1
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Mayekar HV, Rajpurohit S. No single rescue recipe: genome complexities modulate insect response to climate change. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101220. [PMID: 38848812 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Declines in insect populations have gained formidable attention. Given their crucial role in the ecosystem, the causes of declining insect populations must be investigated. However, the insect clade has been associated with low extinction and high diversification rates. It is unlikely that insects underwent mass extinctions in the past. However, the pace of current climate change could make insect populations vulnerable to extinction. We propose genome size (GS) and transposable elements (TEs) to be rough estimates to assess extinction risk. Larger GS and/or proliferating TEs have been associated with adaptation in rapid climate change scenarios. We speculate that unstable, stressful environmental conditions are strongly associated with GS and TE expansion, which could be further correlated with adaptations. Alternately, stressful conditions trigger TE bursts that are not purged in smaller populations. GS and TE loads could be indicators of small effective populations in the wild, likely experiencing bottlenecks or drastic climatic perturbations, which calls for an urgent assessment of extinction risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshad Vijay Mayekar
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts of Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad 380009, India.
| | - Subhash Rajpurohit
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts of Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad 380009, India.
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2
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Khan H, Yuan H, Liu X, Nie Y, Majid M. Comprehensive analysis of the Xya riparia genome uncovers the dominance of DNA transposons, LTR/Gypsy elements, and their evolutionary dynamics. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:687. [PMID: 38997681 PMCID: PMC11245825 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10596-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can move or replicate within a genome, and their study has become increasingly important in understanding genome evolution and function. The Tridactylidae family, including Xya riparia (pygmy mole cricket), harbors a variety of transposable elements (TEs) that have been insufficiently investigated. Further research is required to fully understand their diversity and evolutionary characteristics. Hence, we conducted a comprehensive repeatome analysis of X. riparia species using the chromosome-level assembled genome. The study aimed to comprehensively analyze the abundance, distribution, and age of transposable elements (TEs) in the genome. The results indicated that the genome was 1.67 Gb, with 731.63 Mb of repetitive sequences, comprising 27% of Class II (443.25 Mb), 16% of Class I (268.45 Mb), and 1% of unknown TEs (19.92 Mb). The study found that DNA transposons dominate the genome, accounting for approximately 60% of the total repeat size, with retrotransposons and unknown elements accounting for 37% and 3% of the genome, respectively. The members of the Gypsy superfamily were the most abundant amongst retrotransposons, accounting for 63% of them. The transposable superfamilies (LTR/Gypsy, DNA/nMITE, DNA/hAT, and DNA/Helitron) collectively constituted almost 70% of the total repeat size of all six chromosomes. The study further unveiled a significant linear correlation (Pearson correlation: r = 0.99, p-value = 0.00003) between the size of the chromosomes and the repetitive sequences. The average age of DNA transposon and retrotransposon insertions ranges from 25 My (million years) to 5 My. The satellitome analysis discovered 13 satellite DNA families that comprise about 0.15% of the entire genome. In addition, the transcriptional analysis of TEs found that DNA transposons were more transcriptionally active than retrotransposons. Overall, the study suggests that the genome of X. riparia is complex, characterized by a substantial portion of repetitive elements. These findings not only enhance our understanding of TE evolution within the Tridactylidae family but also provide a foundation for future investigations into the genomic intricacies of related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashim Khan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China
| | - Huang Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China
| | - Xuanzeng Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China
| | - Yimeng Nie
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China
| | - Muhammad Majid
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China.
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3
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Galià-Camps C, Pegueroles C, Turon X, Carreras C, Pascual M. Genome composition and GC content influence loci distribution in reduced representation genomic studies. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:410. [PMID: 38664648 PMCID: PMC11046876 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10312-3] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genomic architecture is a key evolutionary trait for living organisms. Due to multiple complex adaptive and neutral forces which impose evolutionary pressures on genomes, there is a huge variability of genomic features. However, their variability and the extent to which genomic content determines the distribution of recovered loci in reduced representation sequencing studies is largely unexplored. RESULTS Here, by using 80 genome assemblies, we observed that whereas plants primarily increase their genome size by expanding their intergenic regions, animals expand both intergenic and intronic regions, although the expansion patterns differ between deuterostomes and protostomes. Loci mapping in introns, exons, and intergenic categories obtained by in silico digestion using 2b-enzymes are positively correlated with the percentage of these regions in the corresponding genomes, suggesting that loci distribution mostly mirrors genomic architecture of the selected taxon. However, exonic regions showed a significant enrichment of loci in all groups regardless of the used enzyme. Moreover, when using selective adaptors to obtain a secondarily reduced loci dataset, the percentage and distribution of retained loci also varied. Adaptors with G/C terminals recovered a lower percentage of selected loci, with a further enrichment of exonic regions, while adaptors with A/T terminals retained a higher percentage of loci and slightly selected more intronic regions than expected. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight how genome composition, genome GC content, RAD enzyme choice and use of base-selective adaptors influence reduced genome representation techniques. This is important to acknowledge in population and conservation genomic studies, as it determines the abundance and distribution of loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Galià-Camps
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes, 17300, Spain.
| | - Cinta Pegueroles
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Turon
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes, 17300, Spain
| | - Carlos Carreras
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Pascual
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Ge X, Peng L, Deng Z, Du J, Sun C, Wang B. Chromosome-scale genome assemblies of Himalopsyche anomala and Eubasilissa splendida (Insecta: Trichoptera). Sci Data 2024; 11:267. [PMID: 38443432 PMCID: PMC10914795 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03097-3] [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: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Trichoptera is one of the most evolutionarily successful aquatic insect lineages and is highly valued value in adaptive evolution research. This study presents the chromosome-level genome assemblies of Himalopsyche anomala and Eubasilissa splendida achieved using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi-C sequencing. For H. anomala and E. splendida, assembly sizes were 663.43 and 859.28 Mb, with scaffold N50 lengths of 28.44 and 31.17 Mb, respectively. In H. anomala and E. splendida, we anchored 24 and 29 pseudochromosomes, and identified 11,469 and 10,554 protein-coding genes, respectively. The high-quality genomes of H. anomala and E. splendida provide critical genomic resources for understanding the evolution and ecology of Trichoptera and performing comparative genomics analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Ge
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Lang Peng
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhen Deng
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jie Du
- Jiuzhaigou Administration Bureau, Jiuzhaigou County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, 623402, China
| | - Changhai Sun
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Beixin Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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5
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Matthew SL, Seib FP. Silk Bioconjugates: From Chemistry and Concept to Application. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:12-28. [PMID: 36706352 PMCID: PMC10777352 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c01116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Medical silks have captured global interest. While silk sutures have a long track record in humans, silk bioconjugates are still in preclinical development. This perspective examines key advances in silk bioconjugation, including the fabrication of silk-protein conjugates, bioconjugated silk particles, and bioconjugated substrates to enhance cell-material interactions in two and three dimensions. Many of these systems rely on chemical modification of the silk biopolymer, often using carbodiimide and reactive ester chemistries. However, recent progress in enzyme-mediated and click chemistries has expanded the molecular toolbox to enable biorthogonal, site-specific conjugation in a single step when combined with recombinant silk fibroin tagged with noncanonical amino acids. This perspective outlines key strategies available for chemical modification, compares the resulting silk conjugates to clinical benchmarks, and outlines open questions and areas that require more work. Overall, this assessment highlights a domain of new sunrise capabilities and development opportunities for silk bioconjugates that may ultimately offer new ways of delivering improved healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saphia
A. L. Matthew
- Strathclyde
Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, U.K.
| | - F. Philipp Seib
- Strathclyde
Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, U.K.
- Branch
Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular
Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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6
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Feldmeyer B, Bornberg-Bauer E, Dohmen E, Fouks B, Heckenhauer J, Huylmans AK, Jones ARC, Stolle E, Harrison MC. Comparative Evolutionary Genomics in Insects. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2802:473-514. [PMID: 38819569 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3838-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Genome sequencing quality, in terms of both read length and accuracy, is constantly improving. By combining long-read sequencing technologies with various scaffolding techniques, chromosome-level genome assemblies are now achievable at an affordable price for non-model organisms. Insects represent an exciting taxon for studying the genomic underpinnings of evolutionary innovations, due to ancient origins, immense species-richness, and broad phenotypic diversity. Here we summarize some of the most important methods for carrying out a comparative genomics study on insects. We describe available tools and offer concrete tips on all stages of such an endeavor from DNA extraction through genome sequencing, annotation, and several evolutionary analyses. Along the way we describe important insect-specific aspects, such as DNA extraction difficulties or gene families that are particularly difficult to annotate, and offer solutions. We describe results from several examples of comparative genomics analyses on insects to illustrate the fascinating questions that can now be addressed in this new age of genomics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Molecular Ecology, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elias Dohmen
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bertrand Fouks
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ann Kathrin Huylmans
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alun R C Jones
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eckart Stolle
- Museum Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Mark C Harrison
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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7
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Miura O, Toyoda A, Sakurai T. Chromosome-Scale Genome Assembly of the Freshwater Snail Semisulcospira habei from the Lake Biwa Drainage System. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad208. [PMID: 38014863 PMCID: PMC10683039 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Semisulcospira habei is a freshwater snail species endemic to the Lake Biwa drainage and belongs to a species group radiated within the lake system. We report the chromosome-scale genome assembly of S. habei, including eight megascaffolds larger than 150 Mb. The genome assembly size is about 2.0 Gb with an N50 of 237 Mb. There are 41,547 protein-coding genes modeled by ab initio gene prediction based on the transcriptome data set, and the BUSCO completeness of the annotated genes was 92.2%. The repeat elements comprise approximately 76% of the genome assembly. The Hi-C contact map showed seven well-resolved scaffolds that correspond to the basic haploid chromosome number of S. habei inferred from the preceding karyotypic study, while it also exhibited one scaffold with a complicated mosaic pattern that is likely to represent the complex of multiple supernumerary chromosomes. The genome assembly reported here represents a high-quality genome resource in disentangling the genomic background of the adaptive radiation of Semisulcospira and also facilitates evolutionary studies in the superfamily Cerithioidea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Miura
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sakurai
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
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8
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Sproul JS, Hotaling S, Heckenhauer J, Powell A, Marshall D, Larracuente AM, Kelley JL, Pauls SU, Frandsen PB. Analyses of 600+ insect genomes reveal repetitive element dynamics and highlight biodiversity-scale repeat annotation challenges. Genome Res 2023; 33:1708-1717. [PMID: 37739812 PMCID: PMC10691545 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277387.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Repetitive elements (REs) are integral to the composition, structure, and function of eukaryotic genomes, yet remain understudied in most taxonomic groups. We investigated REs across 601 insect species and report wide variation in RE dynamics across groups. Analysis of associations between REs and protein-coding genes revealed dynamic evolution at the interface between REs and coding regions across insects, including notably elevated RE-gene associations in lineages with abundant long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs). We leveraged this large, empirical data set to quantify impacts of long-read technology on RE detection and investigate fundamental challenges to RE annotation in diverse groups. In long-read assemblies, we detected ∼36% more REs than short-read assemblies, with long terminal repeats (LTRs) showing 162% increased detection, whereas DNA transposons and LINEs showed less respective technology-related bias. In most insect lineages, 25%-85% of repetitive sequences were "unclassified" following automated annotation, compared with only ∼13% in Drosophila species. Although the diversity of available insect genomes has rapidly expanded, we show the rate of community contributions to RE databases has not kept pace, preventing efficient annotation and high-resolution study of REs in most groups. We highlight the tremendous opportunity and need for the biodiversity genomics field to embrace REs and suggest collective steps for making progress toward this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Sproul
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA;
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163, USA
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ashlyn Powell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Dez Marshall
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, USA
| | | | - Joanna L Kelley
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
| | - Steffen U Pauls
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
- Data Science Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia 20560, USA
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9
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Zuo B, Nneji LM, Sun YB. Comparative genomics reveals insights into anuran genome size evolution. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:379. [PMID: 37415107 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09499-8] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amphibians, particularly anurans, display an enormous variation in genome size. Due to the unavailability of whole genome datasets in the past, the genomic elements and evolutionary causes of anuran genome size variation are poorly understood. To address this, we analyzed whole-genome sequences of 14 anuran species ranging in size from 1.1 to 6.8 Gb. By annotating multiple genomic elements, we investigated the genomic correlates of anuran genome size variation and further examined whether the genome size relates to habitat types. RESULTS Our results showed that intron expansions or contraction and Transposable Elements (TEs) diversity do not contribute significantly to genome size variation. However, the recent accumulation of transposable elements (TEs) and the lack of deletion of ancient TEs primarily accounted for the evolution of anuran genome sizes. Our study showed that the abundance and density of simple repeat sequences positively correlate with genome size. Ancestral state reconstruction revealed that genome size exhibits a taxon-specific pattern of evolution, with families Bufonidae and Pipidae experiencing extreme genome expansion and contraction events, respectively. Our result showed no relationship between genome size and habitat types, although large genome-sized species are predominantly found in humid habitats. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study identified the genomic element and their evolutionary dynamics accounting for anuran genome size variation, thus paving a path to a greater understanding of the size evolution of the genome in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zuo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650504, China
| | - Lotanna Micah Nneji
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Yan-Bo Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650504, China.
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
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10
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Gable SM, Mendez JM, Bushroe NA, Wilson A, Byars MI, Tollis M. The State of Squamate Genomics: Past, Present, and Future of Genome Research in the Most Speciose Terrestrial Vertebrate Order. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1387. [PMID: 37510292 PMCID: PMC10379679 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071387] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Squamates include more than 11,000 extant species of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians, and display a dazzling diversity of phenotypes across their over 200-million-year evolutionary history on Earth. Here, we introduce and define squamates (Order Squamata) and review the history and promise of genomic investigations into the patterns and processes governing squamate evolution, given recent technological advances in DNA sequencing, genome assembly, and evolutionary analysis. We survey the most recently available whole genome assemblies for squamates, including the taxonomic distribution of available squamate genomes, and assess their quality metrics and usefulness for research. We then focus on disagreements in squamate phylogenetic inference, how methods of high-throughput phylogenomics affect these inferences, and demonstrate the promise of whole genomes to settle or sustain persistent phylogenetic arguments for squamates. We review the role transposable elements play in vertebrate evolution, methods of transposable element annotation and analysis, and further demonstrate that through the understanding of the diversity, abundance, and activity of transposable elements in squamate genomes, squamates can be an ideal model for the evolution of genome size and structure in vertebrates. We discuss how squamate genomes can contribute to other areas of biological research such as venom systems, studies of phenotypic evolution, and sex determination. Because they represent more than 30% of the living species of amniote, squamates deserve a genome consortium on par with recent efforts for other amniotes (i.e., mammals and birds) that aim to sequence most of the extant families in a clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone M Gable
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jasmine M Mendez
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Nicholas A Bushroe
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Adam Wilson
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Michael I Byars
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Marc Tollis
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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11
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Boman J, Arnqvist G. Larger genomes show improved buffering of adult fitness against environmental stress in seed beetles. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220450. [PMID: 36693428 PMCID: PMC9873469 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Our general understanding of the evolution of genome size (GS) is incomplete, and it has long been clear that GS does not reflect organismal complexity. Here, we assess the hypothesis that larger genomes may allow organisms to better cope with environmental variation. It is, for example, possible that genome expansion due to proliferation of transposable elements or gene duplications may affect the ability to regulate and fine-tune transcriptional profiles. We used 18 populations of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, which differ in GS by up to 4.5%, and exposed adults and juveniles to environmental stress in a series of experiments where stage-specific fitness was assayed. We found that populations with larger genomes were indeed better buffered against environmental stress for adult, but not for juvenile, fitness. The genetic correlation across populations between GS and canalization of adult fitness is consistent with a role for natural selection in the evolution of GS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Boman
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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12
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Deng X, Frandsen PB, Dikow RB, Favre A, Shah DN, Shah RDT, Schneider JV, Heckenhauer J, Pauls SU. The impact of sequencing depth and relatedness of the reference genome in population genomic studies: A case study with two caddisfly species (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae, Himalopsyche). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9583. [PMID: 36523526 PMCID: PMC9745013 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole genome sequencing for generating SNP data is increasingly used in population genetic studies. However, obtaining genomes for massive numbers of samples is still not within the budgets of many researchers. It is thus imperative to select an appropriate reference genome and sequencing depth to ensure the accuracy of the results for a specific research question, while balancing cost and feasibility. To evaluate the effect of the choice of the reference genome and sequencing depth on downstream analyses, we used five confamilial reference genomes of variable relatedness and three levels of sequencing depth (3.5×, 7.5× and 12×) in a population genomic study on two caddisfly species: Himalopsyche digitata and H. tibetana. Using these 30 datasets (five reference genomes × three depths × two target species), we estimated population genetic indices (inbreeding coefficient, nucleotide diversity, pairwise F ST, and genome-wide distribution of F ST) based on variants and population structure (PCA and admixture) based on genotype likelihood estimates. The results showed that both distantly related reference genomes and lower sequencing depth lead to degradation of resolution. In addition, choosing a more closely related reference genome may significantly remedy the defects caused by low depth. Therefore, we conclude that population genetic studies would benefit from closely related reference genomes, especially as the costs of obtaining a high-quality reference genome continue to decrease. However, to determine a cost-efficient strategy for a specific population genomic study, a trade-off between reference genome relatedness and sequencing depth can be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi‐Ling Deng
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumFrankfurt/MainGermany
- Institute of Insect BiotechnologyJustus‐Liebig‐University GießenGießenGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt/MainGermany
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt/MainGermany
- Department of Plant & Wildlife SciencesBrigham Young UniversityProvoUtahUSA
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information OfficerSmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Rebecca B. Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information OfficerSmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Adrien Favre
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumFrankfurt/MainGermany
- Regional Nature Park of the Trient ValleySalvanSwitzerland
| | - Deep Narayan Shah
- Central Department of Environmental ScienceTribhuvan UniversityKirtipurNepal
| | - Ram Devi Tachamo Shah
- Aquatic Ecology Centre, School of ScienceKathmandu UniversityDhulikhelNepal
- Department of Life SciencesSchool of Science, Kathmandu UniversityDhulikhelNepal
| | - Julio V. Schneider
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumFrankfurt/MainGermany
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumFrankfurt/MainGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt/MainGermany
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History MuseumFrankfurt/MainGermany
- Institute of Insect BiotechnologyJustus‐Liebig‐University GießenGießenGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt/MainGermany
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Liu X, Majid M, Yuan H, Chang H, Zhao L, Nie Y, He L, Liu X, He X, Huang Y. Transposable element expansion and low-level piRNA silencing in grasshoppers may cause genome gigantism. BMC Biol 2022; 20:243. [PMID: 36307800 PMCID: PMC9615261 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01441-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Transposable elements (TEs) have been likened to parasites in the genome that reproduce and move ceaselessly in the host, continuously enlarging the host genome. However, the Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway defends animal genomes against the harmful consequences of TE invasion by imposing small-RNA-mediated silencing. Here we compare the TE activity of two grasshopper species with different genome sizes in Acrididae (Locusta migratoria manilensis♀1C = 6.60 pg, Angaracris rhodopa♀1C = 16.36 pg) to ascertain the influence of piRNAs.
Results
We discovered that repetitive sequences accounted for 74.56% of the genome in A. rhodopa, more than 56.83% in L. migratoria, and the large-genome grasshopper contained a higher TEs proportions. The comparative analysis revealed that 41 TEs (copy number > 500) were shared in both species. The two species exhibited distinct “landscapes” of TE divergence. The TEs outbreaks in the small-genome grasshopper occurred at more ancient times, while the large-genome grasshopper maintains active transposition events in the recent past. Evolutionary history studies on TEs suggest that TEs may be subject to different dynamics and resistances in these two species. We found that TE transcript abundance was higher in the large-genome grasshopper and the TE-derived piRNAs abundance was lower than in the small-genome grasshopper. In addition, we found that the piRNA methylase HENMT, which is underexpressed in the large-genome grasshopper, impedes the piRNA silencing to a lower level.
Conclusions
Our study revealed that the abundance of piRNAs is lower in the gigantic genome grasshopper than in the small genome grasshopper. In addition, the key gene HENMT in the piRNA biogenesis pathway (Ping-Pong cycle) in the gigantic genome grasshopper is underexpressed. We hypothesize that low-level piRNA silencing unbalances the original positive correlation between TEs and piRNAs, and triggers TEs to proliferate out of control, which may be one of the reasons for the gigantism of grasshopper genomes.
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Stewart RJ, Frandsen PB, Pauls SU, Heckenhauer J. Conservation of Three-Dimensional Structure of Lepidoptera and Trichoptera L-Fibroins for 290 Million Years. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185945. [PMID: 36144689 PMCID: PMC9504780 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of sister orders Trichoptera (caddisflies) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) from a silk-spinning ancestor occurred around 290 million years ago. Trichoptera larvae are mainly aquatic, and Lepidoptera larvae are almost entirely terrestrial—distinct habitats that required molecular adaptation of their silk for deployment in water and air, respectively. The major protein components of their silks are heavy chain and light chain fibroins. In an effort to identify molecular changes in L-fibroins that may have contributed to the divergent use of silk in water and air, we used the ColabFold implementation of AlphaFold2 to predict three-dimensional structures of L-fibroins from both orders. A comparison of the structures revealed that despite the ancient divergence, profoundly different habitats, and low sequence conservation, a novel 10-helix core structure was strongly conserved in L-fibroins from both orders. Previously known intra- and intermolecular disulfide linkages were accurately predicted. Structural variations outside of the core may represent molecular changes that contributed to the evolution of insect silks adapted to water or air. The distributions of electrostatic potential, for example, were not conserved and present distinct order-specific surfaces for potential interactions with or modulation by external factors. Additionally, the interactions of L-fibroins with the H-fibroin C-termini are different for these orders; lepidopteran L-fibroins have N-terminal insertions that are not present in trichopteran L-fibroins, which form an unstructured ribbon in isolation but become part of an intermolecular β-sheet when folded with their corresponding H-fibroin C-termini. The results are an example of protein structure prediction from deep sequence data of understudied proteins made possible by AlphaFold2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84062, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
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15
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Kawahara AY, Storer CG, Markee A, Heckenhauer J, Powell A, Plotkin D, Hotaling S, Cleland TP, Dikow RB, Dikow T, Kuranishi RB, Messcher R, Pauls SU, Stewart RJ, Tojo K, Frandsen PB. Long-read HiFi sequencing correctly assembles repetitive heavy fibroin silk genes in new moth and caddisfly genomes. GIGABYTE 2022; 2022:gigabyte64. [PMID: 36824508 PMCID: PMC9693786 DOI: 10.46471/gigabyte.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect silk is a versatile biomaterial. Lepidoptera and Trichoptera display some of the most diverse uses of silk, with varying strength, adhesive qualities, and elastic properties. Silk fibroin genes are long (>20 Kbp), with many repetitive motifs that make them challenging to sequence. Most research thus far has focused on conserved N- and C-terminal regions of fibroin genes because a full comparison of repetitive regions across taxa has not been possible. Using the PacBio Sequel II system and SMRT sequencing, we generated high fidelity (HiFi) long-read genomic and transcriptomic sequences for the Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella) and genomic sequences for the caddisfly Eubasilissa regina. Both genomes were highly contiguous (N50 = 9.7 Mbp/32.4 Mbp, L50 = 13/11) and complete (BUSCO complete = 99.3%/95.2%), with complete and contiguous recovery of silk heavy fibroin gene sequences. We show that HiFi long-read sequencing is helpful for understanding genes with long, repetitive regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA, Corresponding authors. E-mail: ;
| | - Caroline G. Storer
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,Pacific Biosciences, 1305 O’Brien Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Amanda Markee
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jacqueline Heckenhauer
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60325, Germany
| | - Ashlyn Powell
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - David Plotkin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Timothy P. Cleland
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD 20746, USA
| | - Rebecca B. Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA
| | - Torsten Dikow
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ryoichi B. Kuranishi
- Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan,Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 243-0292, Japan
| | - Rebeccah Messcher
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Steffen U. Pauls
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60325, Germany,Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen 35390, Germany
| | - Russell J. Stewart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Koji Tojo
- Department of Biology, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
| | - Paul B. Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA,Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA, Corresponding authors. E-mail: ;
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