拟南芥和琴叶拟南芥中MADS-box基因的比较进化分析

MADS-box基因编码一类转录因子。在被子植物中,MADS-box基因对于营养生长和生殖发育都有重要的调控作用,是植物体(特别是花序、花和果实)的正常发育所不可或缺的。为了理解近缘物种在遗传基础上的异同,我们对拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)和琴叶拟南芥(A.lyrata)基因组中MADS-box基因的拷贝数目和进化式样进行了比较分析。通过搜索公共数据库,我们在拟南芥和琴叶拟南芥中分别鉴定出了106和115个基因。系统发育分析的结果表明,这些基因属于I型和II型MADS-box基因。在两个物种分化之后,II型基因的拷贝数目变化不大,I型基因则经历了多次独立的基因丢失和获得事件。通过比较这些基因在染色体上的排列,我们不但鉴定出了存在微共线性的基因组区段,而且发现新基因产生的主要机制是串联重复和散在重复。分子进化的研究进一步表明,I型和II型基因在进化式样上存在着显著差异:II型基因在进化中一般都受到了较强的选择压力,而I型基因大多受到的选择压力较弱。本研究将为深入理解近缘物种在基因和基因组层面上的异同、探讨物种分化和生物多样性形成的机制等问题提供新思路。     

植物古基因组学研究进展

植物古基因组学是基因组学一个新兴分支,从现存物种中重建其祖先基因组,推断在古历史中导致形成现存物种的进化或物种形成事件。高通量测序技术的不断革新使测序读长更长、更准确,加快了植物参考基因组序列的组装进程,为古基因组学研究提供了大批量可靠的现存物种的基因组序列资源。全基因组复制(whole-genome duplication, WGD)亦称古多倍化,使植物基因组快速重组,丢失大量基因,增加结构变异,对植物进化极其重要。本文综述了植物基因组测序与组装研究进展、植物古基因组学的原理、植物基因组WGD事件以及植物祖先基因组进化场景,并对未来植物古基因组学研究进行了展望。     

拷贝数目变异:基因组遗传变异的新诠释

拷贝数目变异(copy-number variant, CNV)也称拷贝数目多态(copy-number polymorphism, CNP), 是一种大小介于1 kb至3 Mb的DNA片段的变异, 在人类基因组中广泛分布, 其覆盖的核苷酸总数大大超过单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs)的总数, 极大地丰富了基因组遗传变异的多样性。CNV对于物种特异的基因组构成、物种的演化和系统发育以及基因组某些特定区域基因的表达和调控可能具有非常重要的生物学意义。本文从CNV的多态性、CNV的检测方法、CNV的多态性与表型的关联分析以及CNV的进化四个方面综述了CNV的研究成果, 并就CNV在动物基因组中的研究进行了展望。     

三种豆科植物DGAT1基因家族的分子特征与进化分析

二脂酰甘油酰基转移酶广泛存在于动物、植物及酵母中,是催化三脂酰甘油生物合成的关键酶.在大豆、苜蓿和百脉草基因组中共挖掘到7个DGAT1基因,并剖析该基因的分子特征与进化关系.基因结构分析表明,3种豆科植物DGAT1基因的外显子数目变异大,其范围为3- 16.蛋白特征分析显示,3种豆科植物分享8个保守基序,同时发现2个大豆物种特有的保守基序.EST数目统计分析结果表明,该基因在3种植物的根、茎、叶、花、子叶与体细胞胚中表达,其中花器官表达量最高,EST数目占了34％.进化分析揭示了DGAT1基因是一个古老的基因家族,在植物演化历程中基因数目发生扩增现象,但其功能区仍然保持较高的保守性.     

染色体数目减少及B染色体产生的进化基因组学模型

在长期进化过程中,染色体数目展示出动态性变化.关于真核生物染色体进化仍有许多谜团,一个是如何维持染色体数目,另外一个是B染色体是如何产生的.全基因组测序工作的开展为认识染色体数目变化提供了新的机会,特别是反复的多倍化事件后染色体的改变有助于人们理解相关生物学规律和机制.通过比较基因组学分析,本文提出了染色体数目变化与B染色体产生的模型,认为染色体数目的减少主要是由于染色体融合,并且端粒的丢失及B染色体的产生在基因组重新整合和染色体数目减少中起着重要作用.     

十字花科植物叶绿体基因组结构及变异分析

该研究比较了十字花科22个属22个物种的叶绿体基因组,以揭示十字花科叶绿体基因组的一般特征和变异特征。结果发现:(1)基因组大小为150kb左右,不同植物的叶绿体基因组之间存在1~5kb的差异,基因组大小的差异主要是大单拷贝(LSC)长度的差异引起的。(2)十字花科物种基因顺序基本一致,未检测到基因的重排和倒置事件。(3)trnY、trnG、ycf15、rps16基因在一些物种中发生丢失,petB、petD内含子序列也在个别物种内丢失。(4)基因组的4个边界相对保守,反向重复区a-大单拷贝区(IRa-LSC)边界处于rps19基因上,反向重复区a-小单拷贝区(IRa-SSC)边界在所有物种中均位于ycf1基因中,但是rps19和ycf1在边界两侧的长度具有差异,反向重复区b-小单拷贝区(IRb-SSC)边界在大部分物种中位于ycf1假基因和ndhF基因的重叠区内,而在庭荠(Alyssum desertorum)、小花南芥(Arabis alpina)2个物种中发生了改变,分别位于ycf1假基因和ndhF基因内。(5)29个蛋白编码基因长度发生变化,基因长度的变异来源于基因内含子或者编码区长度的改变,ycf1基因长度在3个物种中发生了大片段的缺失,部分基因长度的变化具有明显的系统发育信号。(6)基于叶绿体基因组数据构建的系统发育树具有较好的分辨率,各个进化分支具有较高的支持率。研究结果表明,利用叶绿体基因组数据可以为解决进化较快、系统发育分辨率低的植物类群的系统分类和系统发育关系提供更有力的证据。     

七鳃鳗KCTD基因家族成员全基因组鉴定及进化分析

钾离子通道四聚化结构域(KCTD)蛋白基因家族是一个保守的基因家族,该家族成员的共同特征是具有一个含有BTB保守结构域的N-末端和一个可变的C-末端。KCTD基因的突变或不正常调控与人类多种疾病相关。七鳃鳗是现存最原始的脊椎动物,作为联系无脊椎动物和脊椎动物之间的桥梁,在生物进化研究中占有重要地位。本研究通过对海七鳃鳗(Petromyzon marinus)和日本七鳃鳗(Lethenteron japonicum)基因组和转录组数据分析,全面系统地鉴定了海七鳃鳗和日本七鳃鳗KCTD基因家族成员,并对其基因结构特征、蛋白保守基序和基因表达模式进行了分析。在海七鳃鳗和日本七鳃鳗中分别鉴定出13个和14个KCTD基因,基因长度和外显子数目在不同KCTD基因间变化很大,KCTD蛋白中4个基序保守性显著,大多数KCTD基因呈泛表达模式,并且在胚胎发育时期明显高表达。除七鳃鳗外,对12个无脊椎动物和脊椎动物代表物种KCTD基因家族成员进行了鉴定,并对KCTD基因家族成员的进化关系进行了分析。根据进化树聚类情况,将KCTD基因家族成员分为11个亚家族。进化分析结果显示,KCTD基因家族从低等的无脊椎动物线虫和果蝇到高等的人类都存在;线虫中仅有5个成员,果蝇中有8个成员,随着物种进化程度由低到高,KCTD家族成员数目呈现增加的趋势;从爬行类开始,脊椎动物KCTD基因数目稳定在24个左右。硬骨鱼类特有的全基因组复制事件影响鱼类KCTD基因数目。本研究结果不仅丰富了七鳃鳗KCTD基因家族信息,同时也对KCTD家族基因间的进化关系进行了探究,为深入研究该家族基因功能提供了一定的依据。     

表型可塑性变异的生态-发育机制及其进化意义

表型可塑性赋予生物个体在不同环境条件下通过产生不同表型来维持其适合度的能力.研究结果显示多数可塑性变异的产生是基于对环境变异信号的响应、改变基因表达式样并调整发育轨迹的结果,表观遗传调控体系在基因选择性表达和可塑性变异的跨世代传递过程中发挥了重要作用.不同物种和种群对环境变化的敏感性、发生可塑性变异的能力以及可塑性反应模式不尽相同,预示着控制可塑性能力并独立于控制性状的可塑性基凶的存在,这些基因是直接响应环境信号并控制表型表达的调控基因.表型可塑性不仅是物种适应性进化的一个重要方面,也是选择进化的产物,物种的表型可塑性变异对其生态适应和进化模式有深远的影响.     

基因组拷贝数变异研究进展

基因组结构变异分为两个层次:显微水平(microscopic)和亚显微水平(submicroscopic)。显微水平的基因组结构变异主要是指显微镜下可见的染色体畸变,包括整倍体或非整倍体、缺失、插入、倒位、易位、脆性位点等结构变异。亚显微水平的基因组结构变异是指DNA片段长度在1Kb-3Mb的基因组结构变异,包括缺失、插入、重复、重排、倒位、DNA拷贝数目变化(copy numbervariation,CNV),这些统称为CNV或者CNP(copy number polymorphisms,CNP)。对CNV的研究能够帮助研究者建立遗传检测假说,进而发现疾病易感基因,同时加深对表型变异的理解,为今后研究人类生物功能、进化、疾病奠定基础。本文主要从CNV的研究历史、分子机制、研究方法、研究意义等四个方面进行综述.。     

比较基因组学及其应用

比较基因组学是利用某些基因组图谱和测序获得的信息推测其他生物基因组的基因数目、位置、功能、表达机制和物种进化的学科。比较基因组学的发展与序列数据的积累密切相关,目前该学科已经成为研究生物基因组的最主要手段之一。利用FASTA、BLAST和CLUSTAL W等序列比对工具,种间的比较基因组学能够让人们了解物种间在基因组结构上的差异,发现基因的功能、物种的进化关系,以及进行功能基因的克隆。种内的比较基因组学研究主要涉及个体或群体基因组内诸如SNP、CNP等变异和多态现象。比较基因组学的研究结果不但有助于深入了解生命体的遗传机制,也有助于阐明人类复杂疾病的致病机制,揭示生命的本质规律。     

Genome-wide identification and characterisation of F-box family in maize

F-box-containing proteins, as the key components of the protein degradation machinery, are widely distributed in higher plants and are considered as one of the largest known families of regulatory proteins. The F-box protein family plays a crucial role in plant growth and development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, systematic analysis of the F-box family in maize (Zea mays) has not been reported yet. In this paper, we identified and characterised the maize F-box genes in a genome-wide scale, including phylogenetic analysis, chromosome distribution, gene structure, promoter analysis and gene expression profiles. A total of 359 F-box genes were identified and divided into 15 subgroups by phylogenetic analysis. The F-box domain was relatively conserved, whereas additional motifs outside the F-box domain may indicate the functional diversification of maize F-box genes. These genes were unevenly distributed in ten maize chromosomes, suggesting that they expanded in the maize genome because of tandem and segmental duplication events. The expression profiles suggested that the maize F-box genes had temporal and spatial expression patterns. Putative cis-acting regulatory DNA elements involved in abiotic stresses were observed in maize F-box gene promoters. The gene expression profiles under abiotic stresses also suggested that some genes participated in stress responsive pathways. Furthermore, ten genes were chosen for quantitative real-time PCR analysis under drought stress and the results were consistent with the microarray data. This study has produced a comparative genomics analysis of the maize ZmFBX gene family that can be used in further studies to uncover their roles in maize growth and development.     

F-box proteins in rice. Genome-wide analysis, classification, temporal and spatial gene expression during panicle and seed development, and regulation by light and abiotic stress

F-box proteins constitute a large family in eukaryotes and are characterized by a conserved F-box motif (approximately 40 amino acids). As components of the Skp1p-cullin-F-box complex, F-box proteins are critical for the controlled degradation of cellular proteins. We have identified 687 potential F-box proteins in rice (Oryza sativa), the model monocotyledonous plant, by a reiterative database search. Computational analysis revealed the presence of several other functional domains, including leucine-rich repeats, kelch repeats, F-box associated domain, domain of unknown function, and tubby domain in F-box proteins. Based upon their domain composition, they have been classified into 10 subfamilies. Several putative novel conserved motifs have been identified in F-box proteins, which do not contain any other known functional domain. An analysis of a complete set of F-box proteins in rice is presented, including classification, chromosomal location, conserved motifs, and phylogenetic relationship. It appears that the expansion of F-box family in rice, in large part, might have occurred due to localized gene duplications. Furthermore, comprehensive digital expression analysis of F-box protein-encoding genes has been complemented with microarray analysis. The results reveal specific and/or overlapping expression of rice F-box protein-encoding genes during floral transition as well as panicle and seed development. At least 43 F-box protein-encoding genes have been found to be differentially expressed in rice seedlings subjected to different abiotic stress conditions. The expression of several F-box protein-encoding genes is also influenced by light. The structure and function of F-box proteins in plants is discussed in light of these results and the published information. These data will be useful for prioritization of F-box proteins for functional validation in rice.     

Genomewide comparative phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis of tubby-like protein family in Arabidopsis, rice, and poplar

Tubby-like proteins, which are characterized by a highly conserved tubby domain, play an important role in the maintenance and function of neuronal cells during postdifferentiation and development in mammals. In additional to the tubby domain, most tubby-like proteins in plants also possess an F-box domain. Plants also appear to harbor a large number of TLP genes. To gain insight into how TLP genes evolved in plants, we conducted a comparative phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis of the tubby-like protein gene family in Arabidopsis, rice, and poplar. Genomewide screening identified 11 TLP genes in Arabidopsis, 14 in rice, and 11 in poplar. Phylogenetic trees, domain organizations, and intron/exon structures classified this family into three subfamilies and indicated that species-specific expansion contributed to the evolution of this family in plants. We determined that in rice and poplar, the tubby-like protein family had expanded mainly through segmental duplication events. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that functional diversification of the duplicated TLP genes was a major feature of long-term evolution. Our results also demonstrated that the tubby and F-box domains had co-evolved during the evolution of proteins containing both domains.     

Genome-Wide Identification of the F-box Gene Family and Expression Analysis under Drought and Salt Stress in Barley

The F-box protein-encoding gene family plays an essential role in plant stress resistance. In present study, 126 non-redundant F-box genes were identified in barley (Hordeum vulgare L., Hv). The corresponding proteins contained 165– 887 amino acid residues and all were amphiphilic, except 5 proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of F-box protein sequences in barley and stress-related F-box protein sequences in wheat and Arabidopsis thaliana (At) was used to classify barley F-box genes are divided into 9 subfamilies (A–I). A structure-based sequence alignment demonstrated that F-box proteins were highly conserved with a total of 10 conserved motifs. In total, 124 F-box genes were unevenly distributed on 7 chromosomes; another 2 genes have not been anchored yet. The gene structure analysis revealed high variability in the number of exons and introns in F-box genes. Comprehensive analysis of expression profiles and phylogenetic tree analysis, a total of 12 F-box genes that may be related to stress tolerance in barley were screened. Of the 12 detected F-box genes, 8 and 10 were upregulated after drought and salt stress treatments, respectively, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This study is the first systematic analysis conducted on the F-box gene family in barley, which is of great importance for clarifying this family’s bioinformatic characteristics and elucidating its function in barley stress resistance. These results will serve as a theoretical reference for subsequent research on molecular regulation mechanisms, genetic breeding, and improvement.     

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression of Xenopus F-Box Family of Proteins

Protein degradation via the multistep ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway is a rapid way to alter the protein profile and drive cell processes and developmental changes. Many key regulators of embryonic development are targeted for degradation by E3 ubiquitin ligases. The most studied family of E3 ubiquitin ligases is the SCF ubiquitin ligases, which use F-box adaptor proteins to recognize and recruit target proteins. Here, we used a bioinformatics screen and phylogenetic analysis to identify and annotate the family of F-box proteins in the Xenopus tropicalis genome. To shed light on the function of the F-box proteins, we analyzed expression of F-box genes during early stages of Xenopus development. Many F-box genes are broadly expressed with expression domains localized to diverse tissues including brain, spinal cord, eye, neural crest derivatives, somites, kidneys, and heart. All together, our genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the Xenopus F-box family of proteins provide a foundation for future research aimed to identify the precise role of F-box dependent E3 ubiquitin ligases and their targets in the regulatory circuits of development.     

Evolution of the F-Box Gene Family in Euarchontoglires: Gene Number Variation and Selection Patterns

F-box proteins are substrate adaptors used by the SKP1–CUL1–F-box protein (SCF) complex, a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase complex in the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). SCF-mediated ubiquitylation regulates proteolysis of hundreds of cellular proteins involved in key signaling and disease systems. However, our knowledge of the evolution of the F-box gene family in Euarchontoglires is limited. In the present study, 559 F-box genes and nine related pseudogenes were identified in eight genomes. Lineage-specific gene gain and loss events occurred during the evolution of Euarchontoglires, resulting in varying F-box gene numbers ranging from 66 to 81 among the eight species. Both tandem duplication and retrotransposition were found to have contributed to the increase of F-box gene number, whereas mutation in the F-box domain was the main mechanism responsible for reduction in the number of F-box genes, resulting in a balance of expansion and contraction in the F-box gene family. Thus, the Euarchontoglire F-box gene family evolved under a birth-and-death model. Signatures of positive selection were detected in substrate-recognizing domains of multiple F-box proteins, and adaptive changes played a role in evolution of the Euarchontoglire F-box gene family. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distributions were found to be highly non-random among different regions of F-box genes in 1092 human individuals, with domain regions having a significantly lower number of non-synonymous SNPs.     

S locus F-box brothers: multiple and pollen-specific F-box genes with S haplotype-specific polymorphisms in apple and Japanese pear

Although recent findings suggest that the F-box genes SFB/SLF control pollen-part S specificity in the S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system, how these genes operate in the system is unknown, and functional variation of pollen S genes in different species has been reported. Here, we analyzed the S locus of two species of Maloideae: apple (Malus domestica) and Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). The sequencing of a 317-kb region of the apple S9 haplotype revealed two similar F-box genes. Homologous sequences were isolated from different haplotypes of apple and Japanese pear, and they were found to be polymorphic genes derived from the S locus. Since each S haplotype contains two or three related genes, the genes were named SFBB for S locus F-box brothers. The SFBB genes are specifically expressed in pollen, and variable regions of the SFBB genes are under positive selection. In a style-specific mutant S haplotype of Japanese pear, the SFBB genes are retained. Apart from their multiplicity, SFBB genes meet the expected characteristics of pollen S. The unique multiplicity of SFBB genes as the pollen S candidate is discussed in the context of mechanistic variation in the S-RNase-based GSI system.     

The F-box gene family is expanded in herbaceous annual plants relative to woody perennial plants

F-box proteins are generally responsible for substrate recognition in the Skp1-Cullin-F-box complexes that are involved in protein degradation via the ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway. In plants, F-box genes influence a variety of biological processes, such as leaf senescence, branching, self-incompatibility, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The number of F-box genes in Populus (Populus trichocarpa; approximately 320) is less than half that found in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; approximately 660) or Oryza (Oryza sativa; approximately 680), even though the total number of genes in Populus is equivalent to that in Oryza and 1.5 times that in Arabidopsis. We performed comparative genomics analysis between the woody perennial plant Populus and the herbaceous annual plants Arabidopsis and Oryza in order to explicate the functional implications of this large gene family. Our analyses reveal interspecific differences in genomic distribution, orthologous relationship, intron evolution, protein domain structure, and gene expression. The set of F-box genes shared by these species appear to be involved in core biological processes essential for plant growth and development; lineage-specific differences primarily occurred because of an expansion of the F-box genes via tandem duplications in Arabidopsis and Oryza. The number of F-box genes in the newly sequenced woody species Vitis (Vitis vinifera; 156) and Carica (Carica papaya; 139) is similar to that in Populus, supporting the hypothesis that the F-box gene family is expanded in herbaceous annual plants relative to woody perennial plants. This study provides insights into the relationship between the structure and composition of the F-box gene family in herbaceous and woody species and their associated developmental and physiological features.