Full genome sequencing and genetic characterization of Eubenangee viruses identify Pata virus as a distinct species within the genus Orbivirus

Eubenangee virus has previously been identified as the cause of Tammar sudden death syndrome (TSDS). Eubenangee virus (EUBV), Tilligery virus (TILV), Pata virus (PATAV) and Ngoupe virus (NGOV) are currently all classified within the Eubenangee virus species of the genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae. Full genome sequencing confirmed that EUBV and TILV (both of which are from Australia) show high levels of aa sequence identity (>92%) in the conserved polymerase VP1(Pol), sub-core VP3(T2) and outer core VP7(T13) proteins, and are therefore appropriately classified within the same virus species. However, they show much lower amino acid (aa) identity levels in their larger outer-capsid protein VP2 (<53%), consistent with membership of two different serotypes - EUBV-1 and EUBV-2 (respectively). In contrast PATAV showed significantly lower levels of aa sequence identity with either EUBV or TILV (with <71% in VP1(Pol) and VP3(T2), and <57% aa identity in VP7(T13)) consistent with membership of a distinct virus species. A proposal has therefore been sent to the Reoviridae Study Group of ICTV to recognise 'Pata virus' as a new Orbivirus species, with the PATAV isolate as serotype 1 (PATAV-1). Amongst the other orbiviruses, PATAV shows closest relationships to Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease virus (EHDV), with 80.7%, 72.4% and 66.9% aa identity in VP3(T2), VP1(Pol), and VP7(T13) respectively. Although Ngoupe virus was not available for these studies, like PATAV it was isolated in Central Africa, and therefore seems likely to also belong to the new species, possibly as a distinct 'type'. The data presented will facilitate diagnostic assay design and the identification of additional isolates of these viruses.     

Rapid mitochondrial genome sequencing based on Oxford Nanopore Sequencing and a proxy for vertebrate species identification

Molecular information is crucial for species identification when facing challenging morphology‐based specimen identifications. The use of DNA barcodes partially solves this problem, but in some cases when PCR is not an option (i.e., primers are not available, problems in reaction standardization), amplification‐free approaches could be an optimal alternative. Recent advances in DNA sequencing, like the MinION device from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), allow to obtain genomic data with low laboratory and technical requirements, and at a relatively low cost. In this study, we explore ONT sequencing for molecular species identification from a total DNA sample obtained from a neotropical rodent and we also test the technology for complete mitochondrial genome reconstruction via genome skimming. We were able to obtain “de novo” the complete mitogenome of a specimen from the genus Melanomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) with average depth coverage of 78X using ONT‐only data and by combining multiple assembly routines. Our pipeline for an automated species identification was able to identify the sample using unassembled sequence data (raw) in a reasonable computing time, which was substantially reduced when a priori information related to the organism identity was known. Our findings suggest ONT sequencing as a suitable candidate to solve species identification problems in metazoan nonmodel organisms and generate complete mtDNA datasets.     

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...     

Morphological and ITS rDNA-based phylogenetic identification of two new species in Tinctoporellus

Two new poroid wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes, Tinctoporellus bubalinus and T. hinnuleus, are described and illustrated based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of rDNA ITS sequences. Tinctoporellus bubalinus is characterized by annual, resupinate basidiocarps, white to buff coloured pore surface and thin- to slightly thick-walled, richly branched and contorted dendrohyphidia. Tinctoporellus hinnuleus is characterized by annual, resupinate basidiocarps, cinnamon, clay-buff to fawn pore surface, thin-walled, richly branched and contorted brown dendrohyphidia. Discriminating characters between the new species and the closely related species are discussed. A key to accepted species in Tinctoporellus is provided.     

The dnaJ gene as a novel phylogenetic marker for identification of Vibrio species

The utility of the dnaJ gene for identifying Vibrio species was investigated by analyzing dnaJ sequences of 57 type strains and 22 clinical strains and comparing sequence homologies with those of the 16S rDNA gene and other housekeeping genes (recA, rpoA, hsp60). Among the 57 Vibrio species, the mean sequence similarity of the dnaJ gene (77.9%) was significantly less than that of the 16S rDNA gene (97.2%), indicating a high discriminatory power of the dnaJ gene. Most Vibrio species were, therefore, differentiated well by dnaJ sequence analysis. Compared to other housekeeping genes, the dnaJ gene showed better resolution than recA or rpoA for differentiating Vibrio coralliilyticus from Vibrio neptunius and Vibrio harveyi from Vibrio rotiferianus. Among the clinical strains, all 22 human pathogenic strains, including an atypical strain, were correctly identified by the dnaJ sequence. Our findings suggest that analysis of the dnaJ gene sequence can be used as a new tool for the identification of Vibrio species.     

鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C分离株基因组测序及系统发育分析

【背景】鸽新城疫是由鸽Ⅰ型副黏病毒(pigeon paramyxovirus type Ⅰ,PPMV-1)感染引起的危害最严重的疫病之一,至今尚无有效的防控制剂。【目的】分析鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C株的基因组信息及系统发育关系,为鸽新城疫的防控提供科学依据。【方法】设计首尾重叠的6对特异性引物,利用分段扩增的方法,以鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C株基因组cDNA为模板,分别扩增、测序后进行全基因组序列拼接。以NCBI数据库中发布的新城疫病毒序列为参考,针对鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C株的基因组、F基因建立系统发育树。【结果】鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C株的基因组全长为15192nt。基于全基因组的系统发育分析发现其与PPMV-1/BJ-01/CH株的系统发育关系最近,核苷酸相似性为99.96%,氨基酸相似性高达100%,属于同一个分支,而与LaSota疫苗株等其他新城疫毒株的亲缘关系相对较远。基于F基因序列的系统发育树分析发现BJ-C株F基因与我国的BJP2013株同属一个分支。ClassⅡ类Ⅵ亚型F基因高变区序列(47-420nt)比对结果显示,安徽株Pigeon/Anhui/2369/2012、广东株Pigeon/Guangdong/GZ288/2013、北京株BJP13、浙江株Pigeon/Zhejiang/2036/2012及比利时株PPMV-1/Belgium/11-09620/2011等与BJ-C毒株处于同一个分支,同属Ⅵb亚型。【结论】本研究获得了鸽新城疫病毒BJ-C株全基因组序列,分析了其系统发育关系,确定其属于ClassⅡ类Ⅵb型,为后续防控产品的开发提供了理论依据。     

Complete genome sequencing and analysis of an anti-tumor Newcastle disease virus strain

HBNU/LSRC/F3, a Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain stored in our lab, exhibited an anti-tumor ability in our previous studies. Nonetheless, very little is known about its genome sequence, which is vital for further study. Here, the complete HBNU/LSRC/F3 genome was fully sequenced and compared with other NDV sequences. Its genome contained 15,192 nucleotides (nt) consisting of two termini and six genes in the following order: 3′-Le-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-Tr-5′. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this NDV strain belonged to the Class II genotype IX group. A multibasic amino acid (aa) sequence was found at the cleavage site (¹¹²RRQRR↓F¹¹⁷) within the fusion (F) protein, and a 6 nt insertion was present in the 5′ non-coding region of the NP gene. The whole genome sequence was highly similar to other genotype IX NDV genomes reported in China. Overall, this study provides insight into the sequence characteristics of genotype IX NDVs, which will be useful for subsequent investigations.     

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chrysolophus pictus (Galliformes: Phasianidae) and a phylogenetic analysis with related species

The 16,678 bp mitochondrial genome of the Chrysolophus pictus has been sequenced in this paper. To determine the phylogentic position of C. pictus with related species within Phasianidae, the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with the concatenated nucleotide dataset of the 12 heavy-strand-encoded protein genes. The phylogenetic analysis was carried out using maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. MP and BI phylogenetic trees here showed similar topology and consistently suggested that C. pictus shared a close relationship with Phasianus versicolor. The results also showed that the Meleagris gallopavo possessed a basal phylogenetic position within Phasianidae, which may imply that it should be classified into the Phasianidae.     

Recognizing species as a new focus of virus research

Species taxa are the units of taxonomy most suited to measure virus diversity, and they account for more than 70% of all virus taxa. Yet, as evidenced by the content of GenBank entries and illustrated by the recent literature on SARS-CoV-2, they are the most neglected taxa of virus research. To correct this disparity, we propose to make species taxa a first choice for communicating virus taxonomy in publications concerning viruses. We see it as a key step toward promoting research on diverse viruses, including pathogens, at this fundamental level of biology.     

Comparative genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast for evolutionary relationship among Pinus species

Genus Pinus is a widely dispersed genus of conifer plants in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the inadequate accessibility of genomic knowledge limits our understanding of molecular phylogeny and evolution of Pinus species. In this study, the evolutionary features of complete plastid genome and the phylogeny of the Pinus genus were studied. A total of thirteen divergent hotspot regions (trnk-UUU, matK, trnQ-UUG, atpF, atpH, rpoC1, rpoC2, rpoB, ycf2, ycf1, trnD-GUC, trnY-GUA, and trnH-GUG) were identified that would be utilized as possible genetic markers for determination of phylogeny and population genetics analysis of Pinus species. Furthermore, seven genes (petD, psaI, psaM, matK, rps18, ycf1, and ycf2) with positive selection site in Pinus species were identified. Based on the whole genome this phylogenetic study showed that twenty-four Pinus species form a significant genealogical clade. Divergence time showed that the Pinus species originated about 100 million years ago (MYA) (95% HPD, 101.76.35–109.79 MYA), in lateral stages of Cretaceous. Moreover, two of the subgenera are consequently originated in 85.05 MYA (95% HPD, 81.04–88.02 MYA). This study provides a phylogenetic relationship and a chronological framework for the future study of the molecular evolution of the Pinus species.     

Emaravirus属新病毒:中国枣树花叶伴随病毒全基因组测序

[目的]2016年以来,新疆阿克苏等地区出现了一种新的枣树病害,严重威胁当地及周边红枣产业。本研究旨在鉴定引起此次病害的病原,探究病原体的传播方式,为生物防治策略的开发提供研究基础。[方法]对发病植株进行小RNA测序以鉴定病原体;对新鉴定的病毒,通过RNAseq和反转录PCR获取病毒全序列;体外表达重组的病毒结构蛋白并制备特异性抗体,通过Western斑点杂交法在发病植株中确证病毒蛋白;收集发病区域的媒介昆虫,通过反转录PCR在昆虫体内检测病毒的基因组,鉴定可能的传毒介体。[结果]本研究鉴定一种新的欧洲山梣环斑病毒属病毒为新疆新发枣树病害可能的病原体,命名为中国枣树花叶伴随病毒(Chinese date mosaic-associated virus,CDMaV)。CDMaV是一种多分段单链RNA病毒,基因组由5条负义RNA组成;RNA1-RNA5大小分别为7160、2224、1230、1493、971 nt,每条基因组RNA的互补链包含一个开放阅读框,共编码5个蛋白,依次为依赖RNA的RNA聚合酶、包膜糖蛋白、核衣壳蛋白和两个未知功能蛋白。在枣树寄生虫枣瘿螨体内扩增到病毒序列,表明该病毒可能以枣瘿螨为介体在枣树间进行传播。[结论]本研究为新疆新发枣树病害鉴定了相关病原体CDMaV,完成CDMaV全基因组测序,并鉴定枣瘿螨为可能的传毒介体。鉴定病原体和传播介体是建立病害防治方法的必要基础。     

Comparing whole‐genome shotgun sequencing and DNA metabarcoding approaches for species identification and quantification of pollen species mixtures

Molecular identification of mixed‐species pollen samples has a range of applications in various fields of research. To date, such molecular identification has primarily been carried out via amplicon sequencing, but whole‐genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing of pollen DNA has potential advantages, including (1) more genetic information per sample and (2) the potential for better quantitative matching. In this study, we tested the performance of WGS sequencing methodology and publicly available reference sequences in identifying species and quantifying their relative abundance in pollen mock communities. Using mock communities previously analyzed with DNA metabarcoding, we sequenced approximately 200Mbp for each sample using Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq. Taxonomic identifications were based on the Kraken k‐mer identification method with reference libraries constructed from full‐genome and short read archive data from the NCBI database. We found WGS to be a reliable method for taxonomic identification of pollen with near 100% identification of species in mixtures but generating higher rates of false positives (reads not identified to the correct taxon at the required taxonomic level) relative to rbcL and ITS2 amplicon sequencing. For quantification of relative species abundance, WGS data provided a stronger correlation between pollen grain proportion and sequence read proportion, but diverged more from a 1:1 relationship, likely due to the higher rate of false positives. Currently, a limitation of WGS‐based pollen identification is the lack of representation of plant diversity in publicly available genome databases. As databases improve and costs drop, we expect that eventually genomics methods will become the methods of choice for species identification and quantification of mixed‐species pollen samples.     

Complete chloroplast genome sequencing of ten wild Fragaria species in China provides evidence for phylogenetic evolution of Fragaria

Complete chloroplast genomes of ten wild Fragaria species native to China were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis clustered Fragaria species into two clades: The south clade (F. iinumae, F. chinensis, F. pentaphylla, F. nilgerrensis, F. daltoniana, F. corymbosa, F. moupinensis, F. tibetica, F. nipponica, F. gracilis, and F. nubicola and north clade (F. viridis, F. orientalis, F. moschata, F. mandshurica, F. vesca, F. chiloensis, F. virginiana, and F. × ananassa), while F. iinumae is the oldest extant species. Molecular clock analysis suggested present Fragaria species share a common ancestor 3.57 million years ago (Ma), F. moschata and octoploid species evolve 0.89 and 0.97 Ma, respectively, but F. moschata be not directly involved in current octoploid species formation. Drastic global temperature change since the Palaeocene–Eocene, approx. 55 Ma, especially during uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and quaternary glaciation may have driven the formation of Fragaria, separation of two groups and polyploidization     

象甲科线粒体基因组特征及系统发育分析

昆虫线粒体基因组广泛应用于系统发育关系的重新建立、分子进化、谱系地理学及物种诊断等领域。为揭示象甲科昆虫线粒体全基因组序列的主要结构特征,探究其系统发育相关信息,为进化遗传学研究和分子标记选取等提供参考依据,本研究利用比较基因组学和生物信息学方法,对NCBI上已公布的35种象甲科物种线粒体全基因组序列进行了分析。结果显示:(1)象甲科tRNA基因存在排序及数目异常情况,不同物种中蛋白质编码基因和2种rRNAs排列相同,线粒体全基因组具有明显AT偏向;(2)COX1、ATP6、ND5、ND4、ND4L和ND1基因除标准三联密码子外,还存在特殊的起始密码子AAT、TTG和GTG;(3)13种蛋白质编码基因的进化速率顺序为COX3ATP8ND2ND5ND1ND4ND6ND4LND3ATP6CytbCOX1COX2;(4)13个蛋白编码基因和rRNAs基因中,ND5、rrnL、ND4和ND2基因变异位点数较高,可作为备选的分子标记;(5)各亚科的系统发育关系可能为(((小蠹亚科Scolytinae+长小蠹亚科Platypodinae)+(隐喙象亚科Cryptorhynchinae+魔喙象亚科Molytinae+象虫亚科Curculioninae)+((孢喙象亚科Cyclominae+粗喙象亚科Entiminae)+(隐颏象亚科Dryophthorinae+长小蠹亚科))),为象甲科的系统发育分析有提供参考。     

The genus Meira: phylogenetic placement and description of a new species

The genus Meira currently contains three recently described species of mite-associated basidiomycete yeasts from Israel and Japan and is placed in the Exobasidiomycetes (Ustilaginomycotina) Incertae sedis. A previously undescribed species of Meira was isolated from the phylloplane of a magnolia leaf in Louisiana, USA. Herein, we describe Meira miltonrushii sp. nov. and include phylogenetic analyses from three rDNA loci to resolve the placement of Meira. This study provides evidence that Meira belongs to the family Brachybasidiaceae in the Exobasidiales and supports the placement of another mite-associated yeast genus, Acaromyces, within Cryptobasidiaceae (Exobasidiales). We also examine sequences produced by numerous environmental studies that suggest Meira species can be found as endophytes of many plant species. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a member of the genus Meira in North America.     

Targeted genotyping by sequencing: a new way to genome profile the cat

Targeted GBS is a recent approach for obtaining an effective characterization for hundreds to thousands of markers. The high throughput of next‐generation sequencing technologies, moreover, allows sample multiplexing. The aims of this study were to (i) define a panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cat, (ii) use GBS for profiling 16 cats, and (iii) evaluate the performance with respect to the inference using standard approaches at different coverage thresholds, thereby providing useful information for designing similar experiments. Probes for sequencing 230 variants were designed based on the Felis_catus_8.0. 8.0 genome. The regions comprised anonymous and non‐anonymous SNPs. Sixteen cat samples were analysed, some of which had already been genotyped in a large group of loci and one having been whole‐genome sequenced in the 99_Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Project. The accuracy of the method was assessed by comparing the GBS results with the genotypes already available. Overall, GBS achieved good performance, with 92–96% correct assignments, depending on the coverage threshold used to define the set of trustable genotypes. Analyses confirmed that (i) the reliability of the inference of each genotype depends on the coverage at that locus and (ii) the fraction of target loci whose genotype can be inferred correctly is a function of the total coverage. GBS proves to be a valid alternative to other methods. Data suggested a depth of less than 11× is required for greater than 95% accuracy. However, sequencing depth must be adapted to the total size of the targets to ensure proper genotype inference.     

Use of rpoB gene sequence analysis for phylogenetic identification of Cronobacter species

Here, we report the RNA polymerase beta-subunit gene (rpoB) as a new molecular marker for the identification of the Cronobacter species. The results indicated that members of the Cronobacter genus are more easily discriminated by rpoB sequencing than 16S rRNA sequencing, and reliable identification could be achieved by rpoB gene sequence comparison.