1
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Okhovat M, VanCampen J, Nevonen KA, Harshman L, Li W, Layman CE, Ward S, Herrera J, Wells J, Sheng RR, Mao Y, Ndjamen B, Lima AC, Vigh-Conrad KA, Stendahl AM, Yang R, Fedorov L, Matthews IR, Easow SA, Chan DK, Jan TA, Eichler EE, Rugonyi S, Conrad DF, Ahituv N, Carbone L. TAD evolutionary and functional characterization reveals diversity in mammalian TAD boundary properties and function. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8111. [PMID: 38062027 PMCID: PMC10703881 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Topological associating domains (TADs) are self-interacting genomic units crucial for shaping gene regulation patterns. Despite their importance, the extent of their evolutionary conservation and its functional implications remain largely unknown. In this study, we generate Hi-C and ChIP-seq data and compare TAD organization across four primate and four rodent species and characterize the genetic and epigenetic properties of TAD boundaries in correspondence to their evolutionary conservation. We find 14% of all human TAD boundaries to be shared among all eight species (ultraconserved), while 15% are human-specific. Ultraconserved TAD boundaries have stronger insulation strength, CTCF binding, and enrichment of older retrotransposons compared to species-specific boundaries. CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of an ultraconserved boundary in a mouse model lead to tissue-specific gene expression changes and morphological phenotypes. Deletion of a human-specific boundary near the autism-related AUTS2 gene results in the upregulation of this gene in neurons. Overall, our study provides pertinent TAD boundary evolutionary conservation annotations and showcases the functional importance of TAD evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Okhovat
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Jake VanCampen
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kimberly A Nevonen
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lana Harshman
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Weiyu Li
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cora E Layman
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Samantha Ward
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jarod Herrera
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jackson Wells
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rory R Sheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yafei Mao
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Blaise Ndjamen
- Histology and Light Microscopy Core Facility, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ana C Lima
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | | | - Alexandra M Stendahl
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Ran Yang
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Lev Fedorov
- OHSU Transgenic Mouse Models Core Lab, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ian R Matthews
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah A Easow
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dylan K Chan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Taha A Jan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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2
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Okhovat M, VanCampen J, Lima AC, Nevonen KA, Layman CE, Ward S, Herrera J, Stendahl AM, Yang R, Harshman L, Li W, Sheng RR, Mao Y, Fedorov L, Ndjamen B, Vigh-Conrad KA, Matthews IR, Easow SA, Chan DK, Jan TA, Eichler EE, Rugonyi S, Conrad DF, Ahituv N, Carbone L. TAD Evolutionary and functional characterization reveals diversity in mammalian TAD boundary properties and function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531534. [PMID: 36945527 PMCID: PMC10028908 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Topological associating domains (TADs) are self-interacting genomic units crucial for shaping gene regulation patterns. Despite their importance, the extent of their evolutionary conservation and its functional implications remain largely unknown. In this study, we generate Hi-C and ChIP-seq data and compare TAD organization across four primate and four rodent species, and characterize the genetic and epigenetic properties of TAD boundaries in correspondence to their evolutionary conservation. We find that only 14% of all human TAD boundaries are shared among all eight species (ultraconserved), while 15% are human-specific. Ultraconserved TAD boundaries have stronger insulation strength, CTCF binding, and enrichment of older retrotransposons, compared to species-specific boundaries. CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of two ultraconserved boundaries in mouse models leads to tissue-specific gene expression changes and morphological phenotypes. Deletion of a human-specific boundary near the autism-related AUTS2 gene results in upregulation of this gene in neurons. Overall, our study provides pertinent TAD boundary evolutionary conservation annotations, and showcase the functional importance of TAD evolution.
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3
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Al Sharhan NA, Messaoudi SA, Babu SR, Chaudhary AB, Alsharm AA, Alrefaei AF, Kadasah S, Abu-Elmagd M, Assidi M, Buhmeida A, Carracedo Á, Almawi WY. Utility of Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Assessing Microsatellite Instability and Loss of Heterozygosity in Breast Cancer Using Human Identification Approach. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:590. [PMID: 35456396 PMCID: PMC9027523 DOI: 10.3390/genes13040590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnostic and prognostic utility of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in breast cancer (BC) patients was recently reported. Here, we investigated the use of cfDNA to examine microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for early BC diagnosis. cfDNA and genomic DNA from 41 female BC patients and 40 healthy controls were quantified using NanoDrop spectrophotometry and real-time PCR. The stability of genomic and cfDNA was assessed using a high-resolution AmpFlSTR MiniFiler human identification kit. Significant increases in cfDNA plasma concentrations were observed in BC patients compared to controls. The genotype distribution of the eight autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci D7S820, D13S317, D21S11, D2S1338, D18S51, D16S539, FGA, and CSF1PO were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Significant differences in the allele frequencies of D7S820 allele-8, D21S11 allele-29, allele-30.2, allele-32.2, and CSF1PO allele-11 were seen between BC patients and controls. LOH and MSI were detected in 36.6% of the cfDNA of patients compared to genomic DNA. This study highlights the utility of plasma-derived cfDNA for earlier, less invasive, and cost-effective cancer diagnosis and molecular stratification. It also highlights the potential value of cfDNA in molecular profiling and biomarkers discovery in precision and forensic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norah A. Al Sharhan
- Department of Biopharmaceutical, Laboratories and Research Sector, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 3292, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Safia A. Messaoudi
- Department of Forensic Sciences, College of Criminal Justice, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh 14812, Saudi Arabia; (S.A.M.); (S.R.B.); (A.B.C.)
| | - Saranya R. Babu
- Department of Forensic Sciences, College of Criminal Justice, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh 14812, Saudi Arabia; (S.A.M.); (S.R.B.); (A.B.C.)
| | - AbdulRauf B. Chaudhary
- Department of Forensic Sciences, College of Criminal Justice, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh 14812, Saudi Arabia; (S.A.M.); (S.R.B.); (A.B.C.)
- Surgery Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 12231, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah A. Alsharm
- Medical Oncology Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 12231, Saudi Arabia;
| | | | - Sultan Kadasah
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bisha, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Muhammad Abu-Elmagd
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (M.A.-E.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
- Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mourad Assidi
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (M.A.-E.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
- Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelbaset Buhmeida
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; (M.A.-E.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Ángel Carracedo
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), CIBERER, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Wassim Y. Almawi
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis—El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
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Wanner NM, Faulk C. Suggested Absence of Horizontal Transfer of Retrotransposons between Humans and Domestic Mammal Species. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1223. [PMID: 34440397 PMCID: PMC8391136 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable element sequences are usually vertically inherited but have also spread across taxa via horizontal transfer. Previous investigations of ancient horizontal transfer of transposons have compared consensus sequences, but this method resists detection of recent single or low copy number transfer events. The relationship between humans and domesticated animals represents an opportunity for potential horizontal transfer due to the consistent shared proximity and exposure to parasitic insects, which have been identified as plausible transfer vectors. The relatively short period of extended human-animal contact (tens of thousands of years or less) makes horizontal transfer of transposons between them unlikely. However, the availability of high-quality reference genomes allows individual element comparisons to detect low copy number events. Using pairwise all-versus-all megablast searches of the complete suite of retrotransposons of thirteen domestic animals against human, we searched a total of 27,949,823 individual TEs. Based on manual comparisons of stringently filtered BLAST search results for evidence of vertical inheritance, no plausible instances of HTT were identified. These results indicate that significant recent HTT between humans and domesticated animals has not occurred despite the close proximity, either due to the short timescale, inhospitable recipient genomes, a failure of vector activity, or other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Wanner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, 301 Veterinary Science Building, 1971 Commonwealth Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Christopher Faulk
- Department of Animal Science, College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota, 277 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Simone R, Javad F, Emmett W, Wilkins OG, Almeida FL, Barahona-Torres N, Zareba-Paslawska J, Ehteramyan M, Zuccotti P, Modelska A, Siva K, Virdi GS, Mitchell JS, Harley J, Kay VA, Hondhamuni G, Trabzuni D, Ryten M, Wray S, Preza E, Kia DA, Pittman A, Ferrari R, Manzoni C, Lees A, Hardy JA, Denti MA, Quattrone A, Patani R, Svenningsson P, Warner TT, Plagnol V, Ule J, de Silva R. MIR-NATs repress MAPT translation and aid proteostasis in neurodegeneration. Nature 2021; 594:117-123. [PMID: 34012113 PMCID: PMC7610982 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03556-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human genome expresses thousands of natural antisense transcripts (NAT) that can regulate epigenetic state, transcription, RNA stability or translation of their overlapping genes1,2. Here we describe MAPT-AS1, a brain-enriched NAT that is conserved in primates and contains an embedded mammalian-wide interspersed repeat (MIR), which represses tau translation by competing for ribosomal RNA pairing with the MAPT mRNA internal ribosome entry site3. MAPT encodes tau, a neuronal intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) that stabilizes axonal microtubules. Hyperphosphorylated, aggregation-prone tau forms the hallmark inclusions of tauopathies4. Mutations in MAPT cause familial frontotemporal dementia, and common variations forming the MAPT H1 haplotype are a significant risk factor in many tauopathies5 and Parkinson's disease. Notably, expression of MAPT-AS1 or minimal essential sequences from MAPT-AS1 (including MIR) reduces-whereas silencing MAPT-AS1 expression increases-neuronal tau levels, and correlate with tau pathology in human brain. Moreover, we identified many additional NATs with embedded MIRs (MIR-NATs), which are overrepresented at coding genes linked to neurodegeneration and/or encoding IDPs, and confirmed MIR-NAT-mediated translational control of one such gene, PLCG1. These results demonstrate a key role for MAPT-AS1 in tauopathies and reveal a potentially broad contribution of MIR-NATs to the tightly controlled translation of IDPs6, with particular relevance for proteostasis in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Simone
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Faiza Javad
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Warren Emmett
- UCL Genetics Institute, London, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Inivata Ltd, Babraham, UK
| | - Oscar G Wilkins
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Filipa Lourenço Almeida
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Natalia Barahona-Torres
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Mazdak Ehteramyan
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Paola Zuccotti
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, Italy
| | - Angelika Modelska
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, Italy
| | - Kavitha Siva
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, Italy
| | - Gurvir S Virdi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jamie S Mitchell
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jasmine Harley
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Victoria A Kay
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Geshanthi Hondhamuni
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Daniah Trabzuni
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mina Ryten
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Elisavet Preza
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Demis A Kia
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Alan Pittman
- Genetics Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Raffaele Ferrari
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Claudia Manzoni
- UCL School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, London, UK
| | - Andrew Lees
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - John A Hardy
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL, London, UK
- Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Michela A Denti
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Quattrone
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, Italy
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas T Warner
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Jernej Ule
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
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Gao Y, Fang L, Baldwin RL, Connor EE, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Li CJ, Liu GE. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of dairy cattle ruminal epithelial cells during weaning. Genomics 2021; 113:2045-2055. [PMID: 33933592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using the 10× Genomics Chromium Controller, we obtained scRNA-seq data of 5064 and 1372 individual cells from two Holstein calf ruminal epithelial tissues before and after weaning, respectively. We detected six distinct cell clusters, designated their cell types, and reported their marker genes. We then examined these clusters' underlining cell types and relationships by performing cell cycle, pseudotime trajectory, regulatory network, weighted gene co-expression network and gene ontology analyses. By integrating these cell marker genes with Holstein GWAS signals, we found they were enriched for animal production and body conformation traits. Finally, we confirmed their cell identities by comparing them with human and mouse stomach epithelial cells. This study presents an initial effort to implement single-cell transcriptomic analysis in cattle, and demonstrates ruminal tissue epithelial cell types and their developments during weaning, opening the door for new discoveries about tissue/cell type roles in complex traits at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom.
| | - Ransom L Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Erin E Connor
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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7
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Ferrari R, Grandi N, Tramontano E, Dieci G. Retrotransposons as Drivers of Mammalian Brain Evolution. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11050376. [PMID: 33922141 PMCID: PMC8143547 DOI: 10.3390/life11050376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons, a large and diverse class of transposable elements that are still active in humans, represent a remarkable force of genomic innovation underlying mammalian evolution. Among the features distinguishing mammals from all other vertebrates, the presence of a neocortex with a peculiar neuronal organization, composition and connectivity is perhaps the one that, by affecting the cognitive abilities of mammals, contributed mostly to their evolutionary success. Among mammals, hominids and especially humans display an extraordinarily expanded cortical volume, an enrichment of the repertoire of neural cell types and more elaborate patterns of neuronal connectivity. Retrotransposon-derived sequences have recently been implicated in multiple layers of gene regulation in the brain, from transcriptional and post-transcriptional control to both local and large-scale three-dimensional chromatin organization. Accordingly, an increasing variety of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions are being recognized to be associated with retrotransposon dysregulation. We review here a large body of recent studies lending support to the idea that retrotransposon-dependent evolutionary novelties were crucial for the emergence of mammalian, primate and human peculiarities of brain morphology and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ferrari
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy;
| | - Nicole Grandi
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (N.G.); (E.T.)
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; (N.G.); (E.T.)
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Giorgio Dieci
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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8
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Zhang XO, Pratt H, Weng Z. Investigating the Potential Roles of SINEs in the Human Genome. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2021; 22:199-218. [PMID: 33792357 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-111620-100736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are nonautonomous retrotransposons that occupy approximately 13% of the human genome. They are transcribed by RNA polymerase III and can be retrotranscribed and inserted back into the genome with the help of other autonomous retroelements. Because they are preferentially located close to or within gene-rich regions, they can regulate gene expression by various mechanisms that act at both the DNA and the RNA levels. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the involvement of SINEs in different types of gene regulation and discuss the potential regulatory functions of SINEs that are in close proximity to genes, Pol III-transcribed SINE RNAs, and embedded SINE sequences within Pol II-transcribed genes in the human genome. These discoveries illustrate how the human genome has exapted some SINEs into functional regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ou Zhang
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA; .,Current affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Henry Pratt
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
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9
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Vassetzky NS, Kosushkin SA, Korchagin VI, Ryskov AP. New Ther1-derived SINE Squam3 in scaled reptiles. Mob DNA 2021; 12:10. [PMID: 33752750 PMCID: PMC7983390 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-021-00238-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SINEs comprise a significant part of animal genomes and are used to study the evolution of diverse taxa. Despite significant advances in SINE studies in vertebrates and higher eukaryotes in general, their own evolution is poorly understood. RESULTS We have discovered and described in detail a new Squam3 SINE specific for scaled reptiles (Squamata). The subfamilies of this SINE demonstrate different distribution in the genomes of squamates, which together with the data on similar SINEs in the tuatara allowed us to propose a scenario of their evolution in the context of reptilian evolution. CONCLUSIONS Ancestral SINEs preserved in small numbers in most genomes can give rise to taxa-specific SINE families. Analysis of this aspect of SINEs can shed light on the history and mechanisms of SINE variation in reptilian genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita S Vassetzky
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - Sergei A Kosushkin
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Vitaly I Korchagin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alexey P Ryskov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
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10
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Královičová J, Borovská I, Pengelly R, Lee E, Abaffy P, Šindelka R, Grutzner F, Vořechovský I. Restriction of an intron size en route to endothermy. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:2460-2487. [PMID: 33550394 PMCID: PMC7969005 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+-insensitive and -sensitive E1 subunits of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHC) regulate tissue-specific NADH and ATP supply by mutually exclusive OGDH exons 4a and 4b. Here we show that their splicing is enforced by distant lariat branch points (dBPs) located near the 5' splice site of the intervening intron. dBPs restrict the intron length and prevent transposon insertions, which can introduce or eliminate dBP competitors. The size restriction was imposed by a single dominant dBP in anamniotes that expanded into a conserved constellation of four dBP adenines in amniotes. The amniote clusters exhibit taxon-specific usage of individual dBPs, reflecting accessibility of their extended motifs within a stable RNA hairpin rather than U2 snRNA:dBP base-pairing. The dBP expansion took place in early terrestrial species and was followed by a uridine enrichment of large downstream polypyrimidine tracts in mammals. The dBP-protected megatracts permit reciprocal regulation of exon 4a and 4b by uridine-binding proteins, including TIA-1/TIAR and PUF60, which promote U1 and U2 snRNP recruitment to the 5' splice site and BP, respectively, but do not significantly alter the relative dBP usage. We further show that codons for residues critically contributing to protein binding sites for Ca2+ and other divalent metals confer the exon inclusion order that mirrors the Irving-Williams affinity series, linking the evolution of auxiliary splicing motifs in exons to metallome constraints. Finally, we hypothesize that the dBP-driven selection for Ca2+-dependent ATP provision by E1 facilitated evolution of endothermy by optimizing the aerobic scope in target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Královičová
- University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, HDH, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre for Biosciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Ivana Borovská
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre for Biosciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Reuben Pengelly
- University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, HDH, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Eunice Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia
| | - Pavel Abaffy
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biotechnology, 25250 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Šindelka
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biotechnology, 25250 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Grutzner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, SA, Australia
| | - Igor Vořechovský
- University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, HDH, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
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11
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Abstract
Multicellular eukaryotic genomes show enormous differences in size. A substantial part of this variation is due to the presence of transposable elements (TEs). They contribute significantly to a cell's mass of DNA and have the potential to become involved in host gene control. We argue that the suppression of their activities by methylation of the C-phosphate-G (CpG) dinucleotide in DNA is essential for their long-term accommodation in the host genome and, therefore, to its expansion. An inevitable consequence of cytosine methylation is an increase in C-to-T transition mutations via deamination, which causes CpG loss. Cytosine deamination is often needed for TEs to take on regulatory functions in the host genome. Our study of the whole-genome sequences of 53 organisms showed a positive correlation between the size of a genome and the percentage of TEs it contains, as well as a negative correlation between size and the CpG observed/expected (O/E) ratio in both TEs and the host DNA. TEs are seldom found at promoters and transcription start sites, but they are found more at enhancers, particularly after they have accumulated C-to-T and other mutations. Therefore, the methylation of TE DNA allows for genome expansion and also leads to new opportunities for gene control by TE-based regulatory sites.
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12
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Burns KH. Our Conflict with Transposable Elements and Its Implications for Human Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2020; 15:51-70. [PMID: 31977294 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012419-032633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Our genome is a historic record of successive invasions of mobile genetic elements. Like other eukaryotes, we have evolved mechanisms to limit their propagation and minimize the functional impact of new insertions. Although these mechanisms are vitally important, they are imperfect, and a handful of retroelement families remain active in modern humans. This review introduces the intrinsic functions of transposons, the tactics employed in their restraint, and the relevance of this conflict to human pathology. The most straightforward examples of disease-causing transposable elements are germline insertions that disrupt a gene and result in a monogenic disease allele. More enigmatic are the abnormal patterns of transposable element expression in disease states. Changes in transposon regulation and cellular responses to their expression have implicated these sequences in diseases as diverse as cancer, autoimmunity, and neurodegeneration. Distinguishing their epiphenomenal from their pathogenic effects may provide wholly new perspectives on our understanding of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen H Burns
- Department of Pathology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA;
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13
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Khan YA, Jungreis I, Wright JC, Mudge JM, Choudhary JS, Firth AE, Kellis M. Evidence for a novel overlapping coding sequence in POLG initiated at a CUG start codon. BMC Genet 2020; 21:25. [PMID: 32138667 PMCID: PMC7059407 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-0828-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND POLG, located on nuclear chromosome 15, encodes the DNA polymerase γ(Pol γ). Pol γ is responsible for the replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Pol γ is the only DNA polymerase found in mitochondria for most animal cells. Mutations in POLG are the most common single-gene cause of diseases of mitochondria and have been mapped over the coding region of the POLG ORF. RESULTS Using PhyloCSF to survey alternative reading frames, we found a conserved coding signature in an alternative frame in exons 2 and 3 of POLG, herein referred to as ORF-Y that arose de novo in placental mammals. Using the synplot2 program, synonymous site conservation was found among mammals in the region of the POLG ORF that is overlapped by ORF-Y. Ribosome profiling data revealed that ORF-Y is translated and that initiation likely occurs at a CUG codon. Inspection of an alignment of mammalian sequences containing ORF-Y revealed that the CUG codon has a strong initiation context and that a well-conserved predicted RNA stem-loop begins 14 nucleotides downstream. Such features are associated with enhanced initiation at near-cognate non-AUG codons. Reanalysis of the Kim et al. (2014) draft human proteome dataset yielded two unique peptides that map unambiguously to ORF-Y. An additional conserved uORF, herein referred to as ORF-Z, was also found in exon 2 of POLG. Lastly, we surveyed Clinvar variants that are synonymous with respect to the POLG ORF and found that most of these variants cause amino acid changes in ORF-Y or ORF-Z. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence for a novel coding sequence, ORF-Y, that overlaps the POLG ORF. Ribosome profiling and mass spectrometry data show that ORF-Y is expressed. PhyloCSF and synplot2 analysis show that ORF-Y is subject to strong purifying selection. An abundance of disease-correlated mutations that map to exons 2 and 3 of POLG but also affect ORF-Y provides potential clinical significance to this finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousuf A Khan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK.
| | - Irwin Jungreis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - James C Wright
- Functional Proteomics, Division of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Jonathan M Mudge
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | | | - Andrew E Firth
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
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14
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Maquat LE. Short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-mediated post-transcriptional effects on human and mouse gene expression: SINE-UP for active duty. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190344. [PMID: 32075563 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Primate-specific Alu short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and rodent-specific B and ID (B/ID) SINEs are non-autonomous and generally non-coding retrotransposons that have been copied and pasted into the respective genomes so as to constitute what is estimated to be a remarkable 13% and 8% of those genomes. In the context of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), those residing within 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs) can influence mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, mRNA translation and/or mRNA decay via proteins with which they associate either individually or base-paired in cis or in trans with a partially complementary SINE. Each of these influences impinges on the primary function of mRNA, which is to serve as a template for protein synthesis. This review describes how human cells have used 3'UTR Alu elements to mediate post-transcriptional gene regulation and also describes examples of convergent evolution between human and mouse 3'UTR SINEs. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Crossroads between transposons and gene regulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne E Maquat
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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15
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Structural variation and its potential impact on genome instability: Novel discoveries in the EGFR landscape by long-read sequencing. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226340. [PMID: 31940362 PMCID: PMC6961855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural variation (SV) is typically defined as variation within the human genome that exceeds 50 base pairs (bp). SV may be copy number neutral or it may involve duplications, deletions, and complex rearrangements. Recent studies have shown SV to be associated with many human diseases. However, studies of SV have been challenging due to technological constraints. With the advent of third generation (long-read) sequencing technology, exploration of longer stretches of DNA not easily examined previously has been made possible. In the present study, we utilized third generation (long-read) sequencing techniques to examine SV in the EGFR landscape of four haplotypes derived from two human samples. We analyzed the EGFR gene and its landscape (+/- 500,000 base pairs) using this approach and were able to identify a region of non-coding DNA with over 90% similarity to the most common activating EGFR mutation in non-small cell lung cancer. Based on previously published Alu-element genome instability algorithms, we propose a molecular mechanism to explain how this non-coding region of DNA may be interacting with and impacting the stability of the EGFR gene and potentially generating this cancer-driver gene. By these techniques, we were also able to identify previously hidden structural variation in the four haplotypes and in the human reference genome (hg38). We applied previously published algorithms to compare the relative stabilities of these five different EGFR gene landscape haplotypes to estimate their relative potentials to generate the EGFR exon 19, 15 bp canonical deletion. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to use the differences in genomic architecture between targeted cancer-linked phased haplotypes to estimate their relative potentials to form a common cancer-linked driver mutation.
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16
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Cho HM, Park SJ, Choe SH, Lee JR, Kim SU, Jin YB, Kim JS, Lee SR, Kim YH, Huh JW. Cooperative evolution of two different TEs results in lineage-specific novel transcripts in the BLOC1S2 gene. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:196. [PMID: 31666001 PMCID: PMC6822395 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BLOC1S2 gene encodes the multifunctional protein BLOS2, a shared subunit of two lysosomal trafficking complexes: i) biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1 and i) BLOC-1-related complex. In our previous study, we identified an intriguing unreported transcript of the BLOC1S2 gene that has a novel exon derived from two transposable elements (TEs), MIR and AluSp. To investigate the evolutionary footprint and molecular mechanism of action of this transcript, we performed PCR and RT-PCR experiments and sequencing analyses using genomic DNA and RNA samples from humans and various non-human primates. RESULTS The results showed that the MIR element had integrated into the genome of our common ancestor, specifically in the BLOC1S2 gene region, before the radiation of all primate lineages and that the AluSp element had integrated into the genome of our common ancestor, fortunately in the middle of the MIR sequences, after the divergence of Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. The combined MIR and AluSp sequences provide a 3' splice site (AG) and 5' splice site (GT), respectively, and generate the Old World monkey-specific transcripts. Moreover, branch point sequences for the intron removal process are provided by the MIR and AluSp combination. CONCLUSIONS We show for the first time that sequential integration into the same location and sequence divergence events of two different TEs generated lineage-specific transcripts through sequence collaboration during primate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Mu Cho
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Sang-Je Park
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Se-Hee Choe
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Ja-Rang Lee
- Primate Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup, 56216, Korea
| | - Sun-Uk Kim
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.,Futuristic Animal Resource and Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Yeung-Bae Jin
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Ji-Su Kim
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.,Primate Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup, 56216, Korea
| | - Sang-Rae Lee
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Young-Hyun Kim
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
| | - Jae-Won Huh
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
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17
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Rohrmoser M, Kluge M, Yahia Y, Gruber-Eber A, Maqbool MA, Forné I, Krebs S, Blum H, Greifenberg AK, Geyer M, Descostes N, Imhof A, Andrau JC, Friedel CC, Eick D. MIR sequences recruit zinc finger protein ZNF768 to expressed genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:700-715. [PMID: 30476274 PMCID: PMC6344866 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs) are retrotransposed elements of mammalian genomes. Here, we report the specific binding of zinc finger protein ZNF768 to the sequence motif GCTGTGTG (N20) CCTCTCTG in the core region of MIRs. ZNF768 binding is preferentially associated with euchromatin and promoter regions of genes. Binding was observed for genes expressed in a cell type-specific manner in human B cell line Raji and osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed binding of ZNF768 to Elongator components Elp1, Elp2 and Elp3 and other nuclear factors. The N-terminus of ZNF768 contains a heptad repeat array structurally related to the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. This array evolved in placental animals but not marsupials and monotreme species, displays species-specific length variations, and possibly fulfills CTD related functions in gene regulation. We propose that the evolution of MIRs and ZNF768 has extended the repertoire of gene regulatory mechanisms in mammals and that ZNF768 binding is associated with cell type-specific gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Rohrmoser
- Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Kluge
- Institute for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstrasse 17, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Yousra Yahia
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier (IGMM), Univ Montpellier, CNRS-UMR5535, Montpellier, France
| | - Anita Gruber-Eber
- Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Muhammad Ahmad Maqbool
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier (IGMM), Univ Montpellier, CNRS-UMR5535, Montpellier, France
| | - Ignasi Forné
- Biomedical Center Munich, ZFP, Großhadener Strasse 9, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA) at the Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA) at the Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ann Katrin Greifenberg
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Geyer
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicolas Descostes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Axel Imhof
- Biomedical Center Munich, ZFP, Großhadener Strasse 9, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jean-Christophe Andrau
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier (IGMM), Univ Montpellier, CNRS-UMR5535, Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline C Friedel
- Institute for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstrasse 17, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk Eick
- Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
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18
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Fan H, Hu Y, Shan L, Yu L, Wang B, Li M, Wu Q, Wei F. Synteny search identifies carnivore Y chromosome for evolution of male specific genes. Integr Zool 2019; 14:224-234. [PMID: 30019860 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The explosive accumulation of mammalian genomes has provided a valuable resource to characterize the evolution of the Y chromosome. Unexpectedly, the Y-chromosome sequence has been characterized in only a small handful of species, with the majority being model organisms. Thus, identification of Y-linked scaffolds from unordered genome sequences is becoming more important. Here, we used a syntenic-based approach to generate the scaffolds of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) from the genome sequence of 6 male carnivore species. Our results identified 14, 15, 9, 28, 14 and 11 Y-linked scaffolds in polar bears, pacific walruses, red pandas, cheetahs, ferrets and tigers, covering 1.55 Mbp, 2.62 Mbp, 964 Kb, 1.75 Mb, 2.17 Mbp and 1.84 Mb MSY, respectively. All the candidate Y-linked scaffolds in 3 selected species (red pandas, polar bears and tigers) were successfully verified using polymerase chain reaction. We re-annotated 8 carnivore MSYs including these 6 Y-linked scaffolds and domestic dog and cat MSY; a total of 11 orthologous genes conserved in at least 7 of the 8 carnivores were identified. These 11 Y-linked genes have significantly higher evolutionary rates compared with their X-linked counterparts, indicating less purifying selection for MSY genes. Taken together, our study shows that the approach of synteny search is a reliable and easily affordable strategy to identify Y-linked scaffolds from unordered carnivore genomes and provides a preliminary evolutionary study for carnivore MSY genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhong Fan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Shan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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19
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The Ribosome as a Missing Link in Prebiotic Evolution III: Over-Representation of tRNA- and rRNA-Like Sequences and Plieofunctionality of Ribosome-Related Molecules Argues for the Evolution of Primitive Genomes from Ribosomal RNA Modules. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20010140. [PMID: 30609737 PMCID: PMC6337102 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose that ribosomal RNA (rRNA) formed the basis of the first cellular genomes, and provide evidence from a review of relevant literature and proteonomic tests. We have proposed previously that the ribosome may represent the vestige of the first self-replicating entity in which rRNAs also functioned as genes that were transcribed into functional messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding ribosomal proteins. rRNAs also encoded polymerases to replicate itself and a full complement of the transfer RNAs (tRNAs) required to translate its genes. We explore here a further prediction of our “ribosome-first” theory: the ribosomal genome provided the basis for the first cellular genomes. Modern genomes should therefore contain an unexpectedly large percentage of tRNA- and rRNA-like modules derived from both sense and antisense reading frames, and these should encode non-ribosomal proteins, as well as ribosomal ones with key cell functions. Ribosomal proteins should also have been co-opted by cellular evolution to play extra-ribosomal functions. We review existing literature supporting these predictions. We provide additional, new data demonstrating that rRNA-like sequences occur at significantly higher frequencies than predicted on the basis of mRNA duplications or randomized RNA sequences. These data support our “ribosome-first” theory of cellular evolution.
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20
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Comparative Analysis of Immune Cells Reveals a Conserved Regulatory Lexicon. Cell Syst 2018; 6:381-394.e7. [PMID: 29454939 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most well-characterized enhancers are deeply conserved. In contrast, genome-wide comparative studies of steady-state systems showed that only a small fraction of active enhancers are conserved. To better understand conservation of enhancer activity, we used a comparative genomics approach that integrates temporal expression and epigenetic profiles in an innate immune system. We found that gene expression programs diverge among mildly induced genes, while being highly conserved for strongly induced genes. The fraction of conserved enhancers varies greatly across gene expression programs, with induced genes and early-response genes, in particular, being regulated by a higher fraction of conserved enhancers. Clustering of conserved accessible DNA sequences within enhancers resulted in over 60 sequence motifs including motifs for known factors, as well as many with unknown function. We further show that the number of instances of these motifs is a strong predictor of the responsiveness of a gene to pathogen detection.
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21
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Tristán-Flores FE, Guzmán P, Ortega-Kermedy MS, Cruz-Torres G, de la Rocha C, Silva-Martínez GA, Rodríguez-Ríos D, Alvarado-Caudillo Y, Barbosa-Sabanero G, Sayols S, Lund G, Zaina S. Liver X Receptor-Binding DNA Motif Associated With Atherosclerosis-Specific DNA Methylation Profiles of Alu Elements and Neighboring CpG Islands. J Am Heart Assoc 2018; 7:e007686. [PMID: 29386205 PMCID: PMC5850253 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.117.007686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The signals that determine atherosclerosis-specific DNA methylation profiles are only partially known. We previously identified a 29-bp DNA motif (differential methylation motif [DMM]) proximal to CpG islands (CGIs) that undergo demethylation in advanced human atheromas. Those data hinted that the DMM docks modifiers of DNA methylation and transcription. METHODS AND RESULTS We sought to functionally characterize the DMM. We showed that the DMM overlaps with the RNA polymerase III-binding B box of Alu short interspersed nuclear elements and contains a DR2 nuclear receptor response element. Pointing to a possible functional role for an Alu DMM, CGIs proximal (<100 bp) to near-intact DMM-harboring Alu are significantly less methylated relative to CGIs proximal to degenerate DMM-harboring Alu or to DMM-devoid mammalian-wide interspersed repeat short interspersed nuclear elements in human arteries. As for DMM-binding factors, LXRB (liver X receptor β) binds the DMM in a DR2-dependent fashion, and LXR (liver X receptor) agonists induce significant hypermethylation of the bulk of Alu in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, we describe 3 intergenic long noncoding RNAs that harbor a DMM, are under transcriptional control by LXR agonists, and are differentially expressed between normal and atherosclerotic human aortas. Notably, CGIs adjacent to those long noncoding RNAs tend to be hypomethylated in symptomatic relative to stable human atheromas. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the data suggest that a DMM is associated with 2 distinct methylation states: relatively low methylation of in cis CGIs and Alu element hypermethylation. Based on the known atheroprotective role of LXRs, we propose that LXR agonist-induced Alu hypermethylation, a landmark of atherosclerosis, is a compensatory rather than proatherogenic response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Plinio Guzmán
- Department of Genetic Engineering, CINVESTAV Irapuato Unit, Irapuato, Gto, Mexico
| | | | - Gabriela Cruz-Torres
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, León Campus, University of Guanajuato, León, Gto, Mexico
| | - Carmen de la Rocha
- Department of Genetic Engineering, CINVESTAV Irapuato Unit, Irapuato, Gto, Mexico
| | | | - Dalia Rodríguez-Ríos
- Department of Genetic Engineering, CINVESTAV Irapuato Unit, Irapuato, Gto, Mexico
| | - Yolanda Alvarado-Caudillo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, León Campus, University of Guanajuato, León, Gto, Mexico
| | - Gloria Barbosa-Sabanero
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, León Campus, University of Guanajuato, León, Gto, Mexico
| | - Sergi Sayols
- Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Gertrud Lund
- Department of Genetic Engineering, CINVESTAV Irapuato Unit, Irapuato, Gto, Mexico
| | - Silvio Zaina
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, León Campus, University of Guanajuato, León, Gto, Mexico
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22
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Kojima KK. Human transposable elements in Repbase: genomic footprints from fish to humans. Mob DNA 2018; 9:2. [PMID: 29308093 PMCID: PMC5753468 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-017-0107-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Repbase is a comprehensive database of eukaryotic transposable elements (TEs) and repeat sequences, containing over 1300 human repeat sequences. Recent analyses of these repeat sequences have accumulated evidences for their contribution to human evolution through becoming functional elements, such as protein-coding regions or binding sites of transcriptional regulators. However, resolving the origins of repeat sequences is a challenge, due to their age, divergence, and degradation. Ancient repeats have been continuously classified as TEs by finding similar TEs from other organisms. Here, the most comprehensive picture of human repeat sequences is presented. The human genome contains traces of 10 clades (L1, CR1, L2, Crack, RTE, RTEX, R4, Vingi, Tx1 and Penelope) of non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons (long interspersed elements, LINEs), 3 types (SINE1/7SL, SINE2/tRNA, and SINE3/5S) of short interspersed elements (SINEs), 1 composite retrotransposon (SVA) family, 5 classes (ERV1, ERV2, ERV3, Gypsy and DIRS) of LTR retrotransposons, and 12 superfamilies (Crypton, Ginger1, Harbinger, hAT, Helitron, Kolobok, Mariner, Merlin, MuDR, P, piggyBac and Transib) of DNA transposons. These TE footprints demonstrate an evolutionary continuum of the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji K Kojima
- Genetic Information Research Institute, 465 Fairchild Drive, Suite 201, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA.,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Daxue Rd, East District, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
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23
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Smith CEL, Alexandraki A, Cordery SF, Parmar R, Bonthron DT, Valleley EMA. A tissue-specific promoter derived from a SINE retrotransposon drives biallelic expression of PLAGL1 in human lymphocytes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185678. [PMID: 28957425 PMCID: PMC5619815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The imprinted gene PLAGL1 is an important regulator of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Loss of its expression has been implicated in tumorigenesis in a range of different cancers, and overexpression during fetal development causes transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM). PLAGL1 lies within an imprinted region of chromosome 6q24, and monoallelic expression from the major, differentially methylated promoter (P1) occurs in most human tissues. However, in peripheral blood leukocytes, the active promoter (P2) is non-imprinted and drives biallelic transcription. We report here a novel PLAGL1 promoter (P5) derived from the insertion of a primate-specific, MIR3 SINE retrotransposon. P5 is highly utilized in lymphocytes, particularly in T cells, and like P2, directs biallelic transcription. Our results show that it is important to consider P5 in relation to PLAGL1 function in T cells when investigating the dysregulation of this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. L. Smith
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Alexia Alexandraki
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah F. Cordery
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Rekha Parmar
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - David T. Bonthron
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M. A. Valleley
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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24
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Abstract
Transposable elements give rise to interspersed repeats, sequences that comprise most of our genomes. These mobile DNAs have been historically underappreciated - both because they have been presumed to be unimportant, and because their high copy number and variability pose unique technical challenges. Neither impediment now seems steadfast. Interest in the human mobilome has never been greater, and methods enabling its study are maturing at a fast pace. This Review describes the activity of transposable elements in human cancers, particularly long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1). LINE-1 sequences are self-propagating, protein-coding retrotransposons, and their activity results in somatically acquired insertions in cancer genomes. Altered expression of transposable elements and animation of genomic LINE-1 sequences appear to be hallmarks of cancer, and can be responsible for driving mutations in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen H Burns
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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25
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26
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Transposable elements in cancer. NATURE REVIEWS. CANCER 2017. [PMID: 28642606 DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2017.35+[doi]] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements give rise to interspersed repeats, sequences that comprise most of our genomes. These mobile DNAs have been historically underappreciated - both because they have been presumed to be unimportant, and because their high copy number and variability pose unique technical challenges. Neither impediment now seems steadfast. Interest in the human mobilome has never been greater, and methods enabling its study are maturing at a fast pace. This Review describes the activity of transposable elements in human cancers, particularly long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1). LINE-1 sequences are self-propagating, protein-coding retrotransposons, and their activity results in somatically acquired insertions in cancer genomes. Altered expression of transposable elements and animation of genomic LINE-1 sequences appear to be hallmarks of cancer, and can be responsible for driving mutations in tumorigenesis.
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27
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Carnevali D, Conti A, Pellegrini M, Dieci G. Whole-genome expression analysis of mammalian-wide interspersed repeat elements in human cell lines. DNA Res 2017; 24:59-69. [PMID: 28028040 PMCID: PMC5381342 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsw048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With more than 500,000 copies, mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs), a sub-group of SINEs, represent ∼2.5% of the human genome and one of the most numerous family of potential targets for the RNA polymerase (Pol) III transcription machinery. Since MIR elements ceased to amplify ∼130 myr ago, previous studies primarily focused on their genomic impact, while the issue of their expression has not been extensively addressed. We applied a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline to ENCODE RNA-Seq datasets of seven human cell lines and, for the first time, we were able to define the Pol III-driven MIR transcriptome at single-locus resolution. While the majority of Pol III-transcribed MIR elements are cell-specific, we discovered a small set of ubiquitously transcribed MIRs mapping within Pol II-transcribed genes in antisense orientation that could influence the expression of the overlapping gene. We also identified novel Pol III-transcribed ncRNAs, deriving from transcription of annotated MIR fragments flanked by unique MIR-unrelated sequences, and confirmed the role of Pol III-specific internal promoter elements in MIR transcription. Besides demonstrating widespread transcription at these retrotranspositionally inactive elements in human cells, the ability to profile MIR expression at single-locus resolution will facilitate their study in different cell types and states including pathological alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anastasia Conti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 723, USA
| | - Giorgio Dieci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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28
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Carnevali D, Dieci G. Identification of RNA Polymerase III-Transcribed SINEs at Single-Locus Resolution from RNA Sequencing Data. Noncoding RNA 2017; 3:ncrna3010015. [PMID: 29657287 PMCID: PMC5832001 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna3010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Short Interspersed Element (SINE) retrotransposons are one of the most abundant DNA repeat elements in the human genome. They have been found to impact the expression of protein-coding genes, but the possible roles in cell physiology of their noncoding RNAs, generated by RNA polymerase (Pol) III, are just starting to be elucidated. For this reason, Short Interspersed Element (SINE) expression profiling is becoming mandatory to obtain a comprehensive picture of their regulatory roles. However, their repeated nature and frequent location within Pol II-transcribed genes represent a serious obstacle to the identification and quantification of genuine, Pol III-derived SINE transcripts at single-locus resolution on a genomic scale. Among the recent Next Generation Sequencing technologies, only RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) holds the potential to solve these issues, even though both technical and biological matters need to be taken into account. A bioinformatic pipeline has been recently set up that, by exploiting RNA-seq features and knowledge of SINE transcription mechanisms, allows for easy identification and profiling of transcriptionally active genomic loci which are a source of genuine Pol III SINE transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Carnevali
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Dieci
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
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29
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Yeganeh M, Praz V, Cousin P, Hernandez N. Transcriptional interference by RNA polymerase III affects expression of the Polr3e gene. Genes Dev 2017; 31:413-421. [PMID: 28289142 PMCID: PMC5358760 DOI: 10.1101/gad.293324.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
A mammalian interspersed repeat (MIR) nested in antisense orientation within the first intron of the Polr3e gene, encoding an RNA polymerase (Pol) III subunit, is conserved in mammals and highly occupied by Pol III. Here, Yeganeh et al. show that the MIR affects Polr3e expression through transcriptional interference. Overlapping gene arrangements can potentially contribute to gene expression regulation. A mammalian interspersed repeat (MIR) nested in antisense orientation within the first intron of the Polr3e gene, encoding an RNA polymerase III (Pol III) subunit, is conserved in mammals and highly occupied by Pol III. Using a fluorescence assay, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of the MIR in mouse embryonic stem cells, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we show that the MIR affects Polr3e expression through transcriptional interference. Our study reveals a mechanism by which a Pol II gene can be regulated at the transcription elongation level by transcription of an embedded antisense Pol III gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghdad Yeganeh
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Viviane Praz
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Cousin
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nouria Hernandez
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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30
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Kanhayuwa L, Coutts RHA. Short Interspersed Nuclear Element (SINE) Sequences in the Genome of the Human Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Af293. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163215. [PMID: 27736869 PMCID: PMC5063351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel families of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) sequences in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, clinical isolate Af293, were identified and categorised into tRNA-related and 5S rRNA-related SINEs. Eight predicted tRNA-related SINE families originating from different tRNAs, and nominated as AfuSINE2 sequences, contained target site duplications of short direct repeat sequences (4–14 bp) flanking the elements, an extended tRNA-unrelated region and typical features of RNA polymerase III promoter sequences. The elements ranged in size from 140–493 bp and were present in low copy number in the genome and five out of eight were actively transcribed. One putative tRNAArg-derived sequence, AfuSINE2-1a possessed a unique feature of repeated trinucleotide ACT residues at its 3’-terminus. This element was similar in sequence to the I-4_AO element found in A. oryzae and an I-1_AF long nuclear interspersed element-like sequence identified in A. fumigatus Af293. Families of 5S rRNA-related SINE sequences, nominated as AfuSINE3, were also identified and their 5'-5S rRNA-related regions show 50–65% and 60–75% similarity to respectively A. fumigatus 5S rRNAs and SINE3-1_AO found in A. oryzae. A. fumigatus Af293 contains five copies of AfuSINE3 sequences ranging in size from 259–343 bp and two out of five AfuSINE3 sequences were actively transcribed. Investigations on AfuSINE distribution in the fungal genome revealed that the elements are enriched in pericentromeric and subtelomeric regions and inserted within gene-rich regions. We also demonstrated that some, but not all, AfuSINE sequences are targeted by host RNA silencing mechanisms. Finally, we demonstrated that infection of the fungus with mycoviruses had no apparent effects on SINE activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakkhana Kanhayuwa
- Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Robert H. A. Coutts
- Division of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London, United Kingdom
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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31
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Coevolution Theory of the Genetic Code at Age Forty: Pathway to Translation and Synthetic Life. Life (Basel) 2016; 6:life6010012. [PMID: 26999216 PMCID: PMC4810243 DOI: 10.3390/life6010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The origins of the components of genetic coding are examined in the present study. Genetic information arose from replicator induction by metabolite in accordance with the metabolic expansion law. Messenger RNA and transfer RNA stemmed from a template for binding the aminoacyl-RNA synthetase ribozymes employed to synthesize peptide prosthetic groups on RNAs in the Peptidated RNA World. Coevolution of the genetic code with amino acid biosynthesis generated tRNA paralogs that identify a last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of extant life close to Methanopyrus, which in turn points to archaeal tRNA introns as the most primitive introns and the anticodon usage of Methanopyrus as an ancient mode of wobble. The prediction of the coevolution theory of the genetic code that the code should be a mutable code has led to the isolation of optional and mandatory synthetic life forms with altered protein alphabets.
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32
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Nishihara H, Plazzi F, Passamonti M, Okada N. MetaSINEs: Broad Distribution of a Novel SINE Superfamily in Animals. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:528-39. [PMID: 26872770 PMCID: PMC4824008 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
SINEs (short interspersed elements) are transposable elements that typically originate independently in each taxonomic clade (order/family). However, some SINE families share a highly similar central sequence and are thus categorized as a SINE superfamily. Although only four SINE superfamilies (CORE-SINEs, V-SINEs, DeuSINEs, and Ceph-SINEs) have been reported so far, it is expected that new SINE superfamilies would be discovered by deep exploration of new SINEs in metazoan genomes. Here we describe 15 SINEs, among which 13 are novel, that have a similar 66-bp central region and therefore constitute a new SINE superfamily, MetaSINEs. MetaSINEs are distributed from fish to cnidarians, suggesting their common evolutionary origin at least 640 Ma. Because the 3′ tails of MetaSINEs are variable, these SINEs most likely survived by changing their partner long interspersed elements for retrotransposition during evolution. Furthermore, we examined the presence of members of other SINE superfamilies in bivalve genomes and characterized eight new SINEs belonging to the CORE-SINEs, V-SINEs, and DeuSINEs, in addition to the MetaSINEs. The broad distribution of bivalve SINEs suggests that at least three SINEs originated in the common ancestor of Bivalvia. Our comparative analysis of the central domains of the SINEs revealed that, in each superfamily, only a restricted region is shared among all of its members. Because the functions of the central domains of the SINE superfamilies remain unknown, such structural information of SINE superfamilies will be useful for future experimental and comparative analyses to reveal why they have been retained in metazoan genomes during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Nishihara
- Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Federico Plazzi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Passamonti
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Norihiro Okada
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan
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33
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Cournac A, Koszul R, Mozziconacci J. The 3D folding of metazoan genomes correlates with the association of similar repetitive elements. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:245-55. [PMID: 26609133 PMCID: PMC4705657 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential roles of the numerous repetitive elements found in the genomes of multi-cellular organisms remain speculative. Several studies have suggested a role in stabilizing specific 3D genomic contacts. To test this hypothesis, we exploited inter-chromosomal contacts frequencies obtained from Hi-C experiments and show that the folding of the human, mouse and Drosophila genomes is associated with a significant co-localization of several specific repetitive elements, notably many elements of the SINE family. These repeats tend to be the oldest ones and are enriched in transcription factor binding sites. We propose that the co-localization of these repetitive elements may explain the global conservation of genome folding observed between homologous regions of the human and mouse genome. Taken together, these results support a contribution of specific repetitive elements in maintaining and/or reshaping genome architecture over evolutionary times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Cournac
- LPTMC, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne université, 4 Place Jussieu 75005 Paris, France Institut Pasteur, Group Spatial Regulation of Genomes, Department of Genomes and Genetics, F-75015 Paris, France CNRS, UMR3525, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Romain Koszul
- Institut Pasteur, Group Spatial Regulation of Genomes, Department of Genomes and Genetics, F-75015 Paris, France CNRS, UMR3525, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Julien Mozziconacci
- LPTMC, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne université, 4 Place Jussieu 75005 Paris, France
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34
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From Compositional Chemical Ecologies to Self-replicating Ribosomes and on to Functional Trait Ecological Networks. Evol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41324-2_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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35
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Hubley R, Finn RD, Clements J, Eddy SR, Jones TA, Bao W, Smit AFA, Wheeler TJ. The Dfam database of repetitive DNA families. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:D81-9. [PMID: 26612867 PMCID: PMC4702899 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 409] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive DNA, especially that due to transposable elements (TEs), makes up a large fraction of many genomes. Dfam is an open access database of families of repetitive DNA elements, in which each family is represented by a multiple sequence alignment and a profile hidden Markov model (HMM). The initial release of Dfam, featured in the 2013 NAR Database Issue, contained 1143 families of repetitive elements found in humans, and was used to produce more than 100 Mb of additional annotation of TE-derived regions in the human genome, with improved speed. Here, we describe recent advances, most notably expansion to 4150 total families including a comprehensive set of known repeat families from four new organisms (mouse, zebrafish, fly and nematode). We describe improvements to coverage, and to our methods for identifying and reducing false annotation. We also describe updates to the website interface. The Dfam website has moved to http://dfam.org. Seed alignments, profile HMMs, hit lists and other underlying data are available for download.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hubley
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Robert D Finn
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Jody Clements
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Sean R Eddy
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Thomas A Jones
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Weidong Bao
- Genetic Information Research Institute, Los Altos, CA 94022, USA
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36
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Zou Q, Guo J, Ju Y, Wu M, Zeng X, Hong Z. Improving tRNAscan-SE Annotation Results via Ensemble Classifiers. Mol Inform 2015; 34:761-70. [DOI: 10.1002/minf.201500031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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37
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Abstract
Insulators are regulatory elements that help to organize eukaryotic chromatin via enhancer-blocking and chromatin barrier activity. Although there are several examples of transposable element (TE)-derived insulators, the contribution of TEs to human insulators has not been systematically explored. Mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs) are a conserved family of TEs that have substantial regulatory capacity and share sequence characteristics with tRNA-related insulators. We sought to evaluate whether MIRs can serve as insulators in the human genome. We applied a bioinformatic screen using genome sequence and functional genomic data from CD4(+) T cells to identify a set of 1,178 predicted MIR insulators genome-wide. These predicted MIR insulators were computationally tested to serve as chromatin barriers and regulators of gene expression in CD4(+) T cells. The activity of predicted MIR insulators was experimentally validated using in vitro and in vivo enhancer-blocking assays. MIR insulators are enriched around genes of the T-cell receptor pathway and reside at T-cell-specific boundaries of repressive and active chromatin. A total of 58% of the MIR insulators predicted here show evidence of T-cell-specific chromatin barrier and gene regulatory activity. MIR insulators appear to be CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) independent and show a distinct local chromatin environment with marked peaks for RNA Pol III and a number of histone modifications, suggesting that MIR insulators recruit transcriptional complexes and chromatin modifying enzymes in situ to help establish chromatin and regulatory domains in the human genome. The provisioning of insulators by MIRs across the human genome suggests a specific mechanism by which TE sequences can be used to modulate gene regulatory networks.
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Bidon T, Schreck N, Hailer F, Nilsson MA, Janke A. Genome-Wide Search Identifies 1.9 Mb from the Polar Bear Y Chromosome for Evolutionary Analyses. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:2010-22. [PMID: 26019166 PMCID: PMC4524476 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The male-inherited Y chromosome is the major haploid fraction of the mammalian genome, rendering Y-linked sequences an indispensable resource for evolutionary research. However, despite recent large-scale genome sequencing approaches, only a handful of Y chromosome sequences have been characterized to date, mainly in model organisms. Using polar bear (Ursus maritimus) genomes, we compare two different in silico approaches to identify Y-linked sequences: 1) Similarity to known Y-linked genes and 2) difference in the average read depth of autosomal versus sex chromosomal scaffolds. Specifically, we mapped available genomic sequencing short reads from a male and a female polar bear against the reference genome and identify 112 Y-chromosomal scaffolds with a combined length of 1.9 Mb. We verified the in silico findings for the longer polar bear scaffolds by male-specific in vitro amplification, demonstrating the reliability of the average read depth approach. The obtained Y chromosome sequences contain protein-coding sequences, single nucleotide polymorphisms, microsatellites, and transposable elements that are useful for evolutionary studies. A high-resolution phylogeny of the polar bear patriline shows two highly divergent Y chromosome lineages, obtained from analysis of the identified Y scaffolds in 12 previously published male polar bear genomes. Moreover, we find evidence of gene conversion among ZFX and ZFY sequences in the giant panda lineage and in the ancestor of ursine and tremarctine bears. Thus, the identification of Y-linked scaffold sequences from unordered genome sequences yields valuable data to infer phylogenomic and population-genomic patterns in bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Bidon
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany International Graduate School of Science and Engineering (IGSSE), Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Nancy Schreck
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank Hailer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Maria A Nilsson
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Axel Janke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
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Adelson DL, Raison JM, Garber M, Edgar RC. Interspersed repeats in the horse (Equus caballus); spatial correlations highlight conserved chromosomal domains. Anim Genet 2015; 41 Suppl 2:91-9. [PMID: 21070282 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02115.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The interspersed repeat content of mammalian genomes has been best characterized in human, mouse and cow. In this study, we carried out de novo identification of repeated elements in the equine genome and identified previously unknown elements present at low copy number. The equine genome contains typical eutherian mammal repeats, but also has a significant number of hybrid repeats in addition to clade-specific Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINE). Equus caballus clade specific LINE 1 (L1) repeats can be classified into approximately five subfamilies, three of which have undergone significant expansion. There are 1115 full-length copies of these equine L1, but of the 103 presumptive active copies, 93 fall within a single subfamily, indicating a rapid recent expansion of this subfamily. We also analysed both interspersed and simple sequence repeats (SSR) genome-wide, finding that some repeat classes are spatially correlated with each other as well as with G+C content and gene density. Based on these spatial correlations, we have confirmed that recently-described ancestral vs. clade-specific genome territories can be defined by their repeat content. The clade-specific Short Interspersed Nuclear Element correlations were scattered over the genome and appear to have been extensively remodelled. In contrast, territories enriched for ancestral repeats tended to be contiguous domains. To determine if the latter territories were evolutionarily conserved, we compared these results with a similar analysis of the human genome, and observed similar ancestral repeat enriched domains. These results indicate that ancestral, evolutionarily conserved mammalian genome territories can be identified on the basis of repeat content alone. Interspersed repeats of different ages appear to be analogous to geologic strata, allowing identification of ancient vs. newly remodelled regions of mammalian genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Adelson
- School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Noll A, Raabe CA, Churakov G, Brosius J, Schmitz J. Ancient traces of tailless retropseudogenes in therian genomes. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:889-900. [PMID: 25724209 PMCID: PMC5322556 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements, once described by Barbara McClintock as controlling genetic units, not only occupy the largest part of our genome but are also a prominent moving force of genomic plasticity and innovation. They usually replicate and reintegrate into genomes silently, sometimes causing malfunctions or misregulations, but occasionally millions of years later, a few may evolve into new functional units. Retrotransposons make their way into the genome following reverse transcription of RNA molecules and chromosomal insertion. In therian mammals, long interspersed elements 1 (LINE1s) self-propagate but also coretropose many RNAs, including mRNAs and small RNAs that usually exhibit an oligo(A) tail. The revitalization of specific LINE1 elements in the mammalian lineage about 150 Ma parallels the rise of many other nonautonomous mobilized genomic elements. We previously identified and described hundreds of tRNA-derived retropseudogenes missing characteristic oligo(A) tails consequently termed tailless retropseudogenes. Additional analyses now revealed hundreds of thousands of tailless retropseudogenes derived from nearly all types of RNAs. We extracted 2,402 perfect tailless sequences (with discernible flanking target site duplications) originating from tRNAs, spliceosomal RNAs, 5S rRNAs, 7SK RNAs, mRNAs, and others. Interestingly, all are truncated at one or more defined positions that coincide with internal single-stranded regions. 5S ribosomal and U2 spliceosomal RNAs were analyzed in the context of mammalian phylogeny to discern the origin of the therian LINE1 retropositional system that evolved in our 150-Myr-old ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Noll
- Institute of Experimental Pathology, ZMBE, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Carsten A Raabe
- Institute of Experimental Pathology, ZMBE, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Gennady Churakov
- Institute of Experimental Pathology, ZMBE, University of Münster, Germany Institute of Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Jürgen Brosius
- Institute of Experimental Pathology, ZMBE, University of Münster, Germany Institute of Evolutionary and Medical Genomics, Brandenburg Medical School, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Schmitz
- Institute of Experimental Pathology, ZMBE, University of Münster, Germany
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Nuzzo F, Paraboschi EM, Straniero L, Pavlova A, Duga S, Castoldi E. Identification of a novel large deletion in a patient with severe factor V deficiency using an in-house F5 MLPA assay. Haemophilia 2014; 21:140-7. [PMID: 25438872 DOI: 10.1111/hae.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Factor V (FV) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive bleeding disorder caused by mutations in the F5 gene. FV-deficient patients in whom no mutation or only one mutation is found may harbour large gene rearrangements, which are not detected by conventional mutation screening strategies. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay for the detection of large deletions and duplications in the F5 gene. Twenty-two MLPA probes targeting 19 of the 25 exons and the upstream and downstream regions of the F5 gene were designed and tested in 10 normal controls, a patient with a known heterozygous deletion of F5 exons 1-7 (positive control) and 14 genetically unexplained FV-deficient patients. MLPA results were confirmed by digital PCR on a QuantStudio(™) 3D Digital PCR System. The F5-specific probes yielded a reproducible peak profile in normal controls, correctly detected the known deletion in the positive control and suggested the presence of a novel deletion of exons 9-10 in a patient with undetectable FV levels and only one identified mutation. Follow-up by chip-based digital PCR, long-range PCR and direct sequencing confirmed that this patient carried a heterozygous F5 deletion of 1823 bp extending from intron 8 to intron 10. Bioinformatics sequence analysis pinpointed repetitive elements that might have originated the deletion. In conclusion, we have developed and validated an MLPA assay for the detection of gross F5 gene rearrangements. This assay may represent a valuable tool for the molecular diagnosis of FV deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Nuzzo
- Department of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Jjingo D, Conley AB, Wang J, Mariño-Ramírez L, Lunyak VV, Jordan IK. Mammalian-wide interspersed repeat (MIR)-derived enhancers and the regulation of human gene expression. Mob DNA 2014; 5:14. [PMID: 25018785 PMCID: PMC4090950 DOI: 10.1186/1759-8753-5-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIRs) are the most ancient family of transposable elements (TEs) in the human genome. The deep conservation of MIRs initially suggested the possibility that they had been exapted to play functional roles for their host genomes. MIRs also happen to be the only TEs whose presence in-and-around human genes is positively correlated to tissue-specific gene expression. Similar associations of enhancer prevalence within genes and tissue-specific expression, along with MIRs’ previous implication as providing regulatory sequences, suggested a possible link between MIRs and enhancers. Results To test the possibility that MIRs contribute functional enhancers to the human genome, we evaluated the relationship between MIRs and human tissue-specific enhancers in terms of genomic location, chromatin environment, regulatory function, and mechanistic attributes. This analysis revealed MIRs to be highly concentrated in enhancers of the K562 and HeLa human cell-types. Significantly more enhancers were found to be linked to MIRs than would be expected by chance, and putative MIR-derived enhancers are characterized by a chromatin environment highly similar to that of canonical enhancers. MIR-derived enhancers show strong associations with gene expression levels, tissue-specific gene expression and tissue-specific cellular functions, including a number of biological processes related to erythropoiesis. MIR-derived enhancers were found to be a rich source of transcription factor binding sites, underscoring one possible mechanistic route for the element sequences co-option as enhancers. There is also tentative evidence to suggest that MIR-enhancer function is related to the transcriptional activity of non-coding RNAs. Conclusions Taken together, these data reveal enhancers to be an important cis-regulatory platform from which MIRs can exercise a regulatory function in the human genome and help to resolve a long-standing conundrum as to the reason for MIRs’ deep evolutionary conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daudi Jjingo
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andrew B Conley
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jianrong Wang
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Leonardo Mariño-Ramírez
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA ; PanAmerican Bioinformatics Institute, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
| | - Victoria V Lunyak
- PanAmerican Bioinformatics Institute, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia ; Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - I King Jordan
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA ; PanAmerican Bioinformatics Institute, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
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Su M, Han D, Boyd-Kirkup J, Yu X, Han JDJ. Evolution of Alu elements toward enhancers. Cell Rep 2014; 7:376-385. [PMID: 24703844 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The human genome contains approximately one million Alu repetitive elements comprising 10% of the genome, yet their functions are not well understood. Here, we show that Alu elements resemble enhancers. Alu elements are bound by two well-phased nucleosomes that contain histones bearing marks of active chromatin, and they show tissue-specific enrichment for the enhancer mark H3K4me1. A proportion of Alu elements were experimentally validated as bona fide active enhancers with an in vitro reporter assay. In addition, Hi-C data indicate that Alus show long-range interactions with gene promoters. We also find that Alus are generally more conserved when located in the proximal upstream region of genes. Their similarity to enhancers becomes more prominent with their age in the human genome, following a clear evolutionary continuum reminiscent of the evolutionary pattern of proto-genes. Therefore, we conclude that some Alu elements can function as enhancers and propose that many more may be proto-enhancers that serve as a repertoire for the de novo birth of enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Su
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Center of Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lincui East Road, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dali Han
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Center of Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lincui East Road, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jerome Boyd-Kirkup
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoming Yu
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Center of Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lincui East Road, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jing-Dong J Han
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
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Darby MM, Sabunciyan S. Repetitive Elements and Epigenetic Marks in Behavior and Psychiatric Disease. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2014; 86:185-252. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800222-3.00009-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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45
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Kamm GB, López-Leal R, Lorenzo JR, Franchini LF. A fast-evolving human NPAS3 enhancer gained reporter expression in the developing forebrain of transgenic mice. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130019. [PMID: 24218632 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The developmental brain gene NPAS3 stands out as a hot spot in human evolution because it contains the largest number of human-specific, fast-evolving, conserved, non-coding elements. In this paper we studied 2xHAR142, one of these elements that is located in the fifth intron of NPAS3. Using transgenic mice, we show that the mouse and chimp 2xHAR142 orthologues behave as transcriptional enhancers driving expression of the reporter gene lacZ to a similar NPAS3 expression subdomain in the mouse central nervous system. Interestingly, the human 2xHAR142 orthologue drives lacZ expression to an extended expression pattern in the nervous system. Thus, molecular evolution of 2xHAR142 provides the first documented example of human-specific heterotopy in the forebrain promoted by a transcriptional enhancer and suggests that it may have contributed to assemble the unique properties of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretel B Kamm
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), , Buenos Aires, Argentina
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46
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Saylor B, Elliott TA, Linquist S, Kremer SC, Gregory TR, Cottenie K. A novel application of ecological analyses to assess transposable element distributions in the genome of the domestic cow, Bos taurus. Genome 2013; 56:521-33. [PMID: 24168673 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2012-0162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are among the most abundant components of many eukaryotic genomes. Efforts to explain TE abundance, as well as TE diversity among genomes, have led some researchers to draw an analogy between genomic and ecological processes. Adopting this perspective, we conducted an analysis of the cow (Bos taurus) genome using techniques developed by community ecologists to determine whether environmental factors influence community composition. Specifically, each chromosome within the Bos taurus genome was treated as a "linear transect", and a multivariate redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to identify large-scale spatial patterns in TE communities associated with 10 TE families. The position of each TE community on the chromosome accounted for ∼50% of the variation along the chromosome "transect". Multivariate analysis further revealed an effect of gene density on TE communities that is influenced by several other factors in the (genomic) environment, including chromosome length and TE density. The results of this analysis demonstrate that ecological methods can be applied successfully to help answer genomic questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Saylor
- a Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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47
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RNA-Mediated Gene Duplication and Retroposons: Retrogenes, LINEs, SINEs, and Sequence Specificity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2013; 2013:424726. [PMID: 23984183 PMCID: PMC3747384 DOI: 10.1155/2013/424726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A substantial number of “retrogenes” that are derived from the mRNA of various intron-containing genes have been reported. A class of mammalian retroposons, long interspersed element-1 (LINE1, L1), has been shown to be involved in the reverse transcription of retrogenes (or processed pseudogenes) and non-autonomous short interspersed elements (SINEs). The 3′-end sequences of various SINEs originated from a corresponding LINE. As the 3′-untranslated regions of several LINEs are essential for retroposition, these LINEs presumably require “stringent” recognition of the 3′-end sequence of the RNA template. However, the 3′-ends of mammalian L1s do not exhibit any similarity to SINEs, except for the presence of 3′-poly(A) repeats. Since the 3′-poly(A) repeats of L1 and Alu SINE are critical for their retroposition, L1 probably recognizes the poly(A) repeats, thereby mobilizing not only Alu SINE but also cytosolic mRNA. Many flowering plants only harbor L1-clade LINEs and a significant number of SINEs with poly(A) repeats, but no homology to the LINEs. Moreover, processed pseudogenes have also been found in flowering plants. I propose that the ancestral L1-clade LINE in the common ancestor of green plants may have recognized a specific RNA template, with stringent recognition then becoming relaxed during the course of plant evolution.
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Abstract
Staufen1-mediated mRNA decay (SMD) degrades mRNAs that harbor a Staufen1-binding site (SBS) in their 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Human SBSs can form by intermolecular base-pairing between a 3' UTR Alu element and an Alu element within a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) called a ½-sbsRNA. Since Alu elements are confined to primates, it was unclear how SMD occurs in rodents. Here we identify mouse mRNA 3' UTRs and lncRNAs that contain a B1, B2, B4, or identifier (ID) element. We show that SMD occurs in mouse cells via mRNA-lncRNA base-pairing of partially complementary elements and that mouse ½-sbsRNA (m½-sbsRNA)-triggered SMD regulates C2C12 cell myogenesis. Our findings define new roles for lncRNAs as well as B and ID short interspersed elements (SINEs) in mice that undoubtedly influence many developmental and homeostatic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashi Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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Abstract
SINEBase (http://sines.eimb.ru) integrates the revisited body of knowledge about short interspersed elements (SINEs). A set of formal definitions concerning SINEs was introduced. All available sequence data were screened through these definitions and the genetic elements misidentified as SINEs were discarded. As a result, 175 SINE families have been recognized in animals, flowering plants and green algae. These families were classified by the modular structure of their nucleotide sequences and the frequencies of different patterns were evaluated. These data formed the basis for the database of SINEs. The SINEBase website can be used in two ways: first, to explore the database of SINE families, and second, to analyse candidate SINE sequences using specifically developed tools. This article presents an overview of the database and the process of SINE identification and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita S Vassetzky
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Genome Evolution, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow 119991, Russia
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50
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Samstein RM, Josefowicz SZ, Arvey A, Treuting PM, Rudensky AY. Extrathymic generation of regulatory T cells in placental mammals mitigates maternal-fetal conflict. Cell 2012; 150:29-38. [PMID: 22770213 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 467] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Revised: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells, whose differentiation and function are controlled by X chromosome-encoded transcription factor Foxp3, are generated in the thymus (tTreg) and extrathymically (peripheral, pTreg), and their deficiency results in fatal autoimmunity. Here, we demonstrate that a Foxp3 enhancer, conserved noncoding sequence 1 (CNS1), essential for pTreg but dispensable for tTreg cell generation, is present only in placental mammals. CNS1 is largely composed of mammalian-wide interspersed repeats (MIR) that have undergone retrotransposition during early mammalian radiation. During pregnancy, pTreg cells specific to a model paternal alloantigen were generated in a CNS1-dependent manner and accumulated in the placenta. Furthermore, when mated with allogeneic, but not syngeneic, males, CNS1-deficient females showed increased fetal resorption accompanied by increased immune cell infiltration and defective remodeling of spiral arteries. Our results suggest that, during evolution, a CNS1-dependent mechanism of extrathymic differentiation of Treg cells emerged in placental animals to enforce maternal-fetal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Samstein
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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