1
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Alicea B, Bastani S, Gordon NK, Crawford-Young S, Gordon R. The Molecular Basis of Differentiation Wave Activity in Embryogenesis. Biosystems 2024; 243:105272. [PMID: 39033973 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105272] [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: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
As development varies greatly across the tree of life, it may seem difficult to suggest a model that proposes a single mechanism for understanding collective cell behaviors and the coordination of tissue formation. Here we propose a mechanism called differentiation waves, which unify many disparate results involving developmental systems from across the tree of life. We demonstrate how a relatively simple model of differentiation proceeds not from function-related molecular mechanisms, but from so-called differentiation waves. A phenotypic model of differentiation waves is introduced, and its relation to molecular mechanisms is proposed. These waves contribute to a differentiation tree, which is an alternate way of viewing cell lineage and local action of the molecular factors. We construct a model of differentiation wave-related molecular mechanisms (genome, epigenome, and proteome) based on bioinformatic data from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. To validate this approach across different modes of development, we evaluate protein expression across different types of development by comparing Caenorhabditis elegans with several model organisms: fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and mouse (Mus musculus). Inspired by gene regulatory networks, two Models of Interactive Contributions (fully-connected MICs and ordered MICs) are used to suggest potential genomic contributions to differentiation wave-related proteins. This, in turn, provides a framework for understanding differentiation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradly Alicea
- Orthogonal Research and Education Lab, Champaign-Urbana, IL, USA; OpenWorm Foundation, Boston, MA, USA; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.
| | - Suroush Bastani
- Orthogonal Research and Education Lab, Champaign-Urbana, IL, USA.
| | | | | | - Richard Gordon
- Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Panacea, FL, USA.
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2
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Woodruff GC, Willis JH, Johnson E, Phillips PC. Widespread changes in gene expression accompany body size evolution in nematodes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae110. [PMID: 38775657 PMCID: PMC11304970 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Body size is a fundamental trait that drives multiple evolutionary and ecological patterns. Caenorhabditis inopinata is a fig-associated nematode that is exceptionally large relative to other members of the genus, including Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously showed that C. inopinata is large primarily due to postembryonic cell size expansion that occurs during the larval-to-adult transition. Here, we describe gene expression patterns in C. elegans and C. inopinata throughout this developmental period to understand the transcriptional basis of body size change. We performed RNA-seq in both species across the L3, L4, and adult stages. Most genes are differentially expressed across all developmental stages, consistent with C. inopinata's divergent ecology and morphology. We also used a model comparison approach to identify orthologues with divergent dynamics across this developmental period between the 2 species. This included genes connected to neurons, behavior, stress response, developmental timing, and small RNA/chromatin regulation. Multiple hypodermal collagens were also observed to harbor divergent developmental dynamics across this period, and genes important for molting and body morphology were also detected. Genes associated with transforming growth factor β signaling revealed idiosyncratic and unexpected transcriptional patterns given their role in body size regulation in C. elegans. This widespread transcriptional divergence between these species is unexpected and maybe a signature of the ecological and morphological divergence of C. inopinata. Alternatively, transcriptional turnover may be the rule in the Caenorhabditis genus, indicative of widespread developmental system drift among species. This work lays the foundation for future functional genetic studies interrogating the bases of body size evolution in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C Woodruff
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Erik Johnson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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3
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Banse SA, Jarrett CM, Robinson KJ, Blue BW, Shaw EL, Phillips PC. The egg-counter: a novel microfluidic platform for characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2975-2986. [PMID: 38738514 PMCID: PMC11131562 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01073b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Reproduction is a fundamental process that shapes the demography of every living organism yet is often difficult to assess with high precision in animals that produce large numbers of offspring. Here, we present a novel microfluidic research platform for studying Caenorhabditis elegans' egg-laying. The platform provides higher throughput than traditional solid-media behavioral assays while providing a very high degree of temporal resolution. Additionally, the environmental control enabled by microfluidic animal husbandry allows for experimental perturbations difficult to achieve with solid-media assays. We demonstrate the platform's utility by characterizing C. elegans egg-laying behavior at two commonly used temperatures, 15 and 20 °C. As expected, we observed a delayed onset of egg-laying at 15 °C degrees, consistent with published temperature effects on development rate. Additionally, as seen in solid media studies, egg laying output was higher under the canonical 20 °C conditions. While we validated the Egg-Counter with a study of temperature effects in wild-type animals, the platform is highly adaptable to any nematode egg-laying research where throughput or environmental control needs to be maximized without sacrificing temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Cody M Jarrett
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Kristin J Robinson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Benjamin W Blue
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Emily L Shaw
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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4
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Sternberg PW, Van Auken K, Wang Q, Wright A, Yook K, Zarowiecki M, Arnaboldi V, Becerra A, Brown S, Cain S, Chan J, Chen WJ, Cho J, Davis P, Diamantakis S, Dyer S, Grigoriadis D, Grove CA, Harris T, Howe K, Kishore R, Lee R, Longden I, Luypaert M, Müller HM, Nuin P, Quinton-Tulloch M, Raciti D, Schedl T, Schindelman G, Stein L. WormBase 2024: status and transitioning to Alliance infrastructure. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae050. [PMID: 38573366 PMCID: PMC11075546 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae050] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
WormBase has been the major repository and knowledgebase of information about the genome and genetics of Caenorhabditis elegans and other nematodes of experimental interest for over 2 decades. We have 3 goals: to keep current with the fast-paced C. elegans research, to provide better integration with other resources, and to be sustainable. Here, we discuss the current state of WormBase as well as progress and plans for moving core WormBase infrastructure to the Alliance of Genome Resources (the Alliance). As an Alliance member, WormBase will continue to interact with the C. elegans community, develop new features as needed, and curate key information from the literature and large-scale projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kimberly Van Auken
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Qinghua Wang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Adam Wright
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Karen Yook
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Magdalena Zarowiecki
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Valerio Arnaboldi
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrés Becerra
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Stephanie Brown
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Scott Cain
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Juancarlos Chan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Wen J Chen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jaehyoung Cho
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Paul Davis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Stavros Diamantakis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Sarah Dyer
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | | | - Christian A Grove
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Todd Harris
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Kevin Howe
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ranjana Kishore
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Raymond Lee
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Ian Longden
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Manuel Luypaert
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Hans-Michael Müller
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Paulo Nuin
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Mark Quinton-Tulloch
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Daniela Raciti
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tim Schedl
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gary Schindelman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Lincoln Stein
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
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5
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Shaver AO, Miller IR, Schaye ES, Moya ND, Collins JB, Wit J, Blanco AH, Shao FM, Andersen EJ, Khan SA, Paredes G, Andersen EC. Quantifying the fitness effects of resistance alleles with and without anthelmintic selection pressure using Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012245. [PMID: 38768235 PMCID: PMC11142691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012245] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Albendazole (a benzimidazole) and ivermectin (a macrocyclic lactone) are the two most commonly co-administered anthelmintic drugs in mass-drug administration programs worldwide. Despite emerging resistance, we do not fully understand the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs nor the consequences of delivering them in combination. Albendazole resistance has primarily been attributed to variation in the drug target, a beta-tubulin gene. Ivermectin targets glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls), but it is unknown whether GluCl genes are involved in ivermectin resistance in nature. Using Caenorhabditis elegans, we defined the fitness costs associated with loss of the drug target genes singly or in combinations of the genes that encode GluCl subunits. We quantified the loss-of-function effects on three traits: (i) multi-generational competitive fitness, (ii) fecundity, and (iii) development. In competitive fitness and development assays, we found that a deletion of the beta-tubulin gene ben-1 conferred albendazole resistance, but ivermectin resistance required the loss of two GluCl genes (avr-14 and avr-15). The fecundity assays revealed that loss of ben-1 did not provide any fitness benefit in albendazole conditions and that no GluCl deletion mutants were resistant to ivermectin. Next, we searched for evidence of multi-drug resistance across the three traits. Loss of ben-1 did not confer resistance to ivermectin, nor did loss of any single GluCl subunit or combination confer resistance to albendazole. Finally, we assessed the development of 124 C. elegans wild strains across six benzimidazoles and seven macrocyclic lactones to identify evidence of multi-drug resistance between the two drug classes and found a strong phenotypic correlation within a drug class but not across drug classes. Because each gene affects various aspects of nematode physiology, these results suggest that it is necessary to assess multiple fitness traits to evaluate how each gene contributes to anthelmintic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda O. Shaver
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Dept. of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Isabella R. Miller
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Etta S. Schaye
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nicolas D. Moya
- Dept. of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - J. B. Collins
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Dept. of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Janneke Wit
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alyssa H. Blanco
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Fiona M. Shao
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Elliot J. Andersen
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sharik A. Khan
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gracie Paredes
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Dept. of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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6
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Asif M, Nocilla KA, Ngo L, Shah M, Smadi Y, Hafeez Z, Parnes M, Manson A, Glushka JN, Leach FE, Edison AS. Role of UDP-Glycosyltransferase ( ugt) Genes in Detoxification and Glycosylation of 1-Hydroxyphenazine (1-HP) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Chem Res Toxicol 2024; 37:590-599. [PMID: 38488606 PMCID: PMC11022241 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00410] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model organism to study the xenobiotic detoxification pathways of various natural and synthetic toxins, but the mechanisms of phase II detoxification are understudied. 1-Hydroxyphenazine (1-HP), a toxin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, kills C. elegans. We previously showed that C. elegans detoxifies 1-HP by adding one, two, or three glucose molecules in N2 worms. Our current study evaluates the roles that some UDP-glycosyltransferase (ugt) genes play in 1-HP detoxification. We show that ugt-23 and ugt-49 knockout mutants are more sensitive to 1-HP than reference strains N2 or PD1074. Our data also show that ugt-23 knockout mutants produce reduced amounts of the trisaccharide sugars, while the ugt-49 knockout mutants produce reduced amounts of all 1-HP derivatives except for the glucopyranosyl product compared to the reference strains. We characterized the structure of the trisaccharide sugar phenazines made by C. elegans and showed that one of the sugar modifications contains an N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in place of glucose. This implies broad specificity regarding UGT function and the role of genes other than ogt-1 in adding GlcNAc, at least in small-molecule detoxification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad
Zaka Asif
- Department
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Kelsey A. Nocilla
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Li Ngo
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Man Shah
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Yosef Smadi
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Zaki Hafeez
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Michael Parnes
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Allie Manson
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - John N. Glushka
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Franklin E. Leach
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Arthur S. Edison
- Department
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
- Complex
Carbohydrate Research Center, University
of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
- Institute
of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
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7
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Banse SA, Jackson EG, Sedore CA, Onken B, Hall D, Coleman-Hulbert A, Huynh P, Garrett T, Johnson E, Harinath G, Inman D, Guo S, Morshead M, Xue J, Falkowski R, Chen E, Herrera C, Kirsch AJ, Perez VI, Guo M, Lithgow GJ, Driscoll M, Phillips PC. The coupling between healthspan and lifespan in Caenorhabditis depends on complex interactions between compound intervention and genetic background. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5829-5855. [PMID: 38613792 PMCID: PMC11042945 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205743] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by declining health that results in decreased cellular resilience and neuromuscular function. The relationship between lifespan and health, and the influence of genetic background on that relationship, has important implications in the development of pharmacological anti-aging interventions. Here we assessed swimming performance as well as survival under thermal and oxidative stress across a nematode genetic diversity test panel to evaluate health effects for three compounds previously studied in the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program and thought to promote longevity in different ways - NP1 (nitrophenyl piperazine-containing compound 1), propyl gallate, and resveratrol. Overall, we find the relationships among median lifespan, oxidative stress resistance, thermotolerance, and mobility vigor to be complex. We show that oxidative stress resistance and thermotolerance vary with compound intervention, genetic background, and age. The effects of tested compounds on swimming locomotion, in contrast, are largely species-specific. In this study, thermotolerance, but not oxidative stress or swimming ability, correlates with lifespan. Notably, some compounds exert strong impact on some health measures without an equally strong impact on lifespan. Our results demonstrate the importance of assessing health and lifespan across genetic backgrounds in the effort to identify reproducible anti-aging interventions, with data underscoring how personalized treatments might be required to optimize health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A. Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - E. Grace Jackson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Christine A. Sedore
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Brian Onken
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David Hall
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | | | - Phu Huynh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Theo Garrett
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Erik Johnson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Girish Harinath
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Delaney Inman
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Suzhen Guo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | | | - Jian Xue
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Ron Falkowski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Esteban Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Christopher Herrera
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Allie J. Kirsch
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Viviana I. Perez
- Division of Aging Biology, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Max Guo
- Division of Aging Biology, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Patrick C. Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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8
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Lopez JS, Ali S, Asher M, Benjamin CA, Brennan RT, Burke MLT, Civantos JM, DeJesus EA, Geller A, Guo MY, Haase Cox SK, Johannsen JM, Kang JSJ, Konsker HB, Liu BC, Oakes KG, Park HI, Perez DR, Sajjadian AM, Torio Salem M, Sato J, Zeng AI, Juarez BH, Gonzalez M, Morales G, Bradon N, Fiocca K, Pamplona Barbosa MM, O'Connell LA. Pavement ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001146. [PMID: 38596360 PMCID: PMC11002644 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Ant behavior relies on a collection of natural products, from following trail pheromones during foraging to warding off potential predators. How nervous systems sense these compounds to initiate a behavioral response remains unclear. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays to investigate how ant compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans avoid extracts of the pavement ant ( Tetramorium immigrans ) and either osm-9 or tax-4 ion channels are required for this response. These experiments were conducted in an undergraduate laboratory course, demonstrating that new insights into interspecies interactions can be generated through genuine research experiences in a classroom setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayela S. Lopez
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Saif Ali
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Malcom Asher
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Christina A. Benjamin
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ryan T. Brennan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mai Ly T. Burke
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Joseph M. Civantos
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emilia A. DeJesus
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ana Geller
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Michaela Y. Guo
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Sophia K. Haase Cox
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Julia M. Johannsen
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Joshua S. J. Kang
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Harrison B. Konsker
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Benjamin C. Liu
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Kylie G. Oakes
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Hannah I. Park
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Diego R. Perez
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amin M. Sajjadian
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Madeleine Torio Salem
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Justine Sato
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amanda I. Zeng
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Bryan H. Juarez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mabel Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Griselda Morales
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Nicole Bradon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Katherine Fiocca
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mila M. Pamplona Barbosa
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren A. O'Connell
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
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9
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Woodruff GC, Willis JH, Phillips PC. Patterns of Genomic Diversity in a Fig-Associated Close Relative of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae020. [PMID: 38302111 PMCID: PMC10883733 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae020] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolution of reproductive mode is expected to have profound impacts on the genetic composition of populations. At the same time, ecological interactions can generate close associations among species, which can in turn generate a high degree of overlap in their spatial distributions. Caenorhabditis elegans is a hermaphroditic nematode that has enabled extensive advances in developmental genetics. Caenorhabditis inopinata, the sister species of C. elegans, is a gonochoristic nematode that thrives in figs and obligately disperses on fig wasps. Here, we describe patterns of genomic diversity in C. inopinata. We performed RAD-seq on individual worms isolated from the field across three Okinawan island populations. C. inopinata is about five times more diverse than C. elegans. Additionally, C. inopinata harbors greater differences in diversity among functional genomic regions (such as between genic and intergenic sequences) than C. elegans. Conversely, C. elegans harbors greater differences in diversity between high-recombining chromosome arms and low-recombining chromosome centers than C. inopinata. FST is low among island population pairs, and clear population structure could not be easily detected among islands, suggesting frequent migration of wasps between islands. These patterns of population differentiation appear comparable with those previously reported in its fig wasp vector. These results confirm many theoretical population genetic predictions regarding the evolution of reproductive mode and suggest C. inopinata population dynamics may be driven by wasp dispersal. This work sets the stage for future evolutionary genomic studies aimed at understanding the evolution of sex as well as the evolution of ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C Woodruff
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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10
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Moerdyk-Schauwecker MJ, Jahahn EK, Muñoz ZI, Robinson KJ, Phillips PC. Expansion of the split hygromycin toolkit for transgene insertion in Caenorhabditis elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001091. [PMID: 38351905 PMCID: PMC10862133 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Engineered sites for genetic transformation have simplified transgene insertion in Caenorhabditis elegans . These strategies include our split hygromycin system (Stevenson et al. 2020) which allows for integration-specific selection of transgenes. Here we have expanded the split hygromycin selection system to include two additional chromosomal locations, both of which are permissive for germline expression, as well as engineered landing pads in three additional natural isolates. Corresponding guide and empty repair template plasmids are also available for each of these sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin K Jahahn
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States
| | - Zachariah I Muñoz
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States
| | - Kristin J Robinson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States
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11
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Al-Jawabreh R, Lastik D, McKenzie D, Reynolds K, Suleiman M, Mousley A, Atkinson L, Hunt V. Advancing Strongyloides omics data: bridging the gap with Caenorhabditis elegans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220437. [PMID: 38008117 PMCID: PMC10676819 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0437] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Among nematodes, the free-living model organism Caenorhabditis elegans boasts the most advanced portfolio of high-quality omics data. The resources available for parasitic nematodes, including Strongyloides spp., however, are lagging behind. While C. elegans remains the most tractable nematode and has significantly advanced our understanding of many facets of nematode biology, C. elegans is not suitable as a surrogate system for the study of parasitism and it is important that we improve the omics resources available for parasitic nematode species. Here, we review the omics data available for Strongyloides spp. and compare the available resources to those for C. elegans and other parasitic nematodes. The advancements in C. elegans omics offer a blueprint for improving omics-led research in Strongyloides. We suggest areas of priority for future research that will pave the way for expansions in omics resources and technologies. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Strongyloides: omics to worm-free populations'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Al-Jawabreh
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Dominika Lastik
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Kieran Reynolds
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Mona Suleiman
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | | | - Vicky Hunt
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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12
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Abstract
Foraging animals optimize feeding decisions by adjusting both common and rare behavioral patterns. Here, we characterize the relationship between an animal's arousal state and a rare decision to leave a patch of bacterial food. Using long-term tracking and behavioral state classification, we find that food leaving decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans are coupled to arousal states across multiple timescales. Leaving emerges probabilistically over minutes from the high arousal roaming state, but is suppressed during the low arousal dwelling state. Immediately before leaving, animals have a brief acceleration in speed that appears as a characteristic signature of this behavioral motif. Neuromodulatory mutants and optogenetic manipulations that increase roaming have a coupled increase in leaving rates, and similarly acute manipulations that inhibit feeding induce both roaming and leaving. By contrast, inactivating a set of chemosensory neurons that depend on the cGMP-gated transduction channel TAX-4 uncouples roaming and leaving dynamics. In addition, tax-4-expressing sensory neurons promote lawn-leaving behaviors that are elicited by feeding inhibition. Our results indicate that sensory neurons responsive to both internal and external cues play an integrative role in arousal and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Scheer
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
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13
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Razzaq A, Bejaoui Y, Alam T, Saad M, El Hajj N. Ribosomal DNA Copy Number Variation is Coupled with DNA Methylation Changes at the 45S rDNA Locus. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2229203. [PMID: 37368968 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2229203] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The human ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy number (CN) has been challenging to analyse, and its sequence has been excluded from reference genomes due to its highly repetitive nature. The 45S rDNA locus encodes essential components of the cell, nevertheless rDNA displays high inter-individual CN variation that could influence human health and disease. CN alterations in rDNA have been hypothesized as a possible factor in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and were shown to be altered in Schizophrenia patients. We tested whether whole-genome bisulphite sequencing can be used to simultaneously quantify rDNA CN and measure DNA methylation at the 45S rDNA locus. Using this approach, we observed high inter-individual variation in rDNA CN, and limited intra-individual copy differences in several post-mortem tissues. Furthermore, we did not observe any significant alterations in rDNA CN or DNA methylation in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) brains in 16 ASD vs 11 control samples. Similarly, no difference was detected when comparing neurons form 28 Schizophrenia (Scz) patients vs 25 controls or oligodendrocytes from 22 Scz samples vs 20 controls. However, our analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between CN and DNA methylation at the 45S rDNA locus in multiple tissues. This was observed in brain and confirmed in small intestine, adipose tissue, and gastric tissue. This should shed light on a possible dosage compensation mechanism that silences additional rDNA copies to ensure homoeostatic regulation of ribosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleem Razzaq
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Qatar Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Yosra Bejaoui
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Qatar Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tanvir Alam
- College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamad Saad
- Qatar Computing Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nady El Hajj
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Qatar Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
- College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
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14
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Lim J, Kim W, Kim J, Lee J. Telomeric repeat evolution in the phylum Nematoda revealed by high-quality genome assemblies and subtelomere structures. Genome Res 2023; 33:1947-1957. [PMID: 37918961 PMCID: PMC10760449 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278124.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are composed of tandem arrays of telomeric-repeat motifs (TRMs) and telomere-binding proteins (TBPs), which are responsible for ensuring end-protection and end-replication of chromosomes. TRMs are highly conserved owing to the sequence specificity of TBPs, although significant alterations in TRM have been observed in several taxa, except Nematoda. We used public whole-genome sequencing data sets to analyze putative TRMs of 100 nematode species and determined that three distinct branches included specific novel TRMs, suggesting that evolutionary alterations in TRMs occurred in Nematoda. We focused on one of the three branches, the Panagrolaimidae family, and performed a de novo assembly of four high-quality draft genomes of the canonical (TTAGGC) and novel TRM (TTAGAC) isolates; the latter genomes revealed densely clustered arrays of the novel TRM. We then comprehensively analyzed the subtelomeric regions of the genomes to infer how the novel TRM evolved. We identified DNA damage-repair signatures in subtelomeric sequences that were representative of consequences of telomere maintenance mechanisms by alternative lengthening of telomeres. We propose a hypothetical scenario in which TTAGAC-containing units are clustered in subtelomeric regions and pre-existing TBPs capable of binding both canonical and novel TRMs aided the evolution of the novel TRM in the Panagrolaimidae family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiseon Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Wonjoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea;
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Department of Convergent Bioscience and Informatics, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Junho Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
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15
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Bush ZD, Naftaly AFS, Dinwiddie D, Albers C, Hillers KJ, Libuda DE. Comprehensive detection of structural variation and transposable element differences between wild type laboratory lineages of C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.13.523974. [PMID: 37961628 PMCID: PMC10634987 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.13.523974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Genomic structural variations (SVs) and transposable elements (TEs) can be significant contributors to genome evolution, altered gene expression, and risk of genetic diseases. Recent advancements in long-read sequencing have greatly improved the quality of de novo genome assemblies and enhanced the detection of sequence variants at the scale of hundreds or thousands of bases. Comparisons between two diverged wild isolates of Caenorhabditis elegans, the Bristol and Hawaiian strains, have been widely utilized in the analysis of small genetic variations. Genetic drift, including SVs and rearrangements of repeated sequences such as TEs, can occur over time from long-term maintenance of wild type isolates within the laboratory. To comprehensively detect both large and small structural variations as well as TEs due to genetic drift, we generated de novo genome assemblies and annotations for each strain from our lab collection using both long- and short-read sequencing and compared our assemblies and annotations with that of other lab wild type strains. Within our lab assemblies, we annotate over 3.1Mb of sequence divergence between the Bristol and Hawaiian isolates: 337,584 SNPs, 94,503 small insertion-deletions (<50bp), and 4,334 structural variations (>50bp). Further, we define the location and movement of specific DNA TEs between N2 Bristol and CB4856 Hawaiian wild type isolates. Specifically, we find the N2 Bristol genome has 20.6% more TEs from the Tc1/mariner family than the CB4856 Hawaiian genome. Moreover, we identified Zator elements as the most abundant and mobile TE family in the genome. Using specific TE sequences with unique SNPs, we also identify 38 TEs that moved intrachromosomally and 9 TEs that moved interchromosomally between the N2 Bristol and CB4856 Hawaiian genomes. By comparing the de novo genome assembly of our lab collection Bristol isolate to the VC2010 Bristol assembly, we also reveal that lab lineages display over 2 Mb of total variation: 1,162 SNPs, 1,528 indels, and 897 SVs with 95% of the variation due to SVs. Overall, our work demonstrates the unique contribution of SVs and TEs to variation and genetic drift between wild type laboratory strains assumed to be isogenic despite growing evidence of genetic drift and phenotypic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary D. Bush
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 1229 Franklin Blvd Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Alice F. S. Naftaly
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 1229 Franklin Blvd Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Devin Dinwiddie
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 1229 Franklin Blvd Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Cora Albers
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 1229 Franklin Blvd Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Hillers
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Diana E. Libuda
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 1229 Franklin Blvd Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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16
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Woodruff GC, Willis JH, Johnson E, Phillips PC. Widespread changes in gene expression accompany body size evolution in nematodes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.30.564729. [PMID: 37961435 PMCID: PMC10635002 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Body size is a fundamental trait that drives multiple evolutionary and ecological patterns. Caenorhabditis inopinata is a fig-associated nematode that is exceptionally large relative to other members of the genus, including C. elegans. We previously showed that C. inopinata is large primarily due to postembryonic cell size expansion that occurs during the larval-to-adult transition. Here, we describe gene expression patterns in C. elegans and C. inopinata throughout this developmental period to understand the transcriptional basis of body size change. We performed RNA-seq in both species across the L3, L4, and adult stages. Most genes are differentially expressed across all developmental stages, consistent with C. inopinata's divergent ecology and morphology. We also used a model comparison approach to identify orthologs with divergent dynamics across this developmental period between the two species. This included genes connected to neurons, behavior, stress response, developmental timing, and small RNA/chromatin regulation. Multiple hypodermal collagens were also observed to harbor divergent developmental dynamics across this period, and genes important for molting and body morphology were also detected. Genes associated with TGF-β signaling revealed idiosyncratic and unexpected transcriptional patterns given their role in body size regulation in C. elegans. Widespread transcriptional divergence between these species is unexpected and may be a signature of the ecological and morphological divergence of C. inopinata. Alternatively, transcriptional turnover may be the rule in the Caenorhabditis genus, indicative of widespread developmental system drift among species. This work lays the foundation for future functional genetic studies interrogating the bases of body size evolution in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C Woodruff
- University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Current institution: University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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17
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Hwang HY, Wang J. Effect of recombination on genetic diversity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16425. [PMID: 37777524 PMCID: PMC10542817 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42600-5] [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: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Greater molecular divergence and genetic diversity are present in regions of high recombination in many species. Studies describing the correlation between variant abundance and recombination rate have long focused on recombination in the context of linked selection models, whereby interference between linked sites under positive or negative selection reduces genetic diversity in regions of low recombination. Here, we show that indels, especially those of intermediate sizes, are enriched relative to single nucleotide polymorphisms in regions of high recombination in C. elegans. To explain this phenomenon, we reintroduce an alternative model that emphasizes the mutagenic effect of recombination. To extend the analysis, we examine the variants with a phylogenetic context and discuss how different models could be examined together. The number of variants generated by recombination in natural populations could be substantial including possibly the majority of some indel subtypes. Our work highlights the potential importance of a mutagenic effect of recombination, which could have a significant role in the shaping of natural genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Yon Hwang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Jiou Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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18
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Banse SA, Jarrett CM, Robinson KJ, Blue BW, Shaw EL, Phillips PC. The Egg-Counter: A novel microfluidic platform for characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.01.555781. [PMID: 37732270 PMCID: PMC10508723 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.555781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction is a fundamental process that shapes the demography of every living organism yet is often difficult to assess with high precision in animals that produce large numbers of offspring. Here, we present a novel microfluidic research platform for studying Caenorhabditis elegans' egg-laying. The platform provides higher throughput than traditional solid-media assays while providing a very high degree of temporal resolution. Additionally, the environmental control enabled by microfluidic animal husbandry allows for experimental perturbations difficult to achieve with solid-media assays. We demonstrate the platform's utility by characterizing C. elegans egg-laying behavior at two commonly used temperatures, 15 and 20°C. As expected, we observed a delayed onset of egg-laying at 15°C degrees, consistent with published temperature effects on development rate. Additionally, as seen in solid media studies, egg laying output was higher under the canonical 20°C conditions. While we validated the Egg-Counter with a study of temperature effects in wild-type animals, the platform is highly adaptable to any nematode egg-laying research where throughput or environmental control needs to be maximized without sacrificing temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A. Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Cody M. Jarrett
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Kristin J. Robinson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Benjamin W. Blue
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Emily L. Shaw
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Patrick C. Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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19
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Moya ND, Stevens L, Miller IR, Sokol CE, Galindo JL, Bardas AD, Koh ESH, Rozenich J, Yeo C, Xu M, Andersen EC. Novel and improved Caenorhabditis briggsae gene models generated by community curation. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:486. [PMID: 37626289 PMCID: PMC10463891 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09582-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae has been used as a model in comparative genomics studies with Caenorhabditis elegans because of their striking morphological and behavioral similarities. However, the potential of C. briggsae for comparative studies is limited by the quality of its genome resources. The genome resources for the C. briggsae laboratory strain AF16 have not been developed to the same extent as C. elegans. The recent publication of a new chromosome-level reference genome for QX1410, a C. briggsae wild strain closely related to AF16, has provided the first step to bridge the gap between C. elegans and C. briggsae genome resources. Currently, the QX1410 gene models consist of software-derived gene predictions that contain numerous errors in their structure and coding sequences. In this study, a team of researchers manually inspected over 21,000 gene models and underlying transcriptomic data to repair software-derived errors. RESULTS We designed a detailed workflow to train a team of nine students to manually curate gene models using RNA read alignments. We manually inspected the gene models, proposed corrections to the coding sequences of over 8,000 genes, and modeled thousands of putative isoforms and untranslated regions. We exploited the conservation of protein sequence length between C. briggsae and C. elegans to quantify the improvement in protein-coding gene model quality and showed that manual curation led to substantial improvements in the protein sequence length accuracy of QX1410 genes. Additionally, collinear alignment analysis between the QX1410 and AF16 genomes revealed over 1,800 genes affected by spurious duplications and inversions in the AF16 genome that are now resolved in the QX1410 genome. CONCLUSIONS Community-based, manual curation using transcriptome data is an effective approach to improve the quality of software-derived protein-coding genes. The detailed protocols provided in this work can be useful for future large-scale manual curation projects in other species. Our manual curation efforts have brought the QX1410 gene models to a comparable level of quality as the extensively curated AF16 gene models. The improved genome resources for C. briggsae provide reliable tools for the study of Caenorhabditis biology and other related nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas D Moya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Lewis Stevens
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Isabella R Miller
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Chloe E Sokol
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Joseph L Galindo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Alexandra D Bardas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Edward S H Koh
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Justine Rozenich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Cassia Yeo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Maryanne Xu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 4619 Silverman Hall 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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20
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Lee YC, Ke HM, Liu YC, Lee HH, Wang MC, Tseng YC, Kikuchi T, Tsai IJ. Single-worm long-read sequencing reveals genome diversity in free-living nematodes. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8035-8047. [PMID: 37526286 PMCID: PMC10450198 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Obtaining sufficient genetic material from a limited biological source is currently the primary operational bottleneck in studies investigating biodiversity and genome evolution. In this study, we employed multiple displacement amplification (MDA) and Smartseq2 to amplify nanograms of genomic DNA and mRNA, respectively, from individual Caenorhabditis elegans. Although reduced genome coverage was observed in repetitive regions, we produced assemblies covering 98% of the reference genome using long-read sequences generated with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). Annotation with the sequenced transcriptome coupled with the available assembly revealed that gene predictions were more accurate, complete and contained far fewer false positives than de novo transcriptome assembly approaches. We sampled and sequenced the genomes and transcriptomes of 13 nematodes from early-branching species in Chromadoria, Dorylaimia and Enoplia. The basal Chromadoria and Enoplia species had larger genome sizes, ranging from 136.6 to 738.8 Mb, compared with those in the other clades. Nine mitogenomes were fully assembled, and displayed a complete lack of synteny to other species. Phylogenomic analyses based on the new annotations revealed strong support for Enoplia as sister to the rest of Nematoda. Our result demonstrates the robustness of MDA in combination with ONT, paving the way for the study of genome diversity in the phylum Nematoda and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chien Lee
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, 116 Wenshan, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Mien Ke
- Department of Microbiology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ching Liu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Han Lee
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chen Wang
- Marine Research Station (MRS), Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 262 I-Lan County, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Che Tseng
- Marine Research Station (MRS), Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 262 I-Lan County, Taiwan
| | - Taisei Kikuchi
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Isheng Jason Tsai
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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21
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Zhu Q, Pan K, Liu H, Hu J, Li Q, Bai X, Zhang M, Qiu J, Hong Q. Cloning and expression of the phenazine-1-carboxamide hydrolysis gene pzcH and the identification of the key amino acids necessary for its activity. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131924. [PMID: 37379601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN), a phenazine derivative, can cause toxicity risks to non target organisms. In this study, the Gram-positive bacteria Rhodococcus equi WH99 was found to have the ability to degrade PCN. PzcH, a novel amidase belonging to amidase signature (AS) family, responsible for hydrolyzing PCN to PCA was identified from strain WH99. PzcH shared no similarity with amidase PcnH which can also hydrolyze PCN and belong to the isochorismatase superfamily from Gram-negative bacteria Sphingomonas histidinilytica DS-9. PzcH also showed low similarity (˂ 39%) with other reported amidases. The optimal catalysis temperature and pH of PzcH was 30 °C and 9.0, respectively. The Km and kcat values of PzcH for PCN were 43.52 ± 4.82 μM and 17.028 ± 0.57 s-1, respectively. The molecular docking and point mutation experiment demonstrated that catalytic triad Lys80-Ser155-Ser179 are essential for PzcH to hydrolyze PCN. Strain WH99 can degrade PCN and PCA to reduce their toxicity against the sensitive organisms. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanism of PCN degradation, presents the first report on the key amino acids in PzcH from the Gram-positive bacteria and provides an effective strain in the bioremediation PCN and PCA contaminated environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Kaihua Pan
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hongfei Liu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Junqiang Hu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xuekun Bai
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mingliang Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jiguo Qiu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qing Hong
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China.
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22
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Shaver AO, Wit J, Dilks CM, Crombie TA, Li H, Aroian RV, Andersen EC. Variation in anthelmintic responses are driven by genetic differences among diverse C. elegans wild strains. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011285. [PMID: 37011090 PMCID: PMC10101645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of parasitic nematode infections in humans and livestock relies on a limited arsenal of anthelmintic drugs that have historically reduced parasite burdens. However, anthelmintic resistance (AR) is increasing, and little is known about the molecular and genetic causes of resistance for most drugs. The free-living roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has proven to be a tractable model to understand AR, where studies have led to the identification of molecular targets of all major anthelmintic drug classes. Here, we used genetically diverse C. elegans strains to perform dose-response analyses across 26 anthelmintic drugs that represent the three major anthelmintic drug classes (benzimidazoles, macrocyclic lactones, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists) in addition to seven other anthelmintic classes. First, we found that C. elegans strains displayed similar anthelmintic responses within drug classes and significant variation across drug classes. Next, we compared the effective concentration estimates to induce a 10% maximal response (EC10) and slope estimates of each dose-response curve of each strain to the laboratory reference strain, which enabled the identification of anthelmintics with population-wide differences to understand how genetics contribute to AR. Because genetically diverse strains displayed differential susceptibilities within and across anthelmintics, we show that C. elegans is a useful model for screening potential nematicides before applications to helminths. Third, we quantified the levels of anthelmintic response variation caused by genetic differences among individuals (heritability) to each drug and observed a significant correlation between exposure closest to the EC10 and the exposure that exhibited the most heritable responses. These results suggest drugs to prioritize in genome-wide association studies, which will enable the identification of AR genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda O. Shaver
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Janneke Wit
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Clayton M. Dilks
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Timothy A. Crombie
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Hanchen Li
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Raffi V. Aroian
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
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23
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Pirkkanen J, Lalonde C, Lapointe M, Laframboise T, Mendonca MS, Boreham DR, Tharmalingam S, Thome C. The REPAIR Project, a Deep-Underground Radiobiology Experiment Investigating the Biological Effects of Natural Background Radiation: The First 6 Years. Radiat Res 2023; 199:290-293. [PMID: 36745561 DOI: 10.1667/rade-22-00193.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In 2017, a special edition of Radiation Research was published [Oct; Vol. 188 4.2 (https://bioone.org/journals/radiation-research/volume-188/issue-4.2)] which focused on a recently established radiobiology project within SNOLAB, a unique deep-underground research facility. This special edition included original articles, reviews and commentaries relevant to the research goals of this new project which was titled Researching the Effects of the Presence and Absence of Ionizing Radiation (REPAIR). These research goals were founded in understanding the biological effects of terrestrial and cosmic natural background radiation (NBR). Since 2017, REPAIR has evolved into a sub-NBR radiobiology research program which investigates these effects using multiple model systems and various biological endpoints. This paper summarizes the evolution of the REPAIR project over the first 6-years including its experimental scope and capabilities as well as research accomplishments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Pirkkanen
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Christine Lalonde
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Michel Lapointe
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Taylor Laframboise
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Marc S Mendonca
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation and Cancer Biology Laboratories, and Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Douglas R Boreham
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Medical Sciences Division, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM University), Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Nuclear Innovation Institute, Port Elgin, Ontario, N0H 2C0, Canada
| | - Sujeenthar Tharmalingam
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Medical Sciences Division, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM University), Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Nuclear Innovation Institute, Port Elgin, Ontario, N0H 2C0, Canada
| | - Christopher Thome
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Medical Sciences Division, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM University), Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.,Nuclear Innovation Institute, Port Elgin, Ontario, N0H 2C0, Canada
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24
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Li Y, Li P, Zhang W, Zheng X, Gu Q. New Wine in Old Bottle: Caenorhabditis Elegans in Food Science. FOOD REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2023.2172429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yonglu Li
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Li
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weixi Zhang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Agro-food Processing; Fuli Institute of Food Science; National Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Zheng
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Agro-food Processing; Fuli Institute of Food Science; National Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Gu
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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25
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GALA: a computational framework for de novo chromosome-by-chromosome assembly with long reads. Nat Commun 2023; 14:204. [PMID: 36639368 PMCID: PMC9839709 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35670-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High-quality genome assembly has wide applications in genetics and medical studies. However, it is still very challenging to achieve gap-free chromosome-scale assemblies using current workflows for long-read platforms. Here we report on GALA (Gap-free long-read Assembly tool), a computational framework for chromosome-based sequencing data separation and de novo assembly implemented through a multi-layer graph that identifies discordances within preliminary assemblies and partitions the data into chromosome-scale scaffolding groups. The subsequent independent assembly of each scaffolding group generates a gap-free assembly likely free from the mis-assembly errors which usually hamper existing workflows. This flexible framework also allows us to integrate data from various technologies, such as Hi-C, genetic maps, and even motif analyses to generate gap-free chromosome-scale assemblies. As a proof of principle we de novo assemble the C. elegans genome using combined PacBio and Nanopore sequencing data and a rice cultivar genome using Nanopore sequencing data from publicly available datasets. We also demonstrate the proposed method's applicability with a gap-free assembly of the human genome using PacBio high-fidelity (HiFi) long reads. Thus, our method enables straightforward assembly of genomes with multiple data sources and overcomes barriers that at present restrict the application of de novo genome assembly technology.
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26
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Alfonso SA, Arango Sumano D, Bhatt DA, Cullen AB, Hajian CM, Huang W, Jaeger EL, Li E, Maske AK, Offenberg EG, Ta V, Whiting WW, Adebogun GT, Bachmann AE, Callan AA, Khan U, Lewis AR, Pollock AC, Ramirez D, Bradon N, Fiocca K, Cote LE, Sallee MD, McKinney J, O'Connell LA. Argentine ant extract induces an osm-9 dependent chemotaxis response in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000745. [PMID: 37008729 PMCID: PMC10051032 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Many ant species are equipped with chemical defenses, although how these compounds impact nervous system function is unclear. Here, we examined the utility of Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays for investigating how ant chemical defense compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans respond to extracts from the invasive Argentine Ant ( Linepithema humile ) and the osm-9 ion channel is required for this response. Divergent strains varied in their response to L. humile extracts, suggesting genetic variation underlying chemotactic responses. These experiments were conducted by an undergraduate laboratory course, highlighting how C. elegans chemotaxis assays in a classroom setting can provide genuine research experiences and reveal new insights into interspecies interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A. Alfonso
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Daniel Arango Sumano
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Dhruv A. Bhatt
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Aidan B. Cullen
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Cyrus M. Hajian
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Winnie Huang
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emma L. Jaeger
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emily Li
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - A. Kaile Maske
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emma G. Offenberg
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Vy Ta
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Waymon W. Whiting
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Grace T. Adebogun
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Annabelle E. Bachmann
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ashlyn A. Callan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ummara Khan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amaris R. Lewis
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Alexa C. Pollock
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Dave Ramirez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Nicole Bradon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Katherine Fiocca
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren E. Cote
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Maria D. Sallee
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Jordan McKinney
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren A. O'Connell
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Correspondence to: Lauren A. O'Connell (
)
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27
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ONT-Based Alternative Assemblies Impact on the Annotations of Unique versus Repetitive Features in the Genome of a Romanian Strain of Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314892. [PMID: 36499217 PMCID: PMC9741293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, different strategies of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have been developed in order to understand the genome structure and functions. However, the analysis of genomic sequences obtained from natural populations is challenging and the biological interpretation of sequencing data remains the main issue. The MinION device developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) is able to generate long reads with minimal costs and time requirements. These valuable assets qualify it as a suitable method for performing WGS, especially in small laboratories. The long reads resulted using this sequencing approach can cover large structural variants and repetitive sequences commonly present in the genomes of eukaryotes. Using MinION, we performed two WGS assessments of a Romanian local strain of Drosophila melanogaster, referred to as Horezu_LaPeri (Horezu). In total, 1,317,857 reads with a size of 8.9 gigabytes (Gb) were generated. Canu and Flye de novo assembly tools were employed to obtain four distinct assemblies with both unfiltered and filtered reads, achieving maximum reference genome coverages of 94.8% (Canu) and 91.4% (Flye). In order to test the quality of these assemblies, we performed a two-step evaluation. Firstly, we considered the BUSCO scores and inquired for a supplemental set of genes using BLAST. Subsequently, we appraised the total content of natural transposons (NTs) relative to the reference genome (ISO1 strain) and mapped the mdg1 retroelement as a resolution assayer. Our results reveal that filtered data provide only slightly enhanced results when considering genes identification, but the use of unfiltered data had a consistent positive impact on the global evaluation of the NTs content. Our comparative studies also revealed differences between Flye and Canu assemblies regarding the annotation of unique versus repetitive genomic features. In our hands, Flye proved to be moderately better for gene identification, while Canu clearly outperformed Flye for NTs analysis. Data concerning the NTs content were compared to those obtained with ONT for the D. melanogaster ISO1 strain, revealing that our strategy conducted to better results. Additionally, the parameters of our ONT reads and assemblies are similar to those reported for ONT experiments performed on various model organisms, revealing that our assembly data are appropriate for a proficient annotation of the Horezu genome.
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28
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Shaver AO, Garcia BM, Gouveia GJ, Morse AM, Liu Z, Asef CK, Borges RM, Leach FE, Andersen EC, Amster IJ, Fernández FM, Edison AS, McIntyre LM. An anchored experimental design and meta-analysis approach to address batch effects in large-scale metabolomics. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:930204. [PMID: 36438654 PMCID: PMC9682135 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.930204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Untargeted metabolomics studies are unbiased but identifying the same feature across studies is complicated by environmental variation, batch effects, and instrument variability. Ideally, several studies that assay the same set of metabolic features would be used to select recurring features to pursue for identification. Here, we developed an anchored experimental design. This generalizable approach enabled us to integrate three genetic studies consisting of 14 test strains of Caenorhabditis elegans prior to the compound identification process. An anchor strain, PD1074, was included in every sample collection, resulting in a large set of biological replicates of a genetically identical strain that anchored each study. This enables us to estimate treatment effects within each batch and apply straightforward meta-analytic approaches to combine treatment effects across batches without the need for estimation of batch effects and complex normalization strategies. We collected 104 test samples for three genetic studies across six batches to produce five analytical datasets from two complementary technologies commonly used in untargeted metabolomics. Here, we use the model system C. elegans to demonstrate that an augmented design combined with experimental blocks and other metabolomic QC approaches can be used to anchor studies and enable comparisons of stable spectral features across time without the need for compound identification. This approach is generalizable to systems where the same genotype can be assayed in multiple environments and provides biologically relevant features for downstream compound identification efforts. All methods are included in the newest release of the publicly available SECIMTools based on the open-source Galaxy platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda O. Shaver
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Brianna M. Garcia
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Goncalo J. Gouveia
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Department of Biochemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Alison M. Morse
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Zihao Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Carter K. Asef
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ricardo M. Borges
- Walter Mors Institute of Research on Natural Products, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Franklin E. Leach
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - I. Jonathan Amster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Facundo M. Fernández
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Arthur S. Edison
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States,Department of Biochemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Lauren M. McIntyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Lauren M. McIntyre,
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29
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The inner junction protein CFAP20 functions in motile and non-motile cilia and is critical for vision. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6595. [PMID: 36329026 PMCID: PMC9633640 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile and non-motile cilia are associated with mutually-exclusive genetic disorders. Motile cilia propel sperm or extracellular fluids, and their dysfunction causes primary ciliary dyskinesia. Non-motile cilia serve as sensory/signalling antennae on most cell types, and their disruption causes single-organ ciliopathies such as retinopathies or multi-system syndromes. CFAP20 is a ciliopathy candidate known to modulate motile cilia in unicellular eukaryotes. We demonstrate that in zebrafish, cfap20 is required for motile cilia function, and in C. elegans, CFAP-20 maintains the structural integrity of non-motile cilia inner junctions, influencing sensory-dependent signalling and development. Human patients and zebrafish with CFAP20 mutations both exhibit retinal dystrophy. Hence, CFAP20 functions within a structural/functional hub centered on the inner junction that is shared between motile and non-motile cilia, and is distinct from other ciliopathy-associated domains or macromolecular complexes. Our findings suggest an uncharacterised pathomechanism for retinal dystrophy, and potentially for motile and non-motile ciliopathies in general.
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30
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Cheng D, Lee JS, Brown M, Ebert MS, McGrath PT, Tomioka M, Iino Y, Bargmann CI. Insulin/IGF signaling regulates presynaptic glutamate release in aversive olfactory learning. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111685. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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31
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Khan J, Kokot M, Deorowicz S, Patro R. Scalable, ultra-fast, and low-memory construction of compacted de Bruijn graphs with Cuttlefish 2. Genome Biol 2022; 23:190. [PMID: 36076275 PMCID: PMC9454175 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02743-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The de Bruijn graph is a key data structure in modern computational genomics, and construction of its compacted variant resides upstream of many genomic analyses. As the quantity of genomic data grows rapidly, this often forms a computational bottleneck. We present Cuttlefish 2, significantly advancing the state-of-the-art for this problem. On a commodity server, it reduces the graph construction time for 661K bacterial genomes, of size 2.58Tbp, from 4.5 days to 17-23 h; and it constructs the graph for 1.52Tbp white spruce reads in approximately 10 h, while the closest competitor requires 54-58 h, using considerably more memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshed Khan
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Marek Kokot
- Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Sebastian Deorowicz
- Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Rob Patro
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
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32
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A high-quality genome of the dobsonfly Neoneuromus ignobilis reveals molecular convergences in aquatic insects. Genomics 2022; 114:110437. [PMID: 35902070 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110437] [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: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neoneuromus ignobilis is an archaic holometabolous aquatic predatory insect. However, a lack of genomic resources hinders the use of whole genome sequencing to explore their genetic basis and molecular mechanisms for adaptive evolution. Here, we provided a high-contiguity, chromosome-level genome assembly of N. ignobilis using high coverage Nanopore and PacBio reads with the Hi-C technique. The final assembly is 480.67 MB in size, containing 12 telomere-ended pseudochromosomes with only 17 gaps. We compared 42 hexapod species genomes including six independent lineages comprising 11 aquatic insects, and found convergent expansions of long wavelength-sensitive and blue-sensitive opsins, thermal stress response TRP channels, and sulfotransferases in aquatic insects, which may be related to their aquatic adaptation. We also detected strong nonrandom signals of convergent amino acid substitutions in aquatic insects. Collectively, our comparative genomic analysis revealed the evidence of molecular convergences in aquatic insects during both gene family evolution and convergent amino acid substitutions.
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33
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Hammerschmith EW, Woodruff GC, Moser KA, Johnson E, Phillips PC. Opposing directions of stage-specific body shape change in a close relative of C. elegans. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:38. [PMID: 37170380 PMCID: PMC10127021 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00131-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Body size is a fundamental organismal trait. However, as body size and ecological contexts change across developmental time, evolutionary divergence may cause unexpected patterns of body size diversity among developmental stages. This may be particularly evident in polyphenic developmental stages specialized for dispersal. The dauer larva is such a stage in nematodes, and Caenorhabditis species disperse by traveling on invertebrate carriers. Here, we describe the morphology of a stress-resistant, dauer-like larval stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis inopinata, whose adults can grow to be nearly twice as long as its close relative, the model organism C. elegans.
Results
We find that a dauer-like, stress-resistant larval stage in two isolates of C. inopinata is on average 13% shorter and 30% wider than the dauer larvae of C. elegans, despite its much longer adult stage. Additionally, many C. inopinata dauer-like larvae were ensheathed, a possible novelty in this lineage reminiscent of the infective juveniles of parasitic nematodes. Variation in dauer-like larva formation frequency among twenty-four wild isolates of C. inopinata was also observed, although frequencies were low across all isolates (< 2%), with many isolates unable to produce dauer-like larvae under conventional laboratory conditions.
Conclusion
Most Caenorhabditis species thrive on rotting plants and disperse on snails, slugs, or isopods (among others) whereas C. inopinata is ecologically divergent and thrives in fresh Ficus septica figs and disperses on their pollinating wasps. While there is some unknown factor of the fig environment that promotes elongated body size in C. inopinata adults, the small size or unique life history of its fig wasp carrier may be driving the divergent morphology of its stress-resistant larval stages. Further characterization of the behavior, development, and morphology of this stage will refine connections to homologous developmental stages in other species and determine whether ecological divergence across multiple developmental stages can promote unexpected and opposing changes in body size dimensions within a single species.
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34
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Adilardi RS, Dernburg AF. Robust, versatile DNA FISH probes for chromosome-specific repeats in Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6585872. [PMID: 35567480 PMCID: PMC9258534 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Repetitive DNA sequences are useful targets for chromosomal fluorescence in situ hybridization. We analyzed recent genome assemblies of Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus to identify tandem repeats with a unique genomic localization. Based on these findings, we designed and validated sets of oligonucleotide probes for each species targeting at least 1 locus per chromosome. These probes yielded reliable fluorescent signals in different tissues and can easily be combined with the immunolocalization of cellular proteins. Synthesis and labeling of these probes are highly cost-effective and require no hands-on labor. The methods presented here can be easily applied in other model and nonmodel organisms with a sequenced genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo S Adilardi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, CA 94720-3220, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute , Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, CA 94720-3220, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute , Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Lee BY, Kim J, Lee J. Intraspecific de novo gene birth revealed by presence-absence variant genes in Caenorhabditis elegans. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac031. [PMID: 35464238 PMCID: PMC9022459 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes embed their evolutionary history in the form of various alleles. Presence-absence variants (PAVs) are extreme cases of such alleles, where a gene present in one haplotype does not exist in another. Because PAVs may result from either birth or death of a gene, PAV genes and their alternative alleles, if available, can represent a basis for rapid intraspecific gene evolution. Using long-read sequencing technologies, this study traced the possible evolution of PAV genes in the PD1074 and CB4856 C. elegans strains as well as their alternative alleles in 14 other wild strains. We updated the CB4856 genome by filling 18 gaps and identified 46 genes and 7,460 isoforms from both strains not annotated previously. We verified 328 PAV genes, out of which 46 were C. elegans-specific. Among these possible newly born genes, 12 had alternative alleles in other wild strains; in particular, the alternative alleles of three genes showed signatures of active transposons. Alternative alleles of three other genes showed another type of signature reflected in accumulation of small insertions or deletions. Research on gene evolution using both species-specific PAV genes and their alternative alleles may provide new insights into the process of gene evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yun Lee
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jun Kim
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Junho Lee
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
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Anh NH, Yoon YC, Min YJ, Long NP, Jung CW, Kim SJ, Kim SW, Lee EG, Wang D, Wang X, Kwon SW. Caenorhabditis elegans deep lipidome profiling by using integrative mass spectrometry acquisitions reveals significantly altered lipid networks. J Pharm Anal 2022; 12:743-754. [PMID: 36320604 PMCID: PMC9615529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipidomics coverage improvement is essential for functional lipid and pathway construction. A powerful approach to discovering organism lipidome is to combine various data acquisitions, such as full scan mass spectrometry (full MS), data-dependent acquisition (DDA), and data-independent acquisition (DIA). Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a useful model for discovering toxic-induced metabolism, high-throughput drug screening, and a variety of human disease pathways. To determine the lipidome of C. elegans and investigate lipid disruption from the molecular level to the system biology level, we used integrative data acquisition. The methyl-tert-butyl ether method was used to extract L4 stage C. elegans after exposure to triclosan (TCS), perfluorooctanoic acid, and nanopolystyrene (nPS). Full MS, DDA, and DIA integrations were performed to comprehensively profile the C. elegans lipidome by Q-Exactive Plus MS. All annotated lipids were then analyzed using lipid ontology and pathway analysis. We annotated up to 940 lipids from 20 lipid classes involved in various functions and pathways. The biological investigations revealed that when C. elegans were exposed to nPS, lipid droplets were disrupted, whereas plasma membrane-functionalized lipids were likely to be changed in the TCS treatment group. The nPS treatment caused a significant disruption in lipid storage. Triacylglycerol, glycerophospholipid, and ether class lipids were those primarily hindered by toxicants. Finally, toxicant exposure frequently involved numerous lipid-related pathways, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway. In conclusion, an integrative data acquisition strategy was used to characterize the C. elegans lipidome, providing valuable biological insights into hypothesis generation and validation. Multiple data acquisitions were used to profile the lipidome of C. elegans. 940 detected lipids of 20 main classes involved in various pathways. Relevant hypotheses were generated using high-coverable lipidomics and pathways analysis.
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Walve R, Salmela L. HGGA: hierarchical guided genome assembler. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:167. [PMID: 35525918 PMCID: PMC9077837 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04701-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND De novo genome assembly typically produces a set of contigs instead of the complete genome. Thus additional data such as genetic linkage maps, optical maps, or Hi-C data is needed to resolve the complete structure of the genome. Most of the previous work uses the additional data to order and orient contigs. RESULTS Here we introduce a framework to guide genome assembly with additional data. Our approach is based on clustering the reads, such that each read in each cluster originates from nearby positions in the genome according to the additional data. These sets are then assembled independently and the resulting contigs are further assembled in a hierarchical manner. We implemented our approach for genetic linkage maps in a tool called HGGA. CONCLUSIONS Our experiments on simulated and real Pacific Biosciences long reads and genetic linkage maps show that HGGA produces a more contiguous assembly with less contigs and from 1.2 to 9.8 times higher NGA50 or N50 than a plain assembly of the reads and 1.03 to 6.5 times higher NGA50 or N50 than a previous approach integrating genetic linkage maps with contig assembly. Furthermore, also the correctness of the assembly remains similar or improves as compared to an assembly using only the read data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riku Walve
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leena Salmela
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Stevens L, Moya ND, Tanny RE, Gibson SB, Tracey A, Na H, Chitrakar R, Dekker J, Walhout AJ, Baugh LR, Andersen EC. Chromosome-level reference genomes for two strains of Caenorhabditis briggsae: an improved platform for comparative genomics. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6554914. [PMID: 35348662 PMCID: PMC9011032 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The publication of the Caenorhabditis briggsae reference genome in 2003 enabled the first comparative genomics studies between C. elegans and C. briggsae, shedding light on the evolution of genome content and structure in the Caenorhabditis genus. However, despite being widely used, the currently available C. briggsae reference genome is substantially less complete and structurally accurate than the C. elegans reference genome. Here, we used high-coverage Oxford Nanopore long-read and chromosome conformation capture data to generate chromosome-level reference genomes for two C. briggsae strains: QX1410, a new reference strain closely related to the laboratory AF16 strain, and VX34, a highly divergent strain isolated in China. We also sequenced 99 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) generated from reciprocal crosses between QX1410 and VX34 to create a recombination map and identify chromosomal domains. Additionally, we used both short- and long-read RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to generate high-quality gene annotations. By comparing these new reference genomes to the current reference, we reveal that hyper-divergent haplotypes cover large portions of the C. briggsae genome, similar to recent reports in C. elegans and C. tropicalis. We also show that the genomes of selfing Caenorhabditis species have undergone more rearrangement than their outcrossing relatives, which has biased previous estimates of rearrangement rate in Caenorhabditis. These new genomes provide a substantially improved platform for comparative genomics in Caenorhabditis and narrow the gap between the quality of genomic resources available for C. elegans and C. briggsae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Stevens
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nicolas D. Moya
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Robyn E. Tanny
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Sophia B. Gibson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Alan Tracey
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Huimin Na
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Job Dekker
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Albertha J.M. Walhout
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - L. Ryan Baugh
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Ding Q, Li R, Ren X, Chan LY, Ho VWS, Xie D, Ye P, Zhao Z. Genomic architecture of 5S rDNA cluster and its variations within and between species. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:238. [PMID: 35346033 PMCID: PMC8961926 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribosomal DNAs (rDNAs) are arranged in purely tandem repeats, preventing them from being reliably assembled onto chromosomes during generation of genome assembly. The uncertainty of rDNA genomic structure presents a significant barrier for studying their function and evolution. RESULTS Here we generate ultra-long Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and short NGS reads to delineate the architecture and variation of the 5S rDNA cluster in the different strains of C. elegans and C. briggsae. We classify the individual rDNA's repeating units into 25 types based on the unique sequence variations in each unit of C. elegans (N2). We next perform assembly of the cluster by taking advantage of the long reads that carry these units, which led to an assembly of 5S rDNA cluster consisting of up to 167 consecutive 5S rDNA units in the N2 strain. The ordering and copy number of various rDNA units are consistent with the separation time between strains. Surprisingly, we observed a drastically reduced level of variation in the unit composition in the 5S rDNA cluster in the C. elegans CB4856 and C. briggsae AF16 strains than in the C. elegans N2 strain, suggesting that N2, a widely used reference strain, is likely to be defective in maintaining the 5S rDNA cluster stability compared with other wild isolates of C. elegans or C. briggsae. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that Nanopore DNA sequencing reads are capable of generating assembly of highly repetitive sequences, and rDNA units are highly dynamic both within and between population(s) of the same species in terms of sequence and copy number. The detailed structure and variation of the 5S rDNA units within the rDNA cluster pave the way for functional and evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiutao Ding
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Runsheng Li
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoliang Ren
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lu-Yan Chan
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Vincy W S Ho
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dongying Xie
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pohao Ye
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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40
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Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has shed light on many aspects of eukaryotic biology, including genetics, development, cell biology, and genomics. A major factor in the success of C. elegans as a model organism has been the availability, since the late 1990s, of an essentially gap-free and well-annotated nuclear genome sequence, divided among 6 chromosomes. In this review, we discuss the structure, function, and biology of C. elegans chromosomes and then provide a general perspective on chromosome biology in other diverse nematode species. We highlight malleable chromosome features including centromeres, telomeres, and repetitive elements, as well as the remarkable process of programmed DNA elimination (historically described as chromatin diminution) that induces loss of portions of the genome in somatic cells of a handful of nematode species. An exciting future prospect is that nematode species may enable experimental approaches to study chromosome features and to test models of chromosome evolution. In the long term, fundamental insights regarding how speciation is integrated with chromosome biology may be revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Carlton
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Richard E Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80045, USA.,RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Shawn Ahmed
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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41
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Hall AN, Morton E, Queitsch C. First discovered, long out of sight, finally visible: ribosomal DNA. Trends Genet 2022; 38:587-597. [PMID: 35272860 PMCID: PMC10132741 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
With the advent of long-read sequencing, previously unresolvable genomic elements are being revisited in an effort to generate fully complete reference genomes. One such element is ribosomal DNA (rDNA), the highly conserved genomic region that encodes rRNAs. Genomic structure and content of the rDNA are variable in both prokarya and eukarya, posing interesting questions about the biology of rDNA. Here, we consider the types of variation observed in rDNA - including locus structure and number, copy number, and sequence variation - and their known phenotypic consequences. With recent advances in long-read sequencing technology, incorporating the full rDNA sequence into reference genomes is within reach. This knowledge will have important implications for understanding rDNA biology within the context of cell physiology and whole-organism phenotypes.
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Davis P, Zarowiecki M, Arnaboldi V, Becerra A, Cain S, Chan J, Chen WJ, Cho J, da Veiga Beltrame E, Diamantakis S, Gao S, Grigoriadis D, Grove CA, Harris TW, Kishore R, Le T, Lee RYN, Luypaert M, Müller HM, Nakamura C, Nuin P, Paulini M, Quinton-Tulloch M, Raciti D, Rodgers FH, Russell M, Schindelman G, Singh A, Stickland T, Van Auken K, Wang Q, Williams G, Wright AJ, Yook K, Berriman M, Howe KL, Schedl T, Stein L, Sternberg PW. WormBase in 2022-data, processes, and tools for analyzing Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2022; 220:6521733. [PMID: 35134929 PMCID: PMC8982018 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
WormBase (www.wormbase.org) is the central repository for the genetics and genomics of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We provide the research community with data and tools to facilitate the use of C. elegans and related nematodes as model organisms for studying human health, development, and many aspects of fundamental biology. Throughout our 22-year history, we have continued to evolve to reflect progress and innovation in the science and technologies involved in the study of C. elegans. We strive to incorporate new data types and richer data sets, and to provide integrated displays and services that avail the knowledge generated by the published nematode genetics literature. Here, we provide a broad overview of the current state of WormBase in terms of data type, curation workflows, analysis, and tools, including exciting new advances for analysis of single-cell data, text mining and visualization, and the new community collaboration forum. Concurrently, we continue the integration and harmonization of infrastructure, processes, and tools with the Alliance of Genome Resources, of which WormBase is a founding member.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Davis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Magdalena Zarowiecki
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Valerio Arnaboldi
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrés Becerra
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Scott Cain
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Juancarlos Chan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Wen J Chen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jaehyoung Cho
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Eduardo da Veiga Beltrame
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Stavros Diamantakis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Sibyl Gao
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Dionysis Grigoriadis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Christian A Grove
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Todd W Harris
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Ranjana Kishore
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tuan Le
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Raymond Y N Lee
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Manuel Luypaert
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Hans-Michael Müller
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Cecilia Nakamura
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Paulo Nuin
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Michael Paulini
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Mark Quinton-Tulloch
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Daniela Raciti
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Faye H Rodgers
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Matthew Russell
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Gary Schindelman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Archana Singh
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Tim Stickland
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Kimberly Van Auken
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Qinghua Wang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Gary Williams
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Adam J Wright
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Karen Yook
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Matt Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Kevin L Howe
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Tim Schedl
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lincoln Stein
- Informatics and Bio-computing Platform, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G0A3, Canada
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 140-18, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Teterina AA, Coleman-Hulbert AL, Banse SA, Willis JH, Perez VI, Lithgow GJ, Driscoll M, Phillips PC. Genetic diversity estimates for the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program screening panel. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2022; 2022:10.17912/micropub.biology.000518. [PMID: 35098051 PMCID: PMC8796004 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program (CITP) was founded on the principle that compounds with positive effects across a genetically diverse test-set should have an increased probability of engaging conserved biochemical pathways with mammalian translational potential. To fulfill its mandate, the CITP uses a genetic diversity panel of Caenorhabditis strains for assaying longevity effects of candidate compounds. The panel comprises 22 strains from three different species, collected globally, to achieve inter-population genetic diversity. The three represented species, C. elegans, C. briggsae, and C. tropicalis, are all sequential hermaphrodites, which simplifies experimental procedures while maximizing intra-population homogeneity. Here, we present estimates of the genetic diversity encapsulated by the constituent strains in the panel based on their most recently published and publicly available whole-genome sequences, as well as two newly generated genomic data sets. We observed average genome-wide nucleotide diversity (π) within the C. elegans (1.2e-3), C. briggsae (7.5e-3), and C. tropicalis strains (2.6e-3) greater than estimates for human populations, and comparable to that found in mouse populations. Our analysis supports the assumption that the CITP screening panel encompasses broad genetic diversity, suggesting that lifespan-extending chemicals with efficacy across the panel should be enriched for interventions that function on conserved processes that are shared across genetic backgrounds. While the diversity panel was established by the CITP for studying longevity interventions, the panel may prove useful for the broader research community when seeking broadly efficacious interventions for any phenotype with potential genetic background effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia A Teterina
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA,
Center of Parasitology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Stephen A Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Viviana I Perez
- Division of Aging Biology, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gordon J Lithgow
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Rutgers University, Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA,
Correspondence to: Patrick C Phillips ()
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Palevich N, Maclean PH. Sequencing and Reconstructing Helminth Mitochondrial Genomes Directly from Genomic Next-Generation Sequencing Data. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2369:27-40. [PMID: 34313982 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1681-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
We present a detailed method for extraction of high-molecular weight genomic DNA suitable for numerous DNA sequencing applications, and a straightforward in silico approach for reconstructing novel mitochondrial (mt) genomes directly from total genomic DNA extracts derived from next-generation sequencing (NGS) data sets. The in silico post-sequencing pipeline described is fast, accurate, and highly efficient, with modest memory requirements that can be performed using a standard desktop computer. The approach is particularly effective for obtaining mitochondrial genomes for species with little or no mitochondrial sequence information currently available and overcomes many of the limitations of traditional strategies. The described methodologies are also applicable for metagenomics sequencing from mixed or pooled samples containing multiple species and subsequent specific assembly of specific mitochondrial genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Palevich
- AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - Paul Haydon Maclean
- AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Zhao N, Deng Q, Zhu C, Zhang B. Mucus piRNAs profiles of Vibrio harveyi-infected Cynoglossus semilaevis: A hint for fish disease monitoring. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2022; 45:165-175. [PMID: 34741552 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The half-smooth tongue sole, Cynoglossus semilaevis, is an important cultured flatfish species. Vibrio harveyi is a common pathogen to this fish, which may result in great economic loss to C. semilaevis culture industry. piRNAs, a non-coding RNAs with 26-32 nt, have been regarded as promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and fish diseases. Here, we extracted the RNA from mucus of C. semilaevis and constructed the differential expression profiles of piRNAs between the sick fish (MS) and healthy fish (MC). We identified 45,696 differentially expressed piRNAs including 22,735 up-regulated piRNAs and 22,961 down-regulated piRNAs in MS group compared with MC group. The GO enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of the differential piRNAs were carried out. The result showed immunity-related target genes mainly involved in immune system process, response to stimulus, cell killing, immune system, infectious diseases and cell growth and death. The 10 most differentially expressed piRNAs were chosen to perform the qRT-PCR, while only seven piRNAs were consistent with the sequence result. Compared with MC group, the expression levels of piR-mmu-72173>piR-rno-62831>piR-xtr-704880, piR-dme-15546979, piR-mmu-49941660, piR-mmu-29283297 and piR-mmu-1758399 were significantly lower, and piR-gga-10574 and piR-gga-134812 were significantly higher in MS group. These piRNAs may be potential biomarkers during the V. harveyi infection of C. semilaevis. This study could provide a new method to identify the infection status of C. semilaevis and understand better about the innate and adaptive immune system in C. semilaevis during bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhao
- Southern Marine science and engineering Guangdong laboratory-Zhanjiang, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuxia Deng
- Southern Marine science and engineering Guangdong laboratory-Zhanjiang, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chunhua Zhu
- Southern Marine science and engineering Guangdong laboratory-Zhanjiang, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Southern Marine science and engineering Guangdong laboratory-Zhanjiang, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Tianjin Fisheries Research Institute, Tianjin, China
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Xie D, Ye P, Ma Y, Li Y, Liu X, Sarkies P, Zhao Z. Genetic exchange with an outcrossing sister species causes severe genome-wide dysregulation in a selfing Caenorhabditis nematode. Genome Res 2022; 32:2015-2027. [PMID: 36351773 PMCID: PMC9808620 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277205.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Different modes of reproduction evolve rapidly, with important consequences for genome composition. Selfing species often occupy a similar niche as their outcrossing sister species with which they are able to mate and produce viable hybrid progeny, raising the question of how they maintain genomic identity. Here, we investigate this issue by using the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae, which reproduces as a hermaphrodite, and its outcrossing sister species Caenorhabditis nigoni We hypothesize that selfing species might develop some barriers to prevent gene intrusions through gene regulation. We therefore examined gene regulation in the hybrid F2 embryos resulting from reciprocal backcrosses between F1 hybrid progeny and C. nigoni or C. briggsae F2 hybrid embryos with ∼75% of their genome derived from C. briggsae (termed as bB2) were inviable, whereas those with ∼75% of their genome derived from C. nigoni (termed as nB2) were viable. Misregulation of transposable elements, coding genes, and small regulatory RNAs was more widespread in the bB2 compared with the nB2 hybrids, which is a plausible explanation for the differential phenotypes between the two hybrids. Our results show that regulation of the C. briggsae genome is strongly affected by genetic exchanges with its outcrossing sister species, C. nigoni, whereas regulation of the C. nigoni genome is more robust on genetic exchange with C. briggsae The results provide new insights into how selfing species might maintain their identity despite genetic exchanges with closely related outcrossing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongying Xie
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pohao Ye
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yiming Ma
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yongbin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Peter Sarkies
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 4BH, United Kingdom
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China;,State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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Subirana JA, Messeguer X. DNA Satellites Are Transcribed as Part of the Non-Coding Genome in Eukaryotes and Bacteria. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111651. [PMID: 34828257 PMCID: PMC8625621 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown in recent years that many repeated sequences in the genome are expressed as RNA transcripts, although the role of such RNAs is poorly understood. Some isolated and tandem repeats (satellites) have been found to be transcribed, such as mammalian Alu sequences and telomeric/centromeric satellites in different species. However, there is no detailed study on the eventual transcription of the interspersed satellites found in many species. Therefore, we decided to study for the first time the transcription of the abundant DNA satellites in the bacterium Bacillus coagulans and in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We have updated the data for C. elegans satellites using the latest version of the genome. We analyzed the transcription of satellites in both species in available RNA-seq results and found that they are widely transcribed. Our demonstration that satellite RNAs are transcribed adds a new family of non-coding RNAs. This is a field that requires further investigation and will provide a deeper understanding of gene expression and control.
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Udayakumar P, Das R, Kannadasan A. Significance of probiotics in remodeling the gut consortium to enhance the immunity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genesis 2021; 59:e23454. [PMID: 34664387 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23454] [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: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In the recent past, Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as one of the leading nematode models for studying host-microbe interactions on molecular, cellular, or organismal levels. In general, morphological and functional similarities of the gut of C. elegans with respect to that of human has brought in speculations on the study of the intestinal microbiota. On the other hand, probiotics have proved their efficacy in metabolism, development, and pathogenesis thereby inducing an immune response in C. elegans. Nurturing C. elegans with probiotics has led to immunomodulatory effects in the intestinal microbiota, proposing C. elegans as one of the in vivo screening criteria to select potential probiotic bacteria for host health-promoting factors. The major prospect of these probiotics is to exert longevity toward the host in diverse environmental conditions. The extent of research on probiotic metabolism has shed light on mechanisms of the immunomodulatory effect exerted by the nematode model. This review discusses various aspects of the effects of probiotics in improving the health and mechanisms involved in conferring immunity in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prithika Udayakumar
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, India
| | - Reena Das
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, India
| | - Anandbabu Kannadasan
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, India
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Suzuki Y, Morishita S. The time is ripe to investigate human centromeres by long-read sequencing†. DNA Res 2021; 28:6381569. [PMID: 34609504 PMCID: PMC8502840 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The complete sequencing of human centromeres, which are filled with highly repetitive elements, has long been challenging. In human centromeres, α-satellite monomers of about 171 bp in length are the basic repeating units, but α-satellite monomers constitute the higher-order repeat (HOR) units, and thousands of copies of highly homologous HOR units form large arrays, which have hampered sequence assembly of human centromeres. Because most HOR unit occurrences are covered by long reads of about 10 kb, the recent availability of much longer reads is expected to enable observation of individual HOR occurrences in terms of their single-nucleotide or structural variants. The time has come to examine the complete sequence of human centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8568, Japan
| | - Shinichi Morishita
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8568, Japan
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Franco-Juárez B, Gómez-Manzo S, Hernández-Ochoa B, Cárdenas-Rodríguez N, Arreguin-Espinosa R, Pérez de la Cruz V, Ortega-Cuellar D. Effects of High Dietary Carbohydrate and Lipid Intake on the Lifespan of C. elegans. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092359. [PMID: 34572007 PMCID: PMC8465757 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Health and lifespan are influenced by dietary nutrients, whose balance is dependent on the supply or demand of each organism. Many studies have shown that an increased carbohydrate–lipid intake plays a critical role in metabolic dysregulation, which impacts longevity. Caenorhabditis elegans has been successfully used as an in vivo model to study the effects of several factors, such as genetic, environmental, diet, and lifestyle factors, on the molecular mechanisms that have been linked to healthspan, lifespan, and the aging process. There is evidence showing the causative effects of high glucose on lifespan in different diabetic models; however, the precise biological mechanisms affected by dietary nutrients, specifically carbohydrates and lipids, as well as their links with lifespan and longevity, remain unknown. Here, we provide an overview of the deleterious effects caused by high-carbohydrate and high-lipid diets, as well as the molecular signals that affect the lifespan of C. elegans; thus, understanding the detailed molecular mechanisms of high-glucose- and lipid-induced changes in whole organisms would allow the targeting of key regulatory factors to ameliorate metabolic disorders and age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Franco-Juárez
- Departamento de Neurodesarrollo y Fisiología, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Saúl Gómez-Manzo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico;
| | - Beatriz Hernández-Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 06720, Mexico;
| | - Noemi Cárdenas-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico;
| | - Roberto Arreguin-Espinosa
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Verónica Pérez de la Cruz
- Neurochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Ciudad de México 14269, Mexico;
| | - Daniel Ortega-Cuellar
- Laboratorio de Nutrición Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-55-1084-0900
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