Project description:It is commonly, although not universally, accepted that most intra- and inter-specific genome sequence variations are more or less neutral, whereas a large fraction of organism-level phenotypic variations are adaptive. Gene expression levels are molecular phenotypes that bridge the gap between genotypes and corresponding organism-level phenotypes. Yet, it is unknown whether natural variations in gene expression levels are mostly neutral or adaptive. Here we address this fundamental question by genome-wide profiling and comparison of gene expression levels in nine yeast strains belonging to three closely related Saccharomyces species and originating from five different ecological environments.
Project description:Pathological consequences of circadian misalignment, such as shift work, show considerable individual differences, but the lack of mechanistic understanding hinders precision prevention to prevent and mitigate disease symptoms. Here, we employed an integrative approach involving physiological, transcriptional, and histological phenotypes to examine inter-individual differences in pathological progression during the pre-symptomatic stage, prior to the development of irreversible diseases under chronic circadian misalignment, using wild-type mice exposed to chronic jet-lag (CJL). We observed that CJL markedly increased the prevalence of hepatic steatosis with pronounced inter-individual differences. Stratification of individual mice based on CJL-induced hepatic transcriptomic signature, validated by histopathological analysis, pinpoints dysregulation of lipid metabolism. Moreover, the period and power of intrinsic behavioral rhythms was found to significantly correlate with CJL-induced gene signatures. Together, our results suggest circadian rhythm robustness of the animals contribute to inter-individual variations in pathogenesis of circadian misalignment-induced diseases, and arise the possibility that these physiological indicators may be available for predictive hallmarks of circadian rhythm disorders.
Project description:We analyzed the genome-wide expression profiles of mutant strains of two yeast species in which eight different chromatin regulators and one transcription factor were deleted (one gene deleted in each strain). Comparison of the inter-species expression differences between the wild-types of these species and their mutants showed that deletion of regulators tends to increase the amount of inter-species expression differences, suggestng that the regilators are normally buffering hidden variability. In addition, we measured allele-specific expresion levels of the interspecific hybrid formed by mating each of the two corresponding mutants (deleted for the same regulator). Keywords: Comparative transcriptome analysis
Project description:We analyzed the genome-wide expression profiles of mutant strains of two yeast species in which eight different chromatin regulators and one transcription factor were deleted (one gene deleted in each strain). Comparison of the inter-species expression differences between the wild-types of these species and their mutants showed that deletion of regulators tends to increase the amount of inter-species expression differences, suggestng that the regilators are normally buffering hidden variability. In addition, we measured allele-specific expresion levels of the interspecific hybrid formed by mating each of the two corresponding mutants (deleted for the same regulator). Keywords: Comparative transcriptome analysis Nine gene deletions were examined. For each gene deletion, there are four datasets - S.cerevisiae and S. paradoxus or the hybrid each with two biological repeats. These four datasets are contained within a single slide of our custom two-species microarray, as it includes two subarrays (blocks) and hybridization was performed with two dyes.
Project description:Despite the enormous amount of data available on the importance of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota in vertebrate (especially mammals), information on the GI microbiota of seabirds remains incomplete. As with many seabirds, penguins have a unique digestive physiology that enables them to store large reserves of adipose tissue, protein, and lipids. This study used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing to characterize the interspecific variations of the GI microbiota of four penguin species: the king, gentoo, macaroni, and little penguin. The qPCR results indicated that there were significant differences in the abundance of the major phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. A total of 132,340, 18,336, 6324, and 4826 near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified from fecal samples collected from king, gentoo, macaroni, and little penguins, respectively. A total of 13 phyla were identified with Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacteria dominating the composition; however, there were major differences in the relative abundance of the phyla. In addition, this study documented the presence of known human pathogens, such as Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Prevotella, Veillonella, Erysipelotrichaceae, Neisseria, and Mycoplasma. However, their role in disease in penguins remains unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide an in-depth investigation of the GI microbiota of penguins.
Project description:Gene copy number variations (CNVs) involved in phenotypic variations have already been shown in plants, but genome-wide testing of CNVs for adaptive variation was not doable until recent technological developments. Thus, reports of the genomic architecture of adaptation involving CNVs remain scarce to date. Here, we investigated F1 progenies of an intra-provenance cross (north-north cross, 58th parallel) and an inter-provenances cross (north-south cross, 58th/49th parallels) for CNVs using comparative genomic hybridization on arrays of probes targeting gene sequences in balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), a wide-spread North American forest tree. Results: A total of 1,721 genes were found in varying copy numbers over the set of 19,823 tested genes. These gene CNVs presented an estimated average size of 8.3 kb and were distributed over poplar’s 19 chromosomes including 22 hotspot regions. Gene CNVs number was higher for the inter-provenance progeny in accordance with an expected higher genetic diversity related to the composite origin of this family. Regression analyses between gene CNVs and seven adaptive trait variations resulted in 23 significant links; among these adaptive gene CNVs, 30% were located in hotspots. One-to-five gene CNVs were found related to each of the measured adaptive traits and annotated for both biotic and abiotic stress responses. These annotations can be related to the occurrence of a higher pathogenic pressure in the southern parts of balsam poplar’s distribution, and higher photosynthetic assimilation rates and water-use efficiency at high-latitudes. Overall, our findings suggest that gene CNVs typically having higher mutation rates than SNPs, may in fact represent efficient adaptive variations against fast-evolving pathogens.