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Heteroplasmy and organelle gene dynamics.

This study assesses factors that influence the rates of change of organelle gene diversity and the maintenance of heteroplasmy. Losses of organelle gene diversity within individuals via vegetative segregation during ontogeny are paramount to resultant spatial and temporal patterns. Steady-state losses of organelle variation from the zygote to the gametes are determined by the effective number of organelles, which will be approximately equal to the number of intracellular organelles if random segregation prevails. Both rapid increases in organelle number after zygote formation and reductions at germ lines will reduce variation within individuals. Terminal reductions in organelles must be to very low copy numbers (<5) for substantial losses in variation to occur rapidly. Nonrandom clonal expansion and vegetative segregation during gametogenesis may be effective in reducing genetic variation in gametes. If organelles are uniparentally inherited, the asymptotic expectations for effective numbers of gametes and spatial differentiation will be identical for homoplasmic and heteroplasmic conditions. The rate of attainment of asymptote for heteroplasmic organelles, however, is governed by the rate of loss of variation during ontogeny. With sex-biased dispersal, the effective number of gametes is maximized when the proportional contributions of the sex having the higher dispersal rate are low.

Animals↗

Functional and molecular reorganization of the nucleolar apparatus in maturing mouse oocytes.

In mammalian preovulatory oocytes, rRNA synthesis is down-regulated until egg fertilization and zygotic genome reactivation, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms of this phenomenon are poorly characterized. We examined the molecular organization of the rRNA synthesis and processing machineries in fully grown mouse oocytes in relation to ongoing rDNA transcription and oocyte progression throughout meiosis. We show that, at the germinal vesicle stage, the two RNA polymerase I (RNA pol I) subunits, RPA116 and PAF53/RPA53, and the nucleolar upstream binding factor (UBF) remain present irrespective of ongoing rDNA transcription and colocalize in stoichiometric amounts within discrete foci at the periphery of the nucleolus-like bodies. These foci are spatially associated with the early pre-rRNA processing protein fibrillarin and in part with the pre-ribosome assembly factor B23/nucleophosmin. After germinal vesicle breakdown, the RNA pol I complex disassembles in a step-wise manner from chromosomes, while UBF remains associated with chromosomes until late prometaphase I. Dislodging of UBF, but not of RNA pol I, is impaired by the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, thus strengthening the idea of a relationship between UBF dynamics and protein phosphorylation. Since neither RNA pol I, UBF, fibrillarin, nor B23 is detected at metaphase II, i.e., the normal stage of fertilization, we conclude that these nucleolar proteins are not transported to fertilized eggs by maternal chromosomes. Together, these data demonstrate an essential difference in the dynamics of the major nucleolar proteins during mitosis and meiosis.

Animals↗

Adeno-associated virus effectively mediates conditional gene modification in the brain.

The Cre/loxP system is increasingly showing promise for investigating genes involved in neural function. Here, we demonstrate that in vivo modification of genes in the mouse brain can be accomplished in a spatial- and temporal-specific manner by targeted delivery of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding a green fluorescent protein/Cre recombinase (GFP/Cre) fusion protein. By using a reporter mouse, in which Cre recombinase activates beta-galactosidase expression, we demonstrate long-term recombination of neurons in the hippocampus, striatum, and septum as early as 7 days after stereotaxic injection of virus. Recombined cells were observed for at least 6 months postinjection without evidence of cell loss or neural damage. AAV-mediated delivery of GFP/Cre provides a valuable approach to alter the mouse genome, as AAV delivers genes efficiently to neurons with low toxicity. This approach will greatly facilitate the study of genetic modifications in the mouse brain.

Animals↗

Role of paired basic residues of protein C-termini in phospholipid binding.

It is a well known phenomenon that the occurrence of several distinct amino acids at the C-terminus of proteins is non-random. We have analysed all Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins predicted by computer databases and found lysine to be the most frequent residue both at the last (-1) and at the penultimate amino acid (-2) positions. To test the hypothesis that C-terminal basic residues efficiently bind to phospholipids we randomly expressed GST-fusion proteins from a yeast genomic library. Fifty-four different peptide fragments were found to bind phospholipids and 40% of them contained lysine/arginine residues at the (-1) or (-2) positions. One peptide showed high sequence similarity with the yeast protein Sip18p. Mutational analysis revealed that both C-terminal lysine residues of Sip18p are essential for phospholipid-binding in vitro. We assume that basic amino acid residues at the (-1) and (-2) positions in C-termini are suitable to attach the C-terminus of a given protein to membrane components such as phospholipids, thereby stabilizing the spatial structure of the protein or contributing to its subcellular localization. This mechanism could be an additional explanation for the C-terminal amino acid bias observed in proteins of several species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Persistence of selected Spartina alterniflora rhizoplane diazotrophs exposed to natural and manipulated environmental variability.

Rhizoplane-rhizosphere nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) are thought to provide a major source of biologically available nitrogen in salt marshes dominated by Spartina alterniflora. Compositional and functional stability has been demonstrated for this important functional group; however, the quantitative responses of specific diazotroph populations to environmental variability have not been assessed. Changes in the relative abundances of selected rhizoplane diazotrophs in response to long-term fertilization were monitored quantitatively by reverse sample genome probing. Fertilization stimulated Spartina, with plant height nearly tripling after 1 year. Fertilization also resulted in significant changes in interstitial porewater parameters. Diazotrophic activity (acetylene reduction assay) was sensitive to the fertilization treatments and was inhibited in some plots on several sampling dates. However, inhibition was never consistent across all of the replicates within a treatment and activity always recovered. The rhizoplane diazotrophs were quite responsive to environmental variability and to experimental treatments, but none were displaced by either environmental variability or experimental treatments. All strains were detected consistently throughout this study, and extensive spatial heterogeneity in the distribution patterns of these organisms was observed. The physiological traits that differentiate the diazotroph populations presumably support competitiveness and niche specialization, resulting in the observed resilience of the diazotroph populations in the rhizosphere.

Acetylene↗

Deep learning techniques in predicting BRAF mutation status in cutaneous melanoma from histopathologic images.

AIMS: To develop and validate a deep learning framework for discriminating BRAF mutation status in cutaneous melanoma from routine H&E whole-slide images (WSIs) as a proof-of-concept complementary approach alongside molecular testing. METHODS: We built a two-stage pipeline comprising U-Net-based tumour segmentation followed by an Inception v3 classifier. In total, 272 institutional melanoma cases with confirmed BRAF status were used for model development (training and internal validation). Generalisability was assessed in an external test set of 76 cutaneous melanoma cases from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Dermatopathologist-defined tumour-rich regions of interest were used to train and evaluate segmentation. WSIs were processed at 20&#xd7;magnification using 512&#xd7;512 tiles; slide-level mutation probabilities were obtained by averaging the predicted probabilities across all tumour-enriched tiles. RESULTS: Inception v3 achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.973 (training), 0.954 (validation) and 0.915 (TCGA testing) and outperformed a ResNet50 baseline, showing stable external generalisation. Performance remained robust in advanced pathological T-category primary tumours (pT3-T4). Tumour probability heatmaps supported spatial interpretability by localising regions contributing most strongly to predicted mutation status. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning applied to routine H&E WSIs can infer BRAF mutation status in cutaneous melanoma with consistent performance across institutional and external cohorts. Given the observed external sensitivity and negative predictive value, the model is not suitable for rule-out use or for deferring/omitting molecular testing. Any workflow integration is future work and would require prospective validation and calibration of probability outputs in real-world clinical series.

Artificial Intelligence↗

Cis-regulatory elements in the Accord retrotransposon result in tissue-specific expression of the Drosophila melanogaster insecticide resistance gene Cyp6g1.

Transposable elements are a major mutation source and powerful agents of adaptive change. Some transposable element insertions in genomes increase to a high frequency because of the selective advantage the mutant phenotype provides. Cyp6g1-mediated insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster is due to the upregulation of the cytochrome P450 gene Cyp6g1, leading to the resistance to a variety of insecticide classes. The upregulation of Cyp6g1 is correlated with the presence of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of an Accord retrotransposon inserted 291bp upstream of the Cyp6g1 transcription start site. This resistant allele (DDT-R) is currently at a high frequency in D. melanogaster populations around the world. Here, we characterize the spatial expression of Cyp6g1 in insecticide-resistant and -susceptible strains. We show that the Accord LTR insertion is indeed the resistance-associated mutation and demonstrate that the Accord LTR carries regulatory sequences that increase the expression of Cyp6g1 in tissues important for detoxification, the midgut, Malpighian tubules, and the fat body. This study provides a significant example of how changes in tissue-specific gene expression caused by transposable-element insertions can contribute to adaptation.

Adaptation, Biological↗

Enhancer elements share local homologous twist-angle variations with a helical periodicity.

Several experiments have shown that some enhancers can be exchanged between different genomes. The transferred enhancers were functional (cf. Levinson, B., Khoury, G., Vande Woude, G. and Gruss, P. (1982) Nature 295, 568-572). This argues that these exchanged fragments are recognized as enhancers and possess some common characteristics which other sequences lack. Extensive comparisons of enhancers yielded only very limited nucleotide sequence homology, which appears to be insufficient for enhancer recognition. We suggest that the enhancers located and sequenced to date have recurring, periodic homologous twist-angle (tg) patterns. This helical periodicity and the symmetric nature of the repeating twist-angle features present a recurring spatial geometry. It also offers a possible explanation of the fact that inverted enhancers are still functional. Regions of large twist, roll or main-chain torsion angle delta deviations from regular B-DNA may facilitate enhancer recognition especially when distant from promoter elements. Tissue specificity may be encoded in additional sequence or structural features.

Animals↗

Murine tenascin: cDNA cloning, structure and temporal expression of isoforms.

Mouse tenascin (TN)-encoding cDNA clones were isolated from a cDNA library of the 2H6GR mammary tumor cell line. Nucleotide (nt) and deduced amino acid (aa) sequences revealed the characteristic primary structure, which begins with a signal peptide and TN unique sequences, follows with 14 1/2 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and 13 fibronectin type-III repeats (FN repeat), and concludes with fibrinogen-homologous sequences. Similar to chicken and human TN, the mouse TN cDNA contains five consecutive insertional FN repeats, as well as eight constitutive FN repeats. Three different cDNA clones that may have been generated by alternative splicing of these insertional FN repeats were identified and characterized. Based upon the deduced as sequence, a polyclonal antibody was produced against a synthetic TN peptide. It specifically recognized two TN isoforms of 230 kDNA and 190 kDa in protein extracts of mouse tissues. The tissue distributions of mouse TN mRNAs, revealed by Northern blot analysis, suggest that there is tissue-specific expression of TN isoforms. Two distinct mRNA transcripts (7 kb and 5.5 kg) were detected in brain, skeletal muscle, digestive tract and bladder, but only one was observed in lung, kidney (7 kg) and thymus (5.5 kg). TN mRNA expression was down-regulated 1 month after birth in most tissues. However, the 5.5-kb transcript persisted in cerebellum, thymus, and colon. The spatial and temporal patterns of TN expression seem to be controlled at the level of transcription, because analysis of various tissues by Western blots showed the same pattern as that seen in Northern blots.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The upstream regulatory region of the gene for the human homologue of the adhesion molecule TAG-1 contains elements driving neural specific expression in vivo.

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) exhibit restricted spatial and temporal expression profiles requiring a tight regulatory program during development. The rodent glycoprotein TAG-1 and its orthologs TAX-1 in the human and axonin-1 in chick are cell adhesion molecules belonging to the contactin/F3 subgroup of the IgSF. TAG-1 is expressed in restricted subsets of central and peripheral neurons, not only during development but also in adulthood, and is implicated in neurite outgrowth, axon guidance and fasciculation, as well as neuronal migration. In an attempt to identify the regulatory elements that guide the neuronal expression of TAG-1, we have isolated genomic clones containing 4 kb of the TAX-1 upstream sequence and used them to drive the expression of the LacZ reporter gene in transgenic mice. We demonstrate that this sequence includes elements not only sufficient to restrict expression to the nervous system, but also to recapitulate to a great extent the endogenous pattern of the TAG-1 expression in the developing CNS.

Aging↗

Electron microscopic heteroduplex mapping identifies regions of the engrailed locus that are conserved between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilis.

Physical localization of mutations in the engrailed (en) gene suggested that at least 70 kilobases (kb) of genomic sequences contribute to the normal function of this gene. Molecular characterization has suggested that en function is encoded in a small, 4.5-kb primary transcript. To identify functional regions within the 70 kb of the en locus of D. melanogaster, we identified sequences conserved in the D. virilis genome (estimated divergence time, 60 million years). Based on homology to D. melanogaster, we isolated en DNA from a D. virilis genomic library. Electron microscopic heteroduplex analysis indicated that in 70 kb there is 20 kb of conserved DNA in 33 different regions dispersed throughout the en locus, including two which encode parts of the major embryonic transcript. The conserved regions are in the same linear order and are spaced by similar lengths of nonconserved sequences in the D. virilis and D. melanogaster DNAs. What functional constraints have enforced conservation of sequences throughout the entire 70 kb and protected the region from divergence of size and arrangement? Our working hypothesis is that sequences necessary for the complex spatial and temporal pattern of en expression are dispersed throughout the 70-kb en locus and that selection for proper regulation restricts evolutionary divergence.

Animals↗

Phylogeographic epidemiology of Dabie bandavirus in East Asia: divergent transmission networks and genotype&#x2011;linked clinical severity.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by Dabie bandavirus (SFTSV), exhibits geographically decoupled incidence and fatality patterns across East Asia. We aimed to elucidate the distinct ecological drivers and phylogeographic dynamics underlying this inland-coastal epidemiological divergence. METHODS: Integrating 1820 high-quality global genomes of SFTSV with well-characterized clinical cohorts (936 patients) and nationwide surveillance data (27,457 cases) from China, we constructed a comprehensive analytical framework. Ecological modeling, Bayesian phylogeography, and genotype-phenotype association analyses were employed to trace the evolutionary trajectories and clinical implications of the virus. RESULTS: A pronounced "inland-high-incidence vs. coastal-high-fatality" pattern of SFTS was identified. The incidence of SFTS exhibited divergent sensitivities to meteorological factors; inland transmission was sensitive to thermal fluctuations, whereas coastal dynamics were constrained by a sunshine threshold (>&#x2009;200&#xa0;h/month). In contrast, spatial divergence in clinical severity correlated with the distribution of regional viral genetic structures. Inland regions mainly co-circulated genotypes A, C, and D, while coastal regions were dominated by genotype B. Zhejiang province was identified as a genetic hub with significantly higher recombination frequencies than inland regions (11.0% vs. 3.5%, P < 0.001). Bayesian phylogeographic inference indicated frequent lineage exchange of Zhejiang province in China with the Republic of Korea and Japan. Clinically, genotypes B and D were associated with elevated mortality in coastal and inland regions, respectively, suggesting that the severe coastal phenotype is shaped by its genotype B-dominated structure. Additionally, the RdRp-N828S mutation emerged as a robust molecular correlate of fatal outcomes, warranting further functional validation. CONCLUSIONS: Divergent meteorological factors and plausible maritime transmission networks may underlie the geographically decoupled epidemiology of SFTS. These findings highlight that risk assessment must extend beyond incidence alone and provide a phylogeographically informed framework for targeted surveillance and genotype-specific interventions in high-risk hotspots.

Humans↗

Analyses of gene flow among populations of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) at sites near hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case-patient residences.

Gene flow and potential for Sin Nombre virus (SNV) trafficking of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) was studied in Delta and Mesa counties of western Colorado (USA). The study areas included Grand Mesa and surrounding grazing and agricultural areas. This area has several natural potential barriers to rodent gene flow, including rivers, cliffs, and mountains. Ten study sites were utilized in a spatially nested design ranging from 0.65-81 km apart; four of these sites were at or near human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) case-patient residences. One HPS case occurred on the north side of Grand Mesa in 1993; the other three (two confirmed, one presumptive) occurred on the south side of Grand Mesa between 1999-2000. Blood and tissue samples were collected from each of 221 deer mice captured from 1999-2000. Blood samples were tested for IgG antibody to SNV. At least one deer mouse had antibody to SNV at nine of 10 sites. Genomic DNA was isolated from tissue samples and alleles at six microsatellite loci were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Polymorphisms were resolved on denaturing polyacrylamide gels and visualized by silver staining. Traditional population genetic analyses of this study indicated moderate population subdivision among the populations surveyed, slight evidence of isolation by distance, and that the Gunnison River system may hinder gene flow in this area. Application of assignment tests indicated that approximately 73-85% of mice were assigned to their population of capture. Many of the misclassifications occurred among sites less than 1 km apart; however, some long-distance misclassifications were noted. Additionally, some misclassifications were noted among study sites on different sides of the Gunnison River system, indicating that the riparian corridor of this system may facilitate some gene flow. Overall, these data indicate that SNV trafficking is more likely at the local level, but some long-distance trafficking may be possible, especially where select habitat variables favor long-distance movements.

Animals↗

Expression patterns of Wnt genes during development of an anterior part of the chicken eye.

To address the roles of Wnts in the development of the anterior eye, we used a chicken model to perform comprehensive expression analysis of all Wnt genes during anterior eye development. In analyzing the available genomic sequences, we found that the chicken genome encodes 18 Wnt proteins that are homologous to corresponding human and mouse proteins. The mRNA sequences for 12 chicken Wnt genes are available in GenBank, and mRNAs for six other Wnt genes (Wnt2, Wnt5b, Wnt7b, Wnt8b, Wnt9b, and Wnt16) were identified and cloned based on the homology to the genes from other species. In addition, we found that chicken Wnt3a and Wnt7b genes encode two alternative mRNA isoforms containing different first exons. Following in situ hybridization, we found that out of 18 Wnt genes, 11 genes were expressed in the anterior eye, exhibiting distinct temporal-spatial patterns. Several Wnts were expressed in the lens, including Wnt2 and Wnt2b in the anterior epithelium and Wnt5a, Wnt5b, Wnt7a, and Wnt7b in the differentiating lens fiber cells. In the cornea, we detected Wnt3a, Wnt6, and Wnt9b in the ocular surface ectoderm, including the corneal epithelium, and Wnt9a in the corneal endothelium from the onset of its differentiation. In the optic cup, Wnt2, Wnt2b, and Wnt9a were localized in the rim of the optic cup (presumptive iris), while Wnt5a and Wnt16 were detected in the ciliary epithelium/iris zone of the differentiated optic cup, and Wnt6 was expressed in the iridial mesenchyme. These data suggest that Wnt signaling might play important roles in anterior eye development.

Animals↗

Structure and neural expression of a zebrafish homeobox sequence.

A genomic library of zebrafish was constructed and screened with homeobox-containing probes. One of the positive clones contains a transcribed region which shares extensive sequence homology with the murine Hox-1.4 and Hox-2.6 genes and the human HHO.c13 gene. Characterization of this zebrafish homologue (ZF-13) with respect to expression demonstrated that it is transcribed during embryogenesis where a major RNA species of 2.5 kb and a minor transcript of 4.6 kb are detected. The highest concentration of both transcripts was found in embryos at the stage of somite formation. By in situ hybridization the spatial localization of expression was analysed in hatching embryos. Hybridization signals were mainly detected throughout the neural tube and in the brain. A small amount of RNA derived from ZF-13 was localized in differentiated muscle cells. Our results suggest that homeobox genes of distantly related vertebrate species are very similar with respect to structure and function.

Animals↗

Evolutionary relationship between Old World West Nile virus strains. Evidence for viral gene flow between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Little is known about the genetic relationships between European and other Old-World strains of West Nile virus (WNV) and persistence of WNV North of Mediterranean. We characterized the complete genomes of three WNV strains from France (horse-2000), Tunisia (human-1997) and Kenya (mosquito-1998), and the envelope, NS3 and NS5 genes of the Koutango virus. Phylogenetic analyses including all available full-length sequences showed that: (1) Koutango virus is a distant variant of WNV; (2) the three characterized strains belong to lineage 1, clade 1a; (3) the Tunisian strain roots the lineage of viruses introduced in North America. We established that currently available partial envelope sequences do not generate reliable phylogenies. Accordingly, establishing a large WNV sequence database is pivotal for the understanding of spatial and temporal epidemiology of this virus. For rapid completion of that purpose, colinearized E-NS3-NS5 gene sequences were shown to constitute a valuable surrogate for complete sequences.

Africa↗

Endogenous betaretroviruses of sheep: teaching new lessons in retroviral interference and adaptation.

The endogenous betaretroviruses of small ruminants offer an excellent model to investigate the biological relevance of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Approximately twenty copies of endogenous betaretroviruses (enJSRVs) are present in the genome of sheep and goats. enJSRVs are highly related to Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) and the Enzootic nasal tumour virus (ENTV), the causative agents of naturally occurring carcinomas of the respiratory tract of sheep. enJSRVs interact/interfere at different levels both with the host and with their exogenous and pathogenic counterparts. enJSRVs blocks the exogenous JSRV replication by a novel two-step interference mechanism acting both early and late during the virus replication cycle. enJSRVs are highly active, they are abundantly and specifically expressed in the epithelium of most of the ovine female reproductive tract. The specific spatial and temporal expression of enJSRVs supports a role in trophoblast development and differentiation as well as conceptus implantation. In addition, enJSRVs are expressed during fetal ontogeny leading to the apparent tolerance of sheep towards the pathogenic JSRV. Thus, the sheep/enJSRVs system is a model that can be utilized to study many different aspects of ERVs and retrovirus biology. The impressive technologies developed to study the sheep reproductive biology, in conjunction with the knowledge gained on the molecular biology of enJSRVs, makes the ovine system an ideal model to design experiments that can functionally address the role of ERVs in mammalian physiology.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Transgenic models in renal tubular physiology.

Animal transgenesis has proven to be useful for physiological as well as physiopathological studies. Besides the classical approach based on the random integration of a DNA construct in the mouse genome, gene targeting can be achieved using totipotent embryonic stem (ES) cells for targeted transgenesis. Transgenic mice are then derived from the transgenic ES cells. This allows the introduction of null mutations in the genome (so-called knock-out) or the control of the transgene expression by the endogenous regulatory sequences of the gene of interest (so-called knock-in). Development of these transgenic animals leads to a better understanding of the cellular function of many genes or to the generation of animal models for human diseases. The purpose of this short review is to describe animal models in renal tubular physiopathology. Recent progresses will allow the generation of animal models with conditional expression of the transgene of interest or with a conditional gene mutation. This permits spatial and temporal control of the expression of the transgene or of the mutation. This should allow the generation of models suitable for physiological analysis or closer to disease state.

Animals↗