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Nowell RW, Rodriguez F, Hecox-Lea BJ, Mark Welch DB, Arkhipova IR, Barraclough TG, Wilson CG. Bdelloid rotifers deploy horizontally acquired biosynthetic genes against a fungal pathogen. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5787. [PMID: 39025839 PMCID: PMC11258130 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49919-1] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Coevolutionary antagonism generates relentless selection that can favour genetic exchange, including transfer of antibiotic synthesis and resistance genes among bacteria, and sexual recombination of disease resistance alleles in eukaryotes. We report an unusual link between biological conflict and DNA transfer in bdelloid rotifers, microscopic animals whose genomes show elevated levels of horizontal gene transfer from non-metazoan taxa. When rotifers were challenged with a fungal pathogen, horizontally acquired genes were over twice as likely to be upregulated as other genes - a stronger enrichment than observed for abiotic stressors. Among hundreds of upregulated genes, the most markedly overrepresented were clusters resembling bacterial polyketide and nonribosomal peptide synthetases that produce antibiotics. Upregulation of these clusters in a pathogen-resistant rotifer species was nearly ten times stronger than in a susceptible species. By acquiring, domesticating, and expressing non-metazoan biosynthetic pathways, bdelloids may have evolved to resist natural enemies using antimicrobial mechanisms absent from other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben W Nowell
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh; Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Bette J Hecox-Lea
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - David B Mark Welch
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Christopher G Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
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Wilson CG, Pieszko T, Nowell RW, Barraclough TG. Recombination in bdelloid rotifer genomes: asexuality, transfer and stress. Trends Genet 2024; 40:422-436. [PMID: 38458877 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.02.001] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Bdelloid rotifers constitute a class of microscopic animals living in freshwater habitats worldwide. Several strange features of bdelloids have drawn attention: their ability to tolerate desiccation and other stresses, a lack of reported males across the clade despite centuries of study, and unusually high numbers of horizontally acquired, non-metazoan genes. Genome sequencing is transforming our understanding of their lifestyle and its consequences, while in turn providing wider insights about recombination and genome organisation in animals. Many questions remain, not least how to reconcile apparent genomic signatures of sex with the continued absence of reported males, why bdelloids have so many horizontally acquired genes, and how their remarkable ability to survive stress interacts with recombination and other genomic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | - Tymoteusz Pieszko
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Reuben W Nowell
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK; Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Muhammad N, Li DX, Ru SS, Suleman, Saood D, Alvi MA, Li L. Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthogyrus ( Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis Chowhan, Gupta & Khera, 1987 (Eoacanthocephala: Quadrigyridae), the smallest mitochondrial genome in Acanthocephala, and its phylogenetic implications. J Helminthol 2023; 97:e87. [PMID: 37969070 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x23000561] [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] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The phylum Acanthocephala is an important group of parasites with more than 1,300 species parasitizing intestine of all major vertebrate groups. However, our present knowledge of the mitochondrial genomes of Acanthocephala remains very limited. In the present study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis (Gyracanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) for the first time based on the specimens recovered from the intestine of common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (Cyprinidae) in Pakistan. The mitochondrial genome of A. bilaspurensis is 13,360 bp in size and contains 36 genes, representing the smallest mitogenome of acanthocephalans reported so far. The mitogenome of A. bilaspurensis also has the lowest level of overall A+T contents (59.3%) in the mitogenomes of Eoacanthocephala, and the non-coding region 3 (NCR3) lies between trnS2 and trnI, which is different from all of the other acanthocephalan species. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenating the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods revealed that the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae is a sister to the Arhythmacanthidae rather than the Cavisomatidae, and the families Rhadinorhynchidae and Cavisomatidae showed sister relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehaz Muhammad
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Biology Postdoctoral Research Mobile Station, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - D-X Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - S-S Ru
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - Suleman
- Department of Zoology, University of Swabi, Anbar, Swabi, 23561, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - D Saood
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University MardanKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M A Alvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - L Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
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Stick R, Peter A. CaaX-less lamins: Lophotrochozoa provide a glance at the playground of evolution. PROTOPLASMA 2023; 260:741-756. [PMID: 36102949 PMCID: PMC10125929 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-022-01809-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear lamins are the main components of the nuclear lamina in many eukaryotes. They are members of the intermediate filament (IF) protein family. Lamins differ from cytoplasmic IF proteins by the presence of a nuclear localisation sequence (NLS) and a C-terminal tetrapeptide, the CaaX motif. The CaaX motif is target of post-translational modifications including isoprenylation, proteolytic processing, and carboxyl-methylation. These modifications, in conjunction with the NLS, direct lamins to the inner nuclear membrane where they assemble into filaments. Lamins lacking a CaaX motif are unable to associate independently with nuclear membranes and remain in the nucleoplasm. So far, three species have been reported to exclusively express CaaX-less lamins. All three belong to the lophotrochozoan lineage. To find out whether they represent rare exceptions, we analysed lamins of representatives of 17 lophotrochozoan phyla. Here we report that all four clades of Rotifera as well as individual taxa of Mollusca and Annelida lack CaaX-lamins, but express lamins with alternative C-termini. Of note, the respective mollusc and annelid groups occupy very different phylogenetic ranks. Most of these alternative C-termini are rich in aromatic residues. A possible function of these residues in membrane association is discussed. Alternative splicing of terebellid lamin transcripts gives rise to two lamin variants, one with a CaaX motif and one with an alternative C-terminus. A similar situation is found in Arenicolidae, Opheliidae, Capitellidae, and Echiura. This points a way, how the switch from lamins carrying a CaaX motif to lamins with alternative C-termini may have occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reimer Stick
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, 28334, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Annette Peter
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, 28334, Bremen, Germany
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Zhao TY, Yang RJ, Lü L, Ru SS, Wayland MT, Chen HX, Li YH, Li L. Phylomitogenomic Analyses Provided Further Evidence for the Resurrection of the Family Pseudoacanthocephalidae (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchida). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071256. [PMID: 37048513 PMCID: PMC10093747 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Acanthocephala is an important monophyletic group of parasites, with adults parasitic in the digestive tracts of all major vertebrate groups. Acanthocephalans are of veterinary, medical, and economic importance due to their ability to cause disease in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. However, the current genetic data for acanthocephalans are sparse, both in terms of the proportion of taxa surveyed and the number of genes sequenced. Consequently, the basic molecular phylogenetic framework for the phylum is still incomplete. In the present study, we reported the first complete mitochondrial genome from a representative of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae Petrochenko, 1956. The mitogenome of Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis (Shipley, 1903) is 14,056 bp in length, contains 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) (lacking atp8), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS)) and two non-coding regions (NCR1 and NCR2), and displayed the highest GC-skew in the order Echinorhynchida. Phylogenetic results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) using the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes in different models provided further evidence for the resurrection of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae and also supported that the order Echinorhynchida is paraphyletic. A monophyletic clade comprising P. bufonis and Cavisoma magnum suggests a close affinity between Pseudoacanthocephalidae and Cavisomatidae. Our phylogenetic analyses also showed that Polymorphidae has a closer relationship with Centrorhynchidae than Plagiorhynchidae in the monophyletic order Polymorphida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-You Zhao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Rui-Jia Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Liang Lü
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Si-Si Ru
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | | | - Hui-Xia Chen
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Yuan-Hao Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Liang Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
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Gao JW, Yuan XP, Wu H, Xiang CY, Xie M, Song R, Chen ZY, Wu YA, Ou DS. Mitochondrial phylogenomics of Acanthocephala: nucleotide alignments produce long-branch attraction artefacts. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:376. [PMID: 36261865 PMCID: PMC9583589 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05488-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classification of the Acanthocephala, a clade of obligate endoparasites, remains unresolved because of insufficiently strong resolution of morphological characters and scarcity of molecular data with a sufficient resolution. Mitochondrial genomes may be a suitable candidate, but they are available for a small number of species and their suitability for the task has not been tested thoroughly. METHODS Herein, we sequenced the first mitogenome for the large family Rhadinorhynchidae: Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis. These are also the first molecular data generated for this entire genus. We conducted a series of phylogenetic analyses using concatenated nucleotides (NUC) and amino acids (AAs) of all 12 protein-coding genes, three different algorithms, and the entire available acanthocephalan mitogenomic dataset. RESULTS We found evidence for strong compositional heterogeneity in the dataset, and Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis exhibited a disproportionately long branch in all analyses. This caused a long-branch attraction artefact (LBA) of M. dakusuiensis resolved at the base of the Echinorhynchida clade when the NUC dataset was used in combination with standard phylogenetic algorithms, maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). Both the use of the AA dataset (BI-AAs and ML-AAs) and the CAT-GTR model designed for suppression of LBA (CAT-GTR-AAs and CAT-GTR-NUC) at least partially attenuated this LBA artefact. The results support Illiosentidae as the basal radiation of Echinorhynchida and Rhadinorhynchidae forming a clade with Echinorhynchidae and Pomporhynchidae. The questions of the monophyly of Rhadinorhynchidae and its sister lineage remain unresolved. The order Echinorhynchida was paraphyletic in all of our analyses. CONCLUSIONS Future studies should take care to attenuate compositional heterogeneity-driven LBA artefacts when applying mitogenomic data to resolve the phylogeny of Acanthocephala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Wei Gao
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Xi-Ping Yuan
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Chuan-Yu Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Min Xie
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Rui Song
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhong-Yuan Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Molecular Immunity Technology of Aquatic Animal Diseases, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, Hunan, China
| | - Yuan-An Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Ou
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
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Schmidt H, Mauer K, Glaser M, Dezfuli BS, Hellmann SL, Silva Gomes AL, Butter F, Wade RC, Hankeln T, Herlyn H. Identification of antiparasitic drug targets using a multi-omics workflow in the acanthocephalan model. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:677. [PMID: 36180835 PMCID: PMC9523657 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08882-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background With the expansion of animal production, parasitic helminths are gaining increasing economic importance. However, application of several established deworming agents can harm treated hosts and environment due to their low specificity. Furthermore, the number of parasite strains showing resistance is growing, while hardly any new anthelminthics are being developed. Here, we present a bioinformatics workflow designed to reduce the time and cost in the development of new strategies against parasites. The workflow includes quantitative transcriptomics and proteomics, 3D structure modeling, binding site prediction, and virtual ligand screening. Its use is demonstrated for Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms) which are an emerging pest in fish aquaculture. We included three acanthocephalans (Pomphorhynchus laevis, Neoechinorhynchus agilis, Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae) from four fish species (common barbel, European eel, thinlip mullet, tambaqui). Results The workflow led to eleven highly specific candidate targets in acanthocephalans. The candidate targets showed constant and elevated transcript abundances across definitive and accidental hosts, suggestive of constitutive expression and functional importance. Hence, the impairment of the corresponding proteins should enable specific and effective killing of acanthocephalans. Candidate targets were also highly abundant in the acanthocephalan body wall, through which these gutless parasites take up nutrients. Thus, the candidate targets are likely to be accessible to compounds that are orally administered to fish. Virtual ligand screening led to ten compounds, of which five appeared to be especially promising according to ADMET, GHS, and RO5 criteria: tadalafil, pranazepide, piketoprofen, heliomycin, and the nematicide derquantel. Conclusions The combination of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics led to a broadly applicable procedure for the cost- and time-saving identification of candidate target proteins in parasites. The ligands predicted to bind can now be further evaluated for their suitability in the control of acanthocephalans. The workflow has been deposited at the Galaxy workflow server under the URL tinyurl.com/yx72rda7. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08882-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanno Schmidt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. .,Present address: Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Katharina Mauer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manuel Glaser
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Sören Lukas Hellmann
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Molecular Genetics and Genomic Analysis, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Present address: Nucleic Acids Core Facility, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Falk Butter
- Quantitative Proteomics, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Rebecca C Wade
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany.,Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH) and Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Molecular Genetics and Genomic Analysis, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Holger Herlyn
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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8
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Schmidt H, Mauer K, Hankeln T, Herlyn H. Host-dependent impairment of parasite development and reproduction in the acanthocephalan model. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:75. [PMID: 35642000 PMCID: PMC9153150 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00818-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A central question in parasitology is why parasites mature and reproduce in some host species but not in others. Yet, a better understanding of the inability of parasites to complete their life cycles in less suitable hosts may hold clues for their control. To shed light on the molecular basis of parasite (non-)maturation, we analyzed transcriptomes of thorny-headed worms (Acanthocephala: Pomphorhynchus laevis), and compared developmentally arrested worms excised from European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to developmentally unrestricted worms from barbel (Barbus barbus). RESULTS Based on 20 RNA-Seq datasets, we demonstrate that transcriptomic profiles are more similar between P. laevis males and females from eel than between their counterparts from barbel. Impairment of sexual phenotype development was reflected in gene ontology enrichment analyses of genes having differential transcript abundances. Genes having reproduction- and energy-related annotations were found to be affected by parasitizing either eel or barbel. According to this, the molecular machinery of male and female acanthocephalans from the eel is less tailored to reproduction and more to coping with the less suitable environment provided by this host. The pattern was reversed in their counterparts from the definitive host, barbel. CONCLUSIONS Comparative analysis of transcriptomes of developmentally arrested and reproducing parasites elucidates the challenges parasites encounter in hosts which are unsuitable for maturation and reproduction. By studying a gonochoric species, we were also able to highlight sex-specific traits. In fact, transcriptomic evidence for energy shortage in female acanthocephalans associates with their larger body size. Thus, energy metabolism and glycolysis should be promising targets for the treatment of acanthocephaliasis. Although inherently enabling a higher resolution in heterosexuals, the comparison of parasites from definitive hosts and less suitable hosts, in which the parasites merely survive, should be applicable to hermaphroditic helminths. This may open new perspectives in the control of other helminth pathogens of humans and livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanno Schmidt
- Anthropology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Katharina Mauer
- Anthropology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Molecular Genetics and Genomic Analysis, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Holger Herlyn
- Anthropology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Wanasingha N, Dutta NK, Choudhury NR. Emerging bioadhesives: from traditional bioactive and bioinert to a new biomimetic protein-based approach. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 296:102521. [PMID: 34534751 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bioadhesives have reached significant milestones over the past two decades. Research has shown not only to produce adhesives capable of adhering to dry tissue but recently wet tissue as well. However, most bioadhesives developed have exhibited high adhesion strength yet lack other properties required for versatility in application, such as elasticity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Adapting from limitations met from early bioadhesives and meeting the current demand allows novel bioadhesives to reach new milestones for the future. In this review, we overview the progression and variations of bioadhesives, current trends, characterisation techniques and conclude with future perspectives for bioadhesives for tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisal Wanasingha
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Naba K Dutta
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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10
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Mauer KM, Schmidt H, Dittrich M, Fröbius AC, Hellmann SL, Zischler H, Hankeln T, Herlyn H. Genomics and transcriptomics of epizoic Seisonidea (Rotifera, syn. Syndermata) reveal strain formation and gradual gene loss with growing ties to the host. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:604. [PMID: 34372786 PMCID: PMC8351084 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07857-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Seisonidea (also Seisonacea or Seisonidae) is a group of small animals living on marine crustaceans (Nebalia spec.) with only four species described so far. Its monophyletic origin with mostly free-living wheel animals (Monogononta, Bdelloidea) and endoparasitic thorny-headed worms (Acanthocephala) is widely accepted. However, the phylogenetic relationships inside the Rotifera-Acanthocephala clade (Rotifera sensulato or Syndermata) are subject to ongoing debate, with consequences for our understanding of how genomes and lifestyles might have evolved. To gain new insights, we analyzed first drafts of the genome and transcriptome of the key taxon Seisonidea. Results Analyses of gDNA-Seq and mRNA-Seq data uncovered two genetically distinct lineages in Seison nebaliae Grube, 1861 off the French Channel coast. Their mitochondrial haplotypes shared only 82% sequence identity despite identical gene order. In the nuclear genome, distinct linages were reflected in different gene compactness, GC content and codon usage. The haploid nuclear genome spans ca. 46 Mb, of which 96% were reconstructed. According to ~ 23,000 SuperTranscripts, gene number in S. nebaliae should be within the range published for other members of Rotifera-Acanthocephala. Consistent with this, numbers of metazoan core orthologues and ANTP-type transcriptional regulatory genes in the S. nebaliae genome assembly were between the corresponding numbers in the other assemblies analyzed. We additionally provide evidence that a basal branching of Seisonidea within Rotifera-Acanthocephala could reflect attraction to the outgroup. Accordingly, rooting via a reconstructed ancestral sequence led to monophyletic Pararotatoria (Seisonidea+Acanthocephala) within Hemirotifera (Bdelloidea+Pararotatoria). Conclusion Matching genome/transcriptome metrics with the above phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that a haploid nuclear genome of about 50 Mb represents the plesiomorphic state for Rotifera-Acanthocephala. Smaller genome size in S. nebaliae probably results from subsequent reduction. In contrast, genome size should have increased independently in monogononts as well as bdelloid and acanthocephalan stem lines. The present data additionally indicate a decrease in gene repertoire from free-living to epizoic and endoparasitic lifestyles. Potentially, this reflects corresponding steps from the root of Rotifera-Acanthocephala via the last common ancestors of Hemirotifera and Pararotatoria to the one of Acanthocephala. Lastly, rooting via a reconstructed ancestral sequence may prove useful in phylogenetic analyses of other deep splits. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07857-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Mauer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Hanno Schmidt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Dittrich
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas C Fröbius
- Molecular Andrology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Gießen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sören Lukas Hellmann
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Molecular Genetics and Genomic Analysis Group, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hans Zischler
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Molecular Genetics and Genomic Analysis Group, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Holger Herlyn
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Craig RJ, Yushenova IA, Rodriguez F, Arkhipova IR. An ancient clade of Penelope-like retroelements with permuted domains is present in the green lineage and protists, and dominates many invertebrate genomes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5005-5020. [PMID: 34320655 PMCID: PMC8557442 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Penelope-like elements (PLEs) are an enigmatic clade of retrotransposons whose reverse transcriptases (RTs) share a most recent common ancestor with telomerase RTs. The single ORF of canonical endonuclease (EN)+ PLEs encodes RT and a C-terminal GIY–YIG EN that enables intrachromosomal integration, whereas EN− PLEs lack EN and are generally restricted to chromosome termini. EN+ PLEs have only been found in animals, except for one case of horizontal transfer to conifers, whereas EN− PLEs occur in several kingdoms. Here, we report a new, deep-branching PLE clade with a permuted domain order, whereby an N-terminal GIY–YIG EN is linked to a C-terminal RT by a short domain with a characteristic CxC motif. These N-terminal EN+ PLEs share a structural organization, including pseudo-LTRs and complex tandem/inverted insertions, with canonical EN+ PLEs from Penelope/Poseidon, Neptune, and Nematis clades, and show insertion bias for microsatellites, but lack canonical hammerhead ribozyme motifs. However, their phylogenetic distribution is much broader. The Naiads, found in numerous invertebrate phyla, can reach tens of thousands of copies per genome. In spiders and clams, Naiads independently evolved to encode selenoproteins containing multiple selenocysteines. Chlamys, which lack the CCHH motif universal to PLE ENs, occur in green algae, spike mosses (targeting ribosomal DNA), and slime molds. Unlike canonical PLEs, RTs of N-terminal EN+ PLEs contain the insertion-in-fingers domain (IFD), strengthening the link between PLEs and telomerases. Additionally, we describe Hydra, a novel metazoan C-terminal EN+ clade. Overall, we conclude that PLE diversity, taxonomic distribution, and abundance are comparable with non-LTR and LTR-retrotransposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory J Craig
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Irina A Yushenova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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12
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Nowell RW, Wilson CG, Almeida P, Schiffer PH, Fontaneto D, Becks L, Rodriguez F, Arkhipova IR, Barraclough TG. Evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements in bdelloid rotifers. eLife 2021; 10:e63194. [PMID: 33543711 PMCID: PMC7943196 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are selfish genomic parasites whose ability to spread autonomously is facilitated by sexual reproduction in their hosts. If hosts become obligately asexual, TE frequencies and dynamics are predicted to change dramatically, but the long-term outcome is unclear. Here, we test current theory using whole-genome sequence data from eight species of bdelloid rotifers, a class of invertebrates in which males are thus far unknown. Contrary to expectations, we find a variety of active TEs in bdelloid genomes, at an overall frequency within the range seen in sexual species. We find no evidence that TEs are spread by cryptic recombination or restrained by unusual DNA repair mechanisms. Instead, we find that that TE content evolves relatively slowly in bdelloids and that gene families involved in RNAi-mediated TE suppression have undergone significant expansion, which might mitigate the deleterious effects of active TEs and compensate for the consequences of long-term asexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben W Nowell
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park CampusAscot, BerkshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Christopher G Wilson
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park CampusAscot, BerkshireUnited Kingdom
| | - Pedro Almeida
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park CampusAscot, BerkshireUnited Kingdom
- Division of Biosciences, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Philipp H Schiffer
- Institute of Zoology, Section Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, KölnWormlabGermany
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy, Water Research InstituteVerbania PallanzaItaly
| | - Lutz Becks
- Community Dynamics Group, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MAUnited States
| | - Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MAUnited States
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park CampusAscot, BerkshireUnited Kingdom
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