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April 21, 2020

Long-read sequencing for rare human genetic diseases.

During the past decade, the search for pathogenic mutations in rare human genetic diseases has involved huge efforts to sequence coding regions, or the entire genome, using massively parallel short-read sequencers. However, the approximate current diagnostic rate is <50% using these approaches, and there remain many rare genetic diseases with unknown cause. There may be many reasons for this, but one plausible explanation is that the responsible mutations are in regions of the genome that are difficult to sequence using conventional technologies (e.g., tandem-repeat expansion or complex chromosomal structural aberrations). Despite the drawbacks of high cost and a shortage of standard analytical methods, several studies have analyzed pathogenic changes in the genome using long-read sequencers. The results of these studies provide hope that further application of long-read sequencers to identify the causative mutations in unsolved genetic diseases may expand our understanding of the human genome and diseases. Such approaches may also be applied to molecular diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for patients with genetic diseases in the future.


April 21, 2020

Improved assembly and variant detection of a haploid human genome using single-molecule, high-fidelity long reads.

The sequence and assembly of human genomes using long-read sequencing technologies has revolutionized our understanding of structural variation and genome organization. We compared the accuracy, continuity, and gene annotation of genome assemblies generated from either high-fidelity (HiFi) or continuous long-read (CLR) datasets from the same complete hydatidiform mole human genome. We find that the HiFi sequence data assemble an additional 10% of duplicated regions and more accurately represent the structure of tandem repeats, as validated with orthogonal analyses. As a result, an additional 5 Mbp of pericentromeric sequences are recovered in the HiFi assembly, resulting in a 2.5-fold increase in the NG50 within 1 Mbp of the centromere (HiFi 480.6 kbp, CLR 191.5 kbp). Additionally, the HiFi genome assembly was generated in significantly less time with fewer computational resources than the CLR assembly. Although the HiFi assembly has significantly improved continuity and accuracy in many complex regions of the genome, it still falls short of the assembly of centromeric DNA and the largest regions of segmental duplication using existing assemblers. Despite these shortcomings, our results suggest that HiFi may be the most effective standalone technology for de novo assembly of human genomes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.


April 21, 2020

Precise temporal regulation of Dux is important for embryo development.

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) following fertilization is accomplished through a process termed the maternal-to-zygotic transition, during which the maternal RNAs and proteins are degraded and zygotic genome is transcriptionally activated.1 In mice, minor ZGA occurs from S phase of the zygote to G1 phase of the two-cell (2C) embryo, while major ZGA takes place during the middle-to-late 2C stage with a burst of transcription of totipotent cleavage stage-specific genes and retrotransposons.2Dux has been recently identified and considered as a master inducer that regulates the ZGA process.3–5Dux can directly bind and robustly activate 2C stage-specific ZGA transcripts and convert mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to a 2C-like state with unique features that resembles the 2C embryos.4Intriguingly, ~20% embryos with zygotic depletion of Dux unexpectedly reached morula or blastocyst stage even though defective ZGA program was detected.


April 21, 2020

DART-seq: an antibody-free method for global m6A detection.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a widespread RNA modification that influences nearly every aspect of the messenger RNA lifecycle. Our understanding of m6A has been facilitated by the development of global m6A mapping methods, which use antibodies to immunoprecipitate methylated RNA. However, these methods have several limitations, including high input RNA requirements and cross-reactivity to other RNA modifications. Here, we present DART-seq (deamination adjacent to RNA modification targets), an antibody-free method for detecting m6A sites. In DART-seq, the cytidine deaminase APOBEC1 is fused to the m6A-binding YTH domain. APOBEC1-YTH expression in cells induces C-to-U deamination at sites adjacent to m6A residues, which are detected using standard RNA-seq. DART-seq identifies thousands of m6A sites in cells from as little as 10?ng of total RNA and can detect m6A accumulation in cells over time. Additionally, we use long-read DART-seq to gain insights into m6A distribution along the length of individual transcripts.


April 21, 2020

Tandem repeats lead to sequence assembly errors and impose multi-level challenges for genome and protein databases.

The widespread occurrence of repetitive stretches of DNA in genomes of organisms across the tree of life imposes fundamental challenges for sequencing, genome assembly, and automated annotation of genes and proteins. This multi-level problem can lead to errors in genome and protein databases that are often not recognized or acknowledged. As a consequence, end users working with sequences with repetitive regions are faced with ‘ready-to-use’ deposited data whose trustworthiness is difficult to determine, let alone to quantify. Here, we provide a review of the problems associated with tandem repeat sequences that originate from different stages during the sequencing-assembly-annotation-deposition workflow, and that may proliferate in public database repositories affecting all downstream analyses. As a case study, we provide examples of the Atlantic cod genome, whose sequencing and assembly were hindered by a particularly high prevalence of tandem repeats. We complement this case study with examples from other species, where mis-annotations and sequencing errors have propagated into protein databases. With this review, we aim to raise the awareness level within the community of database users, and alert scientists working in the underlying workflow of database creation that the data they omit or improperly assemble may well contain important biological information valuable to others. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.


April 21, 2020

The bracteatus pineapple genome and domestication of clonally propagated crops.

Domestication of clonally propagated crops such as pineapple from South America was hypothesized to be a ‘one-step operation’. We sequenced the genome of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus CB5 and assembled 513?Mb into 25 chromosomes with 29,412 genes. Comparison of the genomes of CB5, F153 and MD2 elucidated the genomic basis of fiber production, color formation, sugar accumulation and fruit maturation. We also resequenced 89 Ananas genomes. Cultivars ‘Smooth Cayenne’ and ‘Queen’ exhibited ancient and recent admixture, while ‘Singapore Spanish’ supported a one-step operation of domestication. We identified 25 selective sweeps, including a strong sweep containing a pair of tandemly duplicated bromelain inhibitors. Four candidate genes for self-incompatibility were linked in F153, but were not functional in self-compatible CB5. Our findings support the coexistence of sexual recombination and a one-step operation in the domestication of clonally propagated crops. This work guides the exploration of sexual and asexual domestication trajectories in other clonally propagated crops.


April 21, 2020

Chryseobacterium mulctrae sp. nov., isolated from raw cow’s milk.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterial strain, designated CA10T, was isolated from bovine raw milk sampled in Anseong, Republic of Korea. Cells were yellow-pigmented, aerobic, non-motile bacilli and grew optimally at 30?°C and pH 7.0 on tryptic soy agar without supplementation of NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain CA10T belonged to the genus Chryseobacterium, family Flavobacteriaceae, and was most closely related to Chryseobacterium indoltheticum ATCC 27950T (98.75?% similarity). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain CA10T were 94.4 and 56.9?%, respectively, relative to Chryseobacterium scophthalmum DSM 16779T, being lower than the cut-off values of 95-96?and 70?%, respectively. The predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6; major polar lipid, phosphatidylethanolamine; major fatty acids, iso-C15?:?0, summed feature 9 (iso-C17?:?1?9c and/or C16?:?0 10-methyl), summed feature 3 (iso-C15?:?0 2-OH and/or C16?:?1?7c) and iso-C17?:?0 3-OH. The results of physiological, chemotaxonomic and biochemical analyses suggested that strain CA10T is a novel species of genus Chryseobacterium, for which the name Chryseobacterium mulctrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CA10T (=KACC 21234T=JCM 33443T).


April 21, 2020

Allopseudarcicella aquatilis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from freshwater.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and red-pigmented strain, HME7025T, was isolated from freshwater sampled in the Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain HME7025T formed a lineage within the family Cytophagaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes. Strain HME7025T was closely related to the genera Pseudarcicella, Arcicella and Flectobacillus. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of strain HME7025T were under 94.5?% to its closest phylogenetic neighbours. The major fatty acids of strain HME7025T were iso-C15?:?0 (41.9?%), summed feature 3 (comprising C16?:?1?7c and/or C16?:?1?6c; 12.2?%) and anteiso-C15?:?0 (10.8?%). The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids and one unidentified polar lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain HME7025T was 37.9?mol%. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, strain HME7025T represents a novel species of a novel genus within the family Cytophagaceae, for which the name Allopseudarcicella aquatilis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HME7025T (=KCTC 23617T=CECT 7957T).


April 21, 2020

Characterization of Reference Materials for Genetic Testing of CYP2D6 Alleles: A GeT-RM Collaborative Project.

Pharmacogenetic testing increasingly is available from clinical and research laboratories. However, only a limited number of quality control and other reference materials currently are available for the complex rearrangements and rare variants that occur in the CYP2D6 gene. To address this need, the Division of Laboratory Systems, CDC-based Genetic Testing Reference Material Coordination Program, in collaboration with members of the pharmacogenetic testing and research communities and the Coriell Cell Repositories (Camden, NJ), has characterized 179 DNA samples derived from Coriell cell lines. Testing included the recharacterization of 137 genomic DNAs that were genotyped in previous Genetic Testing Reference Material Coordination Program studies and 42 additional samples that had not been characterized previously. DNA samples were distributed to volunteer testing laboratories for genotyping using a variety of commercially available and laboratory-developed tests. These publicly available samples will support the quality-assurance and quality-control programs of clinical laboratories performing CYP2D6 testing.Published by Elsevier Inc.


April 21, 2020

Complete genome sequence of Antarcticibacterium flavum JB01H24T from an Antarctic marine sediment

Antarcticibacterium flavum JB01H24T was isolated from a marine sediment of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Whole-genome sequencing of the strain Antarcticibacterium flavum JB01H24T was achieved using PacBio RS II platform. The resulting complete genome comprised of one closed, complete chromosome of 4,319,074 base pairs with a 40.87% G?+?C content, where genomic analyses demonstrated that it is constituted mostly by putative ORFs with unknown functions, representing a novel genetic feature. It is the first complete genome sequence of the Antarcticibacterium strain.


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