Improving Hox protein classification across the major model organisms

Homeodomain complex formation and biomolecular condensates in Hox gene regulation

Hox genes are a family of homeodomain transcription factors that regulate specialized morphological structures along the anterior-posterior axis of metazoans. Over the past few decades, researchers have focused on defining how Hox factors with similar in vitro DNA binding activities achieve sufficient target specificity to regulate distinct cell fates in vivo. In this review, we highlight how protein interactions with other transcription factors, many of which are also homeodomain proteins, result in the formation of transcription factor complexes with enhanced DNA binding specificity. These findings suggest that Hox-regulated enhancers utilize distinct combinations of homeodomain binding sites, many of which are low-affinity, to recruit specific Hox complexes. However, low-affinity sites can only yield reproducible responses with high transcription factor concentrations. To overcome this limitation, recent studies revealed how transcription factors, including Hox factors, use intrinsically disordered domains (IDRs) to form biomolecular condensates that increase protein concentrations. Moreover, Hox factors with altered IDRs have been associated with altered transcriptional activity and human disease states, demonstrating the importance of IDRs in mediating essential Hox output. Collectively, these studies highlight how Hox factors use their DNA binding domains, protein-protein interaction domains, and IDRs to form specific transcription factor complexes that yield accurate gene expression.

Draft Genome of White-blotched River Stingray Provides Novel Clues for Niche Adaptation and Skeleton Formation

The white-blotched river stingray (Potamotrygon leopoldi) is a cartilaginous fish native to the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon River system. As a rare freshwater-dwelling cartilaginous fish in the Potamotrygonidae family in which no member has the genome sequencing information available, P. leopoldi provides the evolutionary details in fish phylogeny, niche adaptation, and skeleton formation. In this study, we present its draft genome of 4.11 Gb comprising 16,227 contigs and 13,238 scaffolds, with contig N50 of 3937 kb and scaffold N50 of 5675 kb in size. Our analysis shows that P. leopoldi is a slow-evolving fish that diverged from elephant sharks about 96 million years ago. Moreover, two gene families related to the immune system (immunoglobulin heavy constant delta genes and T-cell receptor alpha/delta variable genes) exhibit expansion in P. leopoldi only. We also identified the Hox gene clusters in P. leopoldi and discovered that seven Hox genes shared by five representative fish species are missing in P. leopoldi. The RNA sequencing data from P. leopoldi and other three fish species demonstrate that fishes have a more diversified tissue expression spectrum when compared to mammals. Our functional studies suggest that lack of the gc gene encoding vitamin D-binding protein in cartilaginous fishes (both P. leopoldi and Callorhinchus milii) could partly explain the absence of hard bone in their endoskeleton. Overall, this genome resource provides new insights into the niche adaptation, body plan, and skeleton formation of P. leopoldi, as well as the genome evolution in cartilaginous fishes.

Systematic multi-omics cell line profiling uncovers principles of Ewing sarcoma fusion oncogene-mediated gene regulation

Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is characterized by EWSR1-ETS fusion transcription factors converting polymorphic GGAA microsatellites (mSats) into potent neo-enhancers. Although the paucity of additional mutations makes EwS a genuine model to study principles of cooperation between dominant fusion oncogenes and neo-enhancers, this is impeded by the limited number of well-characterized models. Here we present the Ewing Sarcoma Cell Line Atlas (ESCLA), comprising whole-genome, DNA methylation, transcriptome, proteome, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data of 18 cell lines with inducible EWSR1-ETS knockdown. The ESCLA shows hundreds of EWSR1-ETS-targets, the nature of EWSR1-ETS-preferred GGAA mSats, and putative indirect modes of EWSR1-ETS-mediated gene regulation, converging in the duality of a specific but plastic EwS signature. We identify heterogeneously regulated EWSR1-ETS-targets as potential prognostic EwS biomarkers. Our freely available ESCLA (http://r2platform.com/escla/) is a rich resource for EwS research and highlights the power of comprehensive datasets to unravel principles of heterogeneous gene regulation by chimeric transcription factors.

Mechanisms Underlying Hox-Mediated Transcriptional Outcomes

Metazoans differentially express multiple Hox transcription factors to specify diverse cell fates along the developing anterior-posterior axis. Two challenges arise when trying to understand how the Hox transcription factors regulate the required target genes for morphogenesis: First, how does each Hox factor differ from one another to accurately activate and repress target genes required for the formation of distinct segment and regional identities? Second, how can a Hox factor that is broadly expressed in many tissues within a segment impact the development of specific organs by regulating target genes in a cell type-specific manner? In this review, we highlight how recent genomic, interactome, and cis-regulatory studies are providing new insights into answering these two questions. Collectively, these studies suggest that Hox factors may differentially modify the chromatin of gene targets as well as utilize numerous interactions with additional co-activators, co-repressors, and sequence-specific transcription factors to achieve accurate segment and cell type-specific transcriptional outcomes.

Anterior Hox Genes and the Process of Cephalization

During evolution, bilateral animals have experienced a progressive process of cephalization with the anterior concentration of nervous tissue, sensory organs and the appearance of dedicated feeding structures surrounding the mouth. Cephalization has been achieved by the specialization of the unsegmented anterior end of the body (the acron) and the sequential recruitment to the head of adjacent anterior segments. Here we review the key developmental contribution of Hox1-5 genes to the formation of cephalic structures in vertebrates and arthropods and discuss how this evolved. The appearance of Hox cephalic genes preceded the evolution of a highly specialized head in both groups, indicating that Hox gene involvement in the control of cephalic structures was acquired independently during the evolution of vertebrates and invertebrates to regulate the genes required for head innovation.

Regeneration Potential of Jellyfish: Cellular Mechanisms and Molecular Insights

Medusozoans, the Cnidarian subphylum, have multiple life stages including sessile polyps and free-swimming medusae or jellyfish, which are typically bell-shaped gelatinous zooplanktons that exhibit diverse morphologies. Despite having a relatively complex body structure with well-developed muscles and nervous systems, the adult medusa stage maintains a high regenerative ability that enables organ regeneration as well as whole body reconstitution from the part of the body. This remarkable regeneration potential of jellyfish has long been acknowledged in different species; however, recent studies have begun dissecting the exact processes underpinning regeneration events. In this article, we introduce the current understanding of regeneration mechanisms in medusae, particularly focusing on cellular behaviors during regeneration such as wound healing, blastema formation by stem/progenitor cells or cell fate plasticity, and the organism-level patterning that restores radial symmetry. We also discuss putative molecular mechanisms involved in regeneration processes and introduce a variety of novel model jellyfish species in the effort to understand common principles and diverse mechanisms underlying the regeneration of complex organs and the entire body.

Color-Patterns to Architecture Conversion through Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks

Often an apparent complex reality can be extrapolated into certain patterns that in turn are evidenced in natural behaviors (whether biological, chemical or physical). The Architecture Design field has manifested these patterns as a conscious (inspired designs) or unconscious manner (emerging organizations). If such patterns exist and can be recognized, can we therefore use them as genotypic DNA? Can we be capable of generating a phenotypic architecture that is manifestly more complex than the original pattern? Recent developments in the field of Evo-Devo around gene regulators patterns or the explosive development of Machine Learning tools could be combined to set the basis for developing new, disruptive workflows for both design and analysis. This study will test the feasibility of using conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGANs) as a tool for coding architecture into color pattern-based images and translating them into 2D architectural representations. A series of scaled tests are performed to check the feasibility of the hypothesis. A second test assesses the flexibility of the trained neural networks against cases outside the database.

High-Throughput Discovery and Characterization of Human Transcriptional Effectors

Thousands of proteins localize to the nucleus; however, it remains unclear which contain transcriptional effectors. Here, we develop HT-recruit, a pooled assay where protein libraries are recruited to a reporter, and their transcriptional effects are measured by sequencing. Using this approach, we measure gene silencing and activation for thousands of domains. We find a relationship between repressor function and evolutionary age for the KRAB domains, discover that Homeodomain repressor strength is collinear with Hox genetic organization, and identify activities for several domains of unknown function. Deep mutational scanning of the CRISPRi KRAB maps the co-repressor binding surface and identifies substitutions that improve stability/silencing. By tiling 238 proteins, we find repressors as short as ten amino acids. Finally, we report new activator domains, including a divergent KRAB. These results provide a resource of 600 human proteins containing effectors and demonstrate a scalable strategy for assigning functions to protein domains.

Hox gene cluster of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, reveals multiple ancient steps of cluster disintegration during ascidian evolution

BACKGROUND

Hox gene clusters with at least 13 paralog group (PG) members are common in vertebrate genomes and in that of amphioxus. Ascidians, which belong to the subphylum Tunicata (Urochordata), are phylogenetically positioned between vertebrates and amphioxus, and traditionally divided into two groups: the Pleurogona and the Enterogona. An enterogonan ascidian, Ciona intestinalis (Ci), possesses nine Hox genes localized on two chromosomes; thus, the Hox gene cluster is disintegrated. We investigated the Hox gene cluster of a pleurogonan ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi (Hr) to investigate whether Hox gene cluster disintegration is common among ascidians, and if so, how such disintegration occurred during ascidian or tunicate evolution.

RESULTS

Our phylogenetic analysis reveals that the Hr Hox gene complement comprises nine members, including one with a relatively divergent Hox homeodomain sequence. Eight of nine Hr Hox genes were orthologous to Ci-Hox1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 and 13. Following the phylogenetic classification into 13 PGs, we designated Hr Hox genes as Hox1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11/12/13.a, 11/12/13.b and HoxX. To address the chromosomal arrangement of the nine Hox genes, we performed two-color chromosomal fluorescent in situ hybridization, which revealed that the nine Hox genes are localized on a single chromosome in Hr, distinct from their arrangement in Ci. We further examined the order of the nine Hox genes on the chromosome by chromosome/scaffold walking. This analysis suggested a gene order of Hox1, 11/12/13.b, 11/12/13.a, 10, 5, X, followed by either Hox4, 3, 2 or Hox2, 3, 4 on the chromosome. Based on the present results and those previously reported in Ci, we discuss the establishment of the Hox gene complement and disintegration of Hox gene clusters during the course of ascidian or tunicate evolution.

CONCLUSIONS

The Hox gene cluster and the genome must have experienced extensive reorganization during the course of evolution from the ancestral tunicate to Hr and Ci. Nevertheless, some features are shared in Hox gene components and gene arrangement on the chromosomes, suggesting that Hox gene cluster disintegration in ascidians involved early events common to tunicates as well as later ascidian lineage-specific events.

Composition and genomic organization of arthropod Hox clusters

Background

The ancestral arthropod is believed to have had a clustered arrangement of ten Hox genes. Within arthropods, Hox gene mutations result in transformation of segment identities. Despite the fact that variation in segment number/character was common in the diversification of arthropods, few examples of Hox gene gains/losses have been correlated with morphological evolution. Furthermore, a full appreciation of the variation in the genomic arrangement of Hox genes in extant arthropods has not been recognized, as genome sequences from each major arthropod clade have not been reported until recently. Initial genomic analysis of the chelicerate Tetranychusurticae suggested that loss of Hox genes and Hox gene clustering might be more common than previously assumed. To further characterize the genomic evolution of arthropod Hox genes, we compared the genomic arrangement and general characteristics of Hox genes from representative taxa from each arthropod subphylum.

Results

In agreement with others, we find arthropods generally contain ten Hox genes arranged in a common orientation in the genome, with an increasing number of sampled species missing either Hox3 or abdominal-A orthologs. The genomic clustering of Hox genes in species we surveyed varies significantly, ranging from 0.3 to 13.6 Mb. In all species sampled, arthropod Hox genes are dispersed in the genome relative to the vertebrate Mus musculus. Differences in Hox cluster size arise from variation in the number of intervening genes, intergenic spacing, and the size of introns and UTRs. In the arthropods surveyed, Hox gene duplications are rare and four microRNAs are, in general, conserved in similar genomic positions relative to the Hox genes.

Conclusions

The tightly clustered Hox complexes found in the vertebrates are not evident within arthropods, and differential patterns of Hox gene dispersion are found throughout the arthropods. The comparative genomic data continue to support an ancestral arthropod Hox cluster of ten genes with a shared orientation, with four Hox gene-associated miRNAs, although the degree of dispersion between genes in an ancestral cluster remains uncertain. Hox3 and abdominal-A orthologs have been lost in multiple, independent lineages, and current data support a model in which inversions of the Abdominal-B locus that result in the loss of abdominal-A correlate with reduced trunk segmentation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-016-0048-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Solving Classification Problems for Large Sets of Protein Sequences with the Example of Hox and ParaHox Proteins

Phylogenetic methods are key to providing models for how a given protein family evolved. However, these methods run into difficulties when sequence divergence is either too low or too high. Here, we provide a case study of Hox and ParaHox proteins so that additional insights can be gained using a new computational approach to help solve old classification problems. For two (Gsx and Cdx) out of three ParaHox proteins the assignments differ between the currently most established view and four alternative scenarios. We use a non-phylogenetic, pairwise-sequence-similarity-based method to assess which of the previous predictions, if any, are best supported by the sequence-similarity relationships between Hox and ParaHox proteins. The overall sequence-similarities show Gsx to be most similar to Hox2–3, and Cdx to be most similar to Hox4–8. The results indicate that a purely pairwise-sequence-similarity-based approach can provide additional information not only when phylogenetic inference methods have insufficient information to provide reliable classifications (as was shown previously for central Hox proteins), but also when the sequence variation is so high that the resulting phylogenetic reconstructions are likely plagued by long-branch-attraction artifacts.

The homeodomain protein ladybird late regulates synthesis of milk proteins during pregnancy in the tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans)

Regulation of tissue and development specific gene expression patterns underlies the functional specialization of organs in multi-cellular organisms. In the viviparous tsetse fly (Glossina), the female accessory gland is specialized to generate nutrients in the form of a milk-like secretion to support growth of intrauterine larva. Multiple milk protein genes are expressed specifically in the female accessory gland and are tightly linked with larval development. Disruption of milk protein synthesis deprives developing larvae of nutrients and results in extended larval development and/or in abortion. The ability to cause such a disruption could be utilized as a tsetse control strategy. Here we identify and delineate the regulatory sequence of a major milk protein gene (milk gland protein 1:mgp1) by utilizing a combination of molecular techniques in tsetse, Drosophila transgenics, transcriptomics and in silico sequence analyses. The function of this promoter is conserved between tsetse and Drosophila. In transgenic Drosophila the mgp1 promoter directs reporter gene expression in a tissue and stage specific manner orthologous to that of Glossina. Analysis of the minimal required regulatory region of mgp1, and the regulatory regions of other Glossina milk proteins identified putative homeodomain protein binding sites as the sole common feature. Annotation and expression analysis of Glossina homeodomain proteins identified ladybird late (lbl) as being accessory gland/fat body specific and differentially expressed between lactating/non-lactating flies. Knockdown of lbl in tsetse resulted in a significant reduction in transcript abundance of multiple milk protein genes and in a significant loss of fecundity. The role of Lbl in adult reproductive physiology is previously unknown. These results suggest that Lbl is part of a conserved reproductive regulatory system that could have implications beyond tsetse to other vector insects such as mosquitoes. This system is critical for tsetse fecundity and provides a potential target for development of a reproductive inhibitor.

Female tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossina) harbor and give birth to live young. To do this, they nourish their intrauterine larvae with milk secretions. This work focuses upon understanding the regulation of tsetse milk proteins, which are essential for fecundity and are expressed in a temporally and spatially specific manner by pregnant females. We identified the minimal upstream regulatory DNA sequence of the major milk protein gene mgp1, which confers tissue specific expression in the female accessory glands of reproductively active flies. This regulatory sequence functions similarly in transgenic fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and drives expression of reporter gene products in the adult female accessory gland. Comparison of this regulatory sequence with sequences from other characterized milk proteins indicates that conserved homeodomain transcription factors may be responsible for regulating these genes. Analysis of Glossina homeodomain proteins identified an accessory gland/fat body specific factor, Ladybird late (lbl), which appears to regulate the expression of multiple milk proteins. Reduction of lbl levels interferes with milk protein gene expression, which in turn reduces Glossina fecundity. These results suggest that milk proteins in Glossina are regulated by a conserved regulatory system mediated in part by the homeodomain transcription factor lbl. Components of this system could provide a target for development of a tsetse reproductive inhibitor.

A linear-encoding model explains the variability of the target morphology in regeneration

A fundamental assumption of today's molecular genetics paradigm is that complex morphology emerges from the combined activity of low-level processes involving proteins and nucleic acids. An inherent characteristic of such nonlinear encodings is the difficulty of creating the genetic and epigenetic information that will produce a given self-assembling complex morphology. This 'inverse problem' is vital not only for understanding the evolution, development and regeneration of bodyplans, but also for synthetic biology efforts that seek to engineer biological shapes. Importantly, the regenerative mechanisms in deer antlers, planarian worms and fiddler crabs can solve an inverse problem: their target morphology can be altered specifically and stably by injuries in particular locations. Here, we discuss the class of models that use pre-specified morphological goal states and propose the existence of a linear encoding of the target morphology, making the inverse problem easy for these organisms to solve. Indeed, many model organisms such as Drosophila, hydra and Xenopus also develop according to nonlinear encodings producing linear encodings of their final morphologies. We propose the development of testable models of regeneration regulation that combine emergence with a top-down specification of shape by linear encodings of target morphology, driving transformative applications in biomedicine and synthetic bioengineering.

Evolution of Hox gene clusters in deuterostomes

Hox genes, with their similar roles in animals as evolutionarily distant as humans and flies, have fascinated biologists since their discovery nearly 30 years ago. During the last two decades, reports on Hox genes from a still growing number of eumetazoan species have increased our knowledge on the Hox gene contents of a wide range of animal groups. In this review, we summarize the current Hox inventory among deuterostomes, not only in the well-known teleosts and tetrapods, but also in the earlier vertebrate and invertebrate groups. We draw an updated picture of the ancestral repertoires of the different lineages, a sort of “genome Hox bar-code” for most clades. This scenario allows us to infer differential gene or cluster losses and gains that occurred during deuterostome evolution, which might be causally linked to the morphological changes that led to these widely diverse animal taxa. Finally, we focus on the challenging family of posterior Hox genes, which probably originated through independent tandem duplication events at the origin of each of the ambulacrarian, cephalochordate and vertebrate/urochordate lineages.

Distinct molecular strategies for Hox-mediated limb suppression in Drosophila: from cooperativity to dispensability/antagonism in TALE partnership

The emergence following gene duplication of a large repertoire of Hox paralogue proteins underlies the importance taken by Hox proteins in controlling animal body plans in development and evolution. Sequence divergence of paralogous proteins accounts for functional specialization, promoting axial morphological diversification in bilaterian animals. Yet functionally specialized paralogous Hox proteins also continue performing ancient common functions. In this study, we investigate how highly divergent Hox proteins perform an identical function. This was achieved by comparing in Drosophila the mode of limb suppression by the central (Ultrabithorax and AbdominalA) and posterior class (AbdominalB) Hox proteins. Results highlight that Hox-mediated limb suppression relies on distinct modes of DNA binding and a distinct use of TALE cofactors. Control of common functions by divergent Hox proteins, at least in the case studied, relies on evolving novel molecular properties. Thus, changes in protein sequences not only provide the driving force for functional specialization of Hox paralogue proteins, but also provide means to perform common ancient functions in distinct ways.

Antagonism versus cooperativity with TALE cofactors at the base of the functional diversification of Hox protein function

Extradenticle (Exd) and Homothorax (Hth) function as positive transcriptional cofactors of Hox proteins, helping them to bind specifically their direct targets. The posterior Hox protein Abdominal-B (Abd-B) does not require Exd/Hth to bind DNA; and, during embryogenesis, Abd-B represses hth and exd transcription. Here we show that this repression is necessary for Abd-B function, as maintained Exd/Hth expression results in transformations similar to those observed in loss-of-function Abd-B mutants. We characterize the cis regulatory module directly regulated by Abd-B in the empty spiracles gene and show that the Exd/Hth complex interferes with Abd-B binding to this enhancer. Our results suggest that this novel Exd/Hth function does not require the complex to bind DNA and may be mediated by direct Exd/Hth binding to the Abd-B homeodomain. Thus, in some instances, the main positive cofactor complex for anterior Hox proteins can act as a negative factor for the posterior Hox protein Abd-B. This antagonistic interaction uncovers an alternative way in which MEIS and PBC cofactors can modulate Abd-B like posterior Hox genes during development.

The Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis as a model skin. I: development, patterning, and growth

The skin of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is composed of a simple epidermal epithelium and overlying cuticle. The skin encloses the animal and plays central roles in body morphology and physiology; its simplicity and accessibility make it a tractable genetic model for several aspects of skin biology. Epidermal precursors are specified by a hierarchy of transcriptional regulators. Epidermal cells form on the dorsal surface of the embryo and differentiate to form the epidermal primordium, which then spreads out in a process of epiboly to enclose internal tissues. Subsequent elongation of the embryo into a vermiform larva is driven by cell shape changes and cell fusions in the epidermis. Most epidermal cells fuse in mid-embryogenesis to form a small number of multinucleate syncytia. During mid-embryogenesis the epidermis also becomes intimately associated with underlying muscles, performing a tendon-like role in transmitting muscle force. Post-embryonic development of the epidermis involves growth by addition of new cells to the syncytia from stem cell-like epidermal seam cells and by an increase in cell size driven by endoreplication of the chromosomes in epidermal nuclei.

Cofactor binding evokes latent differences in DNA binding specificity between Hox proteins

Members of transcription factor families typically have similar DNA binding specificities yet execute unique functions in vivo. Transcription factors often bind DNA as multiprotein complexes, raising the possibility that complex formation might modify their DNA binding specificities. To test this hypothesis, we developed an experimental and computational platform, SELEX-seq, that can be used to determine the relative affinities to any DNA sequence for any transcription factor complex. Applying this method to all eight Drosophila Hox proteins, we show that they obtain novel recognition properties when they bind DNA with the dimeric cofactor Extradenticle-Homothorax (Exd). Exd-Hox specificities group into three main classes that obey Hox gene collinearity rules and DNA structure predictions suggest that anterior and posterior Hox proteins prefer DNA sequences with distinct minor groove topographies. Together, these data suggest that emergent DNA recognition properties revealed by interactions with cofactors contribute to transcription factor specificities in vivo.

Revisiting the origin of the vertebrate Hox14 by including its relict sarcopterygian members

Bilaterian Hox genes play pivotal roles in the specification of positional identities along the anteroposterior axis. Particularly in vertebrates, their regulation is tightly coordinated by tandem arrays of genes [paralogy groups (PGs)] in four gene clusters (HoxA-D). Traditionally, the uninterrupted Hox cluster (Hox1-14) of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus was regarded as an archetype of the vertebrate Hox clusters. In contrast to Hox1-13 that are globally regulated by the "Hox code" and are often phylogenetically conserved, vertebrate Hox14 members were only recently revealed to be present in an African lungfish, a coelacanth, chondrichthyans and a lamprey, and decoupled from the Hox code. In this study we performed a PCR-based search of Hox14 members from diverse vertebrates, and identified one in the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri. Based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis, this gene was designated NfHoxA14. Our real-time RT-PCR suggested its hindgut-associated expression, previously observed also in cloudy catshark HoxD14 and lamprey Hox14α. It is likely that this altered expression scheme was established before the Hox cluster quadruplication, probably at the base of extant vertebrates. To investigate the origin of vertebrate Hox14, by including this sarcopterygian Hox14 member, we performed focused phylogenetic analyses on its relationship with other vertebrate posterior Hox PGs (Hox9-13) as well as amphioxus posterior Hox genes. Our results confirmed the hypotheses previously proposed by other studies that vertebrate Hox14 does not have any amphioxus ortholog, and that none of 1-to-1 pairs of vertebrate and amphioxus posterior Hox genes, based on their relative location in the clusters, is orthologous.

OrthoList: a compendium of C. elegans genes with human orthologs

BACKGROUND

C. elegans is an important model for genetic studies relevant to human biology and disease. We sought to assess the orthology between C. elegans and human genes to understand better the relationship between their genomes and to generate a compelling list of candidates to streamline RNAi-based screens in this model.

RESULTS

We performed a meta-analysis of results from four orthology prediction programs and generated a compendium, "OrthoList", containing 7,663 C. elegans protein-coding genes. Various assessments indicate that OrthoList has extensive coverage with low false-positive and false-negative rates. Part of this evaluation examined the conservation of components of the receptor tyrosine kinase, Notch, Wnt, TGF-ß and insulin signaling pathways, and led us to update compendia of conserved C. elegans kinases, nuclear hormone receptors, F-box proteins, and transcription factors. Comparison with two published genome-wide RNAi screens indicated that virtually all of the conserved hits would have been obtained had just the OrthoList set (∼38% of the genome) been targeted. We compiled Ortholist by InterPro domains and Gene Ontology annotation, making it easy to identify C. elegans orthologs of human disease genes for potential functional analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We anticipate that OrthoList will be of considerable utility to C. elegans researchers for streamlining RNAi screens, by focusing on genes with apparent human orthologs, thus reducing screening effort by ∼60%. Moreover, we find that OrthoList provides a useful basis for annotating orthology and reveals more C. elegans orthologs of human genes in various functional groups, such as transcription factors, than previously described.