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Billmyre RB. mSphere of Influence: When a sequencer is more than a sequencer. mSphere 2024:e0043324. [PMID: 39254324 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00433-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Blake Billmyre uses functional genomics to help understand the biology of fungal pathogens, with an emphasis on evolution of virulence relevant traits and drug resistance. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how two papers (Liachko et al., "High-resolution mapping, characterization, and optimization of autonomously replicating sequences in yeast," Genome Research, 2013, and Guo et al., "Integration profiling of gene function with dense maps of transposon integration," Genetics, 2013) impacted his research trajectory and goals. These articles show the power of creative use of sequencing as a tool to drive understanding of fundamental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Blake Billmyre
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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2
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Billmyre RB, Craig CJ, Lyon J, Reichardt C, Eickbush MT, Zanders SE. Saturation transposon mutagenesis enables genome-wide identification of genes required for growth and fluconazole resistance in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.28.605507. [PMID: 39131341 PMCID: PMC11312461 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.28.605507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Fungi can cause devastating invasive infections, typically in immunocompromised patients. Treatment is complicated both by the evolutionary similarity between humans and fungi and by the frequent emergence of drug resistance. Studies in fungal pathogens have long been slowed by a lack of high-throughput tools and community resources that are common in model organisms. Here we demonstrate a high-throughput transposon mutagenesis and sequencing (TN-seq) system in Cryptococcus neoformans that enables genome-wide determination of gene essentiality. We employed a random forest machine learning approach to classify the Cryptococcus neoformans genome as essential or nonessential, predicting 1,465 essential genes, including 302 that lack human orthologs. These genes are ideal targets for new antifungal drug development. TN-seq also enables genome-wide measurement of the fitness contribution of genes to phenotypes of interest. As proof of principle, we demonstrate the genome-wide contribution of genes to growth in fluconazole, a clinically used antifungal. We show a novel role for the well-studied RIM101 pathway in fluconazole susceptibility. We also show that 5' insertions of transposons can drive sensitization of essential genes, enabling screenlike assays of both essential and nonessential components of the genome. Using this approach, we demonstrate a role for mitochondrial function in fluconazole sensitivity, such that tuning down many essential mitochondrial genes via 5' insertions can drive resistance to fluconazole. Our assay system will be valuable in future studies of C. neoformans, particularly in examining the consequences of genotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Blake Billmyre
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | - Joshua Lyon
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA, United States
| | - Claire Reichardt
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, GA, United States
| | | | - Sarah E. Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS, United States
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Lera-Ramírez M, Bähler J, Mata J, Rutherford K, Hoffman CS, Lambert S, Oliferenko S, Martin SG, Gould KL, Du LL, Sabatinos SA, Forsburg SL, Nielsen O, Nurse P, Wood V. Revised fission yeast gene and allele nomenclature guidelines for machine readability. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad143. [PMID: 37758508 PMCID: PMC10627252 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Standardized nomenclature for genes, gene products, and isoforms is crucial to prevent ambiguity and enable clear communication of scientific data, facilitating efficient biocuration and data sharing. Standardized genotype nomenclature, which describes alleles present in a specific strain that differ from those in the wild-type reference strain, is equally essential to maximize research impact and ensure that results linking genotypes to phenotypes are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). In this publication, we extend the fission yeast clade gene nomenclature guidelines to support the curation efforts at PomBase (www.pombase.org), the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Model Organism Database. This update introduces nomenclature guidelines for noncoding RNA genes, following those set forth by the Human Genome Organisation Gene Nomenclature Committee. Additionally, we provide a significant update to the allele and genotype nomenclature guidelines originally published in 1987, to standardize the diverse range of genetic modifications enabled by the fission yeast genetic toolbox. These updated guidelines reflect a community consensus between numerous fission yeast researchers. Adoption of these rules will improve consistency in gene and genotype nomenclature, and facilitate machine-readability and automated entity recognition of fission yeast genes and alleles in publications or datasets. In conclusion, our updated guidelines provide a valuable resource for the fission yeast research community, promoting consistency, clarity, and FAIRness in genetic data sharing and interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Lera-Ramírez
- University College London, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, Darwin Building, 99-105 Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jürg Bähler
- University College London, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, Darwin Building, 99-105 Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Juan Mata
- University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Kim Rutherford
- University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | | | - Sarah Lambert
- Institut Curie, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR3348, Orsay 91400, France
| | - Snezhana Oliferenko
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King’s College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Sophie G Martin
- University of Geneva, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Kathleen L Gould
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Li-Lin Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Sarah A Sabatinos
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry & Biology, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Susan L Forsburg
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Olaf Nielsen
- Department of Biology, Cell cycle and genome stability Group, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N DK2100, Denmark
| | - Paul Nurse
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Valerie Wood
- University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
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Avecilla G, Spealman P, Matthews J, Caudal E, Schacherer J, Gresham D. Copy number variation alters local and global mutational tolerance. Genome Res 2023; 33:1340-1353. [PMID: 37652668 PMCID: PMC10547251 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277625.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs), duplications and deletions of genomic sequences, contribute to evolutionary adaptation but can also confer deleterious effects and cause disease. Whereas the effects of amplifying individual genes or whole chromosomes (i.e., aneuploidy) have been studied extensively, much less is known about the genetic and functional effects of CNVs of differing sizes and structures. Here, we investigated Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) strains that acquired adaptive CNVs of variable structures and copy numbers following experimental evolution in glutamine-limited chemostats. Although beneficial in the selective environment, CNVs result in decreased fitness compared with the euploid ancestor in rich media. We used transposon mutagenesis to investigate mutational tolerance and genome-wide genetic interactions in CNV strains. We find that CNVs increase mutational target size, confer increased mutational tolerance in amplified essential genes, and result in novel genetic interactions with unlinked genes. We validated a novel genetic interaction between different CNVs and BMH1 that was common to multiple strains. We also analyzed global gene expression and found that transcriptional dosage compensation does not affect most genes amplified by CNVs, although gene-specific transcriptional dosage compensation does occur for ∼12% of amplified genes. Furthermore, we find that CNV strains do not show previously described transcriptional signatures of aneuploidy. Our study reveals the extent to which local and global mutational tolerance is modified by CNVs with implications for genome evolution and CNV-associated diseases, such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Avecilla
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Pieter Spealman
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Julia Matthews
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Elodie Caudal
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France
| | - Joseph Schacherer
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - David Gresham
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA;
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
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Genome-wide quantification of contributions to sexual fitness identifies genes required for spore viability and health in fission yeast. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010462. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous genes required for sexual reproduction remain to be identified even in simple model species like Schizosaccharomyces pombe. To address this, we developed an assay in S. pombe that couples transposon mutagenesis with high-throughput sequencing (TN-seq) to quantitatively measure the fitness contribution of nonessential genes across the genome to sexual reproduction. This approach identified 532 genes that contribute to sex, including more than 200 that were not previously annotated to be involved in the process, of which more than 150 have orthologs in vertebrates. Among our verified hits was an uncharacterized gene, ifs1 (important for sex), that is required for spore viability. In two other hits, plb1 and alg9, we observed a novel mutant phenotype of poor spore health wherein viable spores are produced, but the spores exhibit low fitness and are rapidly outcompeted by wild type. Finally, we fortuitously discovered that a gene previously thought to be essential, sdg1 (social distancing gene), is instead required for growth at low cell densities and can be rescued by conditioned medium. Our assay will be valuable in further studies of sexual reproduction in S. pombe and identifies multiple candidate genes that could contribute to sexual reproduction in other eukaryotes, including humans.
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Montañés JC, Huertas M, Moro SG, Blevins WR, Carmona M, Ayté J, Hidalgo E, Albà MM. Native RNA sequencing in fission yeast reveals frequent alternative splicing isoforms. Genome Res 2022; 32:1215-1227. [PMID: 35618415 PMCID: PMC9248878 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276516.121] [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: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The unicellular yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast) retains many of the splicing features observed in humans and is thus an excellent model to study the basic mechanisms of splicing. Nearly half the genes contain introns, but the impact of alternative splicing in gene regulation and proteome diversification remains largely unexplored. Here we leverage Oxford Nanopore Technologies native RNA sequencing (dRNA), as well as ribosome profiling data, to uncover the full range of polyadenylated transcripts and translated open reading frames. We identify 332 alternative isoforms affecting the coding sequences of 262 different genes, 97 of which occur at frequencies >20%, indicating that functional alternative splicing in S. pombe is more prevalent than previously suspected. Intron retention events make ∼80% of the cases; these events may be involved in the regulation of gene expression and, in some cases, generate novel protein isoforms, as supported by ribosome profiling data in 18 of the intron retention isoforms. One example is the rpl22 gene, in which intron retention is associated with the translation of a protein of only 13 amino acids. We also find that lowly expressed transcripts tend to have longer poly(A) tails than highly expressed transcripts, highlighting an interdependence between poly(A) tail length and transcript expression level. Finally, we discover 214 novel transcripts that are not annotated, including 158 antisense transcripts, some of which also show translation evidence. The methodologies described in this work open new opportunities to study the regulation of splicing in a simple eukaryotic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Carlos Montañés
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Huertas
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simone G Moro
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - William R Blevins
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Carmona
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ayté
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Hidalgo
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Mar Albà
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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7
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Rodriguez-Lopez M, Anver S, Cotobal C, Kamrad S, Malecki M, Correia-Melo C, Hoti M, Townsend S, Marguerat S, Pong SK, Wu MY, Montemayor L, Howell M, Ralser M, Bähler J. Functional profiling of long intergenic non-coding RNAs in fission yeast. eLife 2022; 11:e76000. [PMID: 34984977 PMCID: PMC8730722 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes express numerous long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) that do not overlap any coding genes. Some lincRNAs function in various aspects of gene regulation, but it is not clear in general to what extent lincRNAs contribute to the information flow from genotype to phenotype. To explore this question, we systematically analysed cellular roles of lincRNAs in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Using seamless CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, we deleted 141 lincRNA genes to broadly phenotype these mutants, together with 238 diverse coding-gene mutants for functional context. We applied high-throughput colony-based assays to determine mutant growth and viability in benign conditions and in response to 145 different nutrient, drug, and stress conditions. These analyses uncovered phenotypes for 47.5% of the lincRNAs and 96% of the protein-coding genes. For 110 lincRNA mutants, we also performed high-throughput microscopy and flow cytometry assays, linking 37% of these lincRNAs with cell-size and/or cell-cycle control. With all assays combined, we detected phenotypes for 84 (59.6%) of all lincRNA deletion mutants tested. For complementary functional inference, we analysed colony growth of strains ectopically overexpressing 113 lincRNA genes under 47 different conditions. Of these overexpression strains, 102 (90.3%) showed altered growth under certain conditions. Clustering analyses provided further functional clues and relationships for some of the lincRNAs. These rich phenomics datasets associate lincRNA mutants with hundreds of phenotypes, indicating that most of the lincRNAs analysed exert cellular functions in specific environmental or physiological contexts. This study provides groundwork to further dissect the roles of these lincRNAs in the relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rodriguez-Lopez
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Shajahan Anver
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Cristina Cotobal
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Stephan Kamrad
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, Molecular Biology of Metabolism LaboratoryLondonUnited Kingdom
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of BiochemistryBerlinGermany
| | - Michal Malecki
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Clara Correia-Melo
- The Francis Crick Institute, Molecular Biology of Metabolism LaboratoryLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mimoza Hoti
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - StJohn Townsend
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, Molecular Biology of Metabolism LaboratoryLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Samuel Marguerat
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sheng Kai Pong
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mary Y Wu
- The Francis Crick Institute, High Throughput ScreeningLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Luis Montemayor
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Michael Howell
- The Francis Crick Institute, High Throughput ScreeningLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Markus Ralser
- The Francis Crick Institute, Molecular Biology of Metabolism LaboratoryLondonUnited Kingdom
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of BiochemistryBerlinGermany
| | - Jürg Bähler
- University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing and Department of Genetics, Evolution & EnvironmentLondonUnited Kingdom
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Genome Comparisons of the Fission Yeasts Reveal Ancient Collinear Loci Maintained by Natural Selection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100864. [PMID: 34682285 PMCID: PMC8537764 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fission yeasts have a unique life history and exhibit distinct evolutionary patterns from other yeasts. Besides, the species demonstrate stable genome structures despite the relatively fast evolution of their genomic sequences. To reveal what could be the reason for that, comparative genomic analyses were carried out. Our results provided evidence that the structural and sequence evolution of the fission yeasts were correlated. Moreover, we revealed ancestral locally collinear blocks (aLCBs), which could have been inherited from their last common ancestor. These aLCBs proved to be the most conserved regions of the genomes as the aLCBs contain almost eight genes/blocks on average in the same orientation and order across the species. Gene order of the aLCBs is mainly fission-yeast-specific but supports the idea of filamentous ancestors. Nevertheless, the sequences and gene structures within the aLCBs are as mutable as any sequences in other parts of the genomes. Although genes of certain Gene Ontology (GO) categories tend to cluster at the aLCBs, those GO enrichments are not related to biological functions or high co-expression rates, they are, rather, determined by the density of essential genes and Rec12 cleavage sites. These data and our simulations indicated that aLCBs might not only be remnants of ancestral gene order but are also maintained by natural selection.
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Variables Influencing Differences in Sequence Conservation in the Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. J Mol Evol 2021; 89:601-610. [PMID: 34436628 PMCID: PMC8599406 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10028-y] [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: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Which variables determine the constraints on gene sequence evolution is one of the most central questions in molecular evolution. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an important model organism, the variables influencing the rate of sequence evolution have yet to be determined. Previous studies in other single celled organisms have generally found gene expression levels to be most significant, with numerous other variables such as gene length and functional importance identified as having a smaller impact. Using publicly available data, we used partial least squares regression, principal components regression, and partial correlations to determine the variables most strongly associated with sequence evolution constraints. We identify centrality in the protein–protein interactions network, amino acid composition, and cellular location as the most important determinants of sequence conservation. However, each factor only explains a small amount of variance, and there are numerous variables having a significant or heterogeneous influence. Our models explain more than half of the variance in dN, raising the possibility that future refined models could quantify the role of stochastics in evolutionary rate variation.
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Legon L, Rallis C. Genome-wide screens in yeast models towards understanding chronological lifespan regulation. Brief Funct Genomics 2021; 21:4-12. [PMID: 33728458 PMCID: PMC8834652 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular models such as yeasts are a driving force in biogerontology studies. Their simpler genome, short lifespans and vast genetic and genomics resources make them ideal to characterise pro-ageing and anti-ageing genes and signalling pathways. Over the last three decades, yeasts have contributed to the understanding of fundamental aspects of lifespan regulation including the roles of nutrient response, global protein translation rates and quality, DNA damage, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and dysfunction as well as autophagy. In this short review, we focus on approaches used for competitive and non-competitive cell-based screens using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying chronological ageing. Automation accompanied with appropriate computational tools allowed manipulation of hundreds of thousands of colonies, generation, processing and analysis of genome-wide lifespan data. Together with barcoding and modern mutagenesis technologies, these approaches have allowed to take decisive steps towards a global, comprehensive view of cellular ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Legon
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Charalampos Rallis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
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