scholarly journals Repeat-Induced Point Mutations Drive Divergence between Fusarium circinatum and Its Close Relatives

Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie van Wyk ◽  
Brenda D. Wingfield ◽  
Lieschen De Vos ◽  
Nicolaas A. van der Merwe ◽  
Quentin C. Santana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Fusarium Fujikuroi ◽  
Fusarium Circinatum ◽  
Chromosome Architecture ◽  
Genome Defense ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Fusarium Fujikuroi Species Complex ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Genomic Regions

The Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutation pathway is a fungal-specific genome defense mechanism that counteracts the deleterious effects of transposable elements. This pathway permanently mutates its target sequences by introducing cytosine to thymine transitions. We investigated the genome-wide occurrence of RIP in the pitch canker pathogen, Fusarium circinatum, and its close relatives in the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC). Our results showed that the examined fungi all exhibited hallmarks of RIP, but that they differed in terms of the extent to which their genomes were affected by this pathway. RIP mutations constituted a large proportion of all the FFSC genomes, including both core and dispensable chromosomes, although the latter were generally more extensively affected by RIP. Large RIP-affected genomic regions were also much more gene sparse than the rest of the genome. Our data further showed that RIP-directed sequence diversification increased the variability between homologous regions of related species, and that RIP-affected regions can interfere with homologous recombination during meiosis, thereby contributing to post-mating segregation distortion. Taken together, these findings suggest that RIP can drive the independent divergence of chromosomes, alter chromosome architecture, and contribute to the divergence among F. circinatum and other members of this economically important group of fungi.

scholarly journals Genome-Wide Analyses of Repeat-Induced Point Mutations in the Ascomycota

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie van Wyk ◽  
Brenda D. Wingfield ◽  
Lieschen De Vos ◽  
Nicolaas A. van der Merwe ◽  
Emma T. Steenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Gc Content ◽  
Sliding Window ◽  
Genome Defense ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Taxonomic Range ◽  
Window Approach ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Genome Assemblies

The Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutation pathway is a fungus-specific genome defense mechanism that mitigates the deleterious consequences of repeated genomic regions and transposable elements (TEs). RIP mutates targeted sequences by introducing cytosine to thymine transitions. We investigated the genome-wide occurrence and extent of RIP with a sliding-window approach. Using genome-wide RIP data and two sets of control groups, the association between RIP, TEs, and GC content were contrasted in organisms capable and incapable of RIP. Based on these data, we then set out to determine the extent and occurrence of RIP in 58 representatives of the Ascomycota. The findings were summarized by placing each of the fungi investigated in one of six categories based on the extent of genome-wide RIP. In silico RIP analyses, using a sliding-window approach with stringent RIP parameters, implemented simultaneously within the same genetic context, on high quality genome assemblies, yielded superior results in determining the genome-wide RIP among the Ascomycota. Most Ascomycota had RIP and these mutations were particularly widespread among classes of the Pezizomycotina, including the early diverging Orbiliomycetes and the Pezizomycetes. The most extreme cases of RIP were limited to representatives of the Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes. By contrast, the genomes of the Taphrinomycotina and Saccharomycotina contained no detectable evidence of RIP. Also, recent losses in RIP combined with controlled TE proliferation in the Pezizomycotina subphyla may promote substantial genome enlargement as well as the formation of sub-genomic compartments. These findings have broadened our understanding of the taxonomic range and extent of RIP in Ascomycota and how this pathway affects the genomes of fungi harboring it.

scholarly journals Repeat-Induced Point Mutations (RIP) Drives the Formation of Distinct Sub-Genomic Compartments in Fusarium Circinatum

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie van Wyk ◽  
Brenda D. Wingfield ◽  
Nicolaas A. van der Merwe ◽  
Lieschen De Vos ◽  
Mkhululi Maphosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Fusarium Circinatum ◽  
Variable Regions ◽  
Heterochromatin Formation ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genetic Landscape ◽  
Considerable Impact ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
The Impact

Repeat-Induced Point mutations (RIP) serves as a genome defence mechanism that impedes the deleterious consequences of repeated motifs such as transposable elements in fungi. Genomic regions with RIP are biased for adenosine and thymine transitions and the cumulative influence of RIP is thought to have a considerable impact on genome composition. We investigated the impact of RIP on localized genomic regions and whole-genome sequences for representatives of the pine pathogen, Fusarium circinatum. We set out to determine the intraspecific variation in acquired RIP and the role of RIP in the development of diverse F. circinatum sub-genomic compartments. The results of the study show that the AT-enriched sub-genomic compartment accounts for ca. 97% of the calculated RIP and was further prominent in both core and accessory genomic regions. However, more extensive RIP was observed in the accessory sub-compartment and more variable regions of the genome. Regions with RIP indicated increased intrinsic curvature of the DNA which may influence DNA-protein interactions and may promote constitutive heterochromatin formation. The results show that RIP is an important source of functional novelty and genome variation. RIP contributes to the evolution of the genetic landscape and differentiation of diverse sub-genomic compartments of this important fungal pathogen.

ddRAD‐seq data reveal significant genome‐wide population structure and divergent genomic regions that distinguish the mallard and close relatives in North America

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 2594-2609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Lavretsky ◽  
Jeffrey M. DaCosta ◽  
Michael D. Sorenson ◽  
Kevin G. McCracken ◽  
Jeffrey L. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
North America ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Wide Population

scholarly journals The RIPper, a web-based tool for genome-wide quantification of Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutations

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie van Wyk ◽  
Christopher H. Harrison ◽  
Brenda D. Wingfield ◽  
Lieschen De Vos ◽  
Nicolaas A. van der Merwe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Gc Content ◽  
Fungal Genome ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Mobile Dna ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Fungal Genomes ◽  
Genomic Regions

Background The RIPper (http://theripper.hawk.rocks) is a set of web-based tools designed for analyses of Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutations in the genome sequences of Ascomycota. The RIP pathway is a fungal genome defense mechanism that is aimed at identifying repeated and duplicated motifs, into which it then introduces cytosine to thymine transition mutations. RIP thus serves to deactivate and counteract the deleterious consequences of selfish or mobile DNA elements in fungal genomes. The occurrence, genetic context and frequency of RIP mutations are widely used to assess the activity of this pathway in genomic regions of interest. Here, we present a bioinformatics tool that is specifically fashioned to automate the investigation of changes in RIP product and substrate nucleotide frequencies in fungal genomes. Results We demonstrated the ability of The RIPper to detect the occurrence and extent of RIP mutations in known RIP affected sequences. Specifically, a sliding window approach was used to perform genome-wide RIP analysis on the genome assembly of Neurospora crassa. Additionally, fine-scale analysis with The RIPper showed that gene regions and transposable element sequences, previously determined to be affected by RIP, were indeed characterized by high frequencies of RIP mutations. Data generated using this software further showed that large proportions of the N. crassa genome constitutes RIP mutations with extensively affected regions displaying reduced GC content. The RIPper was further useful for investigating and visualizing changes in RIP mutations across the length of sequences of interest, allowing for fine-scale analyses. Conclusion This software identified RIP targeted genomic regions and provided RIP statistics for an entire genome assembly, including the genomic proportion affected by RIP. Here, we present The RIPper as an efficient tool for genome-wide RIP analyses.

scholarly journals Genome-wide association study in almost 195,000 individuals identifies 50 previously unidentified genetic loci for eye color

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. eabd1239
Author(s):  
Mark Simcoe ◽  
Ana Valdes ◽  
Fan Liu ◽  
Nicholas A. Furlotte ◽  
David M. Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Association Study ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Color Variation ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Melanin Pigmentation ◽  
Eye Color ◽  
Human Eye ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genomic Regions

Human eye color is highly heritable, but its genetic architecture is not yet fully understood. We report the results of the largest genome-wide association study for eye color to date, involving up to 192,986 European participants from 10 populations. We identify 124 independent associations arising from 61 discrete genomic regions, including 50 previously unidentified. We find evidence for genes involved in melanin pigmentation, but we also find associations with genes involved in iris morphology and structure. Further analyses in 1636 Asian participants from two populations suggest that iris pigmentation variation in Asians is genetically similar to Europeans, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Our findings collectively explain 53.2% (95% confidence interval, 45.4 to 61.0%) of eye color variation using common single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Overall, our study outcomes demonstrate that the genetic complexity of human eye color considerably exceeds previous knowledge and expectations, highlighting eye color as a genetically highly complex human trait.

scholarly journals A deformation energy model reveals sequence-dependent property of nucleosome positioning

Chromosoma ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-40
Author(s):  
Guoqing Liu ◽  
Hongyu Zhao ◽  
Hu Meng ◽  
Yongqiang Xing ◽  
Lu Cai
Keyword(s):  
Budding Yeast ◽  
Nucleosome Occupancy ◽  
Nucleosome Positioning ◽  
Deformation Energy ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
Structural Parameter ◽  
High Deformation ◽  
Dna Deformation ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genomic Regions

AbstractWe present a deformation energy model for predicting nucleosome positioning, in which a position-dependent structural parameter set derived from crystal structures of nucleosomes was used to calculate the DNA deformation energy. The model is successful in predicting nucleosome occupancy genome-wide in budding yeast, nucleosome free energy, and rotational positioning of nucleosomes. Our model also indicates that the genomic regions underlying the MNase-sensitive nucleosomes in budding yeast have high deformation energy and, consequently, low nucleosome-forming ability, while the MNase-sensitive non-histone particles are characterized by much lower DNA deformation energy and high nucleosome preference. In addition, we also revealed that remodelers, SNF2 and RSC8, are likely to act in chromatin remodeling by binding to broad nucleosome-depleted regions that are intrinsically favorable for nucleosome positioning. Our data support the important role of position-dependent physical properties of DNA in nucleosome positioning.

scholarly journals Epigenome-Wide Study Identified Methylation Sites Associated with the Risk of Obesity

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1984
Author(s):  
Majid Nikpay ◽  
Sepehr Ravati ◽  
Robert Dent ◽  
Ruth McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Trait Locus ◽  
Quantitative Trait ◽  
Rare Variants ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genome Wide Search ◽  
Risk Snps ◽  
Trait Locus ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Eqtl Data

Here, we performed a genome-wide search for methylation sites that contribute to the risk of obesity. We integrated methylation quantitative trait locus (mQTL) data with BMI GWAS information through a SNP-based multiomics approach to identify genomic regions where mQTLs for a methylation site co-localize with obesity risk SNPs. We then tested whether the identified site contributed to BMI through Mendelian randomization. We identified multiple methylation sites causally contributing to the risk of obesity. We validated these findings through a replication stage. By integrating expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data, we noted that lower methylation at cg21178254 site upstream of CCNL1 contributes to obesity by increasing the expression of this gene. Higher methylation at cg02814054 increases the risk of obesity by lowering the expression of MAST3, whereas lower methylation at cg06028605 contributes to obesity by decreasing the expression of SLC5A11. Finally, we noted that rare variants within 2p23.3 impact obesity by making the cg01884057 site more susceptible to methylation, which consequently lowers the expression of POMC, ADCY3 and DNAJC27. In this study, we identify methylation sites associated with the risk of obesity and reveal the mechanism whereby a number of these sites exert their effects. This study provides a framework to perform an omics-wide association study for a phenotype and to understand the mechanism whereby a rare variant causes a disease.

Drosophila Gain-of-Function Mutant RTK Torso Triggers Ectopic Dpp and STAT Signaling

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghong Li ◽  
Willis X Li
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Tor Signaling ◽  
Gain Of Function ◽  
Essential Requirement ◽  
Downstream Target ◽  
Rtk Signaling ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genomic Regions

Abstract Overactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) has been linked to tumorigenesis. To understand how a hyperactivated RTK functions differently from wild-type RTK, we conducted a genome-wide systematic survey for genes that are required for signaling by a gain-of-function mutant Drosophila RTK Torso (Tor). We screened chromosomal deficiencies for suppression of a gain-of-function mutation tor (torGOF), which led to the identification of 26 genomic regions that, when in half dosage, suppressed the defects caused by torGOF. Testing of candidate genes in these regions revealed many genes known to be involved in Tor signaling (such as those encoding the Ras-MAPK cassette, adaptor and structural molecules of RTK signaling, and downstream target genes of Tor), confirming the specificity of this genetic screen. Importantly, this screen also identified components of the TGFβ (Dpp) and JAK/STAT pathways as being required for TorGOF signaling. Specifically, we found that reducing the dosage of thickveins (tkv), Mothers against dpp (Mad), or STAT92E (aka marelle), respectively, suppressed torGOF phenotypes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in torGOF embryos, dpp is ectopically expressed and thus may contribute to the patterning defects. These results demonstrate an essential requirement of noncanonical signaling pathways for a persistently activated RTK to cause pathological defects in an organism.

scholarly journals Natural variation in fecundity is correlated with species-wide levels of divergence in Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaotian Zhang ◽  
Jake D Mostad ◽  
Erik C Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Selective Sweeps ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genetic Complexity ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Global Population

Abstract Life history traits underlie the fitness of organisms and are under strong natural selection. A new mutation that positively impacts a life history trait will likely increase in frequency and become fixed in a population (e.g. a selective sweep). The identification of the beneficial alleles that underlie selective sweeps provides insights into the mechanisms that occurred during the evolution of a species. In the global population of Caenorhabditis elegans, we previously identified selective sweeps that have drastically reduced chromosomal-scale genetic diversity in the species. Here, we measured the fecundity of 121 wild C. elegans strains, including many recently isolated divergent strains from the Hawaiian islands and found that strains with larger swept genomic regions have significantly higher fecundity than strains without evidence of the recent selective sweeps. We used genome-wide association (GWA) mapping to identify three quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the fecundity variation. Additionally, we mapped previous fecundity data from wild C. elegans strains and C. elegans recombinant inbred advanced intercross lines that were grown in various conditions and detected eight QTL using GWA and linkage mappings. These QTL show the genetic complexity of fecundity across this species. Moreover, the haplotype structure in each GWA QTL region revealed correlations with recent selective sweeps in the C. elegans population. North American and European strains had significantly higher fecundity than most strains from Hawaii, a hypothesized origin of the C. elegans species, suggesting that beneficial alleles that caused increased fecundity could underlie the selective sweeps during the worldwide expansion of C. elegans.

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