scholarly journals The Influence of 3′UTRs on MicroRNA Function Inferred from Human SNP Data

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihua Hu ◽  
Andrew E. Bruno

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. Although previous efforts have demonstrated the functional importance of target sites on miRNAs, little is known about the influence of the rest of 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of target genes on microRNA function. We conducted a genome-wide study and found that the entire 3′UTR sequences could also play important roles on miRNA function in addition to miRNA target sites. This was evidenced by the fact that human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on both seed target region and the rest of 3′UTRs of miRNA target genes were under significantly stronger negative selection, when compared to non-miRNA target genes. We also discovered that the flanking nucleotides on both sides of miRNA target sites were subject to moderate strong selection. A local sequence region of ~67 nucleotides with symmetric structure is herein defined. Additionally, from gene expression analysis, we found that SNPs and miRNA target sites on target sequences may interactively affect gene expression.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Xu ◽  
Yantao Zhu ◽  
Yanfeng Zhang ◽  
Jianxia Jiang ◽  
Liyong Yang ◽  
...  

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes play vital roles in crops. However, the genetic variations in miRNA-targeted sites that affect miRNA cleavage efficiency and their correlations with agronomic traits in crops remain unexplored. On the basis of a genome-wide DNA re-sequencing of 210 elite rapeseed (Brassica napus) accessions, we identified the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (INDELs) in miRNA-targeted sites complementary to miRNAs. Variant calling revealed 7.14 million SNPs and 2.89 million INDELs throughout the genomes of 210 rapeseed accessions. Furthermore, we detected 330 SNPs and 79 INDELs in 357 miRNA target sites, of which 33.50% were rare variants. We also analyzed the correlation between the genetic variations in miRNA target sites and 12 rapeseed agronomic traits. Eleven SNPs in miRNA target sites were significantly correlated with phenotypes in three consecutive years. More specifically, three correlated SNPs within the miRNA-binding regions of BnSPL9-3, BnSPL13-2, and BnCUC1-2 were in the loci associated with the branch angle, seed weight, and silique number, respectively; expression profiling suggested that the variation at these 3 miRNA target sites significantly affected the expression level of the corresponding target genes. Taken together, the results of this study provide researchers and breeders with a global view of the genetic variations in miRNA-targeted sites in rapeseed and reveal the potential effects of these genetic variations on elite agronomic traits.


Endocrinology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 160 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiichi Itoi ◽  
Ikuko Motoike ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Sam Clokie ◽  
Yasumasa Iwasaki ◽  
...  

Abstract Glucocorticoids (GCs) are essential for stress adaptation, acting centrally and in the periphery. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a major regulator of adrenal GC synthesis, is produced in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH), which contains multiple neuroendocrine and preautonomic neurons. GCs may be involved in diverse regulatory mechanisms in the PVH, but the target genes of GCs are largely unexplored except for the CRF gene (Crh), a well-known target for GC negative feedback. Using a genome-wide RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified transcripts that changed in response to either high-dose corticosterone (Cort) exposure for 12 days (12-day high Cort), corticoid deprivation for 7 days (7-day ADX), or acute Cort administration. Among others, canonical GC target genes were upregulated prominently by 12-day high Cort. Crh was upregulated or downregulated most prominently by either 7-day ADX or 12-day high Cort, emphasizing the recognized feedback effects of GC on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Concomitant changes in vasopressin and apelin receptor gene expression are likely to contribute to HPA repression. In keeping with the pleotropic cellular actions of GCs, 7-day ADX downregulated numerous genes of a broad functional spectrum. The transcriptome response signature differed markedly between acute Cort injection and 12-day high Cort. Remarkably, six immediate early genes were upregulated 1 hour after Cort injection, which was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR and semiquantitative in situ hybridization. This study may provide a useful database for studying the regulatory mechanisms of GC-dependent gene expression and repression in the PVH.


2020 ◽  
pp. annrheumdis-2020-218481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena López-Isac ◽  
Samantha L Smith ◽  
Miranda C Marion ◽  
Abigail Wood ◽  
Marc Sudman ◽  
...  

ObjectivesJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most prevalent form of juvenile rheumatic disease. Our understanding of the genetic risk factors for this disease is limited due to low disease prevalence and extensive clinical heterogeneity. The objective of this research is to identify novel JIA susceptibility variants and link these variants to target genes, which is essential to facilitate the translation of genetic discoveries to clinical benefit.MethodsWe performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 3305 patients and 9196 healthy controls, and used a Bayesian model selection approach to systematically investigate specificity and sharing of associated loci across JIA clinical subtypes. Suggestive signals were followed-up for meta-analysis with a previous GWAS (2751 cases/15 886 controls). We tested for enrichment of association signals in a broad range of functional annotations, and integrated statistical fine-mapping and experimental data to identify target genes.ResultsOur analysis provides evidence to support joint analysis of all JIA subtypes with the identification of five novel significant loci. Fine-mapping nominated causal single nucleotide polymorphisms with posterior inclusion probabilities ≥50% in five JIA loci. Enrichment analysis identified RELA and EBF1 as key transcription factors contributing to disease risk. Our integrative approach provided compelling evidence to prioritise target genes at six loci, highlighting mechanistic insights for the disease biology and IL6ST as a potential drug target.ConclusionsIn a large JIA GWAS, we identify five novel risk loci and describe potential function of JIA association signals that will be informative for future experimental works and therapeutic strategies.


2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 514-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Heise ◽  
Julia van der Felden ◽  
Sandra Kern ◽  
Mario Malcher ◽  
Stefan Brückner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the TEA transcription factor Tec1 is known to regulate target genes together with a second transcription factor, Ste12. Tec1-Ste12 complexes can activate transcription through Tec1 binding sites (TCSs), which can be further combined with Ste12 binding sites (PREs) for cooperative DNA binding. However, previous studies have hinted that Tec1 might regulate transcription also without Ste12. Here, we show that in vivo, physiological amounts of Tec1 are sufficient to stimulate TCS-mediated gene expression and transcription of the FLO11 gene in the absence of Ste12. In vitro, Tec1 is able to bind TCS elements with high affinity and specificity without Ste12. Furthermore, Tec1 contains a C-terminal transcriptional activation domain that confers Ste12-independent activation of TCS-regulated gene expression. On a genome-wide scale, we identified 302 Tec1 target genes that constitute two distinct classes. A first class of 254 genes is regulated by Tec1 in a Ste12-dependent manner and is enriched for genes that are bound by Tec1 and Ste12 in vivo. In contrast, a second class of 48 genes can be regulated by Tec1 independently of Ste12 and is enriched for genes that are bound by the stress transcription factors Yap6, Nrg1, Cin5, Skn7, Hsf1, and Msn4. Finally, we find that combinatorial control by Tec1-Ste12 complexes stabilizes Tec1 against degradation. Our study suggests that Tec1 is able to regulate TCS-mediated gene expression by Ste12-dependent and Ste12-independent mechanisms that enable promoter-specific transcriptional control.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmina Uzunović ◽  
Emily B. Josephs ◽  
John R. Stinchcombe ◽  
Stephen I. Wright

AbstractTransposable elements (TEs) make up a significant portion of eukaryotic genomes, and thus are important drivers of genome evolution. However, the evolutionary forces controlling TE copy number and the extent to which TEs affect phenotypic variation on a genome-wide scale are still unclear. We characterised TE insertion polymorphism and its effects on gene expression in 124 whole genome sequences from a single population of Capsella grandiflora. The frequency of insertions was negatively correlated with distance to genes, as well as density of conserved non-coding elements, suggesting that the negative effects of TEs on gene regulation are important in limiting their abundance. Rare TE variants strongly influence gene expression variation, predominantly through downregulation. In contrast, rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) contribute equally to up- and down-regulation, but have a weaker effect. Taken together, these results imply that TEs are a significant contributor to gene expression variation and can be more likely than rare SNPs to cause extreme changes in gene expression.Author SummaryTransposable elements (TEs), mobile DNA elements with the ability to excise from the genome and reinsert in new locations, are important components of genomic diversity. Due to their abundance and mobility, TEs play an influential role in genomic evolution, often deleterious. Here we show that TEs in a population of the plant Capsella grandiflora are most deleterious when they insert in genic and regulatory regions. We find that TEs indeed are associated with unusual levels of gene expression, predominantly decreased expression.Furthermore, this effect is stronger than the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with gene expression variation, highlighting the importance of TE contribution to the maintenance of expression variation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Hünnefeld ◽  
Marcus Persicke ◽  
Jörn Kalinowski ◽  
Julia Frunzke

1AbstractIt is the enormous adaptive capacity of microorganisms, which is key to their competitive success in nature, but also challenges antibiotic treatment of human diseases. To deal with a diverse set of stresses, bacteria are able to reprogram gene expression using a wide variety of transcription factors. Here, we focused on the MarR-type regulator MalR conserved in theCorynebacterineae, including the prominent pathogensCorynebacterium diphtheriaeandMycobacterium tuberculosis. In several corynebacterial species, themalRgene forms an operon with a gene encoding a universal stress protein (uspA). Chromatin-affinity purification and sequencing (ChAP-Seq) analysis revealed that MalR binds more than 60 target promoters in theC. glutamicumgenome as well as in the large cryptic prophage CGP3. Overproduction of MalR caused severe growth defects and an elongated cell morphology. ChAP-Seq data combined with a global transcriptome analysis of themalRoverexpression strain emphasized a central role of MalR in cell envelope remodeling in response to environmental stresses. Prominent MalR targets are for example involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis and synthesis of branched-chain fatty acids. Phenotypic microarrays suggest an altered sensitivity of a ΔmalRmutant towards several β-lactam antibiotics. We furthermore revealed MalR as a repressor of several prophage genes suggesting that MalR may be involved in the control of stress-responsive induction of the large CGP3 element. In conclusion, our results emphasize MalR as a regulator involved in stress-responsive remodeling of the cell envelope ofC. glutamicumand suggest a link between cell envelope stress and the control of phage gene expression.ImportanceBacteria live in changing environments that force the cells to be highly adaptive. The cell envelope represents both, a barrier against harsh external conditions and an interaction interface. The dynamic remodeling of the cell envelope as a response towards, e.g. antibiotic treatment represents a major challenge in the treatment of diseases. Members of the MarR family of regulators are known to contribute to an adaptation of bacterial cells towards antibiotic stress. However, our knowledge on this adaptive response was so far restricted to a small number of well-described target genes. In this study, we performed a genome-wide profiling of DNA-binding of the MarR-type regulator MalR ofC. glutamicum, which is conserved in several coryne- and mycobacterial species. By binding to more than 60 different target promoters, MalR is shaping a global reprogramming of gene expression conferring a remodeling of the cell envelope in response to stress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 117693432110413
Author(s):  
Chaoxin Zhang ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Tongyan Cui ◽  
Shengwei Liu ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
...  

The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors (TFs) regulate many important biological processes, such as energy metabolism, inflammation, cell proliferation etc. A genome-wide gene identification revealed the presence of a total of 99 C/EBP genes in pig and 19 eukaryote genomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all C/EBP TFs were classified into 6 subgroups named C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ, C/EBPε, C/EBPγ, and C/EBPζ. Gene expression analysis showed that the C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ, C/EBPγ, and C/EBPζ genes were expressed ubiquitously with inconsistent expression patterns in various pig tissues. Moreover, a pig C/EBP regulatory network was constructed, including C/EBP genes, TFs and miRNAs. A total of 27 feed-forward loop (FFL) motifs were detected in the pig C/EBP regulatory network. Based on the RNA-seq data, gene expression patterns related to FFL sub-network were analyzed in 27 adult pig tissues. Certain FFL motifs may be tissue specific. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that C/EBP and its target genes are involved in many important biological pathways. These results provide valuable information that clarifies the evolutionary relationships of the C/EBP family and contributes to the understanding of the biological function of C/EBP genes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1734-1745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmina Uzunović ◽  
Emily B Josephs ◽  
John R Stinchcombe ◽  
Stephen I Wright

Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) make up a significant portion of eukaryotic genomes and are important drivers of genome evolution. However, the extent to which TEs affect gene expression variation on a genome-wide scale in comparison with other types of variants is still unclear. We characterized TE insertion polymorphisms and their association with gene expression in 124 whole-genome sequences from a single population of Capsella grandiflora, and contrasted this with the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population frequency of insertions was negatively correlated with distance to genes, as well as density of conserved noncoding elements, suggesting that the negative effects of TEs on gene regulation are important in limiting their abundance. Rare TE variants strongly influence gene expression variation, predominantly through downregulation. In contrast, rare SNPs contribute equally to up- and down-regulation, but have a weaker individual effect than TEs. An expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis shows that a greater proportion of common TEs are eQTLs as opposed to common SNPs, and a third of the genes with TE eQTLs do not have SNP eQTLs. In contrast with rare TE insertions, common insertions are more likely to increase expression, consistent with recent models of cis-regulatory evolution favoring enhancer alleles. Taken together, these results imply that TEs are a significant contributor to gene expression variation and are individually more likely than rare SNPs to cause extreme changes in gene expression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 204589402092830
Author(s):  
Ran Miao ◽  
Xingbei Dong ◽  
Juanni Gong ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xiaojuan Guo ◽  
...  

Background Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is characterized by elevated pressure in pulmonary arteries. This study was performed to explore the critical miRNAs and genes affecting the pathogenesis of CTEPH. Methods GSE56914 dataset (10 CTEPH whole blood samples and 10 control samples) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Using limma package, the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were acquired. After miRNA-target pairs were obtained using miRWalk2.0 tool, a miRNA-target regulatory network was built by Cytoscape software. Using DAVID tool, significantly enriched pathways involving the target genes were identified. Moreover, the protein–protein interaction network and transcription factor-target regulatory network were built by the Cytoscape software. Additionally, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments and luciferase assay were conducted to validate miRNA/gene expression and miRNA–target regulatory relationship, respectively. Results There were 25 DE-miRNAs (8 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated) between CTEPH and control groups. The target genes of has-let-7b-3p, has-miR-17-5p, has-miR-3202, has-miR-106b-5p, and has-miR-665 were enriched in multiple pathways such as “Insulin secretion”. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed upregulation of hsa-miR-3202, hsa-miR-665, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 ( MMP2) as well as downregulation of hsa-let-7b-3p, hsa-miR-17-5p, and hsa-miR-106b-5p. Luciferase assay indicated that MMP2 was negatively mediated by hsa-miR-106b-5p. Conclusions These miRNAs and genes were associated with the pathogenesis of CTEPH. Besides, hsa-miR-106b-5p was involved in the development of CTEPH via targeting MMP2.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 547-547
Author(s):  
Stephan Kadauke ◽  
Jan M Pawlicki ◽  
Maheshi Udugama ◽  
Jordan C Achtman ◽  
Yong Cheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 547 Hematopoietic lineage choice decisions are stably maintained throughout many cell divisions. For example, erythroid precursor cells undergo several rounds of cell division during their maturation. During each mitosis, most transcription factors separate from chromatin causing transcription to cease globally. Mitosis therefore poses a challenge for transcription factors to re-associate with the appropriate target sites in chromatin of newborn cells. The epigenetic mechanisms that cement lineage stability and resist cell reprogramming during mitosis are poorly understood, although recent evidence supports the existence of “bookmarking” factors that remain bound to mitotic chromatin. Since the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA1 controls the expression of essentially all erythroid-specific genes, we asked whether it might play a role in maintaining erythroid gene expression programs throughout the cell cycle. Live cell confocal imaging revealed that foci of high GATA1 density are present within mitotic chromatin. Using a novel approach that combines mitotic cell sorting with ChIP-Seq, we defined mitotic GATA1 binding sites on a genome-wide scale. Remarkably, whereas GATA1 vacated the great majority of its target sites during mitosis, including the archetypical GATA1 regulated genes α- and β-globin, those target sites where GATA1 was maintained during mitosis showed a strong tendency to reside near genes encoding key developmental regulators of hematopoiesis (e.g., Zfpm1, Nfe2, Klf1, Gata1, Gata2, Runx1). Tissue-specific GATA1 co-regulators such as FOG-1 and the SCL complex dissociated from GATA1-occupied elements during mitosis, suggesting that GATA1 persists at these sites to facilitate their spatially and temporally appropriate reassembly upon exit from mitosis. Consistent with the notion that GATA1 acts as a mitotic bookmark for its mitotic target genes, timed primary transcript analysis revealed that genes that are marked by GATA1 during mitosis re-activate more rapidly upon G1 entry than those that are not. To directly address the functional importance of mitotic chromatin binding, we developed a version of GATA1 that is selectively degraded during mitosis but remains stable during interphase. This strategy allowed us to prove, for the first time, that the presence of a transcription factor is required specifically during mitosis for timely reactivation of its mitotic target genes. In addition, mitotically disrupted GATA1 failed to fully repress markers of immature erythroid precursors (e.g., Kit, Lyl1), highlighting a potential role of mitotic GATA1 bookmarking for establishing and maintaining lineage- and developmental stage-specific transcriptional programs. Follow-up mechanistic experiments to define the mode by which GATA1 operates during mitosis are underway and will be discussed at the meeting. Together, these studies establish GATA1 as a bona fide mitotic bookmarking factor and provide a deeper understanding by which transcription programs are faithfully perpetuated through cell divisions to maintain lineage stability. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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