Sample records for unique gene sequences

  1. Putative and unique gene sequence utilization for the design of species specific probes as modeled by Lactobacillus plantarum

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The concept of utilizing putative and unique gene sequences for the design of species specific probes was tested. The abundance profile of assigned functions within the Lactobacillus plantarum genome was used for the identification of the putative and unique gene sequence, csh. The targeted gene (cs...

  2. Unique core genomes of the bacterial family vibrionaceae: insights into niche adaptation and speciation.

    PubMed

    Kahlke, Tim; Goesmann, Alexander; Hjerde, Erik; Willassen, Nils Peder; Haugen, Peik

    2012-05-10

    The criteria for defining bacterial species and even the concept of bacterial species itself are under debate, and the discussion is apparently intensifying as more genome sequence data is becoming available. However, it is still unclear how the new advances in genomics should be used most efficiently to address this question. In this study we identify genes that are common to any group of genomes in our dataset, to determine whether genes specific to a particular taxon exist and to investigate their potential role in adaptation of bacteria to their specific niche. These genes were named unique core genes. Additionally, we investigate the existence and importance of unique core genes that are found in isolates of phylogenetically non-coherent groups. These groups of isolates, that share a genetic feature without sharing a closest common ancestor, are termed genophyletic groups. The bacterial family Vibrionaceae was used as the model, and we compiled and compared genome sequences of 64 different isolates. Using the software orthoMCL we determined clusters of homologous genes among the investigated genome sequences. We used multilocus sequence analysis to build a host phylogeny and mapped the numbers of unique core genes of all distinct groups of isolates onto the tree. The results show that unique core genes are more likely to be found in monophyletic groups of isolates. Genophyletic groups of isolates, in contrast, are less common especially for large groups of isolate. The subsequent annotation of unique core genes that are present in genophyletic groups indicate a high degree of horizontally transferred genes. Finally, the annotation of the unique core genes of Vibrio cholerae revealed genes involved in aerotaxis and biosynthesis of the iron-chelator vibriobactin. The presented work indicates that genes specific for any taxon inside the bacterial family Vibrionaceae exist. These unique core genes encode conserved metabolic functions that can shed light on the adaptation of a species to its ecological niche. Additionally, our study suggests that unique core genes can be used to aid classification of bacteria and contribute to a bacterial species definition on a genomic level. Furthermore, these genes may be of importance in clinical diagnostics and drug development.

  3. Quantitative statistical analysis of cis-regulatory sequences in ABA/VP1- and CBF/DREB1-regulated genes of Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Masaharu; Ketterling, Matthew G; McCarty, Donald R

    2005-09-01

    We have developed a simple quantitative computational approach for objective analysis of cis-regulatory sequences in promoters of coregulated genes. The program, designated MotifFinder, identifies oligo sequences that are overrepresented in promoters of coregulated genes. We used this approach to analyze promoter sequences of Viviparous1 (VP1)/abscisic acid (ABA)-regulated genes and cold-regulated genes, respectively, of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We detected significantly enriched sequences in up-regulated genes but not in down-regulated genes. This result suggests that gene activation but not repression is mediated by specific and common sequence elements in promoters. The enriched motifs include several known cis-regulatory sequences as well as previously unidentified motifs. With respect to known cis-elements, we dissected the flanking nucleotides of the core sequences of Sph element, ABA response elements (ABREs), and the C repeat/dehydration-responsive element. This analysis identified the motif variants that may correlate with qualitative and quantitative differences in gene expression. While both VP1 and cold responses are mediated in part by ABA signaling via ABREs, these responses correlate with unique ABRE variants distinguished by nucleotides flanking the ACGT core. ABRE and Sph motifs are tightly associated uniquely in the coregulated set of genes showing a strict dependence on VP1 and ABA signaling. Finally, analysis of distribution of the enriched sequences revealed a striking concentration of enriched motifs in a proximal 200-base region of VP1/ABA and cold-regulated promoters. Overall, each class of coregulated genes possesses a discrete set of the enriched motifs with unique distributions in their promoters that may account for the specificity of gene regulation.

  4. Transcriptomic sequencing reveals a set of unique genes activated by butyrate-induced histone modification

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Butyrate is a nutritional element with strong epigenetic regulatory activity as an inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs). Based on the analysis of differentially expressed genes induced by butyrate in the bovine epithelial cell using deep RNA-sequencing technology (RNA-seq), a set of unique gen...

  5. Cloning, analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from the Earthworm Eisenia fetida

    PubMed Central

    Pirooznia, Mehdi; Gong, Ping; Guan, Xin; Inouye, Laura S; Yang, Kuan; Perkins, Edward J; Deng, Youping

    2007-01-01

    Background Eisenia fetida, commonly known as red wiggler or compost worm, belongs to the Lumbricidae family of the Annelida phylum. Little is known about its genome sequence although it has been extensively used as a test organism in terrestrial ecotoxicology. In order to understand its gene expression response to environmental contaminants, we cloned 4032 cDNAs or expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from two E. fetida libraries enriched with genes responsive to ten ordnance related compounds using suppressive subtractive hybridization-PCR. Results A total of 3144 good quality ESTs (GenBank dbEST accession number EH669363–EH672369 and EL515444–EL515580) were obtained from the raw clone sequences after cleaning. Clustering analysis yielded 2231 unique sequences including 448 contigs (from 1361 ESTs) and 1783 singletons. Comparative genomic analysis showed that 743 or 33% of the unique sequences shared high similarity with existing genes in the GenBank nr database. Provisional function annotation assigned 830 Gene Ontology terms to 517 unique sequences based on their homology with the annotated genomes of four model organisms Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Caenorhabditis elegans. Seven percent of the unique sequences were further mapped to 99 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways based on their matching Enzyme Commission numbers. All the information is stored and retrievable at a highly performed, web-based and user-friendly relational database called EST model database or ESTMD version 2. Conclusion The ESTMD containing the sequence and annotation information of 4032 E. fetida ESTs is publicly accessible at . PMID:18047730

  6. Generation and Analysis of a Large-Scale Expressed Sequence Tag Database from a Full-Length Enriched cDNA Library of Developing Leaves of Gossypium hirsutum L

    PubMed Central

    Pang, Chaoyou; Fan, Shuli; Song, Meizhen; Yu, Shuxun

    2013-01-01

    Background Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the world’s most economically-important crops. However, its entire genome has not been sequenced, and limited resources are available in GenBank for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf development and senescence. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, 9,874 high-quality ESTs were generated from a normalized, full-length cDNA library derived from pooled RNA isolated from throughout leaf development during the plant blooming stage. After clustering and assembly of these ESTs, 5,191 unique sequences, representative 1,652 contigs and 3,539 singletons, were obtained. The average unique sequence length was 682 bp. Annotation of these unique sequences revealed that 84.4% showed significant homology to sequences in the NCBI non-redundant protein database, and 57.3% had significant hits to known proteins in the Swiss-Prot database. Comparative analysis indicated that our library added 2,400 ESTs and 991 unique sequences to those known for cotton. The unigenes were functionally characterized by gene ontology annotation. We identified 1,339 and 200 unigenes as potential leaf senescence-related genes and transcription factors, respectively. Moreover, nine genes related to leaf senescence and eleven MYB transcription factors were randomly selected for quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), which revealed that these genes were regulated differentially during senescence. The qRT-PCR for three GhYLSs revealed that these genes express express preferentially in senescent leaves. Conclusions/Significance These EST resources will provide valuable sequence information for gene expression profiling analyses and functional genomics studies to elucidate their roles, as well as for studying the mechanisms of leaf development and senescence in cotton and discovering candidate genes related to important agronomic traits of cotton. These data will also facilitate future whole-genome sequence assembly and annotation in G. hirsutum and comparative genomics among Gossypium species. PMID:24146870

  7. A cricket Gene Index: a genomic resource for studying neurobiology, speciation, and molecular evolution

    PubMed Central

    Danley, Patrick D; Mullen, Sean P; Liu, Fenglong; Nene, Vishvanath; Quackenbush, John; Shaw, Kerry L

    2007-01-01

    Background As the developmental costs of genomic tools decline, genomic approaches to non-model systems are becoming more feasible. Many of these systems may lack advanced genetic tools but are extremely valuable models in other biological fields. Here we report the development of expressed sequence tags (EST's) in an orthopteroid insect, a model for the study of neurobiology, speciation, and evolution. Results We report the sequencing of 14,502 EST's from clones derived from a nerve cord cDNA library, and the subsequent construction of a Gene Index from these sequences, from the Hawaiian trigonidiine cricket Laupala kohalensis. The Gene Index contains 8607 unique sequences comprised of 2575 tentative consensus (TC) sequences and 6032 singletons. For each of the unique sequences, an attempt was made to assign a provisional annotation and to categorize its function using a Gene Ontology-based classification through a sequence-based comparison to known proteins. In addition, a set of unique 70 base pair oligomers that can be used for DNA microarrays was developed. All Gene Index information is posted at the DFCI Gene Indices web page Conclusion Orthopterans are models used to understand the neurophysiological basis of complex motor patterns such as flight and stridulation. The sequences presented in the cricket Gene Index will provide neurophysiologists with many genetic tools that have been largely absent in this field. The cricket Gene Index is one of only two gene indices to be developed in an evolutionary model system. Species within the genus Laupala have speciated recently, rapidly, and extensively. Therefore, the genes identified in the cricket Gene Index can be used to study the genomics of speciation. Furthermore, this gene index represents a significant EST resources for basal insects. As such, this resource is a valuable comparative tool for the understanding of invertebrate molecular evolution. The sequences presented here will provide much needed genomic resources for three distinct but overlapping fields of inquiry: neurobiology, speciation, and molecular evolution. PMID:17459168

  8. Unique Trichomonas vaginalis gene sequences identified in multinational regions of Northwest China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jun; Feng, Meng; Wang, Xiaolan; Fu, Yongfeng; Ma, Cailing; Cheng, Xunjia

    2017-07-24

    Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) is a flagellated protozoan parasite that infects humans worldwide. This study determined the sequence of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene of T. vaginalis infecting both females and males in Xinjiang, China. Samples from 73 females and 28 males were collected and confirmed for infection with T. vaginalis, a total of 110 sequences were identified when the T. vaginalis 18S ribosomal RNA gene was sequenced. These sequences were used to prepare a phylogenetic network. The rooted network comprised three large clades and several independent branches. Most of the Xinjiang sequences were in one group. Preliminary results suggest that Xinjiang T. vaginalis isolates might be genetically unique, as indicated by the sequence of their 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Low migration rate of local people in this province may contribute to a genetic conservativeness of T. vaginalis. The unique genetic feature of our isolates may suggest a different clinical presentation of trichomoniasis, including metronidazole susceptibility, T. vaginalis virus or Mycoplasma co-infection characteristics. The transmission and evolution of Xinjiang T. vaginalis is of interest and should be studied further. More attention should be given to T. vaginalis infection in both females and males in Xinjiang.

  9. Transposon Variants and Their Effects on Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xi; Weigel, Detlef; Smith, Lisa M.

    2013-01-01

    Transposable elements (TEs) make up the majority of many plant genomes. Their transcription and transposition is controlled through siRNAs and epigenetic marks including DNA methylation. To dissect the interplay of siRNA–mediated regulation and TE evolution, and to examine how TE differences affect nearby gene expression, we investigated genome-wide differences in TEs, siRNAs, and gene expression among three Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Both TE sequence polymorphisms and presence of linked TEs are positively correlated with intraspecific variation in gene expression. The expression of genes within 2 kb of conserved TEs is more stable than that of genes next to variant TEs harboring sequence polymorphisms. Polymorphism levels of TEs and closely linked adjacent genes are positively correlated as well. We also investigated the distribution of 24-nt-long siRNAs, which mediate TE repression. TEs targeted by uniquely mapping siRNAs are on average farther from coding genes, apparently because they more strongly suppress expression of adjacent genes. Furthermore, siRNAs, and especially uniquely mapping siRNAs, are enriched in TE regions missing in other accessions. Thus, targeting by uniquely mapping siRNAs appears to promote sequence deletions in TEs. Overall, our work indicates that siRNA–targeting of TEs may influence removal of sequences from the genome and hence evolution of gene expression in plants. PMID:23408902

  10. Identification of a precursor genomic segment that provided a sequence unique to glycophorin B and E genes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Onda, M.; Kudo, S.; Fukuda, M.

    Human glycophorin A, B, and E (GPA, GPB, and GPE) genes belong to a gene family located at the long arm of chromosome 4. These three genes are homologous from the 5'-flanking sequence to the Alu sequence, which is 1 kb downstream from the exon encoding the transmembrane domain. Analysis of the Alu sequence and flanking direct repeat sequences suggested that the GPA gene most closely resembles the ancestral gene, whereas the GPB and GPE gene arose by homologous recombination within the Alu sequence, acquiring 3' sequences from an unrelated precursor genomic segment. Here the authors describe the identification ofmore » this putative precursor genomic segment. A human genomic library was screened by using the sequence of the 3' region of the GPB gene as a probe. The genomic clones isolated were found to contain an Alu sequence that appeared to be involved in the recombination. Downstream from the Alu sequence, the nucleotide sequence of the precursor genomic segment is almost identical to that of the GPB or GPE gene. In contrast, the upstream sequence of the genomic segment differs entirely from that of the GPA, GPB, and GPE genes. Conservation of the direct repeats flanking the Alu sequence of the genomic segment strongly suggests that the sequence of this genomic segment has been maintained during evolution. This identified genomic segment was found to reside downstream from the GPA gene by both gene mapping and in situ chromosomal localization. The precursor genomic segment was also identified in the orangutan genome, which is known to lack GPB and GPE genes. These results indicate that one of the duplicated ancestral glycophorin genes acquired a unique 3' sequence by unequal crossing-over through its Alu sequence and the further downstream Alu sequence present in the duplicated gene. Further duplication and divergence of this gene yielded the GPB and GPE genes. 37 refs., 5 figs.« less

  11. Comprehensive analysis of the T-cell receptor beta chain gene in rhesus monkey by high throughput sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Li, Zhoufang; Liu, Guangjie; Tong, Yin; Zhang, Meng; Xu, Ying; Qin, Li; Wang, Zhanhui; Chen, Xiaoping; He, Jiankui

    2015-01-01

    Profiling immune repertoires by high throughput sequencing enhances our understanding of immune system complexity and immune-related diseases in humans. Previously, cloning and Sanger sequencing identified limited numbers of T cell receptor (TCR) nucleotide sequences in rhesus monkeys, thus their full immune repertoire is unknown. We applied multiplex PCR and Illumina high throughput sequencing to study the TCRβ of rhesus monkeys. We identified 1.26 million TCRβ sequences corresponding to 643,570 unique TCRβ sequences and 270,557 unique complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) gene sequences. Precise measurements of CDR3 length distribution, CDR3 amino acid distribution, length distribution of N nucleotide of junctional region, and TCRV and TCRJ gene usage preferences were performed. A comprehensive profile of rhesus monkey immune repertoire might aid human infectious disease studies using rhesus monkeys. PMID:25961410

  12. The gene space in wheat: the complete γ-gliadin gene family from the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Olin D; Huo, Naxin; Gu, Yong Q

    2013-06-01

    The complete set of unique γ-gliadin genes is described for the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring using a combination of expressed sequence tag (EST) and Roche 454 DNA sequences. Assemblies of Chinese Spring ESTs yielded 11 different γ-gliadin gene sequences. Two of the sequences encode identical polypeptides and are assumed to be the result of a recent gene duplication. One gene has a 3' coding mutation that changes the reading frame in the final eight codons. A second assembly of Chinese Spring γ-gliadin sequences was generated using Roche 454 total genomic DNA sequences. The 454 assembly confirmed the same 11 active genes as the EST assembly plus two pseudogenes not represented by ESTs. These 13 γ-gliadin sequences represent the complete unique set of γ-gliadin genes for cv Chinese Spring, although not ruled out are additional genes that are exact duplications of these 13 genes. A comparison with the ESTs of two other hexaploid cultivars (Butte 86 and Recital) finds that the most active genes are present in all three cultivars, with exceptions likely due to too few ESTs for detection in Butte 86 and Recital. A comparison of the numbers of ESTs per gene indicates differential levels of expression within the γ-gliadin gene family. Genome assignments were made for 6 of the 13 Chinese Spring γ-gliadin genes, i.e., one assignment from a match to two γ-gliadin genes found within a tetraploid wheat A genome BAC and four genes that match four distinct γ-gliadin sequences assembled from Roche 454 sequences from Aegilops tauschii, the hexaploid wheat D-genome ancestor.

  13. The unique C- and N-terminal sequences of Metallothionein isoform 3 mediate growth inhibition and Vectorial active transport in MCF-7 cells.

    PubMed

    Voels, Brent; Wang, Liping; Sens, Donald A; Garrett, Scott H; Zhang, Ke; Somji, Seema

    2017-05-25

    The 3rd isoform of the metallothionein (MT3) gene family has been shown to be overexpressed in most ductal breast cancers. A previous study has shown that the stable transfection of MCF-7 cells with the MT3 gene inhibits cell growth. The goal of the present study was to determine the role of the unique C-terminal and N-terminal sequences of MT3 on phenotypic properties and gene expression profiles of MCF-7 cells. MCF-7 cells were transfected with various metallothionein gene constructs which contain the insertion or the removal of the unique MT3 C- and N-terminal domains. Global gene expression analysis was performed on the MCF-7 cells containing the various constructs and the expression of the unique C- and N- terminal domains of MT3 was correlated to phenotypic properties of the cells. The results of the present study demonstrate that the C-terminal sequence of MT3, in the absence of the N-terminal sequence, induces dome formation in MCF-7 cells, which in cell cultures is the phenotypic manifestation of a cell's ability to perform vectorial active transport. Global gene expression analysis demonstrated that the increased expression of the GAGE gene family correlated with dome formation. Expression of the C-terminal domain induced GAGE gene expression, whereas the N-terminal domain inhibited GAGE gene expression and that the effect of the N-terminal domain inhibition was dominant over the C-terminal domain of MT3. Transfection with the metallothionein 1E gene increased the expression of GAGE genes. In addition, both the C- and the N-terminal sequences of the MT3 gene had growth inhibitory properties, which correlated to an increased expression of the interferon alpha-inducible protein 6. Our study shows that the C-terminal domain of MT3 confers dome formation in MCF-7 cells and the presence of this domain induces expression of the GAGE family of genes. The differential effects of MT3 and metallothionein 1E on the expression of GAGE genes suggests unique roles of these genes in the development and progression of breast cancer. The finding that interferon alpha-inducible protein 6 expression is associated with the ability of MT3 to inhibit growth needs further investigation.

  14. Evidence for Interspecies Gene Transfer in the Evolution of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Degraders

    PubMed Central

    McGowan, Catherine; Fulthorpe, Roberta; Wright, Alice; Tiedje, J. M.

    1998-01-01

    Small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) from 20 phenotypically distinct strains of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-degrading bacteria was partially sequenced, yielding 18 unique strains belonging to members of the alpha, beta, and gamma subgroups of the class Proteobacteria. To understand the origin of 2,4-D degradation in this diverse collection, the first gene in the 2,4-D pathway, tfdA, was sequenced. The sequences fell into three unique classes found in various members of the beta and gamma subgroups of Proteobacteria. None of the α-Proteobacteria yielded tfdA PCR products. A comparison of the dendrogram of the tfdA genes with that of the SSU rDNA genes demonstrated incongruency in phylogenies, and hence 2,4-D degradation must have originated from gene transfer between species. Only those strains with tfdA sequences highly similar to the tfdA sequence of strain JMP134 (tfdA class I) transferred all the 2,4-D genes and conferred the 2,4-D degradation phenotype to a Burkholderia cepacia recipient. PMID:9758850

  15. Giraffe genome sequence reveals clues to its unique morphology and physiology

    PubMed Central

    Agaba, Morris; Ishengoma, Edson; Miller, Webb C.; McGrath, Barbara C.; Hudson, Chelsea N.; Bedoya Reina, Oscar C.; Ratan, Aakrosh; Burhans, Rico; Chikhi, Rayan; Medvedev, Paul; Praul, Craig A.; Wu-Cavener, Lan; Wood, Brendan; Robertson, Heather; Penfold, Linda; Cavener, Douglas R.

    2016-01-01

    The origins of giraffe's imposing stature and associated cardiovascular adaptations are unknown. Okapi, which lacks these unique features, is giraffe's closest relative and provides a useful comparison, to identify genetic variation underlying giraffe's long neck and cardiovascular system. The genomes of giraffe and okapi were sequenced, and through comparative analyses genes and pathways were identified that exhibit unique genetic changes and likely contribute to giraffe's unique features. Some of these genes are in the HOX, NOTCH and FGF signalling pathways, which regulate both skeletal and cardiovascular development, suggesting that giraffe's stature and cardiovascular adaptations evolved in parallel through changes in a small number of genes. Mitochondrial metabolism and volatile fatty acids transport genes are also evolutionarily diverged in giraffe and may be related to its unusual diet that includes toxic plants. Unexpectedly, substantial evolutionary changes have occurred in giraffe and okapi in double-strand break repair and centrosome functions. PMID:27187213

  16. Development of a PCR-based marker utilizing a deletion mutation in the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) gene responsible for the lack of anthocyanin production in yellow onions (Allium cepa).

    PubMed

    Kim, Sunggil; Yoo, Kil Sun; Pike, Leonard M

    2005-02-01

    Bulb color in onions (Allium cepa) is an important trait, but the mechanism of color inheritance is poorly understood at the molecular level. A previous study showed that inactivation of the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) gene at the transcriptional level resulted in a lack of anthocyanin production in yellow onions. The objectives of the present study were the identification of the critical mutations in the DFR gene (DFR-A) and the development of a PCR-based marker for allelic selection. We report the isolation of two additional DFR homologs (DFR-B and DFR-C). No unique sequences were identified in either DFR homolog, even in the untranslated region (UTR). Both genes shared more than 95% nucleotide sequence identity with the DFR-A gene. To obtain a unique sequence from each gene, we isolated the promoter regions. Sequences of the DFR-A and DFR-B promoters differed completely from one another, except for an approximately 100-bp sequence adjacent to the 5'UTR. It was possible to specifically amplify only the DFR-A gene using primers designed to anneal to the unique promoter region. The sequences of yellow and red DFR-A alleles were the same except for a single base-pair change in the promoter and an approximately 800-bp deletion within the 3' region of the yellow DFR-A allele. This deletion was used to develop a co-dominant PCR-based marker that segregated perfectly with color phenotypes in the F2 population. These results indicate that a deletion mutation in the yellow DFR-A gene results in the lack of anthocyanin production in yellow onions.

  17. Novel Insights into Tree Biology and Genome Evolution as Revealed Through Genomics.

    PubMed

    Neale, David B; Martínez-García, Pedro J; De La Torre, Amanda R; Montanari, Sara; Wei, Xiao-Xin

    2017-04-28

    Reference genome sequences are the key to the discovery of genes and gene families that determine traits of interest. Recent progress in sequencing technologies has enabled a rapid increase in genome sequencing of tree species, allowing the dissection of complex characters of economic importance, such as fruit and wood quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the number of reference genome sequences for trees lags behind those for other plant species, it is not too early to gain insight into the unique features that distinguish trees from nontree plants. Our review of the published data suggests that, although many gene families are conserved among herbaceous and tree species, some gene families, such as those involved in resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and in the synthesis and transport of sugars, are often expanded in tree genomes. As the genomes of more tree species are sequenced, comparative genomics will further elucidate the complexity of tree genomes and how this relates to traits unique to trees.

  18. Generation of a total of 6483 expressed sequence tags from 60 day-old bovine whole fetus and fetal placenta.

    PubMed

    Oishi, M; Gohma, H; Lejukole, H Y; Taniguchi, Y; Yamada, T; Suzuki, K; Shinkai, H; Uenishi, H; Yasue, H; Sasaki, Y

    2004-05-01

    Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated based on characterization of clones isolated randomly from cDNA libraries are used to study gene expression profiles in specific tissues and to provide useful information for characterizing tissue physiology. In this study, two directionally cloned cDNA libraries were constructed from 60 day-old bovine whole fetus and fetal placenta. We have characterized 5357 and 1126 clones, and then identified 3464 and 795 unique sequences for the fetus and placenta cDNA libraries: 1851 and 504 showed homology to already identified genes, and 1613 and 291 showed no significant matches to any of the sequences in DNA databases, respectively. Further, we found 94 unique sequences overlapping in both the fetus and the placenta, leading to a catalog of 4165 genes expressed in 60 day-old fetus and placenta. The catalog is used to examine expression profile of genes in 60 day-old bovine fetus and placenta.

  19. Analysis of the transcriptome of Panax notoginseng root uncovers putative triterpene saponin-biosynthetic genes and genetic markers

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Panax notoginseng (Burk) F.H. Chen is important medicinal plant of the Araliacease family. Triterpene saponins are the bioactive constituents in P. notoginseng. However, available genomic information regarding this plant is limited. Moreover, details of triterpene saponin biosynthesis in the Panax species are largely unknown. Results Using the 454 pyrosequencing technology, a one-quarter GS FLX titanium run resulted in 188,185 reads with an average length of 410 bases for P. notoginseng root. These reads were processed and assembled by 454 GS De Novo Assembler software into 30,852 unique sequences. A total of 70.2% of unique sequences were annotated by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) similarity searches against public sequence databases. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) assignment discovered 41 unique sequences representing 11 genes involved in triterpene saponin backbone biosynthesis in the 454-EST dataset. In particular, the transcript encoding dammarenediol synthase (DS), which is the first committed enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of major triterpene saponins, is highly expressed in the root of four-year-old P. notoginseng. It is worth emphasizing that the candidate cytochrome P450 (Pn02132 and Pn00158) and UDP-glycosyltransferase (Pn00082) gene most likely to be involved in hydroxylation or glycosylation of aglycones for triterpene saponin biosynthesis were discovered from 174 cytochrome P450s and 242 glycosyltransferases by phylogenetic analysis, respectively. Putative transcription factors were detected in 906 unique sequences, including Myb, homeobox, WRKY, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), and other family proteins. Additionally, a total of 2,772 simple sequence repeat (SSR) were identified from 2,361 unique sequences, of which, di-nucleotide motifs were the most abundant motif. Conclusion This study is the first to present a large-scale EST dataset for P. notoginseng root acquired by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The candidate genes involved in triterpene saponin biosynthesis, including the putative CYP450s and UGTs, were obtained in this study. Additionally, the identification of SSRs provided plenty of genetic makers for molecular breeding and genetics applications in this species. These data will provide information on gene discovery, transcriptional regulation and marker-assisted selection for P. notoginseng. The dataset establishes an important foundation for the study with the purpose of ensuring adequate drug resources for this species. PMID:22369100

  20. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Epipremnum aureum and its comparative analysis among eight Araceae species

    PubMed Central

    Han, Limin; Chen, Chen; Wang, Zhezhi

    2018-01-01

    Epipremnum aureum is an important foliage plant in the Araceae family. In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of E. aureum by using Illumina Hiseq sequencing platforms. This genome is a double-stranded circular DNA sequence of 164,831 bp that contains 35.8% GC. The two inverted repeats (IRa and IRb; 26,606 bp) are spaced by a small single-copy region (22,868 bp) and a large single-copy region (88,751 bp). The chloroplast genome has 131 (113 unique) functional genes, including 86 (79 unique) protein-coding genes, 37 (30 unique) tRNA genes, and eight (four unique) rRNA genes. Tandem repeats comprise the majority of the 43 long repetitive sequences. In addition, 111 simple sequence repeats are present, with mononucleotides being the most common type and di- and tetranucleotides being infrequent events. Positive selection pressure on rps12 in the E. aureum chloroplast has been demonstrated via synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates and selection pressure sites analyses. Ycf15 and infA are pseudogenes in this species. We constructed a Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree based on the complete chloroplast genomes of 38 species from 13 families. Those results strongly indicated that E. aureum is positioned as the sister of Colocasia esculenta within the Araceae family. This work may provide information for further study of the molecular phylogenetic relationships within Araceae, as well as molecular markers and breeding novel varieties by chloroplast genetic-transformation of E. aureum in particular. PMID:29529038

  1. Novel numerical and graphical representation of DNA sequences and proteins.

    PubMed

    Randić, M; Novic, M; Vikić-Topić, D; Plavsić, D

    2006-12-01

    We have introduced novel numerical and graphical representations of DNA, which offer a simple and unique characterization of DNA sequences. The numerical representation of a DNA sequence is given as a sequence of real numbers derived from a unique graphical representation of the standard genetic code. There is no loss of information on the primary structure of a DNA sequence associated with this numerical representation. The novel representations are illustrated with the coding sequences of the first exon of beta-globin gene of half a dozen species in addition to human. The method can be extended to proteins as is exemplified by humanin, a 24-aa peptide that has recently been identified as a specific inhibitor of neuronal cell death induced by familial Alzheimer's disease mutant genes.

  2. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chao; Yang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Honghai; Zhang, Jin; Chen, Lei; Sha, Weilai; Liu, Guangshuai

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the unique species in Chrysocyon, was sequenced and reported for the first time using blood samples obtained from a female individual in Shanghai Zoo, China. Sequence analysis showed that the genome structure was in accordance with other Canidae species and it contained 12 S rRNA gene, 16 S rRNA gene, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 1 control region.

  3. Unique Variants in OPN1LW Cause Both Syndromic and Nonsyndromic X-Linked High Myopia Mapped to MYP1.

    PubMed

    Li, Jiali; Gao, Bei; Guan, Liping; Xiao, Xueshan; Zhang, Jianguo; Li, Shiqiang; Jiang, Hui; Jia, Xiaoyun; Yang, Jianhua; Guo, Xiangming; Yin, Ye; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Qingjiong

    2015-06-01

    MYP1 is a locus for X-linked syndromic and nonsyndromic high myopia. Recently, unique haplotypes in OPN1LW were found to be responsible for X-linked syndromic high myopia mapped to MYP1. The current study is to test if such variants in OPN1LW are also responsible for X-linked nonsyndromic high myopia mapped to MYP1. The proband of the family previously mapped to MYP1 was initially analyzed using whole-exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing. Additional probands with early-onset high myopia were analyzed using whole-exome sequencing. Variants in OPN1LW were selected and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Long-range and second PCR were used to determine the haplotype and the first gene of the red-green gene array. Candidate variants were further validated in family members and controls. The unique LVAVA haplotype in OPN1LW was detected in the family with X-linked nonsyndromic high myopia mapped to MYP1. In addition, this haplotype and a novel frameshift mutation (c.617_620dup, p.Phe208Argfs*51) in OPN1LW were detected in two other families with X-linked high myopia. The unique haplotype cosegregated with high myopia in the two families, with a maximum LOD score of 3.34 and 2.31 at θ = 0. OPN1LW with the variants in these families was the first gene in the red-green gene array and was not present in 247 male controls. Reevaluation of the clinical data in both families with the unique haplotype suggested nonsyndromic high myopia. Our study confirms the findings that unique variants in OPN1LW are responsible for both syndromic and nonsyndromic X-linked high myopia mapped to MYP1.

  4. Genome sequence of an aflatoxigenic pathogen of Argentinian peanut, Aspergillus arachidicola

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In this study we sequenced the genome of the A. arachidicola Type strain (CBS 117610) and found its genome size to be 38.9 Mb, and its number of predicted genes to be 12,091, which are values comparable to those in other sequenced Aspergilli. Of its predicted genes, 691 were identified as unique to ...

  5. Recombination and Population Mosaic of a Multifunctional Viral Gene, Adeno-Associated Virus cap

    PubMed Central

    Takeuchi, Yasuhiro; Myers, Richard; Danos, Olivier

    2008-01-01

    Homologous recombination is a dominant force in evolution and results in genetic mosaics. To detect evidence of recombination events and assess the biological significance of genetic mosaics, genome sequences for various viral populations of reasonably large size are now available in the GenBank. We studied a multi-functional viral gene, the adeno-associated virus (AAV) cap gene, which codes for three capsid proteins, VP1, VP2 and VP3. VP1-3 share a common C-terminal domain corresponding to VP3, which forms the viral core structure, while the VP1 unique N-terminal part contains an enzymatic domain with phospholipase A2 activity. Our recombinant detection program (RecI) revealed five novel recombination events, four of which have their cross-over points in the N-terminal, VP1 and VP2 unique region. Comparison of phylogenetic trees for different cap gene regions confirmed discordant phylogenies for the recombinant sequences. Furthermore, differences in the phylogenetic tree structures for the VP1 unique (VP1u) region and the rest of cap highlighted the mosaic nature of cap gene in the AAV population: two dominant forms of VP1u sequences were identified and these forms are linked to diverse sequences in the rest of cap gene. This observation together with the finding of frequent recombination in the VP1 and 2 unique regions suggests that this region is a recombination hot spot. Recombination events in this region preserve protein blocks of distinctive functions and contribute to convergence in VP1u and divergence of the rest of cap. Additionally the possible biological significance of two dominant VP1u forms is inferred. PMID:18286191

  6. Genome sequencing and analysis of a type A Clostridium perfringens isolate from a case of bovine clostridial abomasitis.

    PubMed

    Nowell, Victoria J; Kropinski, Andrew M; Songer, J Glenn; MacInnes, Janet I; Parreira, Valeria R; Prescott, John F

    2012-01-01

    Clostridium perfringens is a common inhabitant of the avian and mammalian gastrointestinal tracts and can behave commensally or pathogenically. Some enteric diseases caused by type A C. perfringens, including bovine clostridial abomasitis, remain poorly understood. To investigate the potential basis of virulence in strains causing this disease, we sequenced the genome of a type A C. perfringens isolate (strain F262) from a case of bovine clostridial abomasitis. The ∼3.34 Mbp chromosome of C. perfringens F262 is predicted to contain 3163 protein-coding genes, 76 tRNA genes, and an integrated plasmid sequence, Cfrag (∼18 kb). In addition, sequences of two complete circular plasmids, pF262C (4.8 kb) and pF262D (9.1 kb), and two incomplete plasmid fragments, pF262A (48.5 kb) and pF262B (50.0 kb), were identified. Comparison of the chromosome sequence of C. perfringens F262 to complete C. perfringens chromosomes, plasmids and phages revealed 261 unique genes. No novel toxin genes related to previously described clostridial toxins were identified: 60% of the 261 unique genes were hypothetical proteins. There was a two base pair deletion in virS, a gene reported to encode the main sensor kinase involved in virulence gene activation. Despite this frameshift mutation, C. perfringens F262 expressed perfringolysin O, alpha-toxin and the beta2-toxin, suggesting that another regulation system might contribute to the pathogenicity of this strain. Two complete plasmids, pF262C (4.8 kb) and pF262D (9.1 kb), unique to this strain of C. perfringens were identified.

  7. Genome Sequencing and Analysis of a Type A Clostridium perfringens Isolate from a Case of Bovine Clostridial Abomasitis

    PubMed Central

    Nowell, Victoria J.; Kropinski, Andrew M.; Songer, J. Glenn; MacInnes, Janet I.; Parreira, Valeria R.; Prescott, John F.

    2012-01-01

    Clostridium perfringens is a common inhabitant of the avian and mammalian gastrointestinal tracts and can behave commensally or pathogenically. Some enteric diseases caused by type A C. perfringens, including bovine clostridial abomasitis, remain poorly understood. To investigate the potential basis of virulence in strains causing this disease, we sequenced the genome of a type A C. perfringens isolate (strain F262) from a case of bovine clostridial abomasitis. The ∼3.34 Mbp chromosome of C. perfringens F262 is predicted to contain 3163 protein-coding genes, 76 tRNA genes, and an integrated plasmid sequence, Cfrag (∼18 kb). In addition, sequences of two complete circular plasmids, pF262C (4.8 kb) and pF262D (9.1 kb), and two incomplete plasmid fragments, pF262A (48.5 kb) and pF262B (50.0 kb), were identified. Comparison of the chromosome sequence of C. perfringens F262 to complete C. perfringens chromosomes, plasmids and phages revealed 261 unique genes. No novel toxin genes related to previously described clostridial toxins were identified: 60% of the 261 unique genes were hypothetical proteins. There was a two base pair deletion in virS, a gene reported to encode the main sensor kinase involved in virulence gene activation. Despite this frameshift mutation, C. perfringens F262 expressed perfringolysin O, alpha-toxin and the beta2-toxin, suggesting that another regulation system might contribute to the pathogenicity of this strain. Two complete plasmids, pF262C (4.8 kb) and pF262D (9.1 kb), unique to this strain of C. perfringens were identified. PMID:22412860

  8. Differentially expressed genes of Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) challenged by chemical insecticides.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yi; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Qiu, Xuehong; Han, Richou

    2013-08-01

    Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) termites are harmful social insects to wood constructions. The current control methods heavily depend on the chemical insecticides with increasing resistance. Analysis of the differentially expressed genes mediated by chemical insecticides will contribute to the understanding of the termite resistance to chemicals and to the establishment of alternative control measures. In the present article, a full-length cDNA library was constructed from the termites induced by a mixture of commonly used insecticides (0.01% sulfluramid and 0.01% triflumuron) for 24 h, by using the RNA ligase-mediated Rapid Amplification cDNA End method. Fifty-eight differentially expressed clones were obtained by polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by dot-blot hybridization. Forty-six known sequences were obtained, which clustered into 33 unique sequences grouped in 6 contigs and 27 singlets. Sixty-seven percent (22) of the sequences had counterpart genes from other organisms, whereas 33% (11) were undescribed. A Gene Ontology analysis classified 33 unique sequences into different functional categories. In general, most of the differential expression genes were involved in binding and catalytic activity.

  9. Genomic sequence for the aflatoxigenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus nomius

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The genome of the A. nomius type strain was sequenced using a personal genome machine. Annotation of the genes was undertaken, followed by gene ontology and an investigation into the number of secondary metabolite clusters. Comparative studies with other Aspergillus species involved shared/unique ge...

  10. Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome.

    PubMed

    Benoit, Joshua B; Adelman, Zach N; Reinhardt, Klaus; Dolan, Amanda; Poelchau, Monica; Jennings, Emily C; Szuter, Elise M; Hagan, Richard W; Gujar, Hemant; Shukla, Jayendra Nath; Zhu, Fang; Mohan, M; Nelson, David R; Rosendale, Andrew J; Derst, Christian; Resnik, Valentina; Wernig, Sebastian; Menegazzi, Pamela; Wegener, Christian; Peschel, Nicolai; Hendershot, Jacob M; Blenau, Wolfgang; Predel, Reinhard; Johnston, Paul R; Ioannidis, Panagiotis; Waterhouse, Robert M; Nauen, Ralf; Schorn, Corinna; Ott, Mark-Christoph; Maiwald, Frank; Johnston, J Spencer; Gondhalekar, Ameya D; Scharf, Michael E; Peterson, Brittany F; Raje, Kapil R; Hottel, Benjamin A; Armisén, David; Crumière, Antonin Jean Johan; Refki, Peter Nagui; Santos, Maria Emilia; Sghaier, Essia; Viala, Sèverine; Khila, Abderrahman; Ahn, Seung-Joon; Childers, Christopher; Lee, Chien-Yueh; Lin, Han; Hughes, Daniel S T; Duncan, Elizabeth J; Murali, Shwetha C; Qu, Jiaxin; Dugan, Shannon; Lee, Sandra L; Chao, Hsu; Dinh, Huyen; Han, Yi; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Worley, Kim C; Muzny, Donna M; Wheeler, David; Panfilio, Kristen A; Vargas Jentzsch, Iris M; Vargo, Edward L; Booth, Warren; Friedrich, Markus; Weirauch, Matthew T; Anderson, Michelle A E; Jones, Jeffery W; Mittapalli, Omprakash; Zhao, Chaoyang; Zhou, Jing-Jiang; Evans, Jay D; Attardo, Geoffrey M; Robertson, Hugh M; Zdobnov, Evgeny M; Ribeiro, Jose M C; Gibbs, Richard A; Werren, John H; Palli, Subba R; Schal, Coby; Richards, Stephen

    2016-02-02

    The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades. This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C. lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to obligate hematophagy, host-symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, human-bed bug and symbiont-bed bug associations, and unique features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C. lectularius as a human ectoparasite.

  11. Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome

    PubMed Central

    Benoit, Joshua B.; Adelman, Zach N.; Reinhardt, Klaus; Dolan, Amanda; Poelchau, Monica; Jennings, Emily C.; Szuter, Elise M.; Hagan, Richard W.; Gujar, Hemant; Shukla, Jayendra Nath; Zhu, Fang; Mohan, M.; Nelson, David R.; Rosendale, Andrew J.; Derst, Christian; Resnik, Valentina; Wernig, Sebastian; Menegazzi, Pamela; Wegener, Christian; Peschel, Nicolai; Hendershot, Jacob M.; Blenau, Wolfgang; Predel, Reinhard; Johnston, Paul R.; Ioannidis, Panagiotis; Waterhouse, Robert M.; Nauen, Ralf; Schorn, Corinna; Ott, Mark-Christoph; Maiwald, Frank; Johnston, J. Spencer; Gondhalekar, Ameya D.; Scharf, Michael E.; Peterson, Brittany F.; Raje, Kapil R.; Hottel, Benjamin A.; Armisén, David; Crumière, Antonin Jean Johan; Refki, Peter Nagui; Santos, Maria Emilia; Sghaier, Essia; Viala, Sèverine; Khila, Abderrahman; Ahn, Seung-Joon; Childers, Christopher; Lee, Chien-Yueh; Lin, Han; Hughes, Daniel S. T.; Duncan, Elizabeth J.; Murali, Shwetha C.; Qu, Jiaxin; Dugan, Shannon; Lee, Sandra L.; Chao, Hsu; Dinh, Huyen; Han, Yi; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Worley, Kim C.; Muzny, Donna M.; Wheeler, David; Panfilio, Kristen A.; Vargas Jentzsch, Iris M.; Vargo, Edward L.; Booth, Warren; Friedrich, Markus; Weirauch, Matthew T.; Anderson, Michelle A. E.; Jones, Jeffery W.; Mittapalli, Omprakash; Zhao, Chaoyang; Zhou, Jing-Jiang; Evans, Jay D.; Attardo, Geoffrey M.; Robertson, Hugh M.; Zdobnov, Evgeny M.; Ribeiro, Jose M. C.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Werren, John H.; Palli, Subba R.; Schal, Coby; Richards, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades. This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C. lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to obligate hematophagy, host–symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, human–bed bug and symbiont–bed bug associations, and unique features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C. lectularius as a human ectoparasite. PMID:26836814

  12. Molecular characterization of Taenia multiceps isolates from Gansu Province, China by sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1.

    PubMed

    Li, Wen Hui; Jia, Wan Zhong; Qu, Zi Gang; Xie, Zhi Zhou; Luo, Jian Xun; Yin, Hong; Sun, Xiao Lin; Blaga, Radu; Fu, Bao Quan

    2013-04-01

    A total of 16 Taenia multiceps isolates collected from naturally infected sheep or goats in Gansu Province, China were characterized by sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The complete cox1 gene was amplified for individual T. multiceps isolates by PCR, ligated to pMD18T vector, and sequenced. Sequence analysis indicated that out of 16 T. multiceps isolates 10 unique cox1 gene sequences of 1,623 bp were obtained with sequence variation of 0.12-0.68%. The results showed that the cox1 gene sequences were highly conserved among the examined T. multiceps isolates. However, they were quite different from those of the other Taenia species. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete cox1 gene sequences revealed that T. multiceps isolates were composed of 3 genotypes and distinguished from the other Taenia species.

  13. Molecular Characterization of Taenia multiceps Isolates from Gansu Province, China by Sequencing of Mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 1

    PubMed Central

    Li, Wen Hui; Jia, Wan Zhong; Qu, Zi Gang; Xie, Zhi Zhou; Luo, Jian Xun; Yin, Hong; Sun, Xiao Lin; Blaga, Radu

    2013-01-01

    A total of 16 Taenia multiceps isolates collected from naturally infected sheep or goats in Gansu Province, China were characterized by sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The complete cox1 gene was amplified for individual T. multiceps isolates by PCR, ligated to pMD18T vector, and sequenced. Sequence analysis indicated that out of 16 T. multiceps isolates 10 unique cox1 gene sequences of 1,623 bp were obtained with sequence variation of 0.12-0.68%. The results showed that the cox1 gene sequences were highly conserved among the examined T. multiceps isolates. However, they were quite different from those of the other Taenia species. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete cox1 gene sequences revealed that T. multiceps isolates were composed of 3 genotypes and distinguished from the other Taenia species. PMID:23710087

  14. Recurrence of 49-base decamers, nonomers, and octamers within mouse C mu gene of Ig heavy chain and its primordial building block.

    PubMed Central

    Yazaki, A; Ohno, S

    1983-01-01

    Within the published 2,168-base-long mouse C mu gene of Ig heavy chain consisting of four coding and four noncoding segments, 2 base decamers, 8 nonomers, and 39 octamers recurred. Recurring base heptamers (about 100) and hexamers (about 350) were simply too numerous to merit individual identification. In spite of extensive overlaps between these recurring base decamers to hexamers, they occupied nearly the entire length of mouse Ig C mu gene. As with other genes of the beta-sheet-forming beta 2-microglobulin family, the Ig C mu gene (flanking and intervening noncoding sequences included) is not a unique sequence but rather it is degenerate repeats of the 45-base-long primordial building-block sequence uniquely its own. This primordial building block must originally have specified the 15-amino-acid-residue-long primordial arm of beta-sheet-forming loops, the characteristics of the beta 2-microglobulin family of polypeptides. PMID:6403948

  15. Generation and Analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags from Olea europaea L.

    PubMed Central

    Ozdemir Ozgenturk, Nehir; Oruç, Fatma; Sezerman, Ugur; Kuçukural, Alper; Vural Korkut, Senay; Toksoz, Feriha; Un, Cemal

    2010-01-01

    Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an important source of edible oil which was originated in Near-East region. In this study, two cDNA libraries were constructed from young olive leaves and immature olive fruits for generation of ESTs to discover the novel genes and search the function of unknown genes of olive. The randomly selected 3840 colonies were sequenced for EST collection from both libraries. Readable 2228 sequences for olive leaf and 1506 sequences for olive fruit were assembled into 205 and 69 contigs, respectively, whereas 2478 were singletons. Putative functions of all 2752 differentially expressed unique sequences were designated by gene homology based on BLAST and annotated using BLAST2GO. While 1339 ESTs show no homology to the database, 2024 ESTs have homology (under 80%) with hypothetical proteins, putative proteins, expressed proteins, and unknown proteins in NCBI-GenBank. 635 EST's unique genes sequence have been identified by over 80% homology to known function in other species which were not previously described in Olea family. Only 3.1% of total EST's was shown similarity with olive database existing in NCBI. This generated EST's data and consensus sequences were submitted to NCBI as valuable source for functional genome studies of olive. PMID:21197085

  16. De novo assembly, characterization and functional annotation of pineapple fruit transcriptome through massively parallel sequencing.

    PubMed

    Ong, Wen Dee; Voo, Lok-Yung Christopher; Kumar, Vijay Subbiah

    2012-01-01

    Pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus), is an important tropical non-climacteric fruit with high commercial potential. Understanding the mechanism and processes underlying fruit ripening would enable scientists to enhance the improvement of quality traits such as, flavor, texture, appearance and fruit sweetness. Although, the pineapple is an important fruit, there is insufficient transcriptomic or genomic information that is available in public databases. Application of high throughput transcriptome sequencing to profile the pineapple fruit transcripts is therefore needed. To facilitate this, we have performed transcriptome sequencing of ripe yellow pineapple fruit flesh using Illumina technology. About 4.7 millions Illumina paired-end reads were generated and assembled using the Velvet de novo assembler. The assembly produced 28,728 unique transcripts with a mean length of approximately 200 bp. Sequence similarity search against non-redundant NCBI database identified a total of 16,932 unique transcripts (58.93%) with significant hits. Out of these, 15,507 unique transcripts were assigned to gene ontology terms. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database identified 13,598 unique transcripts (47.33%) which were mapped to 126 pathways. The assembly revealed many transcripts that were previously unknown. The unique transcripts derived from this work have rapidly increased of the number of the pineapple fruit mRNA transcripts as it is now available in public databases. This information can be further utilized in gene expression, genomics and other functional genomics studies in pineapple.

  17. De Novo Assembly, Characterization and Functional Annotation of Pineapple Fruit Transcriptome through Massively Parallel Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Ong, Wen Dee; Voo, Lok-Yung Christopher; Kumar, Vijay Subbiah

    2012-01-01

    Background Pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus), is an important tropical non-climacteric fruit with high commercial potential. Understanding the mechanism and processes underlying fruit ripening would enable scientists to enhance the improvement of quality traits such as, flavor, texture, appearance and fruit sweetness. Although, the pineapple is an important fruit, there is insufficient transcriptomic or genomic information that is available in public databases. Application of high throughput transcriptome sequencing to profile the pineapple fruit transcripts is therefore needed. Methodology/Principal Findings To facilitate this, we have performed transcriptome sequencing of ripe yellow pineapple fruit flesh using Illumina technology. About 4.7 millions Illumina paired-end reads were generated and assembled using the Velvet de novo assembler. The assembly produced 28,728 unique transcripts with a mean length of approximately 200 bp. Sequence similarity search against non-redundant NCBI database identified a total of 16,932 unique transcripts (58.93%) with significant hits. Out of these, 15,507 unique transcripts were assigned to gene ontology terms. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database identified 13,598 unique transcripts (47.33%) which were mapped to 126 pathways. The assembly revealed many transcripts that were previously unknown. Conclusions The unique transcripts derived from this work have rapidly increased of the number of the pineapple fruit mRNA transcripts as it is now available in public databases. This information can be further utilized in gene expression, genomics and other functional genomics studies in pineapple. PMID:23091603

  18. A New Way to Introduce Microarray Technology in a Lecture/Laboratory Setting by Studying the Evolution of This Modern Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowland-Goldsmith, Melissa

    2009-01-01

    DNA microarray is an ordered grid containing known sequences of DNA, which represent many of the genes in a particular organism. Each DNA sequence is unique to a specific gene. This technology enables the researcher to screen many genes from cells or tissue grown in different conditions. We developed an undergraduate lecture and laboratory…

  19. Genetic Diversity of Bacterial Communities and Gene Transfer Agents in Northern South China Sea

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Fu-Lin; Wang, You-Shao; Wu, Mei-Lin; Jiang, Zhao-Yu; Sun, Cui-Ci; Cheng, Hao

    2014-01-01

    Pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) amplicons was performed to investigate the unique distribution of bacterial communities in northern South China Sea (nSCS) and evaluate community structure and spatial differences of bacterial diversity. Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes constitute the majority of bacteria. The taxonomic description of bacterial communities revealed that more Chroococcales, SAR11 clade, Acidimicrobiales, Rhodobacterales, and Flavobacteriales are present in the nSCS waters than other bacterial groups. Rhodobacterales were less abundant in tropical water (nSCS) than in temperate and cold waters. Furthermore, the diversity of Rhodobacterales based on the gene transfer agent (GTA) major capsid gene (g5) was investigated. Four g5 gene clone libraries were constructed from samples representing different regions and yielded diverse sequences. Fourteen g5 clusters could be identified among 197 nSCS clones. These clusters were also related to known g5 sequences derived from genome-sequenced Rhodobacterales. The composition of g5 sequences in surface water varied with the g5 sequences in the sampling sites; this result indicated that the Rhodobacterales population could be highly diverse in nSCS. Phylogenetic tree analysis result indicated distinguishable diversity patterns among tropical (nSCS), temperate, and cold waters, thereby supporting the niche adaptation of specific Rhodobacterales members in unique environments. PMID:25364820

  20. Sequence and analysis of chromosome 4 of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Mayer, K; Schüller, C; Wambutt, R; Murphy, G; Volckaert, G; Pohl, T; Düsterhöft, A; Stiekema, W; Entian, K D; Terryn, N; Harris, B; Ansorge, W; Brandt, P; Grivell, L; Rieger, M; Weichselgartner, M; de Simone, V; Obermaier, B; Mache, R; Müller, M; Kreis, M; Delseny, M; Puigdomenech, P; Watson, M; Schmidtheini, T; Reichert, B; Portatelle, D; Perez-Alonso, M; Boutry, M; Bancroft, I; Vos, P; Hoheisel, J; Zimmermann, W; Wedler, H; Ridley, P; Langham, S A; McCullagh, B; Bilham, L; Robben, J; Van der Schueren, J; Grymonprez, B; Chuang, Y J; Vandenbussche, F; Braeken, M; Weltjens, I; Voet, M; Bastiaens, I; Aert, R; Defoor, E; Weitzenegger, T; Bothe, G; Ramsperger, U; Hilbert, H; Braun, M; Holzer, E; Brandt, A; Peters, S; van Staveren, M; Dirske, W; Mooijman, P; Klein Lankhorst, R; Rose, M; Hauf, J; Kötter, P; Berneiser, S; Hempel, S; Feldpausch, M; Lamberth, S; Van den Daele, H; De Keyser, A; Buysshaert, C; Gielen, J; Villarroel, R; De Clercq, R; Van Montagu, M; Rogers, J; Cronin, A; Quail, M; Bray-Allen, S; Clark, L; Doggett, J; Hall, S; Kay, M; Lennard, N; McLay, K; Mayes, R; Pettett, A; Rajandream, M A; Lyne, M; Benes, V; Rechmann, S; Borkova, D; Blöcker, H; Scharfe, M; Grimm, M; Löhnert, T H; Dose, S; de Haan, M; Maarse, A; Schäfer, M; Müller-Auer, S; Gabel, C; Fuchs, M; Fartmann, B; Granderath, K; Dauner, D; Herzl, A; Neumann, S; Argiriou, A; Vitale, D; Liguori, R; Piravandi, E; Massenet, O; Quigley, F; Clabauld, G; Mündlein, A; Felber, R; Schnabl, S; Hiller, R; Schmidt, W; Lecharny, A; Aubourg, S; Chefdor, F; Cooke, R; Berger, C; Montfort, A; Casacuberta, E; Gibbons, T; Weber, N; Vandenbol, M; Bargues, M; Terol, J; Torres, A; Perez-Perez, A; Purnelle, B; Bent, E; Johnson, S; Tacon, D; Jesse, T; Heijnen, L; Schwarz, S; Scholler, P; Heber, S; Francs, P; Bielke, C; Frishman, D; Haase, D; Lemcke, K; Mewes, H W; Stocker, S; Zaccaria, P; Bevan, M; Wilson, R K; de la Bastide, M; Habermann, K; Parnell, L; Dedhia, N; Gnoj, L; Schutz, K; Huang, E; Spiegel, L; Sehkon, M; Murray, J; Sheet, P; Cordes, M; Abu-Threideh, J; Stoneking, T; Kalicki, J; Graves, T; Harmon, G; Edwards, J; Latreille, P; Courtney, L; Cloud, J; Abbott, A; Scott, K; Johnson, D; Minx, P; Bentley, D; Fulton, B; Miller, N; Greco, T; Kemp, K; Kramer, J; Fulton, L; Mardis, E; Dante, M; Pepin, K; Hillier, L; Nelson, J; Spieth, J; Ryan, E; Andrews, S; Geisel, C; Layman, D; Du, H; Ali, J; Berghoff, A; Jones, K; Drone, K; Cotton, M; Joshu, C; Antonoiu, B; Zidanic, M; Strong, C; Sun, H; Lamar, B; Yordan, C; Ma, P; Zhong, J; Preston, R; Vil, D; Shekher, M; Matero, A; Shah, R; Swaby, I K; O'Shaughnessy, A; Rodriguez, M; Hoffmann, J; Till, S; Granat, S; Shohdy, N; Hasegawa, A; Hameed, A; Lodhi, M; Johnson, A; Chen, E; Marra, M; Martienssen, R; McCombie, W R

    1999-12-16

    The higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is an important model for identifying plant genes and determining their function. To assist biological investigations and to define chromosome structure, a coordinated effort to sequence the Arabidopsis genome was initiated in late 1996. Here we report one of the first milestones of this project, the sequence of chromosome 4. Analysis of 17.38 megabases of unique sequence, representing about 17% of the genome, reveals 3,744 protein coding genes, 81 transfer RNAs and numerous repeat elements. Heterochromatic regions surrounding the putative centromere, which has not yet been completely sequenced, are characterized by an increased frequency of a variety of repeats, new repeats, reduced recombination, lowered gene density and lowered gene expression. Roughly 60% of the predicted protein-coding genes have been functionally characterized on the basis of their homology to known genes. Many genes encode predicted proteins that are homologous to human and Caenorhabditis elegans proteins.

  1. De Novo Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Important Molecular Networks and Metabolic Pathways of the Plant, Chlorophytum borivilianum

    PubMed Central

    Kalra, Shikha; Puniya, Bhanwar Lal; Kulshreshtha, Deepika; Kumar, Sunil; Kaur, Jagdeep; Ramachandran, Srinivasan; Singh, Kashmir

    2013-01-01

    Chlorophytum borivilianum, an endangered medicinal plant species is highly recognized for its aphrodisiac properties provided by saponins present in the plant. The transcriptome information of this species is limited and only few hundred expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are available in the public databases. To gain molecular insight of this plant, high throughput transcriptome sequencing of leaf RNA was carried out using Illumina's HiSeq 2000 sequencing platform. A total of 22,161,444 single end reads were retrieved after quality filtering. Available (e.g., De-Bruijn/Eulerian graph) and in-house developed bioinformatics tools were used for assembly and annotation of transcriptome. A total of 101,141 assembled transcripts were obtained, with coverage size of 22.42 Mb and average length of 221 bp. Guanine-cytosine (GC) content was found to be 44%. Bioinformatics analysis, using non-redundant proteins, gene ontology (GO), enzyme commission (EC) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases, extracted all the known enzymes involved in saponin and flavonoid biosynthesis. Few genes of the alkaloid biosynthesis, along with anticancer and plant defense genes, were also discovered. Additionally, several cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and glycosyltransferase unique sequences were also found. We identified simple sequence repeat motifs in transcripts with an abundance of di-nucleotide simple sequence repeat (SSR; 43.1%) markers. Large scale expression profiling through Reads per Kilobase per Million mapped reads (RPKM) showed major genes involved in different metabolic pathways of the plant. Genes, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and unique sequences from this study provide an important resource for the scientific community, interested in the molecular genetics and functional genomics of C. borivilianum. PMID:24376689

  2. De Novo transcriptome sequencing reveals important molecular networks and metabolic pathways of the plant, Chlorophytum borivilianum.

    PubMed

    Kalra, Shikha; Puniya, Bhanwar Lal; Kulshreshtha, Deepika; Kumar, Sunil; Kaur, Jagdeep; Ramachandran, Srinivasan; Singh, Kashmir

    2013-01-01

    Chlorophytum borivilianum, an endangered medicinal plant species is highly recognized for its aphrodisiac properties provided by saponins present in the plant. The transcriptome information of this species is limited and only few hundred expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are available in the public databases. To gain molecular insight of this plant, high throughput transcriptome sequencing of leaf RNA was carried out using Illumina's HiSeq 2000 sequencing platform. A total of 22,161,444 single end reads were retrieved after quality filtering. Available (e.g., De-Bruijn/Eulerian graph) and in-house developed bioinformatics tools were used for assembly and annotation of transcriptome. A total of 101,141 assembled transcripts were obtained, with coverage size of 22.42 Mb and average length of 221 bp. Guanine-cytosine (GC) content was found to be 44%. Bioinformatics analysis, using non-redundant proteins, gene ontology (GO), enzyme commission (EC) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases, extracted all the known enzymes involved in saponin and flavonoid biosynthesis. Few genes of the alkaloid biosynthesis, along with anticancer and plant defense genes, were also discovered. Additionally, several cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and glycosyltransferase unique sequences were also found. We identified simple sequence repeat motifs in transcripts with an abundance of di-nucleotide simple sequence repeat (SSR; 43.1%) markers. Large scale expression profiling through Reads per Kilobase per Million mapped reads (RPKM) showed major genes involved in different metabolic pathways of the plant. Genes, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and unique sequences from this study provide an important resource for the scientific community, interested in the molecular genetics and functional genomics of C. borivilianum.

  3. Onco-Regulon: an integrated database and software suite for site specific targeting of transcription factors of cancer genes

    PubMed Central

    Tomar, Navneet; Mishra, Akhilesh; Mrinal, Nirotpal; Jayaram, B.

    2016-01-01

    Transcription factors (TFs) bind at multiple sites in the genome and regulate expression of many genes. Regulating TF binding in a gene specific manner remains a formidable challenge in drug discovery because the same binding motif may be present at multiple locations in the genome. Here, we present Onco-Regulon (http://www.scfbio-iitd.res.in/software/onco/NavSite/index.htm), an integrated database of regulatory motifs of cancer genes clubbed with Unique Sequence-Predictor (USP) a software suite that identifies unique sequences for each of these regulatory DNA motifs at the specified position in the genome. USP works by extending a given DNA motif, in 5′→3′, 3′ →5′ or both directions by adding one nucleotide at each step, and calculates the frequency of each extended motif in the genome by Frequency Counter programme. This step is iterated till the frequency of the extended motif becomes unity in the genome. Thus, for each given motif, we get three possible unique sequences. Closest Sequence Finder program predicts off-target drug binding in the genome. Inclusion of DNA-Protein structural information further makes Onco-Regulon a highly informative repository for gene specific drug development. We believe that Onco-Regulon will help researchers to design drugs which will bind to an exclusive site in the genome with no off-target effects, theoretically. Database URL: http://www.scfbio-iitd.res.in/software/onco/NavSite/index.htm PMID:27515825

  4. Emergence and Evolution of Hominidae-Specific Coding and Noncoding Genomic Sequences

    PubMed Central

    Saber, Morteza Mahmoudi; Adeyemi Babarinde, Isaac; Hettiarachchi, Nilmini; Saitou, Naruya

    2016-01-01

    Family Hominidae, which includes humans and great apes, is recognized for unique complex social behavior and intellectual abilities. Despite the increasing genome data, however, the genomic origin of its phenotypic uniqueness has remained elusive. Clade-specific genes and highly conserved noncoding sequences (HCNSs) are among the high-potential evolutionary candidates involved in driving clade-specific characters and phenotypes. On this premise, we analyzed whole genome sequences along with gene orthology data retrieved from major DNA databases to find Hominidae-specific (HS) genes and HCNSs. We discovered that Down syndrome critical region 4 (DSCR4) is the only experimentally verified gene uniquely present in Hominidae. DSCR4 has no structural homology to any known protein and was inferred to have emerged in several steps through LTR/ERV1, LTR/ERVL retrotransposition, and transversion. Using the genomic distance as neutral evolution threshold, we identified 1,658 HS HCNSs. Polymorphism coverage and derived allele frequency analysis of HS HCNSs showed that these HCNSs are under purifying selection, indicating that they may harbor important functions. They are overrepresented in promoters/untranslated regions, in close proximity of genes involved in sensory perception of sound and developmental process, and also showed a significantly lower nucleosome occupancy probability. Interestingly, many ancestral sequences of the HS HCNSs showed very high evolutionary rates. This suggests that new functions emerged through some kind of positive selection, and then purifying selection started to operate to keep these functions. PMID:27289096

  5. Transcriptome analysis of Bupleurum chinense focusing on genes involved in the biosynthesis of saikosaponins

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background Bupleurum chinense DC. is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Saikosaponins are the major bioactive constituents of B. chinense, but relatively little is known about saikosaponin biosynthesis. The 454 pyrosequencing technology provides a promising opportunity for finding novel genes that participate in plant metabolism. Consequently, this technology may help to identify the candidate genes involved in the saikosaponin biosynthetic pathway. Results One-quarter of the 454 pyrosequencing runs produced a total of 195, 088 high-quality reads, with an average read length of 356 bases (NCBI SRA accession SRA039388). A de novo assembly generated 24, 037 unique sequences (22, 748 contigs and 1, 289 singletons), 12, 649 (52.6%) of which were annotated against three public protein databases using a basic local alignment search tool (E-value ≤1e-10). All unique sequences were compared with NCBI expressed sequence tags (ESTs) (237) and encoding sequences (44) from the Bupleurum genus, and with a Sanger-sequenced EST dataset (3, 111). The 23, 173 (96.4%) unique sequences obtained in the present study represent novel Bupleurum genes. The ESTs of genes related to saikosaponin biosynthesis were found to encode known enzymes that catalyze the formation of the saikosaponin backbone; 246 cytochrome P450 (P450s) and 102 glycosyltransferases (GTs) unique sequences were also found in the 454 dataset. Full length cDNAs of 7 P450s and 7 uridine diphosphate GTs (UGTs) were verified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction or by cloning using 5' and/or 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Two P450s and three UGTs were identified as the most likely candidates involved in saikosaponin biosynthesis. This finding was based on the coordinate up-regulation of their expression with β-AS in methyl jasmonate-treated adventitious roots and on their similar expression patterns with β-AS in various B. chinense tissues. Conclusions A collection of high-quality ESTs for B. chinense obtained by 454 pyrosequencing is provided here for the first time. These data should aid further research on the functional genomics of B. chinense and other Bupleurum species. The candidate genes for enzymes involved in saikosaponin biosynthesis, especially the P450s and UGTs, that were revealed provide a substantial foundation for follow-up research on the metabolism and regulation of the saikosaponins. PMID:22047182

  6. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) in normal human trabecular meshwork.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yutao; Munro, Drew; Layfield, David; Dellinger, Andrew; Walter, Jeffrey; Peterson, Katherine; Rickman, Catherine Bowes; Allingham, R Rand; Hauser, Michael A

    2011-04-08

    To identify the genes expressed in normal human trabecular meshwork tissue, a tissue critical to the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Total RNA was extracted from human trabecular meshwork (HTM) harvested from 3 different donors. Extracted RNA was used to synthesize individual SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) libraries using the I-SAGE Long kit from Invitrogen. Libraries were analyzed using SAGE 2000 software to extract the 17 base pair sequence tags. The extracted sequence tags were mapped to the genome using SAGE Genie map. A total of 298,834 SAGE tags were identified from all HTM libraries (96,842, 88,126, and 113,866 tags, respectively). Collectively, there were 107,325 unique tags. There were 10,329 unique tags with a minimum of 2 counts from a single library. These tags were mapped to known unique Unigene clusters. Approximately 29% of the tags (orphan tags) did not map to a known Unigene cluster. Thirteen percent of the tags mapped to at least 2 Unigene clusters. Sequence tags from many glaucoma-related genes, including myocilin, optineurin, and WD repeat domain 36, were identified. This is the first time SAGE analysis has been used to characterize the gene expression profile in normal HTM. SAGE analysis provides an unbiased sampling of gene expression of the target tissue. These data will provide new and valuable information to improve understanding of the biology of human aqueous outflow.

  7. Unique Features of the Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Megagenome Revealed Through Sequence Annotation

    PubMed Central

    Wegrzyn, Jill L.; Liechty, John D.; Stevens, Kristian A.; Wu, Le-Shin; Loopstra, Carol A.; Vasquez-Gross, Hans A.; Dougherty, William M.; Lin, Brian Y.; Zieve, Jacob J.; Martínez-García, Pedro J.; Holt, Carson; Yandell, Mark; Zimin, Aleksey V.; Yorke, James A.; Crepeau, Marc W.; Puiu, Daniela; Salzberg, Steven L.; de Jong, Pieter J.; Mockaitis, Keithanne; Main, Doreen; Langley, Charles H.; Neale, David B.

    2014-01-01

    The largest genus in the conifer family Pinaceae is Pinus, with over 100 species. The size and complexity of their genomes (∼20–40 Gb, 2n = 24) have delayed the arrival of a well-annotated reference sequence. In this study, we present the annotation of the first whole-genome shotgun assembly of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), which comprises 20.1 Gb of sequence. The MAKER-P annotation pipeline combined evidence-based alignments and ab initio predictions to generate 50,172 gene models, of which 15,653 are classified as high confidence. Clustering these gene models with 13 other plant species resulted in 20,646 gene families, of which 1554 are predicted to be unique to conifers. Among the conifer gene families, 159 are composed exclusively of loblolly pine members. The gene models for loblolly pine have the highest median and mean intron lengths of 24 fully sequenced plant genomes. Conifer genomes are full of repetitive DNA, with the most significant contributions from long-terminal-repeat retrotransposons. In depth analysis of the tandem and interspersed repetitive content yielded a combined estimate of 82%. PMID:24653211

  8. Identification of Entamoeba polecki with Unique 18S rRNA Gene Sequences from Celebes Crested Macaques and Pigs in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Tuda, Josef; Feng, Meng; Imada, Mihoko; Kobayashi, Seiki; Cheng, Xunjia; Tachibana, Hiroshi

    2016-09-01

    Unique species of macaques are distributed across Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, and the details of Entamoeba infections in these macaques are unknown. A total of 77 stool samples from Celebes crested macaques (Macaca nigra) and 14 stool samples from pigs were collected in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, and the prevalence of Entamoeba infection was examined by PCR. Entamoeba polecki was detected in 97% of the macaques and all of the pigs, but no other Entamoeba species were found. The nucleotide sequence of the 18S rRNA gene in E. polecki from M. nigra was unique and showed highest similarity with E. polecki subtype (ST) 4. This is the first case of identification of E. polecki ST4 from wild nonhuman primates. The sequence of the 18S rRNA gene in E. polecki from pigs was also unique and showed highest similarity with E. polecki ST1. These results suggest that the diversity of the 18S rRNA gene in E. polecki is associated with differences in host species and geographic localization, and that there has been no transmission of E. polecki between macaques and pigs in the study area. © 2016 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2016 International Society of Protistologists.

  9. Myelin protein zero gene sequencing diagnoses Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1B disease

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Su, Y.; Zhang, H.; Madrid, R.

    1994-09-01

    Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), the most common genetic neuropathy, affects about 1 in 2600 people in Norway and is found worldwide. CMT Type 1 (CMT1) has slow nerve conduction with demyelinated Schwann cells. Autosomal dominant CMT Type 1B (CMT1B) results from mutations in the myelin protein zero gene which directs the synthesis of more than half of all Schwann cell protein. This gene was mapped to the chromosome 1q22-1q23.1 borderline by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The first 7 of 7 reported CMT1B mutations are unique. Thus the most effective means to identify CMT1B mutations in at-risk family members and fetuses ismore » to sequence the entire coding sequence in dominant or sporadic CMT patients without the CMT1A duplication. Of the 19 primers used in 16 pars to uniquely amplify the entire MPZ coding sequence, 6 primer pairs were used to amplify and sequence the 6 exons. The DyeDeoxy Terminator cycle sequencing method used with four different color fluorescent lables was superior to manual sequencing because it sequences more bases unambiguously from extracted genomic DNA samples within 24 hours. This protocol was used to test 28 CMT and Dejerine-Sottas patients without CMT1A gene duplication. Sequencing MPZ gene-specific amplified fragments identified 9 polymorphic sites within the 6 exons that encode the 248 amino acid MPZ protein. The large number of major CMT1B mutations identified by single strand sequencing are being verified by reverse strand sequencing and when possible, by restriction enzyme analysis. This protocol can be used to distringuish CMT1B patients from othre CMT phenotypes and to determine the CMT1B status of relatives both presymptomatically and prenatally.« less

  10. Transcriptomic analysis of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) to discover genes involved in saponin biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Hwan-Su; Lee, Hyoshin; Choi, Yong Eui

    2015-03-14

    Eleutherococcus senticosus, Siberian ginseng, is a highly valued woody medicinal plant belonging to the family Araliaceae. E. senticosus produces a rich variety of saponins such as oleanane-type, noroleanane-type, 29-hydroxyoleanan-type, and lupane-type saponins. Genomic or transcriptomic approaches have not been used to investigate the saponin biosynthetic pathway in this plant. In this study, de novo sequencing was performed to select candidate genes involved in the saponin biosynthetic pathway. A half-plate 454 pyrosequencing run produced 627,923 high-quality reads with an average sequence length of 422 bases. De novo assembly generated 72,811 unique sequences, including 15,217 contigs and 57,594 singletons. Approximately 48,300 (66.3%) unique sequences were annotated using BLAST similarity searches. All of the mevalonate pathway genes for saponin biosynthesis starting from acetyl-CoA were isolated. Moreover, 206 reads of cytochrome P450 (CYP) and 145 reads of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (UGT) sequences were isolated. Based on methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment and real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis, 3 CYPs and 3 UGTs were finally selected as candidate genes involved in the saponin biosynthetic pathway. The identified sequences associated with saponin biosynthesis will facilitate the study of the functional genomics of saponin biosynthesis and genetic engineering of E. senticosus.

  11. The mitochondrial genome sequence of Enterobius vermicularis (Nematoda: Oxyurida)--an idiosyncratic gene order and phylogenetic information for chromadorean nematodes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Seokha; Sultana, Tahera; Eom, Keeseon S; Park, Yung Chul; Soonthornpong, Nathan; Nadler, Steven A; Park, Joong-Ki

    2009-01-15

    The complete mitochondrial genome sequence was determined for the human pinworm Enterobius vermicularis (Oxyurida: Nematoda) and used to infer its phylogenetic relationship to other major groups of chromadorean nematodes. The E. vermicularis genome is a 14,010-bp circular DNA molecule that encodes 36 genes (12 proteins, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs). This mtDNA genome lacks atp8, as reported for almost all other nematode species investigated. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, neighbor joining, and Bayesian inference) of nucleotide sequences for the 12 protein-coding genes of 25 nematode species placed E. vermicularis, a representative of the order Oxyurida, as sister to the main Ascaridida+Rhabditida group. Tree topology comparisons using statistical tests rejected an alternative hypothesis favoring a closer relationship among Ascaridida, Spirurida, and Oxyurida, which has been supported from most studies based on nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences. Unlike the relatively conserved gene arrangement found for most chromadorean taxa, E. vermicularis mtDNA gene order is very unique, not sharing similarity to any other nematode species reported to date. This lack of gene order similarity may represent idiosyncratic gene rearrangements unique to this specific lineage of the oxyurids. To more fully understand the extent of gene rearrangement and its evolutionary significance within the nematode phylogenetic framework, additional mitochondrial genomes representing a greater evolutionary diversity of species must be characterized.

  12. The Complete Plastome Sequence of an Antarctic Bryophyte Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske

    PubMed Central

    Park, Mira; Park, Hyun; Lee, Hyoungseok; Lee, Byeong-ha

    2018-01-01

    Organellar genomes of bryophytes are poorly represented with chloroplast genomes of only four mosses, four liverworts and two hornworts having been sequenced and annotated. Moreover, while Antarctic vegetation is dominated by the bryophytes, there are few reports on the plastid genomes for the Antarctic bryophytes. Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske is one of the most dominant moss species in the maritime Antarctic. It has been researched as an important marker for ecological studies and as an extremophile plant for studies on stress tolerance. Here, we report the complete plastome sequence of S. uncinata, which can be exploited in comparative studies to identify the lineage-specific divergence across different species. The complete plastome of S. uncinata is 124,374 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure of 114 unique genes including 82 unique protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. However, two genes encoding the α subunit of RNA polymerase (rpoA) and encoding the cytochrome b6/f complex subunit VIII (petN) were absent. We could identify nuclear genes homologous to those genes, which suggests that rpoA and petN might have been relocated from the chloroplast genome to the nuclear genome. PMID:29494552

  13. Generation and analysis of expressed sequence tags from a cDNA library of the fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Little genomic or trancriptomic information on Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) is known. This study aims to discover the transcripts involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and developmental regulation of G. lucidum using an expressed sequence tag (EST) library. Methods A cDNA library was constructed from the G. lucidum fruiting body. Its high-quality ESTs were assembled into unique sequences with contigs and singletons. The unique sequences were annotated according to sequence similarities to genes or proteins available in public databases. The detection of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) was preformed by online analysis. Results A total of 1,023 clones were randomly selected from the G. lucidum library and sequenced, yielding 879 high-quality ESTs. These ESTs showed similarities to a diverse range of genes. The sequences encoding squalene epoxidase (SE) and farnesyl-diphosphate synthase (FPS) were identified in this EST collection. Several candidate genes, such as hydrophobin, MOB2, profilin and PHO84 were detected for the first time in G. lucidum. Thirteen (13) potential SSR-motif microsatellite loci were also identified. Conclusion The present study demonstrates a successful application of EST analysis in the discovery of transcripts involved in the secondary metabolite biosynthesis and the developmental regulation of G. lucidum. PMID:20230644

  14. Molecular identification and characterization of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) in a urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter sp. (UPTC).

    PubMed

    Tasaki, E; Hirayama, J; Tazumi, A; Hayashi, K; Hara, Y; Ueno, H; Moore, J E; Millar, B C; Matsuda, M

    2012-02-01

    Novel clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) locus [7,500 base pairs (bp) in length] occurred in the urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC) Japanese isolate, CF89-12. The 7,500 bp gene loci consisted of the 5'-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate methyltransferase gene, putative (P) CRISPR associated (p-Cas), putative open reading frames, Cas1 and Cas2, leader sequence region (146 bp), 12 CRISPRs consensus sequence repeats (each 36 bp) separated by a non-repetitive unique spacer region of similar length (26-31 bp) and the phosphatidyl glycerophosphatase A gene. When the CRISPRs loci in the UPTC CF89-12 and five C. jejuni isolates were compared with one another, these six isolates contained p-Cas, Cas1 and Cas2 within the loci. Four to 12 CRISPRs consensus sequence repeats separated by a non-repetitive unique spacer region occurred in six isolates and the nucleotide sequences of those repeats gave approximately 92-100% similarity with each other. However, no sequence similarity occurred in the unique spacer regions among these isolates. The putative σ(70) transcriptional promoter and the hypothetical ρ-independent terminator structures for the CRISPRs and Cas were detected. No in vivo transcription of p-Cas, Cas1 and Cas2 was confirmed in the UPTC cells.

  15. The Unique hmuY Gene Sequence as a Specific Marker of Porphyromonas gingivalis

    PubMed Central

    Mackiewicz, Paweł; Radwan-Oczko, Małgorzata; Kantorowicz, Małgorzata; Chomyszyn-Gajewska, Maria; Frąszczak, Magdalena; Bielecki, Marcin; Olczak, Mariusz; Olczak, Teresa

    2013-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major etiological agent of chronic periodontitis, acquires heme from host hemoproteins using the HmuY hemophore. The aim of this study was to develop a specific P. gingivalis marker based on a hmuY gene sequence. Subgingival samples were collected from 66 patients with chronic periodontitis and 40 healthy subjects and the entire hmuY gene was analyzed in positive samples. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that both the amino acid sequence of the HmuY protein and the nucleotide sequence of the hmuY gene are unique among P. gingivalis strains/isolates and show low identity to sequences found in other species (below 50 and 56%, respectively). In agreement with these findings, a set of hmuY gene-based primers and standard/real-time PCR with SYBR Green chemistry allowed us to specifically detect P. gingivalis in patients with chronic periodontitis (77.3%) and healthy subjects (20%), the latter possessing lower number of P. gingivalis cells and total bacterial cells. Isolates from healthy subjects possess the hmuY gene-based nucleotide sequence pattern occurring in W83/W50/A7436 (n = 4), 381/ATCC 33277 (n = 3) or TDC60 (n = 1) strains, whereas those from patients typically have TDC60 (n = 21), W83/W50/A7436 (n = 17) and 381/ATCC 33277 (n = 13) strains. We observed a significant correlation between periodontal index of risk of infectiousness (PIRI) and the presence/absence of P. gingivalis (regardless of the hmuY gene-based sequence pattern of the isolate identified [r = 0.43; P = 0.0002] and considering particular isolate pattern [r = 0.38; P = 0.0012]). In conclusion, we demonstrated that the hmuY gene sequence or its fragments may be used as one of the molecular markers of P. gingivalis. PMID:23844074

  16. A Novel Paramyxovirus?

    PubMed Central

    García-Sastre, Adolfo; Palese, Peter

    2005-01-01

    In public databases, we identified sequences reported as human genes expressed in kidney mesangial cells. The similarity of these genes to paramyxovirus matrix, fusion, and phosphoprotein genes suggests that they are derived from a novel paramyxovirus. These genes are sufficiently unique to suggest the existence of a novel paramyxovirus genus. PMID:15705331

  17. Transcriptome profile and unique genetic evolution of positively selected genes in yak lungs.

    PubMed

    Lan, DaoLiang; Xiong, XianRong; Ji, WenHui; Li, Jian; Mipam, Tserang-Donko; Ai, Yi; Chai, ZhiXin

    2018-04-01

    The yak (Bos grunniens), which is a unique bovine breed that is distributed mainly in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is considered a good model for studying plateau adaptability in mammals. The lungs are important functional organs that enable animals to adapt to their external environment. However, the genetic mechanism underlying the adaptability of yak lungs to harsh plateau environments remains unknown. To explore the unique evolutionary process and genetic mechanism of yak adaptation to plateau environments, we performed transcriptome sequencing of yak and cattle (Bos taurus) lungs using RNA-Seq technology and a subsequent comparison analysis to identify the positively selected genes in the yak. After deep sequencing, a normal transcriptome profile of yak lung that containing a total of 16,815 expressed genes was obtained, and the characteristics of yak lungs transcriptome was described by functional analysis. Furthermore, Ka/Ks comparison statistics result showed that 39 strong positively selected genes are identified from yak lungs. Further GO and KEGG analysis was conducted for the functional annotation of these genes. The results of this study provide valuable data for further explorations of the unique evolutionary process of high-altitude hypoxia adaptation in yaks in the Tibetan Plateau and the genetic mechanism at the molecular level.

  18. Comparative Analysis of Genome Sequences Covering the Seven Cronobacter Species

    PubMed Central

    Cummings, Craig A.; Shih, Rita; Degoricija, Lovorka; Rico, Alain; Brzoska, Pius; Hamby, Stephen E.; Masood, Naqash; Hariri, Sumyya; Sonbol, Hana; Chuzhanova, Nadia; McClelland, Michael; Furtado, Manohar R.; Forsythe, Stephen J.

    2012-01-01

    Background Species of Cronobacter are widespread in the environment and are occasional food-borne pathogens associated with serious neonatal diseases, including bacteraemia, meningitis, and necrotising enterocolitis. The genus is composed of seven species: C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis, C. dublinensis, C. muytjensii, C. universalis, and C. condimenti. Clinical cases are associated with three species, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis and, in particular, with C. sakazakii multilocus sequence type 4. Thus, it is plausible that virulence determinants have evolved in certain lineages. Methodology/Principal Findings We generated high quality sequence drafts for eleven Cronobacter genomes representing the seven Cronobacter species, including an ST4 strain of C. sakazakii. Comparative analysis of these genomes together with the two publicly available genomes revealed Cronobacter has over 6,000 genes in one or more strains and over 2,000 genes shared by all Cronobacter. Considerable variation in the presence of traits such as type six secretion systems, metal resistance (tellurite, copper and silver), and adhesins were found. C. sakazakii is unique in the Cronobacter genus in encoding genes enabling the utilization of exogenous sialic acid which may have clinical significance. The C. sakazakii ST4 strain 701 contained additional genes as compared to other C. sakazakii but none of them were known specific virulence-related genes. Conclusions/Significance Genome comparison revealed that pair-wise DNA sequence identity varies between 89 and 97% in the seven Cronobacter species, and also suggested various degrees of divergence. Sets of universal core genes and accessory genes unique to each strain were identified. These gene sequences can be used for designing genus/species specific detection assays. Genes encoding adhesins, T6SS, and metal resistance genes as well as prophages are found in only subsets of genomes and have contributed considerably to the variation of genomic content. Differences in gene content likely contribute to differences in the clinical and environmental distribution of species and sequence types. PMID:23166675

  19. Comparative Genomics of Carp Herpesviruses

    PubMed Central

    Kurobe, Tomofumi; Gatherer, Derek; Cunningham, Charles; Korf, Ian; Fukuda, Hideo; Hedrick, Ronald P.; Waltzek, Thomas B.

    2013-01-01

    Three alloherpesviruses are known to cause disease in cyprinid fish: cyprinid herpesviruses 1 and 3 (CyHV1 and CyHV3) in common carp and koi and cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV2) in goldfish. We have determined the genome sequences of CyHV1 and CyHV2 and compared them with the published CyHV3 sequence. The CyHV1 and CyHV2 genomes are 291,144 and 290,304 bp, respectively, in size, and thus the CyHV3 genome, at 295,146 bp, remains the largest recorded among the herpesviruses. Each of the three genomes consists of a unique region flanked at each terminus by a sizeable direct repeat. The CyHV1, CyHV2, and CyHV3 genomes are predicted to contain 137, 150, and 155 unique, functional protein-coding genes, respectively, of which six, four, and eight, respectively, are duplicated in the terminal repeat. The three viruses share 120 orthologous genes in a largely colinear arrangement, of which up to 55 are also conserved in the other member of the genus Cyprinivirus, anguillid herpesvirus 1. Twelve genes are conserved convincingly in all sequenced alloherpesviruses, and two others are conserved marginally. The reference CyHV3 strain has been reported to contain five fragmented genes that are presumably nonfunctional. The CyHV2 strain has two fragmented genes, and the CyHV1 strain has none. CyHV1, CyHV2, and CyHV3 have five, six, and five families of paralogous genes, respectively. One family unique to CyHV1 is related to cellular JUNB, which encodes a transcription factor involved in oncogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first time that JUNB-related sequences have been reported in a herpesvirus. PMID:23269803

  20. Comparative fecal metagenomics unveils unique functional capacity of the swine gut

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Uncovering the taxonomic composition and functional capacity within the swine gut microbial consortia is of great importance to animal physiology and health as well as to food and water safety due to the presence of human pathogens in pig feces. Nonetheless, limited information on the functional diversity of the swine gut microbiome is available. Results Analysis of 637, 722 pyrosequencing reads (130 megabases) generated from Yorkshire pig fecal DNA extracts was performed to help better understand the microbial diversity and largely unknown functional capacity of the swine gut microbiome. Swine fecal metagenomic sequences were annotated using both MG-RAST and JGI IMG/M-ER pipelines. Taxonomic analysis of metagenomic reads indicated that swine fecal microbiomes were dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla. At a finer phylogenetic resolution, Prevotella spp. dominated the swine fecal metagenome, while some genes associated with Treponema and Anareovibrio species were found to be exclusively within the pig fecal metagenomic sequences analyzed. Functional analysis revealed that carbohydrate metabolism was the most abundant SEED subsystem, representing 13% of the swine metagenome. Genes associated with stress, virulence, cell wall and cell capsule were also abundant. Virulence factors associated with antibiotic resistance genes with highest sequence homology to genes in Bacteroidetes, Clostridia, and Methanosarcina were numerous within the gene families unique to the swine fecal metagenomes. Other abundant proteins unique to the distal swine gut shared high sequence homology to putative carbohydrate membrane transporters. Conclusions The results from this metagenomic survey demonstrated the presence of genes associated with resistance to antibiotics and carbohydrate metabolism suggesting that the swine gut microbiome may be shaped by husbandry practices. PMID:21575148

  1. Emergence and Evolution of Hominidae-Specific Coding and Noncoding Genomic Sequences.

    PubMed

    Saber, Morteza Mahmoudi; Adeyemi Babarinde, Isaac; Hettiarachchi, Nilmini; Saitou, Naruya

    2016-07-12

    Family Hominidae, which includes humans and great apes, is recognized for unique complex social behavior and intellectual abilities. Despite the increasing genome data, however, the genomic origin of its phenotypic uniqueness has remained elusive. Clade-specific genes and highly conserved noncoding sequences (HCNSs) are among the high-potential evolutionary candidates involved in driving clade-specific characters and phenotypes. On this premise, we analyzed whole genome sequences along with gene orthology data retrieved from major DNA databases to find Hominidae-specific (HS) genes and HCNSs. We discovered that Down syndrome critical region 4 (DSCR4) is the only experimentally verified gene uniquely present in Hominidae. DSCR4 has no structural homology to any known protein and was inferred to have emerged in several steps through LTR/ERV1, LTR/ERVL retrotransposition, and transversion. Using the genomic distance as neutral evolution threshold, we identified 1,658 HS HCNSs. Polymorphism coverage and derived allele frequency analysis of HS HCNSs showed that these HCNSs are under purifying selection, indicating that they may harbor important functions. They are overrepresented in promoters/untranslated regions, in close proximity of genes involved in sensory perception of sound and developmental process, and also showed a significantly lower nucleosome occupancy probability. Interestingly, many ancestral sequences of the HS HCNSs showed very high evolutionary rates. This suggests that new functions emerged through some kind of positive selection, and then purifying selection started to operate to keep these functions. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  2. Deep sequencing reveals cell-type-specific patterns of single-cell transcriptome variation.

    PubMed

    Dueck, Hannah; Khaladkar, Mugdha; Kim, Tae Kyung; Spaethling, Jennifer M; Francis, Chantal; Suresh, Sangita; Fisher, Stephen A; Seale, Patrick; Beck, Sheryl G; Bartfai, Tamas; Kuhn, Bernhard; Eberwine, James; Kim, Junhyong

    2015-06-09

    Differentiation of metazoan cells requires execution of different gene expression programs but recent single-cell transcriptome profiling has revealed considerable variation within cells of seeming identical phenotype. This brings into question the relationship between transcriptome states and cell phenotypes. Additionally, single-cell transcriptomics presents unique analysis challenges that need to be addressed to answer this question. We present high quality deep read-depth single-cell RNA sequencing for 91 cells from five mouse tissues and 18 cells from two rat tissues, along with 30 control samples of bulk RNA diluted to single-cell levels. We find that transcriptomes differ globally across tissues with regard to the number of genes expressed, the average expression patterns, and within-cell-type variation patterns. We develop methods to filter genes for reliable quantification and to calibrate biological variation. All cell types include genes with high variability in expression, in a tissue-specific manner. We also find evidence that single-cell variability of neuronal genes in mice is correlated with that in rats consistent with the hypothesis that levels of variation may be conserved. Single-cell RNA-sequencing data provide a unique view of transcriptome function; however, careful analysis is required in order to use single-cell RNA-sequencing measurements for this purpose. Technical variation must be considered in single-cell RNA-sequencing studies of expression variation. For a subset of genes, biological variability within each cell type appears to be regulated in order to perform dynamic functions, rather than solely molecular noise.

  3. Genome Wide Search for Biomarkers to Diagnose Yersinia Infections.

    PubMed

    Kalia, Vipin Chandra; Kumar, Prasun

    2015-12-01

    Bacterial identification on the basis of the highly conserved 16S rRNA (rrs) gene is limited by its presence in multiple copies and a very high level of similarity among them. The need is to look for other genes with unique characteristics to be used as biomarkers. Fifty-one sequenced genomes belonging to 10 different Yersinia species were used for searching genes common to all the genomes. Out of 304 common genes, 34 genes of sizes varying from 0.11 to 4.42 kb, were selected and subjected to in silico digestion with 10 different Restriction endonucleases (RE) (4-6 base cutters). Yersinia species have 6-7 copies of rrs per genome, which are difficult to distinguish by multiple sequence alignments or their RE digestion patterns. However, certain unique combinations of other common gene sequences-carB, fadJ, gluM, gltX, ileS, malE, nusA, ribD, and rlmL and their RE digestion patterns can be used as markers for identifying 21 strains belonging to 10 Yersinia species: Y. aldovae, Y. enterocolitica, Y. frederiksenii, Y. intermedia, Y. kristensenii, Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. rohdei, Y. ruckeri, and Y. similis. This approach can be applied for rapid diagnostic applications.

  4. Revolting Developments in Our Understanding of the Organization of the Eukaryotic Genome.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krider, Hallie M.

    1984-01-01

    Various typs of DNA are discussed. Areas considered include highly repetitive and satellite sequences, genes encoding, ribosomal RNA, histone protein genes, and dispersed repeated genes that jump. Regulated genetic misbehavior, structure and use of unique genes, and higher order complexities of chromosomes are also discussed. (JN)

  5. Isolates of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus from North America and Europe can be detected and distinguished by DNA probes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Batts, W.N.; Arakawa, C.K.; Bernard, J.; Winton, J.R.

    1993-01-01

    Biotinylated DNA probes were constructed to hybndize with speclfic sequences within the messenger RNA (mRNA) of the nucleoprotein (N) gene of vlral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) reference strains from Europe (07-71) and North Arnenca (Makah) Probes were synthesized that were complementary to (1) a 29-nucleotide sequence near the center of the N gene conlmon to both the 07-71 and Makah reference strains of the virus (2) a unique 28- nucleotide sequence that followed the open readng frame of the Makah N gene mRNA most of which was absent In the 07-71 strain, and (3) a 22-nucleobde sequence wthin the 07-71 N gene that had 6 nllsmatches \

  6. Generation, annotation and analysis of ESTs from Trichoderma harzianum CECT 2413

    PubMed Central

    Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio; González, Francisco Javier; Suárez, M Belén; Redondo, José; Heinrich, Julian; Delgado-Jarana, Jesús; Hermosa, Rosa; Gutiérrez, Santiago; Monte, Enrique; Llobell, Antonio; Rey, Manuel

    2006-01-01

    Background The filamentous fungus Trichoderma harzianum is used as biological control agent of several plant-pathogenic fungi. In order to study the genome of this fungus, a functional genomics project called "TrichoEST" was developed to give insights into genes involved in biological control activities using an approach based on the generation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Results Eight different cDNA libraries from T. harzianum strain CECT 2413 were constructed. Different growth conditions involving mainly different nutrient conditions and/or stresses were used. We here present the analysis of the 8,710 ESTs generated. A total of 3,478 unique sequences were identified of which 81.4% had sequence similarity with GenBank entries, using the BLASTX algorithm. Using the Gene Ontology hierarchy, we performed the annotation of 51.1% of the unique sequences and compared its distribution among the gene libraries. Additionally, the InterProScan algorithm was used in order to further characterize the sequences. The identification of the putatively secreted proteins was also carried out. Later, based on the EST abundance, we examined the highly expressed genes and a hydrophobin was identified as the gene expressed at the highest level. We compared our collection of ESTs with the previous collections obtained from Trichoderma species and we also compared our sequence set with different complete eukaryotic genomes from several animals, plants and fungi. Accordingly, the presence of similar sequences in different kingdoms was also studied. Conclusion This EST collection and its annotation provide a significant resource for basic and applied research on T. harzianum, a fungus with a high biotechnological interest. PMID:16872539

  7. Genome of Horsepox Virus

    PubMed Central

    Tulman, E. R.; Delhon, G.; Afonso, C. L.; Lu, Z.; Zsak, L.; Sandybaev, N. T.; Kerembekova, U. Z.; Zaitsev, V. L.; Kutish, G. F.; Rock, D. L.

    2006-01-01

    Here we present the genomic sequence of horsepox virus (HSPV) isolate MNR-76, an orthopoxvirus (OPV) isolated in 1976 from diseased Mongolian horses. The 212-kbp genome contained 7.5-kbp inverted terminal repeats and lacked extensive terminal tandem repetition. HSPV contained 236 open reading frames (ORFs) with similarity to those in other OPVs, with those in the central 100-kbp region most conserved relative to other OPVs. Phylogenetic analysis of the conserved region indicated that HSPV is closely related to sequenced isolates of vaccinia virus (VACV) and rabbitpox virus, clearly grouping together these VACV-like viruses. Fifty-four HSPV ORFs likely represented fragments of 25 orthologous OPV genes, including in the central region the only known fragmented form of an OPV ribonucleotide reductase large subunit gene. In terminal genomic regions, HSPV lacked full-length homologues of genes variably fragmented in other VACV-like viruses but was unique in fragmentation of the homologue of VACV strain Copenhagen B6R, a gene intact in other known VACV-like viruses. Notably, HSPV contained in terminal genomic regions 17 kbp of OPV-like sequence absent in known VACV-like viruses, including fragments of genes intact in other OPVs and approximately 1.4 kb of sequence present only in cowpox virus (CPXV). HSPV also contained seven full-length genes fragmented or missing in other VACV-like viruses, including intact homologues of the CPXV strain GRI-90 D2L/I4R CrmB and D13L CD30-like tumor necrosis factor receptors, D3L/I3R and C1L ankyrin repeat proteins, B19R kelch-like protein, D7L BTB/POZ domain protein, and B22R variola virus B22R-like protein. These results indicated that HSPV contains unique genomic features likely contributing to a unique virulence/host range phenotype. They also indicated that while closely related to known VACV-like viruses, HSPV contains additional, potentially ancestral sequences absent in other VACV-like viruses. PMID:16940536

  8. Generation and analysis of expression sequence tags from haustoria of the wheat stripe rust fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. In spite of its agricultural importance, the genomics and genetics of the pathogen are poorly characterized. Pst transcripts from urediniospores and germinated urediniospores have been examined previously, but little is known about genes expressed during host infection. Some genes involved in virulence in other rust fungi have been found to be specifically expressed in haustoria. Therefore, the objective of this study was to generate a cDNA library to characterize genes expressed in haustoria of Pst. Results A total of 5,126 EST sequences of high quality were generated from haustoria of Pst, from which 287 contigs and 847 singletons were derived. Approximately 10% and 26% of the 1,134 unique sequences were homologous to proteins with known functions and hypothetical proteins, respectively. The remaining 64% of the unique sequences had no significant similarities in GenBank. Fifteen genes were predicted to be proteins secreted from Pst haustoria. Analysis of ten genes, including six secreted protein genes, using quantitative RT-PCR revealed changes in transcript levels in different developmental and infection stages of the pathogen. Conclusions The haustorial cDNA library was useful in identifying genes of the stripe rust fungus expressed during the infection process. From the library, we identified 15 genes encoding putative secreted proteins and six genes induced during the infection process. These genes are candidates for further studies to determine their functions in wheat-Pst interactions. PMID:20028560

  9. Revealing the transcriptomic complexity of switchgrass by PacBio long-read sequencing.

    PubMed

    Zuo, Chunman; Blow, Matthew; Sreedasyam, Avinash; Kuo, Rita C; Ramamoorthy, Govindarajan Kunde; Torres-Jerez, Ivone; Li, Guifen; Wang, Mei; Dilworth, David; Barry, Kerrie; Udvardi, Michael; Schmutz, Jeremy; Tang, Yuhong; Xu, Ying

    2018-01-01

    Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is an important bioenergy crop widely used for lignocellulosic research. While extensive transcriptomic analyses have been conducted on this species using short read-based sequencing techniques, very little has been reliably derived regarding alternatively spliced (AS) transcripts. We present an analysis of transcriptomes of six switchgrass tissue types pooled together, sequenced using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecular long-read technology. Our analysis identified 105,419 unique transcripts covering 43,570 known genes and 8795 previously unknown genes. 45,168 are novel transcripts of known genes. A total of 60,096 AS transcripts are identified, 45,628 being novel. We have also predicted 1549 transcripts of genes involved in cell wall construction and remodeling, 639 being novel transcripts of known cell wall genes. Most of the predicted transcripts are validated against Illumina-based short reads. Specifically, 96% of the splice junction sites in all the unique transcripts are validated by at least five Illumina reads. Comparisons between genes derived from our identified transcripts and the current genome annotation revealed that among the gene set predicted by both analyses, 16,640 have different exon-intron structures. Overall, substantial amount of new information is derived from the PacBio RNA data regarding both the transcriptome and the genome of switchgrass.

  10. Extremotolerant tardigrade genome and improved radiotolerance of human cultured cells by tardigrade-unique protein

    PubMed Central

    Hashimoto, Takuma; Horikawa, Daiki D.; Saito, Yuki; Kuwahara, Hirokazu; Kozuka-Hata, Hiroko; Shin-I, Tadasu; Minakuchi, Yohei; Ohishi, Kazuko; Motoyama, Ayuko; Aizu, Tomoyuki; Enomoto, Atsushi; Kondo, Koyuki; Tanaka, Sae; Hara, Yuichiro; Koshikawa, Shigeyuki; Sagara, Hiroshi; Miura, Toru; Yokobori, Shin-ichi; Miyagawa, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Yutaka; Kubo, Takeo; Oyama, Masaaki; Kohara, Yuji; Fujiyama, Asao; Arakawa, Kazuharu; Katayama, Toshiaki; Toyoda, Atsushi; Kunieda, Takekazu

    2016-01-01

    Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are small aquatic animals. Some tardigrade species tolerate almost complete dehydration and exhibit extraordinary tolerance to various physical extremes in the dehydrated state. Here we determine a high-quality genome sequence of Ramazzottius varieornatus, one of the most stress-tolerant tardigrade species. Precise gene repertoire analyses reveal the presence of a small proportion (1.2% or less) of putative foreign genes, loss of gene pathways that promote stress damage, expansion of gene families related to ameliorating damage, and evolution and high expression of novel tardigrade-unique proteins. Minor changes in the gene expression profiles during dehydration and rehydration suggest constitutive expression of tolerance-related genes. Using human cultured cells, we demonstrate that a tardigrade-unique DNA-associating protein suppresses X-ray-induced DNA damage by ∼40% and improves radiotolerance. These findings indicate the relevance of tardigrade-unique proteins to tolerability and tardigrades could be a bountiful source of new protection genes and mechanisms. PMID:27649274

  11. Extremotolerant tardigrade genome and improved radiotolerance of human cultured cells by tardigrade-unique protein.

    PubMed

    Hashimoto, Takuma; Horikawa, Daiki D; Saito, Yuki; Kuwahara, Hirokazu; Kozuka-Hata, Hiroko; Shin-I, Tadasu; Minakuchi, Yohei; Ohishi, Kazuko; Motoyama, Ayuko; Aizu, Tomoyuki; Enomoto, Atsushi; Kondo, Koyuki; Tanaka, Sae; Hara, Yuichiro; Koshikawa, Shigeyuki; Sagara, Hiroshi; Miura, Toru; Yokobori, Shin-Ichi; Miyagawa, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Yutaka; Kubo, Takeo; Oyama, Masaaki; Kohara, Yuji; Fujiyama, Asao; Arakawa, Kazuharu; Katayama, Toshiaki; Toyoda, Atsushi; Kunieda, Takekazu

    2016-09-20

    Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are small aquatic animals. Some tardigrade species tolerate almost complete dehydration and exhibit extraordinary tolerance to various physical extremes in the dehydrated state. Here we determine a high-quality genome sequence of Ramazzottius varieornatus, one of the most stress-tolerant tardigrade species. Precise gene repertoire analyses reveal the presence of a small proportion (1.2% or less) of putative foreign genes, loss of gene pathways that promote stress damage, expansion of gene families related to ameliorating damage, and evolution and high expression of novel tardigrade-unique proteins. Minor changes in the gene expression profiles during dehydration and rehydration suggest constitutive expression of tolerance-related genes. Using human cultured cells, we demonstrate that a tardigrade-unique DNA-associating protein suppresses X-ray-induced DNA damage by ∼40% and improves radiotolerance. These findings indicate the relevance of tardigrade-unique proteins to tolerability and tardigrades could be a bountiful source of new protection genes and mechanisms.

  12. Genome Sequence of the Bacterium Streptomyces davawensis JCM 4913 and Heterologous Production of the Unique Antibiotic Roseoflavin

    PubMed Central

    Jankowitsch, Frank; Schwarz, Julia; Rückert, Christian; Gust, Bertolt; Szczepanowski, Rafael; Blom, Jochen; Pelzer, Stefan; Kalinowski, Jörn

    2012-01-01

    Streptomyces davawensis JCM 4913 synthesizes the antibiotic roseoflavin, a structural riboflavin (vitamin B2) analog. Here, we report the 9,466,619-bp linear chromosome of S. davawensis JCM 4913 and a 89,331-bp linear plasmid. The sequence has an average G+C content of 70.58% and contains six rRNA operons (16S-23S-5S) and 69 tRNA genes. The 8,616 predicted protein-coding sequences include 32 clusters coding for secondary metabolites, several of which are unique to S. davawensis. The chromosome contains long terminal inverted repeats of 33,255 bp each and atypical telomeres. Sequence analysis with regard to riboflavin biosynthesis revealed three different patterns of gene organization in Streptomyces species. Heterologous expression of a set of genes present on a subgenomic fragment of S. davawensis resulted in the production of roseoflavin by the host Streptomyces coelicolor M1152. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that S. davawensis is a close relative of Streptomyces cinnabarinus, and much to our surprise, we found that the latter bacterium is a roseoflavin producer as well. PMID:23043000

  13. Cloning of the anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia gene: Identification of cDNAs associated with CpG islands mapped near translocation breakpoint in two female patients

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Srivastava, A.K.; Schlessinger, D.; Kere, J.

    1994-09-01

    The gene for the X chromosomal developmental disorder anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) has been mapped to Xq12-q13 by linkage analysis and is expressed in a few females with chromosomal translocations involving band Xq12-q13. A yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig (2.0 Mb) spanning two translocation breakpoints has been assembled by sequence-tagged site (STS)-based chromosomal walking. The two translocation breakpoints (X:autosome translocations from the affected female patients) have been mapped less than 60 kb apart within a YAC contig. Unique probes and intragenic STSs (mapped between the two translocations) have been developed and a somatic cell hybrid carrying the translocated X chromosomemore » from the AK patient has been analyzed by isolating unique probes that span the breakpoint. Several STSs made from intragenic sequences have been found to be conserved in mouse, hamster and monkey, but we have detected no mRNAs in a number of tissues tested. However, a probe and STS developed from the DNA spanning the AK breakpoint is conserved in mouse, hamster and monkey, and we have detected expressed sequences in skin cells and cDNA libraries. In addition, unique sequences have been obtained from two CpG islands in the region that maps proximal to the breakpoints. cDNAs containing these sequences are being studied as candidates for the gene affected in the etiology of EDA.« less

  14. Repeated sequence sets in mitochondrial DNA molecules of root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne): nucleotide sequences, genome location and potential for host-race identification.

    PubMed Central

    Okimoto, R; Chamberlin, H M; Macfarlane, J L; Wolstenholme, D R

    1991-01-01

    Within a 7 kb segment of the mtDNA molecule of the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, that lacks standard mitochondrial genes, are three sets of strictly tandemly arranged, direct repeat sequences: approximately 36 copies of a 102 ntp sequence that contains a TaqI site; 11 copies of a 63 ntp sequence, and 5 copies of an 8 ntp sequence. The 7 kb repeat-containing segment is bounded by putative tRNAasp and tRNAf-met genes and the arrangement of sequences within this segment is: the tRNAasp gene; a unique 1,528 ntp segment that contains two highly stable hairpin-forming sequences; the 102 ntp repeat set; the 8 ntp repeat set; a unique 1,068 ntp segment; the 63 ntp repeat set; and the tRNAf-met gene. The nucleotide sequences of the 102 ntp copies and the 63 ntp copies have been conserved among the species examined. Data from Southern hybridization experiments indicate that 102 ntp and 63 ntp repeats occur in the mtDNAs of three, two and two races of M.incognita, M.hapla and M.arenaria, respectively. Nucleotide sequences of the M.incognita Race-3 102 ntp repeat were found to be either identical or highly similar to those of the M.javanica 102 ntp repeat. Differences in migration distance and number of 102 ntp repeat-containing bands seen in Southern hybridization autoradiographs of restriction-digested mtDNAs of M.javanica and the different host races of M.incognita, M.hapla and M.arenaria are sufficient to distinguish the different host races of each species. Images PMID:2027769

  15. Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Legume Vicia faba

    PubMed Central

    Negruk, Valentine

    2013-01-01

    The number of plant mitochondrial genomes sequenced exceeds two dozen. However, for a detailed comparative study of different phylogenetic branches more plant mitochondrial genomes should be sequenced. This article presents sequencing data and comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the legume Vicia faba. The size of the V. faba circular mitochondrial master chromosome of cultivar Broad Windsor was estimated as 588,000 bp with a genome complexity of 387,745 bp and 52 conservative mitochondrial genes; 32 of them encoding proteins, 3 rRNA, and 17 tRNA genes. Six tRNA genes were highly homologous to chloroplast genome sequences. In addition to the 52 conservative genes, 114 unique open reading frames (ORFs) were found, 36 without significant homology to any known proteins and 29 with homology to the Medicago truncatula nuclear genome and to other plant mitochondrial ORFs, 49 ORFs were not homologous to M. truncatula but possessed sequences with significant homology to other plant mitochondrial or nuclear ORFs. In general, the unique ORFs revealed very low homology to known closely related legumes, but several sequence homologies were found between V. faba, Beta vulgaris, Nicotiana tabacum, Vitis vinifera, and even the monocots Oryza sativa and Zea mays. Most likely these ORFs arose independently during angiosperm evolution (Kubo and Mikami, 2007; Kubo and Newton, 2008). Computational analysis revealed in total about 45% of V. faba mtDNA sequence being homologous to the Medicago truncatula nuclear genome (more than to any sequenced plant mitochondrial genome), and 35% of this homology ranging from a few dozen to 12,806 bp are located on chromosome 1. Apparently, mitochondrial rrn5, rrn18, rps10, ATP synthase subunit alpha, cox2, and tRNA sequences are part of transcribed nuclear mosaic ORFs. PMID:23675376

  16. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Euonymus japonicus (Celastraceae).

    PubMed

    Choi, Kyoung Su; Park, SeonJoo

    2016-09-01

    The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of the Euonymus japonicus, the first sequenced of the genus Euonymus, was reported in this study. The total length was 157 637 bp, containing a pair of 26 678 bp inverted repeat region (IR), which were separated by small single copy (SSC) region and large single copy (LSC) region of 18 340 bp and 85 941 bp, respectively. This genome contains 107 unique genes, including 74 coding genes, four rRNA genes, and 29 tRNA genes. Seventeen genes contain intron of E. japonicus, of which three genes (clpP, ycf3, and rps12) include two introns. The maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis revealed that E. japonicus was closely related to Manihot and Populus.

  17. Targeting of Repeated Sequences Unique to a Gene Results in Significant Increases in Antisense Oligonucleotide Potency

    PubMed Central

    Vickers, Timothy A.; Freier, Susan M.; Bui, Huynh-Hoa; Watt, Andrew; Crooke, Stanley T.

    2014-01-01

    A new strategy for identifying potent RNase H-dependent antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is presented. Our analysis of the human transcriptome revealed that a significant proportion of genes contain unique repeated sequences of 16 or more nucleotides in length. Activities of ASOs targeting these repeated sites in several representative genes were compared to those of ASOs targeting unique single sites in the same transcript. Antisense activity at repeated sites was also evaluated in a highly controlled minigene system. Targeting both native and minigene repeat sites resulted in significant increases in potency as compared to targeting of non-repeated sites. The increased potency at these sites is a result of increased frequency of ASO/RNA interactions which, in turn, increases the probability of a productive interaction between the ASO/RNA heteroduplex and human RNase H1 in the cell. These results suggest a new, highly efficient strategy for rapid identification of highly potent ASOs. PMID:25334092

  18. Analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from in vitro cell lines of elasmobranchs: spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) and little skate (Leucoraja erinacea)

    PubMed Central

    Parton, Angela; Bayne, Christopher J.; Barnes, David W.

    2010-01-01

    Elasmobranchs are the most commonly used experimental models among the jawed, cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes). Previously we developed cell lines from embryos of two elasmobranchs, Squalus acanthias the spiny dogfish shark (SAE line), and Leucoraja erinacea the little skate (LEE-1 line). From these lines cDNA libraries were derived and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated. From the SAE cell line 4303 unique transcripts were identified, with 1848 of these representing unknown sequences (showing no BLASTX identification). From the LEE-1 cell line, 3660 unique transcripts were identified, and unknown, unique sequences totaled 1333. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed that GO assignments for the two cell lines were in general similar. These results suggest that the procedures used to derive the cell lines led to isolation of cell types of the same general embryonic origin from both species. The LEE-1 transcripts included GO categories “envelope” and “oxidoreductase activity” but the SAE transcripts did not. GO analysis of SAE transcripts identified the category “anatomical structure formation” that was not present in LEE-1 cells. Increased organelle compartments may exist within LEE-1 cells compared to SAE cells, and the higher oxidoreductase activity in LEE-1 cells may indicate a role for these cells in responses associated with innate immunity or in steroidogenesis. These EST libraries from elasmobranch cell lines provide information for assembly of genomic sequences and are useful in revealing gene diversity, new genes and molecular markers, as well as in providing means for elucidation of full-length cDNAs and probes for gene array analyses. This is the first study of this type with members of the Chondrichthyes. PMID:20471924

  19. Analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from in vitro cell lines of elasmobranchs: Spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) and little skate (Leucoraja erinacea).

    PubMed

    Parton, Angela; Bayne, Christopher J; Barnes, David W

    2010-09-01

    Elasmobranchs are the most commonly used experimental models among the jawed, cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes). Previously we developed cell lines from embryos of two elasmobranchs, Squalus acanthias the spiny dogfish shark (SAE line), and Leucoraja erinacea the little skate (LEE-1 line). From these lines cDNA libraries were derived and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated. From the SAE cell line 4303 unique transcripts were identified, with 1848 of these representing unknown sequences (showing no BLASTX identification). From the LEE-1 cell line, 3660 unique transcripts were identified, and unknown, unique sequences totaled 1333. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed that GO assignments for the two cell lines were in general similar. These results suggest that the procedures used to derive the cell lines led to isolation of cell types of the same general embryonic origin from both species. The LEE-1 transcripts included GO categories "envelope" and "oxidoreductase activity" but the SAE transcripts did not. GO analysis of SAE transcripts identified the category "anatomical structure formation" that was not present in LEE-1 cells. Increased organelle compartments may exist within LEE-1 cells compared to SAE cells, and the higher oxidoreductase activity in LEE-1 cells may indicate a role for these cells in responses associated with innate immunity or in steroidogenesis. These EST libraries from elasmobranch cell lines provide information for assembly of genomic sequences and are useful in revealing gene diversity, new genes and molecular markers, as well as in providing means for elucidation of full-length cDNAs and probes for gene array analyses. This is the first study of this type with members of the Chondrichthyes. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Discrimination of germline V genes at different sequencing lengths and mutational burdens: A new tool for identifying and evaluating the reliability of V gene assignment.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bochao; Meng, Wenzhao; Prak, Eline T Luning; Hershberg, Uri

    2015-12-01

    Immune repertoires are collections of lymphocytes that express diverse antigen receptor gene rearrangements consisting of Variable (V), (Diversity (D) in the case of heavy chains) and Joining (J) gene segments. Clonally related cells typically share the same germline gene segments and have highly similar junctional sequences within their third complementarity determining regions. Identifying clonal relatedness of sequences is a key step in the analysis of immune repertoires. The V gene is the most important for clone identification because it has the longest sequence and the greatest number of sequence variants. However, accurate identification of a clone's germline V gene source is challenging because there is a high degree of similarity between different germline V genes. This difficulty is compounded in antibodies, which can undergo somatic hypermutation. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing experiments often generate partial sequences and have significant error rates. To address these issues, we describe a novel method to estimate which germline V genes (or alleles) cannot be discriminated under different conditions (read lengths, sequencing errors or somatic hypermutation frequencies). Starting with any set of germline V genes, this method measures their similarity using different sequencing lengths and calculates their likelihood of unambiguous assignment under different levels of mutation. Hence, one can identify, under different experimental and biological conditions, the germline V genes (or alleles) that cannot be uniquely identified and bundle them together into groups of specific V genes with highly similar sequences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Round and pointed-head grenadier fishes (Actinopterygii: Gadiformes) represent a single sister group: evidence from the complete mitochondrial genome sequences.

    PubMed

    Satoh, Takashi P; Miya, Masaki; Endo, Hiromitsu; Nishida, Mutsumi

    2006-07-01

    The gene order of mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) has been employed as a useful phylogenetic marker in various metazoan animals, because it may represent uniquely derived characters shared by members of monophyletic groups. During the course of molecular phylogenetic studies of the order Gadiformes (cods and their relatives) based on whole mitogenome sequences, we found that two deep-sea grenadiers (Squalogadus modificatus and Trachyrincus murrayi: family Macrouridae) revealed a unusually identical gene order (translocation of the tRNA(Leu (UUR))). Both are members of the same family, although their external morphologies differed so greatly (e.g., round vs. pointed head) that they have been placed in different subfamilies Macrouroidinae and Trachyrincinae, respectively. Additionally, we determined the whole mitogenome sequences of two other species, Bathygadus antrodes and Ventrifossa garmani, representing a total of four subfamilies currently recognized within Macrouridae. The latter two species also exhibited gene rearrangements, resulting in a total of three different patterns of unique gene order being observed in the four subfamilies. Partitioned Bayesian analysis was conducted using available whole mitogenome sequences from five macrourids plus five outgroups. The resultant trees clearly indicated that S. modificatus and T. murrayi formed a monophyletic group, having a sister relationship to other macrourids. Thus, monophyly of the two species with disparate head morphologies was corroborated by two different lines of evidence (nucleotide sequences and gene order). The overall topology of the present tree differed from any of the previously proposed, morphology-based phylogenetic hypotheses.

  2. Draft genome sequence of marine alphaproteobacterial strain HIMB11, the first cultivated representative of a unique lineage within the Roseobacter clade possessing an unusually small genome

    PubMed Central

    Durham, Bryndan P.; Grote, Jana; Whittaker, Kerry A.; Bender, Sara J.; Luo, Haiwei; Grim, Sharon L.; Brown, Julia M.; Casey, John R.; Dron, Antony; Florez-Leiva, Lennin; Krupke, Andreas; Luria, Catherine M.; Mine, Aric H.; Nigro, Olivia D.; Pather, Santhiska; Talarmin, Agathe; Wear, Emma K.; Weber, Thomas S.; Wilson, Jesse M.; Church, Matthew J.; DeLong, Edward F.; Karl, David M.; Steward, Grieg F.; Eppley, John M.; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Schuster, Stephan; Rappé, Michael S.

    2014-01-01

    Strain HIMB11 is a planktonic marine bacterium isolated from coastal seawater in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii belonging to the ubiquitous and versatile Roseobacter clade of the alphaproteobacterial family Rhodobacteraceae. Here we describe the preliminary characteristics of strain HIMB11, including annotation of the draft genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis with other members of the Roseobacter lineage. The 3,098,747 bp draft genome is arranged in 34 contigs and contains 3,183 protein-coding genes and 54 RNA genes. Phylogenomic and 16S rRNA gene analyses indicate that HIMB11 represents a unique sublineage within the Roseobacter clade. Comparison with other publicly available genome sequences from members of the Roseobacter lineage reveals that strain HIMB11 has the genomic potential to utilize a wide variety of energy sources (e.g. organic matter, reduced inorganic sulfur, light, carbon monoxide), while possessing a reduced number of substrate transporters. PMID:25197450

  3. Draft genome sequence of marine alphaproteobacterial strain HIMB11, the first cultivated representative of a unique lineage within the Roseobacter clade possessing an unusually small genome.

    PubMed

    Durham, Bryndan P; Grote, Jana; Whittaker, Kerry A; Bender, Sara J; Luo, Haiwei; Grim, Sharon L; Brown, Julia M; Casey, John R; Dron, Antony; Florez-Leiva, Lennin; Krupke, Andreas; Luria, Catherine M; Mine, Aric H; Nigro, Olivia D; Pather, Santhiska; Talarmin, Agathe; Wear, Emma K; Weber, Thomas S; Wilson, Jesse M; Church, Matthew J; DeLong, Edward F; Karl, David M; Steward, Grieg F; Eppley, John M; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Schuster, Stephan; Rappé, Michael S

    2014-06-15

    Strain HIMB11 is a planktonic marine bacterium isolated from coastal seawater in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii belonging to the ubiquitous and versatile Roseobacter clade of the alphaproteobacterial family Rhodobacteraceae. Here we describe the preliminary characteristics of strain HIMB11, including annotation of the draft genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis with other members of the Roseobacter lineage. The 3,098,747 bp draft genome is arranged in 34 contigs and contains 3,183 protein-coding genes and 54 RNA genes. Phylogenomic and 16S rRNA gene analyses indicate that HIMB11 represents a unique sublineage within the Roseobacter clade. Comparison with other publicly available genome sequences from members of the Roseobacter lineage reveals that strain HIMB11 has the genomic potential to utilize a wide variety of energy sources (e.g. organic matter, reduced inorganic sulfur, light, carbon monoxide), while possessing a reduced number of substrate transporters.

  4. Peanut gene expression profiling in developing seeds at different reproduction stages during Aspergillus parasiticus infection

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Baozhu; Chen, Xiaoping; Dang, Phat; Scully, Brian T; Liang, Xuanqiang; Holbrook, C Corley; Yu, Jiujiang; Culbreath, Albert K

    2008-01-01

    Background Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop economically and nutritionally, and is one of the most susceptible host crops to colonization of Aspergillus parasiticus and subsequent aflatoxin contamination. Knowledge from molecular genetic studies could help to devise strategies in alleviating this problem; however, few peanut DNA sequences are available in the public database. In order to understand the molecular basis of host resistance to aflatoxin contamination, a large-scale project was conducted to generate expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developing seeds to identify resistance-related genes involved in defense response against Aspergillus infection and subsequent aflatoxin contamination. Results We constructed six different cDNA libraries derived from developing peanut seeds at three reproduction stages (R5, R6 and R7) from a resistant and a susceptible cultivated peanut genotypes, 'Tifrunner' (susceptible to Aspergillus infection with higher aflatoxin contamination and resistant to TSWV) and 'GT-C20' (resistant to Aspergillus with reduced aflatoxin contamination and susceptible to TSWV). The developing peanut seed tissues were challenged by A. parasiticus and drought stress in the field. A total of 24,192 randomly selected cDNA clones from six libraries were sequenced. After removing vector sequences and quality trimming, 21,777 high-quality EST sequences were generated. Sequence clustering and assembling resulted in 8,689 unique EST sequences with 1,741 tentative consensus EST sequences (TCs) and 6,948 singleton ESTs. Functional classification was performed according to MIPS functional catalogue criteria. The unique EST sequences were divided into twenty-two categories. A similarity search against the non-redundant protein database available from NCBI indicated that 84.78% of total ESTs showed significant similarity to known proteins, of which 165 genes had been previously reported in peanuts. There were differences in overall expression patterns in different libraries and genotypes. A number of sequences were expressed throughout all of the libraries, representing constitutive expressed sequences. In order to identify resistance-related genes with significantly differential expression, a statistical analysis to estimate the relative abundance (R) was used to compare the relative abundance of each gene transcripts in each cDNA library. Thirty six and forty seven unique EST sequences with threshold of R > 4 from libraries of 'GT-C20' and 'Tifrunner', respectively, were selected for examination of temporal gene expression patterns according to EST frequencies. Nine and eight resistance-related genes with significant up-regulation were obtained in 'GT-C20' and 'Tifrunner' libraries, respectively. Among them, three genes were common in both genotypes. Furthermore, a comparison of our EST sequences with other plant sequences in the TIGR Gene Indices libraries showed that the percentage of peanut EST matched to Arabidopsis thaliana, maize (Zea mays), Medicago truncatula, rapeseed (Brassica napus), rice (Oryza sativa), soybean (Glycine max) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) ESTs ranged from 33.84% to 79.46% with the sequence identity ≥ 80%. These results revealed that peanut ESTs are more closely related to legume species than to cereal crops, and more homologous to dicot than to monocot plant species. Conclusion The developed ESTs can be used to discover novel sequences or genes, to identify resistance-related genes and to detect the differences among alleles or markers between these resistant and susceptible peanut genotypes. Additionally, this large collection of cultivated peanut EST sequences will make it possible to construct microarrays for gene expression studies and for further characterization of host resistance mechanisms. It will be a valuable genomic resource for the peanut community. The 21,777 ESTs have been deposited to the NCBI GenBank database with accession numbers ES702769 to ES724546. PMID:18248674

  5. Comparative chloroplast genomics and phylogenetics of Fagopyrum esculentum ssp. ancestrale – A wild ancestor of cultivated buckwheat

    PubMed Central

    Logacheva, Maria D; Samigullin, Tahir H; Dhingra, Amit; Penin, Aleksey A

    2008-01-01

    Background Chloroplast genome sequences are extremely informative about species-interrelationships owing to its non-meiotic and often uniparental inheritance over generations. The subject of our study, Fagopyrum esculentum, is a member of the family Polygonaceae belonging to the order Caryophyllales. An uncertainty remains regarding the affinity of Caryophyllales and the asterids that could be due to undersampling of the taxa. With that background, having access to the complete chloroplast genome sequence for Fagopyrum becomes quite pertinent. Results We report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of a wild ancestor of cultivated buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum ssp. ancestrale. The sequence was rapidly determined using a previously described approach that utilized a PCR-based method and employed universal primers, designed on the scaffold of multiple sequence alignment of chloroplast genomes. The gene content and order in buckwheat chloroplast genome is similar to Spinacia oleracea. However, some unique structural differences exist: the presence of an intron in the rpl2 gene, a frameshift mutation in the rpl23 gene and extension of the inverted repeat region to include the ycf1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of 61 protein-coding gene sequences from 44 complete plastid genomes provided strong support for the sister relationships of Caryophyllales (including Polygonaceae) to asterids. Further, our analysis also provided support for Amborella as sister to all other angiosperms, but interestingly, in the bayesian phylogeny inference based on first two codon positions Amborella united with Nymphaeales. Conclusion Comparative genomics analyses revealed that the Fagopyrum chloroplast genome harbors the characteristic gene content and organization as has been described for several other chloroplast genomes. However, it has some unique structural features distinct from previously reported complete chloroplast genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the dataset, including this new sequence from non-core Caryophyllales supports the sister relationship between Caryophyllales and asterids. PMID:18492277

  6. Genetic characterization of the Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 hrcA locus.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Marco; Canchaya, Carlos; Bernini, Valentina; Del Casale, Antonio; Dellaglio, Franco; Neviani, Erasmo; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; van Sinderen, Douwe

    2005-12-01

    The bacterial heat shock response is characterized by the elevated expression of a number of chaperone complexes and transcriptional regulators, including the DnaJ and the HrcA proteins. Genome analysis of Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 revealed a second copy of a dnaJ gene, named dnaJ2, which is flanked by the hrcA gene in a genetic constellation that appears to be unique to the actinobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis using 53 bacterial dnaJ sequences, including both dnaJ1 and dnaJ2 sequences, suggests that these genes have followed a different evolutionary development. Furthermore, the B. breve UCC 2003 dnaJ2 gene seems to be regulated in a manner that is different from that of the previously characterized dnaJ1 gene. The dnaJ2 gene, which was shown to be part of a 2.3-kb bicistronic operon with hrcA, was induced by osmotic shock but not significantly by heat stress. This induction pattern is unlike those of other characterized dnaJ genes and may be indicative of a unique stress adaptation strategy by this commensal microorganism.

  7. Genetic Characterization of the Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 hrcA Locus

    PubMed Central

    Ventura, Marco; Canchaya, Carlos; Bernini, Valentina; Del Casale, Antonio; Dellaglio, Franco; Neviani, Erasmo; Fitzgerald, Gerald F.; van Sinderen, Douwe

    2005-01-01

    The bacterial heat shock response is characterized by the elevated expression of a number of chaperone complexes and transcriptional regulators, including the DnaJ and the HrcA proteins. Genome analysis of Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 revealed a second copy of a dnaJ gene, named dnaJ2, which is flanked by the hrcA gene in a genetic constellation that appears to be unique to the actinobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis using 53 bacterial dnaJ sequences, including both dnaJ1 and dnaJ2 sequences, suggests that these genes have followed a different evolutionary development. Furthermore, the B. breve UCC 2003 dnaJ2 gene seems to be regulated in a manner that is different from that of the previously characterized dnaJ1 gene. The dnaJ2 gene, which was shown to be part of a 2.3-kb bicistronic operon with hrcA, was induced by osmotic shock but not significantly by heat stress. This induction pattern is unlike those of other characterized dnaJ genes and may be indicative of a unique stress adaptation strategy by this commensal microorganism. PMID:16332909

  8. Transcriptomic analysis of Ruditapes philippinarum hemocytes reveals cytoskeleton disruption after in vitro Vibrio tapetis challenge.

    PubMed

    Brulle, Franck; Jeffroy, Fanny; Madec, Stéphanie; Nicolas, Jean-Louis; Paillard, Christine

    2012-10-01

    The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is an economically-important, commercial shellfish; harvests are diminished in some European waters by a pathogenic bacterium, Vibrio tapetis, that causes Brown Ring disease. To identify molecular characteristics associated with susceptibility or resistance to Brown Ring disease, Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) analyzes were performed to construct cDNA libraries enriched in up- or down-regulated transcripts from clam immune cells, hemocytes, after a 3-h in vitro challenge with cultured V. tapetis. Nine hundred and ninety eight sequences from the two libraries were sequenced, and an in silico analysis identified 235 unique genes. BLAST and "Gene ontology" classification analyzes revealed that 60.4% of the Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) have high similarities with genes involved in various physiological functions, such as immunity, apoptosis and cytoskeleton organization; whereas, 39.6% remain unidentified. From the 235 unique genes, we selected 22 candidates based upon physiological function and redundancy in the libraries. Then, Real-Time PCR analysis identified 3 genes related to cytoskeleton organization showing significant variation in expression attributable to V. tapetis exposure. Disruption in regulation of these genes is consistent with the etiologic agent of Brown Ring disease in Manila clams. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. De Novo RNA Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026 Reveal Genes Related to Biosynthesis of Huperzine A

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xiangmei; Xia, Qianqian; Zhao, Xinmei; Ahn, Youngjoon; Ahmed, Nevin; Cosoveanu, Andreea; Wang, Mo; Wang, Jialu; Shu, Shaohua

    2015-01-01

    Huperzine A is important in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. There are major challenges for the mass production of huperzine A from plants due to the limited number of huperzine-A-producing plants, as well as the low content of huperzine A in these plants. Various endophytic fungi produce huperzine A. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026 was previously isolated from a huperzine-A-producing plant Huperzia serrata, and this fungus also produces huperzine A. In this study, de novo RNA sequencing of C. gloeosporioides ES026 was carried out with an Illumina HiSeq2000. A total of 4,324,299,051 bp from 50,442,617 high-quality sequence reads of ES026 were obtained. These raw data were assembled into 24,998 unigenes, 40,536,684 residues and 19,790 genes. The majority of the unique sequences were assigned to corresponding putative functions based on BLAST searches of public databases. The molecular functions, biological processes and biochemical pathways of these unique sequences were determined using gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) assignments. A gene encoding copper amine oxidase (CAO) (unigene 9322) was annotated for the conversion of cadaverine to 5-aminopentanal in the biosynthesis of huperzine A. This gene was also detected in the root, stem and leaf of H. serrata. Furthermore, a close relationship was observed between expression of the CAO gene (unigene 9322) and quantity of crude huperzine A extracted from ES026. Therefore, CAO might be involved in the biosynthesis of huperzine A and it most likely plays a key role in regulating the content of huperzine A in ES026. PMID:25799531

  10. alpha-Amylase gene of Streptomyces limosus: nucleotide sequence, expression motifs, and amino acid sequence homology to mammalian and invertebrate alpha-amylases.

    PubMed Central

    Long, C M; Virolle, M J; Chang, S Y; Chang, S; Bibb, M J

    1987-01-01

    The nucleotide sequence of the coding and regulatory regions of the alpha-amylase gene (aml) of Streptomyces limosus was determined. High-resolution S1 mapping was used to locate the 5' end of the transcript and demonstrated that the gene is transcribed from a unique promoter. The predicted amino acid sequence has considerable identity to mammalian and invertebrate alpha-amylases, but not to those of plant, fungal, or eubacterial origin. Consistent with this is the susceptibility of the enzyme to an inhibitor of mammalian alpha-amylases. The amino-terminal sequence of the extracellular enzyme was determined, revealing the presence of a typical signal peptide preceding the mature form of the alpha-amylase. Images PMID:3500166

  11. A de novo transcriptome and valid reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in Colaphellus bowringi.

    PubMed

    Tan, Qian-Qian; Zhu, Li; Li, Yi; Liu, Wen; Ma, Wei-Hua; Lei, Chao-Liang; Wang, Xiao-Ping

    2015-01-01

    The cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi Baly is a serious insect pest of crucifers and undergoes reproductive diapause in soil. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms of diapause regulation, insecticide resistance, and other physiological processes is helpful for developing new management strategies for this beetle. However, the lack of genomic information and valid reference genes limits knowledge on the molecular bases of these physiological processes in this species. Using Illumina sequencing, we obtained more than 57 million sequence reads derived from C. bowringi, which were assembled into 39,390 unique sequences. A Clusters of Orthologous Groups classification was obtained for 9,048 of these sequences, covering 25 categories, and 16,951 were assigned to 255 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Eleven candidate reference gene sequences from the transcriptome were then identified through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Among these candidate genes, EF1α, ACT1, and RPL19 proved to be the most stable reference genes for different reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments in C. bowringi. Conversely, aTUB and GAPDH were the least stable reference genes. The abundant putative C. bowringi transcript sequences reported enrich the genomic resources of this beetle. Importantly, the larger number of gene sequences and valid reference genes provide a valuable platform for future gene expression studies, especially with regard to exploring the molecular mechanisms of different physiological processes in this species.

  12. Multi-Platform Next-Generation Sequencing of the Domestic Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo): Genome Assembly and Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Aslam, Luqman; Beal, Kathryn; Ann Blomberg, Le; Bouffard, Pascal; Burt, David W.; Crasta, Oswald; Crooijmans, Richard P. M. A.; Cooper, Kristal; Coulombe, Roger A.; De, Supriyo; Delany, Mary E.; Dodgson, Jerry B.; Dong, Jennifer J.; Evans, Clive; Frederickson, Karin M.; Flicek, Paul; Florea, Liliana; Folkerts, Otto; Groenen, Martien A. M.; Harkins, Tim T.; Herrero, Javier; Hoffmann, Steve; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Jiang, Andrew; de Jong, Pieter; Kaiser, Pete; Kim, Heebal; Kim, Kyu-Won; Kim, Sungwon; Langenberger, David; Lee, Mi-Kyung; Lee, Taeheon; Mane, Shrinivasrao; Marcais, Guillaume; Marz, Manja; McElroy, Audrey P.; Modise, Thero; Nefedov, Mikhail; Notredame, Cédric; Paton, Ian R.; Payne, William S.; Pertea, Geo; Prickett, Dennis; Puiu, Daniela; Qioa, Dan; Raineri, Emanuele; Ruffier, Magali; Salzberg, Steven L.; Schatz, Michael C.; Scheuring, Chantel; Schmidt, Carl J.; Schroeder, Steven; Searle, Stephen M. J.; Smith, Edward J.; Smith, Jacqueline; Sonstegard, Tad S.; Stadler, Peter F.; Tafer, Hakim; Tu, Zhijian (Jake); Van Tassell, Curtis P.; Vilella, Albert J.; Williams, Kelly P.; Yorke, James A.; Zhang, Liqing; Zhang, Hong-Bin; Zhang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Yang; Reed, Kent M.

    2010-01-01

    A synergistic combination of two next-generation sequencing platforms with a detailed comparative BAC physical contig map provided a cost-effective assembly of the genome sequence of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Heterozygosity of the sequenced source genome allowed discovery of more than 600,000 high quality single nucleotide variants. Despite this heterozygosity, the current genome assembly (∼1.1 Gb) includes 917 Mb of sequence assigned to specific turkey chromosomes. Annotation identified nearly 16,000 genes, with 15,093 recognized as protein coding and 611 as non-coding RNA genes. Comparative analysis of the turkey, chicken, and zebra finch genomes, and comparing avian to mammalian species, supports the characteristic stability of avian genomes and identifies genes unique to the avian lineage. Clear differences are seen in number and variety of genes of the avian immune system where expansions and novel genes are less frequent than examples of gene loss. The turkey genome sequence provides resources to further understand the evolution of vertebrate genomes and genetic variation underlying economically important quantitative traits in poultry. This integrated approach may be a model for providing both gene and chromosome level assemblies of other species with agricultural, ecological, and evolutionary interest. PMID:20838655

  13. Developing JSequitur to Study the Hierarchical Structure of Biological Sequences in a Grammatical Inference Framework of String Compression Algorithms.

    PubMed

    Galbadrakh, Bulgan; Lee, Kyung-Eun; Park, Hyun-Seok

    2012-12-01

    Grammatical inference methods are expected to find grammatical structures hidden in biological sequences. One hopes that studies of grammar serve as an appropriate tool for theory formation. Thus, we have developed JSequitur for automatically generating the grammatical structure of biological sequences in an inference framework of string compression algorithms. Our original motivation was to find any grammatical traits of several cancer genes that can be detected by string compression algorithms. Through this research, we could not find any meaningful unique traits of the cancer genes yet, but we could observe some interesting traits in regards to the relationship among gene length, similarity of sequences, the patterns of the generated grammar, and compression rate.

  14. ETS target genes: Identification of Egr1 as a target by RNA differential display and whole genome PCR techniques

    PubMed Central

    Robinson, Lois; Panayiotakis, Alexandra; Papas, Takis S.; Kola, Ismail; Seth, Arun

    1997-01-01

    ETS transcription factors play important roles in hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, and organogenesis during murine development. The ETS genes also have a role in neoplasia, for example in Ewing’s sarcomas and retrovirally induced cancers. The ETS genes encode transcription factors that bind to specific DNA sequences and activate transcription of various cellular and viral genes. To isolate novel ETS target genes, we used two approaches. In the first approach, we isolated genes by the RNA differential display technique. Previously, we have shown that the overexpression of ETS1 and ETS2 genes effects transformation of NIH 3T3 cells and specific transformants produce high levels of the ETS proteins. To isolate ETS1 and ETS2 responsive genes in these transformed cells, we prepared RNA from ETS1, ETS2 transformants, and normal NIH 3T3 cell lines and converted it into cDNA. This cDNA was amplified by PCR and displayed on sequencing gels. The differentially displayed bands were subcloned into plasmid vectors. By Northern blot analysis, several clones showed differential patterns of mRNA expression in the NIH 3T3-, ETS1-, and ETS2-expressing cell lines. Sixteen clones were analyzed by DNA sequence analysis, and 13 of them appeared to be unique because their DNA sequences did not match with any of the known genes present in the gene bank. Three known genes were found to be identical to the CArG box binding factor, phospholipase A2-activating protein, and early growth response 1 (Egr1) genes. In the second approach, to isolate ETS target promoters directly, we performed ETS1 binding with MboI-cleaved genomic DNA in the presence of a specific mAb followed by whole genome PCR. The immune complex-bound ETS binding sites containing DNA fragments were amplified and subcloned into pBluescript and subjected to DNA sequence and computer analysis. We found that, of a large number of clones isolated, 43 represented unique sequences not previously identified. Three clones turned out to contain regulatory sequences derived from human serglycin, preproapolipoprotein C II, and Egr1 genes. The ETS binding sites derived from these three regulatory sequences showed specific binding with recombinant ETS proteins. Of interest, Egr1 was identified by both of these techniques, suggesting strongly that it is indeed an ETS target gene. PMID:9207063

  15. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Dendrobium nobile.

    PubMed

    Yan, Wenjin; Niu, Zhitao; Zhu, Shuying; Ye, Meirong; Ding, Xiaoyu

    2016-11-01

    The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Dendrobium nobile, an endangered and traditional Chinese medicine with important economic value, is presented in this article. The total genome size is 150,793 bp, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (84,939 bp) and a small single copy region (SSC) (13,310 bp) which were separated by two inverted repeat (IRs) regions (26,272 bp). The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 38.8%. In total, 130 unique genes were annotated and they were consisted of 76 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. Fourteen genes contained one or two introns.

  16. A novel chlorophyll a/b binding (Cab) protein gene from petunia which encodes the lower molecular weight Cab precursor protein.

    PubMed

    Stayton, M M; Black, M; Bedbrook, J; Dunsmuir, P

    1986-12-22

    The 16 petunia Cab genes which have been characterized are all closely related at the nucleotide sequence level and they encode Cab precursor polypeptides which are similar in sequence and length. Here we describe a novel petunia Cab gene which encodes a unique Cab precursor protein. This protein is a member of the smallest class of Cab precursor proteins for which no gene has previously been assigned in petunia or any other species. The features of this Cab precursor protein are that it is shorter by 2-3 amino acids than the formerly characterized Cab precursors, its transit peptide sequence is unrelated, and the mature polypeptide is significantly diverged at the functionally important N terminus from other petunia Cab proteins. Gene structure also discriminates this gene which is the only intron containing Cab gene in petunia genomic DNA.

  17. Wheat EST resources for functional genomics of abiotic stress

    PubMed Central

    Houde, Mario; Belcaid, Mahdi; Ouellet, François; Danyluk, Jean; Monroy, Antonio F; Dryanova, Ani; Gulick, Patrick; Bergeron, Anne; Laroche, André; Links, Matthew G; MacCarthy, Luke; Crosby, William L; Sarhan, Fathey

    2006-01-01

    Background Wheat is an excellent species to study freezing tolerance and other abiotic stresses. However, the sequence of the wheat genome has not been completely characterized due to its complexity and large size. To circumvent this obstacle and identify genes involved in cold acclimation and associated stresses, a large scale EST sequencing approach was undertaken by the Functional Genomics of Abiotic Stress (FGAS) project. Results We generated 73,521 quality-filtered ESTs from eleven cDNA libraries constructed from wheat plants exposed to various abiotic stresses and at different developmental stages. In addition, 196,041 ESTs for which tracefiles were available from the National Science Foundation wheat EST sequencing program and DuPont were also quality-filtered and used in the analysis. Clustering of the combined ESTs with d2_cluster and TGICL yielded a few large clusters containing several thousand ESTs that were refractory to routine clustering techniques. To resolve this problem, the sequence proximity and "bridges" were identified by an e-value distance graph to manually break clusters into smaller groups. Assembly of the resolved ESTs generated a 75,488 unique sequence set (31,580 contigs and 43,908 singletons/singlets). Digital expression analyses indicated that the FGAS dataset is enriched in stress-regulated genes compared to the other public datasets. Over 43% of the unique sequence set was annotated and classified into functional categories according to Gene Ontology. Conclusion We have annotated 29,556 different sequences, an almost 5-fold increase in annotated sequences compared to the available wheat public databases. Digital expression analysis combined with gene annotation helped in the identification of several pathways associated with abiotic stress. The genomic resources and knowledge developed by this project will contribute to a better understanding of the different mechanisms that govern stress tolerance in wheat and other cereals. PMID:16772040

  18. Quantum-Sequencing: Fast electronic single DNA molecule sequencing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casamada Ribot, Josep; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

    2014-03-01

    A major goal of third-generation sequencing technologies is to develop a fast, reliable, enzyme-free, high-throughput and cost-effective, single-molecule sequencing method. Here, we present the first demonstration of unique ``electronic fingerprint'' of all nucleotides (A, G, T, C), with single-molecule DNA sequencing, using Quantum-tunneling Sequencing (Q-Seq) at room temperature. We show that the electronic state of the nucleobases shift depending on the pH, with most distinct states identified at acidic pH. We also demonstrate identification of single nucleotide modifications (methylation here). Using these unique electronic fingerprints (or tunneling data), we report a partial sequence of beta lactamase (bla) gene, which encodes resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, with over 95% success rate. These results highlight the potential of Q-Seq as a robust technique for next-generation sequencing.

  19. The Medicago sativa gene index 1.2: a web-accessible gene expression atlas for investigating expression differences between Medicago sativa subspecies.

    PubMed

    O'Rourke, Jamie A; Fu, Fengli; Bucciarelli, Bruna; Yang, S Sam; Samac, Deborah A; Lamb, JoAnn F S; Monteros, Maria J; Graham, Michelle A; Gronwald, John W; Krom, Nick; Li, Jun; Dai, Xinbin; Zhao, Patrick X; Vance, Carroll P

    2015-07-07

    Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the primary forage legume crop species in the United States and plays essential economic and ecological roles in agricultural systems across the country. Modern alfalfa is the result of hybridization between tetraploid M. sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata. Due to its large and complex genome, there are few genomic resources available for alfalfa improvement. A de novo transcriptome assembly from two alfalfa subspecies, M. sativa ssp. sativa (B47) and M. sativa ssp. falcata (F56) was developed using Illumina RNA-seq technology. Transcripts from roots, nitrogen-fixing root nodules, leaves, flowers, elongating stem internodes, and post-elongation stem internodes were assembled into the Medicago sativa Gene Index 1.2 (MSGI 1.2) representing 112,626 unique transcript sequences. Nodule-specific and transcripts involved in cell wall biosynthesis were identified. Statistical analyses identified 20,447 transcripts differentially expressed between the two subspecies. Pair-wise comparisons of each tissue combination identified 58,932 sequences differentially expressed in B47 and 69,143 sequences differentially expressed in F56. Comparing transcript abundance in floral tissues of B47 and F56 identified expression differences in sequences involved in anthocyanin and carotenoid synthesis, which determine flower pigmentation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unique to each M. sativa subspecies (110,241) were identified. The Medicago sativa Gene Index 1.2 increases the expressed sequence data available for alfalfa by ninefold and can be expanded as additional experiments are performed. The MSGI 1.2 transcriptome sequences, annotations, expression profiles, and SNPs were assembled into the Alfalfa Gene Index and Expression Database (AGED) at http://plantgrn.noble.org/AGED/ , a publicly available genomic resource for alfalfa improvement and legume research.

  20. The first complete chloroplast genome sequence of a lycophyte,Huperzia lucidula (Lycopodiaceae)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wolf, Paul G.; Karol, Kenneth G.; Mandoli, Dina F.

    2005-02-01

    We used a unique combination of techniques to sequence the first complete chloroplast genome of a lycophyte, Huperzia lucidula. This plant belongs to a significant clade hypothesized to represent the sister group to all other vascular plants. We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate the organelles, rolling circle amplification (RCA) to amplify the genome, and shotgun sequencing to 8x depth coverage to obtain the complete chloroplast genome sequence. The genome is 154,373bp, containing inverted repeats of 15,314 bp each, a large single-copy region of 104,088 bp, and a small single-copy region of 19,671 bp. Gene order is more similarmore » to those of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts than to gene order for other vascular plants. For example, the Huperziachloroplast genome possesses the bryophyte gene order for a previously characterized 30 kb inversion, thus supporting the hypothesis that lycophytes are sister to all other extant vascular plants. The lycophytechloroplast genome data also enable a better reconstruction of the basaltracheophyte genome, which is useful for inferring relationships among bryophyte lineages. Several unique characters are observed in Huperzia, such as movement of the gene ndhF from the small single copy region into the inverted repeat. We present several analyses of evolutionary relationships among land plants by using nucleotide data, amino acid sequences, and by comparing gene arrangements from chloroplast genomes. The results, while still tentative pending the large number of chloroplast genomes from other key lineages that are soon to be sequenced, are intriguing in themselves, and contribute to a growing comparative database of genomic and morphological data across the green plants.« less

  1. In silico Analysis of 2085 Clones from a Normalized Rat Vestibular Periphery 3′ cDNA Library

    PubMed Central

    Roche, Joseph P.; Cioffi, Joseph A.; Kwitek, Anne E.; Erbe, Christy B.; Popper, Paul

    2005-01-01

    The inserts from 2400 cDNA clones isolated from a normalized Rattus norvegicus vestibular periphery cDNA library were sequenced and characterized. The Wackym-Soares vestibular 3′ cDNA library was constructed from the saccular and utricular maculae, the ampullae of all three semicircular canals and Scarpa's ganglia containing the somata of the primary afferent neurons, microdissected from 104 male and female rats. The inserts from 2400 randomly selected clones were sequenced from the 5′ end. Each sequence was analyzed using the BLAST algorithm compared to the Genbank nonredundant, rat genome, mouse genome and human genome databases to search for high homology alignments. Of the initial 2400 clones, 315 (13%) were found to be of poor quality and did not yield useful information, and therefore were eliminated from the analysis. Of the remaining 2085 sequences, 918 (44%) were found to represent 758 unique genes having useful annotations that were identified in databases within the public domain or in the published literature; these sequences were designated as known characterized sequences. 1141 sequences (55%) aligned with 1011 unique sequences had no useful annotations and were designated as known but uncharacterized sequences. Of the remaining 26 sequences (1%), 24 aligned with rat genomic sequences, but none matched previously described rat expressed sequence tags or mRNAs. No significant alignment to the rat or human genomic sequences could be found for the remaining 2 sequences. Of the 2085 sequences analyzed, 86% were singletons. The known, characterized sequences were analyzed with the FatiGO online data-mining tool (http://fatigo.bioinfo.cnio.es/) to identify level 5 biological process gene ontology (GO) terms for each alignment and to group alignments with similar or identical GO terms. Numerous genes were identified that have not been previously shown to be expressed in the vestibular system. Further characterization of the novel cDNA sequences may lead to the identification of genes with vestibular-specific functions. Continued analysis of the rat vestibular periphery transcriptome should provide new insights into vestibular function and generate new hypotheses. Physiological studies are necessary to further elucidate the roles of the identified genes and novel sequences in vestibular function. PMID:16103642

  2. A transcriptome resource for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus): insights into koala retrovirus transcription and sequence diversity.

    PubMed

    Hobbs, Matthew; Pavasovic, Ana; King, Andrew G; Prentis, Peter J; Eldridge, Mark D B; Chen, Zhiliang; Colgan, Donald J; Polkinghorne, Adam; Wilkins, Marc R; Flanagan, Cheyne; Gillett, Amber; Hanger, Jon; Johnson, Rebecca N; Timms, Peter

    2014-09-11

    The koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, is a biologically unique and evolutionarily distinct Australian arboreal marsupial. The goal of this study was to sequence the transcriptome from several tissues of two geographically separate koalas, and to create the first comprehensive catalog of annotated transcripts for this species, enabling detailed analysis of the unique attributes of this threatened native marsupial, including infection by the koala retrovirus. RNA-Seq data was generated from a range of tissues from one male and one female koala and assembled de novo into transcripts using Velvet-Oases. Transcript abundance in each tissue was estimated. Transcripts were searched for likely protein-coding regions and a non-redundant set of 117,563 putative protein sequences was produced. In similarity searches there were 84,907 (72%) sequences that aligned to at least one sequence in the NCBI nr protein database. The best alignments were to sequences from other marsupials. After applying a reciprocal best hit requirement of koala sequences to those from tammar wallaby, Tasmanian devil and the gray short-tailed opossum, we estimate that our transcriptome dataset represents approximately 15,000 koala genes. The marsupial alignment information was used to look for potential gene duplications and we report evidence for copy number expansion of the alpha amylase gene, and of an aldehyde reductase gene.Koala retrovirus (KoRV) transcripts were detected in the transcriptomes. These were analysed in detail and the structure of the spliced envelope gene transcript was determined. There was appreciable sequence diversity within KoRV, with 233 sites in the KoRV genome showing small insertions/deletions or single nucleotide polymorphisms. Both koalas had sequences from the KoRV-A subtype, but the male koala transcriptome has, in addition, sequences more closely related to the KoRV-B subtype. This is the first report of a KoRV-B-like sequence in a wild population. This transcriptomic dataset is a useful resource for molecular genetic studies of the koala, for evolutionary genetic studies of marsupials, for validation and annotation of the koala genome sequence, and for investigation of koala retrovirus. Annotated transcripts can be browsed and queried at http://koalagenome.org.

  3. Species specific identification of spore-producing microbes using the gene sequence of small acid-soluble spore coat proteins for amplification based diagnostics

    DOEpatents

    McKinney, Nancy

    2002-01-01

    PCR (polymerase chain reaction) primers for the detection of certain Bacillus species, such as Bacillus anthracis. The primers specifically amplify only DNA found in the target species and can distinguish closely related species. Species-specific PCR primers for Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus globigii and Clostridium perfringens are disclosed. The primers are directed to unique sequences within sasp (small acid soluble protein) genes.

  4. Incorporation of unique molecular identifiers in TruSeq adapters improves the accuracy of quantitative sequencing.

    PubMed

    Hong, Jungeui; Gresham, David

    2017-11-01

    Quantitative analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data requires discriminating duplicate reads generated by PCR from identical molecules that are of unique origin. Typically, PCR duplicates are identified as sequence reads that align to the same genomic coordinates using reference-based alignment. However, identical molecules can be independently generated during library preparation. Misidentification of these molecules as PCR duplicates can introduce unforeseen biases during analyses. Here, we developed a cost-effective sequencing adapter design by modifying Illumina TruSeq adapters to incorporate a unique molecular identifier (UMI) while maintaining the capacity to undertake multiplexed, single-index sequencing. Incorporation of UMIs into TruSeq adapters (TrUMIseq adapters) enables identification of bona fide PCR duplicates as identically mapped reads with identical UMIs. Using TrUMIseq adapters, we show that accurate removal of PCR duplicates results in improved accuracy of both allele frequency (AF) estimation in heterogeneous populations using DNA sequencing and gene expression quantification using RNA-Seq.

  5. Molecular Evolution and Functional Diversification of Replication Protein A1 in Plants

    PubMed Central

    Aklilu, Behailu B.; Culligan, Kevin M.

    2016-01-01

    Replication protein A (RPA) is a heterotrimeric, single-stranded DNA binding complex required for eukaryotic DNA replication, repair, and recombination. RPA is composed of three subunits, RPA1, RPA2, and RPA3. In contrast to single RPA subunit genes generally found in animals and yeast, plants encode multiple paralogs of RPA subunits, suggesting subfunctionalization. Genetic analysis demonstrates that five Arabidopsis thaliana RPA1 paralogs (RPA1A to RPA1E) have unique and overlapping functions in DNA replication, repair, and meiosis. We hypothesize here that RPA1 subfunctionalities will be reflected in major structural and sequence differences among the paralogs. To address this, we analyzed amino acid and nucleotide sequences of RPA1 paralogs from 25 complete genomes representing a wide spectrum of plants and unicellular green algae. We find here that the plant RPA1 gene family is divided into three general groups termed RPA1A, RPA1B, and RPA1C, which likely arose from two progenitor groups in unicellular green algae. In the family Brassicaceae the RPA1B and RPA1C groups have further expanded to include two unique sub-functional paralogs RPA1D and RPA1E, respectively. In addition, RPA1 groups have unique domains, motifs, cis-elements, gene expression profiles, and pattern of conservation that are consistent with proposed functions in monocot and dicot species, including a novel C-terminal zinc-finger domain found only in plant RPA1C-like sequences. These results allow for improved prediction of RPA1 subunit functions in newly sequenced plant genomes, and potentially provide a unique molecular tool to improve classification of Brassicaceae species. PMID:26858742

  6. Characterization of capsaicin synthase and identification of its gene (csy1) for pungency factor capsaicin in pepper (Capsicum sp.)

    PubMed Central

    Prasad, B. C. Narasimha; Kumar, Vinod; Gururaj, H. B.; Parimalan, R.; Giridhar, P.; Ravishankar, G. A.

    2006-01-01

    Capsaicin is a unique alkaloid of the plant kingdom restricted to the genus Capsicum. Capsaicin is the pungency factor, a bioactive molecule of food and of medicinal importance. Capsaicin is useful as a counterirritant, antiarthritic, analgesic, antioxidant, and anticancer agent. Capsaicin biosynthesis involves condensation of vanillylamine and 8-methyl nonenoic acid, brought about by capsaicin synthase (CS). We found that CS activity correlated with genotype-specific capsaicin levels. We purified and characterized CS (≈35 kDa). Immunolocalization studies confirmed that CS is specifically localized to the placental tissues of Capsicum fruits. Western blot analysis revealed concomitant enhancement of CS levels and capsaicin accumulation during fruit development. We determined the N-terminal amino acid sequence of purified CS, cloned the CS gene (csy1) and sequenced full-length cDNA (981 bp). The deduced amino acid sequence of CS from full-length cDNA was 38 kDa. Functionality of csy1 through heterologous expression in recombinant Escherichia coli was also demonstrated. Here we report the gene responsible for capsaicin biosynthesis, which is unique to Capsicum spp. With this information on the CS gene, speculation on the gene for pungency is unequivocally resolved. Our findings have implications in the regulation of capsaicin levels in Capsicum genotypes. PMID:16938870

  7. The Glaciozyma antarctica genome reveals an array of systems that provide sustained responses towards temperature variations in a persistently cold habitat

    PubMed Central

    Hashim, Noor Haza Fazlin; Bharudin, Izwan; Abu Bakar, Mohd Faizal; Huang, Kie Kyon; Alias, Halimah; Lee, Bernard K. B.; Mat Isa, Mohd Noor; Mat-Sharani, Shuhaila; Sulaiman, Suhaila; Tay, Lih Jinq; Zolkefli, Radziah; Muhammad Noor, Yusuf; Law, Douglas Sie Nguong; Abdul Rahman, Siti Hamidah; Md-Illias, Rosli; Abu Bakar, Farah Diba; Najimudin, Nazalan; Abdul Murad, Abdul Munir; Mahadi, Nor Muhammad

    2018-01-01

    Extremely low temperatures present various challenges to life that include ice formation and effects on metabolic capacity. Psyhcrophilic microorganisms typically have an array of mechanisms to enable survival in cold temperatures. In this study, we sequenced and analysed the genome of a psychrophilic yeast isolated in the Antarctic region, Glaciozyma antarctica. The genome annotation identified 7857 protein coding sequences. From the genome sequence analysis we were able to identify genes that encoded for proteins known to be associated with cold survival, in addition to annotating genes that are unique to G. antarctica. For genes that are known to be involved in cold adaptation such as anti-freeze proteins (AFPs), our gene expression analysis revealed that they were differentially transcribed over time and in response to different temperatures. This indicated the presence of an array of adaptation systems that can respond to a changing but persistent cold environment. We were also able to validate the activity of all the AFPs annotated where the recombinant AFPs demonstrated anti-freeze capacity. This work is an important foundation for further collective exploration into psychrophilic microbiology where among other potential, the genes unique to this species may represent a pool of novel mechanisms for cold survival. PMID:29385175

  8. Computational Tools and Algorithms for Designing Customized Synthetic Genes

    PubMed Central

    Gould, Nathan; Hendy, Oliver; Papamichail, Dimitris

    2014-01-01

    Advances in DNA synthesis have enabled the construction of artificial genes, gene circuits, and genomes of bacterial scale. Freedom in de novo design of synthetic constructs provides significant power in studying the impact of mutations in sequence features, and verifying hypotheses on the functional information that is encoded in nucleic and amino acids. To aid this goal, a large number of software tools of variable sophistication have been implemented, enabling the design of synthetic genes for sequence optimization based on rationally defined properties. The first generation of tools dealt predominantly with singular objectives such as codon usage optimization and unique restriction site incorporation. Recent years have seen the emergence of sequence design tools that aim to evolve sequences toward combinations of objectives. The design of optimal protein-coding sequences adhering to multiple objectives is computationally hard, and most tools rely on heuristics to sample the vast sequence design space. In this review, we study some of the algorithmic issues behind gene optimization and the approaches that different tools have adopted to redesign genes and optimize desired coding features. We utilize test cases to demonstrate the efficiency of each approach, as well as identify their strengths and limitations. PMID:25340050

  9. Gene: a gene-centered information resource at NCBI.

    PubMed

    Brown, Garth R; Hem, Vichet; Katz, Kenneth S; Ovetsky, Michael; Wallin, Craig; Ermolaeva, Olga; Tolstoy, Igor; Tatusova, Tatiana; Pruitt, Kim D; Maglott, Donna R; Murphy, Terence D

    2015-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) Gene database (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene) integrates gene-specific information from multiple data sources. NCBI Reference Sequence (RefSeq) genomes for viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes are the primary foundation for Gene records in that they form the critical association between sequence and a tracked gene upon which additional functional and descriptive content is anchored. Additional content is integrated based on the genomic location and RefSeq transcript and protein sequence data. The content of a Gene record represents the integration of curation and automated processing from RefSeq, collaborating model organism databases, consortia such as Gene Ontology, and other databases within NCBI. Records in Gene are assigned unique, tracked integers as identifiers. The content (citations, nomenclature, genomic location, gene products and their attributes, phenotypes, sequences, interactions, variation details, maps, expression, homologs, protein domains and external databases) is available via interactive browsing through NCBI's Entrez system, via NCBI's Entrez programming utilities (E-Utilities and Entrez Direct) and for bulk transfer by FTP. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  10. Transcriptome sequencing reveals high isoform diversity in the ant Formica exsecta

    PubMed Central

    Paviala, Jenni; Morandin, Claire; Wheat, Christopher; Sundström, Liselotte; Helanterä, Heikki

    2017-01-01

    Transcriptome resources for social insects have the potential to provide new insight into polyphenism, i.e., how divergent phenotypes arise from the same genome. Here we present a transcriptome based on paired-end RNA sequencing data for the ant Formica exsecta (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). The RNA sequencing libraries were constructed from samples of several life stages of both sexes and female castes of queens and workers, in order to maximize representation of expressed genes. We first compare the performance of common assembly and scaffolding software (Trinity, Velvet-Oases, and SOAPdenovo-trans), in producing de novo assemblies. Second, we annotate the resulting expressed contigs to the currently published genomes of ants, and other insects, including the honeybee, to filter genes that have annotation evidence of being true genes. Our pipeline resulted in a final assembly of altogether 39,262 mRNA transcripts, with an average coverage of >300X, belonging to 17,496 unique genes with annotation in the related ant species. From these genes, 536 genes were unique to one caste or sex only, highlighting the importance of comprehensive sampling. Our final assembly also showed expression of several splice variants in 6,975 genes, and we show that accounting for splice variants affects the outcome of downstream analyses such as gene ontologies. Our transcriptome provides an outstanding resource for future genetic studies on F. exsecta and other ant species, and the presented transcriptome assembly can be adapted to any non-model species that has genomic resources available from a related taxon. PMID:29177112

  11. Quartz-Seq2: a high-throughput single-cell RNA-sequencing method that effectively uses limited sequence reads.

    PubMed

    Sasagawa, Yohei; Danno, Hiroki; Takada, Hitomi; Ebisawa, Masashi; Tanaka, Kaori; Hayashi, Tetsutaro; Kurisaki, Akira; Nikaido, Itoshi

    2018-03-09

    High-throughput single-cell RNA-seq methods assign limited unique molecular identifier (UMI) counts as gene expression values to single cells from shallow sequence reads and detect limited gene counts. We thus developed a high-throughput single-cell RNA-seq method, Quartz-Seq2, to overcome these issues. Our improvements in the reaction steps make it possible to effectively convert initial reads to UMI counts, at a rate of 30-50%, and detect more genes. To demonstrate the power of Quartz-Seq2, we analyzed approximately 10,000 transcriptomes from in vitro embryonic stem cells and an in vivo stromal vascular fraction with a limited number of reads.

  12. Tissue-Specific Transcriptomics in the Field Cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus

    PubMed Central

    Bailey, Nathan W.; Veltsos, Paris; Tan, Yew-Foon; Millar, A. Harvey; Ritchie, Michael G.; Simmons, Leigh W.

    2013-01-01

    Field crickets (family Gryllidae) frequently are used in studies of behavioral genetics, sexual selection, and sexual conflict, but there have been no studies of transcriptomic differences among different tissue types. We evaluated transcriptome variation among testis, accessory gland, and the remaining whole-body preparations from males of the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Non-normalized cDNA libraries from each tissue were sequenced on the Roche 454 platform, and a master assembly was constructed using testis, accessory gland, and whole-body preparations. A total of 940,200 reads were assembled into 41,962 contigs, to which 36,856 singletons (reads not assembled into a contig) were added to provide a total of 78,818 sequences used in annotation analysis. A total of 59,072 sequences (75%) were unique to one of the three tissues. Testis tissue had the greatest proportion of tissue-specific sequences (62.6%), followed by general body (56.43%) and accessory gland tissue (44.16%). We tested the hypothesis that tissues expressing gene products expected to evolve rapidly as a result of sexual selection—testis and accessory gland—would yield a smaller proportion of BLASTx matches to homologous genes in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster compared with whole-body tissue. Uniquely expressed sequences in both testis and accessory gland showed a significantly lower rate of matching to annotated D. melanogaster genes compared with those from general body tissue. These results correspond with empirical evidence that genes expressed in testis and accessory gland tissue are rapidly evolving targets of selection. PMID:23390599

  13. Tissue-specific transcriptomics in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Nathan W; Veltsos, Paris; Tan, Yew-Foon; Millar, A Harvey; Ritchie, Michael G; Simmons, Leigh W

    2013-02-01

    Field crickets (family Gryllidae) frequently are used in studies of behavioral genetics, sexual selection, and sexual conflict, but there have been no studies of transcriptomic differences among different tissue types. We evaluated transcriptome variation among testis, accessory gland, and the remaining whole-body preparations from males of the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Non-normalized cDNA libraries from each tissue were sequenced on the Roche 454 platform, and a master assembly was constructed using testis, accessory gland, and whole-body preparations. A total of 940,200 reads were assembled into 41,962 contigs, to which 36,856 singletons (reads not assembled into a contig) were added to provide a total of 78,818 sequences used in annotation analysis. A total of 59,072 sequences (75%) were unique to one of the three tissues. Testis tissue had the greatest proportion of tissue-specific sequences (62.6%), followed by general body (56.43%) and accessory gland tissue (44.16%). We tested the hypothesis that tissues expressing gene products expected to evolve rapidly as a result of sexual selection--testis and accessory gland--would yield a smaller proportion of BLASTx matches to homologous genes in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster compared with whole-body tissue. Uniquely expressed sequences in both testis and accessory gland showed a significantly lower rate of matching to annotated D. melanogaster genes compared with those from general body tissue. These results correspond with empirical evidence that genes expressed in testis and accessory gland tissue are rapidly evolving targets of selection.

  14. Androgen Receptor and its Splice Variant, AR-V7, Differentially Regulate FOXA1 Sensitive Genes in LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cells

    PubMed Central

    Krause, William C.; Shafi, Ayesha A.; Nakka, Manjula; Weigel, Nancy L.

    2014-01-01

    Prostate cancer (PCa) is an androgen-dependent disease, and tumors that are resistant to androgen ablation therapy often remain androgen receptor (AR) dependent. Among the contributors to castration-resistant PCa are AR splice variants that lack the ligand-binding domain (LBD). Instead, they have small amounts of unique sequence derived from cryptic exons or from out of frame translation. The AR-V7 (or AR3) variant is constitutively active and is expressed under conditions consistent with CRPC. AR-V7 is reported to regulate a transcriptional program that is similar but not identical to that of AR. However, it is unknown whether these differences are due to the unique sequence in AR-V7, or simply to loss of the LBD. To examine transcriptional regulation by AR-V7, we have used lentiviruses encoding AR-V7 (amino acids 1-627 of AR with the 16 amino acids unique to the variant) to prepare a derivative of the androgen-dependent LNCaP cells with inducible expression of AR-V7. An additional cell line was generated with regulated expression of AR-NTD (amino acids 1-660 of AR); this mutant lacks the LBD but does not have the AR-V7 specific sequence. We find that AR and AR-V7 have distinct activities on target genes that are co-regulated by FOXA1. Transcripts regulated by AR-V7 were similarly regulated by AR-NTD, indicating that loss of the LBD is sufficient for the observed differences. Differential regulation of target genes correlates with preferential recruitment of AR or AR-V7 to specific cis-regulatory DNA sequences providing an explanation for some of the observed differences in target gene regulation. PMID:25008967

  15. The genome of Mesobuthus martensii reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods

    PubMed Central

    Cao, Zhijian; Yu, Yao; Wu, Yingliang; Hao, Pei; Di, Zhiyong; He, Yawen; Chen, Zongyun; Yang, Weishan; Shen, Zhiyong; He, Xiaohua; Sheng, Jia; Xu, Xiaobo; Pan, Bohu; Feng, Jing; Yang, Xiaojuan; Hong, Wei; Zhao, Wenjuan; Li, Zhongjie; Huang, Kai; Li, Tian; Kong, Yimeng; Liu, Hui; Jiang, Dahe; Zhang, Binyan; Hu, Jun; Hu, Youtian; Wang, Bin; Dai, Jianliang; Yuan, Bifeng; Feng, Yuqi; Huang, Wei; Xing, Xiaojing; Zhao, Guoping; Li, Xuan; Li, Yixue; Li, Wenxin

    2013-01-01

    Representing a basal branch of arachnids, scorpions are known as ‘living fossils’ that maintain an ancient anatomy and are adapted to have survived extreme climate changes. Here we report the genome sequence of Mesobuthus martensii, containing 32,016 protein-coding genes, the most among sequenced arthropods. Although M. martensii appears to evolve conservatively, it has a greater gene family turnover than the insects that have undergone diverse morphological and physiological changes, suggesting the decoupling of the molecular and morphological evolution in scorpions. Underlying the long-term adaptation of scorpions is the expansion of the gene families enriched in basic metabolic pathways, signalling pathways, neurotoxins and cytochrome P450, and the different dynamics of expansion between the shared and the scorpion lineage-specific gene families. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses further illustrate the important genetic features associated with prey, nocturnal behaviour, feeding and detoxification. The M. martensii genome reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods, offering new insights into the genetic bases of the living fossils. PMID:24129506

  16. From the Cover: Genome analysis of the smallest free-living eukaryote Ostreococcus tauri unveils many unique features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Derelle, Evelyne; Ferraz, Conchita; Rombauts, Stephane; Rouzé, Pierre; Worden, Alexandra Z.; Robbens, Steven; Partensky, Frédéric; Degroeve, Sven; Echeynié, Sophie; Cooke, Richard; Saeys, Yvan; Wuyts, Jan; Jabbari, Kamel; Bowler, Chris; Panaud, Olivier; Piégu, Benoît; Ball, Steven G.; Ral, Jean-Philippe; Bouget, François-Yves; Piganeau, Gwenael; de Baets, Bernard; Picard, André; Delseny, Michel; Demaille, Jacques; van de Peer, Yves; Moreau, Hervé

    2006-08-01

    The green lineage is reportedly 1,500 million years old, evolving shortly after the endosymbiosis event that gave rise to early photosynthetic eukaryotes. In this study, we unveil the complete genome sequence of an ancient member of this lineage, the unicellular green alga Ostreococcus tauri (Prasinophyceae). This cosmopolitan marine primary producer is the world's smallest free-living eukaryote known to date. Features likely reflecting optimization of environmentally relevant pathways, including resource acquisition, unusual photosynthesis apparatus, and genes potentially involved in C4 photosynthesis, were observed, as was downsizing of many gene families. Overall, the 12.56-Mb nuclear genome has an extremely high gene density, in part because of extensive reduction of intergenic regions and other forms of compaction such as gene fusion. However, the genome is structurally complex. It exhibits previously unobserved levels of heterogeneity for a eukaryote. Two chromosomes differ structurally from the other eighteen. Both have a significantly biased G+C content, and, remarkably, they contain the majority of transposable elements. Many chromosome 2 genes also have unique codon usage and splicing, but phylogenetic analysis and composition do not support alien gene origin. In contrast, most chromosome 19 genes show no similarity to green lineage genes and a large number of them are specialized in cell surface processes. Taken together, the complete genome sequence, unusual features, and downsized gene families, make O. tauri an ideal model system for research on eukaryotic genome evolution, including chromosome specialization and green lineage ancestry. genome heterogeneity | genome sequence | green alga | Prasinophyceae | gene prediction

  17. Draft genome analysis provides insights into the fiber yield, crude protein biosynthesis, and vegetative growth of domesticated ramie (Boehmeria nivea L. Gaud).

    PubMed

    Liu, Chan; Zeng, Liangbin; Zhu, Siyuan; Wu, Lingqing; Wang, Yanzhou; Tang, Shouwei; Wang, Hongwu; Zheng, Xia; Zhao, Jian; Chen, Xiaorong; Dai, Qiuzhong; Liu, Touming

    2017-11-15

    Plentiful bast fiber, a high crude protein content, and vigorous vegetative growth make ramie a popular fiber and forage crop. Here, we report the draft genome of ramie, along with a genomic comparison and evolutionary analysis. The draft genome contained a sequence of approximately 335.6 Mb with 42,463 predicted genes. A high-density genetic map with 4,338 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was developed and used to anchor the genome sequence, thus, creating an integrated genetic and physical map containing a 58.2-Mb genome sequence and 4,304 molecular markers. A genomic comparison identified 1,075 unique gene families in ramie, containing 4,082 genes. Among these unique genes, five were cellulose synthase genes that were specifically expressed in stem bark, and 3 encoded a WAT1-related protein, suggesting that they are probably related to high bast fiber yield. An evolutionary analysis detected 106 positively selected genes, 22 of which were related to nitrogen metabolism, indicating that they are probably responsible for the crude protein content and vegetative growth of domesticated varieties. This study is the first to characterize the genome and develop a high-density genetic map of ramie and provides a basis for the genetic and molecular study of this crop. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

  18. Comparative transcriptomics of Entelegyne spiders (Araneae, Entelegynae), with emphasis on molecular evolution of orphan genes.

    PubMed

    Carlson, David E; Hedin, Marshal

    2017-01-01

    Next-generation sequencing technology is rapidly transforming the landscape of evolutionary biology, and has become a cost-effective and efficient means of collecting exome information for non-model organisms. Due to their taxonomic diversity, production of interesting venom and silk proteins, and the relative scarcity of existing genomic resources, spiders in particular are excellent targets for next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods. In this study, the transcriptomes of six entelegyne spider species from three genera (Cicurina travisae, C. vibora, Habronattus signatus, H. ustulatus, Nesticus bishopi, and N. cooperi) were sequenced and de novo assembled. Each assembly was assessed for quality and completeness and functionally annotated using gene ontology information. Approximately 100 transcripts with evidence of homology to venom proteins were discovered. After identifying more than 3,000 putatively orthologous genes across all six taxa, we used comparative analyses to identify 24 instances of positively selected genes. In addition, between ~ 550 and 1,100 unique orphan genes were found in each genus. These unique, uncharacterized genes exhibited elevated rates of amino acid substitution, potentially consistent with lineage-specific adaptive evolution. The data generated for this study represent a valuable resource for future phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary research, and our results provide new insight into the forces driving genome evolution in taxa that span the root of entelegyne spider phylogeny.

  19. Transcriptome sequencing and whole genome expression profiling of chrysanthemum under dehydration stress

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Chrysanthemum is one of the most important ornamental crops in the world and drought stress seriously limits its production and distribution. In order to generate a functional genomics resource and obtain a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms regarding chrysanthemum responses to dehydration stress, we performed large-scale transcriptome sequencing of chrysanthemum plants under dehydration stress using the Illumina sequencing technology. Results Two cDNA libraries constructed from mRNAs of control and dehydration-treated seedlings were sequenced by Illumina technology. A total of more than 100 million reads were generated and de novo assembled into 98,180 unique transcripts which were further extensively annotated by comparing their sequencing to different protein databases. Biochemical pathways were predicted from these transcript sequences. Furthermore, we performed gene expression profiling analysis upon dehydration treatment in chrysanthemum and identified 8,558 dehydration-responsive unique transcripts, including 307 transcription factors and 229 protein kinases and many well-known stress responsive genes. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment and biochemical pathway analyses showed that dehydration stress caused changes in hormone response, secondary and amino acid metabolism, and light and photoperiod response. These findings suggest that drought tolerance of chrysanthemum plants may be related to the regulation of hormone biosynthesis and signaling, reduction of oxidative damage, stabilization of cell proteins and structures, and maintenance of energy and carbon supply. Conclusions Our transcriptome sequences can provide a valuable resource for chrysanthemum breeding and research and novel insights into chrysanthemum responses to dehydration stress and offer candidate genes or markers that can be used to guide future studies attempting to breed drought tolerant chrysanthemum cultivars. PMID:24074255

  20. Micronuclear DNA of Oxytricha nova contains sequences with autonomously replicating activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed Central

    Colombo, M M; Swanton, M T; Donini, P; Prescott, D M

    1984-01-01

    Oxytricha nova is a hypotrichous ciliate with micronuclei and macronuclei. Micronuclei, which contain large, chromosomal-sized DNA, are genetically inert but undergo meiosis and exchange during cell mating. Macronuclei, which contain only small, gene-sized DNA molecules, provide all of the nuclear RNA needed to run the cell. After cell mating the macronucleus is derived from a micronucleus, a derivation that includes excision of the genes from chromosomes and elimination of the remaining DNA. The eliminated DNA includes all of the repetitious sequences and approximately 95% of the unique sequences. We cloned large restriction fragments from the micronucleus that confer replication ability on a replication-deficient plasmid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sequences that confer replication ability are called autonomously replicating sequences. The frequency and effectiveness of autonomously replicating sequences in micronuclear DNA are similar to those reported for DNAs of other organisms introduced into yeast cells. Of the 12 micronuclear fragments with autonomously replicating sequence activity, 9 also showed homology to macronuclear DNA, indicating that they contain a macronuclear gene sequence. We conclude from this that autonomously replicating sequence activity is nonrandomly distributed throughout micronuclear DNA and is preferentially associated with those regions of micronuclear DNA that contain genes. Images PMID:6092934

  1. De novo transcriptome sequencing of axolotl blastema for identification of differentially expressed genes during limb regeneration

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Salamanders are unique among vertebrates in their ability to completely regenerate amputated limbs through the mediation of blastema cells located at the stump ends. This regeneration is nerve-dependent because blastema formation and regeneration does not occur after limb denervation. To obtain the genomic information of blastema tissues, de novo transcriptomes from both blastema tissues and denervated stump ends of Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotls) 14 days post-amputation were sequenced and compared using Solexa DNA sequencing. Results The sequencing done for this study produced 40,688,892 reads that were assembled into 307,345 transcribed sequences. The N50 of transcribed sequence length was 562 bases. A similarity search with known proteins identified 39,200 different genes to be expressed during limb regeneration with a cut-off E-value exceeding 10-5. We annotated assembled sequences by using gene descriptions, gene ontology, and clusters of orthologous group terms. Targeted searches using these annotations showed that the majority of the genes were in the categories of essential metabolic pathways, transcription factors and conserved signaling pathways, and novel candidate genes for regenerative processes. We discovered and confirmed numerous sequences of the candidate genes by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that de novo transcriptome sequencing allows gene expression analysis in a species lacking genome information and provides the most comprehensive mRNA sequence resources for axolotls. The characterization of the axolotl transcriptome can help elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying blastema formation during limb regeneration. PMID:23815514

  2. Structural analysis of a set of proteins resulting from a bacterial genomics project.

    PubMed

    Badger, J; Sauder, J M; Adams, J M; Antonysamy, S; Bain, K; Bergseid, M G; Buchanan, S G; Buchanan, M D; Batiyenko, Y; Christopher, J A; Emtage, S; Eroshkina, A; Feil, I; Furlong, E B; Gajiwala, K S; Gao, X; He, D; Hendle, J; Huber, A; Hoda, K; Kearins, P; Kissinger, C; Laubert, B; Lewis, H A; Lin, J; Loomis, K; Lorimer, D; Louie, G; Maletic, M; Marsh, C D; Miller, I; Molinari, J; Muller-Dieckmann, H J; Newman, J M; Noland, B W; Pagarigan, B; Park, F; Peat, T S; Post, K W; Radojicic, S; Ramos, A; Romero, R; Rutter, M E; Sanderson, W E; Schwinn, K D; Tresser, J; Winhoven, J; Wright, T A; Wu, L; Xu, J; Harris, T J R

    2005-09-01

    The targets of the Structural GenomiX (SGX) bacterial genomics project were proteins conserved in multiple prokaryotic organisms with no obvious sequence homolog in the Protein Data Bank of known structures. The outcome of this work was 80 structures, covering 60 unique sequences and 49 different genes. Experimental phase determination from proteins incorporating Se-Met was carried out for 45 structures with most of the remainder solved by molecular replacement using members of the experimentally phased set as search models. An automated tool was developed to deposit these structures in the Protein Data Bank, along with the associated X-ray diffraction data (including refined experimental phases) and experimentally confirmed sequences. BLAST comparisons of the SGX structures with structures that had appeared in the Protein Data Bank over the intervening 3.5 years since the SGX target list had been compiled identified homologs for 49 of the 60 unique sequences represented by the SGX structures. This result indicates that, for bacterial structures that are relatively easy to express, purify, and crystallize, the structural coverage of gene space is proceeding rapidly. More distant sequence-structure relationships between the SGX and PDB structures were investigated using PDB-BLAST and Combinatorial Extension (CE). Only one structure, SufD, has a truly unique topology compared to all folds in the PDB. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. Organization and transient expression of the gene for human U11 snRNA

    PubMed Central

    Clemens, Suter-Crazzolara; Walter, Keller

    1991-01-01

    The nucleotide sequence of U11 small nuclear RNA, a minor U RNA from HeLa cells, was determined. Computer analysis of the sequence (135 residues) predicts two strong hairpin loops which are separated by seventeen nucleotides containing an Sm binding site (AAUUUUUUGG). A synthetic gene was constructed in which the coding region of U11 RNA is under the control of a T7 promoter. This vector can be used to produce U11 RNA in vitro. Southern hybridization and PCR analysis of HeLa genomic DNA suggest that U11 RNA is encoded by a single copy gene, and that at least three genomic regions could be U11 RNA pseudogenes. A HeLa genomic copy of a U11 gene was isolated by inverted PCR. This gene contains the U11 RNA coding sequence and several sequence elements unique for the U RNA genes. These include a Distal Sequence Element (DSE, ATTTGCATA) present between positions −215 and −223 relative to the start of transcription; a Proximal Sequence Element (PSE, TTCACCTTTACCAAAAATG) located between positions −43 and −63 ; and a 3′box (GTTAGGCGAAATATTA) between positions +150 and +166. Transfection of HeLa cells with this gene revealed that it is functioning in vivo and can produce U11 RNA. PMID:1820214

  4. Digital transcriptome analysis of putative sex-determination genes in papaya (Carica papaya).

    PubMed

    Urasaki, Naoya; Tarora, Kazuhiko; Shudo, Ayano; Ueno, Hiroki; Tamaki, Moritoshi; Miyagi, Norimichi; Adaniya, Shinichi; Matsumura, Hideo

    2012-01-01

    Papaya (Carica papaya) is a trioecious plant species that has male, female and hermaphrodite flowers on different plants. The primitive sex chromosomes genetically determine the sex of the papaya. Although draft sequences of the papaya genome are already available, the genes for sex determination have not been identified, likely due to the complicated structure of its sex-chromosome sequences. To identify the candidate genes for sex determination, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of flower samples from male, female and hermaphrodite plants using high-throughput SuperSAGE for digital gene expression analysis. Among the short sequence tags obtained from the transcripts, 312 unique tags were specifically mapped to the primitive sex chromosome (X or Y(h)) sequences. An annotation analysis revealed that retroelements are the most abundant sequences observed in the genes corresponding to these tags. The majority of tags on the sex chromosomes were located on the X chromosome, and only 30 tags were commonly mapped to both the X and Y(h) chromosome, implying a loss of many genes on the Y(h) chromosome. Nevertheless, candidate Y(h) chromosome-specific female determination genes, including a MADS-box gene, were identified. Information on these sex chromosome-specific expressed genes will help elucidating sex determination in the papaya.

  5. Digital Transcriptome Analysis of Putative Sex-Determination Genes in Papaya (Carica papaya)

    PubMed Central

    Urasaki, Naoya; Tarora, Kazuhiko; Shudo, Ayano; Ueno, Hiroki; Tamaki, Moritoshi; Miyagi, Norimichi; Adaniya, Shinichi; Matsumura, Hideo

    2012-01-01

    Papaya (Carica papaya) is a trioecious plant species that has male, female and hermaphrodite flowers on different plants. The primitive sex chromosomes genetically determine the sex of the papaya. Although draft sequences of the papaya genome are already available, the genes for sex determination have not been identified, likely due to the complicated structure of its sex-chromosome sequences. To identify the candidate genes for sex determination, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of flower samples from male, female and hermaphrodite plants using high-throughput SuperSAGE for digital gene expression analysis. Among the short sequence tags obtained from the transcripts, 312 unique tags were specifically mapped to the primitive sex chromosome (X or Yh) sequences. An annotation analysis revealed that retroelements are the most abundant sequences observed in the genes corresponding to these tags. The majority of tags on the sex chromosomes were located on the X chromosome, and only 30 tags were commonly mapped to both the X and Yh chromosome, implying a loss of many genes on the Yh chromosome. Nevertheless, candidate Yh chromosome-specific female determination genes, including a MADS-box gene, were identified. Information on these sex chromosome-specific expressed genes will help elucidating sex determination in the papaya. PMID:22815863

  6. Differential expression of Meis2, Mab21l2 and Tbx3 during limb development associated with diversification of limb morphology in mammals.

    PubMed

    Dai, Mengyao; Wang, Yao; Fang, Lu; Irwin, David M; Zhu, Tengteng; Zhang, Junpeng; Zhang, Shuyi; Wang, Zhe

    2014-01-01

    Bats are the only mammals capable of self-powered flight using wings. Differing from mouse or human limbs, four elongated digits within a broad wing membrane support the bat wing, and the foot of the bat has evolved a long calcar that spread the interfemoral membrane. Our recent mRNA sequencing (mRNA-Seq) study found unique expression patterns for genes at the 5' end of the Hoxd gene cluster and for Tbx3 that are associated with digit elongation and wing membrane growth in bats. In this study, we focused on two additional genes, Meis2 and Mab21l2, identified from the mRNA-Seq data. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) we validated the mRNA-Seq results for differences in the expression patterns of Meis2 and Mab21l2 between bat and mouse limbs, and further characterize the timing and location of the expression of these two genes. These analyses suggest that Meis2 may function in wing membrane growth and Mab21l2 may have a role in AP and DV axial patterning. In addition, we found that Tbx3 is uniquely expressed in the unique calcar structure found in the bat hindlimb, suggesting a role for this gene in calcar growth and elongation. Moreover, analysis of the coding sequences for Meis2, Mab21l2 and Tbx3 showed that Meis2 and Mab21l2 have high sequence identity, consistent with the functions of genes being conserved, but that Tbx3 showed accelerated evolution in bats. However, evidence for positive selection in Tbx3 was not found, which would suggest that the function of this gene has not been changed. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that the modulation of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of multiple functional conserved genes control limb morphology and drive morphological change in the diversification of mammalian limbs.

  7. Differential Expression of Meis2, Mab21l2 and Tbx3 during Limb Development Associated with Diversification of Limb Morphology in Mammals

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Lu; Irwin, David M.; Zhu, Tengteng; Zhang, Junpeng; Zhang, Shuyi; Wang, Zhe

    2014-01-01

    Bats are the only mammals capable of self-powered flight using wings. Differing from mouse or human limbs, four elongated digits within a broad wing membrane support the bat wing, and the foot of the bat has evolved a long calcar that spread the interfemoral membrane. Our recent mRNA sequencing (mRNA-Seq) study found unique expression patterns for genes at the 5′ end of the Hoxd gene cluster and for Tbx3 that are associated with digit elongation and wing membrane growth in bats. In this study, we focused on two additional genes, Meis2 and Mab21l2, identified from the mRNA-Seq data. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) we validated the mRNA-Seq results for differences in the expression patterns of Meis2 and Mab21l2 between bat and mouse limbs, and further characterize the timing and location of the expression of these two genes. These analyses suggest that Meis2 may function in wing membrane growth and Mab21l2 may have a role in AP and DV axial patterning. In addition, we found that Tbx3 is uniquely expressed in the unique calcar structure found in the bat hindlimb, suggesting a role for this gene in calcar growth and elongation. Moreover, analysis of the coding sequences for Meis2, Mab21l2 and Tbx3 showed that Meis2 and Mab21l2 have high sequence identity, consistent with the functions of genes being conserved, but that Tbx3 showed accelerated evolution in bats. However, evidence for positive selection in Tbx3 was not found, which would suggest that the function of this gene has not been changed. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that the modulation of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of multiple functional conserved genes control limb morphology and drive morphological change in the diversification of mammalian limbs. PMID:25166052

  8. Ketide Synthase (KS) Domain Prediction and Analysis of Iterative Type II PKS Gene in Marine Sponge-Associated Actinobacteria Producing Biosurfactants and Antimicrobial Agents

    PubMed Central

    Selvin, Joseph; Sathiyanarayanan, Ganesan; Lipton, Anuj N.; Al-Dhabi, Naif Abdullah; Valan Arasu, Mariadhas; Kiran, George S.

    2016-01-01

    The important biological macromolecules, such as lipopeptide and glycolipid biosurfactant producing marine actinobacteria were analyzed and their potential linkage between type II polyketide synthase (PKS) genes was explored. A unique feature of type II PKS genes is their high amino acid (AA) sequence homology and conserved gene organization. These enzymes mediate the biosynthesis of polyketide natural products with enormous structural complexity and chemical nature by combinatorial use of various domains. Therefore, deciphering the order of AA sequence encoded by PKS domains tailored the chemical structure of polyketide analogs still remains a great challenge. The present work deals with an in vitro and in silico analysis of PKS type II genes from five actinobacterial species to correlate KS domain architecture and structural features. Our present analysis reveals the unique protein domain organization of iterative type II PKS and KS domain of marine actinobacteria. The findings of this study would have implications in metabolic pathway reconstruction and design of semi-synthetic genomes to achieve rational design of novel natural products. PMID:26903957

  9. Analysis of the genome-wide variations among multiple strains of the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa

    PubMed Central

    Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Yao, Jiqiang; Lin, Hong; Walker, M Andrew; Civerolo, Edwin L

    2006-01-01

    Background The Gram-negative, xylem-limited phytopathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for causing economically important diseases in grapevine, citrus and many other plant species. Despite its economic impact, relatively little is known about the genomic variations among strains isolated from different hosts and their influence on the population genetics of this pathogen. With the availability of genome sequence information for four strains, it is now possible to perform genome-wide analyses to identify and categorize such DNA variations and to understand their influence on strain functional divergence. Results There are 1,579 genes and 194 non-coding homologous sequences present in the genomes of all four strains, representing a 76. 2% conservation of the sequenced genome. About 60% of the X. fastidiosa unique sequences exist as tandem gene clusters of 6 or more genes. Multiple alignments identified 12,754 SNPs and 14,449 INDELs in the 1528 common genes and 20,779 SNPs and 10,075 INDELs in the 194 non-coding sequences. The average SNP frequency was 1.08 × 10-2 per base pair of DNA and the average INDEL frequency was 2.06 × 10-2 per base pair of DNA. On an average, 60.33% of the SNPs were synonymous type while 39.67% were non-synonymous type. The mutation frequency, primarily in the form of external INDELs was the main type of sequence variation. The relative similarity between the strains was discussed according to the INDEL and SNP differences. The number of genes unique to each strain were 60 (9a5c), 54 (Dixon), 83 (Ann1) and 9 (Temecula-1). A sub-set of the strain specific genes showed significant differences in terms of their codon usage and GC composition from the native genes suggesting their xenologous origin. Tandem repeat analysis of the genomic sequences of the four strains identified associations of repeat sequences with hypothetical and phage related functions. Conclusion INDELs and strain specific genes have been identified as the main source of variations among strains, with individual strains showing different rates of genome evolution. Based on these genome comparisons, it appears that the Pierce's disease strain Temecula-1 genome represents the ancestral genome of the X. fastidiosa. Results of this analysis are publicly available in the form of a web database. PMID:16948851

  10. The king cobra genome reveals dynamic gene evolution and adaptation in the snake venom system.

    PubMed

    Vonk, Freek J; Casewell, Nicholas R; Henkel, Christiaan V; Heimberg, Alysha M; Jansen, Hans J; McCleary, Ryan J R; Kerkkamp, Harald M E; Vos, Rutger A; Guerreiro, Isabel; Calvete, Juan J; Wüster, Wolfgang; Woods, Anthony E; Logan, Jessica M; Harrison, Robert A; Castoe, Todd A; de Koning, A P Jason; Pollock, David D; Yandell, Mark; Calderon, Diego; Renjifo, Camila; Currier, Rachel B; Salgado, David; Pla, Davinia; Sanz, Libia; Hyder, Asad S; Ribeiro, José M C; Arntzen, Jan W; van den Thillart, Guido E E J M; Boetzer, Marten; Pirovano, Walter; Dirks, Ron P; Spaink, Herman P; Duboule, Denis; McGlinn, Edwina; Kini, R Manjunatha; Richardson, Michael K

    2013-12-17

    Snakes are limbless predators, and many species use venom to help overpower relatively large, agile prey. Snake venoms are complex protein mixtures encoded by several multilocus gene families that function synergistically to cause incapacitation. To examine venom evolution, we sequenced and interrogated the genome of a venomous snake, the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), and compared it, together with our unique transcriptome, microRNA, and proteome datasets from this species, with data from other vertebrates. In contrast to the platypus, the only other venomous vertebrate with a sequenced genome, we find that snake toxin genes evolve through several distinct co-option mechanisms and exhibit surprisingly variable levels of gene duplication and directional selection that correlate with their functional importance in prey capture. The enigmatic accessory venom gland shows a very different pattern of toxin gene expression from the main venom gland and seems to have recruited toxin-like lectin genes repeatedly for new nontoxic functions. In addition, tissue-specific microRNA analyses suggested the co-option of core genetic regulatory components of the venom secretory system from a pancreatic origin. Although the king cobra is limbless, we recovered coding sequences for all Hox genes involved in amniote limb development, with the exception of Hoxd12. Our results provide a unique view of the origin and evolution of snake venom and reveal multiple genome-level adaptive responses to natural selection in this complex biological weapon system. More generally, they provide insight into mechanisms of protein evolution under strong selection.

  11. Analysis of xylem formation in pine by cDNA sequencing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allona, I.; Quinn, M.; Shoop, E.; Swope, K.; St Cyr, S.; Carlis, J.; Riedl, J.; Retzel, E.; Campbell, M. M.; Sederoff, R.; hide

    1998-01-01

    Secondary xylem (wood) formation is likely to involve some genes expressed rarely or not at all in herbaceous plants. Moreover, environmental and developmental stimuli influence secondary xylem differentiation, producing morphological and chemical changes in wood. To increase our understanding of xylem formation, and to provide material for comparative analysis of gymnosperm and angiosperm sequences, ESTs were obtained from immature xylem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). A total of 1,097 single-pass sequences were obtained from 5' ends of cDNAs made from gravistimulated tissue from bent trees. Cluster analysis detected 107 groups of similar sequences, ranging in size from 2 to 20 sequences. A total of 361 sequences fell into these groups, whereas 736 sequences were unique. About 55% of the pine EST sequences show similarity to previously described sequences in public databases. About 10% of the recognized genes encode factors involved in cell wall formation. Sequences similar to cell wall proteins, most known lignin biosynthetic enzymes, and several enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were found. A number of putative regulatory proteins also are represented. Expression patterns of several of these genes were studied in various tissues and organs of pine. Sequencing novel genes expressed during xylem formation will provide a powerful means of identifying mechanisms controlling this important differentiation pathway.

  12. De novo sequencing and analysis of the transcriptome of Panax ginseng in the leaf-expansion period.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shichao; Wang, Siming; Liu, Meichen; Yang, Fei; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Shiyang; Wang, Qun; Zhao, Yu

    2016-08-01

    Panax ginseng, a traditional Chinese medicine, is used worldwide for its variety of health benefits and its treatment efficacy. However, it is difficult to cultivate due to its vulnerability to environmental stresses. The present study provided the first report, to the best of our knowledge, of transcriptome analysis of ginseng at the leaf‑expansion stage. Using the Illumina sequencing platform, >40,000,000 high‑quality paired‑end reads were obtained and assembled into 100,533 unique sequences. When the sequences were searched against the publicly available National Center for Biotechnology Information protein database using The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, 61,599 sequences exhibited similarity to known proteins. Functional annotation and classification, including use of the Gene Ontology, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases, revealed that the activated genes in ginseng were predominantly ribonuclease‑like storage genes, environmental stress genes, pathogenesis-related genes and other antioxidant genes. A number of candidate genes in environmental stress‑associated pathways were also identified. These novel data provide useful information on the growth and development stages of ginseng, and serve as an important public information platform for further understanding of the molecular mechanisms and functional genomics of ginseng.

  13. Analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2) gene in giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

    PubMed

    Ling, S S; Zhu, Y; Lan, D; Li, D S; Pang, H Z; Wang, Y; Li, D Y; Wei, R P; Zhang, H M; Wang, C D; Hu, Y D

    2017-01-23

    The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Ursidae), has a unique bamboo-based diet; however, this low-energy intake has been sufficient to maintain the metabolic processes of this species since the fourth ice age. As mitochondria are the main sites for energy metabolism in animals, the protein-coding genes involved in mitochondrial respiratory chains, particularly cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2), which is the rate-limiting enzyme in electron transfer, could play an important role in giant panda metabolism. Therefore, the present study aimed to isolate, sequence, and analyze the COX2 DNA from individuals kept at the Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, China, and compare these sequences with those of the other Ursidae family members. Multiple sequence alignment showed that the COX2 gene had three point mutations that defined three haplotypes, with 60% of the sequences corresponding to haplotype I. The neutrality tests revealed that the COX2 gene was conserved throughout evolution, and the maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, using homologous sequences from other Ursidae species, showed clustering of the COX2 sequences of giant pandas, suggesting that this gene evolved differently in them.

  14. New mutations in the NHS gene in Nance-Horan Syndrome families from the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Florijn, Ralph J; Loves, Willem; Maillette de Buy Wenniger-Prick, Liesbeth J J M; Mannens, Marcel M A M; Tijmes, Nel; Brooks, Simon P; Hardcastle, Alison J; Bergen, Arthur A B

    2006-09-01

    Mutations in the NHS gene cause Nance-Horan Syndrome (NHS), a rare X-chromosomal recessive disorder with variable features, including congenital cataract, microphthalmia, a peculiar form of the ear and dental anomalies. We investigated the NHS gene in four additional families with NHS from the Netherlands, by dHPLC and direct sequencing. We identified an unique mutation in each family. Three out of these four mutations were not reported before. We report here the first splice site sequence alteration mutation and three protein truncating mutations. Our results suggest that X-linked cataract and NHS are allelic disorders.

  15. Comparative analyses of putative toxin gene homologs from an Old World viper, Daboia russelii

    PubMed Central

    Krishnan, Neeraja M.

    2017-01-01

    Availability of snake genome sequences has opened up exciting areas of research on comparative genomics and gene diversity. One of the challenges in studying snake genomes is the acquisition of biological material from live animals, especially from the venomous ones, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming. Here, we report comparative sequence analyses of putative toxin gene homologs from Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) using whole-genome sequencing data obtained from shed skin. When compared with the major venom proteins in Russell’s viper studied previously, we found 45–100% sequence similarity between the venom proteins and their putative homologs in the skin. Additionally, comparative analyses of 20 putative toxin gene family homologs provided evidence of unique sequence motifs in nerve growth factor (NGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), Kunitz/Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz BPTI), cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, andpathogenesis-related1 proteins (CAP) and cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP). In those derived proteins, we identified V11 and T35 in the NGF domain; F23 and A29 in the PDGF domain; N69, K2 and A5 in the CAP domain; and Q17 in the CRISP domain to be responsible for differences in the largest pockets across the protein domain structures in crotalines, viperines and elapids from the in silico structure-based analysis. Similarly, residues F10, Y11 and E20 appear to play an important role in the protein structures across the kunitz protein domain of viperids and elapids. Our study highlights the usefulness of shed skin in obtaining good quality high-molecular weight DNA for comparative genomic studies, and provides evidence towards the unique features and evolution of putative venom gene homologs in vipers. PMID:29230357

  16. Draft genome sequence and genetic transformation of the oleaginous alga Nannochloropis gaditana

    PubMed Central

    Radakovits, Randor; Jinkerson, Robert E.; Fuerstenberg, Susan I.; Tae, Hongseok; Settlage, Robert E.; Boore, Jeffrey L.; Posewitz, Matthew C.

    2012-01-01

    The potential use of algae in biofuels applications is receiving significant attention. However, none of the current algal model species are competitive production strains. Here we present a draft genome sequence and a genetic transformation method for the marine microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP526. We show that N. gaditana has highly favourable lipid yields, and is a promising production organism. The genome assembly includes nuclear (~29 Mb) and organellar genomes, and contains 9,052 gene models. We define the genes required for glycerolipid biogenesis and detail the differential regulation of genes during nitrogen-limited lipid biosynthesis. Phylogenomic analysis identifies genetic attributes of this organism, including unique stramenopile photosynthesis genes and gene expansions that may explain the distinguishing photoautotrophic phenotypes observed. The availability of a genome sequence and transformation methods will facilitate investigations into N. gaditana lipid biosynthesis and permit genetic engineering strategies to further improve this naturally productive alga. PMID:22353717

  17. Draft genome sequence and genetic transformation of the oleaginous alga Nannochloropis gaditana.

    PubMed

    Radakovits, Randor; Jinkerson, Robert E; Fuerstenberg, Susan I; Tae, Hongseok; Settlage, Robert E; Boore, Jeffrey L; Posewitz, Matthew C

    2012-02-21

    The potential use of algae in biofuels applications is receiving significant attention. However, none of the current algal model species are competitive production strains. Here we present a draft genome sequence and a genetic transformation method for the marine microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP526. We show that N. gaditana has highly favourable lipid yields, and is a promising production organism. The genome assembly includes nuclear (~29 Mb) and organellar genomes, and contains 9,052 gene models. We define the genes required for glycerolipid biogenesis and detail the differential regulation of genes during nitrogen-limited lipid biosynthesis. Phylogenomic analysis identifies genetic attributes of this organism, including unique stramenopile photosynthesis genes and gene expansions that may explain the distinguishing photoautotrophic phenotypes observed. The availability of a genome sequence and transformation methods will facilitate investigations into N. gaditana lipid biosynthesis and permit genetic engineering strategies to further improve this naturally productive alga.

  18. Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny, Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Guangxi; Zhao, He; Li, Chenhao; Rajapakse, Menaka Priyadarsani; Wong, Wing Cheong; Xu, Jun; Saunders, Charles W.; Reeder, Nancy L.; Reilman, Raymond A.; Scheynius, Annika; Sun, Sheng; Billmyre, Blake Robert; Li, Wenjun; Averette, Anna Floyd; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Heitman, Joseph; Theelen, Bart; Schröder, Markus S.; De Sessions, Paola Florez; Butler, Geraldine; Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian; Boekhout, Teun; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Dawson, Thomas L.

    2015-01-01

    Malassezia is a unique lipophilic genus in class Malasseziomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina, (Basidiomycota, fungi) that otherwise consists almost exclusively of plant pathogens. Malassezia are typically isolated from warm-blooded animals, are dominant members of the human skin mycobiome and are associated with common skin disorders. To characterize the genetic basis of the unique phenotypes of Malassezia spp., we sequenced the genomes of all 14 accepted species and used comparative genomics against a broad panel of fungal genomes to comprehensively identify distinct features that define the Malassezia gene repertoire: gene gain and loss; selection signatures; and lineage-specific gene family expansions. Our analysis revealed key gene gain events (64) with a single gene conserved across all Malassezia but absent in all other sequenced Basidiomycota. These likely horizontally transferred genes provide intriguing gain-of-function events and prime candidates to explain the emergence of Malassezia. A larger set of genes (741) were lost, with enrichment for glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate metabolism, concordant with adaptation to skin’s carbohydrate-deficient environment. Gene family analysis revealed extensive turnover and underlined the importance of secretory lipases, phospholipases, aspartyl proteases, and other peptidases. Combining genomic analysis with a re-evaluation of culture characteristics, we establish the likely lipid-dependence of all Malassezia. Our phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Malassezia and other members of Ustilaginomycotina, as well as phylogenetic lineages within the genus. Overall, our study provides a unique genomic resource for understanding Malassezia niche-specificity and potential virulence, as well as their abundance and distribution in the environment and on human skin. PMID:26539826

  19. Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny, Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin.

    PubMed

    Wu, Guangxi; Zhao, He; Li, Chenhao; Rajapakse, Menaka Priyadarsani; Wong, Wing Cheong; Xu, Jun; Saunders, Charles W; Reeder, Nancy L; Reilman, Raymond A; Scheynius, Annika; Sun, Sheng; Billmyre, Blake Robert; Li, Wenjun; Averette, Anna Floyd; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Heitman, Joseph; Theelen, Bart; Schröder, Markus S; De Sessions, Paola Florez; Butler, Geraldine; Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian; Boekhout, Teun; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Dawson, Thomas L

    2015-11-01

    Malassezia is a unique lipophilic genus in class Malasseziomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina, (Basidiomycota, fungi) that otherwise consists almost exclusively of plant pathogens. Malassezia are typically isolated from warm-blooded animals, are dominant members of the human skin mycobiome and are associated with common skin disorders. To characterize the genetic basis of the unique phenotypes of Malassezia spp., we sequenced the genomes of all 14 accepted species and used comparative genomics against a broad panel of fungal genomes to comprehensively identify distinct features that define the Malassezia gene repertoire: gene gain and loss; selection signatures; and lineage-specific gene family expansions. Our analysis revealed key gene gain events (64) with a single gene conserved across all Malassezia but absent in all other sequenced Basidiomycota. These likely horizontally transferred genes provide intriguing gain-of-function events and prime candidates to explain the emergence of Malassezia. A larger set of genes (741) were lost, with enrichment for glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate metabolism, concordant with adaptation to skin's carbohydrate-deficient environment. Gene family analysis revealed extensive turnover and underlined the importance of secretory lipases, phospholipases, aspartyl proteases, and other peptidases. Combining genomic analysis with a re-evaluation of culture characteristics, we establish the likely lipid-dependence of all Malassezia. Our phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Malassezia and other members of Ustilaginomycotina, as well as phylogenetic lineages within the genus. Overall, our study provides a unique genomic resource for understanding Malassezia niche-specificity and potential virulence, as well as their abundance and distribution in the environment and on human skin.

  20. Xylan utilization in human gut commensal bacteria is orchestrated by unique modular organization of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Meiling; Chekan, Jonathan R; Dodd, Dylan; Hong, Pei-Ying; Radlinski, Lauren; Revindran, Vanessa; Nair, Satish K; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac

    2014-09-02

    Enzymes that degrade dietary and host-derived glycans represent the most abundant functional activities encoded by genes unique to the human gut microbiome. However, the biochemical activities of a vast majority of the glycan-degrading enzymes are poorly understood. Here, we use transcriptome sequencing to understand the diversity of genes expressed by the human gut bacteria Bacteroides intestinalis and Bacteroides ovatus grown in monoculture with the abundant dietary polysaccharide xylan. The most highly induced carbohydrate active genes encode a unique glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 endoxylanase (BiXyn10A or BACINT_04215 and BACOVA_04390) that is highly conserved in the Bacteroidetes xylan utilization system. The BiXyn10A modular architecture consists of a GH10 catalytic module disrupted by a 250 amino acid sequence of unknown function. Biochemical analysis of BiXyn10A demonstrated that such insertion sequences encode a new family of carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that binds to xylose-configured oligosaccharide/polysaccharide ligands, the substrate of the BiXyn10A enzymatic activity. The crystal structures of CBM1 from BiXyn10A (1.8 Å), a cocomplex of BiXyn10A CBM1 with xylohexaose (1.14 Å), and the CBM from its homolog in the Prevotella bryantii B14 Xyn10C (1.68 Å) reveal an unanticipated mode for ligand binding. A minimal enzyme mix, composed of the gene products of four of the most highly up-regulated genes during growth on wheat arabinoxylan, depolymerizes the polysaccharide into its component sugars. The combined biochemical and biophysical studies presented here provide a framework for understanding fiber metabolism by an important group within the commensal bacterial population known to influence human health.

  1. Conserved small mRNA with an unique, extended Shine-Dalgarno sequence

    PubMed Central

    Hahn, Julia; Migur, Anzhela; von Boeselager, Raphael Freiherr; Kubatova, Nina; Kubareva, Elena; Schwalbe, Harald

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Up to now, very small protein-coding genes have remained unrecognized in sequenced genomes. We identified an mRNA of 165 nucleotides (nt), which is conserved in Bradyrhizobiaceae and encodes a polypeptide with 14 amino acid residues (aa). The small mRNA harboring a unique Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SD) with a length of 17 nt was localized predominantly in the ribosome-containing P100 fraction of Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110. Strong interaction between the mRNA and 30S ribosomal subunits was demonstrated by their co-sedimentation in sucrose density gradient. Using translational fusions with egfp, we detected weak translation and found that it is impeded by both the extended SD and the GTG start codon (instead of ATG). Biophysical characterization (CD- and NMR-spectroscopy) showed that synthesized polypeptide remained unstructured in physiological puffer. Replacement of the start codon by a stop codon increased the stability of the transcript, strongly suggesting additional posttranscriptional regulation at the ribosome. Therefore, the small gene was named rreB (ribosome-regulated expression in Bradyrhizobiaceae). Assuming that the unique ribosome binding site (RBS) is a hallmark of rreB homologs or similarly regulated genes, we looked for similar putative RBS in bacterial genomes and detected regions with at least 16 nt complementarity to the 3′-end of 16S rRNA upstream of sORFs in Caulobacterales, Rhizobiales, Rhodobacterales and Rhodospirillales. In the Rhodobacter/Roseobacter lineage of α-proteobacteria the corresponding gene (rreR) is conserved and encodes an 18 aa protein. This shows how specific RBS features can be used to identify new genes with presumably similar control of expression at the RNA level. PMID:27834614

  2. Advanced surface-enhanced Raman gene probe systems and methods thereof

    DOEpatents

    Vo-Dinh, Tuan

    2001-01-01

    The subject invention is a series of methods and systems for using the Surface-Enhanced Raman (SER)-labeled Gene Probe for hybridization, detection and identification of SER-labeled hybridized target oligonucleotide material comprising the steps of immobilizing SER-labeled hybridized target oligonucleotide material on a support means, wherein the SER-labeled hybridized target oligonucleotide material comprise a SER label attached either to a target oligonucleotide of unknown sequence or to a gene probe of known sequence complementary to the target oligonucleotide sequence, the SER label is unique for the target oligonucleotide strands of a particular sequence wherein the SER-labeled oligonucleotide is hybridized to its complementary oligonucleotide strand, then the support means having the SER-labeled hybridized target oligonucleotide material adsorbed thereon is SERS activated with a SERS activating means, then the support means is analyzed.

  3. ClusterMine360: a database of microbial PKS/NRPS biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Conway, Kyle R.; Boddy, Christopher N.

    2013-01-01

    ClusterMine360 (http://www.clustermine360.ca/) is a database of microbial polyketide and non-ribosomal peptide gene clusters. It takes advantage of crowd-sourcing by allowing members of the community to make contributions while automation is used to help achieve high data consistency and quality. The database currently has >200 gene clusters from >185 compound families. It also features a unique sequence repository containing >10 000 polyketide synthase/non-ribosomal peptide synthetase domains. The sequences are filterable and downloadable as individual or multiple sequence FASTA files. We are confident that this database will be a useful resource for members of the polyketide synthases/non-ribosomal peptide synthetases research community, enabling them to keep up with the growing number of sequenced gene clusters and rapidly mine these clusters for functional information. PMID:23104377

  4. Weissella fabaria sp. nov., from a Ghanaian cocoa fermentation.

    PubMed

    De Bruyne, Katrien; Camu, Nicholas; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter

    2010-09-01

    Two lactic acid bacteria, strains 257(T) and 252, were isolated from traditional heap fermentations of Ghanaian cocoa beans. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of these strains allocated them to the genus Weissella, showing 99.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity towards Weissella ghanensis LMG 24286(T). Whole-cell protein electrophoresis, fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of whole genomes and biochemical tests confirmed their unique taxonomic position. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments towards their nearest phylogenetic neighbour demonstrated that the two strains represent a novel species, for which we propose the name Weissella fabaria sp. nov., with strain 257(T) (=LMG 24289(T) =DSM 21416(T)) as the type strain. Additional sequence analysis using pheS gene sequences proved useful for identification of all Weissella-Leuconostoc-Oenococcus species and for the recognition of the novel species.

  5. Complementary DNA sequences encoding the multimammate rat MHC class II DQ alpha and beta chains and cross-species sequence comparison in rodents.

    PubMed

    de Bellocq, J Goüy; Leirs, H

    2009-09-01

    Sequences of the complete open reading frame (ORF) for rodents major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are rare. Multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the alpha and beta chains of MHC class II DQ gene was cloned from a rapid amplifications of cDNA Emds (RACE) cDNA library. The ORFs consist of 801 and 771 bp encoding 266 and 256 amino acid residues for DQB and DQA, respectively. The genomic structure of Mana-DQ genes is globally analogous to that described for other rodents except for the insertion of a serine residue in the signal peptide of Mana-DQB, which is unique among known rodents.

  6. Comprehensive analysis of single molecule sequencing-derived complete genome and whole transcriptome of Hyposidra talaca nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Thong T; Suryamohan, Kushal; Kuriakose, Boney; Janakiraman, Vasantharajan; Reichelt, Mike; Chaudhuri, Subhra; Guillory, Joseph; Divakaran, Neethu; Rabins, P E; Goel, Ridhi; Deka, Bhabesh; Sarkar, Suman; Ekka, Preety; Tsai, Yu-Chih; Vargas, Derek; Santhosh, Sam; Mohan, Sangeetha; Chin, Chen-Shan; Korlach, Jonas; Thomas, George; Babu, Azariah; Seshagiri, Somasekar

    2018-06-12

    We sequenced the Hyposidra talaca NPV (HytaNPV) double stranded circular DNA genome using PacBio single molecule sequencing technology. We found that the HytaNPV genome is 139,089 bp long with a GC content of 39.6%. It encodes 141 open reading frames (ORFs) including the 37 baculovirus core genes, 25 genes conserved among lepidopteran baculoviruses, 72 genes known in baculovirus, and 7 genes unique to the HytaNPV genome. It is a group II alphabaculovirus that codes for the F protein and lacks the gp64 gene found in group I alphabaculovirus viruses. Using RNA-seq, we confirmed the expression of the ORFs identified in the HytaNPV genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed HytaNPV to be closest to BusuNPV, SujuNPV and EcobNPV that infect other tea pests, Buzura suppressaria, Sucra jujuba, and Ectropis oblique, respectively. We identified repeat elements and a conserved non-coding baculovirus element in the genome. Analysis of the putative promoter sequences identified motif consistent with the temporal expression of the genes observed in the RNA-seq data.

  7. Complete chloroplast genome sequence of a major allogamous forage species, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).

    PubMed

    Diekmann, Kerstin; Hodkinson, Trevor R; Wolfe, Kenneth H; van den Bekerom, Rob; Dix, Philip J; Barth, Susanne

    2009-06-01

    Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) is globally one of the most important forage and grassland crops. We sequenced the chloroplast (cp) genome of Lolium perenne cultivar Cashel. The L. perenne cp genome is 135 282 bp with a typical quadripartite structure. It contains genes for 76 unique proteins, 30 tRNAs and four rRNAs. As in other grasses, the genes accD, ycf1 and ycf2 are absent. The genome is of average size within its subfamily Pooideae and of medium size within the Poaceae. Genome size differences are mainly due to length variations in non-coding regions. However, considerable length differences of 1-27 codons in comparison of L. perenne to other Poaceae and 1-68 codons among all Poaceae were also detected. Within the cp genome of this outcrossing cultivar, 10 insertion/deletion polymorphisms and 40 single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected. Two of the polymorphisms involve tiny inversions within hairpin structures. By comparing the genome sequence with RT-PCR products of transcripts for 33 genes, 31 mRNA editing sites were identified, five of them unique to Lolium. The cp genome sequence of L. perenne is available under Accession number AM777385 at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, National Center for Biotechnology Information and DNA DataBank of Japan.

  8. The mitochondrial genomes of the acoelomorph worms Paratomella rubra, Isodiametra pulchra and Archaphanostoma ylvae.

    PubMed

    Robertson, Helen E; Lapraz, François; Egger, Bernhard; Telford, Maximilian J; Schiffer, Philipp H

    2017-05-12

    Acoels are small, ubiquitous - but understudied - marine worms with a very simple body plan. Their internal phylogeny is still not fully resolved, and the position of their proposed phylum Xenacoelomorpha remains debated. Here we describe mitochondrial genome sequences from the acoels Paratomella rubra and Isodiametra pulchra, and the complete mitochondrial genome of the acoel Archaphanostoma ylvae. The P. rubra and A. ylvae sequences are typical for metazoans in size and gene content. The larger I. pulchra  mitochondrial genome contains both ribosomal genes, 21 tRNAs, but only 11 protein-coding genes. We find evidence suggesting a duplicated sequence in the I. pulchra mitochondrial genome. The P. rubra, I. pulchra and A. ylvae mitochondria have a unique genome organisation in comparison to other metazoan mitochondrial genomes. We found a large degree of protein-coding gene and tRNA overlap with little non-coding sequence in the compact P. rubra genome. Conversely, the A. ylvae and I. pulchra genomes have many long non-coding sequences between genes, likely driving genome size expansion in the latter. Phylogenetic trees inferred from mitochondrial genes retrieve Xenacoelomorpha as an early branching taxon in the deuterostomes. Sequence divergence analysis between P. rubra sampled in England and Spain indicates cryptic diversity.

  9. Strain-Level Diversity of Secondary Metabolism in Streptomyces albus

    PubMed Central

    Seipke, Ryan F.

    2015-01-01

    Streptomyces spp. are robust producers of medicinally-, industrially- and agriculturally-important small molecules. Increased resistance to antibacterial agents and the lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline have led to a renaissance in natural product discovery. This endeavor has benefited from inexpensive high quality DNA sequencing technology, which has generated more than 140 genome sequences for taxonomic type strains and environmental Streptomyces spp. isolates. Many of the sequenced streptomycetes belong to the same species. For instance, Streptomyces albus has been isolated from diverse environmental niches and seven strains have been sequenced, consequently this species has been sequenced more than any other streptomycete, allowing valuable analyses of strain-level diversity in secondary metabolism. Bioinformatics analyses identified a total of 48 unique biosynthetic gene clusters harboured by Streptomyces albus strains. Eighteen of these gene clusters specify the core secondary metabolome of the species. Fourteen of the gene clusters are contained by one or more strain and are considered auxiliary, while 16 of the gene clusters encode the production of putative strain-specific secondary metabolites. Analysis of Streptomyces albus strains suggests that each strain of a Streptomyces species likely harbours at least one strain-specific biosynthetic gene cluster. Importantly, this implies that deep sequencing of a species will not exhaust gene cluster diversity and will continue to yield novelty. PMID:25635820

  10. Assembly of 500,000 inter-specific catfish expressed sequence tags and large scale gene-associated marker development for whole genome association studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Catfish Genome Consortium; Wang, Shaolin; Peatman, Eric

    2010-03-23

    Background-Through the Community Sequencing Program, a catfish EST sequencing project was carried out through a collaboration between the catfish research community and the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute. Prior to this project, only a limited EST resource from catfish was available for the purpose of SNP identification. Results-A total of 438,321 quality ESTs were generated from 8 channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and 4 blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) libraries, bringing the number of catfish ESTs to nearly 500,000. Assembly of all catfish ESTs resulted in 45,306 contigs and 66,272 singletons. Over 35percent of the unique sequences had significant similarities tomore » known genes, allowing the identification of 14,776 unique genes in catfish. Over 300,000 putative SNPs have been identified, of which approximately 48,000 are high-quality SNPs identified from contigs with at least four sequences and the minor allele presence of at least two sequences in the contig. The EST resource should be valuable for identification of microsatellites, genome annotation, large-scale expression analysis, and comparative genome analysis. Conclusions-This project generated a large EST resource for catfish that captured the majority of the catfish transcriptome. The parallel analysis of ESTs from two closely related Ictalurid catfishes should also provide powerful means for the evaluation of ancient and recent gene duplications, and for the development of high-density microarrays in catfish. The inter- and intra-specific SNPs identified from all catfish EST dataset assembly will greatly benefit the catfish introgression breeding program and whole genome association studies.« less

  11. Evidence for Horizontal Gene Transfer in Evolution of Elongation Factor Tu in Enterococci

    PubMed Central

    Ke, Danbing; Boissinot, Maurice; Huletsky, Ann; Picard, François J.; Frenette, Johanne; Ouellette, Marc; Roy, Paul H.; Bergeron, Michel G.

    2000-01-01

    The elongation factor Tu, encoded by tuf genes, is a GTP binding protein that plays a central role in protein synthesis. One to three tuf genes per genome are present, depending on the bacterial species. Most low-G+C-content gram-positive bacteria carry only one tuf gene. We have designed degenerate PCR primers derived from consensus sequences of the tuf gene to amplify partial tuf sequences from 17 enterococcal species and other phylogenetically related species. The amplified DNA fragments were sequenced either by direct sequencing or by sequencing cloned inserts containing putative amplicons. Two different tuf genes (tufA and tufB) were found in 11 enterococcal species, including Enterococcus avium, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Enterococcus dispar, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcus hirae, Enterococcus malodoratus, Enterococcus mundtii, Enterococcus pseudoavium, and Enterococcus raffinosus. For the other six enterococcal species (Enterococcus cecorum, Enterococcus columbae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus sulfureus, Enterococcus saccharolyticus, and Enterococcus solitarius), only the tufA gene was present. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the 11 species having two tuf genes all have a common ancestor, while the six species having only one copy diverged from the enterococcal lineage before that common ancestor. The presence of one or two copies of the tuf gene in enterococci was confirmed by Southern hybridization. Phylogenetic analysis of tuf sequences demonstrated that the enterococcal tufA gene branches with the Bacillus, Listeria, and Staphylococcus genera, while the enterococcal tufB gene clusters with the genera Streptococcus and Lactococcus. Primary structure analysis showed that four amino acid residues encoded within the sequenced regions are conserved and unique to the enterococcal tufB genes and the tuf genes of streptococci and Lactococcus lactis. The data suggest that an ancestral streptococcus or a streptococcus-related species may have horizontally transferred a tuf gene to the common ancestor of the 11 enterococcal species which now carry two tuf genes. PMID:11092850

  12. The 193-base pair Gsg2 (haspin) promoter region regulates germ cell-specific expression bidirectionally and synchronously.

    PubMed

    Tokuhiro, Keizo; Miyagawa, Yasushi; Yamada, Shuichi; Hirose, Mika; Ohta, Hiroshi; Nishimune, Yoshitake; Tanaka, Hiromitsu

    2007-03-01

    Haspin is a unique protein kinase expressed predominantly in haploid male germ cells. The genomic structure of haspin (Gsg2) has revealed it to be intronless, and the entire transcription unit is in an intron of the integrin alphaE (Itgae) gene. Transcription occurs from a bidirectional promoter that also generates an alternatively spliced integrin alphaE-derived mRNA (Aed). In mice, the testis-specific alternative splicing of Aed is expressed bidirectionally downstream from the Gsg2 transcription initiation site, and a segment consisting of 26 bp transcribes both genomic DNA strands between Gsg2 and the Aed transcription initiation sites. To investigate the mechanisms for this unique gene regulation, we cloned and characterized the Gsg2 promoter region. The 193-bp genomic fragment from the 5' end of the Gsg2 and Aed genes, fused with EGFP and DsRed genes, drove the expression of both proteins in haploid germ cells of transgenic mice. This promoter element contained only a GC-rich sequence, and not the previously reported DNA sequences known to bind various transcription factors--with the exception of E2F1, TCFAP2A1 (AP2), and SP1. Here, we show that the 193-bp DNA sequence is sufficient for the specific, bidirectional, and synchronous expression in germ cells in the testis. We also demonstrate the existence of germ cell nuclear factors specifically bound to the promoter sequence. This activity may be regulated by binding to the promoter sequence with germ cell-specific nuclear complex(es) without regulation via DNA methylation.

  13. Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Streptococcus uberis and Streptococcus dysgalactiae Isolates from Canadian Dairy Herds

    PubMed Central

    Vélez, Julián Reyes; Cameron, Marguerite; Rodríguez-Lecompte, Juan Carlos; Xia, Fangfang; Heider, Luke C.; Saab, Matthew; McClure, J. Trenton; Sánchez, Javier

    2017-01-01

    The objectives of this study are to determine the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes using whole-genome sequence (WGS) of Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) and Streptococcus dysgalactiae (S. dysgalactiae) isolates, recovered from dairy cows in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. A secondary objective included the exploration of the association between phenotypic AMR and the genomic characteristics (genome size, guanine–cytosine content, and occurrence of unique gene sequences). Initially, 91 isolates were sequenced, and of these isolates, 89 were assembled. Furthermore, 16 isolates were excluded due to larger than expected genomic sizes (>2.3 bp × 1,000 bp). In the final analysis, 73 were used with complete WGS and minimum inhibitory concentration records, which were part of the previous phenotypic AMR study, representing 18 dairy herds from the Maritime region of Canada (1). A total of 23 unique AMR gene sequences were found in the bacterial genomes, with a mean number of 8.1 (minimum: 5; maximum: 13) per genome. Overall, there were 10 AMR genes [ANT(6), TEM-127, TEM-163, TEM-89, TEM-95, Linb, Lnub, Ermb, Ermc, and TetS] present only in S. uberis genomes and 2 genes unique (EF-TU and TEM-71) to the S. dysgalactiae genomes; 11 AMR genes [APH(3′), TEM-1, TEM-136, TEM-157, TEM-47, TetM, bl2b, gyrA, parE, phoP, and rpoB] were found in both bacterial species. Two-way tabulations showed association between the phenotypic susceptibility to lincosamides and the presence of linB (P = 0.002) and lnuB (P < 0.001) genes and the between the presence of tetM (P = 0.015) and tetS (P = 0.064) genes and phenotypic resistance to tetracyclines only for the S. uberis isolates. The logistic model showed that the odds of resistance (to any of the phenotypically tested antimicrobials) was 4.35 times higher when there were >11 AMR genes present in the genome, compared with <7 AMR genes (P < 0.001). The odds of resistance was lower for S. dysgalactiae than S. uberis (P = 0.031). When the within-herd somatic cell count was >250,000 cells/mL, a trend toward higher odds of resistance compared with the baseline category of <150,000 cells/mL was observed. When the isolate corresponded to a post-mastitis sample, there were lower odds of resistance when compared with non-clinical isolates (P = 0.01). The results of this study showed the strength of associations between phenotypic AMR resistance of both mastitis pathogens and their genotypic resistome and other epidemiological characteristics. PMID:28589129

  14. Decoding the massive genome of loblolly pine using haploid DNA and novel assembly strategies

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The size and complexity of conifer genomes has, until now, prevented full genome sequencing and assembly. The large research community and economic importance of loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., made it an early candidate for reference sequence determination. Results We develop a novel strategy to sequence the genome of loblolly pine that combines unique aspects of pine reproductive biology and genome assembly methodology. We use a whole genome shotgun approach relying primarily on next generation sequence generated from a single haploid seed megagametophyte from a loblolly pine tree, 20-1010, that has been used in industrial forest tree breeding. The resulting sequence and assembly was used to generate a draft genome spanning 23.2 Gbp and containing 20.1 Gbp with an N50 scaffold size of 66.9 kbp, making it a significant improvement over available conifer genomes. The long scaffold lengths allow the annotation of 50,172 gene models with intron lengths averaging over 2.7 kbp and sometimes exceeding 100 kbp in length. Analysis of orthologous gene sets identifies gene families that may be unique to conifers. We further characterize and expand the existing repeat library based on the de novo analysis of the repetitive content, estimated to encompass 82% of the genome. Conclusions In addition to its value as a resource for researchers and breeders, the loblolly pine genome sequence and assembly reported here demonstrates a novel approach to sequencing the large and complex genomes of this important group of plants that can now be widely applied. PMID:24647006

  15. Impact of sequencing depth and read length on single cell RNA sequencing data of T cells.

    PubMed

    Rizzetto, Simone; Eltahla, Auda A; Lin, Peijie; Bull, Rowena; Lloyd, Andrew R; Ho, Joshua W K; Venturi, Vanessa; Luciani, Fabio

    2017-10-06

    Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides great potential in measuring the gene expression profiles of heterogeneous cell populations. In immunology, scRNA-seq allowed the characterisation of transcript sequence diversity of functionally relevant T cell subsets, and the identification of the full length T cell receptor (TCRαβ), which defines the specificity against cognate antigens. Several factors, e.g. RNA library capture, cell quality, and sequencing output affect the quality of scRNA-seq data. We studied the effects of read length and sequencing depth on the quality of gene expression profiles, cell type identification, and TCRαβ reconstruction, utilising 1,305 single cells from 8 publically available scRNA-seq datasets, and simulation-based analyses. Gene expression was characterised by an increased number of unique genes identified with short read lengths (<50 bp), but these featured higher technical variability compared to profiles from longer reads. Successful TCRαβ reconstruction was achieved for 6 datasets (81% - 100%) with at least 0.25 millions (PE) reads of length >50 bp, while it failed for datasets with <30 bp reads. Sufficient read length and sequencing depth can control technical noise to enable accurate identification of TCRαβ and gene expression profiles from scRNA-seq data of T cells.

  16. The MB2 gene family of Plasmodium species has a unique combination of S1 and GTP-binding domains

    PubMed Central

    Romero, Lisa C; Nguyen, Thanh V; Deville, Benoit; Ogunjumo, Oluwasanmi; James, Anthony A

    2004-01-01

    Background Identification and characterization of novel Plasmodium gene families is necessary for developing new anti-malarial therapeutics. The products of the Plasmodium falciparum gene, MB2, were shown previously to have a stage-specific pattern of subcellular localization and proteolytic processing. Results Genes homologous to MB2 were identified in five additional parasite species, P. knowlesi, P. gallinaceum, P. berghei, P. yoelii, and P. chabaudi. Sequence comparisons among the MB2 gene products reveal amino acid conservation of structural features, including putative S1 and GTP-binding domains, and putative signal peptides and nuclear localization signals. Conclusions The combination of domains is unique to this gene family and indicates that MB2 genes comprise a novel family and therefore may be a good target for drug development. PMID:15222903

  17. SSTAR, a Stand-Alone Easy-To-Use Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Predictor.

    PubMed

    de Man, Tom J B; Limbago, Brandi M

    2016-01-01

    We present the easy-to-use Sequence Search Tool for Antimicrobial Resistance, SSTAR. It combines a locally executed BLASTN search against a customizable database with an intuitive graphical user interface for identifying antimicrobial resistance (AR) genes from genomic data. Although the database is initially populated from a public repository of acquired resistance determinants (i.e., ARG-ANNOT), it can be customized for particular pathogen groups and resistance mechanisms. For instance, outer membrane porin sequences associated with carbapenem resistance phenotypes can be added, and known intrinsic mechanisms can be included. Unique about this tool is the ability to easily detect putative new alleles and truncated versions of existing AR genes. Variants and potential new alleles are brought to the attention of the user for further investigation. For instance, SSTAR is able to identify modified or truncated versions of porins, which may be of great importance in carbapenemase-negative carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. SSTAR is written in Java and is therefore platform independent and compatible with both Windows and Unix operating systems. SSTAR and its manual, which includes a simple installation guide, are freely available from https://github.com/tomdeman-bio/Sequence-Search-Tool-for-Antimicrobial-Resistance-SSTAR-. IMPORTANCE Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is quickly becoming a routine method for identifying genes associated with antimicrobial resistance (AR). However, for many microbiologists, the use and analysis of WGS data present a substantial challenge. We developed SSTAR, software with a graphical user interface that enables the identification of known AR genes from WGS and has the unique capacity to easily detect new variants of known AR genes, including truncated protein variants. Current software solutions do not notify the user when genes are truncated and, therefore, likely nonfunctional, which makes phenotype predictions less accurate. SSTAR users can apply any AR database of interest as a reference comparator and can manually add genes that impact resistance, even if such genes are not resistance determinants per se (e.g., porins and efflux pumps).

  18. Whole-genome sequencing reveals clonal expansion of multiresistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus in European hospitals.

    PubMed

    Cavanagh, Jorunn Pauline; Hjerde, Erik; Holden, Matthew T G; Kahlke, Tim; Klingenberg, Claus; Flægstad, Trond; Parkhill, Julian; Bentley, Stephen D; Sollid, Johanna U Ericson

    2014-11-01

    Staphylococcus haemolyticus is an emerging cause of nosocomial infections, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. A comparative genomic analysis was performed on clinical S. haemolyticus isolates to investigate their genetic relationship and explore the coding sequences with respect to antimicrobial resistance determinants and putative hospital adaptation. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 134 isolates of S. haemolyticus from geographically diverse origins (Belgium, 2; Germany, 10; Japan, 13; Norway, 54; Spain, 2; Switzerland, 43; UK, 9; USA, 1). Each genome was individually assembled. Protein coding sequences (CDSs) were predicted and homologous genes were categorized into three types: Type I, core genes, homologues present in all strains; Type II, unique core genes, homologues shared by only a subgroup of strains; and Type III, unique genes, strain-specific CDSs. The phylogenetic relationship between the isolates was built from variable sites in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the core genome and used to construct a maximum likelihood phylogeny. SNPs in the genome core regions divided the isolates into one major group of 126 isolates and one minor group of isolates with highly diverse genomes. The major group was further subdivided into seven clades (A-G), of which four (A-D) encompassed isolates only from Europe. Antimicrobial multiresistance was observed in 77.7% of the collection. High levels of homologous recombination were detected in genes involved in adherence, staphylococcal host adaptation and bacterial cell communication. The presence of several successful and highly resistant clones underlines the adaptive potential of this opportunistic pathogen. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

  19. Whole-genome sequencing reveals clonal expansion of multiresistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus in European hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Cavanagh, Jorunn Pauline; Hjerde, Erik; Holden, Matthew T. G.; Kahlke, Tim; Klingenberg, Claus; Flægstad, Trond; Parkhill, Julian; Bentley, Stephen D.; Sollid, Johanna U. Ericson

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Staphylococcus haemolyticus is an emerging cause of nosocomial infections, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. A comparative genomic analysis was performed on clinical S. haemolyticus isolates to investigate their genetic relationship and explore the coding sequences with respect to antimicrobial resistance determinants and putative hospital adaptation. Methods Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 134 isolates of S. haemolyticus from geographically diverse origins (Belgium, 2; Germany, 10; Japan, 13; Norway, 54; Spain, 2; Switzerland, 43; UK, 9; USA, 1). Each genome was individually assembled. Protein coding sequences (CDSs) were predicted and homologous genes were categorized into three types: Type I, core genes, homologues present in all strains; Type II, unique core genes, homologues shared by only a subgroup of strains; and Type III, unique genes, strain-specific CDSs. The phylogenetic relationship between the isolates was built from variable sites in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the core genome and used to construct a maximum likelihood phylogeny. Results SNPs in the genome core regions divided the isolates into one major group of 126 isolates and one minor group of isolates with highly diverse genomes. The major group was further subdivided into seven clades (A–G), of which four (A–D) encompassed isolates only from Europe. Antimicrobial multiresistance was observed in 77.7% of the collection. High levels of homologous recombination were detected in genes involved in adherence, staphylococcal host adaptation and bacterial cell communication. Conclusions The presence of several successful and highly resistant clones underlines the adaptive potential of this opportunistic pathogen. PMID:25038069

  20. De novo characterization of the Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) transcriptome and analysis of candidate genes involved in cellulose and lignin biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is an important timber species that accounts for 20–30% of the total commercial timber production in China. However, the available genomic information of Chinese fir is limited, and this severely encumbers functional genomic analysis and molecular breeding in Chinese fir. Recently, major advances in transcriptome sequencing have provided fast and cost-effective approaches to generate large expression datasets that have proven to be powerful tools to profile the transcriptomes of non-model organisms with undetermined genomes. Results In this study, the transcriptomes of nine tissues from Chinese fir were analyzed using the Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 sequencing platform. Approximately 40 million paired-end reads were obtained, generating 3.62 gigabase pairs of sequencing data. These reads were assembled into 83,248 unique sequences (i.e. Unigenes) with an average length of 449 bp, amounting to 37.40 Mb. A total of 73,779 Unigenes were supported by more than 5 reads, 42,663 (57.83%) had homologs in the NCBI non-redundant and Swiss-Prot protein databases, corresponding to 27,224 unique protein entries. Of these Unigenes, 16,750 were assigned to Gene Ontology classes, and 14,877 were clustered into orthologous groups. A total of 21,689 (29.40%) were mapped to 119 pathways by BLAST comparison against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The majority of the genes encoding the enzymes in the biosynthetic pathways of cellulose and lignin were identified in the Unigene dataset by targeted searches of their annotations. And a number of candidate Chinese fir genes in the two metabolic pathways were discovered firstly. Eighteen genes related to cellulose and lignin biosynthesis were cloned for experimental validating of transcriptome data. Overall 49 Unigenes, covering different regions of these selected genes, were found by alignment. Their expression patterns in different tissues were analyzed by qRT-PCR to explore their putative functions. Conclusions A substantial fraction of transcript sequences was obtained from the deep sequencing of Chinese fir. The assembled Unigene dataset was used to discover candidate genes of cellulose and lignin biosynthesis. This transcriptome dataset will provide a comprehensive sequence resource for molecular genetics research of C. lanceolata. PMID:23171398

  1. Origin and spread of photosynthesis based upon conserved sequence features in key bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis proteins.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Radhey S

    2012-11-01

    The origin of photosynthesis and how this capability has spread to other bacterial phyla remain important unresolved questions. I describe here a number of conserved signature indels (CSIs) in key proteins involved in bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) biosynthesis that provide important insights in these regards. The proteins BchL and BchX, which are essential for Bchl biosynthesis, are derived by gene duplication in a common ancestor of all phototrophs. More ancient gene duplication gave rise to the BchX-BchL proteins and the NifH protein of the nitrogenase complex. The sequence alignment of NifH-BchX-BchL proteins contain two CSIs that are uniquely shared by all NifH and BchX homologs, but not by any BchL homologs. These CSIs and phylogenetic analysis of NifH-BchX-BchL protein sequences strongly suggest that the BchX homologs are ancestral to BchL and that the Bchl-based anoxygenic photosynthesis originated prior to the chlorophyll (Chl)-based photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. Another CSI in the BchX-BchL sequence alignment that is uniquely shared by all BchX homologs and the BchL sequences from Heliobacteriaceae, but absent in all other BchL homologs, suggests that the BchL homologs from Heliobacteriaceae are primitive in comparison to all other photosynthetic lineages. Several other identified CSIs in the BchN homologs are commonly shared by all proteobacterial homologs and a clade consisting of the marine unicellular Cyanobacteria (Clade C). These CSIs in conjunction with the results of phylogenetic analyses and pair-wise sequence similarity on the BchL, BchN, and BchB proteins, where the homologs from Clade C Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria exhibited close relationship, provide strong evidence that these two groups have incurred lateral gene transfers. Additionally, phylogenetic analyses and several CSIs in the BchL-N-B proteins that are uniquely shared by all Chlorobi and Chloroflexi homologs provide evidence that the genes for these proteins have also been laterally transferred between these groups. Other results and observations reported here indicate that the genes for the BchL-N-B proteins in Proteobacteria are derived from the Clade C Cyanobacteria, whereas those in Chlorobi were acquired from Chloroflexus or related bacteria by means of LGTs. Some implications of these observations regarding the origin and spread of photosynthesis are discussed.

  2. Identification of reproduction-related genes and SSR-markers through expressed sequence tags analysis of a monsoon breeding carp rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton).

    PubMed

    Sahu, Dinesh K; Panda, Soumya P; Panda, Sujata; Das, Paramananda; Meher, Prem K; Hazra, Rupenangshu K; Peatman, Eric; Liu, Zhanjiang J; Eknath, Ambekar E; Nandi, Samiran

    2013-07-15

    Labeo rohita (Ham.) also called rohu is the most important freshwater aquaculture species on the Indian sub continent. Monsoon dependent breeding restricts its seed production beyond season indicating a strong genetic control about which very limited information is available. Additionally, few genomic resources are publicly available for this species. Here we sought to identify reproduction-relevant genes from normalized cDNA libraries of the brain-pituitary-gonad-liver (BPGL-axis) tissues of adult L. rohita collected during post preparatory phase. 6161 random clones sequenced (Sanger-based) from these libraries produced 4642 (75.34%) high-quality sequences. They were assembled into 3631 (78.22%) unique sequences composed of 709 contigs and 2922 singletons. A total of 182 unique sequences were found to be associated with reproduction-related genes, mainly under the GO term categories of reproduction, neuro-peptide hormone activity, hormone and receptor binding, receptor activity, signal transduction, embryonic development, cell-cell signaling, cell death and anti-apoptosis process. Several important reproduction-related genes reported here for the first time in L. rohita are zona pellucida sperm-binding protein 3, aquaporin-12, spermine oxidase, sperm associated antigen 7, testis expressed 261, progesterone receptor membrane component, Neuropeptide Y and Pro-opiomelanocortin. Quantitative RT-PCR-based analyses of 8 known and 8 unknown transcripts during preparatory and post-spawning phase showed increased expression level of most of the transcripts during preparatory phase (except Neuropeptide Y) in comparison to post-spawning phase indicating possible roles in initiation of gonad maturation. Expression of unknown transcripts was also found in prolific breeder common carp and tilapia, but levels of expression were much higher in seasonal breeder rohu. 3631 unique sequences contained 236 (6.49%) putative microsatellites with the AG (28.16%) repeat as the most frequent motif. Twenty loci showed polymorphism in 36 unrelated individuals with allele frequency ranging from 2 to 7 per locus. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.096 to 0.774 whereas the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.109 to 0.801. Identification of 182 important reproduction-related genes and expression pattern of 16 transcripts in preparatory and post-spawning phase along with 20 polymorphic EST-SSRs should be highly useful for the future reproductive molecular studies and selection program in Labeo rohita. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Genome sequencing of the lizard parasite Leishmania tarentolae reveals loss of genes associated to the intracellular stage of human pathogenic species

    PubMed Central

    Raymond, Frédéric; Boisvert, Sébastien; Roy, Gaétan; Ritt, Jean-François; Légaré, Danielle; Isnard, Amandine; Stanke, Mario; Olivier, Martin; Tremblay, Michel J.; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Ouellette, Marc; Corbeil, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    The Leishmania tarentolae Parrot-TarII strain genome sequence was resolved to an average 16-fold mean coverage by next-generation DNA sequencing technologies. This is the first non-pathogenic to humans kinetoplastid protozoan genome to be described thus providing an opportunity for comparison with the completed genomes of pathogenic Leishmania species. A high synteny was observed between all sequenced Leishmania species. A limited number of chromosomal regions diverged between L. tarentolae and L. infantum, while remaining syntenic to L. major. Globally, >90% of the L. tarentolae gene content was shared with the other Leishmania species. We identified 95 predicted coding sequences unique to L. tarentolae and 250 genes that were absent from L. tarentolae. Interestingly, many of the latter genes were expressed in the intracellular amastigote stage of pathogenic species. In addition, genes coding for products involved in antioxidant defence or participating in vesicular-mediated protein transport were underrepresented in L. tarentolae. In contrast to other Leishmania genomes, two gene families were expanded in L. tarentolae, namely the zinc metallo-peptidase surface glycoprotein GP63 and the promastigote surface antigen PSA31C. Overall, L. tarentolae's gene content appears better adapted to the promastigote insect stage rather than the amastigote mammalian stage. PMID:21998295

  4. RUCS: rapid identification of PCR primers for unique core sequences.

    PubMed

    Thomsen, Martin Christen Frølund; Hasman, Henrik; Westh, Henrik; Kaya, Hülya; Lund, Ole

    2017-12-15

    Designing PCR primers to target a specific selection of whole genome sequenced strains can be a long, arduous and sometimes impractical task. Such tasks would benefit greatly from an automated tool to both identify unique targets, and to validate the vast number of potential primer pairs for the targets in silico. Here we present RUCS, a program that will find PCR primer pairs and probes for the unique core sequences of a positive genome dataset complement to a negative genome dataset. The resulting primer pairs and probes are in addition to simple selection also validated through a complex in silico PCR simulation. We compared our method, which identifies the unique core sequences, against an existing tool called ssGeneFinder, and found that our method was 6.5-20 times more sensitive. We used RUCS to design primer pairs that would target a set of genomes known to contain the mcr-1 colistin resistance gene. Three of the predicted pairs were chosen for experimental validation using PCR and gel electrophoresis. All three pairs successfully produced an amplicon with the target length for the samples containing mcr-1 and no amplification products were produced for the negative samples. The novel methods presented in this manuscript can reduce the time needed to identify target sequences, and provide a quick virtual PCR validation to eliminate time wasted on ambiguously binding primers. Source code is freely available on https://bitbucket.org/genomicepidemiology/rucs. Web service is freely available on https://cge.cbs.dtu.dk/services/RUCS. mcft@cbs.dtu.dk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  5. Analysis and Functional Annotation of an Expressed Sequence Tag Collection for Tropical Crop Sugarcane

    PubMed Central

    Vettore, André L.; da Silva, Felipe R.; Kemper, Edson L.; Souza, Glaucia M.; da Silva, Aline M.; Ferro, Maria Inês T.; Henrique-Silva, Flavio; Giglioti, Éder A.; Lemos, Manoel V.F.; Coutinho, Luiz L.; Nobrega, Marina P.; Carrer, Helaine; França, Suzelei C.; Bacci, Maurício; Goldman, Maria Helena S.; Gomes, Suely L.; Nunes, Luiz R.; Camargo, Luis E.A.; Siqueira, Walter J.; Van Sluys, Marie-Anne; Thiemann, Otavio H.; Kuramae, Eiko E.; Santelli, Roberto V.; Marino, Celso L.; Targon, Maria L.P.N.; Ferro, Jesus A.; Silveira, Henrique C.S.; Marini, Danyelle C.; Lemos, Eliana G.M.; Monteiro-Vitorello, Claudia B.; Tambor, José H.M.; Carraro, Dirce M.; Roberto, Patrícia G.; Martins, Vanderlei G.; Goldman, Gustavo H.; de Oliveira, Regina C.; Truffi, Daniela; Colombo, Carlos A.; Rossi, Magdalena; de Araujo, Paula G.; Sculaccio, Susana A.; Angella, Aline; Lima, Marleide M.A.; de Rosa, Vicente E.; Siviero, Fábio; Coscrato, Virginia E.; Machado, Marcos A.; Grivet, Laurent; Di Mauro, Sonia M.Z.; Nobrega, Francisco G.; Menck, Carlos F.M.; Braga, Marilia D.V.; Telles, Guilherme P.; Cara, Frank A.A.; Pedrosa, Guilherme; Meidanis, João; Arruda, Paulo

    2003-01-01

    To contribute to our understanding of the genome complexity of sugarcane, we undertook a large-scale expressed sequence tag (EST) program. More than 260,000 cDNA clones were partially sequenced from 26 standard cDNA libraries generated from different sugarcane tissues. After the processing of the sequences, 237,954 high-quality ESTs were identified. These ESTs were assembled into 43,141 putative transcripts. Of the assembled sequences, 35.6% presented no matches with existing sequences in public databases. A global analysis of the whole SUCEST data set indicated that 14,409 assembled sequences (33% of the total) contained at least one cDNA clone with a full-length insert. Annotation of the 43,141 assembled sequences associated almost 50% of the putative identified sugarcane genes with protein metabolism, cellular communication/signal transduction, bioenergetics, and stress responses. Inspection of the translated assembled sequences for conserved protein domains revealed 40,821 amino acid sequences with 1415 Pfam domains. Reassembling the consensus sequences of the 43,141 transcripts revealed a 22% redundancy in the first assembling. This indicated that possibly 33,620 unique genes had been identified and indicated that >90% of the sugarcane expressed genes were tagged. PMID:14613979

  6. Species identification of mutans streptococci by groESL gene sequence.

    PubMed

    Hung, Wei-Chung; Tsai, Jui-Chang; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Chia, Jean-San; Teng, Lee-Jene

    2005-09-01

    The near full-length sequences of the groESL genes were determined and analysed among eight reference strains (serotypes a to h) representing five species of mutans group streptococci. The groES sequences from these reference strains revealed that there are two lengths (285 and 288 bp) in the five species. The intergenic spacer between groES and groEL appears to be a unique marker for species, with a variable size (ranging from 111 to 310 bp) and sequence. Phylogenetic analysis of groES and groEL separated the eight serotypes into two major clusters. Strains of serotypes b, c, e and f were highly related and had groES gene sequences of the same length, 288 bp, while strains of serotypes a, d, g and h were also closely related and their groES gene sequence lengths were 285 bp. The groESL sequences in clinical isolates of three serotypes of S. mutans were analysed for intraspecies polymorphism. The results showed that the groESL sequences could provide information for differentiation among species, but were unable to distinguish serotypes of the same species. Based on the determined sequences, a PCR assay was developed that could differentiate members of the mutans streptococci by amplicon size and provide an alternative way for distinguishing mutans streptococci from other viridans streptococci.

  7. The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome.

    PubMed

    Howe, Kerstin; Clark, Matthew D; Torroja, Carlos F; Torrance, James; Berthelot, Camille; Muffato, Matthieu; Collins, John E; Humphray, Sean; McLaren, Karen; Matthews, Lucy; McLaren, Stuart; Sealy, Ian; Caccamo, Mario; Churcher, Carol; Scott, Carol; Barrett, Jeffrey C; Koch, Romke; Rauch, Gerd-Jörg; White, Simon; Chow, William; Kilian, Britt; Quintais, Leonor T; Guerra-Assunção, José A; Zhou, Yi; Gu, Yong; Yen, Jennifer; Vogel, Jan-Hinnerk; Eyre, Tina; Redmond, Seth; Banerjee, Ruby; Chi, Jianxiang; Fu, Beiyuan; Langley, Elizabeth; Maguire, Sean F; Laird, Gavin K; Lloyd, David; Kenyon, Emma; Donaldson, Sarah; Sehra, Harminder; Almeida-King, Jeff; Loveland, Jane; Trevanion, Stephen; Jones, Matt; Quail, Mike; Willey, Dave; Hunt, Adrienne; Burton, John; Sims, Sarah; McLay, Kirsten; Plumb, Bob; Davis, Joy; Clee, Chris; Oliver, Karen; Clark, Richard; Riddle, Clare; Elliot, David; Eliott, David; Threadgold, Glen; Harden, Glenn; Ware, Darren; Begum, Sharmin; Mortimore, Beverley; Mortimer, Beverly; Kerry, Giselle; Heath, Paul; Phillimore, Benjamin; Tracey, Alan; Corby, Nicole; Dunn, Matthew; Johnson, Christopher; Wood, Jonathan; Clark, Susan; Pelan, Sarah; Griffiths, Guy; Smith, Michelle; Glithero, Rebecca; Howden, Philip; Barker, Nicholas; Lloyd, Christine; Stevens, Christopher; Harley, Joanna; Holt, Karen; Panagiotidis, Georgios; Lovell, Jamieson; Beasley, Helen; Henderson, Carl; Gordon, Daria; Auger, Katherine; Wright, Deborah; Collins, Joanna; Raisen, Claire; Dyer, Lauren; Leung, Kenric; Robertson, Lauren; Ambridge, Kirsty; Leongamornlert, Daniel; McGuire, Sarah; Gilderthorp, Ruth; Griffiths, Coline; Manthravadi, Deepa; Nichol, Sarah; Barker, Gary; Whitehead, Siobhan; Kay, Michael; Brown, Jacqueline; Murnane, Clare; Gray, Emma; Humphries, Matthew; Sycamore, Neil; Barker, Darren; Saunders, David; Wallis, Justene; Babbage, Anne; Hammond, Sian; Mashreghi-Mohammadi, Maryam; Barr, Lucy; Martin, Sancha; Wray, Paul; Ellington, Andrew; Matthews, Nicholas; Ellwood, Matthew; Woodmansey, Rebecca; Clark, Graham; Cooper, James D; Cooper, James; Tromans, Anthony; Grafham, Darren; Skuce, Carl; Pandian, Richard; Andrews, Robert; Harrison, Elliot; Kimberley, Andrew; Garnett, Jane; Fosker, Nigel; Hall, Rebekah; Garner, Patrick; Kelly, Daniel; Bird, Christine; Palmer, Sophie; Gehring, Ines; Berger, Andrea; Dooley, Christopher M; Ersan-Ürün, Zübeyde; Eser, Cigdem; Geiger, Horst; Geisler, Maria; Karotki, Lena; Kirn, Anette; Konantz, Judith; Konantz, Martina; Oberländer, Martina; Rudolph-Geiger, Silke; Teucke, Mathias; Lanz, Christa; Raddatz, Günter; Osoegawa, Kazutoyo; Zhu, Baoli; Rapp, Amanda; Widaa, Sara; Langford, Cordelia; Yang, Fengtang; Schuster, Stephan C; Carter, Nigel P; Harrow, Jennifer; Ning, Zemin; Herrero, Javier; Searle, Steve M J; Enright, Anton; Geisler, Robert; Plasterk, Ronald H A; Lee, Charles; Westerfield, Monte; de Jong, Pieter J; Zon, Leonard I; Postlethwait, John H; Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane; Hubbard, Tim J P; Roest Crollius, Hugues; Rogers, Jane; Stemple, Derek L

    2013-04-25

    Zebrafish have become a popular organism for the study of vertebrate gene function. The virtually transparent embryos of this species, and the ability to accelerate genetic studies by gene knockdown or overexpression, have led to the widespread use of zebrafish in the detailed investigation of vertebrate gene function and increasingly, the study of human genetic disease. However, for effective modelling of human genetic disease it is important to understand the extent to which zebrafish genes and gene structures are related to orthologous human genes. To examine this, we generated a high-quality sequence assembly of the zebrafish genome, made up of an overlapping set of completely sequenced large-insert clones that were ordered and oriented using a high-resolution high-density meiotic map. Detailed automatic and manual annotation provides evidence of more than 26,000 protein-coding genes, the largest gene set of any vertebrate so far sequenced. Comparison to the human reference genome shows that approximately 70% of human genes have at least one obvious zebrafish orthologue. In addition, the high quality of this genome assembly provides a clearer understanding of key genomic features such as a unique repeat content, a scarcity of pseudogenes, an enrichment of zebrafish-specific genes on chromosome 4 and chromosomal regions that influence sex determination.

  8. The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome

    PubMed Central

    Howe, Kerstin; Clark, Matthew D.; Torroja, Carlos F.; Torrance, James; Berthelot, Camille; Muffato, Matthieu; Collins, John E.; Humphray, Sean; McLaren, Karen; Matthews, Lucy; McLaren, Stuart; Sealy, Ian; Caccamo, Mario; Churcher, Carol; Scott, Carol; Barrett, Jeffrey C.; Koch, Romke; Rauch, Gerd-Jörg; White, Simon; Chow, William; Kilian, Britt; Quintais, Leonor T.; Guerra-Assunção, José A.; Zhou, Yi; Gu, Yong; Yen, Jennifer; Vogel, Jan-Hinnerk; Eyre, Tina; Redmond, Seth; Banerjee, Ruby; Chi, Jianxiang; Fu, Beiyuan; Langley, Elizabeth; Maguire, Sean F.; Laird, Gavin K.; Lloyd, David; Kenyon, Emma; Donaldson, Sarah; Sehra, Harminder; Almeida-King, Jeff; Loveland, Jane; Trevanion, Stephen; Jones, Matt; Quail, Mike; Willey, Dave; Hunt, Adrienne; Burton, John; Sims, Sarah; McLay, Kirsten; Plumb, Bob; Davis, Joy; Clee, Chris; Oliver, Karen; Clark, Richard; Riddle, Clare; Eliott, David; Threadgold, Glen; Harden, Glenn; Ware, Darren; Mortimer, Beverly; Kerry, Giselle; Heath, Paul; Phillimore, Benjamin; Tracey, Alan; Corby, Nicole; Dunn, Matthew; Johnson, Christopher; Wood, Jonathan; Clark, Susan; Pelan, Sarah; Griffiths, Guy; Smith, Michelle; Glithero, Rebecca; Howden, Philip; Barker, Nicholas; Stevens, Christopher; Harley, Joanna; Holt, Karen; Panagiotidis, Georgios; Lovell, Jamieson; Beasley, Helen; Henderson, Carl; Gordon, Daria; Auger, Katherine; Wright, Deborah; Collins, Joanna; Raisen, Claire; Dyer, Lauren; Leung, Kenric; Robertson, Lauren; Ambridge, Kirsty; Leongamornlert, Daniel; McGuire, Sarah; Gilderthorp, Ruth; Griffiths, Coline; Manthravadi, Deepa; Nichol, Sarah; Barker, Gary; Whitehead, Siobhan; Kay, Michael; Brown, Jacqueline; Murnane, Clare; Gray, Emma; Humphries, Matthew; Sycamore, Neil; Barker, Darren; Saunders, David; Wallis, Justene; Babbage, Anne; Hammond, Sian; Mashreghi-Mohammadi, Maryam; Barr, Lucy; Martin, Sancha; Wray, Paul; Ellington, Andrew; Matthews, Nicholas; Ellwood, Matthew; Woodmansey, Rebecca; Clark, Graham; Cooper, James; Tromans, Anthony; Grafham, Darren; Skuce, Carl; Pandian, Richard; Andrews, Robert; Harrison, Elliot; Kimberley, Andrew; Garnett, Jane; Fosker, Nigel; Hall, Rebekah; Garner, Patrick; Kelly, Daniel; Bird, Christine; Palmer, Sophie; Gehring, Ines; Berger, Andrea; Dooley, Christopher M.; Ersan-Ürün, Zübeyde; Eser, Cigdem; Geiger, Horst; Geisler, Maria; Karotki, Lena; Kirn, Anette; Konantz, Judith; Konantz, Martina; Oberländer, Martina; Rudolph-Geiger, Silke; Teucke, Mathias; Osoegawa, Kazutoyo; Zhu, Baoli; Rapp, Amanda; Widaa, Sara; Langford, Cordelia; Yang, Fengtang; Carter, Nigel P.; Harrow, Jennifer; Ning, Zemin; Herrero, Javier; Searle, Steve M. J.; Enright, Anton; Geisler, Robert; Plasterk, Ronald H. A.; Lee, Charles; Westerfield, Monte; de Jong, Pieter J.; Zon, Leonard I.; Postlethwait, John H.; Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane; Hubbard, Tim J. P.; Crollius, Hugues Roest; Rogers, Jane; Stemple, Derek L.

    2013-01-01

    Zebrafish have become a popular organism for the study of vertebrate gene function1,2. The virtually transparent embryos of this species, and the ability to accelerate genetic studies by gene knockdown or overexpression, have led to the widespread use of zebrafish in the detailed investigation of vertebrate gene function and increasingly, the study of human genetic disease3–5. However, for effective modelling of human genetic disease it is important to understand the extent to which zebrafish genes and gene structures are related to orthologous human genes. To examine this, we generated a high-quality sequence assembly of the zebrafish genome, made up of an overlapping set of completely sequenced large-insert clones that were ordered and oriented using a high-resolution high-density meiotic map. Detailed automatic and manual annotation provides evidence of more than 26,000 protein-coding genes6, the largest gene set of any vertebrate so far sequenced. Comparison to the human reference genome shows that approximately 70% of human genes have at least one obvious zebrafish orthologue. In addition, the high quality of this genome assembly provides a clearer understanding of key genomic features such as a unique repeat content, a scarcity of pseudogenes, an enrichment of zebrafish-specific genes on chromosome 4 and chromosomal regions that influence sex determination. PMID:23594743

  9. [Identification and phylogenetic application of unique nucleotide sequence of nad7 intron2 in Rhodiola (Crassulaceae) species].

    PubMed

    Deng, Ke-Jun; Yang, Zu-Jun; Liu, Cheng; Zhao, Wei; Liu, Chang; Feng, Juan; Ren, Zheng-Long

    2007-03-01

    Genetic characterization of 9 populations of Rhodiola crenulata, R. fastigiata and R. sachalinensis (Crassulaceae) species from Sichuan and Jilin Provinces of China, was investigated using the conserved primer of nad7 intron 2. All PCR products about 800 bp long were shorter than other Crassulaceae plants, which were used as molecular markers to identify the Rhodiola species. The sequence of the products indicated that total exon of 53 bp and intron of 738 bp exhibit only 9 nucleotide variations. Blasting the nad7 sequences to GenBank and the phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence of Rhodiola species was clusted independently, and the length was smaller than all the registered sequences of higher plants. The result suggests that the Rhiodola species had a unique sequence in this gene region, which might be related to the special growth condition.

  10. The Nostoc punctiforme Genome

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    John C. Meeks

    2001-12-31

    Nostoc punctiforme is a filamentous cyanobacterium with extensive phenotypic characteristics and a relatively large genome, approaching 10 Mb. The phenotypic characteristics include a photoautotrophic, diazotrophic mode of growth, but N. punctiforme is also facultatively heterotrophic; its vegetative cells have multiple development alternatives, including terminal differentiation into nitrogen-fixing heterocysts and transient differentiation into spore-like akinetes or motile filaments called hormogonia; and N. punctiforme has broad symbiotic competence with fungi and terrestrial plants, including bryophytes, gymnosperms and an angiosperm. The shotgun-sequencing phase of the N. punctiforme strain ATCC 29133 genome has been completed by the Joint Genome Institute. Annotation of an 8.9more » Mb database yielded 7432 open reading frames, 45% of which encode proteins with known or probable known function and 29% of which are unique to N. punctiforme. Comparative analysis of the sequence indicates a genome that is highly plastic and in a state of flux, with numerous insertion sequences and multilocus repeats, as well as genes encoding transposases and DNA modification enzymes. The sequence also reveals the presence of genes encoding putative proteins that collectively define almost all characteristics of cyanobacteria as a group. N. punctiforme has an extensive potential to sense and respond to environmental signals as reflected by the presence of more than 400 genes encoding sensor protein kinases, response regulators and other transcriptional factors. The signal transduction systems and any of the large number of unique genes may play essential roles in the cell differentiation and symbiotic interaction properties of N. punctiforme.« less

  11. Ub-ISAP: a streamlined UNIX pipeline for mining unique viral vector integration sites from next generation sequencing data.

    PubMed

    Kamboj, Atul; Hallwirth, Claus V; Alexander, Ian E; McCowage, Geoffrey B; Kramer, Belinda

    2017-06-17

    The analysis of viral vector genomic integration sites is an important component in assessing the safety and efficiency of patient treatment using gene therapy. Alongside this clinical application, integration site identification is a key step in the genetic mapping of viral elements in mutagenesis screens that aim to elucidate gene function. We have developed a UNIX-based vector integration site analysis pipeline (Ub-ISAP) that utilises a UNIX-based workflow for automated integration site identification and annotation of both single and paired-end sequencing reads. Reads that contain viral sequences of interest are selected and aligned to the host genome, and unique integration sites are then classified as transcription start site-proximal, intragenic or intergenic. Ub-ISAP provides a reliable and efficient pipeline to generate large datasets for assessing the safety and efficiency of integrating vectors in clinical settings, with broader applications in cancer research. Ub-ISAP is available as an open source software package at https://sourceforge.net/projects/ub-isap/ .

  12. Small-interfering RNAs from natural antisense transcripts derived from a cellulose synthase gene modulate cell wall biosynthesis in barley

    PubMed Central

    Held, Michael A.; Penning, Bryan; Brandt, Amanda S.; Kessans, Sarah A.; Yong, Weidong; Scofield, Steven R.; Carpita, Nicholas C.

    2008-01-01

    Small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from natural cis-antisense pairs derived from the 3′-coding region of the barley (Hordeum vulgare) CesA6 cellulose synthase gene substantially increase in abundance during leaf elongation. Strand-specific RT-PCR confirmed the presence of an antisense transcript of HvCesA6 that extends ≥1230 bp from the 3′ end of the CesA-coding sequence. The increases in abundance of the CesA6 antisense transcript and the 21-nt and 24-nt siRNAs derived from the transcript are coincident with the down-regulation of primary wall CesAs, several Csl genes, and GT8 glycosyl transferase genes, and are correlated with the reduction in rates of cellulose and (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-D-glucan synthesis. Virus induced gene silencing using unique target sequences derived from HvCesA genes attenuated expression not only of the HvCesA6 gene, but also of numerous nontarget Csls and the distantly related GT8 genes and reduced the incorporation of D-14C-Glc into cellulose and into mixed-linkage (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-D-glucans of the developing leaves. Unique target sequences for CslF and CslH conversely silenced the same genes and lowered rates of cellulose and (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-D-glucan synthesis. Our results indicate that the expression of individual members of the CesA/Csl superfamily and glycosyl transferases share common regulatory control points, and siRNAs from natural cis-antisense pairs derived from the CesA/Csl superfamily could function in this global regulation of cell-wall synthesis. PMID:19075248

  13. Draft genome sequence of marine-derived Streptomyces sp. TP-A0598, a producer of anti-MRSA antibiotic lydicamycins.

    PubMed

    Komaki, Hisayuki; Ichikawa, Natsuko; Hosoyama, Akira; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Igarashi, Yasuhiro

    2015-01-01

    Streptomyces sp. TP-A0598, isolated from seawater, produces lydicamycin, structurally unique type I polyketide bearing two nitrogen-containing five-membered rings, and four congeners TPU-0037-A, -B, -C, and -D. We herein report the 8 Mb draft genome sequence of this strain, together with classification and features of the organism and generation, annotation and analysis of the genome sequence. The genome encodes 7,240 putative ORFs, of which 4,450 ORFs were assigned with COG categories. Also, 66 tRNA genes and one rRNA operon were identified. The genome contains eight gene clusters involved in the production of polyketides and nonribosomal peptides. Among them, a PKS/NRPS gene cluster was assigned to be responsible for lydicamycin biosynthesis and a plausible biosynthetic pathway was proposed on the basis of gene function prediction. This genome sequence data will facilitate to probe the potential of secondary metabolism in marine-derived Streptomyces.

  14. Comparative analysis of expressed sequence tags of conifers and angiosperms reveals sequences specifically conserved in conifers.

    PubMed

    Ujino-Ihara, Tokuko; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Yamane, Hiroko; Taguchi, Yuriko; Namiki, Nobukazu; Mukai, Yuzuru; Yoshimura, Kensuke; Tsumura, Yoshihiko

    2005-12-01

    To identify and characterize lineage-specific genes of conifers, two sets of ESTs (with 12791 and 5902 ESTs, representing 5373 and 3018 gene transcripts, respectively) were generated from the Cupressaceae species Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa. These transcripts were compared with non-redundant sets of genes generated from Pinaceae species, other gymnosperms and angiosperms. About 6% of tentative unique genes (Unigenes) of C. japonica and C. obtusa had homologs in other conifers but not angiosperms, and about 70% had apparent homologs in angiosperms. The calculated GC contents of orthologous genes showed that GC contents of coniferous genes are likely to be lower than those of angiosperms. Comparisons of the numbers of homologous genes in each species suggest that copy numbers of genes may be correlated between diverse seed plants. This correlation suggests that the multiplicity of such genes may have arisen before the divergence of gymnosperms and angiosperms.

  15. Isolation and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II B genes in cranes.

    PubMed

    Kohyama, Tetsuo I; Akiyama, Takuya; Nishida, Chizuko; Takami, Kazutoshi; Onuma, Manabu; Momose, Kunikazu; Masuda, Ryuichi

    2015-11-01

    In this study, we isolated and characterized the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B genes in cranes. Genomic sequences spanning exons 1 to 4 were amplified and determined in 13 crane species and three other species closely related to cranes. In all, 55 unique sequences were identified, and at least two polymorphic MHC class II B loci were found in most species. An analysis of sequence polymorphisms showed the signature of positive selection and recombination. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on exon 2 sequences indicated that trans-species polymorphism has persisted for at least 10 million years, whereas phylogenetic analyses of the sequences flanking exon 2 revealed a pattern of concerted evolution. These results suggest that both balancing selection and recombination play important roles in the crane MHC evolution.

  16. Gene Expression Profiling of Development and Anthocyanin Accumulation in Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) Based on Transcriptome Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Shaohua; Xiao, Gong; Wang, Gan; Wang, Ying; Peng, Ming; Huang, Hongwen

    2015-01-01

    Red-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch. ‘Hongyang’) is a promising commercial cultivar due to its nutritious value and unique flesh color, derived from vitamin C and anthocyanins. In this study, we obtained transcriptome data of ‘Hongyang’ from seven developmental stages using Illumina sequencing. We mapped 39–54 million reads to the recently sequenced kiwifruit genome and other databases to define gene structure, to analyze alternative splicing, and to quantify gene transcript abundance at different developmental stages. The transcript profiles throughout red kiwifruit development were constructed and analyzed, with a focus on the biosynthesis and metabolism of compounds such as phytohormones, sugars, starch and L-ascorbic acid, which are indispensable for the development and formation of quality fruit. Candidate genes for these pathways were identified through MapMan and phylogenetic analysis. The transcript levels of genes involved in sucrose and starch metabolism were consistent with the change in soluble sugar and starch content throughout kiwifruit development. The metabolism of L-ascorbic acid was very active, primarily through the L-galactose pathway. The genes responsible for the accumulation of anthocyanin in red kiwifruit were identified, and their expression levels were investigated during kiwifruit development. This survey of gene expression during kiwifruit development paves the way for further investigation of the development of this uniquely colored and nutritious fruit and reveals which factors are needed for high quality fruit formation. This transcriptome data and its analysis will be useful for improving kiwifruit genome annotation, for basic fruit molecular biology research, and for kiwifruit breeding and improvement. PMID:26301713

  17. The king cobra genome reveals dynamic gene evolution and adaptation in the snake venom system

    PubMed Central

    Vonk, Freek J.; Casewell, Nicholas R.; Henkel, Christiaan V.; Heimberg, Alysha M.; Jansen, Hans J.; McCleary, Ryan J. R.; Kerkkamp, Harald M. E.; Vos, Rutger A.; Guerreiro, Isabel; Calvete, Juan J.; Wüster, Wolfgang; Woods, Anthony E.; Logan, Jessica M.; Harrison, Robert A.; Castoe, Todd A.; de Koning, A. P. Jason; Pollock, David D.; Yandell, Mark; Calderon, Diego; Renjifo, Camila; Currier, Rachel B.; Salgado, David; Pla, Davinia; Sanz, Libia; Hyder, Asad S.; Ribeiro, José M. C.; Arntzen, Jan W.; van den Thillart, Guido E. E. J. M.; Boetzer, Marten; Pirovano, Walter; Dirks, Ron P.; Spaink, Herman P.; Duboule, Denis; McGlinn, Edwina; Kini, R. Manjunatha; Richardson, Michael K.

    2013-01-01

    Snakes are limbless predators, and many species use venom to help overpower relatively large, agile prey. Snake venoms are complex protein mixtures encoded by several multilocus gene families that function synergistically to cause incapacitation. To examine venom evolution, we sequenced and interrogated the genome of a venomous snake, the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), and compared it, together with our unique transcriptome, microRNA, and proteome datasets from this species, with data from other vertebrates. In contrast to the platypus, the only other venomous vertebrate with a sequenced genome, we find that snake toxin genes evolve through several distinct co-option mechanisms and exhibit surprisingly variable levels of gene duplication and directional selection that correlate with their functional importance in prey capture. The enigmatic accessory venom gland shows a very different pattern of toxin gene expression from the main venom gland and seems to have recruited toxin-like lectin genes repeatedly for new nontoxic functions. In addition, tissue-specific microRNA analyses suggested the co-option of core genetic regulatory components of the venom secretory system from a pancreatic origin. Although the king cobra is limbless, we recovered coding sequences for all Hox genes involved in amniote limb development, with the exception of Hoxd12. Our results provide a unique view of the origin and evolution of snake venom and reveal multiple genome-level adaptive responses to natural selection in this complex biological weapon system. More generally, they provide insight into mechanisms of protein evolution under strong selection. PMID:24297900

  18. THE INVOLVEMENT OF HUMAN MONOGENIC CARDIOMYOPATHY GENES IN EXPERIMENTAL POLYGENIC CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY.

    PubMed

    Prestes, Priscilla R; Marques, Francine Z; Lopez-Campos, Guillermo; Lewandowski, Paul; Delbridge, Lea M D; Charchar, Fadi J; Harrap, Stephen B

    2018-05-18

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy thickens heart muscles reducing functionality and increasing risk of cardiac disease and morbidity. Genetic factors are involved, but their contribution is poorly understood. We used the hypertrophic heart rat (HHR), a unique normotensive polygenic model of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure to investigate the role of genes associated with monogenic human cardiomyopathy. We selected 42 genes involved in monogenic human cardiomyopathies to study: 1) DNA variants, by sequencing the whole-genome of 13-week old HHR and age-matched normal heart rat (NHR), its genetic control strain; 2) mRNA expression, by targeted RNA-sequencing in left ventricles of HHR and NHR at five ages (2-days old, 4-, 13-, 33- and 50-weeks old) compared to human idiopathic dilated data; and 3) microRNA expression, with rat microRNA microarrays in left ventricles of 2-days old HHR and age-matched NHR. We also investigated experimentally validated microRNA-mRNA interactions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed unique variants mostly located in non-coding regions of HHR and NHR. We found 29 genes differentially expressed in at least one age. Genes encoding desmoglein 2 (Dsg2) and transthyretin (Ttr) were significantly differentially expressed at all ages in the HHR, but only Ttr was also differentially expressed in human idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Lastly, only two microRNAs differentially expressed in the HHR were present in our comparison of validated microRNA-mRNA interactions. These two microRNAs interact with five of the genes studied. Our study shows that genes involved in monogenic forms of human cardiomyopathies may also influence polygenic forms of the disease.

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Yanfeng; Zheng, Yi; Qin, Ling

    Beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase (β-HAD) genes have been identified in all sequenced genomes of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Their gene products catalyze the NAD+- or NADP+-dependent oxidation of various β-hydroxy acid substrates into their corresponding semialdehyde. In many fungal and bacterial genomes, multiple β-HAD genes are observed leading to the hypothesis that these gene products may have unique, uncharacterized metabolic roles specific to their species. The genomes of Geobacter sulfurreducens and Geobacter metallireducens each contain two potential β-HAD genes. The protein sequences of one pair of these genes, Gs-βHAD (Q74DE4) and Gm-βHAD (Q39R98), have 65% sequence identity and 77% sequence similarity with eachmore » other. Both proteins reduce succinic semialdehyde, a metabolite of the GABA shunt. To further explore the structural and functional characteristics of these two β-HADs with a potentially unique substrate specificity, crystal structures for Gs-βHAD and Gm-βHAD in complex with NADP+ were determined to a resolution of 1.89 Å and 2.07 Å, respectively. The structure of both proteins are similar, composed of 14 α-helices and nine β-strands organized into two domains. Domain One (1-165) adopts a typical Rossmann fold composed of two α/β units: a six-strand parallel β-sheet surrounded by six α-helices (α1 – α6) followed by a mixed three-strand β-sheet surrounded by two α-helices (α7 and α8). Domain Two (166-287) is composed of a bundle of seven α-helices (α9 – α14). Four functional regions conserved in all β-HADs are spatially located near each other at the interdomain cleft in both Gs-βHAD and Gm-βHAD with a buried molecule of NADP+. The structural features of Gs-βHAD and Gm-βHAD are described in relation to the four conserved consensus sequences characteristic of β-HADs and the potential biochemical importance of these enzymes as an alternative pathway for the degradation of succinic semialdehyde.« less

  20. Developmentally distinct MYB genes encode functionally equivalent proteins in Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Lee, M M; Schiefelbein, J

    2001-05-01

    The duplication and divergence of developmental control genes is thought to have driven morphological diversification during the evolution of multicellular organisms. To examine the molecular basis of this process, we analyzed the functional relationship between two paralogous MYB transcription factor genes, WEREWOLF (WER) and GLABROUS1 (GL1), in Arabidopsis. The WER and GL1 genes specify distinct cell types and exhibit non-overlapping expression patterns during Arabidopsis development. Nevertheless, reciprocal complementation experiments with a series of gene fusions showed that WER and GL1 encode functionally equivalent proteins, and their unique roles in plant development are entirely due to differences in their cis-regulatory sequences. Similar experiments with a distantly related MYB gene (MYB2) showed that its product cannot functionally substitute for WER or GL1. Furthermore, an analysis of the WER and GL1 proteins shows that conserved sequences correspond to specific functional domains. These results provide new insights into the evolution of the MYB gene family in Arabidopsis, and, more generally, they demonstrate that novel developmental gene function may arise solely by the modification of cis-regulatory sequences.

  1. The Draft Genome Sequence of a Novel High-Efficient Butanol-Producing Bacterium Clostridium Diolis Strain WST.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chaoyang; Sun, Chongran; Wu, Yi-Rui

    2018-03-21

    A wild-type solventogenic strain Clostridium diolis WST, isolated from mangrove sediments, was characterized to produce high amount of butanol and acetone with negligible level of ethanol and acids from glucose via a unique acetone-butanol (AB) fermentation pathway. Through the genomic sequencing, the assembled draft genome of strain WST is calculated to be 5.85 Mb with a GC content of 29.69% and contains 5263 genes that contribute to the annotation of 5049 protein-coding sequences. Within these annotated genes, the butanol dehydrogenase gene (bdh) was determined to be in a higher amount from strain WST compared to other Clostridial strains, which is positively related to its high-efficient production of butanol. Therefore, we present a draft genome sequence analysis of strain WST in this article that should facilitate to further understand the solventogenic mechanism of this special microorganism.

  2. Issues with RNA-seq analysis in non-model organisms: A salmonid example.

    PubMed

    Sundaram, Arvind; Tengs, Torstein; Grimholt, Unni

    2017-10-01

    High throughput sequencing (HTS) is useful for many purposes as exemplified by the other topics included in this special issue. The purpose of this paper is to look into the unique challenges of using this technology in non-model organisms where resources such as genomes, functional genome annotations or genome complexity provide obstacles not met in model organisms. To describe these challenges, we narrow our scope to RNA sequencing used to study differential gene expression in response to pathogen challenge. As a demonstration species we chose Atlantic salmon, which has a sequenced genome with poor annotation and an added complexity due to many duplicated genes. We find that our RNA-seq analysis pipeline deciphers between duplicates despite high sequence identity. However, annotation issues provide problems in linking differentially expressed genes to pathways. Also, comparing results between approaches and species are complicated due to lack of standardized annotation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Biomimetic Artificial Epigenetic Code for Targeted Acetylation of Histones.

    PubMed

    Taniguchi, Junichi; Feng, Yihong; Pandian, Ganesh N; Hashiya, Fumitaka; Hidaka, Takuya; Hashiya, Kaori; Park, Soyoung; Bando, Toshikazu; Ito, Shinji; Sugiyama, Hiroshi

    2018-06-13

    While the central role of locus-specific acetylation of histone proteins in eukaryotic gene expression is well established, the availability of designer tools to regulate acetylation at particular nucleosome sites remains limited. Here, we develop a unique strategy to introduce acetylation by constructing a bifunctional molecule designated Bi-PIP. Bi-PIP has a P300/CBP-selective bromodomain inhibitor (Bi) as a P300/CBP recruiter and a pyrrole-imidazole polyamide (PIP) as a sequence-selective DNA binder. Biochemical assays verified that Bi-PIPs recruit P300 to the nucleosomes having their target DNA sequences and extensively accelerate acetylation. Bi-PIPs also activated transcription of genes that have corresponding cognate DNA sequences inside living cells. Our results demonstrate that Bi-PIPs could act as a synthetic programmable histone code of acetylation, which emulates the bromodomain-mediated natural propagation system of histone acetylation to activate gene expression in a sequence-selective manner.

  4. New Measles Genotype, Uganda

    PubMed Central

    Muwonge, Apollo; Nanyunja, Miriam; Bwogi, Josephine; Lowe, Luis; Liffick, Stephanie L.; Bellini, William J.; Sylvester, Sempala

    2005-01-01

    We report the first genetic characterization of wildtype measles viruses from Uganda. Thirty-six virus isolates from outbreaks in 6 districts were analyzed from 2000 to 2002. Analyses of sequences of the nucleoprotein (N) and hemagglutinin (H) genes showed that the Ugandan isolates were all closely related, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these viruses were members of a unique group within clade D. Sequences of the Ugandan viruses were not closely related to any of the World Health Organization reference sequences representing the 22 currently recognized genotypes. The minimum nucleotide divergence between the Ugandan viruses and the most closely related reference strain, genotype D2, was 3.1% for the N gene and 2.6% for the H gene. Therefore, Ugandan viruses should be considered a new, proposed genotype (d10). This new sequence information will expand the utility of molecular epidemiologic techniques for describing measles transmission patterns in eastern Africa. PMID:16318690

  5. Plasmid Characterization and Chromosome Analysis of Two netF+ Clostridium perfringens Isolates Associated with Foal and Canine Necrotizing Enteritis.

    PubMed

    Mehdizadeh Gohari, Iman; Kropinski, Andrew M; Weese, Scott J; Parreira, Valeria R; Whitehead, Ashley E; Boerlin, Patrick; Prescott, John F

    2016-01-01

    The recent discovery of a novel beta-pore-forming toxin, NetF, which is strongly associated with canine and foal necrotizing enteritis should improve our understanding of the role of type A Clostridium perfringens associated disease in these animals. The current study presents the complete genome sequence of two netF-positive strains, JFP55 and JFP838, which were recovered from cases of foal necrotizing enteritis and canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, respectively. Genome sequencing was done using Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology-PacBio and Illumina Hiseq2000. The JFP55 and JFP838 genomes include a single 3.34 Mb and 3.53 Mb chromosome, respectively, and both genomes include five circular plasmids. Plasmid annotation revealed that three plasmids were shared by the two newly sequenced genomes, including a NetF/NetE toxins-encoding tcp-conjugative plasmid, a CPE/CPB2 toxins-encoding tcp-conjugative plasmid and a putative bacteriocin-encoding plasmid. The putative beta-pore-forming toxin genes, netF, netE and netG, were located in unique pathogenicity loci on tcp-conjugative plasmids. The C. perfringens JFP55 chromosome carries 2,825 protein-coding genes whereas the chromosome of JFP838 contains 3,014 protein-encoding genes. Comparison of these two chromosomes with three available reference C. perfringens chromosome sequences identified 48 (~247 kb) and 81 (~430 kb) regions unique to JFP55 and JFP838, respectively. Some of these divergent genomic regions in both chromosomes are phage- and plasmid-related segments. Sixteen of these unique chromosomal regions (~69 kb) were shared between the two isolates. Five of these shared regions formed a mosaic of plasmid-integrated segments, suggesting that these elements were acquired early in a clonal lineage of netF-positive C. perfringens strains. These results provide significant insight into the basis of canine and foal necrotizing enteritis and are the first to demonstrate that netF resides on a large and unique plasmid-encoded locus.

  6. Existence of a True Phosphofructokinase in Bacillus sphaericus: Cloning and Sequencing of the pfk Gene

    PubMed Central

    Alice, Alejandro F.; Pérez-Martínez, Gaspar; Sánchez-Rivas, Carmen

    2002-01-01

    Some strains of Bacillus sphaericus are entomopathogenic to mosquito larvae, which transmit diseases, such as filariasis and malaria, affecting millions of people worldwide. This species is unable to use hexoses and pentoses as unique carbon sources, which was proposed to be due to the lack of glycolytic enzymes, such as 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK). In this study, PFK activity was detected and the pfk gene was cloned and sequenced. Furthermore, this gene was shown to be present in strains belonging to all the homology groups of this heterogeneous species, in which PFK activity was also detected. A careful sequence analysis revealed the conservation of different catalytic and regulatory residues, as well as the enzyme's phylogenetic affiliation with the family of allosteric ATP-PFK enzymes. PMID:12450869

  7. The Sequence and Analysis of Duplication Rich Human Chromosome 16

    DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

    Martin, Joel; Han, Cliff; Gordon, Laurie A.; Terry, Astrid; Prabhakar, Shyam; She, Xinwei; Xie, Gary; Hellsten, Uffe; Man Chan, Yee; Altherr, Michael; Couronne, Olivier; Aerts, Andrea; Bajorek, Eva; Black, Stacey; Blumer, Heather; Branscomb, Elbert; Brown, Nancy C.; Bruno, William J.; Buckingham, Judith M.; Callen, David F.; Campbell, Connie S.; Campbell, Mary L.; Campbell, Evelyn W.; Caoile, Chenier; Challacombe, Jean F.; Chasteen, Leslie A.; Chertkov, Olga; Chi, Han C.; Christensen, Mari; Clark, Lynn M.; Cohn, Judith D.; Denys, Mirian; Detter, John C.; Dickson, Mark; Dimitrijevic-Bussod, Mira; Escobar, Julio; Fawcett, Joseph J.; Flowers, Dave; Fotopulos, Dea; Glavina, Tijana; Gomez, Maria; Gonzales, Eidelyn; Goodstein, David; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Grady, Deborah L.; Grigoriev, Igor; Groza, Matthew; Hammon, Nancy; Hawkins, Trevor; Haydu, Lauren; Hildebrand, Carl E.; Huang, Wayne; Israni, Sanjay; Jett, Jamie; Jewett, Phillip E.; Kadner, Kristen; Kimball, Heather; Kobayashi, Arthur; Krawczyk, Marie-Claude; Leyba, Tina; Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lopez, Frederick; Lou, Yunian; Lowry, Steve; Ludeman, Thom; Mark, Graham A.; Mcmurray, Kimberly L.; Meincke, Linda J.; Morgan, Jenna; Moyzis, Robert K.; Mundt, Mark O.; Munk, A. Christine; Nandkeshwar, Richard D.; Pitluck, Sam; Pollard, Martin; Predki, Paul; Parson-Quintana, Beverly; Ramirez, Lucia; Rash, Sam; Retterer, James; Ricke, Darryl O.; Robinson, Donna L.; Rodriguez, Alex; Salamov, Asaf; Saunders, Elizabeth H.; Scott, Duncan; Shough, Timothy; Stallings, Raymond L.; Stalvey, Malinda; Sutherland, Robert D.; Tapia, Roxanne; Tesmer, Judith G.; Thayer, Nina; Thompson, Linda S.; Tice, Hope; Torney, David C.; Tran-Gyamfi, Mary; Tsai, Ming; Ulanovsky, Levy E.; Ustaszewska, Anna; Vo, Nu; White, P. Scott; Williams, Albert L.; Wills, Patricia L.; Wu, Jung-Rung; Wu, Kevin; Yang, Joan; DeJong, Pieter; Bruce, David; Doggett, Norman; Deaven, Larry; Schmutz, Jeremy; Grimwood, Jane; Richardson, Paul; et al.

    2004-01-01

    We report here the 78,884,754 base pairs of finished human chromosome 16 sequence, representing over 99.9 percent of its euchromatin. Manual annotation revealed 880 protein coding genes confirmed by 1,637 aligned transcripts, 19 tRNA genes, 341 pseudogenes and 3 RNA pseudogenes. These genes include metallothionein, cadherin and iroquois gene families, as well as the disease genes for polycystic kidney disease and acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Several large-scale structural polymorphisms spanning hundreds of kilobasepairs were identified and result in gene content differences across humans. One of the unique features of chromosome 16 is its high level of segmental duplication, ranked among the highest of the human autosomes. While the segmental duplications are enriched in the relatively gene poor pericentromere of the p-arm, some are involved in recent gene duplication and conversion events which are likely to have had an impact on the evolution of primates and human disease susceptibility.

  8. Analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda

    PubMed Central

    Deng, Youping; Dong, Yinghua; Thodima, Venkata; Clem, Rollie J; Passarelli, A Lorena

    2006-01-01

    Background Little is known about the genome sequences of lepidopteran insects, although this group of insects has been studied extensively in the fields of endocrinology, development, immunity, and pathogen-host interactions. In addition, cell lines derived from Spodoptera frugiperda and other lepidopteran insects are routinely used for baculovirus foreign gene expression. This study reports the results of an expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing project in cells from the lepidopteran insect S. frugiperda, the fall armyworm. Results We have constructed an EST database using two cDNA libraries from the S. frugiperda-derived cell line, SF-21. The database consists of 2,367 ESTs which were assembled into 244 contigs and 951 singlets for a total of 1,195 unique sequences. Conclusion S. frugiperda is an agriculturally important pest insect and genomic information will be instrumental for establishing initial transcriptional profiling and gene function studies, and for obtaining information about genes manipulated during infections by insect pathogens such as baculoviruses. PMID:17052344

  9. Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi isolates from various sources.

    PubMed Central

    Adam, T; Gassmann, G S; Rasiah, C; Göbel, U B

    1991-01-01

    A total of 17 B. burgdorferi isolates from various sources were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins, restriction enzyme analysis, Southern hybridization with probes complementary to unique regions of evolutionarily conserved genes (16S rRNA and fla), and direct sequencing of in vitro polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene. Three groups were distinguished on the basis of phenotypic and genotypic traits, the latter traced to the nucleotide sequence level. Images PMID:1649797

  10. The complete chloroplast genome of Aconitum chiisanense Nakai (Ranunculaceae).

    PubMed

    Lim, Chae Eun; Kim, Goon-Bo; Baek, Seunghoon; Han, Su-Min; Yu, Hee-Ju; Mun, Jeong-Hwan

    2017-01-01

    We determined the complete chloroplast DNA sequence of Aconitum chiisanense Nakai, a rare Aconitum species endemic to Korea. The chloroplast genome is 155 934 bp in length and contains 4 rRNA, 30 tRNA, and 78 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the chloroplast genome of A. chiisanense is closely related to that of A. barbatum var. puberulum. Sequence comparison with other Ranunculaceae chloroplasts identified a unique deletion in the rps16 gene of A. chiisanense chloroplast DNA that can serve as a molecular marker for species identification.

  11. Abundance of genes involved in mercury methylation in oceanic environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palumbo, A. V.; Podar, M.; Gilmour, C. C.; Brandt, C. C.; Brown, S. D.; Crable, B. R.; Weighill, D.; Jacobson, D. A.; Somenahally, A. C.; Elias, D. A.

    2016-02-01

    The distribution and diversity of genes involved in mercury methylation in oceanic environments is of interest in determining the source of mercury in ocean environments and may have predictive value for mercury methylation rates. The highly conserved hgcAB genes involved in mercury methylation provide an avenue for evaluating the genetic potential for mercury methylation. The genes are sporadically present in a few diverse groups of bacteria and Archaea including Deltaproteobacteria, Firmicutes and Archaea and of over 7000 sequenced species they are only present in about 100 genomes. Examination of sequence data from methylators and non-methylators indicates that these genes are associated with other genes involved in metal transformations and transport. We examined hgcAB presence in over 3500 microbial metagenomes (from all environments) and found the hgcAB genes were present in anaerobic oceanic environments but not in aerobic layers of the open ocean. The genes were common in sediments from marine, coastal and estuarine sources as well as polluted environments. The genes were rare, found in 7 of 138 samples, in metagenomes from the pelagic water column including profiles though the oxygen minimum zone. Other oxic and sub-oxic coastal waters also demonstrated a lack of hgcAB genes including the OMZ in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. There were some unique hgcA like unique sequences found in metagenomes from depth in the Pacific and Southern Atlantic Ocean. Coastal "dead zone" waters may be important sources of MeHg as the hgcAB genes were abundant in the anoxic waters of a stratified fjord. The genes were absent in microbiomes from vertebrates but were in invertebrate microbiomes However, oceanic species were underrepresented in these samples. Climate change could provide an additional flux of MeHg to the oceans as we found the most abundant representation of hgcAB genes in arctic permafrost. Thus warming could increase flux of methyl mercury to arctic waters.

  12. Comparative Genomics of Non-TNL Disease Resistance Genes from Six Plant Species.

    PubMed

    Nepal, Madhav P; Andersen, Ethan J; Neupane, Surendra; Benson, Benjamin V

    2017-09-30

    Disease resistance genes (R genes), as part of the plant defense system, have coevolved with corresponding pathogen molecules. The main objectives of this project were to identify non-Toll interleukin receptor, nucleotide-binding site, leucine-rich repeat (nTNL) genes and elucidate their evolutionary divergence across six plant genomes. Using reference sequences from Arabidopsis , we investigated nTNL orthologs in the genomes of common bean, Medicago , soybean, poplar, and rice. We used Hidden Markov Models for sequence identification, performed model-based phylogenetic analyses, visualized chromosomal positioning, inferred gene clustering, and assessed gene expression profiles. We analyzed 908 nTNL R genes in the genomes of the six plant species, and classified them into 12 subgroups based on the presence of coiled-coil (CC), nucleotide binding site (NBS), leucine rich repeat (LRR), resistance to Powdery mildew 8 (RPW8), and BED type zinc finger domains. Traditionally classified CC-NBS-LRR (CNL) genes were nested into four clades (CNL A-D) often with abundant, well-supported homogeneous subclades of Type-II R genes. CNL-D members were absent in rice, indicating a unique R gene retention pattern in the rice genome. Genomes from Arabidopsis , common bean, poplar and soybean had one chromosome without any CNL R genes. Medicago and Arabidopsis had the highest and lowest number of gene clusters, respectively. Gene expression analyses suggested unique patterns of expression for each of the CNL clades. Differential gene expression patterns of the nTNL genes were often found to correlate with number of introns and GC content, suggesting structural and functional divergence.

  13. Comparative Genomics of Non-TNL Disease Resistance Genes from Six Plant Species

    PubMed Central

    Andersen, Ethan J.; Neupane, Surendra; Benson, Benjamin V.

    2017-01-01

    Disease resistance genes (R genes), as part of the plant defense system, have coevolved with corresponding pathogen molecules. The main objectives of this project were to identify non-Toll interleukin receptor, nucleotide-binding site, leucine-rich repeat (nTNL) genes and elucidate their evolutionary divergence across six plant genomes. Using reference sequences from Arabidopsis, we investigated nTNL orthologs in the genomes of common bean, Medicago, soybean, poplar, and rice. We used Hidden Markov Models for sequence identification, performed model-based phylogenetic analyses, visualized chromosomal positioning, inferred gene clustering, and assessed gene expression profiles. We analyzed 908 nTNL R genes in the genomes of the six plant species, and classified them into 12 subgroups based on the presence of coiled-coil (CC), nucleotide binding site (NBS), leucine rich repeat (LRR), resistance to Powdery mildew 8 (RPW8), and BED type zinc finger domains. Traditionally classified CC-NBS-LRR (CNL) genes were nested into four clades (CNL A-D) often with abundant, well-supported homogeneous subclades of Type-II R genes. CNL-D members were absent in rice, indicating a unique R gene retention pattern in the rice genome. Genomes from Arabidopsis, common bean, poplar and soybean had one chromosome without any CNL R genes. Medicago and Arabidopsis had the highest and lowest number of gene clusters, respectively. Gene expression analyses suggested unique patterns of expression for each of the CNL clades. Differential gene expression patterns of the nTNL genes were often found to correlate with number of introns and GC content, suggesting structural and functional divergence. PMID:28973974

  14. Analysis of eight out genes in a cluster required for pectic enzyme secretion by Erwinia chrysanthemi: sequence comparison with secretion genes from other gram-negative bacteria.

    PubMed Central

    Lindeberg, M; Collmer, A

    1992-01-01

    Many extracellular proteins produced by Erwinia chrysanthemi require the out gene products for transport across the outer membrane. In a previous report (S. Y. He, M. Lindeberg, A. K. Chatterjee, and A. Collmer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:1079-1083, 1991) cosmid pCPP2006, sufficient for secretion of Erwinia chrysanthemi extracellular proteins by Escherichia coli, was partially sequenced, revealing four out genes sharing high homology with pulH through pulK from Klebsiella oxytoca. The nucleotide sequence of eight additional out genes reveals homology with pulC through pulG, pulL, pulM, pulO, and other genes involved in secretion by various gram-negative bacteria. Although signal sequences and hydrophobic regions are generally conserved between Pul and Out proteins, four out genes contain unique inserts, a pulN homolog is not present, and outO appears to be transcribed separately from outC through outM. The sequenced region was subcloned, and an additional 7.6-kb region upstream was identified as being required for secretion in E. coli. out gene homologs were found on Erwinia carotovora cosmid clone pAKC651 but were not detected in E. coli. The outC-through-outM operon is weakly induced by polygalacturonic acid and strongly expressed in the early stationary phase. The out and pul genes are highly similar in sequence, hydropathic properties, and overall arrangement but differ in both transcriptional organization and the nature of their induction. Images PMID:1429461

  15. Rat prostatic steroid binding protein: DNA sequence and transcript maps of the two C3 genes.

    PubMed Central

    Hurst, H C; Parker, M G

    1983-01-01

    In the rat there are two non-allelic genes C3(1) and C3(2) for the C3 polypeptide of prostatic steroid binding protein. We have cloned and sequenced both genes and show that only C3(1) is responsible for the production of authentic C3. Although there is a marked difference in their transcriptional activity, the two genes share extensive DNA sequence homology there being only one base difference from nucleotide - 235 to within the first intron. Transcript mapping has shown that there are two distinct C3 transcripts which share a unique 3' terminus but have 5' termini 38 bases apart each preceded by a 'TATA' box homology. Interestingly, an identical repetitive element is present just upstream of both genes. Both families of transcripts, which are produced in a ratio of 18:1, are coordinately regulated by testosterone. Images Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. PMID:6685625

  16. Clustering, haplotype diversity and locations of MIC-3: a unique root-specific defense-related gene family in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    MIC-3-related genes of cotton (Gossypium spp.) were identified and shown to have root-specific expression, associated with pathogen defense-related function and specifically increased expression in root-knot nematode (RKN) resistant plants after nematode infection. Here we cloned and sequenced MIC-...

  17. Mosaic Graphs and Comparative Genomics in Phage Communities

    PubMed Central

    Belcaid, Mahdi; Bergeron, Anne

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Comparing the genomes of two closely related viruses often produces mosaics where nearly identical sequences alternate with sequences that are unique to each genome. When several closely related genomes are compared, the unique sequences are likely to be shared with third genomes, leading to virus mosaic communities. Here we present comparative analysis of sets of Staphylococcus aureus phages that share large identical sequences with up to three other genomes, and with different partners along their genomes. We introduce mosaic graphs to represent these complex recombination events, and use them to illustrate the breath and depth of sequence sharing: some genomes are almost completely made up of shared sequences, while genomes that share very large identical sequences can adopt alternate functional modules. Mosaic graphs also allow us to identify breakpoints that could eventually be used for the construction of recombination networks. These findings have several implications on phage metagenomics assembly, on the horizontal gene transfer paradigm, and more generally on the understanding of the composition and evolutionary dynamics of virus communities. PMID:20874413

  18. Comparative analysis of grapevine whole-genome gene predictions, functional annotation, categorization and integration of the predicted gene sequences

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The first draft assembly and gene prediction of the grapevine genome (8X base coverage) was made available to the scientific community in 2007, and functional annotation was developed on this gene prediction. Since then additional Sanger sequences were added to the 8X sequences pool and a new version of the genomic sequence with superior base coverage (12X) was produced. Results In order to more efficiently annotate the function of the genes predicted in the new assembly, it is important to build on as much of the previous work as possible, by transferring 8X annotation of the genome to the 12X version. The 8X and 12X assemblies and gene predictions of the grapevine genome were compared to answer the question, “Can we uniquely map 8X predicted genes to 12X predicted genes?” The results show that while the assemblies and gene structure predictions are too different to make a complete mapping between them, most genes (18,725) showed a one-to-one relationship between 8X predicted genes and the last version of 12X predicted genes. In addition, reshuffled genomic sequence structures appeared. These highlight regions of the genome where the gene predictions need to be taken with caution. Based on the new grapevine gene functional annotation and in-depth functional categorization, twenty eight new molecular networks have been created for VitisNet while the existing networks were updated. Conclusions The outcomes of this study provide a functional annotation of the 12X genes, an update of VitisNet, the system of the grapevine molecular networks, and a new functional categorization of genes. Data are available at the VitisNet website (http://www.sdstate.edu/ps/research/vitis/pathways.cfm). PMID:22554261

  19. A review of the evolution of viviparity in squamate reptiles: the past, present and future role of molecular biology and genomics.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Bridget F; Thompson, Michael B

    2011-07-01

    Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) offer a unique model system for testing hypotheses about the evolutionary transition from oviparity (egg-laying) to viviparity (live-bearing) in amniote vertebrates. The evolution of squamate viviparity has occurred remarkably frequently (>108 times) and has resulted in major changes in reproductive physiology. Such frequent changes in reproductive strategy pose two questions: (1) what are the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolution of squamate viviparity? (2) Are these molecular mechanisms the same for separate origins of viviparity? Molecular approaches, such as RT-PCR, in situ hybridisation, Western blotting and immunofluorescence, have been invaluable for identifying genes and proteins that are involved in squamate placental development, materno-foetal immunotolerance, placental transport, placental angiogenesis, hormone synthesis and hormone receptor expression. However, the candidate-gene or -protein approach that has been used until now does not allow for de novo gene/protein discovery; results to date suggest that the reproductive physiologies of mammals and squamate reptiles are very similar, but this conclusion may simply be due to a limited capacity to study the subset of genes and proteins that are unique to reptiles. Progress has also been slowed by the lack of appropriate molecular and genomic resources for squamate reptiles. The advent of next-generation sequencing provides a relatively inexpensive way to conduct rapid high-throughput sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes. We discuss the potential use of next-generation sequencing technologies to analyse differences in gene expression between oviparous and viviparous squamates, provide important sequence information for reptiles, and generate testable hypotheses for the evolution of viviparity.

  20. Complete genome sequence of Brachyspira intermedia reveals unique genomic features in Brachyspira species and phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Brachyspira spp. colonize the intestines of some mammalian and avian species and show different degrees of enteropathogenicity. Brachyspira intermedia can cause production losses in chickens and strain PWS/AT now becomes the fourth genome to be completed in the genus Brachyspira. Results 15 classes of unique and shared genes were analyzed in B. intermedia, B. murdochii, B. hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli. The largest number of unique genes was found in B. intermedia and B. murdochii. This indicates the presence of larger pan-genomes. In general, hypothetical protein annotations are overrepresented among the unique genes. A 3.2 kb plasmid was found in B. intermedia strain PWS/AT. The plasmid was also present in the B. murdochii strain but not in nine other Brachyspira isolates. Within the Brachyspira genomes, genes had been translocated and also frequently switched between leading and lagging strands, a process that can be followed by different AT-skews in the third positions of synonymous codons. We also found evidence that bacteriophages were being remodeled and genes incorporated into them. Conclusions The accessory gene pool shapes species-specific traits. It is also influenced by reductive genome evolution and horizontal gene transfer. Gene-transfer events can cross both species and genus boundaries and bacteriophages appear to play an important role in this process. A mechanism for horizontal gene transfer appears to be gene translocations leading to remodeling of bacteriophages in combination with broad tropism. PMID:21816042

  1. The Large Mitochondrial Genome of Symbiodinium minutum Reveals Conserved Noncoding Sequences between Dinoflagellates and Apicomplexans

    PubMed Central

    Shoguchi, Eiichi; Shinzato, Chuya; Hisata, Kanako; Satoh, Nori; Mungpakdee, Sutada

    2015-01-01

    Even though mitochondrial genomes, which characterize eukaryotic cells, were first discovered more than 50 years ago, mitochondrial genomics remains an important topic in molecular biology and genome sciences. The Phylum Alveolata comprises three major groups (ciliates, apicomplexans, and dinoflagellates), the mitochondrial genomes of which have diverged widely. Even though the gene content of dinoflagellate mitochondrial genomes is reportedly comparable to that of apicomplexans, the highly fragmented and rearranged genome structures of dinoflagellates have frustrated whole genomic analysis. Consequently, noncoding sequences and gene arrangements of dinoflagellate mitochondrial genomes have not been well characterized. Here we report that the continuous assembled genome (∼326 kb) of the dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium minutum, is AT-rich (∼64.3%) and that it contains three protein-coding genes. Based upon in silico analysis, the remaining 99% of the genome comprises transcriptomic noncoding sequences. RNA edited sites and unique, possible start and stop codons clarify conserved regions among dinoflagellates. Our massive transcriptome analysis shows that almost all regions of the genome are transcribed, including 27 possible fragmented ribosomal RNA genes and 12 uncharacterized small RNAs that are similar to mitochondrial RNA genes of the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Gene map comparisons show that gene order is only slightly conserved between S. minutum and P. falciparum. However, small RNAs and intergenic sequences share sequence similarities with P. falciparum, suggesting that the function of noncoding sequences has been preserved despite development of very different genome structures. PMID:26199191

  2. Genome Sequence of Candidatus Nitrososphaera evergladensis from Group I.1b Enriched from Everglades Soil Reveals Novel Genomic Features of the Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea

    PubMed Central

    Zhalnina, Kateryna V.; Dias, Raquel; Leonard, Michael T.; Dorr de Quadros, Patricia; Camargo, Flavio A. O.; Drew, Jennifer C.; Farmerie, William G.; Daroub, Samira H.; Triplett, Eric W.

    2014-01-01

    The activity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) leads to the loss of nitrogen from soil, pollution of water sources and elevated emissions of greenhouse gas. To date, eight AOA genomes are available in the public databases, seven are from the group I.1a of the Thaumarchaeota and only one is from the group I.1b, isolated from hot springs. Many soils are dominated by AOA from the group I.1b, but the genomes of soil representatives of this group have not been sequenced and functionally characterized. The lack of knowledge of metabolic pathways of soil AOA presents a critical gap in understanding their role in biogeochemical cycles. Here, we describe the first complete genome of soil archaeon Candidatus Nitrososphaera evergladensis, which has been reconstructed from metagenomic sequencing of a highly enriched culture obtained from an agricultural soil. The AOA enrichment was sequenced with the high throughput next generation sequencing platforms from Pacific Biosciences and Ion Torrent. The de novo assembly of sequences resulted in one 2.95 Mb contig. Annotation of the reconstructed genome revealed many similarities of the basic metabolism with the rest of sequenced AOA. Ca. N. evergladensis belongs to the group I.1b and shares only 40% of whole-genome homology with the closest sequenced relative Ca. N. gargensis. Detailed analysis of the genome revealed coding sequences that were completely absent from the group I.1a. These unique sequences code for proteins involved in control of DNA integrity, transporters, two-component systems and versatile CRISPR defense system. Notably, genomes from the group I.1b have more gene duplications compared to the genomes from the group I.1a. We suggest that the presence of these unique genes and gene duplications may be associated with the environmental versatility of this group. PMID:24999826

  3. Genomic resources for songbird research and their use in characterizing gene expression during brain development

    PubMed Central

    Li, XiaoChing; Wang, Xiu-Jie; Tannenhauser, Jonathan; Podell, Sheila; Mukherjee, Piali; Hertel, Moritz; Biane, Jeremy; Masuda, Shoko; Nottebohm, Fernando; Gaasterland, Terry

    2007-01-01

    Vocal learning and neuronal replacement have been studied extensively in songbirds, but until recently, few molecular and genomic tools for songbird research existed. Here we describe new molecular/genomic resources developed in our laboratory. We made cDNA libraries from zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) brains at different developmental stages. A total of 11,000 cDNA clones from these libraries, representing 5,866 unique gene transcripts, were randomly picked and sequenced from the 3′ ends. A web-based database was established for clone tracking, sequence analysis, and functional annotations. Our cDNA libraries were not normalized. Sequencing ESTs without normalization produced many developmental stage-specific sequences, yielding insights into patterns of gene expression at different stages of brain development. In particular, the cDNA library made from brains at posthatching day 30–50, corresponding to the period of rapid song system development and song learning, has the most diverse and richest set of genes expressed. We also identified five microRNAs whose sequences are highly conserved between zebra finch and other species. We printed cDNA microarrays and profiled gene expression in the high vocal center of both adult male zebra finches and canaries (Serinus canaria). Genes differentially expressed in the high vocal center were identified from the microarray hybridization results. Selected genes were validated by in situ hybridization. Networks among the regulated genes were also identified. These resources provide songbird biologists with tools for genome annotation, comparative genomics, and microarray gene expression analysis. PMID:17426146

  4. Pleurochrysome: A Web Database of Pleurochrysis Transcripts and Orthologs Among Heterogeneous Algae

    PubMed Central

    Fujiwara, Shoko; Takatsuka, Yukiko; Hirokawa, Yasutaka; Tsuzuki, Mikio; Takano, Tomoyuki; Kobayashi, Masaaki; Suda, Kunihiro; Asamizu, Erika; Yokoyama, Koji; Shibata, Daisuke; Tabata, Satoshi; Yano, Kentaro

    2016-01-01

    Pleurochrysis is a coccolithophorid genus, which belongs to the Coccolithales in the Haptophyta. The genus has been used extensively for biological research, together with Emiliania in the Isochrysidales, to understand distinctive features between the two coccolithophorid-including orders. However, molecular biological research on Pleurochrysis such as elucidation of the molecular mechanism behind coccolith formation has not made great progress at least in part because of lack of comprehensive gene information. To provide such information to the research community, we built an open web database, the Pleurochrysome (http://bioinf.mind.meiji.ac.jp/phapt/), which currently stores 9,023 unique gene sequences (designated as UNIGENEs) assembled from expressed sequence tag sequences of P. haptonemofera as core information. The UNIGENEs were annotated with gene sequences sharing significant homology, conserved domains, Gene Ontology, KEGG Orthology, predicted subcellular localization, open reading frames and orthologous relationship with genes of 10 other algal species, a cyanobacterium and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This sequence and annotation information can be easily accessed via several search functions. Besides fundamental functions such as BLAST and keyword searches, this database also offers search functions to explore orthologous genes in the 12 organisms and to seek novel genes. The Pleurochrysome will promote molecular biological and phylogenetic research on coccolithophorids and other haptophytes by helping scientists mine data from the primary transcriptome of P. haptonemofera. PMID:26746174

  5. Phylogenetic Relationship of Necoclí Virus to Other South American Hantaviruses (Bunyaviridae: Hantavirus).

    PubMed

    Montoya-Ruiz, Carolina; Cajimat, Maria N B; Milazzo, Mary Louise; Diaz, Francisco J; Rodas, Juan David; Valbuena, Gustavo; Fulhorst, Charles F

    2015-07-01

    The results of a previous study suggested that Cherrie's cane rat (Zygodontomys cherriei) is the principal host of Necoclí virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) in Colombia. Bayesian analyses of complete nucleocapsid protein gene sequences and complete glycoprotein precursor gene sequences in this study confirmed that Necoclí virus is phylogenetically closely related to Maporal virus, which is principally associated with the delicate pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys delicatus) in western Venezuela. In pairwise comparisons, nonidentities between the complete amino acid sequence of the nucleocapsid protein of Necoclí virus and the complete amino acid sequences of the nucleocapsid proteins of other hantaviruses were ≥8.7%. Likewise, nonidentities between the complete amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein precursor of Necoclí virus and the complete amino acid sequences of the glycoprotein precursors of other hantaviruses were ≥11.7%. Collectively, the unique association of Necoclí virus with Z. cherriei in Colombia, results of the Bayesian analyses of complete nucleocapsid protein gene sequences and complete glycoprotein precursor gene sequences, and results of the pairwise comparisons of amino acid sequences strongly support the notion that Necoclí virus represents a novel species in the genus Hantavirus. Further work is needed to determine whether Calabazo virus (a hantavirus associated with Z. brevicauda cherriei in Panama) and Necoclí virus are conspecific.

  6. Analysis of expressed sequence tags from a NaHCO(3)-treated alkali-tolerant plant, Chloris virgata.

    PubMed

    Nishiuchi, Shunsaku; Fujihara, Kazumasa; Liu, Shenkui; Takano, Tetsuo

    2010-04-01

    Chloris virgata Swartz (C. virgata) is a gramineous wild plant that can survive in saline-alkali areas in northeast China. To examine the tolerance mechanisms of C. virgata, we constructed a cDNA library from whole plants of C. virgata that had been treated with 100 mM NaHCO(3) for 24 h and sequenced 3168 randomly selected clones. Most (2590) of the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) showed significant similarity to sequences in the NCBI database. Of the 2590 genes, 1893 were unique. Gene Ontology (GO) Slim annotations were obtained for 1081 ESTs by BLAST2GO and it was found that 75 genes of them were annotated with GO terms "response to stress", "response to abiotic stimulus", and "response to biotic stimulus", indicating these genes were likely to function in tolerance mechanism of C. virgata. In a separate experiment, 24 genes that are known from previous studies to be associated with abiotic stress tolerance were further examined by real-time RT-PCR to see how their expressions were affected by NaHCO(3) stress. NaHCO(3) treatment up-regulated the expressions of pathogenesis-related gene (DC998527), Win1 precursor gene (DC998617), catalase gene (DC999385), ribosome inactivating protein 1 (DC999555), Na(+)/H(+) antiporter gene (DC998043), and two-component regulator gene (DC998236). Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Evaluation of second-generation sequencing of 19 dilated cardiomyopathy genes for clinical applications.

    PubMed

    Gowrisankar, Sivakumar; Lerner-Ellis, Jordan P; Cox, Stephanie; White, Emily T; Manion, Megan; LeVan, Kevin; Liu, Jonathan; Farwell, Lisa M; Iartchouk, Oleg; Rehm, Heidi L; Funke, Birgit H

    2010-11-01

    Medical sequencing for diseases with locus and allelic heterogeneities has been limited by the high cost and low throughput of traditional sequencing technologies. "Second-generation" sequencing (SGS) technologies allow the parallel processing of a large number of genes and, therefore, offer great promise for medical sequencing; however, their use in clinical laboratories is still in its infancy. Our laboratory offers clinical resequencing for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using an array-based platform that interrogates 19 of more than 30 genes known to cause DCM. We explored both the feasibility and cost effectiveness of using PCR amplification followed by SGS technology for sequencing these 19 genes in a set of five samples enriched for known sequence alterations (109 unique substitutions and 27 insertions and deletions). While the analytical sensitivity for substitutions was comparable to that of the DCM array (98%), SGS technology performed better than the DCM array for insertions and deletions (90.6% versus 58%). Overall, SGS performed substantially better than did the current array-based testing platform; however, the operational cost and projected turnaround time do not meet our current standards. Therefore, efficient capture methods and/or sample pooling strategies that shorten the turnaround time and decrease reagent and labor costs are needed before implementing this platform into routine clinical applications.

  8. Unusual Gene Order and Organization of the Sea Urchin Hox Cluster

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cameron, R A; Rowen, L; Nesbitt, R

    2005-10-11

    The highly consistent gene order and axial colinear expression patterns found in vertebrate hox gene clusters are less well conserved across the rest of bilaterians. We report the first deuterostome instance of an intact hox cluster with a unique gene order where the paralog groups are not expressed in a sequential manner. The finished sequence from BAC clones from the genome of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, reveals a gene order wherein the anterior genes (Hox1, Hox2 and Hox3) lie nearest the posterior genes in the cluster such that the most 3 gene is Hox5. (The gene order is :more » 5-Hox1, 2, 3, 11/13c, 11/13b, 11/13a, 9/10, 8, 7, 6, 5 - 3). The finished sequence result is corroborated by restriction mapping evidence and BAC-end scaffold analyses. Comparisons with a putative ancestral deuterostome Hox gene cluster suggest that the rearrangements leading to the sea urchin gene order were many and complex.« less

  9. Unusual Gene Order and Organization of the Sea Urchin HoxCluster

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Richardson, Paul M.; Lucas, Susan; Cameron, R. Andrew

    2005-05-10

    The highly consistent gene order and axial colinear expression patterns found in vertebrate hox gene clusters are less well conserved across the rest of bilaterians. We report the first deuterostome instance of an intact hox cluster with a unique gene order where the paralog groups are not expressed in a sequential manner. The finished sequence from BAC clones from the genome of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, reveals a gene order wherein the anterior genes (Hox1, Hox2 and Hox3) lie nearest the posterior genes in the cluster such that the most 3' gene is Hox5. (The gene order is :more » 5'-Hox1,2, 3, 11/13c, 11/13b, '11/13a, 9/10, 8, 7, 6, 5 - 3)'. The finished sequence result is corroborated by restriction mapping evidence and BAC-end scaffold analyses. Comparisons with a putative ancestral deuterostome Hox gene cluster suggest that the rearrangements leading to the sea urchin gene order were many and complex.« less

  10. A Putative Gene Cluster from a Lyngbya wollei Bloom that Encodes Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Mihali, Troco K.; Carmichael, Wayne W.; Neilan, Brett A.

    2011-01-01

    Saxitoxin and its analogs cause the paralytic shellfish-poisoning syndrome, adversely affecting human health and coastal shellfish industries worldwide. Here we report the isolation, sequencing, annotation, and predicted pathway of the saxitoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in the cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei. The gene cluster spans 36 kb and encodes enzymes for the biosynthesis and export of the toxins. The Lyngbya wollei saxitoxin gene cluster differs from previously identified saxitoxin clusters as it contains genes that are unique to this cluster, whereby the carbamoyltransferase is truncated and replaced by an acyltransferase, explaining the unique toxin profile presented by Lyngbya wollei. These findings will enable the creation of toxin probes, for water monitoring purposes, as well as proof-of-concept for the combinatorial biosynthesis of these natural occurring alkaloids for the production of novel, biologically active compounds. PMID:21347365

  11. Prevalence and genome characteristics of canine astrovirus in southwest China.

    PubMed

    Li, Mingxiang; Yan, Nan; Ji, Conghui; Wang, Min; Zhang, Bin; Yue, Hua; Tang, Cheng

    2018-05-30

    The aim of this study was to investigate canine astrovirus (CaAstV) infection in southwest China. We collected 107 faecal samples from domestic dogs with obvious diarrhoea. Forty-two diarrhoeic samples (39.3 %) were positive for CaAstV by RT-PCR, and 41/42 samples showed co-infection with canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) and canine distemper virus (CDV). Phylogenetic analysis based on 26 CaAstV partial ORF1a and ORF1b sequences revealed that most CaAstV strains showed unique evolutionary features. Interestingly, putative recombination events were observed among four of the five complete ORF2 sequences cloned in this study, and three of the five complete ORF2 sequences formed a single unique group, suggesting that these strains could be a novel genotype. We successfully sequenced the complete genome of one CaAstV strain (designated 2017/44/CHN), which was 6628 nt in length. The features of this genome include putative recombination events in the ORF1a, ORF1b and ORF2 genes, while the ORF2 gene had a continuous insertion of 7 aa in region II compared with the other complete ORF2 sequences available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 2017/44/CHN formed a single group based on genome sequences, suggesting that this strain might be a novel genotype. The results of this study revealed that CaAstV circulates widely in diarrhoeic dogs in southwest China and exhibits unique evolutionary events. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of recombination events in CaAstV, and it contributes to further understanding of the genetic evolution of CaAstV.

  12. Metagenomic Evaluation of Bacterial and Archaeal Diversity in the Geothermal Hot Springs of Manikaran, India

    PubMed Central

    Pathak, Ashish; Green, Stefan J.; Joshi, Amit; Chauhan, Ashvini

    2015-01-01

    Bacterial and archaeal diversity in geothermal spring water were investigated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenomic sequencing. This revealed the dominance of Firmicutes, Aquificae, and the Deinococcus-Thermus group in this thermophilic environment. A number of sequences remained taxonomically unresolved, indicating the presence of potentially novel microbes in this unique habitat. PMID:25700403

  13. Sequences of two related multiple antibiotic resistance virulence plasmids sharing a unique IS26-related molecular signature isolated from different Escherichia coli pathotypes from different hosts.

    PubMed

    Venturini, Carola; Hassan, Karl A; Roy Chowdhury, Piklu; Paulsen, Ian T; Walker, Mark J; Djordjevic, Steven P

    2013-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) are important zoonotic pathogens that increasingly are becoming resistant to multiple antibiotics. Here we describe two plasmids, pO26-CRL125 (125 kb) from a human O26:H- EHEC, and pO111-CRL115 (115kb) from a bovine O111 aEPEC, that impart resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, sulfathiazole, trimethoprim and tetracycline and both contain atypical class 1 integrons with an identical IS26-mediated deletion in their 3´-conserved segment. Complete sequence analysis showed that pO26-CRL125 and pO111-CRL115 are essentially identical except for a 9.7 kb fragment, present in the backbone of pO26-CRL125 but absent in pO111-CRL115, and several indels. The 9.7 kb fragment encodes IncI-associated genes involved in plasmid stability during conjugation, a putative transposase gene and three imperfect repeats. Contiguous sequence identical to regions within these pO26-CRL125 imperfect repeats was identified in pO111-CRL115 precisely where the 9.7 kb fragment is missing, suggesting it may be mobile. Sequences shared between the plasmids include a complete IncZ replicon, a unique toxin/antitoxin system, IncI stability and maintenance genes, a novel putative serine protease autotransporter, and an IncI1 transfer system including a unique shufflon. Both plasmids carry a derivate Tn21 transposon with an atypical class 1 integron comprising a dfrA5 gene cassette encoding resistance to trimethoprim, and 24 bp of the 3´-conserved segment followed by Tn6026, which encodes resistance to ampicillin, kanymycin, neomycin, streptomycin and sulfathiazole. The Tn21-derivative transposon is linked to a truncated Tn1721, encoding resistance to tetracycline, via a region containing the IncP-1α oriV. Absence of the 5 bp direct repeats flanking Tn3-family transposons, indicates that homologous recombination events played a key role in the formation of this complex antibiotic resistance gene locus. Comparative sequence analysis of these closely related plasmids reveals aspects of plasmid evolution in pathogenic E. coli from different hosts.

  14. GENE-Counter: A Computational Pipeline for the Analysis of RNA-Seq Data for Gene Expression Differences

    PubMed Central

    Di, Yanming; Schafer, Daniel W.; Wilhelm, Larry J.; Fox, Samuel E.; Sullivan, Christopher M.; Curzon, Aron D.; Carrington, James C.; Mockler, Todd C.; Chang, Jeff H.

    2011-01-01

    GENE-counter is a complete Perl-based computational pipeline for analyzing RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) data for differential gene expression. In addition to its use in studying transcriptomes of eukaryotic model organisms, GENE-counter is applicable for prokaryotes and non-model organisms without an available genome reference sequence. For alignments, GENE-counter is configured for CASHX, Bowtie, and BWA, but an end user can use any Sequence Alignment/Map (SAM)-compliant program of preference. To analyze data for differential gene expression, GENE-counter can be run with any one of three statistics packages that are based on variations of the negative binomial distribution. The default method is a new and simple statistical test we developed based on an over-parameterized version of the negative binomial distribution. GENE-counter also includes three different methods for assessing differentially expressed features for enriched gene ontology (GO) terms. Results are transparent and data are systematically stored in a MySQL relational database to facilitate additional analyses as well as quality assessment. We used next generation sequencing to generate a small-scale RNA-Seq dataset derived from the heavily studied defense response of Arabidopsis thaliana and used GENE-counter to process the data. Collectively, the support from analysis of microarrays as well as the observed and substantial overlap in results from each of the three statistics packages demonstrates that GENE-counter is well suited for handling the unique characteristics of small sample sizes and high variability in gene counts. PMID:21998647

  15. Genetic diversity of the DBLalpha region in Plasmodium falciparum var genes among Asia-Pacific isolates.

    PubMed

    Fowler, Elizabeth V; Peters, Jennifer M; Gatton, Michelle L; Chen, Nanhua; Cheng, Qin

    2002-03-01

    In Plasmodium falciparum a highly polymorphic multi-copy gene family, var, encodes the variant surface antigen P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which has an important role in cytoadherence and immune evasion. Using previously described universal PCR primers for the first Duffy binding-like domain (DBLalpha) of var we analysed the DBLalpha repertoires of Dd2 (originally from Thailand) and eight isolates from the Solomon Islands (n=4), Philippines (n=2), Papua New Guinea (n=1) and Africa (n=1). We found 15-32 unique DBLalpha sequence types among these isolates and estimated detectable DBLalpha repertoire sizes ranging from 33-38 to 52-57 copies per genome. Our data suggest that var gene repertoires generally consist of 40-50 copies per genome. Eighteen DBLalpha sequences appeared in more than one Asia-Pacific isolate with the number of sequences shared between any two isolates ranging from 0 to 6 (mean=2.0 +/-1.6). At the amino acid level DBLalpha sequence similarity within isolates ranged from 45.2 +/- 7.1 to 50.2 +/- 6.9%, and was not significantly different from the DBLalpha amino acid sequence similarity among isolates (P>0.1). Comparisons with published sequences also revealed little overlap among DBLalpha sequences from different regions. High DBLalpha sequence diversity and minimal overlap among these isolates suggest that the global var gene repertoire is immense, and may potentially be selected for by the host's protective immune response to the var gene products, PfEMP1.

  16. Draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis.

    PubMed

    Rahman, Ahmad Yamin Abdul; Usharraj, Abhilash O; Misra, Biswapriya B; Thottathil, Gincy P; Jayasekaran, Kandakumar; Feng, Yun; Hou, Shaobin; Ong, Su Yean; Ng, Fui Ling; Lee, Ling Sze; Tan, Hock Siew; Sakaff, Muhd Khairul Luqman Muhd; Teh, Beng Soon; Khoo, Bee Feong; Badai, Siti Suriawati; Aziz, Nurohaida Ab; Yuryev, Anton; Knudsen, Bjarne; Dionne-Laporte, Alexandre; Mchunu, Nokuthula P; Yu, Qingyi; Langston, Brennick J; Freitas, Tracey Allen K; Young, Aaron G; Chen, Rui; Wang, Lei; Najimudin, Nazalan; Saito, Jennifer A; Alam, Maqsudul

    2013-02-02

    Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is the major commercial source of natural rubber (NR). NR is a latex polymer with high elasticity, flexibility, and resilience that has played a critical role in the world economy since 1876. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of H. brasiliensis. The assembly spans ~1.1 Gb of the estimated 2.15 Gb haploid genome. Overall, ~78% of the genome was identified as repetitive DNA. Gene prediction shows 68,955 gene models, of which 12.7% are unique to Hevea. Most of the key genes associated with rubber biosynthesis, rubberwood formation, disease resistance, and allergenicity have been identified. The knowledge gained from this genome sequence will aid in the future development of high-yielding clones to keep up with the ever increasing need for natural rubber.

  17. Draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is the major commercial source of natural rubber (NR). NR is a latex polymer with high elasticity, flexibility, and resilience that has played a critical role in the world economy since 1876. Results Here, we report the draft genome sequence of H. brasiliensis. The assembly spans ~1.1 Gb of the estimated 2.15 Gb haploid genome. Overall, ~78% of the genome was identified as repetitive DNA. Gene prediction shows 68,955 gene models, of which 12.7% are unique to Hevea. Most of the key genes associated with rubber biosynthesis, rubberwood formation, disease resistance, and allergenicity have been identified. Conclusions The knowledge gained from this genome sequence will aid in the future development of high-yielding clones to keep up with the ever increasing need for natural rubber. PMID:23375136

  18. Plastomes of the green algae Hydrodictyon reticulatum and Pediastrum duplex (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae).

    PubMed

    McManus, Hilary A; Sanchez, Daniel J; Karol, Kenneth G

    2017-01-01

    Comparative studies of chloroplast genomes (plastomes) across the Chlorophyceae are revealing dynamic patterns of size variation, gene content, and genome rearrangements. Phylogenomic analyses are improving resolution of relationships, and uncovering novel lineages as new plastomes continue to be characterized. To gain further insight into the evolution of the chlorophyte plastome and increase the number of representative plastomes for the Sphaeropleales, this study presents two fully sequenced plastomes from the green algal family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae), one from Hydrodictyon reticulatum and the other from Pediastrum duplex . Genomic DNA from Hydrodictyon reticulatum and Pediastrum duplex was subjected to Illumina paired-end sequencing and the complete plastomes were assembled for each. Plastome size and gene content were characterized and compared with other plastomes from the Sphaeropleales. Homology searches using BLASTX were used to characterize introns and open reading frames (orfs) ≥ 300 bp. A phylogenetic analysis of gene order across the Sphaeropleales was performed. The plastome of Hydrodictyon reticulatum is 225,641 bp and Pediastrum duplex is 232,554 bp. The plastome structure and gene order of H. reticulatum and P. duplex are more similar to each other than to other members of the Sphaeropleales. Numerous unique open reading frames are found in both plastomes and the plastome of P. duplex contains putative viral protein genes, not found in other Sphaeropleales plastomes. Gene order analyses support the monophyly of the Hydrodictyaceae and their sister relationship to the Neochloridaceae. The complete plastomes of Hydrodictyon reticulatum and Pediastrum duplex , representing the largest of the Sphaeropleales sequenced thus far, once again highlight the variability in size, architecture, gene order and content across the Chlorophyceae. Novel intron insertion sites and unique orfs indicate recent, independent invasions into each plastome, a hypothesis testable with an expanded plastome investigation within the Hydrodictyaceae.

  19. A Bayesian nonparametric method for prediction in EST analysis

    PubMed Central

    Lijoi, Antonio; Mena, Ramsés H; Prünster, Igor

    2007-01-01

    Background Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) analyses are a fundamental tool for gene identification in organisms. Given a preliminary EST sample from a certain library, several statistical prediction problems arise. In particular, it is of interest to estimate how many new genes can be detected in a future EST sample of given size and also to determine the gene discovery rate: these estimates represent the basis for deciding whether to proceed sequencing the library and, in case of a positive decision, a guideline for selecting the size of the new sample. Such information is also useful for establishing sequencing efficiency in experimental design and for measuring the degree of redundancy of an EST library. Results In this work we propose a Bayesian nonparametric approach for tackling statistical problems related to EST surveys. In particular, we provide estimates for: a) the coverage, defined as the proportion of unique genes in the library represented in the given sample of reads; b) the number of new unique genes to be observed in a future sample; c) the discovery rate of new genes as a function of the future sample size. The Bayesian nonparametric model we adopt conveys, in a statistically rigorous way, the available information into prediction. Our proposal has appealing properties over frequentist nonparametric methods, which become unstable when prediction is required for large future samples. EST libraries, previously studied with frequentist methods, are analyzed in detail. Conclusion The Bayesian nonparametric approach we undertake yields valuable tools for gene capture and prediction in EST libraries. The estimators we obtain do not feature the kind of drawbacks associated with frequentist estimators and are reliable for any size of the additional sample. PMID:17868445

  20. Evolutionary rate of a gene affected by chromosomal position.

    PubMed

    Perry, J; Ashworth, A

    1999-09-09

    Genes evolve at different rates depending on the strength of selective pressure to maintain their function. Chromosomal position can also have an influence [1] [2]. The pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of mammalian sex chromosomes is a small region of sequence identity that is the site of an obligatory pairing and recombination event between the X and Y chromosomes during male meiosis [3] [4] [5] [6]. During female meiosis, X chromosomes can pair and recombine along their entire length. Recombination in the PAR is therefore approximately 10 times greater in male meiosis compared with female meiosis [4] [5] [6]. The gene Fxy (also known as MID1 [7]) spans the pseudoautosomal boundary (PAB) in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus domesticus, C57BL/6) such that the 5' three exons of the gene are located on the X chromosome but the seven exons encoding the carboxy-terminal two-thirds of the protein are located within the PAR and are therefore present on both the X and Y chromosomes [8]. In humans [7] [9], the rat, and the wild mouse species Mus spretus, the gene is entirely X-unique. Here, we report that the rate of sequence divergence of the 3' end of the Fxy gene is much higher (estimated at 170-fold higher for synonymous sites) when pseudoautosomal (present on both the X and Y chromosomes) than when X-unique. Thus, chromosomal position can directly affect the rate of evolution of a gene. This finding also provides support for the suggestion that regions of the genome with a high recombination frequency, such as the PAR, may have an intrinsically elevated rate of sequence divergence.

  1. De novo assembly and characterization of Muscovy duck liver transcriptome and analysis of differentially regulated genes in response to heat stress.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Tao; Zhang, Liping; Li, Jinjun; Wang, Deqian; Tian, Yong; Lu, Lizhi

    2015-05-01

    High temperature is a major abiotic stress limiting animal growth and productivity worldwide. The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), sometimes called the Barbary drake, is a type of duck with a fairly unusual domestication history. In Southeast Asia, duck meat is one of the top meats consumed, and as such, the production of the meat is an important topic of research. The transcriptomic and genomic data presently available are insufficient to understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the heat tolerance of Muscovy ducks. Thus, transcriptome and expression profiling data for this species are required as important resource for identifying genes and developing molecular marker. In this study, de novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis using Illumina sequencing technology were performed. More than 225 million clean reads were generated and assembled into 36,903 unique transcripts with an average length of 1,135 bp. A total of 21,221 (57.50 %) unigenes were annotated. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the annotated unigenes revealed that the majority of sequenced genes were associated with transcription, signal transduction, and apoptosis. We also performed gene expression profiling analysis upon heat treatment in Muscovy ducks and identified 470 heat-response unique transcripts. GO term enrichment showed that protein folding and chaperone binding were significant enrichment, whereas KEGG pathway analyses showed that Ras and MAPKs were activated after heat stress in Muscovy ducks. Our research enriched sequences information of Muscovy duck, provided novel insights into responses to heat stress in these ducks, and serve as candidate genes or markers that can be used to guide future efforts to breed heat-tolerant duck strains.

  2. Complete Chloroplast Genome of Pinus massoniana (Pinaceae): Gene Rearrangements, Loss of ndh Genes, and Short Inverted Repeats Contraction, Expansion.

    PubMed

    Ni, ZhouXian; Ye, YouJu; Bai, Tiandao; Xu, Meng; Xu, Li-An

    2017-09-11

    The chloroplast genome (CPG) of Pinus massoniana belonging to the genus Pinus (Pinaceae), which is a primary source of turpentine, was sequenced and analyzed in terms of gene rearrangements, ndh genes loss, and the contraction and expansion of short inverted repeats (IRs). P. massoniana CPG has a typical quadripartite structure that includes large single copy (LSC) (65,563 bp), small single copy (SSC) (53,230 bp) and two IRs (IRa and IRb, 485 bp). The 108 unique genes were identified, including 73 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs. Most of the 81 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) identified in CPG were mononucleotides motifs of A/T types and located in non-coding regions. Comparisons with related species revealed an inversion (21,556 bp) in the LSC region; P. massoniana CPG lacks all 11 intact ndh genes (four ndh genes lost completely; the five remained truncated as pseudogenes; and the other two ndh genes remain as pseudogenes because of short insertions or deletions). A pair of short IRs was found instead of large IRs, and size variations among pine species were observed, which resulted from short insertions or deletions and non-synchronized variations between "IRa" and "IRb". The results of phylogenetic analyses based on whole CPG sequences of 16 conifers indicated that the whole CPG sequences could be used as a powerful tool in phylogenetic analyses.

  3. Arabidopsis intragenomic conserved noncoding sequence

    PubMed Central

    Thomas, Brian C.; Rapaka, Lakshmi; Lyons, Eric; Pedersen, Brent; Freeling, Michael

    2007-01-01

    After the most recent tetraploidy in the Arabidopsis lineage, most gene pairs lost one, but not both, of their duplicates. We manually inspected the 3,179 retained gene pairs and their surrounding gene space still present in the genome using a custom-made viewer application. The display of these pairs allowed us to define intragenic conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs), identify exon annotation errors, and discover potentially new genes. Using a strict algorithm to sort high-scoring pair sequences from the bl2seq data, we created a database of 14,944 intragenomic Arabidopsis CNSs. The mean CNS length is 31 bp, ranging from 15 to 285 bp. There are ≈1.7 CNSs associated with a typical gene, and Arabidopsis CNSs are found in all areas around exons, most frequently in the 5′ upstream region. Gene ontology classifications related to transcription, regulation, or “response to …” external or endogenous stimuli, especially hormones, tend to be significantly overrepresented among genes containing a large number of CNSs, whereas protein localization, transport, and metabolism are common among genes with no CNSs. There is a 1.5% overlap between these CNSs and the 218,982 putative RNAs in the Arabidopsis Small RNA Project database, allowing for two mismatches. These CNSs provide a unique set of noncoding sequences enriched for function. CNS function is implied by evolutionary conservation and independently supported because CNS-richness predicts regulatory gene ontology categories. PMID:17301222

  4. Next-Generation Sequence Analysis of the Genome of RFHVMn, the Macaque Homolog of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS)-Associated Herpesvirus, from a KS-Like Tumor of a Pig-Tailed Macaque

    PubMed Central

    Bruce, A. Gregory; Ryan, Jonathan T.; Thomas, Mathew J.; Peng, Xinxia; Grundhoff, Adam; Tsai, Che-Chung

    2013-01-01

    The complete sequence of retroperitoneal fibromatosis-associated herpesvirus Macaca nemestrina (RFHVMn), the pig-tailed macaque homolog of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), was determined by next-generation sequence analysis of a Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-like macaque tumor. Colinearity of genes was observed with the KSHV genome, and the core herpesvirus genes had strong sequence homology to the corresponding KSHV genes. RFHVMn lacked homologs of open reading frame 11 (ORF11) and KSHV ORFs K5 and K6, which appear to have been generated by duplication of ORFs K3 and K4 after the divergence of KSHV and RFHV. RFHVMn contained positional homologs of all other unique KSHV genes, although some showed limited sequence similarity. RFHVMn contained a number of candidate microRNA genes. Although there was little sequence similarity with KSHV microRNAs, one candidate contained the same seed sequence as the positional homolog, kshv-miR-K12-10a, suggesting functional overlap. RNA transcript splicing was highly conserved between RFHVMn and KSHV, and strong sequence conservation was noted in specific promoters and putative origins of replication, predicting important functional similarities. Sequence comparisons indicated that RFHVMn and KSHV developed in long-term synchrony with the evolution of their hosts, and both viruses phylogenetically group within the RV1 lineage of Old World primate rhadinoviruses. RFHVMn is the closest homolog of KSHV to be completely sequenced and the first sequenced RV1 rhadinovirus homolog of KSHV from a nonhuman Old World primate. The strong genetic and sequence similarity between RFHVMn and KSHV, coupled with similarities in biology and pathology, demonstrate that RFHVMn infection in macaques offers an important and relevant model for the study of KSHV in humans. PMID:24109218

  5. Studying Functions of All Yeast Genes Simultaneously

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stolc, Viktor; Eason, Robert G.; Poumand, Nader; Herman, Zelek S.; Davis, Ronald W.; Anthony Kevin; Jejelowo, Olufisayo

    2006-01-01

    A method of studying the functions of all the genes of a given species of microorganism simultaneously has been developed in experiments on Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly known as baker's or brewer's yeast). It is already known that many yeast genes perform functions similar to those of corresponding human genes; therefore, by facilitating understanding of yeast genes, the method may ultimately also contribute to the knowledge needed to treat some diseases in humans. Because of the complexity of the method and the highly specialized nature of the underlying knowledge, it is possible to give only a brief and sketchy summary here. The method involves the use of unique synthetic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences that are denoted as DNA bar codes because of their utility as molecular labels. The method also involves the disruption of gene functions through deletion of genes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a particularly powerful experimental system in that multiple deletion strains easily can be pooled for parallel growth assays. Individual deletion strains recently have been created for 5,918 open reading frames, representing nearly all of the estimated 6,000 genetic loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Tagging of each deletion strain with one or two unique 20-nucleotide sequences enables identification of genes affected by specific growth conditions, without prior knowledge of gene functions. Hybridization of bar-code DNA to oligonucleotide arrays can be used to measure the growth rate of each strain over several cell-division generations. The growth rate thus measured serves as an index of the fitness of the strain.

  6. The genome of Eucalyptus grandis.

    PubMed

    Myburg, Alexander A; Grattapaglia, Dario; Tuskan, Gerald A; Hellsten, Uffe; Hayes, Richard D; Grimwood, Jane; Jenkins, Jerry; Lindquist, Erika; Tice, Hope; Bauer, Diane; Goodstein, David M; Dubchak, Inna; Poliakov, Alexandre; Mizrachi, Eshchar; Kullan, Anand R K; Hussey, Steven G; Pinard, Desre; van der Merwe, Karen; Singh, Pooja; van Jaarsveld, Ida; Silva-Junior, Orzenil B; Togawa, Roberto C; Pappas, Marilia R; Faria, Danielle A; Sansaloni, Carolina P; Petroli, Cesar D; Yang, Xiaohan; Ranjan, Priya; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Ye, Chu-Yu; Li, Ting; Sterck, Lieven; Vanneste, Kevin; Murat, Florent; Soler, Marçal; Clemente, Hélène San; Saidi, Naijib; Cassan-Wang, Hua; Dunand, Christophe; Hefer, Charles A; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich; Kersting, Anna R; Vining, Kelly; Amarasinghe, Vindhya; Ranik, Martin; Naithani, Sushma; Elser, Justin; Boyd, Alexander E; Liston, Aaron; Spatafora, Joseph W; Dharmwardhana, Palitha; Raja, Rajani; Sullivan, Christopher; Romanel, Elisson; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio; Külheim, Carsten; Foley, William; Carocha, Victor; Paiva, Jorge; Kudrna, David; Brommonschenkel, Sergio H; Pasquali, Giancarlo; Byrne, Margaret; Rigault, Philippe; Tibbits, Josquin; Spokevicius, Antanas; Jones, Rebecca C; Steane, Dorothy A; Vaillancourt, René E; Potts, Brad M; Joubert, Fourie; Barry, Kerrie; Pappas, Georgios J; Strauss, Steven H; Jaiswal, Pankaj; Grima-Pettenati, Jacqueline; Salse, Jérôme; Van de Peer, Yves; Rokhsar, Daniel S; Schmutz, Jeremy

    2014-06-19

    Eucalypts are the world's most widely planted hardwood trees. Their outstanding diversity, adaptability and growth have made them a global renewable resource of fibre and energy. We sequenced and assembled >94% of the 640-megabase genome of Eucalyptus grandis. Of 36,376 predicted protein-coding genes, 34% occur in tandem duplications, the largest proportion thus far in plant genomes. Eucalyptus also shows the highest diversity of genes for specialized metabolites such as terpenes that act as chemical defence and provide unique pharmaceutical oils. Genome sequencing of the E. grandis sister species E. globulus and a set of inbred E. grandis tree genomes reveals dynamic genome evolution and hotspots of inbreeding depression. The E. grandis genome is the first reference for the eudicot order Myrtales and is placed here sister to the eurosids. This resource expands our understanding of the unique biology of large woody perennials and provides a powerful tool to accelerate comparative biology, breeding and biotechnology.

  7. Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences of Mongolia Medicine Artemisia frigida and Phylogenetic Relationships with Other Plants

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yue; Huo, Naxin; Dong, Lingli; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Shuixian; Young, Hugh A.; Feng, Xiaoxiao; Gu, Yong Qiang

    2013-01-01

    Background Artemisia frigida Willd. is an important Mongolian traditional medicinal plant with pharmacological functions of stanch and detumescence. However, there is little sequence and genomic information available for Artemisia frigida, which makes phylogenetic identification, evolutionary studies, and genetic improvement of its value very difficult. We report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida based on 454 pyrosequencing. Methodology/Principal Findings The complete chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida is 151,076 bp including a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,740 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,394 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,971 bp. The genome contains 114 unique genes and 18 duplicated genes. The chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida contains a small 3.4 kb inversion within a large 23 kb inversion in the LSC region, a unique feature in Asteraceae. The gene order in the SSC region of Artemisia frigida is inverted compared with the other 6 Asteraceae species with the chloroplast genomes sequenced. This inversion is likely caused by an intramolecular recombination event only occurred in Artemisia frigida. The existence of rich SSR loci in the Artemisia frigida chloroplast genome provides a rare opportunity to study population genetics of this Mongolian medicinal plant. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates a sister relationship between Artemisia frigida and four other species in Asteraceae, including Ageratina adenophora, Helianthus annuus, Guizotia abyssinica and Lactuca sativa, based on 61 protein-coding sequences. Furthermore, Artemisia frigida was placed in the tribe Anthemideae in the subfamily Asteroideae (Asteraceae) based on ndhF and trnL-F sequence comparisons. Conclusion The chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida was assembled and analyzed in this study, representing the first plastid genome sequenced in the Anthemideae tribe. This complete chloroplast genome sequence will be useful for molecular ecology and molecular phylogeny studies within Artemisia species and also within the Asteraceae family. PMID:23460871

  8. Deciphering the complexities of the wheat flour proteome using quantitative two-dimensional electrophoresis, three proteases and tandem mass spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Wheat flour is one of the world's major food ingredients, in part because of the unique end-use qualities conferred by the abundant glutamine- and proline-rich gluten proteins. Many wheat flour proteins also present dietary problems for consumers with celiac disease or wheat allergies. Despite the importance of these proteins it has been particularly challenging to use MS/MS to distinguish the many proteins in a flour sample and relate them to gene sequences. Results Grain from the extensively characterized spring wheat cultivar Triticum aestivum 'Butte 86' was milled to white flour from which proteins were extracted, then separated and quantified by 2-DE. Protein spots were identified by separate digestions with three proteases, followed by tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the peptides. The spectra were used to interrogate an improved protein sequence database and results were integrated using the Scaffold program. Inclusion of cultivar specific sequences in the database greatly improved the results, and 233 spots were identified, accounting for 93.1% of normalized spot volume. Identified proteins were assigned to 157 wheat sequences, many for proteins unique to wheat and nearly 40% from Butte 86. Alpha-gliadins accounted for 20.4% of flour protein, low molecular weight glutenin subunits 18.0%, high molecular weight glutenin subunits 17.1%, gamma-gliadins 12.2%, omega-gliadins 10.5%, amylase/protease inhibitors 4.1%, triticins 1.6%, serpins 1.6%, purinins 0.9%, farinins 0.8%, beta-amylase 0.5%, globulins 0.4%, other enzymes and factors 1.9%, and all other 3%. Conclusions This is the first successful effort to identify the majority of abundant flour proteins for a single wheat cultivar, relate them to individual gene sequences and estimate their relative levels. Many genes for wheat flour proteins are not expressed, so this study represents further progress in describing the expressed wheat genome. Use of cultivar-specific contigs helped to overcome the difficulties of matching peptides to gene sequences for members of highly similar, rapidly evolving storage protein families. Prospects for simplifying this process for routine analyses are discussed. The ability to measure expression levels for individual flour protein genes complements information gained from efforts to sequence the wheat genome and is essential for studies of effects of environment on gene expression. PMID:21314956

  9. Genome sequence of an enhancin gene-rich nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) from Agrotis segetum: collinearity with Spodoptera exigua multiple NPV.

    PubMed

    Jakubowska, Agata K; Peters, Sander A; Ziemnicka, Jadwiga; Vlak, Just M; van Oers, Monique M

    2006-03-01

    The genome sequence of a Polish isolate of Agrotis segetum nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgseNPV-A) was determined and analysed. The circular genome is composed of 147,544 bp and has a G+C content of 45.7 mol%. It contains 153 putative, non-overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) encoding predicted proteins of more than 50 aa, together making up 89.8 % of the genome. The remaining 10.2 % of the DNA constitutes non-coding regions and homologous-repeat regions. One hundred and forty-three AgseNPV-A ORFs are homologues of previously reported baculovirus gene sequences. There are ten unique ORFs and they account for 3 % of the genome in total. All 62 lepidopteran baculovirus genes, including the 29 core baculovirus genes, were found in the AgseNPV-A genome. The gene content and gene order of AgseNPV-A are most similar to those of Spodoptera exigua (Se) multiple NPV and their shared homologous genes are 100 % collinear. Three putative enhancin genes were identified in the AgseNPV-A genome. In phylogenetic analysis, the AgseNPV-A enhancins form a cluster separated from enhancins of the Mamestra species NPVs.

  10. Complete genome sequence of Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chow, Virginia; Nong, Guang; St. John, Franz J.

    2012-01-01

    Paenibacillus sp. strain JDR-2, an aggressively xylanolytic bacterium isolated from sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) wood, is able to efficiently depolymerize, assimilate and metabolize 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan, the predominant structural component of hardwood hemicelluloses. A basis for this capability was first supported by the identification of genes and characterization of encoded enzymes and has been further defined by the sequencing and annotation of the complete genome, which we describe. In addition to genes implicated in the utilization of -1,4-xylan, genes have also been identified for the utilization of other hemicellulosic polysaccharides. The genome of Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 contains 7,184,930 bp in a single repliconmore » with 6,288 protein-coding and 122 RNA genes. Uniquely prominent are 874 genes encoding proteins involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism. The prevalence and organization of these genes support a metabolic potential for bioprocessing of hemicellulose fractions derived from lignocellulosic resources.« less

  11. EXP-PAC: providing comparative analysis and storage of next generation gene expression data.

    PubMed

    Church, Philip C; Goscinski, Andrzej; Lefèvre, Christophe

    2012-07-01

    Microarrays and more recently RNA sequencing has led to an increase in available gene expression data. How to manage and store this data is becoming a key issue. In response we have developed EXP-PAC, a web based software package for storage, management and analysis of gene expression and sequence data. Unique to this package is SQL based querying of gene expression data sets, distributed normalization of raw gene expression data and analysis of gene expression data across experiments and species. This package has been populated with lactation data in the international milk genomic consortium web portal (http://milkgenomics.org/). Source code is also available which can be hosted on a Windows, Linux or Mac APACHE server connected to a private or public network (http://mamsap.it.deakin.edu.au/~pcc/Release/EXP_PAC.html). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Unraveling transcriptional control and cis-regulatory codes using the software suite GeneACT

    PubMed Central

    Cheung, Tom Hiu; Kwan, Yin Lam; Hamady, Micah; Liu, Xuedong

    2006-01-01

    Deciphering gene regulatory networks requires the systematic identification of functional cis-acting regulatory elements. We present a suite of web-based bioinformatics tools, called GeneACT , that can rapidly detect evolutionarily conserved transcription factor binding sites or microRNA target sites that are either unique or over-represented in differentially expressed genes from DNA microarray data. GeneACT provides graphic visualization and extraction of common regulatory sequence elements in the promoters and 3'-untranslated regions that are conserved across multiple mammalian species. PMID:17064417

  13. Comparative Genomic Analyses of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus and Pathogenicity on Medicago truncatula.

    PubMed

    Lu, You; Ishimaru, Carol A; Glazebrook, Jane; Samac, Deborah A

    2018-02-01

    Clavibacter michiganensis is the most economically important gram-positive bacterial plant pathogen, with subspecies that cause serious diseases of maize, wheat, tomato, potato, and alfalfa. Much less is known about pathogenesis involving gram-positive plant pathogens than is known for gram-negative bacteria. Comparative genome analyses of C. michiganensis subspecies affecting tomato, potato, and maize have provided insights on pathogenicity. In this study, we identified strains of C. michiganensis subsp. insidiosus with contrasting pathogenicity on three accessions of the model legume Medicago truncatula. We generated complete genome sequences for two strains and compared these to a previously sequenced strain and genome sequences of four other subspecies. The three C. michiganensis subsp. insidiosus strains varied in gene content due to genome rearrangements, most likely facilitated by insertion elements, and plasmid number, which varied from one to three depending on strain. The core C. michiganensis genome consisted of 1,917 genes, with 379 genes unique to C. michiganensis subsp. insidiosus. An operon for synthesis of the extracellular blue pigment indigoidine, enzymes for pectin degradation, and an operon for inositol metabolism are among the unique features. Secreted serine proteases belonging to both the pat-1 and ppa families were present but highly diverged from those in other subspecies.

  14. Analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from multiple tissues of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

    PubMed Central

    Ho, Chai-Ling; Kwan, Yen-Yen; Choi, Mei-Chooi; Tee, Sue-Sean; Ng, Wai-Har; Lim, Kok-Ang; Lee, Yang-Ping; Ooi, Siew-Eng; Lee, Weng-Wah; Tee, Jin-Ming; Tan, Siang-Hee; Kulaveerasingam, Harikrishna; Alwee, Sharifah Shahrul Rabiah Syed; Abdullah, Meilina Ong

    2007-01-01

    Background Oil palm is the second largest source of edible oil which contributes to approximately 20% of the world's production of oils and fats. In order to understand the molecular biology involved in in vitro propagation, flowering, efficient utilization of nitrogen sources and root diseases, we have initiated an expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis on oil palm. Results In this study, six cDNA libraries from oil palm zygotic embryos, suspension cells, shoot apical meristems, young flowers, mature flowers and roots, were constructed. We have generated a total of 14537 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from these libraries, from which 6464 tentative unique contigs (TUCs) and 2129 singletons were obtained. Approximately 6008 of these tentative unique genes (TUGs) have significant matches to the non-redundant protein database, from which 2361 were assigned to one or more Gene Ontology categories. Predominant transcripts and differentially expressed genes were identified in multiple oil palm tissues. Homologues of genes involved in many aspects of flower development were also identified among the EST collection, such as CONSTANS-like, AGAMOUS-like (AGL)2, AGL20, LFY-like, SQUAMOSA, SQUAMOSA binding protein (SBP) etc. Majority of them are the first representatives in oil palm, providing opportunities to explore the cause of epigenetic homeotic flowering abnormality in oil palm, given the importance of flowering in fruit production. The transcript levels of two flowering-related genes, EgSBP and EgSEP were analysed in the flower tissues of various developmental stages. Gene homologues for enzymes involved in oil biosynthesis, utilization of nitrogen sources, and scavenging of oxygen radicals, were also uncovered among the oil palm ESTs. Conclusion The EST sequences generated will allow comparative genomic studies between oil palm and other monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, development of gene-targeted markers for the reference genetic map, design and fabrication of DNA array for future studies of oil palm. The outcomes of such studies will contribute to oil palm improvements through the establishment of breeding program using marker-assisted selection, development of diagnostic assays using gene targeted markers, and discovery of candidate genes related to important agronomic traits of oil palm. PMID:17953740

  15. Functional genomics to discover antibiotic resistance genes: The paradigm of resistance to colistin mediated by ethanolamine phosphotransferase in Shewanella algae MARS 14.

    PubMed

    Telke, Amar A; Rolain, Jean-Marc

    2015-12-01

    Shewanella algae MARS 14 is a colistin-resistant clinical isolate retrieved from bronchoalveolar lavage of a hospitalised patient. A functional genomics strategy was employed to discover the molecular support for colistin resistance in S. algae MARS 14. A pZE21 MCS-1 plasmid-based genomic expression library was constructed in Escherichia coli TOP10. The estimated library size was 1.30×10(8) bp. Functional screening of colistin-resistant clones was carried out on Luria-Bertani agar containing 8 mg/L colistin. Five colistin-resistant clones were obtained after complete screening of the genomic expression library. Analysis of DNA sequencing results found a unique gene in all selected clones. Amino acid sequence analysis of this unique gene using the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) and KEGG databases revealed that this gene encodes ethanolamine phosphotransferase (EptA, or so-called PmrC). Reverse transcription PCR analysis indicated that resistance to colistin in S. algae MARS 14 was associated with overexpression of EptA (27-fold increase), which plays a crucial role in the arrangement of outer membrane lipopolysaccharide. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  16. Sequence analysis of the complete genome of Trichoplusia ni single nucleopolyhedrovirus and the identification of a baculoviral photolyase gene

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Willis, Leslie G.; Siepp, Robyn; Stewart, Taryn M.

    2005-08-01

    The genome of the Trichoplusia ni single nucleopolyhedrovirus (TnSNPV), a group II NPV which infects the cabbage looper (T. ni), has been completely sequenced and analyzed. The TnSNPV DNA genome consists of 134,394 bp and has an overall G + C content of 39%. Gene analysis predicted 144 open reading frames (ORFs) of 150 nucleotides or greater that showed minimal overlap. Comparisons with previously sequenced baculoviruses indicate that 119 TnSNPV ORFs were homologues of previously reported viral gene sequences. Ninety-four TnSNPV ORFs returned an Autographa californica multiple NPV (AcMNPV) homologue while 25 ORFs returned poor or no sequence matches withmore » the current databases. A putative photolyase gene was also identified that had highest amino acid identity to the photolyase genes of Chrysodeixis chalcites NPV (ChchNPV) (47%) and Danio rerio (zebrafish) (40%). In addition unlike all other baculoviruses no obvious homologous repeat (hr) sequences were identified. Comparison of the TnSNPV and AcMNPV genomes provides a unique opportunity to examine two baculoviruses that are highly virulent for a common insect host (T. ni) yet belong to diverse baculovirus taxonomic groups and possess distinct biological features. In vitro fusion assays demonstrated that the TnSNPV F protein induces membrane fusion and syncytia formation and were compared to syncytia formed by AcMNPV GP64.« less

  17. Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor Gene Family Phylogenetics and Nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Skinner, Michael K.; Rawls, Alan; Wilson-Rawls, Jeanne; Roalson, Eric H.

    2010-01-01

    A phylogenetic analysis of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene superfamily was performed using seven different species (human, mouse, rat, worm, fly, yeast, and plant Arabidopsis) and involving over 600 bHLH genes [1]. All bHLH genes were identified in the genomes of the various species, including expressed sequence tags, and the entire coding sequence was used in the analysis. Nearly 15% of the gene family has been updated or added since the original publication. A super-tree involving six clades and all structural relationships was established and is now presented for four of the species. The wealth of functional data available for members of the bHLH gene superfamily provides us with the opportunity to use this exhaustive phylogenetic tree to predict potential functions of uncharacterized members of the family. This phylogenetic and genomic analysis of the bHLH gene family has revealed unique elements of the evolution and functional relationships of the different genes in the bHLH gene family. PMID:20219281

  18. Diversity amongst trigeminal neurons revealed by high throughput single cell sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Nguyen, Minh Q.; Wu, Youmei; Bonilla, Lauren S.; von Buchholtz, Lars J.

    2017-01-01

    The trigeminal ganglion contains somatosensory neurons that detect a range of thermal, mechanical and chemical cues and innervate unique sensory compartments in the head and neck including the eyes, nose, mouth, meninges and vibrissae. We used single-cell sequencing and in situ hybridization to examine the cellular diversity of the trigeminal ganglion in mice, defining thirteen clusters of neurons. We show that clusters are well conserved in dorsal root ganglia suggesting they represent distinct functional classes of somatosensory neurons and not specialization associated with their sensory targets. Notably, functionally important genes (e.g. the mechanosensory channel Piezo2 and the capsaicin gated ion channel Trpv1) segregate into multiple clusters and often are expressed in subsets of cells within a cluster. Therefore, the 13 genetically-defined classes are likely to be physiologically heterogeneous rather than highly parallel (i.e., redundant) lines of sensory input. Our analysis harnesses the power of single-cell sequencing to provide a unique platform for in silico expression profiling that complements other approaches linking gene-expression with function and exposes unexpected diversity in the somatosensory system. PMID:28957441

  19. Enrichment allows identification of diverse, rare elements in metagenomic resistome-virulome sequencing.

    PubMed

    Noyes, Noelle R; Weinroth, Maggie E; Parker, Jennifer K; Dean, Chris J; Lakin, Steven M; Raymond, Robert A; Rovira, Pablo; Doster, Enrique; Abdo, Zaid; Martin, Jennifer N; Jones, Kenneth L; Ruiz, Jaime; Boucher, Christina A; Belk, Keith E; Morley, Paul S

    2017-10-17

    Shotgun metagenomic sequencing is increasingly utilized as a tool to evaluate ecological-level dynamics of antimicrobial resistance and virulence, in conjunction with microbiome analysis. Interest in use of this method for environmental surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic microorganisms is also increasing. In published metagenomic datasets, the total of all resistance- and virulence-related sequences accounts for < 1% of all sequenced DNA, leading to limitations in detection of low-abundance resistome-virulome elements. This study describes the extent and composition of the low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome, using a bait-capture and enrichment system that incorporates unique molecular indices to count DNA molecules and correct for enrichment bias. The use of the bait-capture and enrichment system significantly increased on-target sequencing of the resistome-virulome, enabling detection of an additional 1441 gene accessions and revealing a low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome that was more diverse and compositionally different than that detected by more traditional metagenomic assays. The low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome also contained resistance genes with public health importance, such as extended-spectrum betalactamases, that were not detected using traditional shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In addition, the use of the bait-capture and enrichment system enabled identification of rare resistance gene haplotypes that were used to discriminate between sample origins. These results demonstrate that the rare resistome-virulome contains valuable and unique information that can be utilized for both surveillance and population genetic investigations of resistance. Access to the rare resistome-virulome using the bait-capture and enrichment system validated in this study can greatly advance our understanding of microbiome-resistome dynamics.

  20. Large-scale deletions of the ABCA1 gene in patients with hypoalphalipoproteinemia.

    PubMed

    Dron, Jacqueline S; Wang, Jian; Berberich, Amanda J; Iacocca, Michael A; Cao, Henian; Yang, Ping; Knoll, Joan; Tremblay, Karine; Brisson, Diane; Netzer, Christian; Gouni-Berthold, Ioanna; Gaudet, Daniel; Hegele, Robert A

    2018-06-04

    Copy-number variations (CNVs) have been studied in the context of familial hypercholesterolemia but have not yet been evaluated in patients with extremes of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. We evaluated targeted next-generation sequencing data from patients with very low HDL cholesterol (i.e. hypoalphalipoproteinemia) using the VarSeq-CNV caller algorithm to screen for CNVs disrupting the ABCA1, LCAT or APOA1 genes. In four individuals, we found three unique deletions in ABCA1: a heterozygous deletion of exon 4, a heterozygous deletion spanning exons 8 to 31, and a heterozygous deletion of the entire ABCA1 gene. Breakpoints were identified using Sanger sequencing, and the full-gene deletion was also confirmed using exome sequencing and the Affymetrix CytoScanTM HD Array. Before now, large-scale deletions in candidate HDL genes have not been associated with hypoalphalipoproteinemia; our findings indicate that CNVs in ABCA1 may be a previously unappreciated genetic determinant of low HDL cholesterol levels. By coupling bioinformatic analyses with next-generation sequencing data, we can successfully assess the spectrum of genetic determinants of many dyslipidemias, now including hypoalphalipoproteinemia. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  1. Whole-Genome Sequencing for Detecting Antimicrobial Resistance in Nontyphoidal Salmonella

    PubMed Central

    Tyson, Gregory H.; Kabera, Claudine; Chen, Yuansha; Li, Cong; Folster, Jason P.; Ayers, Sherry L.; Lam, Claudia; Tate, Heather P.; Zhao, Shaohua

    2016-01-01

    Laboratory-based in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing is the foundation for guiding anti-infective therapy and monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology to identify known antimicrobial resistance determinants among strains of nontyphoidal Salmonella and correlated these with susceptibility phenotypes to evaluate the utility of WGS for antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Six hundred forty Salmonella of 43 different serotypes were selected from among retail meat and human clinical isolates that were tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials using broth microdilution. The MIC for each drug was used to categorize isolates as susceptible or resistant based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute clinical breakpoints or National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) consensus interpretive criteria. Each isolate was subjected to whole-genome shotgun sequencing, and resistance genes were identified from assembled sequences. A total of 65 unique resistance genes, plus mutations in two structural resistance loci, were identified. There were more unique resistance genes (n = 59) in the 104 human isolates than in the 536 retail meat isolates (n = 36). Overall, resistance genotypes and phenotypes correlated in 99.0% of cases. Correlations approached 100% for most classes of antibiotics but were lower for aminoglycosides and beta-lactams. We report the first finding of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (blaCTX-M1 and blaSHV2a) in retail meat isolates of Salmonella in the United States. Whole-genome sequencing is an effective tool for predicting antibiotic resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella, although the use of more appropriate surveillance breakpoints and increased knowledge of new resistance alleles will further improve correlations. PMID:27381390

  2. Mitochondrial genome sequences and comparative genomics ofPhytophthora ramorum and P. sojae

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin, Frank N.; Douda, Bensasson; Tyler, Brett M.

    The complete sequences of the mitochondrial genomes of theoomycetes of Phytophthora ramorum and P. sojae were determined during thecourse of their complete nuclear genome sequencing (Tyler, et al. 2006).Both are circular, with sizes of 39,314 bp for P. ramorum and 42,975 bpfor P. sojae. Each contains a total of 37 identifiable protein-encodinggenes, 25 or 26 tRNAs (P. sojae and P. ramorum, respectively)specifying19 amino acids, and a variable number of ORFs (7 for P. ramorum and 12for P. sojae) which are potentially additional functional genes.Non-coding regions comprise approximately 11.5 percent and 18.4 percentof the genomes of P. ramorum and P. sojae,more » respectively. Relative to P.sojae, there is an inverted repeat of 1,150 bp in P. ramorum thatincludes an unassigned unique ORF, a tRNA gene, and adjacent non-codingsequences, but otherwise the gene order in both species is identical.Comparisons of these genomes with published sequences of the P. infestansmitochondrial genome reveals a number of similarities, but the gene orderin P. infestans differs in two adjacent locations due to inversions.Sequence alignments of the three genomes indicated sequence conservationranging from 75 to 85 percent and that specific regions were morevariable than others.« less

  3. Analysis of dissimilatory sulfite reductase and 16S rRNA gene fragments from deep-sea hydrothermal sites of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Western Pacific.

    PubMed

    Nakagawa, Tatsunori; Ishibashi, Jun-Ichiro; Maruyama, Akihiko; Yamanaka, Toshiro; Morimoto, Yusuke; Kimura, Hiroyuki; Urabe, Tetsuro; Fukui, Manabu

    2004-01-01

    This study describes the occurrence of unique dissimilatory sulfite reductase (DSR) genes at a depth of 1,380 m from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent field at the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Western Pacific, Japan. The DSR genes were obtained from microbes that grew in a catheter-type in situ growth chamber deployed for 3 days on a vent and from the effluent water of drilled holes at 5 degrees C and natural vent fluids at 7 degrees C. DSR clones SUIYOdsr-A and SUIYOdsr-B were not closely related to cultivated species or environmental clones. Moreover, samples of microbial communities were examined by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments obtained from the vent catheter after a 3-day incubation revealed the occurrence of bacterial DGGE bands affiliated with the Aquificae and gamma- and epsilon-Proteobacteria as well as the occurrence of archaeal phylotypes affiliated with the Thermococcales and of a unique archaeon sequence that clustered with "Nanoarchaeota." The DGGE bands obtained from drilled holes and natural vent fluids from 7 to 300 degrees C were affiliated with the delta-Proteobacteria, genus Thiomicrospira, and Pelodictyon. The dominant DGGE bands retrieved from the effluent water of casing pipes at 3 and 4 degrees C were closely related to phylotypes obtained from the Arctic Ocean. Our results suggest the presence of microorganisms corresponding to a unique DSR lineage not detected previously from other geothermal environments.

  4. Genome sequences of the human body louse and its primary endosymbiont provide insights into the permanent parasitic lifestyle.

    PubMed

    Kirkness, Ewen F; Haas, Brian J; Sun, Weilin; Braig, Henk R; Perotti, M Alejandra; Clark, John M; Lee, Si Hyeock; Robertson, Hugh M; Kennedy, Ryan C; Elhaik, Eran; Gerlach, Daniel; Kriventseva, Evgenia V; Elsik, Christine G; Graur, Dan; Hill, Catherine A; Veenstra, Jan A; Walenz, Brian; Tubío, José Manuel C; Ribeiro, José M C; Rozas, Julio; Johnston, J Spencer; Reese, Justin T; Popadic, Aleksandar; Tojo, Marta; Raoult, Didier; Reed, David L; Tomoyasu, Yoshinori; Kraus, Emily; Krause, Emily; Mittapalli, Omprakash; Margam, Venu M; Li, Hong-Mei; Meyer, Jason M; Johnson, Reed M; Romero-Severson, Jeanne; Vanzee, Janice Pagel; Alvarez-Ponce, David; Vieira, Filipe G; Aguadé, Montserrat; Guirao-Rico, Sara; Anzola, Juan M; Yoon, Kyong S; Strycharz, Joseph P; Unger, Maria F; Christley, Scott; Lobo, Neil F; Seufferheld, Manfredo J; Wang, Naikuan; Dasch, Gregory A; Struchiner, Claudio J; Madey, Greg; Hannick, Linda I; Bidwell, Shelby; Joardar, Vinita; Caler, Elisabet; Shao, Renfu; Barker, Stephen C; Cameron, Stephen; Bruggner, Robert V; Regier, Allison; Johnson, Justin; Viswanathan, Lakshmi; Utterback, Terry R; Sutton, Granger G; Lawson, Daniel; Waterhouse, Robert M; Venter, J Craig; Strausberg, Robert L; Berenbaum, May R; Collins, Frank H; Zdobnov, Evgeny M; Pittendrigh, Barry R

    2010-07-06

    As an obligatory parasite of humans, the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) is an important vector for human diseases, including epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. Here, we present genome sequences of the body louse and its primary bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Riesia pediculicola. The body louse has the smallest known insect genome, spanning 108 Mb. Despite its status as an obligate parasite, it retains a remarkably complete basal insect repertoire of 10,773 protein-coding genes and 57 microRNAs. Representing hemimetabolous insects, the genome of the body louse thus provides a reference for studies of holometabolous insects. Compared with other insect genomes, the body louse genome contains significantly fewer genes associated with environmental sensing and response, including odorant and gustatory receptors and detoxifying enzymes. The unique architecture of the 18 minicircular mitochondrial chromosomes of the body louse may be linked to the loss of the gene encoding the mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein. The genome of the obligatory louse endosymbiont Candidatus Riesia pediculicola encodes less than 600 genes on a short, linear chromosome and a circular plasmid. The plasmid harbors a unique arrangement of genes required for the synthesis of pantothenate, an essential vitamin deficient in the louse diet. The human body louse, its primary endosymbiont, and the bacterial pathogens that it vectors all possess genomes reduced in size compared with their free-living close relatives. Thus, the body louse genome project offers unique information and tools to use in advancing understanding of coevolution among vectors, symbionts, and pathogens.

  5. Genome sequences of the human body louse and its primary endosymbiont provide insights into the permanent parasitic lifestyle

    PubMed Central

    Kirkness, Ewen F.; Haas, Brian J.; Sun, Weilin; Braig, Henk R.; Perotti, M. Alejandra; Clark, John M.; Lee, Si Hyeock; Robertson, Hugh M.; Kennedy, Ryan C.; Elhaik, Eran; Gerlach, Daniel; Kriventseva, Evgenia V.; Elsik, Christine G.; Graur, Dan; Hill, Catherine A.; Veenstra, Jan A.; Walenz, Brian; Tubío, José Manuel C.; Ribeiro, José M. C.; Rozas, Julio; Johnston, J. Spencer; Reese, Justin T.; Popadic, Aleksandar; Tojo, Marta; Raoult, Didier; Reed, David L.; Tomoyasu, Yoshinori; Kraus, Emily; Mittapalli, Omprakash; Margam, Venu M.; Li, Hong-Mei; Meyer, Jason M.; Johnson, Reed M.; Romero-Severson, Jeanne; VanZee, Janice Pagel; Alvarez-Ponce, David; Vieira, Filipe G.; Aguadé, Montserrat; Guirao-Rico, Sara; Anzola, Juan M.; Yoon, Kyong S.; Strycharz, Joseph P.; Unger, Maria F.; Christley, Scott; Lobo, Neil F.; Seufferheld, Manfredo J.; Wang, NaiKuan; Dasch, Gregory A.; Struchiner, Claudio J.; Madey, Greg; Hannick, Linda I.; Bidwell, Shelby; Joardar, Vinita; Caler, Elisabet; Shao, Renfu; Barker, Stephen C.; Cameron, Stephen; Bruggner, Robert V.; Regier, Allison; Johnson, Justin; Viswanathan, Lakshmi; Utterback, Terry R.; Sutton, Granger G.; Lawson, Daniel; Waterhouse, Robert M.; Venter, J. Craig; Strausberg, Robert L.; Collins, Frank H.; Zdobnov, Evgeny M.; Pittendrigh, Barry R.

    2010-01-01

    As an obligatory parasite of humans, the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) is an important vector for human diseases, including epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. Here, we present genome sequences of the body louse and its primary bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Riesia pediculicola. The body louse has the smallest known insect genome, spanning 108 Mb. Despite its status as an obligate parasite, it retains a remarkably complete basal insect repertoire of 10,773 protein-coding genes and 57 microRNAs. Representing hemimetabolous insects, the genome of the body louse thus provides a reference for studies of holometabolous insects. Compared with other insect genomes, the body louse genome contains significantly fewer genes associated with environmental sensing and response, including odorant and gustatory receptors and detoxifying enzymes. The unique architecture of the 18 minicircular mitochondrial chromosomes of the body louse may be linked to the loss of the gene encoding the mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein. The genome of the obligatory louse endosymbiont Candidatus Riesia pediculicola encodes less than 600 genes on a short, linear chromosome and a circular plasmid. The plasmid harbors a unique arrangement of genes required for the synthesis of pantothenate, an essential vitamin deficient in the louse diet. The human body louse, its primary endosymbiont, and the bacterial pathogens that it vectors all possess genomes reduced in size compared with their free-living close relatives. Thus, the body louse genome project offers unique information and tools to use in advancing understanding of coevolution among vectors, symbionts, and pathogens. PMID:20566863

  6. Draft Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium chimaera Type Strain Fl-0169.

    PubMed

    Pfaller, Stacy; Tokarev, Vasily; Kessler, Collin; McLimans, Christopher; Gomez-Alvarez, Vicente; Wright, Justin; King, Dawn; Lamendella, Regina

    2017-02-23

    We report here the draft genome sequence of the type strain Mycobacterium chimaera Fl-0169, a member of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). M. chimaera Fl-0169 T was isolated from a patient in Italy and is highly similar to strains of M. chimaera isolated in Ireland, although Fl-0169 T possesses unique virulence genes. Copyright © 2017 Pfaller et al.

  7. Age-related regulation of genes: slow homeostatic changes and age-dimension technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurachi, Kotoku; Zhang, Kezhong; Huo, Jeffrey; Ameri, Afshin; Kuwahara, Mitsuhiro; Fontaine, Jean-Marc; Yamamoto, Kei; Kurachi, Sumiko

    2002-11-01

    Through systematic studies of pro- and anti-blood coagulation factors, we have determined molecular mechanisms involving two genetic elements, age-related stability element (ASE), GAGGAAG and age-related increase element (AIE), a unique stretch of dinucleotide repeats (AIE). ASE and AIE are essential for age-related patterns of stable and increased gene expression patterns, respectively. Such age-related gene regulatory mechanisms are also critical for explaining homeostasis in various physiological reactions as well as slow homeostatic changes in them. The age-related increase expression of the human factor IX (hFIX) gene requires the presence of both ASE and AIE, which apparently function additively. The anti-coagulant factor protein C (hPC) gene uses an ASE (CAGGAG) to produce age-related stable expression. Both ASE sequences (G/CAGAAG) share consensus sequence of the transcriptional factor PEA-3 element. No other similar sequences, including another PEA-3 consensus sequence, GAGGATG, function in conferring age-related gene regulation. The age-regulatory mechanisms involving ASE and AIE apparently function universally with different genes and across different animal species. These findings have led us to develop a new field of research and applications, which we named “age-dimension technology (ADT)”. ADT has exciting potential for modifying age-related expression of genes as well as associated physiological processes, and developing novel, more effective prophylaxis or treatments for age-related diseases.

  8. Insights from the complete chloroplast genome into the evolution of Sesamum indicum L.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Haiyang; Li, Chun; Miao, Hongmei; Xiong, Songjin

    2013-01-01

    Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest oilseed crops. In order to investigate the evolutionary characters according to the Sesame Genome Project, apart from sequencing its nuclear genome, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of S. indicum cv. Yuzhi 11 (white seeded) using Illumina and 454 sequencing. Comparisons of chloroplast genomes between S. indicum and the 18 other higher plants were then analyzed. The chloroplast genome of cv. Yuzhi 11 contains 153,338 bp and a total of 114 unique genes (KC569603). The number of chloroplast genes in sesame is the same as that in Nicotiana tabacum, Vitis vinifera and Platanus occidentalis. The variation in the length of the large single-copy (LSC) regions and inverted repeats (IR) in sesame compared to 18 other higher plant species was the main contributor to size variation in the cp genome in these species. The 77 functional chloroplast genes, except for ycf1 and ycf2, were highly conserved. The deletion of the cp ycf1 gene sequence in cp genomes may be due either to its transfer to the nuclear genome, as has occurred in sesame, or direct deletion, as has occurred in Panax ginseng and Cucumis sativus. The sesame ycf2 gene is only 5,721 bp in length and has lost about 1,179 bp. Nucleotides 1-585 of ycf2 when queried in BLAST had hits in the sesame draft genome. Five repeats (R10, R12, R13, R14 and R17) were unique to the sesame chloroplast genome. We also found that IR contraction/expansion in the cp genome alters its rate of evolution. Chloroplast genes and repeats display the signature of convergent evolution in sesame and other species. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of cp genome evolution in Sesamum and other higher plants.

  9. Monitoring and source tracking of tetracycline resistance genes in lagoons and groundwater adjacent to swine production facilities over a 3-year period

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koike, S.; Krapac, I.G.; Oliver, H.D.; Yannarell, A.C.; Chee-Sanford, J. C.; Aminov, R.I.; Mackie, R.I.

    2007-01-01

    To monitor the dissemination of resistance genes into the environment, we determined the occurrence of tetracycline resistance (Tcr) genes in groundwater underlying two swine confinement operations. Monitoring well networks (16 wells at site A and 6 wells at site C) were established around the lagoons at each facility. Groundwater (n = 124) and lagoon (n = 12) samples were collected from the two sites at six sampling times from 2000 through 2003. Total DNA was extracted, and PCR was used to detect seven Tcr genes [tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), tet(C), tet(H), and tet(Z)]. The concentration of Tcr genes was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. To confirm the Tcr gene source in groundwater, comparative analysis of tet(W) gene sequences was performed on groundwater and lagoon samples. All seven Tcr genes were continually detected in groundwater during the 3-year monitoring period at both sites. At site A, elevated detection frequency and concentration of Tcr genes were observed in the wells located down-gradient of the lagoon. Comparative analysis of tet(W) sequences revealed that the impacted groundwater contained gene sequences almost identical (99.8% identity) to those in the lagoon, but these genes were not found in background libraries. Novel sequence clusters and unique indigenous resistance gene pools were also found in the groundwater. Thus, antibiotic resistance genes in groundwater are affected by swine manure, but they are also part of the indigenous gene pool. Copyright ?? 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  10. Monitoring and Source Tracking of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Lagoons and Groundwater Adjacent to Swine Production Facilities over a 3-Year Period▿

    PubMed Central

    Koike, S.; Krapac, I. G.; Oliver, H. D.; Yannarell, A. C.; Chee-Sanford, J. C.; Aminov, R. I.; Mackie, R. I.

    2007-01-01

    To monitor the dissemination of resistance genes into the environment, we determined the occurrence of tetracycline resistance (Tcr) genes in groundwater underlying two swine confinement operations. Monitoring well networks (16 wells at site A and 6 wells at site C) were established around the lagoons at each facility. Groundwater (n = 124) and lagoon (n = 12) samples were collected from the two sites at six sampling times from 2000 through 2003. Total DNA was extracted, and PCR was used to detect seven Tcr genes [tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), tet(C), tet(H), and tet(Z)]. The concentration of Tcr genes was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. To confirm the Tcr gene source in groundwater, comparative analysis of tet(W) gene sequences was performed on groundwater and lagoon samples. All seven Tcr genes were continually detected in groundwater during the 3-year monitoring period at both sites. At site A, elevated detection frequency and concentration of Tcr genes were observed in the wells located down-gradient of the lagoon. Comparative analysis of tet(W) sequences revealed that the impacted groundwater contained gene sequences almost identical (99.8% identity) to those in the lagoon, but these genes were not found in background libraries. Novel sequence clusters and unique indigenous resistance gene pools were also found in the groundwater. Thus, antibiotic resistance genes in groundwater are affected by swine manure, but they are also part of the indigenous gene pool. PMID:17545324

  11. The resurrection genome of Boea hygrometrica: A blueprint for survival of dehydration.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Lihong; Yang, Ge; Zhang, Liechi; Yang, Xinhua; Zhao, Shuang; Ji, Zhongzhong; Zhou, Qing; Hu, Min; Wang, Yu; Chen, Ming; Xu, Yu; Jin, Haijing; Xiao, Xuan; Hu, Guipeng; Bao, Fang; Hu, Yong; Wan, Ping; Li, Legong; Deng, Xin; Kuang, Tingyun; Xiang, Chengbin; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Oliver, Melvin J; He, Yikun

    2015-05-05

    "Drying without dying" is an essential trait in land plant evolution. Unraveling how a unique group of angiosperms, the Resurrection Plants, survive desiccation of their leaves and roots has been hampered by the lack of a foundational genome perspective. Here we report the ∼1,691-Mb sequenced genome of Boea hygrometrica, an important resurrection plant model. The sequence revealed evidence for two historical genome-wide duplication events, a compliment of 49,374 protein-coding genes, 29.15% of which are unique (orphan) to Boea and 20% of which (9,888) significantly respond to desiccation at the transcript level. Expansion of early light-inducible protein (ELIP) and 5S rRNA genes highlights the importance of the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus during drying and the rapid resumption of protein synthesis in the resurrection capability of Boea. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive alternative splicing of transcripts and a focus on cellular protection strategies. The lack of desiccation tolerance-specific genome organizational features suggests the resurrection phenotype evolved mainly by an alteration in the control of dehydration response genes.

  12. Primary structure of the Aequorea victoria green-fluorescent protein.

    PubMed

    Prasher, D C; Eckenrode, V K; Ward, W W; Prendergast, F G; Cormier, M J

    1992-02-15

    Many cnidarians utilize green-fluorescent proteins (GFPs) as energy-transfer acceptors in bioluminescence. GFPs fluoresce in vivo upon receiving energy from either a luciferase-oxyluciferin excited-state complex or a Ca(2+)-activated phosphoprotein. These highly fluorescent proteins are unique due to the chemical nature of their chromophore, which is comprised of modified amino acid (aa) residues within the polypeptide. This report describes the cloning and sequencing of both cDNA and genomic clones of GFP from the cnidarian, Aequorea victoria. The gfp10 cDNA encodes a 238-aa-residue polypeptide with a calculated Mr of 26,888. Comparison of A. victoria GFP genomic clones shows three different restriction enzyme patterns which suggests that at least three different genes are present in the A. victoria population at Friday Harbor, Washington. The gfp gene encoded by the lambda GFP2 genomic clone is comprised of at least three exons spread over 2.6 kb. The nucleotide sequences of the cDNA and the gene will aid in the elucidation of structure-function relationships in this unique class of proteins.

  13. Allen Brain Atlas: an integrated spatio-temporal portal for exploring the central nervous system

    PubMed Central

    Sunkin, Susan M.; Ng, Lydia; Lau, Chris; Dolbeare, Tim; Gilbert, Terri L.; Thompson, Carol L.; Hawrylycz, Michael; Dang, Chinh

    2013-01-01

    The Allen Brain Atlas (http://www.brain-map.org) provides a unique online public resource integrating extensive gene expression data, connectivity data and neuroanatomical information with powerful search and viewing tools for the adult and developing brain in mouse, human and non-human primate. Here, we review the resources available at the Allen Brain Atlas, describing each product and data type [such as in situ hybridization (ISH) and supporting histology, microarray, RNA sequencing, reference atlases, projection mapping and magnetic resonance imaging]. In addition, standardized and unique features in the web applications are described that enable users to search and mine the various data sets. Features include both simple and sophisticated methods for gene searches, colorimetric and fluorescent ISH image viewers, graphical displays of ISH, microarray and RNA sequencing data, Brain Explorer software for 3D navigation of anatomy and gene expression, and an interactive reference atlas viewer. In addition, cross data set searches enable users to query multiple Allen Brain Atlas data sets simultaneously. All of the Allen Brain Atlas resources can be accessed through the Allen Brain Atlas data portal. PMID:23193282

  14. Unique pathway of expression of an opal suppressor phosphoserine tRNA.

    PubMed Central

    Lee, B J; de la Peña, P; Tobian, J A; Zasloff, M; Hatfield, D

    1987-01-01

    An opal suppressor phosphoserine tRNA gene is present in single copy in the genomes of higher vertebrates. We have shown that the product of this gene functions as a suppressor in an in vitro assay, and we have proposed that it may donate a modified amino acid directly to protein in response to specific UGA codons. In this report, we show through in vitro and in vivo studies that the human and Xenopus opal suppressor phosphoserine tRNAs are synthesized by a pathway that is, to the best of our knowledge, unlike that of any known eukaryotic tRNA. The primary transcript of this gene does not contain a 5'-leader sequence; and, therefore, transcription of this suppressor is initiated at the first nucleotide within the coding sequence. The 5'-terminal triphosphate, present on the primary transcript, remains intact through 3'-terminal maturation and through subsequent transport of the tRNA to the cytoplasm. The unique biosynthetic pathway of this opal suppressor may underlie its distinctive role in eukaryotic cells. Images PMID:3114749

  15. The Large Mitochondrial Genome of Symbiodinium minutum Reveals Conserved Noncoding Sequences between Dinoflagellates and Apicomplexans.

    PubMed

    Shoguchi, Eiichi; Shinzato, Chuya; Hisata, Kanako; Satoh, Nori; Mungpakdee, Sutada

    2015-07-20

    Even though mitochondrial genomes, which characterize eukaryotic cells, were first discovered more than 50 years ago, mitochondrial genomics remains an important topic in molecular biology and genome sciences. The Phylum Alveolata comprises three major groups (ciliates, apicomplexans, and dinoflagellates), the mitochondrial genomes of which have diverged widely. Even though the gene content of dinoflagellate mitochondrial genomes is reportedly comparable to that of apicomplexans, the highly fragmented and rearranged genome structures of dinoflagellates have frustrated whole genomic analysis. Consequently, noncoding sequences and gene arrangements of dinoflagellate mitochondrial genomes have not been well characterized. Here we report that the continuous assembled genome (∼326 kb) of the dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium minutum, is AT-rich (∼64.3%) and that it contains three protein-coding genes. Based upon in silico analysis, the remaining 99% of the genome comprises transcriptomic noncoding sequences. RNA edited sites and unique, possible start and stop codons clarify conserved regions among dinoflagellates. Our massive transcriptome analysis shows that almost all regions of the genome are transcribed, including 27 possible fragmented ribosomal RNA genes and 12 uncharacterized small RNAs that are similar to mitochondrial RNA genes of the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Gene map comparisons show that gene order is only slightly conserved between S. minutum and P. falciparum. However, small RNAs and intergenic sequences share sequence similarities with P. falciparum, suggesting that the function of noncoding sequences has been preserved despite development of very different genome structures. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  16. Fine mapping and identification of a candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene.

    PubMed

    Zang, Wen; Eckstein, Peter E; Colin, Mark; Voth, Doug; Himmelbach, Axel; Beier, Sebastian; Stein, Nils; Scoles, Graham J; Beattie, Aaron D

    2015-07-01

    The candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene encodes a deduced protein containing two tandem protein kinase domains. In North America, durable resistance against all known isolates of barley true loose smut, caused by the basidiomycete pathogen Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr. (U. nuda), is under the control of the Un8 resistance gene. Previous genetic studies mapped Un8 to the long arm of chromosome 5 (1HL). Here, a population of 4625 lines segregating for Un8 was used to delimit the Un8 gene to a 0.108 cM interval on chromosome arm 1HL, and assign it to fingerprinted contig 546 of the barley physical map. The minimal tilling path was identified for the Un8 locus using two flanking markers and consisted of two overlapping bacterial artificial chromosomes. One gene located close to a marker co-segregating with Un8 showed high sequence identity to a disease resistance gene containing two kinase domains. Sequence of the candidate gene from the parents of the segregating population, and in an additional 19 barley lines representing a broader spectrum of diversity, showed there was no intron in alleles present in either resistant or susceptible lines, and fifteen amino acid variations unique to the deduced protein sequence in resistant lines differentiated it from the deduced protein sequences in susceptible lines. Some of these variations were present within putative functional domains which may cause a loss of function in the deduced protein sequences within susceptible lines.

  17. Molecular evolution of the hyaluronan synthase 2 gene in mammals: implications for adaptations to the subterranean niche and cancer resistance

    PubMed Central

    Faulkes, Christopher G.; Davies, Kalina T. J.; Rossiter, Stephen J.; Bennett, Nigel C.

    2015-01-01

    The naked mole-rat (NMR) Heterocephalus glaber is a unique and fascinating mammal exhibiting many unusual adaptations to a subterranean lifestyle. The recent discovery of their resistance to cancer and exceptional longevity has opened up new and important avenues of research. Part of this resistance to cancer has been attributed to the fact that NMRs produce a modified form of hyaluronan—a key constituent of the extracellular matrix—that is thought to confer increased elasticity of the skin as an adaptation for living in narrow tunnels. This so-called high molecular mass hyaluronan (HMM-HA) stems from two apparently unique substitutions in the hyaluronan synthase 2 enzyme (HAS2). To test whether other subterranean mammals with similar selection pressures also show molecular adaptation in their HAS2 gene, we sequenced the HAS2 gene for 11 subterranean mammals and closely related species, and combined these with data from 57 other mammals. Comparative screening revealed that one of the two putatively important HAS2 substitutions in the NMR predicted to have a significant effect on hyaluronan synthase function was uniquely shared by all African mole-rats. Interestingly, we also identified multiple other amino acid substitutions in key domains of the HAS2 molecule, although the biological consequences of these for hyaluronan synthesis remain to be determined. Despite these results, we found evidence of strong purifying selection acting on the HAS2 gene across all mammals, and the NMR remains unique in its particular HAS2 sequence. Our results indicate that more work is needed to determine whether the apparent cancer resistance seen in NMR is shared by other members of the African mole-rat clade. PMID:25948568

  18. Chromosomal localization of actin genes in the malaria mosquito Anopheles darlingi

    PubMed Central

    BRIDI, L. C.; SHARAKHOVA, M. V.; SHARAKHOV, I. V.; CORDEIRO, J.; AZEVEDO, G. M.; TADEI, W. P.; RAFAEL, M. S.

    2012-01-01

    Physical and genetic maps have been used for chromosomal localization of genes in vectors of infectious diseases. The availability of polytene chromosomes in malaria mosquitoes provides a unique opportunity to precisely map genes of interest. We report physical mapping of two actin genes on polytene chromosomes of the major malaria vector in Amazon Anopheles darlingi. The clones with the actin genes sequences were obtained from a cDNA library constructed from RNA isolated from adult females and males of An. darlingi. Each of the two clones was mapped to a unique site on the chromosomal arm 2L in subdivisions 21A (clone pl05-A04) and 23B (clone pl17-G06). The obtained results together with previous mapping data provide a suitable basis for comparative genomics and for establishing chromosomal homologies among major malaria vectors. PMID:22804344

  19. Expressed sequences tags of the anther smut fungus, Microbotryum violaceum, identify mating and pathogenicity genes

    PubMed Central

    Yockteng, Roxana; Marthey, Sylvain; Chiapello, Hélène; Gendrault, Annie; Hood, Michael E; Rodolphe, François; Devier, Benjamin; Wincker, Patrick; Dossat, Carole; Giraud, Tatiana

    2007-01-01

    Background The basidiomycete fungus Microbotryum violaceum is responsible for the anther-smut disease in many plants of the Caryophyllaceae family and is a model in genetics and evolutionary biology. Infection is initiated by dikaryotic hyphae produced after the conjugation of two haploid sporidia of opposite mating type. This study describes M. violaceum ESTs corresponding to nuclear genes expressed during conjugation and early hyphal production. Results A normalized cDNA library generated 24,128 sequences, which were assembled into 7,765 unique genes; 25.2% of them displayed significant similarity to annotated proteins from other organisms, 74.3% a weak similarity to the same set of known proteins, and 0.5% were orphans. We identified putative pheromone receptors and genes that in other fungi are involved in the mating process. We also identified many sequences similar to genes known to be involved in pathogenicity in other fungi. The M. violaceum EST database, MICROBASE, is available on the Web and provides access to the sequences, assembled contigs, annotations and programs to compare similarities against MICROBASE. Conclusion This study provides a basis for cloning the mating type locus, for further investigation of pathogenicity genes in the anther smut fungi, and for comparative genomics. PMID:17692127

  20. Comparative Analysis of 35 Basidiomycete Genomes Reveals Diversity and Uniqueness of the Phylum

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Otillar, Robert

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprobes including wood decaying fungi. To better understand the diversity of this phylum we compared the genomes of 35 basidiomycete fungi including 6 newly sequenced genomes. The genomes of basidiomycetes span extremes of genome size, gene number, and repeat content. A phylogenetic tree of Basidiomycota was generated using the Phyldog software, which uses all available protein sequence data to simultaneously infer gene and species trees. Analysis of core genes revealsmore » that some 48percent of basidiomycete proteins are unique to the phylum with nearly half of those (22percent) comprising proteins found in only one organism. Phylogenetic patterns of plant biomass-degrading genes suggest a continuum rather than a sharp dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay among the members of Agaricomycotina subphylum. There is a correlation of the profile of certain gene families to nutritional mode in Agaricomycotina. Based on phylogenetically-informed PCA analysis of such profiles, we predict that that Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea have properties similar to white rot species, although neither has liginolytic class II fungal peroxidases. Furthermore, we find that both fungi exhibit wood decay with white rot-like characteristics in growth assays. Analysis of the rate of discovery of proteins with no or few homologs suggests the high value of continued sequencing of basidiomycete fungi.« less

  1. A genome resource to address mechanisms of developmental programming: determination of the fetal sheep heart transcriptome.

    PubMed

    Cox, Laura A; Glenn, Jeremy P; Spradling, Kimberly D; Nijland, Mark J; Garcia, Roy; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Ford, Stephen P

    2012-06-15

    The pregnant sheep has provided seminal insights into reproduction related to animal and human development (ovarian function, fertility, implantation, fetal growth, parturition and lactation). Fetal sheep physiology has been extensively studied since 1950, contributing significantly to the basis for our understanding of many aspects of fetal development and behaviour that remain in use in clinical practice today. Understanding mechanisms requires the combination of systems approaches uniquely available in fetal sheep with the power of genomic studies. Absence of the full range of sheep genomic resources has limited the full realization of the power of this model, impeding progress in emerging areas of pregnancy biology such as developmental programming. We have examined the expressed fetal sheep heart transcriptome using high-throughput sequencing technologies. In so doing we identified 36,737 novel transcripts and describe genes, gene variants and pathways relevant to fundamental developmental mechanisms. Genes with the highest expression levels and with novel exons in the fetal heart transcriptome are known to play central roles in muscle development. We show that high-throughput sequencing methods can generate extensive transcriptome information in the absence of an assembled and annotated genome for that species. The gene sequence data obtained provide a unique genomic resource for sheep specific genetic technology development and, combined with the polymorphism data, augment annotation and assembly of the sheep genome. In addition, identification and pathway analysis of novel fetal sheep heart transcriptome splice variants is a first step towards revealing mechanisms of genetic variation and gene environment interactions during fetal heart development.

  2. A genome resource to address mechanisms of developmental programming: determination of the fetal sheep heart transcriptome

    PubMed Central

    Cox, Laura A; Glenn, Jeremy P; Spradling, Kimberly D; Nijland, Mark J; Garcia, Roy; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Ford, Stephen P

    2012-01-01

    The pregnant sheep has provided seminal insights into reproduction related to animal and human development (ovarian function, fertility, implantation, fetal growth, parturition and lactation). Fetal sheep physiology has been extensively studied since 1950, contributing significantly to the basis for our understanding of many aspects of fetal development and behaviour that remain in use in clinical practice today. Understanding mechanisms requires the combination of systems approaches uniquely available in fetal sheep with the power of genomic studies. Absence of the full range of sheep genomic resources has limited the full realization of the power of this model, impeding progress in emerging areas of pregnancy biology such as developmental programming. We have examined the expressed fetal sheep heart transcriptome using high-throughput sequencing technologies. In so doing we identified 36,737 novel transcripts and describe genes, gene variants and pathways relevant to fundamental developmental mechanisms. Genes with the highest expression levels and with novel exons in the fetal heart transcriptome are known to play central roles in muscle development. We show that high-throughput sequencing methods can generate extensive transcriptome information in the absence of an assembled and annotated genome for that species. The gene sequence data obtained provide a unique genomic resource for sheep specific genetic technology development and, combined with the polymorphism data, augment annotation and assembly of the sheep genome. In addition, identification and pathway analysis of novel fetal sheep heart transcriptome splice variants is a first step towards revealing mechanisms of genetic variation and gene environment interactions during fetal heart development. PMID:22508961

  3. Proglucagons in vertebrates: Expression and processing of multiple genes in a bony fish.

    PubMed

    Busby, Ellen R; Mommsen, Thomas P

    2016-09-01

    In contrast to mammals, where a single proglucagon (PG) gene encodes three peptides: glucagon, glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-1; GLP-2), many non-mammalian vertebrates carry multiple PG genes. Here, we investigate proglucagon mRNA sequences, their tissue expression and processing in a diploid bony fish. Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) express two independent genes coding for distinct proglucagon sequences (PG I, PG II), with PG II lacking the GLP-2 sequence. These genes are differentially transcribed in the endocrine pancreas, the brain, and the gastrointestinal tract. Alternative splicing identified in rockfish is only one part of this complex regulation of the PG transcripts: the system has the potential to produce two glucagons, four GLP-1s and a single GLP-2, or any combination of these peptides. Mass spectrometric analysis of partially purified PG-derived peptides in endocrine pancreas confirms translation of both PG transcripts and differential processing of the resulting peptides. The complex differential regulation of the two PG genes and their continued presence in this extant teleostean fish strongly suggests unique and, as yet largely unidentified, roles for the peptide products encoded in each gene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Convergent evolution of marine mammals is associated with distinct substitutions in common genes

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xuming; Seim, Inge; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

    2015-01-01

    Phenotypic convergence is thought to be driven by parallel substitutions coupled with natural selection at the sequence level. Multiple independent evolutionary transitions of mammals to an aquatic environment offer an opportunity to test this thesis. Here, whole genome alignment of coding sequences identified widespread parallel amino acid substitutions in marine mammals; however, the majority of these changes were not unique to these animals. Conversely, we report that candidate aquatic adaptation genes, identified by signatures of likelihood convergence and/or elevated ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitution rate, are characterized by very few parallel substitutions and exhibit distinct sequence changes in each group. Moreover, no significant positive correlation was found between likelihood convergence and positive selection in all three marine lineages. These results suggest that convergence in protein coding genes associated with aquatic lifestyle is mainly characterized by independent substitutions and relaxed negative selection. PMID:26549748

  5. phiGENOME: an integrative navigation throughout bacteriophage genomes.

    PubMed

    Stano, Matej; Klucar, Lubos

    2011-11-01

    phiGENOME is a web-based genome browser generating dynamic and interactive graphical representation of phage genomes stored in the phiSITE, database of gene regulation in bacteriophages. phiGENOME is an integral part of the phiSITE web portal (http://www.phisite.org/phigenome) and it was optimised for visualisation of phage genomes with the emphasis on the gene regulatory elements. phiGENOME consists of three components: (i) genome map viewer built using Adobe Flash technology, providing dynamic and interactive graphical display of phage genomes; (ii) sequence browser based on precisely formatted HTML tags, providing detailed exploration of genome features on the sequence level and (iii) regulation illustrator, based on Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and designed for graphical representation of gene regulations. Bringing 542 complete genome sequences accompanied with their rich annotations and references, makes phiGENOME a unique information resource in the field of phage genomics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Prospecting for viral natural enemies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in Argentina.

    PubMed

    Valles, Steven M; Porter, Sanford D; Calcaterra, Luis A

    2018-01-01

    Metagenomics and next generation sequencing were employed to discover new virus natural enemies of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren in its native range (i.e., Formosa, Argentina) with the ultimate goal of testing and releasing new viral pathogens into U.S. S. invicta populations to provide natural, sustainable control of this ant. RNA was purified from worker ants from 182 S. invicta colonies, which was pooled into 4 groups according to location. A library was created from each group and sequenced using Illumina Miseq technology. After a series of winnowing methods to remove S. invicta genes, known S. invicta virus genes, and all other non-virus gene sequences, 61,944 unique singletons were identified with virus identity. These were assembled de novo yielding 171 contiguous sequences with significant identity to non-plant virus genes. Fifteen contiguous sequences exhibited very high expression rates and were detected in all four gene libraries. One contig (Contig_29) exhibited the highest expression level overall and across all four gene libraries. Random amplification of cDNA ends analyses expanded this contiguous sequence yielding a complete virus genome, which we have provisionally named Solenopsis invicta virus 5 (SINV-5). SINV-5 is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus with genome characteristics consistent with insect-infecting viruses from the family Dicistroviridae. Moreover, the replicative genome strand of SINV-5 was detected in worker ants indicating that S. invicta serves as host for the virus. Many additional sequences were identified that are likely of viral origin. These sequences await further investigation to determine their origins and relationship with S. invicta. This study expands knowledge of the RNA virome diversity found within S. invicta populations.

  7. Prospecting for viral natural enemies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Porter, Sanford D.; Calcaterra, Luis A.

    2018-01-01

    Metagenomics and next generation sequencing were employed to discover new virus natural enemies of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren in its native range (i.e., Formosa, Argentina) with the ultimate goal of testing and releasing new viral pathogens into U.S. S. invicta populations to provide natural, sustainable control of this ant. RNA was purified from worker ants from 182 S. invicta colonies, which was pooled into 4 groups according to location. A library was created from each group and sequenced using Illumina Miseq technology. After a series of winnowing methods to remove S. invicta genes, known S. invicta virus genes, and all other non-virus gene sequences, 61,944 unique singletons were identified with virus identity. These were assembled de novo yielding 171 contiguous sequences with significant identity to non-plant virus genes. Fifteen contiguous sequences exhibited very high expression rates and were detected in all four gene libraries. One contig (Contig_29) exhibited the highest expression level overall and across all four gene libraries. Random amplification of cDNA ends analyses expanded this contiguous sequence yielding a complete virus genome, which we have provisionally named Solenopsis invicta virus 5 (SINV-5). SINV-5 is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus with genome characteristics consistent with insect-infecting viruses from the family Dicistroviridae. Moreover, the replicative genome strand of SINV-5 was detected in worker ants indicating that S. invicta serves as host for the virus. Many additional sequences were identified that are likely of viral origin. These sequences await further investigation to determine their origins and relationship with S. invicta. This study expands knowledge of the RNA virome diversity found within S. invicta populations. PMID:29466388

  8. Recombinatorial biases and convergent recombination determine interindividual TCRβ sharing in murine thymocytes.

    PubMed

    Li, Hanjie; Ye, Congting; Ji, Guoli; Wu, Xiaohui; Xiang, Zhe; Li, Yuanyue; Cao, Yonghao; Liu, Xiaolong; Douek, Daniel C; Price, David A; Han, Jiahuai

    2012-09-01

    Overlap of TCR repertoires among individuals provides the molecular basis for public T cell responses. By deep-sequencing the TCRβ repertoires of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes from three individual mice, we observed that a substantial degree of TCRβ overlap, comprising ∼10-15% of all unique amino acid sequences and ∼5-10% of all unique nucleotide sequences across any two individuals, is already present at this early stage of T cell development. The majority of TCRβ sharing between individual thymocyte repertoires could be attributed to the process of convergent recombination, with additional contributions likely arising from recombinatorial biases; the role of selection during intrathymic development was negligible. These results indicate that the process of TCR gene recombination is the major determinant of clonotype sharing between individuals.

  9. Evaluation of two main RNA-seq approaches for gene quantification in clinical RNA sequencing: polyA+ selection versus rRNA depletion.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Shanrong; Zhang, Ying; Gamini, Ramya; Zhang, Baohong; von Schack, David

    2018-03-19

    To allow efficient transcript/gene detection, highly abundant ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) are generally removed from total RNA either by positive polyA+ selection or by rRNA depletion (negative selection) before sequencing. Comparisons between the two methods have been carried out by various groups, but the assessments have relied largely on non-clinical samples. In this study, we evaluated these two RNA sequencing approaches using human blood and colon tissue samples. Our analyses showed that rRNA depletion captured more unique transcriptome features, whereas polyA+ selection outperformed rRNA depletion with higher exonic coverage and better accuracy of gene quantification. For blood- and colon-derived RNAs, we found that 220% and 50% more reads, respectively, would have to be sequenced to achieve the same level of exonic coverage in the rRNA depletion method compared with the polyA+ selection method. Therefore, in most cases we strongly recommend polyA+ selection over rRNA depletion for gene quantification in clinical RNA sequencing. Our evaluation revealed that a small number of lncRNAs and small RNAs made up a large fraction of the reads in the rRNA depletion RNA sequencing data. Thus, we recommend that these RNAs are specifically depleted to improve the sequencing depth of the remaining RNAs.

  10. Improved serial analysis of V1 ribosomal sequence tags (SARST-V1) provides a rapid, comprehensive, sequence-based characterization of bacterial diversity and community composition.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zhongtang; Yu, Marie; Morrison, Mark

    2006-04-01

    Serial analysis of ribosomal sequence tags (SARST) is a recently developed technology that can generate large 16S rRNA gene (rrs) sequence data sets from microbiomes, but there are numerous enzymatic and purification steps required to construct the ribosomal sequence tag (RST) clone libraries. We report here an improved SARST method, which still targets the V1 hypervariable region of rrs genes, but reduces the number of enzymes, oligonucleotides, reagents, and technical steps needed to produce the RST clone libraries. The new method, hereafter referred to as SARST-V1, was used to examine the eubacterial diversity present in community DNA recovered from the microbiome resident in the ovine rumen. The 190 sequenced clones contained 1055 RSTs and no less than 236 unique phylotypes (based on > or = 95% sequence identity) that were assigned to eight different eubacterial phyla. Rarefaction and monomolecular curve analyses predicted that the complete RST clone library contains 99% of the 353 unique phylotypes predicted to exist in this microbiome. When compared with ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) of the same community DNA sample, as well as a compilation of nine previously published conventional rrs clone libraries prepared from the same type of samples, the RST clone library provided a more comprehensive characterization of the eubacterial diversity present in rumen microbiomes. As such, SARST-V1 should be a useful tool applicable to comprehensive examination of diversity and composition in microbiomes and offers an affordable, sequence-based method for diversity analysis.

  11. Evaluation of the reproducibility of amplicon sequencing with Illumina MiSeq platform

    PubMed Central

    Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Ning, Daliang; Sun, Bo; Xue, Kai; Liu, Feifei; Deng, Ye; Liang, Yuting; Zhou, Jizhong

    2017-01-01

    Illumina’s MiSeq has become the dominant platform for gene amplicon sequencing in microbial ecology studies; however, various technical concerns, such as reproducibility, still exist. To assess reproducibility, 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 18 soil samples of a reciprocal transplantation experiment were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene from each sample was sequenced in triplicate with each replicate having a unique barcode. The average OTU overlap, without considering sequence abundance, at a rarefaction level of 10,323 sequences was 33.4±2.1% and 20.2±1.7% between two and among three technical replicates, respectively. When OTU sequence abundance was considered, the average sequence abundance weighted OTU overlap was 85.6±1.6% and 81.2±2.1% for two and three replicates, respectively. Removing singletons significantly increased the overlap for both (~1–3%, p<0.001). Increasing the sequencing depth to 160,000 reads by deep sequencing increased OTU overlap both when sequence abundance was considered (95%) and when not (44%). However, if singletons were not removed the overlap between two technical replicates (not considering sequence abundance) plateaus at 39% with 30,000 sequences. Diversity measures were not affected by the low overlap as α-diversities were similar among technical replicates while β-diversities (Bray-Curtis) were much smaller among technical replicates than among treatment replicates (e.g., 0.269 vs. 0.374). Higher diversity coverage, but lower OTU overlap, was observed when replicates were sequenced in separate runs. Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that while there was considerable variation among technical replicates, the reproducibility was sufficient for detecting treatment effects for the samples examined. These results suggest that although there is variation among technical replicates, amplicon sequencing on MiSeq is useful for analyzing microbial community structure if used appropriately and with caution. For example, including technical replicates, removing spurious sequences and unrepresentative OTUs, using a clustering method with a high stringency for OTU generation, estimating treatment effects at higher taxonomic levels, and adapting the unique molecular identifier (UMI) and other newly developed methods to lower PCR and sequencing error and to identify true low abundance rare species all can increase reproducibility. PMID:28453559

  12. Evaluation of the reproducibility of amplicon sequencing with Illumina MiSeq platform

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wen, Chongqing; Wu, Liyou; Qin, Yujia

    Illumina's MiSeq has become the dominant platform for gene amplicon sequencing in microbial ecology studies; however, various technical concerns, such as reproducibility, still exist. To assess reproducibility, 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 18 soil samples of a reciprocal transplantation experiment were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene from each sample was sequenced in triplicate with each replicate having a unique barcode. The average OTU overlap, without considering sequence abundance, at a rarefaction level of 10,323 sequences was 33.4±2.1% and 20.2±1.7% between two and among three technical replicates, respectively. When OTU sequence abundance was considered,more » the average sequence abundance weighted OTU overlap was 85.6±1.6% and 81.2±2.1% for two and three replicates, respectively. Removing singletons significantly increased the overlap for both (~1-3%, p<0.001). Increasing the sequencing depth to 160,000 reads by deep sequencing increased OTU overlap both when sequence abundance was considered (95%) and when not (44%). However, if singletons were not removed the overlap between two technical replicates (not considering sequence abundance) plateaus at 39% with 30,000 sequences. Diversity measures were not affected by the low overlap as α-diversities were similar among technical replicates while β-diversities (Bray-Curtis) were much smaller among technical replicates than among treatment replicates (e.g., 0.269 vs. 0.374). Higher diversity coverage, but lower OTU overlap, was observed when replicates were sequenced in separate runs. Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that while there was considerable variation among technical replicates, the reproducibility was sufficient for detecting treatment effects for the samples examined. These results suggest that although there is variation among technical replicates, amplicon sequencing on MiSeq is useful for analyzing microbial community structure if used appropriately and with caution. For example, including technical replicates, removing spurious sequences and unrepresentative OTUs, using a clustering method with a high stringency for OTU generation, estimating treatment effects at higher taxonomic levels, and adapting the unique molecular identifier (UMI) and other newly developed methods to lower PCR and sequencing error and to identify true low abundance rare species all can increase reproducibility.« less

  13. Evaluation of the reproducibility of amplicon sequencing with Illumina MiSeq platform

    DOE PAGES

    Wen, Chongqing; Wu, Liyou; Qin, Yujia; ...

    2017-04-28

    Illumina's MiSeq has become the dominant platform for gene amplicon sequencing in microbial ecology studies; however, various technical concerns, such as reproducibility, still exist. To assess reproducibility, 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 18 soil samples of a reciprocal transplantation experiment were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene from each sample was sequenced in triplicate with each replicate having a unique barcode. The average OTU overlap, without considering sequence abundance, at a rarefaction level of 10,323 sequences was 33.4±2.1% and 20.2±1.7% between two and among three technical replicates, respectively. When OTU sequence abundance was considered,more » the average sequence abundance weighted OTU overlap was 85.6±1.6% and 81.2±2.1% for two and three replicates, respectively. Removing singletons significantly increased the overlap for both (~1-3%, p<0.001). Increasing the sequencing depth to 160,000 reads by deep sequencing increased OTU overlap both when sequence abundance was considered (95%) and when not (44%). However, if singletons were not removed the overlap between two technical replicates (not considering sequence abundance) plateaus at 39% with 30,000 sequences. Diversity measures were not affected by the low overlap as α-diversities were similar among technical replicates while β-diversities (Bray-Curtis) were much smaller among technical replicates than among treatment replicates (e.g., 0.269 vs. 0.374). Higher diversity coverage, but lower OTU overlap, was observed when replicates were sequenced in separate runs. Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that while there was considerable variation among technical replicates, the reproducibility was sufficient for detecting treatment effects for the samples examined. These results suggest that although there is variation among technical replicates, amplicon sequencing on MiSeq is useful for analyzing microbial community structure if used appropriately and with caution. For example, including technical replicates, removing spurious sequences and unrepresentative OTUs, using a clustering method with a high stringency for OTU generation, estimating treatment effects at higher taxonomic levels, and adapting the unique molecular identifier (UMI) and other newly developed methods to lower PCR and sequencing error and to identify true low abundance rare species all can increase reproducibility.« less

  14. Evaluation of the reproducibility of amplicon sequencing with Illumina MiSeq platform.

    PubMed

    Wen, Chongqing; Wu, Liyou; Qin, Yujia; Van Nostrand, Joy D; Ning, Daliang; Sun, Bo; Xue, Kai; Liu, Feifei; Deng, Ye; Liang, Yuting; Zhou, Jizhong

    2017-01-01

    Illumina's MiSeq has become the dominant platform for gene amplicon sequencing in microbial ecology studies; however, various technical concerns, such as reproducibility, still exist. To assess reproducibility, 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 18 soil samples of a reciprocal transplantation experiment were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene from each sample was sequenced in triplicate with each replicate having a unique barcode. The average OTU overlap, without considering sequence abundance, at a rarefaction level of 10,323 sequences was 33.4±2.1% and 20.2±1.7% between two and among three technical replicates, respectively. When OTU sequence abundance was considered, the average sequence abundance weighted OTU overlap was 85.6±1.6% and 81.2±2.1% for two and three replicates, respectively. Removing singletons significantly increased the overlap for both (~1-3%, p<0.001). Increasing the sequencing depth to 160,000 reads by deep sequencing increased OTU overlap both when sequence abundance was considered (95%) and when not (44%). However, if singletons were not removed the overlap between two technical replicates (not considering sequence abundance) plateaus at 39% with 30,000 sequences. Diversity measures were not affected by the low overlap as α-diversities were similar among technical replicates while β-diversities (Bray-Curtis) were much smaller among technical replicates than among treatment replicates (e.g., 0.269 vs. 0.374). Higher diversity coverage, but lower OTU overlap, was observed when replicates were sequenced in separate runs. Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that while there was considerable variation among technical replicates, the reproducibility was sufficient for detecting treatment effects for the samples examined. These results suggest that although there is variation among technical replicates, amplicon sequencing on MiSeq is useful for analyzing microbial community structure if used appropriately and with caution. For example, including technical replicates, removing spurious sequences and unrepresentative OTUs, using a clustering method with a high stringency for OTU generation, estimating treatment effects at higher taxonomic levels, and adapting the unique molecular identifier (UMI) and other newly developed methods to lower PCR and sequencing error and to identify true low abundance rare species all can increase reproducibility.

  15. Plasmid Characterization and Chromosome Analysis of Two netF+ Clostridium perfringens Isolates Associated with Foal and Canine Necrotizing Enteritis

    PubMed Central

    Mehdizadeh Gohari, Iman; Kropinski, Andrew M.; Weese, Scott J.; Parreira, Valeria R.; Whitehead, Ashley E.; Boerlin, Patrick; Prescott, John F.

    2016-01-01

    The recent discovery of a novel beta-pore-forming toxin, NetF, which is strongly associated with canine and foal necrotizing enteritis should improve our understanding of the role of type A Clostridium perfringens associated disease in these animals. The current study presents the complete genome sequence of two netF-positive strains, JFP55 and JFP838, which were recovered from cases of foal necrotizing enteritis and canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, respectively. Genome sequencing was done using Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology-PacBio and Illumina Hiseq2000. The JFP55 and JFP838 genomes include a single 3.34 Mb and 3.53 Mb chromosome, respectively, and both genomes include five circular plasmids. Plasmid annotation revealed that three plasmids were shared by the two newly sequenced genomes, including a NetF/NetE toxins-encoding tcp-conjugative plasmid, a CPE/CPB2 toxins-encoding tcp-conjugative plasmid and a putative bacteriocin-encoding plasmid. The putative beta-pore-forming toxin genes, netF, netE and netG, were located in unique pathogenicity loci on tcp-conjugative plasmids. The C. perfringens JFP55 chromosome carries 2,825 protein-coding genes whereas the chromosome of JFP838 contains 3,014 protein-encoding genes. Comparison of these two chromosomes with three available reference C. perfringens chromosome sequences identified 48 (~247 kb) and 81 (~430 kb) regions unique to JFP55 and JFP838, respectively. Some of these divergent genomic regions in both chromosomes are phage- and plasmid-related segments. Sixteen of these unique chromosomal regions (~69 kb) were shared between the two isolates. Five of these shared regions formed a mosaic of plasmid-integrated segments, suggesting that these elements were acquired early in a clonal lineage of netF-positive C. perfringens strains. These results provide significant insight into the basis of canine and foal necrotizing enteritis and are the first to demonstrate that netF resides on a large and unique plasmid-encoded locus. PMID:26859667

  16. Phylogenomic analyses and molecular signatures for the class Halobacteria and its two major clades: a proposal for division of the class Halobacteria into an emended order Halobacteriales and two new orders, Haloferacales ord. nov. and Natrialbales ord. nov., containing the novel families Haloferacaceae fam. nov. and Natrialbaceae fam. nov.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Radhey S; Naushad, Sohail; Baker, Sheridan

    2015-03-01

    The Halobacteria constitute one of the largest groups within the Archaea. The hierarchical relationship among members of this large class, which comprises a single order and a single family, has proven difficult to determine based upon 16S rRNA gene trees and morphological and physiological characteristics. This work reports detailed phylogenetic and comparative genomic studies on >100 halobacterial (haloarchaeal) genomes containing representatives from 30 genera to investigate their evolutionary relationships. In phylogenetic trees reconstructed on the basis of 32 conserved proteins, using both neighbour-joining and maximum-likelihood methods, two major clades (clades A and B) encompassing nearly two-thirds of the sequenced haloarchaeal species were strongly supported. Clades grouping the same species/genera were also supported by the 16S rRNA gene trees and trees for several individual highly conserved proteins (RpoC, EF-Tu, UvrD, GyrA, EF-2/EF-G). In parallel, our comparative analyses of protein sequences from haloarchaeal genomes have identified numerous discrete molecular markers in the form of conserved signature indels (CSI) in protein sequences and conserved signature proteins (CSPs) that are found uniquely in specific groups of haloarchaea. Thirteen CSIs in proteins involved in diverse functions and 68 CSPs that are uniquely present in all or most genome-sequenced haloarchaea provide novel molecular means for distinguishing members of the class Halobacteria from all other prokaryotes. The members of clade A are distinguished from all other haloarchaea by the unique shared presence of two CSIs in the ribose operon protein and small GTP-binding protein and eight CSPs that are found specifically in members of this clade. Likewise, four CSIs in different proteins and five other CSPs are present uniquely in members of clade B and distinguish them from all other haloarchaea. Based upon their specific clustering in phylogenetic trees for different gene/protein sequences and the unique shared presence of large numbers of molecular signatures, members of clades A and B are indicated to be distinct from all other haloarchaea because of their uniquely shared evolutionary histories. Based upon these results, it is proposed that clades A and B be recognized as two new orders, Natrialbales ord. nov. and Haloferacales ord. nov., within the class Halobacteria, containing the novel families Natrialbaceae fam. nov. and Haloferacaceae fam. nov. Other members of the class Halobacteria that are not members of these two orders will remain part of the emended order Halobacteriales in an emended family Halobacteriaceae. © 2015 IUMS.

  17. High sequence variations in the region containing genes encoding a cellular morphogenesis protein and the repressor of sexual development help to reveal origins of Aspergillus oryzae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus flavus are closely related fungal species. The A. flavus population that produces numerous small sclerotia (S strain) and aflatoxin has a unique 1.5 kb deletion in the norB-cypA region of the aflatoxin gene cluster (the S genotype). Phylogenetic studies have indica...

  18. Screening and analyzing genes associated with Amur tiger placental development.

    PubMed

    Li, Q; Lu, T F; Liu, D; Hu, P F; Sun, B; Ma, J Z; Wang, W J; Wang, K F; Zhang, W X; Chen, J; Guan, W J; Ma, Y H; Zhang, M H

    2014-09-26

    The Amur tiger is a unique endangered species in the world, and thus, protection of its genetic resources is extremely important. In this study, an Amur tiger placenta cDNA library was constructed using the SMART cDNA Library Construction kit. A total of 508 colonies were sequenced, in which 205 (76%) genes were annotated and mapped to 74 KEGG pathways, including 29 metabolism, 29 genetic information processing, 4 environmental information processing, 7 cell motility, and 5 organismal system pathways. Additionally, PLAC8, PEG10 and IGF-II were identified after screening genes from the expressed sequence tags, and they were associated with placental development. These findings could lay the foundation for future functional genomic studies of the Amur tiger.

  19. Genomic Sequence around Butterfly Wing Development Genes: Annotation and Comparative Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Conceição, Inês C.; Long, Anthony D.; Gruber, Jonathan D.; Beldade, Patrícia

    2011-01-01

    Background Analysis of genomic sequence allows characterization of genome content and organization, and access beyond gene-coding regions for identification of functional elements. BAC libraries, where relatively large genomic regions are made readily available, are especially useful for species without a fully sequenced genome and can increase genomic coverage of phylogenetic and biological diversity. For example, no butterfly genome is yet available despite the unique genetic and biological properties of this group, such as diversified wing color patterns. The evolution and development of these patterns is being studied in a few target species, including Bicyclus anynana, where a whole-genome BAC library allows targeted access to large genomic regions. Methodology/Principal Findings We characterize ∼1.3 Mb of genomic sequence around 11 selected genes expressed in B. anynana developing wings. Extensive manual curation of in silico predictions, also making use of a large dataset of expressed genes for this species, identified repetitive elements and protein coding sequence, and highlighted an expansion of Alcohol dehydrogenase genes. Comparative analysis with orthologous regions of the lepidopteran reference genome allowed assessment of conservation of fine-scale synteny (with detection of new inversions and translocations) and of DNA sequence (with detection of high levels of conservation of non-coding regions around some, but not all, developmental genes). Conclusions The general properties and organization of the available B. anynana genomic sequence are similar to the lepidopteran reference, despite the more than 140 MY divergence. Our results lay the groundwork for further studies of new interesting findings in relation to both coding and non-coding sequence: 1) the Alcohol dehydrogenase expansion with higher similarity between the five tandemly-repeated B. anynana paralogs than with the corresponding B. mori orthologs, and 2) the high conservation of non-coding sequence around the genes wingless and Ecdysone receptor, both involved in multiple developmental processes including wing pattern formation. PMID:21909358

  20. The First Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences in Actinidiaceae: Genome Structure and Comparative Analysis.

    PubMed

    Yao, Xiaohong; Tang, Ping; Li, Zuozhou; Li, Dawei; Liu, Yifei; Huang, Hongwen

    2015-01-01

    Actinidia chinensis is an important economic plant belonging to the basal lineage of the asterids. Availability of a complete Actinidia chloroplast genome sequence is crucial to understanding phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of angiosperms and facilitates kiwifruit genetic improvement. We report here the complete nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast genomes for Actinidia chinensis and A. chinensis var deliciosa obtained through de novo assembly of Illumina paired-end reads produced by total DNA sequencing. The total genome size ranges from 155,446 to 157,557 bp, with an inverted repeat (IR) of 24,013 to 24,391 bp, a large single copy region (LSC) of 87,984 to 88,337 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 20,332 to 20,336 bp. The genome encodes 113 different genes, including 79 unique protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 ribosomal RNA genes, with 16 duplicated in the inverted repeats, and a tRNA gene (trnfM-CAU) duplicated once in the LSC region. Comparisons of IR boundaries among four asterid species showed that IR/LSC borders were extended into the 5' portion of the psbA gene and IR contraction occurred in Actinidia. The clap gene has been lost from the chloroplast genome in Actinidia, and may have been transferred to the nucleus during chloroplast evolution. Twenty-seven polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified in the Actinidia chloroplast genome. Maximum parsimony analyses of a 72-gene, 16 taxa angiosperm dataset strongly support the placement of Actinidiaceae in Ericales within the basal asterids.

  1. Purifying Selection Maintains Dosage-Sensitive Genes during Degeneration of the Threespine Stickleback Y Chromosome

    PubMed Central

    White, Michael A.; Kitano, Jun; Peichel, Catherine L.

    2015-01-01

    Sex chromosomes are subject to unique evolutionary forces that cause suppression of recombination, leading to sequence degeneration and the formation of heteromorphic chromosome pairs (i.e., XY or ZW). Although progress has been made in characterizing the outcomes of these evolutionary processes on vertebrate sex chromosomes, it is still unclear how recombination suppression and sequence divergence typically occur and how gene dosage imbalances are resolved in the heterogametic sex. The threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a powerful model system to explore vertebrate sex chromosome evolution, as it possesses an XY sex chromosome pair at relatively early stages of differentiation. Using a combination of whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing, we characterized sequence evolution and gene expression across the sex chromosomes. We uncovered two distinct evolutionary strata that correspond with known structural rearrangements on the Y chromosome. In the oldest stratum, only a handful of genes remain, and these genes are under strong purifying selection. By comparing sex-linked gene expression with expression of autosomal orthologs in an outgroup, we show that dosage compensation has not evolved in threespine sticklebacks through upregulation of the X chromosome in males. Instead, in the oldest stratum, the genes that still possess a Y chromosome allele are enriched for genes predicted to be dosage sensitive in mammals and yeast. Our results suggest that dosage imbalances may have been avoided at haploinsufficient genes by retaining function of the Y chromosome allele through strong purifying selection. PMID:25818858

  2. Deep sequencing-based transcriptome analysis of Plutella xylostella larvae parasitized by Diadegma semiclausum

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Parasitoid insects manipulate their hosts' physiology by injecting various factors into their host upon parasitization. Transcriptomic approaches provide a powerful approach to study insect host-parasitoid interactions at the molecular level. In order to investigate the effects of parasitization by an ichneumonid wasp (Diadegma semiclausum) on the host (Plutella xylostella), the larval transcriptome profile was analyzed using a short-read deep sequencing method (Illumina). Symbiotic polydnaviruses (PDVs) associated with ichneumonid parasitoids, known as ichnoviruses, play significant roles in host immune suppression and developmental regulation. In the current study, D. semiclausum ichnovirus (DsIV) genes expressed in P. xylostella were identified and their sequences compared with other reported PDVs. Five of these genes encode proteins of unknown identity, that have not previously been reported. Results De novo assembly of cDNA sequence data generated 172,660 contigs between 100 and 10000 bp in length; with 35% of > 200 bp in length. Parasitization had significant impacts on expression levels of 928 identified insect host transcripts. Gene ontology data illustrated that the majority of the differentially expressed genes are involved in binding, catalytic activity, and metabolic and cellular processes. In addition, the results show that transcription levels of antimicrobial peptides, such as gloverin, cecropin E and lysozyme, were up-regulated after parasitism. Expression of ichnovirus genes were detected in parasitized larvae with 19 unique sequences identified from five PDV gene families including vankyrin, viral innexin, repeat elements, a cysteine-rich motif, and polar residue rich protein. Vankyrin 1 and repeat element 1 genes showed the highest transcription levels among the DsIV genes. Conclusion This study provides detailed information on differential expression of P. xylostella larval genes following parasitization, DsIV genes expressed in the host and also improves our current understanding of this host-parasitoid interaction. PMID:21906285

  3. Individualized Mutation Detection in Circulating Tumor DNA for Monitoring Colorectal Tumor Burden Using a Cancer-Associated Gene Sequencing Panel.

    PubMed

    Sato, Kei A; Hachiya, Tsuyoshi; Iwaya, Takeshi; Kume, Kohei; Matsuo, Teppei; Kawasaki, Keisuke; Abiko, Yukito; Akasaka, Risaburo; Matsumoto, Takayuki; Otsuka, Koki; Nishizuka, Satoshi S

    2016-01-01

    Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) carries information on tumor burden. However, the mutation spectrum is different among tumors. This study was designed to examine the utility of ctDNA for monitoring tumor burden based on an individual mutation profile. DNA was extracted from a total of 176 samples, including pre- and post-operational plasma, primary tumors, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), from 44 individuals with colorectal tumor who underwent curative resection of colorectal tumors, as well as nine healthy individuals. Using a panel of 50 cancer-associated genes, tumor-unique mutations were identified by comparing the single nucleotide variants (SNVs) from tumors and PBMCs with an Ion PGM sequencer. A group of the tumor-unique mutations from individual tumors were designated as individual marker mutations (MMs) to trace tumor burden by ctDNA using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). From these experiments, three major objectives were assessed: (a) Tumor-unique mutations; (b) mutation spectrum of a tumor; and (c) changes in allele frequency of the MMs in ctDNA after curative resection of the tumor. A total of 128 gene point mutations were identified in 27 colorectal tumors. Twenty-six genes were mutated in at least 1 sample, while 14 genes were found to be mutated in only 1 sample, respectively. An average of 2.7 genes were mutated per tumor. Subsequently, 24 MMs were selected from SNVs for tumor burden monitoring. Among the MMs found by ddPCR with > 0.1% variant allele frequency in plasma DNA, 100% (8 out of 8) exhibited a decrease in post-operation ctDNA, whereas none of the 16 MMs found by ddPCR with < 0.1% variant allele frequency in plasma DNA showed a decrease. This panel of 50 cancer-associated genes appeared to be sufficient to identify individual, tumor-unique, mutated ctDNA markers in cancer patients. The MMs showed the clinical utility in monitoring curatively-treated colorectal tumor burden if the allele frequency of MMs in plasma DNA is above 0.1%.

  4. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata.

    PubMed

    Ding, Ping; Shao, Yanhua; Li, Qian; Gao, Junli; Zhang, Runjing; Lai, Xiaoping; Wang, Deqin; Zhang, Huiye

    2016-07-01

    The complete chloroplast genome of Andrographis paniculata, an important medicinal plant with great economic value, has been studied in this article. The genome size is 150,249 bp in length, with 38.3% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,300 bp) are separated by a large single copy region (LSC, 82,459 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17,190 bp). The chloroplast genome contains 114 unique genes, 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. In these genes, 15 genes contained 1 intron and 3 genes comprised of 2 introns.

  5. Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution.

    PubMed

    2004-12-09

    We present here a draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus. Because the chicken is a modern descendant of the dinosaurs and the first non-mammalian amniote to have its genome sequenced, the draft sequence of its genome--composed of approximately one billion base pairs of sequence and an estimated 20,000-23,000 genes--provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes. For example, the evolutionary distance between chicken and human provides high specificity in detecting functional elements, both non-coding and coding. Notably, many conserved non-coding sequences are far from genes and cannot be assigned to defined functional classes. In coding regions the evolutionary dynamics of protein domains and orthologous groups illustrate processes that distinguish the lineages leading to birds and mammals. The distinctive properties of avian microchromosomes, together with the inferred patterns of conserved synteny, provide additional insights into vertebrate chromosome architecture.

  6. WGSSAT: A High-Throughput Computational Pipeline for Mining and Annotation of SSR Markers From Whole Genomes.

    PubMed

    Pandey, Manmohan; Kumar, Ravindra; Srivastava, Prachi; Agarwal, Suyash; Srivastava, Shreya; Nagpure, Naresh S; Jena, Joy K; Kushwaha, Basdeo

    2018-03-16

    Mining and characterization of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers from whole genomes provide valuable information about biological significance of SSR distribution and also facilitate development of markers for genetic analysis. Whole genome sequencing (WGS)-SSR Annotation Tool (WGSSAT) is a graphical user interface pipeline developed using Java Netbeans and Perl scripts which facilitates in simplifying the process of SSR mining and characterization. WGSSAT takes input in FASTA format and automates the prediction of genes, noncoding RNA (ncRNA), core genes, repeats and SSRs from whole genomes followed by mapping of the predicted SSRs onto a genome (classified according to genes, ncRNA, repeats, exonic, intronic, and core gene region) along with primer identification and mining of cross-species markers. The program also generates a detailed statistical report along with visualization of mapped SSRs, genes, core genes, and RNAs. The features of WGSSAT were demonstrated using Takifugu rubripes data. This yielded a total of 139 057 SSR, out of which 113 703 SSR primer pairs were uniquely amplified in silico onto a T. rubripes (fugu) genome. Out of 113 703 mined SSRs, 81 463 were from coding region (including 4286 exonic and 77 177 intronic), 7 from RNA, 267 from core genes of fugu, whereas 105 641 SSR and 601 SSR primer pairs were uniquely mapped onto the medaka genome. WGSSAT is tested under Ubuntu Linux. The source code, documentation, user manual, example dataset and scripts are available online at https://sourceforge.net/projects/wgssat-nbfgr.

  7. Whole-Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Serotype O157:H7 Strain B6914-ARS.

    PubMed

    Uhlich, Gaylen A; Reichenberger, Erin R; Cottrell, Bryan J; Fratamico, Pina; Andreozzi, Elisa

    2017-11-02

    Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 strain B6914-MS1 is an isolate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is missing both Shiga toxin genes and has been used extensively in applied research studies. Here we report the genome sequence of strain B6914-ARS, a B6914-MS1 clone that has unique biofilm properties.

  8. Genome Sequence of the Novel Marine Member of the Gammaproteobacteria Strain HTCC5015▿

    PubMed Central

    Thrash, J. Cameron; Stingl, Ulrich; Cho, Jang-Cheon; Ferriera, Steve; Johnson, Justin; Vergin, Kevin L.; Giovannoni, Stephen J.

    2010-01-01

    HTCC5015 is a novel, highly divergent marine member of the Gammaproteobacteria, currently without a cultured representative with greater than 89% 16S rRNA gene identity to itself. The organism was isolated from water collected from Hydrostation S south of Bermuda using high-throughput dilution-to-extinction culturing techniques. Here we present the genome sequence of the unique Gammaproteobacterium strain HTCC5015. PMID:20472792

  9. Revised systematics of Holospora-like bacteria and characterization of "Candidatus Gortzia infectiva", a novel macronuclear symbiont of Paramecium jenningsi.

    PubMed

    Boscaro, Vittorio; Fokin, Sergei I; Schrallhammer, Martina; Schweikert, Michael; Petroni, Giulio

    2013-01-01

    The genus Holospora (Rickettsiales) includes highly infectious nuclear symbionts of the ciliate Paramecium with unique morphology and life cycle. To date, nine species have been described, but a molecular characterization is lacking for most of them. In this study, we have characterized a novel Holospora-like bacterium (HLB) living in the macronuclei of a Paramecium jenningsi population. This bacterium was morphologically and ultrastructurally investigated in detail, and its life cycle and infection capabilities were described. We also obtained its 16S rRNA gene sequence and developed a specific probe for fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments. A new taxon, "Candidatus Gortzia infectiva", was established for this HLB according to its unique characteristics and the relatively low DNA sequence similarities shared with other bacteria. The phylogeny of the order Rickettsiales based on 16S rRNA gene sequences has been inferred, adding to the available data the sequence of the novel bacterium and those of two Holospora species (Holospora obtusa and Holospora undulata) characterized for the purpose. Our phylogenetic analysis provided molecular support for the monophyly of HLBs and showed a possible pattern of evolution for some of their features. We suggested to classify inside the family Holosporaceae only HLBs, excluding other more distantly related and phenotypically different Paramecium endosymbionts.

  10. Analyses of Evolutionary Characteristics of the Hemagglutinin-Esterase Gene of Influenza C Virus during a Period of 68 Years Reveals Evolutionary Patterns Different from Influenza A and B Viruses.

    PubMed

    Furuse, Yuki; Matsuzaki, Yoko; Nishimura, Hidekazu; Oshitani, Hitoshi

    2016-11-26

    Infections with the influenza C virus causing respiratory symptoms are common, particularly among children. Since isolation and detection of the virus are rarely performed, compared with influenza A and B viruses, the small number of available sequences of the virus makes it difficult to analyze its evolutionary dynamics. Recently, we reported the full genome sequence of 102 strains of the virus. Here, we exploited the data to elucidate the evolutionary characteristics and phylodynamics of the virus compared with influenza A and B viruses. Along with our data, we obtained public sequence data of the hemagglutinin-esterase gene of the virus; the dataset consists of 218 unique sequences of the virus collected from 14 countries between 1947 and 2014. Informatics analyses revealed that (1) multiple lineages have been circulating globally; (2) there have been weak and infrequent selective bottlenecks; (3) the evolutionary rate is low because of weak positive selection and a low capability to induce mutations; and (4) there is no significant positive selection although a few mutations affecting its antigenicity have been induced. The unique evolutionary dynamics of the influenza C virus must be shaped by multiple factors, including virological, immunological, and epidemiological characteristics.

  11. Analyses of Evolutionary Characteristics of the Hemagglutinin-Esterase Gene of Influenza C Virus during a Period of 68 Years Reveals Evolutionary Patterns Different from Influenza A and B Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Furuse, Yuki; Matsuzaki, Yoko; Nishimura, Hidekazu; Oshitani, Hitoshi

    2016-01-01

    Infections with the influenza C virus causing respiratory symptoms are common, particularly among children. Since isolation and detection of the virus are rarely performed, compared with influenza A and B viruses, the small number of available sequences of the virus makes it difficult to analyze its evolutionary dynamics. Recently, we reported the full genome sequence of 102 strains of the virus. Here, we exploited the data to elucidate the evolutionary characteristics and phylodynamics of the virus compared with influenza A and B viruses. Along with our data, we obtained public sequence data of the hemagglutinin-esterase gene of the virus; the dataset consists of 218 unique sequences of the virus collected from 14 countries between 1947 and 2014. Informatics analyses revealed that (1) multiple lineages have been circulating globally; (2) there have been weak and infrequent selective bottlenecks; (3) the evolutionary rate is low because of weak positive selection and a low capability to induce mutations; and (4) there is no significant positive selection although a few mutations affecting its antigenicity have been induced. The unique evolutionary dynamics of the influenza C virus must be shaped by multiple factors, including virological, immunological, and epidemiological characteristics. PMID:27898037

  12. Comparative Genomics Identifies Epidermal Proteins Associated with the Evolution of the Turtle Shell

    PubMed Central

    Holthaus, Karin Brigit; Strasser, Bettina; Sipos, Wolfgang; Schmidt, Heiko A.; Mlitz, Veronika; Sukseree, Supawadee; Weissenbacher, Anton; Tschachler, Erwin; Alibardi, Lorenzo; Eckhart, Leopold

    2016-01-01

    The evolution of reptiles, birds, and mammals was associated with the origin of unique integumentary structures. Studies on lizards, chicken, and humans have suggested that the evolution of major structural proteins of the outermost, cornified layers of the epidermis was driven by the diversification of a gene cluster called Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC). Turtles have evolved unique defense mechanisms that depend on mechanically resilient modifications of the epidermis. To investigate whether the evolution of the integument in these reptiles was associated with specific adaptations of the sequences and expression patterns of EDC-related genes, we utilized newly available genome sequences to determine the epidermal differentiation gene complement of turtles. The EDC of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) comprises more than 100 genes, including at least 48 genes that encode proteins referred to as beta-keratins or corneous beta-proteins. Several EDC proteins have evolved cysteine/proline contents beyond 50% of total amino acid residues. Comparative genomics suggests that distinct subfamilies of EDC genes have been expanded and partly translocated to loci outside of the EDC in turtles. Gene expression analysis in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) showed that EDC genes are differentially expressed in the skin of the various body sites and that a subset of beta-keratin genes within the EDC as well as those located outside of the EDC are expressed predominantly in the shell. Our findings give strong support to the hypothesis that the evolutionary innovation of the turtle shell involved specific molecular adaptations of epidermal differentiation. PMID:26601937

  13. Genetic architecture of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test: evidence for distinct genetic influences on executive function.

    PubMed

    Vasilopoulos, Terrie; Franz, Carol E; Panizzon, Matthew S; Xian, Hong; Grant, Michael D; Lyons, Michael J; Toomey, Rosemary; Jacobson, Kristen C; Kremen, William S

    2012-03-01

    To examine how genes and environments contribute to relationships among Trail Making Test (TMT) conditions and the extent to which these conditions have unique genetic and environmental influences. Participants included 1,237 middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System TMT included visual searching, number and letter sequencing, and set-shifting components. Phenotypic correlations among TMT conditions ranged from 0.29 to 0.60, and genes accounted for the majority (58-84%) of each correlation. Overall heritability ranged from 0.34 to 0.62 across conditions. Phenotypic factor analysis suggested a single factor. In contrast, genetic models revealed a single common genetic factor but also unique genetic influences separate from the common factor. Genetic variance (i.e., heritability) of number and letter sequencing was completely explained by the common genetic factor while unique genetic influences separate from the common factor accounted for 57% and 21% of the heritabilities of visual search and set shifting, respectively. After accounting for general cognitive ability, unique genetic influences accounted for 64% and 31% of those heritabilities. A common genetic factor, most likely representing a combination of speed and sequencing, accounted for most of the correlation among TMT 1-4. Distinct genetic factors, however, accounted for a portion of variance in visual scanning and set shifting. Thus, although traditional phenotypic shared variance analysis techniques suggest only one general factor underlying different neuropsychological functions in nonpatient populations, examining the genetic underpinnings of cognitive processes with twin analysis can uncover more complex etiological processes.

  14. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza.

    PubMed

    Qian, Jun; Song, Jingyuan; Gao, Huanhuan; Zhu, Yingjie; Xu, Jiang; Pang, Xiaohui; Yao, Hui; Sun, Chao; Li, Xian'en; Li, Chuyuan; Liu, Juyan; Xu, Haibin; Chen, Shilin

    2013-01-01

    Salvia miltiorrhiza is an important medicinal plant with great economic and medicinal value. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Salvia miltiorrhiza, the first sequenced member of the Lamiaceae family, is reported here. The genome is 151,328 bp in length and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure of the large (LSC, 82,695 bp) and small (SSC, 17,555 bp) single-copy regions, separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,539 bp). It contains 114 unique genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs and four rRNAs. The genome structure, gene order, GC content and codon usage are similar to the typical angiosperm cp genomes. Four forward, three inverted and seven tandem repeats were detected in the Salvia miltiorrhiza cp genome. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis among the 30 asterid cp genomes revealed that most SSRs are AT-rich, which contribute to the overall AT richness of these cp genomes. Additionally, fewer SSRs are distributed in the protein-coding sequences compared to the non-coding regions, indicating an uneven distribution of SSRs within the cp genomes. Entire cp genome comparison of Salvia miltiorrhiza and three other Lamiales cp genomes showed a high degree of sequence similarity and a relatively high divergence of intergenic spacers. Sequence divergence analysis discovered the ten most divergent and ten most conserved genes as well as their length variation, which will be helpful for phylogenetic studies in asterids. Our analysis also supports that both regional and functional constraints affect gene sequence evolution. Further, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a sister relationship between Salvia miltiorrhiza and Sesamum indicum. The complete cp genome sequence of Salvia miltiorrhiza reported in this paper will facilitate population, phylogenetic and cp genetic engineering studies of this medicinal plant.

  15. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Chikusichloa aquatica (Poaceae: Oryzeae).

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Dan; Shi, Chao; Gao, Ju; Gao, Li-Zhi

    2016-07-01

    The complete chloroplast sequence of the Chikusichloa aquatica was determined in this study. The genome consists of 136 563 bp containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 20 837 bp, which was separated by a large single-copy region and a small single-copy region of 82 315 bp and 33 411 bp, respectively. The C. aquatica cp genome encodes 111 functional genes (71 protein-coding genes, four rRNA genes, and 36 tRNA genes): 92 are unique, while 19 are duplicated in the IR regions. The genic regions account for 58.9% of whole cp genome, and the GC content of the plastome is 39.0%. A phylogenomic analysis showed that C. aquatica is closely related to Rhynchoryza subulata that belongs to the tribe Oryzeae.

  16. Novel application of the MSSCP method in biodiversity studies.

    PubMed

    Tomczyk-Żak, Karolina; Kaczanowski, Szymon; Górecka, Magdalena; Zielenkiewicz, Urszula

    2012-02-01

    Analysis of 16S rRNA sequence diversity is widely performed for characterizing the biodiversity of microbial samples. The number of determined sequences has a considerable impact on complete results. Although the cost of mass sequencing is decreasing, it is often still too high for individual projects. We applied the multi-temperature single-strand conformational polymorphism (MSSCP) method to decrease the number of analysed sequences. This was a novel application of this method. As a control, the same sample was analysed using random sequencing. In this paper, we adapted the MSSCP technique for screening of unique sequences of the 16S rRNA gene library and bacterial strains isolated from biofilms growing on the walls of an ancient gold mine in Poland and determined whether the results obtained by both methods differed and whether random sequencing could be replaced by MSSCP. Although it was biased towards the detection of rare sequences in the samples, the qualitative results of MSSCP were not different than those of random sequencing. Unambiguous discrimination of unique clones and strains creates an opportunity to effectively estimate the biodiversity of natural communities, especially in populations which are numerous but species poor. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Dynamics of actin evolution in dinoflagellates.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sunju; Bachvaroff, Tsvetan R; Handy, Sara M; Delwiche, Charles F

    2011-04-01

    Dinoflagellates have unique nuclei and intriguing genome characteristics with very high DNA content making complete genome sequencing difficult. In dinoflagellates, many genes are found in multicopy gene families, but the processes involved in the establishment and maintenance of these gene families are poorly understood. Understanding the dynamics of gene family evolution in dinoflagellates requires comparisons at different evolutionary scales. Studies of closely related species provide fine-scale information relative to species divergence, whereas comparisons of more distantly related species provides broad context. We selected the actin gene family as a highly expressed conserved gene previously studied in dinoflagellates. Of the 142 sequences determined in this study, 103 were from the two closely related species, Dinophysis acuminata and D. caudata, including full length and partial cDNA sequences as well as partial genomic amplicons. For these two Dinophysis species, at least three types of sequences could be identified. Most copies (79%) were relatively similar and in nucleotide trees, the sequences formed two bushy clades corresponding to the two species. In comparisons within species, only eight to ten nucleotide differences were found between these copies. The two remaining types formed clades containing sequences from both species. One type included the most similar sequences in between-species comparisons with as few as 12 nucleotide differences between species. The second type included the most divergent sequences in comparisons between and within species with up to 93 nucleotide differences between sequences. In all the sequences, most variation occurred in synonymous sites or the 5' UnTranslated Region (UTR), although there was still limited amino acid variation between most sequences. Several potential pseudogenes were found (approximately 10% of all sequences depending on species) with incomplete open reading frames due to frameshifts or early stop codons. Overall, variation in the actin gene family fits best with the "birth and death" model of evolution based on recent duplications, pseudogenes, and incomplete lineage sorting. Divergence between species was similar to variation within species, so that actin may be too conserved to be useful for phylogenetic estimation of closely related species.

  18. Next Generation Sequencing Technologies: The Doorway to the Unexplored Genomics of Non-Model Plants

    PubMed Central

    Unamba, Chibuikem I. N.; Nag, Akshay; Sharma, Ram K.

    2015-01-01

    Non-model plants i.e., the species which have one or all of the characters such as long life cycle, difficulty to grow in the laboratory or poor fecundity, have been schemed out of sequencing projects earlier, due to high running cost of Sanger sequencing. Consequently, the information about their genomics and key biological processes are inadequate. However, the advent of fast and cost effective next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms in the recent past has enabled the unearthing of certain characteristic gene structures unique to these species. It has also aided in gaining insight about mechanisms underlying processes of gene expression and secondary metabolism as well as facilitated development of genomic resources for diversity characterization, evolutionary analysis and marker assisted breeding even without prior availability of genomic sequence information. In this review we explore how different Next Gen Sequencing platforms, as well as recent advances in NGS based high throughput genotyping technologies are rewarding efforts on de-novo whole genome/transcriptome sequencing, development of genome wide sequence based markers resources for improvement of non-model crops that are less costly than phenotyping. PMID:26734016

  19. Sequence of the toxic shock syndrome toxin gene (tstH) borne by strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with Kawasaki syndrome.

    PubMed Central

    Deresiewicz, R L; Flaxenburg, J; Leng, K; Kasper, D L

    1996-01-01

    To explore whether a novel staphylococcal clone or structural variant of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 is associated with Kawasaki syndrome, six toxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus from Kawasaki syndrome patients were studied. The strains were divisible into two groups based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics and are therefore unequivocally not clonal. Portions of the tstH genes of each strain were sequenced. Three were sequenced in their entirety, while the remainder were sequenced from codon 66 to codon 137 of the mature protein only. Two of the former group differed slightly in the sequences of their signal peptides relative to the sequence published for the tstH signal peptide. Those differences did not affect toxin processing or secretion. The sequenced portions of the regions encoding mature toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 were identical in all six strains and corresponded exactly to the published sequence of tstH. No evidence was found for the existence of a structural variant of tstH uniquely associated with Kawasaki syndrome. PMID:8757881

  20. Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes between a wheat K-type cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line and its maintainer line.

    PubMed

    Liu, Huitao; Cui, Peng; Zhan, Kehui; Lin, Qiang; Zhuo, Guoyin; Guo, Xiaoli; Ding, Feng; Yang, Wenlong; Liu, Dongcheng; Hu, Songnian; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Aimin

    2011-03-29

    Plant mitochondria, semiautonomous organelles that function as manufacturers of cellular ATP, have their own genome that has a slow rate of evolution and rapid rearrangement. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a common phenotype in higher plants, is closely associated with rearrangements in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and is widely used to produce F1 hybrid seeds in a variety of valuable crop species. Novel chimeric genes deduced from mtDNA rearrangements causing CMS have been identified in several plants, such as rice, sunflower, pepper, and rapeseed, but there are very few reports about mtDNA rearrangements in wheat. In the present work, we describe the mitochondrial genome of a wheat K-type CMS line and compare it with its maintainer line. The complete mtDNA sequence of a wheat K-type (with cytoplasm of Aegilops kotschyi) CMS line, Ks3, was assembled into a master circle (MC) molecule of 647,559 bp and found to harbor 34 known protein-coding genes, three rRNAs (18 S, 26 S, and 5 S rRNAs), and 16 different tRNAs. Compared to our previously published sequence of a K-type maintainer line, Km3, we detected Ks3-specific mtDNA (> 100 bp, 11.38%) and repeats (> 100 bp, 29 units) as well as genes that are unique to each line: rpl5 was missing in Ks3 and trnH was absent from Km3. We also defined 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 13 protein-coding, albeit functionally irrelevant, genes, and predicted 22 unique ORFs in Ks3, representing potential candidates for K-type CMS. All these sequence variations are candidates for involvement in CMS. A comparative analysis of the mtDNA of several angiosperms, including those from Ks3, Km3, rice, maize, Arabidopsis thaliana, and rapeseed, showed that non-coding sequences of higher plants had mostly divergent multiple reorganizations during the mtDNA evolution of higher plants. The complete mitochondrial genome of the wheat K-type CMS line Ks3 is very different from that of its maintainer line Km3, especially in non-coding sequences. Sequence rearrangement has produced novel chimeric ORFs, which may be candidate genes for CMS. Comparative analysis of several angiosperm mtDNAs indicated that non-coding sequences are the most frequently reorganized during mtDNA evolution in higher plants.

  1. An efficient approach to finding Siraitia grosvenorii triterpene biosynthetic genes by RNA-seq and digital gene expression analysis.

    PubMed

    Tang, Qi; Ma, Xiaojun; Mo, Changming; Wilson, Iain W; Song, Cai; Zhao, Huan; Yang, Yanfang; Fu, Wei; Qiu, Deyou

    2011-07-05

    Siraitia grosvenorii (Luohanguo) is an herbaceous perennial plant native to southern China and most prevalent in Guilin city. Its fruit contains a sweet, fleshy, edible pulp that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The major bioactive constituents in the fruit extract are the cucurbitane-type triterpene saponins known as mogrosides. Among them, mogroside V is nearly 300 times sweeter than sucrose. However, little is known about mogrosides biosynthesis in S. grosvenorii, especially the late steps of the pathway. In this study, a cDNA library generated from of equal amount of RNA taken from S. grosvenorii fruit at 50 days after flowering (DAF) and 70 DAF were sequenced using Illumina/Solexa platform. More than 48,755,516 high-quality reads from a cDNA library were generated that was assembled into 43,891 unigenes. De novo assembly and gap-filling generated 43,891 unigenes with an average sequence length of 668 base pairs. A total of 26,308 (59.9%) unique sequences were annotated and 11,476 of the unique sequences were assigned to specific metabolic pathways by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. cDNA sequences for all of the known enzymes involved in mogrosides backbone synthesis were identified from our library. Additionally, a total of eighty-five cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and ninety UDP-glucosyltransferase (UDPG) unigenes were identified, some of which appear to encode enzymes responsible for the conversion of the mogroside backbone into the various mogrosides. Digital gene expression profile (DGE) analysis using Solexa sequencing was performed on three important stages of fruit development, and based on their expression pattern, seven CYP450s and five UDPGs were selected as the candidates most likely to be involved in mogrosides biosynthesis. A combination of RNA-seq and DGE analysis based on the next generation sequencing technology was shown to be a powerful method for identifying candidate genes encoding enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites in a non-model plant. Seven CYP450s and five UDPGs were selected as potential candidates involved in mogrosides biosynthesis. The transcriptome data from this study provides an important resource for understanding the formation of major bioactive constituents in the fruit extract from S. grosvenorii.

  2. Gene end-like sequences within the 3' non-coding region of the Nipah virus genome attenuate viral gene transcription.

    PubMed

    Sugai, Akihiro; Sato, Hiroki; Yoneda, Misako; Kai, Chieko

    2017-08-01

    The regulation of transcription during Nipah virus (NiV) replication is poorly understood. Using a bicistronic minigenome system, we investigated the involvement of non-coding regions (NCRs) in the transcriptional re-initiation efficiency of NiV RNA polymerase. Reporter assays revealed that attenuation of NiV gene expression was not constant at each gene junction, and that the attenuating property was controlled by the 3' NCR. However, this regulation was independent of the gene-end, gene-start and intergenic regions. Northern blot analysis indicated that regulation of viral gene expression by the phosphoprotein (P) and large protein (L) 3' NCRs occurred at the transcription level. We identified uridine-rich tracts within the L 3' NCR that are similar to gene-end signals. These gene-end-like sequences were recognized as weak transcription termination signals by the viral RNA polymerase, thereby reducing downstream gene transcription. Thus, we suggest that NiV has a unique mechanism of transcriptional regulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Isolation of a novel Orientia species (O. chuto sp. nov.) from a patient infected in Dubai.

    PubMed

    Izzard, Leonard; Fuller, Andrew; Blacksell, Stuart D; Paris, Daniel H; Richards, Allen L; Aukkanit, Nuntipa; Nguyen, Chelsea; Jiang, Ju; Fenwick, Stan; Day, Nicholas P J; Graves, Stephen; Stenos, John

    2010-12-01

    In July 2006, an Australian tourist returning from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), developed acute scrub typhus. Her signs and symptoms included fever, myalgia, headache, rash, and eschar. Orientia tsutsugamushi serology demonstrated a 4-fold rise in antibody titers in paired serum collections (1:512 to 1:8,192), with the sera reacting strongest against the Gilliam strain antigen. An Orientia species was isolated by the in vitro culture of the patient's acute blood taken prior to antibiotic treatment. The gene sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (rrs), partial 56-kDa gene, and the full open reading frame 47-kDa gene was performed, and comparisons of this new Orientia sp. isolate to previously characterized strains demonstrated significant sequence diversity. The closest homology to the rrs sequence of the new Orientia sp. isolate was with three strains of O. tsutsugamushi (Ikeda, Kato, and Karp), with a nucleotide sequence similarity of 98.5%. The closest homology to the 47-kDa gene sequence was with O. tsutsugamushi strain Gilliam, with a nucleotide similarity of 82.3%, while the closest homology to the 56-kDa gene sequence was with O. tsutsugamushi strain TA686, with a nucleotide similarity of 53.1%. The molecular divergence and geographically unique origin lead us to believe that this organism should be considered a novel species. Therefore, we have proposed the name "Orientia chuto," and the prototype strain of this species is strain Dubai, named after the location in which the patient was infected.

  4. Isolation of a Novel Orientia Species (O. chuto sp. nov.) from a Patient Infected in Dubai ▿

    PubMed Central

    Izzard, Leonard; Fuller, Andrew; Blacksell, Stuart D.; Paris, Daniel H.; Richards, Allen L.; Aukkanit, Nuntipa; Nguyen, Chelsea; Jiang, Ju; Fenwick, Stan; Day, Nicholas P. J.; Graves, Stephen; Stenos, John

    2010-01-01

    In July 2006, an Australian tourist returning from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), developed acute scrub typhus. Her signs and symptoms included fever, myalgia, headache, rash, and eschar. Orientia tsutsugamushi serology demonstrated a 4-fold rise in antibody titers in paired serum collections (1:512 to 1:8,192), with the sera reacting strongest against the Gilliam strain antigen. An Orientia species was isolated by the in vitro culture of the patient's acute blood taken prior to antibiotic treatment. The gene sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (rrs), partial 56-kDa gene, and the full open reading frame 47-kDa gene was performed, and comparisons of this new Orientia sp. isolate to previously characterized strains demonstrated significant sequence diversity. The closest homology to the rrs sequence of the new Orientia sp. isolate was with three strains of O. tsutsugamushi (Ikeda, Kato, and Karp), with a nucleotide sequence similarity of 98.5%. The closest homology to the 47-kDa gene sequence was with O. tsutsugamushi strain Gilliam, with a nucleotide similarity of 82.3%, while the closest homology to the 56-kDa gene sequence was with O. tsutsugamushi strain TA686, with a nucleotide similarity of 53.1%. The molecular divergence and geographically unique origin lead us to believe that this organism should be considered a novel species. Therefore, we have proposed the name “Orientia chuto,” and the prototype strain of this species is strain Dubai, named after the location in which the patient was infected. PMID:20926708

  5. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics of honey bee microsporidia, Nosema apis reveal novel insights into host-parasite interactions.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yan ping; Pettis, Jeffery S; Zhao, Yan; Liu, Xinyue; Tallon, Luke J; Sadzewicz, Lisa D; Li, Renhua; Zheng, Huoqing; Huang, Shaokang; Zhang, Xuan; Hamilton, Michele C; Pernal, Stephen F; Melathopoulos, Andony P; Yan, Xianghe; Evans, Jay D

    2013-07-05

    The microsporidia parasite Nosema contributes to the steep global decline of honey bees that are critical pollinators of food crops. There are two species of Nosema that have been found to infect honey bees, Nosema apis and N. ceranae. Genome sequencing of N. apis and comparative genome analysis with N. ceranae, a fully sequenced microsporidia species, reveal novel insights into host-parasite interactions underlying the parasite infections. We applied the whole-genome shotgun sequencing approach to sequence and assemble the genome of N. apis which has an estimated size of 8.5 Mbp. We predicted 2,771 protein- coding genes and predicted the function of each putative protein using the Gene Ontology. The comparative genomic analysis led to identification of 1,356 orthologs that are conserved between the two Nosema species and genes that are unique characteristics of the individual species, thereby providing a list of virulence factors and new genetic tools for studying host-parasite interactions. We also identified a highly abundant motif in the upstream promoter regions of N. apis genes. This motif is also conserved in N. ceranae and other microsporidia species and likely plays a role in gene regulation across the microsporidia. The availability of the N. apis genome sequence is a significant addition to the rapidly expanding body of microsprodian genomic data which has been improving our understanding of eukaryotic genome diversity and evolution in a broad sense. The predicted virulent genes and transcriptional regulatory elements are potential targets for innovative therapeutics to break down the life cycle of the parasite.

  6. The Genome Sequence of Mannheimia haemolytica A1: Insights into Virulence, Natural Competence, and Pasteurellaceae Phylogeny†

    PubMed Central

    Gioia, Jason; Qin, Xiang; Jiang, Huaiyang; Clinkenbeard, Kenneth; Lo, Reggie; Liu, Yamei; Fox, George E.; Yerrapragada, Shailaja; McLeod, Michael P.; McNeill, Thomas Z.; Hemphill, Lisa; Sodergren, Erica; Wang, Qiaoyan; Muzny, Donna M.; Homsi, Farah J.; Weinstock, George M.; Highlander, Sarah K.

    2006-01-01

    The draft genome sequence of Mannheimia haemolytica A1, the causative agent of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), is presented. Strain ATCC BAA-410, isolated from the lung of a calf with BRDC, was the DNA source. The annotated genome includes 2,839 coding sequences, 1,966 of which were assigned a function and 436 of which are unique to M. haemolytica. Through genome annotation many features of interest were identified, including bacteriophages and genes related to virulence, natural competence, and transcriptional regulation. In addition to previously described virulence factors, M. haemolytica encodes adhesins, including the filamentous hemagglutinin FhaB and two trimeric autotransporter adhesins. Two dual-function immunoglobulin-protease/adhesins are also present, as is a third immunoglobulin protease. Genes related to iron acquisition and drug resistance were identified and are likely important for survival in the host and virulence. Analysis of the genome indicates that M. haemolytica is naturally competent, as genes for natural competence and DNA uptake signal sequences (USS) are present. Comparison of competence loci and USS in other species in the family Pasteurellaceae indicates that M. haemolytica, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Haemophilus ducreyi form a lineage distinct from other Pasteurellaceae. This observation was supported by a phylogenetic analysis using sequences of predicted housekeeping genes. PMID:17015664

  7. Preparing and Analyzing Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) Library for the Mammary Tissue of Local Turkish Kivircik Sheep

    PubMed Central

    Omeroglu Ulu, Zehra; Ulu, Salih; Un, Cemal; Ozdem Oztabak, Kemal; Altunatmaz, Kemal

    2017-01-01

    Kivircik sheep is an important local Turkish sheep according to its meat quality and milk productivity. The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression profiles of both prenatal and postnatal stages for the Kivircik sheep. Therefore, two different cDNA libraries, which were taken from the same Kivircik sheep mammary gland tissue at prenatal and postnatal stages, were constructed. Total 3072 colonies which were randomly selected from the two libraries were sequenced for developing a sheep ESTs collection. We used Phred/Phrap computer programs for analysis of the raw EST and readable EST sequences were assembled with the CAP3 software. Putative functions of all unique sequences and statistical analysis were determined by Geneious software. Total 422 ESTs have over 80% similarity to known sequences of other organisms in NCBI classified by Panther database for the Gene Ontology (GO) category. By comparing gene expression profiles, we observed some putative genes that may be relative to reproductive performance or play important roles in milk synthesis and secretion. A total of 2414 ESTs have been deposited to the NCBI GenBank database (GW996847–GW999260). EST data in this study have provided a new source of information to functional genome studies of sheep. PMID:28239610

  8. A specific indel marker for the Philippines Schistosoma japonicum revealed by analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences.

    PubMed

    Li, Juan; Chen, Fen; Sugiyama, Hiromu; Blair, David; Lin, Rui-Qing; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2015-07-01

    In the present study, near-complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences for Schistosoma japonicum from different regions in the Philippines and Japan were amplified and sequenced. Comparisons among S. japonicum from the Philippines, Japan, and China revealed a geographically based length difference in mt genomes, but the mt genomic organization and gene arrangement were the same. Sequence differences among samples from the Philippines and all samples from the three endemic areas were 0.57-2.12 and 0.76-3.85 %, respectively. The most variable part of the mt genome was the non-coding region. In the coding portion of the genome, protein-coding genes varied more than rRNA genes and tRNAs. The near-complete mt genome sequences for Philippine specimens were identical in length (14,091 bp) which was 4 bp longer than those of S. japonicum samples from Japan and China. This indel provides a unique genetic marker for S. japonicum samples from the Philippines. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated amino acids of 12 protein-coding genes showed that samples of S. japonicum clustered according to their geographical origins. The identified mitochondrial indel marker will be useful for tracing the source of S. japonicum infection in humans and animals in Southeast Asia.

  9. Birth and death of genes linked to chromosomal inversion

    PubMed Central

    Furuta, Yoshikazu; Kawai, Mikihiko; Yahara, Koji; Takahashi, Noriko; Handa, Naofumi; Tsuru, Takeshi; Oshima, Kenshiro; Yoshida, Masaru; Azuma, Takeshi; Hattori, Masahira; Uchiyama, Ikuo; Kobayashi, Ichizo

    2011-01-01

    The birth and death of genes is central to adaptive evolution, yet the underlying genome dynamics remain elusive. The availability of closely related complete genome sequences helps to follow changes in gene contents and clarify their relationship to overall genome organization. Helicobacter pylori, bacteria in our stomach, are known for their extreme genome plasticity through mutation and recombination and will make a good target for such an analysis. In comparing their complete genome sequences, we found that gain and loss of genes (loci) for outer membrane proteins, which mediate host interaction, occurred at breakpoints of chromosomal inversions. Sequence comparison there revealed a unique mechanism of DNA duplication: DNA duplication associated with inversion. In this process, a DNA segment at one chromosomal locus is copied and inserted, in an inverted orientation, into a distant locus on the same chromosome, while the entire region between these two loci is also inverted. Recognition of this and three more inversion modes, which occur through reciprocal recombination between long or short sequence similarity or adjacent to a mobile element, allowed reconstruction of synteny evolution through inversion events in this species. These results will guide the interpretation of extensive DNA sequencing results for understanding long- and short-term genome evolution in various organisms and in cancer cells. PMID:21212362

  10. De novo sequencing analysis of the Rosa roxburghii fruit transcriptome reveals putative ascorbate biosynthetic genes and EST-SSR markers.

    PubMed

    Yan, Xiuqin; Zhang, Xue; Lu, Min; He, Yong; An, Huaming

    2015-04-25

    Rosa roxburghii Tratt. is a well-known ornamental rose species native to China. In addition, the fruits of this species are valued for their nutritional and medicinal characteristics, especially their high ascorbic acid (AsA) levels. Nevertheless, AsA biosynthesis in R. roxburghii fruit has not been explored in detail because of a lack of genomic resources for this species. High-throughput transcriptomic sequencing generating large volumes of transcript sequence data can aid in gene discovery and molecular marker development. In this study, we generated more than 53 million clean reads using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. De novo assembly yielded 106,590 unigenes, with an average length of 343 bp. On the basis of sequence similarity to known proteins, 9301 and 2393 unigenes were classified into Gene Ontology and Clusters of Orthologous Group categories, respectively. There were 7480 unigenes assigned to 124 pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathway database. BLASTx searches identified 498 unique putative transcripts encoding various transcription factors, some known to regulate fruit development. qRT-PCR validated the expressions of most of the genes encoding the main enzymes involved in ascorbate biosynthesis. In addition, 9131 potential simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified among the unigenes. One hundred and two primer pairs were synthesized and 71 pairs produced an amplification product during initial screening. Among the amplified products, 30 were polymorphic in the 16 R. roxburghii germplasms tested. Our study was the first to produce a large volume of transcriptome data from R. roxburghii. The resulting sequence collection is a valuable resource for gene discovery and marker-assisted selective breeding in this rose species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Whole-Genome Sequencing for Detecting Antimicrobial Resistance in Nontyphoidal Salmonella.

    PubMed

    McDermott, Patrick F; Tyson, Gregory H; Kabera, Claudine; Chen, Yuansha; Li, Cong; Folster, Jason P; Ayers, Sherry L; Lam, Claudia; Tate, Heather P; Zhao, Shaohua

    2016-09-01

    Laboratory-based in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing is the foundation for guiding anti-infective therapy and monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology to identify known antimicrobial resistance determinants among strains of nontyphoidal Salmonella and correlated these with susceptibility phenotypes to evaluate the utility of WGS for antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Six hundred forty Salmonella of 43 different serotypes were selected from among retail meat and human clinical isolates that were tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials using broth microdilution. The MIC for each drug was used to categorize isolates as susceptible or resistant based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute clinical breakpoints or National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) consensus interpretive criteria. Each isolate was subjected to whole-genome shotgun sequencing, and resistance genes were identified from assembled sequences. A total of 65 unique resistance genes, plus mutations in two structural resistance loci, were identified. There were more unique resistance genes (n = 59) in the 104 human isolates than in the 536 retail meat isolates (n = 36). Overall, resistance genotypes and phenotypes correlated in 99.0% of cases. Correlations approached 100% for most classes of antibiotics but were lower for aminoglycosides and beta-lactams. We report the first finding of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (blaCTX-M1 and blaSHV2a) in retail meat isolates of Salmonella in the United States. Whole-genome sequencing is an effective tool for predicting antibiotic resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella, although the use of more appropriate surveillance breakpoints and increased knowledge of new resistance alleles will further improve correlations. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  12. Transcriptome analysis of genes related to resistance against powdery mildew in wheat-Thinopyrum alien addition disomic line germplasm SN6306.

    PubMed

    Li, Quanquan; Niu, Zubiao; Bao, Yinguang; Tian, Qiuju; Wang, Honggang; Kong, Lingrang; Feng, Deshun

    2016-09-15

    Wheat powdery mildew, which is mainly caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), seriously damages wheat production. The wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium alien addition disomic line germplasm SN6306, being one of the important sources of genes for wheat resistance, is highly resistant to Bgt E09 and to many other powdery mildew physiological races. However, knowledge on the resistance mechanism of SN6306 remains limited. Our study employed high-throughput RNA sequencing based on next-generation sequencing technology (Illumina) to obtain an overview of the transcriptome characteristics of SN6306 and its parent wheat Yannong 15 (YN15) during Bgt infection. The sequencing generated 104,773 unigenes, 9909 of which showed varied expression levels. Among the 9909 unigenes, 1678 unigenes showed 0 reads in YN15. The expression levels in Bgt-inoculated SN6306 and YN15 of exactly 39 unigenes that showed 0 or considerably low reads in YN15 were validated to identify the genes involved in Bgt resistance. Among the 39 unigenes, 12 unigenes were upregulated in SN6306 by 3-45 times. These unigenes mainly encoded kinase, synthase, proteases, and signal transduction proteins, which may play an important role in the resistance against Bgt. To confirm whether the unigenes that showed 0 reads in YN15 are really unique to SN6306, 8 unigenes were cloned and sequenced. Results showed that the selected unigenes are more similar to SN6306 and Th. intermedium than to the wheat cultivar YN15. The sequencing results further confirmed that the unigenes showing 0 reads in YN15 are unique to SN6306 and are most likely derived from Th. intermedium (Host) Nevski. Thus, the genes from Th. intermedium most probably conferred the resistance of SN6306 to Bgt. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains exhibit differential and strain-specific molecular signatures in pulmonary epithelial cells.

    PubMed

    Mvubu, Nontobeko Eunice; Pillay, Balakrishna; Gamieldien, Junaid; Bishai, William; Pillay, Manormoney

    2016-12-01

    Although pulmonary epithelial cells are integral to innate and adaptive immune responses during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, global transcriptomic changes in these cells remain largely unknown. Changes in gene expression induced in pulmonary epithelial cells infected with M. tuberculosis F15/LAM4/KZN, F11, F28, Beijing and Unique genotypes were investigated by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform generated 50 bp reads that were mapped to the human genome (Hg19) using Tophat (2.0.10). Differential gene expression induced by the different strains in infected relative to the uninfected cells was quantified and compared using Cufflinks (2.1.0) and MeV (4.0.9), respectively. Gene expression varied among the strains with the total number of genes as follows: F15/LAM4/KZN (1187), Beijing (1252), F11 (1639), F28 (870), Unique (886) and H37Rv (1179). A subset of 292 genes was commonly induced by all strains, where 52 genes were down-regulated while 240 genes were up-regulated. Differentially expressed genes were compared among the strains and the number of induced strain-specific gene signatures were as follows: F15/LAM4/KZN (138), Beijing (52), F11 (255), F28 (55), Unique (186) and H37Rv (125). Strain-specific molecular gene signatures associated with functional pathways were observed only for the Unique and H37Rv strains while certain biological functions may be associated with other strain signatures. This study demonstrated that strains of M. tuberculosis induce differential gene expression and strain-specific molecular signatures in pulmonary epithelial cells. Specific signatures induced by clinical strains of M. tuberculosis can be further explored for novel host-associated biomarkers and adjunctive immunotherapies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A compact, in vivo screen of all 6-mers reveals drivers of tissue-specific expression and guides synthetic regulatory element design.

    PubMed

    Smith, Robin P; Riesenfeld, Samantha J; Holloway, Alisha K; Li, Qiang; Murphy, Karl K; Feliciano, Natalie M; Orecchia, Lorenzo; Oksenberg, Nir; Pollard, Katherine S; Ahituv, Nadav

    2013-07-18

    Large-scale annotation efforts have improved our ability to coarsely predict regulatory elements throughout vertebrate genomes. However, it is unclear how complex spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression driven by these elements emerge from the activity of short, transcription factor binding sequences. We describe a comprehensive promoter extension assay in which the regulatory potential of all 6 base-pair (bp) sequences was tested in the context of a minimal promoter. To enable this large-scale screen, we developed algorithms that use a reverse-complement aware decomposition of the de Bruijn graph to design a library of DNA oligomers incorporating every 6-bp sequence exactly once. Our library multiplexes all 4,096 unique 6-mers into 184 double-stranded 15-bp oligomers, which is sufficiently compact for in vivo testing. We injected each multiplexed construct into zebrafish embryos and scored GFP expression in 15 tissues at two developmental time points. Twenty-seven constructs produced consistent expression patterns, with the majority doing so in only one tissue. Functional sequences are enriched near biologically relevant genes, match motifs for developmental transcription factors, and are required for enhancer activity. By concatenating tissue-specific functional sequences, we generated completely synthetic enhancers for the notochord, epidermis, spinal cord, forebrain and otic lateral line, and show that short regulatory sequences do not always function modularly. This work introduces a unique in vivo catalog of short, functional regulatory sequences and demonstrates several important principles of regulatory element organization. Furthermore, we provide resources for designing compact, reverse-complement aware k-mer libraries.

  15. Penicillium excelsum sp. nov from the Brazil Nut Tree Ecosystem in the Amazon Basin'.

    PubMed

    Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi; Pitt, John I; Iamanaka, Beatriz T; Massi, Fernanda P; Fungaro, Maria Helena P; Frisvad, Jens C

    2015-01-01

    A new Penicillium species, P. excelsum, is described here using morphological characters, extrolite and partial sequence data from the ITS, β-tubulin and calmodulin genes. It was isolated repeatedly using samples of nut shells and flowers from the brazil nut tree, Bertolletia excelsa, as well as bees and ants from the tree ecosystem in the Amazon rainforest. The species produces andrastin A, curvulic acid, penicillic acid and xanthoepocin, and has unique partial β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences. The holotype of P. excelsum is CCT 7772, while ITAL 7572 and IBT 31516 are cultures derived from the holotype.

  16. Penicillium excelsum sp. nov from the Brazil Nut Tree Ecosystem in the Amazon Basin’

    PubMed Central

    Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi; Pitt, John I.; Iamanaka, Beatriz T.; Massi, Fernanda P.; Fungaro, Maria Helena P.; Frisvad, Jens C.

    2015-01-01

    A new Penicillium species, P. excelsum, is described here using morphological characters, extrolite and partial sequence data from the ITS, β-tubulin and calmodulin genes. It was isolated repeatedly using samples of nut shells and flowers from the brazil nut tree, Bertolletia excelsa, as well as bees and ants from the tree ecosystem in the Amazon rainforest. The species produces andrastin A, curvulic acid, penicillic acid and xanthoepocin, and has unique partial β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequences. The holotype of P. excelsum is CCT 7772, while ITAL 7572 and IBT 31516 are cultures derived from the holotype. PMID:26717519

  17. Construction of a cDNA library from female adult of Toxocara canis, and analysis of EST and immune-related genes expressions.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Rongqiong; Xia, Qingyou; Huang, Hancheng; Lai, Min; Wang, Zhenxin

    2011-10-01

    Toxocara canis is a widespread intestinal nematode parasite of dogs, which can also cause disease in humans. We employed an expressed sequence tag (EST) strategy in order to study gene-expression including development, digestion and reproduction of T. canis. ESTs provided a rapid way to identify genes, particularly in organisms for which we have very little molecular information. In this study, a cDNA library was constructed from a female adult of T. canis and 215 high-quality ESTs from 5'-ends of the cDNA clones representing 79 unigenes were obtained. The titer of the primary cDNA library was 1.83×10(6)pfu/mL with a recombination rate of 99.33%. Most of the sequences ranged from 300 to 900bp with an average length of 656bp. Cluster analysis of these ESTs allowed identification of 79 unique sequences containing 28 contigs and 51 singletons. BLASTX searches revealed that 18 unigenes (22.78% of the total) or 70 ESTs (32.56% of the total) were novel genes that had no significant matches to any protein sequences in the public databases. The rest of the 61 unigenes (77.22% of the total) or 145 ESTs (67.44% of the total) were closely matched to the known genes or sequences deposited in the public databases. These genes were classified into seven groups based on their known or putative biological functions. We also confirmed the gene expression patterns of several immune-related genes using RT-PCR examination. This work will provide a valuable resource for the further investigations in the stage-, sex- and tissue-specific gene transcription or expression. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Efficient analysis of mouse genome sequences reveal many nonsense variants

    PubMed Central

    Steeland, Sophie; Timmermans, Steven; Van Ryckeghem, Sara; Hulpiau, Paco; Saeys, Yvan; Van Montagu, Marc; Vandenbroucke, Roosmarijn E.; Libert, Claude

    2016-01-01

    Genetic polymorphisms in coding genes play an important role when using mouse inbred strains as research models. They have been shown to influence research results, explain phenotypical differences between inbred strains, and increase the amount of interesting gene variants present in the many available inbred lines. SPRET/Ei is an inbred strain derived from Mus spretus that has ∼1% sequence difference with the C57BL/6J reference genome. We obtained a listing of all SNPs and insertions/deletions (indels) present in SPRET/Ei from the Mouse Genomes Project (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute) and processed these data to obtain an overview of all transcripts having nonsynonymous coding sequence variants. We identified 8,883 unique variants affecting 10,096 different transcripts from 6,328 protein-coding genes, which is about 28% of all coding genes. Because only a subset of these variants results in drastic changes in proteins, we focused on variations that are nonsense mutations that ultimately resulted in a gain of a stop codon. These genes were identified by in silico changing the C57BL/6J coding sequences to the SPRET/Ei sequences, converting them to amino acid (AA) sequences, and comparing the AA sequences. All variants and transcripts affected were also stored in a database, which can be browsed using a SPRET/Ei M. spretus variants web tool (www.spretus.org), including a manual. We validated the tool by demonstrating the loss of function of three proteins predicted to be severely truncated, namely Fas, IRAK2, and IFNγR1. PMID:27147605

  19. Sequence divergence of the red and green visual pigments in great apes and humans.

    PubMed Central

    Deeb, S S; Jorgensen, A L; Battisti, L; Iwasaki, L; Motulsky, A G

    1994-01-01

    We have determined the coding sequences of red and green visual pigment genes of the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan. The deduced amino acid sequences of these pigments are highly homologous to the equivalent human pigments. None of the amino acid differences occurred at sites that were previously shown to influence pigment absorption characteristics. Therefore, we predict the spectra of red and green pigments of the apes to have wavelengths of maximum absorption that differ by < 2 nm from the equivalent human pigments and that color vision in these nonhuman primates will be very similar, if not identical, to that in humans. A total of 14 within-species polymorphisms (6 involving silent substitutions) were observed in the coding sequences of the red and green pigment genes of the great apes. Remarkably, the polymorphisms at 6 of these sites had been observed in human populations, suggesting that they predated the evolution of higher primates. Alleles at polymorphic sites were often shared between the red and green pigment genes. The average synonymous rate of divergence of red from green sequences was approximately 1/10th that estimated for other proteins of higher primates, indicating the involvement of gene conversion in generating these polymorphisms. The high degree of homology and juxtaposition of these two genes on the X chromosome has promoted unequal recombination and/or gene conversion that led to sequence homogenization. However, natural selection operated to maintain the degree of separation in peak absorbance between the red and green pigments that resulted in optimal chromatic discrimination. This represents a unique case of molecular coevolution between two homologous genes that functionally interact at the behavioral level. PMID:8041777

  20. Identification of three novel NHS mutations in families with Nance-Horan syndrome.

    PubMed

    Huang, Kristen M; Wu, Junhua; Brooks, Simon P; Hardcastle, Alison J; Lewis, Richard Alan; Stambolian, Dwight

    2007-03-27

    Nance-Horan Syndrome (NHS) is an infrequent and often overlooked X-linked disorder characterized by dense congenital cataracts, microphthalmia, and dental abnormalities. The syndrome is caused by mutations in the NHS gene, whose function is not known. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency and distribution of NHS gene mutations and compare genotype with Nance-Horan phenotype in five North American NHS families. Genomic DNA was isolated from white blood cells from NHS patients and family members. The NHS gene coding region and its splice site donor and acceptor regions were amplified from genomic DNA by PCR, and the amplicons were sequenced directly. We identified three unique NHS coding region mutations in these NHS families. This report extends the number of unique identified NHS mutations to 14.

  1. CMS: A Web-Based System for Visualization and Analysis of Genome-Wide Methylation Data of Human Cancers

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Yi-Wen; Roa, Juan C.; Goodfellow, Paul J.; Kizer, E. Lynette; Huang, Tim H. M.; Chen, Yidong

    2013-01-01

    Background DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with gene suppression, and its unique genome-wide profiles have been linked to tumor progression. Coupled with high-throughput sequencing technologies, it can now efficiently determine genome-wide methylation profiles in cancer cells. Also, experimental and computational technologies make it possible to find the functional relationship between cancer-specific methylation patterns and their clinicopathological parameters. Methodology/Principal Findings Cancer methylome system (CMS) is a web-based database application designed for the visualization, comparison and statistical analysis of human cancer-specific DNA methylation. Methylation intensities were obtained from MBDCap-sequencing, pre-processed and stored in the database. 191 patient samples (169 tumor and 22 normal specimen) and 41 breast cancer cell-lines are deposited in the database, comprising about 6.6 billion uniquely mapped sequence reads. This provides comprehensive and genome-wide epigenetic portraits of human breast cancer and endometrial cancer to date. Two views are proposed for users to better understand methylation structure at the genomic level or systemic methylation alteration at the gene level. In addition, a variety of annotation tracks are provided to cover genomic information. CMS includes important analytic functions for interpretation of methylation data, such as the detection of differentially methylated regions, statistical calculation of global methylation intensities, multiple gene sets of biologically significant categories, interactivity with UCSC via custom-track data. We also present examples of discoveries utilizing the framework. Conclusions/Significance CMS provides visualization and analytic functions for cancer methylome datasets. A comprehensive collection of datasets, a variety of embedded analytic functions and extensive applications with biological and translational significance make this system powerful and unique in cancer methylation research. CMS is freely accessible at: http://cbbiweb.uthscsa.edu/KMethylomes/. PMID:23630576

  2. CMS: a web-based system for visualization and analysis of genome-wide methylation data of human cancers.

    PubMed

    Gu, Fei; Doderer, Mark S; Huang, Yi-Wen; Roa, Juan C; Goodfellow, Paul J; Kizer, E Lynette; Huang, Tim H M; Chen, Yidong

    2013-01-01

    DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with gene suppression, and its unique genome-wide profiles have been linked to tumor progression. Coupled with high-throughput sequencing technologies, it can now efficiently determine genome-wide methylation profiles in cancer cells. Also, experimental and computational technologies make it possible to find the functional relationship between cancer-specific methylation patterns and their clinicopathological parameters. Cancer methylome system (CMS) is a web-based database application designed for the visualization, comparison and statistical analysis of human cancer-specific DNA methylation. Methylation intensities were obtained from MBDCap-sequencing, pre-processed and stored in the database. 191 patient samples (169 tumor and 22 normal specimen) and 41 breast cancer cell-lines are deposited in the database, comprising about 6.6 billion uniquely mapped sequence reads. This provides comprehensive and genome-wide epigenetic portraits of human breast cancer and endometrial cancer to date. Two views are proposed for users to better understand methylation structure at the genomic level or systemic methylation alteration at the gene level. In addition, a variety of annotation tracks are provided to cover genomic information. CMS includes important analytic functions for interpretation of methylation data, such as the detection of differentially methylated regions, statistical calculation of global methylation intensities, multiple gene sets of biologically significant categories, interactivity with UCSC via custom-track data. We also present examples of discoveries utilizing the framework. CMS provides visualization and analytic functions for cancer methylome datasets. A comprehensive collection of datasets, a variety of embedded analytic functions and extensive applications with biological and translational significance make this system powerful and unique in cancer methylation research. CMS is freely accessible at: http://cbbiweb.uthscsa.edu/KMethylomes/.

  3. BHD-associated kidney cancer exhibits unique molecular characteristics and a wide variety of variants in chromatin remodeling genes.

    PubMed

    Hasumi, Hisashi; Furuya, Mitsuko; Tatsuno, Kenji; Yamamoto, Shogo; Baba, Masaya; Hasumi, Yukiko; Isono, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Kae; Jikuya, Ryosuke; Otake, Shinji; Muraoka, Kentaro; Osaka, Kimito; Hayashi, Narihiko; Makiyama, Kazuhide; Miyoshi, Yasuhide; Kondo, Keiichi; Nakaigawa, Noboru; Kawahara, Takashi; Izumi, Koji; Teranishi, Junichi; Yumura, Yasushi; Uemura, Hiroji; Nagashima, Yoji; Metwalli, Adam R; Schmidt, Laura S; Aburatani, Hiroyuki; Linehan, W Marston; Yao, Masahiro

    2018-05-14

    Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a hereditary kidney cancer syndrome, which predisposes patients to develop kidney cancer, cutaneous fibrofolliculomas and pulmonary cysts. The responsible gene FLCN is a tumor suppressor for kidney cancer which plays an important role in energy homeostasis through the regulation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. However, the process by which FLCN-deficiency leads to renal tumorigenesis is unclear. In order to clarify molecular pathogenesis of BHD-associated kidney cancer, we conducted whole-exome sequencing analysis using next-generation sequencing technology as well as metabolite analysis using LC/MS and GC/MS. Whole-exome sequencing analysis of BHD-associated kidney cancer revealed that copy number variations (CNV) of BHD-associated kidney cancer are considerably different from those already reported in sporadic cases. In somatic variant analysis, very few variants were commonly observed in BHD-associated kidney cancer; however, variants in chromatin remodeling genes were frequently observed in BHD-associated kidney cancer (17/29 tumors, 59%). Metabolite analysis of BHD-associated kidney cancer revealed metabolic reprogramming towards upregulated redox regulation which may neutralize reactive oxygen species potentially produced from mitochondria with increased respiratory capacity under FLCN-deficiency. BHD-associated kidney cancer displays unique molecular characteristics which are completely different from sporadic kidney cancer, providing mechanistic insight into tumorigenesis under FLCN-deficiency as well as a foundation for development of novel therapeutics for kidney cancer.

  4. Recent increased identification and transmission of HIV-1 unique recombinant forms in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Neogi, Ujjwal; Siddik, Abu Bakar; Kalaghatgi, Prabhav; Gisslén, Magnus; Bratt, Göran; Marrone, Gaetano; Sönnerborg, Anders

    2017-07-25

    A temporal increase in non-B subtypes has earlier been described in Sweden by us and we hypothesized that this increased viral heterogeneity may become a hotspot for the development of more complex and unique recombinant forms (URFs) if the epidemics converge. In the present study, we performed subtyping using four automated tools and phylogenetic analysis by RAxML of pol gene sequences (n = 5246) and HIV-1 near full-length genome (HIV-NFLG) sequences (n = 104). A CD4 + T-cell decline trajectory algorithm was used to estimate time of HIV infection. Transmission clusters were identified using the family-joining method. The analysis of HIV-NFLG and pol gene described 10.6% (11/104) and 2.6% (137/5246) of the strains as URFs, respectively. An increasing trend of URFs was observed in recent years by both approaches (p = 0·0082; p < 0·0001). Transmission cluster analysis using the pol gene of all URFs identified 14 clusters with two to eight sequences. Larger transmission clusters of URFs (BF1 and 01B) were observed among MSM who mostly were sero-diagnosed in recent time. Understanding the increased appearance and transmission of URFs in recent years could have importance for public health interventions and the use of HIV-NFLG would provide better statistical support for such assessments.

  5. Analysis of Dissimilatory Sulfite Reductase and 16S rRNA Gene Fragments from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Sites of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Western Pacific

    PubMed Central

    Nakagawa, Tatsunori; Ishibashi, Jun-Ichiro; Maruyama, Akihiko; Yamanaka, Toshiro; Morimoto, Yusuke; Kimura, Hiroyuki; Urabe, Tetsuro; Fukui, Manabu

    2004-01-01

    This study describes the occurrence of unique dissimilatory sulfite reductase (DSR) genes at a depth of 1,380 m from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent field at the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Western Pacific, Japan. The DSR genes were obtained from microbes that grew in a catheter-type in situ growth chamber deployed for 3 days on a vent and from the effluent water of drilled holes at 5°C and natural vent fluids at 7°C. DSR clones SUIYOdsr-A and SUIYOdsr-B were not closely related to cultivated species or environmental clones. Moreover, samples of microbial communities were examined by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments obtained from the vent catheter after a 3-day incubation revealed the occurrence of bacterial DGGE bands affiliated with the Aquificae and γ- and ɛ-Proteobacteria as well as the occurrence of archaeal phylotypes affiliated with the Thermococcales and of a unique archaeon sequence that clustered with “Nanoarchaeota.” The DGGE bands obtained from drilled holes and natural vent fluids from 7 to 300°C were affiliated with the δ-Proteobacteria, genus Thiomicrospira, and Pelodictyon. The dominant DGGE bands retrieved from the effluent water of casing pipes at 3 and 4°C were closely related to phylotypes obtained from the Arctic Ocean. Our results suggest the presence of microorganisms corresponding to a unique DSR lineage not detected previously from other geothermal environments. PMID:14711668

  6. Neisseria arctica sp. nov. isolated from nonviable eggs of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) in Arctic Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hansen, Cristina M.; Himschoot, Elizabeth; Hare, Rebekah F.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Hueffer, Karsten

    2017-01-01

    During the summers of 2013 and 2014, isolates of a novel Gram-negative coccus in the Neisseria genus were obtained from the contents of nonviable greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) eggs on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. We used a polyphasic approach to determine whether these isolates represent a novel species. 16S rRNA gene sequences, 23S rRNA gene sequences, and chaperonin 60 gene sequences suggested that these Alaskan isolates are members of a distinct species that is most closely related to Neisseria canis, N. animaloris, and N. shayeganii. Analysis of the rplF gene additionally showed that our isolates are unique and most closely related to N. weaveri. Average nucleotide identity of the whole genome sequence of our type strain was between 71.5% and 74.6% compared to close relatives, further supporting designation as a novel species. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis showed a predominance of C14:0, C16:0, and C16:1ω7c fatty acids. Finally, biochemical characteristics distinguished our isolates from other Neisseria species. The name Neisseria arctica (type strain KH1503T = ATCC TSD-57T = DSM 103136T) is proposed.

  7. First complete mitochondrial genome sequence from a box jellyfish reveals a highly fragmented linear architecture and insights into telomere evolution.

    PubMed

    Smith, David Roy; Kayal, Ehsan; Yanagihara, Angel A; Collins, Allen G; Pirro, Stacy; Keeling, Patrick J

    2012-01-01

    Animal mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) are typically single circular chromosomes, with the exception of those from medusozoan cnidarians (jellyfish and hydroids), which are linear and sometimes fragmented. Most medusozoans have linear monomeric or linear bipartite mitochondrial genomes, but preliminary data have suggested that box jellyfish (cubozoans) have mtDNAs that consist of many linear chromosomes. Here, we present the complete mtDNA sequence from the winged box jellyfish Alatina moseri (the first from a cubozoan). This genome contains unprecedented levels of fragmentation: 18 unique genes distributed over eight 2.9- to 4.6-kb linear chromosomes. The telomeres are identical within and between chromosomes, and recombination between subtelomeric sequences has led to many genes initiating or terminating with sequences from other genes (the most extreme case being 150 nt of a ribosomal RNA containing the 5' end of nad2), providing evidence for a gene conversion-based model of telomere evolution. The silent-site nucleotide variation within the A. moseri mtDNA is among the highest observed from a eukaryotic genome and may be associated with elevated rates of recombination.

  8. The tripartite leader sequence is required for ectopic expression of HAdV-B and HAdV-E E3 CR1 genes.

    PubMed

    Bair, Camden R; Kotha Lakshmi Narayan, Poornima; Kajon, Adriana E

    2017-05-01

    The unique repertoire of genes that characterizes the early region 3 (E3) of the different species of human adenovirus (HAdV) likely contributes to their distinct pathogenic traits. The function of many E3 CR1 proteins remains unknown possibly due to unidentified intrinsic properties that make them difficult to express ectopically. This study shows that the species HAdV-B- and HAdV-E-specific E3 CR1 genes can be expressed from vectors carrying the HAdV tripartite leader (TPL) sequence but not from traditional mammalian expression vectors. Insertion of the TPL sequence upstream of the HAdV-B and HAdV-E E3 CR1 open reading frames was sufficient to rescue protein expression from pCI-neo constructs in transfected 293T cells. The detection of higher levels of HAdV-B and HAdV-E E3 CR1 transcripts suggests that the TPL sequence may enhance gene expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Our findings will facilitate the characterization of additional AdV E3 proteins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Virulence genes in a probiotic E. coli product with a recorded long history of safe use

    PubMed Central

    Zschüttig, Anke; Beimfohr, Claudia; Geske, Thomas; Auerbach, Christian; Cook, Helen; Zimmermann, Kurt; Gunzer, Florian

    2015-01-01

    The probiotic product Symbioflor2 (DSM 17252) is a bacterial concentrate of six different Escherichia coli genotypes, whose complete genome sequences are compared here, between each other as well as to other E. coli genomes. The genome sequences of Symbioflor2 E. coli components contained a number of virulence-associated genes. Their presence seems to be in conflict with a recorded history of safe use, and with the observed low frequency of adverse effects over a period of more than 6 years. The genome sequences were used to identify unique sequences for each component, for which strain-specific hybridization probes were designed. A colonization study was conducted whereby five volunteers were exposed to an exceptionally high single dose. The results showed that the probiotic E. coli could be detected for 3 months or longer in their stools, and this was in particular the case for those components containing higher numbers of virulence-associated genes. Adverse effects from this long-term colonization were absent. Thus, the presence of the identified virulence genes does not result in a pathogenic phenotype in the genetic background of these probiotic E. coli. PMID:25883796

  10. RNA Sequencing Reveals Differential Expression of Mitochondrial and Oxidation Reduction Genes in the Long-Lived Naked Mole-Rat When Compared to Mice

    PubMed Central

    Holmes, Andrew; Szafranski, Karol; Faulkes, Chris G.; Coen, Clive W.; Buffenstein, Rochelle; Platzer, Matthias; de Magalhães, João Pedro; Church, George M.

    2011-01-01

    The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived, cancer resistant rodent and there is a great interest in identifying the adaptations responsible for these and other of its unique traits. We employed RNA sequencing to compare liver gene expression profiles between naked mole-rats and wild-derived mice. Our results indicate that genes associated with oxidoreduction and mitochondria were expressed at higher relative levels in naked mole-rats. The largest effect is nearly 300-fold higher expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Epcam), a tumour-associated protein. Also of interest are the protease inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin (A2m), and the mitochondrial complex II subunit Sdhc, both ageing-related genes found strongly over-expressed in the naked mole-rat. These results hint at possible candidates for specifying species differences in ageing and cancer, and in particular suggest complex alterations in mitochondrial and oxidation reduction pathways in the naked mole-rat. Our differential gene expression analysis obviated the need for a reference naked mole-rat genome by employing a combination of Illumina/Solexa and 454 platforms for transcriptome sequencing and assembling transcriptome contigs of the non-sequenced species. Overall, our work provides new research foci and methods for studying the naked mole-rat's fascinating characteristics. PMID:22073188

  11. Transcript map of the Ovum mutant (Om) locus: isolation by exon trapping of new candidate genes for the DDK syndrome.

    PubMed

    Le Bras, Stéphanie; Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel; Guyot, Valérie; Vandormael-Pournin, Sandrine; Coumailleau, Franck; Babinet, Charles; Baldacci, Patricia

    2002-08-21

    The DDK syndrome is defined as the embryonic lethality of F1 mouse embryos from crosses between DDK females and males from other strains (named hereafter as non-DDK strains). Genetically controlled by the Ovum mutant (Om) locus, it is due to a deleterious interaction between a maternal factor present in DDK oocytes and the non-DDK paternal pronucleus. Therefore, the DDK syndrome constitutes a unique genetic tool to study the crucial interactions that take place between the parental genomes and the egg cytoplasm during mammalian development. In this paper, we present an extensive analysis performed by exon trapping on the Om region. Twenty-seven trapped sequences were from genes in the databases: beta-adaptin, CCT zeta2, DNA LigaseIII, Notchless, Rad51l3 and Scya1. Twenty-eight other sequences presented similarities with expressed sequence tags and genomic sequences whereas 57 did not. The pattern of expression of 37 of these markers was established. Importantly, five of them are expressed in DDK oocytes and are candidate genes for the maternal factor, and 20 are candidate genes for the paternal factor since they are expressed in testis. This data is an important step towards identifying the genes responsible for the DDK syndrome.

  12. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics reveal a repertoire of putative pathogenicity genes in chilli anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum truncatum.

    PubMed

    Rao, Soumya; Nandineni, Madhusudan R

    2017-01-01

    Colletotrichum truncatum, a major fungal phytopathogen, causes the anthracnose disease on an economically important spice crop chilli (Capsicum annuum), resulting in huge economic losses in tropical and sub-tropical countries. It follows a subcuticular intramural infection strategy on chilli with a short, asymptomatic, endophytic phase, which contrasts with the intracellular hemibiotrophic lifestyle adopted by most of the Colletotrichum species. However, little is known about the molecular determinants and the mechanism of pathogenicity in this fungus. A high quality whole genome sequence and gene annotation based on transcriptome data of an Indian isolate of C. truncatum from chilli has been obtained. Analysis of the genome sequence revealed a rich repertoire of pathogenicity genes in C. truncatum encoding secreted proteins, effectors, plant cell wall degrading enzymes, secondary metabolism associated proteins, with potential roles in the host-specific infection strategy, placing it next only to the Fusarium species. The size of genome assembly, number of predicted genes and some of the functional categories were similar to other sequenced Colletotrichum species. The comparative genomic analyses with other species and related fungi identified some unique genes and certain highly expanded gene families of CAZymes, proteases and secondary metabolism associated genes in the genome of C. truncatum. The draft genome assembly and functional annotation of potential pathogenicity genes of C. truncatum provide an important genomic resource for understanding the biology and lifestyle of this important phytopathogen and will pave the way for designing efficient disease control regimens.

  13. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics reveal a repertoire of putative pathogenicity genes in chilli anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum truncatum

    PubMed Central

    Rao, Soumya

    2017-01-01

    Colletotrichum truncatum, a major fungal phytopathogen, causes the anthracnose disease on an economically important spice crop chilli (Capsicum annuum), resulting in huge economic losses in tropical and sub-tropical countries. It follows a subcuticular intramural infection strategy on chilli with a short, asymptomatic, endophytic phase, which contrasts with the intracellular hemibiotrophic lifestyle adopted by most of the Colletotrichum species. However, little is known about the molecular determinants and the mechanism of pathogenicity in this fungus. A high quality whole genome sequence and gene annotation based on transcriptome data of an Indian isolate of C. truncatum from chilli has been obtained. Analysis of the genome sequence revealed a rich repertoire of pathogenicity genes in C. truncatum encoding secreted proteins, effectors, plant cell wall degrading enzymes, secondary metabolism associated proteins, with potential roles in the host-specific infection strategy, placing it next only to the Fusarium species. The size of genome assembly, number of predicted genes and some of the functional categories were similar to other sequenced Colletotrichum species. The comparative genomic analyses with other species and related fungi identified some unique genes and certain highly expanded gene families of CAZymes, proteases and secondary metabolism associated genes in the genome of C. truncatum. The draft genome assembly and functional annotation of potential pathogenicity genes of C. truncatum provide an important genomic resource for understanding the biology and lifestyle of this important phytopathogen and will pave the way for designing efficient disease control regimens. PMID:28846714

  14. Molecular cloning, sequence characterization and recombinant expression of Nanog gene in goat fibroblast cells using lentiviral based expression system.

    PubMed

    Singhal, Dinesh K; Singhal, Raxita; Malik, Hruda N; Kumar, Surender; Kumar, Sudarshan; Mohanty, Ashok K; Kaushik, Jai K; Malakar, Dhruba

    2014-01-01

    Nanog is a homeodomain containing protein which plays important roles in regulation of signaling pathways for maintenance and induction of pluripotency in stem cells. Because of its unique expression in stem cells it is also regarded as pluripotency marker. In this study goat Nanog (gNanog) gene has been amplified, cloned and characterized at sequence level with successful over-expression in CHO-K1 cell line using a lentiviral based system. gNanog ORF is 903 bp long which codes for Nanog protein of size 300 amino acids (aas). Complete nucleotide sequence shows some evolutionary mutation in goat in comparision to other species. Protein sequence of goat is highly similar to other species. Overall, gNanog nucleotide sequence and predicted protein sequence showed high similarity and minimum divergence with cattle (96 % identity/4 % divergence) and buffalo (94/5 %) while low similarity and high divergence with pig (84/15 %), human (81/23 %) and mouse (69/40 %) indicating evolutionary closeness of gNanog to cattle and buffalo. gNanog lentiviral expression construct was prepared for over-expression of Nanog gene in adult goat fibroblast cells. Lentiviral expression construct of Nanog enabled continuous protein expression for induction and maintenance of pluripotency. Western blotting revealed the expression of Nanog gene at protein level which supported that the lentiviral expression system is highly promising for Nanog protein expression in differentiated goat cell.

  15. The genome sequence of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis: functional annotation and extended analysis of gene models.

    PubMed

    Real, Fernando; Vidal, Ramon Oliveira; Carazzolle, Marcelo Falsarella; Mondego, Jorge Maurício Costa; Costa, Gustavo Gilson Lacerda; Herai, Roberto Hirochi; Würtele, Martin; de Carvalho, Lucas Miguel; Carmona e Ferreira, Renata; Mortara, Renato Arruda; Barbiéri, Clara Lucia; Mieczkowski, Piotr; da Silveira, José Franco; Briones, Marcelo Ribeiro da Silva; Pereira, Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães; Bahia, Diana

    2013-12-01

    We present the sequencing and annotation of the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis genome, an etiological agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil. L. (L.) amazonensis shares features with Leishmania (L.) mexicana but also exhibits unique characteristics regarding geographical distribution and clinical manifestations of cutaneous lesions (e.g. borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis). Predicted genes were scored for orthologous gene families and conserved domains in comparison with other human pathogenic Leishmania spp. Carboxypeptidase, aminotransferase, and 3'-nucleotidase genes and ATPase, thioredoxin, and chaperone-related domains were represented more abundantly in L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) mexicana species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these two species share groups of amastin surface proteins unique to the genus that could be related to specific features of disease outcomes and host cell interactions. Additionally, we describe a hypothetical hybrid interactome of potentially secreted L. (L.) amazonensis proteins and host proteins under the assumption that parasite factors mimic their mammalian counterparts. The model predicts an interaction between an L. (L.) amazonensis heat-shock protein and mammalian Toll-like receptor 9, which is implicated in important immune responses such as cytokine and nitric oxide production. The analysis presented here represents valuable information for future studies of leishmaniasis pathogenicity and treatment.

  16. The Genome Sequence of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis: Functional Annotation and Extended Analysis of Gene Models

    PubMed Central

    Real, Fernando; Vidal, Ramon Oliveira; Carazzolle, Marcelo Falsarella; Mondego, Jorge Maurício Costa; Costa, Gustavo Gilson Lacerda; Herai, Roberto Hirochi; Würtele, Martin; de Carvalho, Lucas Miguel; e Ferreira, Renata Carmona; Mortara, Renato Arruda; Barbiéri, Clara Lucia; Mieczkowski, Piotr; da Silveira, José Franco; Briones, Marcelo Ribeiro da Silva; Pereira, Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães; Bahia, Diana

    2013-01-01

    We present the sequencing and annotation of the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis genome, an etiological agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil. L. (L.) amazonensis shares features with Leishmania (L.) mexicana but also exhibits unique characteristics regarding geographical distribution and clinical manifestations of cutaneous lesions (e.g. borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis). Predicted genes were scored for orthologous gene families and conserved domains in comparison with other human pathogenic Leishmania spp. Carboxypeptidase, aminotransferase, and 3′-nucleotidase genes and ATPase, thioredoxin, and chaperone-related domains were represented more abundantly in L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) mexicana species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these two species share groups of amastin surface proteins unique to the genus that could be related to specific features of disease outcomes and host cell interactions. Additionally, we describe a hypothetical hybrid interactome of potentially secreted L. (L.) amazonensis proteins and host proteins under the assumption that parasite factors mimic their mammalian counterparts. The model predicts an interaction between an L. (L.) amazonensis heat-shock protein and mammalian Toll-like receptor 9, which is implicated in important immune responses such as cytokine and nitric oxide production. The analysis presented here represents valuable information for future studies of leishmaniasis pathogenicity and treatment. PMID:23857904

  17. Gut Microbiome of an 11th Century A.D. Pre-Columbian Andean Mummy

    PubMed Central

    Santiago-Rodriguez, Tasha M.; Fornaciari, Gino; Luciani, Stefania; Dowd, Scot E.; Toranzos, Gary A.; Marota, Isolina; Cano, Raul J.

    2015-01-01

    The process of natural mummification is a rare and unique process from which little is known about the resulting microbial community structure. In the present study, we characterized the microbiome of paleofeces, and ascending, transverse and descending colon of an 11th century A.D. pre-Columbian Andean mummy by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metagenomics. Firmicutes were the most abundant bacterial group, with Clostridium spp. comprising up to 96.2% of the mummified gut, while Turicibacter spp. represented 89.2% of the bacteria identified in the paleofeces. Microbiome profile of the paleofeces was unique when compared to previously characterized coprolites that did not undergo natural mummification. We identified DNA sequences homologous to Clostridium botulinum, Trypanosoma cruzi and human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Unexpectedly, putative antibiotic-resistance genes including beta-lactamases, penicillin-binding proteins, resistance to fosfomycin, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, macrolides, sulfa, quinolones, tetracycline and vancomycin, and multi-drug transporters, were also identified. The presence of putative antibiotic-resistance genes suggests that resistance may not necessarily be associated with a selective pressure of antibiotics or contact with European cultures. Identification of pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes in ancient human specimens will aid in the understanding of the evolution of pathogens as a way to treat and prevent diseases caused by bacteria, microbial eukaryotes and viruses. PMID:26422376

  18. Divergent evolution of part of the involucrin gene in the hominoids: Unique intragenic duplications in the gorilla and human

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Teumer, J.; Green, H.

    1989-02-01

    The gene for involucrin, an epidermal protein, has been remodeled in the higher primates. Most of the coding region of the human gene consists of a modern segment of repeats derived from a 10-codon sequence present in the ancestral segment of the gene. The modern segment can be divided into early, middle, and late regions. The authors report here the nucleotide sequence of three alleles of the gorilla involucrin gene. Each possesses a modern segment homologous to that of the human and consisting of 10-codon repeats. The early and middle regions are similar to the corresponding regions of the humanmore » allele and are nearly identical among the different gorilla alleles. The late region consists of recent duplications whose pattern is unique in each of the gorilla alleles and in the human allele. The early region is located in what is now the 3{prime} third of the modern segment, and the late, polymorphic region is located in what is now the 5{prime} third. Therefore, as the modern segment expanded during evolution, its 3{prime} end became stabilized, and continuing duplications became confined to its 5{prime} end. The expansion of the involucrin coding region, which began long before the separation of the gorilla and human, has continued in both species after their separation.« less

  19. Analysis of common deafness gene mutations in deaf people from unique ethnic groups in Gansu Province, China.

    PubMed

    Xu, Bai-Cheng; Bian, Pan-Pan; Liu, Xiao-Wen; Zhu, Yi-Ming; Yang, Xiao-Long; Ma, Jian-Li; Chen, Xing-Jian; Wang, Yan-Li; Guo, Yu-Fen

    2014-09-01

    The GJB2 gene mutation characteristic of Dongxiang was the interaction result of ethnic background and geographical environment, and Yugur exhibited the typical founder effect. The SLC26A4 gene mutation characteristic of Dongxiang was related to caucasian backgrounds and selection of purpose exons, i.e. ethnic background and the penetrance of ethnic specificity caused the low mtDNA1555A>G mutation frequency in Dongxiang. To determine the prevalence of GJB2 and SLC26A4 genes and mtDNA1555A>G mutations and analyze the ethnic specificity in the non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (NSHL) of unique ethnic groups in Gansu Province. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from Dongxiang, Yugur, Bonan, and ethnic Han groups with moderately severe to profound NSHL in Gansu Province. Bidirectional sequencing (or enzyme digestion) was applied to identify the sequence variations. The pathogenic allele frequency of the three gene mutations was different. The frequency of the GJB2 gene among the Dongxiang, Yugur, Bonan, and ethnic Han groups was 9.03%, 12.5%, 5.88%, and 12.17%, respectively. No difference was found between the ethnic groups. The frequencies of the SLC26A4 genes were 3.23%, 8.33%, 0%, and 9.81%, respectively. The mutation frequency of mtDNA1555A>G was 0%, 0%, 0%, and 6.03%, respectively. No difference was found between the ethnic groups, except for the Dongxiang and ethnic Han groups, both in SLC26A4 gene and mtDNA1555A>G.

  20. Solexa-Sequencing Based Transcriptome Study of Plaice Skin Phenotype in Rex Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Lei; Liu, Yan; Wei, Qiang; Xiao, Chenwen; Ji, Quanan; Bao, Guolian; Wu, Xinsheng

    2015-01-01

    Background Fur is an important genetically-determined characteristic of domestic rabbits; rabbit furs are of great economic value. We used the Solexa sequencing technology to assess gene expression in skin tissues from full-sib Rex rabbits of different phenotypes in order to explore the molecular mechanisms associated with fur determination. Methodology/Principal Findings Transcriptome analysis included de novo assembly, gene function identification, and gene function classification and enrichment. We obtained 74,032,912 and 71,126,891 short reads of 100 nt, which were assembled into 377,618 unique sequences by Trinity strategy (N50=680 nt). Based on BLAST results with known proteins, 50,228 sequences were identified at a cut-off E-value ≥ 10-5. Using Blast to Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (KOG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), we obtained several genes with important protein functions. A total of 308 differentially expressed genes were obtained by transcriptome analysis of plaice and un-plaice phenotype animals; 209 additional differentially expressed genes were not found in any database. These genes included 49 that were only expressed in plaice skin rabbits. The novel genes may play important roles during skin growth and development. In addition, 99 known differentially expressed genes were assigned to PI3K-Akt signaling, focal adhesion, and ECM-receptor interactin, among others. Growth factors play a role in skin growth and development by regulating these signaling pathways. We confirmed the altered expression levels of seven target genes by qRT-PCR. And chosen a key gene for SNP to found the differentially between plaice and un-plaice phenotypes rabbit. Conclusions/Significance The rabbit transcriptome profiling data provide new insights in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying rabbit skin growth and development. PMID:25955442

  1. Ribosome profiling reveals changes in translational status of soybean transcripts during immature cotyledon development

    PubMed Central

    Shamimuzzaman, Md.

    2018-01-01

    To understand translational capacity on a genome-wide scale across three developmental stages of immature soybean seed cotyledons, ribosome profiling was performed in combination with RNA sequencing and cluster analysis. Transcripts representing 216 unique genes demonstrated a higher level of translational activity in at least one stage by exhibiting higher translational efficiencies (TEs) in which there were relatively more ribosome footprint sequence reads mapping to the transcript than were present in the control total RNA sample. The majority of these transcripts were more translationally active at the early stage of seed development and included 12 unique serine or cysteine proteases and 16 2S albumin and low molecular weight cysteine-rich proteins that may serve as substrates for turnover and mobilization early in seed development. It would appear that the serine proteases and 2S albumins play a vital role in the early stages. In contrast, our investigation of profiles of 19 genes encoding high abundance seed storage proteins, such as glycinins, beta-conglycinins, lectin, and Kunitz trypsin inhibitors, showed that they all had similar patterns in which the TE values started at low levels and increased approximately 2 to 6-fold during development. The highest levels of these seed protein transcripts were found at the mid-developmental stage, whereas the highest ribosome footprint levels of only up to 1.6 TE were found at the late developmental stage. These experimental findings suggest that the major seed storage protein coding genes are primarily regulated at the transcriptional level during normal soybean cotyledon development. Finally, our analyses also identified a total of 370 unique gene models that showed very low TE values including over 48 genes encoding ribosomal family proteins and 95 gene models that are related to energy and photosynthetic functions, many of which have homology to the chloroplast genome. Additionally, we showed that genes of the chloroplast were relatively translationally inactive during seed development. PMID:29570733

  2. Characterization of Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolated from Diseased Pigs in France

    PubMed Central

    Delannoy, Sabine; Le Devendec, Laetitia; Jouy, Eric; Fach, Patrick; Drider, Djamel; Kempf, Isabelle

    2017-01-01

    We studied a collection of 79 colistin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates isolated from diseased pigs in France between 2009 and 2013. We determined a number of phenotypic and genetic characters using broth microdilution to characterize their antimicrobial susceptibility. We performed pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to assess their genetic diversity and assign them to phylogroups. High-throughput real-time PCR micro-array was used to screen for a selection of genetic markers of virulence, and PCR and sequencing of the main recognized resistance genes allowed us to investigate the mechanisms of colistin resistance. Results showed that isolates belonged to several phylogroups and most had a unique PFGE profile. More than 50% of the isolates were also resistant to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, tetracycline, ampicillin or chloramphenicol. The mcr-1 gene was detected in 70 out of 79 isolates and was transferred by conjugation in 33 of them, sometimes together with resistance to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, tetracycline, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, or gentamicin. Mutations in the amino-acid sequences of proteins MgrB, PhoP, PhoQ, PmrB, but not PmrA, were detected in isolates with or without the mcr-1 gene. More than one-third of the isolates harbored the F18, F4, astA, hlyA, estI, estII, elt, stx2e, iha, orfA, orfB, paa, terE, ecs1763, or ureD virulence markers. In conclusion, although most isolates had a unique PFGE profile, a few particular combinations of phylogenetic groups, virulence genes and mutations in the sequenced genes involved in colistin resistance were identified on a number of occasions, suggesting the persistence of certain isolates over several years. PMID:29209292

  3. Linezolid-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strain 1128105, the First Known Clinical Isolate Possessing the cfr Multidrug Resistance Gene

    PubMed Central

    Zuill, Douglas E.; Scharn, Caitlyn R.; Deane, Jennifer; Sahm, Daniel F.; Denys, Gerald A.; Goering, Richard V.; Shaw, Karen J.

    2014-01-01

    The Cfr methyltransferase confers resistance to six classes of drugs which target the peptidyl transferase center of the 50S ribosomal subunit, including some oxazolidinones, such as linezolid (LZD). The mobile cfr gene was identified in European veterinary isolates from the late 1990s, although the earliest report of a clinical cfr-positive strain was the 2005 Colombian methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolate CM05. Here, through retrospective analysis of LZDr clinical strains from a U.S. surveillance program, we identified a cfr-positive MRSA isolate, 1128105, from January 2005, predating CM05 by 5 months. Molecular typing of 1128105 revealed a unique pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile most similar to that of USA100, spa type t002, and multilocus sequence type 5 (ST5). In addition to cfr, LZD resistance in 1128105 is partially attributed to the presence of a single copy of the 23S rRNA gene mutation T2500A. Transformation of the ∼37-kb conjugative p1128105 cfr-bearing plasmid from 1128105 into S. aureus ATCC 29213 background strains was successful in recapitulating the Cfr antibiogram, as well as resistance to aminoglycosides and trimethoprim. A 7-kb cfr-containing region of p1128105 possessed sequence nearly identical to that found in the Chinese veterinary Proteus vulgaris isolate PV-01 and in U.S. clinical S. aureus isolate 1900, although the presence of IS431-like sequences is unique to p1128105. The cfr gene environment in this early clinical cfr-positive isolate has now been identified in Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains of clinical and veterinary origin and has been associated with multiple mobile elements, highlighting the versatility of this multidrug resistance gene and its potential for further dissemination. PMID:25155597

  4. Surface gene variants of hepatitis B Virus in Saudi Patients.

    PubMed

    Al-Qudari, Ahmed Y; Amer, Haitham M; Abdo, Ayman A; Hussain, Zahid; Al-Hamoudi, Waleed; Alswat, Khalid; Almajhdi, Fahad N

    2016-01-01

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to be one of the most important viral pathogens in humans. Surface (S) protein is the major HBV antigen that mediates virus attachment and entry and determines the virus subtype. Mutations in S gene, particularly in the "a" determinant, can influence virus detection by ELISA and may generate escape mutants. Since no records have documented the S gene mutations in HBV strains circulating in Saudi Arabia, the current study was designed to study sequence variation of S gene in strains circulating in Saudi Arabia and its correlation with clinical and risk factors. A total of 123 HBV-infected patients were recruited for this study. Clinical and biochemical parameters, serological markers, and viral load were determined in all patients. The entire S gene sequence of samples with viral load exceeding 2000 IU/mL was retrieved and exploited in sequence and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 48 mutations (21 unique) were recorded in viral strains in Saudi Arabia, among which 24 (11 unique) changed their respective amino acids. Two amino acid changes were recorded in "a" determinant, including F130L and S135F with no evidence of the vaccine escape mutant G145R in any of the samples. No specific relationship was recognized between the mutation/amino acid change record of HBsAg in strains in Saudi Arabia and clinical or laboratory data. Phylogenetic analysis categorized HBV viral strains in Saudi Arabia as members of subgenotypes D1 and D3. The present report is the first that describes mutation analysis of HBsAg in strains in Saudi Arabia on both nucleotide and amino acid levels. Different substitutions, particularly in major hydrophilic region, may have a potential influence on disease diagnosis, vaccination strategy, and antiviral chemotherapy.

  5. Comparative genomic sequence analysis of novel Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) isolated from Kenya and three other previously sequenced Helicoverpa spp. NPVs.

    PubMed

    Ogembo, Javier Gordon; Caoili, Barbara L; Shikata, Masamitsu; Chaeychomsri, Sudawan; Kobayashi, Michihiro; Ikeda, Motoko

    2009-10-01

    A newly cloned Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) from Kenya, HearNPV-NNg1, has a higher insecticidal activity than HearNPV-G4, which also exhibits lower insecticidal activity than HearNPV-C1. In the search for genes and/or nucleotide sequences that might be involved in the observed virulence differences among Helicoverpa spp. NPVs, the entire genome of NNg1 was sequenced and compared with previously sequenced genomes of G4, C1 and Helicoverpa zea single-nucleocapsid NPV (Hz). The NNg1 genome was 132,425 bp in length, with a total of 143 putative open reading frames (ORFs), and shared high levels of overall amino acid and nucleotide sequence identities with G4, C1 and Hz. Three NNg1 ORFs, ORF5, ORF100 and ORF124, which were shared with C1, were absent in G4 and Hz, while NNg1 and C1 were missing a homologue of G4/Hz ORF5. Another three ORFs, ORF60 (bro-b), ORF119 and ORF120, and one direct repeat sequence (dr) were unique to NNg1. Relative to the overall nucleotide sequence identity, lower sequence identities were observed between NNg1 hrs and the homologous hrs in the other three Helicoverpa spp. NPVs, despite containing the same number of hrs located at essentially the same positions on the genomes. Differences were also observed between NNg1 and each of the other three Helicoverpa spp. NPVs in the diversity of bro genes encoded on the genomes. These results indicate several putative genes and nucleotide sequences that may be responsible for the virulence differences observed among Helicoverpa spp., yet the specific genes and/or nucleotide sequences responsible have not been identified.

  6. Identification of a high-efficiency baculovirus DNA replication origin that functions in insect and mammalian cells.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yueh-Lung; Wu, Carol-P; Huang, Yu-Hui; Huang, Sheng-Ping; Lo, Huei-Ru; Chang, Hao-Shuo; Lin, Pi-Hsiu; Wu, Ming-Cheng; Chang, Chia-Jung; Chao, Yu-Chan

    2014-11-01

    The p143 gene from Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) has been found to increase the expression of luciferase, which is driven by the polyhedrin gene promoter, in a plasmid with virus coinfection. Further study indicated that this is due to the presence of a replication origin (ori) in the coding region of this gene. Transient DNA replication assays showed that a specific fragment of the p143 coding sequence, p143-3, underwent virus-dependent DNA replication in Spodoptera frugiperda IPLB-Sf-21 (Sf-21) cells. Deletion analysis of the p143-3 fragment showed that subfragment p143-3.2a contained the essential sequence of this putative ori. Sequence analysis of this region revealed a unique distribution of imperfect palindromes with high AT contents. No sequence homology or similarity between p143-3.2a and any other known ori was detected, suggesting that it is a novel baculovirus ori. Further study showed that the p143-3.2a ori can replicate more efficiently in infected Sf-21 cells than baculovirus homologous regions (hrs), the major baculovirus ori, or non-hr oris during virus replication. Previously, hr on its own was unable to replicate in mammalian cells, and for mammalian viral oris, viral proteins are generally required for their proper replication in host cells. However, the p143-3.2a ori was, surprisingly, found to function as an efficient ori in mammalian cells without the need for any viral proteins. We conclude that p143 contains a unique sequence that can function as an ori to enhance gene expression in not only insect cells but also mammalian cells. Baculovirus DNA replication relies on both hr and non-hr oris; however, so far very little is known about the latter oris. Here we have identified a new non-hr ori, the p143 ori, which resides in the coding region of p143. By developing a novel DNA replication-enhanced reporter system, we have identified and located the core region required for the p143 ori. This ori contains a large number of imperfect inverted repeats and is the most active ori in the viral genome during virus infection in insect cells. We also found that it is a unique ori that can replicate in mammalian cells without the assistance of baculovirus gene products. The identification of this ori should contribute to a better understanding of baculovirus DNA replication. Also, this ori is very useful in assisting with gene expression in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  7. Complete Genome Sequence of Sporisorium scitamineum and Biotrophic Interaction Transcriptome with Sugarcane

    PubMed Central

    Benevenuto, Juliana; Peters, Leila P.; Carvalho, Giselle; Palhares, Alessandra; Quecine, Maria C.; Nunes, Filipe R. S.; Kmit, Maria C. P.; Wai, Alvan; Hausner, Georg; Aitken, Karen S.; Berkman, Paul J.; Fraser, James A.; Moolhuijzen, Paula M.; Coutinho, Luiz L.; Creste, Silvana; Vieira, Maria L. C.; Kitajima, João P.; Monteiro-Vitorello, Claudia B.

    2015-01-01

    Sporisorium scitamineum is a biotrophic fungus responsible for the sugarcane smut, a worldwide spread disease. This study provides the complete sequence of individual chromosomes of S. scitamineum from telomere to telomere achieved by a combination of PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads sequence data, as well as a draft sequence of a second fungal strain. Comparative analysis to previous available sequences of another strain detected few polymorphisms among the three genomes. The novel complete sequence described herein allowed us to identify and annotate extended subtelomeric regions, repetitive elements and the mitochondrial DNA sequence. The genome comprises 19,979,571 bases, 6,677 genes encoding proteins, 111 tRNAs and 3 assembled copies of rDNA, out of our estimated number of copies as 130. Chromosomal reorganizations were detected when comparing to sequences of S. reilianum, the closest smut relative, potentially influenced by repeats of transposable elements. Repetitive elements may have also directed the linkage of the two mating-type loci. The fungal transcriptome profiling from in vitro and from interaction with sugarcane at two time points (early infection and whip emergence) revealed that 13.5% of the genes were differentially expressed in planta and particular to each developmental stage. Among them are plant cell wall degrading enzymes, proteases, lipases, chitin modification and lignin degradation enzymes, sugar transporters and transcriptional factors. The fungus also modulates transcription of genes related to surviving against reactive oxygen species and other toxic metabolites produced by the plant. Previously described effectors in smut/plant interactions were detected but some new candidates are proposed. Ten genomic islands harboring some of the candidate genes unique to S. scitamineum were expressed only in planta. RNAseq data was also used to reassure gene predictions. PMID:26065709

  8. The complete mitochondrial genomes of three parasitic nematodes of birds: a unique gene order and insights into nematode phylogeny

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Analyses of mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences in recent years challenge the current working hypothesis of Nematoda phylogeny proposed from morphology, ecology and nuclear small subunit rRNA gene sequences, and raise the need to sequence additional mt genomes for a broad range of nematode lineages. Results We sequenced the complete mt genomes of three Ascaridia species (family Ascaridiidae) that infest chickens, pigeons and parrots, respectively. These three Ascaridia species have an identical arrangement of mt genes to each other but differ substantially from other nematodes. Phylogenetic analyses of the mt genome sequences of the Ascaridia species, together with 62 other nematode species, support the monophylies of seven high-level taxa of the phylum Nematoda: 1) the subclass Dorylaimia; 2) the orders Rhabditida, Trichinellida and Mermithida; 3) the suborder Rhabditina; and 4) the infraorders Spiruromorpha and Oxyuridomorpha. Analyses of mt genome sequences, however, reject the monophylies of the suborders Spirurina and Tylenchina, and the infraorders Rhabditomorpha, Panagrolaimomorpha and Tylenchomorpha. Monophyly of the infraorder Ascaridomorpha varies depending on the methods of phylogenetic analysis. The Ascaridomorpha was more closely related to the infraorders Rhabditomorpha and Diplogasteromorpha (suborder Rhabditina) than they were to the other two infraorders of the Spirurina: Oxyuridorpha and Spiruromorpha. The closer relationship among Ascaridomorpha, Rhabditomorpha and Diplogasteromorpha was also supported by a shared common pattern of mitochondrial gene arrangement. Conclusions Analyses of mitochondrial genome sequences and gene arrangement has provided novel insights into the phylogenetic relationships among several major lineages of nematodes. Many lineages of nematodes, however, are underrepresented or not represented in these analyses. Expanding taxon sampling is necessary for future phylogenetic studies of nematodes with mt genome sequences. PMID:23800363

  9. The genome of flax (Linum usitatissimum) assembled de novo from short shotgun sequence reads.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhiwen; Hobson, Neil; Galindo, Leonardo; Zhu, Shilin; Shi, Daihu; McDill, Joshua; Yang, Linfeng; Hawkins, Simon; Neutelings, Godfrey; Datla, Raju; Lambert, Georgina; Galbraith, David W; Grassa, Christopher J; Geraldes, Armando; Cronk, Quentin C; Cullis, Christopher; Dash, Prasanta K; Kumar, Polumetla A; Cloutier, Sylvie; Sharpe, Andrew G; Wong, Gane K-S; Wang, Jun; Deyholos, Michael K

    2012-11-01

    Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is an ancient crop that is widely cultivated as a source of fiber, oil and medicinally relevant compounds. To accelerate crop improvement, we performed whole-genome shotgun sequencing of the nuclear genome of flax. Seven paired-end libraries ranging in size from 300 bp to 10 kb were sequenced using an Illumina genome analyzer. A de novo assembly, comprised exclusively of deep-coverage (approximately 94× raw, approximately 69× filtered) short-sequence reads (44-100 bp), produced a set of scaffolds with N(50) =694 kb, including contigs with N(50)=20.1 kb. The contig assembly contained 302 Mb of non-redundant sequence representing an estimated 81% genome coverage. Up to 96% of published flax ESTs aligned to the whole-genome shotgun scaffolds. However, comparisons with independently sequenced BACs and fosmids showed some mis-assembly of regions at the genome scale. A total of 43384 protein-coding genes were predicted in the whole-genome shotgun assembly, and up to 93% of published flax ESTs, and 86% of A. thaliana genes aligned to these predicted genes, indicating excellent coverage and accuracy at the gene level. Analysis of the synonymous substitution rates (K(s) ) observed within duplicate gene pairs was consistent with a recent (5-9 MYA) whole-genome duplication in flax. Within the predicted proteome, we observed enrichment of many conserved domains (Pfam-A) that may contribute to the unique properties of this crop, including agglutinin proteins. Together these results show that de novo assembly, based solely on whole-genome shotgun short-sequence reads, is an efficient means of obtaining nearly complete genome sequence information for some plant species. © 2012 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Identification of Actinomyces meyeri actinomycosis in middle ear and mastoid by 16S rRNA analysis.

    PubMed

    Kakuta, Risako; Hidaka, Hiroshi; Yano, Hisakazu; Miyazaki, Hiromitsu; Suzaki, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Yasuhiro; Kanamori, Hajime; Endo, Shiro; Hirakata, Yoichi; Kaku, Mitsuo; Kobayashi, Toshimitsu

    2013-08-01

    Actinomycosis of the middle ear and mastoid is extremely rare. Here, we report a unique case of actinomycosis of the middle ear and mastoid caused by Actinomyces meyeri diagnosed by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.

  11. Clinical germline diagnostic exome sequencing for hereditary cancer: Findings within novel candidate genes are prevalent.

    PubMed

    Powis, Zöe; Espenschied, Carin R; LaDuca, Holly; Hagman, Kelly D; Paudyal, Tripti; Li, Shuwei; Inaba, Hiroto; Mauer, Ann; Nathanson, Katherine L; Knost, James; Chao, Elizabeth C; Tang, Sha

    2018-08-01

    Clinical diagnostic exome sequencing (DES) has been effective in diagnosing individuals with suspected genetic conditions; nevertheless little has been described regarding its clinical utility in individuals with a personal and family history of cancer. This study aimed to assess diagnostic yield and clinical characteristics of pediatric and adult patients undergoing germline DES for hereditary cancer. We retrospectively reviewed 2171 patients referred for DES; cases with a personal and/or family history of cancer were further studied. Of 39 cancer patients, relevant alterations were found in eight individuals (21%), including one (3%) positive pathogenic alteration within a characterized gene, two (5%) uncertain findings in characterized genes, and five (13%) alterations in novel candidate genes. Two of the 5 pediatric patients, undergoing testing, (40%) had findings in novel candidate genes, with the remainder being negative. We include brief case studies to illustrate the variety of challenging issues related to these patients. Our observations demonstrate utility of family-based exome sequencing in patients for suspected hereditary cancer, including familial co-segregation analysis, and comprehensive medical review. DES may be particularly useful when traditional approaches do not result in a diagnosis or in families with unique phenotypes. This work also highlights the importance and complexity of analysis of uncharacterized genes in exome sequencing for hereditary cancer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. De Novo Assembly, Functional Annotation and Comparative Analysis of Withania somnifera Leaf and Root Transcriptomes to Identify Putative Genes Involved in the Withanolides Biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Parul; Goel, Ridhi; Pathak, Sumya; Srivastava, Apeksha; Singh, Surya Pratap; Sangwan, Rajender Singh; Asif, Mehar Hasan; Trivedi, Prabodh Kumar

    2013-01-01

    Withania somnifera is one of the most valuable medicinal plants used in Ayurvedic and other indigenous medicine systems due to bioactive molecules known as withanolides. As genomic information regarding this plant is very limited, little information is available about biosynthesis of withanolides. To facilitate the basic understanding about the withanolide biosynthesis pathways, we performed transcriptome sequencing for Withania leaf (101L) and root (101R) which specifically synthesize withaferin A and withanolide A, respectively. Pyrosequencing yielded 8,34,068 and 7,21,755 reads which got assembled into 89,548 and 1,14,814 unique sequences from 101L and 101R, respectively. A total of 47,885 (101L) and 54,123 (101R) could be annotated using TAIR10, NR, tomato and potato databases. Gene Ontology and KEGG analyses provided a detailed view of all the enzymes involved in withanolide backbone synthesis. Our analysis identified members of cytochrome P450, glycosyltransferase and methyltransferase gene families with unique presence or differential expression in leaf and root and might be involved in synthesis of tissue-specific withanolides. We also detected simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in transcriptome data for use in future genetic studies. Comprehensive sequence resource developed for Withania, in this study, will help to elucidate biosynthetic pathway for tissue-specific synthesis of secondary plant products in non-model plant organisms as well as will be helpful in developing strategies for enhanced biosynthesis of withanolides through biotechnological approaches. PMID:23667511

  13. Bioinformatic Analyses of Unique (Orphan) Core Genes of the Genus Acidithiobacillus: Functional Inferences and Use As Molecular Probes for Genomic and Metagenomic/Transcriptomic Interrogation

    PubMed Central

    González, Carolina; Lazcano, Marcelo; Valdés, Jorge; Holmes, David S.

    2016-01-01

    Using phylogenomic and gene compositional analyses, five highly conserved gene families have been detected in the core genome of the phylogenetically coherent genus Acidithiobacillus of the class Acidithiobacillia. These core gene families are absent in the closest extant genus Thermithiobacillus tepidarius that subtends the Acidithiobacillus genus and roots the deepest in this class. The predicted proteins encoded by these core gene families are not detected by a BLAST search in the NCBI non-redundant database of more than 90 million proteins using a relaxed cut-off of 1.0e−5. None of the five families has a clear functional prediction. However, bioinformatic scrutiny, using pI prediction, motif/domain searches, cellular location predictions, genomic context analyses, and chromosome topology studies together with previously published transcriptomic and proteomic data, suggests that some may have functions associated with membrane remodeling during cell division perhaps in response to pH stress. Despite the high level of amino acid sequence conservation within each family, there is sufficient nucleotide variation of the respective genes to permit the use of the DNA sequences to distinguish different species of Acidithiobacillus, making them useful additions to the armamentarium of tools for phylogenetic analysis. Since the protein families are unique to the Acidithiobacillus genus, they can also be leveraged as probes to detect the genus in environmental metagenomes and metatranscriptomes, including industrial biomining operations, and acid mine drainage (AMD). PMID:28082953

  14. Bioinformatic Analyses of Unique (Orphan) Core Genes of the Genus Acidithiobacillus: Functional Inferences and Use As Molecular Probes for Genomic and Metagenomic/Transcriptomic Interrogation.

    PubMed

    González, Carolina; Lazcano, Marcelo; Valdés, Jorge; Holmes, David S

    2016-01-01

    Using phylogenomic and gene compositional analyses, five highly conserved gene families have been detected in the core genome of the phylogenetically coherent genus Acidithiobacillus of the class Acidithiobacillia . These core gene families are absent in the closest extant genus Thermithiobacillus tepidarius that subtends the Acidithiobacillus genus and roots the deepest in this class. The predicted proteins encoded by these core gene families are not detected by a BLAST search in the NCBI non-redundant database of more than 90 million proteins using a relaxed cut-off of 1.0e -5 . None of the five families has a clear functional prediction. However, bioinformatic scrutiny, using pI prediction, motif/domain searches, cellular location predictions, genomic context analyses, and chromosome topology studies together with previously published transcriptomic and proteomic data, suggests that some may have functions associated with membrane remodeling during cell division perhaps in response to pH stress. Despite the high level of amino acid sequence conservation within each family, there is sufficient nucleotide variation of the respective genes to permit the use of the DNA sequences to distinguish different species of Acidithiobacillus , making them useful additions to the armamentarium of tools for phylogenetic analysis. Since the protein families are unique to the Acidithiobacillus genus, they can also be leveraged as probes to detect the genus in environmental metagenomes and metatranscriptomes, including industrial biomining operations, and acid mine drainage (AMD).

  15. Whole-Genome Phylogenetic Analysis of Influenza B/Phuket/3073/2013-Like Viruses and Unique Reassortants Detected in Malaysia between 2012 and 2014

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Joon Ling; Chan, Kok Gan; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Chan, Yoke Fun; Sam, I-Ching; Tee, Kok Keng

    2017-01-01

    Reassortment of genetic segments between and within influenza B lineages (Victoria and Yamagata) has been shown to generate novel reassortants with unique genetic characteristics. Based on hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes, recent surveillance study has identified reassortment properties in B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus, which is currently used in the WHO-recommended influenza vaccine. To understand the potential reassortment patterns for all gene segments, four B/Phuket/3073/2013-like viruses and two unique reassortants (one each from Yamagata and Victoria) detected in Malaysia from 2012–2014 were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Each gene was phylogenetically classified into lineages, clades and sub-clades. Three B/Phuket/3073/2013-like viruses from Yamagata lineage were found to be intra-clade reassortants, possessing PA and NA genes derived from Stockholm/12-like sub-clade, while the remaining genes from Wisconsin/01-like sub-clade (both sub-clades were within Yamagata Clade 3/Yam-3). However, the other B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus had NS gene that derived from Stockholm/12-like sub-clade instead of Wisconsin/01-like sub-clade. One inter-clade reassortant had Yamagata Clade 2/Yam-2-derived HA and NP, and its remaining genes were Yam-3-derived. Within Victoria Clade 1/Vic-1 in Victoria lineage, one virus had intra-clade reassortment properties: HA and PB2 from Vic-1B sub-clade, MP and NS from a unique sub-clade “Vic-1C”, and the remaining genes from Vic-1A sub-clade. Although random reassortment event may generate unique reassortants, detailed phylogenetic classification of gene segments showed possible genetic linkage between PA and NA genes in B/Phuket/3073/2013-like viruses, which requires further investigation. Understanding on reassortment patterns in influenza B evolution may contribute to future vaccine design. PMID:28129386

  16. Genome analysis of multiple pathogenic isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae: Implications for the microbial “pan-genome”

    PubMed Central

    Tettelin, Hervé; Masignani, Vega; Cieslewicz, Michael J.; Donati, Claudio; Medini, Duccio; Ward, Naomi L.; Angiuoli, Samuel V.; Crabtree, Jonathan; Jones, Amanda L.; Durkin, A. Scott; DeBoy, Robert T.; Davidsen, Tanja M.; Mora, Marirosa; Scarselli, Maria; Margarit y Ros, Immaculada; Peterson, Jeremy D.; Hauser, Christopher R.; Sundaram, Jaideep P.; Nelson, William C.; Madupu, Ramana; Brinkac, Lauren M.; Dodson, Robert J.; Rosovitz, Mary J.; Sullivan, Steven A.; Daugherty, Sean C.; Haft, Daniel H.; Selengut, Jeremy; Gwinn, Michelle L.; Zhou, Liwei; Zafar, Nikhat; Khouri, Hoda; Radune, Diana; Dimitrov, George; Watkins, Kisha; O'Connor, Kevin J. B.; Smith, Shannon; Utterback, Teresa R.; White, Owen; Rubens, Craig E.; Grandi, Guido; Madoff, Lawrence C.; Kasper, Dennis L.; Telford, John L.; Wessels, Michael R.; Rappuoli, Rino; Fraser, Claire M.

    2005-01-01

    The development of efficient and inexpensive genome sequencing methods has revolutionized the study of human bacterial pathogens and improved vaccine design. Unfortunately, the sequence of a single genome does not reflect how genetic variability drives pathogenesis within a bacterial species and also limits genome-wide screens for vaccine candidates or for antimicrobial targets. We have generated the genomic sequence of six strains representing the five major disease-causing serotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae, the main cause of neonatal infection in humans. Analysis of these genomes and those available in databases showed that the S. agalactiae species can be described by a pan-genome consisting of a core genome shared by all isolates, accounting for ≈80% of any single genome, plus a dispensable genome consisting of partially shared and strain-specific genes. Mathematical extrapolation of the data suggests that the gene reservoir available for inclusion in the S. agalactiae pan-genome is vast and that unique genes will continue to be identified even after sequencing hundreds of genomes. PMID:16172379

  17. Familial retinoblastoma due to intronic LINE-1 insertion causes aberrant and noncanonical mRNA splicing of the RB1 gene.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Martín, Carlos; Cidre, Florencia; Fernández-Teijeiro, Ana; Gómez-Mariano, Gema; de la Vega, Leticia; Ramos, Patricia; Zaballos, Ángel; Monzón, Sara; Alonso, Javier

    2016-05-01

    Retinoblastoma (RB, MIM 180200) is the paradigm of hereditary cancer. Individuals harboring a constitutional mutation in one allele of the RB1 gene have a high predisposition to develop RB. Here, we present the first case of familial RB caused by a de novo insertion of a full-length long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) into intron 14 of the RB1 gene that caused a highly heterogeneous splicing pattern of RB1 mRNA. LINE-1 insertion was inferred by mRNA studies and full-length sequenced by massive parallel sequencing. Some of the aberrant mRNAs were produced by noncanonical acceptor splice sites, a new finding that up to date has not been described to occur upon LINE-1 retrotransposition. Our results clearly show that RNA-based strategies have the potential to detect disease-causing transposon insertions. It also confirms that the incorporation of new genetic approaches, such as massive parallel sequencing, contributes to characterize at the sequence level these unique and exceptional genetic alterations.

  18. Sequence and analysis of chromosome 2 of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Lin, X; Kaul, S; Rounsley, S; Shea, T P; Benito, M I; Town, C D; Fujii, C Y; Mason, T; Bowman, C L; Barnstead, M; Feldblyum, T V; Buell, C R; Ketchum, K A; Lee, J; Ronning, C M; Koo, H L; Moffat, K S; Cronin, L A; Shen, M; Pai, G; Van Aken, S; Umayam, L; Tallon, L J; Gill, J E; Adams, M D; Carrera, A J; Creasy, T H; Goodman, H M; Somerville, C R; Copenhaver, G P; Preuss, D; Nierman, W C; White, O; Eisen, J A; Salzberg, S L; Fraser, C M; Venter, J C

    1999-12-16

    Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is unique among plant model organisms in having a small genome (130-140 Mb), excellent physical and genetic maps, and little repetitive DNA. Here we report the sequence of chromosome 2 from the Columbia ecotype in two gap-free assemblies (contigs) of 3.6 and 16 megabases (Mb). The latter represents the longest published stretch of uninterrupted DNA sequence assembled from any organism to date. Chromosome 2 represents 15% of the genome and encodes 4,037 genes, 49% of which have no predicted function. Roughly 250 tandem gene duplications were found in addition to large-scale duplications of about 0.5 and 4.5 Mb between chromosomes 2 and 1 and between chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively. Sequencing of nearly 2 Mb within the genetically defined centromere revealed a low density of recognizable genes, and a high density and diverse range of vestigial and presumably inactive mobile elements. More unexpected is what appears to be a recent insertion of a continuous stretch of 75% of the mitochondrial genome into chromosome 2.

  19. Mitochondrial Genomes of Kinorhyncha: trnM Duplication and New Gene Orders within Animals.

    PubMed

    Popova, Olga V; Mikhailov, Kirill V; Nikitin, Mikhail A; Logacheva, Maria D; Penin, Aleksey A; Muntyan, Maria S; Kedrova, Olga S; Petrov, Nikolai B; Panchin, Yuri V; Aleoshin, Vladimir V

    2016-01-01

    Many features of mitochondrial genomes of animals, such as patterns of gene arrangement, nucleotide content and substitution rate variation are extensively used in evolutionary and phylogenetic studies. Nearly 6,000 mitochondrial genomes of animals have already been sequenced, covering the majority of animal phyla. One of the groups that escaped mitogenome sequencing is phylum Kinorhyncha-an isolated taxon of microscopic worm-like ecdysozoans. The kinorhynchs are thought to be one of the early-branching lineages of Ecdysozoa, and their mitochondrial genomes may be important for resolving evolutionary relations between major animal taxa. Here we present the results of sequencing and analysis of mitochondrial genomes from two members of Kinorhyncha, Echinoderes svetlanae (Cyclorhagida) and Pycnophyes kielensis (Allomalorhagida). Their mitochondrial genomes are circular molecules approximately 15 Kbp in size. The kinorhynch mitochondrial gene sequences are highly divergent, which precludes accurate phylogenetic inference. The mitogenomes of both species encode a typical metazoan complement of 37 genes, which are all positioned on the major strand, but the gene order is distinct and unique among Ecdysozoa or animals as a whole. We predict four types of start codons for protein-coding genes in E. svetlanae and five in P. kielensis with a consensus DTD in single letter code. The mitochondrial genomes of E. svetlanae and P. kielensis encode duplicated methionine tRNA genes that display compensatory nucleotide substitutions. Two distant species of Kinorhyncha demonstrate similar patterns of gene arrangements in their mitogenomes. Both genomes have duplicated methionine tRNA genes; the duplication predates the divergence of two species. The kinorhynchs share a few features pertaining to gene order that align them with Priapulida. Gene order analysis reveals that gene arrangement specific of Priapulida may be ancestral for Scalidophora, Ecdysozoa, and even Protostomia.

  20. Mitochondrial Genomes of Kinorhyncha: trnM Duplication and New Gene Orders within Animals

    PubMed Central

    Popova, Olga V.; Mikhailov, Kirill V.; Nikitin, Mikhail A.; Logacheva, Maria D.; Penin, Aleksey A.; Muntyan, Maria S.; Kedrova, Olga S.; Petrov, Nikolai B.; Panchin, Yuri V.

    2016-01-01

    Many features of mitochondrial genomes of animals, such as patterns of gene arrangement, nucleotide content and substitution rate variation are extensively used in evolutionary and phylogenetic studies. Nearly 6,000 mitochondrial genomes of animals have already been sequenced, covering the majority of animal phyla. One of the groups that escaped mitogenome sequencing is phylum Kinorhyncha—an isolated taxon of microscopic worm-like ecdysozoans. The kinorhynchs are thought to be one of the early-branching lineages of Ecdysozoa, and their mitochondrial genomes may be important for resolving evolutionary relations between major animal taxa. Here we present the results of sequencing and analysis of mitochondrial genomes from two members of Kinorhyncha, Echinoderes svetlanae (Cyclorhagida) and Pycnophyes kielensis (Allomalorhagida). Their mitochondrial genomes are circular molecules approximately 15 Kbp in size. The kinorhynch mitochondrial gene sequences are highly divergent, which precludes accurate phylogenetic inference. The mitogenomes of both species encode a typical metazoan complement of 37 genes, which are all positioned on the major strand, but the gene order is distinct and unique among Ecdysozoa or animals as a whole. We predict four types of start codons for protein-coding genes in E. svetlanae and five in P. kielensis with a consensus DTD in single letter code. The mitochondrial genomes of E. svetlanae and P. kielensis encode duplicated methionine tRNA genes that display compensatory nucleotide substitutions. Two distant species of Kinorhyncha demonstrate similar patterns of gene arrangements in their mitogenomes. Both genomes have duplicated methionine tRNA genes; the duplication predates the divergence of two species. The kinorhynchs share a few features pertaining to gene order that align them with Priapulida. Gene order analysis reveals that gene arrangement specific of Priapulida may be ancestral for Scalidophora, Ecdysozoa, and even Protostomia. PMID:27755612

  1. Analysis of the Citrullus colocynthis Transcriptome during Water Deficit Stress

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Zhuoyu; Hu, Hongtao; Goertzen, Leslie R.; McElroy, J. Scott; Dane, Fenny

    2014-01-01

    Citrullus colocynthis is a very drought tolerant species, closely related to watermelon (C. lanatus var. lanatus), an economically important cucurbit crop. Drought is a threat to plant growth and development, and the discovery of drought inducible genes with various functions is of great importance. We used high throughput mRNA Illumina sequencing technology and bioinformatic strategies to analyze the C. colocynthis leaf transcriptome under drought treatment. Leaf samples at four different time points (0, 24, 36, or 48 hours of withholding water) were used for RNA extraction and Illumina sequencing. qRT-PCR of several drought responsive genes was performed to confirm the accuracy of RNA sequencing. Leaf transcriptome analysis provided the first glimpse of the drought responsive transcriptome of this unique cucurbit species. A total of 5038 full-length cDNAs were detected, with 2545 genes showing significant changes during drought stress. Principle component analysis indicated that drought was the major contributing factor regulating transcriptome changes. Up regulation of many transcription factors, stress signaling factors, detoxification genes, and genes involved in phytohormone signaling and citrulline metabolism occurred under the water deficit conditions. The C. colocynthis transcriptome data highlight the activation of a large set of drought related genes in this species, thus providing a valuable resource for future functional analysis of candidate genes in defense of drought stress. PMID:25118696

  2. Sequencing rare marine actinomycete genomes reveals high density of unique natural product biosynthetic gene clusters.

    PubMed

    Schorn, Michelle A; Alanjary, Mohammad M; Aguinaldo, Kristen; Korobeynikov, Anton; Podell, Sheila; Patin, Nastassia; Lincecum, Tommie; Jensen, Paul R; Ziemert, Nadine; Moore, Bradley S

    2016-12-01

    Traditional natural product discovery methods have nearly exhausted the accessible diversity of microbial chemicals, making new sources and techniques paramount in the search for new molecules. Marine actinomycete bacteria have recently come into the spotlight as fruitful producers of structurally diverse secondary metabolites, and remain relatively untapped. In this study, we sequenced 21 marine-derived actinomycete strains, rarely studied for their secondary metabolite potential and under-represented in current genomic databases. We found that genome size and phylogeny were good predictors of biosynthetic gene cluster diversity, with larger genomes rivalling the well-known marine producers in the Streptomyces and Salinispora genera. Genomes in the Micrococcineae suborder, however, had consistently the lowest number of biosynthetic gene clusters. By networking individual gene clusters into gene cluster families, we were able to computationally estimate the degree of novelty each genus contributed to the current sequence databases. Based on the similarity measures between all actinobacteria in the Joint Genome Institute's Atlas of Biosynthetic gene Clusters database, rare marine genera show a high degree of novelty and diversity, with Corynebacterium, Gordonia, Nocardiopsis, Saccharomonospora and Pseudonocardia genera representing the highest gene cluster diversity. This research validates that rare marine actinomycetes are important candidates for exploration, as they are relatively unstudied, and their relatives are historically rich in secondary metabolites.

  3. Sequencing rare marine actinomycete genomes reveals high density of unique natural product biosynthetic gene clusters

    PubMed Central

    Schorn, Michelle A.; Alanjary, Mohammad M.; Aguinaldo, Kristen; Korobeynikov, Anton; Podell, Sheila; Patin, Nastassia; Lincecum, Tommie; Jensen, Paul R.; Ziemert, Nadine

    2016-01-01

    Traditional natural product discovery methods have nearly exhausted the accessible diversity of microbial chemicals, making new sources and techniques paramount in the search for new molecules. Marine actinomycete bacteria have recently come into the spotlight as fruitful producers of structurally diverse secondary metabolites, and remain relatively untapped. In this study, we sequenced 21 marine-derived actinomycete strains, rarely studied for their secondary metabolite potential and under-represented in current genomic databases. We found that genome size and phylogeny were good predictors of biosynthetic gene cluster diversity, with larger genomes rivalling the well-known marine producers in the Streptomyces and Salinispora genera. Genomes in the Micrococcineae suborder, however, had consistently the lowest number of biosynthetic gene clusters. By networking individual gene clusters into gene cluster families, we were able to computationally estimate the degree of novelty each genus contributed to the current sequence databases. Based on the similarity measures between all actinobacteria in the Joint Genome Institute's Atlas of Biosynthetic gene Clusters database, rare marine genera show a high degree of novelty and diversity, with Corynebacterium, Gordonia, Nocardiopsis, Saccharomonospora and Pseudonocardia genera representing the highest gene cluster diversity. This research validates that rare marine actinomycetes are important candidates for exploration, as they are relatively unstudied, and their relatives are historically rich in secondary metabolites. PMID:27902408

  4. Plastome Sequences of Lygodium japonicum and Marsilea crenata Reveal the Genome Organization Transformation from Basal Ferns to Core Leptosporangiates

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Lei; Wang, Bo; Wang, Zhi-Wei; Zhou, Yuan; Su, Ying-Juan; Wang, Ting

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that core leptosporangiates, the most species-rich group of extant ferns (monilophytes), have a distinct plastid genome (plastome) organization pattern from basal fern lineages. However, the details of genome structure transformation from ancestral ferns to core leptosporangiates remain unclear because of limited plastome data available. Here, we have determined the complete chloroplast genome sequences of Lygodium japonicum (Lygodiaceae), a member of schizaeoid ferns (Schizaeales), and Marsilea crenata (Marsileaceae), a representative of heterosporous ferns (Salviniales). The two species represent the sister and the basal lineages of core leptosporangiates, respectively, for which the plastome sequences are currently unavailable. Comparative genomic analysis of all sequenced fern plastomes reveals that the gene order of L. japonicum plastome occupies an intermediate position between that of basal ferns and core leptosporangiates. The two exons of the fern ndhB gene have a unique pattern of intragenic copy number variances. Specifically, the substitution rate heterogeneity between the two exons is congruent with their copy number changes, confirming the constraint role that inverted repeats may play on the substitution rate of chloroplast gene sequences. PMID:23821521

  5. The Rickettsia Endosymbiont of Ixodes pacificus Contains All the Genes of De Novo Folate Biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Bodnar, James; Mortazavi, Bobak; Laurent, Timothy; Deason, Jeff; Thephavongsa, Khanhkeo; Zhong, Jianmin

    2015-01-01

    Ticks and other arthropods often are hosts to nutrient providing bacterial endosymbionts, which contribute to their host’s fitness by supplying nutrients such as vitamins and amino acids. It has been detected, in our lab, that Ixodes pacificus is host to Rickettsia species phylotype G021. This endosymbiont is predominantly present, and 100% maternally transmitted in I. pacificus. To study roles of phylotype G021 in I. pacificus, bioinformatic and molecular approaches were carried out. MUMmer genome alignments of whole genome sequence of I. scapularis, a close relative to I. pacificus, against completely sequenced genomes of R. bellii OSU85-389, R. conorii, and R. felis, identified 8,190 unique sequences that are homologous to Rickettsia sequences in the NCBI Trace Archive. MetaCyc metabolic reconstructions revealed that all folate gene orthologues (folA, folC, folE, folKP, ptpS) required for de novo folate biosynthesis are present in the genome of Rickettsia buchneri in I. scapularis. To examine the metabolic capability of phylotype G021 in I. pacificus, genes of the folate biosynthesis pathway of the bacterium were PCR amplified using degenerate primers. BLAST searches identified that nucleotide sequences of the folA, folC, folE, folKP, and ptpS genes possess 98.6%, 98.8%, 98.9%, 98.5% and 99.0% identity respectively to the corresponding genes of Rickettsia buchneri. Phylogenetic tree constructions show that the folate genes of phylotype G021 and homologous genes from various Rickettsia species are monophyletic. This study has shown that all folate genes exist in the genome of Rickettsia species phylotype G021 and that this bacterium has the genetic capability for de novo folate synthesis. PMID:26650541

  6. Plastid, nuclear and reverse transcriptase sequences in the mitochondrial genome of Oenothera: is genetic information transferred between organelles via RNA?

    PubMed Central

    Schuster, W; Brennicke, A

    1987-01-01

    We describe an open reading frame (ORF) with high homology to reverse transcriptase in the mitochondrial genome of Oenothera. This ORF displays all the characteristics of an active plant mitochondrial gene with a possible ribosome binding site and 39% T in the third codon position. It is located between a sequence fragment from the plastid genome and one of nuclear origin downstream from the gene encoding subunit 5 of the NADH dehydrogenase. The nuclear derived sequence consists of 528 nucleotides from the small ribosomal RNA and contains an expansion segment unique to nuclear rRNAs. The plastid sequence contains part of the ribosomal protein S4 and the complete tRNA(Ser). The observation that only transcribed sequences have been found i more than one subcellular compartment in higher plants suggests that interorganellar transfer of genetic information may occur via RNA and subsequent local reverse transcription and genomic integration. PMID:14650433

  7. Massive gene acquisitions in Mycobacterium indicus pranii provide a perspective on mycobacterial evolution

    PubMed Central

    Saini, Vikram; Raghuvanshi, Saurabh; Khurana, Jitendra P.; Ahmed, Niyaz; Hasnain, Seyed E.; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Tyagi, Anil K.

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the evolutionary and genomic mechanisms responsible for turning the soil-derived saprophytic mycobacteria into lethal intracellular pathogens is a critical step towards the development of strategies for the control of mycobacterial diseases. In this context, Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) is of specific interest because of its unique immunological and evolutionary significance. Evolutionarily, it is the progenitor of opportunistic pathogens belonging to M. avium complex and is endowed with features that place it between saprophytic and pathogenic species. Herein, we have sequenced the complete MIP genome to understand its unique life style, basis of immunomodulation and habitat diversification in mycobacteria. As a case of massive gene acquisitions, 50.5% of MIP open reading frames (ORFs) are laterally acquired. We show, for the first time for Mycobacterium, that MIP genome has mosaic architecture. These gene acquisitions have led to the enrichment of selected gene families critical to MIP physiology. Comparative genomic analysis indicates a higher antigenic potential of MIP imparting it a unique ability for immunomodulation. Besides, it also suggests an important role of genomic fluidity in habitat diversification within mycobacteria and provides a unique view of evolutionary divergence and putative bottlenecks that might have eventually led to intracellular survival and pathogenic attributes in mycobacteria. PMID:22965120

  8. Construction and EST sequencing of full-length, drought stress cDNA libraries for common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Common bean is an important legume crop with only a moderate number of short expressed sequence tags (ESTs) made with traditional methods. The goal of this research was to use full-length cDNA technology to develop ESTs that would overlap with the beginning of open reading frames and therefore be useful for gene annotation of genomic sequences. The library was also constructed to represent genes expressed under drought, low soil phosphorus and high soil aluminum toxicity. We also undertook comparisons of the full-length cDNA library to two previous non-full clone EST sets for common bean. Results Two full-length cDNA libraries were constructed: one for the drought tolerant Mesoamerican genotype BAT477 and the other one for the acid-soil tolerant Andean genotype G19833 which has been selected for genome sequencing. Plants were grown in three soil types using deep rooting cylinders subjected to drought and non-drought stress and tissues were collected from both roots and above ground parts. A total of 20,000 clones were selected robotically, half from each library. Then, nearly 10,000 clones from the G19833 library were sequenced with an average read length of 850 nucleotides. A total of 4,219 unigenes were identified consisting of 2,981 contigs and 1,238 singletons. These were functionally annotated with gene ontology terms and placed into KEGG pathways. Compared to other EST sequencing efforts in common bean, about half of the sequences were novel or represented the 5' ends of known genes. Conclusions The present full-length cDNA libraries add to the technological toolbox available for common bean and our sequencing of these clones substantially increases the number of unique EST sequences available for the common bean genome. All of this should be useful for both functional gene annotation, analysis of splice site variants and intron/exon boundary determination by comparison to soybean genes or with common bean whole-genome sequences. In addition the library has a large number of transcription factors and will be interesting for discovery and validation of drought or abiotic stress related genes in common bean. PMID:22118559

  9. Medical Sequencing at the extremes of Human Body Mass

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ahituv, Nadav; Kavaslar, Nihan; Schackwitz, Wendy

    2006-09-01

    Body weight is a quantitative trait with significantheritability in humans. To identify potential genetic contributors tothis phenotype, we resequenced the coding exons and splice junctions of58 genes in 379 obese and 378 lean individuals. Our 96Mb survey included21 genes associated with monogenic forms of obesity in humans or mice, aswell as 37 genes that function in body weight-related pathways. We foundthat the monogenic obesity-associated gene group was enriched for rarenonsynonymous variants unique to the obese (n=46) versus lean (n=26)populations. Computational analysis further predicted a significantlygreater fraction of deleterious variants within the obese cohort.Consistent with the complex inheritance of body weight,more » we did notobserve obvious familial segregation in the majority of the 28 availablekindreds. Taken together, these data suggest that multiple rare alleleswith variable penetrance contribute to obesity in the population andprovide a deep medical sequencing based approach to detectthem.« less

  10. The complete chloroplast genome of an irreplaceable dietary and model crop, foxtail millet (Setaria italica).

    PubMed

    Wang, Shuo; Gao, Li-Zhi

    2016-11-01

    The complete chloroplast genome sequence of foxtail millet (Setaria italica), an important food and fodder crop in the family Poaceae, is first reported in this study. The genome consists of 1 35 516 bp containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 21 804 bp separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 79 896 bp and 12 012 bp, respectively. Coding sequences constitute 58.8% of the genome harboring 111 unique genes, 71 of which are protein-coding genes, 4 are rRNA genes, and 36 are tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated foxtail millet clustered with Panicum virgatum and Echinochloa crus-galli belonging to the tribe Paniceae of the subfamily Panicoideae. This newly determined chloroplast genome will provide valuable information for the future breeding programs of valuable cereal crops in the family Poaceae.

  11. Characterization of a human X-linked gene from the DXS732E locus in the candidate region for the anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) gene (Xq13.1)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gault, J.; Zonana, J.; Zeltinger, J.

    A conserved mouse genomic clone was used to identify a homologous human genomic clone (the DXS732E locus), which was subsequently employed to isolate cDNAs from a human fetal brain library. Nine unique overlapping cDNAs were isolated, and sequences analysis of 3.9 kb identified a putative 1 kb ORF. GRAIL analysis of the sequence supported the hypothesis that the putative ORF was coding sequence, and Prosite analysis of the putative ORF identified potential glycosylation and phosphorylation sites. The 5{prime} end of the gene maps within a CpG island, and comparison of cDNA sequences indicate the gene is alternatively spliced at itsmore » 3{prime} end. Northern analysis and RT-PCR indicate that two different sized messages appear to be expressed with the gene expressed in human fetal kidney, intestine, brain, and muscle. The gene is expressed in 77 day human skin, a time when hair follicle formation occurs. Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) results in the abnormal morphogenesis of hair, teeth and eccrine sweat glands. A positional cloning strategy towards cloning the EDA gene had been used, and deletion and X-autosome translocation patients have been useful in further delimiting the EDA region. The present gene at the DXS732E locus is partially deleted in one EDA patient who does not have other apparent abnormalities. No rearrangements of the gene have been detected in two female X-autosome translocation EDA patients, nor in four additional male patients with submicroscopic molecular deletions.« less

  12. Deep sequencing reveals unique small RNA repertoire that is regulated during head regeneration in Hydra magnipapillata.

    PubMed

    Krishna, Srikar; Nair, Aparna; Cheedipudi, Sirisha; Poduval, Deepak; Dhawan, Jyotsna; Palakodeti, Dasaradhi; Ghanekar, Yashoda

    2013-01-07

    Small non-coding RNAs such as miRNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs fine-tune gene expression through post-transcriptional regulation, modulating important processes in development, differentiation, homeostasis and regeneration. Using deep sequencing, we have profiled small non-coding RNAs in Hydra magnipapillata and investigated changes in small RNA expression pattern during head regeneration. Our results reveal a unique repertoire of small RNAs in hydra. We have identified 126 miRNA loci; 123 of these miRNAs are unique to hydra. Less than 50% are conserved across two different strains of Hydra vulgaris tested in this study, indicating a highly diverse nature of hydra miRNAs in contrast to bilaterian miRNAs. We also identified siRNAs derived from precursors with perfect stem-loop structure and that arise from inverted repeats. piRNAs were the most abundant small RNAs in hydra, mapping to transposable elements, the annotated transcriptome and unique non-coding regions on the genome. piRNAs that map to transposable elements and the annotated transcriptome display a ping-pong signature. Further, we have identified several miRNAs and piRNAs whose expression is regulated during hydra head regeneration. Our study defines different classes of small RNAs in this cnidarian model system, which may play a role in orchestrating gene expression essential for hydra regeneration.

  13. Deep sequencing reveals unique small RNA repertoire that is regulated during head regeneration in Hydra magnipapillata

    PubMed Central

    Krishna, Srikar; Nair, Aparna; Cheedipudi, Sirisha; Poduval, Deepak; Dhawan, Jyotsna; Palakodeti, Dasaradhi; Ghanekar, Yashoda

    2013-01-01

    Small non-coding RNAs such as miRNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs fine-tune gene expression through post-transcriptional regulation, modulating important processes in development, differentiation, homeostasis and regeneration. Using deep sequencing, we have profiled small non-coding RNAs in Hydra magnipapillata and investigated changes in small RNA expression pattern during head regeneration. Our results reveal a unique repertoire of small RNAs in hydra. We have identified 126 miRNA loci; 123 of these miRNAs are unique to hydra. Less than 50% are conserved across two different strains of Hydra vulgaris tested in this study, indicating a highly diverse nature of hydra miRNAs in contrast to bilaterian miRNAs. We also identified siRNAs derived from precursors with perfect stem–loop structure and that arise from inverted repeats. piRNAs were the most abundant small RNAs in hydra, mapping to transposable elements, the annotated transcriptome and unique non-coding regions on the genome. piRNAs that map to transposable elements and the annotated transcriptome display a ping–pong signature. Further, we have identified several miRNAs and piRNAs whose expression is regulated during hydra head regeneration. Our study defines different classes of small RNAs in this cnidarian model system, which may play a role in orchestrating gene expression essential for hydra regeneration. PMID:23166307

  14. Mapping of herpes simplex virus-1 neurovirulence to. gamma. sub 1 34. 5, a gene nonessential for growth in culture

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chou, J.; Roizman, B.; Kern, E.R.

    1990-11-30

    The gene designated {gamma}{sub 1}34.5 maps in the inverted repeats flanking the long unique sequence of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) DNA, and therefore it is present in two copies per genome. This gene is not essential for viral growth in cell culture. Four recombinant viruses were genetically engineered to test the function of this gene. These were (i) a virus from which both copies of the gene were deleted, (ii) a virus containing a stop codon in both copies of the gene, (iii) a virus containing after the first codon an insert encoding a 16-amino acid epitope known to reactmore » with a specific monoclonal antibody, and (iv) a virus in which the deleted sequences were restored. The viruses from which the gene was deleted or which carried stop codons were avirulent on intracerebral inoculation of mice. The virus with the gene tagged by the sequence encoding the epitope was moderately virulent, whereas the restored virus reacquired the phenotype of the parent virus. Significant amounts of virus were recovered only from brains of animals inoculated with virulent viruses. Inasmuch as the product of the {gamma}{sub 1}34.5 gene extended the host range of the virus by enabling it to replicate and destroy brain cells, it is a viral neurovirulence factor.« less

  15. Many si/shRNAs can kill cancer cells by targeting multiple survival genes through an off-target mechanism

    PubMed Central

    van Dongen, Stijn; Haluck-Kangas, Ashley; Sarshad, Aishe A; Bartom, Elizabeth T; Kim, Kwang-Youn A; Scholtens, Denise M; Hafner, Markus; Zhao, Jonathan C; Murmann, Andrea E

    2017-01-01

    Over 80% of multiple-tested siRNAs and shRNAs targeting CD95 or CD95 ligand (CD95L) induce a form of cell death characterized by simultaneous activation of multiple cell death pathways preferentially killing transformed and cancer stem cells. We now show these si/shRNAs kill cancer cells through canonical RNAi by targeting the 3’UTR of critical survival genes in a unique form of off-target effect we call DISE (death induced by survival gene elimination). Drosha and Dicer-deficient cells, devoid of most miRNAs, are hypersensitive to DISE, suggesting cellular miRNAs protect cells from this form of cell death. By testing 4666 shRNAs derived from the CD95 and CD95L mRNA sequences and an unrelated control gene, Venus, we have identified many toxic sequences - most of them located in the open reading frame of CD95L. We propose that specific toxic RNAi-active sequences present in the genome can kill cancer cells. PMID:29063830

  16. The Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling Expedition: Northwest Atlantic through Eastern Tropical Pacific

    PubMed Central

    Rusch, Douglas B; Halpern, Aaron L; Sutton, Granger; Heidelberg, Karla B; Williamson, Shannon; Yooseph, Shibu; Wu, Dongying; Eisen, Jonathan A; Hoffman, Jeff M; Remington, Karin; Beeson, Karen; Tran, Bao; Smith, Hamilton; Baden-Tillson, Holly; Stewart, Clare; Thorpe, Joyce; Freeman, Jason; Andrews-Pfannkoch, Cynthia; Venter, Joseph E; Li, Kelvin; Kravitz, Saul; Heidelberg, John F; Utterback, Terry; Rogers, Yu-Hui; Falcón, Luisa I; Souza, Valeria; Bonilla-Rosso, Germán; Eguiarte, Luis E; Karl, David M; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Platt, Trevor; Bermingham, Eldredge; Gallardo, Victor; Tamayo-Castillo, Giselle; Ferrari, Michael R; Strausberg, Robert L; Nealson, Kenneth; Friedman, Robert; Frazier, Marvin; Venter, J. Craig

    2007-01-01

    The world's oceans contain a complex mixture of micro-organisms that are for the most part, uncharacterized both genetically and biochemically. We report here a metagenomic study of the marine planktonic microbiota in which surface (mostly marine) water samples were analyzed as part of the Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling expedition. These samples, collected across a several-thousand km transect from the North Atlantic through the Panama Canal and ending in the South Pacific yielded an extensive dataset consisting of 7.7 million sequencing reads (6.3 billion bp). Though a few major microbial clades dominate the planktonic marine niche, the dataset contains great diversity with 85% of the assembled sequence and 57% of the unassembled data being unique at a 98% sequence identity cutoff. Using the metadata associated with each sample and sequencing library, we developed new comparative genomic and assembly methods. One comparative genomic method, termed “fragment recruitment,” addressed questions of genome structure, evolution, and taxonomic or phylogenetic diversity, as well as the biochemical diversity of genes and gene families. A second method, termed “extreme assembly,” made possible the assembly and reconstruction of large segments of abundant but clearly nonclonal organisms. Within all abundant populations analyzed, we found extensive intra-ribotype diversity in several forms: (1) extensive sequence variation within orthologous regions throughout a given genome; despite coverage of individual ribotypes approaching 500-fold, most individual sequencing reads are unique; (2) numerous changes in gene content some with direct adaptive implications; and (3) hypervariable genomic islands that are too variable to assemble. The intra-ribotype diversity is organized into genetically isolated populations that have overlapping but independent distributions, implying distinct environmental preference. We present novel methods for measuring the genomic similarity between metagenomic samples and show how they may be grouped into several community types. Specific functional adaptations can be identified both within individual ribotypes and across the entire community, including proteorhodopsin spectral tuning and the presence or absence of the phosphate-binding gene PstS. PMID:17355176

  17. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and phylogenetic analysis of floral genes from a paleoherb species, Asarum caudigerum.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yinhe; Wang, Guoying; Zhang, Jinpeng; Yang, Junbo; Peng, Shang; Gao, Lianming; Li, Chengyun; Hu, Jinyong; Li, Dezhu; Gao, Lizhi

    2006-07-01

    Asarum caudigerum (Aristolochiaceae) is an important species of paleoherb in relation to understanding the origin and evolution of angiosperm flowers, due to its basal position in the angiosperms. The aim of this study was to isolate floral-related genes from A. caudigerum, and to infer evolutionary relationships among florally expression-related genes, to further illustrate the origin and diversification of flowers in angiosperms. A subtracted floral cDNA library was constructed from floral buds using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). The cDNA of floral buds and leaves at the seedling stage were used as a tester and a driver, respectively. To further identify the function of putative MADS-box transcription factors, phylogenetic trees were reconstructed in order to infer evolutionary relationships within the MADS-box gene family. In the forward-subtracted floral cDNA library, 1920 clones were randomly sequenced, from which 567 unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were obtained. Among them, 127 genes failed to show significant similarity to any published sequences in GenBank and thus are putatively novel genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that a total of 29 MADS-box transcription factors were members of the APETALA3(AP3) subfamily, while nine others were putative MADS-box transcription factors that formed a cluster with MADS-box genes isolated from Amborella, the basal-most angiosperm, and those from the gymnosperms. This suggests that the origin of A. caudigerum is intermediate between the angiosperms and gymnosperms.

  18. Comparative Genomics Identifies Epidermal Proteins Associated with the Evolution of the Turtle Shell.

    PubMed

    Holthaus, Karin Brigit; Strasser, Bettina; Sipos, Wolfgang; Schmidt, Heiko A; Mlitz, Veronika; Sukseree, Supawadee; Weissenbacher, Anton; Tschachler, Erwin; Alibardi, Lorenzo; Eckhart, Leopold

    2016-03-01

    The evolution of reptiles, birds, and mammals was associated with the origin of unique integumentary structures. Studies on lizards, chicken, and humans have suggested that the evolution of major structural proteins of the outermost, cornified layers of the epidermis was driven by the diversification of a gene cluster called Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC). Turtles have evolved unique defense mechanisms that depend on mechanically resilient modifications of the epidermis. To investigate whether the evolution of the integument in these reptiles was associated with specific adaptations of the sequences and expression patterns of EDC-related genes, we utilized newly available genome sequences to determine the epidermal differentiation gene complement of turtles. The EDC of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) comprises more than 100 genes, including at least 48 genes that encode proteins referred to as beta-keratins or corneous beta-proteins. Several EDC proteins have evolved cysteine/proline contents beyond 50% of total amino acid residues. Comparative genomics suggests that distinct subfamilies of EDC genes have been expanded and partly translocated to loci outside of the EDC in turtles. Gene expression analysis in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) showed that EDC genes are differentially expressed in the skin of the various body sites and that a subset of beta-keratin genes within the EDC as well as those located outside of the EDC are expressed predominantly in the shell. Our findings give strong support to the hypothesis that the evolutionary innovation of the turtle shell involved specific molecular adaptations of epidermal differentiation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  19. Gene expression profiling of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) under edaphic stress.

    PubMed

    Dmitriev, Alexey A; Kudryavtseva, Anna V; Krasnov, George S; Koroban, Nadezhda V; Speranskaya, Anna S; Krinitsina, Anastasia A; Belenikin, Maxim S; Snezhkina, Anastasiya V; Sadritdinova, Asiya F; Kishlyan, Natalya V; Rozhmina, Tatiana A; Yurkevich, Olga Yu; Muravenko, Olga V; Bolsheva, Nadezhda L; Melnikova, Nataliya V

    2016-11-16

    Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is widely used for production of textile, food, chemical and pharmaceutical products. However, various stresses decrease flax production. Search for genes, which are involved in stress response, is necessary for breeding of adaptive cultivars. Imbalanced concentration of nutrient elements in soil decrease flax yields and also results in heritable changes in some flax lines. The appearance of Linum Insertion Sequence 1 (LIS-1) is the most studied modification. However, LIS-1 function is still unclear. High-throughput sequencing of transcriptome of flax plants grown under normal (N), phosphate deficient (P), and nutrient excess (NPK) conditions was carried out using Illumina platform. The assembly of transcriptome was performed, and a total of 34924, 33797, and 33698 unique transcripts for N, P, and NPK sequencing libraries were identified, respectively. We have not revealed any LIS-1 derived mRNA in our sequencing data. The analysis of high-throughput sequencing data allowed us to identify genes with potentially differential expression under imbalanced nutrition. For further investigation with qPCR, 15 genes were chosen and their expression levels were evaluated in the extended sampling of 31 flax plants. Significant expression alterations were revealed for genes encoding WRKY and JAZ protein families under P and NPK conditions. Moreover, the alterations of WRKY family genes differed depending on LIS-1 presence in flax plant genome. Besides, we revealed slight and LIS-1 independent mRNA level changes of KRP2 and ING1 genes, which are adjacent to LIS-1, under nutrition stress. Differentially expressed genes were identified in flax plants, which were grown under phosphate deficiency and excess nutrition, on the basis of high-throughput sequencing and qPCR data. We showed that WRKY and JAS gene families participate in flax response to imbalanced nutrient content in soil. Besides, we have not identified any mRNA, which could be derived from LIS-1, in our transcriptome sequencing data. Expression of LIS-1 flanking genes, ING1 and KRP2, was suggested not to be nutrient stress-induced. Obtained results provide new insights into edaphic stress response in flax and the role of LIS-1 in these process.

  20. The minisatellite of the GPI/AMF/NLK/MF gene: interspecies conservation and transcriptional activity.

    PubMed

    Williams, R R; Hassan-Walker, A F; Lavender, F L; Morgan, M; Faik, P; Ragoussis, J

    2001-05-16

    Minisatellites are tandemly repeated DNA sequences found throughout the genomes of all eukaryotes. They are regions often prone to instability and hence hypervariability; thus repeat unit sequence is generally not conserved beyond closely related species. We have studied the minisatellite located in intron 9 of the human glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) gene (also known as neuroleukin, autocrine motility factor, maturation and differentiation factor) and have found, by Zoo blotting coupled with PCR amplification and DNA sequencing, that similar repeat units are present in seven other species of mammal. There is also evidence for the presence of the minisatellite in chicken. The repeat unit does not appear to be present at any other locus in these genomes. Minisatellite DNA has been reported to be involved in recombination activity, control of gene expression of nearby gene(s) (both transcriptional and translational), whilst others form protein coding regions. The high level of conservation exhibited by the GPI minisatellite, coupled with the unique location, strongly suggests a functional role. Our results from transient and stable transfections using luciferase reporter constructs have shown that the GPI minisatellite region can act to increase transcription from the SV40 promoter, CMV promoter and the human GPI promoter.

  1. Targeted next-generation sequencing reveals that a compound heterozygous mutation in phosphodiesterase 6a gene leads to retinitis pigmentosa in a Chinese family.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shanshan; Li, Jie; Li, Shujin; Yang, Yeming; Yang, Mu; Yang, Zhenglin; Zhu, Xianjun; Zhang, Lin

    2018-04-25

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with over 70 causative genes identified to date. However, approximately 40% of RP cases remain genetically unsolved, suggesting that many novel disease-causing mutations are yet to be identified. The purpose of this study is to identify the causative mutations of a Chinese RP family. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) for a total of 163 genes which involved in inherited retinal disorders were used to screen the possible causative mutations. Sanger sequencing was used to verify the mutations. As results, we identified two heterozygous mutations: a splicing site mutation c.1407 + 1G>C and a nonsense mutation c. 1957C>T (p.R653X) in phosphodiesterase 6A (PDE6A) gene in the RP patient. These two mutations are inherited from his father and mother, respectively. Furthermore, these mutations are unique in our in-house database and are rare in human genome databases, implicating that these two mutations are pathological. By using targeted NGS method, we identified a compound heterozygous mutation in PDE6A gene that is associated with RP in a Chinese family.

  2. The complete genome sequence of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer).

    PubMed

    Glanzmann, Brigitte; Möller, Marlo; le Roex, Nikki; Tromp, Gerard; Hoal, Eileen G; van Helden, Paul D

    2016-12-07

    The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is an important role player in the savannah ecosystem. It has become a species of relevance because of its role as a wildlife maintenance host for an array of infectious and zoonotic diseases some of which include corridor disease, foot-and-mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis. To date, no complete genome sequence for S. caffer had been available for study and the genomes of other species such as the domestic cow (Bos taurus) had been used as a proxy for any genetics analysis conducted on this species. Here, the high coverage genome sequence of the African buffalo (S. caffer) is presented. A total of 19,765 genes were predicted and 19,296 genes could be successfully annotated to S. caffer while 469 genes remained unannotated. Moreover, in order to extend a detailed annotation of S. caffer, gene clusters were constructed using twelve additional mammalian genomes. The S. caffer genome contains 10,988 gene clusters, of which 62 are shared exclusively between B. taurus and S. caffer. This study provides a unique genomic perspective for the S. caffer, allowing for the identification of novel variants that may play a role in the natural history and physiological adaptations.

  3. Characterization of the flgG operon of Rhodobacter sphaeroides WS8 and its role in flagellum biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    González-Pedrajo, Bertha; de la Mora, Javier; Ballado, Teresa; Camarena, Laura; Dreyfus, Georges

    2002-11-13

    In this work, we show evidence regarding the functionality of a large cluster of flagellar genes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The genes of this cluster, flgGHIJKL and orf-1, are mainly involved in the formation of the basal body, and flgK and flgL encode the hook-associated proteins HAP1 and HAP3. In general, these genes showed a good similarity as compared with those reported for Salmonella enterica. However, flgJ and flgK showed particular features that make them unique among the flagellar sequences already reported. flgJ is only a third of the size reported for flgJ from Salmonella; whereas flgK is about three times larger than any other flgK sequence previously known. Our results indicate that both genes are functional, and their products are essential for flagellar assembly. In contrast, the interruption of orf-1, did not affect motility suggesting that this sequence, if functional, is not indispensable for flagellar assembly. Finally, we present genetic evidence suggesting that the flgGHIJKL genes are expressed as a single transcriptional unit depending on the sigma-54 factor.

  4. Genetic Architecture of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test: Evidence for Distinct Genetic Influences on Executive Function

    PubMed Central

    Vasilopoulos, Terrie; Franz, Carol E.; Panizzon, Matthew S.; Xian, Hong; Grant, Michael D.; Lyons, Michael J; Toomey, Rosemary; Jacobson, Kristen C.; Kremen, William S.

    2012-01-01

    Objective To examine how genes and environments contribute to relationships among Trail Making test conditions and the extent to which these conditions have unique genetic and environmental influences. Method Participants included 1237 middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam-Era Twin Study of Aging (VESTA). The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making test included visual searching, number and letter sequencing, and set-shifting components. Results Phenotypic correlations among Trails conditions ranged from 0.29 – 0.60, and genes accounted for the majority (58–84%) of each correlation. Overall heritability ranged from 0.34 to 0.62 across conditions. Phenotypic factor analysis suggested a single factor. In contrast, genetic models revealed a single common genetic factor but also unique genetic influences separate from the common factor. Genetic variance (i.e., heritability) of number and letter sequencing was completely explained by the common genetic factor while unique genetic influences separate from the common factor accounted for 57% and 21% of the heritabilities of visual search and set-shifting, respectively. After accounting for general cognitive ability, unique genetic influences accounted for 64% and 31% of those heritabilities. Conclusions A common genetic factor, most likely representing a combination of speed and sequencing accounted for most of the correlation among Trails 1–4. Distinct genetic factors, however, accounted for a portion of variance in visual scanning and set-shifting. Thus, although traditional phenotypic shared variance analysis techniques suggest only one general factor underlying different neuropsychological functions in non-patient populations, examining the genetic underpinnings of cognitive processes with twin analysis can uncover more complex etiological processes. PMID:22201299

  5. The tmRNA website

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hudson, Corey M.; Williams, Kelly P.

    We report that the transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and its partner protein SmpB act together in resolving problems arising when translating bacterial ribosomes reach the end of mRNA with no stop codon. Their genes have been found in nearly all bacterial genomes and in some organelles. The tmRNA Website serves tmRNA sequences, alignments and feature annotations, and has recently moved to http: //bioinformatics.sandia.gov/tmrna/. New features include software used to find the sequences, an update raising the number of unique tmRNA sequences from 492 to 1716, and a database of SmpB sequences which are served along with the tmRNA sequence from themore » same organism.« less

  6. The tmRNA website

    DOE PAGES

    Hudson, Corey M.; Williams, Kelly P.

    2014-11-05

    We report that the transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and its partner protein SmpB act together in resolving problems arising when translating bacterial ribosomes reach the end of mRNA with no stop codon. Their genes have been found in nearly all bacterial genomes and in some organelles. The tmRNA Website serves tmRNA sequences, alignments and feature annotations, and has recently moved to http: //bioinformatics.sandia.gov/tmrna/. New features include software used to find the sequences, an update raising the number of unique tmRNA sequences from 492 to 1716, and a database of SmpB sequences which are served along with the tmRNA sequence from themore » same organism.« less

  7. Construction of a medicinal leech transcriptome database and its application to the identification of leech homologs of neural and innate immune genes.

    PubMed

    Macagno, Eduardo R; Gaasterland, Terry; Edsall, Lee; Bafna, Vineet; Soares, Marcelo B; Scheetz, Todd; Casavant, Thomas; Da Silva, Corinne; Wincker, Patrick; Tasiemski, Aurélie; Salzet, Michel

    2010-06-25

    The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, is an important model system for the study of nervous system structure, function, development, regeneration and repair. It is also a unique species in being presently approved for use in medical procedures, such as clearing of pooled blood following certain surgical procedures. It is a current, and potentially also future, source of medically useful molecular factors, such as anticoagulants and antibacterial peptides, which may have evolved as a result of its parasitizing large mammals, including humans. Despite the broad focus of research on this system, little has been done at the genomic or transcriptomic levels and there is a paucity of openly available sequence data. To begin to address this problem, we constructed whole embryo and adult central nervous system (CNS) EST libraries and created a clustered sequence database of the Hirudo transcriptome that is available to the scientific community. A total of approximately 133,000 EST clones from two directionally-cloned cDNA libraries, one constructed from mRNA derived from whole embryos at several developmental stages and the other from adult CNS cords, were sequenced in one or both directions by three different groups: Genoscope (French National Sequencing Center), the University of Iowa Sequencing Facility and the DOE Joint Genome Institute. These were assembled using the phrap software package into 31,232 unique contigs and singletons, with an average length of 827 nt. The assembled transcripts were then translated in all six frames and compared to proteins in NCBI's non-redundant (NR) and to the Gene Ontology (GO) protein sequence databases, resulting in 15,565 matches to 11,236 proteins in NR and 13,935 matches to 8,073 proteins in GO. Searching the database for transcripts of genes homologous to those thought to be involved in the innate immune responses of vertebrates and other invertebrates yielded a set of nearly one hundred evolutionarily conserved sequences, representing all known pathways involved in these important functions. The sequences obtained for Hirudo transcripts represent the first major database of genes expressed in this important model system. Comparison of translated open reading frames (ORFs) with the other openly available leech datasets, the genome and transcriptome of Helobdella robusta, shows an average identity at the amino acid level of 58% in matched sequences. Interestingly, comparison with other available Lophotrochozoans shows similar high levels of amino acid identity, where sequences match, for example, 64% with Capitella capitata (a polychaete) and 56% with Aplysia californica (a mollusk), as well as 58% with Schistosoma mansoni (a platyhelminth). Phylogenetic comparisons of putative Hirudo innate immune response genes present within the Hirudo transcriptome database herein described show a strong resemblance to the corresponding mammalian genes, indicating that this important physiological response may have older origins than what has been previously proposed.

  8. Construction of a Lotus japonicus late nodulin expressed sequence tag library and identification of novel nodule-specific genes.

    PubMed Central

    Szczyglowski, K; Hamburger, D; Kapranov, P; de Bruijn, F J

    1997-01-01

    A range of novel expressed sequence tags (ESTs) associated with late developmental events during nodule organogenesis in the legume Lotus japonicus were identified using mRNA differential display; 110 differentially displayed polymerase chain reaction products were cloned and analyzed. Of 88 unique cDNAs obtained, 22 shared significant homology to DNA/protein sequences in the respective databases. This group comprises, among others, a nodule-specific homolog of protein phosphatase 2C, a peptide transporter protein, and a nodule-specific form of cytochrome P450. RNA gel-blot analysis of 16 differentially displayed ESTs confirmed their nodule-specific expression pattern. The kinetics of mRNA accumulation of the majority of the ESTs analyzed were found to resemble the expression pattern observed for the L. japonicus leghemoglobin gene. These results indicate that the newly isolated molecular markers correspond to genes induced during late developmental stages of L. japonicus nodule organogenesis and provide important, novel tools for the study of nodulation. PMID:9276951

  9. Peregrine and saker falcon genome sequences provide insights into evolution of a predatory lifestyle.

    PubMed

    Zhan, Xiangjiang; Pan, Shengkai; Wang, Junyi; Dixon, Andrew; He, Jing; Muller, Margit G; Ni, Peixiang; Hu, Li; Liu, Yuan; Hou, Haolong; Chen, Yuanping; Xia, Jinquan; Luo, Qiong; Xu, Pengwei; Chen, Ying; Liao, Shengguang; Cao, Changchang; Gao, Shukun; Wang, Zhaobao; Yue, Zhen; Li, Guoqing; Yin, Ye; Fox, Nick C; Wang, Jun; Bruford, Michael W

    2013-05-01

    As top predators, falcons possess unique morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow them to be successful hunters: for example, the peregrine is renowned as the world's fastest animal. To examine the evolutionary basis of predatory adaptations, we sequenced the genomes of both the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and saker falcon (Falco cherrug), and we present parallel, genome-wide evidence for evolutionary innovation and selection for a predatory lifestyle. The genomes, assembled using Illumina deep sequencing with greater than 100-fold coverage, are both approximately 1.2 Gb in length, with transcriptome-assisted prediction of approximately 16,200 genes for both species. Analysis of 8,424 orthologs in both falcons, chicken, zebra finch and turkey identified consistent evidence for genome-wide rapid evolution in these raptors. SNP-based inference showed contrasting recent demographic trajectories for the two falcons, and gene-based analysis highlighted falcon-specific evolutionary novelties for beak development and olfaction and specifically for homeostasis-related genes in the arid environment-adapted saker.

  10. A report on extensive lateral genetic reciprocation between arsenic resistant Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus strains analyzed using RAPD-PCR.

    PubMed

    Khowal, Sapna; Siddiqui, Md Zulquarnain; Ali, Shadab; Khan, Mohd Taha; Khan, Mather Ali; Naqvi, Samar Husain; Wajid, Saima

    2017-02-01

    The study involves isolation of arsenic resistant bacteria from soil samples. The characterization of bacteria isolates was based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The phylogenetic consanguinity among isolates was studied employing rpoB and gltX gene sequence. RAPD-PCR technique was used to analyze genetic similarity between arsenic resistant isolates. In accordance with the results Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus strains may exhibit extensive horizontal gene transfer. Arsenic resistant potency in Bacillus sonorensis and high arsenite tolerance in Bacillus pumilus strains was identified. The RAPD-PCR primer OPO-02 amplified a 0.5kb DNA band specific to B. pumilus 3ZZZ strain and 0.75kb DNA band specific to B. subtilis 3PP. These unique DNA bands may have potential use as SCAR (Sequenced Characterized Amplified Region) molecular markers for identification of arsenic resistant B. pumilus and B. subtilis strains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Weissella ghanensis sp. nov., isolated from a Ghanaian cocoa fermentation.

    PubMed

    De Bruyne, Katrien; Camu, Nicholas; Lefebvre, Karen; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter

    2008-12-01

    During a study on lactic acid bacteria (and their species diversity) in spontaneous heap fermentations of Ghanaian cocoa beans, two strains, designated 215(T) and 194B, were isolated. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that these strains represented a distinct lineage close to the genus Weissella and showing only 92.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with respect to their closest neighbour, Weissella soli LMG 20113(T). Whole-cell protein electrophoresis, fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of whole genomes and physiological and biochemical tests confirmed the unique taxonomic position of the two novel isolates. On the basis of the results of the morphological and biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strains 215(T) and 194B represent the most peripheral lineage of the genus Weissella, for which we propose the name Weissella ghanensis sp. nov. The type strain is 215(T) (=LMG 24286(T)=DSM 19935(T)).

  12. Enterobacter cloacae with a novel variant of ACT AmpC beta-lactamase originating from glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) in Svalbard.

    PubMed

    Literak, Ivan; Manga, Ivan; Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna; Chroma, Magdalena; Jamborova, Ivana; Dobiasova, Hana; Sedlakova, Miroslava Htoutou; Cizek, Alois

    2014-07-16

    We aimed at Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae isolates resistant to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones and Salmonella isolates in wild birds in Arctic Svalbard, Norway. Cloacal swabs of little auks (Alle alle, n=215) and samples of faeces of glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus, n=15) were examined. Inducible production of AmpC enzyme was detected in E. cloacae KW218 isolate. Sequence analysis of the 1146 bp PCR product of the ampC gene from this isolate revealed 99% sequence homology with the blaACT-14 and blaACT-5 AmpC beta-lactamase genes. Four, respectively six of the identified single nucleotide polymorphisms generated amino acid substitutions in the amino acid chain. As the ampC sequence polymorphism in the investigated E. cloacae strain was identified as unique, we revealed a novel variant of the ampC beta-lactamase gene blaACT-23. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Expressed sequence tags from Atta laevigata and identification of candidate genes for the control of pest leaf-cutting ants.

    PubMed

    Rodovalho, Cynara M; Ferro, Milene; Fonseca, Fernando Pp; Antonio, Erik A; Guilherme, Ivan R; Henrique-Silva, Flávio; Bacci, Maurício

    2011-06-17

    Leafcutters are the highest evolved within Neotropical ants in the tribe Attini and model systems for studying caste formation, labor division and symbiosis with microorganisms. Some species of leafcutters are agricultural pests controlled by chemicals which affect other animals and accumulate in the environment. Aiming to provide genetic basis for the study of leafcutters and for the development of more specific and environmentally friendly methods for the control of pest leafcutters, we generated expressed sequence tag data from Atta laevigata, one of the pest ants with broad geographic distribution in South America. The analysis of the expressed sequence tags allowed us to characterize 2,006 unique sequences in Atta laevigata. Sixteen of these genes had a high number of transcripts and are likely positively selected for high level of gene expression, being responsible for three basic biological functions: energy conservation through redox reactions in mitochondria; cytoskeleton and muscle structuring; regulation of gene expression and metabolism. Based on leafcutters lifestyle and reports of genes involved in key processes of other social insects, we identified 146 sequences potential targets for controlling pest leafcutters. The targets are responsible for antixenobiosis, development and longevity, immunity, resistance to pathogens, pheromone function, cell signaling, behavior, polysaccharide metabolism and arginine kynase activity. The generation and analysis of expressed sequence tags from Atta laevigata have provided important genetic basis for future studies on the biology of leaf-cutting ants and may contribute to the development of a more specific and environmentally friendly method for the control of agricultural pest leafcutters.

  14. Expressed sequence tags from Atta laevigata and identification of candidate genes for the control of pest leaf-cutting ants

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Leafcutters are the highest evolved within Neotropical ants in the tribe Attini and model systems for studying caste formation, labor division and symbiosis with microorganisms. Some species of leafcutters are agricultural pests controlled by chemicals which affect other animals and accumulate in the environment. Aiming to provide genetic basis for the study of leafcutters and for the development of more specific and environmentally friendly methods for the control of pest leafcutters, we generated expressed sequence tag data from Atta laevigata, one of the pest ants with broad geographic distribution in South America. Results The analysis of the expressed sequence tags allowed us to characterize 2,006 unique sequences in Atta laevigata. Sixteen of these genes had a high number of transcripts and are likely positively selected for high level of gene expression, being responsible for three basic biological functions: energy conservation through redox reactions in mitochondria; cytoskeleton and muscle structuring; regulation of gene expression and metabolism. Based on leafcutters lifestyle and reports of genes involved in key processes of other social insects, we identified 146 sequences potential targets for controlling pest leafcutters. The targets are responsible for antixenobiosis, development and longevity, immunity, resistance to pathogens, pheromone function, cell signaling, behavior, polysaccharide metabolism and arginine kynase activity. Conclusion The generation and analysis of expressed sequence tags from Atta laevigata have provided important genetic basis for future studies on the biology of leaf-cutting ants and may contribute to the development of a more specific and environmentally friendly method for the control of agricultural pest leafcutters. PMID:21682882

  15. Improved annotation through genome-scale metabolic modeling of Aspergillus oryzae

    PubMed Central

    Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Olsen, Peter; Hansen, Kim; Krogsgaard, Steen; Nielsen, Jens

    2008-01-01

    Background Since ancient times the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae has been used in the fermentation industry for the production of fermented sauces and the production of industrial enzymes. Recently, the genome sequence of A. oryzae with 12,074 annotated genes was released but the number of hypothetical proteins accounted for more than 50% of the annotated genes. Considering the industrial importance of this fungus, it is therefore valuable to improve the annotation and further integrate genomic information with biochemical and physiological information available for this microorganism and other related fungi. Here we proposed the gene prediction by construction of an A. oryzae Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) library, sequencing and assembly. We enhanced the function assignment by our developed annotation strategy. The resulting better annotation was used to reconstruct the metabolic network leading to a genome scale metabolic model of A. oryzae. Results Our assembled EST sequences we identified 1,046 newly predicted genes in the A. oryzae genome. Furthermore, it was possible to assign putative protein functions to 398 of the newly predicted genes. Noteworthy, our annotation strategy resulted in assignment of new putative functions to 1,469 hypothetical proteins already present in the A. oryzae genome database. Using the substantially improved annotated genome we reconstructed the metabolic network of A. oryzae. This network contains 729 enzymes, 1,314 enzyme-encoding genes, 1,073 metabolites and 1,846 (1,053 unique) biochemical reactions. The metabolic reactions are compartmentalized into the cytosol, the mitochondria, the peroxisome and the extracellular space. Transport steps between the compartments and the extracellular space represent 281 reactions, of which 161 are unique. The metabolic model was validated and shown to correctly describe the phenotypic behavior of A. oryzae grown on different carbon sources. Conclusion A much enhanced annotation of the A. oryzae genome was performed and a genome-scale metabolic model of A. oryzae was reconstructed. The model accurately predicted the growth and biomass yield on different carbon sources. The model serves as an important resource for gaining further insight into our understanding of A. oryzae physiology. PMID:18500999

  16. Identification of three novel NHS mutations in families with Nance-Horan syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Junhua; Brooks, Simon P.; Hardcastle, Alison J.; Lewis, Richard Alan; Stambolian, Dwight

    2007-01-01

    Purpose Nance-Horan Syndrome (NHS) is an infrequent and often overlooked X-linked disorder characterized by dense congenital cataracts, microphthalmia, and dental abnormalities. The syndrome is caused by mutations in the NHS gene, whose function is not known. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency and distribution of NHS gene mutations and compare genotype with Nance-Horan phenotype in five North American NHS families. Methods Genomic DNA was isolated from white blood cells from NHS patients and family members. The NHS gene coding region and its splice site donor and acceptor regions were amplified from genomic DNA by PCR, and the amplicons were sequenced directly. Results We identified three unique NHS coding region mutations in these NHS families. Conclusions This report extends the number of unique identified NHS mutations to 14. PMID:17417607

  17. De Novo Transcriptome of the Hemimetabolous German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xiaojie; Qian, Kun; Tong, Ying; Zhu, Junwei Jerry; Qiu, Xinghui; Zeng, Xiaopeng

    2014-01-01

    Background The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is an important insect pest that transmits various pathogens mechanically and causes severe allergic diseases. This insect has long served as a model system for studies of insect biology, physiology and ecology. However, the lack of genome or transcriptome information heavily hinder our further understanding about the German cockroach in every aspect at a molecular level and on a genome-wide scale. To explore the transcriptome and identify unique sequences of interest, we subjected the B. germanica transcriptome to massively parallel pyrosequencing and generated the first reference transcriptome for B. germanica. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 1,365,609 raw reads with an average length of 529 bp were generated via pyrosequencing the mixed cDNA library from different life stages of German cockroach including maturing oothecae, nymphs, adult females and males. The raw reads were de novo assembled to 48,800 contigs and 3,961 singletons with high-quality unique sequences. These sequences were annotated and classified functionally in terms of BLAST, GO and KEGG, and the genes putatively coding detoxification enzyme systems, insecticide targets, key components in systematic RNA interference, immunity and chemoreception pathways were identified. A total of 3,601 SSRs (Simple Sequence Repeats) loci were also predicted. Conclusions/Significance The whole transcriptome pyrosequencing data from this study provides a usable genetic resource for future identification of potential functional genes involved in various biological processes. PMID:25265537

  18. Avian acute leukemia viruses MC29 and MH2 share specific RNA sequences: Evidence for a second class of transforming genes

    PubMed Central

    Duesberg, Peter H.; Vogt, Peter K.

    1979-01-01

    The genome of the defective avian tumor virus MH2 was identified as a RNA of 5.7 kilobases by its presence in different MH2-helper virus complexes and its absence from pure helper virus, by its unique fingerprint pattern of RNase T1-resistant (T1) oligonucleotides that differed from those of two helper virus RNAs, and by its structural analogy to the RNA of MC29, another avian acute leukemia virus. Two sets of sequences were distinguished in MH2 RNA: 66% hybridized with DNA complementary to helper-independent avian tumor viruses, termed group-specific, and 34% were specific. The percentage of specific sequences is considered a minimal estimate because the MH2 RNA used was about 30% contaminated by helper virus RNA. No sequences related to the transforming src gene of avian sarcoma viruses were found in MH2. MH2 shared three large T1 oligonucleotides with MC29, two of which could also be isolated from a RNase A- and T1-resistant hybrid formed between MH2 RNA and MC29 specific cDNA. These oligonucleotides belong to a group of six that define the specific segment of MC29 RNA described previously. The group-specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 RNA shared only the two smallest out of about 20 T1 oligonucleotides associated with MH2 RNA. It is concluded that the specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 are related, and it is proposed that they are necessary for, or identical with, the onc genes of these viruses. These sequences would define a related class of transforming genes in avian tumor viruses that differs from the src genes of avian sarcoma viruses. Images PMID:221900

  19. Comparative transcriptome analysis of microsclerotia development in Nomuraea rileyi.

    PubMed

    Song, Zhangyong; Yin, Youping; Jiang, Shasha; Liu, Juanjuan; Chen, Huan; Wang, Zhongkang

    2013-06-19

    Nomuraea rileyi is used as an environmental-friendly biopesticide. However, mass production and commercialization of this organism are limited due to its fastidious growth and sporulation requirements. When cultured in amended medium, we found that N. rileyi could produce microsclerotia bodies, replacing conidiophores as the infectious agent. However, little is known about the genes involved in microsclerotia development. In the present study, the transcriptomes were analyzed using next-generation sequencing technology to find the genes involved in microsclerotia development. A total of 4.69 Gb of clean nucleotides comprising 32,061 sequences was obtained, and 20,919 sequences were annotated (about 65%). Among the annotated sequences, only 5928 were annotated with 34 gene ontology (GO) functional categories, and 12,778 sequences were mapped to 165 pathways by searching against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) database. Furthermore, we assessed the transcriptomic differences between cultures grown in minimal and amended medium. In total, 4808 sequences were found to be differentially expressed; 719 differentially expressed unigenes were assigned to 25 GO classes and 1888 differentially expressed unigenes were assigned to 161 KEGG pathways, including 25 enrichment pathways. Subsequently, we examined the up-regulation or uniquely expressed genes following amended medium treatment, which were also expressed on the enrichment pathway, and found that most of them participated in mediating oxidative stress homeostasis. To elucidate the role of oxidative stress in microsclerotia development, we analyzed the diversification of unigenes using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR). Our findings suggest that oxidative stress occurs during microsclerotia development, along with a broad metabolic activity change. Our data provide the most comprehensive sequence resource available for the study of N. rileyi. We believe that the transcriptome datasets will serve as an important public information platform to accelerate studies on N. rileyi microsclerotia.

  20. Partial characterization of normal and Haemophilus influenzae-infected mucosal complementary DNA libraries in chinchilla middle ear mucosa.

    PubMed

    Kerschner, Joseph E; Erdos, Geza; Hu, Fen Ze; Burrows, Amy; Cioffi, Joseph; Khampang, Pawjai; Dahlgren, Margaret; Hayes, Jay; Keefe, Randy; Janto, Benjamin; Post, J Christopher; Ehrlich, Garth D

    2010-04-01

    We sought to construct and partially characterize complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries prepared from the middle ear mucosa (MEM) of chinchillas to better understand pathogenic aspects of infection and inflammation, particularly with respect to leukotriene biogenesis and response. Chinchilla MEM was harvested from controls and after middle ear inoculation with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. RNA was extracted to generate cDNA libraries. Randomly selected clones were subjected to sequence analysis to characterize the libraries and to provide DNA sequence for phylogenetic analyses. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of the RNA pools was used to generate cDNA sequences corresponding to genes associated with leukotriene biosynthesis and metabolism. Sequence analysis of 921 randomly selected clones from the uninfected MEM cDNA library produced approximately 250,000 nucleotides of almost entirely novel sequence data. Searches of the GenBank database with the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool provided for identification of 515 unique genes expressed in the MEM and not previously described in chinchillas. In almost all cases, the chinchilla cDNA sequences displayed much greater homology to human or other primate genes than with rodent species. Genes associated with leukotriene metabolism were present in both normal and infected MEM. Based on both phylogenetic comparisons and gene expression similarities with humans, chinchilla MEM appears to be an excellent model for the study of middle ear inflammation and infection. The higher degree of sequence similarity between chinchillas and humans compared to chinchillas and rodents was unexpected. The cDNA libraries from normal and infected chinchilla MEM will serve as useful molecular tools in the study of otitis media and should yield important information with respect to middle ear pathogenesis.

  1. Partial Characterization of Normal and Haemophilus influenzae–Infected Mucosal Complementary DNA Libraries in Chinchilla Middle Ear Mucosa

    PubMed Central

    Kerschner, Joseph E.; Erdos, Geza; Hu, Fen Ze; Burrows, Amy; Cioffi, Joseph; Khampang, Pawjai; Dahlgren, Margaret; Hayes, Jay; Keefe, Randy; Janto, Benjamin; Post, J. Christopher; Ehrlich, Garth D.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives We sought to construct and partially characterize complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries prepared from the middle ear mucosa (MEM) of chinchillas to better understand pathogenic aspects of infection and inflammation, particularly with respect to leukotriene biogenesis and response. Methods Chinchilla MEM was harvested from controls and after middle ear inoculation with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. RNA was extracted to generate cDNA libraries. Randomly selected clones were subjected to sequence analysis to characterize the libraries and to provide DNA sequence for phylogenetic analyses. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction of the RNA pools was used to generate cDNA sequences corresponding to genes associated with leukotriene biosynthesis and metabolism. Results Sequence analysis of 921 randomly selected clones from the uninfected MEM cDNA library produced approximately 250,000 nucleotides of almost entirely novel sequence data. Searches of the GenBank database with the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool provided for identification of 515 unique genes expressed in the MEM and not previously described in chinchillas. In almost all cases, the chinchilla cDNA sequences displayed much greater homology to human or other primate genes than with rodent species. Genes associated with leukotriene metabolism were present in both normal and infected MEM. Conclusions Based on both phylogenetic comparisons and gene expression similarities with humans, chinchilla MEM appears to be an excellent model for the study of middle ear inflammation and infection. The higher degree of sequence similarity between chinchillas and humans compared to chinchillas and rodents was unexpected. The cDNA libraries from normal and infected chinchilla MEM will serve as useful molecular tools in the study of otitis media and should yield important information with respect to middle ear pathogenesis. PMID:20433028

  2. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.).

    PubMed

    Yang, Meng; Zhang, Xiaowei; Liu, Guiming; Yin, Yuxin; Chen, Kaifu; Yun, Quanzheng; Zhao, Duojun; Al-Mssallem, Ibrahim S; Yu, Jun

    2010-09-15

    Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a member of Arecaceae family, is one of the three major economically important woody palms--the two other palms being oil palm and coconut tree--and its fruit is a staple food among Middle East and North African nations, as well as many other tropical and subtropical regions. Here we report a complete sequence of the data palm chloroplast (cp) genome based on pyrosequencing. After extracting 369,022 cp sequencing reads from our whole-genome-shotgun data, we put together an assembly and validated it with intensive PCR-based verification, coupled with PCR product sequencing. The date palm cp genome is 158,462 bp in length and has a typical quadripartite structure of the large (LSC, 86,198 bp) and small single-copy (SSC, 17,712 bp) regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 27,276 bp). Similar to what has been found among most angiosperms, the date palm cp genome harbors 112 unique genes and 19 duplicated fragments in the IR regions. The junctions between LSC/IRs and SSC/IRs show different features of sequence expansion in evolution. We identified 78 SNPs as major intravarietal polymorphisms within the population of a specific cp genome, most of which were located in genes with vital functions. Based on RNA-sequencing data, we also found 18 polycistronic transcription units and three highly expression-biased genes--atpF, trnA-UGC, and rrn23. Unlike most monocots, date palm has a typical cp genome similar to that of tobacco--with little rearrangement and gene loss or gain. High-throughput sequencing technology facilitates the identification of intravarietal variations in cp genomes among different cultivars. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of cp genes provides clues for uncovering regulatory mechanisms of transcription and translation in chloroplasts.

  3. The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database

    PubMed Central

    McArthur, Andrew G.; Waglechner, Nicholas; Nizam, Fazmin; Yan, Austin; Azad, Marisa A.; Baylay, Alison J.; Bhullar, Kirandeep; Canova, Marc J.; De Pascale, Gianfranco; Ejim, Linda; Kalan, Lindsay; King, Andrew M.; Koteva, Kalinka; Morar, Mariya; Mulvey, Michael R.; O'Brien, Jonathan S.; Pawlowski, Andrew C.; Piddock, Laura J. V.; Spanogiannopoulos, Peter; Sutherland, Arlene D.; Tang, Irene; Taylor, Patricia L.; Thaker, Maulik; Wang, Wenliang; Yan, Marie; Yu, Tennison

    2013-01-01

    The field of antibiotic drug discovery and the monitoring of new antibiotic resistance elements have yet to fully exploit the power of the genome revolution. Despite the fact that the first genomes sequenced of free living organisms were those of bacteria, there have been few specialized bioinformatic tools developed to mine the growing amount of genomic data associated with pathogens. In particular, there are few tools to study the genetics and genomics of antibiotic resistance and how it impacts bacterial populations, ecology, and the clinic. We have initiated development of such tools in the form of the Comprehensive Antibiotic Research Database (CARD; http://arpcard.mcmaster.ca). The CARD integrates disparate molecular and sequence data, provides a unique organizing principle in the form of the Antibiotic Resistance Ontology (ARO), and can quickly identify putative antibiotic resistance genes in new unannotated genome sequences. This unique platform provides an informatic tool that bridges antibiotic resistance concerns in health care, agriculture, and the environment. PMID:23650175

  4. Limit cycles in piecewise-affine gene network models with multiple interaction loops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farcot, Etienne; Gouzé, Jean-Luc

    2010-01-01

    In this article, we consider piecewise affine differential equations modelling gene networks. We work with arbitrary decay rates, and under a local hypothesis expressed as an alignment condition of successive focal points. The interaction graph of the system may be rather complex (multiple intricate loops of any sign, multiple thresholds, etc.). Our main result is an alternative theorem showing that if a sequence of region is periodically visited by trajectories, then under our hypotheses, there exists either a unique stable periodic solution, or the origin attracts all trajectories in this sequence of regions. This result extends greatly our previous work on a single negative feedback loop. We give several examples and simulations illustrating different cases.

  5. New multifunctional Escherichia coli-Streptomyces shuttle vectors allowing blue-white screening on XGal plates.

    PubMed

    Wehmeier, U F

    1995-11-07

    Four new shuttle vectors for Escherichia coli (Ec) and Streptomyces, pUWL218, pUWL219, pUWL-SK and pUWL-KS, which permit recognition of recombinant (re-) plasmids on XGal plates in Ec, were constructed. These vectors contain the replication functions of the Streptomyces wide-host-range multicopy plasmid pIJ101, the tsr gene conferring resistance to thiostrepton in Streptomyces, the ColEI origin of replication from the pUC plasmids for replication in Ec and the bla gene conferring resistance to ampicillin in Ec. They possess multiple cloning sites with a number of unique restriction sites and allow direct sequencing of re-derivatives using the pUC sequencing primers.

  6. Novel coding, translation, and gene expression of a replicating covalently closed circular RNA of 220 nt.

    PubMed

    AbouHaidar, Mounir Georges; Venkataraman, Srividhya; Golshani, Ashkan; Liu, Bolin; Ahmad, Tauqeer

    2014-10-07

    The highly structured (64% GC) covalently closed circular (CCC) RNA (220 nt) of the virusoid associated with rice yellow mottle virus codes for a 16-kDa highly basic protein using novel modalities for coding, translation, and gene expression. This CCC RNA is the smallest among all known viroids and virusoids and the only one that codes proteins. Its sequence possesses an internal ribosome entry site and is directly translated through two (or three) completely overlapping ORFs (shifting to a new reading frame at the end of each round). The initiation and termination codons overlap UGAUGA (underline highlights the initiation codon AUG within the combined initiation-termination sequence). Termination codons can be ignored to obtain larger read-through proteins. This circular RNA with no noncoding sequences is a unique natural supercompact "nanogenome."

  7. Phylogenetic position of the pentastomida and [pan]crustacean relationships

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lavrov, Dennis V.; Brown, Wesley M.; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2004-01-31

    Pentastomids are a small group of vermiform animals with unique morphology and parasitic lifestyle. They are generally recognized as being related to the Arthropoda, however the nature of this relationship is controversial. We have determined the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the pentastomid Armillifer armillatus and complete, or nearly complete, mtDNA sequences from representatives of four previously unsampled groups of Crustacea: Remipedia (Speleonectes tulumensis), Cephalocarida (Hutchinsoniella macracantha), Cirripedia (Pollicipes polymerus), and Branchiura (Argulus americanus). Analyses of the mtDNA gene arrangements and sequences determined in this study indicate unambiguously that pentastomids are a group of modified crustaceans likelymore » related to branchiurans. In addition, gene arrangement comparisons strongly support an unforeseen assemblage of pentastomids with maxillopod and cephalocarid crustaceans, to the exclusion of remipedes, branchiopods, malacos tracans and insects.« less

  8. Permanent Draft Genome of Strain ESFC-1: Ecological Genomics of a Newly Discovered Lineage of Filamentous Diazotrophic Cyanobacteria

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Everroad, R. Craig; Stuart, Rhona K.; Bebout, Brad M.; Detweiler, Angela M.; Lee, Jackson Zan; Woebken, Dagmar; Bebout, Leslie E.; Pett-Ridge, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    The nonheterocystous filamentous cyanobacterium, strain ESFC-1, is a recently described member of the order Oscillatoriales within the Cyanobacteria. ESFC-1 has been shown to be a major diazotroph in the intertidal microbial mat system at Elkhorn Slough, CA, USA. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the 16S RNA gene, ESFC-1 appears to belong to a unique, genus-level divergence; the draft genome sequence of this strain has now been determined. Here we report features of this genome as they relate to the ecological functions and capabilities of strain ESFC-1. The 5,632,035 bp genome sequence encodes 4914 protein-coding genes and 92 RNA genes. One striking feature of this cyanobacterium is the apparent lack of either uptake or bi-directional hydrogenases typically expected within a diazotroph. Additionally, a large genomic island is found that contains numerous low GC-content genes and genes related to extracellular polysaccharide production and cell wall synthesis and maintenance.

  9. Permanent draft genome of strain ESFC-1: ecological genomics of a newly discovered lineage of filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria

    DOE PAGES

    Everroad, R. Craig; Stuart, Rhona K.; Bebout, Brad M.; ...

    2016-08-24

    The nonheterocystous filamentous cyanobacterium, strain ESFC-1, is a recently described member of the order Oscillatoriales within the Cyanobacteria. ESFC-1 has been shown to be a major diazotroph in the intertidal microbial mat system at Elkhorn Slough, CA, USA. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the 16S RNA gene, ESFC-1 appears to belong to a unique, genus-level divergence; the draft genome sequence of this strain has now been determined. Here we report features of this genome as they relate to the ecological functions and capabilities of strain ESFC-1. The 5,632,035 bp genome sequence encodes 4914 protein-coding genes and 92 RNA genes. Onemore » striking feature of this cyanobacterium is the apparent lack of either uptake or bi-directional hydrogenases typically expected within a diazotroph. In addition, a large genomic island is found that contains numerous low GC-content genes and genes related to extracellular polysaccharide production and cell wall synthesis and maintenance.« less

  10. Genetic speciation of environmental Legionella isolates in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Paveenkittiporn, Wantana; Dejsirilert, Surang; Kalambaheti, Thareerat

    2012-10-01

    Legionella-like organisms were isolated during 2003-2007 from various water resources by culturing on selective media of Wadowsky-Yee-Okuda agar. The 256 isolates were identified as belonging to the Legionella genus based on detection of 108 bp PCR product of the 5S rRNA gene, while the inclusion as Legionella pneumophila were confirmed by PCR detection of a specific mip gene region of 168 bp. The 50 isolates, identified as non-pneumophila, were then subjected to DNA tree analysis, based on mip gene of ~650 bp and rnpB genes product ranged from 304 to 354 bp. Phylogenetic tree was constructed to predict their species in relative to the available database. The isolates of which their speciation, based on those two genes were inconclusive, were then investigated for the almost full-length of 16S rRNA sequences. The isolates were assigned as 16 known Legionella species, and proposed seven novel species based on their unique 16S rRNA sequence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Genome sequence of the ultrasmall unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D.

    PubMed

    Matsuzaki, Motomichi; Misumi, Osami; Shin-I, Tadasu; Maruyama, Shinichiro; Takahara, Manabu; Miyagishima, Shin-Ya; Mori, Toshiyuki; Nishida, Keiji; Yagisawa, Fumi; Nishida, Keishin; Yoshida, Yamato; Nishimura, Yoshiki; Nakao, Shunsuke; Kobayashi, Tamaki; Momoyama, Yu; Higashiyama, Tetsuya; Minoda, Ayumi; Sano, Masako; Nomoto, Hisayo; Oishi, Kazuko; Hayashi, Hiroko; Ohta, Fumiko; Nishizaka, Satoko; Haga, Shinobu; Miura, Sachiko; Morishita, Tomomi; Kabeya, Yukihiro; Terasawa, Kimihiro; Suzuki, Yutaka; Ishii, Yasuyuki; Asakawa, Shuichi; Takano, Hiroyoshi; Ohta, Niji; Kuroiwa, Haruko; Tanaka, Kan; Shimizu, Nobuyoshi; Sugano, Sumio; Sato, Naoki; Nozaki, Hisayoshi; Ogasawara, Naotake; Kohara, Yuji; Kuroiwa, Tsuneyoshi

    2004-04-08

    Small, compact genomes of ultrasmall unicellular algae provide information on the basic and essential genes that support the lives of photosynthetic eukaryotes, including higher plants. Here we report the 16,520,305-base-pair sequence of the 20 chromosomes of the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D as the first complete algal genome. We identified 5,331 genes in total, of which at least 86.3% were expressed. Unique characteristics of this genomic structure include: a lack of introns in all but 26 genes; only three copies of ribosomal DNA units that maintain the nucleolus; and two dynamin genes that are involved only in the division of mitochondria and plastids. The conserved mosaic origin of Calvin cycle enzymes in this red alga and in green plants supports the hypothesis of the existence of single primary plastid endosymbiosis. The lack of a myosin gene, in addition to the unexpressed actin gene, suggests a simpler system of cytokinesis. These results indicate that the C. merolae genome provides a model system with a simple gene composition for studying the origin, evolution and fundamental mechanisms of eukaryotic cells.

  12. Genomic Structure of an Economically Important Cyanobacterium, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis NIES-39

    PubMed Central

    Fujisawa, Takatomo; Narikawa, Rei; Okamoto, Shinobu; Ehira, Shigeki; Yoshimura, Hidehisa; Suzuki, Iwane; Masuda, Tatsuru; Mochimaru, Mari; Takaichi, Shinichi; Awai, Koichiro; Sekine, Mitsuo; Horikawa, Hiroshi; Yashiro, Isao; Omata, Seiha; Takarada, Hiromi; Katano, Yoko; Kosugi, Hiroki; Tanikawa, Satoshi; Ohmori, Kazuko; Sato, Naoki; Ikeuchi, Masahiko; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Ohmori, Masayuki

    2010-01-01

    A filamentous non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, is an important organism for industrial applications and as a food supply. Almost the complete genome of A. platensis NIES-39 was determined in this study. The genome structure of A. platensis is estimated to be a single, circular chromosome of 6.8 Mb, based on optical mapping. Annotation of this 6.7 Mb sequence yielded 6630 protein-coding genes as well as two sets of rRNA genes and 40 tRNA genes. Of the protein-coding genes, 78% are similar to those of other organisms; the remaining 22% are currently unknown. A total 612 kb of the genome comprise group II introns, insertion sequences and some repetitive elements. Group I introns are located in a protein-coding region. Abundant restriction-modification systems were determined. Unique features in the gene composition were noted, particularly in a large number of genes for adenylate cyclase and haemolysin-like Ca2+-binding proteins and in chemotaxis proteins. Filament-specific genes were highlighted by comparative genomic analysis. PMID:20203057

  13. Prominent alterations of wild barley leaf transcriptome in response to individual and combined drought acclimation and heat shock conditions.

    PubMed

    Ashoub, Ahmed; Müller, Niels; Jiménez-Gómez, José M; Brüggemann, Wolfgang

    2018-05-01

    Under field conditions, drought and heat stress typically happen simultaneously and their negative impact on the agricultural production is expected to increase worldwide under the climate change scenario. In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing analysis on leaves of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) originated from the northern coastal region of Egypt following individual drought acclimation (DA) and heat shock (HS) treatments and their combination (CS, combined stresses) to distinguish the unique and shared differentially expressed genes (DEG). Results indicated that the number of unique genes that were differentially expressed following HS treatment exceeded the number of those expressed following DA. In addition, the number of genes that were uniquely differentially expressed in response to CS treatment exceeded the number of those of shared responses to individual DA and HS treatments. These results indicate a better adaptation of the Mediterranean wild barley to drought conditions when compared with heat stress. It also manifests that the wild barley response to CS tends to be unique rather than common. Annotation of DEG showed that metabolic processes were the most influenced biological function in response to the applied stresses. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  14. Unique synteny and alternate splicing of the chitin synthases in closely related heliothine moths

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Two chitin synthase genes were characterized in the genomes of two heliothine moths: the corn earworm/cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In both moths, the coding sequences for the two ge...

  15. Morphological, molecular and ecological aspects of the South American hypogeous fungi Alpova austroalnicola sp. nov.

    Treesearch

    Eduardo R. Nouhra; Laura S. Domínguez; Alejandra G. Becerra; James M. Trappe

    2005-01-01

    Field studies in Argentina's Yunga District revealed Alpova austroalnicola sp. nov., a hypogeous fungus associated with Alnus acuminata ssp, acuminata. Morphological and molecular studies based on amplification and sequencing of the nuclear LSU rDNA gene showed its unique identity within ...

  16. 16S rRNA partial gene sequencing for the differentiation and molecular subtyping of Listeria species.

    PubMed

    Hellberg, Rosalee S; Martin, Keely G; Keys, Ashley L; Haney, Christopher J; Shen, Yuelian; Smiley, R Derike

    2013-12-01

    Use of 16S rRNA partial gene sequencing within the regulatory workflow could greatly reduce the time and labor needed for confirmation and subtyping of Listeria monocytogenes. The goal of this study was to build a 16S rRNA partial gene reference library for Listeria spp. and investigate the potential for 16S rRNA molecular subtyping. A total of 86 isolates of Listeria representing L. innocua, L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri, and L. monocytogenes were obtained for use in building the custom library. Seven non-Listeria species and three additional strains of Listeria were obtained for use in exclusivity and food spiking tests. Isolates were sequenced for the partial 16S rRNA gene using the MicroSeq ID 500 Bacterial Identification Kit (Applied Biosystems). High-quality sequences were obtained for 84 of the custom library isolates and 23 unique 16S sequence types were discovered for use in molecular subtyping. All of the exclusivity strains were negative for Listeria and the three Listeria strains used in food spiking were consistently recovered and correctly identified at the species level. The spiking results also allowed for differentiation beyond the species level, as 87% of replicates for one strain and 100% of replicates for the other two strains consistently matched the same 16S type. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Genome Analysis of the Domestic Dog (Korean Jindo) by Massively Parallel Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Ryong Nam; Kim, Dae-Soo; Choi, Sang-Haeng; Yoon, Byoung-Ha; Kang, Aram; Nam, Seong-Hyeuk; Kim, Dong-Wook; Kim, Jong-Joo; Ha, Ji-Hong; Toyoda, Atsushi; Fujiyama, Asao; Kim, Aeri; Kim, Min-Young; Park, Kun-Hyang; Lee, Kang Seon; Park, Hong-Seog

    2012-01-01

    Although pioneering sequencing projects have shed light on the boxer and poodle genomes, a number of challenges need to be met before the sequencing and annotation of the dog genome can be considered complete. Here, we present the DNA sequence of the Jindo dog genome, sequenced to 45-fold average coverage using Illumina massively parallel sequencing technology. A comparison of the sequence to the reference boxer genome led to the identification of 4 675 437 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, including 3 346 058 novel SNPs), 71 642 indels and 8131 structural variations. Of these, 339 non-synonymous SNPs and 3 indels are located within coding sequences (CDS). In particular, 3 non-synonymous SNPs and a 26-bp deletion occur in the TCOF1 locus, implying that the difference observed in cranial facial morphology between Jindo and boxer dogs might be influenced by those variations. Through the annotation of the Jindo olfactory receptor gene family, we found 2 unique olfactory receptor genes and 236 olfactory receptor genes harbouring non-synonymous homozygous SNPs that are likely to affect smelling capability. In addition, we determined the DNA sequence of the Jindo dog mitochondrial genome and identified Jindo dog-specific mtDNA genotypes. This Jindo genome data upgrade our understanding of dog genomic architecture and will be a very valuable resource for investigating not only dog genetics and genomics but also human and dog disease genetics and comparative genomics. PMID:22474061

  18. Molecular analysis of the anaerobic rumen fungus Orpinomyces - insights into an AT-rich genome.

    PubMed

    Nicholson, Matthew J; Theodorou, Michael K; Brookman, Jayne L

    2005-01-01

    The anaerobic gut fungi occupy a unique niche in the intestinal tract of large herbivorous animals and are thought to act as primary colonizers of plant material during digestion. They are the only known obligately anaerobic fungi but molecular analysis of this group has been hampered by difficulties in their culture and manipulation, and by their extremely high A+T nucleotide content. This study begins to answer some of the fundamental questions about the structure and organization of the anaerobic gut fungal genome. Directed plasmid libraries using genomic DNA digested with highly or moderately rich AT-specific restriction enzymes (VspI and EcoRI) were prepared from a polycentric Orpinomyces isolate. Clones were sequenced from these libraries and the breadth of genomic inserts, both genic and intergenic, was characterized. Genes encoding numerous functions not previously characterized for these fungi were identified, including cytoskeletal, secretory pathway and transporter genes. A peptidase gene with no introns and having sequence similarity to a gene encoding a bacterial peptidase was also identified, extending the range of metabolic enzymes resulting from apparent trans-kingdom transfer from bacteria to fungi, as previously characterized largely for genes encoding plant-degrading enzymes. This paper presents the first thorough analysis of the genic, intergenic and rDNA regions of a variety of genomic segments from an anaerobic gut fungus and provides observations on rules governing intron boundaries, the codon biases observed with different types of genes, and the sequence of only the second anaerobic gut fungal promoter reported. Large numbers of retrotransposon sequences of different types were found and the authors speculate on the possible consequences of any such transposon activity in the genome. The coding sequences identified included several orphan gene sequences, including one with regions strongly suggestive of structural proteins such as collagens and lampirin. This gene was present as a single copy in Orpinomyces, was expressed during vegetative growth and was also detected in genomes from another gut fungal genus, Neocallimastix.

  19. Comparative Analysis of the Genomes of Two Field Isolates of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

    PubMed Central

    Li, Zhigang; Hu, Songnian; Yao, Nan; Dean, Ralph A.; Zhao, Wensheng; Shen, Mi; Zhang, Haiwang; Li, Chao; Liu, Liyuan; Cao, Lei; Xu, Xiaowen; Xing, Yunfei; Hsiang, Tom; Zhang, Ziding; Xu, Jin-Rong; Peng, You-Liang

    2012-01-01

    Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive diseases of rice worldwide. The fungal pathogen is notorious for its ability to overcome host resistance. To better understand its genetic variation in nature, we sequenced the genomes of two field isolates, Y34 and P131. In comparison with the previously sequenced laboratory strain 70-15, both field isolates had a similar genome size but slightly more genes. Sequences from the field isolates were used to improve genome assembly and gene prediction of 70-15. Although the overall genome structure is similar, a number of gene families that are likely involved in plant-fungal interactions are expanded in the field isolates. Genome-wide analysis on asynonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitution rates revealed that many infection-related genes underwent diversifying selection. The field isolates also have hundreds of isolate-specific genes and a number of isolate-specific gene duplication events. Functional characterization of randomly selected isolate-specific genes revealed that they play diverse roles, some of which affect virulence. Furthermore, each genome contains thousands of loci of transposon-like elements, but less than 30% of them are conserved among different isolates, suggesting active transposition events in M. oryzae. A total of approximately 200 genes were disrupted in these three strains by transposable elements. Interestingly, transposon-like elements tend to be associated with isolate-specific or duplicated sequences. Overall, our results indicate that gain or loss of unique genes, DNA duplication, gene family expansion, and frequent translocation of transposon-like elements are important factors in genome variation of the rice blast fungus. PMID:22876203

  20. The detection and phylogenetic analysis of the alkane 1-monooxygenase gene of members of the genus Rhodococcus.

    PubMed

    Táncsics, András; Benedek, Tibor; Szoboszlay, Sándor; Veres, Péter G; Farkas, Milán; Máthé, István; Márialigeti, Károly; Kukolya, József; Lányi, Szabolcs; Kriszt, Balázs

    2015-02-01

    Naturally occurring and anthropogenic petroleum hydrocarbons are potential carbon sources for many bacteria. The AlkB-related alkane hydroxylases, which are integral membrane non-heme iron enzymes, play a key role in the microbial degradation of many of these hydrocarbons. Several members of the genus Rhodococcus are well-known alkane degraders and are known to harbor multiple alkB genes encoding for different alkane 1-monooxygenases. In the present study, 48 Rhodococcus strains, representing 35 species of the genus, were investigated to find out whether there was a dominant type of alkB gene widespread among species of the genus that could be used as a phylogenetic marker. Phylogenetic analysis of rhodococcal alkB gene sequences indicated that a certain type of alkB gene was present in almost every member of the genus Rhodococcus. These alkB genes were common in a unique nucleotide sequence stretch absent from other types of rhodococcal alkB genes that encoded a conserved amino acid motif: WLG(I/V/L)D(G/D)GL. The sequence identity of the targeted alkB gene in Rhodococcus ranged from 78.5 to 99.2% and showed higher nucleotide sequence variation at the inter-species level compared to the 16S rRNA gene (93.9-99.8%). The results indicated that the alkB gene type investigated might be applicable for: (i) differentiating closely related Rhodococcus species, (ii) properly assigning environmental isolates to existing Rhodococcus species, and finally (iii) assessing whether a new Rhodococcus isolate represents a novel species of the genus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  1. Transcriptome Analysis of Dendrobium officinale and its Application to the Identification of Genes Associated with Polysaccharide Synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Jianxia; He, Chunmei; Wu, Kunlin; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A.; Zeng, Songjun; Zhang, Xinhua; Yu, Zhenming; Xia, Haoqiang; Duan, Jun

    2016-01-01

    Dendrobium officinale is one of the most important Chinese medicinal herbs. Polysaccharides are one of the main active ingredients of D. officinale. To identify the genes that maybe related to polysaccharides synthesis, two cDNA libraries were prepared from juvenile and adult D. officinale, and were named Dendrobium-1 and Dendrobium-2, respectively. Illumina sequencing for Dendrobium-1 generated 102 million high quality reads that were assembled into 93,881 unigenes with an average sequence length of 790 base pairs. The sequencing for Dendrobium-2 generated 86 million reads that were assembled into 114,098 unigenes with an average sequence length of 695 base pairs. Two transcriptome databases were integrated and assembled into a total of 145,791 unigenes. Among them, 17,281 unigenes were assigned to 126 KEGG pathways while 135 unigenes were involved in fructose and mannose metabolism. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that the majority of genes were associated with metabolic and cellular processes. Furthermore, 430 glycosyltransferase and 89 cellulose synthase genes were identified. Comparative analysis of both transcriptome databases revealed a total of 32,794 differential expression genes (DEGs), including 22,051 up-regulated and 10,743 down-regulated genes in Dendrobium-2 compared to Dendrobium-1. Furthermore, a total of 1142 and 7918 unigenes showed unique expression in Dendrobium-1 and Dendrobium-2, respectively. These DEGs were mainly correlated with metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In addition, 170 DEGs belonged to glycosyltransferase genes, 37 DEGs were related to cellulose synthase genes and 627 DEGs encoded transcription factors. This study substantially expands the transcriptome information for D. officinale and provides valuable clues for identifying candidate genes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis and elucidating the mechanism of polysaccharide biosynthesis. PMID:26904032

  2. Transcriptome sequence analysis of an ornamental plant, Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, revealed the potential unigenes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jun; Kanakala, S; He, Yehua; Zhang, Junli; Zhong, Xiaolan

    2015-01-01

    Ananas comosus var. bracteatus (Red Pineapple) is an important ornamental plant for its colorful leaves and decorative red fruits. Because of its complex genome, it is difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth and development. Thus high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus is necessary to generate large quantities of transcript sequences for the purpose of gene discovery and functional genomic studies. The Ananas comosus var. bracteatus transcriptome was sequenced by the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. We obtained a total of 23.5 million high quality sequencing reads, 1,555,808 contigs and 41,052 unigenes. In total 41,052 unigenes of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, 23,275 unigenes were annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database and 23,134 unigenes were annotated in the Swiss-Port database. Out of these, 17,748 and 8,505 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database identified 5,825 unigenes which were mapped to 117 pathways. The assembly predicted many unigenes that were previously unknown. The annotated unigenes were compared against pineapple, rice, maize, Arabidopsis, and sorghum. Unigenes that did not match any of those five sequence datasets are considered to be Ananas comosus var. bracteatus unique. We predicted unigenes encoding enzymes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The sequence data provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource currently available for Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. To our knowledge; this is the first report on the de novo transcriptome sequencing of the Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. Unigenes obtained in this study, may help improve future gene expression, genetic and genomics studies in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

  3. Transcriptome Sequence Analysis of an Ornamental Plant, Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, Revealed the Potential Unigenes Involved in Terpenoid and Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Jun; Kanakala, S.; He, Yehua; Zhang, Junli; Zhong, Xiaolan

    2015-01-01

    Background Ananas comosus var. bracteatus (Red Pineapple) is an important ornamental plant for its colorful leaves and decorative red fruits. Because of its complex genome, it is difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth and development. Thus high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus is necessary to generate large quantities of transcript sequences for the purpose of gene discovery and functional genomic studies. Results The Ananas comosus var. bracteatus transcriptome was sequenced by the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. We obtained a total of 23.5 million high quality sequencing reads, 1,555,808 contigs and 41,052 unigenes. In total 41,052 unigenes of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, 23,275 unigenes were annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database and 23,134 unigenes were annotated in the Swiss-Port database. Out of these, 17,748 and 8,505 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database identified 5,825 unigenes which were mapped to 117 pathways. The assembly predicted many unigenes that were previously unknown. The annotated unigenes were compared against pineapple, rice, maize, Arabidopsis, and sorghum. Unigenes that did not match any of those five sequence datasets are considered to be Ananas comosus var. bracteatus unique. We predicted unigenes encoding enzymes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Conclusion The sequence data provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource currently available for Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. To our knowledge; this is the first report on the de novo transcriptome sequencing of the Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. Unigenes obtained in this study, may help improve future gene expression, genetic and genomics studies in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. PMID:25769053

  4. Transcriptome analysis of seed dormancy after rinsing and chilling in ornamental peaches (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch).

    PubMed

    Kanjana, Worarad; Suzuki, Tomohiro; Ishii, Kazuo; Kozaki, Toshinori; Iigo, Masayuki; Yamane, Kenji

    2016-08-08

    Ornamental peaches cv. 'Yaguchi' (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) can be propagated via seeds. The establishment of efficient seed treatments for early germination and seedling growth is required to shorten nursery and breeding periods. It is important, therefore, to identify potential candidate genes responsible for the effects of rinsing and chilling on seed germination. We hypothesized that longer rinsing combined with chilling of seeds can alter the genes expression in related to dormancy and then raise the germination rate in the peach. To date, most molecular studies in peaches have involved structural genomics, and few transcriptome studies of seed germination have been conducted. In this study, we investigated the function of key seed dormancy-related genes using next-generation sequencing to profile the transcriptomes involved in seed dormancy in peaches. De novo assembly and analysis of the transcriptome identified differentially expressed and unique genes present in this fruit. De novo RNA-sequencing of peach was performed using the Illumina Miseq 2000 system. Paired-end sequence from mRNAs generated high quality sequence reads (9,049,964, 10,026,362 and 10,101,918 reads) from 'Yaguchi' peach seeds before rinsed (BR) and after rinsed for 2 or 7 days with a chilling period of 4 weeks (termed 2D4W and 7D4W), respectively. The germination rate of 7D4W was significantly higher than that of 2D4W. In total, we obtained 51,366 unique sequences. Differential expression analysis identified 7752, 8469 and 506 differentially expressed genes from BR vs 2D4W, BR vs 7D4W and 2D4W vs 7D4W libraries respectively, filtered based on p-value and an adjusted false discovery rate of less than 0.05. This study identified genes associated with the rinsing and chilling process that included those associated with phytohormones, the stress response and transcription factors. 7D4W treatment downregulated genes involved in ABA synthesis, catabolism and signaling pathways, which eventually suppressed abscisic acid activity and consequently promoted germination and seedling growth. Stress response genes were also downregulated by the 7D4W treatment, suggesting that this treatment released seeds from endodormancy. Transcription factors were upregulated by the BR and 2D4W treatment, suggesting that they play important roles in maintaining seed dormancy. This work indicated that longer rinsing combined with chilling affects gene expression and germination rate, and identified potential candidate genes responsible for dormancy progression in seeds of 'Yaguchi' peach. The results could be used to develop breeding programs and will aid future functional genomic research in peaches and other fruit trees.

  5. Biomining active cellulases from a mining bioremediation system.

    PubMed

    Mewis, Keith; Armstrong, Zachary; Song, Young C; Baldwin, Susan A; Withers, Stephen G; Hallam, Steven J

    2013-09-20

    Functional metagenomics has emerged as a powerful method for gene model validation and enzyme discovery from natural and human engineered ecosystems. Here we report development of a high-throughput functional metagenomic screen incorporating bioinformatic and biochemical analyses features. A fosmid library containing 6144 clones sourced from a mining bioremediation system was screened for cellulase activity using 2,4-dinitrophenyl β-cellobioside, a previously proven cellulose model substrate. Fifteen active clones were recovered and fully sequenced revealing 9 unique clones with the ability to hydrolyse 1,4-β-D-glucosidic linkages. Transposon mutagenesis identified genes belonging to glycoside hydrolase (GH) 1, 3, or 5 as necessary for mediating this activity. Reference trees for GH 1, 3, and 5 families were generated from sequences in the CAZy database for automated phylogenetic analysis of fosmid end and active clone sequences revealing known and novel cellulase encoding genes. Active cellulase genes recovered in functional screens were subcloned into inducible high copy plasmids, expressed and purified to determine enzymatic properties including thermostability, pH optima, and substrate specificity. The workflow described here provides a general paradigm for recovery and characterization of microbially derived genes and gene products based on genetic logic and contemporary screening technologies developed for model organismal systems. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. The Complete Sequence of the First Spodoptera frugiperda Betabaculovirus Genome: A Natural Multiple Recombinant Virus

    PubMed Central

    Cuartas, Paola E.; Barrera, Gloria P.; Belaich, Mariano N.; Barreto, Emiliano; Ghiringhelli, Pablo D.; Villamizar, Laura F.

    2015-01-01

    Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major pest in maize crops in Colombia, and affects several regions in America. A granulovirus isolated from S. frugiperda (SfGV VG008) has potential as an enhancer of insecticidal activity of previously described nucleopolyhedrovirus from the same insect species (SfMNPV). The SfGV VG008 genome was sequenced and analyzed showing circular double stranded DNA of 140,913 bp encoding 146 putative ORFs that include 37 Baculoviridae core genes, 88 shared with betabaculoviruses, two shared only with betabaculoviruses from Noctuide insects, two shared with alphabaculoviruses, three copies of own genes (paralogs) and the other 14 corresponding to unique genes without representation in the other baculovirus species. Particularly, the genome encodes for important virulence factors such as 4 chitinases and 2 enhancins. The sequence analysis revealed the existence of eight homologous regions (hrs) and also suggests processes of gene acquisition by horizontal transfer including the SfGV VG008 ORFs 046/047 (paralogs), 059, 089 and 099. The bioinformatics evidence indicates that the genome donors of mentioned genes could be alpha- and/or betabaculovirus species. The previous reported ability of SfGV VG008 to naturally co-infect the same host with other virus show a possible mechanism to capture genes and thus improve its fitness. PMID:25609309

  7. Horizontal gene transfer is more frequent with increased heterotrophy and contributes to parasite adaptation.

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Yeting; Wafula, Eric K; Honaas, Loren A; Ralph, Paula E; Jones, Sam; Clarke, Christopher R; Liu, Siming; Su, Chun; Zhang, Huiting; Altman, Naomi S; Schuster, Stephan C; Timko, Michael P; Yoder, John I; Westwood, James H; dePamphilis, Claude W

    2016-10-24

    Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the transfer of genetic material across species boundaries and has been a driving force in prokaryotic evolution. HGT involving eukaryotes appears to be much less frequent, and the functional implications of HGT in eukaryotes are poorly understood. We test the hypothesis that parasitic plants, because of their intimate feeding contacts with host plant tissues, are especially prone to horizontal gene acquisition. We sought evidence of HGTs in transcriptomes of three parasitic members of Orobanchaceae, a plant family containing species spanning the full spectrum of parasitic capabilities, plus the free-living Lindenbergia Following initial phylogenetic detection and an extensive validation procedure, 52 high-confidence horizontal transfer events were detected, often from lineages of known host plants and with an increasing number of HGT events in species with the greatest parasitic dependence. Analyses of intron sequences in putative donor and recipient lineages provide evidence for integration of genomic fragments far more often than retro-processed RNA sequences. Purifying selection predominates in functionally transferred sequences, with a small fraction of adaptively evolving sites. HGT-acquired genes are preferentially expressed in the haustorium-the organ of parasitic plants-and are strongly biased in predicted gene functions, suggesting that expression products of horizontally acquired genes are contributing to the unique adaptive feeding structure of parasitic plants.

  8. The complete sequence of the first Spodoptera frugiperda Betabaculovirus genome: a natural multiple recombinant virus.

    PubMed

    Cuartas, Paola E; Barrera, Gloria P; Belaich, Mariano N; Barreto, Emiliano; Ghiringhelli, Pablo D; Villamizar, Laura F

    2015-01-20

    Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major pest in maize crops in Colombia, and affects several regions in America. A granulovirus isolated from S. frugiperda (SfGV VG008) has potential as an enhancer of insecticidal activity of previously described nucleopolyhedrovirus from the same insect species (SfMNPV). The SfGV VG008 genome was sequenced and analyzed showing circular double stranded DNA of 140,913 bp encoding 146 putative ORFs that include 37 Baculoviridae core genes, 88 shared with betabaculoviruses, two shared only with betabaculoviruses from Noctuide insects, two shared with alphabaculoviruses, three copies of own genes (paralogs) and the other 14 corresponding to unique genes without representation in the other baculovirus species. Particularly, the genome encodes for important virulence factors such as 4 chitinases and 2 enhancins. The sequence analysis revealed the existence of eight homologous regions (hrs) and also suggests processes of gene acquisition by horizontal transfer including the SfGV VG008 ORFs 046/047 (paralogs), 059, 089 and 099. The bioinformatics evidence indicates that the genome donors of mentioned genes could be alpha- and/or betabaculovirus species. The previous reported ability of SfGV VG008 to naturally co-infect the same host with other virus show a possible mechanism to capture genes and thus improve its fitness.

  9. Genes uniquely expressed in human growth plate chondrocytes uncover a distinct regulatory network.

    PubMed

    Li, Bing; Balasubramanian, Karthika; Krakow, Deborah; Cohn, Daniel H

    2017-12-20

    Chondrogenesis is the earliest stage of skeletal development and is a highly dynamic process, integrating the activities and functions of transcription factors, cell signaling molecules and extracellular matrix proteins. The molecular mechanisms underlying chondrogenesis have been extensively studied and multiple key regulators of this process have been identified. However, a genome-wide overview of the gene regulatory network in chondrogenesis has not been achieved. In this study, employing RNA sequencing, we identified 332 protein coding genes and 34 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes that are highly selectively expressed in human fetal growth plate chondrocytes. Among the protein coding genes, 32 genes were associated with 62 distinct human skeletal disorders and 153 genes were associated with skeletal defects in knockout mice, confirming their essential roles in skeletal formation. These gene products formed a comprehensive physical interaction network and participated in multiple cellular processes regulating skeletal development. The data also revealed 34 transcription factors and 11,334 distal enhancers that were uniquely active in chondrocytes, functioning as transcriptional regulators for the cartilage-selective genes. Our findings revealed a complex gene regulatory network controlling skeletal development whereby transcription factors, enhancers and lncRNAs participate in chondrogenesis by transcriptional regulation of key genes. Additionally, the cartilage-selective genes represent candidate genes for unsolved human skeletal disorders.

  10. The polyphenol oxidase gene family in land plants: Lineage-specific duplication and expansion

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Plant polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are enzymes that typically use molecular oxygen to oxidize ortho-diphenols to ortho-quinones. These commonly cause browning reactions following tissue damage, and may be important in plant defense. Some PPOs function as hydroxylases or in cross-linking reactions, but in most plants their physiological roles are not known. To better understand the importance of PPOs in the plant kingdom, we surveyed PPO gene families in 25 sequenced genomes from chlorophytes, bryophytes, lycophytes, and flowering plants. The PPO genes were then analyzed in silico for gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, and targeting signals. Results Many previously uncharacterized PPO genes were uncovered. The moss, Physcomitrella patens, contained 13 PPO genes and Selaginella moellendorffii (spike moss) and Glycine max (soybean) each had 11 genes. Populus trichocarpa (poplar) contained a highly diversified gene family with 11 PPO genes, but several flowering plants had only a single PPO gene. By contrast, no PPO-like sequences were identified in several chlorophyte (green algae) genomes or Arabidopsis (A. lyrata and A. thaliana). We found that many PPOs contained one or two introns often near the 3’ terminus. Furthermore, N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis using ChloroP and TargetP 1.1 predicted that several putative PPOs are synthesized via the secretory pathway, a unique finding as most PPOs are predicted to be chloroplast proteins. Phylogenetic reconstruction of these sequences revealed that large PPO gene repertoires in some species are mostly a consequence of independent bursts of gene duplication, while the lineage leading to Arabidopsis must have lost all PPO genes. Conclusion Our survey identified PPOs in gene families of varying sizes in all land plants except in the genus Arabidopsis. While we found variation in intron numbers and positions, overall PPO gene structure is congruent with the phylogenetic relationships based on primary sequence data. The dynamic nature of this gene family differentiates PPO from other oxidative enzymes, and is consistent with a protein important for a diversity of functions relating to environmental adaptation. PMID:22897796

  11. Draft Genome Sequencing and Comparative Analysis of Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239

    PubMed Central

    Sato, Atsushi; Oshima, Kenshiro; Noguchi, Hideki; Ogawa, Masahiro; Takahashi, Tadashi; Oguma, Tetsuya; Koyama, Yasuji; Itoh, Takehiko; Hattori, Masahira; Hanya, Yoshiki

    2011-01-01

    We conducted genome sequencing of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus sojae NBRC4239 isolated from the koji used to prepare Japanese soy sauce. We used the 454 pyrosequencing technology and investigated the genome with respect to enzymes and secondary metabolites in comparison with other Aspergilli sequenced. Assembly of 454 reads generated a non-redundant sequence of 39.5-Mb possessing 13 033 putative genes and 65 scaffolds composed of 557 contigs. Of the 2847 open reading frames with Pfam domain scores of >150 found in A. sojae NBRC4239, 81.7% had a high degree of similarity with the genes of A. oryzae. Comparative analysis identified serine carboxypeptidase and aspartic protease genes unique to A. sojae NBRC4239. While A. oryzae possessed three copies of α-amyalse gene, A. sojae NBRC4239 possessed only a single copy. Comparison of 56 gene clusters for secondary metabolites between A. sojae NBRC4239 and A. oryzae revealed that 24 clusters were conserved, whereas 32 clusters differed between them that included a deletion of 18 508 bp containing mfs1, mao1, dmaT, and pks-nrps for the cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) biosynthesis, explaining the no productivity of CPA in A. sojae. The A. sojae NBRC4239 genome data will be useful to characterize functional features of the koji moulds used in Japanese industries. PMID:21659486

  12. Comparative genomic analysis shows that Streptococcus suis meningitis isolate SC070731 contains a unique 105K genomic island.

    PubMed

    Wu, Zongfu; Wang, Weixue; Tang, Min; Shao, Jing; Dai, Chen; Zhang, Wei; Fan, Hongjie; Yao, Huochun; Zong, Jie; Chen, Dai; Wang, Junning; Lu, Chengping

    2014-02-10

    Streptococcus suis (SS) is an important swine pathogen worldwide that occasionally causes serious infections in humans. SS infection may result in meningitis in pigs and humans. The pathogenic mechanisms of SS are poorly understood. Here, we provide the complete genome sequence of S. suis serotype 2 (SS2) strain SC070731 isolated from a pig with meningitis. The chromosome is 2,138,568bp in length. There are 1933 predicted protein coding sequences and 96.7% (57/59) of the known virulence-associated genes are present in the genome. Strain SC070731 showed similar virulence with SS2 virulent strains HA9801 and ZY05719, but was more virulent than SS2 virulent strain P1/7 in the zebrafish infection model. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a unique 105K genomic island in strain SC070731 that is absent in seven other sequenced SS2 strains. Further analysis of the 105K genomic island indicated that it contained a complete nisin locus similar to the nisin U locus in S. uberis strain 42, a prophage similar to S. oralis phage PH10 and several antibiotic resistance genes. Several proteins in the 105K genomic island, including nisin and RelBE toxin-antitoxin system, contribute to the bacterial fitness and virulence in other pathogenic bacteria. Further investigation of newly identified gene products, including four putative new virulence-associated surface proteins, will improve our understanding of SS pathogenesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Genetics of Mitochondrial Disease.

    PubMed

    Saneto, Russell P

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondria are intracellular organelles responsible for adenosine triphosphate production. The strict control of intracellular energy needs require proper mitochondrial functioning. The mitochondria are under dual controls of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA). Mitochondrial dysfunction can arise from changes in either mtDNA or nDNA genes regulating function. There are an estimated ∼1500 proteins in the mitoproteome, whereas the mtDNA genome has 37 proteins. There are, to date, ∼275 genes shown to give rise to disease. The unique physiology of mitochondrial functioning contributes to diverse gene expression. The onset and range of phenotypic expression of disease is diverse, with onset from neonatal to seventh decade of life. The range of dysfunction is heterogeneous, ranging from single organ to multisystem involvement. The complexity of disease expression has severely limited gene discovery. Combining phenotypes with improvements in gene sequencing strategies are improving the diagnosis process. This chapter focuses on the interplay of the unique physiology and gene discovery in the current knowledge of genetically derived mitochondrial disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Microbial diversity in an Armenian geothermal spring assessed by molecular and culture-based methods.

    PubMed

    Panosyan, Hovik; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre

    2014-11-01

    The phylogenetic diversity of the prokaryotic community thriving in the Arzakan hot spring in Armenia was studied using molecular and culture-based methods. A sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries demonstrated the presence of a diversity of microorganisms belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Epsilonproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes phyla, and Cyanobacteria. Proteobacteria was the dominant group, representing 52% of the bacterial clones. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments also indicated the abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria populations. Most of the sequences were most closely related to uncultivated microorganisms and shared less than 96% similarity with their closest matches in GenBank, indicating that this spring harbors a unique community of novel microbial species or genera. The majority of the sequences of an archaeal 16S rRNA gene library, generated from a methanogenic enrichment, were close relatives of members of the genus Methanoculleus. Aerobic endospore-forming bacteria mainly belonging to Bacillus and Geobacillus were detected only by culture-dependent methods. Three isolates were successfully obtained having 99, 96, and 96% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Arcobacter sp., Methylocaldum sp., and Methanoculleus sp., respectively. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Deep sequencing and genome-wide analysis reveals the expansion of MicroRNA genes in the gall midge Mayetiola destructor

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in regulating post transcriptional gene expression. Gall midges encompass a large group of insects that are of economic importance and also possess fascinating biological traits. The gall midge Mayetiola destructor, commonly known as the Hessian fly, is a destructive pest of wheat and model organism for studying gall midge biology and insect – host plant interactions. Results In this study, we systematically analyzed miRNAs from the Hessian fly. Deep-sequencing a Hessian fly larval transcriptome led to the identification of 89 miRNA species that are either identical or very similar to known miRNAs from other insects, and 184 novel miRNAs that have not been reported from other species. A genome-wide search through a draft Hessian fly genome sequence identified a total of 611 putative miRNA-encoding genes based on sequence similarity and the existence of a stem-loop structure for miRNA precursors. Analysis of the 611 putative genes revealed a striking feature: the dramatic expansion of several miRNA gene families. The largest family contained 91 genes that encoded 20 different miRNAs. Microarray analyses revealed the expression of miRNA genes was strictly regulated during Hessian fly larval development and abundance of many miRNA genes were affected by host genotypes. Conclusion The identification of a large number of miRNAs for the first time from a gall midge provides a foundation for further studies of miRNA functions in gall midge biology and behavior. The dramatic expansion of identical or similar miRNAs provides a unique system to study functional relations among miRNA iso-genes as well as changes in sequence specificity due to small changes in miRNAs and in their mRNA targets. These results may also facilitate the identification of miRNA genes for potential pest control through transgenic approaches. PMID:23496979

  16. Complete genome sequence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolate UPEC 26-1.

    PubMed

    Subhadra, Bindu; Kim, Dong Ho; Kim, Jaeseok; Woo, Kyungho; Sohn, Kyung Mok; Kim, Hwa-Jung; Han, Kyudong; Oh, Man Hwan; Choi, Chul Hee

    2018-06-01

    Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans, predominantly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The diverse genomes of UPEC strains mostly impede disease prevention and control measures. In this study, we comparatively analyzed the whole genome sequence of a highly virulent UPEC strain, namely UPEC 26-1, which was isolated from urine sample of a patient suffering from UTI in Korea. Whole genome analysis showed that the genome consists of one circular chromosome of 5,329,753 bp, comprising 5064 protein-coding genes, 122 RNA genes (94 tRNA, 22 rRNA and 6 ncRNA genes), and 100 pseudogenes, with an average G+C content of 50.56%. In addition, we identified 8 prophage regions comprising 5 intact, 2 incomplete and 1 questionable ones and 63 genomic islands, suggesting the possibility of horizontal gene transfer in this strain. Comparative genome analysis of UPEC 26-1 with the UPEC strain CFT073 revealed an average nucleotide identity of 99.7%. The genome comparison with CFT073 provides major differences in the genome of UPEC 26-1 that would explain its increased virulence and biofilm formation. Nineteen of the total GIs were unique to UPEC 26-1 compared to CFT073 and nine of them harbored unique genes that are involved in virulence, multidrug resistance, biofilm formation and bacterial pathogenesis. The data from this study will assist in future studies of UPEC strains to develop effective control measures.

  17. Visual gene developer: a fully programmable bioinformatics software for synthetic gene optimization.

    PubMed

    Jung, Sang-Kyu; McDonald, Karen

    2011-08-16

    Direct gene synthesis is becoming more popular owing to decreases in gene synthesis pricing. Compared with using natural genes, gene synthesis provides a good opportunity to optimize gene sequence for specific applications. In order to facilitate gene optimization, we have developed a stand-alone software called Visual Gene Developer. The software not only provides general functions for gene analysis and optimization along with an interactive user-friendly interface, but also includes unique features such as programming capability, dedicated mRNA secondary structure prediction, artificial neural network modeling, network & multi-threaded computing, and user-accessible programming modules. The software allows a user to analyze and optimize a sequence using main menu functions or specialized module windows. Alternatively, gene optimization can be initiated by designing a gene construct and configuring an optimization strategy. A user can choose several predefined or user-defined algorithms to design a complicated strategy. The software provides expandable functionality as platform software supporting module development using popular script languages such as VBScript and JScript in the software programming environment. Visual Gene Developer is useful for both researchers who want to quickly analyze and optimize genes, and those who are interested in developing and testing new algorithms in bioinformatics. The software is available for free download at http://www.visualgenedeveloper.net.

  18. Visual gene developer: a fully programmable bioinformatics software for synthetic gene optimization

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Direct gene synthesis is becoming more popular owing to decreases in gene synthesis pricing. Compared with using natural genes, gene synthesis provides a good opportunity to optimize gene sequence for specific applications. In order to facilitate gene optimization, we have developed a stand-alone software called Visual Gene Developer. Results The software not only provides general functions for gene analysis and optimization along with an interactive user-friendly interface, but also includes unique features such as programming capability, dedicated mRNA secondary structure prediction, artificial neural network modeling, network & multi-threaded computing, and user-accessible programming modules. The software allows a user to analyze and optimize a sequence using main menu functions or specialized module windows. Alternatively, gene optimization can be initiated by designing a gene construct and configuring an optimization strategy. A user can choose several predefined or user-defined algorithms to design a complicated strategy. The software provides expandable functionality as platform software supporting module development using popular script languages such as VBScript and JScript in the software programming environment. Conclusion Visual Gene Developer is useful for both researchers who want to quickly analyze and optimize genes, and those who are interested in developing and testing new algorithms in bioinformatics. The software is available for free download at http://www.visualgenedeveloper.net. PMID:21846353

  19. Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of four Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s disease patients

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brown, M.D.; Shoffner, J.M.; Wallace, D.C.

    1996-01-22

    The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence was determined on 3 patients with Alzheimer`s disease (AD) exhibiting AD plus Parkinson`s disease (PD) neuropathologic changes and one patient with PD. Patient mtDNA sequences were compared to the standard Cambridge sequence to identify base changes. In the first AD + PD patient, 2 of the 15 nucleotide substitutions may contribute to the neuropathology, a nucleotide pair (np) 4336 transition in the tRNA{sup Gln} gene found 7.4 times more frequently in patients than in controls, and a unique np 721 transition in the 12S rRNA gene which was not found in 70 other patients ormore » 905 controls. In the second AD + PD patient, 27 nucleotide substitutions were detected, including an np 3397 transition in the ND1 gene which converts a conserved methionine to a valine. In the third AD + PD patient, 2 polymorphic base substitutions frequently found at increased frequency in Leber`s hereditary optic neuropathy patients were observed, an np 4216 transition in ND1 and an np 13708 transition in the ND5 gene. For the PD patient, 2 novel variants were observed among 25 base substitutions, an np 1709 substitution in the 16S rRNA gene and an np 15851 missense mutation in the cytb gene. Further studies will be required to demonstrate a casual role for these base substitutions in neurodegenerative disease. 68 refs., 2 tabs.« less

  20. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Aconitum coreanum and Aconitum carmichaelii and comparative analysis with other Aconitum species

    PubMed Central

    Park, Inkyu; Kim, Wook-jin; Yang, Sungyu; Yeo, Sang-Min; Li, Hulin

    2017-01-01

    Aconitum species (belonging to the Ranunculaceae) are well known herbaceous medicinal ingredients and have great economic value in Asian countries. However, there are still limited genomic resources available for Aconitum species. In this study, we sequenced the chloroplast (cp) genomes of two Aconitum species, A. coreanum and A. carmichaelii, using the MiSeq platform. The two Aconitum chloroplast genomes were 155,880 and 157,040 bp in length, respectively, and exhibited LSC and SSC regions separated by a pair of inverted repeat regions. Both cp genomes had 38% GC content and contained 131 unique functional genes including 86 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The gene order, content, and orientation of the two Aconitum cp genomes exhibited the general structure of angiosperms, and were similar to those of other Aconitum species. Comparison of the cp genome structure and gene order with that of other Aconitum species revealed general contraction and expansion of the inverted repeat regions and single copy boundary regions. Divergent regions were also identified. In phylogenetic analysis, Aconitum species positon among the Ranunculaceae was determined with other family cp genomes in the Ranunculales. We obtained a barcoding target sequence in a divergent region, ndhC–trnV, and successfully developed a SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) marker for discrimination of A. coreanum. Our results provide useful genetic information and a specific barcode for discrimination of Aconitum species. PMID:28863163

  1. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Aconitum coreanum and Aconitum carmichaelii and comparative analysis with other Aconitum species.

    PubMed

    Park, Inkyu; Kim, Wook-Jin; Yang, Sungyu; Yeo, Sang-Min; Li, Hulin; Moon, Byeong Cheol

    2017-01-01

    Aconitum species (belonging to the Ranunculaceae) are well known herbaceous medicinal ingredients and have great economic value in Asian countries. However, there are still limited genomic resources available for Aconitum species. In this study, we sequenced the chloroplast (cp) genomes of two Aconitum species, A. coreanum and A. carmichaelii, using the MiSeq platform. The two Aconitum chloroplast genomes were 155,880 and 157,040 bp in length, respectively, and exhibited LSC and SSC regions separated by a pair of inverted repeat regions. Both cp genomes had 38% GC content and contained 131 unique functional genes including 86 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The gene order, content, and orientation of the two Aconitum cp genomes exhibited the general structure of angiosperms, and were similar to those of other Aconitum species. Comparison of the cp genome structure and gene order with that of other Aconitum species revealed general contraction and expansion of the inverted repeat regions and single copy boundary regions. Divergent regions were also identified. In phylogenetic analysis, Aconitum species positon among the Ranunculaceae was determined with other family cp genomes in the Ranunculales. We obtained a barcoding target sequence in a divergent region, ndhC-trnV, and successfully developed a SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) marker for discrimination of A. coreanum. Our results provide useful genetic information and a specific barcode for discrimination of Aconitum species.

  2. Synthetic oligonucleotide probes deduced from amino acid sequence data. Theoretical and practical considerations.

    PubMed

    Lathe, R

    1985-05-05

    Synthetic probes deduced from amino acid sequence data are widely used to detect cognate coding sequences in libraries of cloned DNA segments. The redundancy of the genetic code dictates that a choice must be made between (1) a mixture of probes reflecting all codon combinations, and (2) a single longer "optimal" probe. The second strategy is examined in detail. The frequency of sequences matching a given probe by chance alone can be determined and also the frequency of sequences closely resembling the probe and contributing to the hybridization background. Gene banks cannot be treated as random associations of the four nucleotides, and probe sequences deduced from amino acid sequence data occur more often than predicted by chance alone. Probe lengths must be increased to confer the necessary specificity. Examination of hybrids formed between unique homologous probes and their cognate targets reveals that short stretches of perfect homology occurring by chance make a significant contribution to the hybridization background. Statistical methods for improving homology are examined, taking human coding sequences as an example, and considerations of codon utilization and dinucleotide frequencies yield an overall homology of greater than 82%. Recommendations for probe design and hybridization are presented, and the choice between using multiple probes reflecting all codon possibilities and a unique optimal probe is discussed.

  3. An OmpA family protein, a target of the GinI/GinR quorum-sensing system in Gluconacetobacter intermedius, controls acetic acid fermentation.

    PubMed

    Iida, Aya; Ohnishi, Yasuo; Horinouchi, Sueharu

    2008-07-01

    Via N-acylhomoserine lactones, the GinI/GinR quorum-sensing system in Gluconacetobacter intermedius NCI1051, a gram-negative acetic acid bacterium, represses acetic acid and gluconic acid fermentation. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of protein profiles of strain NCI1051 and ginI and ginR mutants identified a protein that was produced in response to the GinI/GinR regulatory system. Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the gene encoding this protein revealed that it encoded an OmpA family protein, named GmpA. gmpA was a member of the gene cluster containing three adjacent homologous genes, gmpA to gmpC, the organization of which appeared to be unique to vinegar producers, including "Gluconacetobacter polyoxogenes." In addition, GmpA was unique among the OmpA family proteins in that its N-terminal membrane domain forming eight antiparallel transmembrane beta-strands contained an extra sequence in one of the surface-exposed loops. Transcriptional analysis showed that only gmpA of the three adjacent gmp genes was activated by the GinI/GinR quorum-sensing system. However, gmpA was not controlled directly by GinR but was controlled by an 89-amino-acid protein, GinA, a target of this quorum-sensing system. A gmpA mutant grew more rapidly in the presence of 2% (vol/vol) ethanol and accumulated acetic acid and gluconic acid in greater final yields than strain NCI1051. Thus, GmpA plays a role in repressing oxidative fermentation, including acetic acid fermentation, which is unique to acetic acid bacteria and allows ATP synthesis via ethanol oxidation. Consistent with the involvement of gmpA in oxidative fermentation, its transcription was also enhanced by ethanol and acetic acid.

  4. A Unique Mutation in a MYB Gene Cosegregates with the Nectarine Phenotype in Peach

    PubMed Central

    Dondini, Luca; Pacheco, Igor; Dettori, Maria Teresa; Gazza, Laura; Scalabrin, Simone; Strozzi, Francesco; Tartarini, Stefano; Bassi, Daniele; Verde, Ignazio; Rossini, Laura

    2014-01-01

    Nectarines play a key role in peach industry; the fuzzless skin has implications for consumer acceptance. The peach/nectarine (G/g) trait was described as monogenic and previously mapped on chromosome 5. Here, the position of the G locus was delimited within a 1.1 cM interval (635 kb) based on linkage analysis of an F2 progeny from the cross ‘Contender’ (C, peach) x ‘Ambra’ (A, nectarine). Careful inspection of the genes annotated in the corresponding genomic sequence (Peach v1.0), coupled with variant discovery, led to the identification of MYB gene PpeMYB25 as a candidate for trichome formation on fruit skin. Analysis of genomic re-sequencing data from five peach/nectarine accessions pointed to the insertion of a LTR retroelement in exon 3 of the PpeMYB25 gene as the cause of the recessive glabrous phenotype. A functional marker (indelG) developed on the LTR insertion cosegregated with the trait in the CxA F2 progeny and was validated on a broad panel of genotypes, including all known putative donors of the nectarine trait. This marker was shown to efficiently discriminate between peach and nectarine plants, indicating that a unique mutational event gave rise to the nectarine trait and providing a useful diagnostic tool for early seedling selection in peach breeding programs. PMID:24595269

  5. The unique genomic landscape surrounding the EPSPS gene in glyphosate resistant Amaranthus palmeri: a repetitive path to resistance.

    PubMed

    Molin, William T; Wright, Alice A; Lawton-Rauh, Amy; Saski, Christopher A

    2017-01-17

    The expanding number and global distributions of herbicide resistant weedy species threaten food, fuel, fiber and bioproduct sustainability and agroecosystem longevity. Amongst the most competitive weeds, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats has rapidly evolved resistance to glyphosate primarily through massive amplification and insertion of the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene across the genome. Increased EPSPS gene copy numbers results in higher titers of the EPSPS enzyme, the target of glyphosate, and confers resistance to glyphosate treatment. To understand the genomic unit and mechanism of EPSPS gene copy number proliferation, we developed and used a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library from a highly resistant biotype to sequence the local genomic landscape flanking the EPSPS gene. By sequencing overlapping BACs, a 297 kb sequence was generated, hereafter referred to as the "EPSPS cassette." This region included several putative genes, dense clusters of tandem and inverted repeats, putative helitron and autonomous replication sequences, and regulatory elements. Whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) of two biotypes exhibiting high and no resistance to glyphosate was performed to compare genomic representation across the EPSPS cassette. Mapping of sequences for both biotypes to the reference EPSPS cassette revealed significant differences in upstream and downstream sequences relative to EPSPS with regard to both repetitive units and coding content between these biotypes. The differences in sequence may have resulted from a compounded-building mechanism such as repetitive transpositional events. The association of putative helitron sequences with the cassette suggests a possible amplification and distribution mechanism. Flow cytometry revealed that the EPSPS cassette added measurable genomic content. The adoption of glyphosate resistant cropping systems in major crops such as corn, soybean, cotton and canola coupled with excessive use of glyphosate herbicide has led to evolved glyphosate resistance in several important weeds. In Amaranthus palmeri, the amplification of the EPSPS cassette, characterized by a complex array of repetitive elements and putative helitron sequences, suggests an adaptive structural genomic mechanism that drives amplification and distribution around the genome. The added genomic content not found in glyphosate sensitive plants may be driving evolution through genome expansion.

  6. Genetic structure of the mating-type locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

    PubMed Central

    Ferris, Patrick J; Armbrust, E Virginia; Goodenough, Ursula W

    2002-01-01

    Portions of the cloned mating-type (MT) loci (mt(+) and mt(-)) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, defined as the approximately 1-Mb domains of linkage group VI that are under recombinational suppression, were subjected to Northern analysis to elucidate their coding capacity. The four central rearranged segments of the loci were found to contain both housekeeping genes (expressed during several life-cycle stages) and mating-related genes, while the sequences unique to mt(+) or mt(-) carried genes expressed only in the gametic or zygotic phases of the life cycle. One of these genes, Mtd1, is a candidate participant in gametic cell fusion; two others, Mta1 and Ezy2, are candidate participants in the uniparental inheritance of chloroplast DNA. The identified housekeeping genes include Pdk, encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, and GdcH, encoding glycine decarboxylase complex subunit H. Unusual genetic configurations include three genes whose sequences overlap, one gene that has inserted into the coding region of another, several genes that have been inactivated by rearrangements in the region, and genes that have undergone tandem duplication. This report extends our original conclusion that the MT locus has incurred high levels of mutational change. PMID:11805055

  7. Arsenic(V) Reduction in Relation to Iron(III) Transformation and Molecular Characterization of the Structural and Functional Microbial Community in Sediments of a Basin-Fill Aquifer in Northern Utah

    PubMed Central

    Mirza, Babur S.; Muruganandam, Subathra; Meng, Xianyu; Sorensen, Darwin L.; Dupont, R. Ryan

    2014-01-01

    Basin-fill aquifers of the Southwestern United States are associated with elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) in groundwater. Many private domestic wells in the Cache Valley Basin, UT, have As concentrations in excess of the U.S. EPA drinking water limit. Thirteen sediment cores were collected from the center of the valley at the depth of the shallow groundwater and were sectioned into layers based on redoxmorphic features. Three of the layers, two from redox transition zones and one from a depletion zone, were used to establish microcosms. Microcosms were treated with groundwater (GW) or groundwater plus glucose (GW+G) to investigate the extent of As reduction in relation to iron (Fe) transformation and characterize the microbial community structure and function by sequencing 16S rRNA and arsenate dissimilatory reductase (arrA) genes. Under the carbon-limited conditions of the GW treatment, As reduction was independent of Fe reduction, despite the abundance of sequences related to Geobacter and Shewanella, genera that include a variety of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria. The addition of glucose, an electron donor and carbon source, caused substantial shifts toward domination of the bacterial community by Clostridium-related organisms, and As reduction was correlated with Fe reduction for the sediments from the redox transition zone. The arrA gene sequencing from microcosms at day 54 of incubation showed the presence of 14 unique phylotypes, none of which were related to any previously described arrA gene sequence, suggesting a unique community of dissimilatory arsenate-respiring bacteria in the Cache Valley Basin. PMID:24632255

  8. An RNA-Seq Transcriptome Analysis of Orthophosphate-Deficient White Lupin Reveals Novel Insights into Phosphorus Acclimation in Plants1[W][OA

    PubMed Central

    O’Rourke, Jamie A.; Yang, S. Samuel; Miller, Susan S.; Bucciarelli, Bruna; Liu, Junqi; Rydeen, Ariel; Bozsoki, Zoltan; Uhde-Stone, Claudia; Tu, Zheng Jin; Allan, Deborah; Gronwald, John W.; Vance, Carroll P.

    2013-01-01

    Phosphorus, in its orthophosphate form (Pi), is one of the most limiting macronutrients in soils for plant growth and development. However, the whole-genome molecular mechanisms contributing to plant acclimation to Pi deficiency remain largely unknown. White lupin (Lupinus albus) has evolved unique adaptations for growth in Pi-deficient soils, including the development of cluster roots to increase root surface area. In this study, we utilized RNA-Seq technology to assess global gene expression in white lupin cluster roots, normal roots, and leaves in response to Pi supply. We de novo assembled 277,224,180 Illumina reads from 12 complementary DNA libraries to build what is to our knowledge the first white lupin gene index (LAGI 1.0). This index contains 125,821 unique sequences with an average length of 1,155 bp. Of these sequences, 50,734 were transcriptionally active (reads per kilobase per million reads ≥ 3), representing approximately 7.8% of the white lupin genome, using the predicted genome size of Lupinus angustifolius as a reference. We identified a total of 2,128 sequences differentially expressed in response to Pi deficiency with a 2-fold or greater change and P ≤ 0.05. Twelve sequences were consistently differentially expressed due to Pi deficiency stress in three species, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and white lupin, making them ideal candidates to monitor the Pi status of plants. Additionally, classic physiological experiments were coupled with RNA-Seq data to examine the role of cytokinin and gibberellic acid in Pi deficiency-induced cluster root development. This global gene expression analysis provides new insights into the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the acclimation to Pi deficiency. PMID:23197803

  9. An RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis of orthophosphate-deficient white lupin reveals novel insights into phosphorus acclimation in plants.

    PubMed

    O'Rourke, Jamie A; Yang, S Samuel; Miller, Susan S; Bucciarelli, Bruna; Liu, Junqi; Rydeen, Ariel; Bozsoki, Zoltan; Uhde-Stone, Claudia; Tu, Zheng Jin; Allan, Deborah; Gronwald, John W; Vance, Carroll P

    2013-02-01

    Phosphorus, in its orthophosphate form (P(i)), is one of the most limiting macronutrients in soils for plant growth and development. However, the whole-genome molecular mechanisms contributing to plant acclimation to P(i) deficiency remain largely unknown. White lupin (Lupinus albus) has evolved unique adaptations for growth in P(i)-deficient soils, including the development of cluster roots to increase root surface area. In this study, we utilized RNA-Seq technology to assess global gene expression in white lupin cluster roots, normal roots, and leaves in response to P(i) supply. We de novo assembled 277,224,180 Illumina reads from 12 complementary DNA libraries to build what is to our knowledge the first white lupin gene index (LAGI 1.0). This index contains 125,821 unique sequences with an average length of 1,155 bp. Of these sequences, 50,734 were transcriptionally active (reads per kilobase per million reads ≥ 3), representing approximately 7.8% of the white lupin genome, using the predicted genome size of Lupinus angustifolius as a reference. We identified a total of 2,128 sequences differentially expressed in response to P(i) deficiency with a 2-fold or greater change and P ≤ 0.05. Twelve sequences were consistently differentially expressed due to P(i) deficiency stress in three species, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and white lupin, making them ideal candidates to monitor the P(i) status of plants. Additionally, classic physiological experiments were coupled with RNA-Seq data to examine the role of cytokinin and gibberellic acid in P(i) deficiency-induced cluster root development. This global gene expression analysis provides new insights into the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the acclimation to P(i) deficiency.

  10. Apple miRNAs and tasiRNAs with novel regulatory networks

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and their regulatory functions have been extensively characterized in model species but whether apple has evolved similar or unique regulatory features remains unknown. Results We performed deep small RNA-seq and identified 23 conserved, 10 less-conserved and 42 apple-specific miRNAs or families with distinct expression patterns. The identified miRNAs target 118 genes representing a wide range of enzymatic and regulatory activities. Apple also conserves two TAS gene families with similar but unique trans-acting small interfering RNA (tasiRNA) biogenesis profiles and target specificities. Importantly, we found that miR159, miR828 and miR858 can collectively target up to 81 MYB genes potentially involved in diverse aspects of plant growth and development. These miRNA target sites are differentially conserved among MYBs, which is largely influenced by the location and conservation of the encoded amino acid residues in MYB factors. Finally, we found that 10 of the 19 miR828-targeted MYBs undergo small interfering RNA (siRNA) biogenesis at the 3' cleaved, highly divergent transcript regions, generating over 100 sequence-distinct siRNAs that potentially target over 70 diverse genes as confirmed by degradome analysis. Conclusions Our work identified and characterized apple miRNAs, their expression patterns, targets and regulatory functions. We also discovered that three miRNAs and the ensuing siRNAs exploit both conserved and divergent sequence features of MYB genes to initiate distinct regulatory networks targeting a multitude of genes inside and outside the MYB family. PMID:22704043

  11. Identification of Novel Virulence Determinants in Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by Screening a Library of Insertional Mutants†

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Sung Jae; Wu, Chia-wei; Steinberg, Howard; Talaat, Adel M.

    2006-01-01

    Johne's disease, caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection, is a worldwide problem for the dairy industry and has a possible involvement in Crohn's disease in humans. To identify virulence determinants of this economically important pathogen, a library of 5,060 transposon mutants was constructed using Tn5367 insertion mutagenesis, followed by large-scale sequencing to identify disrupted genes. In this report, 1,150 mutants were analyzed and 970 unique insertion sites were identified. Sequence analysis of the disrupted genes indicated that the insertion of Tn5367 was more prevalent in genomic regions with G+C content (50.5 to 60.5%) lower than the average G+C content (69.3%) of the rest of the genome. Phenotypic screening of the library identified disruptions of genes involved in iron, tryptophan, or mycolic acid metabolic pathways that displayed unique growth characteristics. Bioinformatic analysis of disrupted genes identified a list of potential virulence determinants for further testing with animals. Mouse infection studies showed a significant decrease in tissue colonization by mutants with a disruption in the gcpE, pstA, kdpC, papA2, impA, umaA1, or fabG2_2 gene. Attenuation phenotypes were tissue specific (e.g., for the umaA1 mutant) as well as time specific (e.g., for the impA mutant), suggesting that those genes may be involved in different virulence mechanisms. The identified potential virulence determinants represent novel functional classes that could be necessary for mycobacterial survival during infection and could provide suitable targets for vaccine and drug development against Johne's and Crohn's diseases. PMID:16790754

  12. The mitochondrial genome of the Japanese skeleton shrimp Caprella mutica (Amphipoda: Caprellidea) reveals a unique gene order and shared apomorphic translocations with Gammaridea.

    PubMed

    Kilpert, Fabian; Podsiadlowski, Lars

    2010-06-01

    This study presents the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of the amphipod Caprella mutica, an east-Asian species, which recently invaded the coastal regions of North America, Europe, and New Zealand. It is the first complete sequence of a member of the amphipod subclade Caprellidea. The mt genome has a total length of 15,427 bp and is organized in a circular double-strand molecule. All 37 mt genes are present, including the common set of 22 tRNAs. Particularly noticeable is the duplication of the control region (CR). The additional CR is located between nad6 and cob, and is almost identical to the original one. The most extensive changes in the gene order affect nad5 and a block consisting of trnH, nad4, nad4L, and trnP-all inserted near the original CR. The gene nad5 is also inverted. Furthermore, a comparison with the pancrustacean ground pattern reveals additional changes of individual tRNA genes. Some of these changes are also shared by Metacrangonyx longipes and Parhyale hawaiensis. These arrangements were found only in amphipods and might be considered as apomorphic by character states of Amphipoda. In all the three species, there is good evidence that trnG originated from a rare duplication/remolding event of the adjacent trnW gene. Nevertheless, each of the three available amphipod mitogenome sequences also bears unique rearrangements. C. mutica, however, shows the most extensive rearrangement in comparison with the pancrustacean ground pattern.

  13. The physical map of wheat chromosome 1BS provides insights into its gene space organization and evolution

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The wheat genome sequence is an essential tool for advanced genomic research and improvements. The generation of a high-quality wheat genome sequence is challenging due to its complex 17 Gb polyploid genome. To overcome these difficulties, sequencing through the construction of BAC-based physical maps of individual chromosomes is employed by the wheat genomics community. Here, we present the construction of the first comprehensive physical map of chromosome 1BS, and illustrate its unique gene space organization and evolution. Results Fingerprinted BAC clones were assembled into 57 long scaffolds, anchored and ordered with 2,438 markers, covering 83% of chromosome 1BS. The BAC-based chromosome 1BS physical map and gene order of the orthologous regions of model grass species were consistent, providing strong support for the reliability of the chromosome 1BS assembly. The gene space for chromosome 1BS spans the entire length of the chromosome arm, with 76% of the genes organized in small gene islands, accompanied by a two-fold increase in gene density from the centromere to the telomere. Conclusions This study provides new evidence on common and chromosome-specific features in the organization and evolution of the wheat genome, including a non-uniform distribution of gene density along the centromere-telomere axis, abundance of non-syntenic genes, the degree of colinearity with other grass genomes and a non-uniform size expansion along the centromere-telomere axis compared with other model cereal genomes. The high-quality physical map constructed in this study provides a solid basis for the assembly of a reference sequence of chromosome 1BS and for breeding applications. PMID:24359668

  14. Gene expression profiling of adult female tissues in feeding Rhipicephalus microplus cattle ticks.

    PubMed

    Stutzer, Christian; van Zyl, Willem A; Olivier, Nicholas A; Richards, Sabine; Maritz-Olivier, Christine

    2013-06-01

    The southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is an economically important pest, especially for resource-poor countries, both as a highly adaptive invasive species and prominent vector of disease. The increasing prevalence of resistance to chemical acaricides and variable efficacy of current tick vaccine candidates highlight the need for more effective control methods. In the absence of a fully annotated genome, the wealth of available expressed sequence tag sequence data for this species presents a unique opportunity to study the genes that are expressed in tissues involved in blood meal acquisition, digestion and reproduction during feeding. Utilising a custom oligonucleotide microarray designed from available singletons (BmiGI Version 2.1) and expressed sequence tag sequences of R. microplus, the expression profiles in feeding adult female midgut, salivary glands and ovarian tissues were compared. From 13,456 assembled transcripts, 588 genes expressed in all three tissues were identified from fed adult females 20 days post infestation. The greatest complement of genes relate to translation and protein turnover. Additionally, a number of unique transcripts were identified for each tissue that relate well to their respective physiological/biological function/role(s). These transcripts include secreted anti-hemostatics and defense proteins from the salivary glands for acquisition of a blood meal, proteases as well as enzymes and transporters for digestion and nutrient acquisition from ingested blood in the midgut, and finally proteins and associated factors involved in DNA replication and cell-cycle control for oogenesis in the ovaries. Comparative analyses of adult female tissues during feeding enabled the identification of a catalogue of transcripts that may be essential for successful feeding and reproduction in the cattle tick, R. microplus. Future studies will increase our understanding of basic tick biology, allowing the identification of shared proteins/pathways among different tissues that may offer novel targets for the development of new tick control strategies. Copyright © 2013 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Deep Sequencing-Based Analysis of the Cymbidium ensifolium Floral Transcriptome

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiaobai; Luo, Jie; Yan, Tianlian; Xiang, Lin; Jin, Feng; Qin, Dehui; Sun, Chongbo; Xie, Ming

    2013-01-01

    Cymbidium ensifolium is a Chinese Cymbidium with an elegant shape, beautiful appearance, and a fragrant aroma. C. ensifolium has a long history of cultivation in China and it has excellent commercial value as a potted plant and cut flower. The development of C. ensifolium genomic resources has been delayed because of its large genome size. Taking advantage of technical and cost improvement of RNA-Seq, we extracted total mRNA from flower buds and mature flowers and obtained a total of 9.52 Gb of filtered nucleotides comprising 98,819,349 filtered reads. The filtered reads were assembled into 101,423 isotigs, representing 51,696 genes. Of the 101,423 isotigs, 41,873 were putative homologs of annotated sequences in the public databases, of which 158 were associated with floral development and 119 were associated with flowering. The isotigs were categorized according to their putative functions. In total, 10,212 of the isotigs were assigned into 25 eukaryotic orthologous groups (KOGs), 41,690 into 58 gene ontology (GO) terms, and 9,830 into 126 Arabidopsis Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and 9,539 isotigs into 123 rice pathways. Comparison of the isotigs with those of the two related orchid species P. equestris and C. sinense showed that 17,906 isotigs are unique to C. ensifolium. In addition, a total of 7,936 SSRs and 16,676 putative SNPs were identified. To our knowledge, this transcriptome database is the first major genomic resource for C. ensifolium and the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource for genus Cymbidium. These sequences provide valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of floral development and flowering. Sequences predicted to be unique to C. ensifolium would provide more insights into C. ensifolium gene diversity. The numerous SNPs and SSRs identified in the present study will contribute to marker development for C. ensifolium. PMID:24392013

  16. Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis A Virus in China: VP3-VP1-2A Genes and Evidence of Quasispecies Distribution in the Isolates

    PubMed Central

    Cao, Jingyuan; Zhou, Wenting; Yi, Yao; Jia, Zhiyuan; Bi, Shengli

    2013-01-01

    Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common cause of infectious hepatitis throughout the world, spread largely by the fecal-oral route. To characterize the genetic diversity of the virus circulating in China where HAV in endemic, we selected the outbreak cases with identical sequences in VP1-2A junction region and compiled a panel of 42 isolates. The VP3-VP1-2A regions of the HAV capsid-coding genes were further sequenced and analyzed. The quasispecies distribution was evaluated by cloning the VP3 and VP1-2A genes in three clinical samples. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the same genotyping results could be obtained whether using the complete VP3, VP1, or partial VP1-2A genes for analysis in this study, although some differences did exist. Most isolates clustered in sub-genotype IA, and fewer in sub-genotype IB. No amino acid mutations were found at the published neutralizing epitope sites, however, several unique amino acid substitutions in the VP3 or VP1 region were identified, with two amino acid variants closely located to the immunodominant site. Quasispecies analysis showed the mutation frequencies were in the range of 7.22x10-4 -2.33x10-3 substitutions per nucleotide for VP3, VP1, or VP1-2A. When compared with the consensus sequences, mutated nucleotide sites represented the minority of all the analyzed sequences sites. HAV replicated as a complex distribution of closely genetically related variants referred to as quasispecies, and were under negative selection. The results indicate that diverse HAV strains and quasispecies inside the viral populations are presented in China, with unique amino acid substitutions detected close to the immunodominant site, and that the possibility of antigenic escaping mutants cannot be ruled out and needs to be further analyzed. PMID:24069343

  17. Analysis of strain-specific genes in glutamic acid-producing Corynebacterium glutamicum ssp. lactofermentum AJ 1511.

    PubMed

    Nishio, Yousuke; Koseki, Chie; Tonouchi, Naoto; Matsui, Kazuhiko; Sugimoto, Shinichi; Usuda, Yoshihiro

    2017-07-11

    Strains of the bacterium, Corynebacterium glutamicum, are widely used for the industrial production of L-glutamic acid and various other substances. C. glutamicum ssp. lactofermentum AJ 1511, formerly classified as Brevibacterium lactofermentum, and the closely related C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 have been used as industrial strains for more than 50 years. We determined the whole genome sequence of C. glutamicum AJ 1511 and performed genome-wide comparative analysis with C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 to determine strain-specific genetic differences. This analysis revealed that the genomes of the two industrial strains are highly similar despite the phenotypic differences between the two strains. Both strains harbored unique genes but gene transpositions or inversions were not observed. The largest unique region, a 220-kb AT-rich region located between 1.78 and 2.00 Mb position in C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 genome, was missing in the genome of C. glutamicum AJ 1511. The next two largest unique regions were present in C. glutamicum AJ 1511. The first region (413-484 kb position) contains several predicted transport proteins, enzymes involved in sugar metabolism, and transposases. The second region (1.47-1.50 Mb position) encodes restriction modification systems. A gene predicted to encode NADH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase, which is involved in L-glutamate biosynthesis, is present in C. glutamicum AJ 1511. Strain-specific genes identified in this study are likely to govern phenotypes unique to each strain.

  18. Bph32, a novel gene encoding an unknown SCR domain-containing protein, confers resistance against the brown planthopper in rice.

    PubMed

    Ren, Juansheng; Gao, Fangyuan; Wu, Xianting; Lu, Xianjun; Zeng, Lihua; Lv, Jianqun; Su, Xiangwen; Luo, Hong; Ren, Guangjun

    2016-11-23

    An urgent need exists to identify more brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) resistance genes, which will allow the development of rice varieties with resistance to BPH to counteract the increased incidence of this pest species. Here, using bioinformatics and DNA sequencing approaches, we identified a novel BPH resistance gene, LOC_Os06g03240 (MSU LOCUS ID), from the rice variety Ptb33 in the interval between the markers RM19291 and RM8072 on the short arm of chromosome 6, where a gene for resistance to BPH was mapped by Jirapong Jairin et al. and renamed as "Bph32". This gene encodes a unique short consensus repeat (SCR) domain protein. Sequence comparison revealed that the Bph32 gene shares 100% sequence identity with its allele in Oryza latifolia. The transgenic introgression of Bph32 into a susceptible rice variety significantly improved resistance to BPH. Expression analysis revealed that Bph32 was highly expressed in the leaf sheaths, where BPH primarily settles and feeds, at 2 and 24 h after BPH infestation, suggesting that Bph32 may inhibit feeding in BPH. Western blotting revealed the presence of Pph (Ptb33) and Tph (TN1) proteins using a Penta-His antibody, and both proteins were insoluble. This study provides information regarding a valuable gene for rice defence against insect pests.

  19. Genes involved in convergent evolution of eusociality in bees

    PubMed Central

    Woodard, S. Hollis; Fischman, Brielle J.; Venkat, Aarti; Hudson, Matt E.; Varala, Kranthi; Cameron, Sydney A.; Clark, Andrew G.; Robinson, Gene E.

    2011-01-01

    Eusociality has arisen independently at least 11 times in insects. Despite this convergence, there are striking differences among eusocial lifestyles, ranging from species living in small colonies with overt conflict over reproduction to species in which colonies contain hundreds of thousands of highly specialized sterile workers produced by one or a few queens. Although the evolution of eusociality has been intensively studied, the genetic changes involved in the evolution of eusociality are relatively unknown. We examined patterns of molecular evolution across three independent origins of eusociality by sequencing transcriptomes of nine socially diverse bee species and combining these data with genome sequence from the honey bee Apis mellifera to generate orthologous sequence alignments for 3,647 genes. We found a shared set of 212 genes with a molecular signature of accelerated evolution across all eusocial lineages studied, as well as unique sets of 173 and 218 genes with a signature of accelerated evolution specific to either highly or primitively eusocial lineages, respectively. These results demonstrate that convergent evolution can involve a mosaic pattern of molecular changes in both shared and lineage-specific sets of genes. Genes involved in signal transduction, gland development, and carbohydrate metabolism are among the most prominent rapidly evolving genes in eusocial lineages. These findings provide a starting point for linking specific genetic changes to the evolution of eusociality. PMID:21482769

  20. Gene expression distribution deconvolution in single-cell RNA sequencing.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jingshu; Huang, Mo; Torre, Eduardo; Dueck, Hannah; Shaffer, Sydney; Murray, John; Raj, Arjun; Li, Mingyao; Zhang, Nancy R

    2018-06-26

    Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables the quantification of each gene's expression distribution across cells, thus allowing the assessment of the dispersion, nonzero fraction, and other aspects of its distribution beyond the mean. These statistical characterizations of the gene expression distribution are critical for understanding expression variation and for selecting marker genes for population heterogeneity. However, scRNA-seq data are noisy, with each cell typically sequenced at low coverage, thus making it difficult to infer properties of the gene expression distribution from raw counts. Based on a reexamination of nine public datasets, we propose a simple technical noise model for scRNA-seq data with unique molecular identifiers (UMI). We develop deconvolution of single-cell expression distribution (DESCEND), a method that deconvolves the true cross-cell gene expression distribution from observed scRNA-seq counts, leading to improved estimates of properties of the distribution such as dispersion and nonzero fraction. DESCEND can adjust for cell-level covariates such as cell size, cell cycle, and batch effects. DESCEND's noise model and estimation accuracy are further evaluated through comparisons to RNA FISH data, through data splitting and simulations and through its effectiveness in removing known batch effects. We demonstrate how DESCEND can clarify and improve downstream analyses such as finding differentially expressed genes, identifying cell types, and selecting differentiation markers. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  1. Bph32, a novel gene encoding an unknown SCR domain-containing protein, confers resistance against the brown planthopper in rice

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Juansheng; Gao, Fangyuan; Wu, Xianting; Lu, Xianjun; Zeng, Lihua; Lv, Jianqun; Su, Xiangwen; Luo, Hong; Ren, Guangjun

    2016-01-01

    An urgent need exists to identify more brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål, BPH) resistance genes, which will allow the development of rice varieties with resistance to BPH to counteract the increased incidence of this pest species. Here, using bioinformatics and DNA sequencing approaches, we identified a novel BPH resistance gene, LOC_Os06g03240 (MSU LOCUS ID), from the rice variety Ptb33 in the interval between the markers RM19291 and RM8072 on the short arm of chromosome 6, where a gene for resistance to BPH was mapped by Jirapong Jairin et al. and renamed as “Bph32”. This gene encodes a unique short consensus repeat (SCR) domain protein. Sequence comparison revealed that the Bph32 gene shares 100% sequence identity with its allele in Oryza latifolia. The transgenic introgression of Bph32 into a susceptible rice variety significantly improved resistance to BPH. Expression analysis revealed that Bph32 was highly expressed in the leaf sheaths, where BPH primarily settles and feeds, at 2 and 24 h after BPH infestation, suggesting that Bph32 may inhibit feeding in BPH. Western blotting revealed the presence of Pph (Ptb33) and Tph (TN1) proteins using a Penta-His antibody, and both proteins were insoluble. This study provides information regarding a valuable gene for rice defence against insect pests. PMID:27876888

  2. Surface Diversity in Mycoplasma agalactiae Is Driven by Site-Specific DNA Inversions within the vpma Multigene Locus

    PubMed Central

    Glew, Michelle D.; Marenda, Marc; Rosengarten, Renate; Citti, Christine

    2002-01-01

    The ruminant pathogen Mycoplasma agalactiae possesses a family of abundantly expressed variable surface lipoproteins called Vpmas. Phenotypic switches between Vpma members have previously been correlated with DNA rearrangements within a locus of vpma genes and are proposed to play an important role in disease pathogenesis. In this study, six vpma genes were characterized in the M. agalactiae type strain PG2. All vpma genes clustered within an 8-kb region and shared highly conserved 5′ untranslated regions, lipoprotein signal sequences, and short N-terminal sequences. Analyses of the vpma loci from consecutive clonal isolates showed that vpma DNA rearrangements were site specific and that cleavage and strand exchange occurred within a minimal region of 21 bp located within the 5′ untranslated region of all vpma genes. This process controlled expression of vpma genes by effectively linking the open reading frame (ORF) of a silent gene to a unique active promoter sequence within the locus. An ORF (xer1) immediately adjacent to one end of the vpma locus did not undergo rearrangement and had significant homology to a distinct subset of genes belonging to the λ integrase family of site-specific xer recombinases. It is proposed that xer1 codes for a site-specific recombinase that is not involved in chromosome dimer resolution but rather is responsible for the observed vpma-specific recombination in M. agalactiae. PMID:12374833

  3. From genomes to vaccines: Leishmania as a model.

    PubMed Central

    Almeida, Renata; Norrish, Alan; Levick, Mark; Vetrie, David; Freeman, Tom; Vilo, Jaak; Ivens, Alasdair; Lange, Uta; Stober, Carmel; McCann, Sharon; Blackwell, Jenefer M

    2002-01-01

    The 35 Mb genome of Leishmania should be sequenced by late 2002. It contains approximately 8500 genes that will probably translate into more than 10 000 proteins. In the laboratory we have been piloting strategies to try to harness the power of the genome-proteome for rapid screening of new vaccine candidate. To this end, microarray analysis of 1094 unique genes identified using an EST analysis of 2091 cDNA clones from spliced leader libraries prepared from different developmental stages of Leishmania has been employed. The plan was to identify amastigote-expressed genes that could be used in high-throughput DNA-vaccine screens to identify potential new vaccine candidates. Despite the lack of transcriptional regulation that polycistronic transcription in Leishmania dictates, the data provide evidence for a high level of post-transcriptional regulation of RNA abundance during the developmental cycle of promastigotes in culture and in lesion-derived amastigotes of Leishmania major. This has provided 147 candidates from the 1094 unique genes that are specifically upregulated in amastigotes and are being used in vaccine studies. Using DNA vaccination, it was demonstrated that pooling strategies can work to identify protective vaccines, but it was found that some potentially protective antigens are masked by other disease-exacerbatory antigens in the pool. A total of 100 new vaccine candidates are currently being tested separately and in pools to extend this analysis, and to facilitate retrospective bioinformatic analysis to develop predictive algorithms for sequences that constitute potentially protective antigens. We are also working with other members of the Leishmania Genome Network to determine whether RNA expression determined by microarray analyses parallels expression at the protein level. We believe we are making good progress in developing strategies that will allow rapid translation of the sequence of Leishmania into potential interventions for disease control in humans. PMID:11839176

  4. Generation and analysis of a barcode-tagged insertion mutant library in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

    PubMed

    Chen, Bo-Ruei; Hale, Devin C; Ciolek, Peter J; Runge, Kurt W

    2012-05-03

    Barcodes are unique DNA sequence tags that can be used to specifically label individual mutants. The barcode-tagged open reading frame (ORF) haploid deletion mutant collections in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe allow for high-throughput mutant phenotyping because the relative growth of mutants in a population can be determined by monitoring the proportions of their associated barcodes. While these mutant collections have greatly facilitated genome-wide studies, mutations in essential genes are not present, and the roles of these genes are not as easily studied. To further support genome-scale research in S. pombe, we generated a barcode-tagged fission yeast insertion mutant library that has the potential of generating viable mutations in both essential and non-essential genes and can be easily analyzed using standard molecular biological techniques. An insertion vector containing a selectable ura4+ marker and a random barcode was used to generate a collection of 10,000 fission yeast insertion mutants stored individually in 384-well plates and as six pools of mixed mutants. Individual barcodes are flanked by Sfi I recognition sites and can be oligomerized in a unique orientation to facilitate barcode sequencing. Independent genetic screens on a subset of mutants suggest that this library contains a diverse collection of single insertion mutations. We present several approaches to determine insertion sites. This collection of S. pombe barcode-tagged insertion mutants is well-suited for genome-wide studies. Because insertion mutations may eliminate, reduce or alter the function of essential and non-essential genes, this library will contain strains with a wide range of phenotypes that can be assayed by their associated barcodes. The design of the barcodes in this library allows for barcode sequencing using next generation or standard benchtop cloning approaches.

  5. Novel groups and unique distribution of phage phoH genes in paddy waters in northeast China

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xinzhen; Liu, Junjie; Yu, Zhenhua; Jin, Jian; Liu, Xiaobing; Wang, Guanghua

    2016-01-01

    Although bacteriophages are ubiquitous in various environments, their genetic diversity is primarily investigated in pelagic marine environments. Corresponding studies in terrestrial environments are few. In this study, we conducted the first survey of phage diversity in the paddy ecosystem by targeting a new viral biomarker gene, phoH. A total of 424 phoH sequences were obtained from four paddy waters generated from a pot experiment with different soils collected from open paddy fields in northeast China. The majority of phoH sequences in paddy waters were novel, with the highest identity of ≤70% with known phoH sequences. Four unique groups (Group α, Group β, Group γ and Group δ) and seven new subgroups (Group 2b, Group 3d, Group 3e, Group 6a, Group 6b, Group 6c and Group 6d) were formed exclusively with the clones from the paddy waters, suggesting novel phage phoH groups exist in the paddy ecosystem. Additionally, the distribution proportions of phoH clones in different groups varied among paddy water samples, suggesting the phage community in paddy fields is biogeographically distributed. Furthermore, non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that phage phoH assemblages in paddy waters were distinct from those in marine waters. PMID:27910929

  6. A recently transferred cluster of bacterial genes in Trichomonas vaginalis - lateral gene transfer and the fate of acquired genes

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Lateral Gene Transfer (LGT) has recently gained recognition as an important contributor to some eukaryote proteomes, but the mechanisms of acquisition and fixation in eukaryotic genomes are still uncertain. A previously defined norm for LGTs in microbial eukaryotes states that the majority are genes involved in metabolism, the LGTs are typically localized one by one, surrounded by vertically inherited genes on the chromosome, and phylogenetics shows that a broad collection of bacterial lineages have contributed to the transferome. Results A unique 34 kbp long fragment with 27 clustered genes (TvLF) of prokaryote origin was identified in the sequenced genome of the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Using a PCR based approach we confirmed the presence of the orthologous fragment in four additional T. vaginalis strains. Detailed sequence analyses unambiguously suggest that TvLF is the result of one single, recent LGT event. The proposed donor is a close relative to the firmicute bacterium Peptoniphilus harei. High nucleotide sequence similarity between T. vaginalis strains, as well as to P. harei, and the absence of homologs in other Trichomonas species, suggests that the transfer event took place after the radiation of the genus Trichomonas. Some genes have undergone pseudogenization and degradation, indicating that they may not be retained in the future. Functional annotations reveal that genes involved in informational processes are particularly prone to degradation. Conclusions We conclude that, although the majority of eukaryote LGTs are single gene occurrences, they may be acquired in clusters of several genes that are subsequently cleansed of evolutionarily less advantageous genes. PMID:24898731

  7. Structural characteristics of ScBx genes controlling the biosynthesis of hydroxamic acids in rye (Secale cereale L.).

    PubMed

    Bakera, Beata; Makowska, Bogna; Groszyk, Jolanta; Niziołek, Michał; Orczyk, Wacław; Bolibok-Brągoszewska, Hanna; Hromada-Judycka, Aneta; Rakoczy-Trojanowska, Monika

    2015-08-01

    Benzoxazinoids (BX) are major secondary metabolites of gramineous plants that play an important role in disease resistance and allelopathy. They also have many other unique properties including anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity, and the ability to reduce alfa-amylase activity. The biosynthesis and modification of BX are controlled by the genes Bx1 ÷ Bx10, GT and glu, and the majority of these Bx genes have been mapped in maize, wheat and rye. However, the genetic basis of BX biosynthesis remains largely uncharacterized apart from some data from maize and wheat. The aim of this study was to isolate, sequence and characterize five genes (ScBx1, ScBx2, ScBx3, ScBx4 and ScBx5) encoding enzymes involved in the synthesis of DIBOA, an important defense compound of rye. Using a modified 3D procedure of BAC library screening, seven BAC clones containing all of the ScBx genes were isolated and sequenced. Bioinformatic analyses of the resulting contigs were used to examine the structure and other features of these genes, including their promoters, introns and 3'UTRs. Comparative analysis showed that the ScBx genes are similar to those of other Poaceae species, especially to the TaBx genes. The polymorphisms present both in the coding sequences and non-coding regions of ScBx in relation to other Bx genes are predicted to have an impact on the expression, structure and properties of the encoded proteins.

  8. MEETING: Chlamydomonas Annotation Jamboree - October 2003

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Grossman, Arthur R

    2007-04-13

    Shotgun sequencing of the nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas throughout) was performed at an approximate 10X coverage by JGI. Roughly half of the genome is now contained on 26 scaffolds, all of which are at least 1.6 Mb, and the coverage of the genome is ~95%. There are now over 200,000 cDNA sequence reads that we have generated as part of the Chlamydomonas genome project (Grossman, 2003; Shrager et al., 2003; Grossman et al. 2007; Merchant et al., 2007); other sequences have also been generated by the Kasuza sequence group (Asamizu et al., 1999; Asamizu et al., 2000) ormore » individual laboratories that have focused on specific genes. Shrager et al. (2003) placed the reads into distinct contigs (an assemblage of reads with overlapping nucleotide sequences), and contigs that group together as part of the same genes have been designated ACEs (assembly of contigs generated from EST information). All of the reads have also been mapped to the Chlamydomonas nuclear genome and the cDNAs and their corresponding genomic sequences have been reassembled, and the resulting assemblage is called an ACEG (an Assembly of contiguous EST sequences supported by genomic sequence) (Jain et al., 2007). Most of the unique genes or ACEGs are also represented by gene models that have been generated by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI, Walnut Creek, CA). These gene models have been placed onto the DNA scaffolds and are presented as a track on the Chlamydomonas genome browser associated with the genome portal (http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Chlre3/Chlre3.home.html). Ultimately, the meeting grant awarded by DOE has helped enormously in the development of an annotation pipeline (a set of guidelines used in the annotation of genes) and resulted in high quality annotation of over 4,000 genes; the annotators were from both Europe and the USA. Some of the people who led the annotation initiative were Arthur Grossman, Olivier Vallon, and Sabeeha Merchant (with many individual annotators from Europe and the USA). Olivier Vallon has been most active in continued input of annotation information.« less

  9. Complete plastid genome sequence of Daucus carota: implications for biotechnology and phylogeny of angiosperms.

    PubMed

    Ruhlman, Tracey; Lee, Seung-Bum; Jansen, Robert K; Hostetler, Jessica B; Tallon, Luke J; Town, Christopher D; Daniell, Henry

    2006-08-31

    Carrot (Daucus carota) is a major food crop in the US and worldwide. Its capacity for storage and its lifecycle as a biennial make it an attractive species for the introduction of foreign genes, especially for oral delivery of vaccines and other therapeutic proteins. Until recently efforts to express recombinant proteins in carrot have had limited success in terms of protein accumulation in the edible tap roots. Plastid genetic engineering offers the potential to overcome this limitation, as demonstrated by the accumulation of BADH in chromoplasts of carrot taproots to confer exceedingly high levels of salt resistance. The complete plastid genome of carrot provides essential information required for genetic engineering. Additionally, the sequence data add to the rapidly growing database of plastid genomes for assessing phylogenetic relationships among angiosperms. The complete carrot plastid genome is 155,911 bp in length, with 115 unique genes and 21 duplicated genes within the IR. There are four ribosomal RNAs, 30 distinct tRNA genes and 18 intron-containing genes. Repeat analysis reveals 12 direct and 2 inverted repeats > or = 30 bp with a sequence identity > or = 90%. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences for 61 protein-coding genes using both maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) were performed for 29 angiosperms. Phylogenies from both methods provide strong support for the monophyly of several major angiosperm clades, including monocots, eudicots, rosids, asterids, eurosids II, euasterids I, and euasterids II. The carrot plastid genome contains a number of dispersed direct and inverted repeats scattered throughout coding and non-coding regions. This is the first sequenced plastid genome of the family Apiaceae and only the second published genome sequence of the species-rich euasterid II clade. Both MP and ML trees provide very strong support (100% bootstrap) for the sister relationship of Daucus with Panax in the euasterid II clade. These results provide the best taxon sampling of complete chloroplast genomes and the strongest support yet for the sister relationship of Caryophyllales to the asterids. The availability of the complete plastid genome sequence should facilitate improved transformation efficiency and foreign gene expression in carrot through utilization of endogenous flanking sequences and regulatory elements.

  10. MacoNPV baculovirus midgut-specific gene expression during infection of the bertha armyworm, Mamestra configurata

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Donly, B. Cameron, E-mail: Cam.Donly@agr.gc.ca

    Baculoviruses have two forms, occlusion derived virus (ODV) which is responsible for primary infection in host midgut tissue and budded virus (BV), which infects all other host tissues during secondary infection. This study examined the primary infection by ODV of midgut cells of bertha armyworm Mamestra configurata fourth instar larvae and measured the expression of viral genes over a time course of infection. Both digital PCR and RNA sequencing methods showed the profile of transcription to be different from those produced by AcMNPV BV infection of in vitro cell cultures. This included having unique collections of genes expressed early, asmore » well as much greater late gene expression of p6.9 and much reduced expression of polh and p10. These differences likely reflect characteristics unique to the critical step of in vivo midgut cell infection, and provide insights into the processes that regulate viral gene expression in different host tissues. -- Highlights: •The transcriptome of MacoNPV ODV in larval midgut was measured by RNA-seq and digital PCR. •The earliest genes expressed included fusion protein, hoar, and me53. •p6.9 was highly expressed late but polH and p10 were less so. •These patterns are unique from BV of other baculoviruses in tissue culture cells.« less

  11. Evolutionary insights from Erwinia amylovora genomics.

    PubMed

    Smits, Theo H M; Rezzonico, Fabio; Duffy, Brion

    2011-08-20

    Evolutionary genomics is coming into focus with the recent availability of complete sequences for many bacterial species. A hypothesis on the evolution of virulence factors in the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight, was generated using comparative genomics with the genomes E. amylovora, Erwinia pyrifoliae and Erwinia tasmaniensis. Putative virulence factors were mapped to the proposed genealogy of the genus Erwinia that is based on phylogenetic and genomic data. Ancestral origin of several virulence factors was identified, including levan biosynthesis, sorbitol metabolism, three T3SS and two T6SS. Other factors appeared to have been acquired after divergence of pathogenic species, including a second flagellar gene and two glycosyltransferases involved in amylovoran biosynthesis. E. amylovora singletons include 3 unique T3SS effectors that may explain differential virulence/host ranges. E. amylovora also has a unique T1SS export system, and a unique third T6SS gene cluster. Genetic analysis revealed signatures of foreign DNA suggesting that horizontal gene transfer is responsible for some of these differential features between the three species. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. TP53, PIK3CA, FBXW7 and KRAS Mutations in Esophageal Cancer Identified by Targeted Sequencing.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Huili; Wang, Yan; Tang, Chuanning; Jones, Lindsey; Ye, Hua; Zhang, Guangchun; Cao, Weihai; Li, Jingwen; Liu, Lifeng; Liu, Zhencong; Zhang, Chao; Lou, Feng; Liu, Zhiyuan; Li, Yangyang; Shi, Zhenfen; Zhang, Jingbo; Zhang, Dandan; Sun, Hong; Dong, Haichao; Dong, Zhishou; Guo, Baishuai; Yan, H E; Lu, Qingyu; Huang, Xue; Chen, Si-Yi

    2016-01-01

    Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality. As individual cancers exhibit unique mutation patterns, identifying and characterizing gene mutations in EC that may serve as biomarkers might help predict patient outcome and guide treatment. Traditionally, personalized cancer DNA sequencing was impractical and expensive. Recent technological advancements have made targeted DNA sequencing more cost- and time-effective with reliable results. This technology may be useful for clinicians to direct patient treatment. The Ion PGM and AmpliSeq Cancer Panel was used to identify mutations at 737 hotspot loci of 45 cancer-related genes in 64 EC samples from Chinese patients. Frequent mutations were found in TP53 and less frequent mutations in PIK3CA, FBXW7 and KRAS. These results demonstrate that targeted sequencing can reliably identify mutations in individual tumors that make this technology a possibility for clinical use. Copyright© 2016, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  13. The DNA sequence of the human X chromosome

    PubMed Central

    Ross, Mark T.; Grafham, Darren V.; Coffey, Alison J.; Scherer, Steven; McLay, Kirsten; Muzny, Donna; Platzer, Matthias; Howell, Gareth R.; Burrows, Christine; Bird, Christine P.; Frankish, Adam; Lovell, Frances L.; Howe, Kevin L.; Ashurst, Jennifer L.; Fulton, Robert S.; Sudbrak, Ralf; Wen, Gaiping; Jones, Matthew C.; Hurles, Matthew E.; Andrews, T. Daniel; Scott, Carol E.; Searle, Stephen; Ramser, Juliane; Whittaker, Adam; Deadman, Rebecca; Carter, Nigel P.; Hunt, Sarah E.; Chen, Rui; Cree, Andrew; Gunaratne, Preethi; Havlak, Paul; Hodgson, Anne; Metzker, Michael L.; Richards, Stephen; Scott, Graham; Steffen, David; Sodergren, Erica; Wheeler, David A.; Worley, Kim C.; Ainscough, Rachael; Ambrose, Kerrie D.; Ansari-Lari, M. Ali; Aradhya, Swaroop; Ashwell, Robert I. S.; Babbage, Anne K.; Bagguley, Claire L.; Ballabio, Andrea; Banerjee, Ruby; Barker, Gary E.; Barlow, Karen F.; Barrett, Ian P.; Bates, Karen N.; Beare, David M.; Beasley, Helen; Beasley, Oliver; Beck, Alfred; Bethel, Graeme; Blechschmidt, Karin; Brady, Nicola; Bray-Allen, Sarah; Bridgeman, Anne M.; Brown, Andrew J.; Brown, Mary J.; Bonnin, David; Bruford, Elspeth A.; Buhay, Christian; Burch, Paula; Burford, Deborah; Burgess, Joanne; Burrill, Wayne; Burton, John; Bye, Jackie M.; Carder, Carol; Carrel, Laura; Chako, Joseph; Chapman, Joanne C.; Chavez, Dean; Chen, Ellson; Chen, Guan; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Zhijian; Chinault, Craig; Ciccodicola, Alfredo; Clark, Sue Y.; Clarke, Graham; Clee, Chris M.; Clegg, Sheila; Clerc-Blankenburg, Kerstin; Clifford, Karen; Cobley, Vicky; Cole, Charlotte G.; Conquer, Jen S.; Corby, Nicole; Connor, Richard E.; David, Robert; Davies, Joy; Davis, Clay; Davis, John; Delgado, Oliver; DeShazo, Denise; Dhami, Pawandeep; Ding, Yan; Dinh, Huyen; Dodsworth, Steve; Draper, Heather; Dugan-Rocha, Shannon; Dunham, Andrew; Dunn, Matthew; Durbin, K. James; Dutta, Ireena; Eades, Tamsin; Ellwood, Matthew; Emery-Cohen, Alexandra; Errington, Helen; Evans, Kathryn L.; Faulkner, Louisa; Francis, Fiona; Frankland, John; Fraser, Audrey E.; Galgoczy, Petra; Gilbert, James; Gill, Rachel; Glöckner, Gernot; Gregory, Simon G.; Gribble, Susan; Griffiths, Coline; Grocock, Russell; Gu, Yanghong; Gwilliam, Rhian; Hamilton, Cerissa; Hart, Elizabeth A.; Hawes, Alicia; Heath, Paul D.; Heitmann, Katja; Hennig, Steffen; Hernandez, Judith; Hinzmann, Bernd; Ho, Sarah; Hoffs, Michael; Howden, Phillip J.; Huckle, Elizabeth J.; Hume, Jennifer; Hunt, Paul J.; Hunt, Adrienne R.; Isherwood, Judith; Jacob, Leni; Johnson, David; Jones, Sally; de Jong, Pieter J.; Joseph, Shirin S.; Keenan, Stephen; Kelly, Susan; Kershaw, Joanne K.; Khan, Ziad; Kioschis, Petra; Klages, Sven; Knights, Andrew J.; Kosiura, Anna; Kovar-Smith, Christie; Laird, Gavin K.; Langford, Cordelia; Lawlor, Stephanie; Leversha, Margaret; Lewis, Lora; Liu, Wen; Lloyd, Christine; Lloyd, David M.; Loulseged, Hermela; Loveland, Jane E.; Lovell, Jamieson D.; Lozado, Ryan; Lu, Jing; Lyne, Rachael; Ma, Jie; Maheshwari, Manjula; Matthews, Lucy H.; McDowall, Jennifer; McLaren, Stuart; McMurray, Amanda; Meidl, Patrick; Meitinger, Thomas; Milne, Sarah; Miner, George; Mistry, Shailesh L.; Morgan, Margaret; Morris, Sidney; Müller, Ines; Mullikin, James C.; Nguyen, Ngoc; Nordsiek, Gabriele; Nyakatura, Gerald; O’Dell, Christopher N.; Okwuonu, Geoffery; Palmer, Sophie; Pandian, Richard; Parker, David; Parrish, Julia; Pasternak, Shiran; Patel, Dina; Pearce, Alex V.; Pearson, Danita M.; Pelan, Sarah E.; Perez, Lesette; Porter, Keith M.; Ramsey, Yvonne; Reichwald, Kathrin; Rhodes, Susan; Ridler, Kerry A.; Schlessinger, David; Schueler, Mary G.; Sehra, Harminder K.; Shaw-Smith, Charles; Shen, Hua; Sheridan, Elizabeth M.; Shownkeen, Ratna; Skuce, Carl D.; Smith, Michelle L.; Sotheran, Elizabeth C.; Steingruber, Helen E.; Steward, Charles A.; Storey, Roy; Swann, R. Mark; Swarbreck, David; Tabor, Paul E.; Taudien, Stefan; Taylor, Tineace; Teague, Brian; Thomas, Karen; Thorpe, Andrea; Timms, Kirsten; Tracey, Alan; Trevanion, Steve; Tromans, Anthony C.; d’Urso, Michele; Verduzco, Daniel; Villasana, Donna; Waldron, Lenee; Wall, Melanie; Wang, Qiaoyan; Warren, James; Warry, Georgina L.; Wei, Xuehong; West, Anthony; Whitehead, Siobhan L.; Whiteley, Mathew N.; Wilkinson, Jane E.; Willey, David L.; Williams, Gabrielle; Williams, Leanne; Williamson, Angela; Williamson, Helen; Wilming, Laurens; Woodmansey, Rebecca L.; Wray, Paul W.; Yen, Jennifer; Zhang, Jingkun; Zhou, Jianling; Zoghbi, Huda; Zorilla, Sara; Buck, David; Reinhardt, Richard; Poustka, Annemarie; Rosenthal, André; Lehrach, Hans; Meindl, Alfons; Minx, Patrick J.; Hillier, LaDeana W.; Willard, Huntington F.; Wilson, Richard K.; Waterston, Robert H.; Rice, Catherine M.; Vaudin, Mark; Coulson, Alan; Nelson, David L.; Weinstock, George; Sulston, John E.; Durbin, Richard; Hubbard, Tim; Gibbs, Richard A.; Beck, Stephan; Rogers, Jane; Bentley, David R.

    2009-01-01

    The human X chromosome has a unique biology that was shaped by its evolution as the sex chromosome shared by males and females. We have determined 99.3% of the euchromatic sequence of the X chromosome. Our analysis illustrates the autosomal origin of the mammalian sex chromosomes, the stepwise process that led to the progressive loss of recombination between X and Y, and the extent of subsequent degradation of the Y chromosome. LINE1 repeat elements cover one-third of the X chromosome, with a distribution that is consistent with their proposed role as way stations in the process of X-chromosome inactivation. We found 1,098 genes in the sequence, of which 99 encode proteins expressed in testis and in various tumour types. A disproportionately high number of mendelian diseases are documented for the X chromosome. Of this number, 168 have been explained by mutations in 113 X-linked genes, which in many cases were characterized with the aid of the DNA sequence. PMID:15772651

  14. Expressed sequence tag analysis of human RPE/choroid for the NEIBank Project: over 6000 non-redundant transcripts, novel genes and splice variants.

    PubMed

    Wistow, Graeme; Bernstein, Steven L; Wyatt, M Keith; Fariss, Robert N; Behal, Amita; Touchman, Jeffrey W; Bouffard, Gerald; Smith, Don; Peterson, Katherine

    2002-06-15

    The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid comprise a functional unit of the eye that is essential to normal retinal health and function. Here we describe expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis of human RPE/choroid as part of a project for ocular bioinformatics. A cDNA library (cs) was made from human RPE/choroid and sequenced. Data were analyzed and assembled using the program GRIST (GRouping and Identification of Sequence Tags). Complete sequencing, Northern and Western blots, RH mapping, peptide antibody synthesis and immunofluorescence (IF) have been used to examine expression patterns and genome location for selected transcripts and proteins. Ten thousand individual sequence reads yield over 6300 unique gene clusters of which almost half have no matches with named genes. One of the most abundant transcripts is from a gene (named "alpha") that maps to the BBS1 region of chromosome 11. A number of tissue preferred transcripts are common to both RPE/choroid and iris. These include oculoglycan/opticin, for which an alternative splice form is detected in RPE/choroid, and "oculospanin" (Ocsp), a novel tetraspanin that maps to chromosome 17q. Antiserum to Ocsp detects expression in RPE, iris, ciliary body, and retinal ganglion cells by IF. A newly identified gene for a zinc-finger protein (TIRC) maps to 19q13.4. Variant transcripts of several genes were also detected. Most notably, the predominant form of Bestrophin represented in cs contains a longer open reading frame as a result of splice junction skipping. The unamplified cs library gives a view of the transcriptional repertoire of the adult RPE/choroid. A large number of potentially novel genes and splice forms and candidates for genetic diseases are revealed. Clones from this collection are being included in a large, nonredundant set for cDNA microarray construction.

  15. The Alveolate Perkinsus marinus: Biological Insights from EST Gene Discovery

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, has devastated natural and farmed oyster populations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. It is classified as a member of the Perkinsozoa, a recently established phylum considered close to the ancestor of ciliates, dinoflagellates, and apicomplexans, and a key taxon for understanding unique adaptations (e.g. parasitism) within the Alveolata. Despite intense parasite pressure, no disease-resistant oysters have been identified and no effective therapies have been developed to date. Results To gain insight into the biological basis of the parasite's virulence and pathogenesis mechanisms, and to identify genes encoding potential targets for intervention, we generated >31,000 5' expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from four trophozoite libraries generated from two P. marinus strains. Trimming and clustering of the sequence tags yielded 7,863 unique sequences, some of which carry a spliced leader. Similarity searches revealed that 55% of these had hits in protein sequence databases, of which 1,729 had their best hit with proteins from the chromalveolates (E-value ≤ 1e-5). Some sequences are similar to those proven to be targets for effective intervention in other protozoan parasites, and include not only proteases, antioxidant enzymes, and heat shock proteins, but also those associated with relict plastids, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase and methyl erythrithol phosphate pathway components, and those involved in glycan assembly, protein folding/secretion, and parasite-host interactions. Conclusions Our transcriptome analysis of P. marinus, the first for any member of the Perkinsozoa, contributes new insight into its biology and taxonomic position. It provides a very informative, albeit preliminary, glimpse into the expression of genes encoding functionally relevant proteins as potential targets for chemotherapy, and evidence for the presence of a relict plastid. Further, although P. marinus sequences display significant similarity to those from both apicomplexans and dinoflagellates, the presence of trans-spliced transcripts confirms the previously established affinities with the latter. The EST analysis reported herein, together with the recently completed sequence of the P. marinus genome and the development of transfection methodology, should result in improved intervention strategies against dermo disease. PMID:20374649

  16. Cloning and genomic characterization of sytdep, a new synaptotagmin XIV-related gene.

    PubMed

    Herrero-Turrión, M Javier; Fukuda, Mitsunori; Mollinedo, Faustino

    2006-02-10

    We have identified a new human gene coined sytdep (synaptotagmin XIV-derived protein) in human neutrophils. Sytdep encodes a 188-amino acid sequence with a 21.435kDa deduced molecular mass, showing 75% identity to human synaptotagmin (syt) XIV. Human neutrophils express sytdep, but not syt XIV. Sytdep was upregulated during HL-60 neutrophil differentiation. Sytdep gene is located in human chromosome 4 and contains a unique exon, whereas syt XIV gene, located in chromosome 1, comprises 10 exons with 9 introns. Mouse genome did not contain sytdep. The N-terminal region of sytdep shows no homology with any known protein and, unlike synaptotagmin XIV isoforms, sytdep shows a unique C-terminal C2B domain. Polyclonal antibodies against the C2B domain of syt XIV recognized sytdep as a 27-kDa protein in human neutrophils. Genomic analyses suggest that human sytdep could derive from a retrotranslocation of a syt XIV transcript into chromosome 4.

  17. The genomes and comparative genomics of Lactobacillus delbrueckii phages.

    PubMed

    Riipinen, Katja-Anneli; Forsman, Päivi; Alatossava, Tapani

    2011-07-01

    Lactobacillus delbrueckii phages are a great source of genetic diversity. Here, the genome sequences of Lb. delbrueckii phages LL-Ku, c5 and JCL1032 were analyzed in detail, and the genetic diversity of Lb. delbrueckii phages belonging to different taxonomic groups was explored. The lytic isometric group b phages LL-Ku (31,080 bp) and c5 (31,841 bp) showed a minimum nucleotide sequence identity of 90% over about three-fourths of their genomes. The genomic locations of their lysis modules were unique, and the genomes featured several putative overlapping transcription units of genes. LL-Ku and c5 virions displayed peptidoglycan hydrolytic activity associated with a ~36-kDa protein similar in size to the endolysin. Unexpectedly, the 49,433-bp genome of the prolate phage JCL1032 (temperate, group c) revealed a conserved gene order within its structural genes. Lb. delbrueckii phages representing groups a (a phage LL-H), b and c possessed only limited protein sequence homology. Genomic comparison of LL-Ku and c5 suggested that diversification of Lb. delbrueckii phages is mainly due to insertions, deletions and recombination. For the first time, the complete genome sequences of group b and c Lb. delbrueckii phages are reported.

  18. Identification of novel alleles of the rice blast resistance gene Pi54

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasudevan, Kumar; Gruissem, Wilhelm; Bhullar, Navreet K.

    2015-10-01

    Rice blast is one of the most devastating rice diseases and continuous resistance breeding is required to control the disease. The rice blast resistance gene Pi54 initially identified in an Indian cultivar confers broad-spectrum resistance in India. We explored the allelic diversity of the Pi54 gene among 885 Indian rice genotypes that were found resistant in our screening against field mixture of naturally existing M. oryzae strains as well as against five unique strains. These genotypes are also annotated as rice blast resistant in the International Rice Genebank database. Sequence-based allele mining was used to amplify and clone the Pi54 allelic variants. Nine new alleles of Pi54 were identified based on the nucleotide sequence comparison to the Pi54 reference sequence as well as to already known Pi54 alleles. DNA sequence analysis of the newly identified Pi54 alleles revealed several single polymorphic sites, three double deletions and an eight base pair deletion. A SNP-rich region was found between a tyrosine kinase phosphorylation site and the nucleotide binding site (NBS) domain. Together, the newly identified Pi54 alleles expand the allelic series and are candidates for rice blast resistance breeding programs.

  19. Sequence analysis of ORF IV RTBV isolated from tungro infected Oryza sativa L. cv Ciherang

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hastilestari, Bernadetta Rina; Astuti, Dwi; Estiati, Amy; Nugroho, Satya

    2015-09-01

    The Effort to increase rice production is often constrained by pest and disease such as Tungro. The Tungro disease is caused by the joint infection with two dissimilar viruses; a bacil-form-DNA virus, the Rice tungro bacilliform virus(RTBV) and the spherical RNA virus, Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) and transmitted by Green leafhopper (Nephotettix virescens). The symptom of disease is caused by the presence of RTBV. The genome of RTBV consists of four Open reading frames (ORFs) which encode functional proteins. Of the four, ORF IV is unique because it exists only in RTBV. The most efficient method of generating disease resistance plants is to look for natural sources of resistance genes in wild or germplasm and then transfer the gene and the accompanying resistance in cultivated crop varieties. The aim of this study is, therefore, to isolate and analyze of 1170 bp gene of ORF 4 of Tungro virus isolated from an Indonesian rice cultivar, Ciherang (Oryza sativa L. cv Indica). DNA sequencing analysis using BLAST showed 94% similarity with the reference sequence gen bank Acc.M65026.1. The comparisons and mutation analysis of DNA sequences were discussed in this research.

  20. Identification, characterization and description of Arcobacter faecis sp. nov., isolated from a human waste septic tank.

    PubMed

    Whiteduck-Léveillée, Kerri; Whiteduck-Léveillée, Jenni; Cloutier, Michel; Tambong, James T; Xu, Renlin; Topp, Edward; Arts, Michael T; Chao, Jerry; Adam, Zaky; Lévesque, C André; Lapen, David R; Villemur, Richard; Khan, Izhar U H

    2016-03-01

    A study on the taxonomic classification of Arcobacter species was performed on the cultures isolated from various fecal sources where an Arcobacter strain AF1078(T) from human waste septic tank near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada was characterized using a polyphasic approach. Genetic investigations including 16S rRNA, atpA, cpn60, gyrA, gyrB and rpoB gene sequences of strain AF1078(T) are unique in comparison with other arcobacters. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the strain is most closely related to Arcobacter lanthieri and Arcobacter cibarius. Analyses of atpA, cpn60, gyrA, gyrB and rpoB gene sequences suggested that strain AF1078(T) formed a phylogenetic lineage independent of other species in the genus. Whole-genome sequence, DNA-DNA hybridization, fatty acid profile and phenotypic analysis further supported the conclusion that strain AF1078(T) represents a novel Arcobacter species, for which the name Arcobacter faecis sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain AF1078(T) (=LMG 28519(T); CCUG 66484(T)). Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  1. Gene discovery in an invasive tephritid model pest species, the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

    PubMed Central

    Gomulski, Ludvik M; Dimopoulos, George; Xi, Zhiyong; Soares, Marcelo B; Bonaldo, Maria F; Malacrida, Anna R; Gasperi, Giuliano

    2008-01-01

    Background The medfly, Ceratitis capitata, is a highly invasive agricultural pest that has become a model insect for the development of biological control programs. Despite research into the behavior and classical and population genetics of this organism, the quantity of sequence data available is limited. We have utilized an expressed sequence tag (EST) approach to obtain detailed information on transcriptome signatures that relate to a variety of physiological systems in the medfly; this information emphasizes on reproduction, sex determination, and chemosensory perception, since the study was based on normalized cDNA libraries from embryos and adult heads. Results A total of 21,253 high-quality ESTs were obtained from the embryo and head libraries. Clustering analyses performed separately for each library resulted in 5201 embryo and 6684 head transcripts. Considering an estimated 19% overlap in the transcriptomes of the two libraries, they represent about 9614 unique transcripts involved in a wide range of biological processes and molecular functions. Of particular interest are the sequences that share homology with Drosophila genes involved in sex determination, olfaction, and reproductive behavior. The medfly transformer2 (tra2) homolog was identified among the embryonic sequences, and its genomic organization and expression were characterized. Conclusion The sequences obtained in this study represent the first major dataset of expressed genes in a tephritid species of agricultural importance. This resource provides essential information to support the investigation of numerous questions regarding the biology of the medfly and other related species and also constitutes an invaluable tool for the annotation of complete genome sequences. Our study has revealed intriguing findings regarding the transcript regulation of tra2 and other sex determination genes, as well as insights into the comparative genomics of genes implicated in chemosensory reception and reproduction. PMID:18500975

  2. Large-scale transcriptome analysis in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), an orphan legume crop of the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa.

    PubMed

    Hiremath, Pavana J; Farmer, Andrew; Cannon, Steven B; Woodward, Jimmy; Kudapa, Himabindu; Tuteja, Reetu; Kumar, Ashish; Bhanuprakash, Amindala; Mulaosmanovic, Benjamin; Gujaria, Neha; Krishnamurthy, Laxmanan; Gaur, Pooran M; Kavikishor, Polavarapu B; Shah, Trushar; Srinivasan, Ramamurthy; Lohse, Marc; Xiao, Yongli; Town, Christopher D; Cook, Douglas R; May, Gregory D; Varshney, Rajeev K

    2011-10-01

    Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important legume crop in the semi-arid regions of Asia and Africa. Gains in crop productivity have been low however, particularly because of biotic and abiotic stresses. To help enhance crop productivity using molecular breeding techniques, next generation sequencing technologies such as Roche/454 and Illumina/Solexa were used to determine the sequence of most gene transcripts and to identify drought-responsive genes and gene-based molecular markers. A total of 103,215 tentative unique sequences (TUSs) have been produced from 435,018 Roche/454 reads and 21,491 Sanger expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Putative functions were determined for 49,437 (47.8%) of the TUSs, and gene ontology assignments were determined for 20,634 (41.7%) of the TUSs. Comparison of the chickpea TUSs with the Medicago truncatula genome assembly (Mt 3.5.1 build) resulted in 42,141 aligned TUSs with putative gene structures (including 39,281 predicted intron/splice junctions). Alignment of ∼37 million Illumina/Solexa tags generated from drought-challenged root tissues of two chickpea genotypes against the TUSs identified 44,639 differentially expressed TUSs. The TUSs were also used to identify a diverse set of markers, including 728 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 495 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 387 conserved orthologous sequence (COS) markers, and 2088 intron-spanning region (ISR) markers. This resource will be useful for basic and applied research for genome analysis and crop improvement in chickpea. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2011 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd. No claim to original US government works.

  3. Targeted next generation sequencing of the entire vitamin D receptor gene reveals polymorphisms correlated with vitamin D deficiency among older Filipino women with and without fragility fracture.

    PubMed

    Zumaraga, Mark Pretzel; Medina, Paul Julius; Recto, Juan Miguel; Abrahan, Lauro; Azurin, Edelyn; Tanchoco, Celeste C; Jimeno, Cecilia A; Palmes-Saloma, Cynthia

    2017-03-01

    This study aimed to discover genetic variants in the entire 101 kB vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene for vitamin D deficiency in a group of postmenopausal Filipino women using targeted next generation sequencing (TNGS) approach in a case-control study design. A total of 50 women with and without osteoporotic fracture seen at the Philippine Orthopedic Center were included. Blood samples were collected for determination of serum vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and as primary source for targeted VDR gene sequencing using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine. The variant calling was based on the GATK best practice workflow and annotated using Annovar tool. A total of 1496 unique variants in the whole 101-kb VDR gene were identified. Novel sequence variations not registered in the dbSNP database were found among cases and controls at a rate of 23.1% and 16.6% of total discovered variants, respectively. One disease-associated enhancer showed statistically significant association to low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels (Pearson chi-square P-value=0.009). The transcription factor binding site prediction program PROMO predicted the disruption of three transcription factor binding sites in this enhancer region. These findings show the power of TNGS in identifying sequence variations in a very large gene and the surprising results obtained in this study greatly expand the catalog of known VDR sequence variants that may represent an important clue in the emergence of vitamin D deficiency. Such information will also provide the additional guidance necessary toward a personalized nutritional advice to reach sufficient vitamin D status. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Identification and analysis of pig chimeric mRNAs using RNA sequencing data

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Gene fusion is ubiquitous over the course of evolution. It is expected to increase the diversity and complexity of transcriptomes and proteomes through chimeric sequence segments or altered regulation. However, chimeric mRNAs in pigs remain unclear. Here we identified some chimeric mRNAs in pigs and analyzed the expression of them across individuals and breeds using RNA-sequencing data. Results The present study identified 669 putative chimeric mRNAs in pigs, of which 251 chimeric candidates were detected in a set of RNA-sequencing data. The 618 candidates had clear trans-splicing sites, 537 of which obeyed the canonical GU-AG splice rule. Only two putative pig chimera variants whose fusion junction was overlapped with that of a known human chimeric mRNA were found. A set of unique chimeric events were considered middle variances in the expression across individuals and breeds, and revealed non-significant variance between sexes. Furthermore, the genomic region of the 5′ partner gene shares a similar DNA sequence with that of the 3′ partner gene for 458 putative chimeric mRNAs. The 81 of those shared DNA sequences significantly matched the known DNA-binding motifs in the JASPAR CORE database. Four DNA motifs shared in parental genomic regions had significant similarity with known human CTCF binding sites. Conclusions The present study provided detailed information on some pig chimeric mRNAs. We proposed a model that trans-acting factors, such as CTCF, induced the spatial organisation of parental genes to the same transcriptional factory so that parental genes were coordinatively transcribed to give birth to chimeric mRNAs. PMID:22925561

  5. The human homolog of S. cerevisiae CDC27, CDC27 Hs, is encoded by a highly conserved intronless gene present in multiple copies in the human genome

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Devor, E.J.; Dill-Devor, R.M.

    1994-09-01

    We have obtained a number of unique sequences via PCR amplification of human genomic DNA using degenerate primers under low stringency (42{degrees}C). One of these, an 853 bp product, has been identified as a partial genomic sequence of the human homolog of the S. cerevisiae CDC27 gene, CDC27Hs (GenBank No. U00001). This gene, reported by Turgendreich et al. is also designated EST00556 from Adams et al. We have undertaken a more detailed examination of our sequence, MCP34N, and have found that: 1. the genomic sequence is nearly identical to CDC27Hs over its entire 853 bp length; 2. an MCP34N-specific PCRmore » assay of several non-human primate species reveals amplification products in chimpanzee and gorilla genomes having greater than 90% sequence identity with CDC27Hs; and 3. an MCP34N-specific PCR assay of the BIOS hybrid cell line panel gives a discordancy pattern suggesting multiple loci. Based upon these data, we present the following initial characterization: 1. the complete MCP34N sequence identity with CDC27Hs indicates that the latter is encoded by an intronless gene; 2. CDC27Hs is highly conserved among higher primates; and 3. CDC27Hs is present in multiple copies in the human genome. These characteristics, taken together with those initially reported for CDC27Hs, suggest that this is an old gene that carries out an important but, as yet, unknown function in the human brain.« less

  6. Using RNA-Seq for gene identification, polymorphism detection and transcript profiling in two alfalfa genotypes with divergent cell wall composition in stems

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Alfalfa, [Medicago sativa (L.) sativa], a widely-grown perennial forage has potential for development as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock. However, the genomics of alfalfa, a non-model species, is still in its infancy. The recent advent of RNA-Seq, a massively parallel sequencing method for transcriptome analysis, provides an opportunity to expand the identification of alfalfa genes and polymorphisms, and conduct in-depth transcript profiling. Results Cell walls in stems of alfalfa genotype 708 have higher cellulose and lower lignin concentrations compared to cell walls in stems of genotype 773. Using the Illumina GA-II platform, a total of 198,861,304 expression sequence tags (ESTs, 76 bp in length) were generated from cDNA libraries derived from elongating stem (ES) and post-elongation stem (PES) internodes of 708 and 773. In addition, 341,984 ESTs were generated from ES and PES internodes of genotype 773 using the GS FLX Titanium platform. The first alfalfa (Medicago sativa) gene index (MSGI 1.0) was assembled using the Sanger ESTs available from GenBank, the GS FLX Titanium EST sequences, and the de novo assembled Illumina sequences. MSGI 1.0 contains 124,025 unique sequences including 22,729 tentative consensus sequences (TCs), 22,315 singletons and 78,981 pseudo-singletons. We identified a total of 1,294 simple sequence repeats (SSR) among the sequences in MSGI 1.0. In addition, a total of 10,826 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were predicted between the two genotypes. Out of 55 SNPs randomly selected for experimental validation, 47 (85%) were polymorphic between the two genotypes. We also identified numerous allelic variations within each genotype. Digital gene expression analysis identified numerous candidate genes that may play a role in stem development as well as candidate genes that may contribute to the differences in cell wall composition in stems of the two genotypes. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that RNA-Seq can be successfully used for gene identification, polymorphism detection and transcript profiling in alfalfa, a non-model, allogamous, autotetraploid species. The alfalfa gene index assembled in this study, and the SNPs, SSRs and candidate genes identified can be used to improve alfalfa as a forage crop and cellulosic feedstock. PMID:21504589

  7. Comparative genomics of Beauveria bassiana: uncovering signatures of virulence against mosquitoes.

    PubMed

    Valero-Jiménez, Claudio A; Faino, Luigi; Spring In't Veld, Daphne; Smit, Sandra; Zwaan, Bas J; van Kan, Jan A L

    2016-12-01

    Entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana are promising biological agents for control of malaria mosquitoes. Indeed, infection with B. bassiana reduces the lifespan of mosquitoes in the laboratory and in the field. Natural isolates of B. bassiana show up to 10-fold differences in virulence between the most and the least virulent isolate. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of five isolates representing the extremes of low/high virulence and three RNA libraries, and applied a genome comparison approach to uncover genetic mechanisms underpinning virulence. A high-quality, near-complete genome assembly was achieved for the highly virulent isolate Bb8028, which was compared to the assemblies of the four other isolates. Whole genome analysis showed a high level of genetic diversity between the five isolates (2.85-16.8 SNPs/kb), which grouped into two distinct phylogenetic clusters. Mating type gene analysis revealed the presence of either the MAT1-1-1 or the MAT1-2-1 gene. Moreover, a putative new MAT gene (MAT1-2-8) was detected in the MAT1-2 locus. Comparative genome analysis revealed that Bb8028 contains 163 genes exclusive for this isolate. These unique genes have a tendency to cluster in the genome and to be often located near the telomeres. Among the genes unique to Bb8028 are a Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase (NRPS) secondary metabolite gene cluster, a polyketide synthase (PKS) gene, and five genes with homology to bacterial toxins. A survey of candidate virulence genes for B. bassiana is presented. Our results indicate several genes and molecular processes that may underpin virulence towards mosquitoes. Thus, the genome sequences of five isolates of B. bassiana provide a better understanding of the natural variation in virulence and will offer a major resource for future research on this important biological control agent.

  8. Genomics in Cardiovascular Disease

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Robert; Marian, A.J.; Dandona, Sonny; Stewart, Alexandre F.R.

    2013-01-01

    A paradigm shift towards biology occurred in the 1990’s subsequently catalyzed by the sequencing of the human genome in 2000. The cost of DNA sequencing has gone from millions to thousands of dollars with sequencing of one’s entire genome costing only $1,000. Rapid DNA sequencing is being embraced for single gene disorders, particularly for sporadic cases and those from small families. Transmission of lethal genes such as associated with Huntington’s disease can, through in-vitro fertilization, avoid passing it on to one’s offspring. DNA sequencing will meet the challenge of elucidating the genetic predisposition for common polygenic diseases, especially in determining the function of the novel common genetic risk variants and identifying the rare variants, which may also partially ascertain the source of the missing heritability. The challenge for DNA sequencing remains great, despite human genome sequences being 99.5% identical, the 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible for most of the unique features add up to 60 new mutations per person which, for 7 billion people, is 420 billion mutations. It is claimed that DNA sequencing has increased 10,000 fold while information storage and retrieval only 16 fold. The physician and health user will be challenged by the convergence of two major trends, whole genome sequencing and the storage/retrieval and integration of the data. PMID:23524054

  9. Utilization of founder lines for improved Citrus biotechnology via RMCE

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    On October 1st 2011 the CRB chose to fund a unique research project, the development of citrus cultivars specifically for genetic engineering (GE). The objective of this research was to develop GE citrus ‘Founder Lines’ containing DNA sequences that will allow the precise insertion of genes for de...

  10. A unique Mycobacterium species isolated from an epizootic of striped bass (Morone saxatilis).

    PubMed Central

    Rhodes, M. W.; Kator, H.; Kotob, S.; van Berkum, P.; Kaattari, I.; Vogelbein, W.; Floyd, M. M.; Butler, W. R.; Quinn, F. D.; Ottinger, C.; Shotts, E.

    2001-01-01

    We isolated a Mycobacterium sp. resembling Mycobacterium marinum and M. ulcerans from diseased striped bass (Morone saxatilis) during an epizootic of mycobacteriosis in the Chesapeake Bay. This isolate may represent an undescribed Mycobacterium species, based on phenotypic characteristics and comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence. PMID:11747708

  11. Whole-genome sequences of 89 Chinese sheep suggest role of RXFP2 in the development of unique horn phenotype as response to semi-feralization.

    PubMed

    Pan, Zhangyuan; Li, Shengdi; Liu, Qiuyue; Wang, Zhen; Zhou, Zhengkui; Di, Ran; Miao, Benpeng; Hu, Wenping; Wang, Xiangyu; Hu, Xiaoxiang; Xu, Ze; Wei, Dongkai; He, Xiaoyun; Yuan, Liyun; Guo, Xiaofei; Liang, Benmeng; Wang, Ruichao; Li, Xiaoyu; Cao, Xiaohan; Dong, Xinlong; Xia, Qing; Shi, Hongcai; Hao, Geng; Yang, Jean; Luosang, Cuicheng; Zhao, Yiqiang; Jin, Mei; Zhang, Yingjie; Lv, Shenjin; Li, Fukuan; Ding, Guohui; Chu, Mingxing; Li, Yixue

    2018-04-01

    Animal domestication has been extensively studied, but the process of feralization remains poorly understood. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 99 sheep and identified a primary genetic divergence between 2 heterogeneous populations in the Tibetan Plateau, including 1 semi-feral lineage. Selective sweep and candidate gene analysis revealed local adaptations of these sheep associated with sensory perception, muscle strength, eating habit, mating process, and aggressive behavior. In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed signs of rapid evolution specifically in the semi-feral breeds. A unique haplotype and repressed horn-related tissue expression of RXFP2 were correlated with higher horn length, as well as spiral and horizontally extended horn shape. Semi-feralization has an extensive impact on diverse phenotypic traits of sheep. By acquiring features like those of their wild ancestors, semi-feral sheep were able to regain fitness while in frequent contact with wild surroundings and rare human interventions. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of domestic animals when human interventions are no longer dominant.

  12. Bacterial discrimination by means of a universal array approach mediated by LDR (ligase detection reaction)

    PubMed Central

    Busti, Elena; Bordoni, Roberta; Castiglioni, Bianca; Monciardini, Paolo; Sosio, Margherita; Donadio, Stefano; Consolandi, Clarissa; Rossi Bernardi, Luigi; Battaglia, Cristina; De Bellis, Gianluca

    2002-01-01

    Background PCR amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA genes provides the most comprehensive and flexible means of sampling bacterial communities. Sequence analysis of these cloned fragments can provide a qualitative and quantitative insight of the microbial population under scrutiny although this approach is not suited to large-scale screenings. Other methods, such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, heteroduplex or terminal restriction fragment analysis are rapid and therefore amenable to field-scale experiments. A very recent addition to these analytical tools is represented by microarray technology. Results Here we present our results using a Universal DNA Microarray approach as an analytical tool for bacterial discrimination. The proposed procedure is based on the properties of the DNA ligation reaction and requires the design of two probes specific for each target sequence. One oligo carries a fluorescent label and the other a unique sequence (cZipCode or complementary ZipCode) which identifies a ligation product. Ligated fragments, obtained in presence of a proper template (a PCR amplified fragment of the 16s rRNA gene) contain either the fluorescent label or the unique sequence and therefore are addressed to the location on the microarray where the ZipCode sequence has been spotted. Such an array is therefore "Universal" being unrelated to a specific molecular analysis. Here we present the design of probes specific for some groups of bacteria and their application to bacterial diagnostics. Conclusions The combined use of selective probes, ligation reaction and the Universal Array approach yielded an analytical procedure with a good power of discrimination among bacteria. PMID:12243651

  13. Generation of “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) for selecting fully human antibody fragments with therapeutic potential

    PubMed Central

    Diebolder, Philipp; Keller, Armin; Haase, Stephanie; Schlegelmilch, Anne; Kiefer, Jonathan D; Karimi, Tamana; Weber, Tobias; Moldenhauer, Gerhard; Kehm, Roland; Eis-Hübinger, Anna M; Jäger, Dirk; Federspil, Philippe A; Herold-Mende, Christel; Dyckhoff, Gerhard; Kontermann, Roland E; Arndt, Michaela AE; Krauss, Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    The development of efficient strategies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies with unique functional properties that are exploitable for tailored therapeutic interventions remains a major challenge in the antibody technology field. Here, we present a methodology for recovering such antibodies from antigen-encountered human B cell repertoires. As the source for variable antibody genes, we cloned immunoglobulin G (IgG)-derived B cell repertoires from lymph nodes of 20 individuals undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. Sequence analysis of unselected “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) revealed a naturally occurring distribution pattern of rearranged antibody sequences, representing all known variable gene families and most functional germline sequences. To demonstrate the feasibility for selecting antibodies with therapeutic potential from these repertoires, seven LYNDAL from donors with high serum titers against herpes simplex virus (HSV) were panned on recombinant glycoprotein B of HSV-1. Screening for specific binders delivered 34 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with unique sequences. Sequence analysis revealed extensive somatic hypermutation of enriched clones as a result of affinity maturation. Binding of scFvs to common glycoprotein B variants from HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains was highly specific, and the majority of analyzed antibody fragments bound to the target antigen with nanomolar affinity. From eight scFvs with HSV-neutralizing capacity in vitro, the most potent antibody neutralized 50% HSV-2 at 4.5 nM as a dimeric (scFv)2. We anticipate our approach to be useful for recovering fully human antibodies with therapeutic potential. PMID:24256717

  14. Generation of “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) for selecting fully human antibody fragments with therapeutic potential.

    PubMed

    Diebolder, Philipp; Keller, Armin; Haase, Stephanie; Schlegelmilch, Anne; Kiefer, Jonathan D; Karimi, Tamana; Weber, Tobias; Moldenhauer, Gerhard; Kehm, Roland; Eis-Hübinger, Anna M; Jäger, Dirk; Federspil, Philippe A; Herold-Mende, Christel; Dyckhoff, Gerhard; Kontermann, Roland E; Arndt, Michaela A E; Krauss, Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    The development of efficient strategies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies with unique functional properties that are exploitable for tailored therapeutic interventions remains a major challenge in the antibody technology field. Here, we present a methodology for recovering such antibodies from antigen-encountered human B cell repertoires. As the source for variable antibody genes, we cloned immunoglobulin G (IgG)-derived B cell repertoires from lymph nodes of 20 individuals undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. Sequence analysis of unselected “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) revealed a naturally occurring distribution pattern of rearranged antibody sequences, representing all known variable gene families and most functional germline sequences. To demonstrate the feasibility for selecting antibodies with therapeutic potential from these repertoires, seven LYNDAL from donors with high serum titers against herpes simplex virus (HSV) were panned on recombinant glycoprotein B of HSV-1. Screening for specific binders delivered 34 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with unique sequences. Sequence analysis revealed extensive somatic hypermutation of enriched clones as a result of affinity maturation. Binding of scFvs to common glycoprotein B variants from HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains was highly specific, and the majority of analyzed antibody fragments bound to the target antigen with nanomolar affinity. From eight scFvs with HSV-neutralizing capacity in vitro,the most potent antibody neutralized 50% HSV-2 at 4.5 nM as a dimeric (scFv)2. We anticipate our approach to be useful for recovering fully human antibodies with therapeutic potential.

  15. Sequence-Based Discovery Demonstrates That Fixed Light Chain Human Transgenic Rats Produce a Diverse Repertoire of Antigen-Specific Antibodies.

    PubMed

    Harris, Katherine E; Aldred, Shelley Force; Davison, Laura M; Ogana, Heather Anne N; Boudreau, Andrew; Brüggemann, Marianne; Osborn, Michael; Ma, Biao; Buelow, Benjamin; Clarke, Starlynn C; Dang, Kevin H; Iyer, Suhasini; Jorgensen, Brett; Pham, Duy T; Pratap, Payal P; Rangaswamy, Udaya S; Schellenberger, Ute; van Schooten, Wim C; Ugamraj, Harshad S; Vafa, Omid; Buelow, Roland; Trinklein, Nathan D

    2018-01-01

    We created a novel transgenic rat that expresses human antibodies comprising a diverse repertoire of heavy chains with a single common rearranged kappa light chain (IgKV3-15-JK1). This fixed light chain animal, called OmniFlic, presents a unique system for human therapeutic antibody discovery and a model to study heavy chain repertoire diversity in the context of a constant light chain. The purpose of this study was to analyze heavy chain variable gene usage, clonotype diversity, and to describe the sequence characteristics of antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) isolated from immunized OmniFlic animals. Using next-generation sequencing antibody repertoire analysis, we measured heavy chain variable gene usage and the diversity of clonotypes present in the lymph node germinal centers of 75 OmniFlic rats immunized with 9 different protein antigens. Furthermore, we expressed 2,560 unique heavy chain sequences sampled from a diverse set of clonotypes as fixed light chain antibody proteins and measured their binding to antigen by ELISA. Finally, we measured patterns and overall levels of somatic hypermutation in the full B-cell repertoire and in the 2,560 mAbs tested for binding. The results demonstrate that OmniFlic animals produce an abundance of antigen-specific antibodies with heavy chain clonotype diversity that is similar to what has been described with unrestricted light chain use in mammals. In addition, we show that sequence-based discovery is a highly effective and efficient way to identify a large number of diverse monoclonal antibodies to a protein target of interest.

  16. Novel coding, translation, and gene expression of a replicating covalently closed circular RNA of 220 nt

    PubMed Central

    AbouHaidar, Mounir Georges; Venkataraman, Srividhya; Golshani, Ashkan; Liu, Bolin; Ahmad, Tauqeer

    2014-01-01

    The highly structured (64% GC) covalently closed circular (CCC) RNA (220 nt) of the virusoid associated with rice yellow mottle virus codes for a 16-kDa highly basic protein using novel modalities for coding, translation, and gene expression. This CCC RNA is the smallest among all known viroids and virusoids and the only one that codes proteins. Its sequence possesses an internal ribosome entry site and is directly translated through two (or three) completely overlapping ORFs (shifting to a new reading frame at the end of each round). The initiation and termination codons overlap UGAUGA (underline highlights the initiation codon AUG within the combined initiation-termination sequence). Termination codons can be ignored to obtain larger read-through proteins. This circular RNA with no noncoding sequences is a unique natural supercompact “nanogenome.” PMID:25253891

  17. Sequencing of Seven Haloarchaeal Genomes Reveals Patterns of Genomic Flux

    PubMed Central

    Lynch, Erin A.; Langille, Morgan G. I.; Darling, Aaron; Wilbanks, Elizabeth G.; Haltiner, Caitlin; Shao, Katie S. Y.; Starr, Michael O.; Teiling, Clotilde; Harkins, Timothy T.; Edwards, Robert A.; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Facciotti, Marc T.

    2012-01-01

    We report the sequencing of seven genomes from two haloarchaeal genera, Haloferax and Haloarcula. Ease of cultivation and the existence of well-developed genetic and biochemical tools for several diverse haloarchaeal species make haloarchaea a model group for the study of archaeal biology. The unique physiological properties of these organisms also make them good candidates for novel enzyme discovery for biotechnological applications. Seven genomes were sequenced to ∼20×coverage and assembled to an average of 50 contigs (range 5 scaffolds - 168 contigs). Comparisons of protein-coding gene compliments revealed large-scale differences in COG functional group enrichment between these genera. Analysis of genes encoding machinery for DNA metabolism reveals genera-specific expansions of the general transcription factor TATA binding protein as well as a history of extensive duplication and horizontal transfer of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Insights gained from this study emphasize the importance of haloarchaea for investigation of archaeal biology. PMID:22848480

  18. Developmental Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of Genes Involved in Larval Metamorphosis of the Razor Clam, Sinonovacula constricta.

    PubMed

    Niu, Donghong; Wang, Fei; Xie, Shumei; Sun, Fanyue; Wang, Ze; Peng, Maoxiao; Li, Jiale

    2016-04-01

    The razor clam Sinonovacula constricta is an important commercial species. The deficiency of developmental transcriptomic data is becoming the bottleneck of further researches on the mechanisms underlying settlement and metamorphosis in early development. In this study, de novo transcriptome sequencing was performed for S. constricta at different early developmental stages by using Illumina HiSeq 2000 paired-end (PE) sequencing technology. A total of 112,209,077 PE clean reads were generated. De novo assembly generated 249,795 contigs with an average length of 585 bp. Gene annotation resulted in the identification of 22,870 unigene hits against the NCBI database. Eight unique sequences related to metamorphosis were identified and analyzed using real-time PCR. The razor clam reference transcriptome would provide useful information on early developmental and metamorphosis mechanisms and could be used in the genetic breeding of shellfish.

  19. Complete genome sequence of Metallosphaera cuprina, a metal sulfide-oxidizing archaeon from a hot spring.

    PubMed

    Liu, Li-Jun; You, Xiao-Yan; Zheng, Huajun; Wang, Shengyue; Jiang, Cheng-Ying; Liu, Shuang-Jiang

    2011-07-01

    The genome of the metal sulfide-oxidizing, thermoacidophilic strain Metallosphaera cuprina Ar-4 has been completely sequenced and annotated. Originally isolated from a sulfuric hot spring, strain Ar-4 grows optimally at 65°C and a pH of 3.5. The M. cuprina genome has a 1,840,348-bp circular chromosome (2,029 open reading frames [ORFs]) and is 16% smaller than the previously sequenced Metallosphaera sedula genome. Compared to the M. sedula genome, there are no counterpart genes in the M. cuprina genome for about 480 ORFs in the M. sedula genome, of which 243 ORFs are annotated as hypothetical protein genes. Still, there are 233 ORFs uniquely occurring in M. cuprina. Genome annotation supports that M. cuprina lives a facultative life on CO(2) and organics and obtains energy from oxidation of sulfidic ores and reduced inorganic sulfuric compounds.

  20. Complete mitochondrial genome of Camponotus atrox (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a new tRNA arrangement in Hymenoptera.

    PubMed

    Kim, Min Jee; Hong, Eui Jeong; Kim, Iksoo

    2016-01-01

    We sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Camponotus atrox (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which is only distributed in Korea. The genome was 16 540 bp in size and contained typical sets of genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs). The C. atrox A+T-rich region, at 1402 bp, was the longest of all sequenced ant genomes and was composed of an identical tandem repeat consisting of six 100-bp copies and one 96-bp copy. A total of 315 bp of intergenic spacer sequence was spread over 23 regions. An alignment of the spacer sequences in ants was largely feasible among congeneric species, and there was substantial sequence divergence, indicating their potential use as molecular markers for congeneric species. The A/T contents at the first and second codon positions of protein-coding genes (PCGs) were similar for ant species, including C. atrox (73.9% vs. 72.3%, on average). With increased taxon sampling among hymenopteran superfamilies, differences in the divergence rates (i.e., the non-synonymous substitution rates) between the suborders Symphyta and Apocrita were detected, consistent with previous results. The C. atrox mt genome had a unique gene arrangement, trnI-trnM-trnQ, at the A+T-rich region and ND2 junction (underline indicates inverted gene). This may have originated from a tandem duplication of trnM-trnI, resulting in trnM-trnI-trnM-trnI-trnQ, and the subsequent loss of the first trnM and second trnI, resulting in trnI-trnM-trnQ.

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