scholarly journals Evolution of Matrix Gla and Bone Gla Protein Genes in Jawed Vertebrates

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Leurs ◽  
Camille Martinand-Mari ◽  
Stéphanie Ventéo ◽  
Tatjana Haitina ◽  
Mélanie Debiais-Thibaud

Matrix Gla protein (Mgp) and bone Gla protein (Bgp) are vitamin-K dependent proteins that bind calcium in their γ-carboxylated versions in mammals. They are recognized as positive (Bgp) or negative (Mgp and Bgp) regulators of biomineralization in a number of tissues, including skeletal tissues of bony vertebrates. The Mgp/Bgp gene family is poorly known in cartilaginous fishes, which precludes the understanding of the evolution of the biomineralization toolkit at the emergence of jawed vertebrates. Here we took advantage of recently released genomic and transcriptomic data in cartilaginous fishes and described the genomic loci and gene expression patterns of the Mgp/Bgp gene family. We identified three genes, Mgp1, Mgp2, and Bgp, in cartilaginous fishes instead of the single previously reported Mgp gene. We describe their genomic loci, resulting in a dynamic evolutionary scenario for this gene family including several events of local (tandem) duplications, but also of translocation events, along jawed vertebrate evolution. We describe the expression patterns of Mgp1, Mgp2, and Bgp in embryonic stages covering organogenesis in the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula and present a comparative analysis with Mgp/Bgp family members previously described in bony vertebrates, highlighting ancestral features such as early embryonic, soft tissues, and neuronal expressions, but also derived features of cartilaginous fishes such as expression in fin supporting fibers. Our results support an ancestral function of Mgp in skeletal mineralization and a later derived function of Bgp in skeletal development that may be related to the divergence of bony vertebrates.

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-329
Author(s):  
Tao Wu ◽  
Zheng Liu ◽  
Li Yang ◽  
Yinsheng Cheng ◽  
Junfan Tu ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Sang ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Bin Ma ◽  
Xianzhong Huang ◽  
Lu Zhuo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In plants, 14-3-3 proteins, also called GENERAL REGULATORY FACTORs (GRFs), encoded by a large multigene family, are involved in protein–protein interactions and play crucial roles in various physiological processes. No genome-wide analysis of the GRF gene family has been performed in cotton, and their functions in flowering are largely unknown. Results In this study, 17, 17, 31, and 17 GRF genes were identified in Gossypium herbaceum, G. arboreum, G. hirsutum, and G. raimondii, respectively, by genome-wide analyses and were designated as GheGRFs, GaGRFs, GhGRFs, and GrGRFs, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that these proteins were divided into ε and non-ε groups. Gene structural, motif composition, synteny, and duplicated gene analyses of the identified GRF genes provided insights into the evolution of this family in cotton. GhGRF genes exhibited diverse expression patterns in different tissues. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that the GhGRFs interacted with the cotton FLOWERING LOCUS T homologue GhFT in the cytoplasm and nucleus, while they interacted with the basic leucine zipper transcription factor GhFD only in the nucleus. Virus-induced gene silencing in G. hirsutum and transgenic studies in Arabidopsis demonstrated that GhGRF3/6/9/15 repressed flowering and that GhGRF14 promoted flowering. Conclusions Here, 82 GRF genes were identified in cotton, and their gene and protein features, classification, evolution, and expression patterns were comprehensively and systematically investigated. The GhGRF3/6/9/15 interacted with GhFT and GhFD to form florigen activation complexs that inhibited flowering. However, GhGRF14 interacted with GhFT and GhFD to form florigen activation complex that promoted flowering. The results provide a foundation for further studies on the regulatory mechanisms of flowering.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Fan ◽  
Yu-Zhen Zhao ◽  
Jing-Fang Yang ◽  
Qin-Lai Liu ◽  
Yuan Tian ◽  
...  

AbstractEukaryotic cells can expand their coding ability by using their splicing machinery, spliceosome, to process precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) into mature messenger RNA. The mega-macromolecular spliceosome contains multiple subcomplexes, referred to as small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). Among these, U1 snRNP and its central component, U1-70K, are crucial for splice site recognition during early spliceosome assembly. The human U1-70K has been linked to several types of human autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. However, its phylogenetic relationship has been seldom reported. To this end, we carried out a systemic analysis of 95 animal U1-70K genes and compare these proteins to their yeast and plant counterparts. Analysis of their gene and protein structures, expression patterns and splicing conservation suggest that animal U1-70Ks are conserved in their molecular function, and may play essential role in cancers and juvenile development. In particular, animal U1-70Ks display unique characteristics of single copy number and a splicing isoform with truncated C-terminal, suggesting the specific role of these U1-70Ks in animal kingdom. In summary, our results provide phylogenetic overview of U1-70K gene family in vertebrates. In silico analyses conducted in this work will act as a reference for future functional studies of this crucial U1 splicing factor in animal kingdom.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Yaqiong Wu ◽  
Chunhong Zhang ◽  
Wenlong Wu ◽  
Weilin Li ◽  
Lianfei Lyu

BACKGROUND: Black raspberry is a vital fruit crop with a high antioxidant function. MADS-box genes play an important role in the regulation of fruit development in angiosperms. OBJECTIVE: To understand the regulatory role of the MADS-box family, a total of 80 MADS-box genes were identified and analyzed. METHODS: The MADS-box genes in the black raspberry genome were analyzed using bioinformatics methods. Through an analysis of the promoter elements, the possible functions of different members of the family were predicted. The spatiotemporal expression patterns of members of the MADS-box family during black raspberry fruit development and ripening were systematically analyzed. RESULTS: The genes were classified into type I (Mα: 33; Mβ: 6; Mγ: 10) and type II (MIKC *: 2; MIKCC: 29) genes. We also obtained a complete overview of the RoMADS-box gene family through phylogenetic, gene structure, conserved motif, and cis element analyses. The relative expression analysis showed different expression patterns, and most RoMADS-box genes were more highly expressed in fruit than in other tissues of black raspberry. CONCLUSIONS: This finding indicates that the MADS-box gene family is involved in the regulation of fruit ripening processes in black raspberry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Zhao ◽  
Song Chen ◽  
Wenjing Yao ◽  
Zihan Cheng ◽  
Boru Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The bZIP gene family, which is widely present in plants, participates in varied biological processes including growth and development and stress responses. How do the genes regulate such biological processes? Systems biology is powerful for mechanistic understanding of gene functions. However, such studies have not yet been reported in poplar. Results In this study, we identified 86 poplar bZIP transcription factors and described their conserved domains. According to the results of phylogenetic tree, we divided these members into 12 groups with specific gene structures and motif compositions. The corresponding genes that harbor a large number of segmental duplication events are unevenly distributed on the 17 poplar chromosomes. In addition, we further examined collinearity between these genes and the related genes from six other species. Evidence from transcriptomic data indicated that the bZIP genes in poplar displayed different expression patterns in roots, stems, and leaves. Furthermore, we identified 45 bZIP genes that respond to salt stress in the three tissues. We performed co-expression analysis on the representative genes, followed by gene set enrichment analysis. The results demonstrated that tissue differentially expressed genes, especially the co-expressing genes, are mainly involved in secondary metabolic and secondary metabolite biosynthetic processes. However, salt stress responsive genes and their co-expressing genes mainly participate in the regulation of metal ion transport, and methionine biosynthetic. Conclusions Using comparative genomics and systems biology approaches, we, for the first time, systematically explore the structures and functions of the bZIP gene family in poplar. It appears that the bZIP gene family plays significant roles in regulation of poplar development and growth and salt stress responses through differential gene networks or biological processes. These findings provide the foundation for genetic breeding by engineering target regulators and corresponding gene networks into poplar lines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanguo Ke ◽  
Farhat Abbas ◽  
Yiwei Zhou ◽  
Rangcai Yu ◽  
Yuechong Yue ◽  
...  

Auxin plays a key role in different plant growth and development processes, including flower opening and development. The perception and signaling of auxin depend on the cooperative action of various components, among which auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins play an imperative role. In a recent study, the entire Aux/IAA gene family was identified and comprehensively analyzed in Hedychium coronarium, a scented species used as an ornamental plant for cut flowers. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Aux/IAA gene family in H. coronarium is slightly contracted compared to Arabidopsis, with low levels of non-canonical proteins. Sequence analysis of promoters showed numerous cis-regulatory elements related to various phytohormones. HcIAA genes showed distinct expression patterns in different tissues and flower developmental stages, and some HcIAA genes showed significant responses to auxin and ethylene, indicating that Aux/IAAs may play an important role in linking hormone signaling pathways. Based on the expression profiles, HcIAA2, HcIAA4, HcIAA6 and HcIAA12, were selected as candidate genes and HcIAA2 and HcIAA4 were screened for further characterization. Downregulation of HcIAA2 and HcIAA4 by virus-induced gene silencing in H. coronarium flowers modified the total volatile compound content, suggesting that HcIAA2 and HcIAA4 play important roles in H. coronarium floral scent formation. The results presented here will provide insights into the putative roles of HcIAA genes and will assist the elucidation of their precise roles during floral scent formation.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1154
Author(s):  
Hongjia Zhang ◽  
Seong-Gyu Jang ◽  
San Mar Lar ◽  
Ah-Rim Lee ◽  
Fang-Yuan Cao ◽  
...  

Starch is a major ingredient in rice, and the amylose content of starch significantly impacts rice quality. OsSS (starch synthase) is a gene family related to the synthesis of amylose and amylopectin, and 10 members have been reported. In the present study, a synteny analysis of a novel family member belonging to the OsSSIV subfamily that contained a starch synthase catalytic domain showed that three segmental duplications and multiple duplications were identified in rice and other species. Expression data showed that the OsSS gene family is involved in diverse expression patterns. The prediction of miRNA targets suggested that OsSS are possibly widely regulated by miRNA functions, with miR156s targeted to OsSSII-3, especially. Haplotype analysis exhibited the relationship between amylose content and diverse genotypes. These results give new insight and a theoretical basis for the improved amylose content and eating quality of rice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengwen Liu ◽  
Xingfen Wang ◽  
Zhengwen Sun ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Chengsheng Meng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dirigent (DIR) proteins mediate regioselectivity and stereoselectivity during lignan biosynthesis and are also involved in lignin, gossypol and pterocarpan biosynthesis. This gene family plays a vital role in enhancing stress resistance and in secondary cell-wall development, but systematical understanding is lacking in cotton. Results In this study, 107 GbDIRs and 107 GhDIRs were identified in Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum, respectively. Most of these genes have a classical gene structure without intron and encode proteins containing a signal peptide. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cotton DIR genes were classified into four distinct subfamilies (a, b/d, e, and f). Of these groups, DIR-a and DIR-e were evolutionarily conserved, and segmental and tandem duplications contributed equally to their formation. In contrast, DIR-b/d mainly expanded by recent tandem duplications, accompanying with a number of gene clusters. With the rapid evolution, DIR-b/d-III was a Gossypium-specific clade involved in atropselective synthesis of gossypol. RNA-seq data highlighted GhDIRs in response to Verticillium dahliae infection and suggested that DIR gene family could confer Verticillium wilt resistance. We also identified candidate DIR genes related to fiber development in G. barbadense and G. hirsutum and revealed their differential expression. To further determine the involvement of DIR genes in fiber development, we overexpressed a fiber length-related gene GbDIR78 in Arabidopsis and validated its function in trichomes and hypocotyls. Conclusions These findings contribute novel insights towards the evolution of DIR gene family and provide valuable information for further understanding the roles of DIR genes in cotton fiber development as well as in stress responses.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Peizhe Feng ◽  
Changxu Tian ◽  
Xinghua Lin ◽  
Dongneng Jiang ◽  
Hongjuan Shi ◽  
...  

Somatostatins (SSTs) are a family of proteins consisting of structurally diverse polypeptides that play important roles in the growth regulation in vertebrates. In the present study, four somatostatin genes (SST1, SST3, SST5, and SST6) were identified and characterized in the spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). The open reading frames (ORFs) of SST1, SST3, SST5, and SST6 cDNA consist of 372, 384, 321, and 333 bp, respectively, and encode proteins of 123, 127, 106, and 110 amino acids, respectively. Amino acid sequence alignments indicated that all SST genes contained conserved somatostatin signature motifs. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the SST genes were expressed in a tissue specific manner. When liver fragments were cultured in vitro with synthetic peptides (SST1, SST2, or SST6 at 1 μM or 10 μM) for 3 h or 6 h, the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 and 2 (Igf-1 and Igf-2) in the liver decreased significantly. Treatment with SST5 had no significant effect on Igf-1 and Igf-2 gene expression. This study provides an enhanced understanding of the gene structure and expression patterns of the SST gene family in S. argus. Furthermore, this study provides a foundation for future exploration into the role of SST genes in growth and development.


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