蕨类植物rpoC1内含子缺失及其分子进化速率

rpoC1基因编码RNA聚合酶β￠亚基蛋白,在转录过程中与DNA模板结合,与β亚基形成的β-β￠亚基复合体构成RNA合成的催化中心。以rpoC1基因为研究对象,在贝叶斯因子大于20的条件下,用HyPhy软件位点模型检测到3个正选择位点和541个负选择位点;用PAML软件位点模型检测到10个正选择位点,其中3个位点的后验概率超过99%。此外,基于最大似然法构建64种蕨类植物的系统发育树,结合HyPhy软件分析rpoC1基因的转换率、颠换率、转换率/颠换率、同义替换率、非同义替换率以及同义替换率/非同义替换率,探讨rpoC1基因内含子丢失与分子进化速率的关系。结果表明, rpoC1基因内含子缺失对转换率、颠换率以及非同义替换率有一定影响。     

哺乳动物cd59基因的进化

采用PCR以及BLAST方法从5种哺乳动物中获得了cd59基因的编码区序列, 结合 GenBank中已有的序列, 计算cd59基因在哺乳动物中的核苷酸替换速率. 对非同义替换速率和同义替换速率进行比较的结果显示, cd59在哺乳动物中总体上受到负选择作用; 用PAML软件“位点-特异”模型检测到4个受到正选择作用的位点, 4个位点分布于分子表面, 其中2个位于功能重要的区域; 此外, 用“支-位点-特异”模型在小鼠通过基因复制后形成的cd59a和cd59b上检测正选择引起的加速进化, 并检测到该支系特异的正选择位点1个.     

Drosophila auraria复合种Period基因Thr-Gly区段的初步研究

测定了金色果蝇复合种（Drosophila auraria species complex）5个姐妹种（sibling species）和D.rufa的period(per)基因的Thr-Gly区段序列。该区段序列分析表明：DNA序列的碱其组成拥有果蝇其他基因的共同特点;颠换数多于转换数,两两种种间的颠换率与转换率的总比值为2～5,密码子第3位的颠换与转换的比值为2.5～5;同义替换/异义替换（Ks/Ka）值远大于10,且有的物种间根本不存在非同义突变,低的Ka值说明该复合种的per基因Thr-Gly区段在进化过程中可能承受着较强的选择压力。运用所得的核苷酸序列构建Drosophila auraria复合种的系统发育树,为澄清该类群的系统演化关系提供了新的线索。     

拟穴青蟹线粒体COI基因序列克隆及SNPs位点分析

根据拟穴青蟹(Scylla paramamosain)线粒体全序列设计引物,采用PCR产物双向测序法,克隆了线粒体细胞色素C氧化酶亚基Ⅰ(COI)基因部分序列(761 bp),并筛选、分析了拟穴青蟹的SNPs位点.共分析了采自福建省宁德市的16只拟穴青蟹,另外,从GenBank数据库中下载了31条前人提交的拟穴青蟹COI基因序列(长度在425-522 bp之间).利用MEGA 4.0软件对所有序列进行比对分析,结果表明碱基T、C、A和G的平均含量分别为37.6％、17.8％、28.9％和15.7％,G+C的含量平均为33.5％.分析结果表明,在所克隆的761bp的COI基因序列中共发现29个SNPs位点,其出现频率为3.8％.在这29个SNPs位点中,13个为C/T转换(占44.8％),12个为A/G转换(占41.4％),2个为A/T颠换(占6.90％),1个为G/C颠换(占3.45％),另有一个位点(201 bp处)发生了A/C颠换和C/T转换两种类型的碱基替换.氨基酸分析表明,在29个SNPs位点中,有9个位点属于非同义突变,引起了氨基酸的变化;其他20个位点属于同义突变,未引起氨基酸的变化.这将为拟穴青蟹遗传背景和群体遗传多样性研究提供新的分子标记.     

蕨类植物叶绿体rps12基因的分子进化研究

以68种蕨类植物和2种石松类植物的rps12基因为对象,在系统发育背景下,结合最大似然法,使用HyPhy和PAML软件对该基因进行进化速率和适应性进化研究。结果显示:位于IR区的外显子2~3,其替换率明显降低,rps12基因编码序列的替换率也随之降低,且rps12基因密码子第3位的GC含量明显升高;在蕨类植物的进化过程中,3′-rps12更倾向定位于IR区,以保持较低的替换率;rps12基因编码的123个氨基酸位点中,共检测到4个正选择位点和116个负选择位点。研究结果表明基因序列进入到IR区后,显示出降低的替换率;强烈的负选择压力表明RPS12蛋白的高度保守性以及rps12基因的功能和结构已经趋于稳定。     

蕨类植物叶绿体基因ycf94的分子进化研究

ycf94基因是近年来在叶绿体基因组中新发现的一个基因,在蕨类植物中表现高度保守。该研究共选取94种蕨类植物,在系统发育背景下,对ycf94基因的结构特征、密码子偏好性、进化速率和适应性进化进行分析。结果表明, ycf94基因的密码子偏好性较弱,偏好使用以A/U结尾的密码子,且不同物种间的偏好性存在一定差异。密码子偏好性的形成主要受到突变压的影响,同时也存在其他因素的作用;基于凤尾蕨科和其他蕨类中ycf94基因的结构特征存在区别,对两者的分子替换速率进行了比较,表明颠换率、非同义替换率和ω值间存在显著差异;仅检测出1个正选择位点74A,强烈的负选择作用表明ycf94基因的结构和功能基本趋于稳定。这为蕨类系统发育分析提供了新依据,并提供了解析ycf94基因功能的线索。     

实时定量PCR评估金针菇的内参基因稳定性

金针菇在中国和日本是最受人喜爱的食用菌之一,在重要栽培食用菌中产销量排名第四。近年来,已在活性物质、分子标记及基因鉴定方面开展了大量工作,但未见有金针菇内参基因稳定性研究的报道,导致金针菇基因表达研究无内源参考基因稳定性数据作为参考。本研究采用geNorm、NormFinder、BestKeeper和RefFinder 4种软件评估18S核糖体RNA（18S）、28S核糖体RNA（28S）、60S核糖体蛋白L18（Rpl18）、肌动蛋白1（Act1）、3-磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶（Gapdh）、翻译延伸因子EF1-alpha（Ef1A）、DNA指导的RNA聚合酶亚基2（Rpb2）、细胞色素C氧化酶亚基1（Cox1）及细胞色素b（CytB）等9个内参基因的稳定性。综合分析结果显示,单个基因中Act1基因最稳定,CytB表达稳定性最差,但单个候选内参基因的稳定性不能够满足定量PCR实验要求;根据geNorm软件分析结果,CytB和Rpb2是金针菇定量PCR的稳定内参基因组合。本研究首次评估了金针菇的内参基因稳定性,将为后续的基因表达研究提供参考。     

黄麂Mhc-DRB 基因多态性及其维持机制

利用牛DRB3 特异性引物(LA31 和LA32),通过聚合酶链式反应(PCR)、单链构象多态性(SSCP)以及克隆测序技术,从12 只黄麂个体中共获得20 个DRB 第二外显子等位基因,其中6 个个体具有3 ～ 4 个等位基因,提示利用该引物从黄麂中至少可以扩增出2 个DRB 位点。所有序列均无插入、缺失和终止密码子。基于序列比对(与牛DRB3 和鹿科DRB 基因同源性非常高),以及所检测到的氨基酸变异位点主要位于抗原结合区,推测本文所获得的黄麂序列为表达的、且具有重要功能的DRB 位点。抗原结合区氨基酸位点的非同义替换(d_N )显著大于同义替换(d_S )(P < 0.01),说明历史上黄麂DRB 基因经历过正选择作用。CODMEL 程序中的模型M7 和M8 似然比检测(Likelihood ratio test,LRT)结果同样支持上述推论。进一步利用经验贝叶斯法准确地检测出6 个受正选择作用的氨基酸位点(位点11、37、61、67、71、86),其中的5 个位点位于PBR 区。因此,正选择作用可能是维持黄麂DRB 基因多态性的主要机制之一。基于DRB 外显子2 序列利用邻接法(NJ)
构建了部分偶蹄动物系统发生关系,在NJ 树上,黄麂DRB 基因与其它鹿科动物DRB 基因呈镶嵌式分布,提示跨物种进化是维持黄麂DRB 基因多态性的另一重要机制。此外,黄麂两个等位基因(Mure-DRB1 和Mure-DRB11)和马鹿的两个等位基因(Ceel-DRB34 和Ceel-DRB46)与牛科的等位基因构成一个独立的进化枝,说明黄麂和马鹿的某些DRB 基因具有非常古老的谱系。     

不同栖息环境的两种啮齿动物Vkorc1基因多态性

维生素K环氧化物还原酶复合物亚基 1基因 (Vkorc1) 的变异与啮齿动物对抗凝血灭鼠剂的抗药性密切相关。为掌握Vkorc1基因变异在野栖类和家栖类啮齿动物中的流行情况,从山西省13个县 (市、区) 的农田和14个县 (市、区) 的养殖场采样,检测长尾仓鼠 (Cricetulus longicaudatus) 和黄胸鼠 (Rattus tanezumi) Vkorc1基因编码区的变异位点及携带不同变异位点的个体的分布情况。结果显示,长尾仓鼠在13个采样地均有捕获,整体占野栖类啮齿动物的23.29%;黄胸鼠分布于8个采样地,整体占家栖类啮齿动物的68.63%。在长尾仓鼠样本 (n = 105) 中检测到6个沉默突变位点和5个错义突变位点,其中,沉默突变C438T (His146His) 的变异率最高,为67.62%;共有17只长尾仓鼠样本存在错义突变位点。黄胸鼠样本 (n = 70) 中存在6个沉默突变位点和1个错义突变位点,其中,最常见的沉默突变位点A321C (Ile107Ile) 和T411C (Thr137Thr) 的变异率均达到18.57%;8只黄胸鼠样本存在与其抗药性相关的A416G (Tyr139Cys) 错义突变,其中7只来源于太原市小店区 (XID),变异率为35.00%。本研究表明在家居和自然环境中均存在Vkorc1基因的变异,并在太原市小店区检测到黄胸鼠抗性种群的存在,需加强对此种群的监测。     

意大利蜜蜂工蜂中肠SNP和InDel突变位点的挖掘及分析

本研究利用已获得的意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica工蜂中肠的转录组数据对意蜂的单核苷酸多态性（Single nucleotide polymorphism, SNP）和插入缺失（Insertion-Deletion, InDel）突变位点进行挖掘和分析,共鉴定到232 678个SNP位点,其中发生转换和颠换的SNP位点数分别为196 087和36 591个;最丰富的突变类型是G/A,最少的突变类型为T/G;分布在内含子的SNP位点最多,其次为外显子和基因间区;密码子突变类型为同义突变的SNP位点数最多,其次是非同义突变、终止子增加和终止子减少;此外,SNP位点所在基因可注释到 50个 GO条目和351条KEGG通路。共鉴定到38 715个InDel位点,最丰富的突变类型为移码插入,其次是移码缺失;分布InDel位点数较多的基因组区域为内含子和基因间区;另外,InDel位点所在基因可注释到50个功能条目和340条通路。研究结果丰富了西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera的SNP和InDel位点信息,并为开发和利用意蜂的新型分子标记提供基础。     

Rates of nucleotide substitution and mammalian nuclear gene evolution. Approximate and maximum-likelihood methods lead to different conclusions

Rates and patterns of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions have important implications for the origin and maintenance of mammalian isochores and the effectiveness of selection at synonymous sites. Previous studies of mammalian nuclear genes largely employed approximate methods to estimate rates of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions. Because these methods did not account for major features of DNA sequence evolution such as transition/transversion rate bias and unequal codon usage, they might not have produced reliable results. To evaluate the impact of the estimation method, we analyzed a sample of 82 nuclear genes from the mammalian orders Artiodactyla, Primates, and Rodentia using both approximate and maximum-likelihood methods. Maximum-likelihood analysis indicated that synonymous substitution rates were positively correlated with GC content at the third codon positions, but independent of nonsynonymous substitution rates. Approximate methods, however, indicated that synonymous substitution rates were independent of GC content at the third codon positions, but were positively correlated with nonsynonymous rates. Failure to properly account for transition/transversion rate bias and unequal codon usage appears to have caused substantial biases in approximate estimates of substitution rates.     

Enhanced Synonymous Site Divergence in Positively Selected VertebrateAntimicrobial Peptide Genes

Nonrandom patterns associated with adaptively evolving genes can shed light on how selection and mutation produce rapid changes in sequences. I examine such patterns in two independent families of antimicrobial peptide genes: those in frogs, which are known to have evolved under positive selection, and those in flatfishes, which I show have also evolved under positive selection. I address two recently proposed hypotheses about the molecular evolution of antimicrobial peptide genes. The first is that the mature peptide region is replicated by an error-prone polymerase that increases the mutation rate and the transversion/transition ratio compared to the signal sequence of the same genes. The second is that mature peptides evolve in a coordinated fashion with their propieces, such that a change in net charge in one molecular region prompts an opposite change in charge in the other region. I test these hypotheses using alternative methods that minimize alignment errors, correct for phylogenetic nonindependence, reduce sequence saturation, and account for differing selection pressures on different regions of the gene. In both gene families I show that divergence at both synonymous and nonsynonymous sites within the mature peptide region is enhanced. However, in neither gene family is there evidence of an increased mutational transversion/transition ratio or coordinated evolution. My observations are consistent with either an elevated mutation rate in an adaptively evolving gene region or widespread selection on “silent” sites. These hypotheses challenge the assumption that mutations are random and can be measured by the synonymous substitution rate. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Willie J. Swanson]     

Phylogeny, rate variation, and genome size evolution of Pelargonium (Geraniaceae)

The phylogeny of 58 Pelargonium species was estimated using five plastid markers (rbcL, matK, ndhF, rpoC1, trnL-F) and one mitochondrial gene (nad5). The results confirmed the monophyly of three major clades and four subclades within Pelargonium but also indicate the need to revise some sectional classifications. This phylogeny was used to examine karyotype evolution in the genus: plotting chromosome sizes, numbers and 2C-values indicates that genome size is significantly correlated with chromosome size but not number. Accelerated rates of nucleotide substitution have been previously detected in both plastid and mitochondrial genes in Pelargonium, but sparse taxon sampling did not enable identification of the phylogenetic distribution of these elevated rates. Using the multigene phylogeny as a constraint, we investigated lineage- and locus-specific heterogeneity of substitution rates in Pelargonium for an expanded number of taxa and demonstrated that both plastid and mitochondrial genes have had accelerated substitution rates but with markedly disparate patterns. In the plastid, the exons of rpoC1 have significantly accelerated substitution rates compared to its intron and the acceleration was mainly due to nonsynonymous substitutions. In contrast, the mitochondrial gene, nad5, experienced substantial acceleration of synonymous substitution rates in three internal branches of Pelargonium, but this acceleration ceased in all terminal branches. Several lineages also have dN/dS ratios significantly greater than one for rpoC1, indicating that positive selection is acting on this gene, whereas the accelerated synonymous substitutions in the mitochondrial gene are the result of elevated mutation rates.     

Widespread positive selection in synonymous sites of mammalian genes

Evolution of protein sequences is largely governed by purifying selection, with a small fraction of proteins evolving under positive selection. The evolution at synonymous positions in protein-coding genes is not nearly as well understood, with the extent and types of selection remaining, largely, unclear. A statistical test to identify purifying and positive selection at synonymous sites in protein-coding genes was developed. The method compares the rate of evolution at synonymous sites (Ks) to that in intron sequences of the same gene after sampling the aligned intron sequences to mimic the statistical properties of coding sequences. We detected purifying selection at synonymous sites in approximately 28% of the 1,562 analyzed orthologous genes from mouse and rat, and positive selection in approximately 12% of the genes. Thus, the fraction of genes with readily detectable positive selection at synonymous sites is much greater than the fraction of genes with comparable positive selection at nonsynonymous sites, i.e., at the level of the protein sequence. Unlike other genes, the genes with positive selection at synonymous sites showed no correlation between Ks and the rate of evolution in nonsynonymous sites (Ka), indicating that evolution of synonymous sites under positive selection is decoupled from protein evolution. The genes with purifying selection at synonymous sites showed significant anticorrelation between Ks and expression level and breadth, indicating that highly expressed genes evolve slowly. The genes with positive selection at synonymous sites showed the opposite trend, i.e., highly expressed genes had, on average, higher Ks. For the genes with positive selection at synonymous sites, a significantly lower mRNA stability is predicted compared to the genes with negative selection. Thus, mRNA destabilization could be an important factor driving positive selection in nonsynonymous sites, probably, through regulation of expression at the level of mRNA degradation and, possibly, also translation rate. So, unexpectedly, we found that positive selection at synonymous sites of mammalian genes is substantially more common than positive selection at the level of protein sequences. Positive selection at synonymous sites might act through mRNA destabilization affecting mRNA levels and translation.     

Effects of natural selection on patterns of DNA sequence variation at the transferrin, somatolactin, and p53 genes within and among chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations

This paper describes DNA sequence variation within and among four populations of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) at the transferrin, somatolactin and p53 genes. Patterns of variation among salmon species at the transferrin gene have been hypothesized to be shaped by positive natural selection for new alleles because the rate of nonsynonymous substitution is significantly greater than the rate of synonymous substitution. The twin goals of this study were to determine if the history of selection among salmon species at the transferrin gene is also reflected in patterns of intraspecific variation in chinook salmon, and to look for evidence of local adaptation at the transferrin gene by comparing patterns of nonsynonymous and synonymous variation among chinook salmon populations. The analyses presented here show that unlike patterns of variation between species, there is no evidence of greater differentiation among chinook salmon populations at nonsynonymous compared to synonymous sites. There is also no evidence of a reduction of within-species variation due to the hitchhiking effect at the transferrin gene, although in some populations nonsynonymous and synonymous derived mutations are both at higher frequencies than expected under a simple neutral model. Population size weighted selection coefficients (4Ns) that are consistent with both the inter and intraspecific data range from approximately 10 to approximately 235, and imply that between 1 and 40% of new nonsynonymous mutations at the transferrin gene have been beneficial.     

Synonymous and nonsynonymous rate variation in nuclear genes of mammals

A maximum likelihood approach was used to estimate the synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates in 48 nuclear genes from primates, artiodactyls, and rodents. A codon-substitution model was assumed, which accounts for the genetic code structure, transition/transversion bias, and base frequency biases at codon positions. Likelihood ratio tests were applied to test the constancy of nonsynonymous to synonymous rate ratios among branches (evolutionary lineages). It is found that at 22 of the 48 nuclear loci examined, the nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratio varies significantly across branches of the tree. The result provides strong evidence against a strictly neutral model of molecular evolution. Our likelihood estimates of synonymous and nonsynonymous rates differ considerably from previous results obtained from approximate pairwise sequence comparisons. The differences between the methods are explored by detailed analyses of data from several genes. Transition/transversion rate bias and codon frequency biases are found to have significant effects on the estimation of synonymous and nonsynonymous rates, and approximate methods do not adequately account for those factors. The likelihood approach is preferable, even for pairwise sequence comparison, because more-realistic models about the mutation and substitution processes can be incorporated in the analysis. Received: 17 May 1997 / Accepted: 28 September 1997     

Substitution rates in Drosophila nuclear genes: implications for translational selection

The relationships between synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates and between synonymous rate and codon usage bias are important to our understanding of the roles of mutation and selection in the evolution of Drosophila genes. Previous studies used approximate estimation methods that ignore codon bias. In this study we reexamine those relationships using maximum-likelihood methods to estimate substitution rates, which accommodate the transition/transversion rate bias and codon usage bias. We compiled a sample of homologous DNA sequences at 83 nuclear loci from Drosophila melanogaster and at least one other species of Drosophila. Our analysis was consistent with previous studies in finding that synonymous rates were positively correlated with nonsynonymous rates. Our analysis differed from previous studies, however, in that synonymous rates were unrelated to codon bias. We therefore conducted a simulation study to investigate the differences between approaches. The results suggested that failure to properly account for multiple substitutions at the same site and for biased codon usage by approximate methods can lead to an artifactual correlation between synonymous rate and codon bias. Implications of the results for translational selection are discussed.     

Analysis of substitution events in HIV-1 vif gene of the Korean clade

Nucleotide and amino acid substitution pattern in vif gene of the Korean clade of HIV-1 isolated from Koreans were analyzed using consensus sequences. At nucleotide level, transition/transversion substitution ratio was 1.88, and nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution ratio was 2.67, suggesting a divergent evolution in the Korean clade. At amino acid level, there were 17 substitutions and G-->E substitution at position 37 may be responsible for change in predicted secondary structure.     

Rates of Conservative and Radical Nonsynonymous Nucleotide Substitutions in Mammalian Nuclear Genes

To understand the process and mechanism of protein evolution, it is important to know what types of amino acid substitutions are more likely to be under selection and what types are mostly neutral. An amino acid substitution can be classified as either conservative or radical, depending on whether it involves a change in a certain physicochemical property of the amino acid. Assuming Kimura's two-parameter model of nucleotide substitution, I present a method for computing the numbers of conservative and radical nonsynonymous (amino acid altering) nucleotide substitutions per site and estimate these rates for 47 nuclear genes from mammals. The results are as follows. (1) The average radical/conservative rate ratio is 0.81 for charge changes, 0.85 for polarity changes, and 0.49 when both polarity and volume changes are considered. (2) The radical/conservative rate ratio is positively correlated with the nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratio for charge changes or when both polarity and volume changes are considered. (3) Both the conservative/synonymous rate ratio and the radical/synonymous rate ratio are lower in the rodent lineage than in the primate or artiodactyl lineage, suggesting more intense purifying selection in the rodent lineage, for both conservative and radical nonsynonymous substitutions. (4) Neglecting transition/transversion bias would cause an underestimation of both radical and conservative rates and the ratio thereof. (5) Transversions induce more dramatic genetic alternations than transitions in that transversions produce more amino acid altering changes and among which, more radical changes. Received: 6 April 1999 / Accepted: 16 August 1999