scholarly journals Evolutionary transition in accessible chromatin landscapes during vertebrate embryogenesis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Uesaka ◽  
Shigeru Kuratani ◽  
Hiroyuki Takeda ◽  
Naoki Irie

The relationship between development and evolution is a central topic in evolutionary biology1,2. Recent transcriptome-based studies support the developmental hourglass model, which predicts that the animal embryogenetic program is most strongly conserved at mid-embryonic stages3-9. This model does not necessarily contradict the classical hypothesis10,11 that animal development recapitulates its evolutionary history after the mid-embryonic stages2,12. However, to date there is no molecular evidence supporting the hypothesis that gene-expression profiles that are more evolutionarily derived appear sequentially in late development. Here, by estimating activated genomic regions and their evolutionary origins, we show that the recapitulative pattern appears during late embryonic stages. We made a genome-wide assessment of accessible chromatin regions throughout embryogenesis in three vertebrate species (mouse, chicken, and medaka) and determined the phylogenetic range at which these regions were shared. In all three species, sequential activation of putative regulatory regions that were more derived occurred later in embryogenesis, whereas ancestral ones tended to be activated early. Our results clarify the chronologic changes in accessible chromatin landscapes and reveal a phylogenetic hierarchy in the evolutionary origins of putative regulatory regions that parallels developmental stages of activation. This relationship may explain, at least in part, the background for morphological observations of recapitulative events during embryogenesis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Ming Li ◽  
Bi-Ze Yang ◽  
Xiu-Juan Zhang ◽  
Hai-Ying Jiang ◽  
Lin-Miao Li ◽  
...  

AbstractThe expression of hair features is an evolutionary adaptation resulting from interactions between many organisms and their environment. Elucidation of the mechanisms that underlie the expression of such traits is a topic in evolutionary biology research. Therefore, we assessed the de novo transcriptome of Atelerix albiventris at three developmental stages and compared gene expression profiles between abdomen hair and dorsal spine tissues. We identified 328,576 unigenes in our transcriptome, among which 3,598 were differentially expressed between hair- and spine-type tissues. Dorsal and abdomen skin tissues 5 days after birth were compared and the resulting differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in keratin filament, epithelium cell differentiation, and epidermis development based on GO enrichment analysis, and tight junction, p53, and cell cycle signaling pathways based on KEGG enrichment analysis. Expression variations of MBP8, SFN, Wnt10, KRT1, and KRT2 may be the main factors regulating hair and spine differentiation for the hedgehog. Strikingly, DEGs in hair-type tissues were also significantly enriched in immune-related terms and pathways with hair-type tissues exhibiting more upregulated immune genes than spine-type tissues. Thus, we propose that spine development was an adaptation that provided protection against injuries or stress and reduced hedgehog vulnerability to infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Uesaka ◽  
Shigeru Kuratani ◽  
Hiroyuki Takeda ◽  
Naoki Irie

AbstractThe relationship between development and evolution has been a central theme in evolutionary developmental biology. Across the vertebrates, the most highly conserved gene expression profiles are found at mid-embryonic, organogenesis stages, whereas those at earlier and later stages are more diverged. This hourglass-like pattern of divergence does not necessarily rule out the possibility that gene expression profiles that are more evolutionarily derived appear at later stages of development; however, no molecular-level evidence of such a phenomenon has been reported. To address this issue, we compared putative gene regulatory elements among different species within a phylum. We made a genome-wide assessment of accessible chromatin regions throughout embryogenesis in three vertebrate species (mouse, chicken, and medaka) and estimated the evolutionary ages of these regions to define their evolutionary origins on the phylogenetic tree. In all the three species, we found that genomic regions tend to become accessible in an order that parallels their phylogenetic history, with evolutionarily newer gene regulations activated at later developmental stages. This tendency was restricted only after the mid-embryonic, phylotypic periods. Our results imply a phylogenetic hierarchy of putative regulatory regions, in which their activation parallels the phylogenetic order of their appearance. One evolutionary mechanism that may explain this phenomenon is that newly introduced regulatory elements are more likely to survive if activated at later stages of embryogenesis. Possible relationships between this phenomenon and the so-called recapitulation are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6556
Author(s):  
Junjun Huang ◽  
Xiaoyu Li ◽  
Xin Chen ◽  
Yaru Guo ◽  
Weihong Liang ◽  
...  

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins are a gene super-family in plants and play vital roles in growth, development, and response to abiotic and biotic stresses. The ABC transporters have been identified in crop plants such as rice and buckwheat, but little is known about them in soybean. Soybean is an important oil crop and is one of the five major crops in the world. In this study, 255 ABC genes that putatively encode ABC transporters were identified from soybean through bioinformatics and then categorized into eight subfamilies, including 7 ABCAs, 52 ABCBs, 48 ABCCs, 5 ABCDs, 1 ABCEs, 10 ABCFs, 111 ABCGs, and 21 ABCIs. Their phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, and gene expression profiles were characterized. Segmental duplication was the main reason for the expansion of the GmABC genes. Ka/Ks analysis suggested that intense purifying selection was accompanied by the evolution of GmABC genes. The genome-wide collinearity of soybean with other species showed that GmABCs were relatively conserved and that collinear ABCs between species may have originated from the same ancestor. Gene expression analysis of GmABCs revealed the distinct expression pattern in different tissues and diverse developmental stages. The candidate genes GmABCB23, GmABCB25, GmABCB48, GmABCB52, GmABCI1, GmABCI5, and GmABCI13 were responsive to Al toxicity. This work on the GmABC gene family provides useful information for future studies on ABC transporters in soybean and potential targets for the cultivation of new germplasm resources of aluminum-tolerant soybean.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoxi Yu ◽  
Yin Yang ◽  
Yuanyuan Han ◽  
Pengwei Hou ◽  
Yingshuai Li ◽  
...  

Objectives. Differences among healthy subjects and associated disease risks are of substantial interest in clinical medicine. According to the theory of “constitution-disease correlation” in traditional Chinese medicine, we try to find out if there is any connection between intolerance of cold in Yang deficiency constitution and molecular evidence and if there is any gene expression basis in specific disorders. Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from Chinese Han individuals with Yang deficiency constitution (n=20) and balanced constitution (n=8) (aged 18–28) and global gene expression profiles were determined between them using the Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 array. Results. The results showed that when the fold change was ≥1.2 and q ≤ 0.05, 909 genes were upregulated in the Yang deficiency constitution, while 1189 genes were downregulated. According to our research differential genes found in Yang deficiency constitution were usually related to lower immunity, metabolic disorders, and cancer tendency. Conclusion. Gene expression disturbance exists in Yang deficiency constitution, which corresponds to the concept of constitution and gene classification. It also suggests people with Yang deficiency constitution are susceptible to autoimmune diseases, enteritis, arthritis, metabolism disorders, and cancer, which provides molecular evidence for the theory of “constitution-disease correlation.”


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5798
Author(s):  
Shoko Tokumoto ◽  
Yugo Miyata ◽  
Ruslan Deviatiiarov ◽  
Takahiro G. Yamada ◽  
Yusuke Hiki ◽  
...  

The Pv11, an insect cell line established from the midge Polypedilum vanderplanki, is capable of extreme hypometabolic desiccation tolerance, so-called anhydrobiosis. We previously discovered that heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) contributes to the acquisition of desiccation tolerance by Pv11 cells, but the mechanistic details have yet to be elucidated. Here, by analyzing the gene expression profiles of newly established HSF1-knockout and -rescue cell lines, we show that HSF1 has a genome-wide effect on gene regulation in Pv11. The HSF1-knockout cells exhibit a reduced desiccation survival rate, but this is completely restored in HSF1-rescue cells. By comparing mRNA profiles of the two cell lines, we reveal that HSF1 induces anhydrobiosis-related genes, especially genes encoding late embryogenesis abundant proteins and thioredoxins, but represses a group of genes involved in basal cellular processes, thus promoting an extreme hypometabolism state in the cell. In addition, HSF1 binding motifs are enriched in the promoters of anhydrobiosis-related genes and we demonstrate binding of HSF1 to these promoters by ChIP-qPCR. Thus, HSF1 directly regulates the transcription of anhydrobiosis-related genes and consequently plays a pivotal role in the induction of anhydrobiotic ability in Pv11 cells.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (15) ◽  
pp. e66-e73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Wen Ni ◽  
Haiwei Qiu ◽  
Amir Rezvan ◽  
Kihwan Kwon ◽  
Douglas Nam ◽  
...  

Abstract Recently, we showed that disturbed flow caused by a partial ligation of mouse carotid artery rapidly induces atherosclerosis. Here, we identified mechanosensitive genes in vivo through a genome-wide microarray study using mouse endothelial RNAs isolated from the flow-disturbed left and the undisturbed right common carotid artery. We found 62 and 523 genes that changed significantly by 12 hours and 48 hours after ligation, respectively. The results were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 44 of 46 tested genes. This array study discovered numerous novel mechanosensitive genes, including Lmo4, klk10, and dhh, while confirming well-known ones, such as Klf2, eNOS, and BMP4. Four genes were further validated for protein, including LMO4, which showed higher expression in mouse aortic arch and in human coronary endothelium in an asymmetric pattern. Comparison of in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro endothelial gene expression profiles indicates that numerous in vivo mechanosensitive genes appear to be lost or dysregulated during culture. Gene ontology analyses show that disturbed flow regulates genes involved in cell proliferation and morphology by 12 hours, followed by inflammatory and immune responses by 48 hours. Determining the functional importance of these novel mechanosensitive genes may provide important insights into understanding vascular biology and atherosclerosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. eaav8550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhn K. Rhie ◽  
Shannon Schreiner ◽  
Heather Witt ◽  
Chris Armoskus ◽  
Fides D. Lay ◽  
...  

As part of PsychENCODE, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) epigenomic map of primary cultured neuronal cells derived from olfactory neuroepithelium (CNON). We mapped topologically associating domains and high-resolution chromatin interactions using Hi-C and identified regulatory elements using chromatin immunoprecipitation and nucleosome positioning assays. Using epigenomic datasets from biopsies of 63 living individuals, we found that epigenetic marks at distal regulatory elements are more variable than marks at proximal regulatory elements. By integrating genotype and metadata, we identified enhancers that have different levels corresponding to differences in genetic variation, gender, smoking, and schizophrenia. Motif searches revealed that many CNON enhancers are bound by neuronal-related transcription factors. Last, we combined 3D epigenomic maps and gene expression profiles to predict enhancer-target gene interactions on a genome-wide scale. This study not only provides a framework for understanding individual epigenetic variation using a primary cell model system but also contributes valuable data resources for epigenomic studies of neuronal epithelium.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 6244-6256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joo Wook Ahn ◽  
Kenneth L. Powell ◽  
Paul Kellam ◽  
Dagmar G. Alber

ABSTRACT Gammaherpesviruses are associated with a number of diseases including lymphomas and other malignancies. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) constitutes the most amenable animal model for this family of pathogens. However experimental characterization of gammaherpesvirus gene expression, at either the protein or RNA level, lags behind that of other, better-studied alpha- and beta-herpesviruses. We have developed a cDNA array to globally characterize MHV-68 gene expression profiles, thus providing an experimental supplement to a genome that is chiefly annotated by homology. Viral genes started to be transcribed as early as 3 h postinfection (p.i.), and this was followed by a rapid escalation of gene expression that could be seen at 5 h p.i. Individual genes showed their own transcription profiles, and most genes were still being expressed at 18 h p.i. Open reading frames (ORFs) M3 (chemokine-binding protein), 52, and M9 (capsid protein) were particularly noticeable due to their very high levels of expression. Hierarchical cluster analysis of transcription profiles revealed four main groups of genes and allowed functional predictions to be made by comparing expression profiles of uncharacterized genes to those of genes of known function. Each gene was also categorized according to kinetic class by blocking de novo protein synthesis and viral DNA replication in vitro. One gene, ORF 73, was found to be expressed with α-kinetics, 30 genes were found to be expressed with β-kinetics, and 42 genes were found to be expressed with γ-kinetics. This fundamental characterization furthers the development of this model and provides an experimental basis for continued investigation of gammaherpesvirus pathology.


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Peng ◽  
Huiqin Ma ◽  
Shangwu Chen

Lycium ruthenicum Murr., which belongs to the family Solanaceae, is a resource plant for Chinese traditional medicine and nutraceutical foods. In this study, RNA sequencing was applied to obtain raw reads of L. ruthenicum fruit at different stages of ripening, and a de novo assembly of its sequence was performed. Approximately 52.45 million 100-bp paired-end raw reads were generated from the samples by deep RNA-seq analysis. These short reads were assembled to obtain 164814 contigs, and the contigs were assembled into 84968 non-redundant unigenes using the Trinity method. Assembled sequences were annotated with gene descriptions, gene ontology, clusters of orthologous group and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes)pathway terms. Digital gene expression analysis was applied to compare gene-expression patterns at different fruit developmental stages. These results contribute to existing sequence resources for Lycium spp. during the fruit-ripening stages, which is valuable for further functional studies of genes involved in L. ruthenicum fruit nutraceutical quality.


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