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Acs-Szabo L, Papp LA, Miklos I. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of human diseases: the benefits of fission yeasts. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2024; 11:288-311. [PMID: 39104724 PMCID: PMC11299203 DOI: 10.15698/mic2024.08.833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
The role of model organisms such as yeasts in life science research is crucial. Although the baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is the most popular model among yeasts, the contribution of the fission yeasts (Schizosaccharomyces) to life science is also indisputable. Since both types of yeasts share several thousands of common orthologous genes with humans, they provide a simple research platform to investigate many fundamental molecular mechanisms and functions, thereby contributing to the understanding of the background of human diseases. In this review, we would like to highlight the many advantages of fission yeasts over budding yeasts. The usefulness of fission yeasts in virus research is shown as an example, presenting the most important research results related to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein. Besides, the potential role of fission yeasts in the study of prion biology is also discussed. Furthermore, we are keen to promote the uprising model yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, which is a dimorphic species in the fission yeast genus. We propose the hyphal growth of S. japonicus as an unusual opportunity as a model to study the invadopodia of human cancer cells since the two seemingly different cell types can be compared along fundamental features. Here we also collect the latest laboratory protocols and bioinformatics tools for the fission yeasts to highlight the many possibilities available to the research community. In addition, we present several limiting factors that everyone should be aware of when working with yeast models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lajos Acs-Szabo
- Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of DebrecenDebrecen, 4032Hungary
| | - Laszlo Attila Papp
- Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of DebrecenDebrecen, 4032Hungary
| | - Ida Miklos
- Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of DebrecenDebrecen, 4032Hungary
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2
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Jia GS, Zhang WC, Liang Y, Liu XH, Rhind N, Pidoux A, Brysch-Herzberg M, Du LL. A high-quality reference genome for the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces osmophilus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad028. [PMID: 36748990 PMCID: PMC10085805 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fission yeasts are an ancient group of fungal species that diverged from each other from tens to hundreds of million years ago. Among them is the preeminent model organism Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which has significantly contributed to our understandings of molecular mechanisms underlying fundamental cellular processes. The availability of the genomes of S. pombe and 3 other fission yeast species S. japonicus, S. octosporus, and S. cryophilus has enabled cross-species comparisons that provide insights into the evolution of genes, pathways, and genomes. Here, we performed genome sequencing on the type strain of the recently identified fission yeast species S. osmophilus and obtained a complete mitochondrial genome and a nuclear genome assembly with gaps only at rRNA gene arrays. A total of 5,098 protein-coding nuclear genes were annotated and orthologs for more than 95% of them were identified. Genome-based phylogenetic analysis showed that S. osmophilus is most closely related to S. octosporus and these 2 species diverged around 16 million years ago. To demonstrate the utility of this S. osmophilus reference genome, we conducted cross-species comparative analyses of centromeres, telomeres, transposons, the mating-type region, Cbp1 family proteins, and mitochondrial genomes. These analyses revealed conservation of repeat arrangements and sequence motifs in centromere cores, identified telomeric sequences composed of 2 types of repeats, delineated relationships among Tf1/sushi group retrotransposons, characterized the evolutionary origins and trajectories of Cbp1 family domesticated transposases, and discovered signs of interspecific transfer of 2 types of mitochondrial selfish elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Song Jia
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Wen-Cai Zhang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yue Liang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xi-Han Liu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Nicholas Rhind
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Alison Pidoux
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland, UK
| | - Michael Brysch-Herzberg
- Laboratory for Wine Microbiology, Department International Business, Heilbronn University, Heilbronn 74081, Germany
| | - Li-Lin Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102206, China
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3
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Catlin NS, Josephs EB. The important contribution of transposable elements to phenotypic variation and evolution. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 65:102140. [PMID: 34883307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are responsible for significant genomic variation in plants. Our understanding of the evolutionary forces shaping TE polymorphism has lagged behind other mutations because of the difficulty of accurately identifying TE polymorphism in short-read population genomic data. However, new approaches allow us to quantify TE polymorphisms in population datasets and address fundamental questions about the evolution of these polymorphisms. Here, we discuss how insertional biases shape where, when, and how often TEs insert throughout the genome. Next, we examine mechanisms by which TEs can affect phenotype. Finally, we evaluate current evidence for selection on TE polymorphisms. All together, it is clear that TEs are important, but underappreciated, contributors to intraspecific phenotypic variation, and that understanding the dynamics governing TE polymorphism is crucial for evolutionary biologists interested in the maintenance of variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan S Catlin
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Emily B Josephs
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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4
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Dechaud C, Miyake S, Martinez-Bengochea A, Schartl M, Volff JN, Naville M. Clustering of Sex-Biased Genes and Transposable Elements in the Genome of the Medaka Fish Oryzias latipes. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6384576. [PMID: 34623422 PMCID: PMC8633743 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although genes with similar expression patterns are sometimes found in the same genomic regions, almost nothing is known about the relative organization in genomes of genes and transposable elements (TEs), which might influence each other at the regulatory level. In this study, we used transcriptomic data from male and female gonads of the Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes to define sexually biased genes and TEs and analyze their relative genomic localization. We identified 20,588 genes expressed in the adult gonads of O. latipes. Around 39% of these genes are differentially expressed between male and female gonads. We further analyzed the expression of TEs using the program SQuIRE and showed that more TE copies are overexpressed in testis than in ovaries (36% vs. 10%, respectively). We then developed a method to detect genomic regions enriched in testis- or ovary-biased genes. This revealed that sex-biased genes and TEs are not randomly distributed in the genome and a part of them form clusters with the same expression bias. We also found a correlation of expression between TE copies and their closest genes, which increases with decreasing intervening distance. Such a genomic organization suggests either that TEs hijack the regulatory sequences of neighboring sexual genes, allowing their expression in germ line cells and consequently new insertions to be transmitted to the next generation, or that TEs are involved in the regulation of sexual genes, and might therefore through their mobility participate in the rewiring of sex regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Dechaud
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Sho Miyake
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Manfred Schartl
- Entwicklungsbiochemie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Univ Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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5
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Cui Y, Guo Y. The local integration preference of the Tf1 retrotransposon in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Virology 2021; 565:52-57. [PMID: 34736160 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.10.008] [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: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Transposons are mobile DNAs that can move to different locations in host genomes. The integration site selection of transposons is critical for both themselves and host cells. Studies on the integration of retrotransposons and retroviruses have focused more on the global preference than on the local preference. The local preferences of retrotransposons are usually weak and of large diversity. Here, we analyzed hundreds of thousands of independent integration events of the Tf1 retrotransposon in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The consensus sequence at the Tf1 integration sites shows a palindromic pattern, which can be divided into four sections, each of them contains one or more CGnTA units with a period of 10 base pairs, indicating interaction with subunits of the integrase oligomer in the pre-integration complex. Moreover, the analysis on the nucleosome occupancy flanking Tf1 target sites shows that Tf1 integration favors regions with one entire nucleosome depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Cui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China; Guangzhou PharmaRays Technology Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Yabin Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
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6
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Maxwell PH. Diverse transposable element landscapes in pathogenic and nonpathogenic yeast models: the value of a comparative perspective. Mob DNA 2020; 11:16. [PMID: 32336995 PMCID: PMC7175516 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomics and other large-scale analyses have drawn increasing attention to the potential impacts of transposable elements (TEs) on their host genomes. However, it remains challenging to transition from identifying potential roles to clearly demonstrating the level of impact TEs have on genome evolution and possible functions that they contribute to their host organisms. I summarize TE content and distribution in four well-characterized yeast model systems in this review: the pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, and the nonpathogenic species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. I compare and contrast their TE landscapes to their lifecycles, genomic features, as well as the presence and nature of RNA interference pathways in each species to highlight the valuable diversity represented by these models for functional studies of TEs. I then review the regulation and impacts of the Ty1 and Ty3 retrotransposons from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Tf1 and Tf2 retrotransposons from Schizosaccharomyces pombe to emphasize parallels and distinctions between these well-studied elements. I propose that further characterization of TEs in the pathogenic yeasts would enable this set of four yeast species to become an excellent set of models for comparative functional studies to address outstanding questions about TE-host relationships.
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Patterson K, Shavarebi F, Magnan C, Chang I, Qi X, Baldi P, Bilanchone V, Sandmeyer SB. Local features determine Ty3 targeting frequency at RNA polymerase III transcription start sites. Genome Res 2019; 29:1298-1309. [PMID: 31249062 PMCID: PMC6673722 DOI: 10.1101/gr.240861.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Retroelement integration into host genomes affects chromosome structure and function. A goal of a considerable number of investigations is to elucidate features influencing insertion site selection. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ty3 retrotransposon inserts proximal to the transcription start sites (TSS) of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase III (RNAP3). In this study, differential patterns of insertion were profiled genome-wide using a random barcode-tagged Ty3. Saturation transposition showed that tRNA genes (tDNAs) are targeted at widely different frequencies even within isoacceptor families. Ectopic expression of Ty3 integrase (IN) showed that it localized to targets independent of other Ty3 proteins and cDNA. IN, RNAP3, and transcription factor Brf1 were enriched at tDNA targets with high frequencies of transposition. To examine potential effects of cis-acting DNA features on transposition, targeting was tested on high-copy plasmids with restricted amounts of 5′ flanking sequence plus tDNA. Relative activity of targets was reconstituted in these constructions. Weighting of genomic insertions according to frequency identified an A/T-rich sequence followed by C as the dominant site of strand transfer. This site lies immediately adjacent to the adenines previously implicated in the RNAP3 TSS motif (CAA). In silico DNA structural analysis upstream of this motif showed that targets with elevated DNA curvature coincide with reduced integration. We propose that integration mediated by the Ty3 intasome complex (IN and cDNA) is subject to inputs from a combination of host factor occupancy and insertion site architecture, and that this results in the wide range of Ty3 targeting frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Patterson
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Farbod Shavarebi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Christophe Magnan
- School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Ivan Chang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Xiaojie Qi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Pierre Baldi
- School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Virginia Bilanchone
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Suzanne B Sandmeyer
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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8
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Tong P, Pidoux AL, Toda NRT, Ard R, Berger H, Shukla M, Torres-Garcia J, Müller CA, Nieduszynski CA, Allshire RC. Interspecies conservation of organisation and function between nonhomologous regional centromeres. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2343. [PMID: 31138803 PMCID: PMC6538654 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09824-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the conserved essential function of centromeres, centromeric DNA itself is not conserved. The histone-H3 variant, CENP-A, is the epigenetic mark that specifies centromere identity. Paradoxically, CENP-A normally assembles on particular sequences at specific genomic locations. To gain insight into the specification of complex centromeres, here we take an evolutionary approach, fully assembling genomes and centromeres of related fission yeasts. Centromere domain organization, but not sequence, is conserved between Schizosaccharomyces pombe, S. octosporus and S. cryophilus with a central CENP-ACnp1 domain flanked by heterochromatic outer-repeat regions. Conserved syntenic clusters of tRNA genes and 5S rRNA genes occur across the centromeres of S. octosporus and S. cryophilus, suggesting conserved function. Interestingly, nonhomologous centromere central-core sequences from S. octosporus and S. cryophilus are recognized in S. pombe, resulting in cross-species establishment of CENP-ACnp1 chromatin and functional kinetochores. Therefore, despite the lack of sequence conservation, Schizosaccharomyces centromere DNA possesses intrinsic conserved properties that promote assembly of CENP-A chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Tong
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK
| | - Alison L. Pidoux
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK
| | - Nicholas R. T. Toda
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK ,0000 0001 2203 0006grid.464101.6Present Address: UPMC CNRS, Roscoff Marine Station, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Ryan Ard
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK ,0000 0001 0674 042Xgrid.5254.6Present Address: Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Bülowsvej 34, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Harald Berger
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK ,0000 0001 2298 5320grid.5173.0Present Address: Symbiocyte, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manu Shukla
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK
| | - Jesus Torres-Garcia
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK
| | - Carolin A. Müller
- 0000 0004 1936 8948grid.4991.5Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE UK
| | - Conrad A. Nieduszynski
- 0000 0004 1936 8948grid.4991.5Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE UK
| | - Robin C. Allshire
- 0000 0004 1936 7988grid.4305.2Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF UK
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Bourque G, Burns KH, Gehring M, Gorbunova V, Seluanov A, Hammell M, Imbeault M, Izsvák Z, Levin HL, Macfarlan TS, Mager DL, Feschotte C. Ten things you should know about transposable elements. Genome Biol 2018; 19:199. [PMID: 30454069 PMCID: PMC6240941 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1577-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 655] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes. However, the extent of their impact on genome evolution, function, and disease remain a matter of intense interrogation. The rise of genomics and large-scale functional assays has shed new light on the multi-faceted activities of TEs and implies that they should no longer be marginalized. Here, we introduce the fundamental properties of TEs and their complex interactions with their cellular environment, which are crucial to understanding their impact and manifold consequences for organismal biology. While we draw examples primarily from mammalian systems, the core concepts outlined here are relevant to a broad range of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bourque
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 0G1, Canada.
- Canadian Center for Computational Genomics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 0G1, Canada.
| | - Kathleen H Burns
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Mary Gehring
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Molly Hammell
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Michaël Imbeault
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henry L Levin
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dixie L Mager
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency and Department of Medical Genetics, University of BC, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
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Cheung S, Manhas S, Measday V. Retrotransposon targeting to RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes. Mob DNA 2018; 9:14. [PMID: 29713390 PMCID: PMC5911963 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-018-0119-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are genetic elements that are similar in structure and life cycle to retroviruses by replicating via an RNA intermediate and inserting into a host genome. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) Ty1-5 elements are long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons that are members of the Ty1-copia (Pseudoviridae) or Ty3-gypsy (Metaviridae) families. Four of the five S. cerevisiae Ty elements are inserted into the genome upstream of RNA Polymerase (Pol) III-transcribed genes such as transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. This particular genomic locus provides a safe environment for Ty element insertion without disruption of the host genome and is a targeting strategy used by retrotransposons that insert into compact genomes of hosts such as S. cerevisiae and the social amoeba Dictyostelium. The mechanism by which Ty1 targeting is achieved has been recently solved due to the discovery of an interaction between Ty1 Integrase (IN) and RNA Pol III subunits. We describe the methods used to identify the Ty1-IN interaction with Pol III and the Ty1 targeting consequences if the interaction is perturbed. The details of Ty1 targeting are just beginning to emerge and many unexplored areas remain including consideration of the 3-dimensional shape of genome. We present a variety of other retrotransposon families that insert adjacent to Pol III-transcribed genes and the mechanism by which the host machinery has been hijacked to accomplish this targeting strategy. Finally, we discuss why retrotransposons selected Pol III-transcribed genes as a target during evolution and how retrotransposons have shaped genome architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Savrina Manhas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Vivien Measday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
- Department of Food Science, Wine Research Centre, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Room 325-2205 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
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11
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Cross-Regulation between Transposable Elements and Host DNA Replication. Viruses 2017; 9:v9030057. [PMID: 28335567 PMCID: PMC5371812 DOI: 10.3390/v9030057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements subvert host cellular functions to ensure their survival. Their interaction with the host DNA replication machinery indicates that selective pressures lead them to develop ancestral and convergent evolutionary adaptations aimed at conserved features of this fundamental process. These interactions can shape the co-evolution of the transposons and their hosts.
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12
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Integration site selection by retroviruses and transposable elements in eukaryotes. Nat Rev Genet 2017; 18:292-308. [PMID: 28286338 DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements and retroviruses are found in most genomes, can be pathogenic and are widely used as gene-delivery and functional genomics tools. Exploring whether these genetic elements target specific genomic sites for integration and how this preference is achieved is crucial to our understanding of genome evolution, somatic genome plasticity in cancer and ageing, host-parasite interactions and genome engineering applications. High-throughput profiling of integration sites by next-generation sequencing, combined with large-scale genomic data mining and cellular or biochemical approaches, has revealed that the insertions are usually non-random. The DNA sequence, chromatin and nuclear context, and cellular proteins cooperate in guiding integration in eukaryotic genomes, leading to a remarkable diversity of insertion site distribution and evolutionary strategies.
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