Genomic characterisation of acral melanoma cell lines

Acral melanoma is a rare melanoma subtype with distinct epidemiological, clinical and genetic features. To determine if acral melanoma cell lines are representative of this melanoma subtype, six lines were analysed by whole-exome sequencing and array comparative genomic hybridisation. We demonstrate that the cell lines display a mutation rate that is comparable to that of published primary and metastatic acral melanomas and observe a mutational signature suggestive of UV-induced mutagenesis in two of the cell lines. Mutations were identified in oncogenes and tumour suppressors previously linked to melanoma including BRAF, NRAS, KIT, PTEN and TP53, in cancer genes not previously linked to melanoma and in genes linked to DNA repair such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Our findings provide strong circumstantial evidence to suggest that acral melanoma cell lines and acral tumours share genetic features in common and that these cells are therefore valuable tools to investigate the biology of this aggressive melanoma subtype. Data are available at: http://rock.icr.ac.uk/collaborations/Furney_et_al_2012/.     

Genomic variation in Pekin duck populations developed in three different countries as revealed by whole‐genome data

It is well known that both British and American Pekin ducks originated from China. However, the populations differ substantially in production performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. Herein, we sequenced 24 individual Pekin ducks (eight from each population) with an average sequencing depth of more than 45× for each population (mean coverage of 6.29 per individual). Among these populations from three different countries, we identified a large number of SNPs and indels as well as many unique population variants, which can be used as population‐specific molecular markers. Genomic comparisons among the three duck populations revealed many candidate genes as well as pathways and Gene Ontology categories that are putatively associated with meat yield in the British population, growth in the American population and brain development in all three populations. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Pekin ducks and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of this species.     

The extent of whole‐genome copy number alterations predicts aggressive features in primary melanomas

Recent evidence indicates that melanoma comprises distinct types of tumors and suggests that specific morphological features may help predict its clinical behavior. Using a SNP‐array approach, we quantified chromosomal copy number alterations (CNA) across the whole genome in 41 primary melanomas and found a high degree of heterogeneity in their genomic asset. Association analysis correlating the number and relative length of CNA with clinical, morphological, and dermoscopic attributes of melanoma revealed that features of aggressiveness were strongly linked to the overall amount of genomic damage. Furthermore, we observed that melanoma progression and survival were mainly affected by a low number of large chromosome losses and a high number of small gains. We identified the alterations most frequently associated with aggressive melanoma, and by integrating our data with publicly available gene expression profiles, we identified five genes which expression was found to be necessary for melanoma cells proliferation. In conclusion, this work provides new evidence that the phenotypic heterogeneity of melanoma reflects a parallel genetic diversity and lays the basis to define novel strategies for a more precise prognostic stratification of patients.     

Distinct evolutionary patterns of Oryza glaberrima deciphered by genome sequencing and comparative analysis

Here we present the genomic sequence of the African cultivated rice, Oryza glaberrima, and compare these data with the genome sequence of Asian cultivated rice, Oryza sativa. We obtained gene‐enriched sequences of O. glaberrima that correspond to about 25% of the gene regions of the O. sativa (japonica) genome by methylation filtration and subtractive hybridization of repetitive sequences. While patterns of amino acid changes did not differ between the two species in terms of the biochemical properties, genes of O. glaberrima generally showed a larger synonymous–nonsynonymous substitution ratio, suggesting that O. glaberrima has undergone a genome‐wide relaxation of purifying selection. We further investigated nucleotide substitutions around splice sites and found that eight genes of O. sativa experienced changes at splice sites after the divergence from O. glaberrima. These changes produced novel introns that partially truncated functional domains, suggesting that these newly emerged introns affect gene function. We also identified 2451 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) from the genomes of O. glaberrima and O. sativa. Although tri‐nucleotide repeats were most common among the SSRs and were overrepresented in the protein‐coding sequences, we found that selection against indels of tri‐nucleotide repeats was relatively weak in both African and Asian rice. Our genome‐wide sequencing of O. glaberrima and in‐depth analyses provide rice researchers not only with useful genomic resources for future breeding but also with new insights into the genomic evolution of the African and Asian rice species.     

Whole‐genome sequencing approaches for conservation biology: Advantages,limitations and practical recommendations

Whole‐genome resequencing (WGR) is a powerful method for addressing fundamental evolutionary biology questions that have not been fully resolved using traditional methods. WGR includes four approaches: the sequencing of individuals to a high depth of coverage with either unresolved or resolved haplotypes, the sequencing of population genomes to a high depth by mixing equimolar amounts of unlabelled‐individual DNA (Pool‐seq) and the sequencing of multiple individuals from a population to a low depth (lcWGR). These techniques require the availability of a reference genome. This, along with the still high cost of shotgun sequencing and the large demand for computing resources and storage, has limited their implementation in nonmodel species with scarce genomic resources and in fields such as conservation biology. Our goal here is to describe the various WGR methods, their pros and cons and potential applications in conservation biology. WGR offers an unprecedented marker density and surveys a wide diversity of genetic variations not limited to single nucleotide polymorphisms (e.g., structural variants and mutations in regulatory elements), increasing their power for the detection of signatures of selection and local adaptation as well as for the identification of the genetic basis of phenotypic traits and diseases. Currently, though, no single WGR approach fulfils all requirements of conservation genetics, and each method has its own limitations and sources of potential bias. We discuss proposed ways to minimize such biases. We envision a not distant future where the analysis of whole genomes becomes a routine task in many nonmodel species and fields including conservation biology.     

Disease management at the wildlife‐livestock interface: Using whole‐genome sequencing to study the role of elk in Mycobacterium bovis transmission in Michigan,USA

The role of wildlife in the persistence and spread of livestock diseases is difficult to quantify and control. These difficulties are exacerbated when several wildlife species are potentially involved. Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, has experienced an ecological shift in Michigan, with spillover from cattle leading to an endemically infected white‐tailed deer (deer) population. It has potentially substantial implications for the health and well‐being of both wildlife and livestock and incurs a significant economic cost to industry and government. Deer are known to act as a reservoir of infection, with evidence of M. bovis transmission to sympatric elk and cattle populations. However, the role of elk in the circulation of M. bovis is uncertain; they are few in number, but range further than deer, so may enable long distance spread. Combining Whole Genome Sequences (WGS) for M. bovis isolates from exceptionally well‐observed populations of elk, deer and cattle with spatiotemporal locations, we use spatial and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses to show strong spatiotemporal admixture of M. bovis isolates. Clustering of bTB in elk and cattle suggests either intraspecies transmission within the two populations, or exposure to a common source. However, there is no support for significant pathogen transfer amongst elk and cattle, and our data are in accordance with existing evidence that interspecies transmission in Michigan is likely only maintained by deer. This study demonstrates the value of whole genome population studies of M. bovis transmission at the wildlife‐livestock interface, providing insights into bTB management in an endemic system.     

全基因组测序与生物信息学分析在细菌耐药性研究中的应用

随着耐药细菌的大量出现及广泛传播,细菌耐药性成为全球备受关注的问题。耐药细菌的特征如耐药基因、毒力因子、质粒分型等以及不同菌株间亲缘关系对于细菌耐药性流行病学及分子生物学的研究有着十分重要的意义。但是传统的技术手段如聚合酶链式反应(Polymerase chain reaction,PCR)和脉冲场凝胶电泳(Pulsed field gel electrophoresis,PFGE)等得到的结果不够全面且精确度低,对于现有的研究存在很大的局限性。全基因组测序技术(Whole genome sequencing,WGS)和生物信息学分析(Bioinformatics analysis)由于能够快速详尽地得到耐药细菌的特征,也能更加精细地判断不同菌株间的进化关系,逐渐成为更加有效的技术手段,为耐药性研究提供了有效的帮助。因此,文中系统地介绍全基因组测序分析流程中的各个步骤,主要包括文库构建、平台测序以及后期数据分析三大方面的不同方法和其相应的特点,期望相关研究人员对此能够有更全面的了解,并得到一定的帮助。     

点滴复膜酵母兔源分离株基因组测序及比较分析

点滴复膜酵母Cyniclomyces guttulatus是一种定殖及生长于犬、兔、豚鼠、龙猫、大鼠和小鼠等动物胃肠道内的真菌。与大多数传统酵母相比,点滴复膜酵母具有耐酸(pH 1.5-4.5)、耐高温(38-42 ℃)的独特生长特性,可在体外快速增殖。腹泻动物粪便中可见大量点滴复膜酵母,尽管没有直接证据表明感染点滴复膜酵母会引起明显病状,但其被认为是多种动物的机会性致病菌。本研究通过全基因组测序和转录组测序明确点滴复膜酵母的基因结构和注释信息,获得点滴复膜酵母的系统性基因组和转录组数据。结果显示基因组大小为29.71 Mb,包含11 307个基因,转录组大小为17.67 Mb,GC含量分别为43.02%和43.09%;mRNA、CDS、外显子和内含子的平均长度分别为1 476、1 447、1 374和540 bp;点滴复膜酵母存在517个独特的基因家族,共包括1 162个基因,该酵母的独特基因特点为后续研究奠定基础。比较分析结果表明,点滴复膜酵母的基因组大小和数量明显大于其他12种酵母,提示该酵母可能存在全基因组复制,这可能与其独特的胃肠道定殖、耐酸和耐高温生长特性密切相关。     

Towards a whole‐genome sequence for rye (Secale cereale L.)

We report on a whole‐genome draft sequence of rye (Secale cereale L.). Rye is a diploid Triticeae species closely related to wheat and barley, and an important crop for food and feed in Central and Eastern Europe. Through whole‐genome shotgun sequencing of the 7.9‐Gbp genome of the winter rye inbred line Lo7 we obtained a de novo assembly represented by 1.29 million scaffolds covering a total length of 2.8 Gbp. Our reference sequence represents nearly the entire low‐copy portion of the rye genome. This genome assembly was used to predict 27 784 rye gene models based on homology to sequenced grass genomes. Through resequencing of 10 rye inbred lines and one accession of the wild relative S. vavilovii, we discovered more than 90 million single nucleotide variants and short insertions/deletions in the rye genome. From these variants, we developed the high‐density Rye600k genotyping array with 600 843 markers, which enabled anchoring the sequence contigs along a high‐density genetic map and establishing a synteny‐based virtual gene order. Genotyping data were used to characterize the diversity of rye breeding pools and genetic resources, and to obtain a genome‐wide map of selection signals differentiating the divergent gene pools. This rye whole‐genome sequence closes a gap in Triticeae genome research, and will be highly valuable for comparative genomics, functional studies and genome‐based breeding in rye.     

植物内生链霉菌Streptomyces sp. SAT1的基因组测序和比较基因组分析

【背景】一直以来,链霉菌都是活性物质的主要生产者,近年来随着抗生素滥用引起的环境和微生物抗药性问题越发严重,挖掘高效生物防治因子和新型抗生素成为了解决以上问题的重要手段。【目的】通过获得植物内生链霉菌SAT1全基因组序列和次级代谢基因簇信息,利用比较基因组学和泛基因组学分析SAT1菌株的特殊性以及与其他链霉菌的共性,为阐明SAT1抑菌和内生机制提供理论基础,为揭示链霉菌的生态功能提供可靠数据。【方法】通过三代测序平台PacBio Sequel完成SAT1基因组测序,利用生物信息学技术进行注释和功能基因分类;分别利用RAxML和PGAP软件进行系统发育树的构建和泛基因组分析;次级代谢基因簇的预测和分析通过antiSMASH网站完成。【结果】获得SAT1菌株的全基因组完成图,该菌线性染色体长度约7.47 Mb,包含有4个质粒,GC含量近73%,共预测到7 550个蛋白编码基因,含有37个次级代谢基因簇,分属29个类型,其中默诺霉素基因簇与加纳链霉菌具有较高相似性。42株代表链霉菌中,单个菌株次级代谢基因簇数量为20-55个,主要类型为PKS类、Terpene类和Nrps类,而且含有大量杂合基因簇,各个菌株中特有基因数目较为庞大。【结论】链霉菌SAT1菌株在基因组特点以及次级代谢基因簇的数量和类型上与其余41株链霉菌具有一定的共性,其中潮霉素B基因簇和默诺霉素基因簇合成的相关物质可能与SAT1抑菌活性密切相关。42株链霉菌中次级代谢基因簇数量的多少与基因组大小成正相关,同时大量杂合基因簇以及庞大的特有基因数目的存在说明链霉菌在长期进化过程中存在了很高程度的水平基因转移现象,可能具有重要的生态功能。     

SNP discovery and genotyping using restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing in chickens

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are essential to the understanding of population genetic variation and diversity. Here, we performed restriction‐site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) on 72 individuals from 13 Chinese indigenous and three introduced chicken breeds. A total of 620 million reads were obtained using an Illumina Hiseq2000 sequencer. An average of 75 587 SNPs were identified from each individual. Further filtering strictly validated 28 895 SNPs candidates for all populations. When compared with the NCBI dbSNP (chicken_9031), 15 404 SNPs were new discoveries. In this study, RAD‐seq was performed for the first time on chickens, implicating the remarkable effectiveness and potential applications on genetic analysis and breeding technique for whole‐genome selection in chicken and other agricultural animals.     

副干酪乳杆菌PC-01全基因组测序及不同副干酪乳杆菌菌株比较基因组学分析

【背景】副干酪乳杆菌(Lactobacillus paracasei)作为乳酸菌中重要菌种之一,常被认为是优良益生菌开发的潜在资源。【目的】以L.paracasei PC-01和L.paracasei Zhang为例,分析不同L.paracasei的基因组差异和遗传背景,为菌株的鉴定和开发奠定基础。【方法】采用PacBioSMRT三代测序技术对L.paracasei PC-01进行全基因组测序,结合2株L.paracasei模式菌株和公开的36株全基因组数据,通过比较基因组学方法揭示39株L.paracasei菌株之间的差异。【结果】L.paracasei PC-01基因组不包含质粒,染色体大小为2 829 251 bp,GC含量为46.64%;L.paracasei Zhang包含一个质粒基因组大小为2 898 456 bp,GC含量为46.51%;不同L.paracasei菌株基因组大小、质粒数及GC含量均存在一定差异。L.paracasei群体为开放式基因组,基因组具有高度多样性。基于核心基因构建系统发育树对于L.paracasei种内区分效果最好,L.paracasei PC-...     

马属动物全基因组高通量测序研究进展

马属(Equus)动物的祖先大约在5500万年前出现,经过持续分化形成现今的马、驴和斑马,统称马属动物。马作为家畜中的重要一员,是推动人类文明发展的载体,在人类的饮食、战争、农耕、运输和娱乐等领域做出了巨大贡献。然而,人类为了满足需求,或多或少影响着马的进化方向,从而在长时间自然和人工选择过程中形成了多种独具特色性状的不同马种。驴和骡在全球的存栏量也较多,在人类的生产和生活中起到的作用同样不可忽视,不但为人类提供了生产力而且还提供了食物和营养保健品。可见,马属动物对人类的重要性。近年来,高通量测序技术和生物信息学分析方法被广泛运用于家畜的遗传学研究。人们利用高通量测序手段探索马属动物在进化过程中的种群变化历史,解析形成独特性状的分子机制,为其育种工作提供有效的数据支持。本文综述了马属动物全基因组高通量测序的研究进展,以及利用该技术在马属动物的进化历史和功能基因挖掘研究领域所取得的成就,以期今后对马属动物的深入研究、产业开发和利用等方面提供参考信息。     

A survey of single nucleotide polymorphisms identified from whole‐genome sequencing and their functional effect in the porcine genome,

Genetic variants detected from sequence have been used to successfully identify causal variants and map complex traits in several organisms. High and moderate impact variants, those expected to alter or disrupt the protein coded by a gene and those that regulate protein production, likely have a more significant effect on phenotypic variation than do other types of genetic variants. Hence, a comprehensive list of these functional variants would be of considerable interest in swine genomic studies, particularly those targeting fertility and production traits. Whole‐genome sequence was obtained from 72 of the founders of an intensely phenotyped experimental swine herd at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). These animals included all 24 of the founding boars (12 Duroc and 12 Landrace) and 48 Yorkshire–Landrace composite sows. Sequence reads were mapped to the Sscrofa10.2 genome build, resulting in a mean of 6.1 fold (×) coverage per genome. A total of 22 342 915 high confidence SNPs were identified from the sequenced genomes. These included 21 million previously reported SNPs and 79% of the 62 163 SNPs on the PorcineSNP60 BeadChip assay. Variation was detected in the coding sequence or untranslated regions (UTRs) of 87.8% of the genes in the porcine genome: loss‐of‐function variants were predicted in 504 genes, 10 202 genes contained nonsynonymous variants, 10 773 had variation in UTRs and 13 010 genes contained synonymous variants. Approximately 139 000 SNPs were classified as loss‐of‐function, nonsynonymous or regulatory, which suggests that over 99% of the variation detected in our pigs could potentially be ignored, allowing us to focus on a much smaller number of functional SNPs during future analyses.     

Genotyping‐by‐sequencing approaches to characterize crop genomes: choosing the right tool for the right application

In the last decade, the revolution in sequencing technologies has deeply impacted crop genotyping practice. New methods allowing rapid, high‐throughput genotyping of entire crop populations have proliferated and opened the door to wider use of molecular tools in plant breeding. These new genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) methods include over a dozen reduced‐representation sequencing (RRS) approaches and at least four whole‐genome resequencing (WGR) approaches. The diversity of methods available, each often producing different types of data at different cost, can make selection of the best‐suited method seem a daunting task. We review the most common genotyping methods used today and compare their suitability for linkage mapping, genomewide association studies (GWAS), marker‐assisted and genomic selection and genome assembly and improvement in crops with various genome sizes and complexity. Furthermore, we give an outline of bioinformatics tools for analysis of genotyping data. WGR is well suited to genotyping biparental cross populations with complex, small‐ to moderate‐sized genomes and provides the lowest cost per marker data point. RRS approaches differ in their suitability for various tasks, but demonstrate similar costs per marker data point. These approaches are generally better suited for de novo applications and more cost‐effective when genotyping populations with large genomes or high heterozygosity. We expect that although RRS approaches will remain the most cost‐effective for some time, WGR will become more widespread for crop genotyping as sequencing costs continue to decrease.     

一株新的产吡咯喹啉醌甲基营养菌全基因组测序和比较基因组学分析

【背景】由于甲基营养菌被发现的时间较短,而且可以生产吡咯喹啉醌(pyrroloquinoline quinone,PQQ)的甲基杆菌属细菌只有少数菌株的全基因组序列被公布,增加了该类细菌基因组学和生物代谢途径研究的难度。【目的】将本实验室筛选的PQQ生产菌经多种诱变方式处理,用于提高PQQ的发酵产量。对高产突变菌株进行全基因组解析,以探究甲基杆菌PQQ合成的分子机制,为后续分子育种提供序列背景信息。【方法】将野生型PQQ生产菌株进行紫外诱变、亚硝基胍诱变、甲基磺酸乙酯诱变、硫酸二乙酯诱变和紫外-氯化锂复合诱变。将突变菌株利用PromethION三代测序平台和MGISEQ-2000二代测序平台测序,然后进行组装和功能注释。组装得到的全基因组序列与模式菌株扭脱甲基杆菌AM1 (Methylobacterium extorquens AM1)进行比较基因组学分析。【结果】经11轮诱变获得一株突变菌株NI91,其PQQ产量为19.49mg/L,相较原始菌株提高44.91%。突变菌株NI91的基因组由一个5 409 262 bp的染色体组成,共编码4 957个蛋白,与模式菌株M. extorqu...     

Whole genome sequencing of marine organisms by Oxford Nanopore Technologies: Assessment and optimization of HMW‐DNA extraction protocols

Marine habitats are Earth''s largest aquatic ecosystems, yet little is known about marine organism''s genomes. Molecular studies can unravel their genetics print, thus shedding light on specie''s adaptation and speciation with precise authentication. However, extracting high molecular weight DNA from marine organisms and subsequent DNA library preparation for whole genome sequencing is challenging. The challenges can be explained by excessive metabolites secretion that co‐precipitates with DNA and barricades their sequencing. In this work, we sought to resolve this issue by describing an optimized isolation method and comparing its performance with the most commonly reported protocols or commercial kits: SDS/phenol–chloroform method, Qiagen Genomic Tips kit, Qiagen DNeasy Plant mini kit, a modified protocol of Qiagen DNeasy Plant kit, Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit, and Qiagen Qiamp DNA Stool mini kit. Our method proved to work significantly better for different marine species regardless of their shape, consistency, and sample preservation, improving Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing yield by 39 folds for Spirobranchus sp. and enabling generation of almost 10 GB data per flow cell/run for Chrysaora sp. and Palaemon sp. samples.     

A chromosome‐scale reference genome and genome‐wide genetic variations elucidate adaptation in yak

Yak is an important livestock animal for the people indigenous to the harsh, oxygen‐limited Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau and Hindu Kush ranges of the Himalayas. The yak genome was sequenced in 2012, but its assembly was fragmented because of the inherent limitations of the Illumina sequencing technology used to analyse it. An accurate and complete reference genome is essential for the study of genetic variations in this species. Long‐read sequences are more complete than their short‐read counterparts and have been successfully applied towards high‐quality genome assembly for various species. In this study, we present a high‐quality chromosome‐scale yak genome assembly (BosGru_PB_v1.0) constructed with long‐read sequencing and chromatin interaction technologies. Compared to an existing yak genome assembly (BosGru_v2.0), BosGru_PB_v1.0 shows substantially improved chromosome sequence continuity, reduced repetitive structure ambiguity, and gene model completeness. To characterize genetic variation in yak, we generated de novo genome assemblies based on Illumina short reads for seven recognized domestic yak breeds in Tibet and Sichuan and one wild yak from Hoh Xil. We compared these eight assemblies to the BosGru_PB_v1.0 genome, obtained a comprehensive map of yak genetic diversity at the whole‐genome level, and identified several protein‐coding genes absent from the BosGru_PB_v1.0 assembly. Despite the genetic bottleneck experienced by wild yak, their diversity was nonetheless higher than that of domestic yak. Here, we identified breed‐specific sequences and genes by whole‐genome alignment, which may facilitate yak breed identification.