Project description:The entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae contains strains with wide host ranges and specialist strains adapted to particular hosts. Patterns of gene duplication, divergence and deletion in three generalist and three specialist strains were investigated by heterologous hybridization of genomic DNA to genes from the generalist strain ARSEF 2575. Many sequences from 2575 that are highly conserved in fungi showed rapid evolution and loss in specialist Metarhizium genomes. Some poorly hybridizing genes in specialists were functionally coordinated, including several involved in toxin biosyntheses and sugar metabolism in root exudates, indicative of reductive evolution. This suggests that specialists are loosing genes required to live in alternative hosts or as saprophytes. Several components of mobile genetic elements were also highly divergent or lost in specialists. Exceptionally, the genome of the specialist strain ARSEF 443 contained extra insertion elements that might play a role in generating evolutionary novelty.
Project description:To ensure efficient genome duplication, cells have evolved a multitude of factors that promote unperturbed DNA replication, and protect, repair and restart damaged forks. Here we identify DONSON as a novel fork protection factor, and report biallelic DONSON mutations in individuals with microcephalic dwarfism. We demonstrate that DONSON is a component of the replisome that stabilises forks during normal genome replication. Loss of DONSON leads to severe replication-associated DNA damage arising from nucleolytic cleavage of stalled replication forks. Furthermore, ATR-dependent ,signalling in response to replication stress is impaired in DONSON-deficient cells, resulting in decreased checkpoint activity, and potentiating chromosomal instability. Hypomorphic mutations substantially reduce DONSON protein levels and impair fork stability in patient cells, consistent with defective DNA replication underlying the disease phenotype In summary, we identify mutations in DONSON as a common cause of microcephalic dwarfism, and establish DONSON as a critical replication fork protein required for mammalian DNA replication and genome stability
Project description:To ensure efficient genome duplication, cells have evolved a multitude of factors that promote unperturbed DNA replication, and protect, repair and restart damaged forks. Here we identify DONSON as a novel fork protection factor, and report biallelic DONSON mutations in individuals with microcephalic dwarfism. We demonstrate that DONSON is a component of the replisome that stabilises forks during normal genome replication. Loss of DONSON leads to severe replication-associated DNA damage arising from nucleolytic cleavage of stalled replication forks. Furthermore, ATR-dependent ,signalling in response to replication stress is impaired in DONSON-deficient cells, resulting in decreased checkpoint activity, and potentiating chromosomal instability. Hypomorphic mutations substantially reduce DONSON protein levels and impair fork stability in patient cells, consistent with defective DNA replication underlying the disease phenotype In summary, we identify mutations in DONSON as a common cause of microcephalic dwarfism, and establish DONSON as a critical replication fork protein required for mammalian DNA replication and genome stability
Project description:Genome duplication has played a pivotal role in the evolution of many eukaryotic lineages, including the vertebrates.The most recent vertebrate genome duplication is that in Xenopus laevis, which resulted from the hybridization of two closely related species about 17 million years ago. Here we generated epigenetic profiles and determined gene expression in X.laevis embryos to study the consequences of this duplication at the level of the genome, the epigenome and gene expression.
Project description:Genome duplication has played a pivotal role in the evolution of many eukaryotic lineages, including the vertebrates. The most recent vertebrate genome duplication is that in Xenopus laevis, which resulted from the hybridization of two closely related species about 17 million years ago. Here we generated epigenetic profiles and determined gene expression in X.laevis embryos to study the consequences of this duplication at the level of the genome, the epigenome, and gene expression.
Project description:Orphan genes are characteristic genomic features that have no detectable homology to genes in any other species and represent an important attribute of genome evolution as sources of novel genetic functions. Here, we identified 445 genes specific to Populus trichocarpa. Of these, we performed deeper reconstruction of 13 orphan genes to provide evidence of de novo gene evolution. Populus and its sister genera Salix are particularly well suited for the study of orphan gene evolution because of the Salicoid whole-genome duplication event (WGD) which resulted in highly syntenic sister chromosomal segments across the Salicaceae. We leveraged this genomic feature to reconstruct de novo gene evolution from inter-genera, inter-species, and intra-genomic perspectives by comparing the syntenic regions within the P. trichocarpa reference, then P. deltoides, and finally Salix purpurea. Furthermore, we demonstrated that 86.5% of the putative orphan genes had evidence of transcription. Additionally, we also utilized the Populus genome-wide association mapping panel (GWAS), a collection of 1,084 undomesticated P. trichocarpa genotypes to further determine putative regulatory networks of orphan genes using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping. Collectively, we provide novel insights into the processes of de novo gene evolution in the context of a long-lived eukaryote.
Project description:Transcriptomic changes following recent natural hybridization and allopolyploidy in the salt marsh species Spartina x townsendii and Spartina anglica (Poaceae) Allopolyploidy results from two events: the merger of divergent genomes and genome duplication. Both events have important functional consequences for the evolution and adaption of newly formed allopolyploid species. In spite of significant progress made the last years, a few studies have decoupled the effects of hybridization from genome duplication in the observed patterns of expression changes accompanying allopolyploidy in natural conditions. We used Agilent Rice oligo-microarrays to explore gene expression changes following allopolyploidy in Spartina that includes a classical example of recent allopolyploid speciation, S. anglica formed during the 19th century following genome duplication of the hybrid S. x townsendii. Our data indicate important, thought different effects of hybridization and genome duplication in the expression patterns of the hybrid and allopolyploid. Deviation from parental additivity was most important following hybridization and was accompanied by maternal expression dominance, although transgressively expressed genes were also encountered. Maternal dominance is attenuated following genome duplication in S. anglica while this species exhibits an increased number of transgressively over expressed genes. These results reflect the decoupled effects of the “genomic shock” following hybridization and genome redundancy, on the genetic, epigenetic and regulatory mechanisms characterizing transcriptomic evolution in allopolyploids.
Project description:We developed an artificial genome evolution system, which we termed ‘TAQing’, by introducing multiple genomic DNA double-strand breaks using a heat-activatable endonuclease in Arabidopsis plant. The heat-activated endonuclease, TaqI, induced random DSBs, which resulted in diverse types of chromosomal rearrangements including translocations. To evaluate the potential of TAQing in multicellular organisms, we tested it in diploid and tetraploid Arabidopsis plants. In 9 out of 96 TQ4 plants, we detected 22 large copy number variations (CNVs) events compared witn wild type plant genome, whereas no CNV was found in the 16 control tetraploid plants, and 12 TQ2 plants. The combination of artificially introduced DSBs with whole-genome duplication (WGD) in plants enabled more complex genome reorganization.