scholarly journals The molecular evolution of the vertebrate behavioural repertoire

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1685) ◽  
pp. 20150051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth G. N. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Behavioural Disorders ◽  
Major Question ◽  
Unicellular Eukaryotes ◽  
General Importance ◽  
Duplication Events ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Unicellular Organisms ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire

How the sophisticated vertebrate behavioural repertoire evolved remains a major question in biology. The behavioural repertoire encompasses the set of individual behavioural components that an organism uses when adapting and responding to changes in its external world. Although unicellular organisms, invertebrates and vertebrates share simple reflex responses, the fundamental mechanisms that resulted in the complexity and sophistication that is characteristic of vertebrate behaviours have only recently been examined. A series of behavioural genetic experiments in mice and humans support a theory that posited the importance of synapse proteome expansion in generating complexity in the behavioural repertoire. Genome duplication events, approximately 550 Ma, produced expansion in the synapse proteome that resulted in increased complexity in synapse signalling mechanisms that regulate components of the behavioural repertoire. The experiments demonstrate the importance to behaviour of the gene duplication events, the diversification of paralogues and sequence constraint. They also confirm the significance of comparative proteomic and genomic studies that identified the molecular origins of synapses in unicellular eukaryotes and the vertebrate expansion in proteome complexity. These molecular mechanisms have general importance for understanding the repertoire of behaviours in different species and for human behavioural disorders arising from synapse gene mutations.

scholarly journals Loss of histone methyltransferase ASH1L in the developing mouse brain causes autistic-like behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuen Gao ◽  
Natalia Duque-Wilckens ◽  
Mohammad B. Aljazi ◽  
Yan Wu ◽  
Adam J. Moeser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mouse Brain ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Critical Function ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disease ◽  
Developing Mouse Brain

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease associated with various gene mutations. Recent genetic and clinical studies report that mutations of the epigenetic gene ASH1L are highly associated with human ASD and intellectual disability (ID). However, the causality and underlying molecular mechanisms linking ASH1L mutations to genesis of ASD/ID remain undetermined. Here we show loss of ASH1L in the developing mouse brain is sufficient to cause multiple developmental defects, core autistic-like behaviors, and impaired cognitive memory. Gene expression analyses uncover critical roles of ASH1L in regulating gene expression during neural cell development. Thus, our study establishes an ASD/ID mouse model revealing the critical function of an epigenetic factor ASH1L in normal brain development, a causality between Ash1L mutations and ASD/ID-like behaviors in mice, and potential molecular mechanisms linking Ash1L mutations to brain functional abnormalities.

scholarly journals In silico identification of Capsicum type III polyketide synthase genes and expression patterns in Capsicum annuum

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 753-762
Author(s):  
Delong Kan ◽  
Di Zhao ◽  
Pengfei Duan
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Polyketide Synthase ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Chili Pepper ◽  
Type Iii Polyketide Synthase ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Duplication Events ◽  
Pepper Leaves

AbstractStudies have shown that abundant and various flavonoids accumulate in chili pepper (Capsicum), but there are few reports on the genes that govern chili pepper flavonoid biosynthesis. Here, we report the comprehensive identification of genes encoding type III polyketide synthase (PKS), an important enzyme catalyzing the generation of flavonoid backbones. In total, 13, 14 and 13 type III PKS genes were identified in each genome of C. annuum, C. chinense and C. baccatum, respectively. The phylogeny topology of Capsicum PKSs is similar to those in other plants, as it showed two classes of genes. Within each class, clades can be further identified. Class II genes likely encode chalcone synthase (CHS) as they are placed together with the Arabidopsis CHS gene, which experienced extensive expansions in the genomes of Capsicum. Interestingly, 8 of the 11 Class II genes form three clusters in the genome of C. annuum, which is likely the result of tandem duplication events. Four genes are not expressed in the tissues of C. annuum, three of which are located in the clusters, indicating that a portion of genes was pseudogenized after tandem duplications. Expression of two Class I genes was complementary to each other, and all the genes in Class II were not expressed in roots of C. annuum. Two Class II genes (CA00g90790 and CA05g17060) showed upregulated expression as the chili pepper leaves matured, and two Class II genes (CA05g17060 and CA12g20070) showed downregulated expression with the maturation of fruits, consistent with flavonoid accumulation trends in chili pepper as reported previously. The identified genes, sequences, phylogeny and expression information collected in this article lay the groundwork for future studies on the molecular mechanisms of chili pepper flavonoid metabolism.

Abstract TP269: Distinct Molecular Mechanisms of Htra1 Mutants in Manifesting Heterozygotes With Carasil

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Nozaki ◽  
Taisuke Kato ◽  
Megumi Nihonmatsu ◽  
Yohei Saito ◽  
Ikuko Mizuta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Small Vessel Disease ◽  
Gel Filtration ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Inherited Disease ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Vessel Disease ◽  
Activation Cascade

Introduction: Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL), an autosomal recessive inherited cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), involves severe leukoaraiosis, multiple lacunar infarcts, early-onset alopecia, and spondylosis deformans. High-temperature requirement serine peptidase A1 (HTRA1) gene mutations cause CARASIL by decreasing HTRA1 protease activity. Although CARASIL is a recessive inherited disease, heterozygous mutations in the HTRA1 gene were recently identified in 11 families with CSVD. Because CSVD is frequently observed in elderly individuals, it is unclear which mutants truly contribute to CSVD pathogenesis. Here, we found heterozygous mutations in the HTRA1 gene in individuals with CSVD and investigated the differences in biochemical characteristics between these mutant HTRA1s and mutant HTRA1s observed in homozygotes. Methods: We recruited 113 unrelated index patients with clinically diagnosed CSVD. The coding sequences of the HTRA1 gene were analyzed. We evaluated HTRA1 protease activities using casein assays and oligomeric HTRA1 formation using gel filtration chromatography. Results: We found 4 heterozygous missense mutations in the HTRA1 gene (p.G283E, p.P285L, p.R302Q, and p.T319I) in 6 patients from 113 unrelated index patients and in 2 siblings in 2 unrelated families with p.R302Q. These mutant HTRA1s showed markedly decreased protease activities and inhibited wild-type HTRA1 activity, whereas 2 of 3 mutant HTRA1s reported in CARASIL (A252T and V297M) did not inhibit wild- type HTRA1 activity. Wild-type HTRA1 forms trimers; however, G283E and T319I HTRA1, observed in manifesting heterozygotes, did not form trimers. P285L and R302Q HTRA1s formed trimers, but their mutations were located in domains that are important for trimer-associated HTRA1 activation; in contrast, A252T and V297M HTRA1s, which have been observed in CARASIL, also formed trimers but had mutations outside the domains important for trimer- associated HTRA1 activation. Conclusions: The mutant HTRA1s observed in manifesting heterozygotes might result in an impaired HTRA1 activation cascade of HTRA1 or be unable to form stable trimers.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Multicellular Growth of Ustilaginomycetes

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1072
Author(s):  
Domingo Martínez-Soto ◽  
Lucila Ortiz-Castellanos ◽  
Mariana Robledo-Briones ◽  
Claudia Geraldine León-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Plant Infection ◽  
Polarized Cell Growth ◽  
Unicellular Organisms

Multicellularity is defined as the developmental process by which unicellular organisms became pluricellular during the evolution of complex organisms on Earth. This process requires the convergence of genetic, ecological, and environmental factors. In fungi, mycelial and pseudomycelium growth, snowflake phenotype (where daughter cells remain attached to their stem cells after mitosis), and fruiting bodies have been described as models of multicellular structures. Ustilaginomycetes are Basidiomycota fungi, many of which are pathogens of economically important plant species. These fungi usually grow unicellularly as yeasts (sporidia), but also as simple multicellular forms, such as pseudomycelium, multicellular clusters, or mycelium during plant infection and under different environmental conditions: Nitrogen starvation, nutrient starvation, acid culture media, or with fatty acids as a carbon source. Even under specific conditions, Ustilago maydis can form basidiocarps or fruiting bodies that are complex multicellular structures. These fungi conserve an important set of genes and molecular mechanisms involved in their multicellular growth. In this review, we will discuss in-depth the signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, required polyamines, cell wall synthesis/degradation, polarized cell growth, and other cellular-genetic processes involved in the different types of Ustilaginomycetes multicellular growth. Finally, considering their short life cycle, easy handling in the laboratory and great morphological plasticity, Ustilaginomycetes can be considered as model organisms for studying fungal multicellularity.

scholarly journals Pathogenomics of Uterine Fibroids Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 6151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladislav S. Baranov ◽  
Natalia S. Osinovskaya ◽  
Maria I. Yarmolinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Side Population ◽  
Chromosome Instability ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Uterine Fibroids ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Common Disease ◽  
Enhanced Expression ◽  
Med12 Gene ◽  
The Impact

We review recent studies dealing with the molecular genetics and basic results of omics analysis of uterine leiomyoma (LM)—a common benign muscle tumor of the uterus. Whole genome studies of LM resulted in the discovery of many new gene nets and biological pathways, including its origin, transcriptomic, and epigenetic profiles, as well as the impact of the inter-cell matrix in LM growth and involvement of microRNA in its regulation. New data on somatic cell mutations ultimately involved in the origin, distribution and growth of LM are reviewed. Putative identification of LM progenitor SC (stem cells) giving rise to maternal fibroid nodes and junctional zones provide a new clue for hypotheses on the pathogenomics of LM. The reviewed data are consistent with at least two different but probably intimately interacted molecular mechanisms of LM. One of them (the genetic hypothesis) is focused primarily on the MED12 gene mutations and suggests its onset in the side population of embryonic myoblasts of the female reproductive system, which later gave rise to multiple small and medium fibroids. The single and usually large-size fibroids are induced by predominantly epigenetic disorders in LM SC, provoked by enhanced expression of the HMGA2 gene caused by its hypomethylation and epigenetic deregulation enhanced by hypoxia, muscle tension, or chromosome instability/aberrations. The pathogenomics of both genetic and epigenetic programs of LM with many peculiarities at the beginning later became rather similar and partly overlapped due to the proximity of their gene nets and epigenetic landscape. Pathogenomic studies of LM open ways for elaboration of novel strategies of prevention and treatment of this common disease.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Sugarcane Response to Aluminum Stress by RNA-Seq

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7934
Author(s):  
Thiago Mateus Rosa-Santos ◽  
Renan Gonçalves da Silva ◽  
Poornasree Kumar ◽  
Pratibha Kottapalli ◽  
Chiquito Crasto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Aluminum Tolerance ◽  
Aluminum Stress ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Aluminum Ions ◽  
Detoxification Mechanism ◽  
Genomic Studies

Some metals are beneficial to plants and contribute to critical physiological processes. Some metals, however, are not. The presence of aluminum ions (Al3+) can be very toxic, especially in acidic soils. Considerable parts of the world’s arable land are acidic in nature; mechanistically elucidating a plant’s response to aluminum stress is critical to mitigating this stress and improving the quality of plants. To identify the genes involved in sugarcane response to aluminum stress, we generated 372 million paired-end RNA sequencing reads from the roots of CTC-2 and RB855453, which are two contrasting cultivars. Data normalization resulted in 162,161 contigs (contiguous sequences) and 97,335 genes from a de novo transcriptome assembly (trinity genes). A total of 4858 and 1307 differently expressed genes (DEGs) for treatment versus control were identified for the CTC-2 and RB855453 cultivars, respectively. The DEGs were annotated into 34 functional categories. The majority of the genes were upregulated in the CTC-2 (tolerant cultivar) and downregulated in RB855453 (sensitive cultivar). Here, we present the first root transcriptome of sugarcane under aluminum stress. The results and conclusions of this study are a crucial launch pad for future genetic and genomic studies of sugarcane. The transcriptome analysis shows that sugarcane tolerance to aluminum may be explained by an efficient detoxification mechanism combined with lateral root formation and activation of redox enzymes. We also present a hypothetical model for aluminum tolerance in the CTC-2 cultivar.

scholarly journals Cardiac Involvement in Dystrophin-Deficient Females: Current Understanding and Implications for the Treatment of Dystrophinopathies

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Rowel Q. Lim ◽  
Narin Sheri ◽  
Quynh Nguyen ◽  
Toshifumi Yokota
Keyword(s):  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cardiac Involvement ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Dystrophin Gene ◽  
Becker Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Female Carrier ◽  
Daily Life Activities ◽  
Cardiac Manifestations ◽  
Available Information

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked recessive condition caused primarily by out-of-frame mutations in the dystrophin gene. In males, DMD presents with progressive body-wide muscle deterioration, culminating in death as a result of cardiac or respiratory failure. A milder form of DMD exists, called Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), which is typically caused by in-frame dystrophin gene mutations. It should be emphasized that DMD and BMD are not exclusive to males, as some female dystrophin mutation carriers do present with similar symptoms, generally at reduced levels of severity. Cardiac involvement in particular is a pressing concern among manifesting females, as it may develop into serious heart failure or could predispose them to certain risks during pregnancy or daily life activities. It is known that about 8% of carriers present with dilated cardiomyopathy, though it may vary from 0% to 16.7%, depending on if the carrier is classified as having DMD or BMD. Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac manifestations in dystrophin-deficient females is therefore of critical importance. In this article, we review available information from the literature on this subject, as well as discuss the implications of female carrier studies on the development of therapies aiming to increase dystrophin levels in the heart.

scholarly journals Autophagy in unicellular eukaryotes

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1541) ◽  
pp. 819-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan A. K. W. Kiel
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Yeast Species ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Extracellular Medium ◽  
New Host ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Unicellular Eukaryotes

Cells need a constant supply of precursors to enable the production of macromolecules to sustain growth and survival. Unlike metazoans, unicellular eukaryotes depend exclusively on the extracellular medium for this supply. When environmental nutrients become depleted, existing cytoplasmic components will be catabolized by (macro)autophagy in order to re-use building blocks and to support ATP production. In many cases, autophagy takes care of cellular housekeeping to sustain cellular viability. Autophagy encompasses a multitude of related and often highly specific processes that are implicated in both biogenetic and catabolic processes. Recent data indicate that in some unicellular eukaryotes that undergo profound differentiation during their life cycle (e.g. kinetoplastid parasites and amoebes), autophagy is essential for the developmental change that allows the cell to adapt to a new host or form spores. This review summarizes the knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy as well as the cytoplasm-to-vacuole-targeting pathway, pexophagy, mitophagy, ER-phagy, ribophagy and piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus, all highly selective forms of autophagy that have first been uncovered in yeast species. Additionally, a detailed analysis will be presented on the state of knowledge on autophagy in non-yeast unicellular eukaryotes with emphasis on the role of this process in differentiation.

ANTI-EPILEPTIC DRUGS AND BRAIN AND BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ANIMAL MODELS AND HUMANS

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-306
Author(s):  
NAGHME ADAB ◽  
MICHAEL F O'DONOGHUE
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Developmental Problems ◽  
Gestational Exposure ◽  
Behavioural Effects ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire ◽  
Rule Out

Women with epilepsy constitute about 0.6% of pregnancies. The potential for major structural malformations following gestational exposure to anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) is well known and causes concern as how best to manage epilepsy during pregnancy. In this review we focus on the structural and functional effects on the developing brain to complement other recent reviews. We do not cover neural tube defects which have been reviewed elsewhere. Suffice to say that carbamazepine, lamotrigine and, in particular, valproate exposure are associated with them. We discuss studies based on animal models as well as those that have followed-up children exposed to AEDs in-utero. Careful longitudinal human research can document the cognitive and behavioural effects, but the long time scales required and inability to rule out confounding variables, both genetic and environmental, are serious limitations. Animal studies are based on the assumption that many developmental processes are conserved between the animals used in the models (most often rodents) and humans. However, the hugely expanded cortex and cognitive and behavioural repertoire of humans implies that there are aspects that can not be well modelled. In addition, due to differences in how susceptible different species are to various teratogens, studies always need to be done in man as well. Nevertheless, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neuro-teratogenesis derived from animal models will help us predict which anti-epileptic drugs are likely to cause fewer neuro-developmental problems in humans.

scholarly journals 16S rRNA Gene Mutations Associated with Decreased Susceptibility to Tetracycline in Mycoplasma bovis

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 796-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Amram ◽  
I. Mikula ◽  
C. Schnee ◽  
R. D. Ayling ◽  
R. A. J. Nicholas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Mycoplasma Bovis ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACTMycoplasma bovisisolates with decreased susceptibilities to tetracyclines are increasingly reported worldwide. The acquired molecular mechanisms associated with this phenomenon were investigated in 70 clinical isolates ofM. bovis. Sequence analysis of the two 16S rRNA-encoding genes (rrs3andrrs4alleles) containing the primary binding pocket for tetracycline (Tet-1 site) was performed on isolates with tetracycline hydrochloride MICs of 0.125 to 16 μg/ml. Mutations at positions A965T, A967T/C (Escherichia colinumbering) of helix 31, U1199C of helix 34, and G1058A/C were identified. Decreased susceptibilities to tetracycline (MICs, ≥2 μg/ml) were associated with mutations present at two (A965 and A967) or three positions (A965, A967, and G1058) of the tworrsalleles. Notet(M),tet(O), ortet(L) determinants were found in the genome of any of the 70M. bovisisolates. The data presented correlate (P< 0.0001) the mutations identified in the Tet-1 site of clinical isolates ofM. boviswith decreased susceptibility to tetracycline.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document