Chromosomal speciation and molecular divergence--accelerated evolution in rearranged chromosomes

Humans and their closest evolutionary relatives, the chimpanzees, differ in approximately 1.24% of their genomic DNA sequences. The fraction of these changes accumulated during the speciation processes that have separated the two lineages may be of special relevance in understanding the basis of their differences. We analyzed human and chimpanzee sequence data to search for the patterns of divergence and polymorphism predicted by a theoretical model of speciation. According to the model, positively selected changes should accumulate in chromosomes that present fixed structural differences, such as inversions, between the two species. Protein evolution was more than 2.2 times faster in chromosomes that had undergone structural rearrangements compared with colinear chromosomes. Also, nucleotide variability is slightly lower in rearranged chromosomes. These patterns of divergence and polymorphism may be, at least in part, the molecular footprint of speciation events in the human and chimpanzee lineages.     

A fine-scale chimpanzee genetic map from population sequencing

To study the evolution of recombination rates in apes, we developed methodology to construct a fine-scale genetic map from high-throughput sequence data from 10 Western chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus. Compared to the human genetic map, broad-scale recombination rates tend to be conserved, but with exceptions, particularly in regions of chromosomal rearrangements and around the site of ancestral fusion in human chromosome 2. At fine scales, chimpanzee recombination is dominated by hotspots, which show no overlap with those of humans even though rates are similarly elevated around CpG islands and decreased within genes. The hotspot-specifying protein PRDM9 shows extensive variation among Western chimpanzees, and there is little evidence that any sequence motifs are enriched in hotspots. The contrasting locations of hotspots provide a natural experiment, which demonstrates the impact of recombination on base composition.     

Poster: the macaque genome

The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) facilitates an extraordinary range of biomedical and basic research, and the publication of the genome only makes it a more powerful model for studies of human disease; moreover, the macaque's position relative to humans and chimpanzees affords the opportunity to learn about the processes that have shaped the last 25 million years of primate evolution. To allow users to explore these themes of the macaque genome, Science has created a special interactive version of the poster published in the print edition of the 13 April 2007 issue. The interactive version includes additional text and exploration, as well as embedded video featuring seven scientists discussing the importance of the macaque and its genome sequence in studies of biomedicine and evolution. We have also created an accompanying teaching resource, including a lesson plan aimed at teachers of advanced high school life science students, for exploring what a comparison of the macaque and human genomes can tell us about human biology and evolution. These items are free to all site visitors.     

Paired-end mapping reveals extensive structural variation in the human genome

Structural variation of the genome involves kilobase- to megabase-sized deletions, duplications, insertions, inversions, and complex combinations of rearrangements. We introduce high-throughput and massive paired-end mapping (PEM), a large-scale genome-sequencing method to identify structural variants (SVs) approximately 3 kilobases (kb) or larger that combines the rescue and capture of paired ends of 3-kb fragments, massive 454 sequencing, and a computational approach to map DNA reads onto a reference genome. PEM was used to map SVs in an African and in a putatively European individual and identified shared and divergent SVs relative to the reference genome. Overall, we fine-mapped more than 1000 SVs and documented that the number of SVs among humans is much larger than initially hypothesized; many of the SVs potentially affect gene function. The breakpoint junction sequences of more than 200 SVs were determined with a novel pooling strategy and computational analysis. Our analysis provided insights into the mechanisms of SV formation in humans.     

利用全基因组重测序技术研究182份大麦和青稞的基因组结构变异

为探明大麦(Hordeum vulgare L.)和青稞(Hordeum vulgare var.nudum)基因组结构变异与表型和环境适应差异的遗传机制，以大麦基因组为参考，基于182份大麦和青稞样品的全基因组重测序数据，进行了基因组结构变异分析。结果表明：182份大麦和青稞样品的平均测序深度约为12 X，共获得74 262个结构变异，包含48 078个缺失(65%)、13 461个插入(18%)、7 012个倒位(9%)和5 711个染色体内易位(8%)。大麦参考基因组18.72%(7 440/39 734) 的基因位于结构变异区内。许多与基因组结构变异相关的基因参与了光系统和防御反应过程。研究认为，基于182份大麦和青稞的基因组结构变异分析结果将为大麦和青稞建立一个比较完善的结构变异数据集，并将加深对大麦和青稞物种进化和表型差异分子机制的认识。     

Vertebrate-type intron-rich genes in the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii

Previous genome comparisons have suggested that one important trend in vertebrate evolution has been a sharp rise in intron abundance. By using genomic data and expressed sequence tags from the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii, we provide direct evidence that about two-thirds of human introns predate the bilaterian radiation but were lost from insect and nematode genomes to a large extent. A comparison of coding exon sequences confirms the ancestral nature of Platynereis and human genes. Thus, the urbilaterian ancestor had complex, intron-rich genes that have been retained in Platynereis and human.     

Programmed DNA deletion as an RNA-guided system of genome defense

Genomewide DNA rearrangements occur in many eukaryotes during development, but their functions and mechanisms are poorly understood. Previous studies have implicated a sequence-recognition mechanism based on RNA-mediated interactions between nuclei in ciliated protozoa. In this study, we found that the process recognized and deleted a foreign gene integrated in a Tetrahymena chromosome, suggesting an unusual mechanism of genome surveillance. We further found that injection of double-stranded RNA into the cell at specific developmental stages triggers efficient deletion of the targeted genomic regions. Together the results indicate an RNA-based mechanism that directs genomewide DNA rearrangements and serves to disable invading genetic agents.     

Genomic and genetic definition of a functional human centromere

The definition of centromeres of human chromosomes requires a complete genomic understanding of these regions. Toward this end, we report integration of physical mapping, genetic, and functional approaches, together with sequencing of selected regions, to define the centromere of the human X chromosome and to explore the evolution of sequences responsible for chromosome segregation. The transitional region between expressed sequences on the short arm of the X and the chromosome-specific alpha satellite array DXZ1 spans about 450 kilobases and is satellite-rich. At the junction between this satellite region and canonical DXZ1 repeats, diverged repeat units provide direct evidence of unequal crossover as the homogenizing force of these arrays. Results from deletion analysis of mitotically stable chromosome rearrangements and from a human artificial chromosome assay demonstrate that DXZ1 DNA is sufficient for centromere function. Evolutionary studies indicate that, while alpha satellite DNA present throughout the pericentromeric region of the X chromosome appears to be a descendant of an ancestral primate centromere, the current functional centromere based on DXZ1 sequences is the product of the much more recent concerted evolution of this satellite DNA.     

Sequencing and analysis of Neanderthal genomic DNA

Our knowledge of Neanderthals is based on a limited number of remains and artifacts from which we must make inferences about their biology, behavior, and relationship to ourselves. Here, we describe the characterization of these extinct hominids from a new perspective, based on the development of a Neanderthal metagenomic library and its high-throughput sequencing and analysis. Several lines of evidence indicate that the 65,250 base pairs of hominid sequence so far identified in the library are of Neanderthal origin, the strongest being the ascertainment of sequence identities between Neanderthal and chimpanzee at sites where the human genomic sequence is different. These results enabled us to calculate the human-Neanderthal divergence time based on multiple randomly distributed autosomal loci. Our analyses suggest that on average the Neanderthal genomic sequence we obtained and the reference human genome sequence share a most recent common ancestor approximately 706,000 years ago, and that the human and Neanderthal ancestral populations split approximately 370,000 years ago, before the emergence of anatomically modern humans. Our finding that the Neanderthal and human genomes are at least 99.5% identical led us to develop and successfully implement a targeted method for recovering specific ancient DNA sequences from metagenomic libraries. This initial analysis of the Neanderthal genome advances our understanding of the evolutionary relationship of Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis and signifies the dawn of Neanderthal genomics.     

DNA synthesis generates terminal duplications that seal end-to-end chromosome fusions

End-to-end chromosome fusions that occur in the context of telomerase deficiency can trigger genomic duplications. For more than 70 years, these duplications have been attributed solely to breakage-fusion-bridge cycles. To test this hypothesis, we examined end-to-end fusions isolated from Caenorhabditis elegans telomere replication mutants. Genome-level rearrangements revealed fused chromosome ends having interrupted terminal duplications accompanied by template-switching events. These features are very similar to disease-associated duplications of interstitial segments of the human genome. A model termed Fork Stalling and Template Switching has been proposed previously to explain such duplications, where promiscuous replication of large, noncontiguous segments of the genome occurs. Thus, a DNA synthesis-based process may create duplications that seal end-to-end fusions, in the absence of breakage-fusion-bridge cycles.     

畜禽基因组拷贝数变异的研究进展

拷贝数变异(Copy number variation,CNV)是一种重要的基因组结构变异,主要指从几kb到数个Mb范围内DNA的多态,包括片段插入、缺失、重复等,它是研究基因组进化和表型差异的重要因素。CNV最早在人类基因组上发现,近几年,在鼠、猪、牛等动物基因组上的研究也取得了明显成效。文章阐述了生物遗传变异的2种方式CNV和单核苷酸多态性,对CNV的形成机制和检测方法进行了分析,重点介绍了畜禽基因组CNV的研究现状,并就CNV未来的研究重点和需要解决的问题进行了展望。     

禾谷类作物的比较基因组研究

 水稻是基因组最小的禾谷类作物,饱和遗传连锁图谱的构建,以及在此基础上开展的标记辅助选择和抗病基因克隆,表明水稻基因组研究已经领先于其他禾谷类作物。比较基因组研究表明：小麦、玉米、高粱、谷子和甘蔗的基因组均可由水稻染色体区段重新排列而成，这些区段上DNA标记的排列顺序在各个种之间保留。各种作物基因组大小的差异可能由于各个区段内基因间重复顺序扩增的程度不同所致。根据这些区段在各种作物染色体的排列顺序，有人提出根据水稻染色体区段排列单个原始禾谷类染色体的设想，为深入研究禾谷类作物的进化遗传提出了全新的思路。禾谷类作物基因组之间的共线性有利于在小基因组内克隆大基因组作物的同源基因，使生物技术在作物育种中发挥更大的作用。     

Mobile DNA in Old World monkeys: a glimpse through the rhesus macaque genome

The completion of the draft sequence of the rhesus macaque genome allowed us to study the genomic composition and evolution of transposable elements in this representative of the Old World monkey lineage, a group of diverse primates closely related to humans. The L1 family of long interspersed elements appears to have evolved as a single lineage, and Alu elements have evolved into four currently active lineages. We also found evidence of elevated horizontal transmissions of retroviruses and the absence of DNA transposon activity in the Old World monkey lineage. In addition, approximately 100 precursors of composite SVA (short interspersed element, variable number of tandem repeat, and Alu) elements were identified, with the majority being shared by the common ancestor of humans and rhesus macaques. Mobile elements compose roughly 50% of primate genomes, and our findings illustrate their diversity and strong influence on genome evolution between closely related species.     

Parallel patterns of evolution in the genomes and transcriptomes of humans and chimpanzees

The determination of the chimpanzee genome sequence provides a means to study both structural and functional aspects of the evolution of the human genome. Here we compare humans and chimpanzees with respect to differences in expression levels and protein-coding sequences for genes active in brain, heart, liver, kidney, and testis. We find that the patterns of differences in gene expression and gene sequences are markedly similar. In particular, there is a gradation of selective constraints among the tissues so that the brain shows the least differences between the species whereas liver shows the most. Furthermore, expression levels as well as amino acid sequences of genes active in more tissues have diverged less between the species than have genes active in fewer tissues. In general, these patterns are consistent with a model of neutral evolution with negative selection. However, for X-chromosomal genes expressed in testis, patterns suggestive of positive selection on sequence changes as well as expression changes are seen. Furthermore, although genes expressed in the brain have changed less than have genes expressed in other tissues, in agreement with previous work we find that genes active in brain have accumulated more changes on the human than on the chimpanzee lineage.     

The perception of rational, goal-directed action in nonhuman primates

Humans are capable of making inferences about other individuals' intentions and goals by evaluating their actions in relation to the constraints imposed by the environment. This capacity enables humans to go beyond the surface appearance of behavior to draw inferences about an individual's mental states. Presently unclear is whether this capacity is uniquely human or is shared with other animals. We show that cotton-top tamarins, rhesus macaques, and chimpanzees all make spontaneous inferences about a human experimenter's goal by attending to the environmental constraints that guide rational action. These findings rule out simple associative accounts of action perception and show that our capacity to infer rational, goal-directed action likely arose at least as far back as the New World monkeys, some 40 million years ago.     

Complete chemical synthesis, assembly, and cloning of a Mycoplasma genitalium genome

We have synthesized a 582,970-base pair Mycoplasma genitalium genome. This synthetic genome, named M. genitalium JCVI-1.0, contains all the genes of wild-type M. genitalium G37 except MG408, which was disrupted by an antibiotic marker to block pathogenicity and to allow for selection. To identify the genome as synthetic, we inserted "watermarks" at intergenic sites known to tolerate transposon insertions. Overlapping "cassettes" of 5 to 7 kilobases (kb), assembled from chemically synthesized oligonucleotides, were joined by in vitro recombination to produce intermediate assemblies of approximately 24 kb, 72 kb ("1/8 genome"), and 144 kb ("1/4 genome"), which were all cloned as bacterial artificial chromosomes in Escherichia coli. Most of these intermediate clones were sequenced, and clones of all four 1/4 genomes with the correct sequence were identified. The complete synthetic genome was assembled by transformation-associated recombination cloning in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, then isolated and sequenced. A clone with the correct sequence was identified. The methods described here will be generally useful for constructing large DNA molecules from chemically synthesized pieces and also from combinations of natural and synthetic DNA segments.     

POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN FLY-CONTAMINATED FOOD COLLECTED AT AN EPIDEMIC

Poliomyelitis virus has been detected in food exposed to flies at homes of poliomyelitis patients within an epidemic area. This was achieved by feeding such exposed food to chimpanzees which developed subclinical infections or asymptomatic carrier states ascertained by positive stool tests in rhesus monkeys.