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Genomic architecture and inheritance of human ribosomal RNA gene clusters.

ABSTRACT: The finishing of the Human Genome Project largely completed the detailing of human euchromatic sequences; however, the most highly repetitive regions of the genome still could not be assembled. The 12 gene clusters producing the structural RNA components of the ribosome are critically important for cellular viability, yet fall into this unassembled region of the Human Genome Project. To determine the extent of human variation in ribosomal RNA gene content (rDNA) and patterns of rDNA cluster inheritance, we have determined the physical lengths of the rDNA clusters in peripheral blood white cells of healthy human volunteers. The cluster lengths exhibit striking variability between and within human individuals, ranging from 50 kb to >6 Mb, manifest essentially complete heterozygosity, and provide each person with their own unique rDNA electrophoretic karyotype. Analysis of these rDNA fingerprints in multigenerational human families demonstrates that the rDNA clusters are subject to meiotic rearrangement at a frequency >10% per cluster, per meiosis. With this high intrinsic recombinational instability, the rDNA clusters may serve as a unique paradigm of potential human genomic plasticity.

SUBMITTER: Stults DM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2134781 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genomic architecture and inheritance of human ribosomal RNA gene clusters.

Stults Dawn M DM Killen Michael W MW Pierce Heather H HH Pierce Andrew J AJ

Genome research 20071119 1

The finishing of the Human Genome Project largely completed the detailing of human euchromatic sequences; however, the most highly repetitive regions of the genome still could not be assembled. The 12 gene clusters producing the structural RNA components of the ribosome are critically important for cellular viability, yet fall into this unassembled region of the Human Genome Project. To determine the extent of human variation in ribosomal RNA gene content (rDNA) and patterns of rDNA cluster inhe ...[more]

PMID: 18025267

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Project description:While specialized metabolites are thought to mediate ecological interactions, the evolutionary processes driving chemical diversification, particularly among closely related lineages, remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the evolutionary dynamics governing the distribution of natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) among 118 strains representing all nine currently named species of the marine actinobacterial genus Salinispora. While much attention has been given to the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in structuring BGC distributions, we find that vertical descent facilitates interspecies BGC diversification over evolutionary timescales. Moreover, we identified a distinct phylogenetic signal among Salinispora species at both the BGC and metabolite level, indicating that specialized metabolism represents a conserved phylogenetic trait. Using a combination of genomic analyses and liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) targeting nine experimentally characterized BGCs and their small molecule products, we identified gene gain/loss events, constrained interspecies recombination, and other evolutionary processes associated with vertical inheritance as major contributors to BGC diversification. These evolutionary dynamics had direct consequences for the compounds produced, as exemplified by species-level differences in salinosporamide production. Together, our results support the concept that specialized metabolites, and their cognate BGCs, can represent phylogenetically conserved functional traits with chemical diversification proceeding in species-specific patterns over evolutionary time frames. IMPORTANCE Microbial natural products are traditionally exploited for their pharmaceutical potential, yet our understanding of the evolutionary processes driving BGC evolution and compound diversification remain poorly developed. While HGT is recognized as an integral driver of BGC distributions, we find that the effects of vertical inheritance on BGC diversification had direct implications for species-level specialized metabolite production. As such, understanding the degree of genetic variation that corresponds to species delineations can enhance natural product discovery efforts. Resolving the evolutionary relationships between closely related strains and specialized metabolism can also facilitate our understanding of the ecological roles of small molecules in structuring the environmental distribution of microbes.

Project description:We have previously demonstrated that the expression of human ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) in normal and cancer cells is differentially regulated by methylation of the promoter CpG islands. Furthermore, we showed that the methyl CpG-binding protein MBD2 plays a selective role in the methylation-mediated block in rDNA expression. Here, we analyzed the role of three functional mammalian DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in regulating the rDNA promoters activity. Immunofluorescence analysis and biochemical fractionation showed that all three DNMTs (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) are associated with the inactive rDNA in the nucleolus. Although DNMTs associate with both methylated and unmethylated rDNA promoters, DNMT1 preferentially associates with the methylated genes. The rDNA primary transcript level was significantly elevated in DNMT1-/- or DNMT3B-/- human colon carcinoma (HCT116) cells. Southern blot analysis demonstrated a moderate level of rDNA promoter hypomethylation in DNMT1-/- cells and a dramatic loss of rDNA promoter methylation in double knockout cells. Transient overexpression of DNMT1 or DNMT3B suppressed the luciferase expression from both methylated and unmethylated pHrD-IRES-Luc, a reporter plasmid where the rDNA promoter drives luciferase expression. DNMT1-mediated suppression of the unmethylated promoter involves de novo methylation of the promoter, whereas histone deacetylase 2 cooperates with DNMT1 to inhibit the methylated rDNA promoter. Unlike DNMT1, both the wild type and catalytically inactive DNMT3B mutant can suppress rDNA promoter irrespective of its methylation status. DNMT3B-mediated suppression of the rDNA promoter also involves histone deacetylation. Treatment of HCT116 cells with Decitabine (a DNMT inhibitor) or trichostatin A (a histone deacetylase inhibitor) up-regulated endogenous rDNA expression. These inhibitors synergistically activated methylated pHrD-IRES-Luc, whereas they exhibited additive effects on the unmethylated promoter. These results demonstrate localization of DNMTs with the inactive rDNA in the nucleolus, the specific role of DNMT1 and DNMT3B in rDNA expression and the differential regulation of rDNA expression from the methylated and unmethylated rDNA promoters.

Dataset Information

Genomic architecture and inheritance of human ribosomal RNA gene clusters.

Publications

Genomic architecture and inheritance of human ribosomal RNA gene clusters.

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