Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Background: The thalassemias are highly diverse at both the molecular and clinical levels. Many of the HBB mutations that result in β-thalassemia are missense mutations in the coding region of the β-globin gene, but a few cause alternative splicing, and interfere with normal processing of the β-globin transcripts. Transcriptome profiling in individuals affected with β-thalassemia, especially in individuals who carry novel mutations in the HBB, may improve our understanding of the heterogeneity and molecular mechanisms of the disease. Methods: Members of a family with a daughter affected with thalassemia intermedia, although her mother was not clinically affected, were examined for physical characteristics, hematological parameters and β-globin gene sequences. We also characterized genome-wide gene expression in the family using RT-qPCR and high-throughput RNA-sequencing mRNA expression profiling of blood. Results: Clinical findings, hematological indices, DNA and RNA sequence analysis of individuals with β-thalassemia, including the description of a novel mutation in the β-globin gene, which introduces a cryptic donor splice site. More than 300 genes are differentially expressed in β-thalassemic blood with many of the DEGs involved in pathways relevant to the clinical management of β-thalassemia. β-thalassemia shows important similarities and differences with sickle cell disease at the transcriptome level. Conclusions: We described the down-regulation of the β-globin gene in β-thalassemia by RNA-sequencing analysis using a sample from an affected individual and her mother, who have a novel mutation in the HBB that creates a cryptic donor splice site. The daughter has a typical β-thalassemia allele as well, and an unexpectedly severe phenotype. The DEGs are enriched in pathways that are directly or indirectly related to β-thalassemia such as hemopoiesis, heme biosynthesis, response to oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, immune responses, control of circadian rhythm, apoptosis, and other cellular activities. We compare our findings with published results of RNA-Sequencing analysis of sickle cell disease (SCD) and erythroblasts from a KLF1-null neonate with hydrops fetalis, and recognize similarities and differences in their transcriptional expression patterns.
Project description:We used microarrays to detail the gene expression profile during WAT -beige transition by treatment of beta adrenergic receptor agonist .
Project description:The importance of unanchored Ub in innate immunity has been shown only for a limited number of unanchored Ub-interactors. We investigated what additional cellular factors interact with unanchored Ub and whether unanchored Ub plays a broader role in innate immunity. To identify unanchored Ub-interacting factors from murine lungs, we used His-tagged recombinant poly-Ub chains as bait. These chains were mixed with lung tissue lysates and protein complexes were isolated with Ni-NTA beads. Sample elutions were subjected to mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analysis.
Project description:To explore the role of circRNAs in the regulation of β-thalassemia and provide new evidence and targets for the treatment of β-thalassemia, circRNAs expression profiling was analyzed from patients with β-thalassemia intermedia and major.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons make up a large fraction of the typical mammalian genome. They comprise about 8% of the human genome and approximately 10% of the mouse genome. On account of their abundance, LTR retrotransposons are believed to hold major significance for genome structure and function. Recent advances in genome sequencing of a variety of model organisms has provided an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate better the diversity of LTR retrotransposons resident in eukaryotic genomes. RESULTS: Using a new data-mining program, LTR_STRUC, in conjunction with conventional techniques, we have mined the GenBank mouse (Mus musculus) database and the more complete Ensembl mouse dataset for LTR retrotransposons. We report here that the M. musculus genome contains at least 21 separate families of LTR retrotransposons; 13 of these families are described here for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: All families of mouse LTR retrotransposons are members of the gypsy-like superfamily of retroviral-like elements. Several different families of unrelated non-autonomous elements were identified, suggesting that the evolution of non-autonomy may be a common event. High sequence similarity between several LTR retrotransposons identified in this study and those found in distantly-related species suggests that horizontal transfer has been a significant factor in the evolution of mouse LTR retrotransposons.