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The Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus nidulans wetA developmental regulatory genes are functionally equivalent.

Aspergillus nidulans and Penicillium chrysogenum are related fungi that reproduce asexually by forming multicellular conidiophores and uninucleate conidia. In A. nidulans, spore maturation is controlled by the wetA (AwetA) regulatory gene. We cloned a homologous gene (PwetA) from P. chrysogenum to determine if spore maturation is regulated by a similar mechanism in this species. The PwetA and AwetA genes are similar in structure and functional organization. The inferred polypeptides share 77% overall amino acid sequence similarity, with several regions having > 85% similarity. The genes also had significant, local sequence similarities in their 5' flanking regions, including conserved binding sites for the product of the regulatory gene abaA. PwetA fully complemented an A. nidulans wetA deletion mutation, demonstrating that PwetA and its 5' regulatory sequences function normally in A. nidulans. These results indicate that the mechanisms controlling sporulation in A. nidulans and P. chrysogenum are evolutionarily conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of asexual developmental regulator gene abaA is affected in the double mutants of classes I and II chitin synthase genes, chsC and chsA, of Aspergillus nidulans.

The chsA and chsC encode classes II and I chitin synthases, respectively, of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The DeltachsA DeltachsC double mutants (DeltaAC mutants) show defects in asexual development: a striking reduction in the number of conidiophores and aberrant conidiophore morphology. Here, we examined the involvement of regulatory genes for asexual development (brlA, abaA, and medA) in the conidiation defects of the DeltaAC mutants. Spatial expression patterns of brlA, abaA, and medA in conidiophores of the wild-type strains and DeltaAC mutants were examined by in-situ staining using a reporter gene; expression of either gene was detected at abnormal sterigmata in the DeltaAC mutants as well as at normal ones in the wild-type strain. However, abaA expression was not prominent at a subset of conidiophores developing long chains of aberrant sterigmata, suggesting that induction of the abaA expression was retarded in the DeltaAC mutants. Based on these results and those previously presented, possible mechanisms involved in the conidiation defects are discussed.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

Developmental and gene expression analyses of a cotton naked seed mutant.

Cotton fiber development is a fundamental biological phenomenon, yet the molecular basis of fiber cell initiation is poorly understood. We examined molecular and cellular events of fiber cell development in the naked seed mutant (N1N1) and its isogenic line of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Texas Marker-1, TM-1). The dominant mutation not only delayed the process of fiber cell formation and elongation but also reduced the total number of fiber cells, resulting in sparsely distributed short fibers. Gene expression changes in TM-1 and N1N1 mutant lines among four tissues were analyzed using spotted cotton oligo-gene microarrays. Using the Arabidopsis genes, we selected and designed approximately 1,334 70-mer oligos from a subset of cotton fiber ESTs. Statistical analysis of the microarray data indicates that the number of significantly differentially expressed genes was 856 in the leaves compared to the ovules (3 days post-anthesis, DPA), 632 in the petals relative to the ovules (3 DPA), and 91 in the ovules at 0 DPA compared to 3 DPA, all in TM-1. Moreover, 117 and 30 genes were expressed significantly different in the ovules at three and 0 DPA, respectively, between TM-1 and N1N1. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of 23 fiber-associated genes in seven tissues including ovules, fiber-bearing ovules, fibers, and non-fiber tissues in TM-1 and N1N1 indicates a mode of temporal regulation of the genes involved in transcriptional and translational regulation, signal transduction, and cell differentiation during early stages of fiber development. Suppression of the fiber-associated genes in the mutant may suggest that the N1N1 mutation disrupts temporal regulation of gene expression, leading to a defective process of fiber cell elongation and development.

Arabidopsis↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. V. Genes for receptor tyrosine kinase pathway and Notch signaling pathway.

In the present survey, we identified most of the genes involved in the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Notch signaling pathways in the draft genome sequence of Ciona intestinalis, a basal chordate. Compared to vertebrates, most of the genes found in the Ciona genome had fewer paralogues, although several genes including ephrin, Eph and fringe appeared to have multiplied or duplicated independently in the ascidian genome. In contrast, some genes including kit/flt, PDGF and Trk receptor tyrosine kinases were not found in the present survey, suggesting that these genes are innovations in the vertebrate lineage or lost in the ascidian lineage. The gene set identified in the present analysis provides an insight into genes for the RTK, MAPK and Notch signaling pathways in the ancient chordate genome and thereby how chordates evolved these signaling pathway.

Animals↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. I. Genes for bHLH transcription factors.

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are transcription factors that play important roles in many biological processes, including the development of various animals. We identified 46 genes encoding bHLH proteins in the draft genome sequence of the basal chordate Ciona intestinalis. These 46 genes represent an almost complete set of bHLH genes in this animal. This number is comparable to 39 and 58 bHLH genes in those of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster but is much smaller than the 125 in the human genome. Genes that encode NeuroD, Beta3, Oligo, SCL, NSCL, SRC, Clock and Bmal were not found in the Ciona genome. We could also identify groucho and CBP orthologues in the Ciona genome. In addition, the comparison between the numbers of orthologous human and Ciona bHLH factors reveals the simplicity of the Ciona genome, in accordance with its phylogenetic position within chordates. The present analysis provides an insight into the basic set of bHLH genes that the last common ancestor of ascidians and vertebrates had, and will provide important background information for future studies using ascidians as a model system for vertebrate development.

Animals↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. X. Genes for cell junctions and extracellular matrix.

Cell junctions and the extracellular matrix (ECM) are crucial components in intercellular communication. These systems are thought to have become highly diversified during the course of vertebrate evolution. In the present study, we have examined whether the ancestral chordate already had such vertebrate systems for intercellular communication, for which we have searched the genome of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. From this molecular perspective, the Ciona genome contains genes that encode protein components of tight junctions, hemidesmosomes and connexin-based gap junctions, as well as of adherens junctions and focal adhesions, but it does not have those for desmosomes. The latter omission is curious, and the ascidian type-I cadherins may represent an ancestral form of the vertebrate type-I cadherins and desmosomal cadherins, while Ci-Plakin may represent an ancestral protein of the vertebrate desmoplakins and plectins. If this is the case, then ascidians may have retained ancestral desmosome-like structures, as suggested by previous electron-microscopic observations. In addition, ECM genes that have been regarded as vertebrate-specific were also found in the Ciona genome. These results suggest that the last common ancestor shared by ascidians and vertebrates, the ancestor of the entire chordate clade, had essentially the same systems of cell junctions as those in extant vertebrates. However, the number of such genes for each family in the Ciona genome is far smaller than that in vertebrate genomes. In vertebrates these ancestral cell junctions appear to have evolved into more diverse, and possibly more complex, forms, compared with those in their urochordate siblings.

Animals↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. VIII. Genes for PI3K signaling and cell cycle.

Cell growth and cell divisions are two fundamental biological processes for cells in multi-cellular organisms. The molecules involved in these biological processes are highly conserved within eukaryotes, including plants and unicellular organisms such as yeast. However, some regulatory molecules seem to be innovated during animal evolution. Therefore, to understand how the ubiquitous systems have evolved or have been conserved, we examined genes for the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway that is important for cell growth, and genes for cell cycle regulation in the genome of Ciona intestinalis. It was found that the Ciona intestinalis genome contains all the essential constituents of the PI3K pathway. In addition, the class IB PI3K catalytic and regulatory subunits, which had not previously been known in animals other than mammals, were found in the Ciona genome. Similarly, all essential cyclins and CDKs were found in the Ciona genome, while cyclin G and cyclin L were likely to be independently lost in the ascidian lineage, which may be dispensable for the cell cycle. Cyclin F, which was previously known only in vertebrates, was not found in the Ciona genome. Therefore, this gene was probably innovated during the evolution of vertebrates to be involved in vertebrate-specific cell cycle regulation. Since Ciona is regarded as one of the most primitive extant chordates, the present analysis gives us an insight into how these fundamental biological genes are evolved or are conserved during chordate evolution.

Animals↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. IX. Genes for muscle structural proteins.

Ascidians are simple chordates that are related to, and may resemble, vertebrate ancestors. Comparison of ascidian and vertebrate genomes is expected to provide insight into the molecular genetic basis of chordate/vertebrate evolution. We annotated muscle structural (contractile protein) genes in the completely determined genome sequence of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, and examined gene expression patterns through extensive EST analysis. Ascidian muscle protein isoform families are generally of similar, or lesser, complexity in comparison with the corresponding vertebrate isoform families, and are based on gene duplication histories and alternative splicing mechanisms that are largely or entirely distinct from those responsible for generating the vertebrate isoforms. Although each of the three ascidian muscle types - larval tail muscle, adult body-wall muscle and heart - expresses a distinct profile of contractile protein isoforms, none of these isoforms are strictly orthologous to the smooth-muscle-specific, fast or slow skeletal muscle-specific, or heart-specific isoforms of vertebrates. Many isoform families showed larval-versus-adult differential expression and in several cases numerous very similar genes were expressed specifically in larval muscle. This may reflect different functional requirements of the locomotor larval muscle as opposed to the non-locomotor muscles of the sessile adult, and/or the biosynthetic demands of extremely rapid larval development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A genomewide survey of developmentally relevant genes in Ciona intestinalis. VII. Molecules involved in the regulation of cell polarity and actin dynamics.

In the present study, genes involved in the pathways that establish cell polarity and cascades regulating actin dynamics were identified in the completely sequenced genome of Ciona intestinalis, a basal chordate. It was revealed that the Ciona genome contains orthologous genes of each component of aPKC-Par and PCP pathways and WASP/WAVE/SCAR and ADF/cofilin cascades, with less redundancy than the vertebrate genomes, suggesting that the conserved pathways/cascades function in Ciona development. In addition, the present study found that the orthologous proteins of five gene groups (Tc10, WRCH, RhoD, PLC-L, and PSKH) are conserved in humans and Ciona but not in Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting a similarity in the gene composition of Ciona to that of vertebrates. Ciona intestinalis, therefore, may provide refined clues for the study of vertebrate development and evolution.

Animals↗

Genes and developmental stabiltiy of aggressive behavior problems at home and school in a community sample of twins aged 7-12.

Though behavioral genetic studies of aggression have implicated heritable and environmental factors, there is limited understanding of how these factors influence aggression across different settings and over time. Ratings for 732 twins were collected from parents and teachers during middle childhood and early adolescence. Total aggression scores on the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF) were examined at each age, across both settings, and developmentally. In this sample, aggressive behavior was moderately to largely heritable at each age within the home (.76-.84) and school (.42-.61). Across each age, ratings by parents and teachers were moderately correlated (.19-.36). Genetic and environmental effects that were limited to a particular setting were important etiological factors for aggressive behavior consistently within each setting, while only genetic factors influenced levels of aggression across both settings. Stability during these ages was due to genetic effects common to each age and the persistence of child-specific environmental experiences within each setting. These results suggest that genetic and environmental influences on children's aggressive behavior are largely setting specific. Levels of aggression seen consistently across both settings are due to genetic influences. Developmentally stable levels of aggressive behavior result from genetic influences common to all ages and individual environmental influences whose effects persist across ages.

Aggression↗

An embryonal carcinoma cell line as a model system to study developmentally regulated genes during myogenesis.

We have established conditions to efficiently differentiate embryonic carcinoma stem cells of the line P19 into myogenic cells. As inducers for differentiation, a combination of embryoid body formation in conjunction with treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide and retinoic acid proved to be most efficient. Under these conditions we detected an accumulation of myosin- and actin-specific RNA. Also, large amounts of type IV collagen RNA were produced. Type IV collagen is a component of the muscle basement membrane. In analogy to the F-9 system, we found a drastic decrease in stable p53 mRNA under the differentiation conditions used.

Cell Line↗

The molecular cloning of a dispersed set of developmentally regulated genes which encode the major larval serum protein of D. melanogaster.

We have isolated chromosomal segments of D. melanogaster DNA that encode the alpha, beta and gamma polypeptides of the major larval serum protein (LSP1) from libraries of recombinant phage. The recombinant DNAs hybridize in situ to polytene chromosome regions 11A, 21D of 61A, consistent with the known cytogenetic positions of the alpha, beta and gamma genes, respectively. The three genes each encode a 2.85 kb polyadenylated RNA molecule. We have positioned these coding sequences, by both Southern hybridization analysis and R loop mapping. Heteroduplex analysis reveals comparatively close homology between the alpha and beta genes, less homology between the beta and gamma genes and least homology between the alpha and gamma genes.

Animals↗