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Pliota P, Marvanova H, Koreshova A, Kaufman Y, Tikanova P, Krogull D, Hagmüller A, Widen SA, Handler D, Gokcezade J, Duchek P, Brennecke J, Ben-David E, Burga A. Selfish conflict underlies RNA-mediated parent-of-origin effects. Nature 2024; 628:122-129. [PMID: 38448590 PMCID: PMC10990930 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting-the non-equivalence of maternal and paternal genomes-is a critical process that has evolved independently in many plant and mammalian species1,2. According to kinship theory, imprinting is the inevitable consequence of conflictive selective forces acting on differentially expressed parental alleles3,4. Yet, how these epigenetic differences evolve in the first place is poorly understood3,5,6. Here we report the identification and molecular dissection of a parent-of-origin effect on gene expression that might help to clarify this fundamental question. Toxin-antidote elements (TAs) are selfish elements that spread in populations by poisoning non-carrier individuals7-9. In reciprocal crosses between two Caenorhabditis tropicalis wild isolates, we found that the slow-1/grow-1 TA is specifically inactive when paternally inherited. This parent-of-origin effect stems from transcriptional repression of the slow-1 toxin by the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) host defence pathway. The repression requires PIWI Argonaute and SET-32 histone methyltransferase activities and is transgenerationally inherited via small RNAs. Remarkably, when slow-1/grow-1 is maternally inherited, slow-1 repression is halted by a translation-independent role of its maternal mRNA. That is, slow-1 transcripts loaded into eggs-but not SLOW-1 protein-are necessary and sufficient to counteract piRNA-mediated repression. Our findings show that parent-of-origin effects can evolve by co-option of the piRNA pathway and hinder the spread of selfish genes that require sex for their propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinelopi Pliota
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Hana Marvanova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alevtina Koreshova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yotam Kaufman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Polina Tikanova
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Krogull
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hagmüller
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonya A Widen
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik Handler
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Joseph Gokcezade
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Duchek
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Julius Brennecke
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Eyal Ben-David
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alejandro Burga
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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Goikoetxea A, Muncaster S, Todd EV, Lokman PM, Robertson HA, De Farias E Moraes CE, Damsteegt EL, Gemmell NJ. A new experimental model for the investigation of sequential hermaphroditism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22881. [PMID: 34819550 PMCID: PMC8613207 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02063-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The stunning sexual transformation commonly triggered by age, size or social context in some fishes is one of the best examples of phenotypic plasticity thus far described. To date our understanding of this process is dominated by studies on a handful of subtropical and tropical teleosts, often in wild settings. Here we have established the protogynous New Zealand spotty wrasse, Notolabrus celidotus, as a temperate model for the experimental investigation of sex change. Captive fish were induced to change sex using aromatase inhibition or manipulation of social groups. Complete female-to-male transition occurred over 60 days in both cases and time-series sampling was used to quantify changes in hormone production, gene expression and gonadal cellular anatomy. Early-stage decreases in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) concentrations or gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1a) expression were not detected in spotty wrasse, despite these being commonly associated with the onset of sex change in subtropical and tropical protogynous (female-to-male) hermaphrodites. In contrast, expression of the masculinising factor amh (anti-Müllerian hormone) increased during early sex change, implying a potential role as a proximate trigger for masculinisation. Collectively, these data provide a foundation for the spotty wrasse as a temperate teleost model to study sex change and cell fate in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Goikoetxea
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - S Muncaster
- Environmental Management Group, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand.
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand.
| | - E V Todd
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - P M Lokman
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - H A Robertson
- Environmental Management Group, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - C E De Farias E Moraes
- Environmental Management Group, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - E L Damsteegt
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - N J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Duan YF, Zhang C, Zhang M, Ye Y, Zhang KL, Chen MX, Chen L, Wang XR, Zhu FY. SWATH-MS based quantitive proteomics reveal regulatory metabolism and networks of androdioecy breeding system in Osmanthus fragrans. BMC Plant Biol 2021; 21:468. [PMID: 34645403 PMCID: PMC8513349 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fragrant flower plant Osmanthus fragrans has an extremely rare androdioecious breeding system displaying the occurrence of males and hermaphrodites in a single population, which occupies a crucial intermediate stage in the evolutionary transition between hermaphroditism and dioecy. However, the molecular mechanism of androdioecy plant is very limited and still largely unknown. RESULTS Here, we used SWATH-MS-based quantitative approach to study the proteome changes between male and hermaphroditic O. fragrans pistils. A total of 428 proteins of diverse functions were determined to show significant abundance changes including 210 up-regulated and 218 down-regulated proteins in male compared to hermaphroditic pistils. Functional categorization revealed that the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) primarily distributed in the carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolism as well as signaling cascades. Further experimental analysis showed the substantial carbohydrates accumulation associated with promoted net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency were observed in purplish red pedicel of hermaphroditic flower compared with green pedicel of male flower, implicating glucose metabolism serves as nutritional modulator for the differentiation of male and hermaphroditic flower. Meanwhile, the entire upregulation of secondary metabolism including flavonoids, isoprenoids and lignins seem to protect and maintain the male function in male flowers, well explaining important feature of androdioecy that aborted pistil of a male flower still has a male function. Furthermore, nine selected DEPs were validated via gene expression analysis, suggesting an extra layer of post-transcriptional regulation occurs during O. fragrans floral development. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings represent the first SWATH-MS-based proteomic report in androdioecy plant O. fragrans, which reveal carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolism and post-transcriptional regulation contributing to the androdioecy breeding system and ultimately extend our understanding on genetic basis as well as the industrialization development of O. fragrans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Duan
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Min Zhang
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Yu Ye
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Kai-Lu Zhang
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Mo-Xian Chen
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Lin Chen
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Xian-Rong Wang
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
| | - Fu-Yuan Zhu
- College of Biology and the Environment, International Cultivar Registration Center for Osmanthus, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
- College of Biology and the Environment, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
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Chen JR, Ueno H, Matsumura H, Urasaki N, Lee CY, Chen FC, Chin SW, Liu CC, Chiu CT, Tarora K, Li JY, Lee CY, Ku HM. Genomic characterization of a rare Carica papaya X chromosome mutant reveals a candidate monodehydroascorbate reductase 4 gene involved in all-hermaphrodite phenomenon. Mol Genet Genomics 2021; 296:1323-1335. [PMID: 34609588 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-021-01822-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex form is one of the most important characteristics in papaya cultivation in which hermaphrodite is the preferable form. Self-pollination of H*-TSS No.7, an inbred line derived from a rare X chromosome mutant SR*, produced all-hermaphrodite progeny. The recessive lethal allele controlling the all-hermaphrodite phenomenon was proposed to be the recessive Germination suppressor (gs) locus. This study employed next-generation sequencing technology and genome comparison to identify the candidate Gs gene. One specific gene, monodehydroascorbate reductase 4 (MDAR4) harboring a unique polymorphic 3 bp deletion in H*-TSS No.7 was identified. The function of MDAR4 is known to be involved in the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging pathway and is associated with seed germination. Furthermore, MDAR4 showed higher expression in the imbibed seeds than that in the dry seeds indicating its potential role in the seed germination. Perhaps this is the very first report providing the evidences that MDAR4 is the candidate of Gs locus in H*-TSS No.7. In addition, Gs allele-specific markers were developed which would be facilitated for breeding all-hermaphrodite lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Ren Chen
- Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station, No 6 Xingzhong St, Xinshe Dist, Taichung, 426, Taiwan
| | - Hiroki Ueno
- Vegetable and Floriculture Science, The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 360 Kusawa, Ano, Tsu, Mie, 514-2392, Japan
| | - Hideo Matsumura
- Gene Research Center, Shinshu University, Tokida 3-15-1, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan
| | - Naoya Urasaki
- Okinawa Prefectural Agriculture Research Center, Itoman, Okinawa, 901-0336, Japan
| | - Chen-Yu Lee
- Department of Plant Industry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No 1, Shuefu Rd, Neipu, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan
| | - Fure-Chyi Chen
- Department of Plant Industry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No 1, Shuefu Rd, Neipu, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Wen Chin
- Department of Plant Industry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No 1, Shuefu Rd, Neipu, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chi Liu
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, No 145 Xingda Rd, South Dist, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Chan-Tai Chiu
- Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station, No 6 Xingzhong St, Xinshe Dist, Taichung, 426, Taiwan
| | - Kazuhiko Tarora
- Okinawa Prefectural Agriculture Research Center, Itoman, Okinawa, 901-0336, Japan
| | - Jing-Yi Li
- Dashu District, Known-You Seed Co. Ltd, No 114-6, Zhuliao Road, Kaohsiung, 840, Taiwan
| | - Chieh Ying Lee
- Dashu District, Known-You Seed Co. Ltd, No 114-6, Zhuliao Road, Kaohsiung, 840, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Mei Ku
- Agronomy Department, National Chung Hsing University, No 145 Xingda Rd, South Dist, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.
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Maniates KA, Olson BS, Abbott AL. Sperm fate is promoted by the mir-44 microRNA family in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite germline. Genetics 2021; 217:1-14. [PMID: 33683352 PMCID: PMC8045739 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, typically effected by RNA-binding proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and translation initiation factors, is essential for normal germ cell function. Numerous miRNAs have been detected in the germline; however, the functions of specific miRNAs remain largely unknown. Functions of miRNAs have been difficult to determine as miRNAs often modestly repress target mRNAs and are suggested to sculpt or fine tune gene expression to allow for the robust expression of cell fates. In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, cell fate decisions are made for germline sex determination during larval development when sperm are generated in a short window before the switch to oocyte production. Here, analysis of newly generated mir-44 family mutants has identified a family of miRNAs that modulate the germline sex determination pathway in C. elegans. Mutants with the loss of mir-44 and mir-45 produce fewer sperm, showing both a delay in the specification and formation of sperm as well as an early termination of sperm specification accompanied by a premature switch to oocyte production. mir-44 and mir-45 are necessary for the normal period of fog-1 expression in larval development. Through genetic analysis, we find that mir-44 and mir-45 may act upstream of fbf-1 and fem-3 to promote sperm specification. Our research indicates that the mir-44 family promotes sperm cell fate specification during larval development and identifies an additional posttranscriptional regulator of the germline sex determination pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Maniates
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Benjamin S Olson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Allison L Abbott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, 1428 W. Clybourn Ave, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
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Starich T, Greenstein D. A Limited and Diverse Set of Suppressor Mutations Restore Function to INX-8 Mutant Hemichannels in the Caenorhabditis elegans Somatic Gonad. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1655. [PMID: 33321846 PMCID: PMC7763923 DOI: 10.3390/biom10121655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, gap junctions couple cells of the somatic gonad with the germline to support germ cell proliferation and gametogenesis. A strong loss-of-function mutation (T239I) affects the second extracellular loop (EL2) of the somatic INX-8 hemichannel subunit. These mutant hemichannels form non-functional gap junctions with germline-expressed innexins. We conducted a genetic screen for suppressor mutations that restore germ cell proliferation in the T239I mutant background and isolated seven intragenic mutations, located in diverse domains of INX-8 but not the EL domains. These second-site mutations compensate for the original channel defect to varying degrees, from nearly complete wild-type rescue, to partial rescue of germline proliferation. One suppressor mutation (E350K) supports the innexin cryo-EM structural model that the channel pore opening is surrounded by a cytoplasmic dome. Two suppressor mutations (S9L and I36N) may form leaky channels that support germline proliferation but cause the demise of somatic sheath cells. Phenotypic analyses of three of the suppressors reveal an equivalency in the rescue of germline proliferation and comparable delays in gametogenesis but a graded rescue of fertility. The mutations described here may be useful for elucidating the biochemical pathways that produce the active biomolecules transiting through soma-germline gap junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd Starich
- Department Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David Greenstein
- Department Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Zein-Sabatto H, Cole T, Hoang HD, Tiwary E, Chang C, Miller MA. The type II integral ER membrane protein VAP-B homolog in C. elegans is cleaved to release the N-terminal MSP domain to signal non-cell-autonomously. Dev Biol 2020; 470:10-20. [PMID: 33160939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
VAMP/synaptobrevin-associated protein B (VAP-B) is a type II ER membrane protein, but its N-terminal MSP domain (MSPd) can be cleaved and secreted. Mutations preventing the cleavage and secretion of MSPd have been implicated in cases of human neurodegenerative diseases. The site of VAP cleavage and the tissues capable in releasing the processed MSPd are not understood. In this study, we analyze the C. elegans VAP-B homolog, VPR-1, for its processing and secretion from the intestine. We show that intestine-specific expression of an N-terminally FLAG-tagged VPR-1 rescues underdeveloped gonad and sterility defects in vpr-1 null hermaphrodites. Immunofluorescence studies reveal that the tagged intestinal expressed VPR-1 is present at the distal gonad. Mass spectrometry analysis of a smaller product of the N-terminally tagged VPR-1 identifies a specific cleavage site at Leu156. Mutation of the leucine results in loss of gonadal MSPd signal and reduced activity of the mutant VPR-1. Thus, we report for the first time the cleavage site of VPR-1 and provide direct evidence that intestinally expressed VPR-1 can be released and signal in the distal gonad. These results establish the foundation for further exploration of VAP cleavage, MSPd secretion, and non-cell-autonomous signaling in development and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Zein-Sabatto
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA.
| | - Tim Cole
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA
| | - Hieu D Hoang
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA
| | - Ekta Tiwary
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA
| | - Chenbei Chang
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA
| | - Michael A Miller
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1900 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0006, USA
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Abstract
Vernal pools are unique in their isolation and the strong selection acting on their resident species. Vernal pool clam shrimp (Eulimnadia texana) are a promising model due to ease of culturing, short generation time, small genomes, and obligate desiccated diapaused eggs. Clam shrimp are also androdioecious (sexes include males and hermaphrodites), and here we use population-scaled recombination rates to support the hypothesis that the heterogametic sex is recombination free in these shrimp. We collected short-read sequence data from pooled samples from different vernal pools to gain insights into local adaptation. We identify genomic regions in which some populations have allele frequencies that differ significantly from the metapopulation. BayPass (Gautier M. 2015. Genome-wide scan for adaptive divergence and association with population-specific covariates. Genetics 201(4):1555-1579.) detected 19 such genomic regions showing an excess of population subdivision. These regions on average are 550 bp in size and had 2.5 genes within 5 kb of them. Genes located near these regions are involved in Malpighian tubule function and osmoregulation, an essential function in vernal pools. It is likely that salinity profiles vary between pools and over time, and variants at these genes are adapted to local salinity conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony D Long
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine
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Sawada H, Yamamoto K, Yamaguchi A, Yamada L, Higuchi A, Nukaya H, Fukuoka M, Sakuma T, Yamamoto T, Sasakura Y, Shirae-Kurabayashi M. Three multi-allelic gene pairs are responsible for self-sterility in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2514. [PMID: 32054881 PMCID: PMC7018956 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59147-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many hermaphroditic organisms possess a self-incompatibility system to avoid inbreeding. Although the mechanisms of self-incompatibility in flowering plants are well known, little is known about the mechanisms of self-sterility in hermaphroditic marine invertebrates. Ascidians are hermaphroditic sessile marine invertebrates that release sperm and eggs into the surrounding seawater. Several species, including Ciona intestinalis type A (Ciona robusta), exhibit strict self-sterility. In a previous study, we found that the candidate genes responsible for self-sterility in Ciona reside in chromosome 2q (locus A) and chromosome 7q (locus B). Two pairs of multi-allelic genes, named s(sperm)-Themis-A and v(vitelline-coat)-Themis-A in locus A and s-Themis-B and v-Themis-B in locus B, are responsible for self-sterility. In this study, we identified a third multi-allelic gene pair, s-Themis-B2 and v-Themis-B2, within locus B that is also involved in this system. Genetic analysis revealed that the haplotypes of s/v-Themis-A, s/v-Themis-B and s/v-Themis-B2 play essential roles in self-sterility. When three haplotypes were matched between s-Themis and v-Themis, fertilization never occurred even in nonself crossing. Interestingly, gene targeting of either s/v-Themis-B/B2 or s/v-Themis-A by genome editing enabled self-fertilization. These results indicate that s/v-Themis-A, -B and -B2 are S-determinant genes responsible for self-sterility in the ascidian C. intestinalis type A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Sawada
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan.
| | - Kazunori Yamamoto
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Akira Yamaguchi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Lixy Yamada
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Arata Higuchi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Nukaya
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Masashi Fukuoka
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sakuma
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Yasunori Sasakura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Maki Shirae-Kurabayashi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
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Abstract
Biological diversity abounds in potential study topics. Studies of model systems have their advantages, but reliance on a few well-understood cases may create false impressions of what biological phenomena are the norm. Here I focus on facultative sex, which is often hailed as offering the best of both worlds, in that rare sex offers benefits almost equal to obligate sex and avoids paying most of the demographic costs. How well do we understand when and why this form of sexual reproduction is expected to prevail? I show several gaps in the theoretical literature and, by contrasting asynchronous with synchronous sex, highlight the need to link sex theories to the theoretical underpinnings of bet hedging, on the one hand, and to mate limitation considerations, on the other. Condition-dependent sex and links between sex with dispersal or dormancy appear understudied. While simplifications are justifiable as a simple assumption structure enhances analytical tractability, much remains to be done to incorporate key features of real sex to the main theoretical edifice.
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11
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Palma P, Nocillado J, Superio J, de Jesus-Ayson EG, Ayson F, Takemura A, Lu MW, Elizur A. Induction of Gonadal Development in Protogynous Grouper with Orally Delivered FSH DNA. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2019; 21:697-706. [PMID: 31372794 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-019-09914-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The availability of sexually mature fish often dictates the success of its captive breeding. In this study, we induced reproductive development in juvenile protogynous tiger grouper through oral administration of a plasmid (p) containing an engineered follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). An expression construct (pcDNA3.1) was designed to express a single-chain FSH consisting of giant grouper FSH β-subunit and glycoprotein subunit-α (CGα), linked by the carboxy-terminal peptide (CTP) sequence from the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Single oral delivery of pFSH encapsulated in liposome and chitosan to tiger grouper yielded a significant increase in plasma FSH protein level after 4 days. Weekly pFSH feeding of juvenile tiger groupers for 8 weeks stimulated ovarian development as indicated by a significant increase in oocyte diameter and progression of oocytes to cortical alveolar stage. As the pFSH treatment progressed from 20 to 38 weeks, female to male sex change was initiated, characterized by oocyte regression, proliferation of spermatogonial cells, and occurrence of spermatogenic cysts. It was also associated with significantly lower mRNA expression of steroidogenic genes (cyp11b, cyp19a1a, and foxl2) and basal plasma levels of sex steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT). Results suggest that pFSH stimulates ovarian development up to cortical alveolar stage and then initiates sex change in tiger grouper. These findings significantly contribute to our knowledge on the role of FSH in the development of protogynous hermaphroditic fish. This study is the first to demonstrate induction of reproductive development in fish through oral delivery of plasmid gonadotropin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Palma
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
- Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD), Tigbauan, 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Josephine Nocillado
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Joshua Superio
- Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD), Tigbauan, 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Evelyn Grace de Jesus-Ayson
- Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD), Tigbauan, 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Felix Ayson
- Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD), Tigbauan, 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Akihiro Takemura
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa, 905-0227, Japan
| | - Ming Wei Lu
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung City, 202, Taiwan
| | - Abigail Elizur
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia.
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12
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Abstract
Fish show extraordinary sexual plasticity, changing sex naturally as part of their life cycle or reversing sex because of environmental stressors. This plasticity shows that sexual fate is not an irreversible process but the result of an ongoing tug-of-war for supremacy between male and female signaling networks. The behavioral, gonadal, and morphological changes involved in this process are well described, yet the molecular events that underpin those changes remain poorly understood. Epigenetic modifications emerge as a critical link between environmental stimuli, the onset of sex change, and subsequent maintenance of sexual phenotype. Here we synthesize current knowledge of sex change, focusing on the genetic and epigenetic processes that are likely involved in the initiation and regulation of sex change. We anticipate that better understanding of sex change in fish will shed new light on sex determination and development in vertebrates and on how environmental perturbations affect sexual fate.
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13
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Patlar B, Weber M, Ramm SA. Genetic and environmental variation in transcriptional expression of seminal fluid proteins. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 122:595-611. [PMID: 30356222 PMCID: PMC6461930 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0160-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are crucial mediators of sexual selection and sexual conflict. Recent studies have chiefly focused on environmentally induced plasticity as one source of variation in SFP expression, particularly in response to differing sperm competition levels. However, understanding the evolution of a trait in heterogenous environments requires estimates of both environmental and genetic sources of variation, as well as their interaction. Therefore, we investigated how environment (specifically mating group size, a good predictor of sperm competition intensity), genotype and genotype-by-environment interactions affect seminal fluid expression. To do so, we reared 12 inbred lines of a simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano in groups of either two or eight worms and measured the expression levels of 58 putative SFP transcripts. We then examined the source of variation in the expression of each transcript individually and for multivariate axes extracted from a principal component analysis. We found that mating group size did not affect expression levels according to the single transcript analyses, nor did it affect the first principal component (presumably representing overall investment in seminal fluid production). However, mating group size did affect the relative expression of different transcripts captured by the second principal component (presumably reflecting variation in seminal fluid composition). Most transcripts were genetically variable in their expression level and several exhibited genotype-by-environment interactions; relative composition also showed high genetic variation. Collectively, our results reveal the tightly integrated nature of the seminal fluid transcriptome and provide new insights into the quantitative genetic basis of seminal fluid investment and composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Michael Weber
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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14
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Ulicna L, Rohozkova J, Hozak P. Multiple Aspects of PIP2 Involvement in C. elegans Gametogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092679. [PMID: 30201859 PMCID: PMC6163852 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most studied phosphoinositides is phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), which localizes to the plasma membrane, nuclear speckles, small foci in the nucleoplasm, and to the nucleolus in mammalian cells. Here, we show that PIP2 also localizes to the nucleus in prophase I, during the gametogenesis of C. elegans hermaphrodite. The depletion of PIP2 by type I PIP kinase (PPK-1) kinase RNA interference results in an altered chromosome structure and leads to various defects during meiotic progression. We observed a decreased brood size and aneuploidy in progeny, defects in synapsis, and crossover formation. The altered chromosome structure is reflected in the increased transcription activity of a tightly regulated process in prophase I. To elucidate the involvement of PIP2 in the processes during the C. elegans development, we identified the PIP2-binding partners, leucine-rich repeat (LRR-1) protein and proteasome subunit beta 4 (PBS-4), pointing to its involvement in the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Ulicna
- Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Prague 142 20, Czech Republic.
| | - Jana Rohozkova
- Department of Epigenetics of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Division BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Hozak
- Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Prague 142 20, Czech Republic.
- Department of Epigenetics of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Division BIOCEV, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic.
- Microscopy Centre, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Prague 142 20, Czech Republic.
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15
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Weber M, Wunderer J, Lengerer B, Pjeta R, Rodrigues M, Schärer L, Ladurner P, Ramm SA. A targeted in situ hybridization screen identifies putative seminal fluid proteins in a simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:81. [PMID: 29848299 PMCID: PMC5977470 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1187-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Along with sperm, in many taxa ejaculates also contain large numbers of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs). SFPs and sperm are transferred to the mating partner, where they are thought to play key roles in mediating post-mating sexual selection. They modulate the partner's behavior and physiology in ways that influence the reproductive success of both partners, thus potentially leading to sexual conflict. Despite the presumed general functional and evolutionary significance of SFPs, their identification and characterization has to date focused on just a few animal groups, predominantly insects and mammals. Moreover, until now seminal fluid profiling has mainly focused on species with separate sexes. Here we report a comprehensive screen for putative SFPs in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. RESULTS Based on existing transcriptomic data, we selected 150 transcripts known to be (a) predominantly expressed in the tail region of the worms, where the seminal fluid-producing prostate gland cells are located, and (b) differentially expressed in social environments differing in sperm competition level, strongly implying that they represent a phenotypically plastic aspect of male reproductive allocation in this species. For these SFP candidates, we then performed whole-mount in situ hybridization (ISH) experiments to characterize tissue-specific expression. In total, we identified 98 transcripts that exhibited prostate-specific expression, 76 of which we found to be expressed exclusively in the prostate gland cells; additional sites of expression for the remaining 22 included the testis or other gland cells. Bioinformatics analyses of the prostate-limited candidates revealed that at least 64 are predicted to be secretory proteins, making these especially strong candidates to be SFPs that are transferred during copulation. CONCLUSIONS Our study represents a first comprehensive analysis using a combination of transcriptomic and ISH screen data to identify SFPs based on transcript expression in seminal fluid-producing tissues. We thereby extend the range of taxa for which seminal fluid has been characterized to a flatworm species with a sequenced genome and for which several methods such as antibody staining, transgenesis and RNA interference have been established. Our data provide a basis for testing the functional and evolutionary significance of SFPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Weber
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Julia Wunderer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Birgit Lengerer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Robert Pjeta
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marcelo Rodrigues
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Current address: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England NE1 7RU UK
| | - Lukas Schärer
- Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Ladurner
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Steven A. Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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16
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Shi Y, Liu W, He M. Proteome and Transcriptome Analysis of Ovary, Intersex Gonads, and Testis Reveals Potential Key Sex Reversal/Differentiation Genes and Mechanism in Scallop Chlamys nobilis. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2018; 20:220-245. [PMID: 29546597 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-018-9800-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bivalve mollusks exhibit hermaphroditism and sex reversal/differentiation. Studies generally focus on transcriptional profiling and specific genes related to sex determination and differentiation. Few studies on sex reversal/differentiation have been reported. A combination analysis of gonad proteomics and transcriptomics was conducted on Chlamys nobilis to provide a systematic understanding of sex reversal/differentiation in bivalves. We obtained 4258 unique peptides and 93,731 unigenes with good correlation between messenger RNA and protein levels. Candidate genes in sex reversal/differentiation were found: 15 genes differentially expressed between sexes were identified and 12 had obvious sexual functions. Three novel genes (foxl2, β-catenin, and sry) were expressed highly in intersex individuals and were likely involved in the control of gonadal sex in C. nobilis. High expression of foxl2 or β-catenin may inhibit sry and activate 5-HT receptor and vitellogenin to maintain female development. High expression of sry may inhibit foxl2 and β-catenin and activate dmrt2, fem-1, sfp2, sa6, Amy-1, APCP4, and PLK to maintain male function. High expression of sry, foxl2, and β-catenin in C. nobilis may be involved in promoting and maintaining sex reversal/differentiation. The downstream regulator may not be dimorphic expressed genes, but genes expressed in intersex individuals, males and females. Different expression patterns of sex-related genes and gonadal histological characteristics suggested that C. nobilis may change its sex from male to female. These findings suggest highly conserved sex reversal/differentiation with diverged regulatory pathways during C. nobilis evolution. This study provides valuable genetic resources for understanding sex reversal/differentiation (intersex) mechanisms and pathways underlying bivalve reproductive regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Wenguang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Maoxian He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
- Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
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17
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Shibata A, Kameyama Y, Kudo G. Restricted female function of hermaphrodites in a gynodioecious shrub, Daphne jezoensis (Thymelaeaceae). J Plant Res 2018; 131:245-254. [PMID: 28936793 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0978-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Gynodioecy is the coexistence of hermaphrodites and females in a population. It is supposed to be an intermediate stage in the evolutionary pathway from hermaphroditism to dioecy in angiosperm. Hermaphrodites gain fitness through both seed and pollen production whereas females gain fitness only through seed production. As females spread in a gynodioecious population, sexual selection prompts hermaphrodites to invest in male function and male-biased hermaphrodites prevail. In the gynodioecious shrub Daphne jezoensis (Thymelaeaceae), female frequency is stably around 50% in most populations, and fruit-set rate of hermaphrodites is commonly low. Therefore, D. jezoensis is likely at a later stage in the evolutionary pathway. Female function of hermaphrodites (fruit-set rate, selfing rate, seed size, and germination rate) was assessed in three populations under natural conditions. In order to evaluate the potential seed fertility and inbreeding depression by selfing in hermaphrodites, hand pollination treatments were also performed. Over a 2-year period under natural conditions, 18-29% of hermaphrodites and 69-81% of females set fruit. Across all three populations, the mean fruit-set rate ranged 9.5-49.2% in females and only 3.9-10.2% in hermaphrodites. Even with artificial outcross-pollination, 59-91% of hermaphrodites failed to set any fruit. When self-pollination was performed in hermaphrodites, both of fruit-set and germination rates were decreased, indicating early-acting inbreeding depression. In addition, more than half of the hermaphrodite seeds were produced by selfing under natural pollination, but pollinator service was still required. Totally, hermaphrodites performed poorly as seed producers because of the intrinsically-low fruiting ability and a combination of autogamous selfing and strong inbreeding depression, indicating the absence of reproductive assurance. These results indicate that the mating system of D. jezoensis is functionally close to dioecy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akari Shibata
- Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
| | - Yoshiaki Kameyama
- Faculty of Regional Environment Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan
| | - Gaku Kudo
- Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
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18
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Ferrandiz N, Barroso C, Telecan O, Shao N, Kim HM, Testori S, Faull P, Cutillas P, Snijders AP, Colaiácovo MP, Martinez-Perez E. Spatiotemporal regulation of Aurora B recruitment ensures release of cohesion during C. elegans oocyte meiosis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:834. [PMID: 29483514 PMCID: PMC5827026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of haploid gametes from diploid germ cells requires the regulated two-step release of sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) during the meiotic divisions. Here, we show that phosphorylation of cohesin subunit REC-8 by Aurora B promotes SCC release at anaphase I onset in C. elegans oocytes. Aurora B loading to chromatin displaying Haspin-mediated H3 T3 phosphorylation induces spatially restricted REC-8 phosphorylation, preventing full SCC release during anaphase I. H3 T3 phosphorylation is locally antagonized by protein phosphatase 1, which is recruited to chromosomes by HTP-1/2 and LAB-1. Mutating the N terminus of HTP-1 causes ectopic H3 T3 phosphorylation, triggering precocious SCC release without impairing earlier HTP-1 roles in homolog pairing and recombination. CDK-1 exerts temporal regulation of Aurora B recruitment, coupling REC-8 phosphorylation to oocyte maturation. Our findings elucidate a complex regulatory network that uses chromosome axis components, H3 T3 phosphorylation, and cell cycle regulators to ensure accurate chromosome segregation during oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Ferrandiz
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Oana Telecan
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nan Shao
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Hyun-Min Kim
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- SPST, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Sarah Testori
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Faull
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
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Tsakogiannis A, Manousaki T, Lagnel J, Sterioti A, Pavlidis M, Papandroulakis N, Mylonas CC, Tsigenopoulos CS. The transcriptomic signature of different sexes in two protogynous hermaphrodites: Insights into the molecular network underlying sex phenotype in fish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3564. [PMID: 29476120 PMCID: PMC5824801 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21992-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differentiation is a puzzling problem in fish due to the variety of reproductive systems and the flexibility of their sex determination mechanisms. The Sparidae, a teleost family, reflects this remarkable diversity of sexual mechanisms found in fish. Our aim was to capture the transcriptomic signature of different sexes in two protogynous hermaphrodite sparids, the common pandora Pagellus erythrinus and the red porgy Pagrus pagrus in order to shed light on the molecular network contributing to either the female or the male phenotype in these organisms. Through RNA sequencing, we investigated sex-specific differences in gene expression in both species' brains and gonads. The analysis revealed common male and female specific genes/pathways between these protogynous fish. Whereas limited sex differences found in the brain indicate a sexually plastic tissue, in contrast, the great amount of sex-biased genes observed in gonads reflects the functional divergence of the transformed tissue to either its male or female character. Α common "crew" of well-known molecular players is acting to preserve either sex identity of the gonad in these fish. Lastly, this study lays the ground for a deeper understanding of the complex process of sex differentiation in two species with an evolutionary significant reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tsakogiannis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - T Manousaki
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
| | - J Lagnel
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
| | - A Sterioti
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
| | - M Pavlidis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - N Papandroulakis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
| | - C C Mylonas
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece
| | - C S Tsigenopoulos
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (H.C.M.R.), Heraklion, Greece.
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20
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Ren X, Li R, Wei X, Bi Y, Ho V, Ding Q, Xu Z, Zhang Z, Hsieh CL, Young A, Zeng J, Liu X, Zhao Z. Genomic basis of recombination suppression in the hybrid between Caenorhabditis briggsae and C. nigoni. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:1295-1307. [PMID: 29325078 PMCID: PMC5814819 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA recombination is required for effective segregation and diversification of genomes and for the successful completion of meiosis. Recent studies in various species hybrids have demonstrated a genetic link between DNA recombination and speciation. Consistent with this, we observed a striking suppression of recombination in the hybrids between two nematodes, the hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis briggsae and the gonochoristic C. nigoni. To unravel the molecular basis underlying the recombination suppression in their hybrids, we generated a C. nigoni genome with chromosome-level contiguity and produced an improved C. briggsae genome with resolved gaps up to 2.8 Mb. The genome alignment reveals not only high sequence divergences but also pervasive intra- and inter-chromosomal sequence re-arrangements between the two species, which are plausible culprits for the observed suppression. Comparison of recombination boundary sequences suggests that recombination in the hybrid requires extensive sequence homology, which is rarely seen between the two genomes. The new genomes and genomic libraries form invaluable resources for studying genome evolution, hybrid incompatibilities and sex evolution for this pair of model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Ren
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Runsheng Li
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaolin Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- PTN (Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences) Joint Graduate Program, Beijing 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yu Bi
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Vincy Wing Sze Ho
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qiutao Ding
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Illumina Inc., 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego 92122, USA
| | | | - Amanda Young
- Illumina Inc., 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego 92122, USA
| | - Jianyang Zeng
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhongying Zhao
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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Yin D, Schwarz EM, Thomas CG, Felde RL, Korf IF, Cutter AD, Schartner CM, Ralston EJ, Meyer BJ, Haag ES. Rapid genome shrinkage in a self-fertile nematode reveals sperm competition proteins. Science 2018; 359:55-61. [PMID: 29302007 PMCID: PMC5789457 DOI: 10.1126/science.aao0827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
To reveal impacts of sexual mode on genome content, we compared chromosome-scale assemblies of the outcrossing nematode Caenorhabditis nigoni to its self-fertile sibling species, C. briggsaeC. nigoni's genome resembles that of outcrossing relatives but encodes 31% more protein-coding genes than C. briggsaeC. nigoni genes lacking C. briggsae orthologs were disproportionately small and male-biased in expression. These include the male secreted short (mss) gene family, which encodes sperm surface glycoproteins conserved only in outcrossing species. Sperm from mss-null males of outcrossing C. remanei failed to compete with wild-type sperm, despite normal fertility in noncompetitive mating. Restoring mss to C. briggsae males was sufficient to enhance sperm competitiveness. Thus, sex has a pervasive influence on genome content that can be used to identify sperm competition factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Yin
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Erich M Schwarz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Cristel G Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Rebecca L Felde
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Ian F Korf
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Caitlin M Schartner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Edward J Ralston
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Barbara J Meyer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Eric S Haag
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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22
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Burns MD, Cole KS. Reproductive morphology and its application in testing molecular systematic hypotheses in the family Gobiidae (Teleostei, Gobiiformes). J Fish Biol 2017; 91:1094-1108. [PMID: 28901018 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study uses histological techniques to make a detailed comparison of the reproductive morphologies of four gobiid genera, Amblyeleotris, Ctenogobiops, Fusigobius and Kraemeria. Three distinct reproductive morphological patterns were observed. All species examined in the genus Fusigobius exhibit either an ovariform or testiform gonad and precursive accessory gonadal structures (pAGS) associated with each of the gonadal lobes, regardless of gonadal state. In contrast, among species of Amblyeleotris, Ctenogobiops and Kraemeria examined, pAGS were not found. Furthermore, Amblyeleotris and Ctenogobiops differ from both Kraemeria and Fusigobius in lacking AGS associated with the testiform gonad. These findings, based solely on reproductive morphology, suggest that Kraemeria and Fusigobius may be more closely related to each other than either is to Amblyeleotris and Ctenogobiops. Findings of this study support the view that reproductive morphological patterns could prove informative in elucidating evolutionary relationships within the family Gobiidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Burns
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97330, U.S.A
- University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Department of Biology, Dean Hall Room 2, 2450 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A
| | - K S Cole
- University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Department of Biology, Dean Hall Room 2, 2450 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A
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23
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Abstract
The sperm’s crucial function is to locate and fuse with a mature oocyte. Under laboratory conditions, Caenorhabditis elegans sperm are very efficient at navigating the hermaphrodite reproductive tract and locating oocytes. Here, we identify chemosensory and oxygen-sensing circuits that affect the sperm’s navigational capacity. Multiple Serpentine Receptor B (SRB) chemosensory receptors regulate Gα pathways in gustatory sensory neurons that extend cilia through the male nose. SRB signaling is necessary and sufficient in these sensory neurons to influence sperm motility parameters. The neuropeptide Y pathway acts together with SRB-13 to antagonize negative effects of the GCY-35 hyperoxia sensor on spermatogenesis. SRB chemoreceptors are not essential for sperm navigation under low oxygen conditions that C. elegans prefers. In ambient oxygen environments, SRB-13 signaling impacts gene expression during spermatogenesis and the sperm’s mitochondria, thereby increasing migration velocity and inhibiting reversals within the hermaphrodite uterus. The SRB-13 transcriptome is highly enriched in genes implicated in pathogen defense, many of which are expressed in diverse tissues. We show that the critical time period for SRB-13 signaling is prior to spermatocyte differentiation. Our results support the model that young C. elegans males sense external environment and oxygen tension, triggering long-lasting downstream signaling events with effects on the sperm’s mitochondria and navigational capacity. Environmental exposures early in male life may alter sperm function and fertility. Habitat loss, disease, climate change, and pollution are thought to negatively affect animal fertility. Sperm are a potential target, but the molecular mechanisms are not understood. The nematode C. elegans is a powerful genetic model to investigate the relationship between environment and male fertility. The hermaphrodite’s transparent epidermis permits the direct visualization of migrating male sperm and fertilization. In this study, we identified multiple serpentine receptor B (SRB) chemosensory receptors that are expressed in amphid sensory neurons, which extend cilia through the male nose. These SRB chemoreceptors are necessary to produce sperm that are efficient at navigating the hermaphrodite reproductive tract to the fertilization site. We show that SRB-13 signaling counteracts the negative effect of GCY-35 O2 sensor activity, thereby maintaining sperm mitochondrial function and navigational capacity in hyperoxic conditions. Of particular interest, SRB-13 acts in early larval stage males prior to testis maturation. We propose that young males respond to specific stressful environments by altering SRB neural circuits, which in turn impact sperm mitochondrial function and motility. This chemosensory mechanism may be part of a systemic response in C. elegans males to external environment and oxygen levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu D. Hoang
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Miller
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Sun ZH, Wang Y, Lu WJ, Li Z, Liu XC, Li SS, Zhou L, Gui JF. Divergent Expression Patterns and Function Implications of Four nanos Genes in a Hermaphroditic Fish, Epinephelus coioides. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E685. [PMID: 28333083 PMCID: PMC5412271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18040685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple nanos genes have been characterized in several fishes, but the functional implications of their various expression patterns remain unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized four nanos genes from a hermaphroditic fish orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Ecnanos1a and Ecnanos1b show divergent expression patterns, and the dynamic expression change of Ecnanos1a in pituitaries during sex change is associated with testis differentiation and spermatogenesis. Ecnanos2 and Ecnanos3 might be germline stem cells (GSCs) and primordial germ cells (PGCs)-specific markers, respectively. Significantly, Ecnanos3 3'-untranslated region (UTR) is necessary for PGC specific expression, where a non-canonical "GCACGTTT" sequence is required for miR-430-mediated repression of Ecnanos3 RNA. Furthermore, grouper Dead end (Dnd) can relieve miR-430 repression in PGCs by associating with a 23 bp U-rich region (URR) in Ecnanos3 3'-UTR. The current study revealed the functional association of multiple nanos genes with PGC formation and germ cell development in orange-spotted grouper, and opened up new possibilities for developing biotechnologies through utilizing the associations between Ecnanos3 and PGCs or between Ecnanos2 and GSCs in the hermaphroditic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Wei-Jia Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Xiao-Chun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, The Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Shui-Sheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, The Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Li Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
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25
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Zemp N, Tavares R, Muyle A, Charlesworth D, Marais GAB, Widmer A. Evolution of sex-biased gene expression in a dioecious plant. Nat Plants 2016; 2:16168. [PMID: 27808231 DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Separate sexes and sex-biased gene expression have repeatedly evolved in animals and plants, but the underlying changes in gene expression remain unknown. Here, we studied a pair of plant species, one in which separate sexes and sex chromosomes evolved recently and one which maintained hermaphrodite flowers resembling the ancestral state, to reconstruct expression changes associated with the evolution of dioecy. We found that sex-biased gene expression has evolved in autosomal and sex-linked genes in the dioecious species. Most expression changes relative to hermaphrodite flowers occurred in females rather than males, with higher and lower expression in females leading to female-biased and male-biased expression, respectively. Expression changes were more common in genes located on the sex chromosomes than the autosomes and led to feminization of the X chromosome and masculinization of the Y chromosome. Our results support a scenario in which sex-biased gene expression evolved during the evolution of dioecy to resolve intralocus sexual conflicts over the allocation of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklaus Zemp
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Raquel Tavares
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aline Muyle
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- University of Edinburgh, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
| | - Gabriel A B Marais
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alex Widmer
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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26
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Schmera D, Pizá J, Reinartz E, Ursenbacher S, Baur B. Breeding system, shell size and age at sexual maturity affect sperm length in stylommatophoran gastropods. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:89. [PMID: 27130818 PMCID: PMC4850656 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0661-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sperm size and quality are key factors for fertilization success. There is increasing empirical evidence demonstrating that sperm form and function are influenced by selective pressures. Theoretical models predict that sperm competition could favour the evolution of longer sperm. In hermaphrodites, self-fertilizing species are expected to have shorter sperm than cross-fertilizing species, which use sperm stored from several mating partners for the fertilization of their eggs and thus are exposed to intense sperm competition. We tested this hypothesis by comparing original data on sperm length in 57 species of simultaneously hermaphroditic stylommatophoran gastropods from Europe and South America with respect to the species' breeding system. We used 28S rRNA nuclear and COI mitochondrial sequence data to construct a molecular phylogeny. Phylogenetic generalized linear models were applied to examine the potential influence of morphological and life-history characters. RESULTS The best-fit model revealed that the breeding system and age at sexual maturity influence sperm length in gastropods. In general, species with predominant cross-fertilization had longer sperm than species with predominant self-fertilization or a mixed breeding system. Across species with shells (snails), sperm length also increased with shell size. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides evidence that sperm length in stylommatophoran gastropods is influenced by the risk of sperm competition, as well as by age at sexual maturity and shell size. This finding extends present knowledge of sperm evolution to a group of so far poorly studied simultaneous hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dénes Schmera
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Balaton Limnological Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno 3, 8237, Tihany, Hungary.
| | - Julia Pizá
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Laboratorio de Zoología de Invertebrados 1, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Ellen Reinartz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Ursenbacher
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Baur
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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27
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Aprison EZ, Ruvinsky I. Sex Pheromones of C. elegans Males Prime the Female Reproductive System and Ameliorate the Effects of Heat Stress. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005729. [PMID: 26645097 PMCID: PMC4672928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheromones are secreted molecules that mediate animal communications. These olfactory signals can have substantial effects on physiology and likely play important roles in organismal survival in natural habitats. Here we show that a blend of two ascaroside pheromones produced by C. elegans males primes the female reproductive system in part by improving sperm guidance toward oocytes. Worms have different physiological responses to different ratios of the same two molecules, revealing an efficient mechanism for increasing coding potential of a limited repertoire of molecular signals. The endogenous function of the male sex pheromones has an important side benefit. It substantially ameliorates the detrimental effects of prolonged heat stress on hermaphrodite reproduction because it increases the effectiveness with which surviving gametes are used following stress. Hermaphroditic species are expected to lose female-specific traits in the course of evolution. Our results suggest that some of these traits could have serendipitous utility due to their ability to counter the effects of stress. We propose that this is a general mechanism by which some mating-related functions could be retained in hermaphroditic species, despite their expected decay. The Caenorhabditis elegans metabolome contains over a hundred ascaroside molecules. Most of them have no known function, or no function at all, but some act as pheromones. Two of these molecules, ascr#10 and ascr#3, are produced in different proportions by males and hermaphrodites. We report that when a hermaphrodite senses a male-specific mixture of these molecules, it changes several aspects of its reproductive physiology, including signaling that guides sperm toward oocytes. During evolution from an ancestor that had both males and females, C. elegans hermaphrodites lost several female-specific traits, but their reproductive system retained the ability to respond to male pheromones. This greatly aids them during recovery from heat stress. We suggest that serendipitous side benefits of female-specific traits could be a general cause of their retention during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Z. Aprison
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Avise JC, Tatarenkov A. Population genetics and evolution of the mangrove rivulus Kryptolebias marmoratus, the world's only self-fertilizing hermaphroditic vertebrate. J Fish Biol 2015; 87:519-538. [PMID: 26223378 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus (Rivulidae, Cyprinodontiformes), is phylogenetically embedded within a large clade of oviparous (egg laying) and otherwise mostly gonochoristic (separate sex) killifish species in the circumtropical suborder Aplocheiloidei. It is unique in its reproductive mode: K. marmoratus is essentially the world's only vertebrate species known to engage routinely in self-fertilization as part of a mixed-mating strategy of selfing plus occasional outcrossing with gonochoristic males. This unique form of procreation has profound population-genetic and evolutionary-genetic consequences that are the subject of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Avise
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, U.S.A
| | - A Tatarenkov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, U.S.A
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29
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Abstract
We consider an individual based model of phenotypic evolution in hermaphroditic populations which includes random and assortative mating of individuals. By increasing the number of individuals to infinity we obtain a nonlinear transport equation, which describes the evolution of phenotypic distribution. The main result of the paper is a theorem on asymptotic stability of trait distribution. This theorem is applied to models with the offspring trait distribution given by additive and multiplicative random perturbations of the parental mean trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryszard Rudnicki
- Institute of Mathematics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bankowa 14, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Paweł Zwoleński
- Institute of Mathematics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bankowa 14, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
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30
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Russell JRW, Pannell JR. Sex determination in dioecious Mercurialis annua and its close diploid and polyploid relatives. Heredity (Edinb) 2015; 114:262-71. [PMID: 25335556 PMCID: PMC4815579 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Separate sexes have evolved on numerous independent occasions from hermaphroditic ancestors in flowering plants. The mechanisms of sex determination is known for only a handful of such species, but, in those that have been investigated, it usually involves alleles segregating at a single locus, sometimes on heteromorphic sex chromosomes. In the genus Mercurialis, transitions between combined (hermaphroditism) and separate sexes (dioecy or androdioecy, where males co-occur with hermaphrodites rather than females) have occurred more than once in association with hybridisation and shifts in ploidy. Previous work has pointed to an unusual 3-locus system of sex determination in dioecious populations. Here, we use crosses and genotyping for a sex-linked marker to reject this model: sex in diploid dioecious M. annua is determined at a single locus with a dominant male-determining allele (an XY system). We also crossed individuals among lineages of Mercurialis that differ in their ploidy and sexual system to ascertain the extent to which the same sex-determination system has been conserved following genome duplication, hybridisation and transitions between dioecy and hermaphroditism. Our results indicate that the male-determining element is fully capable of determining gender in the progeny of hybrids between different lineages. Specifically, males crossed with females or hermaphrodites always generate 1:1 male:female or male:hermaphrodite sex ratios, respectively, regardless of the ploidy levels involved (diploid, tetraploid or hexaploid). Our results throw further light on the genetics of the remarkable variation in sexual systems in the genus Mercurialis. They also illustrate the almost identical expression of sex-determining alleles in terms of sexual phenotypes across multiple divergent backgrounds, including those that have lost separate sexes altogether.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R W Russell
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - J R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, Switzerland
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31
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Sharma R, Jost D, Kind J, Gómez-Saldivar G, van Steensel B, Askjaer P, Vaillant C, Meister P. Differential spatial and structural organization of the X chromosome underlies dosage compensation in C. elegans. Genes Dev 2014; 28:2591-6. [PMID: 25452271 PMCID: PMC4248290 DOI: 10.1101/gad.248864.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The adjustment of X-linked gene expression to the X chromosome copy number (dosage compensation [DC]) has been widely studied as a model of chromosome-wide gene regulation. In Caenorhabditis elegans, DC is achieved by twofold down-regulation of gene expression from both Xs in hermaphrodites. We show that in males, the single X chromosome interacts with nuclear pore proteins, while in hermaphrodites, the DC complex (DCC) impairs this interaction and alters X localization. Our results put forward a structural model of DC in which X-specific sequences locate the X chromosome in transcriptionally active domains in males, while the DCC prevents this in hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Sharma
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Jost
- Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR 5672, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Jop Kind
- Division of Gene Regulation, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1006 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bas van Steensel
- Division of Gene Regulation, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1006 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), The Junta of Andalusia (JA), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cédric Vaillant
- Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR 5672, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Peter Meister
- Cell Fate and Nuclear Organization, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
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32
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Petrella LN. Natural variants of C. elegans demonstrate defects in both sperm function and oogenesis at elevated temperatures. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112377. [PMID: 25380048 PMCID: PMC4224435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The temperature sensitivity of the germ line is conserved from nematodes to mammals. Previous studies in C. briggsae and Drosophila showed that isolates originating from temperate latitudes lose fertility at a lower temperature than strains originating from tropical latitudes. In order to investigate these relationships in C. elegans, analysis of the fertility of 22 different wild-type isolates of C. elegans isolated from equatorial, tropical and temperate regions was undertaken. It was found that there are significant temperature, genotype and temperature × genotype effects on fertility but region of isolation showed no significant effect on differences in fertility. For most isolates 100% of the population maintained fertility from 20°C to 26°C, but there was a precipitous drop in the percentage of fertile hermaphrodites at 27°C. In contrast, all isolates show a progressive decrease in brood size as temperature increases from 20°C to 26°C, followed by a brood size near zero at 27°C. Temperature shift experiments were performed to better understand the causes of high temperature loss of fertility. Males up-shifted to high temperature maintained fertility, while males raised at high temperature lost fertility. Down-shifting males raised at high temperature generally did not restore fertility. This result differs from that observed in Drosophila and suggested that in C. elegans spermatogenesis or sperm function is irreversibly impaired in males that develop at high temperature. Mating and down-shifting experiments with hermaphrodites were performed to investigate the relative contributions of spermatogenic and oogenic defects to high temperature loss of fertility. It was found that the hermaphrodites of all isolates demonstrated loss in both spermatogenic and oogenic germ lines that differed in their relative contribution by isolate. These studies uncovered unexpectedly high variation in both the loss of fertility and problems with oocyte function in natural variants of C. elegans at high temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N. Petrella
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
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33
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Picq S, Santoni S, Lacombe T, Latreille M, Weber A, Ardisson M, Ivorra S, Maghradze D, Arroyo-Garcia R, Chatelet P, This P, Terral JF, Bacilieri R. A small XY chromosomal region explains sex determination in wild dioecious V. vinifera and the reversal to hermaphroditism in domesticated grapevines. BMC Plant Biol 2014; 14:229. [PMID: 25179565 PMCID: PMC4167142 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-014-0229-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Vitis vinifera L., domestication induced a dramatic change in flower morphology: the wild sylvestris subspecies is dioecious while hermaphroditism is largely predominant in the domesticated subsp. V. v. vinifera. The characterisation of polymorphisms in genes underlying the sex-determining chromosomal region may help clarify the history of domestication in grapevine and the evolution of sex chromosomes in plants. In the genus Vitis, sex determination is putatively controlled by one major locus with three alleles, male M, hermaphrodite H and female F, with an allelic dominance M > H > F. Previous genetic studies located the sex locus on chromosome 2. We used DNA polymorphisms of geographically diverse V. vinifera genotypes to confirm the position of this locus, to characterise the genetic diversity and traces of selection in candidate genes, and to explore the origin of hermaphroditism. RESULTS In V. v. sylvestris, a sex-determining region of 154.8 kb, also present in other Vitis species, spans less than 1% of chromosome 2. It displays haplotype diversity, linkage disequilibrium and differentiation that typically correspond to a small XY sex-determining region with XY males and XX females. In male alleles, traces of purifying selection were found for a trehalose phosphatase, an exostosin and a WRKY transcription factor, with strikingly low polymorphism levels between distant geographic regions. Both diversity and network analysis revealed that H alleles are more closely related to M than to F alleles. CONCLUSIONS Hermaphrodite alleles appear to derive from male alleles of wild grapevines, with successive recombination events allowing import of diversity from the X into the Y chromosomal region and slowing down the expansion of the region into a full heteromorphic chromosome. Our data are consistent with multiple domestication events and show traces of introgression from other Asian Vitis species into the cultivated grapevine gene pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Picq
- />Centre de Bio-Archéologie et d’Ecologie CBAE (UMR 5059 CNRS/Université Montpellier 2/EPHE/INRAP). Equipe Interactions, Biodiversité, Sociétés, Institut de Botanique, 163 rue Auguste Broussonet, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Santoni
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Lacombe
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Muriel Latreille
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Audrey Weber
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Morgane Ardisson
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Sarah Ivorra
- />Centre de Bio-Archéologie et d’Ecologie CBAE (UMR 5059 CNRS/Université Montpellier 2/EPHE/INRAP). Equipe Interactions, Biodiversité, Sociétés, Institut de Botanique, 163 rue Auguste Broussonet, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - David Maghradze
- />Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology, Agrarian University of Georgia, University Campus at Digomi, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, 13-th km. 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Rosa Arroyo-Garcia
- />CBGP-INIA. Dpto Biotecnología, Campus de Montegancedo, Autovía M40, km38, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid Spain
| | - Philippe Chatelet
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Patrice This
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Frédéric Terral
- />Centre de Bio-Archéologie et d’Ecologie CBAE (UMR 5059 CNRS/Université Montpellier 2/EPHE/INRAP). Equipe Interactions, Biodiversité, Sociétés, Institut de Botanique, 163 rue Auguste Broussonet, 34090 Montpellier, France
- />Université Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Roberto Bacilieri
- />INRA, UMR 1334 AGAP, Equipe Diversité, Adaptation et Amélioration de la Vigne, F34060 Montpellier, France
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Rhee JS, Lee JS. Whole genome data for omics-based research on the self-fertilizing fish Kryptolebias marmoratus. Mar Pollut Bull 2014; 85:532-541. [PMID: 24759509 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Genome resources have advantages for understanding diverse areas such as biological patterns and functioning of organisms. Omics platforms are useful approaches for the study of organs and organisms. These approaches can be powerful screening tools for whole genome, proteome, and metabolome profiling, and can be used to understand molecular changes in response to internal and external stimuli. This methodology has been applied successfully in freshwater model fish such as the zebrafish Danio rerio and the Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes in research areas such as basic physiology, developmental biology, genetics, and environmental biology. However, information is still scarce about model fish that inhabit brackish water or seawater. To develop the self-fertilizing killifish Kryptolebias marmoratus as a potential model species with unique characteristics and research merits, we obtained genomic information about K. marmoratus. We address ways to use these data for genome-based molecular mechanistic studies. We review the current state of genome information on K. marmoratus to initiate omics approaches. We evaluate the potential applications of integrated omics platforms for future studies in environmental science, developmental biology, and biomedical research. We conclude that information about the K. marmoratus genome will provide a better understanding of the molecular functions of genes, proteins, and metabolites that are involved in the biological functions of this species. Omics platforms, particularly combined technologies that make effective use of bioinformatics, will provide powerful tools for hypothesis-driven investigations and discovery-driven discussions on diverse aspects of this species and on fish and vertebrates in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Sung Rhee
- Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Science, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772, South Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, South Korea.
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Abstract
Lifespan costs to reproduction are common across multiple species, and such costs could potentially arise through a number of mechanisms. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, it has been suggested that part of the lifespan cost to hermaphrodites from mating results from physical damage owing to the act of copulation itself. Here, we examine whether mating damages the surface of the hermaphrodite cuticle via scanning electron microscopy. It is found that mated hermaphrodites suffered delamination of cuticle layers surrounding the vulva, and that the incidence of such damage depends on genetic background. Unmated hermaphrodites demonstrated almost no such damage, even when cultured in soil with potentially abrasive particles. Thus, a consequence of mating for C. elegans hermaphrodites is physical cuticle damage. These experiments did not assess the consequences of cuticle damage for lifespan, and the biological significance of this damage remains unclear. We further discuss our results within the context of recent studies linking the lifespan cost to mating in C. elegans hermaphrodites to male secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C. Woodruff
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Forest Pathology Laboratory, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Christine M. Knauss
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Timothy K. Maugel
- Laboratory for Biological Ultrastructure, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Haag
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Battilana J, Lorenzi S, Moreira FM, Moreno-Sanz P, Failla O, Emanuelli F, Grando MS. Linkage mapping and molecular diversity at the flower sex locus in wild and cultivated grapevine reveal a prominent SSR haplotype in hermaphrodite plants. Mol Biotechnol 2013; 54:1031-7. [PMID: 23532385 PMCID: PMC3641292 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-013-9657-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cultivars used for wine and table grape have self-fertile hermaphrodite flowers whereas wild European vines and American and Asian species are dioecious, having either male or female flowers. Consistent with previous studies, the flower sex trait was mapped as a single major locus on chromosome 2 based on a pure Vitis vinifera population segregating for hermaphrodite and female progeny, and a hybrid population producing all three flower sex types. The sex locus was placed between the same SSR and SNP markers on both genetic maps, although abnormal segregation hampered to fine map the genomic region. From a total of 55 possible haplotypes inferred for three SSR markers around the sex locus, in a population of 132 V. sylvestris accessions and 171 V. vinifera cultivars, one of them accounted for 66 % of the hermaphrodite individuals and may be the result of domestication. Specific size variants of the VVIB23 microsatellite sequence within the 3'-UTR of a putative YABBY1 gene were found to be statistically significantly associated with the sex alleles M, H and f; these markers can provide assistance in defining the status of wild grapevine germplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juri Battilana
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN Italy
| | - Silvia Lorenzi
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN Italy
| | - Flavia M. Moreira
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN Italy
- Present Address: Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina, Rua José Lino Kretzer 608–Praia Comprida, São José, Santa Catarina 88130-310 Brazil
| | - Paula Moreno-Sanz
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN Italy
| | - Osvaldo Failla
- Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Emanuelli
- Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - M. Stella Grando
- Department of Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, TN Italy
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Bellamy L, Chapman N, Fowler K, Pomiankowski A. Sexual traits are sensitive to genetic stress and predict extinction risk in the stalk-eyed fly, Diasemopsis meigenii. Evolution 2013; 67:2662-73. [PMID: 24033174 PMCID: PMC4352335 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The handicap principle predicts that sexual traits are more susceptible to inbreeding depression than nonsexual traits. However, this hypothesis has received little testing and results are inconsistent. We used 11 generations of full-sibling mating to test the effect of inbreeding on sexual and nonsexual traits in the stalk-eyed fly Diasemopsis meigenii. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, the male sexual trait (eyespan) decreased more than nonsexual traits (female eyespan and male wing length), even after controlling for body size variation. In addition, male eyespan was a reliable predictor of line extinction, unlike other nonsexual traits. After 11 generations, inbred lines were crossed to generate inbred and outbred families. All morphological traits were larger in outbred individuals than inbred individuals. This heterosis was greater in male eyespan than in male wing length, but not female eyespan. The elevated response in male eyespan to genetic stress mirrored the result found using environmental stress during larval development and suggests that common mechanisms underlie the patterns observed. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that male sexual traits suffer more from inbreeding depression than nonsexual traits and are in line with predictions based on the handicap principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Bellamy
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College LondonDarwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Nadine Chapman
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College LondonDarwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Fowler
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College LondonDarwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Pomiankowski
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College LondonDarwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- CoMPLEX, University College LondonGower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Dalton RM, Koski MH, Ashman TL. Maternal sex effects and inbreeding depression under varied environmental conditions in gynodioecious Fragaria vesca subsp. bracteata. Ann Bot 2013; 112:613-21. [PMID: 23723257 PMCID: PMC3718212 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gynodioecy (coexistence of females and hermaphrodites) is a sexual system that occurs in numerous flowering plant lineages. Thus, understanding the features that affect its maintenance has wide importance. Models predict that females must have a seed fitness advantage over hermaphrodites, and this may be achieved via seed quality or quantity. Females in a population of Fragaria vesca subsp. bracteata, a long-lived gynodioecious perennial, do not demonstrate a seed quantity advantage, so this study explored whether females produced better quality seed via maternal sex effects or avoidance of inbreeding depression (IBD). METHODS Families of selfed and outcrossed seed were created using hermaphrodite mothers and families of outcrossed seed were created using female mothers. The effects of these pollination treatments were assessed under benign conditions early in life and under varied conditions later in life. To test for an effect of maternal sex, fitness components and traits associated with acclimation to variable environments of progeny of outbred hermaphrodites and females were compared. To test for expression of IBD, fitness parameters between inbred and outbred progeny of hermaphrodites were compared. KEY RESULTS Offspring of females were more likely to germinate in benign conditions and survive in harsh resource environments than outbred progeny of hermaphrodites. IBD was low across most life stages, and both the effect of maternal sex on progeny quality and the expression of IBD depended on both maternal family and resource condition of the progeny. CONCLUSIONS The effect of maternal sex and IBD on progeny quality depended on resource conditions, maternal lineage and progeny life stage. In conjunction with known lack of differences in seed quantity, the quality advantages and IBD observed here are still unlikely to be sufficient for maintenance of gynodioecy under nuclear inheritance of male sterility.
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Zhang Y, Zhang S, Liu Z, Zhang L, Zhang W. Epigenetic modifications during sex change repress gonadotropin stimulation of cyp19a1a in a teleost ricefield eel (Monopterus albus). Endocrinology 2013; 154:2881-90. [PMID: 23744638 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, cytochrome P450 aromatase, encoded by cyp19a1, converts androgens to estrogens and plays important roles in gonadal differentiation and development. The present study examines whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved in cyp19a1a expression and subsequent gonadal development in the hermaphroditic ricefield eel. The expression of the ricefield eel cyp19a1a was stimulated by gonadotropin via the cAMP pathway in the ovary but not the ovotestis or testis. The CpG within the cAMP response element (CRE) of the cyp19a1a promoter was hypermethylated in the ovotestis and testis compared with the ovary. The methylation levels of CpG sites around CRE in the distal region (region II) and around steroidogenic factor 1/adrenal 4 binding protein sites and TATA box in the proximal region (region I) were inversely correlated with cyp19a1a expression during the natural sex change from female to male. In vitro DNA methylation decreased the basal and forskolin-induced activities of cyp19a1a promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that histone 3 (Lys9) in both regions I and II of the cyp19a1a promoter were deacetylated and trimethylated in the testis, and in contrast to the ovary, phosphorylated CRE-binding protein failed to bind to these regions. Lastly, the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine reversed the natural sex change of ricefield eels. These results suggested that epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation and histone deacetylation and methylation may abrogate the stimulation of cyp19a1a by gonadotropins in a male-specific fashion. This may be a mechanism widely used to drive natural sex change in teleosts as well as gonadal differentiation in other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People’s Republic of China
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40
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Mathers TC, Hammond RL, Jenner RA, Zierold T, Hänfling B, Gómez A. High lability of sexual system over 250 million years of evolution in morphologically conservative tadpole shrimps. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:30. [PMID: 23384124 PMCID: PMC3585860 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual system is a key factor affecting the genetic diversity, population structure, genome structure and the evolutionary potential of species. The sexual system androdioecy - where males and hermaphrodites coexist in populations - is extremely rare, yet is found in three crustacean groups, barnacles, a genus of clam shrimps Eulimnadia, and in the order Notostraca, the tadpole shrimps. In the ancient crustacean order Notostraca, high morphological conservatism contrasts with a wide diversity of sexual systems, including androdioecy. An understanding of the evolution of sexual systems in this group has been hampered by poor phylogenetic resolution and confounded by the widespread occurrence of cryptic species. Here we use a multigene supermatrix for 30 taxa to produce a comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction of Notostraca. Based on this phylogenetic reconstruction we use character mapping techniques to investigate the evolution of sexual systems. We also tested the hypothesis that reproductive assurance has driven the evolution of androdioecy in Notostraca. RESULTS Character mapping analysis showed that sexual system is an extremely flexible trait within Notostraca, with repeated shifts between gonochorism and androdioecy, the latter having evolved a minimum of five times. In agreement with the reproductive assurance hypothesis androdioecious notostracans are found at significantly higher latitudes than gonochoric ones indicating that post glacial re-colonisation may have selected for the higher colonisation ability conferred by androdioecy. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to their conserved morphology, sexual system in Notostraca is highly labile and the rare reproductive mode androdioecy has evolved repeatedly within the order. Furthermore, we conclude that this lability of sexual system has been maintained for at least 250 million years and may have contributed to the long term evolutionary persistence of Notostraca. Our results further our understanding of the evolution of androdioecy and indicate that reproductive assurance is a recurrent theme involved in the evolution of this sexual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Mathers
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Robert L Hammond
- Department of Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ronald A Jenner
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Thorid Zierold
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
- Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, Moritzstrasse 20, D-09111, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Bernd Hänfling
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Africa Gómez
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
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Ellison A, Allainguillaume J, Girdwood S, Pachebat J, Peat KM, Wright P, Consuegra S. Maintaining functional major histocompatibility complex diversity under inbreeding: the case of a selfing vertebrate. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:5004-13. [PMID: 23075838 PMCID: PMC3497237 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins that present pathogen-derived antigens to T-cells, initiating the adaptive immune response in vertebrates. Although populations with low MHC diversity tend to be more susceptible to pathogens, some bottlenecked populations persist and even increase in numbers despite low MHC diversity. Thus, the relative importance of MHC diversity versus genome-wide variability for the long-term viability of populations after bottlenecks and/or under high inbreeding is controversial. We tested the hypothesis that genome-wide inbreeding (estimated using microsatellites) should be more critical than MHC diversity alone in determining pathogen resistance in the self-fertilizing fish Kryptolebias marmoratus by analysing MHC diversity and parasite loads in natural and laboratory populations with different degrees of inbreeding. Both MHC and neutral diversities were lost after several generations of selfing, but we also found evidence of parasite selection acting on MHC diversity and of non-random loss of alleles, suggesting a possible selective advantage of those individuals with functionally divergent MHC, in accordance with the hypothesis of divergent allele advantage. Moreover, we found that parasite loads were better explained by including MHC diversity in the model than by genome-wide (microsatellites) heterozygosity alone. Our results suggest that immune-related overdominance could be the key in maintaining variables rates of selfing and outcrossing in K. marmoratus and other mixed-mating species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Ellison
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - J. Allainguillaume
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - S. Girdwood
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - J. Pachebat
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - K. M. Peat
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
| | - P. Wright
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2W1
| | - S. Consuegra
- IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK
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Huang J, Wang H, Chen Y, Wang X, Zhang H. Residual body removal during spermatogenesis in C. elegans requires genes that mediate cell corpse clearance. Development 2012; 139:4613-22. [PMID: 23172915 PMCID: PMC3509724 DOI: 10.1242/dev.086769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Generation of spermatozoa involves segregation of most of the cytoplasm into residual bodies, which are detached from spermatids and eliminated in mammals. However, the molecular and cellular mechanism underlying the removal of residual bodies remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that during C. elegans spermatogenesis residual bodies are engulfed and degraded by gonadal sheath cells, a process that uses the same set of genes underlying apoptotic cell removal. The two partially redundant engulfment pathways that clear cell corpses also mediate phagocytosis of residual bodies, possibly by recognizing the 'eat me' signal phosphatidylserine exposed on the surface. The residual body-containing phagosome undergoes a maturation process involving sequential steps including dynamic coating with PtdIns(3)P and association of RAB small GTPases. The genetic hierarchy of residual body removal in hermaphrodites is similar to that of cell corpse clearance, but male residual body removal involves a distinct hierarchy, with differential use of the engulfment genes. Efficient removal of residual bodies regulates the number of spermatids and effective transfer of spermatids during male matings. Our results indicate that a similar molecular mechanism is employed for the removal of residual bodies and apoptotic cell corpses in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, P.R. China
| | - Haibin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, P.R. China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, P.R. China
| | - Yingyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Ministry of Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, P.R. China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, P.R. China
| | - Hong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P.R. China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, P.R. China
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Kelley JL, Yee MC, Lee C, Levandowsky E, Shah M, Harkins T, Earley RL, Bustamante CD. The possibility of de novo assembly of the genome and population genomics of the mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Integr Comp Biol 2012; 52:737-42. [PMID: 22723055 PMCID: PMC3501098 DOI: 10.1093/icb/ics094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How organisms adapt to the range of environments they encounter is a fundamental question in biology. Elucidating the genetic basis of adaptation is a difficult task, especially when the targets of selection are not known. Emerging sequencing technologies and assembly algorithms facilitate the genomic dissection of adaptation and population differentiation in a vast array of organisms. Here we describe the attributes of Kryptolebias marmoratus, one of two known self-fertilizing hermaphroditic vertebrates that make this fish an attractive genetic system and a model for understanding the genomics of adaptation. Long periods of selfing have resulted in populations composed of many distinct naturally homozygous strains with a variety of identifiable, and apparently heritable, phenotypes. There also is strong population genetic structure across a diverse range of mangrove habitats, making this a tractable system in which to study differentiation both within and among populations. The ability to rear K. marmoratus in the laboratory contributes further to its value as a model for understanding the genetic drivers for adaptation. To date, microsatellite markers distinguish wild isogenic strains but the naturally high homozygosity improves the quality of de novo assembly of the genome and facilitates the identification of genetic variants associated with phenotypes. Gene annotation can be accomplished with RNA-sequencing data in combination with de novo genome assembly. By combining genomic information with extensive laboratory-based phenotyping, it becomes possible to map genetic variants underlying differences in behavioral, life-history, and other potentially adaptive traits. Emerging genomic technologies provide the required resources for establishing K. marmoratus as a new model organism for behavioral genetics and evolutionary genetics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna L Kelley
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Zanetti S, Grinschgl S, Meola M, Belfiore M, Rey S, Bianchi P, Puoti A. The sperm-oocyte switch in the C. elegans hermaphrodite is controlled through steady-state levels of the fem-3 mRNA. RNA 2012; 18:1385-1394. [PMID: 22635404 PMCID: PMC3383969 DOI: 10.1261/rna.031237.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Post-transcriptional control regulates many aspects of germline development in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite. This nematode switches from spermatogenesis to oogenesis and is, therefore, capable of self-fertilization. This sperm-oocyte switch requires 3' UTR-mediated repression of the fem-3 mRNA. Loss of fem-3 repression results in continuous spermatogenesis in hermaphrodites. Although several factors regulating fem-3 have been identified, little is known about the mechanisms that control fem-3. Here, we investigate the steady-state levels of the fem-3 transcript and the expression pattern of its protein product. We show that FEM-3 is exclusively present in germ cells that are committed to spermatogenesis. We found that in fem-3(gf)/+ heterozygotes, mutant fem-3 gain-of-function transcripts are more abundant than their wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, we show that the penetrance of the fem-3(gf) allele correlates with inefficient FBF binding and extended poly(A) tail size of fem-3 mRNAs. Finally, we show that wild-type and gain-of-function mutated fem-3 mRNAs associate equally well with polyribosomes. We propose that the fem-3 mRNA is regulated through stabilization rather than through translatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Zanetti
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Grinschgl
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Marco Meola
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Marco Belfiore
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Samantha Rey
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Pamela Bianchi
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Puoti
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg FR, Switzerland
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Kalisz S, Randle A, Chaiffetz D, Faigeles M, Butera A, Beight C. Dichogamy correlates with outcrossing rate and defines the selfing syndrome in the mixed-mating genus Collinsia. Ann Bot 2012; 109:571-82. [PMID: 21980191 PMCID: PMC3278293 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS How and why plants evolve to become selfing is a long-standing evolutionary puzzle. The transition from outcrossing to highly selfing is less well understood in self-compatible (SC) mixed-mating (MM) species where potentially subtle interactions between floral phenotypes and the environment are at play. We examined floral morphological and developmental traits across an entire SC MM genus, Collinsia, to determine which, if any, predict potential autonomous selfing ability when pollinators are absent (AS) and actual selfing rates in the wild, s(m), and to best define the selfing syndrome for this clade. METHODS Using polymorphic microsatellite markers, we obtained 30 population-level estimates of s(m) across 19 Collinsia taxa. Species grand means for the timing of herkogamy (stigma-anther contact) and dichogamy (stigmatic receptivity, SR), AS, floral size, longevity and their genetic correlations were quantified for 22 taxa. KEY RESULTS Species fell into discrete selfing and outcrossing groups based on floral traits. Loss of dichogamy defines Collinsia's selfing syndrome. Floral size, longevity and herkogamy also differ significantly between these groups. Most taxa have high AS rates (>80 %), but AS is uncorrelated with any measured trait. In contrast, s(m) is significantly correlated only with SR. High variance in s(m) was observed in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Collinsia species exhibit clear morphological and developmental traits diagnostic of 'selfing' or 'outcrossing' groups. However, many species in both the 'selfing' and the 'outcrossing' groups were MM, pointing to the critical influence of the pollination environment, the timing of AS and outcross pollen prepotency on s(m). Flower size is a poor predictor of Collinsia species' field selfing rates and this result may apply to many SC species. Assessment of the variation in the pollination environment, which can increase selfing rates in more 'outcrossing' species but can also decrease selfing rates in more 'selfing' species, is critical to understanding mating system evolution of SC MM taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Kalisz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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Li J, Koski MH, Ashman TL. Functional characterization of gynodioecy in Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata (Rosaceae). Ann Bot 2012; 109:545-52. [PMID: 22052984 PMCID: PMC3278295 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gynodioecy is a phylogenetically widespread and important sexual system where females coexist with hermaphrodites. Because dioecy can arise from gynodioecy, characterization of gynodioecy in close relatives of dioecious and sub-dioecious species can provide insight into this transition. Thus, we sought to determine whether Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata, a close relative to F. chiloensis and F. virginiana, exhibits the functional and population genetic hallmarks of a gynodioecious species. METHODS We compared reproductive allocation of females and hermaphrodites grown in the greenhouse and estimated genetic diversity (allelic diversity, heterozygosity) and inbreeding coefficients for field-collected adults of both sexes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We estimated mating system and early seed fitness from open-pollinated families of both sex morphs. KEY RESULTS Under greenhouse conditions, females and hermaphrodites allocated similarly to all reproductive traits except flower number, and, as a consequence, females produced 30 % fewer seeds per plant than hermaphrodites. Under natural conditions, hermaphrodites produce seeds by self-fertilization approx. 75 % of the time, and females produced outcrossed seeds with very little biparental inbreeding. Consistent with inbreeding depression, seeds from open-pollinated hermaphrodites were less likely to germinate than those from females, and family-level estimates of hermaphrodite selfing rates were negatively correlated with germination success and speed. Furthermore, estimates of inbreeding depression based on genetic markers and population genetic theory indicate that inbreeding depression in the field could be high. CONCLUSIONS The joint consideration of allocation and mating system suggests that compensation may be sufficient to maintain females given the current understanding of sex determination. Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata exhibited similar sex morph-dependent patterns of mating system and genetic diversity, but less reproductive trait dimorphism, than its sub-dioecious and dioecious congeners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junmin Li
- Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Linhai 317000, China
| | - Matthew H. Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3929, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3929, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The 'gynodioecy-dioecy pathway' is considered to be one of the most important evolutionary routes from hermaphroditism to separate sexes (dioecy). Despite a large accumulation of evidence for female seed fertility advantages in gynodioecious species (females and hermaphrodites coexist) in support of the first step in the gynodioecy-dioecy pathway, we still have very little evidence for the second step, i.e. the transition from gynodioecy to dioecy. SCOPE We review the literature to evaluate whether basic predictions by theory are supported. To establish whether females' seed fertility advantage and frequencies are sufficient to favour the invasion of males, we review these for species along the gynodioecy-dioecy pathway published in the last 5 years. We then review the empirical evidence for predictions deriving from the second step, i.e. hermaphrodites' male fertility increases with female frequency, selection favours greater male fertility in hermaphrodites in gynodioecious species, and, where males and hermaphrodites coexist with females (subdioecy), males have greater male fertility than hermaphrodites. We review how genetic control and certain ecological features (pollen limitation, selfing, plasticity in sex expression and antagonists) influence the trajectory of a population along the gynodioecy-dioecy pathway. CONCLUSIONS Females tend to have greater seed fertility advantages over hermaphrodites where the two coexist, and this advantage is positively correlated with female frequency across species, as predicted by theory. A limited number of studies in subdioecious species have demonstrated that males have an advantage over hermaphrodites, as also predicted by theory. However, less evidence exists for phenotypic selection to increase male traits of hermaphrodites or for increasing male function of hermaphrodites in populations with high female frequency. A few key case studies underline the importance of examining multiple components of male fertility and the roles of pollen limitation, selfing and plasticity, when evaluating advantages. We conclude that we do not yet have a full understanding of the transition from gynodioecy to dioecy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, 4249 Fifth Ave., University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3929, USA
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Chen H, Zhang Y, Li S, Lin M, Shi Y, Sang Q, Liu M, Zhang H, Lu D, Meng Z, Liu X, Lin H. Molecular cloning, characterization and expression profiles of three estrogen receptors in protogynous hermaphroditic orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 172:371-81. [PMID: 21473869 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2010] [Revised: 03/18/2011] [Accepted: 03/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen plays key roles in vertebrate reproductive system via estrogen receptors (ERs) as mediating pathways. In the present study, three full-length ERs cDNA sequences were isolated from a protogynous teleost, the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), and were 2235bp for gERα, 1967bp for gERβ1 and 2158bp for gERβ2, respectively. Phylogenetic and amino acid alignment analyses showed that each gER was clustered in the corresponding taxonomic groups of the perciformes and exhibited high evolutional conservation in functional domains. RT-PCR revealed that gERs expressed at different levels in all the obtained tissues. gERα highly expressed in mature ovaries, gERβ1 mainly expressed in immature ovaries and gERβ2 varied greatly during ovarian development. During female to male sex reversal induced by 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) implantation, gERα decreased gradually, gERβ1 increased gradually, and gERβ2 decreased firstly and recovered subsequently in male stage. The present study speculated the potential roles of gERs during female maturation and female to male sex reversal induced by MT in the protogynous grouper E. coioides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huapu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Narbona E, Ortiz PL, Arista M. Linking self-incompatibility, dichogamy, and flowering synchrony in two Euphorbia species: alternative mechanisms for avoiding self-fertilization? PLoS One 2011; 6:e20668. [PMID: 21674062 PMCID: PMC3107240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 05/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant species have several mechanisms to avoid selfing such as dichogamy or a self-incompatibility response. Dichogamy in a single flower may reduce autogamy but, to avoid geitonogamy, plants must show flowering synchronization among all their flowers (i.e. synchronous dichogamy). It is hypothesized that one species would not simultaneously show synchronous dichogamy and self-incompatibility because they are redundant mechanisms to reduce selfing; however, this has not been accurately assessed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This expectation was tested over two years in two natural populations of the closely related Mediterranean spurges Euphorbia boetica and E. nicaeensis, which completely avoid autogamy by protogyny at the cyathia level. Both spurges showed a high population synchrony (Z<79), and their inflorescences flower synchronously. In E. nicaeensis, there was no overlap among the cyathia in anthesis of successive inflorescence levels and the overlap between sexual phases of cyathia of the same inflorescence level was uncommon (4-16%). In contrast, E. boetica showed a high overlap among consecutive inflorescence levels (74-93%) and between sexual phases of cyathia of the same inflorescence level (48-80%). The flowering pattern of both spurges was consistent in the two populations and over the two successive years. A hand-pollination experiment demonstrated that E. nicaeensis was strictly self-compatible whereas E. boetica was partially self-incompatible. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We propose that the complex pattern of synchronized protogyny in E. nicaeensis prevents geitonogamous crosses and, consequently, avoids selfing and inbreeding depression. In E. boetica, a high probability of geitonogamous crosses may occur but, alternatively, this plant escapes selfing through a self-incompatibility response. We posit that synchronous dichogamy and physiological self-incompatibility do not co-occur in the same species because each process is sufficiently effective in avoiding self-fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain.
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Rhee JS, Kim RO, Chang HH, Lee J, Lee YM, Lee JS. Endocrine disrupting chemicals modulate expression of O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (O⁶-MGMT) gene in the hermaphroditic fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2011; 153:141-9. [PMID: 20965277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2010.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Revised: 10/06/2010] [Accepted: 10/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O⁶-MGMT; EC 2.1.1.63) is a key repair enzyme that helps to protect the cell against alkylation on DNA by removing a methyl group from the O⁶-position of guanine. Here, we cloned and sequenced the full-length O⁶-MGMT cDNA from the hermaphroditic fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Complete Km-O⁶-MGMT cDNA was 1324 bp in length, and the open reading frame of 567 bp encoded a polypeptide of 188 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Km-O⁶-MGMT was clustered with those of other fish species. Embryo, juveniles, and aged secondary fish had low levels of Km-O⁶-MGMT mRNA than adults, indicating more susceptibility to DNA damage by alkylating agent exposure during these developmental stages. Km-O⁶-MGMT mRNA levels differed according to tissue type and was highest in the liver. Exposure to an alkylating agent, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) exposure increased the mRNA expression of tumor suppressor gene such as p53 and oncogenes such as R-ras1, R-ras3, N-ras, c-fos as well as Km-O⁶-MGMT mRNA in a time-dependent manner. On the contrary, several (anti)estrogenic compounds (17β-estradiol 100 ng/L, tamoxifen 10 μg/L, bisphenol A 600 μg/L, and 4-tert-octylphenol 300 μg/L) suppressed mRNA expression of Km-O⁶-MGMT in most tissues, especially the liver. In juvenile fish, 17β-estradiol, bisphenol A, and 4-tert-octylphenol also decreased the expression of Km-O⁶-MGMT mRNA in a time-dependent manner. Overall, our finding shows that Km-O⁶-MGMT mRNA levels can be modulated by environmental estrogenic compounds as well as alkylating agents. This finding will be helpful to improve our knowledge of the effects of estrogenic compounds that contain the genotoxic ability to inhibit the DNA repair process in aquatic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Sung Rhee
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Bioscience, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, South Korea
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