scholarly journals PyDamage: automated ancient damage identification and estimation for contigs in ancient DNA de novo assembly

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11845
Author(s):  
Maxime Borry ◽  
Alexander Hübner ◽  
Adam B. Rohrlach ◽  
Christina Warinner

DNA de novo assembly can be used to reconstruct longer stretches of DNA (contigs), including genes and even genomes, from short DNA sequencing reads. Applying this technique to metagenomic data derived from archaeological remains, such as paleofeces and dental calculus, we can investigate past microbiome functional diversity that may be absent or underrepresented in the modern microbiome gene catalogue. However, compared to modern samples, ancient samples are often burdened with environmental contamination, resulting in metagenomic datasets that represent mixtures of ancient and modern DNA. The ability to rapidly and reliably establish the authenticity and integrity of ancient samples is essential for ancient DNA studies, and the ability to distinguish between ancient and modern sequences is particularly important for ancient microbiome studies. Characteristic patterns of ancient DNA damage, namely DNA fragmentation and cytosine deamination (observed as C-to-T transitions) are typically used to authenticate ancient samples and sequences, but existing tools for inspecting and filtering aDNA damage either compute it at the read level, which leads to high data loss and lower quality when used in combination with de novo assembly, or require manual inspection, which is impractical for ancient assemblies that typically contain tens to hundreds of thousands of contigs. To address these challenges, we designed PyDamage, a robust, automated approach for aDNA damage estimation and authentication of de novo assembled aDNA. PyDamage uses a likelihood ratio based approach to discriminate between truly ancient contigs and contigs originating from modern contamination. We test PyDamage on both on simulated aDNA data and archaeological paleofeces, and we demonstrate its ability to reliably and automatically identify contigs bearing DNA damage characteristic of aDNA. Coupled with aDNA de novo assembly, Pydamage opens up new doors to explore functional diversity in ancient metagenomic datasets.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime Borry ◽  
Alexander Huebner ◽  
Adam B Rohrlach ◽  
Christina G Warinner

DNA de novo assembly can be used to reconstruct longer stretches of DNA (contigs), including genes and even genomes, from short DNA sequencing reads. Applying this technique to metagenomic data derived from archaeological remains, such as paleofeces and dental calculus, we can investigate past microbiome functional diversity that may be absent or underrepresented in the modern microbiome gene catalogue. However, compared to modern samples, ancient samples are often burdened with environmental contamination, resulting in metagenomic datasets that represent mixtures of ancient and modern DNA. The ability to rapidly and reliably establish the authenticity and integrity of ancient samples is essential for ancient DNA studies, and the ability to distinguish between ancient and modern sequences is particularly important for ancient microbiome studies. Characteristic patterns of ancient DNA damage, namely DNA fragmentation and cytosine deamination (observed as C-to-T transitions) are typically used to authenticate ancient samples and sequences. However, existing tools for inspecting and filtering aDNA damage either compute it at the read level, which leads to high data loss and lower quality when used in combination with de novo assembly, or require manual inspection, which is impractical for ancient assemblies that typically contain tens to hundreds of thousands of contigs. To address these challenges, we designed PyDamage, a robust, automated approach for aDNA damage estimation and authentication of de novo assembled aDNA. PyDamage uses a likelihood ratio based approach to discriminate between truly ancient contigs and contigs originating from modern contamination. We test PyDamage on both simulated, and empirical aDNA data from archaeological paleofeces, and we demonstrate its ability to reliably and automatically identify contigs bearing DNA damage characteristic of aDNA. Coupled with aDNA de novo assembly, PyDamage opens up new doors to explore functional diversity in ancient metagenomic datasets.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Armbrecht ◽  
G. Hallegraeff ◽  
C.J.S. Bolch ◽  
C. Woodward ◽  
A. Cooper

AbstractMarine sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is increasingly used to study past ocean ecosystems, however, studies have been severely limited by the very low amounts of DNA preserved in the subseafloor, and the lack of bioinformatic tools to authenticate sedaDNA in metagenomic data. We applied a hybridisation capture ‘baits’ technique to target marine eukaryote sedaDNA (specifically, phytoplankton, ‘Phytobaits1’; and harmful algal bloom taxa, ‘HABbaits1’), which resulted in up to 4- and 9-fold increases, respectively, in the relative abundance of eukaryotes compared to shotgun sequencing. We further used the new bioinformatic tool ‘HOPS’ to authenticate the sedaDNA component, establishing a new proxy to assess sedaDNA authenticity, the Ancient: Default (A:D) sequences ratio, here positively correlated with subseafloor depth, and generated the first-ever DNA damage profiles of a key phytoplankton, the ubiquitous coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Our study opens new options for the detailed investigation of marine eukaryotes and their evolution over geological timescales.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Huang ◽  
Chang Xu ◽  
Liang Deng ◽  
Xue Li ◽  
Zhixuan Bian ◽  
...  

AbstractPhosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase, phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase (PAICS), an essential enzyme involved in de novo purine biosynthesis, is connected with formation of various tumors. However, the specific biological roles and related mechanisms of PAICS in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. In the present study, we identified for the first time that PAICS was significantly upregulated in GC and high expression of PAICS was correlated with poor prognosis of patients with GC. In addition, knockdown of PAICS significantly induced cell apoptosis, and inhibited GC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies first found that PAICS was engaged in DNA damage response, and knockdown of PAICS in GC cell lines induced DNA damage and impaired DNA damage repair efficiency. Further explorations revealed that PAICS interacted with histone deacetylase HDAC1 and HDAC2, and PAICS deficiency decreased the expression of DAD51 and inhibited its recruitment to DNA damage sites by impairing HDAC1/2 deacetylase activity, eventually preventing DNA damage repair. Consistently, PAICS deficiency enhanced the sensitivity of GC cells to DNA damage agent, cisplatin (CDDP), both in vitro and in vivo. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that PAICS plays an oncogenic role in GC, which act as a novel diagnosis and prognostic biomarker for patients with GC.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (15) ◽  
pp. 5288-5296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Wei Wu ◽  
Mina Rho ◽  
Thomas G. Doak ◽  
Yuzhen Ye

ABSTRACTThe NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP) has produced several hundred metagenomic data sets, allowing studies of the many functional elements in human-associated microbial communities. Here, we survey the distribution of oral spirochetes implicated in dental diseases in normal human individuals, using recombination sites associated with the chromosomal integron inTreponemagenomes, taking advantage of the multiple copies of the integron recombination sites (repeats) in the genomes, and using a targeted assembly approach that we have developed. We find that integron-containingTreponemaspecies are present in ∼80% of the normal human subjects included in the HMP. Further, we are able tode novoassemble the integron gene cassettes using our constrained assembly approach, which employs a unique application of the de Bruijn graph assembly information; most of these cassette genes were not assembled in whole-metagenome assemblies and could not be identified by mapping sequencing reads onto the known referenceTreponemagenomes due to the dynamic nature of integron gene cassettes. Our study significantly enriches the gene pool known to be carried byTreponemachromosomal integrons, totaling 826 (598 97% nonredundant) genes. We characterize the functions of these gene cassettes: many of these genes have unknown functions. The integron gene cassette arrays found in the human microbiome are extraordinarily dynamic, with different microbial communities sharing only a small number of common genes.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Meng ◽  
Camille Marchet ◽  
Erwan Corre ◽  
Pierre Peterlongo ◽  
Adriana Alberti ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundStudy of meta-transcriptomic datasets involving non-model organisms represents bioinformatic challenges. The production of chimeric sequences and our inability to distinguish the taxonomic origins of the sequences produced are inherent and recurrent difficulties in de novo assembly analyses. The study of holobiont transcriptomes shares similarities with meta-transcriptomic, and hence, is also affected by challenges invoked above. Here we propose an innovative approach to tackle such difficulties which was applied to the study of marine holobiont models as a proof of concept.ResultsWe considered three holobionts models, of which two transcriptomes were previously assembled and published, and a yet unpublished transcriptome, to analyze their raw reads and assign them to the host and/or to the symbiont(s) using Short Read Connector, a k-mer based similarity method. We were able to define four distinct categories of reads for each holobiont transcriptome: host reads, symbiont reads, shared reads and unassigned reads. The result of the independent assemblies for each category within a transcriptome led to a significant diminution of de novo assembled chimeras compared to classical assembly methods. Combining independent functional and taxonomic annotations of each partner’s transcriptome is particularly convenient to explore the functional diversity of an holobiont. Finally, our strategy allowed to propose new functional annotations for two well-studied holobionts and a first transcriptome from a planktonic Radiolaria-Dinophyta system forming widespread symbiotic association for which our knowledge is limited. ConclusionsIn contrast to classical assembly approaches, our bioinformatic strategy not only allows biologists to studying separately host and symbiont data from a holobiont mixture, but also generates improved transcriptome assemblies. The use of Short Read Connector has proven to be an effective way to tackle meta-transcriptomic challenges to study holobiont systems composed of either well-studied or poorly characterized symbiotic lineages such as the newly sequenced marine plankton Radiolaria-Dinophyta symbiosis and ultimately expand our knowledge about these marine symbiotic associations.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 8-9
Author(s):  
Sujan Piya ◽  
Marla Weetall ◽  
Josephine Sheedy ◽  
Balmiki Ray ◽  
Huaxian Ma ◽  
...  

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by both aberrant proliferation and differentiation arrest at hematopoietic progenitor stages 1,2. AML relies upon de novo nucleotide synthesis to meet a dynamic metabolic landscape and to provide a sufficient supply of nucleotides and other macromolecules 3,4. Hence, we hypothesized that inhibition of de novo nucleotide synthesis would lead to depletion of the nucleotide pool and pyrimidine starvation in leukemic cells compared to their non-malignant counterparts and impact proliferative and differentiation inhibition pathways. PTC299 is an inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a rate limiting enzyme for de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis that is currently in a clinical trial for the treatment of AML. Aim: We investigated the pre-clinical activity of PTC299 against AML in primary AML blasts and cytarabine-resistant cell lines. To confirm that PTC299 effects are due to inhibition of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis for leukemic growth, we specifically tested the impact of uridine and orotate rescue. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of alteration of metabolic signaling in PI3K/AKT pathways, apoptotic signatures and DNA damage responses were analyzed by Mass cytometry based proteomic analysis (CyTOF) and immunoblotting. The potential clinical relevance of DHODH inhibition was confirmed in an AML-PDX model. Results: The IC50s for all tested cell lines (at 3 day) and primary blasts (at 5-7 day) were in a very low nanomolar range: OCI-AML3 -4.43 nM, HL60 -59.7 nM and primary samples -18-90 nM. Treatment of AML in cytarabine-resistant cells demonstrated that PTC299 induced apoptosis, differentiation, and reduced proliferation with corresponding increase in Annexin V and CD14 positive cells (Fig.1). PTC299-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation was rescued by uridine and orotate. To gain more mechanistic insights, we used an immunoblotting and mass cytometry (CyTOF) based approach to analyze changes in apoptotic and cell signaling proteins in OCI-AML3 cells. Apoptotic pathways were induced (cleaved PARP, cleaved Caspase-3) and DNA damage responses (TP53, γH2AX) and the PI3/AKT pathway were downregulated in response to PTC299. In isogenic cell lines, p53-wildtype cells were sustained and an increased DNA damage response with corresponding increase in apoptosis in comparison to p53-deficient cells was shown. (Fig.2) In a PDX mouse model of human AML, PTC299 treatment improved survival compared to mice treated with vehicle (median survival 40 days vs. 30 days, P=0.0002) (Fig.3). This corresponded with a reduction in the bone marrow burden of leukemia with increased expression of differentiation markers in mice treated with PTC299 (Fig.3). Conclusion: PTC299 is a novel dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor that triggers differentiation, apoptosis and/or inhibition of proliferation in AML and is being tested in a clinical trials for the treatment of acute myeloid malignancies. Reference: 1. Thomas D, Majeti R. Biology and relevance of human acute myeloid leukemia stem cells. Blood 2017; 129(12): 1577-1585. e-pub ahead of print 2017/02/06; doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-10-696054 2. Quek L, Otto GW, Garnett C, Lhermitte L, Karamitros D, Stoilova B et al. Genetically distinct leukemic stem cells in human CD34- acute myeloid leukemia are arrested at a hemopoietic precursor-like stage. The Journal of experimental medicine 2016; 213(8): 1513-1535. e-pub ahead of print 2016/07/06; doi: 10.1084/jem.20151775 3. Villa E, Ali ES, Sahu U, Ben-Sahra I. Cancer Cells Tune the Signaling Pathways to Empower de Novo Synthesis of Nucleotides. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11(5). e-pub ahead of print 2019/05/22; doi: 10.3390/cancers11050688 4. DeBerardinis RJ, Chandel NS. Fundamentals of cancer metabolism. Sci Adv 2016; 2(5): e1600200. e-pub ahead of print 2016/07/08; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1600200 Disclosures Weetall: PTC Therapeutic: Current Employment. Sheedy:PTC therapeutics: Current Employment. Ray:PTC Therapeutics Inc.: Current Employment. Konopleva:Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Rafael Pharmaceutical: Research Funding; Ablynx: Research Funding; Ascentage: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding; Kisoji: Consultancy; Eli Lilly: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Reata Pharmaceutical Inc.;: Patents & Royalties: patents and royalties with patent US 7,795,305 B2 on CDDO-compounds and combination therapies, licensed to Reata Pharmaceutical; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Calithera: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy; Stemline Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Forty-Seven: Consultancy, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann La-Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding. Andreeff:Amgen: Research Funding; Daiichi-Sankyo; Jazz Pharmaceuticals; Celgene; Amgen; AstraZeneca; 6 Dimensions Capital: Consultancy; Daiichi-Sankyo; Breast Cancer Research Foundation; CPRIT; NIH/NCI; Amgen; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Centre for Drug Research & Development; Cancer UK; NCI-CTEP; German Research Council; Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation (LLS); NCI-RDCRN (Rare Disease Clin Network); CLL Founcdation; BioLineRx; SentiBio; Aptose Biosciences, Inc: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Borthakur:BioLine Rx: Consultancy; BioTherix: Consultancy; Nkarta Therapeutics: Consultancy; Treadwell Therapeutics: Consultancy; Xbiotech USA: Research Funding; Polaris: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; BioLine Rx: Research Funding; Cyclacel: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding; Jannsen: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; PTC Therapeutics: Research Funding; FTC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Curio Science LLC: Consultancy; PTC Therapeutics: Consultancy; Argenx: Consultancy; Oncoceutics: Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 5364-5364
Author(s):  
Henning D. Popp ◽  
Vanessa Kohl ◽  
Johanna Flach ◽  
Susanne Brendel ◽  
Helga Kleiner ◽  
...  

The accumulation of DNA damage and the alteration of the DNA damage response (DDR) are critical features of genetic instability that is presumed to be implicated in BCR/ABL1-mediated blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The aim of our study was to analyze underlying mechanisms of genetic instability with regard to DNA damage such as DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), DSB repair and DDR signaling during blastic transformation of CML. Immunofluorescence microscopy of γH2AX was performed for quantification of DSB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 8 healthy individuals, 24 chronic phase (CP)-CML patients under current/discontinued tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment (21 patients in deep molecular response (DMR), 3 patients in major molecular response (MMR)), 5 CP-CML patients under current/discontinued TKI treatment with loss of MMR, 3 de novo non-treated CP-CML patients and 2 blast phase (BP)-CML patients. In addition, immunofluorescence microscopy of γH2AX/53BP1 was used for semi-quantification of error-prone DSB repair. Furthermore, immunoblotting of p-ATM, p-ATR, p-CHK1, p-CHK2 and p-TP53 was performed in PBMC of CML patients in comparison to PBMC of healthy individuals. Our analysis revealed an increase in numbers of γH2AX foci in PBMC of CP-CML patients under current/discontinued TKI treatment with loss of MMR (1.8 γH2AX foci per PBMC ± 0.4), in PBMC of de novo non-treated CP-CML patients (2.3 γH2AX foci per PBMC ± 0.7) and in PBMC of BP-CML patients (4.9 γH2AX foci per PBMC ± 0.9) as compared to the number of γH2AX foci in PBMC of healthy individuals (1.0 γH2AX foci per PBMC ± 0.1) and in PBMC of CP-CML patients under current/discontinued TKI treatment in DMR/MMR (1.0 γH2AX foci per PBMC ± 0.1) (Figure 1A and B). Analysis of co-localizing γH2AX/53BP1 foci in PBMC suggested progressive activation of error-prone nonhomologous end-joining repair mechanisms during blastic transformation in CML. Signatures of p-ATM, p-ATR, p-CHK1, p-CHK2 and p-TP53 indicated alterations of the DDR. In summary, our data provide evidence for an accumulation of DNA damage in PBMC of CML patients towards BP-CML patients. We hypothesize that ongoing DSB generation, error-prone DSB repair and DDR alterations might be critical mechanisms of blastic transformation in CML. Figure 1 Analysis of γH2AX foci in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy individuals and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. (A) Exemplary immunofluorescence microscopic images of γH2AX foci (green, Alexa 488) and cell nuclei (blue, DAPI) in PBMC of a healthy individual (HEALTHY#3), a chronic phase CML patient with a deep molecular response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (CP-CML DMR#16), a de novo non-treated chronic phase CML patient (CP-CML#1) and a blast phase CML patient (BP-CML#2). (B) γH2AX foci levels in PBMC of healthy individuals and in PBMC of CML patients. Figure 1 Disclosures Saussele: Pfizer: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Honoraria, Research Funding. Fabarius:Novartis: Research Funding.


2016 ◽  
Vol 242 (4) ◽  
pp. 448-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanen Ferjani ◽  
Rim Timoumi ◽  
Ines Amara ◽  
Salwa Abid ◽  
Abedellatif Achour ◽  
...  

The immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus (TAC) is used clinically to reduce the rejection rate in transplant patients. TAC has contributed to an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease in patients receiving solid organ transplantation. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), a potent inhibitor of de novo purine synthesis, is known to prevent ongoing rejection in combination with TAC. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant and antigenotoxic effect of MMF on TAC-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Oral administration of TAC at 2.4, 24, and 60 mg/kg b.w. corresponding, respectively, to 1, 10, and 25% of LD50 for 24 h caused cardiac toxicity in a dose-dependant manner. TAC increased significantly DNA damage level in hearts of treated rats. Furthermore, it increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) levels and decreased catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. The oral administration of MMF at 50 mg/kg b.w. simultaneously with TAC at 60 mg/kg b.w. proved a significant cardiac protection by decreasing DNA damage, MDA, and PC levels, and by increasing the antioxidant activities of CAT and SOD. Thus, our study showed, for the first time, the protective effect of MMF against cardiac toxicity induced by TAC. This protective effect was mediated via an antioxidant process.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (39) ◽  
pp. 9779-9784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Tiwari ◽  
Andries J. van Tonder ◽  
Catherine Vilchèze ◽  
Vitor Mendes ◽  
Sherine E. Thomas ◽  
...  

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress and DNA damage have recently been recognized as contributing to the efficacy of most bactericidal antibiotics, irrespective of their primary macromolecular targets. Inhibitors of targets involved in both combating oxidative stress as well as being required for in vivo survival may exhibit powerful synergistic action. This study demonstrates that the de novo arginine biosynthetic pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is up-regulated in the early response to the oxidative stress-elevating agent isoniazid or vitamin C. Arginine deprivation rapidly sterilizes the Mtb de novo arginine biosynthesis pathway mutants ΔargB and ΔargF without the emergence of suppressor mutants in vitro as well as in vivo. Transcriptomic and flow cytometry studies of arginine-deprived Mtb have indicated accumulation of ROS and extensive DNA damage. Metabolomics studies following arginine deprivation have revealed that these cells experienced depletion of antioxidant thiols and accumulation of the upstream metabolite substrate of ArgB or ArgF enzymes. ΔargB and ΔargF were unable to scavenge host arginine and were quickly cleared from both immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice. In summary, our investigation revealed in vivo essentiality of the de novo arginine biosynthesis pathway for Mtb and a promising drug target space for combating tuberculosis.


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