scholarly journals Identification and characterization of ERV transcripts in goat embryos

Reproduction ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
Ruizhi Deng ◽  
Chengquan Han ◽  
Lu Zhao ◽  
Qing Zhang ◽  
Beifen Yan ◽  
...  

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are abundant in mammalian genomes, can modulate the expression of nearby genes, and their expression is dynamic and stage-specific during early embryonic development in mice and humans. However, the functions and mechanisms of ERV elements in regulating embryonic development remain unclear. Here, we utilized several methods to determine the contribution of ERVs to the makeup and regulation of transcripts during embryonic genome activation (EGA). We constructed an ERV library and embryo RNA-seq library (IVF_2c and IVF_8c) of goat to serve as our research basis. The GO and KEGG analysis of nearby ERV genes revealed that some ERV elements may be associated with embryonic development. RNA-seq results were consistent with the features of EGA. To obtain the transcripts derived from the ERV sequences, we blasted the ERV sequences with embryonic transcripts and identified three lncRNAs and one mRNA that were highly expressed in IVF-8c rather than in IVF-2c (q-value <0.05). Then, we validated the expression patterns of nine ERV-related transcripts during early developmental stages and knocked down three high-expression transcripts in EGA. The knockdown of lncRNA TCONS_00460156 or mRNA HSD17B11 significantly decreased the developmental rate of IVF embryos. Our findings suggested that some transcripts from ERVs are essential for the early embryonic development of goat, and analyzing the ERV expression profile during goat EGA may help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of ERV in regulating embryonic development.

Reproduction ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Vallée ◽  
Isabelle Dufort ◽  
Stéphanie Desrosiers ◽  
Aurélie Labbe ◽  
Catherine Gravel ◽  
...  

Gene expression profiling is proving to be a powerful approach for the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying complex cellular functions such as the dynamic early embryonic development. The objective of this study was to perform a transcript abundance profiling analysis of bovine early embryonic development in vivo using a bovine developmental array. The molecular description of the first week of life at the mRNA level is particularly challenging when considering the important fluctuations in RNA content that occur between developmental stages. Accounting for the different intrinsic RNA content between developmental stages was achieved by restricting the reaction time during the global amplification steps and by using spiked controls and reference samples. Analysis based on intensity values revealed that most of the transcripts on the array were present at some point during in vivo bovine early embryonic development, while the varying number of genes detected in each developmental stage confirmed the dynamic profile of gene expression occurring during embryonic development. Pair-wise comparison of gene expression showed a marked difference between oocytes and blastocysts profiles, and principal component analysis revealed that the majority of the transcripts could be regrouped into three main clusters representing distinct RNA abundance profiles. Overall, these data provide a detailed temporal profile of the abundance of mRNAs revealing the richness of signaling processes in early mammalian development. Results presented here provide better knowledge of bovine in vivo embryonic development and contribute to the progression of our current knowledge regarding the first week of life in mammals.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Wang ◽  
Ya-Ping Huang ◽  
Han Wu ◽  
Ke Song ◽  
Cong Wan ◽  
...  

Background The NDUFS4 gene encodes an 18-kD subunit of mitochondria complex I, and mutations in this gene lead to the development of a severe neurodegenerative disease called Leigh syndrome (LS) in humans. To investigate the disease phenotypes and molecular mechanisms of Leigh syndrome, the Ndufs4 knockout (KO) mouse has been widely used as a novel animal model. Because the homozygotes cannot survive beyond child-bearing age, whether Ndufs4 and mitochondrial complex I influence early embryonic development remains unknown. In our study, we attempted to investigate embryonic development in Ndufs4 KO mice, which can be regarded as a Leigh disease model and were created through the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat) and Cas9 (CRISPR associated)-mediated genome editing system. Methods We first designed a single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting exon 2 of Ndufs4 to delete the NDUFS4 protein in mouse embryos to mimic Leigh syndrome. Then, we described the phenotypes of our mouse model by forced swimming and the open-field test as well as by assessing other behavioral characteristics. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was performed to obtain KO embryos to test the influence of NDUFS4 deletion on early embryonic development. Results In this study, we first generated Ndufs4 KO mice with physical and behavioral phenotypes similar to Leigh syndrome using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The low developmental rate of KO embryos that were derived from knockout gametes indicated that the absence of NDUFS4 impaired the development of preimplantation embryos. Discussion In this paper, we first obtained Ndufs4 KO mice that could mimic Leigh syndrome using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Then, we identified the role of NDUFS4 in early embryonic development, shedding light on its roles in the respiratory chain and fertility. Our model provides a useful tool with which to investigate the function of Ndufs4. Although the pathological mechanisms of the disease need to be discovered, it helps to understand the pathogenesis of NDUFS4 deficiency in mice and its effects on human diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Liu ◽  
Xiaoxi Chen ◽  
Hạixia Chen ◽  
Jie Lu ◽  
Dongliang Chen ◽  
...  

Chrysanthemum dichrum is an important wild species in the family Asteraceae. However, because of a lack of genetic information, there has been relatively little research conducted on the molecular mechanisms in C. dichrum. There is no report describing the transcriptome and metabolome of C. dichrum flowers and leaves at different developmental stages. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and RNA-seq analyses were used to investigate the transcriptome of C. dichrum leaves, flower buds, and blooming flowers. Additionally, these three tissues also underwent a metabolomics analysis. A total of 447,313,764 clean reads were assembled into 77,683 unigenes, with an average length of 839 bp. Of the 44,204 annotated unigenes, 42,189, 28,531, 23,420, and 17,599 were annotated using the Nr, Swiss-Prot, KOG, and KEGG databases, respectively. Furthermore, 31,848 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between the leaves and flower buds, whereas 23,197 DEGs were detected between the leaves and blooming flowers, and 11,240 DEGs were detected between the flower buds and blooming flowers. Finally, a quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was conducted to validate the identified DEGs. The metabolome data revealed several abundant metabolites in C. dichrum leaves, flower buds, and blooming flowers, including raffinose, 1-kestose, asparagine, glutamine, and other medicinal compounds. The expression patterns of significant DEGs revealed by the transcriptome analysis as well as the data for the differentially abundant metabolites in three C. dichrum tissues provide important genetic and metabolic information relevant for future investigations of the molecular mechanisms in C. dichrum. Moreover, the results of this study may be useful for the molecular breeding, development, and application of C. dichrum resources.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 997
Author(s):  
Jia-Ying Zhu ◽  
Lu Li ◽  
Kai-Ran Xiao ◽  
Shu-Qi He ◽  
Fu-Rong Gui

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious pest of crucial crops causing great threats to the food security of the world. It has evolved resistance to various insecticides, while the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Cuticular proteins (CPs), as primary components in cuticle, play an important role in insects’ protection against environmental stresses. Few of them have been documented as participating in insecticide resistance in several insect species. In order to explore whether CP genes of the FAW exhibit a functional role in responding to insecticides stress, a total of 206 CPs, classified into eight families, were identified from the genome of the FAW through a homology-based approach coupled with manual efforts. The temporal expression profiles of all identified CP genes across developmental stages and their responses to 23 different insecticides were analyzed using the RNA-seq data. Expression profiling indicated that most of the CP genes displayed stage-specific expression patterns. It was found that the expression of 51 CP genes significantly changed after 48 h exposure to 17 different insecticides. The expression of eight CP genes responding to four insecticides were confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. The results showed that their overall expression profiles were consistent with RNA-seq analysis. The findings provide a basis for further functional investigation of CPs implied in insecticide stress in FAW.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aslı Okan ◽  
Necdet Demir ◽  
Berna Sozen

AbstractDiabetes mellitus (DM) has profound effects on the female mammalian reproductive system, and early embryonic development, reducing female reproductive outcomes and inducing developmental programming in utero. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. Accumulating evidence implicates endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress with maternal DM associated pathophysiology. Yet the direct pathologies and causal events leading to ovarian dysfunction and altered early embryonic development have not been determined. Here, using an in vivo mouse model of Type 1 DM and in vitro hyperglycaemia-exposure, we demonstrate the activation of ER-stress within adult ovarian tissue and pre-implantation embryos. In diabetic ovaries, we show that the unfolded protein response (UPR) triggers an apoptotic cascade by the co-activation of Caspase 12 and Cleaved Caspase 3 transducers. Whereas DM-exposed early embryos display differential ER-associated responses; by activating Chop in within embryonic precursors and Caspase 12 within placental precursors. Our results offer new insights for understanding the pathological effects of DM on mammalian ovarian function and early embryo development, providing new evidence of its mechanistic link with ER-stress in mice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 7029
Author(s):  
Cai-Yun Xiong ◽  
Qing-You Gong ◽  
Hu Pei ◽  
Chang-Jian Liao ◽  
Rui-Chun Yang ◽  
...  

In maize, the ear shank is a short branch that connects the ear to the stalk. The length of the ear shank mainly affects the transportation of photosynthetic products to the ear, and also influences the dehydration of the grain by adjusting the tightness of the husks. However, the molecular mechanisms of maize shank elongation have rarely been described. It has been reported that the maize ear shank length is a quantitative trait, but its genetic basis is still unclear. In this study, RNA-seq was performed to explore the transcriptional dynamics and determine the key genes involved in maize shank elongation at four different developmental stages. A total of 8145 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 729 transcription factors (TFs). Some important genes which participate in shank elongation were detected via function annotation and temporal expression pattern analyses, including genes related to signal transduction hormones (auxin, brassinosteroids, gibberellin, etc.), xyloglucan and xyloglucan xyloglucosyl transferase, and transcription factor families. The results provide insights into the genetic architecture of maize ear shanks and developing new varieties with ideal ear shank lengths, enabling adjustments for mechanized harvesting in the future.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Paola Pisano ◽  
Nicole Grandi ◽  
Enzo Tramontano

Human Endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that represent a large fraction of our genome. Their transcriptional activity is finely regulated in early developmental stages and their expression is modulated in different cell types and tissues. Such activity has an impact on human physiology and pathology that is only partially understood up to date. Novel high-throughput sequencing tools have recently allowed for a great advancement in elucidating the various HERV expression patterns in different tissues as well as the mechanisms controlling their transcription, and overall, have helped in gaining better insights in an all-inclusive understanding of the impact of HERVs in biology of the host.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayang Xu ◽  
Qiansi Chen ◽  
Pingping Liu ◽  
Wei Jia ◽  
Zheng Chen ◽  
...  

Salinity is one of the most severe forms of abiotic stress and affects crop yields worldwide. Plants respond to salinity stress via a sophisticated mechanism at the physiological, transcriptional and metabolic levels. However, the molecular regulatory networks involved in salt and alkali tolerance have not yet been elucidated. We developed an RNA-seq technique to perform mRNA and small RNA (sRNA) sequencing of plants under salt (NaCl) and alkali (NaHCO3) stress in tobacco. Overall, 8064 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 33 differentially expressed microRNAs (DE miRNAs) were identified in response to salt and alkali stress. A total of 1578 overlapping DEGs, which exhibit the same expression patterns and are involved in ion channel, aquaporin (AQP) and antioxidant activities, were identified. Furthermore, genes involved in several biological processes, such as “photosynthesis” and “starch and sucrose metabolism,” were specifically enriched under NaHCO3 treatment. We also identified 15 and 22 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in response to NaCl and NaHCO3, respectively. Analysis of inverse correlations between miRNAs and target mRNAs revealed 26 mRNA-miRNA interactions under NaCl treatment and 139 mRNA-miRNA interactions under NaHCO3 treatment. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of tobacco to salinity stress.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroto Yamamoto ◽  
Yutaro Uchida ◽  
Tomoki Chiba ◽  
Ryota Kurimoto ◽  
Takahide Matsushima ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundsSevoflurane is a most frequently used volatile anaesthetics, but its molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. We hypothesized that specific genes play regulatory roles in whole brain exposed to sevoflurane. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effects of sevoflurane inhalation and identify potential regulatory genes by RNA-seq analysis.MethodsEight-week old mice were exposed to sevoflurane. RNA from four medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, hypothalamus, and hippocampus were analysed using RNA-seq. Differently expressed genes were extracted. Their gene ontology terms and the transcriptome array data of the cerebral cortex of sleeping mice were analysed using Metascape, and the gene expression patterns were compared. Finally, the activities of transcription factors were evaluated using a weighted parametric gene set analysis (wPGSA). JASPAR was used to confirm the existence of binding motifs in the upstream sequences of the differently expressed genes.ResultsThe gene ontology term enrichment analysis result suggests that sevoflurane inhalation upregulated angiogenesis and downregulated neural differentiation in the whole brain. The comparison with the brains of sleeping mice showed that the gene expression changes were specific to anaesthetized mice. Sevoflurane induced Klf4 upregulation in the whole brain. The transcriptional analysis result suggests that KLF4 is a potential transcriptional regulator of angiogenesis and neural development.ConclusionsKlf4 was upregulated by sevoflurane inhalation in whole brain. KLF4 might promote angiogenesis and cause the appearance of undifferentiated neural cells by transcriptional regulation. The roles of KLF4 might be key to elucidating the mechanisms of sevoflurane induced functional modification in the brain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
Patricia Adu-Asiamah ◽  
Qiying Leng ◽  
Haidong Xu ◽  
Jiahui Zheng ◽  
Zhihui Zhao ◽  
...  

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified in the skeletal muscle of numerous species of animals. Their abundance, diversity, and their dynamic expression patterns have been revealed in various developmental stages and physiological conditions in skeletal muscles. Recently, studies have made known that circRNAs widely participate in muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. They are also involved in other life processes such as functioning as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, regulators of splicing and transcription, and modifiers of parental gene expression with emerging pieces of evidence indicating a high chance of playing a vital role in several cells and tissues, especially the muscles. Other research has emphatically stated that the growth and development of skeletal muscle are regulated by proteins as well as non-coding RNAs, which involve circRNAs. Therefore, circRNAs have been considered significant biological regulators for understanding the molecular mechanisms of myoblasts. Here, we discuss how circRNAs are abundantly expressed in muscle (myoblast) and their critical roles in growth and development.


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