Recurrent hemizygous deletions in cancers may optimize proliferative potential

Tumors exhibit numerous recurrent hemizygous focal deletions that contain no known tumor suppressors and are poorly understood. To investigate whether these regions contribute to tumorigenesis, we searched genetically for genes with cancer-relevant properties within these hemizygous deletions. We identified STOP and GO genes, which negatively and positively regulate proliferation, respectively. STOP genes include many known tumor suppressors, whereas GO genes are enriched for essential genes. Analysis of their chromosomal distribution revealed that recurring deletions preferentially overrepresent STOP genes and underrepresent GO genes. We propose a hypothesis called the cancer gene island model, whereby gene islands encompassing high densities of STOP genes and low densities of GO genes are hemizygously deleted to maximize proliferative fitness through cumulative haploinsufficiencies. Because hundreds to thousands of genes are hemizygously deleted per tumor, this mechanism may help to drive tumorigenesis across many cancer types.     

Widespread lateral gene transfer from intracellular bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes

Although common among bacteria, lateral gene transfer-the movement of genes between distantly related organisms-is thought to occur only rarely between bacteria and multicellular eukaryotes. However, the presence of endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia pipientis, within some eukaryotic germlines may facilitate bacterial gene transfers to eukaryotic host genomes. We therefore examined host genomes for evidence of gene transfer events from Wolbachia bacteria to their hosts. We found and confirmed transfers into the genomes of four insect and four nematode species that range from nearly the entire Wolbachia genome (>1 megabase) to short (<500 base pairs) insertions. Potential Wolbachia-to-host transfers were also detected computationally in three additional sequenced insect genomes. We also show that some of these inserted Wolbachia genes are transcribed within eukaryotic cells lacking endosymbionts. Therefore, heritable lateral gene transfer occurs into eukaryotic hosts from their prokaryote symbionts, potentially providing a mechanism for acquisition of new genes and functions.     

Evolution of the gene network underlying wing polyphenism in ants

Wing polyphenism in ants evolved once, 125 million years ago, and has been a key to their amazing evolutionary success. We characterized the expression of several genes within the network underlying the wing primordia of reproductive (winged) and sterile (wingless) ant castes. We show that the expression of several genes within the network is conserved in the winged castes of four ant species, whereas points of interruption within the network in the wingless castes are evolutionarily labile. The simultaneous evolutionary lability and conservation of the network underlying wing development in ants may have played an important role in the morphological diversification of this group and may be a general feature of polyphenic development and evolution in plants and animals.     

陆川猪Leptin基因的SNP检测及其与部分生产性状的关联分析

以82头陆川猪为材料,根据猪Leptin基因序列设计一对引物,采用PCR-SSCP技术进行单核苷酸多态性(SNP)检测,发现一个SNP位点,并对该位点的3种基因型与陆川猪部分生产性状进行相关性分析。结果表明:CC型个体的断奶重和平均日增重显著高于TT型和CT型(P<0 05)。由此初步推断Leptin基因可能是影响陆川猪生产性状的候选基因之一或与主基因相连锁,可以用该位点对陆川猪生产性状进行标记辅助选择。     

甜菜夜蛾生物钟基因Per和Tim的分子克隆及昼夜表达动态

针对重要农业害虫甜菜夜蛾,通过序列相似性分析从转录组数据获得2个生物钟基因片段,利用RACE技术进一步克隆了cDNA全序列,分别命名为SexiPer和SexiTim。2个基因编码的氨基酸序列和已报道的昆虫同源序列具有较高的相似性,其中SexiPer和海灰翅夜蛾、甘蓝夜蛾的相似性最高,分别为71%和52%;SexiTim和家蚕、柞蚕的相似性最高,分别为65%和52%。进化分析表明,Per基因的氨基酸序列相似性与昆虫间的亲缘关系非常一致,但Tim基因不太一致。进一步利用qRT-PCR技术,对雄蛾触角中2个基因的昼夜表达动态进行了测定,发现2个基因表达量的变化同步,均在光期前期较低,光期后期开始升高,至光期末期达到最高,并在整个暗期保持较高水平。研究认为,甜菜夜蛾触角中可能存在着生物钟,用于调控性信息素通讯的昼夜节律。     

转基因大豆、玉米和水稻外源基因检测通用标准分子的构建

将转基因大豆、玉米和水稻的主要外源Cry1A(B)基因、BAR基因、CP4-EPSPS基因、PAT 基因和内参RBCL基因目标片段分别克隆到克隆载体pMD18-T中,构建获得的质粒可作为定性检测3种转基因粮食作物的上述外源基因的通用标准分子质粒pMD18-T-PAT-CP4-EPSPS-Cry1A(B)-BAR-RBCL,长约4.7 kb.经过双酶切、测序及PCR扩增,获得与预期片断大小及序列一致的目的基因片段,证明所构建的标准分子质粒是正确的,可以用来作为不同品种转基因粮食作物定性检测CP4-EPSPS基因、Cry1A(B)基因、BAR基因和PAT基因的通用阳性标准分子.     

植物次生代谢遗传操作中基因表达优化策略研究进展

 植物可以产生种类多样的次生代谢产物,供人类利用。通过转化代谢途径相关基因,可以实现对植物次生代谢途径的调控。在遗传操作中,对转基因载体上的表达元件进行优化,共表达功能基因的辅因子基因、亚基基因和转录因子基因,并采取合理措施避免基因沉默,能够促进外源功能基因的稳定、高效表达,从而提高产物的合成与积累量。本文综述了进行植物次生代谢途径遗传操作时,优化基因表达时的研究进展。提出为获得理想的转基因效果,有必要综合考虑影响功能基因表达的各种因素,并进行相应的优化。本文为植物次生代谢遗传操作研究提供了基础资料。     

The premetazoan ancestry of cadherins

Cadherin-mediated cell adhesion and signaling is essential for metazoan development and yet is absent from all other multicellular organisms. We found cadherin genes at numbers similar to those observed in complex metazoans in one of the closest single-celled relatives of metazoans, the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis. Because the evolution of metazoans from a single-celled ancestor required novel cell adhesion and signaling mechanisms, the discovery of diverse cadherins in choanoflagellates suggests that cadherins may have contributed to metazoan origins.     

A systematic survey of loss-of-function variants in human protein-coding genes

Genome-sequencing studies indicate that all humans carry many genetic variants predicted to cause loss of function (LoF) of protein-coding genes, suggesting unexpected redundancy in the human genome. Here we apply stringent filters to 2951 putative LoF variants obtained from 185 human genomes to determine their true prevalence and properties. We estimate that human genomes typically contain ~100 genuine LoF variants with ~20 genes completely inactivated. We identify rare and likely deleterious LoF alleles, including 26 known and 21 predicted severe disease-causing variants, as well as common LoF variants in nonessential genes. We describe functional and evolutionary differences between LoF-tolerant and recessive disease genes and a method for using these differences to prioritize candidate genes found in clinical sequencing studies.     

Genome-wide experimental determination of barriers to horizontal gene transfer

Horizontal gene transfer, in which genetic material is transferred from the genome of one organism to that of another, has been investigated in microbial species mainly through computational sequence analyses. To address the lack of experimental data, we studied the attempted movement of 246,045 genes from 79 prokaryotic genomes into Escherichia coli and identified genes that consistently fail to transfer. We studied the mechanisms underlying transfer inhibition by placing coding regions from different species under the control of inducible promoters. Our data suggest that toxicity to the host inhibited transfer regardless of the species of origin and that increased gene dosage and associated increased expression may be a predominant cause for transfer failure. Although these experimental studies examined transfer solely into E. coli, a computational analysis of gene-transfer rates across available bacterial and archaeal genomes supports that the barriers observed in our study are general across the tree of life.     

Triallelic inheritance in Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a Mendelian recessive disorder

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by multiple clinical features that include pigmentary retinal dystrophy, polydactyly, obesity, developmental delay, and renal defects. BBS is considered an autosomal recessive disorder, and recent positional cloning efforts have identified two BBS genes (BBS2 and BBS6). We screened our cohort of 163 BBS families for mutations in both BBS2 and BBS6 and report the presence of three mutant alleles in affected individuals in four pedigrees. In addition, we detected unaffected individuals in two pedigrees who carry two BBS2 mutations but not a BBS6 mutation. We therefore propose that BBS may not be a single-gene recessive disease but a complex trait requiring three mutant alleles to manifest the phenotype. This triallelic model of disease transmission may be important in the study of both Mendelian and multifactorial disorders.     

Identifying autism loci and genes by tracing recent shared ancestry

To find inherited causes of autism-spectrum disorders, we studied families in which parents share ancestors, enhancing the role of inherited factors. We mapped several loci, some containing large, inherited, homozygous deletions that are likely mutations. The largest deletions implicated genes, including PCDH10 (protocadherin 10) and DIA1 (deleted in autism1, or c3orf58), whose level of expression changes in response to neuronal activity, a marker of genes involved in synaptic changes that underlie learning. A subset of genes, including NHE9 (Na+/H+ exchanger 9), showed additional potential mutations in patients with unrelated parents. Our findings highlight the utility of "homozygosity mapping" in heterogeneous disorders like autism but also suggest that defective regulation of gene expression after neural activity may be a mechanism common to seemingly diverse autism mutations.     

利用选择性清除方法鉴别影响太湖猪（二花脸、梅山猪）及野猪产仔数差异的SNP 位点

母猪的繁殖性状是一个重要的经济性状,它由一系列主效基因或数量性状位点(Quantitative trait locus,QTLs) 控制。产仔数是母猪繁殖性状中最重要的考量指标之一袁找到影响产仔数的基因或标记有重要的经济及科研价值遥针对猪60KSNP芯片扫描结果,采用Genepop软件检测太湖猪（二花脸、梅山猪）及野猪每个SNP位点的遗传分化系数（Fst值）,鉴别与产仔数相关的SNP位点。按照0.025%比例的原则挑选遗传分化系数最大的SNP位点,并将其所在基因及物理位置临近的2个基因提交到DAVID数据库进行GO（Gene Ontology）和KEGG（KyotoEncyclopedia of Genes and Genomes）分析。结果显示,关于猪产仔数最强的2个选择性清除信号位于猪8号染色体（SSC8）和13号染色体（SSC13）上。其中SSC13中检测到的2个SNP位点均位于IQCJ-SCHIP1基因内遥。SC8上的SNP位点位于NR3C2基因内,可能为新发现的SNP位点遥经KEGG分析,有2个基因位于赖氨酸合成通路中遥结果表明,利用选择性清除的方法,选择高产太湖猪、低产野猪这两个极端群体来鉴别影响产仔数的SNP位点,发现了新的SNP位点。IQCJ-SCHIP1、NR3C2基因及位于赖氨酸通路中的功能基因可能是影响母猪产仔数的候选基因。