Dataset Information

Annotation and analysis of a large cuticular protein family with the R&R Consensus in Anopheles gambiae.

ABSTRACT: The most abundant family of insect cuticular proteins, the CPR family, is recognized by the R&R Consensus, a domain of about 64 amino acids that binds to chitin and is present throughout arthropods. Several species have now been shown to have more than 100 CPR genes, inviting speculation as to the functional importance of this large number and diversity.We have identified 156 genes in Anopheles gambiae that code for putative cuticular proteins in this CPR family, over 1% of the total number of predicted genes in this species. Annotation was verified using several criteria including identification of TATA boxes, INRs, and DPEs plus support from proteomic and gene expression analyses. Two previously recognized CPR classes, RR-1 and RR-2, form separate, well-supported clades with the exception of a small set of genes with long branches whose relationships are poorly resolved. Several of these outliers have clear orthologs in other species. Although both clades are under purifying selection, the RR-1 variant of the R&R Consensus is evolving at twice the rate of the RR-2 variant and is structurally more labile. In contrast, the regions flanking the R&R Consensus have diversified in amino-acid composition to a much greater extent in RR-2 genes compared with RR-1 genes. Many genes are found in compact tandem arrays that may include similar or dissimilar genes but always include just one of the two classes. Tandem arrays of RR-2 genes frequently contain subsets of genes coding for highly similar proteins (sequence clusters). Properties of the proteins indicated that each cluster may serve a distinct function in the cuticle.The complete annotation of this large gene family provides insight on the mechanisms of gene family evolution and clues about the need for so many CPR genes. These data also should assist annotation of other Anopheles genes.

SUBMITTER: Cornman RS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2259329 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Annotation and analysis of a large cuticular protein family with the R&R Consensus in Anopheles gambiae.

Cornman R Scott RS Togawa Toru T Dunn W Augustine WA He Ningjia N Emmons Aaron C AC Willis Judith H JH

BMC genomics 20080118

<h4>Background</h4>The most abundant family of insect cuticular proteins, the CPR family, is recognized by the R&R Consensus, a domain of about 64 amino acids that binds to chitin and is present throughout arthropods. Several species have now been shown to have more than 100 CPR genes, inviting speculation as to the functional importance of this large number and diversity.<h4>Results</h4>We have identified 156 genes in Anopheles gambiae that code for putative cuticular proteins in this CPR famil ...[more]

PMID: 18205929

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Project description:Arthropod cuticles have, in addition to chitin, many structural proteins belonging to diverse families. Information is sparse about how these different cuticular proteins contribute to the cuticle. Most cuticular proteins lack cysteine with the exception of two families (CPAP1 and CPAP3), recently described, and the one other that we now report on that has a motif of 16 amino acids first identified in a protein, Bc-NCP1, from the cuticle of nymphs of the cockroach, Blaberus craniifer (Jensen et al., 1997). This motif turns out to be present as two or three copies in one or two proteins in species from many orders of Hexapoda. We have named the family of cuticular proteins with this motif CPCFC, based on its unique feature of having two cysteines interrupted by five amino acids (C-X(5)-C). Analysis of the single member of the family in Anopheles gambiae (AgamCPCFC1) revealed that its mRNA is most abundant immediately following ecdysis in larvae, pupae and adults. The mRNA is localized primarily in epidermis that secretes hard cuticle, sclerites, setae, head capsules, appendages and spermatheca. EM immunolocalization revealed the presence of the protein, generally in endocuticle of legs and antennae. A phylogenetic analysis found proteins bearing this motif in 14 orders of Hexapoda, but not in some species for which there are complete genomic data. Proteins were much longer in Coleoptera and Diptera than in other orders. In contrast to the 1 and occasionally 2 copies in other species, a dragonfly, Ladona fulva, has at least 14 genes coding for family members. CPCFC proteins were present in four classes of Crustacea with 5 repeats in one species, and motifs that ended C-X(7)-C in Malacostraca. They were not detected, except as obvious contaminants, in any other arthropod subphyla or in any other phylum. The conservation of CPCFC proteins throughout the Pancrustacea and the small number of copies in individual species indicate that, when present, these proteins are serving important functions worthy of further study.

Project description:BackgroundGenome sequencing of Anopheles gambiae was completed more than ten years ago and has accelerated research on malaria transmission. However, annotation needs to be refined and verified experimentally, as most predicted transcripts have been identified by comparative analysis with genomes from other species. The mosquito midgut-the first organ to interact with Plasmodium parasites-mounts effective antiplasmodial responses that limit parasite survival and disease transmission. High-throughput Illumina sequencing of the midgut transcriptome was used to identify new genes and transcripts, contributing to the refinement of An. gambiae genome annotation.ResultsWe sequenced ~223 million reads from An. gambiae midgut cDNA libraries generated from susceptible (G3) and refractory (L35) mosquito strains. Mosquitoes were infected with either Plasmodium berghei or Plasmodium falciparum, and midguts were collected after the first or second Plasmodium infection. In total, 22,889 unique midgut transcript models were generated from both An. gambiae strain sequences combined, and 76% are potentially novel. Of these novel transcripts, 49.5% aligned with annotated genes and appear to be isoforms or pre-mRNAs of reference transcripts, while 50.5% mapped to regions between annotated genes and represent novel intergenic transcripts (NITs). Predicted models were validated for midgut expression using qRT-PCR and microarray analysis, and novel isoforms were confirmed by sequencing predicted intron-exon boundaries. Coding potential analysis revealed that 43% of total midgut transcripts appear to be long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and functional annotation of NITs showed that 68% had no homology to current databases from other species. Reads were also analyzed using de novo assembly and predicted transcripts compared with genome mapping-based models. Finally, variant analysis of G3 and L35 midgut transcripts detected 160,742 variants with respect to the An. gambiae PEST genome, and 74% were new variants. Intergenic transcripts had a higher frequency of variation compared with non-intergenic transcripts.ConclusionThis in-depth Illumina sequencing and assembly of the An. gambiae midgut transcriptome doubled the number of known transcripts and tripled the number of variants known in this mosquito species. It also revealed existence of a large number of lncRNA and opens new possibilities for investigating the biological function of many newly discovered transcripts.

Dataset Information

Annotation and analysis of a large cuticular protein family with the R&R Consensus in Anopheles gambiae.

Publications

Annotation and analysis of a large cuticular protein family with the R&R Consensus in Anopheles gambiae.

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