Project description:Chemical communication in elephants has been studied in detail both at the chemical and at the behavioural levels. Several pheromones have been identified, and their specific effects on the sexual behaviour of both the African and the Asian elephants have been accurately documented. This work is focused on the characterization of OBP1 through ligand-binding studies and analysis of post-translational modifications (PTMs). First, we have performed a proteomic analysis of a crude extract of the trunk wash obtained from the African elephant, and have found OBP1 as the main component, together with minor amounts of a OBP1 isoform and the von Ebner's gland (VEG) protein. Proteomic analysis of OBP1 revealed the occurrence of a variable degree of O-glycosylation, phosphorylation and acetylation in this protein. To specifically assay OBP1 spectra of binding, we have then expressed the African elephant protein in Pichia pastoris, which showed PTMs very similar to the natural counterpart. At functional level, we have found that recombinant OBP1 from the African elephant is able to bind the sex pheromone (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate with strong affinity and some structurally related esters with lower strength.
Project description:Analyses of ancient DNA typically involve sequencing the surviving short oligonucleotides, and aligning to genome assemblies from related, modern species. Here, we report that skin from a female woolly mammoth (†Mammuthus primigenius) which died 52,000 years ago retained its ancient genome architecture. We use PaleoHi-C to map chromatin contacts and assemble its genome, yielding twenty-eight chromosome-length scaffolds. Chromosome territories, compartments, loops, Barr bodies, and inactive-X chromosome (Xi) superdomains persist. The active and inactive genome compartments in mammoth skin more closely resemble Asian elephant skin than other elephant tissues. Our analyses uncover new biology. Differences in compartmentalization reveal genes whose transcription was potentially altered in mammoths vs. elephants. Mammoth Xi has a tetradic architecture, not bipartite like human and mouse. We hypothesize that, shortly after this mammoth’s death, the sample spontaneously freeze-dried in the Siberian cold, leading to a glass transition that preserved subfossils of ancient chromosomes at nanometer scale.
2024-05-22 | GSE268050 | GEO
Project description:Towards routine chromosome-scale haplotype-resolved reconstruction in cancer genomics
Project description:Towards understanding gene expression variation among related rice lineages on a genome-wide scale, we sought to assess global gene expression in the heading-stage panicle using a whole genome oligonucleotide microarray designed to represent 36,926 annotated indica genes. Using a loop-design, we interrogated gene expression patterns in six related rice lineages, including O. sativa (two Asian cultivars indica and japonica), O. nivara (Asian annual wild rice), O. rufipogon (Asian perennial wild rice) and O. glaberrima (African cultivated rice). Series_sample_order: Sample 1-12 Slide A; Sample 13-24 Slide B