scholarly journals Whole-genome sequencing of Acer catalpifolium reveals evolutionary history of endangered species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Yu ◽  
Yiheng Hu ◽  
Yuyang Zhang ◽  
Ran Zhao ◽  
Xueqing Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Lignin Biosynthesis ◽  
Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Genomic Resource

Abstract Acer catalpifolium is an endangered species restricted to remote localities of West China. Understanding the genomic content and evolution of A. catalpifolium is essential to conservation efforts of this rare and ecologically valuable plant. Here, we report a high-quality genome of A. catalpifolium consisting of ∼654 Mbps and ∼35,132 protein-coding genes. We detected 969 positively-selected genes in two Acer genomes compared with four other eudicots, 65 of which were transcription factors. We hypothesize that these positively-selected mutations in transcription factors might affect their function and thus contribute to A. catalpifolium’s decline-type population. We also identified 179 significantly expanded gene families compared to 12 other eudicots, some of which are involved in stress responses, such as the FRS-FRF family. We inferred that A. catalpifolium has experienced gene family expansions to cope with environmental stress in its evolutionary history. Finally, 109 candidate genes encoding key enzymes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were identified in A. catalpifolium; of particular note were the large range and high copy number of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase genes. The chromosome-level genome of A. catalpifolium presented here may serve as a fundamental genomic resource for better understanding endangered Acer species, informing future conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Draft genome sequences of strains CBS6241 and CBS6242 of the basidiomycetous yeast Filobasidium floriforme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Alexandre Guerreiro ◽  
Steven Ahrendt ◽  
Jasmyn Pangilinan ◽  
Cindy Chen ◽  
Mi Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Plant Cell Wall ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Biotechnological Potential ◽  
Pheromone Receptor ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Cryptococcus Species ◽  
Mat Locus

Abstract The Tremellomycetes are a species-rich group within the basidiomycete fungi; however, most analyses of this group to date have focused on pathogenic Cryptococcus species within the order Tremellales. Recent genome-assisted studies of other Tremellomycetes have identified interesting features with respect to biotechnological applications as well as the evolution of genes involved in mating and sexual development. Here, we report genome sequences of two strains of Filobasidium floriforme, a species from the order Filobasidiales, which branches basally to the Tremellales, Trichosporonales and Holtermanniales. The assembled genomes of strains CBS6241 and CBS6242 are 27.4 Mb and 26.4 Mb in size, respectively, with 8314 and 7695 predicted protein-coding genes. Overall sequence identity at nucleic acid level between the strains is 97%. Among the predicted genes are pheromone precursor and pheromone receptor genes as well as two genes encoding homedomain (HD) transcription factors, which are predicted to be part of the mating type (MAT) locus. Sequence analysis indicates that CBS6241 and CBS6242 carry different alleles for both the pheromone/receptor genes as well as the HD transcription factors. Orthology inference identified 1482 orthogroups exclusively found in F. floriforme, some of which were involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism. Subsequent CAZyme repertoire characterization identified 267 and 247 enzymes for CBS6241 and CBS6242, respectively, the second highest number of CAZymes among the analyzed Tremellomycete species. Additionally, F. floriforme contains five CAZymes absent in other species and several plant-cell-wall degrading CAZymes with the highest copy number in Tremellomycota, indicating the biotechnological potential of this species.

scholarly journals Major Latex Protein MdMLP423 Negatively Regulates Defense against Fungal Infections in Apple

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan He ◽  
Gaopeng Yuan ◽  
Shuxun Bian ◽  
Xiaolei Han ◽  
Kai Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Zinc Finger Protein ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Pathogenesis Related Gene ◽  
Stress Related Genes ◽  
Related Proteins

Major latex proteins (MLPs) play critical roles in plants defense and stress responses. However, the roles of MLPs from apple (Malus × domestica) have not been clearly identified. In this study, we focused on the biological role of MdMLP423, which had been previously characterized as a potential pathogenesis-related gene. Phylogenetic analysis and conserved domain analysis indicated that MdMLP423 is a protein with a ‘Gly-rich loop’ (GXGGXG) domain belonging to the Bet v_1 subfamily. Gene expression profiles showed that MdMLP423 is mainly expressed in flowers. In addition, the expression of MdMLP423 was significantly inhibited by Botryosphaeria berengeriana f. sp. piricola (BB) and Alternaria alternata apple pathotype (AAAP) infections. Apple calli overexpressing MdMLP423 had lower expression of resistance-related genes, and were more sensitive to infection with BB and AAAP compared with non-transgenic calli. RNA-seq analysis of MdMLP423-overexpressing calli and non-transgenic calli indicated that MdMLP423 regulated the expression of a number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and transcription factors, including genes involved in phytohormone signaling pathways, cell wall reinforcement, and genes encoding the defense-related proteins, AP2-EREBP, WRKY, MYB, NAC, Zinc finger protein, and ABI3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that MdMLP423 negatively regulates apple resistance to BB and AAAP infections by inhibiting the expression of defense- and stress-related genes and transcription factors.

scholarly journals Recent Duplications Dominate VQ and WRKY Gene Expansions in Six Prunus Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Yan Zhong ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Xiaohui Zhang ◽  
Zong-Ming Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Wrky Gene ◽  
Prunus Species ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Tree Topologies ◽  
The Common

Genes encoding VQ motif-containing (VQ) transcriptional regulators and WRKY transcription factors can participate separately or jointly in plant growth, development, and abiotic and biotic stress responses. In this study, 222 VQ and 645 WRKY genes were identified in six Prunus species. Based on phylogenetic tree topologies, the VQ and WRKY genes were classified into 13 and 32 clades, respectively. Therefore, at least 13 VQ gene copies and 32 WRKY gene copies were present in the genome of the common ancestor of the six Prunus species. Similar small Ks value peaks for the VQ and WRKY genes suggest that the two gene families underwent recent duplications in the six studied species. The majority of the Ka/Ks ratios were less than 1, implying that most of the VQ and WRKY genes had undergone purifying selection. Pi values were significantly higher in the VQ genes than in the WRKY genes, and the VQ genes therefore exhibited greater nucleotide diversity in the six species. Forty-one of the Prunus VQ genes were predicted to interact with 44 of the WRKY genes, and the expression levels of some predicted VQ-WRKY interacting pairs were significantly correlated. Differential expression patterns of the VQ and WRKY genes suggested that some might be involved in regulating aphid resistance in P. persica and fruit development in P. avium.

scholarly journals Genome evolution of the psammophyte Pugionium for desert adaptation and further speciation

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (42) ◽  
pp. e2025711118
Author(s):  
Quanjun Hu ◽  
Yazhen Ma ◽  
Terezie Mandáková ◽  
Sheng Shi ◽  
Chunlin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Stress ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Lignin Biosynthesis ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Population Genomic ◽  
Interspecific Divergence ◽  
Genomic Analyses ◽  
Environmental Adaptations ◽  
Genome Assemblies

Deserts exert strong selection pressures on plants, but the underlying genomic drivers of ecological adaptation and subsequent speciation remain largely unknown. Here, we generated de novo genome assemblies and conducted population genomic analyses of the psammophytic genus Pugionium (Brassicaceae). Our results indicated that this bispecific genus had undergone an allopolyploid event, and the two parental genomes were derived from two ancestral lineages with different chromosome numbers and structures. The postpolyploid expansion of gene families related to abiotic stress responses and lignin biosynthesis facilitated environmental adaptations of the genus to desert habitats. Population genomic analyses of both species further revealed their recent divergence with continuous gene flow, and the most divergent regions were found to be centered on three highly structurally reshuffled chromosomes. Genes under selection in these regions, which were mainly located in one of the two subgenomes, contributed greatly to the interspecific divergence in microhabitat adaptation.

scholarly journals Specific Regulation of TCP genes by miR319

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier F. Palatnik ◽  
Detlef Weigel
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Mirna Family ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Multicellular Organisms ◽  
Sequence Similarities

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are major regulators of gene expression in multicellular organisms. Many of the evolutionarily conserved miRNAs in plants are encoded by small gene families. The miR159/miR319 family has six members of similar sequences sharing 17 nucleotides in Arabidopsis thaliana. The members of this miRNA family regulate genes encoding TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA and PCF1/2) and MYB transcription factors. However, despite their sequence similarities, genetic evidence indicates that miR159 and miR319 fulfil different roles in vivo. Here, we confirm previous findings showing that TCP genes are not targeted by miR159. Thus, specific small sequence differences between the miRNAs allow for the specific regulation of TCP transcription factors by miR319 miRNAs.

Genomic features and insights into the biology of Mycoplasma fermentans

Microbiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 157 (3) ◽  
pp. 760-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hagai Rechnitzer ◽  
Elzbieta Brzuszkiewicz ◽  
Axel Strittmatter ◽  
Heiko Liesegang ◽  
Inna Lysnyansky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Genomic Sequence ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Hypothetical Proteins ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Mycoplasma Fermentans ◽  
Coding Sequences ◽  
Transporter Family ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Complete Genomic

We present the complete genomic sequence of Mycoplasma fermentans, an organism suggested to be associated with the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis in humans. The genome is composed of 977 524 bp and has a mean G+C content of 26.95 mol%. There are 835 predicted protein-coding sequences and a mean coding density of 87.6 %. Functions have been assigned to 58.8 % of the predicted protein-coding sequences, while 18.4 % of the proteins are conserved hypothetical proteins and 22.8 % are hypothetical proteins. In addition, there are two complete rRNA operons and 36 tRNA coding sequences. The largest gene families are the ABC transporter family (42 members), and the functionally heterogeneous group of lipoproteins (28 members), which encode the characteristic prokaryotic cysteine ‘lipobox’. Protein secretion occurs through a pathway consisting of SecA, SecD, SecE, SecG, SecY and YidC. Some highly conserved eubacterial proteins, such as GroEL and GroES, are notably absent. The genes encoding DnaK-DnaJ-GrpE and Tig, forming the putative complex of chaperones, are intact, providing the only known control over protein folding. Eighteen nucleases and 17 proteases and peptidases were detected as well as three genes for the thioredoxin-thioreductase system. Overall, this study presents insights into the physiology of M. fermentans, and provides several examples of the genetic basis of systems that might function as virulence factors in this organism.

scholarly journals Chromosomal-level reference genome of the neotropical tree Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingcheng Wang ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Zhiqiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Neotropical Tree ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genomic Resource ◽  
Jacaranda Mimosifolia ◽  
Chromosome Level

Abstract Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don is a deciduous tree widely cultivated in the tropics and subtropics of the world. It is famous for its beautiful blue flowers and pinnate compound leaves. In addition, this tree has great potential in environmental monitoring, soil quality improvement, and medicinal applications. However, a genome resource for J. mimosifolia has not been reported to date. In this study, we constructed a chromosome-level genome assembly of J. mimosifolia using PacBio sequencing, Illumina sequencing, and Hi-C technology. The final genome assembly was ∼707.32 Mb in size, 688.76 Mb (97.36%) of which could be grouped into 18 pseudochromosomes, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 16.77 and 39.98 Mb, respectively. A total of 30,507 protein-coding genes were predicted, 95.17% of which could be functionally annotated. Phylogenetic analysis among 12 plant species confirmed the close genetic relationship between J. mimosifolia and Handroanthus impetiginosus. Gene family clustering revealed 481 unique, 103 significantly expanded, and 16 significantly contracted gene families in the J. mimosifolia genome. This chromosome-level genome assembly of J. mimosifolia will provide a valuable genomic resource for elucidating the genetic bases of the morphological characteristics, adaption evolution, and active compounds biosynthesis of J. mimosifolia.

scholarly journals Analysis of fungal genomes reveals commonalities of intron gain or loss and functions in intron-poor species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Shen Lim ◽  
Brooke N Weinstein ◽  
Scott W Roy ◽  
Chris M Brown
Keyword(s):  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Intron Loss ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Last Common Ancestor ◽  
Intron Evolution ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Fungal Genomes

Abstract Previous evolutionary reconstructions have concluded that early eukaryotic ancestors including both the last common ancestor of eukaryotes and of all fungi had intron-rich genomes. By contrast, some extant eukaryotes have few introns, underscoring the complex histories of intron-exon structures, and raising the question as to why these few introns are retained. Here we have used recently available fungal genomes to address a variety of questions related to intron evolution. Evolutionary reconstruction of intron presence and absence using 263 diverse fungal species supports the idea that massive intron reduction through intron loss has occurred in multiple clades. The intron densities estimated in various fungal ancestors differ from zero to 7.6 introns per one kbp of protein-coding sequence. Massive intron loss has occurred not only in microsporidian parasites and saccharomycetous yeasts, but also in diverse smuts and allies. To investigate the roles of the remaining introns in highly-reduced species, we have searched for their special characteristics in eight intron-poor fungi. Notably, the introns of ribosome associated genes RPL7 and NOG2 have conserved positions; both intron-containing genes encoding snoRNAs. Furthermore, both the proteins and snoRNAs are involved in ribosome biogenesis, suggesting that the expression of the protein-coding genes and non-coding snoRNAs may be functionally coordinated. Indeed, these introns are also conserved in three-quarters of fungi species. Our study shows that fungal introns have a complex evolutionary history and underappreciated roles in gene expression.

scholarly journals Chromosome-level analysis of the Mauremys mutica genome reveals adaptation of temperature-dependent sex-associated genes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinping Zhu ◽  
Xiao Li Liu ◽  
Yakun Wang ◽  
Ju Yuan ◽  
Fang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Families ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sexual Determination ◽  
Mauremys Mutica ◽  
Determination System ◽  
Sex Regulation ◽  
Genomic Resource ◽  
Sex Determination System

Knowledge of the sex determination system and sex-associated genes has important implications in physiology, ecology and evolution, but the mechanisms underlying sexual determination systems in turtles has not been fully elucidated, due to their remarkable variability and a lack of reference genomes in some species. In this report, we describe the first genome assembled at the chromosome scale for Mauremys mutica using Illumina and high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) technology. A total of 280.42 Gb of clean data were generated using the Pacific Biosciences platforms, which represented approximately 119× coverage of the Mauremys mutica genome. The assembly comprised 2.23 Gb with a contig N50 of 8.53 Mb and scaffold N50 of 141.98 Mb. Genome Hi-C scaffolding resulted in 26 pseudochromosomes containing 99.98% of the total assembly. Genome annotation predicted 24,751 protein-coding genes, and 97.23% of them were annotated. Comparative genomics analysis indicated that the lizard-snake-tuatara clade diverged from the bird-crocodilian-turtle clade at approximately 283.1-320.5 Mya. Additionally, positive selection of genes and gene families related to calcium signaling, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and expansion of the hormone signaling pathway were identified, implicating their roles of sex regulation inMauremys mutica. High-quality genome assembly may provide a valuable genomic resource for further research investigating gene-environment interactions in Mauremys mutica.

scholarly journals Heat Stress Responses and Thermotolerance in Maize

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 948
Author(s):  
Zhaoxia Li ◽  
Stephen H. Howell
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Rna Splicing ◽  
Optimal Growth ◽  
Heat Stress Response ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Heat Shock Responses

High temperatures causing heat stress disturb cellular homeostasis and impede growth and development in plants. Extensive agricultural losses are attributed to heat stress, often in combination with other stresses. Plants have evolved a variety of responses to heat stress to minimize damage and to protect themselves from further stress. A narrow temperature window separates growth from heat stress, and the range of temperatures conferring optimal growth often overlap with those producing heat stress. Heat stress induces a cytoplasmic heat stress response (HSR) in which heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) activate a constellation of genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs). Heat stress also induces the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized unfolded protein response (UPR), which activates transcription factors that upregulate a different family of stress response genes. Heat stress also activates hormone responses and alternative RNA splicing, all of which may contribute to thermotolerance. Heat stress is often studied by subjecting plants to step increases in temperatures; however, more recent studies have demonstrated that heat shock responses occur under simulated field conditions in which temperatures are slowly ramped up to more moderate temperatures. Heat stress responses, assessed at a molecular level, could be used as traits for plant breeders to select for thermotolerance.

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