scholarly journals Aspergillus fumigatus versus Genus Aspergillus: Conservation, Adaptive Evolution and Specific Virulence Genes

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2014
Author(s):  
Shishir Gupta ◽  
Mugdha Srivastava ◽  
Özge Osmanoglu ◽  
Zhuofei Xu ◽  
Axel A. Brakhage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Pathogenic Species ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Conserved Genes

Aspergillus is an important fungal genus containing economically important species, as well as pathogenic species of animals and plants. Using eighteen fungal species of the genus Aspergillus, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of conserved genes and their evolution. This also allows us to investigate the selection pressure driving the adaptive evolution in the pathogenic species A. fumigatus. Among single-copy orthologs (SCOs) for A. fumigatus and the closely related species A. fischeri, we identified 122 versus 50 positively selected genes (PSGs), respectively. Moreover, twenty conserved genes of unknown function were established to be positively selected and thus important for adaption. A. fumigatus PSGs interacting with human host proteins show over-representation of adaptive, symbiosis-related, immunomodulatory and virulence-related pathways, such as the TGF-β pathway, insulin receptor signaling, IL1 pathway and interfering with phagosomal GTPase signaling. Additionally, among the virulence factor coding genes, secretory and membrane protein-coding genes in multi-copy gene families, 212 genes underwent positive selection and also suggest increased adaptation, such as fungal immune evasion mechanisms (aspf2), siderophore biosynthesis (sidD), fumarylalanine production (sidE), stress tolerance (atfA) and thermotolerance (sodA). These genes presumably contribute to host adaptation strategies. Genes for the biosynthesis of gliotoxin are shared among all the close relatives of A. fumigatus as an ancient defense mechanism. Positive selection plays a crucial role in the adaptive evolution of A. fumigatus. The genome-wide profile of PSGs provides valuable targets for further research on the mechanisms of immune evasion, antimycotic targeting and understanding fundamental virulence processes.

scholarly journals Aspergillus fumigatus versus Genus Aspergillus: Conservation, adaptive evolution and specific virulence genes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shishir K Gupta ◽  
Mugdha Srivastava ◽  
Özge Osmanoglu ◽  
Zhuofei Xu ◽  
Axel A Brakhage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Immune Evasion ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Pathogenic Species ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Conserved Genes

AbstractAspergillus is an important fungal genus containing economically important species, as well as pathogenic species of animals and plants. Using eighteen fungal species of the genus Aspergillus, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of conserved genes and their evolution. This also allows to investigate the selection pressure driving the adaptive evolution in the pathogenic species A. fumigatus. Among single-copy orthologs (SCOs) for A. fumigatus and the closely related species A. fischeri, we identified 122 versus 50 positively selected genes (PSGs), respectively. Moreover, twenty conserved genes of unknown function were established to be clearly positively selected and thus important for adaption. A. fumigatus PSGs interacting with human host proteins show over-representation of adaptive, symbiosis-related, immunomodulatory, and virulence related pathways such as the TGF-β pathway, insulin receptor signaling, IL1 pathway and interfering with phagosomal of GTPase signaling. Additionally, among the virulence factor coding genes, secretory and membrane protein coding genes in multi-copy gene families, 212 genes underwent positive selection and also suggest increased adaptation such as fungal immune evasion mechanisms (aspf2), siderophore biosynthesis (sidD), fumarylalanine production (sidE), stress tolerance (atfA) and thermotolerance (sodA). These genes presumably contribute to host adaptation strategies. Genes for the biosynthesis of gliotoxin are shared among all the close relatives of A. fumigatus as ancient defense mechanism. Positive selection plays a crucial role in the adaptive evolution of A. fumigatus. The genome-wide profile of PSGs provides valuable targets for further research on the mechanisms of immune evasion, for antimycotic targeting and understanding fundamental processes of virulence.

scholarly journals Adaptive evolution driving the young duplications in six Rosaceae species

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zhong ◽  
Xiaohui Zhang ◽  
Qinglong Shi ◽  
Zong-Ming Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing Data ◽  
Duplicate Genes ◽  
Plant Genomes ◽  
Rosaceae Species ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Evolutionary Features ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Background In plant genomes, high proportions of duplicate copies reveals that gene duplications play an important role in the evolutionary processes of plant species. A series of gene families under positive selection after recent duplication events in plant genomes indicated the evolution of duplicates driven by adaptive evolution. However, the genome-wide evolutionary features of young duplicate genes among closely related species are rarely reported. Results In this study, we conducted a systematic survey of young duplicate genes at genome-wide levels among six Rosaceae species, whose whole-genome sequencing data were successively released in recent years. A total of 35,936 gene families were detected among the six species, in which 60.25% were generated by young duplications. The 21,650 young duplicate gene families could be divided into two expansion types based on their duplication patterns, species-specific and lineage-specific expansions. Our results showed the species-specific expansions advantaging over the lineage-specific expansions. In the two types of expansions, high-frequency duplicate domains exhibited functional preference in response to environmental stresses. Conclusions The functional preference of the young duplicate genes in both the expansion types showed that they were inclined to respond to abiotic or biotic stimuli. Moreover, young duplicate genes under positive selection in both species-specific and lineage-specific expansions suggested that they were generated to adapt to the environmental factors in Rosaceae species.

scholarly journals Functional Bias and Demographic History Obscure Patterns of Selection among Single-Copy Genes in a Fungal Species Complex

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Sánchez-Ramírez ◽  
Jean-Marc Moncalvo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Ratio Test ◽  
Ontology Term ◽  
Slightly Deleterious Mutations

AbstractMany different evolutionary processes may be responsible for explaining natural variation within genomes, some of which include natural selection at the molecular level and changes in population size. Fungi are highly adaptable organisms, and their relatively small genomes and short generation times make them pliable for evolutionary genomic studies. However, adaptation in wild populations has been relatively less documented compared to experimental or clinical studies. Here, we analyzed DNA sequences from 502 putative single-copy orthologous genes in 63 samples that represent seven recently diverged North American Amanita (jacksonii-complex) lineages. For each gene and each species, we measured the genealogical sorting index (gsi) and infinite-site-based summary statistics, such as , and DTaj in coding and intron regions. MKT-based approaches and likelihood-ratio-test Kn/Ks models were used to measure natural selection in all coding sequences. Multi-locus (Extended) Bayesian Skyline Plots (eBSP) were used to model intraspecific demographic changes through time based on unlinked, putative neutral regions (introns). Most genes show evidence of long-term purifying selection, likely reflecting a functional bias implicit in single-copy genes. We find that two species have strongly negatively skewed Tajima’s D, while three other have a positive skew, corresponding well with patterns of demographic expansion and contraction. Standard MKT analyses resulted in a high incidence of near-zero α with a tendency towards negative values. In contrast, α estimates based on the distribution of fitness effects (DFE), which accounts for demographic effects and slightly deleterious mutations, suggest a higher proportion of sites fixed by positive selection. The difference was more notorious in species with expansion signatures or with historically low population sizes, evidencing the concealing effects of specific demographic histories. Finally, we attempt to mitigate Gene Ontology term overrepresentation, highlighting the potential adaptive or ecological roles of some genes under positive selection.

scholarly journals Baculovirus Molecular Evolution via Gene Turnover and Recurrent Positive Selection of Key Genes

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Hill ◽  
Robert L. Unckless
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Rna Viruses ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Dna Viruses ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Key Genes ◽  
Signatures Of Selection

ABSTRACT Hosts and viruses are locked in an evolutionary arms race. Hosts are constantly evolving to suppress virulence and replication, while viruses, which are reliant on host machinery for survival and reproduction, develop counterstrategies to escape this immune defense. Viruses must also adapt to novel conditions while establishing themselves in a host species. Both processes provide strong selection for viral adaptation. Understanding adaptive evolution in insect viruses can help us to better understand adaptive evolution in general and is important due to the use of these viruses as biocontrol agents and for protecting ecologically or economically important species from outbreaks. Here we examine the molecular evolution of baculoviruses and nudiviruses, a group of insect-infecting viruses with key roles in biocontrol. We looked for signatures of selection between genomes of baculoviruses infecting a range of species and within a population of baculoviruses. Both analyses found only a few strong signatures of positive selection, primarily in replication- and transcription-associated genes and several structural protein genes. In both analyses, we detected a conserved complex of genes, including the helicase gene, showing consistently high levels of adaptive evolution, suggesting that they may be key in antagonistic coevolution to escape host suppression. These genes are integral to the baculovirus life cycle and may be good focal genes for developing baculoviruses as effective biocontrol agents or for targeting baculoviruses infecting ecologically relevant species. Recombination and complex genomes make evolution in these double-stranded DNA viruses more efficient than that in smaller RNA viruses with error-prone replication, as seen via signatures of selection in specific genes within a population of baculoviruses. IMPORTANCE Most viral evolutionary studies focus on RNA viruses. While these viruses cause many human and animal diseases, such studies leave us with a lesser understanding of how DNA viruses adapt to hosts and how the host responds to these pathogens. In this paper, we focus on the evolution of baculoviruses, a group of insect-infecting DNA viruses, many of which have been used in biocontrol. We find that most of the genome is under purifying selection, with only a few key genes evolving adaptively. Our results provide a glimpse into how DNA viruses differ from RNA viruses in their evolutionary dynamics and identify genes that are key to DNA virus adaptation, improving our understanding of how this group of pathogens evolves.

A Phenotype–Genotype Codon Model for Detecting Adaptive Evolution

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 722-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T Jones ◽  
Noor Youssef ◽  
Edward Susko ◽  
Joseph P Bielawski
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Molecular Adaptation ◽  
Simulation Studies ◽  
Site Model ◽  
Branch Site ◽  
A Site ◽  
Post Hoc

Abstract A central objective in biology is to link adaptive evolution in a gene to structural and/or functional phenotypic novelties. Yet most analytic methods make inferences mainly from either phenotypic data or genetic data alone. A small number of models have been developed to infer correlations between the rate of molecular evolution and changes in a discrete or continuous life history trait. But such correlations are not necessarily evidence of adaptation. Here, we present a novel approach called the phenotype–genotype branch-site model (PG-BSM) designed to detect evidence of adaptive codon evolution associated with discrete-state phenotype evolution. An episode of adaptation is inferred under standard codon substitution models when there is evidence of positive selection in the form of an elevation in the nonsynonymous-to-synonymous rate ratio $\omega$ to a value $\omega > 1$. As it is becoming increasingly clear that $\omega > 1$ can occur without adaptation, the PG-BSM was formulated to infer an instance of adaptive evolution without appealing to evidence of positive selection. The null model makes use of a covarion-like component to account for general heterotachy (i.e., random changes in the evolutionary rate at a site over time). The alternative model employs samples of the phenotypic evolutionary history to test for phenomenological patterns of heterotachy consistent with specific mechanisms of molecular adaptation. These include 1) a persistent increase/decrease in $\omega$ at a site following a change in phenotype (the pattern) consistent with an increase/decrease in the functional importance of the site (the mechanism); and 2) a transient increase in $\omega$ at a site along a branch over which the phenotype changed (the pattern) consistent with a change in the site’s optimal amino acid (the mechanism). Rejection of the null is followed by post hoc analyses to identify sites with strongest evidence for adaptation in association with changes in the phenotype as well as the most likely evolutionary history of the phenotype. Simulation studies based on a novel method for generating mechanistically realistic signatures of molecular adaptation show that the PG-BSM has good statistical properties. Analyses of real alignments show that site patterns identified post hoc are consistent with the specific mechanisms of adaptation included in the alternate model. Further simulation studies show that the covarion-like component of the PG-BSM plays a crucial role in mitigating recently discovered statistical pathologies associated with confounding by accounting for heterotachy-by-any-cause. [Adaptive evolution; branch-site model; confounding; mutation-selection; phenotype–genotype.]

scholarly journals Characterization of the peripheral blood transcriptome and adaptive evolution of the MHC I and TLR gene families in the wolf (Canis lupus)

BMC Genomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangshuai Liu ◽  
Honghai Zhang ◽  
Guolei Sun ◽  
Chao Zhao ◽  
Shuai Shang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Mhc I ◽  
Blood Transcriptome

scholarly journals The complete mitochondrial genome of the intertidal spider (Desis jiaxiangi) provides novel insights into the adaptive evolution of the mitogenome and the evolution of spiders

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Li ◽  
Yunyun Lv ◽  
Zhengyong Wen ◽  
Chao Bian ◽  
Xinhui Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Physiological Activity ◽  
Complete Mitochondrial Genome ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Data Set ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Mitogenome ◽  
Selection Signal ◽  
Positive Selection Signal

Abstract Background Although almost all extant spider species live in terrestrial environments, a few species live fully submerged in freshwater or seawater. The intertidal spiders (genus Desis) built silk nests within coral crevices can survive submerged in high tides. The diving bell spider, Argyroneta aquatica, resides in a similar dynamic environment but exclusively in freshwater. Given the pivotal role played by mitochondria in supplying most energy for physiological activity via oxidative phosphorylation and the environment, herein we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Desis jiaxiangi to investigate the adaptive evolution of the aquatic spider mitogenomes and the evolution of spiders. Results We assembled a complete mitogenome of the intertidal spider Desis jiaxiangi and performed comparative mitochondrial analyses of data set comprising of Desis jiaxiangi and other 45 previously published spider mitogenome sequences, including that of Argyroneta aquatica. We found a unique transposition of trnL2 and trnN genes in Desis jiaxiangi. Our robust phylogenetic topology clearly deciphered the evolutionary relationships between Desis jiaxiangi and Argyroneta aquatica as well as other spiders. We dated the divergence of Desis jiaxiangi and Argyroneta aquatica to the late Cretaceous at ~ 98 Ma. Our selection analyses detected a positive selection signal in the nd4 gene of the aquatic branch comprising both Desis jiaxiangi and Argyroneta aquatica. Surprisingly, Pirata subpiraticus, Hypochilus thorelli, and Argyroneta aquatica each had a higher Ka/Ks value in the 13 PCGs dataset among 46 taxa with complete mitogenomes, and these three species also showed positive selection signal in the nd6 gene. Conclusions Our finding of the unique transposition of trnL2 and trnN genes indicates that these genes may have experienced rearrangements in the history of intertidal spider evolution. The positive selection signals in the nd4 and nd6 genes might enable a better understanding of the spider metabolic adaptations in relation to different environments. Our construction of a novel mitogenome for the intertidal spider thus sheds light on the evolutionary history of spiders and their mitogenomes.

scholarly journals Whole genome sequencing reveals the genomic diversity, taxonomic classification, and evolutionary relationships of the genus Nocardia

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. e0009665
Author(s):  
Shuai Xu ◽  
Zhenpeng Li ◽  
Yuanming Huang ◽  
Lichao Han ◽  
Yanlin Che ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Taxonomic Classification ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary Relationships ◽  
Taxonomic Structure ◽  
Pan Genome ◽  
Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase

Nocardia is a complex and diverse genus of aerobic actinomycetes that cause complex clinical presentations, which are difficult to diagnose due to being misunderstood. To date, the genetic diversity, evolution, and taxonomic structure of the genus Nocardia are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the pan-genome of 86 Nocardia type strains to clarify their genetic diversity. Our study revealed an open pan-genome for Nocardia containing 265,836 gene families, with about 99.7% of the pan-genome being variable. Horizontal gene transfer appears to have been an important evolutionary driver of genetic diversity shaping the Nocardia genome and may have caused historical taxonomic confusion from other taxa (primarily Rhodococcus, Skermania, Aldersonia, and Mycobacterium). Based on single-copy gene families, we established a high-accuracy phylogenomic approach for Nocardia using 229 genome sequences. Furthermore, we found 28 potentially new species and reclassified 16 strains. Finally, by comparing the topology between a phylogenomic tree and 384 phylogenetic trees (from 384 single-copy genes from the core genome), we identified a novel locus for inferring the phylogeny of this genus. The dapb1 gene, which encodes dipeptidyl aminopeptidase BI, was far superior to commonly used markers for Nocardia and yielded a topology almost identical to that of genome-based phylogeny. In conclusion, the present study provides insights into the genetic diversity, contributes a robust framework for the taxonomic classification, and elucidates the evolutionary relationships of Nocardia. This framework should facilitate the development of rapid tests for the species identification of highly variable species and has given new insight into the behavior of this genus.

scholarly journals Unique structure and positive selection promote the rapid divergence of Drosophila Y chromosomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Ho Chang ◽  
Lauren E. Gregory ◽  
Kathleen E. Gordon ◽  
Colin D. Meiklejohn ◽  
Amanda M. Larracuente
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Related Species ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Chromosome Organization ◽  
End Joining ◽  
Sexual Antagonism ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Y Chromosomes

AbstractY chromosomes across diverse species convergently evolve a gene-poor, heterochromatic organization enriched for duplicated genes, LTR retrotransposable elements, and satellite DNA. Sexual antagonism and a loss of recombination play major roles in the degeneration of young Y chromosomes. However, the processes shaping the evolution of mature, already degenerated Y chromosomes are less well-understood. Because Y chromosomes evolve rapidly, comparisons between closely related species are particularly useful. We generated de novo long read assemblies complemented with cytological validation to reveal Y chromosome organization in three closely related species of the Drosophila simulans complex, which diverged only 250,000 years ago and share >98% sequence identity. We find these Y chromosomes are divergent in their organization and repetitive DNA composition and discover new Y-linked gene families whose evolution is driven by both positive selection and gene conversion. These Y chromosomes are also enriched for large deletions, suggesting that the repair of double-strand breaks on Y chromosomes may be biased toward microhomology-mediated end joining over canonical non-homologous end-joining. We propose that this repair mechanism generally contributes to the convergent evolution of Y chromosome organization.

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes for five Dicliptera species (Acanthaceae): molecular structure, phylogenetic relationships, and adaptive evolution

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunan Huang ◽  
Xuejun Ge ◽  
Asunción Cano ◽  
Betty Gaby Millán Salazar ◽  
Yunfei Deng
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Trna Genes ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Variable Regions ◽  
Protein Coding Genes ◽  
Chloroplast Genomes

The genus Dicliptera (Justicieae, Acanthaceae) consists of approximately 150 species distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Newly obtained chloroplast genomes (cp genomes) are reported for five species of Dilciptera (D. acuminata, D. peruviana, D. montana, D. ruiziana and D. mucronata) in this study. These cp genomes have circular structures of 150,689–150,811 bp and exhibit quadripartite organizations made up of a large single copy region (LSC, 82,796–82,919 bp), a small single copy region (SSC, 17,084–17,092 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs, 25,401–25,408 bp). Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content makes up 37.9%–38.0% of the total content. The complete cp genomes contain 114 unique genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and four ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Comparative analyses of nucleotide variability (Pi) reveal the five most variable regions (trnY-GUA-trnE-UUC, trnG-GCC, psbZ-trnG-GCC, petN-psbM, and rps4-trnL-UUA), which may be used as molecular markers in future taxonomic identification and phylogenetic analyses of Dicliptera. A total of 55-58 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 229 long repeats were identified in the cp genomes of the five Dicliptera species. Phylogenetic analysis identified a close relationship between D. ruiziana and D. montana, followed by D. acuminata, D. peruviana, and D. mucronata. Evolutionary analysis of orthologous protein-coding genes within the family Acanthaceae revealed only one gene, ycf15, to be under positive selection, which may contribute to future studies of its adaptive evolution. The completed genomes are useful for future research on species identification, phylogenetic relationships, and the adaptive evolution of the Dicliptera species.

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