1
|
Thompson B, Davidson EA, Liu W, Nebert DW, Bruford EA, Zhao H, Dermitzakis ET, Thompson DC, Vasiliou V. Overview of PAX gene family: analysis of human tissue-specific variant expression and involvement in human disease. Hum Genet 2021; 140:381-400. [PMID: 32728807 PMCID: PMC7939107 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02212-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Paired-box (PAX) genes encode a family of highly conserved transcription factors found in vertebrates and invertebrates. PAX proteins are defined by the presence of a paired domain that is evolutionarily conserved across phylogenies. Inclusion of a homeodomain and/or an octapeptide linker subdivides PAX proteins into four groups. Often termed "master regulators", PAX proteins orchestrate tissue and organ development throughout cell differentiation and lineage determination, and are essential for tissue structure and function through maintenance of cell identity. Mutations in PAX genes are associated with myriad human diseases (e.g., microphthalmia, anophthalmia, coloboma, hypothyroidism, acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Transcriptional regulation by PAX proteins is, in part, modulated by expression of alternatively spliced transcripts. Herein, we provide a genomics update on the nine human PAX family members and PAX homologs in 16 additional species. We also present a comprehensive summary of human tissue-specific PAX transcript variant expression and describe potential functional significance of PAX isoforms. While the functional roles of PAX proteins in developmental diseases and cancer are well characterized, much remains to be understood regarding the functional roles of PAX isoforms in human health. We anticipate the analysis of tissue-specific PAX transcript variant expression presented herein can serve as a starting point for such research endeavors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Thompson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Emily A Davidson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Daniel W Nebert
- Department of Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Molecular and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Elspeth A Bruford
- HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute for Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David C Thompson
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Vasilis Vasiliou
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Navet S, Buresi A, Baratte S, Andouche A, Bonnaud-Ponticelli L, Bassaglia Y. The Pax gene family: Highlights from cephalopods. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172719. [PMID: 28253300 PMCID: PMC5333810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pax genes play important roles in Metazoan development. Their evolution has been extensively studied but Lophotrochozoa are usually omitted. We addressed the question of Pax paralog diversity in Lophotrochozoa by a thorough review of available databases. The existence of six Pax families (Pax1/9, Pax2/5/8, Pax3/7, Pax4/6, Paxβ, PoxNeuro) was confirmed and the lophotrochozoan Paxβ subfamily was further characterized. Contrary to the pattern reported in chordates, the Pax2/5/8 family is devoid of homeodomain in Lophotrochozoa. Expression patterns of the three main pax classes (pax2/5/8, pax3/7, pax4/6) during Sepia officinalis development showed that Pax roles taken as ancestral and common in metazoans are modified in S. officinalis, most likely due to either the morphological specificities of cephalopods or to their direct development. Some expected expression patterns were missing (e.g. pax6 in the developing retina), and some expressions in unexpected tissues have been found (e.g. pax2/5/8 in dermal tissue and in gills). This study underlines the diversity and functional plasticity of Pax genes and illustrates the difficulty of using probable gene homology as strict indicator of homology between biological structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Navet
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Auxane Buresi
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Baratte
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
- Univ. Paris Sorbonne-ESPE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Aude Andouche
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Laure Bonnaud-Ponticelli
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Yann Bassaglia
- UMR BOREA MNHN/CNRS7208/IRD207/UPMC/UCN/UA, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
- Univ. Paris Est Créteil-Val de Marne, Créteil, France
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rupik W, Kowalska M, Swadźba E, Maślak R. Ultrastructural features of the differentiating thyroid primordium in the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis L.) from the differentiation of the cellular cords to the formation of the follicular lumen. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:97-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
4
|
Monsoro-Burq AH. PAX transcription factors in neural crest development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 44:87-96. [PMID: 26410165 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The nine vertebrate PAX transcription factors (PAX1-PAX9) play essential roles during early development and organogenesis. Pax genes were identified in vertebrates using their homology with the Drosophila melanogaster paired gene DNA-binding domain. PAX1-9 functions are largely conserved throughout vertebrate evolution, in particular during central nervous system and neural crest development. The neural crest is a vertebrate invention, which gives rise to numerous derivatives during organogenesis, including neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, craniofacial skeleton and mesenchyme, the heart outflow tract, endocrine and pigment cells. Human and mouse spontaneous mutations as well as experimental analyses have evidenced the critical and diverse functions of PAX factors during neural crest development. Recent studies have highlighted the role of PAX3 and PAX7 in neural crest induction. Additionally, several PAX proteins - PAX1, 3, 7, 9 - regulate cell proliferation, migration and determination in multiple neural crest-derived lineages, such as cardiac, sensory, and enteric neural crest, pigment cells, glia, craniofacial skeleton and teeth, or in organs developing in close relationship with the neural crest such as the thymus and parathyroids. The diverse PAX molecular functions during neural crest formation rely on fine-tuned modulations of their transcriptional transactivation properties. These modulations are generated by multiple means, such as different roles for the various isoforms (formed by alternative splicing), or posttranslational modifications which alter protein-DNA binding, or carefully orchestrated protein-protein interactions with various co-factors which control PAX proteins activity. Understanding these regulations is the key to decipher the versatile roles of PAX transcription factors in neural crest development, differentiation and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne H Monsoro-Burq
- Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, Centre Universitaire, 15, rue Georges Clémenceau, F-91405 Orsay, France; Institut Curie Research Division, Centre Universitaire, 15, rue Georges Clémenceau, F-91405 Orsay, France; UMR 3347 CNRS, U1021 Inserm, Université Paris Saclay, Centre Universitaire, 15, rue Georges Clémenceau, F-91405 Orsay, France.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Origins and evolvability of the PAX family. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 44:64-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
6
|
Fabian P, Kozmikova I, Kozmik Z, Pantzartzi CN. Pax2/5/8 and Pax6 alternative splicing events in basal chordates and vertebrates: a focus on paired box domain. Front Genet 2015; 6:228. [PMID: 26191073 PMCID: PMC4488758 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired box transcription factors play important role in development and tissue morphogenesis. The number of Pax homologs varies among species studied so far, due to genome and gene duplications that have affected PAX family to a great extent. Based on sequence similarity and functional domains, four Pax classes have been identified in chordates, namely Pax1/9, Pax2/5/8, Pax3/7, and Pax4/6. Numerous splicing events have been reported mainly for Pax2/5/8 and Pax6 genes. Of significant interest are those events that lead to Pax proteins with presumed novel properties, such as altered DNA-binding or transcriptional activity. In the current study, a thorough analysis of Pax2/5/8 splicing events from cephalochordates and vertebrates was performed. We focused more on Pax2/5/8 and Pax6 splicing events in which the paired domain is involved. Three new splicing events were identified in Oryzias latipes, one of which seems to be conserved in Acanthomorphata. Using representatives from deuterostome and protostome phyla, a comparative analysis of the Pax6 exon-intron structure of the paired domain was performed, during an attempt to estimate the time of appearance of the Pax6(5a) mRNA isoform. As shown in our analysis, this splicing event is characteristic of Gnathostomata and is absent in the other chordate subphyla. Moreover, expression pattern of alternative spliced variants was compared between cephalochordates and fish species. In summary, our data indicate expansion of alternative mRNA variants in paired box region of Pax2/5/8 and Pax6 genes during the course of vertebrate evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fabian
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iryna Kozmikova
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Chrysoula N Pantzartzi
- Department of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kianianmomeni A, Ong CS, Rätsch G, Hallmann A. Genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in Volvox carteri. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1117. [PMID: 25516378 PMCID: PMC4378016 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing is an essential mechanism for increasing transcriptome and proteome diversity in eukaryotes. Particularly in multicellular eukaryotes, this mechanism is involved in the regulation of developmental and physiological processes like growth, differentiation and signal transduction. Results Here we report the genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri. The bioinformatic analysis of 132,038 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) identified 580 alternative splicing events in a total of 426 genes. The predominant type of alternative splicing in Volvox is intron retention (46.5%) followed by alternative 5′ (17.9%) and 3′ (21.9%) splice sites and exon skipping (9.5%). Our analysis shows that in Volvox at least ~2.9% of the intron-containing genes are subject to alternative splicing. Considering the total number of sequenced ESTs, the Volvox genome seems to provide more favorable conditions (e.g., regarding length and GC content of introns) for the occurrence of alternative splicing than the genome of its close unicellular relative Chlamydomonas. Moreover, many randomly chosen alternatively spliced genes of Volvox do not show alternative splicing in Chlamydomonas. Since the Volvox genome contains about the same number of protein-coding genes as the Chlamydomonas genome (~14,500 protein-coding genes), we assumed that alternative splicing may play a key role in generation of genomic diversity, which is required to evolve from a simple one-cell ancestor to a multicellular organism with differentiated cell types (Mol Biol Evol 31:1402-1413, 2014). To confirm the alternative splicing events identified by bioinformatic analysis, several genes with different types of alternatively splicing have been selected followed by experimental verification of the predicted splice variants by RT-PCR. Conclusions The results show that our approach for prediction of alternative splicing events in Volvox was accurate and reliable. Moreover, quantitative real-time RT-PCR appears to be useful in Volvox for analyses of relationships between the appearance of specific alternative splicing variants and different kinds of physiological, metabolic and developmental processes as well as responses to environmental changes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-1117) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arash Kianianmomeni
- Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology of Plants, University of Bielefeld, Universitätsstr, 25, D-33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Veneman WJ, de Sonneville J, van der Kolk KJ, Ordas A, Al-Ars Z, Meijer AH, Spaink HP. Analysis of RNAseq datasets from a comparative infectious disease zebrafish model using GeneTiles bioinformatics. Immunogenetics 2014; 67:135-47. [PMID: 25503064 PMCID: PMC4325186 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-014-0820-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We present a RNA deep sequencing (RNAseq) analysis of a comparison of the transcriptome responses to infection of zebrafish larvae with Staphylococcus epidermidis and Mycobacterium marinum bacteria. We show how our developed GeneTiles software can improve RNAseq analysis approaches by more confidently identifying a large set of markers upon infection with these bacteria. For analysis of RNAseq data currently, software programs such as Bowtie2 and Samtools are indispensable. However, these programs that are designed for a LINUX environment require some dedicated programming skills and have no options for visualisation of the resulting mapped sequence reads. Especially with large data sets, this makes the analysis time consuming and difficult for non-expert users. We have applied the GeneTiles software to the analysis of previously published and newly obtained RNAseq datasets of our zebrafish infection model, and we have shown the applicability of this approach also to published RNAseq datasets of other organisms by comparing our data with a published mammalian infection study. In addition, we have implemented the DEXSeq module in the GeneTiles software to identify genes, such as glucagon A, that are differentially spliced under infection conditions. In the analysis of our RNAseq data, this has led to the possibility to improve the size of data sets that could be efficiently compared without using problem-dedicated programs, leading to a quick identification of marker sets. Therefore, this approach will also be highly useful for transcriptome analyses of other organisms for which well-characterised genomes are available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wouter J Veneman
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Alternative splicing: a potential source of functional innovation in the eukaryotic genome. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2012; 2012:596274. [PMID: 22811948 PMCID: PMC3395134 DOI: 10.1155/2012/596274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a common posttranscriptional process in eukaryotic organisms, by which multiple distinct functional transcripts are produced from a single gene. The release of the human genome draft revealed a much smaller number of genes than anticipated. Because of its potential role in expanding protein diversity, interest in alternative splicing has been increasing over the last decade. Although recent studies have shown that 94% human multiexon genes undergo AS, evolution of AS and thus its potential role in functional innovation in eukaryotic genomes remain largely unexplored. Here we review available evidence regarding the evolution of AS prevalence and functional role. In addition we stress the need to correct for the strong effect of transcript coverage in AS detection and set out a strategy to ultimately elucidate the extent of the role of AS in functional innovation on a genomic scale.
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Alternative splicing, an unknown mechanism 20 years ago, is now recognized as a major mechanism for proteome and transcriptome diversity, particularly in mammals--some researchers conjecture that up to 90% of human genes are alternatively spliced. Despite much research on exon and intron evolution, little is known about the evolution of transcripts. In this paper, we present a model of transcript evolution and an associated algorithm to reconstruct transcript phylogenies. The evolution of the gene structure--exons and introns--is used as basis for the reconstruction of transcript phylogenies. We apply our model and reconstruction algorithm on two well-studied genes, MAG and PAX6, obtaining results consistent with current knowledge and thereby providing evidence that a phylogenetic analysis of transcripts is feasible and likely to be informative.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Christinat
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|