scholarly journals Boule and the Evolutionary Origin of Metazoan Gametogenesis: A Grandpa's Tale

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
José M. Eirín-López ◽  
Juan Ausió
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Evolutionary Origin ◽  
Reproductive Proteins ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Animal Phyla ◽  
Rapid Divergence ◽  
Insight Into

The evolution of sex remains a hotly debated topic in evolutionary biology. In particular, studying the origins of the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual reproduction and gametogenesis (its fundamental component) in multicellular eukaryotes has been difficult due to the rapid divergence of many reproductive proteins, pleiotropy, and by the fact that only a very small number of reproductive proteins specifically involved in reproduction are conserved across lineages. Consequently, during the last decade, many efforts have been put into answering the following question: did gametogenesis evolve independently in different animal lineages or does it share a common evolutionary origin in a single ancestral prototype? Among the various approaches carried out in order to solve this question, the characterization of the evolution of the DAZ gene family holds much promise because these genes encode reproductive proteins that are conserved across a wide range of animal phyla. Within this family, BOULE is of special interest because it represents the most ancestral member of this gene family (the “grandfather” of DAZ). Furthermore, BOULE has attracted most of the attention since it represents an ancient male gametogenic factor with an essential reproductive-exclusive requirement in urbilaterians, constituting a core component of the reproductive prototype. Within this context, the aim of the present work is to provide an up-to-date insight into the studies that lead to the characterization of the DAZ family members and the implications in helping decipher the evolutionary origin of gametogenesis in metazoan animals.

scholarly journals Comparative characterization of microbiota between the sibling species of tea geometrid moth Ectropis obliqua Prout and E. grisescens Warren

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 684-693
Author(s):  
Zhibo Wang ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Xiaogui Zhou ◽  
Meijun Tang ◽  
Liang Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Sibling Species ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Endosymbiotic Bacteria ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Geometrid Moth ◽  
Geographical Populations ◽  
Developmental Programme

AbstractFor a wide range of insect species, the microbiota has potential roles in determining host developmental programme, immunity and reproductive biology. The tea geometrid moths Ectropis obliqua and E. grisescens are two closely related species that mainly feed on tea leaves. Although they can mate, infertile hybrids are produced. Therefore, these species provide a pair of model species for studying the molecular mechanisms of microbiotal involvement in host reproductive biology. In this study, we first identified and compared the compositions of microbiota between these sibling species, revealing higher microbiotal diversity for E. grisescens. The microbiota of E. obliqua mainly comprised the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria, whereas that of E. grisescens was dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. At the genus level, the dominant microbiota of E. grisescens included Wolbachia, Enterobacter and Pseudomonas and that of E. obliqua included Melissococcus, Staphylococcus and Enterobacter. Furthermore, we verified the rate of Wolbachia to infect 80 samples from eight different geographical populations, and the results supported that only E. grisescens harboured Wolbachia. Taken together, our findings indicate significantly different microbiotal compositions for E. obliqua and E. grisescens, with Wolbachia possibly being a curial factor influencing the reproductive isolation of these species. This study provides new insight into the mechanisms by which endosymbiotic bacteria, particularly Wolbachia, interact with sibling species.

Characterization of Hsp70 gene family provides insight into its functions related to microsporidian proliferation

2020 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 107394
Author(s):  
Qiang He ◽  
Jian Luo ◽  
Jin-Zhi Xu ◽  
Xian-zhi Meng ◽  
Guo-Qing Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Hsp70 Gene ◽  
Insight Into

NUMERICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FLOW FIELD IN A FOUR-GENERATION AIRWAY

2008 ◽  
Vol 08 (01) ◽  
pp. 55-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. LAI ◽  
Y. S. MORSI ◽  
M. SINGH
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Bronchial Tree ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Fourth Generation ◽  
Numerical Characterization ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Symmetrical Model ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Insight Into

In this paper, various aspects of respiratory airflow generated from the branching network of tubes that make up the tracheal-bronchial tree are numerically analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package CFX. The model used is a four-generation airway that is geometrically similar to Weibel's symmetrical model. In the present analysis, two different models (in-plane and off-plane) are examined for a wide range of Reynolds numbers that correspond to human breathing conditions. The findings indicate that the secondary flow patterns generated become more significant as the flow passes from the trachea to the fourth-generation airway. Moreover, comparison between in-plane and off-plane models shows that the skewed velocity profiles and secondary flows for the in-plane model are more prominent than those for the off-plane one. In general, the model developed in this study is capable of providing an overall insight into the effect of fluid flow in multiple generations of the human upper respiratory airways.

scholarly journals Representative diatom and coccolithophore species exhibit divergent responses throughout simulated upwelling cycles

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Lampe ◽  
Gustavo Hernandez ◽  
Yuan Yu Lin ◽  
Adrian Marchetti
Keyword(s):  
Differential Expression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Nitrate Assimilation ◽  
Emiliania Huxleyi ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
Iron Availability ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diatom Communities ◽  
Insight Into

Phytoplankton communities in upwelling regions experience a wide range of light and nutrient conditions as a result of upwelling cycles. These cycles can begin with a bloom at the surface followed by cells sinking to depth when nutrients are depleted. Cells can then be transported back to the surface with upwelled waters to seed another bloom. In spite of the physicochemical extremes associated with these cycles, diatoms consistently outcompete other phytoplankton when upwelling events occur. Here we simulated the conditions of a complete upwelling cycle with a common diatom, Chaetoceros decipiens, and coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. We show that while both organisms exhibited physiological and transcriptomic plasticity, the diatom displayed a distinct response enabling it to rapidly shift-up growth and nitrate assimilation when returned to light and nutrients. As observed in natural diatom communities, C. decipiens frontloads key transcriptional and nitrate assimilation genes coordinating its rapid response. Low iron simulations showed that C. decipiens is capable of maintaining this response when iron is limiting whereas E. huxleyi could not. Differential expression between iron treatments further revealed molecular mechanisms used by each organism under low iron availability. Overall, these results highlight the responses of two dominant phytoplankton groups to upwelling cycles, providing insight into the mechanisms fueling diatom success during upwelling events in current and future oceans.

scholarly journals Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of bHLH Transcription Factors Related to Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Red Walnut (Juglans regia L.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Yonghui Liu ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Haijun Meng ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Gene Family ◽  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Anthocyanin Biosynthesis ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Juglans Regia ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Regulatory Elements

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are transcription factors (TFs) that have been shown to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in many plant species. However, the bHLH gene family in walnut (Juglans regia L.) has not yet been reported. In this study, 102 bHLH genes were identified in the walnut genome and were classified into 15 subfamilies according to sequence similarity and phylogenetic relationships. The gene structure, conserved domains, and chromosome location of the genes were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. Gene duplication analyses revealed that 42 JrbHLHs were involved in the expansion of the walnut bHLH gene family. We also characterized cis-regulatory elements of these genes and performed Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of gene functions, and examined protein-protein interactions. Four candidate genes (JrEGL1a, JrEGL1b, JrbHLHA1, and JrbHLHA2) were found to have high homology to genes encoding bHLH TFs involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in other plants. RNA sequencing revealed tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression profiles and distinct expression patterns of JrbHLHs according to phenotype (red vs. green leaves) and developmental stage in red walnut hybrid progeny, which were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. All four of the candidate JrbHLH proteins localized to the nucleus, consistent with a TF function. These results provide a basis for the functional characterization of bHLH genes and investigations on the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in red walnut.

scholarly journals Coding, Expression, Targeting, Import and Processing of Distinct Polyphenoloxidases in Tissues of Higher Plants

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Steffens ◽  
Eithan Harel ◽  
Alfred Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Chloroplast Metabolism ◽  
Enzymic Browning ◽  
Physiological And Biochemical ◽  
Insight Into

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the oxidation of phenols to quinones at the expense of O2. PPOs are ubiquitous in higer plants, and their role in oxidative browning of plant tissues causes large annual losses to food production. Despite the importance of PPOs to agriculture, the function(s) of PPOs in higher plants are not understood. Among other roles, PPOs have been proposed to participate in aspects of chloroplast metabolism, based on their occurrence in plastids and high Km for O2. Due to the ability of PPO to catalyze formation of highly reactive quinones, PPOs have also been proposed to be involved in a wide array of defensive interactions with insect, bacterial, and fungal pests. Physiological and biochemical studies of PPO have provided few answers to the major problems of PPO function, subcellular localization, and biochemical properties. This proposal achieved the following major objectives: cloning of PPO cDNAs in potato and tomato; characterization of the tomato PPO gene family; antisense downregulation of the tomato PPO gene family; and reduction in post-harvest enzymic browning of potato through expression of antisense PPO genes under the control of tuber-specific promoters. In addition, we established the lumenal localization of PPO, characterized and clarified the means by which PPOs are imported and processed by chloroplasts, and provided insight into the factors which control localization of PPOs. This proposal has thereby provided fundamental advances in the understanding of this enzyme and the control of its expression.

scholarly journals CloneSifter: enrichment of rare clones from heterogeneous cell populations

BMC Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Feldman ◽  
FuNien Tsai ◽  
Anthony J. Garrity ◽  
Ryan O’Rourke ◽  
Lisa Brenan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Fitness Assessment ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Organismal Development ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background Many biological processes, such as cancer metastasis, organismal development, and acquisition of resistance to cytotoxic therapy, rely on the emergence of rare sub-clones from a larger population. Understanding how the genetic and epigenetic features of diverse clones affect clonal fitness provides insight into molecular mechanisms underlying selective processes. While large-scale barcoding with NGS readout has facilitated cellular fitness assessment at the population level, this approach does not support characterization of clones prior to selection. Single-cell genomics methods provide high biological resolution, but are challenging to scale across large populations to probe rare clones and are destructive, limiting further functional analysis of important clones. Results Here, we develop CloneSifter, a methodology for tracking and enriching rare clones throughout their response to selection. CloneSifter utilizes a CRISPR sgRNA-barcode library that facilitates the isolation of viable cells from specific clones within the barcoded population using a sequence-specific retrieval reporter. We demonstrate that CloneSifter can measure clonal fitness of cancer cell models in vitro and retrieve targeted clones at abundance as low as 1 in 1883 in a heterogeneous cell population. Conclusions CloneSifter provides a means to track and access specific and rare clones of interest across dynamic changes in population structure to comprehensively explore the basis of these changes.

scholarly journals Genomics of medulloblastoma: from Giemsa-banding to next-generation sequencing in 20 years

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. E6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Northcott ◽  
James T. Rutka ◽  
Michael D. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Disease Stratification ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Advances in the field of genomics have recently enabled the unprecedented characterization of the cancer genome, providing novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying malignancies in humans. The application of high-resolution microarray platforms to the study of medulloblastoma has revealed new oncogenes and tumor suppressors and has implicated changes in DNA copy number, gene expression, and methylation state in its etiology. Additionally, the integration of medulloblastoma genomics with patient clinical data has confirmed molecular markers of prognostic significance and highlighted the potential utility of molecular disease stratification. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies promises to greatly transform our understanding of medulloblastoma pathogenesis in the next few years, permitting comprehensive analyses of all aspects of the genome and increasing the likelihood that genomic medicine will become part of the routine diagnosis and treatment of medulloblastoma.

scholarly journals Characterization of In Vivo Function(s) of Members of the Plant Mitochondrial Carrier Family

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Adriano Nunes-Nesi ◽  
João Henrique F. Cavalcanti ◽  
Alisdair R. Fernie
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Mitochondrial Carrier ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mitochondrial Carrier Family ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Green Lineage

Although structurally related, mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) proteins catalyze the specific transport of a range of diverse substrates including nucleotides, amino acids, dicarboxylates, tricarboxylates, cofactors, vitamins, phosphate and H+. Despite their name, they do not, however, always localize to the mitochondria, with plasma membrane, peroxisomal, chloroplast and thylakoid and endoplasmic reticulum localizations also being reported. The existence of plastid-specific MCF proteins is suggestive that the evolution of these proteins occurred after the separation of the green lineage. That said, plant-specific MCF proteins are not all plastid-localized, with members also situated at the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. While by no means yet comprehensive, the in vivo function of a wide range of these transporters is carried out here, and we discuss the employment of genetic variants of the MCF as a means to provide insight into their in vivo function complementary to that obtained from studies following their reconstitution into liposomes.

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