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Ray AE, Tribbia DZ, Cowan DA, Ferrari BC. Clearing the air: unraveling past and guiding future research in atmospheric chemosynthesis. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0004823. [PMID: 37914532 PMCID: PMC10732025 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00048-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Atmospheric chemosynthesis is a recently proposed form of chemoautotrophic microbial primary production. The proposed process relies on the oxidation of trace concentrations of hydrogen (≤530 ppbv), carbon monoxide (≤90 ppbv), and methane (≤1,870 ppbv) gases using high-affinity enzymes. Atmospheric hydrogen and carbon monoxide oxidation have been primarily linked to microbial growth in desert surface soils scarce in liquid water and organic nutrients, and low in photosynthetic communities. It is well established that the oxidation of trace hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases widely supports the persistence of microbial communities in a diminished metabolic state, with the former potentially providing a reliable source of metabolic water. Microbial atmospheric methane oxidation also occurs in oligotrophic desert soils and is widespread throughout copiotrophic environments, with established links to microbial growth. Despite these findings, the direct link between trace gas oxidation and carbon fixation remains disputable. Here, we review the supporting evidence, outlining major gaps in our understanding of this phenomenon, and propose approaches to validate atmospheric chemosynthesis as a primary production process. We also explore the implications of this minimalistic survival strategy in terms of nutrient cycling, climate change, aerobiology, and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelique E. Ray
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Dana Z. Tribbia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Don A. Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Belinda C. Ferrari
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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2
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Chakkingal Bhaskaran B, Meyermans R, Gorssen W, Maes GE, Buyse J, Janssens S, Buys N. The forgotten variable? Does the euthanasia method and sample storage condition influence an organisms transcriptome - a gene expression analysis on multiple tissues in pigs. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:769. [PMID: 38093185 PMCID: PMC10720124 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09794-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcriptomic studies often require collection of fresh tissues post euthanasia. The chosen euthanasia method might have the potential to induce variations in gene expressions that are unlinked with the experimental design. The present study compared the suitability of 'nitrogen gas in foam' (ANOXIA) in comparison to a non-barbiturate anaesthetic, T-61® (T61), for euthanizing piglets used in transcriptome research. Further, the effect of common tissue storage conditions, RNAlater™ (RL) and snap freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN2), on gene expression profiles were also analysed. RESULTS On comparison of the 3'mRNA-Seq data generated from pituitary, hypothalamus, liver and lung tissues, no significant differential expression in the protein coding genes were detected between the euthanasia methods. This implies that the nitrogen anoxia method could be a suitable alternative for euthanasia of piglets used in transcriptomic research. However, small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) that constitute the eukaryotic spliceosomal machinery were found to be significantly higher (log2fold change ≥ 2.0, and adjusted p value ≤ 0.1) in pituitary samples collected using ANOXIA. Non-protein coding genes like snRNAs that play an important role in pre-mRNA splicing can subsequently modify gene expression. Storage in RL was found to be superior in preserving RNA compared to LN2 storage, as evidenced by the significantly higher RIN values in representative samples. However, storage in RL as opposed to LN2, also influenced differential gene expression in multiple tissues, perhaps as a result of its inability to inhibit biological activity during storage. Hence such external sources of variations should be carefully considered before arriving at research conclusions. CONCLUSIONS Source of biological variations like euthanasia method and storage condition can confound research findings. Even if we are unable to prevent the effect of these external factors, it will be useful to identify the impact of these variables on the parameter under observation and thereby prevent misinterpretation of our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Chakkingal Bhaskaran
- Department of Biosystems, Centre for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium.
| | - R Meyermans
- Department of Biosystems, Centre for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - W Gorssen
- Department of Biosystems, Centre for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - G E Maes
- Centre for Human Genetics, Genomics Core, UZ-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - J Buyse
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - S Janssens
- Department of Biosystems, Centre for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - N Buys
- Department of Biosystems, Centre for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, Box 2472, Leuven, 3001, Belgium.
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Li HZ, Wu H, Song KK, Zhao HH, Tang XY, Zhang XH, Wang D, Dong SL, Liu F, Wang J, Li ZC, Yang L, Xiang QZ. Transcriptome analysis revealed enrichment pathways and regulation of gene expression associated with somatic embryogenesis in Camellia sinensis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15946. [PMID: 37743377 PMCID: PMC10518320 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43355-9] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The high frequency, stable somatic embryo system of tea has still not been established due to the limitations of its own characteristics and therefore severely restricts the genetic research and breeding process of tea plants. In this study, the transcriptome was used to illustrate the mechanisms of gene expression regulation in the somatic embryogenesis of tea plants. The number of DEGs for the (IS intermediate stage)_PS (preliminary stage), ES (embryoid stage)_IS and ES_PS stages were 109, 2848 and 1697, respectively. The enrichment analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolic processes were considerably enriched at the ES_IS stage and performed a key role in somatic embryogenesis, while enhanced light capture in photosystem I could provide the material basis for carbohydrates. The pathway analysis showed that the enriched pathways in IS_PS process were far less than those in ES_IS or ES_PS, and the photosynthesis and photosynthetic antenna protein pathway of DEGs in ES_IS or ES_PS stage were notably enriched and up-regulated. The key photosynthesis and photosynthesis antenna protein pathways and the Lhcb1 gene were discovered in tea plants somatic embryogenesis. These results were of great significance to clarify the mechanism of somatic embryogenesis and the breeding research of tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Zhen Li
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Hui Wu
- AgricultureIsLife, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liege University, 5030, Gembloux 2, Belgium
| | - Kang-Kang Song
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Hui-Hui Zhao
- Ri Zhao Cha Cang Tea Co. Ltd, Ri'zhao, 276800, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, He'fei, 230036, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Di Wang
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Shao-Lin Dong
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Feng Liu
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Zhong-Cong Li
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Long Yang
- College of Plant Protection and Agricultural Big-Data Research Center, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
| | - Qin-Zeng Xiang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
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4
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Biskup E, Schejbel L, de Oliveira DNP, Høgdall E. Test of the FlashFREEZE unit in tissue samples freezing for biobanking purposes. Cell Tissue Bank 2023; 24:435-447. [PMID: 36309911 PMCID: PMC10209260 DOI: 10.1007/s10561-022-10045-1] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Availability of molecularly intact biospecimens is essential in genetic diagnostics to obtain credible results. Integrity of nucleic acids (particularly RNA) may be compromised at various steps of tissue handling, and affected by factors such as time to freeze, freezing technique and storing temperature. At the same time, freezing and storing of the biological material should be feasible and safe for the operator. Here, we compared quality of DNA and RNA from biospecimens derived from different organs (breast, colon, adrenal glands, testes, rectum and uterus) frozen either using dry ice-cooled isopentane or with FlashFREEZE unit, in order to verify if the latter is suitable for routine use in biobanking. Implementing FlashFREEZE device would enable us to limit the use of isopentane, which is potentially toxic and environmentally harmful, whilst facilitate standardization of sample freezing time. We considered factors such RNA and DNA yield and purity. Furthermore, RNA integrity and RNA/DNA performance in routine analyses, such as qPCR, next generation sequencing or microarray, were also assessed. Our results indicate that freezing of tissue samples either with FlashFREEZE unit or isopentane ensures biological material with comparable expression profiles and DNA mutation status, indicating that RNA and DNA of similar quality can be extracted from both. Therefore, our findings support the use of the FlashFREEZE device in routine use for biobanking purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Biskup
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, 2730 Denmark
| | - Lone Schejbel
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, 2730 Denmark
| | | | - Estrid Høgdall
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, 2730 Denmark
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5
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Fang Y, Peng Z, Wang Y, Yuan X, Gao K, Fan R, Liu R, Liu Y, Zhang H, Xie Z, Jiang W. Improvements and challenges of tissue preparation for spatial transcriptome analysis of skull base tumors. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14133. [PMID: 36938455 PMCID: PMC10018477 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Spatial transcriptome (ST) provides molecular profiles of tumor cells at the spatial level, which brings new progress to the research of tumors and the tumor microenvironment. This study summarizes the experiences and lessons learned in the spatial section preparation of two different pathological types of nose and skull base tumors at our institution, with the aim of offering guidelines to researchers to avoid wasting precious samples and provide a basis for the application of ST in clinical practice. Methods Frozen tissue blocks from patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the nose and skull base diagnosed at our institution were prepared. The effects of different procedures and pathological tissue types on slide quality were explored and evaluated using RNA integrity number (RIN) and HE scores as criteria. The effects of different RIN values on ST sequencing data were explored. Results A total of 43 samples were obtained from 26 patients, including 22 with squamous carcinomas and 21 with adenocarcinomas. Thirteen samples with satisfactory RNA quality control and good histological morphology were sequenced for ST. Sample isolation time <15 min and abandonment of snap-frozen isopentane significantly improved RNA quality (p = 0.004, p < 0.0001) and histomorphological integrity (p = 0.02, p = 0.02). Selection of a suitable tissue RNA extraction kit was critical for RNA quality (p < 0.0001). No difference between 6 ≤ RIN <7 and RIN >7 in ST sequencing results was found, indicating that RIN ≥6 can be used as a criterion for qualified RNA quality control. Therefore, fresh tissues washed as soon as possible with cold PBS and then dried using OCT for snap freezing are currently the best method for preparing spatial sections of nose and skull base tumor tissues of different pathological types. Conclusion This study is the first to investigate the feasibility of applying ST to different pathological types of nose and skull base tumors and to demonstrate the widespread application of ST in tumors. Rational optimization of spatial slide preparation procedures and exploration of individualized pre-sequencing protocols are used as the first stage to ensure the quality of spatial sequencing and lay the foundation for subsequent spatial analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Zhouying Peng
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Yumin Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Xiaotian Yuan
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Kelei Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Ruohao Fan
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Ruijie Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Yalan Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Zhihai Xie
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Weihong Jiang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Otolaryngology Major Disease Research Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Anatomy Laboratory of Division of Nose and Cranial Base, Clinical Anatomy Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis retains viability in RNAlater buffer but not in GTC-TCEP and DNA/RNA Shield. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2023; 106:115905. [PMID: 36905764 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2023.115905] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Efficient inactivation of clinical samples containing mycobacteria is crucial for biosafety during shipment and handling. When stored in RNAlater, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra remains viable, and our results suggest that at -20 °C and 4 °C changes in the mycobacterial transcriptome are possible. Only GTC-TCEP and DNA/RNA Shield inactivate sufficiently for shipment.
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7
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Chiari Y, Howard L, Moreno N, Relyea S, Dunnigan J, Boyer MC, Kardos M, Glaberman S, Luikart G. Influence of RNA-Seq library construction, sampling methods, and tissue harvesting time on gene expression estimation. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:803-817. [PMID: 36704853 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13757] [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: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is popular for measuring gene expression in non-model organisms, including wild populations. While RNA-Seq can detect gene expression variation among wild-caught individuals and yield important insights into biological function, sampling methods can also affect gene expression estimates. We examined the influence of multiple technical variables on estimated gene expression in a non-model fish, the westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi), using two RNA-Seq library types: 3' RNA-Seq (QuantSeq) and whole mRNA-Seq (NEB). We evaluated effects of dip netting versus electrofishing, and of harvesting tissue immediately versus 5 min after euthanasia on estimated gene expression in blood, gill, and muscle. We found no significant differences in gene expression between sampling methods or tissue collection times with either library type. When library types were compared using the same blood samples, 58% of genes detected by both NEB and QuantSeq showed significantly different expression between library types, and NEB detected 31% more genes than QuantSeq. Although the two library types recovered different numbers of genes and expression levels, results with NEB and QuantSeq were consistent in that neither library type showed differences in gene expression between sampling methods and tissue harvesting times. Our study suggests that researchers can safely rely on different fish sampling strategies in the field. In addition, while QuantSeq is more cost effective, NEB detects more expressed genes. Therefore, when it is crucial to detect as many genes as possible (especially low expressed genes), when alternative splicing is of interest, or when working with an organism lacking good genomic resources, whole mRNA-Seq is more powerful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Chiari
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Leif Howard
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, Montana Conservation Genomics Laboratory, Division of Biological Science, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.,Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Nickolas Moreno
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Scott Relyea
- Sekokini Springs Hatchery, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - James Dunnigan
- Sekokini Springs Hatchery, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | | | - Marty Kardos
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Scott Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Gordon Luikart
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, Montana Conservation Genomics Laboratory, Division of Biological Science, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.,Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
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Ramos‐Mucci L, Sarmiento P, Little D, Snelling S. Research perspectives-Pipelines to human tendon transcriptomics. J Orthop Res 2022; 40:993-1005. [PMID: 35239195 PMCID: PMC9007907 DOI: 10.1002/jor.25315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tendon transcriptomics is a rapidly growing field in musculoskeletal biology. The ultimate aim of many current tendon transcriptomic studies is characterization of in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo, healthy, and diseased tendon microenvironments to identify the underlying pathways driving human tendon pathology. The transcriptome interfaces between genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic signatures of the tendon cellular niche and the response of this niche to stimuli. Some of the greatest bottlenecks in tendon transcriptomics relate to the availability and quality of human tendon tissue, hence animal tissues are frequently used even though human tissue is most translationally relevant. Here, we review the variability associated with human donor and procurement factors, such as whether the tendon is cadaveric or a clinical remnant, and how these variables affect the quality and relevance of the transcriptomes obtained. Moreover, age, sex, and health demographic variables impact the human tendon transcriptome. Tendons present tissue-specific challenges for cell, nuclei, and RNA extraction that include a dense extracellular matrix, low cellularity, and therefore low RNA yield of variable quality. Consideration of these factors is particularly important for single-cell and single-nuclei resolution transcriptomics due to the necessity for unbiased and representative cell or nuclei populations. Different cell, nuclei, and RNA extraction methods, library preparation, and quality control methods are used by the tendon research community and attention should be paid to these when designing and reporting studies. We discuss the different components and challenges of human tendon transcriptomics, and propose pipelines, quality control, and reporting guidelines for future work in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Ramos‐Mucci
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Paula Sarmiento
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Dianne Little
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Department of Basic Medical SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Sarah Snelling
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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9
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Thorstensen MJ, Vandervelde CA, Bugg WS, Michaleski S, Vo L, Mackey TE, Lawrence MJ, Jeffries KM. Non-Lethal Sampling Supports Integrative Movement Research in Freshwater Fish. Front Genet 2022; 13:795355. [PMID: 35547248 PMCID: PMC9081360 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.795355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems and fishes are enormous resources for human uses and biodiversity worldwide. However, anthropogenic climate change and factors such as dams and environmental contaminants threaten these freshwater systems. One way that researchers can address conservation issues in freshwater fishes is via integrative non-lethal movement research. We review different methods for studying movement, such as with acoustic telemetry. Methods for connecting movement and physiology are then reviewed, by using non-lethal tissue biopsies to assay environmental contaminants, isotope composition, protein metabolism, and gene expression. Methods for connecting movement and genetics are reviewed as well, such as by using population genetics or quantitative genetics and genome-wide association studies. We present further considerations for collecting molecular data, the ethical foundations of non-lethal sampling, integrative approaches to research, and management decisions. Ultimately, we argue that non-lethal sampling is effective for conducting integrative, movement-oriented research in freshwater fishes. This research has the potential for addressing critical issues in freshwater systems in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt J. Thorstensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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10
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Mordant A, Kleiner M. Evaluation of Sample Preservation and Storage Methods for Metaproteomics Analysis of Intestinal Microbiomes. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0187721. [PMID: 34908431 PMCID: PMC8672883 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01877-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical step in studies of the intestinal microbiome using meta-omics approaches is the preservation of samples before analysis. Preservation is essential for approaches that measure gene expression, such as metaproteomics, which is used to identify and quantify proteins in microbiomes. Intestinal microbiome samples are typically stored by flash-freezing and storage at -80°C, but some experimental setups do not allow for immediate freezing of samples. In this study, we evaluated methods to preserve fecal microbiome samples for metaproteomics analyses when flash-freezing is not possible. We collected fecal samples from C57BL/6 mice and stored them for 1 and 4 weeks using the following methods: flash-freezing in liquid nitrogen, immersion in RNAlater, immersion in 95% ethanol, immersion in a RNAlater-like buffer, and combinations of these methods. After storage, we extracted protein and prepared peptides for liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to identify and quantify peptides and proteins. All samples produced highly similar metaproteomes, except for ethanol-preserved samples that were distinct from all other samples in terms of protein identifications and protein abundance profiles. Flash-freezing and RNAlater (or RNAlater-like treatments) produced metaproteomes that differed only slightly, with less than 0.7% of identified proteins differing in abundance. In contrast, ethanol preservation resulted in an average of 9.5% of the identified proteins differing in abundance between ethanol and the other treatments. Our results suggest that preservation at room temperature in RNAlater or an RNAlater-like solution performs as well as freezing for the preservation of intestinal microbiome samples before metaproteomics analyses. IMPORTANCE Metaproteomics is a powerful tool to study the intestinal microbiome. By identifying and quantifying a large number of microbial, dietary, and host proteins in microbiome samples, metaproteomics provides direct evidence of the activities and functions of microbial community members. A critical step for metaproteomics workflows is preserving samples before analysis because protein profiles are susceptible to fast changes in response to changes in environmental conditions (air exposure, temperature changes, etc.). This study evaluated the effects of different preservation treatments on the metaproteomes of intestinal microbiome samples. In contrast to prior work on preservation of fecal samples for metaproteomics analyses, we ensured that all steps of sample preservation were identical so that all differences could be attributed to the preservation method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie Mordant
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Manuel Kleiner
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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11
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Wu H, Wu Z, Wang Y, Ding J, Zheng Y, Tang H, Yang L. Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Revealed the Freezing Resistance Mechanism in 60-Year-Old Overwintering Camellia sinensis. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10100996. [PMID: 34681095 PMCID: PMC8533452 DOI: 10.3390/biology10100996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The freezing stress during overwintering brings great challenges to the normal growth of Camellia sinensis. The current research on C. sinensis mainly focuses on cold resistance, but less on freezing resistance. In the present study, the transcriptome and metabolome of C. sinensis under freezing stress were studied. Results showed that Pyr/PYL-PP2C-SnRK2 played a critical role in the signal transduction of freezing stress. Three metabolic pathways including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis contributed to the freezing resistance of C. sinensis. This study provides substantial insights for the breeding of C. sinensis. Abstract Freezing stress in winter is the biggest obstacle to the survival of C. sinensis in mid-latitude and high-latitude areas, which has a great impact on the yield, quality, and even life of C. sinensis every year. In this study, transcriptome and metabolome were used to clarify the freezing resistance mechanism of 60-year-old natural overwintering C. sinensis under freezing stress. Next, 3880 DEGs and 353 DAMs were obtained. The enrichment analysis showed that pathways of MAPK and ABA played a key role in the signal transduction of freezing stress, and Pyr/PYL-PP2C-SnRK2 in the ABA pathway promoted stomatal closure. Then, the water holding capacity and the freezing resistance of C. sinensis were improved. The pathway analysis showed that DEGs and DAMs were significantly enriched and up-regulated in the three-related pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis. In addition, the carbohydrate and fatty acid synthesis pathways also had a significant enrichment, and the synthesis of these substances facilitated the freezing resistance. These results are of great significance to elucidate the freezing resistance mechanism and the freezing resistance breeding of C. sinensis.
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12
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Mack KL, Jaggard JB, Persons JL, Roback EY, Passow CN, Stanhope BA, Ferrufino E, Tsuchiya D, Smith SE, Slaughter BD, Kowalko J, Rohner N, Keene AC, McGaugh SE. Repeated evolution of circadian clock dysregulation in cavefish populations. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009642. [PMID: 34252077 PMCID: PMC8297936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are nearly ubiquitous throughout nature, suggesting they are critical for survival in diverse environments. Organisms inhabiting largely arrhythmic environments, such as caves, offer a unique opportunity to study the evolution of circadian rhythms in response to changing ecological pressures. Populations of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, have repeatedly invaded caves from surface rivers, where individuals must contend with perpetual darkness, reduced food availability, and limited fluctuations in daily environmental cues. To investigate the molecular basis for evolved changes in circadian rhythms, we investigated rhythmic transcription across multiple independently-evolved cavefish populations. Our findings reveal that evolution in a cave environment has led to the repeated disruption of the endogenous biological clock, and its entrainment by light. The circadian transcriptome shows widespread reductions and losses of rhythmic transcription and changes to the timing of the activation/repression of core-transcriptional clock. In addition to dysregulation of the core clock, we find that rhythmic transcription of the melatonin regulator aanat2 and melatonin rhythms are disrupted in cavefish under darkness. Mutants of aanat2 and core clock gene rorca disrupt diurnal regulation of sleep in A. mexicanus, phenocopying circadian modulation of sleep and activity phenotypes of cave populations. Together, these findings reveal multiple independent mechanisms for loss of circadian rhythms in cavefish populations and provide a platform for studying how evolved changes in the biological clock can contribute to variation in sleep and circadian behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katya L. Mack
- Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - James B. Jaggard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jenna L. Persons
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Emma Y. Roback
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Courtney N. Passow
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Bethany A. Stanhope
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Estephany Ferrufino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Smith
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Brian D. Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Johanna Kowalko
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Rohner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Alex C. Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Suzanne E. McGaugh
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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13
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Life-On-Hold: Lanthanoids Rapidly Induce a Reversible Ametabolic State in Mammalian Cells. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070607. [PMID: 34209345 PMCID: PMC8301128 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary We found that incubation with a solution containing ~50 mM neodymium (one of the rare-earth elements, REE) induces a rapid of active metabolism in mammalian cells. We have named this state REEbernation and found that the process involves a rapid replacement of calcium with neodymium in membranes and organelles of a cell, allowing it to maintain its shape and membrane integrity under extreme conditions, including vacuum. Furthermore, phosphate exchange is blocked because of non-dissolvable neodymium salts formation, which “discharged” the cell. We also showed that REEbernation is characterized by instant shutting down RNA transcriptional activity in the cells, providing an intriguing opportunity to study a snapshot of gene expression at a given time point. Finally, we found that the REEbernation state is reversible, and we could restore the metabolism and proliferation capacity of the cells. The REEbernation provides a new method to reversibly place a cell into “on-hold” mode, opening opportunities to develop protocols for biological samples fixation with a minimum effect on the omics profile for biomedical needs. Abstract Until now, the ability to reversibly halt cellular processes has been limited to cryopreservation and several forms of anabiosis observed in living organisms. In this paper we show that incubation of living cells with a solution containing ~50 mM neodymium induces a rapid shutdown of intracellular organelle movement and all other evidence of active metabolism. We have named this state REEbernation (derived from the terms REE (rare earth elements) and hibernation) and found that the process involves a rapid replacement of calcium with neodymium in membranes and organelles of a cell, allowing it to maintain its shape and membrane integrity under extreme conditions, such as low pressure. Furthermore, phosphate exchange is blocked as a result of non-dissolvable neodymium salts formation, which “discharged” the cell. We further showed that REEbernation is characterized by an immediate cessation of transcriptional activity in observed cells, providing an intriguing opportunity to study a snapshot of gene expression at a given time point. Finally, we found that the REEbernation state is reversible, and we could restore the metabolism and proliferation capacity of the cells. The REEbernation, in addition to being an attractive model to further investigate the basic mechanisms of cell metabolism control, also provides a new method to reversibly place a cell into “on-hold” mode, opening opportunities to develop protocols for biological samples fixation with a minimum effect on the omics profile for biomedical needs.
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14
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Kellman BP, Baghdassarian HM, Pramparo T, Shamie I, Gazestani V, Begzati A, Li S, Nalabolu S, Murray S, Lopez L, Pierce K, Courchesne E, Lewis NE. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles lead to a loss of consistency in poly(A)-enriched RNA sequencing. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:69. [PMID: 33478392 PMCID: PMC7818915 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07381-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Both RNA-Seq and sample freeze-thaw are ubiquitous. However, knowledge about the impact of freeze-thaw on downstream analyses is limited. The lack of common quality metrics that are sufficiently sensitive to freeze-thaw and RNA degradation, e.g. the RNA Integrity Score, makes such assessments challenging. Results Here we quantify the impact of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the reliability of RNA-Seq by examining poly(A)-enriched and ribosomal RNA depleted RNA-seq from frozen leukocytes drawn from a toddler Autism cohort. To do so, we estimate the relative noise, or percentage of random counts, separating technical replicates. Using this approach we measured noise associated with RIN and freeze-thaw cycles. As expected, RIN does not fully capture sample degradation due to freeze-thaw. We further examined differential expression results and found that three freeze-thaws should extinguish the differential expression reproducibility of similar experiments. Freeze-thaw also resulted in a 3′ shift in the read coverage distribution along the gene body of poly(A)-enriched samples compared to ribosomal RNA depleted samples, suggesting that library preparation may exacerbate freeze-thaw-induced sample degradation. Conclusion The use of poly(A)-enrichment for RNA sequencing is pervasive in library preparation of frozen tissue, and thus, it is important during experimental design and data analysis to consider the impact of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on reproducibility. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07381-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Kellman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA.,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Hratch M Baghdassarian
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA.,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Isaac Shamie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA.,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Vahid Gazestani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA.,Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Arjana Begzati
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Shangzhong Li
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Sarah Murray
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Linda Lopez
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA. .,Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
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15
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Pang WK, Kang S, Ryu DY, Rahman MS, Park YJ, Pang MG. Optimization of sperm RNA processing for developmental research. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11606. [PMID: 32665575 PMCID: PMC7360572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68486-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of sperm RNA function as a transporter of important information directing the course of life. To determine the message contained in sperm RNA, it is necessary to optimize transcriptomic research tools. The current study was performed to optimize the processing of sperm RNA from sample storage to quantitative real-time PCR and assess the corresponding method with to evaluate male fertility and its representative markers, equatorin (EQTN) and peroxiredoxin (PRDX). Following successive steps of the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments guidelines, several options were compared using boar spermatozoa. To evaluate the optimized procedures, the relationship between mRNA expression of EQTN and PRDX in spermatozoa and the fertility (litter size) of 20 individual boars was assessed. Unexpectedly, DNase treatment during RNA isolation had the deleterious effect by decreasing the RNA concentration by 56% and eliminating the correlation between EQTN and PRDX4 mRNA expression and male fertility. Moreover, when sperm RNA was processed using the corresponding method, the results showed the highest exon sequence expression, male fertility prediction power, and consistency. This optimized protocol for predicting male fertility can be used to study the transport of messages directing the life course from spermatozoon to offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Ki Pang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Saehan Kang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Yeal Ryu
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Saidur Rahman
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo-Jin Park
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Myung-Geol Pang
- Department of Animal Science and Technology and BET Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea.
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16
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McGaugh SE, Kowalko JE, Duboué E, Lewis P, Franz-Odendaal TA, Rohner N, Gross JB, Keene AC. Dark world rises: The emergence of cavefish as a model for the study of evolution, development, behavior, and disease. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:397-404. [PMID: 32638529 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A central question in biology is how naturally occurring genetic variation accounts for morphological and behavioral diversity within a species. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, has been studied for nearly a century as a model for investigating trait evolution. In March of 2019, researchers representing laboratories from around the world met at the Sixth Astyanax International Meeting in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. The meeting highlighted the expanding applications of cavefish to investigations of diverse aspects of basic biology, including development, evolution, and disease-based applications. A broad range of integrative approaches are being applied in this system, including the application of state-of-the-art functional genetic assays, brain imaging, and genome sequencing. These advances position cavefish as a model organism for addressing fundamental questions about the genetics and evolution underlying the impressive trait diversity among individual populations within this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E McGaugh
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Johanna E Kowalko
- The Jupiter Life Science Initiative and Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida.,Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Erik Duboué
- The Jupiter Life Science Initiative and Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida.,Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Peter Lewis
- The Jupiter Life Science Initiative and Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | | | - Nicolas Rohner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Joshua B Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Alex C Keene
- The Jupiter Life Science Initiative and Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
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17
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McGaugh SE, Passow CN, Jaggard JB, Stahl BA, Keene AC. Unique transcriptional signatures of sleep loss across independently evolved cavefish populations. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:497-510. [PMID: 32351033 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals respond to sleep loss with compensatory rebound sleep, and this is thought to be critical for the maintenance of physiological homeostasis. Sleep duration varies dramatically across animal species, but it is not known whether evolutionary differences in sleep duration are associated with differences in sleep homeostasis. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, has emerged as a powerful model for studying the evolution of sleep. While eyed surface populations of A. mexicanus sleep approximately 8 hr each day, multiple blind cavefish populations have converged on sleep patterns that total as little as 2 hr each day, providing the opportunity to examine whether the evolution of sleep loss is accompanied by changes in sleep homeostasis. Here, we examine the behavioral and molecular response to sleep deprivation across four independent populations of A. mexicanus. Our behavioral analysis indicates that surface fish and all three cavefish populations display robust recovery sleep during the day following nighttime sleep deprivation, suggesting sleep homeostasis remains intact in cavefish. We profiled transcriptome-wide changes associated with sleep deprivation in surface fish and cavefish. While the total number of differentially expressed genes was not greater for the surface population, the surface population exhibited the highest number of uniquely differentially expressed genes than any other population. Strikingly, a majority of the differentially expressed genes are unique to individual cave populations, suggesting unique expression responses are exhibited across independently evolved cavefish populations. Together, these findings suggest sleep homeostasis is intact in cavefish despite a dramatic reduction in overall sleep duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E McGaugh
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Courtney N Passow
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - James Brian Jaggard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Bethany A Stahl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
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18
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Krishnan J, Persons JL, Peuß R, Hassan H, Kenzior A, Xiong S, Olsen L, Maldonado E, Kowalko JE, Rohner N. Comparative transcriptome analysis of wild and lab populations of
Astyanax mexicanus
uncovers differential effects of environment and morphotype on gene expression. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:530-539. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Krishnan
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
| | | | - Robert Peuß
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
| | - Huzaifa Hassan
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
| | | | - Shaolei Xiong
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
| | - Luke Olsen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology The University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City Kansas
| | - Ernesto Maldonado
- EvoDevo Research Group, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Puerto Morelos Quintana Roo Mexico
| | - Johanna E. Kowalko
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College Florida Atlantic University Jupiter Florida
| | - Nicolas Rohner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research Kansas City Missouri
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology The University of Kansas Medical Center Kansas City Kansas
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19
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Hickl O, Heintz-Buschart A, Trautwein-Schult A, Hercog R, Bork P, Wilmes P, Becher D. Sample Preservation and Storage Significantly Impact Taxonomic and Functional Profiles in Metaproteomics Studies of the Human Gut Microbiome. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7090367. [PMID: 31546776 PMCID: PMC6780314 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7090367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
With the technological advances of the last decade, it is now feasible to analyze microbiome samples, such as human stool specimens, using multi-omic techniques. Given the inherent sample complexity, there exists a need for sample methods which preserve as much information as possible about the biological system at the time of sampling. Here, we analyzed human stool samples preserved and stored using different methods, applying metagenomics as well as metaproteomics. Our results demonstrate that sample preservation and storage have a significant effect on the taxonomic composition of identified proteins. The overall identification rates, as well as the proportion of proteins from Actinobacteria were much higher when samples were flash frozen. Preservation in RNAlater overall led to fewer protein identifications and a considerable increase in the share of Bacteroidetes, as well as Proteobacteria. Additionally, a decrease in the share of metabolism-related proteins and an increase of the relative amount of proteins involved in the processing of genetic information was observed for RNAlater-stored samples. This suggests that great care should be taken in choosing methods for the preservation and storage of microbiome samples, as well as in comparing the results of analyses using different sampling and storage methods. Flash freezing and subsequent storage at −80 °C should be chosen wherever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Hickl
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Anna Heintz-Buschart
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, D-06120 Halle, Germany.
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Université du Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | | | - Rajna Hercog
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Peer Bork
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, D-13125 Berlin, Germany.
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), European Molecular Biology Laboratory and University Hospital Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Paul Wilmes
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Université du Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Dörte Becher
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany.
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20
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Mauerhofer LM, Pappenreiter P, Paulik C, Seifert AH, Bernacchi S, Rittmann SKMR. Methods for quantification of growth and productivity in anaerobic microbiology and biotechnology. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2019; 64:321-360. [PMID: 30446943 PMCID: PMC6529396 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-018-0658-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Anaerobic microorganisms (anaerobes) possess a fascinating metabolic versatility. This characteristic makes anaerobes interesting candidates for physiological studies and utilizable as microbial cell factories. To investigate the physiological characteristics of an anaerobic microbial population, yield, productivity, specific growth rate, biomass production, substrate uptake, and product formation are regarded as essential variables. The determination of those variables in distinct cultivation systems may be achieved by using different techniques for sampling, measuring of growth, substrate uptake, and product formation kinetics. In this review, a comprehensive overview of methods is presented, and the applicability is discussed in the frame of anaerobic microbiology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Maria Mauerhofer
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Universität Wien, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Wien, Austria
| | - Patricia Pappenreiter
- Institute for Chemical Technology of Organic Materials, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Christian Paulik
- Institute for Chemical Technology of Organic Materials, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria
| | | | | | - Simon K-M R Rittmann
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Universität Wien, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Wien, Austria.
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21
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Depledge DP, Mohr I, Wilson AC. Going the Distance: Optimizing RNA-Seq Strategies for Transcriptomic Analysis of Complex Viral Genomes. J Virol 2019; 93:e01342-18. [PMID: 30305358 PMCID: PMC6288342 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01342-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome profiling has become routine in studies of many biological processes. However, the favored approaches such as short-read Illumina RNA sequencing are giving way to long-read sequencing platforms better suited to interrogating the complex transcriptomes typical of many RNA and DNA viruses. Here, we provide a guide-tailored to molecular virologists-to the ins and outs of viral transcriptome sequencing and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the major RNA sequencing technologies as tools to analyze the abundance and diversity of the viral transcripts made during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Depledge
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ian Mohr
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Angus C Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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