protein and the expression of which was at the onset of meiosis pachytene stage to round sperm. When the function of the HSF5 was lost, meiosis sex chromosome remodeling and silencing fail, followed by activation of CHK2 checkpoint leads to germ cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that SMARCA4 in the linking the HSF5 to MSCI and uncover additional factors with meiotic sex chromosome remodeling. Together, our results demonstrate a requirement for HSF5 activity in spermatogenesis and suggest a role for the mammalian HSF5-SMARCA4 in programmed meiotic sex chromosome remodeling and silencing events that take place during meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rasim Barutc
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551, Saudi Arabia
- Program in Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Andrew J. Frit
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Rachel P. McCor
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jeffrey A. Nick
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Asla
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21551, Saudi Arabia.
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5
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Borodin P, Chen A, Forstmeier W, Fouché S, Malinovskaya L, Pei Y, Reifová R, Ruiz-Ruano FJ, Schlebusch SA, Sotelo-Muñoz M, Torgasheva A, Vontzou N, Suh A. Mendelian nightmares: the germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds. Chromosome Res 2022; 30:255-272. [PMID: 35416568 PMCID: PMC9508068 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-022-09688-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) are accessory chromosomes that occur only in germ cells. They are eliminated from somatic cells through programmed DNA elimination during embryo development. GRCs have been observed in several unrelated animal taxa and show peculiar modes of non-Mendelian inheritance and within-individual elimination. Recent cytogenetic and phylogenomic evidence suggests that a GRC is present across the species-rich songbirds, but absent in non-passerine birds, implying that over half of all 10,500 bird species have extensive germline/soma genome differences. Here, we review recent insights gained from genomic, transcriptomic, and cytogenetic approaches with regard to the genetic content, phylogenetic distribution, and inheritance of the songbird GRC. While many questions remain unsolved in terms of GRC inheritance, elimination, and function, we discuss plausible scenarios and future directions for understanding this widespread form of programmed DNA elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Borodin
- Siberian Department, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Prospekt Akademika Lavrent'yeva 10, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Augustin Chen
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Simone Fouché
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TU, UK
| | - Lyubov Malinovskaya
- Siberian Department, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Prospekt Akademika Lavrent'yeva 10, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Yifan Pei
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TU, UK
| | - Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Manuelita Sotelo-Muñoz
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Torgasheva
- Siberian Department, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Prospekt Akademika Lavrent'yeva 10, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
| | - Niki Vontzou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TU, UK
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TU, UK.
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6
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Sotelo-Muñoz M, Poignet M, Albrecht T, Kauzál O, Dedukh D, Schlebusch SA, Janko K, Reifová R. Germline-restricted chromosome shows remarkable variation in size among closely related passerine species. Chromosoma 2022; 131:77-86. [PMID: 35389062 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-022-00771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Passerine birds have a supernumerary chromosome in their germ cells called the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC). The GRC was first discovered more than two decades ago in zebra finch but recent studies have suggested that it is likely present in all passerines, the most species rich avian order, encompassing more than half of all modern bird species. Despite its wide taxonomic distribution, studies on this chromosome are still scarce and limited to a few species. Here, we cytogenetically analyzed the GRC in five closely related estrildid finch species of the genus Lonchura. We show that the GRC varies enormously in size, ranging from a tiny micro-chromosome to one of the largest macro-chromosomes in the cell, not only among recently diverged species but also within species and sometimes even between germ cells of a single individual. In Lonchura atricapilla, we also observed variation in GRC copy number among male germ cells of a single individual. Finally, our analysis of hybrids between two Lonchura species with noticeably different GRC size directly supported maternal inheritance of the GRC. Our results reveal the extraordinarily dynamic nature of the GRC, which might be caused by frequent gains and losses of sequences on this chromosome leading to substantial differences in genetic composition of the GRC between and even within species. Such differences might theoretically contribute to reproductive isolation between species and thus accelerate the speciation rate of passerine birds compared to other bird lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuelita Sotelo-Muñoz
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Manon Poignet
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Kauzál
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dmitrij Dedukh
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, 27721, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Stephen A Schlebusch
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Janko
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, 27721, Liběchov, Czech Republic.,Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Gene-rich germline-restricted chromosomes in black-winged fungus gnats evolved through hybridization. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001559. [PMID: 35213540 PMCID: PMC8906591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline-restricted DNA has evolved in diverse animal taxa and is found in several vertebrate clades, nematodes, and flies. In these lineages, either portions of chromosomes or entire chromosomes are eliminated from somatic cells early in development, restricting portions of the genome to the germline. Little is known about why germline-restricted DNA has evolved, especially in flies, in which 3 diverse families, Chironomidae, Cecidomyiidae, and Sciaridae, carry germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs). We conducted a genomic analysis of GRCs in the fungus gnat Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila (Diptera: Sciaridae), which has 2 large germline-restricted “L” chromosomes. We sequenced and assembled the genome of B. coprophila and used differences in sequence coverage and k-mer frequency between somatic and germline tissues to identify GRC sequence and compare it to the other chromosomes in the genome. We found that the GRCs in B. coprophila are large, gene rich, and have many genes with divergent homologs on other chromosomes in the genome. We also found that 2 divergent GRCs exist in the population we sequenced. GRC genes are more similar in sequence to genes from another Dipteran family (Cecidomyiidae) than to homologous genes from Sciaridae. This unexpected finding suggests that these chromosomes likely arose in Sciaridae through hybridization with a related lineage. These results provide a foundation from which to answer many questions about the evolution of GRCs in Sciaridae, such as how this hybridization event resulted in GRCs and what features on these chromosomes cause them to be restricted to the germline. Germ-line restricted chromosomes are eliminated from all somatic tissues while being retained in the germline. This study of the evolutionary origin of such chromosomes in fungus gnats reveals that they are most similar to a fly of a different family, suggesting an ancient allopolyploidization origin for these peculiar chromosomes.
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