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Roca AL. Evolution: Untangling the woolly mammoth. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R870-R872. [PMID: 37607485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-two woolly mammoth genomes have been compared to those of living elephants, identifying genes under strong evolutionary pressure in mammoths, including genes associated with curly, wiry, thick, bushy, coarse, uncombable and (of course) woolly hair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred L Roca
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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Díez-Del-Molino D, Dehasque M, Chacón-Duque JC, Pečnerová P, Tikhonov A, Protopopov A, Plotnikov V, Kanellidou F, Nikolskiy P, Mortensen P, Danilov GK, Vartanyan S, Gilbert MTP, Lister AM, Heintzman PD, van der Valk T, Dalén L. Genomics of adaptive evolution in the woolly mammoth. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1753-1764.e4. [PMID: 37030294 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Ancient genomes provide a tool to investigate the genetic basis of adaptations in extinct organisms. However, the identification of species-specific fixed genetic variants requires the analysis of genomes from multiple individuals. Moreover, the long-term scale of adaptive evolution coupled with the short-term nature of traditional time series data has made it difficult to assess when different adaptations evolved. Here, we analyze 23 woolly mammoth genomes, including one of the oldest known specimens at 700,000 years old, to identify fixed derived non-synonymous mutations unique to the species and to obtain estimates of when these mutations evolved. We find that at the time of its origin, the woolly mammoth had already acquired a broad spectrum of positively selected genes, including ones associated with hair and skin development, fat storage and metabolism, and immune system function. Our results also suggest that these phenotypes continued to evolve during the last 700,000 years, but through positive selection on different sets of genes. Finally, we also identify additional genes that underwent comparatively recent positive selection, including multiple genes related to skeletal morphology and body size, as well as one gene that may have contributed to the small ear size in Late Quaternary woolly mammoths.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Díez-Del-Molino
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marianne Dehasque
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Camilo Chacón-Duque
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrícia Pečnerová
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden; Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexei Tikhonov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 190121 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Foteini Kanellidou
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Clinical Genomics Facility, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pavel Nikolskiy
- Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter Mortensen
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gleb K Danilov
- Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Kunstkamera, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey Vartanyan
- North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute N.A. Shilo, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (NEISRI FEB RAS), 685000 Magadan, Russia
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark; University Museum NTNU, 7012 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Peter D Heintzman
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, 11418 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom van der Valk
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Ankamreddy H, Bok J, Groves AK. Uncovering the secreted signals and transcription factors regulating the development of mammalian middle ear ossicles. Dev Dyn 2020; 249:1410-1424. [PMID: 33058336 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian middle ear comprises a chain of ossicles, the malleus, incus, and stapes that act as an impedance matching device during the transmission of sound from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear. These ossicles are derived from cranial neural crest cells that undergo endochondral ossification and subsequently differentiate into their final functional forms. Defects that occur during middle ear development can result in conductive hearing loss. In this review, we summarize studies describing the crucial roles played by signaling molecules such as sonic hedgehog, bone morphogenetic proteins, fibroblast growth factors, notch ligands, and chemokines during the differentiation of neural crest into the middle ear ossicles. In addition to these cell-extrinsic signals, we also discuss studies on the function of transcription factor genes such as Foxi3, Tbx1, Bapx1, Pou3f4, and Gsc in regulating the development and morphology of the middle ear ossicles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jinwoong Bok
- Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Andrew K Groves
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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Abstract
The fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) family of ligands and receptor tyrosine kinases is required throughout embryonic and postnatal development and also regulates multiple homeostatic functions in the adult. Here, Brewer et al. review the mechanisms of Fgf signaling by focusing on genetic strategies that enable in vivo analysis. The fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) family of ligands and receptor tyrosine kinases is required throughout embryonic and postnatal development and also regulates multiple homeostatic functions in the adult. Aberrant Fgf signaling causes many congenital disorders and underlies multiple forms of cancer. Understanding the mechanisms that govern Fgf signaling is therefore important to appreciate many aspects of Fgf biology and disease. Here we review the mechanisms of Fgf signaling by focusing on genetic strategies that enable in vivo analysis. These studies support an important role for Erk1/2 as a mediator of Fgf signaling in many biological processes but have also provided strong evidence for additional signaling pathways in transmitting Fgf signaling in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Richard Brewer
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Pierre Mazot
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Philippe Soriano
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
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Abstract
The mammalian ear is a complex structure divided into three main parts: the outer; middle; and inner ear. These parts are formed from all three germ layers and neural crest cells, which have to integrate successfully in order to form a fully functioning organ of hearing. Any defect in development of the outer and middle ear leads to conductive hearing loss, while defects in the inner ear can lead to sensorineural hearing loss. This review focuses on the development of the parts of the ear involved with sound transduction into the inner ear, and the parts largely ignored in the world of hearing research: the outer and middle ear. The published data on the embryonic origin, signalling, genetic control, development and timing of the mammalian middle and outer ear are reviewed here along with new data showing the Eustachian tube cartilage is of dual embryonic origin. The embryonic origin of some of these structures has only recently been uncovered (Science, 339, 2013, 1453; Development, 140, 2013, 4386), while the molecular mechanisms controlling the growth, structure and integration of many outer and middle ear components are hardly known. The genetic analysis of outer and middle ear development is rather limited, with a small number of genes often affecting either more than one part of the ear or having only very small effects on development. This review therefore highlights the necessity for further research into the development of outer and middle ear structures, which will be important for the understanding and treatment of conductive hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Anthwal
- Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Hannah Thompson
- Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
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Abstract
Otitis media (OM) is a common cause of childhood hearing loss. The large medical costs involved in treating this condition have meant that research to understand the pathology of this disease and identify new therapeutic interventions is important. There is evidence that susceptibility to OM has a significant genetic component, although little is known about the key genetic pathways involved. Mouse models for disease have become an important resource to understand a variety of human pathologies, including OM, due to the ability to easily manipulate their genetic components. This has enabled researchers to create models of acute OM, and has aided in the identification of a number of new genes associated with chronic disease, through the use of mutagenesis programs. The use of mouse models has identified a number of key molecular signalling pathways involved in the development of this condition, with genes identified from models shown to be associated with human OM.
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Hilton JM, Lewis MA, Grati M, Ingham N, Pearson S, Laskowski RA, Adams DJ, Steel KP. Exome sequencing identifies a missense mutation in Isl1 associated with low penetrance otitis media in dearisch mice. Genome Biol 2011; 12:R90. [PMID: 21936904 PMCID: PMC3308053 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2011-12-9-r90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2011] [Revised: 08/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media) is very common and can lead to serious complications if not resolved. Genetic studies suggest an inherited component, but few of the genes that contribute to this condition are known. Mouse mutants have contributed significantly to the identification of genes predisposing to otitis media Results The dearisch mouse mutant is an ENU-induced mutant detected by its impaired Preyer reflex (ear flick in response to sound). Auditory brainstem responses revealed raised thresholds from as early as three weeks old. Pedigree analysis suggested a dominant but partially penetrant mode of inheritance. The middle ear of dearisch mutants shows a thickened mucosa and cellular effusion suggesting chronic otitis media with effusion with superimposed acute infection. The inner ear, including the sensory hair cells, appears normal. Due to the low penetrance of the phenotype, normal backcross mapping of the mutation was not possible. Exome sequencing was therefore employed to identify a non-conservative tyrosine to cysteine (Y71C) missense mutation in the Islet1 gene, Isl1Drsh. Isl1 is expressed in the normal middle ear mucosa. The findings suggest the Isl1Drshmutation is likely to predispose carriers to otitis media. Conclusions Dearisch, Isl1Drsh, represents the first point mutation in the mouse Isl1 gene and suggests a previously unrecognized role for this gene. It is also the first recorded exome sequencing of the C3HeB/FeJ background relevant to many ENU-induced mutants. Most importantly, the power of exome resequencing to identify ENU-induced mutations without a mapped gene locus is illustrated.
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A missense mutation in Fgfr1 causes ear and skull defects in hush puppy mice. Mamm Genome 2011; 22:290-305. [PMID: 21479780 PMCID: PMC3099004 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-011-9324-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The hush puppy mouse mutant has been shown previously to have skull and outer, middle, and inner ear defects, and an increase in hearing threshold. The fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) gene is located in the region of chromosome 8 containing the mutation. Sequencing of the gene in hush puppy heterozygotes revealed a missense mutation in the kinase domain of the protein (W691R). Homozygotes were found to die during development, at approximately embryonic day 8.5, and displayed a phenotype similar to null mutants. Reverse transcription PCR indicated a decrease in Fgfr1 transcript in heterozygotes and homozygotes. Generation of a construct containing the mutation allowed the function of the mutated receptor to be studied. Immunocytochemistry showed that the mutant receptor protein was present at the cell membrane, suggesting normal expression and trafficking. Measurements of changes in intracellular calcium concentration showed that the mutated receptor could not activate the IP3 pathway, in contrast to the wild-type receptor, nor could it initiate activation of the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Thus, the hush puppy mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 appears to cause a loss of receptor function. The mutant protein appears to have a dominant negative effect, which could be due to it dimerising with the wild-type protein and inhibiting its activity, thus further reducing the levels of functional protein. A dominant modifier, Mhspy, which reduces the effect of the hush puppy mutation on pinna and stapes development, has been mapped to the distal end of chromosome 7 and may show imprinting.
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Noben-Trauth K, Latoche JR. Ectopic mineralization in the middle ear and chronic otitis media with effusion caused by RPL38 deficiency in the Tail-short (Ts) mouse. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:3079-93. [PMID: 21062742 PMCID: PMC3024801 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.184598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2010] [Revised: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation of the middle ear cavity (otitis media) and the abnormal deposition of bone at the otic capsule are common causes of conductive hearing impairment in children and adults. Although a host of environmental factors can contribute to these conditions, a genetic predisposition has an important role as well. Here, we analyze the Tail-short (Ts) mouse, which harbors a spontaneous semi-dominant mutation that causes skeletal defects and hearing loss. By genetic means, we show that the Ts phenotypes arise from an 18-kb deletion/insertion of the Rpl38 gene, encoding a ribosomal protein of the large subunit. We show that Ts mutants exhibit significantly elevated auditory-brain stem response thresholds and reduced distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, in the presence of normal endocochlear potentials and typical inner ear histology suggestive of a conductive hearing impairment. We locate the cause of the hearing impairment to the middle ear, demonstrating over-ossification at the round window ridge, ectopic deposition of cholesterol crystals in the middle ear cavity, enlarged Eustachian tube, and chronic otitis media with effusion all beginning at around 3 weeks after birth. Using specific antisera, we demonstrate that Rpl38 is an ∼8-kDa protein that is predominantly expressed in mature erythrocytes. Finally, using an Rpl38 cDNA transgene, we rescue the Ts phenotypes. Together, these data present a previously uncharacterized combination of interrelated middle ear pathologies and suggest Rpl38 deficiency as a model to dissect the causative relationships between neo-ossification, cholesterol crystal deposition, and Eustachian tubes in the etiology of otitis media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Noben-Trauth
- Section on Neurogenetics, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDCD, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
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Abstract
The middle ear is a composite organ formed from all three germ layers and the neural crest. It provides the link between the outside world and the inner ear, where sound is transduced and routed to the brain for processing. Extensive classical and modern studies have described the complex morphology and origin of the middle ear. Non-mammalian vertebrates have a single ossicle, the columella. Mammals have three functionally equivalent ossicles, designated the malleus, incus and stapes. In this review, I focus on the role of genes known to function in the middle ear. Genetic studies are beginning to unravel the induction and patterning of the multiple middle ear elements including the tympanum, skeletal elements, the air-filled cavity, and the insertion point into the inner ear oval window. Future studies that elucidate the integrated spatio-temporal signaling mechanisms required to pattern the middle ear organ system are needed. The longer-term translational benefits of understanding normal and abnormal ear development will have a direct impact on human health outcomes.
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Unraveling the genetics of otitis media: from mouse to human and back again. Mamm Genome 2010; 22:66-82. [PMID: 21107580 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-010-9295-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2010] [Accepted: 09/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Otitis media (OM) is among the most common illnesses of early childhood, characterised by the presence of inflammation in the middle ear cavity. Acute OM and chronic OM with effusion (COME) affect the majority of children by school age and have heritability estimates of 40-70%. However, the majority of genes underlying this susceptibility are, as yet, unidentified. One method of identifying genes and pathways that may contribute to OM susceptibility is to look at mouse mutants displaying a comparable phenotype. Single-gene mouse mutants with OM have identified a number of genes, namely, Eya4, Tlr4, p73, MyD88, Fas, E2f4, Plg, Fbxo11, and Evi1, as potential and biologically relevant candidates for human disease. Recent studies suggest that this "mouse-to-human" approach is likely to yield relevant data, with significant associations reported between polymorphisms at the FBXO11, TLR4, and PAI1 genes and disease in humans. An association between TP73 and chronic rhinosinusitis has also been reported. In addition, the biobanks of available mouse mutants provide a powerful resource for functional studies of loci identified by future genome-wide association studies of OM in humans. Mouse models of OM therefore are an important component of current approaches attempting to understand the complex genetic susceptibility to OM in humans, and which aim to facilitate the development of preventative and therapeutic interventions for this important and common disease.
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Bogaerts S, Douglas S, Corlette T, Pau H, Saunders D, McKay S, Oleskevich S. Microsurgical access for cell injection into the mammalian cochlea. J Neurosci Methods 2008; 168:156-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2007.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2007] [Revised: 09/13/2007] [Accepted: 09/17/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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