Differential expression profiling of hypothalamus genes in laying period and ceased period Huoyan geese

The hypothalamus plays a central role in controlling poultry reproductive activity. To increase our understanding of genes involved in egg laying of Huoyan geese, gene profiles in the hypothalamus of laying period and ceased period Huoyan geese were investigated using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method. A total of 95 differentially expressed sequence tags (ESTs), including 46 up-regulated and 49 down-regulated sequences showed homology to known genes of the non-redundant NCBI databases. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that these genes were mainly involved in anatomical structure development, signal transduction, cellular nitrogen compound metabolic process, biosynthetic process, cellular protein modification process, cell differentiation, transport, cell adhesion, and reproduction. Ten ESTs were selected for further analyses by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Whose most part of results were consistent with the SSH results. Of note, AdipoR2, Nrg1, and NCAM1, which related with secretion of GnRH and other hormones, were identified to be differentially expressed between laying period and ceased period. These findings provided a new source for mining genes related to higher laying performance of Huoyan geese, which facilitate our understanding of the reproductive biology of the goose.     

Genome-wide transcriptional changes of ramie (Boehmeria nivea L. Gaud) in response to root-lesion nematode infection

Ramie fiber extracted from stem bark is one of the most important natural fibers. The root-lesion nematode (RLN) Pratylenchus coffeae is a major ramie pest and causes large fiber yield losses in China annually. The response mechanism of ramie to RLN infection is poorly understood. In this study, we identified genes that are potentially involved in the RLN-resistance in ramie using Illumina pair-end sequencing in two RLN-infected plants (Inf1 and Inf2) and two control plants (CO1 and CO2). Approximately 56.3, 51.7, 43.4, and 45.0 million sequencing reads were generated from the libraries of CO1, CO2, Inf1, and Inf2, respectively. De novo assembly for these 196 million reads yielded 50,486 unigenes with an average length of 853.3 bp. A total of 24,820 (49.2%) genes were annotated for their function. Comparison of gene expression levels between CO and Inf ramie revealed 777 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The expression levels of 12 DEGs were further confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Pathway enrichment analysis showed that three pathways (phenylalanine metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis) were strongly influenced by RLN infection. A series of candidate genes and pathways that may contribute to the defense response against RLN in ramie will be helpful for further improving resistance to RLN infection.     

桑树桑黄菌丝体和子实体基因差异表达分析

通过对桑树桑黄Sanghuangporus sanghuang菌丝体和子实体2个不同生长阶段的转录组进行分析,为研究桑黄子实体生长发育相关机制奠定基础。采用Illumina测序技术,对桑树桑黄菌株S23菌丝体和子实体2个不同生长发育阶段进行了全转录组测序。将转录组测序reads比对到参考序列上,菌丝体测序样本的reads比对率为82.89%;子实体测序样本的reads比对率为83%。基因差异表达分析显示,与菌丝体相比,子实体中显著上调表达基因为2 898个,显著下调表达基因为1 965个。经过Blast nr比对发现,桑黄菌在子实体阶段表达量上升的基因主要与各种氧化酶活性、疏水蛋白等相关;表达量下降的基因主要与糖类、氨基酸结合、运输等相关。基因本体（gene ontology,GO）富集分析表明,菌丝体及子实体两个阶段与跨膜转运相关的差异表达基因富集明显。代谢通路（pathway）富集分析表明,类固醇生物合成、精氨酸生物合成、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK）信号通路等差异基因富集明显。     

西伯利亚蝗卵发育过程的比较转录组分析及滞育关联基因筛选

【目的】通过筛选西伯利亚蝗Gomphocerus sibiricus卵滞育基因及代谢通路,初步明确西伯利亚蝗卵滞育分子机理。【方法】利用Illumina NovaSeq 6000测序平台对西伯利亚蝗早期发育(ES)、滞育(DS)和滞育后发育阶段(PS)的卵进行转录组测序;采用GO和KEGG富集分析并结合文献,预测滞育相关通路并聚类热图分析,筛选蝗卵滞育关联基因,并选取其中6个重要基因进行qRT-PCR验证。【结果】DSvs ES和PS vs DS两比较组分别富集到12 419和4 789个差异表达基因,且多上调表达;两比较组共表达差异基因为2 206个,主要与糖代谢、环境胁迫和生长发育相关。DS vs ES组富集最显著的GO条目为蛋白结合,PS vs DS组GO条目主要包含酶活性、细胞骨架构建及蛋白结合等过程。滞育关联基因主要集中在Wnt信号通路、胰岛素信号通路、细胞周期通路以及昆虫激素生物合成等通路。6个重要的滞育关联基因的表达量变化趋势与转录组数据结果基本一致。【结论】本研究初步明确了西伯利亚蝗卵滞育调控的重要代谢途径,并筛选出20个滞育关联基因,为后续深入研究该物种的适应机理奠定了基础。     

沙葱萤叶甲卵滞育的转录组学分析

【目的】建立沙葱萤叶甲Galeruca daurica滞育卵转录组数据库,挖掘卵滞育相关的基因以及代谢和信号通路,在转录组水平探讨卵滞育的分子机制。【方法】采用Illumina NovaSeq6000高通量测序平台对沙葱萤叶甲滞育卵与解除滞育卵进行转录组测序,并进行生物信息学分析;利用DESeq软件分析沙葱萤叶甲滞育卵与解除滞育卵中的差异表达基因,对差异表达基因进行KEGG通路富集分析;利用qRT PCR技术对10个差异表达基因的表达模式进行验证。【结果】基于沙葱萤叶甲滞育卵与解除滞育卵转录组测序结果,共获得53 389个unigene,其中差异表达基因2 145个,24个差异表达基因与保幼激素信号及脂肪酸生物合成和降解相关。与解除滞育卵相比,滞育卵转录组中1 297个基因上调表达,富集于124条KEGG通路,其中核糖体通路显著富集;848个基因下调表达,富集于73条KEGG通路,其中MAPK信号通路和糖胺聚糖生物合成通路显著富集。qRT-PCR结果表明,随机选取的10个差异表达基因的表达趋势与RNA-Seq转录组测序结果完全一致。【结论】保幼激素,脂肪酸生物合成和降解,核糖体,MAPK信号及糖胺聚糖生物合成等通路可能在沙葱萤叶甲卵滞育调控中起着重要的作用。     

RNA-seq用于获得共轭亚油酸对贵妃鸡肌内脂肪代谢调控的关键基因

通过转录物组测序获得在贵妃鸡基础日粮中添加共轭亚油酸(CLA)对肌内脂肪代谢的差异表达基因,经生物信息学分析获得相关的信号通路及可能发挥重要作用的候选基因,为CLA对肌内脂肪沉积的分子机制奠定基础。本研究选用55日龄健康的贵妃鸡为试验动物,在基础日粮中添加CLA 0%、1%和2%,预饲期1周,正饲期6周。屠宰采集胸肌组织进行转录物组测序,对测序数据进行差异表达分析,差异表达基因GO功能和差异表达基因KEGG通路富集分析,筛选出与胸肌脂类代谢相关的差异表达基因,利用qRT-PCR对差异表达基因进行验证。结果显示,共获得1 065个差异表达基因,其中上调基因703个,下调基因362个。GO富集结果显示,差异表达基因主要富集在生物过程的细胞过程、单一生物过程、生物调节和代谢过程。KEGG信号通路富集显示,差异表达基因显著富集在黏着斑、不饱和脂肪酸生物合成、脂肪酸生物合成和类固醇生物合成等信号通路中,发现11个主要与肌内脂肪代谢相关的候选基因,分别是FADS1、FADS2、ELOVL5、ACOX2、SLC27A1、FABP5、LPL、LOC107050163、ENSGALG00000030996、ENSGALG00000005043和ENSGALG00000048882。并随机选取6个基因进行qRT-PCR验证,其相对表达量变化趋势与测序结果一致。本研究筛选到CLA影响贵妃鸡胸肌脂类代谢相关的差异表达基因,并对11个主要参与脂肪代谢相关的基因进行分析,为揭示CLA调控肌内脂肪沉积的分子机制奠定基础。     

BIPES,a cost-effective high-throughput method for assessing microbial diversity

Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA (16S) variable tags has become the most popular method for assessing microbial diversity, but the method remains costly for the evaluation of large numbers of environmental samples with high sequencing depths. We developed a barcoded Illumina paired-end (PE) sequencing (BIPES) method that sequences each 16S V6 tag from both ends on the Illumina HiSeq 2000, and the PE reads are then overlapped to obtain the V6 tag. The average accuracy of Illumina single-end (SE) reads was only 97.9%, which decreased from ∼99.9% at the start of the read to less than 85% at the end of the read; nevertheless, overlapping of the PE reads significantly increased the sequencing accuracy to 99.65% by verifying the 3′ end of each SE in which the sequencing quality was degraded. After the removal of tags with two or more mismatches within the medial 40–70 bases of the reads and of tags with any primer errors, the overall base sequencing accuracy of the BIPES reads was further increased to 99.93%. The BIPES reads reflected the amounts of the various tags in the initial template, but long tags and high GC tags were underestimated. The BIPES method yields 20–50 times more 16S V6 tags than does pyrosequencing in a single-flow cell run, and each of the BIPES reads costs less than 1/40 of a pyrosequencing read. As a laborsaving and cost-effective method, BIPES can be routinely used to analyze the microbial ecology of both environmental and human microbiomes.