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Asset Tag: Plant and Animal Sciences,

July 7, 2019

Convergent evolution of Y chromosome gene content in flies.

Sex-chromosomes have formed repeatedly across Diptera from ordinary autosomes, and X-chromosomes mostly conserve their ancestral genes. Y-chromosomes are characterized by abundant gene-loss and an accumulation of repetitive DNA, yet the nature of the gene repertoire of fly Y-chromosomes is largely unknown. Here we trace gene-content evolution of Y-chromosomes across 22 Diptera species, using a subtraction pipeline that infers Y genes from male and female genome, and transcriptome data. Few genes remain on old Y-chromosomes, but the number of inferred Y-genes varies substantially between species. Young Y-chromosomes still show clear evidence of their autosomal origins, but most genes on old Y-chromosomes are not simply remnants of genes originally present on the proto-sex-chromosome that escaped degeneration, but instead were recruited secondarily from autosomes. Despite almost no overlap in Y-linked gene content in different species with independently formed sex-chromosomes, we find that Y-linked genes have evolved convergent gene functions associated with testis expression. Thus, male-specific selection appears as a dominant force shaping gene-content evolution of Y-chromosomes across fly species.While X-chromosome gene content tends to be conserved, Y-chromosome evolution is dynamic and difficult to reconstruct. Here, Mahajan and Bachtrog use a subtraction pipeline to identify Y-linked genes in 22 Diptera species, revealing patterns of Y-chromosome gene-content evolution.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strain KM014, a clinical isolate from South Korea.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the etiological agent of swine enzootic pneumonia, resulting in considerable economic losses in the swine industry. A few genome sequences of M. hyopneumoniae have been reported to date, implying that additional genome data are needed for further genetic studies. Here, we present the annotated genome sequence of M. hyopneumoniae strain KM014. Copyright © 2017 Han et al.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome of Arthrobacter alpinus strain R3.8, bioremediation potential unraveled with genomic analysis.

Arthrobacter alpinus R3.8 is a psychrotolerant bacterial strain isolated from a soil sample obtained at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, close to the Antarctic Peninsula. Strain R3.8 was sequenced in order to help discover potential cold active enzymes with biotechnological applications. Genome analysis identified various cold adaptation genes including some coding for anti-freeze proteins and cold-shock proteins, genes involved in bioremediation of xenobiotic compounds including naphthalene, and genes with chitinolytic and N-acetylglucosamine utilization properties and also plant-growth-influencing properties. In this genome report, we present a complete genome sequence of A. alpinus strain R3.8 and its annotation data, which will facilitate exploitation of potential novel cold-active enzymes.

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July 7, 2019

Multiple hybrid de novo genome assembly of finger millet, an orphan allotetraploid crop.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is an important crop for food security because of its tolerance to drought, which is expected to be exacerbated by global climate changes. Nevertheless, it is often classified as an orphan/underutilized crop because of the paucity of scientific attention. Among several small millets, finger millet is considered as an excellent source of essential nutrient elements, such as iron and zinc; hence, it has potential as an alternate coarse cereal. However, high-quality genome sequence data of finger millet are currently not available. One of the major problems encountered in the genome assembly of this species was its polyploidy, which hampers genome assembly compared with a diploid genome. To overcome this problem, we sequenced its genome using diverse technologies with sufficient coverage and assembled it via a novel multiple hybrid assembly workflow that combines next-generation with single-molecule sequencing, followed by whole-genome optical mapping using the Bionano Irys® system. The total number of scaffolds was 1,897 with an N50 length?>2.6?Mb and detection of 96% of the universal single-copy orthologs. The majority of the homeologs were assembled separately. This indicates that the proposed workflow is applicable to the assembly of other allotetraploid genomes.© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease-causing Vibrio campbellii LA16-V1, isolated from Penaeus vannamei cultured in a Latin American country.

We report here the complete genome sequence of Vibrio campbellii, isolated from Penaeus vannamei cultured in a Latin American country. The Tn3-like transposon and pirAB genes were encoded on the plasmid pLA16-2. These data support the geographical variations in the virulence plasmid found among acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND)-causing Vibrio isolates from Latin America and Asia. Copyright © 2017 Ahn et al.

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July 7, 2019

Is sex irreplaceable? Towards the molecular regulation of apomixis

Apomixis, defined as the asexual plant reproduction through seeds that results in the production of genetically uniform progeny and a natural way of cloning. Currently there are more than 400 plant species known to use apomixis as a strategy for their propagation. The primary fundamental aspects of apomixis are the bypassing of meiosis and parthenogenetic development of the embryo without fertilization. Apomixis attracts special attention because of its potential value for agriculture, as it could be harnessed for plant breeding programs enabling the permanent fixation of heterosis in crop plants. A better understanding of the molecular and genetic regulation of apomixis is important for developmental and evolutionary perspectives but also for implementation of engineering of apomixis traits into agricultural crop plants. Despite apomixis is considered as one of the key technologies for the improving agriculture, but currently how genetic and molecular regulation of this important trait occurs is not fully known. Recent information on the biology of apomixis and genes and genetic loci associated with the regulation of different components of apomixis is provided in the present review.

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July 7, 2019

Genome sequences for multiple Clavibacter strains from different subspecies.

The Gram-positive genus Clavibacter harbors economically important plant pathogens infecting a variety of agricultural crops, such as potato, tomato, corn, barley, etc. Here, we report five new genome sequences, those of strains CFIA-Cs3N, CFIA-CsR14, LMG 3663(T), LMG 7333(T), and ATCC 33566(T), from different subspecies of Clavibacter michiganensis All these genomic data will be used for reclassification and niche-adapted feature comparisons.© Crown copyright 2017.

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July 7, 2019

Echinobase: an expanding resource for echinoderm genomic information

Echinobase, a web accessible information system of diverse genomics and biological data for the echinoderm clade, grew out of SpBase, the first echinoderm genome project for sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Sea urchins and their relatives are utilitarian research models in fields ranging from marine biology to developmental biology and gene regulatory systems. Echinobase is a user-friendly web interface that links an array of biological data that would otherwise have been tedious and frustrating for researchers to extract and organize. The system hosts a powerful gene search engine, genomics browser and other bioinformatics tools to investigate genomics and high throughput data. The Echinobase information system now serves genomic information for eight echinoderm species: S. purpuratus, Strongylocentrotus fransciscanus, Allocentrotus fragilis, Lytechinus variegatus, Patiria miniata, Parastichopus parvimensis and Ophiothrix spiculata, Eucidaris tribuloides. Herein lies a description of the web information system, genomics data types and content hosted by Echinobase.org. The goal of Echinobase is to connect genomic information to various experimental data and accelerate the research in field of molecular biology, developmental process, gene regulatory networks and more recently engineering biological systems0.

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July 7, 2019

Genome sequence and composition of a tolyporphin-producing cyanobacterium-microbial community.

The cyanobacterial culture HT-58-2 was originally described as a strain of Tolypothrix nodosa with the ability to produce tolyporphins, which comprise a family of distinct tetrapyrrole macrocycles with reported efflux pump inhibition properties. Upon reviving the culture from what was thought to be a nonextant collection, studies of culture conditions, strain characterization, phylogeny, and genomics have been undertaken. Here, HT-58-2 was shown by 16S rRNA analysis to closely align with Brasilonema strains and not with Tolypothrix isolates. Light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy revealed cyanobacterium filaments that are decorated with attached bacteria and associated with free bacteria. Metagenomic surveys of HT-58-2 cultures revealed a diversity of bacteria dominated by Erythrobacteraceae, 97% of which are Porphyrobacter species. A dimethyl sulfoxide washing procedure was found to yield enriched cyanobacterial DNA (presumably by removing community bacteria) and sequence data sufficient for genome assembly. The finished, closed HT-58-2Cyano genome consists of 7.85 Mbp (42.6% G+C) and contains 6,581 genes. All genes for biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles (e.g., heme, chlorophyll a, and phycocyanobilin) and almost all for cobalamin were identified dispersed throughout the chromosome. Among the 6,177 protein-encoding genes, coding sequences (CDSs) for all but two of the eight enzymes for conversion of glutamic acid to protoporphyrinogen IX also were found within one major gene cluster. The cluster also includes 10 putative genes (and one hypothetical gene) encoding proteins with domains for a glycosyltransferase, two cytochrome P450 enzymes, and a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding protein. The composition of the gene cluster suggests a possible role in tolyporphin biosynthesis. IMPORTANCE A worldwide search more than 25 years ago for cyanobacterial natural products with anticancer activity identified a culture (HT-58-2) from Micronesia that produces tolyporphins. Tolyporphins are tetrapyrroles, like chlorophylls, but have several profound structural differences that reside outside the bounds of known biosynthetic pathways. To begin probing the biosynthetic origin and biological function of tolyporphins, our research has focused on studying the cyanobacterial strain, about which almost nothing has been previously reported. We find that the HT-58-2 culture is composed of the cyanobacterium and a community of associated bacteria, complicating the question of which organisms make tolyporphins. Elucidation of the cyanobacterial genome revealed an intriguing gene cluster that contains tetrapyrrole biosynthesis genes and a collection of unknown genes, suggesting that the cluster may be responsible for tolyporphin production. Knowledge of the genome and the gene cluster sharply focuses research to identify related cyanobacterial producers of tolyporphins and delineate the tolyporphin biosynthetic pathway. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

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July 7, 2019

A high-quality genome assembly of quinoa provides insights into the molecular basis of salt bladder-based salinity tolerance and the exceptional nutritional value.

Chenopodium quinoa is a halophytic pseudocereal crop that is being cultivated in an ever-growing number of countries. Because quinoa is highly resistant to multiple abiotic stresses and its seed has a better nutritional value than any other major cereals, it is regarded as a future crop to ensure global food security. We generated a high-quality genome draft using an inbred line of the quinoa cultivar Real. The quinoa genome experienced one recent genome duplication about 4.3 million years ago, likely reflecting the genome fusion of two Chenopodium parents, in addition to the ? paleohexaploidization reported for most eudicots. The genome is highly repetitive (64.5% repeat content) and contains 54 438 protein-coding genes and 192 microRNA genes, with more than 99.3% having orthologous genes from glycophylic species. Stress tolerance in quinoa is associated with the expansion of genes involved in ion and nutrient transport, ABA homeostasis and signaling, and enhanced basal-level ABA responses. Epidermal salt bladder cells exhibit similar characteristics as trichomes, with a significantly higher expression of genes related to energy import and ABA biosynthesis compared with the leaf lamina. The quinoa genome sequence provides insights into its exceptional nutritional value and the evolution of halophytes, enabling the identification of genes involved in salinity tolerance, and providing the basis for molecular breeding in quinoa.

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July 7, 2019

Building a locally diploid genome and transcriptome of the diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus.

The genome of the cold-adapted diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus is characterized by highly diverged haplotypes that intersperse its homozygous genome. Here, we describe how a combination of PacBio DNA and Illumina RNA sequencing can be used to resolve this complex genomic landscape locally into the highly diverged haplotypes, and how to map various environmentally controlled transcripts onto individual haplotypes. We assembled PacBio sequence data with the FALCON assembler and created a haplotype resolved annotation of the assembly using annotations of a Sanger sequenced F. cylindrus genome. RNA-seq datasets from six different growth conditions were used to resolve allele-specifc gene expression in F. cylindrus. This approach enables to study differential expression of alleles in a complex genomic landscape and provides a useful tool to study how diverged haplotypes in diploid organisms are used for adaptation and evolution to highly variable environments.

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July 7, 2019

Gene losses and partial deletion of small single-copy regions of the chloroplast genomes of two hemiparasitic Taxillus species.

Numerous variations are known to occur in the chloroplast genomes of parasitic plants. We determined the complete chloroplast genome sequences of two hemiparasitic species, Taxillus chinensis and T. sutchuenensis, using Illumina and PacBio sequencing technologies. These species are the first members of the family Loranthaceae to be sequenced. The complete chloroplast genomes of T. chinensis and T. sutchuenensis comprise circular 121,363 and 122,562 bp-long molecules with quadripartite structures, respectively. Compared with the chloroplast genomes of Nicotiana tabacum and Osyris alba, all ndh genes as well as three ribosomal protein genes, seven tRNA genes, four ycf genes, and the infA gene of these two species have been lost. The results of the maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees strongly support the theory that Loranthaceae and Viscaceae are monophyletic clades. This research reveals the effect of a parasitic lifestyle on the chloroplast structure and genome content of T. chinensis and T. sutchuenensis, and enhances our understanding of the discrepancies in terms of assembly results between Illumina and PacBio.

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