Allelic imbalance metre (Allim), a new tool for measuring allele‐specific gene expression with RNA‐seq data

Estimating differences in gene expression among alleles is of high interest for many areas in biology and medicine. Here, we present a user‐friendly software tool, Allim, to estimate allele‐specific gene expression. Because mapping bias is a major problem for reliable estimates of allele‐specific gene expression using RNA‐seq, Allim combines two different strategies to account for the mapping biases. In order to reduce the mapping bias, Allim first generates a polymorphism‐aware reference genome that accounts for the sequence variation between the alleles. Then, a sequence‐specific simulation tool estimates the residual mapping bias. Statistical tests for allelic imbalance are provided that can be used with the bias corrected RNA‐seq data.     

Genome‐wide characterization and developmental expression profiling of long non‐coding RNAs in Sogatella furcifera

The genome‐wide characterization of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) in insects demonstrates their importance in fundamental biological processes. Essentially, an in‐depth understanding of the functional repertoire of lncRNA in insects is pivotal to insect resources utilization and sustainable pest control. Using a custom bioinformatics pipeline, we identified 1861 lncRNAs encoded by 1852 loci in the Sogatella furcifera genome. We profiled lncRNA expression in different developmental stages and observed that the expression of lncRNAs is more highly temporally restricted compared to protein‐coding genes. More up‐regulated Sogatella furcifera lncRNA expressed in the embryo, 4th and 5th instars, suggesting that increased lncRNA levels may play a role in these developmental stages. We compared the relationship between the expression of Sogatella furcifera lncRNA and its nearest protein gene and found that lncRNAs were more correlated to their downstream coding neighbors on the opposite strand. Our genome‐wide profiling of lncRNAs in Sogatella furcifera identifies exciting candidates for characterization of lncRNAs, and also provides information on lncRNA regulation during insect development.     

A simple method to score single nucleotide polymorphisms based on allele‐specific PCR and primer‐induced fragment‐length variation

We describe a simple protocol to genotype single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which combines allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with fragment‐length analysis. Three primers are used in the PCR: two allele‐specific forward primers with a length‐difference and one reverse primer. The forward primers induce a length‐difference between the SNP‐variants, which can be assessed with standard fragment‐length analyses. We designed primers for 21 SNPs, and codominance was achieved for 76% of these SNPs. An inexpensive and flexible laser‐detection scoring protocol can be achieved with multiplex scoring and by incorporating the M13(‐21) genotyping method.     

Genome‐wide characterization and expression analysis of genetic variants in sweet orange

Heterozyosity is an important feature of many plant genomes, and is related to heterosis. Sweet orange, a highly heterozygous species, is thought to have originated from an inter‐species hybrid between pummelo and mandarin. To investigate the heterozygosity of the sweet orange genome and examine how this heterozygosity affects gene expression, we characterized the genome of Valencia orange for single nucleotide variations (SNVs), small insertions and deletions (InDels) and structural variations (SVs), and determined their functional effects on protein‐coding genes and non‐coding sequences. Almost half of the genes containing large‐effect SNVs and InDels were expressed in a tissue‐specific manner. We identified 3542 large SVs (>50 bp), including deletions, insertions and inversions. Most of the 296 genes located in large‐deletion regions showed low expression levels. RNA‐Seq reads and DNA sequencing reads revealed that the alleles of 1062 genes were differentially expressed. In addition, we detected approximately 42 Mb of contigs that were not found in the reference genome of a haploid sweet orange by de novo assembly of unmapped reads, and annotated 134 protein‐coding genes within these contigs. We discuss how this heterozygosity affects the quality of genome assembly. This study advances our understanding of the genome architecture of sweet orange, and provides a global view of gene expression at heterozygous loci.     

Genome‐wide association analyses reveal complex genetic architecture underlying natural variation for flowering time in canola

Optimum flowering time is the key to maximize canola production in order to meet global demand of vegetable oil, biodiesel and canola‐meal. We reveal extensive variation in flowering time across diverse genotypes of canola under field, glasshouse and controlled environmental conditions. We conduct a genome‐wide association study and identify 69 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with flowering time, which are repeatedly detected across experiments. Several associated SNPs occur in clusters across the canola genome; seven of them were detected within 20 Kb regions of a priori candidate genes; FLOWERING LOCUS T, FRUITFUL, FLOWERING LOCUS C, CONSTANS, FRIGIDA, PHYTOCHROME B and an additional five SNPs were localized within 14 Kb of a previously identified quantitative trait loci for flowering time. Expression analyses showed that among FLC paralogs, BnFLC.A2 accounts for ~23% of natural variation in diverse accessions. Genome‐wide association analysis for FLC expression levels mapped not only BnFLC.C2 but also other loci that contribute to variation in FLC expression. In addition to revealing the complex genetic architecture of flowering time variation, we demonstrate that the identified SNPs can be modelled to predict flowering time in diverse canola germplasm accurately and hence are suitable for genomic selection of adaptative traits in canola improvement programmes.     

Genotyping of pantophysin I (Pan I) of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) by allele‐specific PCR

The two main allelic variants of the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) pantophysin I (Pan I) locus have different frequencies within different cod stocks. The Dra I polymorphism which distinguishes the two alleles can thus be used for discrimination of coastal and offshore cod populations. We present a new method for Pan I genotyping using fluorescent allele‐specific duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This method is more rapid, reliable and cost‐effective than the previously published method and it is not affected by DNA source and quality. This improvement is important for studies demanding high throughput and accuracy of Pan I genotyping     

Genome‐wide linkage analysis for human longevity: Genetics of Healthy Aging Study

Clear evidence exists for heritability of human longevity, and much interest is focused on identifying genes associated with longer lives. To identify such longevity alleles, we performed the largest genome‐wide linkage scan thus far reported. Linkage analyses included 2118 nonagenarian Caucasian sibling pairs that have been enrolled in 15 study centers of 11 European countries as part of the Genetics of Healthy Aging (GEHA) project. In the joint linkage analyses, we observed four regions that show linkage with longevity; chromosome 14q11.2 (LOD = 3.47), chromosome 17q12‐q22 (LOD = 2.95), chromosome 19p13.3‐p13.11 (LOD = 3.76), and chromosome 19q13.11‐q13.32 (LOD = 3.57). To fine map these regions linked to longevity, we performed association analysis using GWAS data in a subgroup of 1228 unrelated nonagenarian and 1907 geographically matched controls. Using a fixed‐effect meta‐analysis approach, rs4420638 at the TOMM40/APOE/APOC1 gene locus showed significant association with longevity (P‐value = 9.6 × 10^?8). By combined modeling of linkage and association, we showed that association of longevity with APOEε4 and APOEε2 alleles explain the linkage at 19q13.11‐q13.32 with P‐value = 0.02 and P‐value = 1.0 × 10^?5, respectively. In the largest linkage scan thus far performed for human familial longevity, we confirm that the APOE locus is a longevity gene and that additional longevity loci may be identified at 14q11.2, 17q12‐q22, and 19p13.3‐p13.11. As the latter linkage results are not explained by common variants, we suggest that rare variants play an important role in human familial longevity.     

Genome‐scale models of metabolism and gene expression extend and refine growth phenotype prediction

Growth is a fundamental process of life. Growth requirements are well‐characterized experimentally for many microbes; however, we lack a unified model for cellular growth. Such a model must be predictive of events at the molecular scale and capable of explaining the high‐level behavior of the cell as a whole. Here, we construct an ME‐Model for Escherichia coli—a genome‐scale model that seamlessly integrates metabolic and gene product expression pathways. The model computes ～80% of the functional proteome (by mass), which is used by the cell to support growth under a given condition. Metabolism and gene expression are interdependent processes that affect and constrain each other. We formalize these constraints and apply the principle of growth optimization to enable the accurate prediction of multi‐scale phenotypes, ranging from coarse‐grained (growth rate, nutrient uptake, by‐product secretion) to fine‐grained (metabolic fluxes, gene expression levels). Our results unify many existing principles developed to describe bacterial growth.     

Genome‐wide association analyses of child genotype effects and parent‐of‐origin effects in specific language impairment

Specific language impairment (SLI) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects linguistic abilities when development is otherwise normal. We report the results of a genome‐wide association study of SLI which included parent‐of‐origin effects and child genotype effects and used 278 families of language‐impaired children. The child genotype effects analysis did not identify significant associations. We found genome‐wide significant paternal parent‐of‐origin effects on chromosome 14q12 (P = 3.74 × 10^?8) and suggestive maternal parent‐of‐origin effects on chromosome 5p13 (P = 1.16 × 10^?7). A subsequent targeted association of six single‐nucleotide‐polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 5 in 313 language‐impaired individuals and their mothers from the ALSPAC cohort replicated the maternal effects, albeit in the opposite direction (P = 0.001); as fathers' genotypes were not available in the ALSPAC study, the replication analysis did not include paternal parent‐of‐origin effects. The paternally‐associated SNP on chromosome 14 yields a non‐synonymous coding change within the NOP9 gene. This gene encodes an RNA‐binding protein that has been reported to be significantly dysregulated in individuals with schizophrenia. The region of maternal association on chromosome 5 falls between the PTGER4 and DAB2 genes, in a region previously implicated in autism and ADHD. The top SNP in this association locus is a potential expression QTL of ARHGEF19 (also called WGEF) on chromosome 1. Members of this protein family have been implicated in intellectual disability. In summary, this study implicates parent‐of‐origin effects in language impairment, and adds an interesting new dimension to the emerging picture of shared genetic etiology across various neurodevelopmental disorders .