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Hanke DM, Wang Y, Dagan T. Pseudogenes in plasmid genomes reveal past transitions in plasmid mobility. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:7049-7062. [PMID: 38808675 PMCID: PMC11229322 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence for gene non-functionalization due to mutational processes is found in genomes in the form of pseudogenes. Pseudogenes are known to be rare in prokaryote chromosomes, with the exception of lineages that underwent an extreme genome reduction (e.g. obligatory symbionts). Much less is known about the frequency of pseudogenes in prokaryotic plasmids; those are genetic elements that can transfer between cells and may encode beneficial traits for their host. Non-functionalization of plasmid-encoded genes may alter the plasmid characteristics, e.g. mobility, or their effect on the host. Analyzing 10 832 prokaryotic genomes, we find that plasmid genomes are characterized by threefold-higher pseudogene density compared to chromosomes. The majority of plasmid pseudogenes correspond to deteriorated transposable elements. A detailed analysis of enterobacterial plasmids furthermore reveals frequent gene non-functionalization events associated with the loss of plasmid self-transmissibility. Reconstructing the evolution of closely related plasmids reveals that non-functionalization of the conjugation machinery led to the emergence of non-mobilizable plasmid types. Examples are virulence plasmids in Escherichia and Salmonella. Our study highlights non-functionalization of core plasmid mobility functions as one route for the evolution of domesticated plasmids. Pseudogenes in plasmids supply insights into past transitions in plasmid mobility that are akin to transitions in bacterial lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin M Hanke
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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2
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Jaafari H, Bueno C, Schafer NP, Martin J, Morcos F, Wolynes PG. The physical and evolutionary energy landscapes of devolved protein sequences corresponding to pseudogenes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322428121. [PMID: 38739795 PMCID: PMC11127006 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322428121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein evolution is guided by structural, functional, and dynamical constraints ensuring organismal viability. Pseudogenes are genomic sequences identified in many eukaryotes that lack translational activity due to sequence degradation and thus over time have undergone "devolution." Previously pseudogenized genes sometimes regain their protein-coding function, suggesting they may still encode robust folding energy landscapes despite multiple mutations. We study both the physical folding landscapes of protein sequences corresponding to human pseudogenes using the Associative Memory, Water Mediated, Structure and Energy Model, and the evolutionary energy landscapes obtained using direct coupling analysis (DCA) on their parent protein families. We found that generally mutations that have occurred in pseudogene sequences have disrupted their native global network of stabilizing residue interactions, making it harder for them to fold if they were translated. In some cases, however, energetic frustration has apparently decreased when the functional constraints were removed. We analyzed this unexpected situation for Cyclophilin A, Profilin-1, and Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier 2 Protein. Our analysis reveals that when such mutations in the pseudogene ultimately stabilize folding, at the same time, they likely alter the pseudogenes' former biological activity, as estimated by DCA. We localize most of these stabilizing mutations generally to normally frustrated regions required for binding to other partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Jaafari
- Center for Theoretical Biophysics, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- Applied Physics Graduate Program, Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
| | - Carlos Bueno
- Center for Theoretical Biophysics, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
| | | | - Jonathan Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Faruck Morcos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
- Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Peter G. Wolynes
- Center for Theoretical Biophysics, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
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3
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Yang Y, Wang P, Qaidi SE, Hardwidge PR, Huang J, Zhu G. Loss to gain: pseudogenes in microorganisms, focusing on eubacteria, and their biological significance. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:328. [PMID: 38717672 PMCID: PMC11078800 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12971-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Pseudogenes are defined as "non-functional" copies of corresponding parent genes. The cognition of pseudogenes continues to be refreshed through accumulating and updating research findings. Previous studies have predominantly focused on mammals, but pseudogenes have received relatively less attention in the field of microbiology. Given the increasing recognition on the importance of pseudogenes, in this review, we focus on several aspects of microorganism pseudogenes, including their classification and characteristics, their generation and fate, their identification, their abundance and distribution, their impact on virulence, their ability to recombine with functional genes, the extent to which some pseudogenes are transcribed and translated, and the relationship between pseudogenes and viruses. By summarizing and organizing the latest research progress, this review will provide a comprehensive perspective and improved understanding on pseudogenes in microorganisms. KEY POINTS: • Concept, classification and characteristics, identification and databases, content, and distribution of microbial pseudogenes are presented. • How pseudogenization contribute to pathogen virulence is highlighted. • Pseudogenes with potential functions in microorganisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Pengzhi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Samir El Qaidi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Philip R Hardwidge
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jinlin Huang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China.
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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4
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O’Connor PBF, Mahony J, Casey E, Baranov PV, van Sinderen D, Yordanova MM. Ribosome profiling reveals downregulation of UMP biosynthesis as the major early response to phage infection. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0398923. [PMID: 38451091 PMCID: PMC10986495 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03989-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved diverse defense mechanisms to counter bacteriophage attacks. Genetic programs activated upon infection characterize phage-host molecular interactions and ultimately determine the outcome of the infection. In this study, we applied ribosome profiling to monitor protein synthesis during the early stages of sk1 bacteriophage infection in Lactococcus cremoris. Our analysis revealed major changes in gene expression within 5 minutes of sk1 infection. Notably, we observed a specific and severe downregulation of several pyr operons which encode enzymes required for uridine monophosphate biosynthesis. Consistent with previous findings, this is likely an attempt of the host to starve the phage of nucleotides it requires for propagation. We also observed a gene expression response that we expect to benefit the phage. This included the upregulation of 40 ribosome proteins that likely increased the host's translational capacity, concurrent with a downregulation of genes that promote translational fidelity (lepA and raiA). In addition to the characterization of host-phage gene expression responses, the obtained ribosome profiling data enabled us to identify two putative recoding events as well as dozens of loci currently annotated as pseudogenes that are actively translated. Furthermore, our study elucidated alterations in the dynamics of the translation process, as indicated by time-dependent changes in the metagene profile, suggesting global shifts in translation rates upon infection. Additionally, we observed consistent modifications in the ribosome profiles of individual genes, which were apparent as early as 2 minutes post-infection. The study emphasizes our ability to capture rapid alterations of gene expression during phage infection through ribosome profiling. IMPORTANCE The ribosome profiling technology has provided invaluable insights for understanding cellular translation and eukaryotic viral infections. However, its potential for investigating host-phage interactions remains largely untapped. Here, we applied ribosome profiling to Lactococcus cremoris cultures infected with sk1, a major infectious agent in dairy fermentation processes. This revealed a profound downregulation of genes involved in pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis at an early stage of phage infection, suggesting an anti-phage program aimed at restricting nucleotide availability and, consequently, phage propagation. This is consistent with recent findings and contributes to our growing appreciation for the role of nucleotide limitation as an anti-viral strategy. In addition to capturing rapid alterations in gene expression levels, we identified translation occurring outside annotated regions, as well as signatures of non-standard translation mechanisms. The gene profiles revealed specific changes in ribosomal densities upon infection, reflecting alterations in the dynamics of the translation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick B. F. O’Connor
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- EIRNA Bio, Bioinnovation Hub, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eoghan Casey
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Pavel V. Baranov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Stoakes E, Chen X, Kalmar L, Baker D, Evans R, Rudder S, Grant AJ. Identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli genes contributing to oxidative stress response using TraDIS analysis. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:46. [PMID: 38302896 PMCID: PMC10832277 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03201-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the major causative agents of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and are known obligate microaerophiles. Despite being sensitive to oxygen and its reduction products, both species are readily isolated from animal food products kept under atmospheric conditions where they face high oxygen tension levels. RESULTS In this study, Transposon Directed Insertion-site Sequencing (TraDIS) was used to investigate the ability of one C. jejuni strain and two C. coli strains to overcome oxidative stress, using H2O2 to mimic oxidative stress. Genes were identified that were required for oxidative stress resistance for each individual strain but also allowed a comparison across the three strains. Mutations in the perR and ahpC genes were found to increase Campylobacter tolerance to H2O2. The roles of these proteins in oxidative stress were previously known in C. jejuni, but this data indicates that they most likely play a similar role in C. coli. Mutation of czcD decreased Campylobacter tolerance to H2O2. The role of CzcD, which functions as a zinc exporter, has not previously been linked to oxidative stress. The TraDIS data was confirmed using defined deletions of perR and czcD in C. coli 15-537360. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to investigate gene fitness in both C. jejuni and C. coli under oxidative stress conditions and highlights both similar roles for certain genes for both species and highlights other genes that have a role under oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Stoakes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xuanlin Chen
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lajos Kalmar
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dave Baker
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Rhiannon Evans
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Steven Rudder
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Andrew J Grant
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UK.
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Zhou X, Kang X, Chen J, Song Y, Jia C, Teng L, Tang Y, Jiang Z, Peng X, Tao X, Xu Y, Huang L, Xu X, Xu Y, Zhang T, Yu S, Gong J, Wang S, Liu Y, Zhu G, Kehrenberg C, Weill FX, Barrow P, Li Y, Zhao G, Yue M. Genome degradation promotes Salmonella pathoadaptation by remodeling fimbriae-mediated proinflammatory response. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad228. [PMID: 37965675 PMCID: PMC10642762 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding changes in pathogen behavior (e.g. increased virulence, a shift in transmission channel) is critical for the public health management of emerging infectious diseases. Genome degradation via gene depletion or inactivation is recognized as a pathoadaptive feature of the pathogen evolving with the host. However, little is known about the exact role of genome degradation in affecting pathogenic behavior, and the underlying molecular detail has yet to be examined. Using large-scale global avian-restricted Salmonella genomes spanning more than a century, we projected the genetic diversity of Salmonella Pullorum (bvSP) by showing increasingly antimicrobial-resistant ST92 prevalent in Chinese flocks. The phylogenomic analysis identified three lineages in bvSP, with an enhancement of virulence in the two recently emerged lineages (L2/L3), as evidenced in chicken and embryo infection assays. Notably, the ancestor L1 lineage resembles the Salmonella serovars with higher metabolic flexibilities and more robust environmental tolerance, indicating stepwise evolutionary trajectories towards avian-restricted lineages. Pan-genome analysis pinpointed fimbrial degradation from a virulent lineage. The later engineered fim-deletion mutant, and all other five fimbrial systems, revealed behavior switching that restricted horizontal fecal-oral transmission but boosted virulence in chicks. By depleting fimbrial appendages, bvSP established persistent replication with less proinflammation in chick macrophages and adopted vertical transovarial transmission, accompanied by ever-increasing intensification in the poultry industry. Together, we uncovered a previously unseen paradigm for remodeling bacterial surface appendages that supplements virulence-enhanced evolution with increased vertical transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhou
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ningbo 315040, China
| | - Xiamei Kang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiaqi Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yan Song
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chenghao Jia
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Lin Teng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yanting Tang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhijie Jiang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xianqi Peng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaoxi Tao
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yiwei Xu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Linlin Huang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuebin Xu
- Department of Microbiology Laboratory, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200336, China
| | - Yaohui Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou 450053, China
| | - Tengfei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control Agents for Animal Bacteriosis, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Shenye Yu
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China
| | - Jiansen Gong
- Poultry Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou 225125, China
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Department of Animal Public Health, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yuqing Liu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Corinna Kehrenberg
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - François-Xavier Weill
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité des bactéries pathogènes entériques, Paris 75724, France
| | - Paul Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Guoping Zhao
- School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Min Yue
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Cohen N, Veksler-Lublinsky I. A large-scale phylogeny-guided analysis of pseudogenes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0170423. [PMID: 37750703 PMCID: PMC10580986 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01704-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudogenes, once considered "junk DNA" based on the incorrect assumption that the absence of full coding potential means a complete lack of functionality, have recently become a subject of significant interest in the scientific community. Concurrently, it is widely assumed that bacterial genomes are compact and have a high density of coding genes with little room for non-coding genes, including pseudogenes. A key aspect of genome annotation is the correct identification of genes and the distinction between coding genes and pseudogenes, as it directly impacts functional and comparative genomics studies. In this study, we analyzed the genomic data of 4,699 strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as they exhibit high variability in the number of annotated pseudogenes. In particular, we looked for correlations between the number of pseudogenes and other genomic and meta-features of the strains. We identified clusters of orthologous genes and pseudogenes and compared cluster size distributions and length homogeneity within clusters. We then mapped and examined orthology relationships between genes and pseudogenes. Additionally, we generated a phylogenetic tree of the strains and found that phylogenetically related strains are more homogeneous in the number of pseudogenes and share a significant amount of pseudogenes. Finally, we delved into clusters of orthologous genes and pseudogenes and quantified their phylogenetic neighborhood, classifying pseudogenes into evolutionary preserved pseudogenes, mis-annotated pseudogenes, or pseudogenes formed by failed horizontal transfer events. This in-depth study provides important insights that can be incorporated into pseudogene annotation pipelines in the future. IMPORTANCE Accurate annotation of genes and pseudogenes is vital for comparative genomics analysis. Recent studies have shown that bacterial pseudogenes have an important role in regulatory processes and can provide insight into the evolutionary history of homologous genes or the genome as a whole. Due to pseudogenes' nature as non-functional genes, there is no commonly accepted definition of a pseudogene, which poses difficulties in verifying the annotation through experimental methods and resolving discrepancies among different annotation techniques. Our study introduces an in-depth analysis of annotated genes and pseudogenes and insights that can be incorporated into improved pseudogene annotation pipelines in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Cohen
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Isana Veksler-Lublinsky
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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8
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Li T, Liu X, Ruan X, Dong W, Liu Y, Wang P, Liu L, Tiange E, Song J, Pan A, Xue Y. A novel peptide P1-121aa encoded by STK24P1 regulates vasculogenic mimicry via ELF2 phosphorylation in glioblastoma. Exp Neurol 2023; 367:114477. [PMID: 37406957 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a hematological system composed of tumor cells that exert blood perfusion without relying on vascular endothelial cells. The current poor results of anti-vascular therapy for clinical GBM are associated with the presence of VM; therefore, it is important to investigate VM formation in GBM. Our results demonstrate that STK24P1 encodes P1-121aa with a kinase structural domain, and in vitro kinase assays demonstrated that P1-121aa mediates modification of ELF2 phosphorylation. ChIP and dual luciferase reporter gene assays demonstrated that the transcription factor ELF2 binds to VE-cadherin and the VEGFR2 promoter region, thereby promoting VM formation in glioma cells. P1-121aa, encoded by the pseudogene STK24P1, phosphorylates ELF2 at S107, increasing the stability of the ELF2 protein. ELF2 promotes VEGFR2 and VE-cadherin expression at the transcriptional level, which in turn promotes VM in GBM. This study demonstrates the important roles of STK24P1, P1-121aa, and ELF2 in regulating VM in GBM, which could provide potential targets for GBM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyun Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Xiaobai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - XueLei Ruan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Weiwei Dong
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Yunhui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Libo Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - E Tiange
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Jian Song
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Aini Pan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Yixue Xue
- Department of Neurobiology, School of life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110004, China.
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9
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Gaydukova SA, Moldovan MA, Vallesi A, Heaphy SM, Atkins JF, Gelfand MS, Baranov PV. Nontriplet feature of genetic code in Euplotes ciliates is a result of neutral evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221683120. [PMID: 37216548 PMCID: PMC10235951 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221683120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The triplet nature of the genetic code is considered a universal feature of known organisms. However, frequent stop codons at internal mRNA positions in Euplotes ciliates ultimately specify ribosomal frameshifting by one or two nucleotides depending on the context, thus posing a nontriplet feature of the genetic code of these organisms. Here, we sequenced transcriptomes of eight Euplotes species and assessed evolutionary patterns arising at frameshift sites. We show that frameshift sites are currently accumulating more rapidly by genetic drift than they are removed by weak selection. The time needed to reach the mutational equilibrium is several times longer than the age of Euplotes and is expected to occur after a several-fold increase in the frequency of frameshift sites. This suggests that Euplotes are at an early stage of the spread of frameshifting in expression of their genome. In addition, we find the net fitness burden of frameshift sites to be noncritical for the survival of Euplotes. Our results suggest that fundamental genome-wide changes such as a violation of the triplet character of genetic code can be introduced and maintained solely by neutral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofya A. Gaydukova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow199911, Russia
| | - Mikhail A. Moldovan
- A. A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems RAS, Moscow127051, Russia
| | - Adriana Vallesi
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino62032, Italy
| | - Stephen M. Heaphy
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, CorkT12 XF62, Ireland
| | - John F. Atkins
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, CorkT12 XF62, Ireland
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Mikhail S. Gelfand
- A. A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems RAS, Moscow127051, Russia
| | - Pavel V. Baranov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, CorkT12 XF62, Ireland
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Wang BX, Butler DS, Hamblin M, Monack DM. One species, different diseases: the unique molecular mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of typhoidal Salmonella infections. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 72:102262. [PMID: 36640585 PMCID: PMC10023398 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is one of the most widespread bacterial pathogens found worldwide, resulting in approximately 100 million infections and over 200 000 deaths per year. Salmonella isolates, termed 'serovars', can largely be classified as either nontyphoidal or typhoidal Salmonella, which differ in regard to disease manifestation and host tropism. Nontyphoidal Salmonella causes gastroenteritis in many hosts, while typhoidal Salmonella is human-restricted and causes typhoid fever, a systemic disease with a mortality rate of up to 30% without treatment. There has been considerable interest in understanding how different Salmonella serovars cause different diseases, but the molecular details that underlie these infections have not yet been fully characterized, especially in the case of typhoidal Salmonella. In this review, we highlight the current state of research into understanding the pathogenesis of both nontyphoidal and typhoidal Salmonella, with a specific interest in serovar-specific traits that allow human-adapted strains of Salmonella to cause enteric fever. Overall, a more detailed molecular understanding of how different Salmonella isolates infect humans will provide critical insights into how we can eradicate these dangerous enteric pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin X Wang
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Sc Butler
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Meagan Hamblin
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Denise M Monack
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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