1
|
Galbraith JD, Kortschak RD, Suh A, Adelson DL. Genome Stability Is in the Eye of the Beholder: CR1 Retrotransposon Activity Varies Significantly across Avian Diversity. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6433158. [PMID: 34894225 PMCID: PMC8665684 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the sequencing of the zebra finch genome it has become clear that avian genomes, while largely stable in terms of chromosome number and gene synteny, are more dynamic at an intrachromosomal level. A multitude of intrachromosomal rearrangements and significant variation in transposable element (TE) content have been noted across the avian tree. TEs are a source of genome plasticity, because their high similarity enables chromosomal rearrangements through nonallelic homologous recombination, and they have potential for exaptation as regulatory and coding sequences. Previous studies have investigated the activity of the dominant TE in birds, chicken repeat 1 (CR1) retrotransposons, either focusing on their expansion within single orders, or comparing passerines with nonpasserines. Here, we comprehensively investigate and compare the activity of CR1 expansion across orders of birds, finding levels of CR1 activity vary significantly both between and within orders. We describe high levels of TE expansion in genera which have speciated in the last 10 Myr including kiwis, geese, and Amazon parrots; low levels of TE expansion in songbirds across their diversification, and near inactivity of TEs in the cassowary and emu for millions of years. CR1s have remained active over long periods of time across most orders of neognaths, with activity at any one time dominated by one or two families of CR1s. Our findings of higher TE activity in species-rich clades and dominant families of TEs within lineages mirror past findings in mammals and indicate that genome evolution in amniotes relies on universal TE-driven processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D Galbraith
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - David L Adelson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bravo GA, Schmitt CJ, Edwards SV. What Have We Learned from the First 500 Avian Genomes? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012121-085928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The increased capacity of DNA sequencing has significantly advanced our understanding of the phylogeny of birds and the proximate and ultimate mechanisms molding their genomic diversity. In less than a decade, the number of available avian reference genomes has increased to over 500—approximately 5% of bird diversity—placing birds in a privileged position to advance the fields of phylogenomics and comparative, functional, and population genomics. Whole-genome sequence data, as well as indels and rare genomic changes, are further resolving the avian tree of life. The accumulation of bird genomes, increasingly with long-read sequence data, greatly improves the resolution of genomic features such as germline-restricted chromosomes and the W chromosome, and is facilitating the comparative integration of genotypes and phenotypes. Community-based initiatives such as the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project and Vertebrate Genome Project are playing a fundamental role in amplifying and coalescing a vibrant international program in avian comparative genomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A. Bravo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
| | - C. Jonathan Schmitt
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;, ,
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vassetzky NS, Kosushkin SA, Korchagin VI, Ryskov AP. New Ther1-derived SINE Squam3 in scaled reptiles. Mob DNA 2021; 12:10. [PMID: 33752750 PMCID: PMC7983390 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-021-00238-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SINEs comprise a significant part of animal genomes and are used to study the evolution of diverse taxa. Despite significant advances in SINE studies in vertebrates and higher eukaryotes in general, their own evolution is poorly understood. RESULTS We have discovered and described in detail a new Squam3 SINE specific for scaled reptiles (Squamata). The subfamilies of this SINE demonstrate different distribution in the genomes of squamates, which together with the data on similar SINEs in the tuatara allowed us to propose a scenario of their evolution in the context of reptilian evolution. CONCLUSIONS Ancestral SINEs preserved in small numbers in most genomes can give rise to taxa-specific SINE families. Analysis of this aspect of SINEs can shed light on the history and mechanisms of SINE variation in reptilian genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikita S Vassetzky
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - Sergei A Kosushkin
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Vitaly I Korchagin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alexey P Ryskov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ottenburghs J, Geng K, Suh A, Kutter C. Genome Size Reduction and Transposon Activity Impact tRNA Gene Diversity While Ensuring Translational Stability in Birds. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6127176. [PMID: 33533905 PMCID: PMC8044555 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab016] [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: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As a highly diverse vertebrate class, bird species have adapted to various ecological systems. How this phenotypic diversity can be explained genetically is intensively debated and is likely grounded in differences in the genome content. Larger and more complex genomes could allow for greater genetic regulation that results in more phenotypic variety. Surprisingly, avian genomes are much smaller compared to other vertebrates but contain as many protein-coding genes as other vertebrates. This supports the notion that the phenotypic diversity is largely determined by selection on non-coding gene sequences. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) represent a group of non-coding genes. However, the characteristics of tRNA genes across bird genomes have remained largely unexplored. Here, we exhaustively investigated the evolution and functional consequences of these crucial translational regulators within bird species and across vertebrates. Our dense sampling of 55 avian genomes representing each bird order revealed an average of 169 tRNA genes with at least 31% being actively used. Unlike other vertebrates, avian tRNA genes are reduced in number and complexity but are still in line with vertebrate wobble pairing strategies and mutation-driven codon usage. Our detailed phylogenetic analyses further uncovered that new tRNA genes can emerge through multiplication by transposable elements. Together, this study provides the first comprehensive avian and cross-vertebrate tRNA gene analyses and demonstrates that tRNA gene evolution is flexible albeit constrained within functional boundaries of general mechanisms in protein translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jente Ottenburghs
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Keyi Geng
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Claudia Kutter
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kögler A, Seibt KM, Heitkam T, Morgenstern K, Reiche B, Brückner M, Wolf H, Krabel D, Schmidt T. Divergence of 3' ends as a driver of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) evolution in the Salicaceae. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:443-458. [PMID: 32056333 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are small, non-autonomous and heterogeneous retrotransposons that are widespread in plants. To explore the amplification dynamics and evolutionary history of SINE populations in representative deciduous tree species, we analyzed the genomes of the six following Salicaceae species: Populus deltoides, Populus euphratica, Populus tremula, Populus tremuloides, Populus trichocarpa, and Salix purpurea. We identified 11 Salicaceae SINE families (SaliS-I to SaliS-XI), comprising 27 077 full-length copies. Most of these families harbor segmental similarities, providing evidence for SINE emergence by reshuffling or heterodimerization. We observed two SINE groups, differing in phylogenetic distribution pattern, similarity and 3' end structure. These groups probably emerged during the 'salicoid duplication' (~65 million years ago) in the Salix-Populus progenitor and during the separation of the genus Salix (45-65 million years ago), respectively. In contrast to conserved 5' start motifs across species and SINE families, the 3' ends are highly variable in sequence and length. This extraordinary 3'-end variability results from mutations in the poly(A) tail, which were fixed by subsequent amplificational bursts. We show that the dissemination of newly evolved 3' ends is accomplished by a displacement of older motifs, leading to various 3'-end subpopulations within the SaliS families.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Kögler
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kathrin M Seibt
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tony Heitkam
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kristin Morgenstern
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Birgit Reiche
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | | | - Heino Wolf
- Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst, 01796, Pirna, Germany
| | - Doris Krabel
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Seibt KM, Schmidt T, Heitkam T. The conserved 3' Angio-domain defines a superfamily of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) in higher plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:681-699. [PMID: 31610059 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Repetitive sequences are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic genomes affecting genome size and evolution as well as gene regulation. Among them, short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are non-coding retrotransposons usually shorter than 1000 bp. They contain only few short conserved structural motifs, in particular an internal promoter derived from cellular RNAs and a mostly AT-rich 3' tail, whereas the remaining regions are highly variable. SINEs emerge and vanish during evolution, and often diversify into numerous families and subfamilies that are usually specific for only a limited number of species. In contrast, at the 3' end of multiple plant SINEs we detected the highly conserved 'Angio-domain'. This 37 bp segment defines the Angio-SINE superfamily, which encompasses 24 plant SINE families widely distributed across 13 orders within the plant kingdom. We retrieved 28 433 full-length Angio-SINE copies from genome assemblies of 46 plant species, frequently located in genes. Compensatory mutations in and adjacent to the Angio-domain imply selective restraints maintaining its RNA structure. Angio-SINE families share segmental sequence similarities, indicating a modular evolution with strong Angio-domain preservation. We suggest that the conserved domain contributes to the evolutionary success of Angio-SINEs through either structural interactions between SINE RNA and proteins increasing their transpositional efficiency, or by enhancing their accumulation in genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin M Seibt
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
| | - Tony Heitkam
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Damas J, Kim J, Farré M, Griffin DK, Larkin DM. Reconstruction of avian ancestral karyotypes reveals differences in the evolutionary history of macro- and microchromosomes. Genome Biol 2018; 19:155. [PMID: 30290830 PMCID: PMC6173868 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1544-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reconstruction of ancestral karyotypes is critical for our understanding of genome evolution, allowing for the identification of the gross changes that shaped extant genomes. The identification of such changes and their time of occurrence can shed light on the biology of each species, clade and their evolutionary history. However, this is impeded by both the fragmented nature of the majority of genome assemblies and the limitations of the available software to work with them. These limitations are particularly apparent in birds, with only 10 chromosome-level assemblies reported thus far. Algorithmic approaches applied to fragmented genome assemblies can nonetheless help define patterns of chromosomal change in defined taxonomic groups. Results Here, we make use of the DESCHRAMBLER algorithm to perform the first large-scale study of ancestral chromosome structure and evolution in birds. This algorithm allows us to reconstruct the overall genome structure of 14 key nodes of avian evolution from the Avian ancestor to the ancestor of the Estrildidae, Thraupidae and Fringillidae families. Conclusions Analysis of these reconstructions provides important insights into the variability of rearrangement rates during avian evolution and allows the detection of patterns related to the chromosome distribution of evolutionary breakpoint regions. Moreover, the inclusion of microchromosomes in our reconstructions allows us to provide novel insights into the evolution of these avian chromosomes, specifically. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13059-018-1544-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Damas
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, NW1 0TU, UK
| | - Jaebum Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, South Korea
| | - Marta Farré
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, NW1 0TU, UK
| | - Darren K Griffin
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NY, UK
| | - Denis M Larkin
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, NW1 0TU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|