1
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Zheng C, Ma L, Song F, Tian L, Cai W, Li H, Duan Y. Comparative genomic analyses reveal evidence for adaptive A-to-I RNA editing in insect Adar gene. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2333665. [PMID: 38525798 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2333665] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Although A-to-I RNA editing leads to similar effects to A-to-G DNA mutation, nonsynonymous RNA editing (recoding) is believed to confer its adaptiveness by 'epigenetically' regulating proteomic diversity in a temporospatial manner, avoiding the pleiotropic effect of genomic mutations. Recent discoveries on the evolutionary trajectory of Ser>Gly auto-editing site in insect Adar gene demonstrated a selective advantage to having an editable codon compared to uneditable ones. However, apart from pure observations, quantitative approaches for justifying the adaptiveness of individual RNA editing sites are still lacking. We performed a comparative genomic analysis on 113 Diptera species, focusing on the Adar Ser>Gly auto-recoding site in Drosophila. We only found one species having a derived Gly at the corresponding site, and this occurrence was significantly lower than genome-wide random expectation. This suggests that the Adar Ser>Gly site is unlikely to be genomically replaced with G during evolution, and thus indicating the advantage of editable status over hardwired genomic alleles. Similar trends were observed for the conserved Ile>Met recoding in gene Syt1. In the light of evolution, we established a comparative genomic approach for quantitatively justifying the adaptiveness of individual editing sites. Priority should be given to such adaptive editing sites in future functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiqing Zheng
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Song
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanzhi Cai
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuange Duan
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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2
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Taibi T, Cheon S, Perna F, Vu LP. mRNA-based therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Mol Ther 2024; 32:2819-2834. [PMID: 38702886 PMCID: PMC11403232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.04.035] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In the rapidly evolving landscape of medical research, the emergence of RNA-based therapeutics is paradigm shifting. It is mainly driven by the molecular adaptability and capacity to provide precision in targeting. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic crisis underscored the effectiveness of the mRNA therapeutic development platform and brought it to the forefront of RNA-based interventions. These RNA-based therapeutic approaches can reshape gene expression, manipulate cellular functions, and correct the aberrant molecular processes underlying various diseases. The new technologies hold the potential to engineer and deliver tailored therapeutic agents to tackle genetic disorders, cancers, and infectious diseases in a highly personalized and precisely tuned manner. The review discusses the most recent advancements in the field of mRNA therapeutics for cancer treatment, with a focus on the features of the most utilized RNA-based therapeutic interventions, current pre-clinical and clinical developments, and the remaining challenges in delivery strategies, effectiveness, and safety considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilelli Taibi
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Interdisciplinary Oncology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sehyun Cheon
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fabiana Perna
- Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ly P Vu
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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3
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Yuan W, Zhang R, Lyu H, Xiao S, Guo D, Zhang Q, Ali DW, Michalak M, Chen XZ, Zhou C, Tang J. Dysregulation of tRNA methylation in cancer: Mechanisms and targeting therapeutic strategies. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:327. [PMID: 39019857 PMCID: PMC11254935 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
tRNA is the RNA type that undergoes the most modifications among known RNA, and in recent years, tRNA methylation has emerged as a crucial process in regulating gene translation. Dysregulation of tRNA abundance occurs in cancer cells, along with increased expression and activity of tRNA methyltransferases to raise the level of tRNA modification and stability. This leads to hijacking of translation and synthesis of multiple proteins associated with tumor proliferation, metastasis, invasion, autophagy, chemotherapy resistance, and metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we provide an overview of current research on tRNA methylation in cancer to clarify its involvement in human malignancies and establish a theoretical framework for future therapeutic interventions targeting tRNA methylation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Yuan
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao Lyu
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuai Xiao
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Guo
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Declan William Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Marek Michalak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xing-Zhen Chen
- Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Cefan Zhou
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jingfeng Tang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
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4
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Lubna, Asaf S, Khan I, Jan R, Asif S, Bilal S, Kim KM, Al-Harrasi A. Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the Nigella sativa (black seed) plastome. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14509. [PMID: 38914674 PMCID: PMC11196742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65073-6] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, the complete plastome sequence of Nigella sativa (black seed), was analyzed for the first time. The plastome spans approximately 154,120 bp, comprising four sections: the Large Single-Copy (LSC) (85,538 bp), the Small Single-Copy (SSC) (17,984 bp), and two Inverted Repeat (IR) regions (25,299 bp). A comparative study of N. sativa's plastome with ten other species from various genera in the Ranunculaceae family reveals substantial structural variations. The contraction of the inverted repeat region in N. sativa influences the boundaries of single-copy regions, resulting in a shorter plastome size than other species. When comparing the plastome of N. sativa with those of its related species, significant divergence is observed, particularly except for N. damascena. Among these, the plastome of A. glaucifolium displays the highest average pairwise sequence divergence (0.2851) with N. sativa, followed by A. raddeana (0.2290) and A. coerulea (0.1222). Furthermore, the study identified 12 distinct hotspot regions characterized by elevated Pi values (> 0.1). These regions include trnH-GUG-psbA, matK-trnQ-UUG, psbK-trnR-UCU, atpF-atpI, rpoB-psbD, ycf3-ndhJ, ndhC-cemA, petA-psaJ, trnN-GUU-ndhF, trnV-GAC-rps12, ycf2-trnI-CAU, and ndhA-ycf1. Approximately, 24 tandem and 48 palindromic and forward repeats were detected in N. sativa plastome. The analysis revealed 32 microsatellites with the majority being mononucleotide repeats. In the N. sativa plastome, phenylalanine had the highest number of codons (1982 codons), while alanine was the least common amino acid with 260 codons. A phylogenetic tree, constructed using protein-coding genes, revealed a distinct monophyletic clade comprising N. sativa and N. damascene, closely aligned with the Cimicifugeae tribe and exhibiting robust support. This plastome provides valuable genetic information for precise species identification, phylogenetic resolution, and evolutionary studies of N. sativa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna
- Natural and Medical Science Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Sajjad Asaf
- Natural and Medical Science Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616, Nizwa, Oman.
| | - Ibrahim Khan
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Rahmatullah Jan
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Saleem Asif
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Saqib Bilal
- Natural and Medical Science Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Kyung-Min Kim
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Science Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616, Nizwa, Oman.
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5
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He L, Liu Q, Han S. Genome-Wide Analysis of Serine Carboxypeptidase-like Genes in Soybean and Their Roles in Stress Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6712. [PMID: 38928417 PMCID: PMC11203753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126712] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) gene family plays a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth, development, and stress response through activities such as acyltransferases in plant secondary metabolism pathways. Although SCPL genes have been identified in various plant species, their specific functions and characteristics in soybean (Glycine max) have not yet been studied. We identified and characterized 73 SCPL genes, grouped into three subgroups based on gene structure and phylogenetic relationships. These genes are distributed unevenly across 20 soybean chromosomes and show varied codon usage patterns influenced by both mutation and selection pressures. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment suggests these genes are involved in plant cell wall regulation and stress responses. Expression analysis in various tissues and under stress conditions, including the presence of numerous stress-related cis-acting elements, indicated that these genes have varied expression patterns. This suggests that they play specialized roles such as modulating plant defense mechanisms against nematode infections, enhancing tolerance to drought and high salinity, and responding to cold stress, thereby helping soybean adapt to environmental stresses. Moreover, the expression of specific GmSCPLs was significantly affected following exposure to nematode infection, drought, high salt (NaCl), and cold stresses. Our findings underscore the potential of SCPL genes in enhancing stress resistance in soybean, providing a valuable resource for future genetic improvement and breeding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long He
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (L.H.); (Q.L.)
- Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qiannan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (L.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Shaojie Han
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (L.H.); (Q.L.)
- Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 310058, China
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6
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Radrizzani S, Kudla G, Izsvák Z, Hurst LD. Selection on synonymous sites: the unwanted transcript hypothesis. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:431-448. [PMID: 38297070 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00686-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Although translational selection to favour codons that match the most abundant tRNAs is not readily observed in humans, there is nonetheless selection in humans on synonymous mutations. We hypothesize that much of this synonymous site selection can be explained in terms of protection against unwanted RNAs - spurious transcripts, mis-spliced forms or RNAs derived from transposable elements or viruses. We propose not only that selection on synonymous sites functions to reduce the rate of creation of unwanted transcripts (for example, through selection on exonic splice enhancers and cryptic splice sites) but also that high-GC content (but low-CpG content), together with intron presence and position, is both particular to functional native mRNAs and used to recognize transcripts as native. In support of this hypothesis, transcription, nuclear export, liquid phase condensation and RNA degradation have all recently been shown to promote GC-rich transcripts and suppress AU/CpG-rich ones. With such 'traps' being set against AU/CpG-rich transcripts, the codon usage of native genes has, in turn, evolved to avoid such suppression. That parallel filters against AU/CpG-rich transcripts also affect the endosomal import of RNAs further supports the unwanted transcript hypothesis of synonymous site selection and explains the similar design rules that have enabled the successful use of transgenes and RNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Radrizzani
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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7
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Chen S, Navickas A, Goodarzi H. Translational adaptation in breast cancer metastasis and emerging therapeutic opportunities. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:304-318. [PMID: 38453522 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.02.002] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer's tendency to metastasize poses a critical barrier to effective treatment, making it a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide. A growing body of evidence is showing that translational adaptation is emerging as a key mechanism enabling cancer cells to thrive in the dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we systematically summarize how breast cancer cells utilize translational adaptation to drive metastasis, highlighting the intricate regulation by specific translation machinery and mRNA attributes such as sequences and structures, along with the involvement of tRNAs and other trans-acting RNAs. We provide an overview of the latest findings and emerging concepts in this area, discussing their potential implications for therapeutic strategies in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Albertas Navickas
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France.
| | - Hani Goodarzi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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8
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Love AM, Nair NU. Specific codons control cellular resources and fitness. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk3485. [PMID: 38381824 PMCID: PMC10881034 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk3485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
As cellular engineering progresses from simply overexpressing proteins to imparting complex phenotypes through multigene expression, judicious appropriation of cellular resources is essential. Since codon use is degenerate and biased, codons may control cellular resources at a translational level. We investigate how partitioning transfer RNA (tRNA) resources by incorporating dissimilar codon usage can drastically alter interdependence of expression level and burden on the host. By isolating the effect of individual codons' use during translation elongation while eliminating confounding factors, we show that codon choice can trans-regulate fitness of the host and expression of other heterologous or native genes. We correlate specific codon usage patterns with host fitness and derive a coding scheme for multigene expression called the Codon Health Index (CHI, χ). This empirically derived coding scheme (χ) enables the design of multigene expression systems that avoid catastrophic cellular burden and is robust across several proteins and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M. Love
- Manus Bio, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Nikhil U. Nair
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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9
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Brugger SW, Grose JH, Decker CH, Pickett BE, Davis MF. Genomic Analyses of Major SARS-CoV-2 Variants Predicting Multiple Regions of Pathogenic and Transmissive Importance. Viruses 2024; 16:276. [PMID: 38400051 PMCID: PMC10891864 DOI: 10.3390/v16020276] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has fueled its global proliferation since its discovery in 2019, with several notable variants having been responsible for increases in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Analyses of codon bias and usage in these variants between phylogenetic clades or lineages may grant insights into the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and identify target codons indicative of evolutionary or mutative trends that may prove useful in tracking or defending oneself against emerging strains. We processed a cohort of 120 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences through a statistical and bioinformatic pipeline to identify codons presenting evidence of selective pressure as well as codon coevolution. We report the identification of two codon sites in the orf8 and N genes demonstrating such evidence with real-world impacts on pathogenicity and transmissivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mary F. Davis
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.H.G.); (B.E.P.)
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10
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Moutinho AF, Eyre-Walker A. No Evidence that Selection on Synonymous Codon Usage Affects Patterns of Protein Evolution in Bacteria. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evad232. [PMID: 38149940 PMCID: PMC10849182 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad232] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bias in synonymous codon usage has been reported across all kingdoms of life. Evidence suggests that codon usage bias is often driven by selective pressures, typically for translational efficiency. These selective pressures have been shown to depress the rate at which synonymous sites evolve. We hypothesize that selection on synonymous codon use could also slow the rate of protein evolution if a non-synonymous mutation changes the codon from being preferred to unpreferred. We test this hypothesis by looking at patterns of protein evolution using polymorphism and substitution data in two bacterial species, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae. We find no evidence that non-synonymous mutations that change a codon from being unpreferred to preferred are more common than the opposite. Overall, selection on codon bias seems to have little influence over non-synonymous polymorphism or substitution patterns.
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11
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Giguère S, Wang X, Huber S, Xu L, Warner J, Weldon SR, Hu J, Phan QA, Tumang K, Prum T, Ma D, Kirsch KH, Nair U, Dedon P, Batista FD. Antibody production relies on the tRNA inosine wobble modification to meet biased codon demand. Science 2024; 383:205-211. [PMID: 38207021 PMCID: PMC10954030 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi1763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies are produced at high rates to provide immunoprotection, which puts pressure on the B cell translational machinery. Here, we identified a pattern of codon usage conserved across antibody genes. One feature thereof is the hyperutilization of codons that lack genome-encoded Watson-Crick transfer RNAs (tRNAs), instead relying on the posttranscriptional tRNA modification inosine (I34), which expands the decoding capacity of specific tRNAs through wobbling. Antibody-secreting cells had increased I34 levels and were more reliant on I34 for protein production than naïve B cells. Furthermore, antibody I34-dependent codon usage may influence B cell passage through regulatory checkpoints. Our work elucidates the interface between the tRNA pool and protein production in the immune system and has implications for the design and selection of antibodies for vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Giguère
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Xuesong Wang
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sabrina Huber
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Liling Xu
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John Warner
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Stephanie R. Weldon
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jennifer Hu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Quynh Anh Phan
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Katie Tumang
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Thavaleak Prum
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Duanduan Ma
- BioMicro Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kathrin H. Kirsch
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Usha Nair
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peter Dedon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602
| | - Facundo D. Batista
- The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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12
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Foo JL, Kitano S, Susanto AV, Jin Z, Lin Y, Luo Z, Huang L, Liang Z, Mitchell LA, Yang K, Wong A, Cai Y, Cai J, Stracquadanio G, Bader JS, Boeke JD, Dai J, Chang MW. Establishing chromosomal design-build-test-learn through a synthetic chromosome and its combinatorial reconfiguration. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100435. [PMID: 38020970 PMCID: PMC10667554 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Chromosome-level design-build-test-learn cycles (chrDBTLs) allow systematic combinatorial reconfiguration of chromosomes with ease. Here, we established chrDBTL with a redesigned synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XV, synXV. We designed and built synXV to harbor strategically inserted features, modified elements, and synonymously recoded genes throughout the chromosome. Based on the recoded chromosome, we developed a method to enable chrDBTL: CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mitotic recombination with endoreduplication (CRIMiRE). CRIMiRE allowed the creation of customized wild-type/synthetic combinations, accelerating genotype-phenotype mapping and synthetic chromosome redesign. We also leveraged synXV as a "build-to-learn" model organism for translation studies by ribosome profiling. We conducted a locus-to-locus comparison of ribosome occupancy between synXV and the wild-type chromosome, providing insight into the effects of codon changes and redesigned features on translation dynamics in vivo. Overall, we established synXV as a versatile reconfigurable system that advances chrDBTL for understanding biological mechanisms and engineering strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Loon Foo
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Shohei Kitano
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Adelia Vicanatalita Susanto
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Zhu Jin
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Yicong Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhouqing Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Linsen Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenzhen Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Leslie A. Mitchell
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Adison Wong
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Jitong Cai
- High-Throughput Biological Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Giovanni Stracquadanio
- High-Throughput Biological Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Joel S. Bader
- High-Throughput Biological Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jef D. Boeke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Junbiao Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
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13
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Wu A, Wang Y, Ali A, Xu Z, Zhang D, Zhumanov K, Sheng J, Yi J. Design of a multi-epitope vaccine against brucellosis fused to IgG-fc by an immunoinformatics approach. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1238634. [PMID: 37937155 PMCID: PMC10625910 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1238634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Brucella, a type of intracellular Gram-negative bacterium, has unique features and acts as a zoonotic pathogen. It can lead to abortion and infertility in animals. Eliminating brucellosis becomes very challenging once it spreads among both humans and animals, putting a heavy burden on livestock and people worldwide. Given the increasing spread of brucellosis, it is crucial to develop improved vaccines for susceptible animals to reduce the disease's impact. Methods In this study, we effectively used an immunoinformatics approach with advanced computer software to carefully identify and analyze important antigenic parts of Brucella abortus. Subsequently, we skillfully designed chimeric peptides to enhance the vaccine's strength and effectiveness. We used computer programs to find four important parts of the Brucella bacteria that our immune system recognizes. Then, we carefully looked for eight parts that are recognized by a type of white blood cell called cytotoxic T cells, six parts recognized by T helper cells, and four parts recognized by B cells. We connected these parts together using a special link, creating a strong new vaccine. To make the vaccine even better, we added some extra parts called molecular adjuvants. These included something called human β-defensins 3 (hBD-3) that we found in a database, and another part that helps the immune system called PADRE. We attached these extra parts to the beginning of the vaccine. In a new and clever way, we made the vaccine even stronger by attaching a part from a mouse's immune system to the end of it. This created a new kind of vaccine called MEV-Fc. We used advanced computer methods to study how well the MEV-Fc vaccine interacts with certain receptors in the body (TLR-2 and TLR-4). Results In the end, Immunosimulation predictions showed that the MEV-Fc vaccine can make the immune system respond strongly, both in terms of cells and antibodies. Discussion In summary, our results provide novel insights for the development of Brucella vaccines. Although further laboratory experiments are required to assess its protective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aodi Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yueli Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Adnan Ali
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zhenyu Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Kairat Zhumanov
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kazakhstan Kazakh State Agricultural University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Jinliang Sheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jihai Yi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
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14
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Lewin LE, Daniels KG, Hurst LD. Genes for highly abundant proteins in Escherichia coli avoid 5' codons that promote ribosomal initiation. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011581. [PMID: 37878567 PMCID: PMC10599525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species highly expressed genes (HEGs) over-employ the synonymous codons that match the more abundant iso-acceptor tRNAs. Bacterial transgene codon randomization experiments report, however, that enrichment with such "translationally optimal" codons has little to no effect on the resultant protein level. By contrast, consistent with the view that ribosomal initiation is rate limiting, synonymous codon usage following the 5' ATG greatly influences protein levels, at least in part by modifying RNA stability. For the design of bacterial transgenes, for simple codon based in silico inference of protein levels and for understanding selection on synonymous mutations, it would be valuable to computationally determine initiation optimality (IO) scores for codons for any given species. One attractive approach is to characterize the 5' codon enrichment of HEGs compared with the most lowly expressed genes, just as translational optimality scores of codons have been similarly defined employing the full gene body. Here we determine the viability of this approach employing a unique opportunity: for Escherichia coli there is both the most extensive protein abundance data for native genes and a unique large-scale transgene codon randomization experiment enabling objective definition of the 5' codons that cause, rather than just correlate with, high protein abundance (that we equate with initiation optimality, broadly defined). Surprisingly, the 5' ends of native genes that specify highly abundant proteins avoid such initiation optimal codons. We find that this is probably owing to conflicting selection pressures particular to native HEGs, including selection favouring low initiation rates, this potentially enabling high efficiency of ribosomal usage and low noise. While the classical HEG enrichment approach does not work, rendering simple prediction of native protein abundance from 5' codon content futile, we report evidence that initiation optimality scores derived from the transgene experiment may hold relevance for in silico transgene design for a broad spectrum of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loveday E. Lewin
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Kate G. Daniels
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D. Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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15
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Bhatia RP, Kirit HA, Lewis CM, Sankaranarayanan K, Bollback JP. Evolutionary barriers to horizontal gene transfer in macrophage-associated Salmonella. Evol Lett 2023; 7:227-239. [PMID: 37475746 PMCID: PMC10355182 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a powerful evolutionary force facilitating bacterial adaptation and emergence of novel phenotypes. Several factors, including environmental ones, are predicted to restrict HGT, but we lack systematic and experimental data supporting these predictions. Here, we address this gap by measuring the relative fitness of 44 genes horizontally transferred from Escherichia coli to Salmonella enterica in infection-relevant environments. We estimated the distribution of fitness effects in each environment and identified that dosage-dependent effects across different environments are a significant barrier to HGT. The majority of genes were found to be deleterious. We also found longer genes had stronger negative fitness consequences than shorter ones, showing that gene length was negatively associated with HGT. Furthermore, fitness effects of transferred genes were found to be environmentally dependent. In summary, a substantial fraction of transferred genes had a significant fitness cost on the recipient, with both gene characteristics and the environment acting as evolutionary barriers to HGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama P Bhatia
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hande Acar Kirit
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Cecil M Lewis
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Jonathan P Bollback
- Corresponding author: Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
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16
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Liu D, Garrigues S, de Vries RP. Heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:5019-5033. [PMID: 37405433 PMCID: PMC10386965 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12660-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are able to produce a wide range of valuable proteins and enzymes for many industrial applications. Recent advances in fungal genomics and experimental technologies are rapidly changing the approaches for the development and use of filamentous fungi as hosts for the production of both homologous and heterologous proteins. In this review, we highlight the benefits and challenges of using filamentous fungi for the production of heterologous proteins. We review various techniques commonly employed to improve the heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi, such as strong and inducible promoters, codon optimization, more efficient signal peptides for secretion, carrier proteins, engineering of glycosylation sites, regulation of the unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum associated protein degradation, optimization of the intracellular transport process, regulation of unconventional protein secretion, and construction of protease-deficient strains. KEY POINTS: • This review updates the knowledge on heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi. • Several fungal cell factories and potential candidates are discussed. • Insights into improving heterologous gene expression are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dujuan Liu
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Garrigues
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Instituto de Agroquímica Y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ronald P de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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17
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Si F, Song S, Yu R, Li Z, Wei W, Wu C. Coronavirus accessory protein ORF3 biology and its contribution to viral behavior and pathogenesis. iScience 2023; 26:106280. [PMID: 36945252 PMCID: PMC9972675 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is classified in the genus Alphacoronavirus, family Coronaviridae that encodes the only accessory protein, ORF3 protein. However, how ORF3 contributes to viral pathogenicity, adaptability, and replication is obscure. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and identify gaps in many aspects of ORF3 protein in PEDV, with emphasis on its unique biological features, including membrane topology, Golgi retention mechanism, potential intrinsic disordered property, functional motifs, protein glycosylation, and codon usage phenotypes related to genetic evolution and gene expression. In addition, we propose intriguing questions related to ORF3 protein that we hope to stimulate further studies and encourage collaboration among virologists worldwide to provide constructive knowledge about the unique characteristics and biological functions of ORF3 protein, by which their potential role in clarifying viral behavior and pathogenesis can be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Si
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Song
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Observation and Experiment Station of Veterinary Drugs and Diagnostic Techniques of Guangdong Province, Ministry of Agriculture of Rural Affairs, and Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510640, P.R. China
| | - Ruisong Yu
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Wenqiang Wei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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18
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Kong J, Zhang S, Qian W, Li K. Synonymous somatic mutations that alter proximal out-of-frame downstream ATGs are associated with aberrant gene expression levels in cancer cells. J Genet Genomics 2023:S1673-8527(23)00052-8. [PMID: 36898610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinhui Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenfeng Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ke Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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19
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Yanfei N, Tai S, Chunhua W, Jia D, Fazhong Y. Complete chloroplast genome sequences of the medicinal plant Aconitum transsectum (Ranunculaceae): comparative analysis and phylogenetic relationships. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:90. [PMID: 36855055 PMCID: PMC9976445 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09180-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aconitum transsectum Diels. (Ranunculaceae) is an important medicinal plant that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, but its morphological traits make it difficult to recognize from other Aconitum species. No research has sequenced the chloroplast genome of A.transsectum, despite the fact that phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genome sequences provides essential evidence for plant classification. RESULTS In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genome of A. transsectum was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. A. transsectum cp genome is a 155,872 bp tetrameric structure including a large single copy (LSC, 87,671 bp) and a small single copy (SSC, 18,891 bp) section, as well as a pair of inverted repeat sequences (IRa and IRb, 25,894 bp each). 131 genes are encoded by the complete cp genome, comprising 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The most favored codon in the A. transsectum cp genome is AUG, and 46 repeats and 241 SSRs were also identified. The A. transsectum cp genome is similar in size, gene composition, and IR expansion and contraction to the cp genomes of seven Ranunculaceae species. Phylogenetic analysis of cp genomes of 28 plants from the Ranunculaceae family shows that A. transsectum is most closely related to A. vilmorinianum, A. episcopale, and A. forrestii of Subgen. Aconitum. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides complete cp genome resources for A. transsectum that will be beneficial for identifying potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niu Yanfei
- grid.412720.20000 0004 1761 2943Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization, Southwest Mountains of China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224 China ,grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica, Kunming, 650111 China ,Yunnan Baiyao Group Chinese Medicinal Resources Division, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Su Tai
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica, Kunming, 650111 China
| | - Wu Chunhua
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration On Highly-Efficient Utilization of Forestry Biomass Resources in Southwest China, Kunming, 650224, China. .,College of Chemical Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.
| | - Deng Jia
- grid.412720.20000 0004 1761 2943Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization, Southwest Mountains of China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224 China
| | - Yang Fazhong
- grid.412720.20000 0004 1761 2943Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization, Southwest Mountains of China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224 China ,Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration On Highly-Efficient Utilization of Forestry Biomass Resources in Southwest China, Kunming, 650224 China
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20
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Michel CJ, Sereni JS. Reading Frame Retrieval of Genes: A New Parameter of Codon Usage Based on the Circular Code Theory. Bull Math Biol 2023; 85:24. [PMID: 36826719 PMCID: PMC9950712 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-023-01129-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Based on the circular code theory, we define a new function f that quantifies the property of reading frame retrieval (RFR) of genes from their codon usage. This RFR function f is computed on a massive scale in genes of genomes of bacteria, eukaryotes and archaea. By expressing f as a function of the mean number [Formula: see text] of codons per gene, a "universal" property is identified, whatever the kingdom: the reading frame retrieval is enhanced in large genes. By investigating this property according to the theory developed, a Spearman's rank correlation with a strong negative coefficient is observed between the codon usage dispersion d (from the uniform codon distribution [Formula: see text]) and the RFR function f, whatever the kingdom (p-values [Formula: see text] in bacteria, [Formula: see text] in eukaryotes and [Formula: see text] in archaea). Thus, the reading frame retrieval is enhanced with the codon usage dispersion. Furthermore, this approach identifies a "genome centre" from which emerge two distinct "genome arms": an upper arm and a lower arm, respectively, above and below the linear regression. The RFR function by itself or combined with classical methods (alignment, phylogeny) could also be a new approach to classify the genomes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J. Michel
- grid.11843.3f0000 0001 2157 9291Theoretical Bioinformatics, ICube, C.N.R.S., University of Strasbourg, 300 Boulevard Sébastien Brant, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Sereni
- grid.11843.3f0000 0001 2157 9291Theoretical Bioinformatics, ICube, C.N.R.S., University of Strasbourg, 300 Boulevard Sébastien Brant, 67400 Illkirch, France
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21
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Zhang J. What Has Genomics Taught An Evolutionary Biologist? GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 21:1-12. [PMID: 36720382 PMCID: PMC10373158 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Genomics, an interdisciplinary field of biology on the structure, function, and evolution of genomes, has revolutionized many subdisciplines of life sciences, including my field of evolutionary biology, by supplying huge data, bringing high-throughput technologies, and offering a new approach to biology. In this review, I describe what I have learned from genomics and highlight the fundamental knowledge and mechanistic insights gained. I focus on three broad topics that are central to evolutionary biology and beyond-variation, interaction, and selection-and use primarily my own research and study subjects as examples. In the next decade or two, I expect that the most important contributions of genomics to evolutionary biology will be to provide genome sequences of nearly all known species on Earth, facilitate high-throughput phenotyping of natural variants and systematically constructed mutants for mapping genotype-phenotype-fitness landscapes, and assist the determination of causality in evolutionary processes using experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhi Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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22
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Arbaciauskaite M, Pirhanov A, Ammermann E, Lei Y, Cho YK. Yeast biopanning against site-specific phosphorylations in tau. Protein Eng Des Sel 2023; 36:gzad005. [PMID: 37294629 PMCID: PMC10281017 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzad005] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of site-specific phosphorylation in the microtubule-associated protein tau is emerging as a means to diagnose and monitor the progression of Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is a lack of phospho-specific monoclonal antibodies and limited validation of their binding specificity. Here, we report a novel approach using yeast biopanning against synthetic peptides containing site-specific phosphorylations. Using yeast cells displaying a previously validated phospho-tau (p-tau) single-chain variable region fragment (scFv), we show selective yeast cell binding based on single amino acid phosphorylation on the antigen. We identify conditions that allow phospho-specific biopanning using scFvs with a wide range of affinities (KD = 0.2 to 60 nM). Finally, we demonstrate the capability of screening large libraries by performing biopanning in 6-well plates. These results show that biopanning can effectively select yeast cells based on phospho-site specific antibody binding, opening doors for the facile identification of high-quality monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Arbaciauskaite
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Azady Pirhanov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Erik Ammermann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yu Lei
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yong Ku Cho
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Codon optimality has minimal effect on determining translation efficiency in mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:415. [PMID: 36624167 PMCID: PMC9829911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27164-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a slow-growing, intracellular pathogen that exhibits a high GC-rich genome. Several factors, including the GC content of the genome, influence the evolution of specific codon usage biases in genomes. As a result, the Mtb genome exhibits strong biases for amino acid usage and codon usage. Codon usage of mRNAs affects several aspects of translation, including accuracy, efficiency, and protein folding. Here we address the effect of codon usage biases in determining the translation efficiency of mRNAs in Mtb. Unlike most commonly studied organisms, Mtb carries a single copy of each tRNA gene. However, we show that the relative levels of tRNAs in the Mtb tRNA pool vary by an order of magnitude. Our results show that the codons decoded by the abundant tRNAs indeed show higher adaptability. Moreover, there is a general positive correlation between genomic codon usage and the tRNA adaptability of codons (TAc). We further estimated the optimality of the codon and mRNAs by considering both the TAc and the tRNA demand. These measures did not show any correlation with mRNA abundance and translation efficiency. There was no correlation between tRNA adaptability and ribosome pausing as well. Taken together, we conclude that the translation machinery, and the tRNA pool of an organism, co-evolve with the codon usage to optimize the translation efficiency of an organism. Thus the deleterious effect of maladapted codons is not pronounced.
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Abondio P, Bruno F, Bruni AC, Luiselli D. Rare Amyloid Precursor Protein Point Mutations Recapitulate Worldwide Migration and Admixture in Healthy Individuals: Implications for the Study of Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415871. [PMID: 36555510 PMCID: PMC9781461 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic discoveries related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias have been performed using either large cohorts of affected subjects or multiple individuals from the same pedigree, therefore disregarding mutations in the context of healthy groups. Moreover, a large portion of studies so far have been performed on individuals of European ancestry, with a remarkable lack of epidemiological and genomic data from underrepresented populations. In the present study, 70 single-point mutations on the APP gene in a publicly available genetic dataset that included 2504 healthy individuals from 26 populations were scanned, and their distribution was analyzed. Furthermore, after gametic phase reconstruction, a pairwise comparison of the segments surrounding the mutations was performed to reveal patterns of haplotype sharing that could point to specific cross-population and cross-ancestry admixture events. Eight mutations were detected in the worldwide dataset, with several of them being specific for a single individual, population, or macroarea. Patterns of segment sharing reflected recent historical events of migration and admixture possibly linked to colonization campaigns. These observations reveal the population dynamics of the considered APP mutations in worldwide human groups and support the development of ancestry-informed screening practices for the improvement of precision and personalized approaches to neurodegeneration and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Abondio
- Laboratory of Ancient DNA, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology and Center for Genome Biology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Bruno
- Regional Neurogenetic Center (CRN), Department of Primary Care, ASP Catanzaro, 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
- Association for Neurogenetic Research (ARN), 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Amalia Cecilia Bruni
- Regional Neurogenetic Center (CRN), Department of Primary Care, ASP Catanzaro, 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Laboratory of Ancient DNA, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy
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25
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Furtado D, Cortez-Jugo C, Hung YH, Bush AI, Caruso F. mRNA Treatment Rescues Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1 in Patient Fibroblasts. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3987-3999. [PMID: 36125338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) holds great potential as a disease-modifying treatment for a wide array of monogenic disorders. Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NP-C1) is an ultrarare monogenic disease that arises due to loss-of-function mutations in the NPC1 gene, resulting in the entrapment of unesterified cholesterol in the lysosomes of affected cells and a subsequent reduction in their capacity for cholesterol esterification. This causes severe damage to various organs including the brain, liver, and spleen. In this work, we describe the use of NPC1-encoded mRNA to rescue the protein insufficiency and pathogenic phenotype caused by biallelic NPC1 mutations in cultured fibroblasts derived from an NP-C1 patient. We first evaluated engineering strategies for the generation of potent mRNAs capable of eliciting high protein expression across multiple cell types. We observed that "GC3" codon optimization, coupled with N1-methylpseudouridine base modification, yielded an mRNA that was approximately 1000-fold more potent than wild-type, unmodified mRNA in a luciferase reporter assay and consistently superior to other mRNA variants. Our data suggest that the improved expression associated with this design strategy was due in large part to the increased secondary structure of the designed mRNAs. Both codon optimization and base modification appear to contribute to increased secondary structure. Applying these principles to the engineering of NPC1-encoded mRNA, we observed a normalization in NPC1 protein levels after mRNA treatment, as well as a rescue of the mutant phenotype. Specifically, mRNA treatment restored the cholesterol esterification capacity of patient cells to wild-type levels and induced a significant reduction in both unesterified cholesterol levels (>57% reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control in a cholesterol esterification assay) and lysosome size (157 μm2 reduction compared to Lipofectamine-treated control). These findings show that engineered mRNA can correct the deficit caused by NPC1 mutations. More broadly, they also serve to further validate the potential of this technology to correct diseases associated with loss-of-function mutations in genes coding for large, complex, intracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denzil Furtado
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Christina Cortez-Jugo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ya Hui Hung
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ashley I Bush
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Sun M, Zhang J. Preferred synonymous codons are translated more accurately: Proteomic evidence, among-species variation, and mechanistic basis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl9812. [PMID: 35857447 PMCID: PMC9258949 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A commonly stated cause of unequal uses of synonymous codons is their differential translational accuracies. A key prediction of this long-standing translational accuracy hypothesis (TAH) of codon usage bias is higher translational accuracies of more frequently used synonymous codons, which, however, has had no direct evidence beyond case studies. Analyzing proteomic data from Escherichia coli, we present direct, global evidence for this prediction. The experimentally measured codon-specific translational accuracies validate a sequence-based proxy; this proxy provides support for the TAH from the vast majority of over 1000 taxa surveyed in all domains of life. We find that the relative translational accuracies of synonymous codons vary substantially among taxa and are strongly correlated with the amounts of cognate transfer RNAs (tRNAs) relative to those of near-cognate tRNAs. These and other observations suggest a model in which selections for translational efficiency and accuracy drive codon usage bias and its coevolution with the tRNA pool.
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27
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Synonymous mutations in representative yeast genes are mostly strongly non-neutral. Nature 2022; 606:725-731. [PMID: 35676473 PMCID: PMC9650438 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04823-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Synonymous mutations in protein-coding genes do not alter protein sequences and are thus generally presumed to be neutral or nearly neutral1-5. Here, to experimentally verify this presumption, we constructed 8,341 yeast mutants each carrying a synonymous, nonsynonymous or nonsense mutation in one of 21 endogenous genes with diverse functions and expression levels and measured their fitness relative to the wild type in a rich medium. Three-quarters of synonymous mutations resulted in a significant reduction in fitness, and the distribution of fitness effects was overall similar-albeit nonidentical-between synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations. Both synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations frequently disturbed the level of mRNA expression of the mutated gene, and the extent of the disturbance partially predicted the fitness effect. Investigations in additional environments revealed greater across-environment fitness variations for nonsynonymous mutants than for synonymous mutants despite their similar fitness distributions in each environment, suggesting that a smaller proportion of nonsynonymous mutants than synonymous mutants are always non-deleterious in a changing environment to permit fixation, potentially explaining the common observation of substantially lower nonsynonymous than synonymous substitution rates. The strong non-neutrality of most synonymous mutations, if it holds true for other genes and in other organisms, would require re-examination of numerous biological conclusions about mutation, selection, effective population size, divergence time and disease mechanisms that rely on the assumption that synoymous mutations are neutral.
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28
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mRNA and tRNA modification states influence ribosome speed and frame maintenance during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102039. [PMID: 35595100 PMCID: PMC9207662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosome speed is dictated by multiple factors including substrate availability, cellular conditions, and product (peptide) formation. Translation slows during the synthesis of cationic peptide sequences, potentially influencing the expression of thousands of proteins. Available evidence suggests that ionic interactions between positively charged nascent peptides and the negatively charged ribosome exit tunnel impede translation. However, this hypothesis was difficult to test directly because of inability to decouple the contributions of amino acid charge from mRNA sequence and tRNA identity/abundance in cells. Furthermore, it is unclear if other components of the translation system central to ribosome function (e.g., RNA modification) influence the speed and accuracy of positively charged peptide synthesis. In this study, we used a fully reconstituted Escherichia coli translation system to evaluate the effects of peptide charge, mRNA sequence, and RNA modification status on the translation of lysine-rich peptides. Comparison of translation reactions on poly(lysine)-encoding mRNAs conducted with either Lys-tRNALys or Val-tRNALys reveals that that amino acid charge, while important, only partially accounts for slowed translation on these transcripts. We further find that in addition to peptide charge, mRNA sequence and both tRNA and mRNA modification status influence the rates of amino acid addition and the ribosome’s ability to maintain frame (instead of entering the −2, −1, and +1 frames) during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis. Our observations lead us to expand the model for explaining how the ribosome slows during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis and suggest that posttranscriptional RNA modifications can provide cells a mechanism to precisely control ribosome movements along an mRNA.
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29
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Eisen TJ, Li JJ, Bartel DP. The interplay between translational efficiency, poly(A) tails, microRNAs, and neuronal activation. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:808-831. [PMID: 35273099 PMCID: PMC9074895 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079046.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neurons provide a rich setting for studying post-transcriptional control. Here, we investigate the landscape of translational control in neurons and search for mRNA features that explain differences in translational efficiency (TE), considering the interplay between TE, mRNA poly(A)-tail lengths, microRNAs, and neuronal activation. In neurons and brain tissues, TE correlates with tail length, and a few dozen mRNAs appear to undergo cytoplasmic polyadenylation upon light or chemical stimulation. However, the correlation between TE and tail length is modest, explaining <5% of TE variance, and even this modest relationship diminishes when accounting for other mRNA features. Thus, tail length appears to affect TE only minimally. Accordingly, miRNAs, which accelerate deadenylation of their mRNA targets, primarily influence target mRNA levels, with no detectable effect on either steady-state tail lengths or TE. Larger correlates with TE include codon composition and predicted mRNA folding energy. When combined in a model, the identified correlates explain 38%-45% of TE variance. These results provide a framework for considering the relative impact of factors that contribute to translational control in neurons. They indicate that when examined in bulk, translational control in neurons largely resembles that of other types of post-embryonic cells. Thus, detection of more specialized control might require analyses that can distinguish translation occurring in neuronal processes from that occurring in cell bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Eisen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Jingyi Jessica Li
- Department of Statistics, Department of Biostatistics, Department of Computational Medicine, and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - David P Bartel
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
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30
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Canpolat N, Liu D, Atayar E, Saygili S, Kara NS, Westfall TA, Ding Q, Brown BJ, Braun TA, Slusarski D, Oguz KK, Ozluk Y, Tuysuz B, Ozturk TT, Sever L, Sezerman OU, Topaloglu R, Caliskan S, Attanasio M, Ozaltin F. A splice site mutation in the TSEN2 causes a new syndrome with craniofacial and central nervous system malformations, and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Clin Genet 2022; 101:346-358. [PMID: 34964109 PMCID: PMC10357464 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Recessive mutations in the genes encoding the four subunits of the tRNA splicing endonuclease complex (TSEN54, TSEN34, TSEN15, and TSEN2) cause various forms of pontocerebellar hypoplasia, a disorder characterized by hypoplasia of the cerebellum and the pons, microcephaly, dysmorphisms, and other variable clinical features. Here, we report an intronic recessive founder variant in the gene TSEN2 that results in abnormal splicing of the mRNA of this gene, in six individuals from four consanguineous families affected with microcephaly, multiple craniofacial malformations, radiological abnormalities of the central nervous system, and cognitive retardation of variable severity. Remarkably, unlike patients with previously described mutations in the components of the TSEN complex, all the individuals that we report developed atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) with thrombotic microangiopathy, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, proteinuria, severe hypertension, and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) early in life. Bulk RNA sequencing of peripheral blood cells of four affected individuals revealed abnormal tRNA transcripts, indicating an alteration of the tRNA biogenesis. Morpholino-mediated skipping of exon 10 of tsen2 in zebrafish produced phenotypes similar to human patients. Thus, we have identified a novel syndrome accompanied by aHUS suggesting the existence of a link between tRNA biology and vascular endothelium homeostasis, which we propose to name with the acronym TRACK syndrome (TSEN2 Related Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, Craniofacial malformations, Kidney failure).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Canpolat
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Dingxiao Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Emine Atayar
- Nephrogenetics Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Seha Saygili
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nazli Sila Kara
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Program, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Qiong Ding
- Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Bartley J. Brown
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Terry A. Braun
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Diane Slusarski
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Kader Karli Oguz
- Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yasemin Ozluk
- Department of Pathology, Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Beyhan Tuysuz
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tugba Tastemel Ozturk
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Lale Sever
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Osman Ugur Sezerman
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Program, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rezan Topaloglu
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Salim Caliskan
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Massimo Attanasio
- Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Fatih Ozaltin
- Nephrogenetics Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
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31
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Albanese KI, Leaver-Fay A, Treacy JW, Park R, Houk KN, Kuhlman B, Waters ML. Comparative Analysis of Sulfonium-π, Ammonium-π, and Sulfur-π Interactions and Relevance to SAM-Dependent Methyltransferases. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:2535-2545. [PMID: 35108000 PMCID: PMC8923077 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c09902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We report the measurement and analysis of sulfonium-π, thioether-π, and ammonium-π interactions in a β-hairpin peptide model system, coupled with computational investigation and PDB analysis. These studies indicated that the sulfonium-π interaction is the strongest and that polarizability contributes to the stronger interaction with sulfonium relative to ammonium. Computational studies demonstrate that differences in solvation of the trimethylsulfonium versus the trimethylammonium group also contribute to the stronger sulfonium-π interaction. In comparing sulfonium-π versus sulfur-π interactions in proteins, analysis of SAM- and SAH-bound enzymes in the PDB suggests that aromatic residues are enriched in close proximity to the sulfur of both SAM and SAH, but the populations of aromatic interactions of the two cofactors are not significantly different, with the exception of the Me-π interactions in SAM, which are the most prevalent interaction in SAM but are not possible for SAH. This suggests that the weaker interaction energies due to loss of the cation-π interaction in going from SAM to SAH may contribute to turnover of the cofactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine I. Albanese
- Department of Chemistry, CB 3290, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
| | - Andrew Leaver-Fay
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
| | - Joseph W. Treacy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1569
| | - Rodney Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
| | - K. N. Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1569
| | - Brian Kuhlman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
| | - Marcey L. Waters
- Department of Chemistry, CB 3290, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
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Ho AT, Hurst LD. Variation in Release Factor Abundance Is Not Needed to Explain Trends in Bacterial Stop Codon Usage. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab326. [PMID: 34751397 PMCID: PMC8789281 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In bacteria stop codons are recognized by one of two class I release factors (RF1) recognizing TAG, RF2 recognizing TGA, and TAA being recognized by both. Variation across bacteria in the relative abundance of RF1 and RF2 is thus hypothesized to select for different TGA/TAG usage. This has been supported by correlations between TAG:TGA ratios and RF1:RF2 ratios across multiple bacterial species, potentially also explaining why TAG usage is approximately constant despite extensive variation in GC content. It is, however, possible that stop codon trends are determined by other forces and that RF ratios adapt to stop codon usage, rather than vice versa. Here, we determine which direction of the causal arrow is the more parsimonious. Our results support the notion that RF1/RF2 ratios become adapted to stop codon usage as the same trends, notably the anomalous TAG behavior, are seen in contexts where RF1:RF2 ratios cannot be, or are unlikely to be, causative, that is, at 3'untranslated sites never used for translation termination, in intragenomic analyses, and across archaeal species (that possess only one RF1). We conclude that specifics of RF biology are unlikely to fully explain TGA/TAG relative usage. We discuss why the causal relationships for the evolution of synonymous stop codon usage might be different from those affecting synonymous sense codon usage, noting that transitions between TGA and TAG require two-point mutations one of which is likely to be deleterious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Ho
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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33
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Zeng Z, Aptekmann AA, Bromberg Y. Decoding the effects of synonymous variants. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12673-12691. [PMID: 34850938 PMCID: PMC8682775 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synonymous single nucleotide variants (sSNVs) are common in the human genome but are often overlooked. However, sSNVs can have significant biological impact and may lead to disease. Existing computational methods for evaluating the effect of sSNVs suffer from the lack of gold-standard training/evaluation data and exhibit over-reliance on sequence conservation signals. We developed synVep (synonymous Variant effect predictor), a machine learning-based method that overcomes both of these limitations. Our training data was a combination of variants reported by gnomAD (observed) and those unreported, but possible in the human genome (generated). We used positive-unlabeled learning to purify the generated variant set of any likely unobservable variants. We then trained two sequential extreme gradient boosting models to identify subsets of the remaining variants putatively enriched and depleted in effect. Our method attained 90% precision/recall on a previously unseen set of variants. Furthermore, although synVep does not explicitly use conservation, its scores correlated with evolutionary distances between orthologs in cross-species variation analysis. synVep was also able to differentiate pathogenic vs. benign variants, as well as splice-site disrupting variants (SDV) vs. non-SDVs. Thus, synVep provides an important improvement in annotation of sSNVs, allowing users to focus on variants that most likely harbor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zishuo Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08873, USA
| | - Ariel A Aptekmann
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08873, USA
| | - Yana Bromberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08873, USA
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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34
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Schneider-Lunitz V, Ruiz-Orera J, Hubner N, van Heesch S. Multifunctional RNA-binding proteins influence mRNA abundance and translational efficiency of distinct sets of target genes. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009658. [PMID: 34879078 PMCID: PMC8687540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) can regulate more than a single aspect of RNA metabolism. We searched for such previously undiscovered multifunctionality within a set of 143 RBPs, by defining the predictive value of RBP abundance for the transcription and translation levels of known RBP target genes across 80 human hearts. This led us to newly associate 27 RBPs with cardiac translational regulation in vivo. Of these, 21 impacted both RNA expression and translation, albeit for virtually independent sets of target genes. We highlight a subset of these, including G3BP1, PUM1, UCHL5, and DDX3X, where dual regulation is achieved through differential affinity for target length, by which separate biological processes are controlled. Like the RNA helicase DDX3X, the known splicing factors EFTUD2 and PRPF8—all identified as multifunctional RBPs by our analysis—selectively influence target translation rates depending on 5’ UTR structure. Our analyses identify dozens of RBPs as being multifunctional and pinpoint potential novel regulators of translation, postulating unanticipated complexity of protein-RNA interactions at consecutive stages of gene expression. The lifecycle of an RNA molecule is controlled by hundreds of proteins that can bind RNA, also known as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). These proteins recognize landing sites within the RNA and guide the RNA’s transcription from DNA, its processing into a mature messenger RNA, its translation into protein, or its degradation once the RNA is no longer needed. Although we now mechanistically understand how certain RBPs regulate these processes, for many RBP-target interactions the consequences imposed by RNA binding are not well understood. For 143 RBPs with known RNA binding positions, the authors of the current study investigated how RNA molecules responded to fluctuations in the expression levels of these RBPs, across each of 80 human hearts. Using statistical approaches, they could show that many RBPs influenced stages of the RNA lifecycle that they were not known to be involved in. Some RBPs turned out to be true "all-rounders" of RNA metabolism: they controlled the RNA transcript levels of some genes, whereas they influenced the translation rates of others. This unexpected multifunctionality unveiled previously hidden aspects of the everyday RNA-binding protein working life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Schneider-Lunitz
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jorge Ruiz-Orera
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Hubner
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail: (NH); (SvH)
| | - Sebastiaan van Heesch
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (NH); (SvH)
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Wang P, Mao Y, Su Y, Wang J. Comparative analysis of transcriptomic data shows the effects of multiple evolutionary selection processes on codon usage in Marsupenaeus japonicus and Marsupenaeus pulchricaudatus. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:781. [PMID: 34717552 PMCID: PMC8557549 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08106-y] [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: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kuruma shrimp, a major commercial shrimp species in the world, has two cryptic or sibling species, Marsupenaeus japonicus and Marsupenaeus pulchricaudatus. Codon usage analysis would contribute to our understanding of the genetic and evolutionary characteristics of the two Marsupenaeus species. In this study, we analyzed codon usage and related indices using coding sequences (CDSs) from RNA-seq data. RESULTS Using CodonW 1.4.2 software, we performed the codon bias analysis of transcriptomes obtained from hepatopancreas tissues, which indicated weak codon bias. Almost all parameters had similar correlations for both species. The gene expression level (FPKM) was negatively correlated with A/T3s. We determined 12 and 14 optimal codons for M. japonicus and M. pulchricaudatus, respectively, and all optimal codons have a C/G-ending. The two Marsupenaeus species had different usage frequencies of codon pairs, which contributed to further analysis of transcriptional differences between them. Orthologous genes that underwent positive selection (ω > 1) had a higher correlation coefficient than that of experienced purifying selection (ω < 1). Parity Rule 2 (PR2) and effective number of codons (ENc) plot analysis showed that the codon usage patterns of both species were influenced by both mutations and selection. Moreover, the average observed ENc value was lower than the expected value for both species, suggesting that factors other than GC may play roles in these phenomena. The results of multispecies clustering based on codon preference were consistent with traditional classification. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the correlations among codon usage bias, gene expression, and selection pressures of CDSs for M. japonicus and M. pulchricaudatus. The genetic evolution was driven by mutations and selection pressure. Moreover, the results point out new insights into the specificities and evolutionary characteristics of the two Marsupenaeus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005, China
- Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-Industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005, China
- The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yong Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of Marine Organisms, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
| | - Yongquan Su
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
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Kusnadi EP, Timpone C, Topisirovic I, Larsson O, Furic L. Regulation of gene expression via translational buffering. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1869:119140. [PMID: 34599983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Translation of an mRNA represents a critical step during the expression of protein-coding genes. As mechanisms governing post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression are progressively unveiled, it is becoming apparent that transcriptional programs are not fully reflected in the proteome. Herein, we highlight a previously underappreciated post-transcriptional mode of regulation of gene expression termed translational buffering. In principle, translational buffering opposes the impact of alterations in mRNA levels on the proteome. We further describe three types of translational buffering: compensation, which maintains protein levels e.g. across species or individuals; equilibration, which retains pathway stoichiometry; and offsetting, which acts as a reversible mechanism that maintains the levels of selected subsets of proteins constant despite genetic alteration and/or stress-induced changes in corresponding mRNA levels. While mechanisms underlying compensation and equilibration have been reviewed elsewhere, the principal focus of this review is on the less-well understood mechanism of translational offsetting. Finally, we discuss potential roles of translational buffering in homeostasis and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Kusnadi
- Translational Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clelia Timpone
- Translational Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ivan Topisirovic
- Lady Davis Institute, Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology and Departments of Biochemistry and Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Ola Larsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Luc Furic
- Translational Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Cystatin Gene Family in Bread Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910264. [PMID: 34638605 PMCID: PMC8508539 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystatins, as reversible inhibitors of papain-like and legumain proteases, have been identified in several plant species. Although the cystatin family plays crucial roles in plant development and defense responses to various stresses, this family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is still poorly understood. In this study, 55 wheat cystatins (TaCystatins) were identified. All TaCystatins were divided into three groups and both the conserved gene structures and peptide motifs were relatively conserved within each group. Homoeolog analysis suggested that both homoeolog retention percentage and gene duplications contributed to the abundance of the TaCystatin family. Analysis of duplication events confirmed that segmental duplications played an important role in the duplication patterns. The results of codon usage pattern analysis showed that TaCystatins had evident codon usage bias, which was mainly affected by mutation pressure. TaCystatins may be regulated by cis-acting elements, especially abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate responsive elements. In addition, the expression of all selected TaCystatins was significantly changed following viral infection and cold stress, suggesting potential roles in response to biotic and abiotic challenges. Overall, our work provides new insights into TaCystatins during wheat evolution and will help further research to decipher the roles of TaCystatins under diverse stress conditions.
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Gupta S, Singh R. Comparative study of codon usage profiles of Zingiber officinale and its associated fungal pathogens. Mol Genet Genomics 2021; 296:1121-1134. [PMID: 34181071 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-021-01808-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Codon usage bias influences the genetic features prevalent in genomes of all the organisms. It also plays a crucial role in establishing the host-pathogen relationship. The present study elucidates the role of codon usage pattern regarding the predilection of fungal pathogens Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides towards host plant Zingiber officinale. We found a similar trend of codon usage pattern operative in plant and fungal pathogens. This concurrence might be attributed for the colonization of fungal pathogens in Z. officinale. The transcriptome of both plant and pathogens showed bias towards GC-ending codons. Natural selection and mutational pressure seem to be accountable for shaping the codon usage pattern of host and pathogen. We also identified some distinctive preferred codons in A. flavus, F. oxysporum and Z. officinale that could be regarded as signature codons for the identification of these organisms. Knowledge of favored, avoided and unique codons will help to devise strategies for reducing spice losses due to fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suruchi Gupta
- Plant Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Ravail Singh
- Plant Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Jammu, 180001, India.
- DZMB Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
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Silvério R. Mauad AV, Vieira LDN, Antônio de Baura V, Balsanelli E, Maltempi de Souza E, Chase MW, de Camargo Smidt E. Plastid phylogenomics of Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae): Conservative plastomes, new variable markers, and comparative analyses of plastid, nuclear, and mitochondrial data. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256126. [PMID: 34449781 PMCID: PMC8396723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the first comparative plastome study of Pleurothallidinae with analyses of structural and molecular characteristics and identification of the ten most-variable regions to be incorporated in future phylogenetic studies. We sequenced complete plastomes of eight species in the subtribe and compared phylogenetic results of these to parallel analyses of their nuclear ribosomal DNA operon (26S, 18S, and 5.8S plus associated spacers) and partial mitochondrial genome sequences (29–38 genes and partial introns). These plastomes have the typical quadripartite structure for which gene content is similar to those of other orchids, with variation only in the composition of the ndh genes. The independent loss of ndh genes had an impact on which genes border the inverted repeats and thus the size of the small single-copy region, leading to variation in overall plastome length. Analyses of 68 coding sequences indicated the same pattern of codon usage as in other orchids, and 13 protein-coding genes under positive selection were detected. Also, we identified 62 polymorphic microsatellite loci and ten highly variable regions, for which we designed primers. Phylogenomic analyses showed that the top ten mutational hotspots represent well the phylogenetic relationships found with whole plastome sequences. However, strongly supported incongruence was observed among plastid, nuclear ribosomal DNA operon, and mitochondrial DNA trees, indicating possible occurrence of incomplete lineage sorting and/or introgressive hybridization. Despite the incongruence, the mtDNA tree retrieved some clades found in other analyses. These results, together with performance in recent studies, support a future role for mitochondrial markers in Pleurothallidinae phylogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Valter Antônio de Baura
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Balsanelli
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Emanuel Maltempi de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Mark W. Chase
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Eric de Camargo Smidt
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- * E-mail: (AVSRM); (ECS)
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Jiang Y, Cao X, Wang H. Comparative genomic analysis of a naturally born serpentized pig reveals putative mutations related to limb and bone development. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:629. [PMID: 34454433 PMCID: PMC8399796 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07925-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is believed that natural selection acts on the phenotypical changes caused by mutations. Phenotypically, from fishes to amphibians to reptiles, the emergence of limbs greatly facilitates the landing of ancient vertebrates, but the causal mutations and evolutionary trajectory of this process remain unclear. RESULTS We serendipitously obtained a pig of limbless phenotype. Mutations specific to this handicapped pig were identified using genome re-sequencing and comparative genomic analysis. We narrowed down the causal mutations to particular chromosomes and even several candidate genes and sites, such like a mutation-containing codon in gene BMP7 (bone morphogenetic protein) which was conserved in mammals but variable in lower vertebrates. CONCLUSIONS We parsed the limbless-related mutations in the light of evolution. The limbless pig shows phenocopy of the clades before legs were evolved. Our findings might help deduce the emergence of limbs during vertebrate evolution and should be appealing to the broad community of human genetics and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Jiang
- Department of Joint Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyue Cao
- School of Medicine and Nursing, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, Shandong, China
| | - Haibin Wang
- Department of Joint Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China.
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To KKW, Cho WCS. An overview of rational design of mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1307-1317. [PMID: 34058918 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1935859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics and vaccines have emerged as a disruptive new drug class for various applications, including regenerative medicine, cancer treatment, and prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinations. AREAS COVERED This review provides an update about the rational structure-based design of various formats of mRNA-based therapeutics. The authors discuss the recent advances in the mRNA modifications that have been used to enhance stability, promote translation efficiency and regulate immunogenicity for specific applications. EXPERT OPINION Extensive research efforts have been made to optimize mRNA constructs and preparation procedures to unleash the full potential of mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Sequence optimization (untranslated region and codon usage), chemical engineering of nucleotides and modified 5'cap, and optimization of in vitro transcription and mRNA purification protocols have overcome the major obstacles (instability, delivery, immunogenicity and safety) hindering the clinical applications of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. The optimized design parameters should not be applied as default to different biological systems, but rather individually optimized for each mRNA sequence and intended application. Further advancement in the mRNA design and delivery technologies for achieving cell type- and organ site-specificity will broaden the scope and usefulness of this new class of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth K W To
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - William C S Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
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42
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Zou Z, Zhang J. Are Nonsynonymous Transversions Generally More Deleterious than Nonsynonymous Transitions? Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:181-191. [PMID: 32805043 PMCID: PMC7783172 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that, due to the structure of the genetic code, nonsynonymous transitions are less likely than transversions to cause radical changes in amino acid physicochemical properties so are on average less deleterious. This view was supported by some but not all mutagenesis experiments. Because laboratory measures of fitness effects have limited sensitivities and relative frequencies of different mutations in mutagenesis studies may not match those in nature, we here revisit this issue using comparative genomics. We extend the standard codon model of sequence evolution by adding the parameter η that quantifies the ratio of the fixation probability of transitional nonsynonymous mutations to that of transversional nonsynonymous mutations. We then estimate η from the concatenated alignment of all protein-coding DNA sequences of two closely related genomes. Surprisingly, η ranges from 0.13 to 2.0 across 90 species pairs sampled from the tree of life, with 51 incidences of η < 1 and 30 incidences of η >1 that are statistically significant. Hence, whether nonsynonymous transversions are overall more deleterious than nonsynonymous transitions is species-dependent. Because the corresponding groups of amino acid replacements differ between nonsynonymous transitions and transversions, η is influenced by the relative exchangeabilities of amino acid pairs. Indeed, an extensive search reveals that the large variation in η is primarily explainable by the recently reported among-species disparity in amino acid exchangeabilities. These findings demonstrate that genome-wide nucleotide substitution patterns in coding sequences have species-specific features and are more variable among evolutionary lineages than are currently thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengting Zou
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Jianzhi Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Corresponding author: E-mail: .Associate editor: Jeffrey Townsend
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Abstract
Increased proliferation and protein synthesis are characteristics of transformed and tumor cells. Although the components of the translation machinery are often dysregulated in cancer, the role of tRNAs in cancer cells has not been well studied. Nevertheless, the number of related studies has recently started increasing. With the development of high throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing, genome-wide differential tRNA expression patterns in breast cancer-derived cell lines and breast tumors have been investigated. The genome-wide transcriptomics analyses have been linked with many studies for functional and phenotypic characterization, whereby tRNAs or tRNA-related fragments have been shown to play important roles in breast cancer regulation and as promising prognostic biomarkers. Here, we review their expression patterns, functions, prognostic value, and potential therapeutic use as well as related technologies.
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Bose D, Mukhopadhyay S. The hunt for a yet unknown: Common molecular signature in some genetically monomorphic enterobacteria. J Basic Microbiol 2021; 61:524-546. [PMID: 33991346 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202000630] [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: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mark Achtman introduced the term "genetically monomorphic bacteria" (GM bacteria) for some human and plant pathogens. They displayed a great uniformity in terms of their "genetic" properties. This "uniformity" poses a challenge to microbiologists. To address these problems, we used CodonW and IslandViewer 3 as analytical tools and took Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella strains as a model organisms. We hypothesized that GM bacterium contains a common molecular signature among them. We have found a significant correlation regarding the number of protein-coding genes, predicted highly expressed genes, and the highest length of gene in this regard. On the other hand, the correspondence analysis of pathogenicity-related genes identified by IslandViewer 3 displayed a somewhat unique pattern in GM bacteria. The probable pathogenic genes are clustered into two separate groups, which is a hallmark of some pattern. Similar genes of non-monomorphic pathogenic strain clustered almost similarly, but the clusters are joined together, they are not completely separated. These features, in our considered view, may be considered as codon usages signatures of these bacteria, and E. coli in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debadin Bose
- Department of Botany, Kabi Nazrul College, Murarai, West Bengal, India
| | - Subhasis Mukhopadhyay
- Distributed Information Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Biophysics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, West Bengal, India
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Codon usage bias and nuclear mRNA concentration: Correlation vs. causation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2104714118. [PMID: 33941646 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104714118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Tian T, Li S, Lang P, Zhao D, Zeng J. Full-length ribosome density prediction by a multi-input and multi-output model. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008842. [PMID: 33770074 PMCID: PMC8026034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation elongation is regulated by a series of complicated mechanisms in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Although recent advance in ribosome profiling techniques has enabled one to capture the genome-wide ribosome footprints along transcripts at codon resolution, the regulatory codes of elongation dynamics are still not fully understood. Most of the existing computational approaches for modeling translation elongation from ribosome profiling data mainly focus on local contextual patterns, while ignoring the continuity of the elongation process and relations between ribosome densities of remote codons. Modeling the translation elongation process in full-length coding sequence (CDS) level has not been studied to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, we developed a deep learning based approach with a multi-input and multi-output framework, named RiboMIMO, for modeling the ribosome density distributions of full-length mRNA CDS regions. Through considering the underlying correlations in translation efficiency among neighboring and remote codons and extracting hidden features from the input full-length coding sequence, RiboMIMO can greatly outperform the state-of-the-art baseline approaches and accurately predict the ribosome density distributions along the whole mRNA CDS regions. In addition, RiboMIMO explores the contributions of individual input codons to the predictions of output ribosome densities, which thus can help reveal important biological factors influencing the translation elongation process. The analyses, based on our interpretable metric named codon impact score, not only identified several patterns consistent with the previously-published literatures, but also for the first time (to the best of our knowledge) revealed that the codons located at a long distance from the ribosomal A site may also have an association on the translation elongation rate. This finding of long-range impact on translation elongation velocity may shed new light on the regulatory mechanisms of protein synthesis. Overall, these results indicated that RiboMIMO can provide a useful tool for studying the regulation of translation elongation in the range of full-length CDS. Translation elongation is a process in which amino acids are linked into proteins by ribosomes in cells. Translation elongation rates along the mRNAs are not constant, and are regulated by a series of mechanisms, such as codon rarity and mRNA stability. In this study, we modeled the translation elongation process at a full-length coding sequence level and developed a deep learning based approach to predict the translation elongation rates from mRNA sequences, through extracting the regulatory codes of elongation rates from the contextual sequences. The analyses, based on our interpretable metric named codon impact score, for the first time (to the best of our knowledge), revealed that in addition to the neighboring codons of the ribosomal A sites, the remote codons may also have an important impact on the translation elongation rates. This new finding may stimulate additional experiments and shed light on the regulatory mechanisms of protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingzhong Tian
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuya Li
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Lang
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Zhao
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (DZ); (JZ)
| | - Jianyang Zeng
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (DZ); (JZ)
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Shao D, Ahmed N, Soni N, O'Brien EP. RiboA: a web application to identify ribosome A-site locations in ribosome profiling data. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:156. [PMID: 33765913 PMCID: PMC7992832 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04068-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Translation is a fundamental process in gene expression. Ribosome profiling is a method that enables the study of transcriptome-wide translation. A fundamental, technical challenge in analyzing Ribo-Seq data is identifying the A-site location on ribosome-protected mRNA fragments. Identification of the A-site is essential as it is at this location on the ribosome where a codon is translated into an amino acid. Incorrect assignment of a read to the A-site can lead to lower signal-to-noise ratio and loss of correlations necessary to understand the molecular factors influencing translation. Therefore, an easy-to-use and accurate analysis tool is needed to accurately identify the A-site locations. Results We present RiboA, a web application that identifies the most accurate A-site location on a ribosome-protected mRNA fragment and generates the A-site read density profiles. It uses an Integer Programming method that reflects the biological fact that the A-site of actively translating ribosomes is generally located between the second codon and stop codon of a transcript, and utilizes a wide range of mRNA fragment sizes in and around the coding sequence (CDS). The web application is containerized with Docker, and it can be easily ported across platforms. Conclusions The Integer Programming method that RiboA utilizes is the most accurate in identifying the A-site on Ribo-Seq mRNA fragments compared to other methods. RiboA makes it easier for the community to use this method via a user-friendly and portable web application. In addition, RiboA supports reproducible analyses by tracking all the input datasets and parameters, and it provides enhanced visualization to facilitate scientific exploration. RiboA is available as a web service at https://a-site.vmhost.psu.edu/. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/obrien-lab/aip_web_docker under the MIT license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danying Shao
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Nabeel Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Nishant Soni
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Edward P O'Brien
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA.
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Nagai A, Mori K, Shiomi Y, Yoshihisa T. OTTER, a new method quantifying absolute amounts of tRNAs. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:rna.076489.120. [PMID: 33674420 PMCID: PMC8051270 DOI: 10.1261/rna.076489.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
To maintain optimal proteome, both codon choice of each mRNA and supply of aminoacyl-tRNAs are two principal factors in translation. Recent reports have revealed that the amounts of tRNAs in cells are more dynamic than we had expected. High-throughput methods such as RNA-Seq and microarrays are versatile for comprehensive detection of changes in individual tRNA amounts, but they suffer from inability to assess signal production efficiencies of individual tRNA species. Thus, they are not the perfect choice to measure absolute amounts of tRNAs. Here, we introduce a novel method for this purpose, termed Oligonucleotide-directed Three-prime Terminal Extension of RNA (OTTER), which employs fluorescence-labeling at the 3'-terminus of a tRNA by optimized reverse primer extension and an assessment step of each labeling efficiency by northern blotting. Using this method, we quantified the absolute amounts of the 34 individual and 4 pairs of isoacceptor tRNAs out of the total 42 nuclear-encoded isoacceptors in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that the amounts of tRNAs in log phase yeast cells grown in a rich glucose medium range from 0.030 to 0.73 pmol/µg RNA. The tRNA amounts seem to be altered at the isoacceptor level by a few folds in response to physiological growing conditions. The data obtained by OTTER are poorly correlated with those by simple RNA-Seq, marginally with those by microarrays and by microscale thermophoresis. However, the OTTER data showed good agreement with the data obtained by 2D-gel analysis of in vivo radiolabeled RNAs. Thus, OTTER is a suitable method for quantifying absolute amounts of tRNAs at the level of isoacceptor resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihisa Nagai
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo
| | - Kohei Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo
| | - Yuma Shiomi
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo
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Mousavi P, Morowvat MH, Mostafavi-Pour Z, Aram F, Malekzadeh K, Nezafat N, Ghasemi Y. Experimental Analysis of E2BB (LTIIb) Signal Peptide in Secretory Production of Reteplase in Escherichia coli. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-020-10059-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hia F, Takeuchi O. The effects of codon bias and optimality on mRNA and protein regulation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:1909-1928. [PMID: 33128106 PMCID: PMC11072601 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03685-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular biology entails that genetic information is transferred from nucleic acid to proteins. Notwithstanding retro-transcribing genetic elements, DNA is transcribed to RNA which in turn is translated into proteins. Recent advancements have shown that each stage is regulated to control protein abundances for a variety of essential physiological processes. In this regard, mRNA regulation is essential in fine-tuning or calibrating protein abundances. In this review, we would like to discuss one of several mRNA-intrinsic features of mRNA regulation that has been gaining traction of recent-codon bias and optimality. Specifically, we address the effects of codon bias with regard to codon optimality in several biological processes centred on translation, such as mRNA stability and protein folding among others. Finally, we examine how different organisms or cell types, through this system, are able to coordinate physiological pathways to respond to a variety of stress or growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Hia
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Osamu Takeuchi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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