Synergistic epistasis of the deleterious effects of transposable elements

The replicative nature and generally deleterious effects of transposable elements (TEs) give rise to an outstanding question about how TE copy number is stably contained in host populations. Classic theoretical analyses predict that, when the decline in fitness due to each additional TE insertion is greater than linear, or when there is synergistic epistasis, selection against TEs can result in a stable equilibrium of TE copy number. While several mechanisms are predicted to yield synergistic deleterious effects of TEs, we lack empirical investigations of the presence of such epistatic interactions. Purifying selection with synergistic epistasis generates repulsion linkage between deleterious alleles and, accordingly, an underdispersed distribution for the number of deleterious mutations among individuals. We investigated this population genetic signal in an African Drosophila melanogaster population and found evidence for synergistic epistasis among TE insertions, especially those expected to have large fitness impacts. Curiously, even though ectopic recombination has long been predicted to generate nonlinear fitness decline with increased TE copy number, TEs predicted to suffer higher rates of ectopic recombination are not more likely to be underdispersed. On the other hand, underdispersed TE families are more likely to show signatures of deleterious epigenetic effects and stronger ping-pong signals of piRNA amplification, a hypothesized source from which synergism of TE-mediated epigenetic effects arises. Our findings set the stage for investigating the importance of epistatic interactions in the evolutionary dynamics of TEs.

Genomic Organization and Generation of Genetic Variability in the RHS (Retrotransposon Hot Spot) Protein Multigene Family in Trypanosoma cruzi

Retrotransposon Hot Spot (RHS) is the most abundant gene family in Trypanosoma cruzi, with unknown function in this parasite. The aim of this work was to shed light on the organization and expression of RHS in T. cruzi. The diversity of the RHS protein family in T. cruzi was demonstrated by phylogenetic and recombination analyses. Transcribed sequences carrying the RHS domain were classified into ten distinct groups of monophyletic origin. We identified numerous recombination events among the RHS and traced the origins of the donors and target sequences. The transcribed RHS genes have a mosaic structure that may contain fragments of different RHS inserted in the target sequence. About 30% of RHS sequences are located in the subtelomere, a region very susceptible to recombination. The evolution of the RHS family has been marked by many events, including gene duplication by unequal mitotic crossing-over, homologous, as well as ectopic recombination, and gene conversion. The expression of RHS was analyzed by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting using anti-RHS antibodies. RHS proteins are evenly distributed in the nuclear region of T. cruzi replicative forms (amastigote and epimastigote), suggesting that they could be involved in the control of the chromatin structure and gene expression, as has been proposed for T. brucei.

Evolution of Host Specificity by Malaria Parasites through Altered Mechanisms Controlling Genome Maintenance

ABSTRACT The protozoan parasites that cause malaria infect a wide variety of vertebrate hosts, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, and the evolutionary pressures inherent to the host-parasite relationship have profoundly shaped the genomes of both host and parasite. Here, we report that these selective pressures have resulted in unexpected alterations to one of the most basic aspects of eukaryotic biology, the maintenance of genome integrity through DNA repair. Malaria parasites that infect humans continuously generate genetic diversity within their antigen-encoding gene families through frequent ectopic recombination between gene family members, a process that is a crucial feature of the persistence of malaria globally. The continuous generation of antigen diversity ensures that different parasite isolates are antigenically distinct, thus preventing extensive cross-reactive immunity and enabling parasites to maintain stable transmission within human populations. However, the molecular basis of the recombination between gene family members is not well understood. Through computational analyses of the antigen-encoding, multicopy gene families of different Plasmodium species, we report the unexpected observation that malaria parasites that infect rodents do not display the same degree of antigen diversity as observed in Plasmodium falciparum and appear to undergo significantly less ectopic recombination. Using comparative genomics, we also identify key molecular components of the diversification process, thus shedding new light on how malaria parasites balance the maintenance of genome integrity with the requirement for continuous genetic diversification. IMPORTANCE Malaria remains one of the most prevalent and deadly infectious diseases of the developing world, causing approximately 228 million clinical cases and nearly half a million deaths annually. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium, and of the five species capable of infecting humans, infections with P. falciparum are the most severe. In addition to the parasites that infect people, there are hundreds of additional species that infect birds, reptiles, and other mammals, each exquisitely evolved to meet the specific challenges inherent to survival within their respective hosts. By comparing the unique strategies that each species has evolved, key insights into host-parasite interactions can be gained, including discoveries regarding the pathogenesis of human disease. Here, we describe the surprising observation that closely related parasites with different hosts have evolved remarkably different methods for repairing their genomes. This observation has important implications for the ability of parasites to maintain chronic infections and for the development of host immunity.

Population Genetics and Molecular Evolution of DNA Sequences in Transposable Elements. II. Accumulation of Variation and Evolution of a New Subfamily

In order to understand how DNA sequences of transposable elements (TEs) evolve, extensive simulations were carried out. We first used our previous model, in which the copy number of TEs is mainly controlled by selection against ectopic recombination. It was found that along a simulation run, the shape of phylogeny changes quite much, from monophyletic trees to dimorphic trees with two clusters. Our results demonstrated that the change of the phase is usually slow from a monomorphic phase to a dimorphic phase, accompanied with a growth of an internal branch by accumulation of variation between two types. Then, the phase immediately changes back to a monomorphic phase when one group gets extinct. Under this condition, monomorphic and dimorphic phases arise repeatedly, and it is very difficult to maintain two or more different types of TEs for a long time. Then, how a new subfamily can evolve? To solve this, we developed a new model, in which ectopic recombination is restricted between two types under some condition, for example, accumulation of mutations between them. Under this model, because selection works on the copy number of each types separately, two types can be maintained for a long time. As expected, our simulations demonstrated that a new type arises and persists quite stably, and that it will be recognized as a new subfamily followed by further accumulation of mutations. It is indicated that how ectopic recombination is regulated in a genome is an important factor for the evolution of a new subfamily.

Arp2/3 and Unc45 maintain heterochromatin stability in Drosophila polytene chromosomes

Repairing DNA double-strand breaks is particularly challenging in pericentromeric heterochromatin, where the abundance of repeated sequences exacerbates the risk of ectopic recombination. In Drosophila Kc cells, accurate homologous recombination repair of heterochromatic double-strand breaks relies on the relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment and strand invasion. This movement is driven by Arp2/3-dependent nuclear actin filaments and myosins’ ability to walk along them. Conserved mechanisms enable the relocalization of heterochromatic repair sites in mouse cells, and defects in these pathways lead to massive ectopic recombination in heterochromatin and chromosome rearrangements. In Drosophila polytene chromosomes, extensive DNA movement is blocked by a stiff structure of chromosome bundles. Repair pathways in this context are poorly characterized, and whether heterochromatic double-strand breaks relocalize in these cells is unknown. Here, we show that damage in heterochromatin results in relaxation of the heterochromatic chromocenter, consistent with a dynamic response. Arp2/3, the Arp2/3 activator Scar, and the myosin activator Unc45, are required for heterochromatin stability in polytene cells, suggesting that relocalization enables heterochromatin repair also in this tissue. Together, these studies reveal critical roles for actin polymerization and myosin motors in heterochromatin repair and genome stability across different organisms and tissue types. Impact statement Heterochromatin relies on dedicated pathways for ‘safe’ recombinational repair. In mouse and fly cultured cells, DNA double-strand break repair requires the movement of damaged sites away from the heterochromatin ‘domain’ via nuclear actin filaments and myosins. Here, we explore the importance of these pathways in Drosophila salivary gland cells, which feature a stiff bundle of endoreduplicated polytene chromosomes. Repair pathways in polytene chromosomes are largely obscure and how nuclear dynamics operate in this context is unknown. We show that heterochromatin relaxes in response to damage, and relocalization pathways are necessary to prevent abnormal repair and promote the stability of heterochromatic sequences. These results deepen our understanding of DNA damage response mechanisms in polytene chromosomes, revealing unexpected dynamics. It also provides a first understanding of nuclear dynamics responding to replication damage and rDNA breaks, providing a new understanding of the importance of nuclear architecture in genome stability. We expect these discoveries will shed light on tumorigenic processes, including therapy-induced cancer relapses.

Arp2/3 and Unc45 maintain heterochromatin stability in Drosophila polytene chromosomes

Repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is particularly challenging in pericentromeric heterochromatin, where the abundance of repeated sequences exacerbates the risk of ectopic recombination. InDrosophilaKc cells, accurate homologous recombination (HR) repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on the relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment and strand invasion. This movement is driven by Arp2/3-dependent nuclear actin filaments and myosins’ ability to walk along them. Conserved mechanisms enable the relocalization of heterochromatic DSBs in mouse cells, and their defects lead to massive ectopic recombination in heterochromatin and chromosome rearrangements. InDrosophilapolytene chromosomes, extensive DNA movement is blocked by a stiff structure of chromosome bundles. Repair pathways in this context are poorly characterized, and whether heterochromatic DSBs relocalize in these cells is unknown. Here, we show that damage in heterochromatin results in relaxation of the heterochromatic chromocenter, consistent with a dynamic response in this structure. Arp2/3, the Arp2/3 activator Scar, and the myosin activator Unc45, are required for heterochromatin stability in polytene cells, suggesting that relocalization enables heterochromatin repair in this tissue. Together, these studies reveal critical roles for actin polymerization and myosin motors in heterochromatin repair and genome stability across different organisms and tissue types.Impact StatementHeterochromatin relies on dedicated pathways for ‘safe’ recombinational repair. In mouse and fly cultured cells, DNA repair requires the movement of repair sites away from the heterochromatin ‘domain’vianuclear actin filaments and myosins. Here, we explore the importance of these pathways inDrosophilasalivary gland cells, which feature a stiff bundle of endoreduplicated polytene chromosomes. Repair pathways in polytene chromosomes are largely obscure and how nuclear dynamics operate in this context is unknown. We show that heterochromatin relaxes in response to damage, and relocalization pathways are necessary for repair and stability of heterochromatic sequences. This deepens our understanding of repair mechanisms in polytenes, revealing unexpected dynamics. It also provides a first understanding of nuclear dynamics responding to replication damage or rDNA breaks, providing a new understanding of the importance of the nucleoskeleton in genome stability. We expect these discoveries to shed light on tumorigenic processes, including therapy-induced cancer relapses.

DNA damage response clamp loader Rad24(Rad17) and Mec1(ATR) kinase have distinct functions in regulating meiotic crossovers

Crossover (CO) recombination is essential for chromosome segregation during meiosis I. The number and distribution of COs are tightly regulated during meiosis. CO control includes CO assurance and CO interference, which guarantee at least one CO per a bivalent and evenly-spaced CO distribution, respectively. Previous studies showed the role of DNA damage response (DDR) clamp and its loader in efficient formation of meiotic COs by promoting the recruitment of a pro-CO protein Zip3 and interhomolog recombination, and also by suppressing ectopic recombination. In this study, by classical tetrad analysis ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, we showed that a mutant defective in theRAD24 gene(RAD17in other organisms), which encodes the DDR clamp loader, displayed reduced CO frequencies on two shorter chromosomes (IIIandV) but not on a long chromosome (chromosomeVII). The residual COs in therad24mutant do not show interference. In contrast to therad24mutant, mutants defective in the ATR kinase homolog Mec1/Esr1, including amec1null and amec1kinase-dead mutant, show little or no defect in CO frequency. On the other hand,mec1COs show defects in interference, similar to therad24mutant. Moreover, CO formation and its control are implemented in a chromosome-specific manner, which may reflect a role for chromosome size in regulation.