WorldWideScience

Sample records for integrated biochemical genomic

  1. Assembly and Multiplex Genome Integration of Metabolic Pathways in Yeast Using CasEMBLR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakočiūnas, Tadas; Jensen, Emil D.; Jensen, Michael Krogh

    2018-01-01

    and marker-free integration of the carotenoid pathway from 15 exogenously supplied DNA parts into three targeted genomic loci. As a second proof-of-principle, a total of ten DNA parts were assembled and integrated in two genomic loci to construct a tyrosine production strain, and at the same time knocking......Genome integration is a vital step for implementing large biochemical pathways to build a stable microbial cell factory. Although traditional strain construction strategies are well established for the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome...... engineering allow much higher throughput and robustness in terms of strain construction. In this chapter, we describe CasEMBLR, a highly efficient and marker-free genome engineering method for one-step integration of in vivo assembled expression cassettes in multiple genomic sites simultaneously. Cas...

  2. Biochemical Process Development and Integration | Bioenergy | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biochemical Process Development and Integration Biochemical Process Development and Integration Our conversion and separation processes to pilot-scale integrated process development and scale up. We also Publications Accounting for all sugar produced during integrated production of ethanol from lignocellulosic

  3. Assembly and Multiplex Genome Integration of Metabolic Pathways in Yeast Using CasEMBLR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakočiūnas, Tadas; Jensen, Emil D; Jensen, Michael K; Keasling, Jay D

    2018-01-01

    Genome integration is a vital step for implementing large biochemical pathways to build a stable microbial cell factory. Although traditional strain construction strategies are well established for the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering allow much higher throughput and robustness in terms of strain construction. In this chapter, we describe CasEMBLR, a highly efficient and marker-free genome engineering method for one-step integration of in vivo assembled expression cassettes in multiple genomic sites simultaneously. CasEMBLR capitalizes on the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate double-strand breaks in genomic loci, thus prompting native homologous recombination (HR) machinery to integrate exogenously derived homology templates. As proof-of-principle for microbial cell factory development, CasEMBLR was used for one-step assembly and marker-free integration of the carotenoid pathway from 15 exogenously supplied DNA parts into three targeted genomic loci. As a second proof-of-principle, a total of ten DNA parts were assembled and integrated in two genomic loci to construct a tyrosine production strain, and at the same time knocking out two genes. This new method complements and improves the field of genome engineering in S. cerevisiae by providing a more flexible platform for rapid and precise strain building.

  4. Statistical Methods in Integrative Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Sylvia; Tseng, George C.; Sun, Wei

    2016-01-01

    Statistical methods in integrative genomics aim to answer important biology questions by jointly analyzing multiple types of genomic data (vertical integration) or aggregating the same type of data across multiple studies (horizontal integration). In this article, we introduce different types of genomic data and data resources, and then review statistical methods of integrative genomics, with emphasis on the motivation and rationale of these methods. We conclude with some summary points and future research directions. PMID:27482531

  5. Population Genomics of Infectious and Integrated Wolbachia pipientis Genomes in Drosophila ananassae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jae Young; Bubnell, Jaclyn E.; Aquadro, Charles F.

    2015-01-01

    Coevolution between Drosophila and its endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis has many intriguing aspects. For example, Drosophila ananassae hosts two forms of W. pipientis genomes: One being the infectious bacterial genome and the other integrated into the host nuclear genome. Here, we characterize the infectious and integrated genomes of W. pipientis infecting D. ananassae (wAna), by genome sequencing 15 strains of D. ananassae that have either the infectious or integrated wAna genomes. Results indicate evolutionarily stable maternal transmission for the infectious wAna genome suggesting a relatively long-term coevolution with its host. In contrast, the integrated wAna genome showed pseudogene-like characteristics accumulating many variants that are predicted to have deleterious effects if present in an infectious bacterial genome. Phylogenomic analysis of sequence variation together with genotyping by polymerase chain reaction of large structural variations indicated several wAna variants among the eight infectious wAna genomes. In contrast, only a single wAna variant was found among the seven integrated wAna genomes examined in lines from Africa, south Asia, and south Pacific islands suggesting that the integration occurred once from a single infectious wAna genome and then spread geographically. Further analysis revealed that for all D. ananassae we examined with the integrated wAna genomes, the majority of the integrated wAna genomic regions is represented in at least two copies suggesting a double integration or single integration followed by an integrated genome duplication. The possible evolutionary mechanism underlying the widespread geographical presence of the duplicate integration of the wAna genome is an intriguing question remaining to be answered. PMID:26254486

  6. Whole genome expression and biochemical correlates of extreme constitutional types defined in Ayurveda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasher, Bhavana; Negi, Sapna; Aggarwal, Shilpi; Mandal, Amit K; Sethi, Tav P; Deshmukh, Shailaja R; Purohit, Sudha G; Sengupta, Shantanu; Khanna, Sangeeta; Mohammad, Farhan; Garg, Gaurav; Brahmachari, Samir K; Mukerji, Mitali

    2008-09-09

    Ayurveda is an ancient system of personalized medicine documented and practiced in India since 1500 B.C. According to this system an individual's basic constitution to a large extent determines predisposition and prognosis to diseases as well as therapy and life-style regime. Ayurveda describes seven broad constitution types (Prakritis) each with a varying degree of predisposition to different diseases. Amongst these, three most contrasting types, Vata, Pitta, Kapha, are the most vulnerable to diseases. In the realm of modern predictive medicine, efforts are being directed towards capturing disease phenotypes with greater precision for successful identification of markers for prospective disease conditions. In this study, we explore whether the different constitution types as described in Ayurveda has molecular correlates. Normal individuals of the three most contrasting constitutional types were identified following phenotyping criteria described in Ayurveda in Indian population of Indo-European origin. The peripheral blood samples of these individuals were analysed for genome wide expression levels, biochemical and hematological parameters. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway based analysis was carried out on differentially expressed genes to explore if there were significant enrichments of functional categories among Prakriti types. Individuals from the three most contrasting constitutional types exhibit striking differences with respect to biochemical and hematological parameters and at genome wide expression levels. Biochemical profiles like liver function tests, lipid profiles, and hematological parameters like haemoglobin exhibited differences between Prakriti types. Functional categories of genes showing differential expression among Prakriti types were significantly enriched in core biological processes like transport, regulation of cyclin dependent protein kinase activity, immune response and regulation of blood coagulation. A significant enrichment of

  7. Integrated Genome-Based Studies of Shewanella Ecophysiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrei L. Osterman, Ph.D.

    2012-12-17

    Integration of bioinformatics and experimental techniques was applied to mapping and characterization of the key components (pathways, enzymes, transporters, regulators) of the core metabolic machinery in Shewanella oneidensis and related species with main focus was on metabolic and regulatory pathways involved in utilization of various carbon and energy sources. Among the main accomplishments reflected in ten joint publications with other participants of Shewanella Federation are: (i) A systems-level reconstruction of carbohydrate utilization pathways in the genus of Shewanella (19 species). This analysis yielded reconstruction of 18 sugar utilization pathways including 10 novel pathway variants and prediction of > 60 novel protein families of enzymes, transporters and regulators involved in these pathways. Selected functional predictions were verified by focused biochemical and genetic experiments. Observed growth phenotypes were consistent with bioinformatic predictions providing strong validation of the technology and (ii) Global genomic reconstruction of transcriptional regulons in 16 Shewanella genomes. The inferred regulatory network includes 82 transcription factors, 8 riboswitches and 6 translational attenuators. Of those, 45 regulons were inferred directly from the genome context analysis, whereas others were propagated from previously characterized regulons in other species. Selected regulatory predictions were experimentally tested. Integration of this analysis with microarray data revealed overall consistency and provided additional layer of interactions between regulons. All the results were captured in the new database RegPrecise, which is a joint development with the LBNL team. A more detailed analysis of the individual subsystems, pathways and regulons in Shewanella spp included bioinfiormatics-based prediction and experimental characterization of: (i) N-Acetylglucosamine catabolic pathway; (ii)Lactate utilization machinery; (iii) Novel Nrt

  8. Genome-wide identification of the regulatory targets of a transcription factor using biochemical characterization and computational genomic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jolly Emmitt R

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A major challenge in computational genomics is the development of methodologies that allow accurate genome-wide prediction of the regulatory targets of a transcription factor. We present a method for target identification that combines experimental characterization of binding requirements with computational genomic analysis. Results Our method identified potential target genes of the transcription factor Ndt80, a key transcriptional regulator involved in yeast sporulation, using the combined information of binding affinity, positional distribution, and conservation of the binding sites across multiple species. We have also developed a mathematical approach to compute the false positive rate and the total number of targets in the genome based on the multiple selection criteria. Conclusion We have shown that combining biochemical characterization and computational genomic analysis leads to accurate identification of the genome-wide targets of a transcription factor. The method can be extended to other transcription factors and can complement other genomic approaches to transcriptional regulation.

  9. Safeguarding genome integrity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Claus Storgaard; Syljuåsen, Randi G

    2012-01-01

    Mechanisms that preserve genome integrity are highly important during the normal life cycle of human cells. Loss of genome protective mechanisms can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer. Checkpoint kinases function in the cellular surveillance pathways that help cells to cope with D...

  10. IMGMD: A platform for the integration and standardisation of In silico Microbial Genome-scale Metabolic Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Chao; Xu, Nan; Dong, Chuan; Ye, Yuannong; Zou, Xuan; Chen, Xiulai; Guo, Fengbiao; Liu, Liming

    2017-04-07

    Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs) constitute a platform that combines genome sequences and detailed biochemical information to quantify microbial physiology at the system level. To improve the unity, integrity, correctness, and format of data in published GSMMs, a consensus IMGMD database was built in the LAMP (Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP) system by integrating and standardizing 328 GSMMs constructed for 139 microorganisms. The IMGMD database can help microbial researchers download manually curated GSMMs, rapidly reconstruct standard GSMMs, design pathways, and identify metabolic targets for strategies on strain improvement. Moreover, the IMGMD database facilitates the integration of wet-lab and in silico data to gain an additional insight into microbial physiology. The IMGMD database is freely available, without any registration requirements, at http://imgmd.jiangnan.edu.cn/database.

  11. Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinde, Kaustubh; Phatak, Mukta; Johannes, Freudenberg M; Chen, Jing; Li, Qian; Vineet, Joshi K; Hu, Zhen; Ghosh, Krishnendu; Meller, Jaroslaw; Medvedovic, Mario

    2010-01-13

    A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc), and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org.

  12. Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghosh Krishnendu

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Results Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc, and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. Conclusion The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org.

  13. Genomic, proteomic and biochemical analysis of the organohalide respiratory pathway in Desulfitobacterium dehalogenans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kruse, T.; Pas, van de B.A.; Atteia, A.; Krab, K.; Hagen, W.R.; Goodwin, L.; Chain, P.; Boeren, S.; Maphosa, F.; Schraa, G.; Vos, de W.M.; Oost, van der J.; Smidt, H.; Stams, A.J.M.

    2015-01-01

    Desulfitobacterium dehalogenans is able to grow by organohalide respiration using 3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl acetate (Cl-OHPA) as an electron acceptor. We used a combination of genome sequencing, biochemical analysis of redox active components and shotgun proteomics to study elements of the

  14. Integration of electrochemistry in micro-total analysis systems for biochemical assays: recent developments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaoli; Zhang, Song; Chen, Hui; Kong, Jilie

    2009-11-15

    Micro-total analysis systems (microTAS) integrate different analytical operations like sample preparation, separation and detection into a single microfabricated device. With the outstanding advantages of low cost, satisfactory analytical efficiency and flexibility in design, highly integrated and miniaturized devices from the concept of microTAS have gained widespread applications, especially in biochemical assays. Electrochemistry is shown to be quite compatible with microanalytical systems for biochemical assays, because of its attractive merits such as simplicity, rapidity, high sensitivity, reduced power consumption, and sample/reagent economy. This review presents recent developments in the integration of electrochemistry in microdevices for biochemical assays. Ingenious microelectrode design and fabrication methods, and versatility of electrochemical techniques are involved. Practical applications of such integrated microsystem in biochemical assays are focused on in situ analysis, point-of-care testing and portable devices. Electrochemical techniques are apparently suited to microsystems, since easy microfabrication of electrochemical elements and a high degree of integration with multi-analytical functions can be achieved at low cost. Such integrated microsystems will play an increasingly important role for analysis of small volume biochemical samples. Work is in progress toward new microdevice design and applications.

  15. phiGENOME: an integrative navigation throughout bacteriophage genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stano, Matej; Klucar, Lubos

    2011-11-01

    phiGENOME is a web-based genome browser generating dynamic and interactive graphical representation of phage genomes stored in the phiSITE, database of gene regulation in bacteriophages. phiGENOME is an integral part of the phiSITE web portal (http://www.phisite.org/phigenome) and it was optimised for visualisation of phage genomes with the emphasis on the gene regulatory elements. phiGENOME consists of three components: (i) genome map viewer built using Adobe Flash technology, providing dynamic and interactive graphical display of phage genomes; (ii) sequence browser based on precisely formatted HTML tags, providing detailed exploration of genome features on the sequence level and (iii) regulation illustrator, based on Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and designed for graphical representation of gene regulations. Bringing 542 complete genome sequences accompanied with their rich annotations and references, makes phiGENOME a unique information resource in the field of phage genomics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. MycoCosm, an Integrated Fungal Genomics Resource

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shabalov, Igor; Grigoriev, Igor

    2012-03-16

    MycoCosm is a web-based interactive fungal genomics resource, which was first released in March 2010, in response to an urgent call from the fungal community for integration of all fungal genomes and analytical tools in one place (Pan-fungal data resources meeting, Feb 21-22, 2010, Alexandria, VA). MycoCosm integrates genomics data and analysis tools to navigate through over 100 fungal genomes sequenced at JGI and elsewhere. This resource allows users to explore fungal genomes in the context of both genome-centric analysis and comparative genomics, and promotes user community participation in data submission, annotation and analysis. MycoCosm has over 4500 unique visitors/month or 35000+ visitors/year as well as hundreds of registered users contributing their data and expertise to this resource. Its scalable architecture allows significant expansion of the data expected from JGI Fungal Genomics Program, its users, and integration with external resources used by fungal community.

  17. SIGMA: A System for Integrative Genomic Microarray Analysis of Cancer Genomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davies Jonathan J

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of high resolution profiling of genomes has created a need for the integrative analysis of information generated from multiple methodologies and platforms. Although the majority of data in the public domain are gene expression profiles, and expression analysis software are available, the increase of array CGH studies has enabled integration of high throughput genomic and gene expression datasets. However, tools for direct mining and analysis of array CGH data are limited. Hence, there is a great need for analytical and display software tailored to cross platform integrative analysis of cancer genomes. Results We have created a user-friendly java application to facilitate sophisticated visualization and analysis such as cross-tumor and cross-platform comparisons. To demonstrate the utility of this software, we assembled array CGH data representing Affymetrix SNP chip, Stanford cDNA arrays and whole genome tiling path array platforms for cross comparison. This cancer genome database contains 267 profiles from commonly used cancer cell lines representing 14 different tissue types. Conclusion In this study we have developed an application for the visualization and analysis of data from high resolution array CGH platforms that can be adapted for analysis of multiple types of high throughput genomic datasets. Furthermore, we invite researchers using array CGH technology to deposit both their raw and processed data, as this will be a continually expanding database of cancer genomes. This publicly available resource, the System for Integrative Genomic Microarray Analysis (SIGMA of cancer genomes, can be accessed at http://sigma.bccrc.ca.

  18. Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV): high-performance genomics data visualization and exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorvaldsdóttir, Helga; Robinson, James T; Mesirov, Jill P

    2013-03-01

    Data visualization is an essential component of genomic data analysis. However, the size and diversity of the data sets produced by today's sequencing and array-based profiling methods present major challenges to visualization tools. The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) is a high-performance viewer that efficiently handles large heterogeneous data sets, while providing a smooth and intuitive user experience at all levels of genome resolution. A key characteristic of IGV is its focus on the integrative nature of genomic studies, with support for both array-based and next-generation sequencing data, and the integration of clinical and phenotypic data. Although IGV is often used to view genomic data from public sources, its primary emphasis is to support researchers who wish to visualize and explore their own data sets or those from colleagues. To that end, IGV supports flexible loading of local and remote data sets, and is optimized to provide high-performance data visualization and exploration on standard desktop systems. IGV is freely available for download from http://www.broadinstitute.org/igv, under a GNU LGPL open-source license.

  19. Genomic analysis of thermophilic Bacillus coagulans strains: efficient producers for platform bio-chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Fei; Xu, Ping

    2014-01-29

    Microbial strains with high substrate efficiency and excellent environmental tolerance are urgently needed for the production of platform bio-chemicals. Bacillus coagulans has these merits; however, little genetic information is available about this species. Here, we determined the genome sequences of five B. coagulans strains, and used a comparative genomic approach to reconstruct the central carbon metabolism of this species to explain their fermentation features. A novel xylose isomerase in the xylose utilization pathway was identified in these strains. Based on a genome-wide positive selection scan, the selection pressure on amino acid metabolism may have played a significant role in the thermal adaptation. We also researched the immune systems of B. coagulans strains, which provide them with acquired resistance to phages and mobile genetic elements. Our genomic analysis provides comprehensive insights into the genetic characteristics of B. coagulans and paves the way for improving and extending the uses of this species.

  20. Integrating cancer genomic data into electronic health records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy L. Warner

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The rise of genomically targeted therapies and immunotherapy has revolutionized the practice of oncology in the last 10–15 years. At the same time, new technologies and the electronic health record (EHR in particular have permeated the oncology clinic. Initially designed as billing and clinical documentation systems, EHR systems have not anticipated the complexity and variety of genomic information that needs to be reviewed, interpreted, and acted upon on a daily basis. Improved integration of cancer genomic data with EHR systems will help guide clinician decision making, support secondary uses, and ultimately improve patient care within oncology clinics. Some of the key factors relating to the challenge of integrating cancer genomic data into EHRs include: the bioinformatics pipelines that translate raw genomic data into meaningful, actionable results; the role of human curation in the interpretation of variant calls; and the need for consistent standards with regard to genomic and clinical data. Several emerging paradigms for integration are discussed in this review, including: non-standardized efforts between individual institutions and genomic testing laboratories; “middleware” products that portray genomic information, albeit outside of the clinical workflow; and application programming interfaces that have the potential to work within clinical workflow. The critical need for clinical-genomic knowledge bases, which can be independent or integrated into the aforementioned solutions, is also discussed.

  1. The CanOE strategy: integrating genomic and metabolic contexts across multiple prokaryote genomes to find candidate genes for orphan enzymes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Alexander Thil Smith

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Of all biochemically characterized metabolic reactions formalized by the IUBMB, over one out of four have yet to be associated with a nucleic or protein sequence, i.e. are sequence-orphan enzymatic activities. Few bioinformatics annotation tools are able to propose candidate genes for such activities by exploiting context-dependent rather than sequence-dependent data, and none are readily accessible and propose result integration across multiple genomes. Here, we present CanOE (Candidate genes for Orphan Enzymes, a four-step bioinformatics strategy that proposes ranked candidate genes for sequence-orphan enzymatic activities (or orphan enzymes for short. The first step locates "genomic metabolons", i.e. groups of co-localized genes coding proteins catalyzing reactions linked by shared metabolites, in one genome at a time. These metabolons can be particularly helpful for aiding bioanalysts to visualize relevant metabolic data. In the second step, they are used to generate candidate associations between un-annotated genes and gene-less reactions. The third step integrates these gene-reaction associations over several genomes using gene families, and summarizes the strength of family-reaction associations by several scores. In the final step, these scores are used to rank members of gene families which are proposed for metabolic reactions. These associations are of particular interest when the metabolic reaction is a sequence-orphan enzymatic activity. Our strategy found over 60,000 genomic metabolons in more than 1,000 prokaryote organisms from the MicroScope platform, generating candidate genes for many metabolic reactions, of which more than 70 distinct orphan reactions. A computational validation of the approach is discussed. Finally, we present a case study on the anaerobic allantoin degradation pathway in Escherichia coli K-12.

  2. G-InforBIO: integrated system for microbial genomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abe Takashi

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genome databases contain diverse kinds of information, including gene annotations and nucleotide and amino acid sequences. It is not easy to integrate such information for genomic study. There are few tools for integrated analyses of genomic data, therefore, we developed software that enables users to handle, manipulate, and analyze genome data with a variety of sequence analysis programs. Results The G-InforBIO system is a novel tool for genome data management and sequence analysis. The system can import genome data encoded as eXtensible Markup Language documents as formatted text documents, including annotations and sequences, from DNA Data Bank of Japan and GenBank encoded as flat files. The genome database is constructed automatically after importing, and the database can be exported as documents formatted with eXtensible Markup Language or tab-deliminated text. Users can retrieve data from the database by keyword searches, edit annotation data of genes, and process data with G-InforBIO. In addition, information in the G-InforBIO database can be analyzed seamlessly with nine different software programs, including programs for clustering and homology analyses. Conclusion The G-InforBIO system simplifies genome analyses by integrating several available software programs to allow efficient handling and manipulation of genome data. G-InforBIO is freely available from the download site.

  3. The integrated microbial genome resource of analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Checcucci, Alice; Mengoni, Alessio

    2015-01-01

    Integrated Microbial Genomes and Metagenomes (IMG) is a biocomputational system that allows to provide information and support for annotation and comparative analysis of microbial genomes and metagenomes. IMG has been developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE)-Joint Genome Institute (JGI). IMG platform contains both draft and complete genomes, sequenced by Joint Genome Institute and other public and available genomes. Genomes of strains belonging to Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya domains are present as well as those of viruses and plasmids. Here, we provide some essential features of IMG system and case study for pangenome analysis.

  4. Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) | Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) is a high-performance visualization tool for interactive exploration of large, integrated genomic datasets. It supports a wide variety of data types, including array-based and next-generation sequence data, and genomic annotations.

  5. An Integrated Qualitative and Quantitative Biochemical Model Learning Framework Using Evolutionary Strategy and Simulated Annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zujian; Pang, Wei; Coghill, George M

    2015-01-01

    Both qualitative and quantitative model learning frameworks for biochemical systems have been studied in computational systems biology. In this research, after introducing two forms of pre-defined component patterns to represent biochemical models, we propose an integrative qualitative and quantitative modelling framework for inferring biochemical systems. In the proposed framework, interactions between reactants in the candidate models for a target biochemical system are evolved and eventually identified by the application of a qualitative model learning approach with an evolution strategy. Kinetic rates of the models generated from qualitative model learning are then further optimised by employing a quantitative approach with simulated annealing. Experimental results indicate that our proposed integrative framework is feasible to learn the relationships between biochemical reactants qualitatively and to make the model replicate the behaviours of the target system by optimising the kinetic rates quantitatively. Moreover, potential reactants of a target biochemical system can be discovered by hypothesising complex reactants in the synthetic models. Based on the biochemical models learned from the proposed framework, biologists can further perform experimental study in wet laboratory. In this way, natural biochemical systems can be better understood.

  6. The Genome-Scale Integrated Networks in Microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Hao

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The genome-scale cellular network has become a necessary tool in the systematic analysis of microbes. In a cell, there are several layers (i.e., types of the molecular networks, for example, genome-scale metabolic network (GMN, transcriptional regulatory network (TRN, and signal transduction network (STN. It has been realized that the limitation and inaccuracy of the prediction exist just using only a single-layer network. Therefore, the integrated network constructed based on the networks of the three types attracts more interests. The function of a biological process in living cells is usually performed by the interaction of biological components. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate and analyze all the related components at the systems level for the comprehensively and correctly realizing the physiological function in living organisms. In this review, we discussed three representative genome-scale cellular networks: GMN, TRN, and STN, representing different levels (i.e., metabolism, gene regulation, and cellular signaling of a cell’s activities. Furthermore, we discussed the integration of the networks of the three types. With more understanding on the complexity of microbial cells, the development of integrated network has become an inevitable trend in analyzing genome-scale cellular networks of microorganisms.

  7. IMG: the integrated microbial genomes database and comparative analysis system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markowitz, Victor M.; Chen, I-Min A.; Palaniappan, Krishna; Chu, Ken; Szeto, Ernest; Grechkin, Yuri; Ratner, Anna; Jacob, Biju; Huang, Jinghua; Williams, Peter; Huntemann, Marcel; Anderson, Iain; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Ivanova, Natalia N.; Kyrpides, Nikos C.

    2012-01-01

    The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system serves as a community resource for comparative analysis of publicly available genomes in a comprehensive integrated context. IMG integrates publicly available draft and complete genomes from all three domains of life with a large number of plasmids and viruses. IMG provides tools and viewers for analyzing and reviewing the annotations of genes and genomes in a comparative context. IMG's data content and analytical capabilities have been continuously extended through regular updates since its first release in March 2005. IMG is available at http://img.jgi.doe.gov. Companion IMG systems provide support for expert review of genome annotations (IMG/ER: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/er), teaching courses and training in microbial genome analysis (IMG/EDU: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/edu) and analysis of genomes related to the Human Microbiome Project (IMG/HMP: http://www.hmpdacc-resources.org/img_hmp). PMID:22194640

  8. A Biochemical Approach to Understanding the Fanconi Anemia Pathway-Regulated Nucleases in Genome Maintenance for Preventing Bone Marrow Failure and Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-04-01

    the Fanconi Anemia Pathway- Regulated Nucleases in Genome Maintenance for Preventing Bone Marrow Failure and Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...GRANT NUMBER 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Biochemical Approach to Understanding the Fanconi Anemia Pathway-Regulated Nucleases in Genome Maintenance for...Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Fanconi anemia is the most prevalent inherited BMF syndromes, caused by mutations in

  9. VERSE: a novel approach to detect virus integration in host genomes through reference genome customization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qingguo; Jia, Peilin; Zhao, Zhongming

    2015-01-01

    Fueled by widespread applications of high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and urgent need to counter threats of pathogenic viruses, large-scale studies were conducted recently to investigate virus integration in host genomes (for example, human tumor genomes) that may cause carcinogenesis or other diseases. A limiting factor in these studies, however, is rapid virus evolution and resulting polymorphisms, which prevent reads from aligning readily to commonly used virus reference genomes, and, accordingly, make virus integration sites difficult to detect. Another confounding factor is host genomic instability as a result of virus insertions. To tackle these challenges and improve our capability to identify cryptic virus-host fusions, we present a new approach that detects Virus intEgration sites through iterative Reference SEquence customization (VERSE). To the best of our knowledge, VERSE is the first approach to improve detection through customizing reference genomes. Using 19 human tumors and cancer cell lines as test data, we demonstrated that VERSE substantially enhanced the sensitivity of virus integration site detection. VERSE is implemented in the open source package VirusFinder 2 that is available at http://bioinfo.mc.vanderbilt.edu/VirusFinder/.

  10. Integrating genomics into undergraduate nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daack-Hirsch, Sandra; Dieter, Carla; Quinn Griffin, Mary T

    2011-09-01

    To prepare the next generation of nurses, faculty are now faced with the challenge of incorporating genomics into curricula. Here we discuss how to meet this challenge. Steps to initiate curricular changes to include genomics are presented along with a discussion on creating a genomic curriculum thread versus a standalone course. Ideas for use of print material and technology on genomic topics are also presented. Information is based on review of the literature and curriculum change efforts by the authors. In recognition of advances in genomics, the nursing profession is increasing an emphasis on the integration of genomics into professional practice and educational standards. Incorporating genomics into nurses' practices begins with changes in our undergraduate curricula. Information given in didactic courses should be reinforced in clinical practica, and Internet-based tools such as WebQuest, Second Life, and wikis offer attractive, up-to-date platforms to deliver this now crucial content. To provide information that may assist faculty to prepare the next generation of nurses to practice using genomics. © 2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  11. Integrating genomics into evolutionary medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Juan Antonio; Marigorta, Urko M; Navarro, Arcadi

    2014-12-01

    The application of the principles of evolutionary biology into medicine was suggested long ago and is already providing insight into the ultimate causes of disease. However, a full systematic integration of medical genomics and evolutionary medicine is still missing. Here, we briefly review some cases where the combination of the two fields has proven profitable and highlight two of the main issues hindering the development of evolutionary genomic medicine as a mature field, namely the dissociation between fitness and health and the still considerable difficulties in predicting phenotypes from genotypes. We use publicly available data to illustrate both problems and conclude that new approaches are needed for evolutionary genomic medicine to overcome these obstacles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Characterization of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Integration in the Horse Genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Liu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 has a unique integration profile in the human genome relative to murine and avian retroviruses. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV is another well-studied lentivirus that can also be used as a promising retro-transfection vector, but its integration into its native host has not been characterized. In this study, we mapped 477 integration sites of the EIAV strain EIAVFDDV13 in fetal equine dermal (FED cells during in vitro infection. Published integration sites of EIAV and HIV-1 in the human genome were also analyzed as references. Our results demonstrated that EIAVFDDV13 tended to integrate into genes and AT-rich regions, and it avoided integrating into transcription start sites (TSS, which is consistent with EIAV and HIV-1 integration in the human genome. Notably, the integration of EIAVFDDV13 favored long interspersed elements (LINEs and DNA transposons in the horse genome, whereas the integration of HIV-1 favored short interspersed elements (SINEs in the human genome. The chromosomal environment near LINEs or DNA transposons potentially influences viral transcription and may be related to the unique EIAV latency states in equids. The data on EIAV integration in its natural host will facilitate studies on lentiviral infection and lentivirus-based therapeutic vectors.

  13. IMG 4 version of the integrated microbial genomes comparative analysis system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markowitz, Victor M.; Chen, I-Min A.; Palaniappan, Krishna; Chu, Ken; Szeto, Ernest; Pillay, Manoj; Ratner, Anna; Huang, Jinghua; Woyke, Tanja; Huntemann, Marcel; Anderson, Iain; Billis, Konstantinos; Varghese, Neha; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Pati, Amrita; Ivanova, Natalia N.; Kyrpides, Nikos C.

    2014-01-01

    The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data warehouse integrates genomes from all three domains of life, as well as plasmids, viruses and genome fragments. IMG provides tools for analyzing and reviewing the structural and functional annotations of genomes in a comparative context. IMG’s data content and analytical capabilities have increased continuously since its first version released in 2005. Since the last report published in the 2012 NAR Database Issue, IMG’s annotation and data integration pipelines have evolved while new tools have been added for recording and analyzing single cell genomes, RNA Seq and biosynthetic cluster data. Different IMG datamarts provide support for the analysis of publicly available genomes (IMG/W: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/w), expert review of genome annotations (IMG/ER: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/er) and teaching and training in the area of microbial genome analysis (IMG/EDU: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/edu). PMID:24165883

  14. IMG 4 version of the integrated microbial genomes comparative analysis system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Markowitz, Victor M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Chen, I-Min A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Palaniappan, Krishna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Chu, Ken [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Szeto, Ernest [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Pillay, Manoj [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Ratner, Anna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Huang, Jinghua [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Biological Data Management and Technology Center. Computational Research Division; Woyke, Tanja [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Huntemann, Marcel [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Anderson, Iain [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Billis, Konstantinos [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Varghese, Neha [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Mavromatis, Konstantinos [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Pati, Amrita [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Ivanova, Natalia N. [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program; Kyrpides, Nikos C. [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States). Microbial Genome and Metagenome Program

    2013-10-27

    The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data warehouse integrates genomes from all three domains of life, as well as plasmids, viruses and genome fragments. IMG provides tools for analyzing and reviewing the structural and functional annotations of genomes in a comparative context. IMG’s data content and analytical capabilities have increased continuously since its first version released in 2005. Since the last report published in the 2012 NAR Database Issue, IMG’s annotation and data integration pipelines have evolved while new tools have been added for recording and analyzing single cell genomes, RNA Seq and biosynthetic cluster data. Finally, different IMG datamarts provide support for the analysis of publicly available genomes (IMG/W: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/w), expert review of genome annotations (IMG/ER: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/er) and teaching and training in the area of microbial genome analysis (IMG/EDU: http://img.jgi.doe.gov/edu).

  15. The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) System: An Expanding Comparative Analysis Resource

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Markowitz, Victor M.; Chen, I-Min A.; Palaniappan, Krishna; Chu, Ken; Szeto, Ernest; Grechkin, Yuri; Ratner, Anna; Anderson, Iain; Lykidis, Athanasios; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Ivanova, Natalia N.; Kyrpides, Nikos C.

    2009-09-13

    The integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system serves as a community resource for comparative analysis of publicly available genomes in a comprehensive integrated context. IMG contains both draft and complete microbial genomes integrated with other publicly available genomes from all three domains of life, together with a large number of plasmids and viruses. IMG provides tools and viewers for analyzing and reviewing the annotations of genes and genomes in a comparative context. Since its first release in 2005, IMG's data content and analytical capabilities have been constantly expanded through regular releases. Several companion IMG systems have been set up in order to serve domain specific needs, such as expert review of genome annotations. IMG is available at .

  16. The Plant Genome Integrative Explorer Resource: PlantGenIE.org.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundell, David; Mannapperuma, Chanaka; Netotea, Sergiu; Delhomme, Nicolas; Lin, Yao-Cheng; Sjödin, Andreas; Van de Peer, Yves; Jansson, Stefan; Hvidsten, Torgeir R; Street, Nathaniel R

    2015-12-01

    Accessing and exploring large-scale genomics data sets remains a significant challenge to researchers without specialist bioinformatics training. We present the integrated PlantGenIE.org platform for exploration of Populus, conifer and Arabidopsis genomics data, which includes expression networks and associated visualization tools. Standard features of a model organism database are provided, including genome browsers, gene list annotation, Blast homology searches and gene information pages. Community annotation updating is supported via integration of WebApollo. We have produced an RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) expression atlas for Populus tremula and have integrated these data within the expression tools. An updated version of the ComPlEx resource for performing comparative plant expression analyses of gene coexpression network conservation between species has also been integrated. The PlantGenIE.org platform provides intuitive access to large-scale and genome-wide genomics data from model forest tree species, facilitating both community contributions to annotation improvement and tools supporting use of the included data resources to inform biological insight. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  17. The three-dimensional genome organization of Drosophila melanogaster through data integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qingjiao; Tjong, Harianto; Li, Xiao; Gong, Ke; Zhou, Xianghong Jasmine; Chiolo, Irene; Alber, Frank

    2017-07-31

    Genome structures are dynamic and non-randomly organized in the nucleus of higher eukaryotes. To maximize the accuracy and coverage of three-dimensional genome structural models, it is important to integrate all available sources of experimental information about a genome's organization. It remains a major challenge to integrate such data from various complementary experimental methods. Here, we present an approach for data integration to determine a population of complete three-dimensional genome structures that are statistically consistent with data from both genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and lamina-DamID experiments. Our structures resolve the genome at the resolution of topological domains, and reproduce simultaneously both sets of experimental data. Importantly, this data deconvolution framework allows for structural heterogeneity between cells, and hence accounts for the expected plasticity of genome structures. As a case study we choose Drosophila melanogaster embryonic cells, for which both data types are available. Our three-dimensional genome structures have strong predictive power for structural features not directly visible in the initial data sets, and reproduce experimental hallmarks of the D. melanogaster genome organization from independent and our own imaging experiments. Also they reveal a number of new insights about genome organization and its functional relevance, including the preferred locations of heterochromatic satellites of different chromosomes, and observations about homologous pairing that cannot be directly observed in the original Hi-C or lamina-DamID data. Our approach allows systematic integration of Hi-C and lamina-DamID data for complete three-dimensional genome structure calculation, while also explicitly considering genome structural variability.

  18. Genome-wide profiling of HPV integration in cervical cancer identifies clustered genomic hot spots and a potential microhomology-mediated integration mechanism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Zheng; Zhu, Da; Wang, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration is a key genetic event in cervical carcinogenesis1. By conducting whole-genome sequencing and high-throughput viral integration detection, we identified 3,667 HPV integration breakpoints in 26 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, 104 cervical carcinomas and ...

  19. National Bioenergy Center - Biochemical Platform Integration Project: Quarterly Update, Winter 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schell, D.

    2011-02-01

    Winter 2011 edition of the National Bioenergy Center's Biochemical Platform Integration Project quarterly newsletter. Issue topics: 33rd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals program topic areas; results from reactive membrane extraction of inhibitors from dilute-acid pretreated corn stover; list of 2010 task publications.

  20. GAPIT: genome association and prediction integrated tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipka, Alexander E; Tian, Feng; Wang, Qishan; Peiffer, Jason; Li, Meng; Bradbury, Peter J; Gore, Michael A; Buckler, Edward S; Zhang, Zhiwu

    2012-09-15

    Software programs that conduct genome-wide association studies and genomic prediction and selection need to use methodologies that maximize statistical power, provide high prediction accuracy and run in a computationally efficient manner. We developed an R package called Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool (GAPIT) that implements advanced statistical methods including the compressed mixed linear model (CMLM) and CMLM-based genomic prediction and selection. The GAPIT package can handle large datasets in excess of 10 000 individuals and 1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms with minimal computational time, while providing user-friendly access and concise tables and graphs to interpret results. http://www.maizegenetics.net/GAPIT. zhiwu.zhang@cornell.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  1. Nothing in Evolution Makes Sense Except in the Light of Genomics: Read–Write Genome Evolution as an Active Biological Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James A. Shapiro

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The 21st century genomics-based analysis of evolutionary variation reveals a number of novel features impossible to predict when Dobzhansky and other evolutionary biologists formulated the neo-Darwinian Modern Synthesis in the middle of the last century. These include three distinct realms of cell evolution; symbiogenetic fusions forming eukaryotic cells with multiple genome compartments; horizontal organelle, virus and DNA transfers; functional organization of proteins as systems of interacting domains subject to rapid evolution by exon shuffling and exonization; distributed genome networks integrated by mobile repetitive regulatory signals; and regulation of multicellular development by non-coding lncRNAs containing repetitive sequence components. Rather than single gene traits, all phenotypes involve coordinated activity by multiple interacting cell molecules. Genomes contain abundant and functional repetitive components in addition to the unique coding sequences envisaged in the early days of molecular biology. Combinatorial coding, plus the biochemical abilities cells possess to rearrange DNA molecules, constitute a powerful toolbox for adaptive genome rewriting. That is, cells possess “Read–Write Genomes” they alter by numerous biochemical processes capable of rapidly restructuring cellular DNA molecules. Rather than viewing genome evolution as a series of accidental modifications, we can now study it as a complex biological process of active self-modification.

  2. Transcription as a Threat to Genome Integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaillard, Hélène; Aguilera, Andrés

    2016-06-02

    Genomes undergo different types of sporadic alterations, including DNA damage, point mutations, and genome rearrangements, that constitute the basis for evolution. However, these changes may occur at high levels as a result of cell pathology and trigger genome instability, a hallmark of cancer and a number of genetic diseases. In the last two decades, evidence has accumulated that transcription constitutes an important natural source of DNA metabolic errors that can compromise the integrity of the genome. Transcription can create the conditions for high levels of mutations and recombination by its ability to open the DNA structure and remodel chromatin, making it more accessible to DNA insulting agents, and by its ability to become a barrier to DNA replication. Here we review the molecular basis of such events from a mechanistic perspective with particular emphasis on the role of transcription as a genome instability determinant.

  3. Human Papillomavirus Genome Integration and Head and Neck Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinatti, L M; Walline, H M; Carey, T E

    2018-06-01

    We conducted a critical review of human papillomavirus (HPV) integration into the host genome in oral/oropharyngeal cancer, reviewed the literature for HPV-induced cancers, and obtained current data for HPV-related oral and oropharyngeal cancers. In addition, we performed studies to identify HPV integration sites and the relationship of integration to viral-host fusion transcripts and whether integration is required for HPV-associated oncogenesis. Viral integration of HPV into the host genome is not required for the viral life cycle and might not be necessary for cellular transformation, yet HPV integration is frequently reported in cervical and head and neck cancer specimens. Studies of large numbers of early cervical lesions revealed frequent viral integration into gene-poor regions of the host genome with comparatively rare integration into cellular genes, suggesting that integration is a stochastic event and that site of integration may be largely a function of chance. However, more recent studies of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) suggest that integration may represent an additional oncogenic mechanism through direct effects on cancer-related gene expression and generation of hybrid viral-host fusion transcripts. In HNSCC cell lines as well as primary tumors, integration into cancer-related genes leading to gene disruption has been reported. The studies have shown that integration-induced altered gene expression may be associated with tumor recurrence. Evidence from several studies indicates that viral integration into genic regions is accompanied by local amplification, increased expression in some cases, interruption of gene expression, and likely additional oncogenic effects. Similarly, reported examples of viral integration near microRNAs suggest that altered expression of these regulatory molecules may also contribute to oncogenesis. Future work is indicated to identify the mechanisms of these events on cancer cell behavior.

  4. Perspectives of Integrative Cancer Genomics in Next Generation Sequencing Era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    So Mee Kwon

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The explosive development of genomics technologies including microarrays and next generation sequencing (NGS has provided comprehensive maps of cancer genomes, including the expression of mRNAs and microRNAs, DNA copy numbers, sequence variations, and epigenetic changes. These genome-wide profiles of the genetic aberrations could reveal the candidates for diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers as well as mechanistic insights into tumor development and progression. Recent efforts to establish the huge cancer genome compendium and integrative omics analyses, so-called "integromics", have extended our understanding on the cancer genome, showing its daunting complexity and heterogeneity. However, the challenges of the structured integration, sharing, and interpretation of the big omics data still remain to be resolved. Here, we review several issues raised in cancer omics data analysis, including NGS, focusing particularly on the study design and analysis strategies. This might be helpful to understand the current trends and strategies of the rapidly evolving cancer genomics research.

  5. GDR (Genome Database for Rosaceae: integrated web resources for Rosaceae genomics and genetics research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ficklin Stephen

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Peach is being developed as a model organism for Rosaceae, an economically important family that includes fruits and ornamental plants such as apple, pear, strawberry, cherry, almond and rose. The genomics and genetics data of peach can play a significant role in the gene discovery and the genetic understanding of related species. The effective utilization of these peach resources, however, requires the development of an integrated and centralized database with associated analysis tools. Description The Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR is a curated and integrated web-based relational database. GDR contains comprehensive data of the genetically anchored peach physical map, an annotated peach EST database, Rosaceae maps and markers and all publicly available Rosaceae sequences. Annotations of ESTs include contig assembly, putative function, simple sequence repeats, and anchored position to the peach physical map where applicable. Our integrated map viewer provides graphical interface to the genetic, transcriptome and physical mapping information. ESTs, BACs and markers can be queried by various categories and the search result sites are linked to the integrated map viewer or to the WebFPC physical map sites. In addition to browsing and querying the database, users can compare their sequences with the annotated GDR sequences via a dedicated sequence similarity server running either the BLAST or FASTA algorithm. To demonstrate the utility of the integrated and fully annotated database and analysis tools, we describe a case study where we anchored Rosaceae sequences to the peach physical and genetic map by sequence similarity. Conclusions The GDR has been initiated to meet the major deficiency in Rosaceae genomics and genetics research, namely a centralized web database and bioinformatics tools for data storage, analysis and exchange. GDR can be accessed at http://www.genome.clemson.edu/gdr/.

  6. GDR (Genome Database for Rosaceae): integrated web resources for Rosaceae genomics and genetics research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Sook; Jesudurai, Christopher; Staton, Margaret; Du, Zhidian; Ficklin, Stephen; Cho, Ilhyung; Abbott, Albert; Tomkins, Jeffrey; Main, Dorrie

    2004-09-09

    Peach is being developed as a model organism for Rosaceae, an economically important family that includes fruits and ornamental plants such as apple, pear, strawberry, cherry, almond and rose. The genomics and genetics data of peach can play a significant role in the gene discovery and the genetic understanding of related species. The effective utilization of these peach resources, however, requires the development of an integrated and centralized database with associated analysis tools. The Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR) is a curated and integrated web-based relational database. GDR contains comprehensive data of the genetically anchored peach physical map, an annotated peach EST database, Rosaceae maps and markers and all publicly available Rosaceae sequences. Annotations of ESTs include contig assembly, putative function, simple sequence repeats, and anchored position to the peach physical map where applicable. Our integrated map viewer provides graphical interface to the genetic, transcriptome and physical mapping information. ESTs, BACs and markers can be queried by various categories and the search result sites are linked to the integrated map viewer or to the WebFPC physical map sites. In addition to browsing and querying the database, users can compare their sequences with the annotated GDR sequences via a dedicated sequence similarity server running either the BLAST or FASTA algorithm. To demonstrate the utility of the integrated and fully annotated database and analysis tools, we describe a case study where we anchored Rosaceae sequences to the peach physical and genetic map by sequence similarity. The GDR has been initiated to meet the major deficiency in Rosaceae genomics and genetics research, namely a centralized web database and bioinformatics tools for data storage, analysis and exchange. GDR can be accessed at http://www.genome.clemson.edu/gdr/.

  7. Ensembl Genomes: an integrative resource for genome-scale data from non-vertebrate species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kersey, Paul J; Staines, Daniel M; Lawson, Daniel; Kulesha, Eugene; Derwent, Paul; Humphrey, Jay C; Hughes, Daniel S T; Keenan, Stephan; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Koscielny, Gautier; Langridge, Nicholas; McDowall, Mark D; Megy, Karine; Maheswari, Uma; Nuhn, Michael; Paulini, Michael; Pedro, Helder; Toneva, Iliana; Wilson, Derek; Yates, Andrew; Birney, Ewan

    2012-01-01

    Ensembl Genomes (http://www.ensemblgenomes.org) is an integrative resource for genome-scale data from non-vertebrate species. The project exploits and extends technology (for genome annotation, analysis and dissemination) developed in the context of the (vertebrate-focused) Ensembl project and provides a complementary set of resources for non-vertebrate species through a consistent set of programmatic and interactive interfaces. These provide access to data including reference sequence, gene models, transcriptional data, polymorphisms and comparative analysis. Since its launch in 2009, Ensembl Genomes has undergone rapid expansion, with the goal of providing coverage of all major experimental organisms, and additionally including taxonomic reference points to provide the evolutionary context in which genes can be understood. Against the backdrop of a continuing increase in genome sequencing activities in all parts of the tree of life, we seek to work, wherever possible, with the communities actively generating and using data, and are participants in a growing range of collaborations involved in the annotation and analysis of genomes.

  8. Integrated Genome-Based Studies of Shewanella Ecophysiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Jizhong [Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States); He, Zhili [Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)

    2014-04-08

    As a part of the Shewanella Federation project, we have used integrated genomic, proteomic and computational technologies to study various aspects of energy metabolism of two Shewanella strains from a systems-level perspective.

  9. Integrative Genome Comparison of Primary and Metastatic Melanomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Bin; Nazarian, Rosalynn M.; Bosenberg, Marcus; Wu, Min; Scott, Kenneth L.; Kwong, Lawrence N.; Xiao, Yonghong; Cordon-Cardo, Carlos; Granter, Scott R.; Ramaswamy, Sridhar; Golub, Todd; Duncan, Lyn M.; Wagner, Stephan N.; Brennan, Cameron; Chin, Lynda

    2010-01-01

    A cardinal feature of malignant melanoma is its metastatic propensity. An incomplete view of the genetic events driving metastatic progression has been a major barrier to rational development of effective therapeutics and prognostic diagnostics for melanoma patients. In this study, we conducted global genomic characterization of primary and metastatic melanomas to examine the genomic landscape associated with metastatic progression. In addition to uncovering three genomic subclasses of metastastic melanomas, we delineated 39 focal and recurrent regions of amplification and deletions, many of which encompassed resident genes that have not been implicated in cancer or metastasis. To identify progression-associated metastasis gene candidates, we applied a statistical approach, Integrative Genome Comparison (IGC), to define 32 genomic regions of interest that were significantly altered in metastatic relative to primary melanomas, encompassing 30 resident genes with statistically significant expression deregulation. Functional assays on a subset of these candidates, including MET, ASPM, AKAP9, IMP3, PRKCA, RPA3, and SCAP2, validated their pro-invasion activities in human melanoma cells. Validity of the IGC approach was further reinforced by tissue microarray analysis of Survivin showing significant increased protein expression in thick versus thin primary cutaneous melanomas, and a progression correlation with lymph node metastases. Together, these functional validation results and correlative analysis of human tissues support the thesis that integrated genomic and pathological analyses of staged melanomas provide a productive entry point for discovery of melanoma metastases genes. PMID:20520718

  10. Elucidating the Molecular Basis and Regulation of Chromium (VI) Reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Using Biochemical, Genomic, and Proteomic Approaches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hettich, Robert L.

    2006-10-30

    Although microbial metal reduction has been investigated intensively from physiological and biochemical perspectives, little is known about the genetic basis and regulatory mechanisms underlying the ability of certain bacteria to transform, detoxify, or immobilize a wide array of heavy metals contaminating DOE-relevant environments. The major goal of this work is to elucidate the molecular components comprising the chromium(VI) response pathway, with an emphasis on components involved in Cr(VI) detoxification and the enzyme complex catalyzing the terminal step in Cr(VI) reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We have identified and characterized (in the case of DNA-binding response regulator [SO2426] and a putative azoreductase [SO3585]) the genes and gene products involved in the molecular response of MR-1 to chromium(VI) stress using whole-genome sequence information for MR-1 and recently developed proteomic technology, in particular liquid chromatographymass spectrometry (LC-MS), in conjunction with conventional protein purification and characterization techniques. The proteome datasets were integrated with information from whole-genome expression arrays for S. oneidensis MR-1 (as illustrated in Figure 1). The genes and their encoded products identified in this study are of value in understanding metal reduction and bacterial resistance to metal toxicity and in developing effective metal immobilization strategies.

  11. INE: a rice genome database with an integrated map view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakata, K; Antonio, B A; Mukai, Y; Nagasaki, H; Sakai, Y; Makino, K; Sasaki, T

    2000-01-01

    The Rice Genome Research Program (RGP) launched a large-scale rice genome sequencing in 1998 aimed at decoding all genetic information in rice. A new genome database called INE (INtegrated rice genome Explorer) has been developed in order to integrate all the genomic information that has been accumulated so far and to correlate these data with the genome sequence. A web interface based on Java applet provides a rapid viewing capability in the database. The first operational version of the database has been completed which includes a genetic map, a physical map using YAC (Yeast Artificial Chromosome) clones and PAC (P1-derived Artificial Chromosome) contigs. These maps are displayed graphically so that the positional relationships among the mapped markers on each chromosome can be easily resolved. INE incorporates the sequences and annotations of the PAC contig. A site on low quality information ensures that all submitted sequence data comply with the standard for accuracy. As a repository of rice genome sequence, INE will also serve as a common database of all sequence data obtained by collaborating members of the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP). The database can be accessed at http://www. dna.affrc.go.jp:82/giot/INE. html or its mirror site at http://www.staff.or.jp/giot/INE.html

  12. Integrating the genomic architecture of human nucleolar organizer regions with the biophysical properties of nucleoli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangan, Hazel; Gailín, Michael Ó; McStay, Brian

    2017-12-01

    Nucleoli are the sites of ribosome biogenesis and the largest membraneless subnuclear structures. They are intimately linked with growth and proliferation control and function as sensors of cellular stress. Nucleoli form around arrays of ribosomal gene (rDNA) repeats also called nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). In humans, NORs are located on the short arms of all five human acrocentric chromosomes. Multiple NORs contribute to the formation of large heterochromatin-surrounded nucleoli observed in most human cells. Here we will review recent findings about their genomic architecture. The dynamic nature of nucleoli began to be appreciated with the advent of photodynamic experiments using fluorescent protein fusions. We review more recent data on nucleoli in Xenopus germinal vesicles (GVs) which has revealed a liquid droplet-like behavior that facilitates nucleolar fusion. Further analysis in both XenopusGVs and Drosophila embryos indicates that the internal organization of nucleoli is generated by a combination of liquid-liquid phase separation and active processes involving rDNA. We will attempt to integrate these recent findings with the genomic architecture of human NORs to advance our understanding of how nucleoli form and respond to stress in human cells. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  13. Stakeholder engagement: a key component of integrating genomic information into electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartzler, Andrea; McCarty, Catherine A; Rasmussen, Luke V; Williams, Marc S; Brilliant, Murray; Bowton, Erica A; Clayton, Ellen Wright; Faucett, William A; Ferryman, Kadija; Field, Julie R; Fullerton, Stephanie M; Horowitz, Carol R; Koenig, Barbara A; McCormick, Jennifer B; Ralston, James D; Sanderson, Saskia C; Smith, Maureen E; Trinidad, Susan Brown

    2013-10-01

    Integrating genomic information into clinical care and the electronic health record can facilitate personalized medicine through genetically guided clinical decision support. Stakeholder involvement is critical to the success of these implementation efforts. Prior work on implementation of clinical information systems provides broad guidance to inform effective engagement strategies. We add to this evidence-based recommendations that are specific to issues at the intersection of genomics and the electronic health record. We describe stakeholder engagement strategies employed by the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network, a national consortium of US research institutions funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute to develop, disseminate, and apply approaches that combine genomic and electronic health record data. Through select examples drawn from sites of the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network, we illustrate a continuum of engagement strategies to inform genomic integration into commercial and homegrown electronic health records across a range of health-care settings. We frame engagement as activities to consult, involve, and partner with key stakeholder groups throughout specific phases of health information technology implementation. Our aim is to provide insights into engagement strategies to guide genomic integration based on our unique network experiences and lessons learned within the broader context of implementation research in biomedical informatics. On the basis of our collective experience, we describe key stakeholder practices, challenges, and considerations for successful genomic integration to support personalized medicine.

  14. KAIKObase: An integrated silkworm genome database and data mining tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagaraju Javaregowda

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is one of the most economically important insects in many developing countries owing to its large-scale cultivation for silk production. With the development of genomic and biotechnological tools, B. mori has also become an important bioreactor for production of various recombinant proteins of biomedical interest. In 2004, two genome sequencing projects for B. mori were reported independently by Chinese and Japanese teams; however, the datasets were insufficient for building long genomic scaffolds which are essential for unambiguous annotation of the genome. Now, both the datasets have been merged and assembled through a joint collaboration between the two groups. Description Integration of the two data sets of silkworm whole-genome-shotgun sequencing by the Japanese and Chinese groups together with newly obtained fosmid- and BAC-end sequences produced the best continuity (~3.7 Mb in N50 scaffold size among the sequenced insect genomes and provided a high degree of nucleotide coverage (88% of all 28 chromosomes. In addition, a physical map of BAC contigs constructed by fingerprinting BAC clones and a SNP linkage map constructed using BAC-end sequences were available. In parallel, proteomic data from two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in various tissues and developmental stages were compiled into a silkworm proteome database. Finally, a Bombyx trap database was constructed for documenting insertion positions and expression data of transposon insertion lines. Conclusion For efficient usage of genome information for functional studies, genomic sequences, physical and genetic map information and EST data were compiled into KAIKObase, an integrated silkworm genome database which consists of 4 map viewers, a gene viewer, and sequence, keyword and position search systems to display results and data at the level of nucleotide sequence, gene, scaffold and chromosome. Integration of the

  15. Integrated analysis of whole genome and transcriptome sequencing reveals diverse transcriptomic aberrations driven by somatic genomic changes in liver cancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuichi Shiraishi

    Full Text Available Recent studies applying high-throughput sequencing technologies have identified several recurrently mutated genes and pathways in multiple cancer genomes. However, transcriptional consequences from these genomic alterations in cancer genome remain unclear. In this study, we performed integrated and comparative analyses of whole genomes and transcriptomes of 22 hepatitis B virus (HBV-related hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs and their matched controls. Comparison of whole genome sequence (WGS and RNA-Seq revealed much evidence that various types of genomic mutations triggered diverse transcriptional changes. Not only splice-site mutations, but also silent mutations in coding regions, deep intronic mutations and structural changes caused splicing aberrations. HBV integrations generated diverse patterns of virus-human fusion transcripts depending on affected gene, such as TERT, CDK15, FN1 and MLL4. Structural variations could drive over-expression of genes such as WNT ligands, with/without creating gene fusions. Furthermore, by taking account of genomic mutations causing transcriptional aberrations, we could improve the sensitivity of deleterious mutation detection in known cancer driver genes (TP53, AXIN1, ARID2, RPS6KA3, and identified recurrent disruptions in putative cancer driver genes such as HNF4A, CPS1, TSC1 and THRAP3 in HCCs. These findings indicate genomic alterations in cancer genome have diverse transcriptomic effects, and integrated analysis of WGS and RNA-Seq can facilitate the interpretation of a large number of genomic alterations detected in cancer genome.

  16. PGSB/MIPS PlantsDB Database Framework for the Integration and Analysis of Plant Genome Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spannagl, Manuel; Nussbaumer, Thomas; Bader, Kai; Gundlach, Heidrun; Mayer, Klaus F X

    2017-01-01

    Plant Genome and Systems Biology (PGSB), formerly Munich Institute for Protein Sequences (MIPS) PlantsDB, is a database framework for the integration and analysis of plant genome data, developed and maintained for more than a decade now. Major components of that framework are genome databases and analysis resources focusing on individual (reference) genomes providing flexible and intuitive access to data. Another main focus is the integration of genomes from both model and crop plants to form a scaffold for comparative genomics, assisted by specialized tools such as the CrowsNest viewer to explore conserved gene order (synteny). Data exchange and integrated search functionality with/over many plant genome databases is provided within the transPLANT project.

  17. EchoBASE: an integrated post-genomic database for Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Raju V; Horler, Richard S P; Reindl, Wolfgang; Goryanin, Igor I; Thomas, Gavin H

    2005-01-01

    EchoBASE (http://www.ecoli-york.org) is a relational database designed to contain and manipulate information from post-genomic experiments using the model bacterium Escherichia coli K-12. Its aim is to collate information from a wide range of sources to provide clues to the functions of the approximately 1500 gene products that have no confirmed cellular function. The database is built on an enhanced annotation of the updated genome sequence of strain MG1655 and the association of experimental data with the E.coli genes and their products. Experiments that can be held within EchoBASE include proteomics studies, microarray data, protein-protein interaction data, structural data and bioinformatics studies. EchoBASE also contains annotated information on 'orphan' enzyme activities from this microbe to aid characterization of the proteins that catalyse these elusive biochemical reactions.

  18. Toward integration of genomic selection with crop modelling: the development of an integrated approach to predicting rice heading dates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onogi, Akio; Watanabe, Maya; Mochizuki, Toshihiro; Hayashi, Takeshi; Nakagawa, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Toshihiro; Iwata, Hiroyoshi

    2016-04-01

    It is suggested that accuracy in predicting plant phenotypes can be improved by integrating genomic prediction with crop modelling in a single hierarchical model. Accurate prediction of phenotypes is important for plant breeding and management. Although genomic prediction/selection aims to predict phenotypes on the basis of whole-genome marker information, it is often difficult to predict phenotypes of complex traits in diverse environments, because plant phenotypes are often influenced by genotype-environment interaction. A possible remedy is to integrate genomic prediction with crop/ecophysiological modelling, which enables us to predict plant phenotypes using environmental and management information. To this end, in the present study, we developed a novel method for integrating genomic prediction with phenological modelling of Asian rice (Oryza sativa, L.), allowing the heading date of untested genotypes in untested environments to be predicted. The method simultaneously infers the phenological model parameters and whole-genome marker effects on the parameters in a Bayesian framework. By cultivating backcross inbred lines of Koshihikari × Kasalath in nine environments, we evaluated the potential of the proposed method in comparison with conventional genomic prediction, phenological modelling, and two-step methods that applied genomic prediction to phenological model parameters inferred from Nelder-Mead or Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. In predicting heading dates of untested lines in untested environments, the proposed and two-step methods tended to provide more accurate predictions than the conventional genomic prediction methods, particularly in environments where phenotypes from environments similar to the target environment were unavailable for training genomic prediction. The proposed method showed greater accuracy in prediction than the two-step methods in all cross-validation schemes tested, suggesting the potential of the integrated approach in

  19. Gene Expression Analysis of Escherichia Coli Grown in Miniaturized Bioreactor Platforms for High-Throughput Analysis of Growth and genomic Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boccazzi, P.; Zanzotto, A.; Szita, Nicolas

    2005-01-01

    Combining high-throughput growth physiology and global gene expression data analysis is of significant value for integrating metabolism and genomics. We compared global gene expression using 500 ng of total RNA from Escherichia coli cultures grown in rich or defined minimal media in a miniaturize...... cultures using just 500 ng of total RNA indicate that high-throughput integration of growth physiology and genomics will be possible with novel biochemical platforms and improved detection technologies....

  20. GIGGLE: a search engine for large-scale integrated genome analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layer, Ryan M; Pedersen, Brent S; DiSera, Tonya; Marth, Gabor T; Gertz, Jason; Quinlan, Aaron R

    2018-02-01

    GIGGLE is a genomics search engine that identifies and ranks the significance of genomic loci shared between query features and thousands of genome interval files. GIGGLE (https://github.com/ryanlayer/giggle) scales to billions of intervals and is over three orders of magnitude faster than existing methods. Its speed extends the accessibility and utility of resources such as ENCODE, Roadmap Epigenomics, and GTEx by facilitating data integration and hypothesis generation.

  1. Integrating genomic selection into dairy cattle breeding programmes: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouquet, A; Juga, J

    2013-05-01

    Extensive genetic progress has been achieved in dairy cattle populations on many traits of economic importance because of efficient breeding programmes. Success of these programmes has relied on progeny testing of the best young males to accurately assess their genetic merit and hence their potential for breeding. Over the last few years, the integration of dense genomic information into statistical tools used to make selection decisions, commonly referred to as genomic selection, has enabled gains in predicting accuracy of breeding values for young animals without own performance. The possibility to select animals at an early stage allows defining new breeding strategies aimed at boosting genetic progress while reducing costs. The first objective of this article was to review methods used to model and optimize breeding schemes integrating genomic selection and to discuss their relative advantages and limitations. The second objective was to summarize the main results and perspectives on the use of genomic selection in practical breeding schemes, on the basis of the example of dairy cattle populations. Two main designs of breeding programmes integrating genomic selection were studied in dairy cattle. Genomic selection can be used either for pre-selecting males to be progeny tested or for selecting males to be used as active sires in the population. The first option produces moderate genetic gains without changing the structure of breeding programmes. The second option leads to large genetic gains, up to double those of conventional schemes because of a major reduction in the mean generation interval, but it requires greater changes in breeding programme structure. The literature suggests that genomic selection becomes more attractive when it is coupled with embryo transfer technologies to further increase selection intensity on the dam-to-sire pathway. The use of genomic information also offers new opportunities to improve preservation of genetic variation. However

  2. Metabologenomics of Phaeochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: An Integrated Approach for Personalised Biochemical and Genetic Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisenhofer, Graeme; Klink, Barbara; Richter, Susan; Lenders, Jacques Wm; Robledo, Mercedes

    2017-04-01

    The tremendous advances over the past two decades in both clinical genetics and biochemical testing of chromaffin cell tumours have led to new considerations about how these aspects of laboratory medicine can be integrated to improve diagnosis and management of affected patients. With germline mutations in 15 genes now identified to be responsible for over a third of all cases of phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas, these tumours are recognised to have one of the richest hereditary backgrounds among all neoplasms. Depending on the mutation, tumours show distinct differences in metabolic pathways that relate to or even directly impact clinical presentation. At the same time, there has been improved understanding about how catecholamines are synthesised, stored, secreted and metabolised by chromaffin cell tumours. Although the tumours may not always secrete catecholamines it has become clear that almost all continuously produce and metabolise catecholamines. This has not only fuelled changes in laboratory medicine, but has also assisted in recognition of genotype-biochemical phenotype relationships important for diagnostics and clinical care. In particular, differences in catecholamine and energy pathway metabolomes can guide genetic testing, assist with test interpretation and provide predictions about the nature, behaviour and imaging characteristics of the tumours. Conversely, results of genetic testing are important for guiding how routine biochemical testing should be employed and interpreted in surveillance programmes for at-risk patients. In these ways there are emerging needs for modern laboratory medicine to seamlessly integrate biochemical and genetic testing into the diagnosis and management of patients with chromaffin cell tumours.

  3. INDIGO - INtegrated data warehouse of microbial genomes with examples from the red sea extremophiles.

    KAUST Repository

    Alam, Intikhab

    2013-12-06

    The next generation sequencing technologies substantially increased the throughput of microbial genome sequencing. To functionally annotate newly sequenced microbial genomes, a variety of experimental and computational methods are used. Integration of information from different sources is a powerful approach to enhance such annotation. Functional analysis of microbial genomes, necessary for downstream experiments, crucially depends on this annotation but it is hampered by the current lack of suitable information integration and exploration systems for microbial genomes.

  4. INDIGO - INtegrated data warehouse of microbial genomes with examples from the red sea extremophiles.

    KAUST Repository

    Alam, Intikhab; Antunes, André ; Kamau, Allan; Ba Alawi, Wail; Kalkatawi, Manal M.; Stingl, Ulrich; Bajic, Vladimir B.

    2013-01-01

    The next generation sequencing technologies substantially increased the throughput of microbial genome sequencing. To functionally annotate newly sequenced microbial genomes, a variety of experimental and computational methods are used. Integration of information from different sources is a powerful approach to enhance such annotation. Functional analysis of microbial genomes, necessary for downstream experiments, crucially depends on this annotation but it is hampered by the current lack of suitable information integration and exploration systems for microbial genomes.

  5. GIGGLE: a search engine for large-scale integrated genome analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Layer, Ryan M; Pedersen, Brent S; DiSera, Tonya; Marth, Gabor T; Gertz, Jason; Quinlan, Aaron R

    2018-01-01

    GIGGLE is a genomics search engine that identifies and ranks the significance of genomic loci shared between query features and thousands of genome interval files. GIGGLE (https://github.com/ryanlayer/giggle) scales to billions of intervals and is over three orders of magnitude faster than existing methods. Its speed extends the accessibility and utility of resources such as ENCODE, Roadmap Epigenomics, and GTEx by facilitating data integration and hypothesis generation. PMID:29309061

  6. Structured Matrix Completion with Applications to Genomic Data Integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Tianxi; Cai, T Tony; Zhang, Anru

    2016-01-01

    Matrix completion has attracted significant recent attention in many fields including statistics, applied mathematics and electrical engineering. Current literature on matrix completion focuses primarily on independent sampling models under which the individual observed entries are sampled independently. Motivated by applications in genomic data integration, we propose a new framework of structured matrix completion (SMC) to treat structured missingness by design. Specifically, our proposed method aims at efficient matrix recovery when a subset of the rows and columns of an approximately low-rank matrix are observed. We provide theoretical justification for the proposed SMC method and derive lower bound for the estimation errors, which together establish the optimal rate of recovery over certain classes of approximately low-rank matrices. Simulation studies show that the method performs well in finite sample under a variety of configurations. The method is applied to integrate several ovarian cancer genomic studies with different extent of genomic measurements, which enables us to construct more accurate prediction rules for ovarian cancer survival.

  7. An electrodynamic preconcentrator integrated thermoelectric biosensor chip for continuous monitoring of biochemical process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Yong-Hwan; Kim, Min-gu; Kang, Dong-Hyun; Sim, Jaesam; Kim, Jongbaeg; Kim, Yong-Jun

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes an integrated sensor chip for continuous monitoring of a biochemical process. It is composed of a preconcentrator and a thermoelectric biosensor. In the preconcentrator, the concentration of the injected biochemical sample is electrodynamically condensed. Then, in the downstream thermoelectric biosensor, the preconcentrated target molecules react with sequentially injected capture molecules and generate reaction heat. The reaction heat is detected based on the thermoelectric effect, and an integrated split-flow microchannel improves the sensor stability by providing ability to self-compensate thermal noise. These sequential preconcentration and detection processes are performed in completely label-free and continuous conditions and consequently enhance the sensor sensitivity. The performance of the integrated biosensor chip was evaluated at various flow rates and applied voltages. First, in order to verify characteristics of the fabricated preconcentrator, 10 µm -diameter polystyrene (PS) particles were used. The particles were concentrated by applying ac voltage from 0 to 16 V pp at 3 MHz at various flow rates. In the experimental result, approximately 92.8% of concentration efficiency was achieved at a voltage over 16 V pp and at a flow rate below 100 µl h −1 . The downstream thermoelectric biosensor was characterized by measuring reaction heat of biotin–streptavidin interaction. The preconcentrated streptavidin-coated PS particles flow into the reaction chamber and react with titrated biotin. The measured output voltage was 288.2 µV at a flow rate of 100 µl h −1 without preconcentration. However, by using proposed preconcentrator, an output voltage of 812.3 µV was achieved with a 16 V pp -applied preconcentration in the same given sample and flow rate. According to these results, the proposed label-free biomolecular preconcentration and detection technique can be applied in continuous and high-throughput biochemical applications

  8. Integrated proteomic and genomic analysis of colorectal cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Investigators who analyzed 95 human colorectal tumor samples have determined how gene alterations identified in previous analyses of the same samples are expressed at the protein level. The integration of proteomic and genomic data, or proteogenomics, pro

  9. Integration of expression data in genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna S. Blazier

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available With the advent of high-throughput technologies, the field of systems biology has amassed an abundance of omics data, quantifying thousands of cellular components across a variety of scales, ranging from mRNA transcript levels to metabolite quantities. Methods are needed to not only integrate this omics data but to also use this data to heighten the predictive capabilities of computational models. Several recent studies have successfully demonstrated how flux balance analysis (FBA, a constraint-based modeling approach, can be used to integrate transcriptomic data into genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions to generate predictive computational models. In this review, we summarize such FBA-based methods for integrating expression data into genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions, highlighting their advantages as well as their limitations.

  10. Defining functional DNA elements in the human genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kellis, Manolis; Wold, Barbara; Snyder, Michael P.; Bernstein, Bradley E.; Kundaje, Anshul; Marinov, Georgi K.; Ward, Lucas D.; Birney, Ewan; Crawford, Gregory E.; Dekker, Job; Dunham, Ian; Elnitski, Laura L.; Farnham, Peggy J.; Feingold, Elise A.; Gerstein, Mark; Giddings, Morgan C.; Gilbert, David M.; Gingeras, Thomas R.; Green, Eric D.; Guigo, Roderic; Hubbard, Tim; Kent, Jim; Lieb, Jason D.; Myers, Richard M.; Pazin, Michael J.; Ren, Bing; Stamatoyannopoulos, John A.; Weng, Zhiping; White, Kevin P.; Hardison, Ross C.

    2014-01-01

    With the completion of the human genome sequence, attention turned to identifying and annotating its functional DNA elements. As a complement to genetic and comparative genomics approaches, the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Project was launched to contribute maps of RNA transcripts, transcriptional regulator binding sites, and chromatin states in many cell types. The resulting genome-wide data reveal sites of biochemical activity with high positional resolution and cell type specificity that facilitate studies of gene regulation and interpretation of noncoding variants associated with human disease. However, the biochemically active regions cover a much larger fraction of the genome than do evolutionarily conserved regions, raising the question of whether nonconserved but biochemically active regions are truly functional. Here, we review the strengths and limitations of biochemical, evolutionary, and genetic approaches for defining functional DNA segments, potential sources for the observed differences in estimated genomic coverage, and the biological implications of these discrepancies. We also analyze the relationship between signal intensity, genomic coverage, and evolutionary conservation. Our results reinforce the principle that each approach provides complementary information and that we need to use combinations of all three to elucidate genome function in human biology and disease. PMID:24753594

  11. High throughput platforms for structural genomics of integral membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancia, Filippo; Love, James

    2011-08-01

    Structural genomics approaches on integral membrane proteins have been postulated for over a decade, yet specific efforts are lagging years behind their soluble counterparts. Indeed, high throughput methodologies for production and characterization of prokaryotic integral membrane proteins are only now emerging, while large-scale efforts for eukaryotic ones are still in their infancy. Presented here is a review of recent literature on actively ongoing structural genomics of membrane protein initiatives, with a focus on those aimed at implementing interesting techniques aimed at increasing our rate of success for this class of macromolecules. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Integrating Carbon Nanotubes into Microfluidic Chip for Separating Biochemical Compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Miaoxiang Max; Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Bøggild, Peter

    2012-01-01

    We present a new type of device to separate biochemical compounds wherein carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are integrated as chromatographic stationary phase. The CNTs were directly grown on the bottom of microfluidic channels on Si/SiO2 substrates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Acetylene was used...... as carbon source and Ni was employed as catalyst. For electrokinetic separations, higher electrical field strength is usually required; therefore, the CNTs were constructed in pillar-array-form by patterning the catalyst layer. Electrical field strength of 2.0 kV/cm has been realized, which is more than one...

  13. Improving Microbial Genome Annotations in an Integrated Database Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, I-Min A.; Markowitz, Victor M.; Chu, Ken; Anderson, Iain; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Ivanova, Natalia N.

    2013-01-01

    Effective comparative analysis of microbial genomes requires a consistent and complete view of biological data. Consistency regards the biological coherence of annotations, while completeness regards the extent and coverage of functional characterization for genomes. We have developed tools that allow scientists to assess and improve the consistency and completeness of microbial genome annotations in the context of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) family of systems. All publicly available microbial genomes are characterized in IMG using different functional annotation and pathway resources, thus providing a comprehensive framework for identifying and resolving annotation discrepancies. A rule based system for predicting phenotypes in IMG provides a powerful mechanism for validating functional annotations, whereby the phenotypic traits of an organism are inferred based on the presence of certain metabolic reactions and pathways and compared to experimentally observed phenotypes. The IMG family of systems are available at http://img.jgi.doe.gov/. PMID:23424620

  14. Improving microbial genome annotations in an integrated database context.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I-Min A Chen

    Full Text Available Effective comparative analysis of microbial genomes requires a consistent and complete view of biological data. Consistency regards the biological coherence of annotations, while completeness regards the extent and coverage of functional characterization for genomes. We have developed tools that allow scientists to assess and improve the consistency and completeness of microbial genome annotations in the context of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG family of systems. All publicly available microbial genomes are characterized in IMG using different functional annotation and pathway resources, thus providing a comprehensive framework for identifying and resolving annotation discrepancies. A rule based system for predicting phenotypes in IMG provides a powerful mechanism for validating functional annotations, whereby the phenotypic traits of an organism are inferred based on the presence of certain metabolic reactions and pathways and compared to experimentally observed phenotypes. The IMG family of systems are available at http://img.jgi.doe.gov/.

  15. INDIGO - INtegrated data warehouse of microbial genomes with examples from the red sea extremophiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Intikhab; Antunes, André; Kamau, Allan Anthony; Ba Alawi, Wail; Kalkatawi, Manal; Stingl, Ulrich; Bajic, Vladimir B

    2013-01-01

    The next generation sequencing technologies substantially increased the throughput of microbial genome sequencing. To functionally annotate newly sequenced microbial genomes, a variety of experimental and computational methods are used. Integration of information from different sources is a powerful approach to enhance such annotation. Functional analysis of microbial genomes, necessary for downstream experiments, crucially depends on this annotation but it is hampered by the current lack of suitable information integration and exploration systems for microbial genomes. We developed a data warehouse system (INDIGO) that enables the integration of annotations for exploration and analysis of newly sequenced microbial genomes. INDIGO offers an opportunity to construct complex queries and combine annotations from multiple sources starting from genomic sequence to protein domain, gene ontology and pathway levels. This data warehouse is aimed at being populated with information from genomes of pure cultures and uncultured single cells of Red Sea bacteria and Archaea. Currently, INDIGO contains information from Salinisphaera shabanensis, Haloplasma contractile, and Halorhabdus tiamatea - extremophiles isolated from deep-sea anoxic brine lakes of the Red Sea. We provide examples of utilizing the system to gain new insights into specific aspects on the unique lifestyle and adaptations of these organisms to extreme environments. We developed a data warehouse system, INDIGO, which enables comprehensive integration of information from various resources to be used for annotation, exploration and analysis of microbial genomes. It will be regularly updated and extended with new genomes. It is aimed to serve as a resource dedicated to the Red Sea microbes. In addition, through INDIGO, we provide our Automatic Annotation of Microbial Genomes (AAMG) pipeline. The INDIGO web server is freely available at http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/indigo.

  16. Evolution of endogenous non-retroviral genes integrated into plant genomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyosub Chu

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Numerous comparative genome analyses have revealed the wide extent of horizontal gene transfer (HGT in living organisms, which contributes to their evolution and genetic diversity. Viruses play important roles in HGT. Endogenous viral elements (EVEs are defined as viral DNA sequences present within the genomes of non-viral organisms. In eukaryotic cells, the majority of EVEs are derived from RNA viruses using reverse transcription. In contrast, endogenous non-retroviral elements (ENREs are poorly studied. However, the increasing availability of genomic data and the rapid development of bioinformatics tools have enabled the identification of several ENREs in various eukaryotic organisms. To date, a small number of ENREs integrated into plant genomes have been identified. Of the known non-retroviruses, most identified ENREs are derived from double-strand (ds RNA viruses, followed by single-strand (ss DNA and ssRNA viruses. At least eight virus families have been identified. Of these, viruses in the family Partitiviridae are dominant, followed by viruses of the families Chrysoviridae and Geminiviridae. The identified ENREs have been primarily identified in eudicots, followed by monocots. In this review, we briefly discuss the current view on non-retroviral sequences integrated into plant genomes that are associated with plant-virus evolution and their possible roles in antiviral resistance.

  17. Genome-Wide Analysis of Transposon and Retroviral Insertions Reveals Preferential Integrations in Regions of DNA Flexibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vrljicak, Pavle; Tao, Shijie; Varshney, Gaurav K; Quach, Helen Ngoc Bao; Joshi, Adita; LaFave, Matthew C; Burgess, Shawn M; Sampath, Karuna

    2016-04-07

    DNA transposons and retroviruses are important transgenic tools for genome engineering. An important consideration affecting the choice of transgenic vector is their insertion site preferences. Previous large-scale analyses of Ds transposon integration sites in plants were done on the basis of reporter gene expression or germ-line transmission, making it difficult to discern vertebrate integration preferences. Here, we compare over 1300 Ds transposon integration sites in zebrafish with Tol2 transposon and retroviral integration sites. Genome-wide analysis shows that Ds integration sites in the presence or absence of marker selection are remarkably similar and distributed throughout the genome. No strict motif was found, but a preference for structural features in the target DNA associated with DNA flexibility (Twist, Tilt, Rise, Roll, Shift, and Slide) was observed. Remarkably, this feature is also found in transposon and retroviral integrations in maize and mouse cells. Our findings show that structural features influence the integration of heterologous DNA in genomes, and have implications for targeted genome engineering. Copyright © 2016 Vrljicak et al.

  18. Deorphanizing the human transmembrane genome: A landscape of uncharacterized membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babcock, Joseph J; Li, Min

    2014-01-01

    The sequencing of the human genome has fueled the last decade of work to functionally characterize genome content. An important subset of genes encodes membrane proteins, which are the targets of many drugs. They reside in lipid bilayers, restricting their endogenous activity to a relatively specialized biochemical environment. Without a reference phenotype, the application of systematic screens to profile candidate membrane proteins is not immediately possible. Bioinformatics has begun to show its effectiveness in focusing the functional characterization of orphan proteins of a particular functional class, such as channels or receptors. Here we discuss integration of experimental and bioinformatics approaches for characterizing the orphan membrane proteome. By analyzing the human genome, a landscape reference for the human transmembrane genome is provided.

  19. Genome-wide survey of recurrent HBV integration in hepatocellular carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sung, Wing-Kin; Zheng, Hancheng; Li, Shuyu

    2012-01-01

    To survey hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration in liver cancer genomes, we conducted massively parallel sequencing of 81 HBV-positive and 7 HBV-negative hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and adjacent normal tissues. We found that HBV integration is observed more frequently in the tumors (86.4%) than...

  20. INDIGO - INtegrated data warehouse of microbial genomes with examples from the red sea extremophiles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Intikhab Alam

    Full Text Available The next generation sequencing technologies substantially increased the throughput of microbial genome sequencing. To functionally annotate newly sequenced microbial genomes, a variety of experimental and computational methods are used. Integration of information from different sources is a powerful approach to enhance such annotation. Functional analysis of microbial genomes, necessary for downstream experiments, crucially depends on this annotation but it is hampered by the current lack of suitable information integration and exploration systems for microbial genomes.We developed a data warehouse system (INDIGO that enables the integration of annotations for exploration and analysis of newly sequenced microbial genomes. INDIGO offers an opportunity to construct complex queries and combine annotations from multiple sources starting from genomic sequence to protein domain, gene ontology and pathway levels. This data warehouse is aimed at being populated with information from genomes of pure cultures and uncultured single cells of Red Sea bacteria and Archaea. Currently, INDIGO contains information from Salinisphaera shabanensis, Haloplasma contractile, and Halorhabdus tiamatea - extremophiles isolated from deep-sea anoxic brine lakes of the Red Sea. We provide examples of utilizing the system to gain new insights into specific aspects on the unique lifestyle and adaptations of these organisms to extreme environments.We developed a data warehouse system, INDIGO, which enables comprehensive integration of information from various resources to be used for annotation, exploration and analysis of microbial genomes. It will be regularly updated and extended with new genomes. It is aimed to serve as a resource dedicated to the Red Sea microbes. In addition, through INDIGO, we provide our Automatic Annotation of Microbial Genomes (AAMG pipeline. The INDIGO web server is freely available at http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/indigo.

  1. Integrated Genome-Based Studies of Shewanella Echophysiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Margrethe H. Serres

    2012-06-29

    Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a motile, facultative {gamma}-Proteobacterium with remarkable respiratory versatility; it can utilize a range of organic and inorganic compounds as terminal electronacceptors for anaerobic metabolism. The ability to effectively reduce nitrate, S0, polyvalent metals andradionuclides has established MR-1 as an important model dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganism for genome-based investigations of biogeochemical transformation of metals and radionuclides that are of concern to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites nationwide. Metal-reducing bacteria such as Shewanella also have a highly developed capacity for extracellular transfer of respiratory electrons to solid phase Fe and Mn oxides as well as directly to anode surfaces in microbial fuel cells. More broadly, Shewanellae are recognized free-living microorganisms and members of microbial communities involved in the decomposition of organic matter and the cycling of elements in aquatic and sedimentary systems. To function and compete in environments that are subject to spatial and temporal environmental change, Shewanella must be able to sense and respond to such changes and therefore require relatively robust sensing and regulation systems. The overall goal of this project is to apply the tools of genomics, leveraging the availability of genome sequence for 18 additional strains of Shewanella, to better understand the ecophysiology and speciation of respiratory-versatile members of this important genus. To understand these systems we propose to use genome-based approaches to investigate Shewanella as a system of integrated networks; first describing key cellular subsystems - those involved in signal transduction, regulation, and metabolism - then building towards understanding the function of whole cells and, eventually, cells within populations. As a general approach, this project will employ complimentary "top-down" - bioinformatics-based genome functional predictions, high

  2. Site-Specific Integration of Exogenous Genes Using Genome Editing Technologies in Zebrafish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsuo Kawahara

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The zebrafish (Danio rerio is an ideal vertebrate model to investigate the developmental molecular mechanism of organogenesis and regeneration. Recent innovation in genome editing technologies, such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9 system, have allowed researchers to generate diverse genomic modifications in whole animals and in cultured cells. The CRISPR/Cas9 and TALEN techniques frequently induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs at the targeted gene, resulting in frameshift-mediated gene disruption. As a useful application of genome editing technology, several groups have recently reported efficient site-specific integration of exogenous genes into targeted genomic loci. In this review, we provide an overview of TALEN- and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated site-specific integration of exogenous genes in zebrafish.

  3. Genomic integrity and the ageing brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Hei-man; Herrup, Karl

    2015-11-01

    DNA damage is correlated with and may drive the ageing process. Neurons in the brain are postmitotic and are excluded from many forms of DNA repair; therefore, neurons are vulnerable to various neurodegenerative diseases. The challenges facing the field are to understand how and when neuronal DNA damage accumulates, how this loss of genomic integrity might serve as a 'time keeper' of nerve cell ageing and why this process manifests itself as different diseases in different individuals.

  4. Brassica database (BRAD) version 2.0: integrating and mining Brassicaceae species genomic resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaobo; Wu, Jian; Liang, Jianli; Cheng, Feng; Wang, Xiaowu

    2015-01-01

    The Brassica database (BRAD) was built initially to assist users apply Brassica rapa and Arabidopsis thaliana genomic data efficiently to their research. However, many Brassicaceae genomes have been sequenced and released after its construction. These genomes are rich resources for comparative genomics, gene annotation and functional evolutionary studies of Brassica crops. Therefore, we have updated BRAD to version 2.0 (V2.0). In BRAD V2.0, 11 more Brassicaceae genomes have been integrated into the database, namely those of Arabidopsis lyrata, Aethionema arabicum, Brassica oleracea, Brassica napus, Camelina sativa, Capsella rubella, Leavenworthia alabamica, Sisymbrium irio and three extremophiles Schrenkiella parvula, Thellungiella halophila and Thellungiella salsuginea. BRAD V2.0 provides plots of syntenic genomic fragments between pairs of Brassicaceae species, from the level of chromosomes to genomic blocks. The Generic Synteny Browser (GBrowse_syn), a module of the Genome Browser (GBrowse), is used to show syntenic relationships between multiple genomes. Search functions for retrieving syntenic and non-syntenic orthologs, as well as their annotation and sequences are also provided. Furthermore, genome and annotation information have been imported into GBrowse so that all functional elements can be visualized in one frame. We plan to continually update BRAD by integrating more Brassicaceae genomes into the database. Database URL: http://brassicadb.org/brad/. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  5. Improved bacteriophage genome data is necessary for integrating viral and bacterial ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bibby, Kyle

    2014-02-01

    The recent rise in "omics"-enabled approaches has lead to improved understanding in many areas of microbial ecology. However, despite the importance that viruses play in a broad microbial ecology context, viral ecology remains largely not integrated into high-throughput microbial ecology studies. A fundamental hindrance to the integration of viral ecology into omics-enabled microbial ecology studies is the lack of suitable reference bacteriophage genomes in reference databases-currently, only 0.001% of bacteriophage diversity is represented in genome sequence databases. This commentary serves to highlight this issue and to promote bacteriophage genome sequencing as a valuable scientific undertaking to both better understand bacteriophage diversity and move towards a more holistic view of microbial ecology.

  6. Modeling the integration of bacterial rRNA fragments into the human cancer genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sieber, Karsten B; Gajer, Pawel; Dunning Hotopp, Julie C

    2016-03-21

    Cancer is a disease driven by the accumulation of genomic alterations, including the integration of exogenous DNA into the human somatic genome. We previously identified in silico evidence of DNA fragments from a Pseudomonas-like bacteria integrating into the 5'-UTR of four proto-oncogenes in stomach cancer sequencing data. The functional and biological consequences of these bacterial DNA integrations remain unknown. Modeling of these integrations suggests that the previously identified sequences cover most of the sequence flanking the junction between the bacterial and human DNA. Further examination of these reads reveals that these integrations are rich in guanine nucleotides and the integrated bacterial DNA may have complex transcript secondary structures. The models presented here lay the foundation for future experiments to test if bacterial DNA integrations alter the transcription of the human genes.

  7. An integrated semiconductor device enabling non-optical genome sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothberg, Jonathan M; Hinz, Wolfgang; Rearick, Todd M; Schultz, Jonathan; Mileski, William; Davey, Mel; Leamon, John H; Johnson, Kim; Milgrew, Mark J; Edwards, Matthew; Hoon, Jeremy; Simons, Jan F; Marran, David; Myers, Jason W; Davidson, John F; Branting, Annika; Nobile, John R; Puc, Bernard P; Light, David; Clark, Travis A; Huber, Martin; Branciforte, Jeffrey T; Stoner, Isaac B; Cawley, Simon E; Lyons, Michael; Fu, Yutao; Homer, Nils; Sedova, Marina; Miao, Xin; Reed, Brian; Sabina, Jeffrey; Feierstein, Erika; Schorn, Michelle; Alanjary, Mohammad; Dimalanta, Eileen; Dressman, Devin; Kasinskas, Rachel; Sokolsky, Tanya; Fidanza, Jacqueline A; Namsaraev, Eugeni; McKernan, Kevin J; Williams, Alan; Roth, G Thomas; Bustillo, James

    2011-07-20

    The seminal importance of DNA sequencing to the life sciences, biotechnology and medicine has driven the search for more scalable and lower-cost solutions. Here we describe a DNA sequencing technology in which scalable, low-cost semiconductor manufacturing techniques are used to make an integrated circuit able to directly perform non-optical DNA sequencing of genomes. Sequence data are obtained by directly sensing the ions produced by template-directed DNA polymerase synthesis using all-natural nucleotides on this massively parallel semiconductor-sensing device or ion chip. The ion chip contains ion-sensitive, field-effect transistor-based sensors in perfect register with 1.2 million wells, which provide confinement and allow parallel, simultaneous detection of independent sequencing reactions. Use of the most widely used technology for constructing integrated circuits, the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, allows for low-cost, large-scale production and scaling of the device to higher densities and larger array sizes. We show the performance of the system by sequencing three bacterial genomes, its robustness and scalability by producing ion chips with up to 10 times as many sensors and sequencing a human genome.

  8. An Integrative Bioinformatics Framework for Genome-scale Multiple Level Network Reconstruction of Rice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Lili

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Understanding how metabolic reactions translate the genome of an organism into its phenotype is a grand challenge in biology. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS statistically connect genotypes to phenotypes, without any recourse to known molecular interactions, whereas a molecular mechanistic description ties gene function to phenotype through gene regulatory networks (GRNs, protein-protein interactions (PPIs and molecular pathways. Integration of different regulatory information levels of an organism is expected to provide a good way for mapping genotypes to phenotypes. However, the lack of curated metabolic model of rice is blocking the exploration of genome-scale multi-level network reconstruction. Here, we have merged GRNs, PPIs and genome-scale metabolic networks (GSMNs approaches into a single framework for rice via omics’ regulatory information reconstruction and integration. Firstly, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic model, containing 4,462 function genes, 2,986 metabolites involved in 3,316 reactions, and compartmentalized into ten subcellular locations. Furthermore, 90,358 pairs of protein-protein interactions, 662,936 pairs of gene regulations and 1,763 microRNA-target interactions were integrated into the metabolic model. Eventually, a database was developped for systematically storing and retrieving the genome-scale multi-level network of rice. This provides a reference for understanding genotype-phenotype relationship of rice, and for analysis of its molecular regulatory network.

  9. Efficient genome-wide genotyping strategies and data integration in crop plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torkamaneh, Davoud; Boyle, Brian; Belzile, François

    2018-03-01

    Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized plant and animal research by providing powerful genotyping methods. This review describes and discusses the advantages, challenges and, most importantly, solutions to facilitate data processing, the handling of missing data, and cross-platform data integration. Next-generation sequencing technologies provide powerful and flexible genotyping methods to plant breeders and researchers. These methods offer a wide range of applications from genome-wide analysis to routine screening with a high level of accuracy and reproducibility. Furthermore, they provide a straightforward workflow to identify, validate, and screen genetic variants in a short time with a low cost. NGS-based genotyping methods include whole-genome re-sequencing, SNP arrays, and reduced representation sequencing, which are widely applied in crops. The main challenges facing breeders and geneticists today is how to choose an appropriate genotyping method and how to integrate genotyping data sets obtained from various sources. Here, we review and discuss the advantages and challenges of several NGS methods for genome-wide genetic marker development and genotyping in crop plants. We also discuss how imputation methods can be used to both fill in missing data in genotypic data sets and to integrate data sets obtained using different genotyping tools. It is our hope that this synthetic view of genotyping methods will help geneticists and breeders to integrate these NGS-based methods in crop plant breeding and research.

  10. Archaeal Genome Guardians Give Insights into Eukaryotic DNA Replication and Damage Response Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Shin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available As the third domain of life, archaea, like the eukarya and bacteria, must have robust DNA replication and repair complexes to ensure genome fidelity. Archaea moreover display a breadth of unique habitats and characteristics, and structural biologists increasingly appreciate these features. As archaea include extremophiles that can withstand diverse environmental stresses, they provide fundamental systems for understanding enzymes and pathways critical to genome integrity and stress responses. Such archaeal extremophiles provide critical data on the periodic table for life as well as on the biochemical, geochemical, and physical limitations to adaptive strategies allowing organisms to thrive under environmental stress relevant to determining the boundaries for life as we know it. Specifically, archaeal enzyme structures have informed the architecture and mechanisms of key DNA repair proteins and complexes. With added abilities to temperature-trap flexible complexes and reveal core domains of transient and dynamic complexes, these structures provide insights into mechanisms of maintaining genome integrity despite extreme environmental stress. The DNA damage response protein structures noted in this review therefore inform the basis for genome integrity in the face of environmental stress, with implications for all domains of life as well as for biomanufacturing, astrobiology, and medicine.

  11. Variant Review with the Integrative Genomics Viewer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, James T; Thorvaldsdóttir, Helga; Wenger, Aaron M; Zehir, Ahmet; Mesirov, Jill P

    2017-11-01

    Manual review of aligned reads for confirmation and interpretation of variant calls is an important step in many variant calling pipelines for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Visual inspection can greatly increase the confidence in calls, reduce the risk of false positives, and help characterize complex events. The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) was one of the first tools to provide NGS data visualization, and it currently provides a rich set of tools for inspection, validation, and interpretation of NGS datasets, as well as other types of genomic data. Here, we present a short overview of IGV's variant review features for both single-nucleotide variants and structural variants, with examples from both cancer and germline datasets. IGV is freely available at https://www.igv.org Cancer Res; 77(21); e31-34. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  12. Unexpected inheritance: multiple integrations of ancient bornavirus and ebolavirus/marburgvirus sequences in vertebrate genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belyi, Vladimir A; Levine, Arnold J; Skalka, Anna Marie

    2010-07-29

    Vertebrate genomes contain numerous copies of retroviral sequences, acquired over the course of evolution. Until recently they were thought to be the only type of RNA viruses to be so represented, because integration of a DNA copy of their genome is required for their replication. In this study, an extensive sequence comparison was conducted in which 5,666 viral genes from all known non-retroviral families with single-stranded RNA genomes were matched against the germline genomes of 48 vertebrate species, to determine if such viruses could also contribute to the vertebrate genetic heritage. In 19 of the tested vertebrate species, we discovered as many as 80 high-confidence examples of genomic DNA sequences that appear to be derived, as long ago as 40 million years, from ancestral members of 4 currently circulating virus families with single strand RNA genomes. Surprisingly, almost all of the sequences are related to only two families in the Order Mononegavirales: the Bornaviruses and the Filoviruses, which cause lethal neurological disease and hemorrhagic fevers, respectively. Based on signature landmarks some, and perhaps all, of the endogenous virus-like DNA sequences appear to be LINE element-facilitated integrations derived from viral mRNAs. The integrations represent genes that encode viral nucleocapsid, RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, matrix and, possibly, glycoproteins. Integrations are generally limited to one or very few copies of a related viral gene per species, suggesting that once the initial germline integration was obtained (or selected), later integrations failed or provided little advantage to the host. The conservation of relatively long open reading frames for several of the endogenous sequences, the virus-like protein regions represented, and a potential correlation between their presence and a species' resistance to the diseases caused by these pathogens, are consistent with the notion that their products provide some important biological

  13. Unexpected inheritance: multiple integrations of ancient bornavirus and ebolavirus/marburgvirus sequences in vertebrate genomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir A Belyi

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Vertebrate genomes contain numerous copies of retroviral sequences, acquired over the course of evolution. Until recently they were thought to be the only type of RNA viruses to be so represented, because integration of a DNA copy of their genome is required for their replication. In this study, an extensive sequence comparison was conducted in which 5,666 viral genes from all known non-retroviral families with single-stranded RNA genomes were matched against the germline genomes of 48 vertebrate species, to determine if such viruses could also contribute to the vertebrate genetic heritage. In 19 of the tested vertebrate species, we discovered as many as 80 high-confidence examples of genomic DNA sequences that appear to be derived, as long ago as 40 million years, from ancestral members of 4 currently circulating virus families with single strand RNA genomes. Surprisingly, almost all of the sequences are related to only two families in the Order Mononegavirales: the Bornaviruses and the Filoviruses, which cause lethal neurological disease and hemorrhagic fevers, respectively. Based on signature landmarks some, and perhaps all, of the endogenous virus-like DNA sequences appear to be LINE element-facilitated integrations derived from viral mRNAs. The integrations represent genes that encode viral nucleocapsid, RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, matrix and, possibly, glycoproteins. Integrations are generally limited to one or very few copies of a related viral gene per species, suggesting that once the initial germline integration was obtained (or selected, later integrations failed or provided little advantage to the host. The conservation of relatively long open reading frames for several of the endogenous sequences, the virus-like protein regions represented, and a potential correlation between their presence and a species' resistance to the diseases caused by these pathogens, are consistent with the notion that their products provide some important

  14. Integration of genomic information with biological networks using Cytoscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer-Mehren, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Cytoscape is an open-source software for visualizing, analyzing, and modeling biological networks. This chapter explains how to use Cytoscape to analyze the functional effect of sequence variations in the context of biological networks such as protein-protein interaction networks and signaling pathways. The chapter is divided into five parts: (1) obtaining information about the functional effect of sequence variation in a Cytoscape readable format, (2) loading and displaying different types of biological networks in Cytoscape, (3) integrating the genomic information (SNPs and mutations) with the biological networks, and (4) analyzing the effect of the genomic perturbation onto the network structure using Cytoscape built-in functions. Finally, we briefly outline how the integrated data can help in building mathematical network models for analyzing the effect of the sequence variation onto the dynamics of the biological system. Each part is illustrated by step-by-step instructions on an example use case and visualized by many screenshots and figures.

  15. Integration sites of Epstein-Barr virus genome on chromosomes of human lymphoblastoid cell lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wuu, K.D.; Chen, Y.J.; Wang-Wuu, S. [Institute of Genetics, Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China)

    1994-09-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the pathogen of infectious mononucleosis. The viral genome is present in more than 95% of the African cases of Burkitt lymphoma and it is usually maintained in episomal form in the tumor cells. Viral integration has been described only for Nanalwa which is a Burkitt lymphoma cell line lacking episomes. In order to examine the role of EBV in the immortalization of human Blymphocytes, we investigated whether the EBV integration into the human genome is essential. If the integration does occur, we would like to know whether the integration is randomly distributed or whether the viral DNA integrates preferentially at certain sites. Fourteen in vitro immortalized human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a biotinylated EBV BamHI w DNA fragment as probe. The episomal form of EBV DNA was found in all cells of these cell lines, while only about 65% of the cells have the integrated viral DNA. This might suggest that integration is not a pre-requisite for cell immortalization. Although all chromosomes, except Y, have been found with integrated viral genome, chromsomes 1 and 5 are the most frequent EBV DNA carrier (p<0.05). Nine chromosome bands, namely, 1p31, 1q31, 2q32, 3q13, 3q26, 5q14, 6q24, 7q31 and 12q21, are preferential targets for EBV integration (p<0.001). Eighty percent of the total 938 EBV hybridization signals were found to be at G-band-positive area. This suggests that the mechanism of EBV integration might be different from that of the retroviruses, which specifically integrate to G-band-negative areas. Thus, we conclude that the integration of EBV to host genome is non-random and it may have something to do with the structure of chromosome and DNA sequences.

  16. INDIGO – INtegrated Data Warehouse of MIcrobial GenOmes with Examples from the Red Sea Extremophiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Intikhab; Antunes, André; Kamau, Allan Anthony; Ba alawi, Wail; Kalkatawi, Manal; Stingl, Ulrich; Bajic, Vladimir B.

    2013-01-01

    Background The next generation sequencing technologies substantially increased the throughput of microbial genome sequencing. To functionally annotate newly sequenced microbial genomes, a variety of experimental and computational methods are used. Integration of information from different sources is a powerful approach to enhance such annotation. Functional analysis of microbial genomes, necessary for downstream experiments, crucially depends on this annotation but it is hampered by the current lack of suitable information integration and exploration systems for microbial genomes. Results We developed a data warehouse system (INDIGO) that enables the integration of annotations for exploration and analysis of newly sequenced microbial genomes. INDIGO offers an opportunity to construct complex queries and combine annotations from multiple sources starting from genomic sequence to protein domain, gene ontology and pathway levels. This data warehouse is aimed at being populated with information from genomes of pure cultures and uncultured single cells of Red Sea bacteria and Archaea. Currently, INDIGO contains information from Salinisphaera shabanensis, Haloplasma contractile, and Halorhabdus tiamatea - extremophiles isolated from deep-sea anoxic brine lakes of the Red Sea. We provide examples of utilizing the system to gain new insights into specific aspects on the unique lifestyle and adaptations of these organisms to extreme environments. Conclusions We developed a data warehouse system, INDIGO, which enables comprehensive integration of information from various resources to be used for annotation, exploration and analysis of microbial genomes. It will be regularly updated and extended with new genomes. It is aimed to serve as a resource dedicated to the Red Sea microbes. In addition, through INDIGO, we provide our Automatic Annotation of Microbial Genomes (AAMG) pipeline. The INDIGO web server is freely available at http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/indigo. PMID

  17. Dynamic Modeling of Cell-Free Biochemical Networks Using Effective Kinetic Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph A. Wayman

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Cell-free systems offer many advantages for the study, manipulation and modeling of metabolism compared to in vivo processes. Many of the challenges confronting genome-scale kinetic modeling can potentially be overcome in a cell-free system. For example, there is no complex transcriptional regulation to consider, transient metabolic measurements are easier to obtain, and we no longer have to consider cell growth. Thus, cell-free operation holds several significant advantages for model development, identification and validation. Theoretically, genome-scale cell-free kinetic models may be possible for industrially important organisms, such as E. coli, if a simple, tractable framework for integrating allosteric regulation with enzyme kinetics can be formulated. Toward this unmet need, we present an effective biochemical network modeling framework for building dynamic cell-free metabolic models. The key innovation of our approach is the integration of simple effective rules encoding complex allosteric regulation with traditional kinetic pathway modeling. We tested our approach by modeling the time evolution of several hypothetical cell-free metabolic networks. We found that simple effective rules, when integrated with traditional enzyme kinetic expressions, captured complex allosteric patterns such as ultrasensitivity or non-competitive inhibition in the absence of mechanistic information. Second, when integrated into network models, these rules captured classic regulatory patterns such as product-induced feedback inhibition. Lastly, we showed, at least for the network architectures considered here, that we could simultaneously estimate kinetic parameters and allosteric connectivity from synthetic data starting from an unbiased collection of possible allosteric structures using particle swarm optimization. However, when starting with an initial population that was heavily enriched with incorrect structures, our particle swarm approach could converge

  18. Genome-wide conserved non-coding microsatellite (CNMS) marker-based integrative genetical genomics for quantitative dissection of seed weight in chickpea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajaj, Deepak; Saxena, Maneesha S; Kujur, Alice; Das, Shouvik; Badoni, Saurabh; Tripathi, Shailesh; Upadhyaya, Hari D; Gowda, C L L; Sharma, Shivali; Singh, Sube; Tyagi, Akhilesh K; Parida, Swarup K

    2015-03-01

    Phylogenetic footprinting identified 666 genome-wide paralogous and orthologous CNMS (conserved non-coding microsatellite) markers from 5'-untranslated and regulatory regions (URRs) of 603 protein-coding chickpea genes. The (CT)n and (GA)n CNMS carrying CTRMCAMV35S and GAGA8BKN3 regulatory elements, respectively, are abundant in the chickpea genome. The mapped genic CNMS markers with robust amplification efficiencies (94.7%) detected higher intraspecific polymorphic potential (37.6%) among genotypes, implying their immense utility in chickpea breeding and genetic analyses. Seventeen differentially expressed CNMS marker-associated genes showing strong preferential and seed tissue/developmental stage-specific expression in contrasting genotypes were selected to narrow down the gene targets underlying seed weight quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/eQTLs (expression QTLs) through integrative genetical genomics. The integration of transcript profiling with seed weight QTL/eQTL mapping, molecular haplotyping, and association analyses identified potential molecular tags (GAGA8BKN3 and RAV1AAT regulatory elements and alleles/haplotypes) in the LOB-domain-containing protein- and KANADI protein-encoding transcription factor genes controlling the cis-regulated expression for seed weight in the chickpea. This emphasizes the potential of CNMS marker-based integrative genetical genomics for the quantitative genetic dissection of complex seed weight in chickpea. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  19. Genome-wide analysis reveals the extent of EAV-HP integration in domestic chicken.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wragg, David; Mason, Andrew S; Yu, Le; Kuo, Richard; Lawal, Raman A; Desta, Takele Taye; Mwacharo, Joram M; Cho, Chang-Yeon; Kemp, Steve; Burt, David W; Hanotte, Olivier

    2015-10-14

    EAV-HP is an ancient retrovirus pre-dating Gallus speciation, which continues to circulate in modern chicken populations, and led to the emergence of avian leukosis virus subgroup J causing significant economic losses to the poultry industry. We mapped EAV-HP integration sites in Ethiopian village chickens, a Silkie, Taiwan Country chicken, red junglefowl Gallus gallus and several inbred experimental lines using whole-genome sequence data. An average of 75.22 ± 9.52 integration sites per bird were identified, which collectively group into 279 intervals of which 5 % are common to 90 % of the genomes analysed and are suggestive of pre-domestication integration events. More than a third of intervals are specific to individual genomes, supporting active circulation of EAV-HP in modern chickens. Interval density is correlated with chromosome length (P < 2.31(-6)), and 27 % of intervals are located within 5 kb of a transcript. Functional annotation clustering of genes reveals enrichment for immune-related functions (P < 0.05). Our results illustrate a non-random distribution of EAV-HP in the genome, emphasising the importance it may have played in the adaptation of the species, and provide a platform from which to extend investigations on the co-evolutionary significance of endogenous retroviral genera with their hosts.

  20. LocusTrack: Integrated visualization of GWAS results and genomic annotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; Renteria, Miguel E; MacGregor, Stuart

    2015-01-01

    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an important tool for the mapping of complex traits and diseases. Visual inspection of genomic annotations may be used to generate insights into the biological mechanisms underlying GWAS-identified loci. We developed LocusTrack, a web-based application that annotates and creates plots of regional GWAS results and incorporates user-specified tracks that display annotations such as linkage disequilibrium (LD), phylogenetic conservation, chromatin state, and other genomic and regulatory elements. Currently, LocusTrack can integrate annotation tracks from the UCSC genome-browser as well as from any tracks provided by the user. LocusTrack is an easy-to-use application and can be accessed at the following URL: http://gump.qimr.edu.au/general/gabrieC/LocusTrack/. Users can upload and manage GWAS results and select from and/or provide annotation tracks using simple and intuitive menus. LocusTrack scripts and associated data can be downloaded from the website and run locally.

  1. Impact of delay to cryopreservation on RNA integrity and genome-wide expression profiles in resected tumor samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elodie Caboux

    Full Text Available The quality of tissue samples and extracted mRNA is a major source of variability in tumor transcriptome analysis using genome-wide expression microarrays. During and immediately after surgical tumor resection, tissues are exposed to metabolic, biochemical and physical stresses characterized as "warm ischemia". Current practice advocates cryopreservation of biosamples within 30 minutes of resection, but this recommendation has not been systematically validated by measurements of mRNA decay over time. Using Illumina HumanHT-12 v3 Expression BeadChips, providing a genome-wide coverage of over 24,000 genes, we have analyzed gene expression variation in samples of 3 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC and 3 lung carcinomas (LC cryopreserved at times up to 2 hours after resection. RNA Integrity Numbers (RIN revealed no significant deterioration of mRNA up to 2 hours after resection. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis detected non-significant gene expression variations of -3.5%/hr (95% CI: -7.0%/hr to 0.1%/hr; p = 0.054. In LC, no consistent gene expression pattern was detected in relation with warm ischemia. In HCC, a signature of 6 up-regulated genes (CYP2E1, IGLL1, CABYR, CLDN2, NQO1, SCL13A5 and 6 down-regulated genes (MT1G, MT1H, MT1E, MT1F, HABP2, SPINK1 was identified (FDR <0.05. Overall, our observations support current recommendation of time to cryopreservation of up to 30 minutes and emphasize the need for identifying tissue-specific genes deregulated following resection to avoid misinterpreting expression changes induced by warm ischemia as pathologically significant changes.

  2. Molecular basis for the genome engagement by Sox proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Linlin; Srivastava, Yogesh; Jauch, Ralf

    2017-03-01

    The Sox transcription factor family consists of 20 members in the human genome. Many of them are key determinants of cellular identities and possess the capacity to reprogram cell fates by pioneering the epigenetic remodeling of the genome. This activity is intimately tied to their ability to specifically bind and bend DNA alone or with other proteins. Here we discuss our current knowledge on how Sox transcription factors such as Sox2, Sox17, Sox18 and Sox9 'read' the genome to find and regulate their target genes and highlight the roles of partner factors including Pax6, Nanog, Oct4 and Brn2. We integrate insights from structural and biochemical studies as well as high-throughput assays to probe DNA specificity in vitro as well as in cells and tissues. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. MicroScope in 2017: an expanding and evolving integrated resource for community expertise of microbial genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallenet, David; Calteau, Alexandra; Cruveiller, Stéphane; Gachet, Mathieu; Lajus, Aurélie; Josso, Adrien; Mercier, Jonathan; Renaux, Alexandre; Rollin, Johan; Rouy, Zoe; Roche, David; Scarpelli, Claude; Médigue, Claudine

    2017-01-04

    The annotation of genomes from NGS platforms needs to be automated and fully integrated. However, maintaining consistency and accuracy in genome annotation is a challenging problem because millions of protein database entries are not assigned reliable functions. This shortcoming limits the knowledge that can be extracted from genomes and metabolic models. Launched in 2005, the MicroScope platform (http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/agc/microscope) is an integrative resource that supports systematic and efficient revision of microbial genome annotation, data management and comparative analysis. Effective comparative analysis requires a consistent and complete view of biological data, and therefore, support for reviewing the quality of functional annotation is critical. MicroScope allows users to analyze microbial (meta)genomes together with post-genomic experiment results if any (i.e. transcriptomics, re-sequencing of evolved strains, mutant collections, phenotype data). It combines tools and graphical interfaces to analyze genomes and to perform the expert curation of gene functions in a comparative context. Starting with a short overview of the MicroScope system, this paper focuses on some major improvements of the Web interface, mainly for the submission of genomic data and on original tools and pipelines that have been developed and integrated in the platform: computation of pan-genomes and prediction of biosynthetic gene clusters. Today the resource contains data for more than 6000 microbial genomes, and among the 2700 personal accounts (65% of which are now from foreign countries), 14% of the users are performing expert annotations, on at least a weekly basis, contributing to improve the quality of microbial genome annotations. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genome and the genomics of punicalagin biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Gaihua; Xu, Chunyan; Ming, Ray; Tang, Haibao; Guyot, Romain; Kramer, Elena M; Hu, Yudong; Yi, Xingkai; Qi, Yongjie; Xu, Xiangyang; Gao, Zhenghui; Pan, Haifa; Jian, Jianbo; Tian, Yinping; Yue, Zhen; Xu, Yiliu

    2017-09-01

    Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a perennial fruit crop grown since ancient times that has been planted worldwide and is known for its functional metabolites, particularly punicalagins. We have sequenced and assembled the pomegranate genome with 328 Mb anchored into nine pseudo-chromosomes and annotated 29 229 gene models. A Myrtales lineage-specific whole-genome duplication event was detected that occurred in the common ancestor before the divergence of pomegranate and Eucalyptus. Repetitive sequences accounted for 46.1% of the assembled genome. We found that the integument development gene INNER NO OUTER (INO) was under positive selection and potentially contributed to the development of the fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, an edible part of pomegranate fruit. The genes encoding the enzymes for synthesis and degradation of lignin, hemicelluloses and cellulose were also differentially expressed between soft- and hard-seeded varieties, reflecting differences in their accumulation in cultivars differing in seed hardness. Candidate genes for punicalagin biosynthesis were identified and their expression patterns indicated that gallic acid synthesis in tissues could follow different biochemical pathways. The genome sequence of pomegranate provides a valuable resource for the dissection of many biological and biochemical traits and also provides important insights for the acceleration of breeding. Elucidation of the biochemical pathway(s) involved in punicalagin biosynthesis could assist breeding efforts to increase production of this bioactive compound. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Incorporating Protein Biosynthesis into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome-scale Metabolic Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olivares Hernandez, Roberto

    Based on stoichiometric biochemical equations that occur into the cell, the genome-scale metabolic models can quantify the metabolic fluxes, which are regarded as the final representation of the physiological state of the cell. For Saccharomyces Cerevisiae the genome scale model has been construc......Based on stoichiometric biochemical equations that occur into the cell, the genome-scale metabolic models can quantify the metabolic fluxes, which are regarded as the final representation of the physiological state of the cell. For Saccharomyces Cerevisiae the genome scale model has been...

  6. Human papillomavirus genome integration in squamous carcinogenesis: what have next-generation sequencing studies taught us?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groves, Ian J; Coleman, Nicholas

    2018-05-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with ∼5% of all human cancers, including a range of squamous cell carcinomas. Persistent infection by high-risk HPVs (HRHPVs) is associated with the integration of virus genomes (which are usually stably maintained as extrachromosomal episomes) into host chromosomes. Although HRHPV integration rates differ across human sites of infection, this process appears to be an important event in HPV-associated neoplastic progression, leading to deregulation of virus oncogene expression, host gene expression modulation, and further genomic instability. However, the mechanisms by which HRHPV integration occur and by which the subsequent gene expression changes take place are incompletely understood. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of both RNA and DNA has allowed powerful interrogation of the association of HRHPVs with human disease, including precise determination of the sites of integration and the genomic rearrangements at integration loci. In turn, these data have indicated that integration occurs through two main mechanisms: looping integration and direct insertion. Improved understanding of integration sites is allowing further investigation of the factors that provide a competitive advantage to some integrants during disease progression. Furthermore, advanced approaches to the generation of genome-wide samples have given novel insights into the three-dimensional interactions within the nucleus, which could act as another layer of epigenetic control of both virus and host transcription. It is hoped that further advances in NGS techniques and analysis will not only allow the examination of further unanswered questions regarding HPV infection, but also direct new approaches to treating HPV-associated human disease. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John

  7. An integrative and applicable phylogenetic footprinting framework for cis-regulatory motifs identification in prokaryotic genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bingqiang; Zhang, Hanyuan; Zhou, Chuan; Li, Guojun; Fennell, Anne; Wang, Guanghui; Kang, Yu; Liu, Qi; Ma, Qin

    2016-08-09

    Phylogenetic footprinting is an important computational technique for identifying cis-regulatory motifs in orthologous regulatory regions from multiple genomes, as motifs tend to evolve slower than their surrounding non-functional sequences. Its application, however, has several difficulties for optimizing the selection of orthologous data and reducing the false positives in motif prediction. Here we present an integrative phylogenetic footprinting framework for accurate motif predictions in prokaryotic genomes (MP(3)). The framework includes a new orthologous data preparation procedure, an additional promoter scoring and pruning method and an integration of six existing motif finding algorithms as basic motif search engines. Specifically, we collected orthologous genes from available prokaryotic genomes and built the orthologous regulatory regions based on sequence similarity of promoter regions. This procedure made full use of the large-scale genomic data and taxonomy information and filtered out the promoters with limited contribution to produce a high quality orthologous promoter set. The promoter scoring and pruning is implemented through motif voting by a set of complementary predicting tools that mine as many motif candidates as possible and simultaneously eliminate the effect of random noise. We have applied the framework to Escherichia coli k12 genome and evaluated the prediction performance through comparison with seven existing programs. This evaluation was systematically carried out at the nucleotide and binding site level, and the results showed that MP(3) consistently outperformed other popular motif finding tools. We have integrated MP(3) into our motif identification and analysis server DMINDA, allowing users to efficiently identify and analyze motifs in 2,072 completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes. The performance evaluation indicated that MP(3) is effective for predicting regulatory motifs in prokaryotic genomes. Its application may enhance

  8. Genomic and functional features of the biosurfactant producing Bacillus sp. AM13.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaligram, Shraddha; Kumbhare, Shreyas V; Dhotre, Dhiraj P; Muddeshwar, Manohar G; Kapley, Atya; Joseph, Neetha; Purohit, Hemant P; Shouche, Yogesh S; Pawar, Shrikant P

    2016-09-01

    Genomic studies provide deeper insights into secondary metabolites produced by diverse bacterial communities, residing in various environmental niches. This study aims to understand the potential of a biosurfactant producing Bacillus sp. AM13, isolated from soil. An integrated approach of genomic and chemical analysis was employed to characterize the antibacterial lipopeptide produced by the strain AM13. Genome analysis revealed that strain AM13 harbors a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) cluster; highly similar with known biosynthetic gene clusters from surfactin family: lichenysin (85 %) and surfactin (78 %). These findings were substantiated with supplementary experiments of oil displacement assay and surface tension measurements, confirming the biosurfactant production. Further investigation using LCMS approach exhibited similarity of the biomolecule with biosurfactants of the surfactin family. Our consolidated effort of functional genomics provided chemical as well as genetic leads for understanding the biochemical characteristics of the bioactive compound.

  9. Genome scale models of yeast: towards standardized evaluation and consistent omic integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez, Benjamin J.; Nielsen, Jens

    2015-01-01

    Genome scale models (GEMs) have enabled remarkable advances in systems biology, acting as functional databases of metabolism, and as scaffolds for the contextualization of high-throughput data. In the case of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast), several GEMs have been published and are curre......Genome scale models (GEMs) have enabled remarkable advances in systems biology, acting as functional databases of metabolism, and as scaffolds for the contextualization of high-throughput data. In the case of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast), several GEMs have been published...... in which all levels of omics data (from gene expression to flux) have been integrated in yeast GEMs. Relevant conclusions and current challenges for both GEM evaluation and omic integration are highlighted....

  10. Decoding the genome with an integrative analysis tool: combinatorial CRM Decoder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Keunsoo; Kim, Joomyeong; Chung, Jae Hoon; Lee, Daeyoup

    2011-09-01

    The identification of genome-wide cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) and characterization of their associated epigenetic features are fundamental steps toward the understanding of gene regulatory networks. Although integrative analysis of available genome-wide information can provide new biological insights, the lack of novel methodologies has become a major bottleneck. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis tool called combinatorial CRM decoder (CCD), which utilizes the publicly available information to identify and characterize genome-wide CRMs in a species of interest. CCD first defines a set of the epigenetic features which is significantly associated with a set of known CRMs as a code called 'trace code', and subsequently uses the trace code to pinpoint putative CRMs throughout the genome. Using 61 genome-wide data sets obtained from 17 independent mouse studies, CCD successfully catalogued ∼12 600 CRMs (five distinct classes) including polycomb repressive complex 2 target sites as well as imprinting control regions. Interestingly, we discovered that ∼4% of the identified CRMs belong to at least two different classes named 'multi-functional CRM', suggesting their functional importance for regulating spatiotemporal gene expression. From these examples, we show that CCD can be applied to any potential genome-wide datasets and therefore will shed light on unveiling genome-wide CRMs in various species.

  11. An integrated clinical and genomic information system for cancer precision medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Yeongjun; Choi, Taekjin; Kim, Jongho; Park, Jisub; Seo, Jihae; Kim, Sangok; Kwon, Yeajee; Lee, Seungjae; Lee, Sanghyuk

    2018-04-20

    Increasing affordability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has created an opportunity for realizing genomically-informed personalized cancer therapy as a path to precision oncology. However, the complex nature of genomic information presents a huge challenge for clinicians in interpreting the patient's genomic alterations and selecting the optimum approved or investigational therapy. An elaborate and practical information system is urgently needed to support clinical decision as well as to test clinical hypotheses quickly. Here, we present an integrated clinical and genomic information system (CGIS) based on NGS data analyses. Major components include modules for handling clinical data, NGS data processing, variant annotation and prioritization, drug-target-pathway analysis, and population cohort explorer. We built a comprehensive knowledgebase of genes, variants, drugs by collecting annotated information from public and in-house resources. Structured reports for molecular pathology are generated using standardized terminology in order to help clinicians interpret genomic variants and utilize them for targeted cancer therapy. We also implemented many features useful for testing hypotheses to develop prognostic markers from mutation and gene expression data. Our CGIS software is an attempt to provide useful information for both clinicians and scientists who want to explore genomic information for precision oncology.

  12. GDR (Genome Database for Rosaceae): integrated web-database for Rosaceae genomics and genetics data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Sook; Staton, Margaret; Lee, Taein; Blenda, Anna; Svancara, Randall; Abbott, Albert; Main, Dorrie

    2008-01-01

    The Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR) is a central repository of curated and integrated genetics and genomics data of Rosaceae, an economically important family which includes apple, cherry, peach, pear, raspberry, rose and strawberry. GDR contains annotated databases of all publicly available Rosaceae ESTs, the genetically anchored peach physical map, Rosaceae genetic maps and comprehensively annotated markers and traits. The ESTs are assembled to produce unigene sets of each genus and the entire Rosaceae. Other annotations include putative function, microsatellites, open reading frames, single nucleotide polymorphisms, gene ontology terms and anchored map position where applicable. Most of the published Rosaceae genetic maps can be viewed and compared through CMap, the comparative map viewer. The peach physical map can be viewed using WebFPC/WebChrom, and also through our integrated GDR map viewer, which serves as a portal to the combined genetic, transcriptome and physical mapping information. ESTs, BACs, markers and traits can be queried by various categories and the search result sites are linked to the mapping visualization tools. GDR also provides online analysis tools such as a batch BLAST/FASTA server for the GDR datasets, a sequence assembly server and microsatellite and primer detection tools. GDR is available at http://www.rosaceae.org.

  13. CTDB: An Integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database for Functional and Applied Genomics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohit Verma

    Full Text Available Chickpea is an important grain legume used as a rich source of protein in human diet. The narrow genetic diversity and limited availability of genomic resources are the major constraints in implementing breeding strategies and biotechnological interventions for genetic enhancement of chickpea. We developed an integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database (CTDB, which provides the comprehensive web interface for visualization and easy retrieval of transcriptome data in chickpea. The database features many tools for similarity search, functional annotation (putative function, PFAM domain and gene ontology search and comparative gene expression analysis. The current release of CTDB (v2.0 hosts transcriptome datasets with high quality functional annotation from cultivated (desi and kabuli types and wild chickpea. A catalog of transcription factor families and their expression profiles in chickpea are available in the database. The gene expression data have been integrated to study the expression profiles of chickpea transcripts in major tissues/organs and various stages of flower development. The utilities, such as similarity search, ortholog identification and comparative gene expression have also been implemented in the database to facilitate comparative genomic studies among different legumes and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the CTDB represents a resource for the discovery of functional molecular markers (microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms between different chickpea types. We anticipate that integrated information content of this database will accelerate the functional and applied genomic research for improvement of chickpea. The CTDB web service is freely available at http://nipgr.res.in/ctdb.html.

  14. STINGRAY: system for integrated genomic resources and analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Glauber; Jardim, Rodrigo; Tschoeke, Diogo A; Loureiro, Daniel R; Ocaña, Kary A C S; Ribeiro, Antonio C B; Emmel, Vanessa E; Probst, Christian M; Pitaluga, André N; Grisard, Edmundo C; Cavalcanti, Maria C; Campos, Maria L M; Mattoso, Marta; Dávila, Alberto M R

    2014-03-07

    The STINGRAY system has been conceived to ease the tasks of integrating, analyzing, annotating and presenting genomic and expression data from Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms. STINGRAY includes: (a) a complete and integrated workflow (more than 20 bioinformatics tools) ranging from functional annotation to phylogeny; (b) a MySQL database schema, suitable for data integration and user access control; and (c) a user-friendly graphical web-based interface that makes the system intuitive, facilitating the tasks of data analysis and annotation. STINGRAY showed to be an easy to use and complete system for analyzing sequencing data. While both Sanger and NGS platforms are supported, the system could be faster using Sanger data, since the large NGS datasets could potentially slow down the MySQL database usage. STINGRAY is available at http://stingray.biowebdb.org and the open source code at http://sourceforge.net/projects/stingray-biowebdb/.

  15. MicroScope-an integrated resource for community expertise of gene functions and comparative analysis of microbial genomic and metabolic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Médigue, Claudine; Calteau, Alexandra; Cruveiller, Stéphane; Gachet, Mathieu; Gautreau, Guillaume; Josso, Adrien; Lajus, Aurélie; Langlois, Jordan; Pereira, Hugo; Planel, Rémi; Roche, David; Rollin, Johan; Rouy, Zoe; Vallenet, David

    2017-09-12

    The overwhelming list of new bacterial genomes becoming available on a daily basis makes accurate genome annotation an essential step that ultimately determines the relevance of thousands of genomes stored in public databanks. The MicroScope platform (http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/agc/microscope) is an integrative resource that supports systematic and efficient revision of microbial genome annotation, data management and comparative analysis. Starting from the results of our syntactic, functional and relational annotation pipelines, MicroScope provides an integrated environment for the expert annotation and comparative analysis of prokaryotic genomes. It combines tools and graphical interfaces to analyze genomes and to perform the manual curation of gene function in a comparative genomics and metabolic context. In this article, we describe the free-of-charge MicroScope services for the annotation and analysis of microbial (meta)genomes, transcriptomic and re-sequencing data. Then, the functionalities of the platform are presented in a way providing practical guidance and help to the nonspecialists in bioinformatics. Newly integrated analysis tools (i.e. prediction of virulence and resistance genes in bacterial genomes) and original method recently developed (the pan-genome graph representation) are also described. Integrated environments such as MicroScope clearly contribute, through the user community, to help maintaining accurate resources. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  16. Integrated genomic and gene expression profiling identifies two major genomic circuits in urothelial carcinoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Lindgren

    Full Text Available Similar to other malignancies, urothelial carcinoma (UC is characterized by specific recurrent chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations. However, the interconnection between specific genomic alterations, and how patterns of chromosomal alterations adhere to different molecular subgroups of UC, is less clear. We applied tiling resolution array CGH to 146 cases of UC and identified a number of regions harboring recurrent focal genomic amplifications and deletions. Several potential oncogenes were included in the amplified regions, including known oncogenes like E2F3, CCND1, and CCNE1, as well as new candidate genes, such as SETDB1 (1q21, and BCL2L1 (20q11. We next combined genome profiling with global gene expression, gene mutation, and protein expression data and identified two major genomic circuits operating in urothelial carcinoma. The first circuit was characterized by FGFR3 alterations, overexpression of CCND1, and 9q and CDKN2A deletions. The second circuit was defined by E3F3 amplifications and RB1 deletions, as well as gains of 5p, deletions at PTEN and 2q36, 16q, 20q, and elevated CDKN2A levels. TP53/MDM2 alterations were common for advanced tumors within the two circuits. Our data also suggest a possible RAS/RAF circuit. The tumors with worst prognosis showed a gene expression profile that indicated a keratinized phenotype. Taken together, our integrative approach revealed at least two separate networks of genomic alterations linked to the molecular diversity seen in UC, and that these circuits may reflect distinct pathways of tumor development.

  17. Integrative Genomic Analysis of Coincident Cancer Foci Implicates CTNNB1 and PTEN Alterations in Ductal Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillard, Marc; Lack, Justin; Pontier, Andrea; Gandla, Divya; Hatcher, David; Sowalsky, Adam G; Rodriguez-Nieves, Jose; Vander Griend, Donald; Paner, Gladell; VanderWeele, David

    2017-12-08

    Ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate is an aggressive subtype, with high rates of biochemical recurrence and overall poor prognosis. It is frequently found coincident with conventional acinar adenocarcinoma. The genomic features driving evolution to its ductal histology and the biology associated with its poor prognosis remain unknown. To characterize genomic features distinguishing ductal adenocarcinoma from coincident acinar adenocarcinoma foci from the same patient. Ten patients with coincident acinar and ductal prostate cancer underwent prostatectomy. Laser microdissection was used to separately isolate acinar and ductal foci. DNA and RNA were extracted, and used for integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Single nucleotide mutations, small indels, copy number estimates, and expression profiles were identified. Phylogenetic relationships between coincident foci were determined, and characteristics distinguishing ductal from acinar foci were identified. Exome sequencing, copy number estimates, and fusion genes demonstrated coincident ductal and acinar adenocarcinoma diverged from a common progenitor, yet they harbored distinct alterations unique to each focus. AR expression and activity were similar in both histologies. Nine of 10 cases had mutually exclusive CTNNB1 hotspot mutations or phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) alterations in the ductal component, and these were absent in the acinar foci. These alterations were associated with changes in expression in WNT- and PI3K-pathway genes. Coincident ductal and acinar histologies typically are clonally related and thus arise from the same cell of origin. Ductal foci are enriched for cases with either a CTNNB1 hotspot mutation or a PTEN alteration, and are associated with WNT- or PI3K-pathway activation. These alterations are mutually exclusive and may represent distinct subtypes. The aggressive subtype ductal adenocarcinoma is closely related to conventional acinar prostate cancer. Ductal foci

  18. NGS-based approach to determine the presence of HPV and their sites of integration in human cancer genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrani, P; Kulkarni, V; Iyer, P; Upadhyay, P; Chaubal, R; Das, P; Mulherkar, R; Singh, R; Dutt, A

    2015-06-09

    Human papilloma virus (HPV) accounts for the most common cause of all virus-associated human cancers. Here, we describe the first graphic user interface (GUI)-based automated tool 'HPVDetector', for non-computational biologists, exclusively for detection and annotation of the HPV genome based on next-generation sequencing data sets. We developed a custom-made reference genome that comprises of human chromosomes along with annotated genome of 143 HPV types as pseudochromosomes. The tool runs on a dual mode as defined by the user: a 'quick mode' to identify presence of HPV types and an 'integration mode' to determine genomic location for the site of integration. The input data can be a paired-end whole-exome, whole-genome or whole-transcriptome data set. The HPVDetector is available in public domain for download: http://www.actrec.gov.in/pi-webpages/AmitDutt/HPVdetector/HPVDetector.html. On the basis of our evaluation of 116 whole-exome, 23 whole-transcriptome and 2 whole-genome data, we were able to identify presence of HPV in 20 exomes and 4 transcriptomes of cervical and head and neck cancer tumour samples. Using the inbuilt annotation module of HPVDetector, we found predominant integration of viral gene E7, a known oncogene, at known 17q21, 3q27, 7q35, Xq28 and novel sites of integration in the human genome. Furthermore, co-infection with high-risk HPVs such as 16 and 31 were found to be mutually exclusive compared with low-risk HPV71. HPVDetector is a simple yet precise and robust tool for detecting HPV from tumour samples using variety of next-generation sequencing platforms including whole genome, whole exome and transcriptome. Two different modes (quick detection and integration mode) along with a GUI widen the usability of HPVDetector for biologists and clinicians with minimal computational knowledge.

  19. Prolonged Integration Site Selection of a Lentiviral Vector in the Genome of Human Keratinocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Wei; Wang, Yong; Li, Rui-Fu; Zhou, Xin; Liu, Jing; Peng, Dai-Zhi

    2017-03-03

    BACKGROUND Lentiviral vectors have been successfully used for human skin cell gene transfer studies. Defining the selection of integration sites for retroviral vectors in the host genome is crucial in risk assessment analysis of gene therapy. However, genome-wide analyses of lentiviral integration sites in human keratinocytes, especially after prolonged growth, are poorly understood. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, 874 unique lentiviral vector integration sites in human HaCaT keratinocytes after long-term culture were identified and analyzed with the online tool GTSG-QuickMap and SPSS software. RESULTS The data indicated that lentiviral vectors showed integration site preferences for genes and gene-rich regions. CONCLUSIONS This study will likely assist in determining the relative risks of the lentiviral vector system and in the design of a safe lentiviral vector system in the gene therapy of skin diseases.

  20. Integrated genomics and proteomics of the Torpedo californica electric organ: concordance with the mammalian neuromuscular junction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mate Suzanne E

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background During development, the branchial mesoderm of Torpedo californica transdifferentiates into an electric organ capable of generating high voltage discharges to stun fish. The organ contains a high density of cholinergic synapses and has served as a biochemical model for the membrane specialization of myofibers, the neuromuscular junction (NMJ. We studied the genome and proteome of the electric organ to gain insight into its composition, to determine if there is concordance with skeletal muscle and the NMJ, and to identify novel synaptic proteins. Results Of 435 proteins identified, 300 mapped to Torpedo cDNA sequences with ≥2 peptides. We identified 14 uncharacterized proteins in the electric organ that are known to play a role in acetylcholine receptor clustering or signal transduction. In addition, two human open reading frames, C1orf123 and C6orf130, showed high sequence similarity to electric organ proteins. Our profile lists several proteins that are highly expressed in skeletal muscle or are muscle specific. Synaptic proteins such as acetylcholinesterase, acetylcholine receptor subunits, and rapsyn were present in the electric organ proteome but absent in the skeletal muscle proteome. Conclusions Our integrated genomic and proteomic analysis supports research describing a muscle-like profile of the organ. We show that it is a repository of NMJ proteins but we present limitations on its use as a comprehensive model of the NMJ. Finally, we identified several proteins that may become candidates for signaling proteins not previously characterized as components of the NMJ.

  1. Molecular Assemblies, Genes and Genomics Integrated Efficiently (MAGGIE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baliga, Nitin S

    2011-05-26

    when applied to the manually curated training set. Applying this method to the data representing around a quarter of the fraction space for water soluble proteins in D. vulgaris, we obtained 854 reliable pair wise interactions. Further, we have developed algorithms to analyze and assign significance to protein interaction data from bait pull-down experiments and integrate these data with other systems biology data through associative biclustering in a parallel computing environment. We will 'fill-in' missing information in these interaction data using a 'Transitive Closure' algorithm and subsequently use 'Between Commonality Decomposition' algorithm to discover complexes within these large graphs of protein interactions. To characterize the metabolic activities of proteins and their complexes we are developing algorithms to deconvolute pure mass spectra, estimate chemical formula for m/z values, and fit isotopic fine structure to metabolomics data. We have discovered that in comparison to isotopic pattern fitting methods restricting the chemical formula by these two dimensions actually facilitates unique solutions for chemical formula generators. To understand how microbial functions are regulated we have developed complementary algorithms for reconstructing gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Whereas the network inference algorithms cMonkey and Inferelator developed enable de novo reconstruction of predictive models for GRNs from diverse systems biology data, the RegPrecise and RegPredict framework developed uses evolutionary comparisons of genomes from closely related organisms to reconstruct conserved regulons. We have integrated the two complementary algorithms to rapidly generate comprehensive models for gene regulation of understudied organisms. Our preliminary analyses of these reconstructed GRNs have revealed novel regulatory mechanisms and cis-regulatory motifs, as well asothers that are conserved across species. Finally, we are

  2. Construction of an integrated database to support genomic sequence analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilbert, W.; Overbeek, R.

    1994-11-01

    The central goal of this project is to develop an integrated database to support comparative analysis of genomes including DNA sequence data, protein sequence data, gene expression data and metabolism data. In developing the logic-based system GenoBase, a broader integration of available data was achieved due to assistance from collaborators. Current goals are to easily include new forms of data as they become available and to easily navigate through the ensemble of objects described within the database. This report comments on progress made in these areas.

  3. The RNAPII-CTD Maintains Genome Integrity through Inhibition of Retrotransposon Gene Expression and Transposition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria J Aristizabal

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available RNA polymerase II (RNAPII contains a unique C-terminal domain that is composed of heptapeptide repeats and which plays important regulatory roles during gene expression. RNAPII is responsible for the transcription of most protein-coding genes, a subset of non-coding genes, and retrotransposons. Retrotransposon transcription is the first step in their multiplication cycle, given that the RNA intermediate is required for the synthesis of cDNA, the material that is ultimately incorporated into a new genomic location. Retrotransposition can have grave consequences to genome integrity, as integration events can change the gene expression landscape or lead to alteration or loss of genetic information. Given that RNAPII transcribes retrotransposons, we sought to investigate if the RNAPII-CTD played a role in the regulation of retrotransposon gene expression. Importantly, we found that the RNAPII-CTD functioned to maintaining genome integrity through inhibition of retrotransposon gene expression, as reducing CTD length significantly increased expression and transposition rates of Ty1 elements. Mechanistically, the increased Ty1 mRNA levels in the rpb1-CTD11 mutant were partly due to Cdk8-dependent alterations to the RNAPII-CTD phosphorylation status. In addition, Cdk8 alone contributed to Ty1 gene expression regulation by altering the occupancy of the gene-specific transcription factor Ste12. Loss of STE12 and TEC1 suppressed growth phenotypes of the RNAPII-CTD truncation mutant. Collectively, our results implicate Ste12 and Tec1 as general and important contributors to the Cdk8, RNAPII-CTD regulatory circuitry as it relates to the maintenance of genome integrity.

  4. BiologicalNetworks 2.0 - an integrative view of genome biology data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ponomarenko Julia

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A significant problem in the study of mechanisms of an organism's development is the elucidation of interrelated factors which are making an impact on the different levels of the organism, such as genes, biological molecules, cells, and cell systems. Numerous sources of heterogeneous data which exist for these subsystems are still not integrated sufficiently enough to give researchers a straightforward opportunity to analyze them together in the same frame of study. Systematic application of data integration methods is also hampered by a multitude of such factors as the orthogonal nature of the integrated data and naming problems. Results Here we report on a new version of BiologicalNetworks, a research environment for the integral visualization and analysis of heterogeneous biological data. BiologicalNetworks can be queried for properties of thousands of different types of biological entities (genes/proteins, promoters, COGs, pathways, binding sites, and other and their relations (interactions, co-expression, co-citations, and other. The system includes the build-pathways infrastructure for molecular interactions/relations and module discovery in high-throughput experiments. Also implemented in BiologicalNetworks are the Integrated Genome Viewer and Comparative Genomics Browser applications, which allow for the search and analysis of gene regulatory regions and their conservation in multiple species in conjunction with molecular pathways/networks, experimental data and functional annotations. Conclusions The new release of BiologicalNetworks together with its back-end database introduces extensive functionality for a more efficient integrated multi-level analysis of microarray, sequence, regulatory, and other data. BiologicalNetworks is freely available at http://www.biologicalnetworks.org.

  5. MicrobesOnline: an integrated portal for comparative and functional genomics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dehal, Paramvir S.; Joachimiak, Marcin P.; Price, Morgan N.; Bates, John T.; Baumohl, Jason K.; Chivian, Dylan; Friedland, Greg D.; Huang, Katherine H.; Keller, Keith; Novichkov, Pavel S.; Dubchak, Inna L.; Alm, Eric J.; Arkin, Adam P.

    2009-09-17

    Since 2003, MicrobesOnline (http://www.microbesonline.org) has been providing a community resource for comparative and functional genome analysis. The portal includes over 1000 complete genomes of bacteria, archaea and fungi and thousands of expression microarrays from diverse organisms ranging from model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to environmental microbes such as Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Shewanella oneidensis. To assist in annotating genes and in reconstructing their evolutionary history, MicrobesOnline includes a comparative genome browser based on phylogenetic trees for every gene family as well as a species tree. To identify co-regulated genes, MicrobesOnline can search for genes based on their expression profile, and provides tools for identifying regulatory motifs and seeing if they are conserved. MicrobesOnline also includes fast phylogenetic profile searches, comparative views of metabolic pathways, operon predictions, a workbench for sequence analysis and integration with RegTransBase and other microbial genome resources. The next update of MicrobesOnline will contain significant new functionality, including comparative analysis of metagenomic sequence data. Programmatic access to the database, along with source code and documentation, is available at http://microbesonline.org/programmers.html.

  6. MicrobesOnline: an integrated portal for comparative and functional genomics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dehal, Paramvir; Joachimiak, Marcin; Price, Morgan; Bates, John; Baumohl, Jason; Chivian, Dylan; Friedland, Greg; Huang, Kathleen; Keller, Keith; Novichkov, Pavel; Dubchak, Inna; Alm, Eric; Arkin, Adam

    2011-07-14

    Since 2003, MicrobesOnline (http://www.microbesonline.org) has been providing a community resource for comparative and functional genome analysis. The portal includes over 1000 complete genomes of bacteria, archaea and fungi and thousands of expression microarrays from diverse organisms ranging from model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to environmental microbes such as Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Shewanella oneidensis. To assist in annotating genes and in reconstructing their evolutionary history, MicrobesOnline includes a comparative genome browser based on phylogenetic trees for every gene family as well as a species tree. To identify co-regulated genes, MicrobesOnline can search for genes based on their expression profile, and provides tools for identifying regulatory motifs and seeing if they are conserved. MicrobesOnline also includes fast phylogenetic profile searches, comparative views of metabolic pathways, operon predictions, a workbench for sequence analysis and integration with RegTransBase and other microbial genome resources. The next update of MicrobesOnline will contain significant new functionality, including comparative analysis of metagenomic sequence data. Programmatic access to the database, along with source code and documentation, is available at http://microbesonline.org/programmers.html.

  7. Integrative Genomic Analysis of Cholangiocarcinoma Identifies Distinct IDH-Mutant Molecular Profiles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farshidfar, Farshad; Zheng, Siyuan; Gingras, Marie-Claude

    2017-01-01

    Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy of the bile ducts, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Here, we describe the integrated analysis of somatic mutations, RNA expression, copy number, and DNA methylation by The Cancer Genome Atlas of a set of predominantly intrahep...

  8. Biobanking for cancer research: Preservation of tissue integrity - Some technical considerations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S K Shankar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Biobanking and biomarker discovery have become an integral part of neuro-oncology research. Towards achieving this end, the essential requirement is optimizing methods of tissue preservation of human tissues removed at surgery for diagnostic purposes and banking them for subserving future research. Owing to recent advances in molecular diagnostic tools, this clinical material has become a precious source for proteomic and genomic studies. The advent of biotechnological tools such as microarray, proteomics, and genomics has made it essential to preserve not just morphology but also the quality of nucleic acids and proteins, changing the traditional workflow of a pathology laboratory. It is therefore essential to develop simple technologies for tissue fixation and storage ensure that receptor and molecular integrity is reasonably maintained. Knowledge of the basic chemistry of tissue fixatives, the biochemical changes that take place in biological material by utilizing different techniques of fixation is essential while undertaking molecular, genomic, and proteomic studies on fresh and archival tissues.

  9. Data integration to prioritize drugs using genomics and curated data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louhimo, Riku; Laakso, Marko; Belitskin, Denis; Klefström, Juha; Lehtonen, Rainer; Hautaniemi, Sampsa

    2016-01-01

    Genomic alterations affecting drug target proteins occur in several tumor types and are prime candidates for patient-specific tailored treatments. Increasingly, patients likely to benefit from targeted cancer therapy are selected based on molecular alterations. The selection of a precision therapy benefiting most patients is challenging but can be enhanced with integration of multiple types of molecular data. Data integration approaches for drug prioritization have successfully integrated diverse molecular data but do not take full advantage of existing data and literature. We have built a knowledge-base which connects data from public databases with molecular results from over 2200 tumors, signaling pathways and drug-target databases. Moreover, we have developed a data mining algorithm to effectively utilize this heterogeneous knowledge-base. Our algorithm is designed to facilitate retargeting of existing drugs by stratifying samples and prioritizing drug targets. We analyzed 797 primary tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas breast and ovarian cancer cohorts using our framework. FGFR, CDK and HER2 inhibitors were prioritized in breast and ovarian data sets. Estrogen receptor positive breast tumors showed potential sensitivity to targeted inhibitors of FGFR due to activation of FGFR3. Our results suggest that computational sample stratification selects potentially sensitive samples for targeted therapies and can aid in precision medicine drug repositioning. Source code is available from http://csblcanges.fimm.fi/GOPredict/.

  10. Pin count-aware biochemical application compilation for mVLSI biochips

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lander Raagaard, Michael; Pop, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Microfluidic biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers and are able to integrate the necessary functions for biochemical analysis on-chip. In this paper we are interested in flow-based biochips, in which the fluidic flow manipulated using integrated microvalves, which are cont...... a biochemical application. We focus on the compilation task, where the strategy is to delay operations, without missing their deadlines, such that the sharing of control signals is maximized. The evaluation shows a significant reduction in the number of control pins required....

  11. Large-scale integration of small molecule-induced genome-wide transcriptional responses, Kinome-wide binding affinities and cell-growth inhibition profiles reveal global trends characterizing systems-level drug action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dusica eVidovic

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS project is a large-scale coordinated effort to build a comprehensive systems biology reference resource. The goals of the program include the generation of a very large multidimensional data matrix and informatics and computational tools to integrate, analyze, and make the data readily accessible. LINCS data include genome-wide transcriptional signatures, biochemical protein binding profiles, cellular phenotypic response profiles and various other datasets for a wide range of cell model systems and molecular and genetic perturbations. Here we present a partial survey of this data facilitated by data standards and in particular a robust compound standardization workflow; we integrated several types of LINCS signatures and analyzed the results with a focus on mechanism of action and chemical compounds. We illustrate how kinase targets can be related to disease models and relevant drugs. We identified some fundamental trends that appear to link Kinome binding profiles and transcriptional signatures to chemical information and biochemical binding profiles to transcriptional responses independent of chemical similarity. To fill gaps in the datasets we developed and applied predictive models. The results can be interpreted at the systems level as demonstrated based on a large number of signaling pathways. We can identify clear global relationships, suggesting robustness of cellular responses to chemical perturbation. Overall, the results suggest that chemical similarity is a useful measure at the systems level, which would support phenotypic drug optimization efforts. With this study we demonstrate the potential of such integrated analysis approaches and suggest prioritizing further experiments to fill the gaps in the current data.

  12. Visualization of RNA structure models within the Integrative Genomics Viewer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busan, Steven; Weeks, Kevin M

    2017-07-01

    Analyses of the interrelationships between RNA structure and function are increasingly important components of genomic studies. The SHAPE-MaP strategy enables accurate RNA structure probing and realistic structure modeling of kilobase-length noncoding RNAs and mRNAs. Existing tools for visualizing RNA structure models are not suitable for efficient analysis of long, structurally heterogeneous RNAs. In addition, structure models are often advantageously interpreted in the context of other experimental data and gene annotation information, for which few tools currently exist. We have developed a module within the widely used and well supported open-source Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) that allows visualization of SHAPE and other chemical probing data, including raw reactivities, data-driven structural entropies, and data-constrained base-pair secondary structure models, in context with linear genomic data tracks. We illustrate the usefulness of visualizing RNA structure in the IGV by exploring structure models for a large viral RNA genome, comparing bacterial mRNA structure in cells with its structure under cell- and protein-free conditions, and comparing a noncoding RNA structure modeled using SHAPE data with a base-pairing model inferred through sequence covariation analysis. © 2017 Busan and Weeks; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

  13. International regulatory landscape and integration of corrective genome editing into in vitro fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araki, Motoko; Ishii, Tetsuya

    2014-11-24

    Genome editing technology, including zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas, has enabled far more efficient genetic engineering even in non-human primates. This biotechnology is more likely to develop into medicine for preventing a genetic disease if corrective genome editing is integrated into assisted reproductive technology, represented by in vitro fertilization. Although rapid advances in genome editing are expected to make germline gene correction feasible in a clinical setting, there are many issues that still need to be addressed before this could occur. We herein examine current status of genome editing in mammalian embryonic stem cells and zygotes and discuss potential issues in the international regulatory landscape regarding human germline gene modification. Moreover, we address some ethical and social issues that would be raised when each country considers whether genome editing-mediated germline gene correction for preventive medicine should be permitted.

  14. An integrated CRISPR Bombyx mori genome editing system with improved efficiency and expanded target sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sanyuan; Liu, Yue; Liu, Yuanyuan; Chang, Jiasong; Zhang, Tong; Wang, Xiaogang; Shi, Run; Lu, Wei; Xia, Xiaojuan; Zhao, Ping; Xia, Qingyou

    2017-04-01

    Genome editing enabled unprecedented new opportunities for targeted genomic engineering of a wide variety of organisms ranging from microbes, plants, animals and even human embryos. The serial establishing and rapid applications of genome editing tools significantly accelerated Bombyx mori (B. mori) research during the past years. However, the only CRISPR system in B. mori was the commonly used SpCas9, which only recognize target sites containing NGG PAM sequence. In the present study, we first improve the efficiency of our previous established SpCas9 system by 3.5 folds. The improved high efficiency was also observed at several loci in both BmNs cells and B. mori embryos. Then to expand the target sites, we showed that two newly discovered CRISPR system, SaCas9 and AsCpf1, could also induce highly efficient site-specific genome editing in BmNs cells, and constructed an integrated CRISPR system. Genome-wide analysis of targetable sites was further conducted and showed that the integrated system cover 69,144,399 sites in B. mori genome, and one site could be found in every 6.5 bp. The efficiency and resolution of this CRISPR platform will probably accelerate both fundamental researches and applicable studies in B. mori, and perhaps other insects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Conjugative Relaxase TrwC Promotes Integration of Foreign DNA in the Human Genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Prieto, Coral; Gabriel, Richard; Dehio, Christoph; Schmidt, Manfred; Llosa, Matxalen

    2017-06-15

    Bacterial conjugation is a mechanism of horizontal DNA transfer. The relaxase TrwC of the conjugative plasmid R388 cleaves one strand of the transferred DNA at the oriT gene, covalently attaches to it, and leads the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) into the recipient cell. In addition, TrwC catalyzes site-specific integration of the transferred DNA into its target sequence present in the genome of the recipient bacterium. Here, we report the analysis of the efficiency and specificity of the integrase activity of TrwC in human cells, using the type IV secretion system of the human pathogen Bartonella henselae to introduce relaxase-DNA complexes. Compared to Mob relaxase from plasmid pBGR1, we found that TrwC mediated a 10-fold increase in the rate of plasmid DNA transfer to human cells and a 100-fold increase in the rate of chromosomal integration of the transferred DNA. We used linear amplification-mediated PCR and plasmid rescue to characterize the integration pattern in the human genome. DNA sequence analysis revealed mostly reconstituted oriT sequences, indicating that TrwC is active and recircularizes transferred DNA in human cells. One TrwC-mediated site-specific integration event was detected, proving that TrwC is capable of mediating site-specific integration in the human genome, albeit with very low efficiency compared to the rate of random integration. Our results suggest that TrwC may stabilize the plasmid DNA molecules in the nucleus of the human cell, probably by recircularization of the transferred DNA strand. This stabilization would increase the opportunities for integration of the DNA by the host machinery. IMPORTANCE Different biotechnological applications, including gene therapy strategies, require permanent modification of target cells. Long-term expression is achieved either by extrachromosomal persistence or by integration of the introduced DNA. Here, we studied the utility of conjugative relaxase TrwC, a bacterial protein with site

  16. Nucleotide excision repair : a multi-step mechanism required to maintain genome integrity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moser, Jill

    2010-01-01

    DNA is continuously exposed to exogenous and genotoxic insults including ionizing and ultraviolet radiation as well as chemical agents. DNA damage can compromise the integrity of the genome and have potentially deleterious effects. Ultraviolet light (UV) can induce the formation of helix distorting

  17. Chromosomally Integrated Human Herpesvirus 6: Models of Viral Genome Release from the Telomere and Impacts on Human Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Michael L; Royle, Nicola J

    2017-07-12

    Human herpesvirus 6A and 6B, alongside some other herpesviruses, have the striking capacity to integrate into telomeres, the terminal repeated regions of chromosomes. The chromosomally integrated forms, ciHHV-6A and ciHHV-6B, are proposed to be a state of latency and it has been shown that they can both be inherited if integration occurs in the germ line. The first step in full viral reactivation must be the release of the integrated viral genome from the telomere and here we propose various models of this release involving transcription of the viral genome, replication fork collapse, and t-circle mediated release. In this review, we also discuss the relationship between ciHHV-6 and the telomere carrying the insertion, particularly how the presence and subsequent partial or complete release of the ciHHV-6 genome may affect telomere dynamics and the risk of disease.

  18. LeishCyc: a biochemical pathways database for Leishmania major

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doyle Maria A

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leishmania spp. are sandfly transmitted protozoan parasites that cause a spectrum of diseases in more than 12 million people worldwide. Much research is now focusing on how these parasites adapt to the distinct nutrient environments they encounter in the digestive tract of the sandfly vector and the phagolysosome compartment of mammalian macrophages. While data mining and annotation of the genomes of three Leishmania species has provided an initial inventory of predicted metabolic components and associated pathways, resources for integrating this information into metabolic networks and incorporating data from transcript, protein, and metabolite profiling studies is currently lacking. The development of a reliable, expertly curated, and widely available model of Leishmania metabolic networks is required to facilitate systems analysis, as well as discovery and prioritization of new drug targets for this important human pathogen. Description The LeishCyc database was initially built from the genome sequence of Leishmania major (v5.2, based on the annotation published by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. LeishCyc was manually curated to remove errors, correct automated predictions, and add information from the literature. The ongoing curation is based on public sources, literature searches, and our own experimental and bioinformatics studies. In a number of instances we have improved on the original genome annotation, and, in some ambiguous cases, collected relevant information from the literature in order to help clarify gene or protein annotation in the future. All genes in LeishCyc are linked to the corresponding entry in GeneDB (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Conclusion The LeishCyc database describes Leishmania major genes, gene products, metabolites, their relationships and biochemical organization into metabolic pathways. LeishCyc provides a systematic approach to organizing the evolving information about Leishmania

  19. GenomeCAT: a versatile tool for the analysis and integrative visualization of DNA copy number variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tebel, Katrin; Boldt, Vivien; Steininger, Anne; Port, Matthias; Ebert, Grit; Ullmann, Reinhard

    2017-01-06

    The analysis of DNA copy number variants (CNV) has increasing impact in the field of genetic diagnostics and research. However, the interpretation of CNV data derived from high resolution array CGH or NGS platforms is complicated by the considerable variability of the human genome. Therefore, tools for multidimensional data analysis and comparison of patient cohorts are needed to assist in the discrimination of clinically relevant CNVs from others. We developed GenomeCAT, a standalone Java application for the analysis and integrative visualization of CNVs. GenomeCAT is composed of three modules dedicated to the inspection of single cases, comparative analysis of multidimensional data and group comparisons aiming at the identification of recurrent aberrations in patients sharing the same phenotype, respectively. Its flexible import options ease the comparative analysis of own results derived from microarray or NGS platforms with data from literature or public depositories. Multidimensional data obtained from different experiment types can be merged into a common data matrix to enable common visualization and analysis. All results are stored in the integrated MySQL database, but can also be exported as tab delimited files for further statistical calculations in external programs. GenomeCAT offers a broad spectrum of visualization and analysis tools that assist in the evaluation of CNVs in the context of other experiment data and annotations. The use of GenomeCAT does not require any specialized computer skills. The various R packages implemented for data analysis are fully integrated into GenomeCATs graphical user interface and the installation process is supported by a wizard. The flexibility in terms of data import and export in combination with the ability to create a common data matrix makes the program also well suited as an interface between genomic data from heterogeneous sources and external software tools. Due to the modular architecture the functionality of

  20. Synthesis of Biochemical Applications on Flow-Based Microfluidic Biochips using Constraint Programming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Minhass, Wajid Hassan; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Microfluidic biochips are replacing the conventional biochemical analyzers and are able to integrate the necessary functions for biochemical analysis on-chip. In this paper we are interested in flow-based biochips, in which the flow of liquid is manipulated using integrated microvalves. By combin...

  1. Rumen microbial genomics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrison, M.; Nelson, K.E.

    2005-01-01

    Improving microbial degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides remains one of the highest priority goals for all livestock enterprises, including the cattle herds and draught animals of developing countries. The North American Consortium for Genomics of Fibrolytic Ruminal Bacteria was created to promote the sequencing and comparative analysis of rumen microbial genomes, offering the potential to fully assess the genetic potential in a functional and comparative fashion. It has been found that the Fibrobacter succinogenes genome encodes many more endoglucanases and cellodextrinases than previously isolated, and several new processive endoglucanases have been identified by genome and proteomic analysis of Ruminococcus albus, in addition to a variety of strategies for its adhesion to fibre. The ramifications of acquiring genome sequence data for rumen microorganisms are profound, including the potential to elucidate and overcome the biochemical, ecological or physiological processes that are rate limiting for ruminal fibre degradation. (author)

  2. RGmatch: matching genomic regions to proximal genes in omics data integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Furió-Tarí

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The integrative analysis of multiple genomics data often requires that genome coordinates-based signals have to be associated with proximal genes. The relative location of a genomic region with respect to the gene (gene area is important for functional data interpretation; hence algorithms that match regions to genes should be able to deliver insight into this information. Results In this work we review the tools that are publicly available for making region-to-gene associations. We also present a novel method, RGmatch, a flexible and easy-to-use Python tool that computes associations either at the gene, transcript, or exon level, applying a set of rules to annotate each region-gene association with the region location within the gene. RGmatch can be applied to any organism as long as genome annotation is available. Furthermore, we qualitatively and quantitatively compare RGmatch to other tools. Conclusions RGmatch simplifies the association of a genomic region with its closest gene. At the same time, it is a powerful tool because the rules used to annotate these associations are very easy to modify according to the researcher’s specific interests. Some important differences between RGmatch and other similar tools already in existence are RGmatch’s flexibility, its wide range of user options, compatibility with any annotatable organism, and its comprehensive and user-friendly output.

  3. Ensembl Genomes 2016: more genomes, more complexity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kersey, Paul Julian; Allen, James E; Armean, Irina; Boddu, Sanjay; Bolt, Bruce J; Carvalho-Silva, Denise; Christensen, Mikkel; Davis, Paul; Falin, Lee J; Grabmueller, Christoph; Humphrey, Jay; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Khobova, Julia; Aranganathan, Naveen K; Langridge, Nicholas; Lowy, Ernesto; McDowall, Mark D; Maheswari, Uma; Nuhn, Michael; Ong, Chuang Kee; Overduin, Bert; Paulini, Michael; Pedro, Helder; Perry, Emily; Spudich, Giulietta; Tapanari, Electra; Walts, Brandon; Williams, Gareth; Tello-Ruiz, Marcela; Stein, Joshua; Wei, Sharon; Ware, Doreen; Bolser, Daniel M; Howe, Kevin L; Kulesha, Eugene; Lawson, Daniel; Maslen, Gareth; Staines, Daniel M

    2016-01-04

    Ensembl Genomes (http://www.ensemblgenomes.org) is an integrating resource for genome-scale data from non-vertebrate species, complementing the resources for vertebrate genomics developed in the context of the Ensembl project (http://www.ensembl.org). Together, the two resources provide a consistent set of programmatic and interactive interfaces to a rich range of data including reference sequence, gene models, transcriptional data, genetic variation and comparative analysis. This paper provides an update to the previous publications about the resource, with a focus on recent developments. These include the development of new analyses and views to represent polyploid genomes (of which bread wheat is the primary exemplar); and the continued up-scaling of the resource, which now includes over 23 000 bacterial genomes, 400 fungal genomes and 100 protist genomes, in addition to 55 genomes from invertebrate metazoa and 39 genomes from plants. This dramatic increase in the number of included genomes is one part of a broader effort to automate the integration of archival data (genome sequence, but also associated RNA sequence data and variant calls) within the context of reference genomes and make it available through the Ensembl user interfaces. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. In vitro analysis of integrated global high-resolution DNA methylation profiling with genomic imbalance and gene expression in osteosarcoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bekim Sadikovic

    Full Text Available Genetic and epigenetic changes contribute to deregulation of gene expression and development of human cancer. Changes in DNA methylation are key epigenetic factors regulating gene expression and genomic stability. Recent progress in microarray technologies resulted in developments of high resolution platforms for profiling of genetic, epigenetic and gene expression changes. OS is a pediatric bone tumor with characteristically high level of numerical and structural chromosomal changes. Furthermore, little is known about DNA methylation changes in OS. Our objective was to develop an integrative approach for analysis of high-resolution epigenomic, genomic, and gene expression profiles in order to identify functional epi/genomic differences between OS cell lines and normal human osteoblasts. A combination of Affymetrix Promoter Tilling Arrays for DNA methylation, Agilent array-CGH platform for genomic imbalance and Affymetrix Gene 1.0 platform for gene expression analysis was used. As a result, an integrative high-resolution approach for interrogation of genome-wide tumour-specific changes in DNA methylation was developed. This approach was used to provide the first genomic DNA methylation maps, and to identify and validate genes with aberrant DNA methylation in OS cell lines. This first integrative analysis of global cancer-related changes in DNA methylation, genomic imbalance, and gene expression has provided comprehensive evidence of the cumulative roles of epigenetic and genetic mechanisms in deregulation of gene expression networks.

  5. Genome-Based Microbial Taxonomy Coming of Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hugenholtz, Philip; Skarshewski, Adam; Parks, Donovan H

    2016-06-01

    Reconstructing the complete evolutionary history of extant life on our planet will be one of the most fundamental accomplishments of scientific endeavor, akin to the completion of the periodic table, which revolutionized chemistry. The road to this goal is via comparative genomics because genomes are our most comprehensive and objective evolutionary documents. The genomes of plant and animal species have been systematically targeted over the past decade to provide coverage of the tree of life. However, multicellular organisms only emerged in the last 550 million years of more than three billion years of biological evolution and thus comprise a small fraction of total biological diversity. The bulk of biodiversity, both past and present, is microbial. We have only scratched the surface in our understanding of the microbial world, as most microorganisms cannot be readily grown in the laboratory and remain unknown to science. Ground-breaking, culture-independent molecular techniques developed over the past 30 years have opened the door to this so-called microbial dark matter with an accelerating momentum driven by exponential increases in sequencing capacity. We are on the verge of obtaining representative genomes across all life for the first time. However, historical use of morphology, biochemical properties, behavioral traits, and single-marker genes to infer organismal relationships mean that the existing highly incomplete tree is riddled with taxonomic errors. Concerted efforts are now needed to synthesize and integrate the burgeoning genomic data resources into a coherent universal tree of life and genome-based taxonomy. Copyright © 2016 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

  6. TIGER: Toolbox for integrating genome-scale metabolic models, expression data, and transcriptional regulatory networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jensen Paul A

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several methods have been developed for analyzing genome-scale models of metabolism and transcriptional regulation. Many of these methods, such as Flux Balance Analysis, use constrained optimization to predict relationships between metabolic flux and the genes that encode and regulate enzyme activity. Recently, mixed integer programming has been used to encode these gene-protein-reaction (GPR relationships into a single optimization problem, but these techniques are often of limited generality and lack a tool for automating the conversion of rules to a coupled regulatory/metabolic model. Results We present TIGER, a Toolbox for Integrating Genome-scale Metabolism, Expression, and Regulation. TIGER converts a series of generalized, Boolean or multilevel rules into a set of mixed integer inequalities. The package also includes implementations of existing algorithms to integrate high-throughput expression data with genome-scale models of metabolism and transcriptional regulation. We demonstrate how TIGER automates the coupling of a genome-scale metabolic model with GPR logic and models of transcriptional regulation, thereby serving as a platform for algorithm development and large-scale metabolic analysis. Additionally, we demonstrate how TIGER's algorithms can be used to identify inconsistencies and improve existing models of transcriptional regulation with examples from the reconstructed transcriptional regulatory network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Conclusion The TIGER package provides a consistent platform for algorithm development and extending existing genome-scale metabolic models with regulatory networks and high-throughput data.

  7. The Brassica oleracea genome reveals the asymmetrical evolution of polyploid genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shengyi; Liu, Yumei; Yang, Xinhua; Tong, Chaobo; Edwards, David; Parkin, Isobel A. P.; Zhao, Meixia; Ma, Jianxin; Yu, Jingyin; Huang, Shunmou; Wang, Xiyin; Wang, Junyi; Lu, Kun; Fang, Zhiyuan; Bancroft, Ian; Yang, Tae-Jin; Hu, Qiong; Wang, Xinfa; Yue, Zhen; Li, Haojie; Yang, Linfeng; Wu, Jian; Zhou, Qing; Wang, Wanxin; King, Graham J; Pires, J. Chris; Lu, Changxin; Wu, Zhangyan; Sampath, Perumal; Wang, Zhuo; Guo, Hui; Pan, Shengkai; Yang, Limei; Min, Jiumeng; Zhang, Dong; Jin, Dianchuan; Li, Wanshun; Belcram, Harry; Tu, Jinxing; Guan, Mei; Qi, Cunkou; Du, Dezhi; Li, Jiana; Jiang, Liangcai; Batley, Jacqueline; Sharpe, Andrew G; Park, Beom-Seok; Ruperao, Pradeep; Cheng, Feng; Waminal, Nomar Espinosa; Huang, Yin; Dong, Caihua; Wang, Li; Li, Jingping; Hu, Zhiyong; Zhuang, Mu; Huang, Yi; Huang, Junyan; Shi, Jiaqin; Mei, Desheng; Liu, Jing; Lee, Tae-Ho; Wang, Jinpeng; Jin, Huizhe; Li, Zaiyun; Li, Xun; Zhang, Jiefu; Xiao, Lu; Zhou, Yongming; Liu, Zhongsong; Liu, Xuequn; Qin, Rui; Tang, Xu; Liu, Wenbin; Wang, Yupeng; Zhang, Yangyong; Lee, Jonghoon; Kim, Hyun Hee; Denoeud, France; Xu, Xun; Liang, Xinming; Hua, Wei; Wang, Xiaowu; Wang, Jun; Chalhoub, Boulos; Paterson, Andrew H

    2014-01-01

    Polyploidization has provided much genetic variation for plant adaptive evolution, but the mechanisms by which the molecular evolution of polyploid genomes establishes genetic architecture underlying species differentiation are unclear. Brassica is an ideal model to increase knowledge of polyploid evolution. Here we describe a draft genome sequence of Brassica oleracea, comparing it with that of its sister species B. rapa to reveal numerous chromosome rearrangements and asymmetrical gene loss in duplicated genomic blocks, asymmetrical amplification of transposable elements, differential gene co-retention for specific pathways and variation in gene expression, including alternative splicing, among a large number of paralogous and orthologous genes. Genes related to the production of anticancer phytochemicals and morphological variations illustrate consequences of genome duplication and gene divergence, imparting biochemical and morphological variation to B. oleracea. This study provides insights into Brassica genome evolution and will underpin research into the many important crops in this genus. PMID:24852848

  8. EasyCloneMulti: A Set of Vectors for Simultaneous and Multiple Genomic Integrations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maury, Jerome; Germann, Susanne Manuela; Jacobsen, Simo Abdessamad

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used in the biotechnology industry for production of ethanol, recombinant proteins, food ingredients and other chemicals. In order to generate highly producing and stable strains, genome integration of genes encoding metabolic pathway enzymes is the preferred...... of integrative vectors, EasyCloneMulti, that enables multiple and simultaneous integration of genes in S. cerevisiae. By creating vector backbones that combine consensus sequences that aim at targeting subsets of Ty sequences and a quickly degrading selective marker, integrations at multiple genomic loci...... and a range of expression levels were obtained, as assessed with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter system. The EasyCloneMulti vector set was applied to balance the expression of the rate-controlling step in the β-alanine pathway for biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP). The best 3HP...

  9. Integrative Functional Genomics for Systems Genetics in GeneWeaver.org.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bubier, Jason A; Langston, Michael A; Baker, Erich J; Chesler, Elissa J

    2017-01-01

    The abundance of existing functional genomics studies permits an integrative approach to interpreting and resolving the results of diverse systems genetics studies. However, a major challenge lies in assembling and harmonizing heterogeneous data sets across species for facile comparison to the positional candidate genes and coexpression networks that come from systems genetic studies. GeneWeaver is an online database and suite of tools at www.geneweaver.org that allows for fast aggregation and analysis of gene set-centric data. GeneWeaver contains curated experimental data together with resource-level data such as GO annotations, MP annotations, and KEGG pathways, along with persistent stores of user entered data sets. These can be entered directly into GeneWeaver or transferred from widely used resources such as GeneNetwork.org. Data are analyzed using statistical tools and advanced graph algorithms to discover new relations, prioritize candidate genes, and generate function hypotheses. Here we use GeneWeaver to find genes common to multiple gene sets, prioritize candidate genes from a quantitative trait locus, and characterize a set of differentially expressed genes. Coupling a large multispecies repository curated and empirical functional genomics data to fast computational tools allows for the rapid integrative analysis of heterogeneous data for interpreting and extrapolating systems genetics results.

  10. PIERO ontology for analysis of biochemical transformations: effective implementation of reaction information in the IUBMB enzyme list.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotera, Masaaki; Nishimura, Yosuke; Nakagawa, Zen-ichi; Muto, Ai; Moriya, Yuki; Okamoto, Shinobu; Kawashima, Shuichi; Katayama, Toshiaki; Tokimatsu, Toshiaki; Kanehisa, Minoru; Goto, Susumu

    2014-12-01

    Genomics is faced with the issue of many partially annotated putative enzyme-encoding genes for which activities have not yet been verified, while metabolomics is faced with the issue of many putative enzyme reactions for which full equations have not been verified. Knowledge of enzymes has been collected by IUBMB, and has been made public as the Enzyme List. To date, however, the terminology of the Enzyme List has not been assessed comprehensively by bioinformatics studies. Instead, most of the bioinformatics studies simply use the identifiers of the enzymes, i.e. the Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers. We investigated the actual usage of terminology throughout the Enzyme List, and demonstrated that the partial characteristics of reactions cannot be retrieved by simply using EC numbers. Thus, we developed a novel ontology, named PIERO, for annotating biochemical transformations as follows. First, the terminology describing enzymatic reactions was retrieved from the Enzyme List, and was grouped into those related to overall reactions and biochemical transformations. Consequently, these terms were mapped onto the actual transformations taken from enzymatic reaction equations. This ontology was linked to Gene Ontology (GO) and EC numbers, allowing the extraction of common partial reaction characteristics from given sets of orthologous genes and the elucidation of possible enzymes from the given transformations. Further future development of the PIERO ontology should enhance the Enzyme List to promote the integration of genomics and metabolomics.

  11. A DNMT3A2-HDAC2 Complex Is Essential for Genomic Imprinting and Genome Integrity in Mouse Oocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengpeng Ma

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Maternal genomic imprints are established during oogenesis. Histone deacetylases (HDACs 1 and 2 are required for oocyte development in mouse, but their role in genomic imprinting is unknown. We find that Hdac1:Hdac2−/− double-mutant growing oocytes exhibit global DNA hypomethylation and fail to establish imprinting marks for Igf2r, Peg3, and Srnpn. Global hypomethylation correlates with increased retrotransposon expression and double-strand DNA breaks. Nuclear-associated DNMT3A2 is reduced in double-mutant oocytes, and injecting these oocytes with Hdac2 partially restores DNMT3A2 nuclear staining. DNMT3A2 co-immunoprecipitates with HDAC2 in mouse embryonic stem cells. Partial loss of nuclear DNMT3A2 and HDAC2 occurs in Sin3a−/− oocytes, which exhibit decreased DNA methylation of imprinting control regions for Igf2r and Srnpn, but not Peg3. These results suggest seminal roles of HDAC1/2 in establishing maternal genomic imprints and maintaining genomic integrity in oocytes mediated in part through a SIN3A complex that interacts with DNMT3A2.

  12. Designing Epigenome Editors: Considerations of Biochemical and Locus Specificities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Dilara; Keung, Albert J

    2018-01-01

    The advent of locus-specific protein recruitment technologies has enabled a new class of studies in chromatin biology. Epigenome editors enable biochemical modifications of chromatin at almost any specific endogenous locus. Their locus specificity unlocks unique information including the functional roles of distinct modifications at specific genomic loci. Given the growing interest in using these tools for biological and translational studies, there are many specific design considerations depending on the scientific question or clinical need. Here we present and discuss important design considerations and challenges regarding the biochemical and locus specificities of epigenome editors. These include how to account for the complex biochemical diversity of chromatin; control for potential interdependency of epigenome editors and their resultant modifications; avoid sequestration effects; quantify the locus specificity of epigenome editors; and improve locus specificity by considering concentration, affinity, avidity, and sequestration effects.

  13. A second-order, unconditionally positive, mass-conserving integration scheme for biochemical systems.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    F.J. Bruggeman (Frank); H. Burchard; B. Kooi; B.P. Sommeijer (Ben)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractBiochemical systems are bound by two mathematically-relevant restrictions. First, state variables in such systems represent non-negative quantities, such as concentrations of chemical compounds. Second, biochemical systems conserve mass and energy. Both properties must be reflected in

  14. MIPS Arabidopsis thaliana Database (MAtDB): an integrated biological knowledge resource based on the first complete plant genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoof, Heiko; Zaccaria, Paolo; Gundlach, Heidrun; Lemcke, Kai; Rudd, Stephen; Kolesov, Grigory; Arnold, Roland; Mewes, H. W.; Mayer, Klaus F. X.

    2002-01-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana is the first plant for which the complete genome has been sequenced and published. Annotation of complex eukaryotic genomes requires more than the assignment of genetic elements to the sequence. Besides completing the list of genes, we need to discover their cellular roles, their regulation and their interactions in order to understand the workings of the whole plant. The MIPS Arabidopsis thaliana Database (MAtDB; http://mips.gsf.de/proj/thal/db) started out as a repository for genome sequence data in the European Scientists Sequencing Arabidopsis (ESSA) project and the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative. Our aim is to transform MAtDB into an integrated biological knowledge resource by integrating diverse data, tools, query and visualization capabilities and by creating a comprehensive resource for Arabidopsis as a reference model for other species, including crop plants. PMID:11752263

  15. A genome-wide analysis of lentivector integration sites using targeted sequence capture and next generation sequencing technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ustek, Duran; Sirma, Sema; Gumus, Ergun; Arikan, Muzaffer; Cakiris, Aris; Abaci, Neslihan; Mathew, Jaicy; Emrence, Zeliha; Azakli, Hulya; Cosan, Fulya; Cakar, Atilla; Parlak, Mahmut; Kursun, Olcay

    2012-10-01

    One application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the targeted resequencing of interested genes which has not been used in viral integration site analysis of gene therapy applications. Here, we combined targeted sequence capture array and next generation sequencing to address the whole genome profiling of viral integration sites. Human 293T and K562 cells were transduced with a HIV-1 derived vector. A custom made DNA probe sets targeted pLVTHM vector used to capture lentiviral vector/human genome junctions. The captured DNA was sequenced using GS FLX platform. Seven thousand four hundred and eighty four human genome sequences flanking the long terminal repeats (LTR) of pLVTHM fragment sequences matched with an identity of at least 98% and minimum 50 bp criteria in both cells. In total, 203 unique integration sites were identified. The integrations in both cell lines were totally distant from the CpG islands and from the transcription start sites and preferentially located in introns. A comparison between the two cell lines showed that the lentiviral-transduced DNA does not have the same preferred regions in the two different cell lines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. BiGG Models: A platform for integrating, standardizing and sharing genome-scale models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    King, Zachary A.; Lu, Justin; Dräger, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    Genome-scale metabolic models are mathematically-structured knowledge bases that can be used to predict metabolic pathway usage and growth phenotypes. Furthermore, they can generate and test hypotheses when integrated with experimental data. To maximize the value of these models, centralized repo...

  17. Inclusion of Moloney murine leukemia virus elements upstream of the transgene cassette in an E1-deleted adenovirus leads to an unusual genomic integration in epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Changyu; O'Connell, Brian C.; Baum, Bruce J.

    2003-01-01

    Classically, the 5' and 3' long terminal repeats (LTRs) are considered necessary but not sufficient for retroviral integration. Recently, we reported that inclusion of these and additional elements from Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) facilitated transgene integration, without retroviral integrase, when placed in an adenoviral context (AdLTR-luc vector) (Nat. Biotech. 18 (2000), 176; Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 300 (2003), 115). To help understand this nonhomologous DNA recombination event, we constructed another vector, AdELP-luc, with 2.7 kb of MoMLV elements identically placed into an E1-deleted adenovirus type 5 backbone upstream of a luciferase cDNA reporter gene. Unlike AdLTR-luc, no MoMLV elements were placed downstream of the expression cassette. AdELP-luc readily infected epithelial cells in vitro. Southern hybridizations with DNA from cloned cells showed that disruption of the MoMLV sequences occurred. One cell clone, grown in vitro without any special selection medium for 9 months, exhibited stable vector integration and luciferase activity. Importantly, both Southern hybridization and FISH analyses showed that in addition to the MoMLV elements and expression cassette, substantial adenoviral sequence downstream of the luciferase cDNA was genomically integrated. These results suggest that the 2.7 kb of MoMLV sequence included in AdELP-luc have cis-acting functions and mediates an unusual integration event

  18. A variational principle for computing nonequilibrium fluxes and potentials in genome-scale biochemical networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleming, R M T; Maes, C M; Saunders, M A; Ye, Y; Palsson, B Ø

    2012-01-07

    We derive a convex optimization problem on a steady-state nonequilibrium network of biochemical reactions, with the property that energy conservation and the second law of thermodynamics both hold at the problem solution. This suggests a new variational principle for biochemical networks that can be implemented in a computationally tractable manner. We derive the Lagrange dual of the optimization problem and use strong duality to demonstrate that a biochemical analogue of Tellegen's theorem holds at optimality. Each optimal flux is dependent on a free parameter that we relate to an elementary kinetic parameter when mass action kinetics is assumed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. In silico method for modelling metabolism and gene product expression at genome scale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lerman, Joshua A.; Hyduke, Daniel R.; Latif, Haythem; Portnoy, Vasiliy A.; Lewis, Nathan E.; Orth, Jeffrey D.; Rutledge, Alexandra C.; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Zengler, Karsten; Palsson, Bernard O.

    2012-07-03

    Transcription and translation use raw materials and energy generated metabolically to create the macromolecular machinery responsible for all cellular functions, including metabolism. A biochemically accurate model of molecular biology and metabolism will facilitate comprehensive and quantitative computations of an organism's molecular constitution as a function of genetic and environmental parameters. Here we formulate a model of metabolism and macromolecular expression. Prototyping it using the simple microorganism Thermotoga maritima, we show our model accurately simulates variations in cellular composition and gene expression. Moreover, through in silico comparative transcriptomics, the model allows the discovery of new regulons and improving the genome and transcription unit annotations. Our method presents a framework for investigating molecular biology and cellular physiology in silico and may allow quantitative interpretation of multi-omics data sets in the context of an integrated biochemical description of an organism.

  20. Silicon-Nitride-based Integrated Optofluidic Biochemical Sensors using a Coupled-Resonator Optical Waveguide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiawei eWANG

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Silicon nitride (SiN is a promising material platform for integrating photonic components and microfluidic channels on a chip for label-free, optical biochemical sensing applications in the visible to near-infrared wavelengths. The chip-scale SiN-based optofluidic sensors can be compact due to a relatively high refractive index contrast between SiN and the fluidic medium, and low-cost due to the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS-compatible fabrication process. Here, we demonstrate SiN-based integrated optofluidic biochemical sensors using a coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW in the visible wavelengths. The working principle is based on imaging in the far field the out-of-plane elastic-light-scattering patterns of the CROW sensor at a fixed probe wavelength. We correlate the imaged pattern with reference patterns at the CROW eigenstates. Our sensing algorithm maps the correlation coefficients of the imaged pattern with a library of calibrated correlation coefficients to extract a minute change in the cladding refractive index. Given a calibrated CROW, our sensing mechanism in the spatial domain only requires a fixed-wavelength laser in the visible wavelengths as a light source, with the probe wavelength located within the CROW transmission band, and a silicon digital charge-coupled device (CCD / CMOS camera for recording the light scattering patterns. This is in sharp contrast with the conventional optical microcavity-based sensing methods that impose a strict requirement of spectral alignment with a high-quality cavity resonance using a wavelength-tunable laser. Our experimental results using a SiN CROW sensor with eight coupled microrings in the 680nm wavelength reveal a cladding refractive index change of ~1.3 × 10^-4 refractive index unit (RIU, with an average sensitivity of ~281 ± 271 RIU-1 and a noise-equivalent detection limit (NEDL of 1.8 ×10^-8 RIU ~ 1.0 ×10^-4 RIU across the CROW bandwidth of ~1 nm.

  1. Drosophila Sld5 is essential for normal cell cycle progression and maintenance of genomic integrity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gouge, Catherine A. [Department of Biology, East Carolina University East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 (United States); Christensen, Tim W., E-mail: christensent@ecu.edu [Department of Biology, East Carolina University East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 (United States)

    2010-09-10

    Research highlights: {yields} Drosophila Sld5 interacts with Psf1, PPsf2, and Mcm10. {yields} Haploinsufficiency of Sld5 leads to M-phase delay and genomic instability. {yields} Sld5 is also required for normal S phase progression. -- Abstract: Essential for the normal functioning of a cell is the maintenance of genomic integrity. Failure in this process is often catastrophic for the organism, leading to cell death or mis-proliferation. Central to genomic integrity is the faithful replication of DNA during S phase. The GINS complex has recently come to light as a critical player in DNA replication through stabilization of MCM2-7 and Cdc45 as a member of the CMG complex which is likely responsible for the processivity of helicase activity during S phase. The GINS complex is made up of 4 members in a 1:1:1:1 ratio: Psf1, Psf2, Psf3, And Sld5. Here we present the first analysis of the function of the Sld5 subunit in a multicellular organism. We show that Drosophila Sld5 interacts with Psf1, Psf2, and Mcm10 and that mutations in Sld5 lead to M and S phase delays with chromosomes exhibiting hallmarks of genomic instability.

  2. IVAG: An Integrative Visualization Application for Various Types of Genomic Data Based on R-Shiny and the Docker Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Tae-Rim; Ahn, Jin Mo; Kim, Gyuhee; Kim, Sangsoo

    2017-12-01

    Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has become a trend in the genomics research area. There are many software programs and automated pipelines to analyze NGS data, which can ease the pain for traditional scientists who are not familiar with computer programming. However, downstream analyses, such as finding differentially expressed genes or visualizing linkage disequilibrium maps and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, still remain a challenge. Here, we introduce a dockerized web application written in R using the Shiny platform to visualize pre-analyzed RNA sequencing and GWAS data. In addition, we have integrated a genome browser based on the JBrowse platform and an automated intermediate parsing process required for custom track construction, so that users can easily build and navigate their personal genome tracks with in-house datasets. This application will help scientists perform series of downstream analyses and obtain a more integrative understanding about various types of genomic data by interactively visualizing them with customizable options.

  3. The European Renal Genome Project: An Integrated Approach Towards Understanding the Genetics of Kidney Development and Disease

    OpenAIRE

    Willnow, TE; Antignac, C; Brändli, AW; Christensen, EI; Cox, RD; Davidson, D; Davies, JA; Devuyst, O; Eichele, G; Hastie, ND; Verroust, PJ; Schedl, A; Meij, IC

    2005-01-01

    Rapid progress in genome research creates a wealth of information on the functional annotation of mammalian genome sequences. However, as we accumulate large amounts of scientific information we are facing problems of how to integrate and relate the data produced by various genomic approaches. Here, we propose the novel concept of an organ atlas where diverse data from expression maps to histological findings to mutant phenotypes can be queried, compared and visualized in the context of a thr...

  4. RegPredict: an integrated system for regulon inference in prokaryotes by comparative genomics approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Novichkov, Pavel S.; Rodionov, Dmitry A.; Stavrovskaya, Elena D.; Novichkova, Elena S.; Kazakov, Alexey E.; Gelfand, Mikhail S.; Arkin, Adam P.; Mironov, Andrey A.; Dubchak, Inna

    2010-05-26

    RegPredict web server is designed to provide comparative genomics tools for reconstruction and analysis of microbial regulons using comparative genomics approach. The server allows the user to rapidly generate reference sets of regulons and regulatory motif profiles in a group of prokaryotic genomes. The new concept of a cluster of co-regulated orthologous operons allows the user to distribute the analysis of large regulons and to perform the comparative analysis of multiple clusters independently. Two major workflows currently implemented in RegPredict are: (i) regulon reconstruction for a known regulatory motif and (ii) ab initio inference of a novel regulon using several scenarios for the generation of starting gene sets. RegPredict provides a comprehensive collection of manually curated positional weight matrices of regulatory motifs. It is based on genomic sequences, ortholog and operon predictions from the MicrobesOnline. An interactive web interface of RegPredict integrates and presents diverse genomic and functional information about the candidate regulon members from several web resources. RegPredict is freely accessible at http://regpredict.lbl.gov.

  5. CTDB: An Integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database for Functional and Applied Genomics

    OpenAIRE

    Verma, Mohit; Kumar, Vinay; Patel, Ravi K.; Garg, Rohini; Jain, Mukesh

    2015-01-01

    Chickpea is an important grain legume used as a rich source of protein in human diet. The narrow genetic diversity and limited availability of genomic resources are the major constraints in implementing breeding strategies and biotechnological interventions for genetic enhancement of chickpea. We developed an integrated Chickpea Transcriptome Database (CTDB), which provides the comprehensive web interface for visualization and easy retrieval of transcriptome data in chickpea. The database fea...

  6. Quantitative and qualitative proteome characteristics extracted from in-depth integrated genomics and proteomics analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Low, T.Y.; van Heesch, S.; van den Toorn, H.; Giansanti, P.; Cristobal, A.; Toonen, P.; Schafer, S.; Hubner, N.; van Breukelen, B.; Mohammed, S.; Cuppen, E.; Heck, A.J.R.; Guryev, V.

    2013-01-01

    Quantitative and qualitative protein characteristics are regulated at genomic, transcriptomic, and posttranscriptional levels. Here, we integrated in-depth transcriptome and proteome analyses of liver tissues from two rat strains to unravel the interactions within and between these layers. We

  7. Integrative genome analyses identify key somatic driver mutations of small-cell lung cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peifer, Martin; Fernandez-Cuesta, Lynnette; Sos, Martin L.; George, Julie; Seidel, Danila; Kasper, Lawryn H.; Plenker, Dennis; Leenders, Frauke; Sun, Ruping; Zander, Thomas; Menon, Roopika; Koker, Mirjam; Dahmen, Ilona; Mueller, Christian; Di Cerbo, Vincenzo; Schildhaus, Hans-Ulrich; Altmueller, Janine; Baessmann, Ingelore; Becker, Christian; de Wilde, Bram; Vandesompele, Jo; Boehm, Diana; Ansen, Sascha; Gabler, Franziska; Wilkening, Ines; Heynck, Stefanie; Heuckmann, Johannes M.; Lu, Xin; Carter, Scott L.; Cibulskis, Kristian; Banerji, Shantanu; Getz, Gad; Park, Kwon-Sik; Rauh, Daniel; Gruetter, Christian; Fischer, Matthias; Pasqualucci, Laura; Wright, Gavin; Wainer, Zoe; Russell, Prudence; Petersen, Iver; Chen, Yuan; Stoelben, Erich; Ludwig, Corinna; Schnabel, Philipp; Hoffmann, Hans; Muley, Thomas; Brockmann, Michael; Engel-Riedel, Walburga; Muscarella, Lucia A.; Fazio, Vito M.; Groen, Harry; Timens, Wim; Sietsma, Hannie; Thunnissen, Erik; Smit, Egbert; Heideman, Danielle A. M.; Snijders, Peter J. F.; Cappuzzo, Federico; Ligorio, Claudia; Damiani, Stefania; Field, John; Solberg, Steinar; Brustugun, Odd Terje; Lund-Iversen, Marius; Saenger, Joerg; Clement, Joachim H.; Soltermann, Alex; Moch, Holger; Weder, Walter; Solomon, Benjamin; Soria, Jean-Charles; Validire, Pierre; Besse, Benjamin; Brambilla, Elisabeth; Brambilla, Christian; Lantuejoul, Sylvie; Lorimier, Philippe; Schneider, Peter M.; Hallek, Michael; Pao, William; Meyerson, Matthew; Sage, Julien; Shendure, Jay; Schneider, Robert; Buettner, Reinhard; Wolf, Juergen; Nuernberg, Peter; Perner, Sven; Heukamp, Lukas C.; Brindle, Paul K.; Haas, Stefan; Thomas, Roman K.

    2012-01-01

    Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive lung tumor subtype with poor prognosis(1-3). We sequenced 29 SCLC exomes, 2 genomes and 15 transcriptomes and found an extremely high mutation rate of 7.4 +/- 1 protein-changing mutations per million base pairs. Therefore, we conducted integrated

  8. Construction of an ortholog database using the semantic web technology for integrative analysis of genomic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiba, Hirokazu; Nishide, Hiroyo; Uchiyama, Ikuo

    2015-01-01

    Recently, various types of biological data, including genomic sequences, have been rapidly accumulating. To discover biological knowledge from such growing heterogeneous data, a flexible framework for data integration is necessary. Ortholog information is a central resource for interlinking corresponding genes among different organisms, and the Semantic Web provides a key technology for the flexible integration of heterogeneous data. We have constructed an ortholog database using the Semantic Web technology, aiming at the integration of numerous genomic data and various types of biological information. To formalize the structure of the ortholog information in the Semantic Web, we have constructed the Ortholog Ontology (OrthO). While the OrthO is a compact ontology for general use, it is designed to be extended to the description of database-specific concepts. On the basis of OrthO, we described the ortholog information from our Microbial Genome Database for Comparative Analysis (MBGD) in the form of Resource Description Framework (RDF) and made it available through the SPARQL endpoint, which accepts arbitrary queries specified by users. In this framework based on the OrthO, the biological data of different organisms can be integrated using the ortholog information as a hub. Besides, the ortholog information from different data sources can be compared with each other using the OrthO as a shared ontology. Here we show some examples demonstrating that the ortholog information described in RDF can be used to link various biological data such as taxonomy information and Gene Ontology. Thus, the ortholog database using the Semantic Web technology can contribute to biological knowledge discovery through integrative data analysis.

  9. Quantitative and Qualitative Proteome Characteristics Extracted from In-Depth Integrated Genomics and Proteomics Analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Low, Teck Yew; van Heesch, Sebastiaan; van den Toorn, Henk; Giansanti, Piero; Cristobal, Alba; Toonen, Pim; Schafer, Sebastian; Huebner, Norbert; van Breukelen, Bas; Mohammed, Shabaz; Cuppen, Edwin; Heck, Albert J. R.; Guryev, Victor

    2013-01-01

    Quantitative and qualitative protein characteristics are regulated at genomic, transcriptomic, and post-transcriptional levels. Here, we integrated in-depth transcriptome and proteome analyses of liver tissues from two rat strains to unravel the interactions within and between these layers. We

  10. MicroScope—an integrated microbial resource for the curation and comparative analysis of genomic and metabolic data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallenet, David; Belda, Eugeni; Calteau, Alexandra; Cruveiller, Stéphane; Engelen, Stefan; Lajus, Aurélie; Le Fèvre, François; Longin, Cyrille; Mornico, Damien; Roche, David; Rouy, Zoé; Salvignol, Gregory; Scarpelli, Claude; Thil Smith, Adam Alexander; Weiman, Marion; Médigue, Claudine

    2013-01-01

    MicroScope is an integrated platform dedicated to both the methodical updating of microbial genome annotation and to comparative analysis. The resource provides data from completed and ongoing genome projects (automatic and expert annotations), together with data sources from post-genomic experiments (i.e. transcriptomics, mutant collections) allowing users to perfect and improve the understanding of gene functions. MicroScope (http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/agc/microscope) combines tools and graphical interfaces to analyse genomes and to perform the manual curation of gene annotations in a comparative context. Since its first publication in January 2006, the system (previously named MaGe for Magnifying Genomes) has been continuously extended both in terms of data content and analysis tools. The last update of MicroScope was published in 2009 in the Database journal. Today, the resource contains data for >1600 microbial genomes, of which ∼300 are manually curated and maintained by biologists (1200 personal accounts today). Expert annotations are continuously gathered in the MicroScope database (∼50 000 a year), contributing to the improvement of the quality of microbial genomes annotations. Improved data browsing and searching tools have been added, original tools useful in the context of expert annotation have been developed and integrated and the website has been significantly redesigned to be more user-friendly. Furthermore, in the context of the European project Microme (Framework Program 7 Collaborative Project), MicroScope is becoming a resource providing for the curation and analysis of both genomic and metabolic data. An increasing number of projects are related to the study of environmental bacterial (meta)genomes that are able to metabolize a large variety of chemical compounds that may be of high industrial interest. PMID:23193269

  11. Integrating sequencing technologies in personal genomics: optimal low cost reconstruction of structural variants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Du

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The goal of human genome re-sequencing is obtaining an accurate assembly of an individual's genome. Recently, there has been great excitement in the development of many technologies for this (e.g. medium and short read sequencing from companies such as 454 and SOLiD, and high-density oligo-arrays from Affymetrix and NimbelGen, with even more expected to appear. The costs and sensitivities of these technologies differ considerably from each other. As an important goal of personal genomics is to reduce the cost of re-sequencing to an affordable point, it is worthwhile to consider optimally integrating technologies. Here, we build a simulation toolbox that will help us optimally combine different technologies for genome re-sequencing, especially in reconstructing large structural variants (SVs. SV reconstruction is considered the most challenging step in human genome re-sequencing. (It is sometimes even harder than de novo assembly of small genomes because of the duplications and repetitive sequences in the human genome. To this end, we formulate canonical problems that are representative of issues in reconstruction and are of small enough scale to be computationally tractable and simulatable. Using semi-realistic simulations, we show how we can combine different technologies to optimally solve the assembly at low cost. With mapability maps, our simulations efficiently handle the inhomogeneous repeat-containing structure of the human genome and the computational complexity of practical assembly algorithms. They quantitatively show how combining different read lengths is more cost-effective than using one length, how an optimal mixed sequencing strategy for reconstructing large novel SVs usually also gives accurate detection of SNPs/indels, how paired-end reads can improve reconstruction efficiency, and how adding in arrays is more efficient than just sequencing for disentangling some complex SVs. Our strategy should facilitate the sequencing of

  12. Optical Slot-Waveguide Based Biochemical Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Angulo Barrios

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Slot-waveguides allow light to be guided and strongly confined inside a nanometer-scale region of low refractive index. Thus stronger light-analyte interaction can be obtained as compared to that achievable by a conventional waveguide, in which the propagating beam is confined to the high-refractive-index core of the waveguide. In addition, slot-waveguides can be fabricated by employing CMOS compatible materials and technology, enabling miniaturization, integration with electronic, photonic and fluidic components in a chip, and mass production. These advantages have made the use of slot-waveguides for highly sensitive biochemical optical integrated sensors an emerging field. In this paper, recent achievements in slot-waveguide based biochemical sensing will be reviewed. These include slot-waveguide ring resonator based refractometric label-free biosensors, label-based optical sensing, and nano-opto-mechanical sensors.

  13. Selective Gene Delivery for Integrating Exogenous DNA into Plastid and Mitochondrial Genomes Using Peptide-DNA Complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizumi, Takeshi; Oikawa, Kazusato; Chuah, Jo-Ann; Kodama, Yutaka; Numata, Keiji

    2018-05-14

    Selective gene delivery into organellar genomes (mitochondrial and plastid genomes) has been limited because of a lack of appropriate platform technology, even though these organelles are essential for metabolite and energy production. Techniques for selective organellar modification are needed to functionally improve organelles and produce transplastomic/transmitochondrial plants. However, no method for mitochondrial genome modification has yet been established for multicellular organisms including plants. Likewise, modification of plastid genomes has been limited to a few plant species and algae. In the present study, we developed ionic complexes of fusion peptides containing organellar targeting signal and plasmid DNA for selective delivery of exogenous DNA into the plastid and mitochondrial genomes of intact plants. This is the first report of exogenous DNA being integrated into the mitochondrial genomes of not only plants, but also multicellular organisms in general. This fusion peptide-mediated gene delivery system is a breakthrough platform for both plant organellar biotechnology and gene therapy for mitochondrial diseases in animals.

  14. GMATA: An Integrated Software Package for Genome-Scale SSR Mining, Marker Development and Viewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xuewen; Wang, Le

    2016-01-01

    Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), also referred to as microsatellites, are highly variable tandem DNAs that are widely used as genetic markers. The increasing availability of whole-genome and transcript sequences provides information resources for SSR marker development. However, efficient software is required to efficiently identify and display SSR information along with other gene features at a genome scale. We developed novel software package Genome-wide Microsatellite Analyzing Tool Package (GMATA) integrating SSR mining, statistical analysis and plotting, marker design, polymorphism screening and marker transferability, and enabled simultaneously display SSR markers with other genome features. GMATA applies novel strategies for SSR analysis and primer design in large genomes, which allows GMATA to perform faster calculation and provides more accurate results than existing tools. Our package is also capable of processing DNA sequences of any size on a standard computer. GMATA is user friendly, only requires mouse clicks or types inputs on the command line, and is executable in multiple computing platforms. We demonstrated the application of GMATA in plants genomes and reveal a novel distribution pattern of SSRs in 15 grass genomes. The most abundant motifs are dimer GA/TC, the A/T monomer and the GCG/CGC trimer, rather than the rich G/C content in DNA sequence. We also revealed that SSR count is a linear to the chromosome length in fully assembled grass genomes. GMATA represents a powerful application tool that facilitates genomic sequence analyses. GAMTA is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gmata/?source=navbar.

  15. VitisNet: "Omics" integration through grapevine molecular networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jérôme Grimplet

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genomic data release for the grapevine has increased exponentially in the last five years. The Vitis vinifera genome has been sequenced and Vitis EST, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic tools and data sets continue to be developed. The next critical challenge is to provide biological meaning to this tremendous amount of data by annotating genes and integrating them within their biological context. We have developed and validated a system of Grapevine Molecular Networks (VitisNet. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The sequences from the Vitis vinifera (cv. Pinot Noir PN40024 genome sequencing project and ESTs from the Vitis genus have been paired and the 39,424 resulting unique sequences have been manually annotated. Among these, 13,145 genes have been assigned to 219 networks. The pathway sets include 88 "Metabolic", 15 "Genetic Information Processing", 12 "Environmental Information Processing", 3 "Cellular Processes", 21 "Transport", and 80 "Transcription Factors". The quantitative data is loaded onto molecular networks, allowing the simultaneous visualization of changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome for a given experiment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: VitisNet uses manually annotated networks in SBML or XML format, enabling the integration of large datasets, streamlining biological functional processing, and improving the understanding of dynamic processes in systems biology experiments. VitisNet is grounded in the Vitis vinifera genome (currently at 8x coverage and can be readily updated with subsequent updates of the genome or biochemical discoveries. The molecular network files can be dynamically searched by pathway name or individual genes, proteins, or metabolites through the MetNet Pathway database and web-portal at http://metnet3.vrac.iastate.edu/. All VitisNet files including the manual annotation of the grape genome encompassing pathway names, individual genes, their genome identifier, and chromosome

  16. Genome puzzle master (GPM): an integrated pipeline for building and editing pseudomolecules from fragmented sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianwei; Kudrna, Dave; Mu, Ting; Li, Weiming; Copetti, Dario; Yu, Yeisoo; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Lei, Yang; Wing, Rod A

    2016-10-15

    Next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to rapidly and affordably generate vast quantities of sequence data. Once generated, raw sequences are assembled into contigs or scaffolds. However, these assemblies are mostly fragmented and inaccurate at the whole genome scale, largely due to the inability to integrate additional informative datasets (e.g. physical, optical and genetic maps). To address this problem, we developed a semi-automated software tool-Genome Puzzle Master (GPM)-that enables the integration of additional genomic signposts to edit and build 'new-gen-assemblies' that result in high-quality 'annotation-ready' pseudomolecules. With GPM, loaded datasets can be connected to each other via their logical relationships which accomplishes tasks to 'group,' 'merge,' 'order and orient' sequences in a draft assembly. Manual editing can also be performed with a user-friendly graphical interface. Final pseudomolecules reflect a user's total data package and are available for long-term project management. GPM is a web-based pipeline and an important part of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which can be easily deployed on local servers for any genome research laboratory. The GPM (with LIMS) package is available at https://github.com/Jianwei-Zhang/LIMS CONTACTS: jzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn or rwing@mail.arizona.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  17. Family genome browser: visualizing genomes with pedigree information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juan, Liran; Liu, Yongzhuang; Wang, Yongtian; Teng, Mingxiang; Zang, Tianyi; Wang, Yadong

    2015-07-15

    Families with inherited diseases are widely used in Mendelian/complex disease studies. Owing to the advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies, family genome sequencing becomes more and more prevalent. Visualizing family genomes can greatly facilitate human genetics studies and personalized medicine. However, due to the complex genetic relationships and high similarities among genomes of consanguineous family members, family genomes are difficult to be visualized in traditional genome visualization framework. How to visualize the family genome variants and their functions with integrated pedigree information remains a critical challenge. We developed the Family Genome Browser (FGB) to provide comprehensive analysis and visualization for family genomes. The FGB can visualize family genomes in both individual level and variant level effectively, through integrating genome data with pedigree information. Family genome analysis, including determination of parental origin of the variants, detection of de novo mutations, identification of potential recombination events and identical-by-decent segments, etc., can be performed flexibly. Diverse annotations for the family genome variants, such as dbSNP memberships, linkage disequilibriums, genes, variant effects, potential phenotypes, etc., are illustrated as well. Moreover, the FGB can automatically search de novo mutations and compound heterozygous variants for a selected individual, and guide investigators to find high-risk genes with flexible navigation options. These features enable users to investigate and understand family genomes intuitively and systematically. The FGB is available at http://mlg.hit.edu.cn/FGB/. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Filling the knowledge gap: Integrating quantitative genetics and genomics in graduate education and outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    The genomics revolution provides vital tools to address global food security. Yet to be incorporated into livestock breeding, molecular techniques need to be integrated into a quantitative genetics framework. Within the U.S., with shrinking faculty numbers with the requisite skills, the capacity to ...

  19. The Proteins API: accessing key integrated protein and genome information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nightingale, Andrew; Antunes, Ricardo; Alpi, Emanuele; Bursteinas, Borisas; Gonzales, Leonardo; Liu, Wudong; Luo, Jie; Qi, Guoying; Turner, Edd; Martin, Maria

    2017-07-03

    The Proteins API provides searching and programmatic access to protein and associated genomics data such as curated protein sequence positional annotations from UniProtKB, as well as mapped variation and proteomics data from large scale data sources (LSS). Using the coordinates service, researchers are able to retrieve the genomic sequence coordinates for proteins in UniProtKB. This, the LSS genomics and proteomics data for UniProt proteins is programmatically only available through this service. A Swagger UI has been implemented to provide documentation, an interface for users, with little or no programming experience, to 'talk' to the services to quickly and easily formulate queries with the services and obtain dynamically generated source code for popular programming languages, such as Java, Perl, Python and Ruby. Search results are returned as standard JSON, XML or GFF data objects. The Proteins API is a scalable, reliable, fast, easy to use RESTful services that provides a broad protein information resource for users to ask questions based upon their field of expertise and allowing them to gain an integrated overview of protein annotations available to aid their knowledge gain on proteins in biological processes. The Proteins API is available at (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/proteins/api/doc). © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  20. SNUGB: a versatile genome browser supporting comparative and functional fungal genomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Seungill

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the full genome sequences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were released in 1996, genome sequences of over 90 fungal species have become publicly available. The heterogeneous formats of genome sequences archived in different sequencing centers hampered the integration of the data for efficient and comprehensive comparative analyses. The Comparative Fungal Genomics Platform (CFGP was developed to archive these data via a single standardized format that can support multifaceted and integrated analyses of the data. To facilitate efficient data visualization and utilization within and across species based on the architecture of CFGP and associated databases, a new genome browser was needed. Results The Seoul National University Genome Browser (SNUGB integrates various types of genomic information derived from 98 fungal/oomycete (137 datasets and 34 plant and animal (38 datasets species, graphically presents germane features and properties of each genome, and supports comparison between genomes. The SNUGB provides three different forms of the data presentation interface, including diagram, table, and text, and six different display options to support visualization and utilization of the stored information. Information for individual species can be quickly accessed via a new tool named the taxonomy browser. In addition, SNUGB offers four useful data annotation/analysis functions, including 'BLAST annotation.' The modular design of SNUGB makes its adoption to support other comparative genomic platforms easy and facilitates continuous expansion. Conclusion The SNUGB serves as a powerful platform supporting comparative and functional genomics within the fungal kingdom and also across other kingdoms. All data and functions are available at the web site http://genomebrowser.snu.ac.kr/.

  1. An evolvable oestrogen receptor activity sensor: development of a modular system for integrating multiple genes into the yeast genome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fox, J.E.; Bridgham, J.T.; Bovee, T.F.H.; Thornton, J.W.

    2007-01-01

    To study a gene interaction network, we developed a gene-targeting strategy that allows efficient and stable genomic integration of multiple genetic constructs at distinct target loci in the yeast genome. This gene-targeting strategy uses a modular plasmid with a recyclable selectable marker and a

  2. The Next Generation Precision Medical Record - A Framework for Integrating Genomes and Wearable Sensors with Medical Records

    OpenAIRE

    Batra, Prag; Singh, Enakshi; Bog, Anja; Wright, Mark; Ashley, Euan; Waggott, Daryl

    2016-01-01

    Current medical records are rigid with regards to emerging big biomedical data. Examples of poorly integrated big data that already exist in clinical practice include whole genome sequencing and wearable sensors for real time monitoring. Genome sequencing enables conventional diagnostic interrogation and forms the fundamental baseline for precision health throughout a patients lifetime. Mobile sensors enable tailored monitoring regimes for both reducing risk through precision health intervent...

  3. Improving Marine Ecosystem Models with Biochemical Tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pethybridge, Heidi R.; Choy, C. Anela; Polovina, Jeffrey J.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.

    2018-01-01

    Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

  4. MIPS Arabidopsis thaliana Database (MAtDB): an integrated biological knowledge resource for plant genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoof, Heiko; Ernst, Rebecca; Nazarov, Vladimir; Pfeifer, Lukas; Mewes, Hans-Werner; Mayer, Klaus F. X.

    2004-01-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana is the most widely studied model plant. Functional genomics is intensively underway in many laboratories worldwide. Beyond the basic annotation of the primary sequence data, the annotated genetic elements of Arabidopsis must be linked to diverse biological data and higher order information such as metabolic or regulatory pathways. The MIPS Arabidopsis thaliana database MAtDB aims to provide a comprehensive resource for Arabidopsis as a genome model that serves as a primary reference for research in plants and is suitable for transfer of knowledge to other plants, especially crops. The genome sequence as a common backbone serves as a scaffold for the integration of data, while, in a complementary effort, these data are enhanced through the application of state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools. This information is visualized on a genome-wide and a gene-by-gene basis with access both for web users and applications. This report updates the information given in a previous report and provides an outlook on further developments. The MAtDB web interface can be accessed at http://mips.gsf.de/proj/thal/db. PMID:14681437

  5. Integration of metabolomics and proteomics in molecular plant physiology--coping with the complexity by data-dimensionality reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weckwerth, Wolfram

    2008-02-01

    In recent years, genomics has been extended to functional genomics. Toward the characterization of organisms or species on the genome level, changes on the metabolite and protein level have been shown to be essential to assign functions to genes and to describe the dynamic molecular phenotype. Gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC- and LC-MS) are well suited for the fast and comprehensive analysis of ultracomplex metabolite samples. For the integration of metabolite profiles with quantitative protein profiles, a high throughput (HTP) shotgun proteomics approach using LC-MS and label-free quantification of unique proteins in a complex protein digest is described. Multivariate statistics are applied to examine sample pattern recognition based on data-dimensionality reduction and biomarker identification in plant systems biology. The integration of the data reveal multiple correlative biomarkers providing evidence for an increase of information in such holistic approaches. With computational simulation of metabolic networks and experimental measurements, it can be shown that biochemical regulation is reflected by metabolite network dynamics measured in a metabolomics approach. Examples in molecular plant physiology are presented to substantiate the integrative approach.

  6. Accurate atom-mapping computation for biochemical reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latendresse, Mario; Malerich, Jeremiah P; Travers, Mike; Karp, Peter D

    2012-11-26

    The complete atom mapping of a chemical reaction is a bijection of the reactant atoms to the product atoms that specifies the terminus of each reactant atom. Atom mapping of biochemical reactions is useful for many applications of systems biology, in particular for metabolic engineering where synthesizing new biochemical pathways has to take into account for the number of carbon atoms from a source compound that are conserved in the synthesis of a target compound. Rapid, accurate computation of the atom mapping(s) of a biochemical reaction remains elusive despite significant work on this topic. In particular, past researchers did not validate the accuracy of mapping algorithms. We introduce a new method for computing atom mappings called the minimum weighted edit-distance (MWED) metric. The metric is based on bond propensity to react and computes biochemically valid atom mappings for a large percentage of biochemical reactions. MWED models can be formulated efficiently as Mixed-Integer Linear Programs (MILPs). We have demonstrated this approach on 7501 reactions of the MetaCyc database for which 87% of the models could be solved in less than 10 s. For 2.1% of the reactions, we found multiple optimal atom mappings. We show that the error rate is 0.9% (22 reactions) by comparing these atom mappings to 2446 atom mappings of the manually curated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) RPAIR database. To our knowledge, our computational atom-mapping approach is the most accurate and among the fastest published to date. The atom-mapping data will be available in the MetaCyc database later in 2012; the atom-mapping software will be available within the Pathway Tools software later in 2012.

  7. Biochemical applications of FT-IR spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pistorius, A.M.A.

    1996-01-01

    This thesis describes the use of (FT-)IR spectroscopy in general biochemical research. In chapter 3, IR spectroscopy is used in the quantitation of residual detergent after reconstitution of an integral membrane protein in a pre-defined lipid matrix. This chapter discusses the choice of the

  8. CoryneCenter – An online resource for the integrated analysis of corynebacterial genome and transcriptome data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hüser Andrea T

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The introduction of high-throughput genome sequencing and post-genome analysis technologies, e.g. DNA microarray approaches, has created the potential to unravel and scrutinize complex gene-regulatory networks on a large scale. The discovery of transcriptional regulatory interactions has become a major topic in modern functional genomics. Results To facilitate the analysis of gene-regulatory networks, we have developed CoryneCenter, a web-based resource for the systematic integration and analysis of genome, transcriptome, and gene regulatory information for prokaryotes, especially corynebacteria. For this purpose, we extended and combined the following systems into a common platform: (1 GenDB, an open source genome annotation system, (2 EMMA, a MAGE compliant application for high-throughput transcriptome data storage and analysis, and (3 CoryneRegNet, an ontology-based data warehouse designed to facilitate the reconstruction and analysis of gene regulatory interactions. We demonstrate the potential of CoryneCenter by means of an application example. Using microarray hybridization data, we compare the gene expression of Corynebacterium glutamicum under acetate and glucose feeding conditions: Known regulatory networks are confirmed, but moreover CoryneCenter points out additional regulatory interactions. Conclusion CoryneCenter provides more than the sum of its parts. Its novel analysis and visualization features significantly simplify the process of obtaining new biological insights into complex regulatory systems. Although the platform currently focusses on corynebacteria, the integrated tools are by no means restricted to these species, and the presented approach offers a general strategy for the analysis and verification of gene regulatory networks. CoryneCenter provides freely accessible projects with the underlying genome annotation, gene expression, and gene regulation data. The system is publicly available at http://www.CoryneCenter.de.

  9. Integrative proteomics and biochemical analyses define Ptc6p as the Saccharomyces cerevisiae pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xiao; Niemi, Natalie M; Coon, Joshua J; Pagliarini, David J

    2017-07-14

    The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is the primary metabolic checkpoint connecting glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and is important for maintaining cellular and organismal glucose homeostasis. Phosphorylation of the PDC E1 subunit was identified as a key inhibitory modification in bovine tissue ∼50 years ago, and this regulatory process is now known to be conserved throughout evolution. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a pervasive model organism for investigating cellular metabolism and its regulation by signaling processes, the phosphatase(s) responsible for activating the PDC in S. cerevisiae has not been conclusively defined. Here, using comparative mitochondrial phosphoproteomics, analyses of protein-protein interactions by affinity enrichment-mass spectrometry, and in vitro biochemistry, we define Ptc6p as the primary PDC phosphatase in S. cerevisiae Our analyses further suggest additional substrates for related S. cerevisiae phosphatases and describe the overall phosphoproteomic changes that accompany mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction. In summary, our quantitative proteomics and biochemical analyses have identified Ptc6p as the primary-and likely sole- S. cerevisiae PDC phosphatase, closing a key knowledge gap about the regulation of yeast mitochondrial metabolism. Our findings highlight the power of integrative omics and biochemical analyses for annotating the functions of poorly characterized signaling proteins. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Integration of least angle regression with empirical Bayes for multi-locus genome-wide association studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Multi-locus genome-wide association studies has become the state-of-the-art procedure to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with traits simultaneously. However, implementation of multi-locus model is still difficult. In this study, we integrated least angle regression with empirical B...

  11. Integrating Genomic Data Sets for Knowledge Discovery: An Informed Approach to Management of Captive Endangered Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristopher J. L. Irizarry

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Many endangered captive populations exhibit reduced genetic diversity resulting in health issues that impact reproductive fitness and quality of life. Numerous cost effective genomic sequencing and genotyping technologies provide unparalleled opportunity for incorporating genomics knowledge in management of endangered species. Genomic data, such as sequence data, transcriptome data, and genotyping data, provide critical information about a captive population that, when leveraged correctly, can be utilized to maximize population genetic variation while simultaneously reducing unintended introduction or propagation of undesirable phenotypes. Current approaches aimed at managing endangered captive populations utilize species survival plans (SSPs that rely upon mean kinship estimates to maximize genetic diversity while simultaneously avoiding artificial selection in the breeding program. However, as genomic resources increase for each endangered species, the potential knowledge available for management also increases. Unlike model organisms in which considerable scientific resources are used to experimentally validate genotype-phenotype relationships, endangered species typically lack the necessary sample sizes and economic resources required for such studies. Even so, in the absence of experimentally verified genetic discoveries, genomics data still provides value. In fact, bioinformatics and comparative genomics approaches offer mechanisms for translating these raw genomics data sets into integrated knowledge that enable an informed approach to endangered species management.

  12. Integrating Genomic Data Sets for Knowledge Discovery: An Informed Approach to Management of Captive Endangered Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irizarry, Kristopher J L; Bryant, Doug; Kalish, Jordan; Eng, Curtis; Schmidt, Peggy L; Barrett, Gini; Barr, Margaret C

    2016-01-01

    Many endangered captive populations exhibit reduced genetic diversity resulting in health issues that impact reproductive fitness and quality of life. Numerous cost effective genomic sequencing and genotyping technologies provide unparalleled opportunity for incorporating genomics knowledge in management of endangered species. Genomic data, such as sequence data, transcriptome data, and genotyping data, provide critical information about a captive population that, when leveraged correctly, can be utilized to maximize population genetic variation while simultaneously reducing unintended introduction or propagation of undesirable phenotypes. Current approaches aimed at managing endangered captive populations utilize species survival plans (SSPs) that rely upon mean kinship estimates to maximize genetic diversity while simultaneously avoiding artificial selection in the breeding program. However, as genomic resources increase for each endangered species, the potential knowledge available for management also increases. Unlike model organisms in which considerable scientific resources are used to experimentally validate genotype-phenotype relationships, endangered species typically lack the necessary sample sizes and economic resources required for such studies. Even so, in the absence of experimentally verified genetic discoveries, genomics data still provides value. In fact, bioinformatics and comparative genomics approaches offer mechanisms for translating these raw genomics data sets into integrated knowledge that enable an informed approach to endangered species management.

  13. Perspectives on Clinical Informatics: Integrating Large-Scale Clinical, Genomic, and Health Information for Clinical Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    In Young Choi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The advances in electronic medical records (EMRs and bioinformatics (BI represent two significant trends in healthcare. The widespread adoption of EMR systems and the completion of the Human Genome Project developed the technologies for data acquisition, analysis, and visualization in two different domains. The massive amount of data from both clinical and biology domains is expected to provide personalized, preventive, and predictive healthcare services in the near future. The integrated use of EMR and BI data needs to consider four key informatics areas: data modeling, analytics, standardization, and privacy. Bioclinical data warehouses integrating heterogeneous patient-related clinical or omics data should be considered. The representative standardization effort by the Clinical Bioinformatics Ontology (CBO aims to provide uniquely identified concepts to include molecular pathology terminologies. Since individual genome data are easily used to predict current and future health status, different safeguards to ensure confidentiality should be considered. In this paper, we focused on the informatics aspects of integrating the EMR community and BI community by identifying opportunities, challenges, and approaches to provide the best possible care service for our patients and the population.

  14. Improved genome recovery and integrated cell-size analyses of individual uncultured microbial cells and viral particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanauskas, Ramunas; Fergusson, Elizabeth A; Brown, Joseph; Poulton, Nicole J; Tupper, Ben; Labonté, Jessica M; Becraft, Eric D; Brown, Julia M; Pachiadaki, Maria G; Povilaitis, Tadas; Thompson, Brian P; Mascena, Corianna J; Bellows, Wendy K; Lubys, Arvydas

    2017-07-20

    Microbial single-cell genomics can be used to provide insights into the metabolic potential, interactions, and evolution of uncultured microorganisms. Here we present WGA-X, a method based on multiple displacement amplification of DNA that utilizes a thermostable mutant of the phi29 polymerase. WGA-X enhances genome recovery from individual microbial cells and viral particles while maintaining ease of use and scalability. The greatest improvements are observed when amplifying high G+C content templates, such as those belonging to the predominant bacteria in agricultural soils. By integrating WGA-X with calibrated index-cell sorting and high-throughput genomic sequencing, we are able to analyze genomic sequences and cell sizes of hundreds of individual, uncultured bacteria, archaea, protists, and viral particles, obtained directly from marine and soil samples, in a single experiment. This approach may find diverse applications in microbiology and in biomedical and forensic studies of humans and other multicellular organisms.Single-cell genomics can be used to study uncultured microorganisms. Here, Stepanauskas et al. present a method combining improved multiple displacement amplification and FACS, to obtain genomic sequences and cell size information from uncultivated microbial cells and viral particles in environmental samples.

  15. Global assessment of genomic variation in cattle by genome resequencing and high-throughput genotyping

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhan, Bujie; Fadista, João; Thomsen, Bo

    2011-01-01

    Background Integration of genomic variation with phenotypic information is an effective approach for uncovering genotype-phenotype associations. This requires an accurate identification of the different types of variation in individual genomes. Results We report the integration of the whole genome...... of split-read and read-pair approaches proved to be complementary in finding different signatures. CNVs were identified on the basis of the depth of sequenced reads, and by using SNP and CGH arrays. Conclusions Our results provide high resolution mapping of diverse classes of genomic variation...

  16. Modeling and interoperability of heterogeneous genomic big data for integrative processing and querying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masseroli, Marco; Kaitoua, Abdulrahman; Pinoli, Pietro; Ceri, Stefano

    2016-12-01

    While a huge amount of (epi)genomic data of multiple types is becoming available by using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, the most important emerging problem is the so-called tertiary analysis, concerned with sense making, e.g., discovering how different (epi)genomic regions and their products interact and cooperate with each other. We propose a paradigm shift in tertiary analysis, based on the use of the Genomic Data Model (GDM), a simple data model which links genomic feature data to their associated experimental, biological and clinical metadata. GDM encompasses all the data formats which have been produced for feature extraction from (epi)genomic datasets. We specifically describe the mapping to GDM of SAM (Sequence Alignment/Map), VCF (Variant Call Format), NARROWPEAK (for called peaks produced by NGS ChIP-seq or DNase-seq methods), and BED (Browser Extensible Data) formats, but GDM supports as well all the formats describing experimental datasets (e.g., including copy number variations, DNA somatic mutations, or gene expressions) and annotations (e.g., regarding transcription start sites, genes, enhancers or CpG islands). We downloaded and integrated samples of all the above-mentioned data types and formats from multiple sources. The GDM is able to homogeneously describe semantically heterogeneous data and makes the ground for providing data interoperability, e.g., achieved through the GenoMetric Query Language (GMQL), a high-level, declarative query language for genomic big data. The combined use of the data model and the query language allows comprehensive processing of multiple heterogeneous data, and supports the development of domain-specific data-driven computations and bio-molecular knowledge discovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Reconstruction of putative DNA virus from endogenous rice tungro bacilliform virus-like sequences in the rice genome: implications for integration and evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kishima Yuji

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant genomes contain various kinds of repetitive sequences such as transposable elements, microsatellites, tandem repeats and virus-like sequences. Most of them, with the exception of virus-like sequences, do not allow us to trace their origins nor to follow the process of their integration into the host genome. Recent discoveries of virus-like sequences in plant genomes led us to set the objective of elucidating the origin of the repetitive sequences. Endogenous rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV-like sequences (ERTBVs have been found throughout the rice genome. Here, we reconstructed putative virus structures from RTBV-like sequences in the rice genome and characterized to understand evolutionary implication, integration manner and involvements of endogenous virus segments in the corresponding disease response. Results We have collected ERTBVs from the rice genomes. They contain rearranged structures and no intact ORFs. The identified ERTBV segments were shown to be phylogenetically divided into three clusters. For each phylogenetic cluster, we were able to make a consensus alignment for a circular virus-like structure carrying two complete ORFs. Comparisons of DNA and amino acid sequences suggested the closely relationship between ERTBV and RTBV. The Oryza AA-genome species vary in the ERTBV copy number. The species carrying low-copy-number of ERTBV segments have been reported to be extremely susceptible to RTBV. The DNA methylation state of the ERTBV sequences was correlated with their copy number in the genome. Conclusions These ERTBV segments are unlikely to have functional potential as a virus. However, these sequences facilitate to establish putative virus that provided information underlying virus integration and evolutionary relationship with existing virus. Comparison of ERTBV among the Oryza AA-genome species allowed us to speculate a possible role of endogenous virus segments against its related disease.

  18. Deciphering the genomes of 16 Acanthamoeba species does not provide evidence of integration of known giant virus-associated mobile genetic elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chelkha, Nisrine; Colson, Philippe; Levasseur, Anthony; La Scola, Bernard

    2018-06-02

    Giant viruses infect protozoa, especially amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. These viruses possess genetic elements named Mobilome. So far, this mobilome comprises provirophages which are integrated into the genome of their hosts, transpovirons, and Maverick/Polintons. Virophages replicate inside virus factories within Acanthamoeba and can decrease the infectivity of giant viruses. The virophage infecting CroV was found to be integrated in the host of CroV, Cafeteria roenbergensis, thus protecting C. roenbergensis by reduction of CroV multiplication. Because of this unique property, assessment of the mechanisms of replication of virophages and their relationship with giant viruses is a key element of this investigation. This work aimed at evaluating the presence and the dynamic of these mobile elements in sixteen Acanthamoeba genomes. No significant traces of the integration of genomes or sequences from known virophages were identified in all the available Acanthamoeba genomes. These results brought us to hypothesize that the interactions between mimiviruses and their virophages might occur through different mechanisms, or at low frequency. An additional explanation could be that our knowledge of the diversity of virophages is still very limited. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Stable integration of recombinant adeno-associated virus vector genomes after transduction of murine hematopoietic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Zongchao; Zhong, Li; Maina, Njeri; Hu, Zhongbo; Li, Xiaomiao; Chouthai, Nitin S; Bischof, Daniela; Weigel-Van Aken, Kirsten A; Slayton, William B; Yoder, Mervin C; Srivastava, Arun

    2008-03-01

    We previously reported that among single-stranded adeno-associated virus (ssAAV) vectors, serotypes 1 through 5, ssAAV1 is the most efficient in transducing murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but viral second-strand DNA synthesis remains a rate-limiting step. Subsequently, using double-stranded, self-complementary AAV (scAAV) vectors, serotypes 7 through 10, we observed that scAAV7 vectors also transduce murine HSCs efficiently. In the present study, we used scAAV1 and scAAV7 shuttle vectors to transduce HSCs in a murine bone marrow serial transplant model in vivo, which allowed examination of the AAV proviral integration pattern in the mouse genome, as well as recovery and nucleotide sequence analyses of AAV-HSC DNA junction fragments. The proviral genomes were stably integrated, and integration sites were localized to different mouse chromosomes. None of the integration sites was found to be in a transcribed gene, or near a cellular oncogene. None of the animals, monitored for up to 1 year, exhibited pathological abnormalities. Thus, AAV proviral integration-induced risk of oncogenesis was not found in our study, which provides functional confirmation of stable transduction of self-renewing multipotential HSCs by scAAV vectors as well as promise for the use of these vectors in the potential treatment of disorders of the hematopoietic system.

  20. Polymorphic integrations of an endogenous gammaretrovirus in the mule deer genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elleder, Daniel; Kim, Oekyung; Padhi, Abinash; Bankert, Jason G; Simeonov, Ivan; Schuster, Stephan C; Wittekindt, Nicola E; Motameny, Susanne; Poss, Mary

    2012-03-01

    Endogenous retroviruses constitute a significant genomic fraction in all mammalian species. Typically they are evolutionarily old and fixed in the host species population. Here we report on a novel endogenous gammaretrovirus (CrERVγ; for cervid endogenous gammaretrovirus) in the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that is insertionally polymorphic among individuals from the same geographical location, suggesting that it has a more recent evolutionary origin. Using PCR-based methods, we identified seven CrERVγ proviruses and demonstrated that they show various levels of insertional polymorphism in mule deer individuals. One CrERVγ provirus was detected in all mule deer sampled but was absent from white-tailed deer, indicating that this virus originally integrated after the split of the two species, which occurred approximately one million years ago. There are, on average, 100 CrERVγ copies in the mule deer genome based on quantitative PCR analysis. A CrERVγ provirus was sequenced and contained intact open reading frames (ORFs) for three virus genes. Transcripts were identified covering the entire provirus. CrERVγ forms a distinct branch of the gammaretrovirus phylogeny, with the closest relatives of CrERVγ being endogenous gammaretroviruses from sheep and pig. We demonstrated that white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) DNA contain proviruses that are closely related to mule deer CrERVγ in a conserved region of pol; more distantly related sequences can be identified in the genome of another member of the Cervidae, the muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak). The discovery of a novel transcriptionally active and insertionally polymorphic retrovirus in mammals could provide a useful model system to study the dynamic interaction between the host genome and an invading retrovirus.

  1. Molecular and biochemical characterization of a novel intracellular invertase from Aspergillus niger with transfructosylating activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goosen, C.; Yuan, X.L.; Munster, J.M. van; Ram, A.F.J.; Maarel, M.J.E.C. van der; Dijkhuizen, L.

    2007-01-01

    A novel subfamily of putative intracellular invertase enzymes (glycoside hydrolase family 32) has previously been identified in fungal genomes. Here, we report phylogenetic, molecular, and biochemical characteristics of SucB, one of two novel intracellular invertases identified in Aspergillus niger.

  2. Integration of Multiple Genomic and Phenotype Data to Infer Novel miRNA-Disease Associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Hongbo; Zhang, Guangde; Zhou, Meng; Cheng, Liang; Yang, Haixiu; Wang, Jing; Sun, Jie; Wang, Zhenzhen

    2016-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of human diseases. The identification of disease-associated miRNAs will be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of diseases at the post-transcriptional level. Based on different types of genomic data sources, computational methods for miRNA-disease association prediction have been proposed. However, individual source of genomic data tends to be incomplete and noisy; therefore, the integration of various types of genomic data for inferring reliable miRNA-disease associations is urgently needed. In this study, we present a computational framework, CHNmiRD, for identifying miRNA-disease associations by integrating multiple genomic and phenotype data, including protein-protein interaction data, gene ontology data, experimentally verified miRNA-target relationships, disease phenotype information and known miRNA-disease connections. The performance of CHNmiRD was evaluated by experimentally verified miRNA-disease associations, which achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.834 for 5-fold cross-validation. In particular, CHNmiRD displayed excellent performance for diseases without any known related miRNAs. The results of case studies for three human diseases (glioblastoma, myocardial infarction and type 1 diabetes) showed that all of the top 10 ranked miRNAs having no known associations with these three diseases in existing miRNA-disease databases were directly or indirectly confirmed by our latest literature mining. All these results demonstrated the reliability and efficiency of CHNmiRD, and it is anticipated that CHNmiRD will serve as a powerful bioinformatics method for mining novel disease-related miRNAs and providing a new perspective into molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases at the post-transcriptional level. CHNmiRD is freely available at http://www.bio-bigdata.com/CHNmiRD.

  3. Integration of Multiple Genomic and Phenotype Data to Infer Novel miRNA-Disease Associations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongbo Shi

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs play an important role in the development and progression of human diseases. The identification of disease-associated miRNAs will be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of diseases at the post-transcriptional level. Based on different types of genomic data sources, computational methods for miRNA-disease association prediction have been proposed. However, individual source of genomic data tends to be incomplete and noisy; therefore, the integration of various types of genomic data for inferring reliable miRNA-disease associations is urgently needed. In this study, we present a computational framework, CHNmiRD, for identifying miRNA-disease associations by integrating multiple genomic and phenotype data, including protein-protein interaction data, gene ontology data, experimentally verified miRNA-target relationships, disease phenotype information and known miRNA-disease connections. The performance of CHNmiRD was evaluated by experimentally verified miRNA-disease associations, which achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC of 0.834 for 5-fold cross-validation. In particular, CHNmiRD displayed excellent performance for diseases without any known related miRNAs. The results of case studies for three human diseases (glioblastoma, myocardial infarction and type 1 diabetes showed that all of the top 10 ranked miRNAs having no known associations with these three diseases in existing miRNA-disease databases were directly or indirectly confirmed by our latest literature mining. All these results demonstrated the reliability and efficiency of CHNmiRD, and it is anticipated that CHNmiRD will serve as a powerful bioinformatics method for mining novel disease-related miRNAs and providing a new perspective into molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases at the post-transcriptional level. CHNmiRD is freely available at http://www.bio-bigdata.com/CHNmiRD.

  4. Construction of an integrated genetic linkage map for the A genome of Brassica napus using SSR markers derived from sequenced BACs in B. rapa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    King Graham J

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Multinational Brassica rapa Genome Sequencing Project (BrGSP has developed valuable genomic resources, including BAC libraries, BAC-end sequences, genetic and physical maps, and seed BAC sequences for Brassica rapa. An integrated linkage map between the amphidiploid B. napus and diploid B. rapa will facilitate the rapid transfer of these valuable resources from B. rapa to B. napus (Oilseed rape, Canola. Results In this study, we identified over 23,000 simple sequence repeats (SSRs from 536 sequenced BACs. 890 SSR markers (designated as BrGMS were developed and used for the construction of an integrated linkage map for the A genome in B. rapa and B. napus. Two hundred and nineteen BrGMS markers were integrated to an existing B. napus linkage map (BnaNZDH. Among these mapped BrGMS markers, 168 were only distributed on the A genome linkage groups (LGs, 18 distrubuted both on the A and C genome LGs, and 33 only distributed on the C genome LGs. Most of the A genome LGs in B. napus were collinear with the homoeologous LGs in B. rapa, although minor inversions or rearrangements occurred on A2 and A9. The mapping of these BAC-specific SSR markers enabled assignment of 161 sequenced B. rapa BACs, as well as the associated BAC contigs to the A genome LGs of B. napus. Conclusion The genetic mapping of SSR markers derived from sequenced BACs in B. rapa enabled direct links to be established between the B. napus linkage map and a B. rapa physical map, and thus the assignment of B. rapa BACs and the associated BAC contigs to the B. napus linkage map. This integrated genetic linkage map will facilitate exploitation of the B. rapa annotated genomic resources for gene tagging and map-based cloning in B. napus, and for comparative analysis of the A genome within Brassica species.

  5. SABIO-RK: A data warehouse for biochemical reactions and their kinetics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krebs Olga

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Systems biology is an emerging field that aims at obtaining a system-level understanding of biological processes. The modelling and simulation of networks of biochemical reactions have great and promising application potential but require reliable kinetic data. In order to support the systems biology community with such data we have developed SABIO-RK (System for the Analysis of Biochemical Pathways - Reaction Kinetics, a curated database with information about biochemical reactions and their kinetic properties, which allows researchers to obtain and compare kinetic data and to integrate them into models of biochemical networks. SABIO-RK is freely available for academic use at http://sabio.villa-bosch.de/SABIORK/.

  6. Complete Genome Sequence of Germline Chromosomally Integrated Human Herpesvirus 6A and Analyses Integration Sites Define a New Human Endogenous Virus with Potential to Reactivate as an Emerging Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tweedy, Joshua; Spyrou, Maria Alexandra; Pearson, Max; Lassner, Dirk; Kuhl, Uwe; Gompels, Ursula A

    2016-01-15

    Human herpesvirus-6A and B (HHV-6A, HHV-6B) have recently defined endogenous genomes, resulting from integration into the germline: chromosomally-integrated "CiHHV-6A/B". These affect approximately 1.0% of human populations, giving potential for virus gene expression in every cell. We previously showed that CiHHV-6A was more divergent than CiHHV-6B by examining four genes in 44 European CiHHV-6A/B cardiac/haematology patients. There was evidence for gene expression/reactivation, implying functional non-defective genomes. To further define the relationship between HHV-6A and CiHHV-6A we used next-generation sequencing to characterize genomes from three CiHHV-6A cardiac patients. Comparisons to known exogenous HHV-6A showed CiHHV-6A genomes formed a separate clade; including all 85 non-interrupted genes and necessary cis-acting signals for reactivation as infectious virus. Greater single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density was defined in 16 genes and the direct repeats (DR) terminal regions. Using these SNPs, deep sequencing analyses demonstrated superinfection with exogenous HHV-6A in two of the CiHHV-6A patients with recurrent cardiac disease. Characterisation of the integration sites in twelve patients identified the human chromosome 17p subtelomere as a prevalent site, which had specific repeat structures and phylogenetically related CiHHV-6A coding sequences indicating common ancestral origins. Overall CiHHV-6A genomes were similar, but distinct from known exogenous HHV-6A virus, and have the capacity to reactivate as emerging virus infections.

  7. Genome-wide analyses reveal a role for peptide hormones in planarian germline development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James J Collins

    Full Text Available Bioactive peptides (i.e., neuropeptides or peptide hormones represent the largest class of cell-cell signaling molecules in metazoans and are potent regulators of neural and physiological function. In vertebrates, peptide hormones play an integral role in endocrine signaling between the brain and the gonads that controls reproductive development, yet few of these molecules have been shown to influence reproductive development in invertebrates. Here, we define a role for peptide hormones in controlling reproductive physiology of the model flatworm, the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Based on our observation that defective neuropeptide processing results in defects in reproductive system development, we employed peptidomic and functional genomic approaches to characterize the planarian peptide hormone complement, identifying 51 prohormone genes and validating 142 peptides biochemically. Comprehensive in situ hybridization analyses of prohormone gene expression revealed the unanticipated complexity of the flatworm nervous system and identified a prohormone specifically expressed in the nervous system of sexually reproducing planarians. We show that this member of the neuropeptide Y superfamily is required for the maintenance of mature reproductive organs and differentiated germ cells in the testes. Additionally, comparative analyses of our biochemically validated prohormones with the genomes of the parasitic flatworms Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum identified new schistosome prohormones and validated half of all predicted peptide-encoding genes in these parasites. These studies describe the peptide hormone complement of a flatworm on a genome-wide scale and reveal a previously uncharacterized role for peptide hormones in flatworm reproduction. Furthermore, they suggest new opportunities for using planarians as free-living models for understanding the reproductive biology of flatworm parasites.

  8. VarB Plus: An Integrated Tool for Visualization of Genome Variation Datasets

    KAUST Repository

    Hidayah, Lailatul

    2012-07-01

    Research on genomic sequences has been improving significantly as more advanced technology for sequencing has been developed. This opens enormous opportunities for sequence analysis. Various analytical tools have been built for purposes such as sequence assembly, read alignments, genome browsing, comparative genomics, and visualization. From the visualization perspective, there is an increasing trend towards use of large-scale computation. However, more than power is required to produce an informative image. This is a challenge that we address by providing several ways of representing biological data in order to advance the inference endeavors of biologists. This thesis focuses on visualization of variations found in genomic sequences. We develop several visualization functions and embed them in an existing variation visualization tool as extensions. The tool we improved is named VarB, hence the nomenclature for our enhancement is VarB Plus. To the best of our knowledge, besides VarB, there is no tool that provides the capability of dynamic visualization of genome variation datasets as well as statistical analysis. Dynamic visualization allows users to toggle different parameters on and off and see the results on the fly. The statistical analysis includes Fixation Index, Relative Variant Density, and Tajima’s D. Hence we focused our efforts on this tool. The scope of our work includes plots of per-base genome coverage, Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA), integration with a read alignment viewer named LookSeq, and visualization of geo-biological data. In addition to description of embedded functionalities, significance, and limitations, future improvements are discussed. The result is four extensions embedded successfully in the original tool, which is built on the Qt framework in C++. Hence it is portable to numerous platforms. Our extensions have shown acceptable execution time in a beta testing with various high-volume published datasets, as well as positive

  9. The Influence of LINE-1 and SINE Retrotransposons on Mammalian Genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Sandra R; Doucet, Aurélien J; Kopera, Huira C; Moldovan, John B; Garcia-Perez, José Luis; Moran, John V

    2015-04-01

    Transposable elements have had a profound impact on the structure and function of mammalian genomes. The retrotransposon Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1 or L1), by virtue of its replicative mobilization mechanism, comprises ∼17% of the human genome. Although the vast majority of human LINE-1 sequences are inactive molecular fossils, an estimated 80-100 copies per individual retain the ability to mobilize by a process termed retrotransposition. Indeed, LINE-1 is the only active, autonomous retrotransposon in humans and its retrotransposition continues to generate both intra-individual and inter-individual genetic diversity. Here, we briefly review the types of transposable elements that reside in mammalian genomes. We will focus our discussion on LINE-1 retrotransposons and the non-autonomous Short INterspersed Elements (SINEs) that rely on the proteins encoded by LINE-1 for their mobilization. We review cases where LINE-1-mediated retrotransposition events have resulted in genetic disease and discuss how the characterization of these mutagenic insertions led to the identification of retrotransposition-competent LINE-1s in the human and mouse genomes. We then discuss how the integration of molecular genetic, biochemical, and modern genomic technologies have yielded insight into the mechanism of LINE-1 retrotransposition, the impact of LINE-1-mediated retrotransposition events on mammalian genomes, and the host cellular mechanisms that protect the genome from unabated LINE-1-mediated retrotransposition events. Throughout this review, we highlight unanswered questions in LINE-1 biology that provide exciting opportunities for future research. Clearly, much has been learned about LINE-1 and SINE biology since the publication of Mobile DNA II thirteen years ago. Future studies should continue to yield exciting discoveries about how these retrotransposons contribute to genetic diversity in mammalian genomes.

  10. Genome-scale reconstruction of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolic network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Förster, Jochen; Famili, I.; Fu, P.

    2003-01-01

    The metabolic network in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was reconstructed using currently available genomic, biochemical, and physiological information. The metabolic reactions were compartmentalized between the cytosol and the mitochondria, and transport steps between the compartments...

  11. Evolution of plant virus movement proteins from the 30K superfamily and of their homologs integrated in plant genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mushegian, Arcady R., E-mail: mushegian2@gmail.com [Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230 (United States); Elena, Santiago F., E-mail: sfelena@ibmcp.upv.es [Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC-UPV, 46022 València (Spain); The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (United States)

    2015-02-15

    Homologs of Tobacco mosaic virus 30K cell-to-cell movement protein are encoded by diverse plant viruses. Mechanisms of action and evolutionary origins of these proteins remain obscure. We expand the picture of conservation and evolution of the 30K proteins, producing sequence alignment of the 30K superfamily with the broadest phylogenetic coverage thus far and illuminating structural features of the core all-beta fold of these proteins. Integrated copies of pararetrovirus 30K movement genes are prevalent in euphyllophytes, with at least one copy intact in nearly every examined species, and mRNAs detected for most of them. Sequence analysis suggests repeated integrations, pseudogenizations, and positive selection in those provirus genes. An unannotated 30K-superfamily gene in Arabidopsis thaliana genome is likely expressed as a fusion with the At1g37113 transcript. This molecular background of endopararetrovirus gene products in plants may change our view of virus infection and pathogenesis, and perhaps of cellular homeostasis in the hosts. - Highlights: • Sequence region shared by plant virus “30K” movement proteins has an all-beta fold. • Most euphyllophyte genomes contain integrated copies of pararetroviruses. • These integrated virus genomes often include intact movement protein genes. • Molecular evidence suggests that these “30K” genes may be selected for function.

  12. Darwinism for the Genomic Age: Connecting Mutation to Diversification

    OpenAIRE

    Hua, Xia; Bromham, Lindell

    2017-01-01

    A growing body of evidence suggests that rates of diversification of biological lineages are correlated with differences in genome-wide mutation rate. Given that most research into differential patterns of diversification rate have focused on species traits or ecological parameters, a connection to the biochemical processes of genome change is an unexpected observation. While the empirical evidence for a significant association between mutation rate and diversification rate is mounting, there...

  13. Systematic integration of experimental data and models in systems biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Peter; Dada, Joseph O; Jameson, Daniel; Spasic, Irena; Swainston, Neil; Carroll, Kathleen; Dunn, Warwick; Khan, Farid; Malys, Naglis; Messiha, Hanan L; Simeonidis, Evangelos; Weichart, Dieter; Winder, Catherine; Wishart, Jill; Broomhead, David S; Goble, Carole A; Gaskell, Simon J; Kell, Douglas B; Westerhoff, Hans V; Mendes, Pedro; Paton, Norman W

    2010-11-29

    The behaviour of biological systems can be deduced from their mathematical models. However, multiple sources of data in diverse forms are required in the construction of a model in order to define its components and their biochemical reactions, and corresponding parameters. Automating the assembly and use of systems biology models is dependent upon data integration processes involving the interoperation of data and analytical resources. Taverna workflows have been developed for the automated assembly of quantitative parameterised metabolic networks in the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML). A SBML model is built in a systematic fashion by the workflows which starts with the construction of a qualitative network using data from a MIRIAM-compliant genome-scale model of yeast metabolism. This is followed by parameterisation of the SBML model with experimental data from two repositories, the SABIO-RK enzyme kinetics database and a database of quantitative experimental results. The models are then calibrated and simulated in workflows that call out to COPASIWS, the web service interface to the COPASI software application for analysing biochemical networks. These systems biology workflows were evaluated for their ability to construct a parameterised model of yeast glycolysis. Distributed information about metabolic reactions that have been described to MIRIAM standards enables the automated assembly of quantitative systems biology models of metabolic networks based on user-defined criteria. Such data integration processes can be implemented as Taverna workflows to provide a rapid overview of the components and their relationships within a biochemical system.

  14. Complete Genome Sequence of Germline Chromosomally Integrated Human Herpesvirus 6A and Analyses Integration Sites Define a New Human Endogenous Virus with Potential to Reactivate as an Emerging Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tweedy, Joshua; Spyrou, Maria Alexandra; Pearson, Max; Lassner, Dirk; Kuhl, Uwe; Gompels, Ursula A.

    2016-01-01

    Human herpesvirus-6A and B (HHV-6A, HHV-6B) have recently defined endogenous genomes, resulting from integration into the germline: chromosomally-integrated “CiHHV-6A/B”. These affect approximately 1.0% of human populations, giving potential for virus gene expression in every cell. We previously showed that CiHHV-6A was more divergent than CiHHV-6B by examining four genes in 44 European CiHHV-6A/B cardiac/haematology patients. There was evidence for gene expression/reactivation, implying functional non-defective genomes. To further define the relationship between HHV-6A and CiHHV-6A we used next-generation sequencing to characterize genomes from three CiHHV-6A cardiac patients. Comparisons to known exogenous HHV-6A showed CiHHV-6A genomes formed a separate clade; including all 85 non-interrupted genes and necessary cis-acting signals for reactivation as infectious virus. Greater single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density was defined in 16 genes and the direct repeats (DR) terminal regions. Using these SNPs, deep sequencing analyses demonstrated superinfection with exogenous HHV-6A in two of the CiHHV-6A patients with recurrent cardiac disease. Characterisation of the integration sites in twelve patients identified the human chromosome 17p subtelomere as a prevalent site, which had specific repeat structures and phylogenetically related CiHHV-6A coding sequences indicating common ancestral origins. Overall CiHHV-6A genomes were similar, but distinct from known exogenous HHV-6A virus, and have the capacity to reactivate as emerging virus infections. PMID:26784220

  15. A robust network of double-strand break repair pathways governs genome integrity during C. elegans development.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pontier, D.B.; Tijsterman, M.

    2009-01-01

    To preserve genomic integrity, various mechanisms have evolved to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Depending on cell type or cell cycle phase, DSBs can be repaired error-free, by homologous recombination, or with concomitant loss of sequence information, via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ)

  16. metabolicMine: an integrated genomics, genetics and proteomics data warehouse for common metabolic disease research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyne, Mike; Smith, Richard N; Lyne, Rachel; Aleksic, Jelena; Hu, Fengyuan; Kalderimis, Alex; Stepan, Radek; Micklem, Gos

    2013-01-01

    Common metabolic and endocrine diseases such as diabetes affect millions of people worldwide and have a major health impact, frequently leading to complications and mortality. In a search for better prevention and treatment, there is ongoing research into the underlying molecular and genetic bases of these complex human diseases, as well as into the links with risk factors such as obesity. Although an increasing number of relevant genomic and proteomic data sets have become available, the quantity and diversity of the data make their efficient exploitation challenging. Here, we present metabolicMine, a data warehouse with a specific focus on the genomics, genetics and proteomics of common metabolic diseases. Developed in collaboration with leading UK metabolic disease groups, metabolicMine integrates data sets from a range of experiments and model organisms alongside tools for exploring them. The current version brings together information covering genes, proteins, orthologues, interactions, gene expression, pathways, ontologies, diseases, genome-wide association studies and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Although the emphasis is on human data, key data sets from mouse and rat are included. These are complemented by interoperation with the RatMine rat genomics database, with a corresponding mouse version under development by the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) group. The web interface contains a number of features including keyword search, a library of Search Forms, the QueryBuilder and list analysis tools. This provides researchers with many different ways to analyse, view and flexibly export data. Programming interfaces and automatic code generation in several languages are supported, and many of the features of the web interface are available through web services. The combination of diverse data sets integrated with analysis tools and a powerful query system makes metabolicMine a valuable research resource. The web interface makes it accessible to first

  17. Genome Modeling System: A Knowledge Management Platform for Genomics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malachi Griffith

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we present the Genome Modeling System (GMS, an analysis information management system capable of executing automated genome analysis pipelines at a massive scale. The GMS framework provides detailed tracking of samples and data coupled with reliable and repeatable analysis pipelines. The GMS also serves as a platform for bioinformatics development, allowing a large team to collaborate on data analysis, or an individual researcher to leverage the work of others effectively within its data management system. Rather than separating ad-hoc analysis from rigorous, reproducible pipelines, the GMS promotes systematic integration between the two. As a demonstration of the GMS, we performed an integrated analysis of whole genome, exome and transcriptome sequencing data from a breast cancer cell line (HCC1395 and matched lymphoblastoid line (HCC1395BL. These data are available for users to test the software, complete tutorials and develop novel GMS pipeline configurations. The GMS is available at https://github.com/genome/gms.

  18. Genomic and non-genomic effects of androgens in the cardiovascular system: clinical implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas-Herald, Angela K; Alves-Lopes, Rheure; Montezano, Augusto C; Ahmed, S Faisal; Touyz, Rhian M

    2017-07-01

    The principle steroidal androgens are testosterone and its metabolite 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is converted from testosterone by the enzyme 5α-reductase. Through the classic pathway with androgens crossing the plasma membrane and binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or via mechanisms independent of the ligand-dependent transactivation function of nuclear receptors, testosterone induces genomic and non-genomic effects respectively. AR is widely distributed in several tissues, including vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Androgens are essential for many developmental and physiological processes, especially in male reproductive tissues. It is now clear that androgens have multiple actions besides sex differentiation and sexual maturation and that many physiological systems are influenced by androgens, including regulation of cardiovascular function [nitric oxide (NO) release, Ca 2+ mobilization, vascular apoptosis, hypertrophy, calcification, senescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation]. This review focuses on evidence indicating that interplay between genomic and non-genomic actions of testosterone may influence cardiovascular function. © 2017 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  19. Use of Modern Chemical Protein Synthesis and Advanced Fluorescent Assay Techniques to Experimentally Validate the Functional Annotation of Microbial Genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kent, Stephen [University of Chicago

    2012-07-20

    The objective of this research program was to prototype methods for the chemical synthesis of predicted protein molecules in annotated microbial genomes. High throughput chemical methods were to be used to make large numbers of predicted proteins and protein domains, based on microbial genome sequences. Microscale chemical synthesis methods for the parallel preparation of peptide-thioester building blocks were developed; these peptide segments are used for the parallel chemical synthesis of proteins and protein domains. Ultimately, it is envisaged that these synthetic molecules would be ‘printed’ in spatially addressable arrays. The unique ability of total synthesis to precision label protein molecules with dyes and with chemical or biochemical ‘tags’ can be used to facilitate novel assay technologies adapted from state-of-the art single molecule fluorescence detection techniques. In the future, in conjunction with modern laboratory automation this integrated set of techniques will enable high throughput experimental validation of the functional annotation of microbial genomes.

  20. Statistical Viewer: a tool to upload and integrate linkage and association data as plots displayed within the Ensembl genome browser

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hauser Elizabeth R

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To facilitate efficient selection and the prioritization of candidate complex disease susceptibility genes for association analysis, increasingly comprehensive annotation tools are essential to integrate, visualize and analyze vast quantities of disparate data generated by genomic screens, public human genome sequence annotation and ancillary biological databases. We have developed a plug-in package for Ensembl called "Statistical Viewer" that facilitates the analysis of genomic features and annotation in the regions of interest defined by linkage analysis. Results Statistical Viewer is an add-on package to the open-source Ensembl Genome Browser and Annotation System that displays disease study-specific linkage and/or association data as 2 dimensional plots in new panels in the context of Ensembl's Contig View and Cyto View pages. An enhanced upload server facilitates the upload of statistical data, as well as additional feature annotation to be displayed in DAS tracts, in the form of Excel Files. The Statistical View panel, drawn directly under the ideogram, illustrates lod score values for markers from a study of interest that are plotted against their position in base pairs. A module called "Get Map" easily converts the genetic locations of markers to genomic coordinates. The graph is placed under the corresponding ideogram features a synchronized vertical sliding selection box that is seamlessly integrated into Ensembl's Contig- and Cyto- View pages to choose the region to be displayed in Ensembl's "Overview" and "Detailed View" panels. To resolve Association and Fine mapping data plots, a "Detailed Statistic View" plot corresponding to the "Detailed View" may be displayed underneath. Conclusion Features mapping to regions of linkage are accentuated when Statistic View is used in conjunction with the Distributed Annotation System (DAS to display supplemental laboratory information such as differentially expressed disease

  1. Microenvironmental Heterogeneity Parallels Breast Cancer Progression: A Histology-Genomic Integration Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachael Natrajan

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The intra-tumor diversity of cancer cells is under intense investigation; however, little is known about the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment that is key to cancer progression and evolution. We aimed to assess the degree of microenvironmental heterogeneity in breast cancer and correlate this with genomic and clinical parameters.We developed a quantitative measure of microenvironmental heterogeneity along three spatial dimensions (3-D in solid tumors, termed the tumor ecosystem diversity index (EDI, using fully automated histology image analysis coupled with statistical measures commonly used in ecology. This measure was compared with disease-specific survival, key mutations, genome-wide copy number, and expression profiling data in a retrospective study of 510 breast cancer patients as a test set and 516 breast cancer patients as an independent validation set. In high-grade (grade 3 breast cancers, we uncovered a striking link between high microenvironmental heterogeneity measured by EDI and a poor prognosis that cannot be explained by tumor size, genomics, or any other data types. However, this association was not observed in low-grade (grade 1 and 2 breast cancers. The prognostic value of EDI was superior to known prognostic factors and was enhanced with the addition of TP53 mutation status (multivariate analysis test set, p = 9 × 10-4, hazard ratio = 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.84; validation set, p = 0.0011, hazard ratio = 1.78, 95% CI 1.26-2.52. Integration with genome-wide profiling data identified losses of specific genes on 4p14 and 5q13 that were enriched in grade 3 tumors with high microenvironmental diversity that also substratified patients into poor prognostic groups. Limitations of this study include the number of cell types included in the model, that EDI has prognostic value only in grade 3 tumors, and that our spatial heterogeneity measure was dependent on spatial scale and tumor size.To our knowledge, this is the first

  2. Comprehensive analyses of genomes, transcriptomes and metabolites of neem tree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagesh A. Kuravadi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss is one of the most versatile tropical evergreen tree species known in India since the Vedic period (1500 BC–600 BC. Neem tree is a rich source of limonoids, having a wide spectrum of activity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Complex tetranortriterpenoids such as azadirachtin, salanin and nimbin are the major active principles isolated from neem seed. Absolutely nothing is known about the biochemical pathways of these metabolites in neem tree. To identify genes and pathways in neem, we sequenced neem genomes and transcriptomes using next generation sequencing technologies. Assembly of Illumina and 454 sequencing reads resulted in 267 Mb, which accounts for 70% of estimated size of neem genome. We predicted 44,495 genes in the neem genome, of which 32,278 genes were expressed in neem tissues. Neem genome consists about 32.5% (87 Mb of repetitive DNA elements. Neem tree is phylogenetically related to citrus, Citrus sinensis. Comparative analysis anchored 62% (161 Mb of assembled neem genomic contigs onto citrus chromomes. Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected reaction monitoring (UHPLC-MS/SRM method was used to quantify azadirachtin, nimbin, and salanin from neem tissues. Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WCGNA of expressed genes and metabolites resulted in identification of possible candidate genes involved in azadirachtin biosynthesis pathway. This study provides genomic, transcriptomic and quantity of top three neem metabolites resource, which will accelerate basic research in neem to understand biochemical pathways.

  3. Comprehensive analyses of genomes, transcriptomes and metabolites of neem tree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangiah, Kannan; Mahesh, HB; Rajamani, Anantharamanan; Shirke, Meghana D.; Russiachand, Heikham; Loganathan, Ramya Malarini; Shankara Lingu, Chandana; Siddappa, Shilpa; Ramamurthy, Aishwarya; Sathyanarayana, BN

    2015-01-01

    Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is one of the most versatile tropical evergreen tree species known in India since the Vedic period (1500 BC–600 BC). Neem tree is a rich source of limonoids, having a wide spectrum of activity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Complex tetranortriterpenoids such as azadirachtin, salanin and nimbin are the major active principles isolated from neem seed. Absolutely nothing is known about the biochemical pathways of these metabolites in neem tree. To identify genes and pathways in neem, we sequenced neem genomes and transcriptomes using next generation sequencing technologies. Assembly of Illumina and 454 sequencing reads resulted in 267 Mb, which accounts for 70% of estimated size of neem genome. We predicted 44,495 genes in the neem genome, of which 32,278 genes were expressed in neem tissues. Neem genome consists about 32.5% (87 Mb) of repetitive DNA elements. Neem tree is phylogenetically related to citrus, Citrus sinensis. Comparative analysis anchored 62% (161 Mb) of assembled neem genomic contigs onto citrus chromomes. Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected reaction monitoring (UHPLC-MS/SRM) method was used to quantify azadirachtin, nimbin, and salanin from neem tissues. Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WCGNA) of expressed genes and metabolites resulted in identification of possible candidate genes involved in azadirachtin biosynthesis pathway. This study provides genomic, transcriptomic and quantity of top three neem metabolites resource, which will accelerate basic research in neem to understand biochemical pathways. PMID:26290780

  4. A statistical framework to predict functional non-coding regions in the human genome through integrated analysis of annotation data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Qiongshi; Hu, Yiming; Sun, Jiehuan; Cheng, Yuwei; Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Zhao, Hongyu

    2015-05-27

    Identifying functional regions in the human genome is a major goal in human genetics. Great efforts have been made to functionally annotate the human genome either through computational predictions, such as genomic conservation, or high-throughput experiments, such as the ENCODE project. These efforts have resulted in a rich collection of functional annotation data of diverse types that need to be jointly analyzed for integrated interpretation and annotation. Here we present GenoCanyon, a whole-genome annotation method that performs unsupervised statistical learning using 22 computational and experimental annotations thereby inferring the functional potential of each position in the human genome. With GenoCanyon, we are able to predict many of the known functional regions. The ability of predicting functional regions as well as its generalizable statistical framework makes GenoCanyon a unique and powerful tool for whole-genome annotation. The GenoCanyon web server is available at http://genocanyon.med.yale.edu.

  5. The catfish genome database cBARBEL: an informatic platform for genome biology of ictalurid catfish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jianguo; Peatman, Eric; Yang, Qing; Wang, Shaolin; Hu, Zhiliang; Reecy, James; Kucuktas, Huseyin; Liu, Zhanjiang

    2011-01-01

    The catfish genome database, cBARBEL (abbreviated from catfish Breeder And Researcher Bioinformatics Entry Location) is an online open-access database for genome biology of ictalurid catfish (Ictalurus spp.). It serves as a comprehensive, integrative platform for all aspects of catfish genetics, genomics and related data resources. cBARBEL provides BLAST-based, fuzzy and specific search functions, visualization of catfish linkage, physical and integrated maps, a catfish EST contig viewer with SNP information overlay, and GBrowse-based organization of catfish genomic data based on sequence similarity with zebrafish chromosomes. Subsections of the database are tightly related, allowing a user with a sequence or search string of interest to navigate seamlessly from one area to another. As catfish genome sequencing proceeds and ongoing quantitative trait loci (QTL) projects bear fruit, cBARBEL will allow rapid data integration and dissemination within the catfish research community and to interested stakeholders. cBARBEL can be accessed at http://catfishgenome.org.

  6. The openness of pluripotent epigenome - Defining the genomic integrity of stemness for regenerative medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuejun H Parsons

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This article is an editorial, and it doesn't include an abstract. Full text of this article is available in HTML and PDF.Cite this article as: Parsons XH. The openness of pluripotent epigenome - Defining the genomic Integrity of stemness for regenerative medicine. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(1:020114.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14319/ijcto.0201.14

  7. Escherichia coli under Ionic Silver Stress: An Integrative Approach to Explore Transcriptional, Physiological and Biochemical Responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire Saulou-Bérion

    Full Text Available For a better understanding of the systemic effect of sub-lethal micromolar concentrations of ionic silver on Escherichia coli, we performed a multi-level characterization of cells under Ag+-mediated stress using an integrative biology approach combining physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic data. Physiological parameters, namely bacterial growth and survival after Ag+ exposure, were first quantified and related to the accumulation of intracellular silver, probed for the first time by nano secondary ion mass spectroscopy at sub-micrometer lateral resolution. Modifications in E. coli biochemical composition were evaluated under Ag+-mediated stress by in situ synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy and a comprehensive transcriptome response was also determined. Using multivariate statistics, correlations between the physiological parameters, the extracellular concentration of AgNO3 and the intracellular silver content, gene expression profiles and micro-spectroscopic data were investigated. We identified Ag+-dependent regulation of gene expression required for growth (e.g. transporter genes, transcriptional regulators, ribosomal proteins, for ionic silver transport and detoxification (e.g. copA, cueO, mgtA, nhaR and for coping with various types of stress (dnaK, pspA, metA,R, oxidoreductase genes. The silver-induced shortening of the acyl chain of fatty acids, mostly encountered in cell membrane, was highlighted by microspectroscopy and correlated with the down-regulated expression of genes involved in fatty acid transport (fadL and synthesis/modification of lipid A (lpxA and arnA. The increase in the disordered secondary structure of proteins in the presence of Ag+ was assessed through the conformational shift shown for amides I and II, and further correlated with the up-regulated expression of peptidase (hfq and chaperone (dnaJ, and regulation of transpeptidase expression (ycfS and ycbB. Interestingly, as these

  8. FISH Oracle 2: a web server for integrative visualization of genomic data in cancer research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mader, Malte; Simon, Ronald; Kurtz, Stefan

    2014-03-31

    A comprehensive view on all relevant genomic data is instrumental for understanding the complex patterns of molecular alterations typically found in cancer cells. One of the most effective ways to rapidly obtain an overview of genomic alterations in large amounts of genomic data is the integrative visualization of genomic events. We developed FISH Oracle 2, a web server for the interactive visualization of different kinds of downstream processed genomics data typically available in cancer research. A powerful search interface and a fast visualization engine provide a highly interactive visualization for such data. High quality image export enables the life scientist to easily communicate their results. A comprehensive data administration allows to keep track of the available data sets. We applied FISH Oracle 2 to published data and found evidence that, in colorectal cancer cells, the gene TTC28 may be inactivated in two different ways, a fact that has not been published before. The interactive nature of FISH Oracle 2 and the possibility to store, select and visualize large amounts of downstream processed data support life scientists in generating hypotheses. The export of high quality images supports explanatory data visualization, simplifying the communication of new biological findings. A FISH Oracle 2 demo server and the software is available at http://www.zbh.uni-hamburg.de/fishoracle.

  9. Mammalian cells exposed to ionizing radiation: structural and biochemical aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabanero, M.; Flores V, L. L.; Azorin V, J. C.; Vallejo, M. A.; Cordova F, T.; Sosa A, M.; Castruita D, J. P.; Barbosa S, G.

    2015-10-01

    Acute or chronic exposure to ionizing radiation is a factor that may be hazardous to health. It has been reported that exposure to low doses of radiation (less than 50 mSv / year) and subsequently exposure to high doses have greater effects in people. However, it is unknown molecular and biochemical level alteration. This study, analyzes the susceptibility of a biological system (HeLa Atcc CCL-2 human cervix cancer cell line) to ionizing radiation (6 and 60 mSv/ 90). Our evaluate multiple variables such as: total protein profile, mitochondrial metabolic activity (XTT assay), cell viability (Trypan blue exclusion assay), cytoskeleton (actin micro filaments), nuclei (D API), genomic DNA. The results indicate, that cells exposed to ionizing radiation structurally show alterations in nuclear phenotype and aneuploidy, further disruption in the tight junctions and consequently on the distribution of actin micro filaments. Similar alterations were observed in cells treated with a genotoxic agent (200μM H 2 O 2 /1 h). In conclusion, this multi-criteria assessment enables precise comparisons of the effects of radiation between any biological systems. However, it is necessary to determine stress markers for integration of the effects of ionizing radiation. (Author)

  10. Mammalian cells exposed to ionizing radiation: structural and biochemical aspects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sabanero, M.; Flores V, L. L. [Universidad de Guanajuato, Departamento de Biologia, DCNE, Noria Alta s/n, 36250 Guanajuato, Gto. (Mexico); Azorin V, J. C.; Vallejo, M. A.; Cordova F, T.; Sosa A, M. [Universidad de Guanajuato, Departamento de Ingenieria Fisica, DCI, Loma del Bosque 103, Col. Lomas del Campestre, 37150 Leon, Guanajuato (Mexico); Castruita D, J. P. [Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Ecologia, CUCBA, Las Agujas, 45100 Zapopan, Jalisco (Mexico); Barbosa S, G., E-mail: myrna.sabanero@gmail.com [Universidad de Guanajuato, Departamento de Ciencias Medicas, DCS, 20 de Enero No. 929, Col. Obregon, 37000 Leon, Guanajuato (Mexico)

    2015-10-15

    Acute or chronic exposure to ionizing radiation is a factor that may be hazardous to health. It has been reported that exposure to low doses of radiation (less than 50 mSv / year) and subsequently exposure to high doses have greater effects in people. However, it is unknown molecular and biochemical level alteration. This study, analyzes the susceptibility of a biological system (HeLa Atcc CCL-2 human cervix cancer cell line) to ionizing radiation (6 and 60 mSv/ 90). Our evaluate multiple variables such as: total protein profile, mitochondrial metabolic activity (XTT assay), cell viability (Trypan blue exclusion assay), cytoskeleton (actin micro filaments), nuclei (D API), genomic DNA. The results indicate, that cells exposed to ionizing radiation structurally show alterations in nuclear phenotype and aneuploidy, further disruption in the tight junctions and consequently on the distribution of actin micro filaments. Similar alterations were observed in cells treated with a genotoxic agent (200μM H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/1 h). In conclusion, this multi-criteria assessment enables precise comparisons of the effects of radiation between any biological systems. However, it is necessary to determine stress markers for integration of the effects of ionizing radiation. (Author)

  11. Toward allotetraploid cotton genome assembly: integration of a high-density molecular genetic linkage map with DNA sequence information

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Cotton is the world’s most important natural textile fiber and a significant oilseed crop. Decoding cotton genomes will provide the ultimate reference and resource for research and utilization of the species. Integration of high-density genetic maps with genomic sequence information will largely accelerate the process of whole-genome assembly in cotton. Results In this paper, we update a high-density interspecific genetic linkage map of allotetraploid cultivated cotton. An additional 1,167 marker loci have been added to our previously published map of 2,247 loci. Three new marker types, InDel (insertion-deletion) and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) developed from gene information, and REMAP (retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism), were used to increase map density. The updated map consists of 3,414 loci in 26 linkage groups covering 3,667.62 cM with an average inter-locus distance of 1.08 cM. Furthermore, genome-wide sequence analysis was finished using 3,324 informative sequence-based markers and publicly-available Gossypium DNA sequence information. A total of 413,113 EST and 195 BAC sequences were physically anchored and clustered by 3,324 sequence-based markers. Of these, 14,243 ESTs and 188 BACs from different species of Gossypium were clustered and specifically anchored to the high-density genetic map. A total of 2,748 candidate unigenes from 2,111 ESTs clusters and 63 BACs were mined for functional annotation and classification. The 337 ESTs/genes related to fiber quality traits were integrated with 132 previously reported cotton fiber quality quantitative trait loci, which demonstrated the important roles in fiber quality of these genes. Higher-level sequence conservation between different cotton species and between the A- and D-subgenomes in tetraploid cotton was found, indicating a common evolutionary origin for orthologous and paralogous loci in Gossypium. Conclusion This study will serve as a valuable genomic resource

  12. Inter-replicon Gene Flow Contributes to Transcriptional Integration in the Sinorhizobium meliloti Multipartite Genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    diCenzo, George C; Wellappili, Deelaka; Golding, G Brian; Finan, Turlough M

    2018-05-04

    Integration of newly acquired genes into existing regulatory networks is necessary for successful horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Ten percent of bacterial species contain at least two DNA replicons over 300 kilobases in size, with the secondary replicons derived predominately through HGT. The Sinorhizobium meliloti genome is split between a 3.7 Mb chromosome, a 1.7 Mb chromid consisting largely of genes acquired through ancient HGT, and a 1.4 Mb megaplasmid consisting primarily of recently acquired genes. Here, RNA-sequencing is used to examine the transcriptional consequences of massive, synthetic genome reduction produced through the removal of the megaplasmid and/or the chromid. Removal of the pSymA megaplasmid influenced the transcription of only six genes. In contrast, removal of the chromid influenced expression of ∼8% of chromosomal genes and ∼4% of megaplasmid genes. This was mediated in part by the loss of the ETR DNA region whose presence on pSymB is due to a translocation from the chromosome. No obvious functional bias among the up-regulated genes was detected, although genes with putative homologs on the chromid were enriched. Down-regulated genes were enriched in motility and sensory transduction pathways. Four transcripts were examined further, and in each case the transcriptional change could be traced to loss of specific pSymB regions. In particularly, a chromosomal transporter was induced due to deletion of bdhA likely mediated through 3-hydroxybutyrate accumulation. These data provide new insights into the evolution of the multipartite bacterial genome, and more generally into the integration of horizontally acquired genes into the transcriptome. Copyright © 2018 diCenzo, et al.

  13. Inter-replicon Gene Flow Contributes to Transcriptional Integration in the Sinorhizobium meliloti Multipartite Genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George C. diCenzo

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Integration of newly acquired genes into existing regulatory networks is necessary for successful horizontal gene transfer (HGT. Ten percent of bacterial species contain at least two DNA replicons over 300 kilobases in size, with the secondary replicons derived predominately through HGT. The Sinorhizobium meliloti genome is split between a 3.7 Mb chromosome, a 1.7 Mb chromid consisting largely of genes acquired through ancient HGT, and a 1.4 Mb megaplasmid consisting primarily of recently acquired genes. Here, RNA-sequencing is used to examine the transcriptional consequences of massive, synthetic genome reduction produced through the removal of the megaplasmid and/or the chromid. Removal of the pSymA megaplasmid influenced the transcription of only six genes. In contrast, removal of the chromid influenced expression of ∼8% of chromosomal genes and ∼4% of megaplasmid genes. This was mediated in part by the loss of the ETR DNA region whose presence on pSymB is due to a translocation from the chromosome. No obvious functional bias among the up-regulated genes was detected, although genes with putative homologs on the chromid were enriched. Down-regulated genes were enriched in motility and sensory transduction pathways. Four transcripts were examined further, and in each case the transcriptional change could be traced to loss of specific pSymB regions. In particularly, a chromosomal transporter was induced due to deletion of bdhA likely mediated through 3-hydroxybutyrate accumulation. These data provide new insights into the evolution of the multipartite bacterial genome, and more generally into the integration of horizontally acquired genes into the transcriptome.

  14. Integrated genomic and interfacility patient-transfer data reveal the transmission pathways of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a regional outbreak.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snitkin, Evan S; Won, Sarah; Pirani, Ali; Lapp, Zena; Weinstein, Robert A; Lolans, Karen; Hayden, Mary K

    2017-11-22

    Development of effective strategies to limit the proliferation of multidrug-resistant organisms requires a thorough understanding of how such organisms spread among health care facilities. We sought to uncover the chains of transmission underlying a 2008 U.S. regional outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae by performing an integrated analysis of genomic and interfacility patient-transfer data. Genomic analysis yielded a high-resolution transmission network that assigned directionality to regional transmission events and discriminated between intra- and interfacility transmission when epidemiologic data were ambiguous or misleading. Examining the genomic transmission network in the context of interfacility patient transfers (patient-sharing networks) supported the role of patient transfers in driving the outbreak, with genomic analysis revealing that a small subset of patient-transfer events was sufficient to explain regional spread. Further integration of the genomic and patient-sharing networks identified one nursing home as an important bridge facility early in the outbreak-a role that was not apparent from analysis of genomic or patient-transfer data alone. Last, we found that when simulating a real-time regional outbreak, our methodology was able to accurately infer the facility at which patients acquired their infections. This approach has the potential to identify facilities with high rates of intra- or interfacility transmission, data that will be useful for triggering targeted interventions to prevent further spread of multidrug-resistant organisms. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  15. Integrative computational approach for genome-based study of microbial lipid-degrading enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vorapreeda, Tayvich; Thammarongtham, Chinae; Laoteng, Kobkul

    2016-07-01

    Lipid-degrading or lipolytic enzymes have gained enormous attention in academic and industrial sectors. Several efforts are underway to discover new lipase enzymes from a variety of microorganisms with particular catalytic properties to be used for extensive applications. In addition, various tools and strategies have been implemented to unravel the functional relevance of the versatile lipid-degrading enzymes for special purposes. This review highlights the study of microbial lipid-degrading enzymes through an integrative computational approach. The identification of putative lipase genes from microbial genomes and metagenomic libraries using homology-based mining is discussed, with an emphasis on sequence analysis of conserved motifs and enzyme topology. Molecular modelling of three-dimensional structure on the basis of sequence similarity is shown to be a potential approach for exploring the structural and functional relationships of candidate lipase enzymes. The perspectives on a discriminative framework of cutting-edge tools and technologies, including bioinformatics, computational biology, functional genomics and functional proteomics, intended to facilitate rapid progress in understanding lipolysis mechanism and to discover novel lipid-degrading enzymes of microorganisms are discussed.

  16. Genome Variation Map: a data repository of genome variations in BIG Data Center

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Shuhui; Tian, Dongmei; Li, Cuiping; Tang, Bixia; Dong, Lili; Xiao, Jingfa; Bao, Yiming; Zhao, Wenming; He, Hang; Zhang, Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The Genome Variation Map (GVM; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gvm/) is a public data repository of genome variations. As a core resource in the BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, GVM dedicates to collect, integrate and visualize genome variations for a wide range of species, accepts submissions of different types of genome variations from all over the world and provides free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research a...

  17. DNA double-strand break response in stem cells: mechanisms to maintain genomic integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagaria, Pratik; Robert, Carine; Rassool, Feyruz V

    2013-02-01

    Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent the point of origin of all cells in a given organism and must protect their genomes from both endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stress. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of damage, and failure to adequately repair DSBs would not only compromise the ability of SCs to self-renew and differentiate, but will also lead to genomic instability and disease. Herein, we describe the mechanisms by which ESCs respond to DSB-inducing agents such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ionizing radiation, compared to somatic cells. We will also discuss whether the DSB response is fully reprogrammed in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the role of the DNA damage response (DDR) in the reprogramming of these cells. ESCs have distinct mechanisms to protect themselves against DSBs and oxidative stress compared to somatic cells. The response to damage and stress is crucial for the maintenance of self-renewal and differentiation capacity in SCs. iPSCs appear to reprogram some of the responses to genotoxic stress. However, it remains to be determined if iPSCs also retain some DDR characteristics of the somatic cells of origin. The mechanisms regulating the genomic integrity in ESCs and iPSCs are critical for its safe use in regenerative medicine and may shed light on the pathways and factors that maintain genomic stability, preventing diseases such as cancer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biochemistry of Stem Cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Integrative Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of the Response of Lactobacillus casei Zhang to Glucose Restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jie; Hui, Wenyan; Cao, Chenxia; Pan, Lin; Zhang, Heping; Zhang, Wenyi

    2018-03-02

    Nutrient starvation is an important survival challenge for bacteria during industrial production of functional foods. As next-generation sequencing technology has greatly advanced, we performed proteomic and genomic analysis to investigate the response of Lactobacillus casei Zhang to a glucose-restricted environment. L. casei Zhang strains were permitted to evolve in glucose-restricted or normal medium from a common ancestor over a 3 year period, and they were sampled at 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, and 8000 generations and subjected to proteomic and genomic analyses. Genomic resequencing data revealed different point mutations and other mutational events in each selected generation of L. casei Zhang under glucose restriction stress. The differentially expressed proteins induced by glucose restriction were mostly related to fructose and mannose metabolism, carbohydrate metabolic processes, lyase activity, and amino-acid-transporting ATPase activity. Integrative proteomic and genomic analysis revealed that the mutations protected L. casei Zhang against glucose starvation by regulating other cellular carbohydrate, fatty acid, and amino acid catabolism; phosphoenolpyruvate system pathway activation; glycogen synthesis; ATP consumption; pyruvate metabolism; and general stress-response protein expression. The results help reveal the mechanisms of adapting to glucose starvation and provide new strategies for enhancing the industrial utility of L. casei Zhang.

  19. Integrative Genomics Reveals Mechanisms of Copy Number Alterations Responsible for Transcriptional Deregulation in Colorectal Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camps, Jordi; Nguyen, Quang Tri; Padilla-Nash, Hesed M.; Knutsen, Turid; McNeil, Nicole E.; Wangsa, Danny; Hummon, Amanda B.; Grade, Marian; Ried, Thomas; Difilippantonio, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the mechanisms and consequences of chromosomal aberrations in colorectal cancer (CRC), we used a combination of spectral karyotyping, array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), and array-based global gene expression profiling on 31 primary carcinomas and 15 established cell lines. Importantly, aCGH showed that the genomic profiles of primary tumors are recapitulated in the cell lines. We revealed a preponderance of chromosome breakpoints at sites of copy number variants (CNVs) in the CRC cell lines, a novel mechanism of DNA breakage in cancer. The integration of gene expression and aCGH led to the identification of 157 genes localized within high-level copy number changes whose transcriptional deregulation was significantly affected across all of the samples, thereby suggesting that these genes play a functional role in CRC. Genomic amplification at 8q24 was the most recurrent event and led to the overexpression of MYC and FAM84B. Copy number dependent gene expression resulted in deregulation of known cancer genes such as APC, FGFR2, and ERBB2. The identification of only 36 genes whose localization near a breakpoint could account for their observed deregulated expression demonstrates that the major mechanism for transcriptional deregulation in CRC is genomic copy number changes resulting from chromosomal aberrations. PMID:19691111

  20. A MULTILAYER BIOCHEMICAL DRY DEPOSITION MODEL 1. MODEL FORMULATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    A multilayer biochemical dry deposition model has been developed based on the NOAA Multilayer Model (MLM) to study gaseous exchanges between the soil, plants, and the atmosphere. Most of the parameterizations and submodels have been updated or replaced. The numerical integration ...

  1. Exploratory analysis of genomic segmentations with Segtools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Buske Orion J

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As genome-wide experiments and annotations become more prevalent, researchers increasingly require tools to help interpret data at this scale. Many functional genomics experiments involve partitioning the genome into labeled segments, such that segments sharing the same label exhibit one or more biochemical or functional traits. For example, a collection of ChlP-seq experiments yields a compendium of peaks, each labeled with one or more associated DNA-binding proteins. Similarly, manually or automatically generated annotations of functional genomic elements, including cis-regulatory modules and protein-coding or RNA genes, can also be summarized as genomic segmentations. Results We present a software toolkit called Segtools that simplifies and automates the exploration of genomic segmentations. The software operates as a series of interacting tools, each of which provides one mode of summarization. These various tools can be pipelined and summarized in a single HTML page. We describe the Segtools toolkit and demonstrate its use in interpreting a collection of human histone modification data sets and Plasmodium falciparum local chromatin structure data sets. Conclusions Segtools provides a convenient, powerful means of interpreting a genomic segmentation.

  2. The MedSeq Project: a randomized trial of integrating whole genome sequencing into clinical medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassy, Jason L; Lautenbach, Denise M; McLaughlin, Heather M; Kong, Sek Won; Christensen, Kurt D; Krier, Joel; Kohane, Isaac S; Feuerman, Lindsay Z; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; Roberts, J Scott; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Ho, Carolyn Y; Ubel, Peter A; MacRae, Calum A; Seidman, Christine E; Murray, Michael F; McGuire, Amy L; Rehm, Heidi L; Green, Robert C

    2014-03-20

    illuminate the impact of integrating genomic medicine into the clinical care of patients but also inform the design of future studies. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01736566.

  3. Genomics in Public Health: Perspective from the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Ridgely Fisk; Dotson, W David; Bowen, Scott; Kolor, Katherine; Khoury, Muin J

    2015-01-01

    The national effort to use genomic knowledge to save lives is gaining momentum, as illustrated by the inclusion of genomics in key public health initiatives, including Healthy People 2020, and the recent launch of the precision medicine initiative. The Office of Public Health Genomics (OPHG) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partners with state public health departments and others to advance the translation of genome-based discoveries into disease prevention and population health. To do this, OPHG has adopted an "identify, inform, and integrate" model: identify evidence-based genomic applications ready for implementation, inform stakeholders about these applications, and integrate these applications into public health at the local, state, and national level. This paper addresses current and future work at OPHG for integrating genomics into public health programs.

  4. Genome Maps, a new generation genome browser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, Ignacio; Salavert, Francisco; Sanchez, Rubén; de Maria, Alejandro; Alonso, Roberto; Escobar, Pablo; Bleda, Marta; Dopazo, Joaquín

    2013-07-01

    Genome browsers have gained importance as more genomes and related genomic information become available. However, the increase of information brought about by new generation sequencing technologies is, at the same time, causing a subtle but continuous decrease in the efficiency of conventional genome browsers. Here, we present Genome Maps, a genome browser that implements an innovative model of data transfer and management. The program uses highly efficient technologies from the new HTML5 standard, such as scalable vector graphics, that optimize workloads at both server and client sides and ensure future scalability. Thus, data management and representation are entirely carried out by the browser, without the need of any Java Applet, Flash or other plug-in technology installation. Relevant biological data on genes, transcripts, exons, regulatory features, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, karyotype and so forth, are imported from web services and are available as tracks. In addition, several DAS servers are already included in Genome Maps. As a novelty, this web-based genome browser allows the local upload of huge genomic data files (e.g. VCF or BAM) that can be dynamically visualized in real time at the client side, thus facilitating the management of medical data affected by privacy restrictions. Finally, Genome Maps can easily be integrated in any web application by including only a few lines of code. Genome Maps is an open source collaborative initiative available in the GitHub repository (https://github.com/compbio-bigdata-viz/genome-maps). Genome Maps is available at: http://www.genomemaps.org.

  5. Development of an integrated genome informatics, data management and workflow infrastructure: A toolbox for the study of complex disease genetics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burren Oliver S

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The genetic dissection of complex disease remains a significant challenge. Sample-tracking and the recording, processing and storage of high-throughput laboratory data with public domain data, require integration of databases, genome informatics and genetic analyses in an easily updated and scaleable format. To find genes involved in multifactorial diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D, chromosome regions are defined based on functional candidate gene content, linkage information from humans and animal model mapping information. For each region, genomic information is extracted from Ensembl, converted and loaded into ACeDB for manual gene annotation. Homology information is examined using ACeDB tools and the gene structure verified. Manually curated genes are extracted from ACeDB and read into the feature database, which holds relevant local genomic feature data and an audit trail of laboratory investigations. Public domain information, manually curated genes, polymorphisms, primers, linkage and association analyses, with links to our genotyping database, are shown in Gbrowse. This system scales to include genetic, statistical, quality control (QC and biological data such as expression analyses of RNA or protein, all linked from a genomics integrative display. Our system is applicable to any genetic study of complex disease, of either large or small scale.

  6. Biochemical research elucidating metabolic pathways in Pneumocystis*

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaneshiro E.S.

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Advances in sequencing the Pneumocystis carinii genome have helped identify potential metabolic pathways operative in the organism. Also, data from characterizing the biochemical and physiological nature of these organisms now allow elucidation of metabolic pathways as well as pose new challenges and questions that require additional experiments. These experiments are being performed despite the difficulty in doing experiments directly on this pathogen that has yet to be subcultured indefinitely and produce mass numbers of cells in vitro. This article reviews biochemical approaches that have provided insights into several Pneumocystis metabolic pathways. It focuses on 1 S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet; SAM, which is a ubiquitous participant in numerous cellular reactions; 2 sterols: focusing on oxidosqualene cyclase that forms lanosterol in P. carinii; SAM:sterol C-24 methyltransferase that adds methyl groups at the C-24 position of the sterol side chain; and sterol 14α-demethylase that removes a methyl group at the C-14 position of the sterol nucleus; and 3 synthesis of ubiquinone homologs, which play a pivotal role in mitochondrial inner membrane and other cellular membrane electron transport.

  7. Multiplexed precision genome editing with trackable genomic barcodes in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Kevin R; Smith, Justin D; Vonesch, Sibylle C; Lin, Gen; Tu, Chelsea Szu; Lederer, Alex R; Chu, Angela; Suresh, Sundari; Nguyen, Michelle; Horecka, Joe; Tripathi, Ashutosh; Burnett, Wallace T; Morgan, Maddison A; Schulz, Julia; Orsley, Kevin M; Wei, Wu; Aiyar, Raeka S; Davis, Ronald W; Bankaitis, Vytas A; Haber, James E; Salit, Marc L; St Onge, Robert P; Steinmetz, Lars M

    2018-07-01

    Our understanding of how genotype controls phenotype is limited by the scale at which we can precisely alter the genome and assess the phenotypic consequences of each perturbation. Here we describe a CRISPR-Cas9-based method for multiplexed accurate genome editing with short, trackable, integrated cellular barcodes (MAGESTIC) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MAGESTIC uses array-synthesized guide-donor oligos for plasmid-based high-throughput editing and features genomic barcode integration to prevent plasmid barcode loss and to enable robust phenotyping. We demonstrate that editing efficiency can be increased more than fivefold by recruiting donor DNA to the site of breaks using the LexA-Fkh1p fusion protein. We performed saturation editing of the essential gene SEC14 and identified amino acids critical for chemical inhibition of lipid signaling. We also constructed thousands of natural genetic variants, characterized guide mismatch tolerance at the genome scale, and ascertained that cryptic Pol III termination elements substantially reduce guide efficacy. MAGESTIC will be broadly useful to uncover the genetic basis of phenotypes in yeast.

  8. Biochemical and full genome sequence analyses of clinical Vibrio cholerae isolates in Mexico reveals the presence of novel V. cholerae strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; Montes-Colima, Norma Angélica; Moreno-Pérez, María Asunción; Galicia-Nicolás, Adriana Guadalupe; López-Martínez, Irma; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ortíz-Alcántara, Joanna María; Garcés-Ayala, Fabiola; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

    2016-05-01

    The first week of September 2013, the National Epidemiological Surveillance System identified two cases of cholera in Mexico City. The cultures of both samples were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Initial analyses by PFGE and by PCR-amplification of the virulence genes, suggested that both strains were similar, but different from those previously reported in Mexico. The following week, four more cases were identified in a community in the state of Hidalgo, located 121 km northeast of Mexico City. Thereafter a cholera outbreak started in the region of La Huasteca. Genomic analyses of the four strains obtained in this study confirmed the presence of Pathogenicity Islands VPI-1 and -2, VSP-1 and -2, and of the integrative element SXT. The genomic structure of the 4 isolates was similar to that of V. cholerae strain 2010 EL-1786, identified during the epidemic in Haiti in 2010. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. cisMEP: an integrated repository of genomic epigenetic profiles and cis-regulatory modules in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Tzu-Hsien; Wang, Chung-Ching; Hung, Po-Cheng; Wu, Wei-Sheng

    2014-01-01

    Cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), or the DNA sequences required for regulating gene expression, play the central role in biological researches on transcriptional regulation in metazoan species. Nowadays, the systematic understanding of CRMs still mainly resorts to computational methods due to the time-consuming and small-scale nature of experimental methods. But the accuracy and reliability of different CRM prediction tools are still unclear. Without comparative cross-analysis of the results and combinatorial consideration with extra experimental information, there is no easy way to assess the confidence of the predicted CRMs. This limits the genome-wide understanding of CRMs. It is known that transcription factor binding and epigenetic profiles tend to determine functions of CRMs in gene transcriptional regulation. Thus integration of the genome-wide epigenetic profiles with systematically predicted CRMs can greatly help researchers evaluate and decipher the prediction confidence and possible transcriptional regulatory functions of these potential CRMs. However, these data are still fragmentary in the literatures. Here we performed the computational genome-wide screening for potential CRMs using different prediction tools and constructed the pioneer database, cisMEP (cis-regulatory module epigenetic profile database), to integrate these computationally identified CRMs with genomic epigenetic profile data. cisMEP collects the literature-curated TFBS location data and nine genres of epigenetic data for assessing the confidence of these potential CRMs and deciphering the possible CRM functionality. cisMEP aims to provide a user-friendly interface for researchers to assess the confidence of different potential CRMs and to understand the functions of CRMs through experimentally-identified epigenetic profiles. The deposited potential CRMs and experimental epigenetic profiles for confidence assessment provide experimentally testable hypotheses for the molecular mechanisms

  10. A critical and Integrated View of the Yeast Interactome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen G. Oliver

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Global studies of protein–protein interactions are crucial to both elucidating gene function and producing an integrated view of the workings of living cells. High-throughput studies of the yeast interactome have been performed using both genetic and biochemical screens. Despite their size, the overlap between these experimental datasets is very limited. This could be due to each approach sampling only a small fraction of the total interactome. Alternatively, a large proportion of the data from these screens may represent false-positive interactions. We have used the Genome Information Management System (GIMS to integrate interactome datasets with transcriptome and protein annotation data and have found significant evidence that the proportion of false-positive results is high. Not all high-throughput datasets are similarly contaminated, and the tandem affinity purification (TAP approach appears to yield a high proportion of reliable interactions for which corroborating evidence is available. From our integrative analyses, we have generated a set of verified interactome data for yeast.

  11. Construction of reference chromosome-scale pseudomolecules for potato: integrating the potato genome with genetic and physical maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Sanjeev Kumar; Bolser, Daniel; de Boer, Jan; Sønderkær, Mads; Amoros, Walter; Carboni, Martin Federico; D'Ambrosio, Juan Martín; de la Cruz, German; Di Genova, Alex; Douches, David S; Eguiluz, Maria; Guo, Xiao; Guzman, Frank; Hackett, Christine A; Hamilton, John P; Li, Guangcun; Li, Ying; Lozano, Roberto; Maass, Alejandro; Marshall, David; Martinez, Diana; McLean, Karen; Mejía, Nilo; Milne, Linda; Munive, Susan; Nagy, Istvan; Ponce, Olga; Ramirez, Manuel; Simon, Reinhard; Thomson, Susan J; Torres, Yerisf; Waugh, Robbie; Zhang, Zhonghua; Huang, Sanwen; Visser, Richard G F; Bachem, Christian W B; Sagredo, Boris; Feingold, Sergio E; Orjeda, Gisella; Veilleux, Richard E; Bonierbale, Merideth; Jacobs, Jeanne M E; Milbourne, Dan; Martin, David Michael Alan; Bryan, Glenn J

    2013-11-06

    The genome of potato, a major global food crop, was recently sequenced. The work presented here details the integration of the potato reference genome (DM) with a new sequence-tagged site marker-based linkage map and other physical and genetic maps of potato and the closely related species tomato. Primary anchoring of the DM genome assembly was accomplished by the use of a diploid segregating population, which was genotyped with several types of molecular genetic markers to construct a new ~936 cM linkage map comprising 2469 marker loci. In silico anchoring approaches used genetic and physical maps from the diploid potato genotype RH89-039-16 (RH) and tomato. This combined approach has allowed 951 superscaffolds to be ordered into pseudomolecules corresponding to the 12 potato chromosomes. These pseudomolecules represent 674 Mb (~93%) of the 723 Mb genome assembly and 37,482 (~96%) of the 39,031 predicted genes. The superscaffold order and orientation within the pseudomolecules are closely collinear with independently constructed high density linkage maps. Comparisons between marker distribution and physical location reveal regions of greater and lesser recombination, as well as regions exhibiting significant segregation distortion. The work presented here has led to a greatly improved ordering of the potato reference genome superscaffolds into chromosomal "pseudomolecules".

  12. The Banana Genome Hub

    Science.gov (United States)

    Droc, Gaëtan; Larivière, Delphine; Guignon, Valentin; Yahiaoui, Nabila; This, Dominique; Garsmeur, Olivier; Dereeper, Alexis; Hamelin, Chantal; Argout, Xavier; Dufayard, Jean-François; Lengelle, Juliette; Baurens, Franc-Christophe; Cenci, Alberto; Pitollat, Bertrand; D’Hont, Angélique; Ruiz, Manuel; Rouard, Mathieu; Bocs, Stéphanie

    2013-01-01

    Banana is one of the world’s favorite fruits and one of the most important crops for developing countries. The banana reference genome sequence (Musa acuminata) was recently released. Given the taxonomic position of Musa, the completed genomic sequence has particular comparative value to provide fresh insights about the evolution of the monocotyledons. The study of the banana genome has been enhanced by a number of tools and resources that allows harnessing its sequence. First, we set up essential tools such as a Community Annotation System, phylogenomics resources and metabolic pathways. Then, to support post-genomic efforts, we improved banana existing systems (e.g. web front end, query builder), we integrated available Musa data into generic systems (e.g. markers and genetic maps, synteny blocks), we have made interoperable with the banana hub, other existing systems containing Musa data (e.g. transcriptomics, rice reference genome, workflow manager) and finally, we generated new results from sequence analyses (e.g. SNP and polymorphism analysis). Several uses cases illustrate how the Banana Genome Hub can be used to study gene families. Overall, with this collaborative effort, we discuss the importance of the interoperability toward data integration between existing information systems. Database URL: http://banana-genome.cirad.fr/ PMID:23707967

  13. Toward genome-enabled mycology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibbett, David S; Stajich, Jason E; Spatafora, Joseph W

    2013-01-01

    Genome-enabled mycology is a rapidly expanding field that is characterized by the pervasive use of genome-scale data and associated computational tools in all aspects of fungal biology. Genome-enabled mycology is integrative and often requires teams of researchers with diverse skills in organismal mycology, bioinformatics and molecular biology. This issue of Mycologia presents the first complete fungal genomes in the history of the journal, reflecting the ongoing transformation of mycology into a genome-enabled science. Here, we consider the prospects for genome-enabled mycology and the technical and social challenges that will need to be overcome to grow the database of complete fungal genomes and enable all fungal biologists to make use of the new data.

  14. Integrated Genomic Analysis Identifies Clinically Relevant Subtypes of Glioblastoma Characterized by Abnormalities in PDGFRA, IDH1, EGFR, and NF1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verhaak, Roel GW; Hoadley, Katherine A; Purdom, Elizabeth; Wang, Victoria; Qi, Yuan; Wilkerson, Matthew D; Miller, C Ryan; Ding, Li; Golub, Todd; Mesirov, Jill P; Alexe, Gabriele; Lawrence, Michael; O' Kelly, Michael; Tamayo, Pablo; Weir, Barbara A; Gabriel, Stacey; Winckler, Wendy; Gupta, Supriya; Jakkula, Lakshmi; Feiler, Heidi S; Hodgson, J Graeme; James, C David; Sarkaria, Jann N; Brennan, Cameron; Kahn, Ari; Spellman, Paul T; Wilson, Richard K; Speed, Terence P; Gray, Joe W; Meyerson, Matthew; Getz, Gad; Perou, Charles M; Hayes, D Neil; Network, The Cancer Genome Atlas Research

    2009-09-03

    The Cancer Genome Atlas Network recently cataloged recurrent genomic abnormalities in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). We describe a robust gene expression-based molecular classification of GBM into Proneural, Neural, Classical, and Mesenchymal subtypes and integrate multidimensional genomic data to establish patterns of somatic mutations and DNA copy number. Aberrations and gene expression of EGFR, NF1, and PDGFRA/IDH1 each define the Classical, Mesenchymal, and Proneural subtypes, respectively. Gene signatures of normal brain cell types show a strong relationship between subtypes and different neural lineages. Additionally, response to aggressive therapy differs by subtype, with the greatest benefit in the Classical subtype and no benefit in the Proneural subtype. We provide a framework that unifies transcriptomic and genomic dimensions for GBM molecular stratification with important implications for future studies.

  15. Genomes to Proteomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Panisko, Ellen A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Grigoriev, Igor [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Daly, Don S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baker, Scott E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2009-03-01

    Biologists are awash with genomic sequence data. In large part, this is due to the rapid acceleration in the generation of DNA sequence that occurred as public and private research institutes raced to sequence the human genome. In parallel with the large human genome effort, mostly smaller genomes of other important model organisms were sequenced. Projects following on these initial efforts have made use of technological advances and the DNA sequencing infrastructure that was built for the human and other organism genome projects. As a result, the genome sequences of many organisms are available in high quality draft form. While in many ways this is good news, there are limitations to the biological insights that can be gleaned from DNA sequences alone; genome sequences offer only a bird's eye view of the biological processes endemic to an organism or community. Fortunately, the genome sequences now being produced at such a high rate can serve as the foundation for other global experimental platforms such as proteomics. Proteomic methods offer a snapshot of the proteins present at a point in time for a given biological sample. Current global proteomics methods combine enzymatic digestion, separations, mass spectrometry and database searching for peptide identification. One key aspect of proteomics is the prediction of peptide sequences from mass spectrometry data. Global proteomic analysis uses computational matching of experimental mass spectra with predicted spectra based on databases of gene models that are often generated computationally. Thus, the quality of gene models predicted from a genome sequence is crucial in the generation of high quality peptide identifications. Once peptides are identified they can be assigned to their parent protein. Proteins identified as expressed in a given experiment are most useful when compared to other expressed proteins in a larger biological context or biochemical pathway. In this chapter we will discuss the automatic

  16. Structure, sequence and expression of the hepatitis delta (δ) viral genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kang-Sheng; Choo, Qui-Lim; Weiner, Amy J.; Ou, Jing-Hsiung; Najarian, Richard C.; Thayer, Richard M.; Mullenbach, Guy T.; Denniston, Katherine J.; Gerin, John L.; Houghton, Michael

    1986-10-01

    Biochemical and electron microscopic data indicate that the human hepatitis δ viral agent contains a covalently closed circular and single-stranded RNA genome that has certain similarities with viroid-like agents from plants. The sequence of the viral genome (1,678 nucleotides) has been determined and an open reading frame within the complementary strand has been shown to encode an antigen that binds specifically to antisera from patients with chronic hepatitis δ viral infections.

  17. Integration of HIV in the Human Genome: Which Sites Are Preferential? A Genetic and Statistical Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, Juliana; Moreira, Elsa; Sequeira, Inês J.; Rodrigues, António S.; Rueff, José; Brás, Aldina

    2016-01-01

    Chromosomal fragile sites (FSs) are loci where gaps and breaks may occur and are preferential integration targets for some viruses, for example, Hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus, HPV16, HPV18, and MLV vectors. However, the integration of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Giemsa bands and in FSs is not yet completely clear. This study aimed to assess the integration preferences of HIV in FSs and in Giemsa bands using an in silico study. HIV integration positions from Jurkat cells were used and two nonparametric tests were applied to compare HIV integration in dark versus light bands and in FS versus non-FS (NFSs). The results show that light bands are preferential targets for integration of HIV-1 in Jurkat cells and also that it integrates with equal intensity in FSs and in NFSs. The data indicates that HIV displays different preferences for FSs compared to other viruses. The aim was to develop and apply an approach to predict the conditions and constraints of HIV insertion in the human genome which seems to adequately complement empirical data. PMID:27294106

  18. Exceptionally diverse morphotypes and genomes of crenarchaeal hyperthermophilic viruses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prangishvili, D; Garrett, R A

    2004-01-01

    and Rudiviridae. They all have double-stranded DNA genomes and infect hyperthermophilic crenarchaea of the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoproteales. Representatives of the different viral families share a few homologous ORFs (open reading frames). However, about 90% of all ORFs in the seven sequenced genomes show...... no significant matches to sequences in public databases. This suggests that these hyperthermophilic viruses have exceptional biochemical solutions for biological functions. Specific features of genome organization, as well as strategies for DNA replication, suggest that phylogenetic relationships exist between...... crenarchaeal rudiviruses and the large eukaryal DNA viruses: poxviruses, the African swine fever virus and Chlorella viruses. Sequence patterns at the ends of the linear genome of the lipothrixvirus AFV1 are reminiscent of the telomeric ends of linear eukaryal chromosomes and suggest that a primitive telomeric...

  19. Integration of Genome-Wide TF Binding and Gene Expression Data to Characterize Gene Regulatory Networks in Plant Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dijun; Kaufmann, Kerstin

    2017-01-01

    Key transcription factors (TFs) controlling the morphogenesis of flowers and leaves have been identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Recent genome-wide approaches based on chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) enable systematic identification of genome-wide TF binding sites (TFBSs) of these regulators. Here, we describe a computational pipeline for analyzing ChIP-seq data to identify TFBSs and to characterize gene regulatory networks (GRNs) with applications to the regulatory studies of flower development. In particular, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to download, analyze, visualize, and integrate genome-wide data in order to construct GRNs for beginners of bioinformatics. The practical guide presented here is ready to apply to other similar ChIP-seq datasets to characterize GRNs of interest.

  20. A decade of human genome project conclusion: Scientific diffusion about our genome knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moraes, Fernanda; Góes, Andréa

    2016-05-06

    The Human Genome Project (HGP) was initiated in 1990 and completed in 2003. It aimed to sequence the whole human genome. Although it represented an advance in understanding the human genome and its complexity, many questions remained unanswered. Other projects were launched in order to unravel the mysteries of our genome, including the ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE). This review aims to analyze the evolution of scientific knowledge related to both the HGP and ENCODE projects. Data were retrieved from scientific articles published in 1990-2014, a period comprising the development and the 10 years following the HGP completion. The fact that only 20,000 genes are protein and RNA-coding is one of the most striking HGP results. A new concept about the organization of genome arose. The ENCODE project was initiated in 2003 and targeted to map the functional elements of the human genome. This project revealed that the human genome is pervasively transcribed. Therefore, it was determined that a large part of the non-protein coding regions are functional. Finally, a more sophisticated view of chromatin structure emerged. The mechanistic functioning of the genome has been redrafted, revealing a much more complex picture. Besides, a gene-centric conception of the organism has to be reviewed. A number of criticisms have emerged against the ENCODE project approaches, raising the question of whether non-conserved but biochemically active regions are truly functional. Thus, HGP and ENCODE projects accomplished a great map of the human genome, but the data generated still requires further in depth analysis. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:215-223, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  1. Genome Variation Map: a data repository of genome variations in BIG Data Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Shuhui; Tian, Dongmei; Li, Cuiping; Tang, Bixia; Dong, Lili; Xiao, Jingfa; Bao, Yiming; Zhao, Wenming; He, Hang; Zhang, Zhang

    2018-01-04

    The Genome Variation Map (GVM; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gvm/) is a public data repository of genome variations. As a core resource in the BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, GVM dedicates to collect, integrate and visualize genome variations for a wide range of species, accepts submissions of different types of genome variations from all over the world and provides free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research activities. Unlike existing related databases, GVM features integration of a large number of genome variations for a broad diversity of species including human, cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Specifically, the current implementation of GVM not only houses a total of ∼4.9 billion variants for 19 species including chicken, dog, goat, human, poplar, rice and tomato, but also incorporates 8669 individual genotypes and 13 262 manually curated high-quality genotype-to-phenotype associations for non-human species. In addition, GVM provides friendly intuitive web interfaces for data submission, browse, search and visualization. Collectively, GVM serves as an important resource for archiving genomic variation data, helpful for better understanding population genetic diversity and deciphering complex mechanisms associated with different phenotypes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  2. Genome Variation Map: a data repository of genome variations in BIG Data Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Dongmei; Li, Cuiping; Tang, Bixia; Dong, Lili; Xiao, Jingfa; Bao, Yiming; Zhao, Wenming; He, Hang

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The Genome Variation Map (GVM; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gvm/) is a public data repository of genome variations. As a core resource in the BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, GVM dedicates to collect, integrate and visualize genome variations for a wide range of species, accepts submissions of different types of genome variations from all over the world and provides free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research activities. Unlike existing related databases, GVM features integration of a large number of genome variations for a broad diversity of species including human, cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Specifically, the current implementation of GVM not only houses a total of ∼4.9 billion variants for 19 species including chicken, dog, goat, human, poplar, rice and tomato, but also incorporates 8669 individual genotypes and 13 262 manually curated high-quality genotype-to-phenotype associations for non-human species. In addition, GVM provides friendly intuitive web interfaces for data submission, browse, search and visualization. Collectively, GVM serves as an important resource for archiving genomic variation data, helpful for better understanding population genetic diversity and deciphering complex mechanisms associated with different phenotypes. PMID:29069473

  3. Ginseng Genome Database: an open-access platform for genomics of Panax ginseng.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakodi, Murukarthick; Choi, Beom-Soon; Lee, Sang-Choon; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Park, Jee Young; Jang, Woojong; Lakshmanan, Meiyappan; Mohan, Shobhana V G; Lee, Dong-Yup; Yang, Tae-Jin

    2018-04-12

    The ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herbaceous plant that has been used in traditional oriental medicine for thousands of years. Ginsenosides, which have significant pharmacological effects on human health, are the foremost bioactive constituents in this plant. Having realized the importance of this plant to humans, an integrated omics resource becomes indispensable to facilitate genomic research, molecular breeding and pharmacological study of this herb. The first draft genome sequences of P. ginseng cultivar "Chunpoong" were reported recently. Here, using the draft genome, transcriptome, and functional annotation datasets of P. ginseng, we have constructed the Ginseng Genome Database http://ginsengdb.snu.ac.kr /, the first open-access platform to provide comprehensive genomic resources of P. ginseng. The current version of this database provides the most up-to-date draft genome sequence (of approximately 3000 Mbp of scaffold sequences) along with the structural and functional annotations for 59,352 genes and digital expression of genes based on transcriptome data from different tissues, growth stages and treatments. In addition, tools for visualization and the genomic data from various analyses are provided. All data in the database were manually curated and integrated within a user-friendly query page. This database provides valuable resources for a range of research fields related to P. ginseng and other species belonging to the Apiales order as well as for plant research communities in general. Ginseng genome database can be accessed at http://ginsengdb.snu.ac.kr /.

  4. Slot-waveguide biochemical sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrios, Carlos A; Gylfason, Kristinn B; Sánchez, Benito; Griol, Amadeu; Sohlström, H; Holgado, M; Casquel, R

    2007-11-01

    We report an experimental demonstration of an integrated biochemical sensor based on a slot-waveguide microring resonator. The microresonator is fabricated on a Si3N4-SiO2 platform and operates at a wavelength of 1.3 microm. The transmission spectrum of the sensor is measured with different ambient refractive indices ranging from n=1.33 to 1.42. A linear shift of the resonant wavelength with increasing ambient refractive index of 212 nm/refractive index units (RIU) is observed. The sensor detects a minimal refractive index variation of 2x10(-4) RIU.

  5. Computational genomics of hyperthermophiles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Werken, van de H.J.G.

    2008-01-01

    With the ever increasing number of completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes and the subsequent use of functional genomics tools, e.g. DNA microarray and proteomics, computational data analysis and the integration of microbial and molecular data is inevitable. This thesis describes the computational

  6. Evolutionary time-scale of the begomoviruses: evidence from integrated sequences in the Nicotiana genome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pierre Lefeuvre

    Full Text Available Despite having single stranded DNA genomes that are replicated by host DNA polymerases, viruses in the family Geminiviridae are apparently evolving as rapidly as some RNA viruses. The observed substitution rates of geminiviruses in the genera Begomovirus and Mastrevirus are so high that the entire family could conceivably have originated less than a million years ago (MYA. However, the existence of geminivirus related DNA (GRD integrated within the genomes of various Nicotiana species suggests that the geminiviruses probably originated >10 MYA. Some have even suggested that a distinct New-World (NW lineage of begomoviruses may have arisen following the separation by continental drift of African and American proto-begomoviruses ∼110 MYA. We evaluate these various geminivirus origin hypotheses using Bayesian coalescent-based approaches to date firstly the Nicotiana GRD integration events, and then the divergence of the NW and Old-World (OW begomoviruses. Besides rejecting the possibility of a<2 MYA OW-NW begomovirus split, we could also discount that it may have occurred concomitantly with the breakup of Gondwanaland 110 MYA. Although we could only confidently narrow the date of the split down to between 2 and 80 MYA, the most plausible (and best supported date for the split is between 20 and 30 MYA--a time when global cooling ended the dispersal of temperate species between Asia and North America via the Beringian land bridge.

  7. Novel method of dual fiber Bragg gratings integrated in fiber ring laser for biochemical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bui, H.; Pham, T. B.; Nguyen, V. A.; Pham, V. D.; Do, T. C.; Nguyen, T. V.; Hoang, T. H. C.; Le, H. T.; Pham, V. H.

    2018-05-01

    Optical sensors have been shown to be very effective for measuring the toxic content in liquid and air environments. Optical sensors, which operate based on the wavelength shift of the optical signals, require an expensive spectrometer. In this paper, we propose a new configuration of the optical sensor device for measuring wavelength shift without using a spectrometer. This configuration has a large potential for application in biochemical sensing techniques, and comes with a low cost. This configuration uses dual fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) integrated in a fiber ring laser structure of erbium-doped fiber, in which one FBG is used as a reference to sweep over the applicable spectrum of the etched-Bragg grating. The etched-FBG as a sensing probe is suitable for bio- and/or chemical sensors. The sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor system can be improved by the narrow linewidth of emission spectra from the laser, the best limit of detection of this sensor is 1.5  ×  10‑4 RIU (RIU: refractive index unit), as achieved by the optical sensor using a high resolution spectrometer. This sensor system has been experimentally investigated to detect different types of organic compounds, gasoline, mixing ratios of organic solvents in gasoline, and nitrate concentration in water samples. The experimental results show that this sensing method could determine different mixing ratios of organic solvents with good repeatability, high accuracy, and rapid response: e.g. for ethanol and/or methanol in gasoline RON 92 (RON: research octane number) of 0%–14% v/v, and nitrate in water samples at a low concentration range of 0–50 ppm. These results suggest that the proposed configuration can construct low-cost and accurate biochemical sensors.

  8. Integrated Genomic Analysis of the Ubiquitin Pathway across Cancer Types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongqi Ge

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Protein ubiquitination is a dynamic and reversible process of adding single ubiquitin molecules or various ubiquitin chains to target proteins. Here, using multidimensional omic data of 9,125 tumor samples across 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we perform comprehensive molecular characterization of 929 ubiquitin-related genes and 95 deubiquitinase genes. Among them, we systematically identify top somatic driver candidates, including mutated FBXW7 with cancer-type-specific patterns and amplified MDM2 showing a mutually exclusive pattern with BRAF mutations. Ubiquitin pathway genes tend to be upregulated in cancer mediated by diverse mechanisms. By integrating pan-cancer multiomic data, we identify a group of tumor samples that exhibit worse prognosis. These samples are consistently associated with the upregulation of cell-cycle and DNA repair pathways, characterized by mutated TP53, MYC/TERT amplification, and APC/PTEN deletion. Our analysis highlights the importance of the ubiquitin pathway in cancer development and lays a foundation for developing relevant therapeutic strategies. : Ge et al. analyze a cohort of 9,125 TCGA samples across 33 cancer types to provide a comprehensive characterization of the ubiquitin pathway. They detect somatic driver candidates in the ubiquitin pathway and identify a cluster of patients with poor survival, highlighting the importance of this pathway in cancer development. Keywords: ubiquitin pathway, pan-cancer analysis, The Cancer Genome Atlas, tumor subtype, cancer prognosis, therapeutic targets, biomarker, FBXW7

  9. Event-based text mining for biology and functional genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Paul; Nawaz, Raheel; McNaught, John; Kell, Douglas B.

    2015-01-01

    The assessment of genome function requires a mapping between genome-derived entities and biochemical reactions, and the biomedical literature represents a rich source of information about reactions between biological components. However, the increasingly rapid growth in the volume of literature provides both a challenge and an opportunity for researchers to isolate information about reactions of interest in a timely and efficient manner. In response, recent text mining research in the biology domain has been largely focused on the identification and extraction of ‘events’, i.e. categorised, structured representations of relationships between biochemical entities, from the literature. Functional genomics analyses necessarily encompass events as so defined. Automatic event extraction systems facilitate the development of sophisticated semantic search applications, allowing researchers to formulate structured queries over extracted events, so as to specify the exact types of reactions to be retrieved. This article provides an overview of recent research into event extraction. We cover annotated corpora on which systems are trained, systems that achieve state-of-the-art performance and details of the community shared tasks that have been instrumental in increasing the quality, coverage and scalability of recent systems. Finally, several concrete applications of event extraction are covered, together with emerging directions of research. PMID:24907365

  10. Comparative genomic characterization of three Streptococcus parauberis strains in fish pathogen, as assessed by wide-genome analyses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seong-Won Nho

    Full Text Available Streptococcus parauberis, which is the main causative agent of streptococcosis among olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus in northeast Asia, can be distinctly divided into two groups (type I and type II by an agglutination test. Here, the whole genome sequences of two Japanese strains (KRS-02083 and KRS-02109 were determined and compared with the previously determined genome of a Korean strain (KCTC 11537. The genomes of S. parauberis are intermediate in size and have lower GC contents than those of other streptococci. We annotated 2,236 and 2,048 genes in KRS-02083 and KRS-02109, respectively. Our results revealed that the three S. parauberis strains contain different genomic insertions and deletions. In particular, the genomes of Korean and Japanese strains encode different factors for sugar utilization; the former encodes the phosphotransferase system (PTS for sorbose, whereas the latter encodes proteins for lactose hydrolysis, respectively. And the KRS-02109 strain, specifically, was the type II strain found to be able to resist phage infection through the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas system and which might contribute valuably to serologically distribution. Thus, our genome-wide association study shows that polymorphisms can affect pathogen responses, providing insight into biological/biochemical pathways and phylogenetic diversity.

  11. Preserving genome integrity: the DdrA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Dennis R; Tanaka, Masashi; Saveliev, Sergei V; Jolivet, Edmond; Earl, Ashlee M; Cox, Michael M; Battista, John R

    2004-10-01

    The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand extraordinary levels of ionizing radiation, reflecting an equally extraordinary capacity for DNA repair. The hypothetical gene product DR0423 has been implicated in the recovery of this organism from DNA damage, indicating that this protein is a novel component of the D. radiodurans DNA repair system. DR0423 is a homologue of the eukaryotic Rad52 protein. Following exposure to ionizing radiation, DR0423 expression is induced relative to an untreated control, and strains carrying a deletion of the DR0423 gene exhibit increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. When recovering from ionizing-radiation-induced DNA damage in the absence of nutrients, wild-type D. radiodurans reassembles its genome while the mutant lacking DR0423 function does not. In vitro, the purified DR0423 protein binds to single-stranded DNA with an apparent affinity for 3' ends, and protects those ends from nuclease degradation. We propose that DR0423 is part of a DNA end-protection system that helps to preserve genome integrity following exposure to ionizing radiation. We designate the DR0423 protein as DNA damage response A protein.

  12. Preserving genome integrity: the DdrA protein of Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis R Harris

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand extraordinary levels of ionizing radiation, reflecting an equally extraordinary capacity for DNA repair. The hypothetical gene product DR0423 has been implicated in the recovery of this organism from DNA damage, indicating that this protein is a novel component of the D. radiodurans DNA repair system. DR0423 is a homologue of the eukaryotic Rad52 protein. Following exposure to ionizing radiation, DR0423 expression is induced relative to an untreated control, and strains carrying a deletion of the DR0423 gene exhibit increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. When recovering from ionizing-radiation-induced DNA damage in the absence of nutrients, wild-type D. radiodurans reassembles its genome while the mutant lacking DR0423 function does not. In vitro, the purified DR0423 protein binds to single-stranded DNA with an apparent affinity for 3' ends, and protects those ends from nuclease degradation. We propose that DR0423 is part of a DNA end-protection system that helps to preserve genome integrity following exposure to ionizing radiation. We designate the DR0423 protein as DNA damage response A protein.

  13. Cancer prevention, the need to preserve the integrity of the genome at all cost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okafor, M T; Nwagha, T U; Anusiem, C; Okoli, U A; Nubila, N I; Al-Alloosh, F; Udenyia, I J

    2018-05-01

    The entire genetic information carried by an organism makes up its genome. Genes have a diverse number of functions. They code different proteins for normal proliferation of cells. However, changes in the base sequence of genes affect their protein by-products which act as messengers for normal cellular functions such as proliferation and repairs. Salient processes for maintaining the integrity of the genome are hinged on intricate mechanisms put in place for the evolution to tackle genomic stresses. To discuss how cells sense and repair damage to their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as well as to highlight how defects in the genes involved in DNA repair contribute to cancer development. Methodology: Online searches on the following databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Biomed Central, and SciELO were done. Attempt was made to review articles with keywords such as cancer, cell cycle, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair. The cell cycle, tumor suppression genes, DNA repair mechanism, as well as their contribution to cancer development, were discussed and reviewed. Knowledge on how cells detect and repair DNA damage through an array of mechanisms should allay our anxiety as regards cancer development. More studies on DNA damage detection and repair processes are important toward a holistic approach to cancer treatment.

  14. Enhanced annotations and features for comparing thousands of Pseudomonas genomes in the Pseudomonas genome database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winsor, Geoffrey L; Griffiths, Emma J; Lo, Raymond; Dhillon, Bhavjinder K; Shay, Julie A; Brinkman, Fiona S L

    2016-01-04

    The Pseudomonas Genome Database (http://www.pseudomonas.com) is well known for the application of community-based annotation approaches for producing a high-quality Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 genome annotation, and facilitating whole-genome comparative analyses with other Pseudomonas strains. To aid analysis of potentially thousands of complete and draft genome assemblies, this database and analysis platform was upgraded to integrate curated genome annotations and isolate metadata with enhanced tools for larger scale comparative analysis and visualization. Manually curated gene annotations are supplemented with improved computational analyses that help identify putative drug targets and vaccine candidates or assist with evolutionary studies by identifying orthologs, pathogen-associated genes and genomic islands. The database schema has been updated to integrate isolate metadata that will facilitate more powerful analysis of genomes across datasets in the future. We continue to place an emphasis on providing high-quality updates to gene annotations through regular review of the scientific literature and using community-based approaches including a major new Pseudomonas community initiative for the assignment of high-quality gene ontology terms to genes. As we further expand from thousands of genomes, we plan to provide enhancements that will aid data visualization and analysis arising from whole-genome comparative studies including more pan-genome and population-based approaches. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  15. Integrative Genomics: Quantifying significance of phenotype-genotype relationships from multiple sources of high-throughput data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric eGamazon

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Given recent advances in the generation of high-throughput data such as whole genome genetic variation and transcriptome expression, it is critical to come up with novel methods to integrate these heterogeneous datasets and to assess the significance of identified phenotype-genotype relationships. Recent studies show that genome-wide association findings are likely to fall in loci with gene regulatory effects such as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs, demonstrating the utility of such integrative approaches. When genotype and gene expression data are available on the same individuals, we developed methods wherein top phenotype-associated genetic variants are prioritized if they are associated, as eQTLs, with gene expression traits that are themselves associated with the phenotype. Yet there has been no method to determine an overall p-value for the findings that arise specifically from the integrative nature of the approach. We propose a computationally feasible permutation method that accounts for the assimilative nature of the method and the correlation structure among gene expression traits and among genotypes. We apply the method to data from a study of cellular sensitivity to etoposide, one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs. To our knowledge, this study is the first statistically sound quantification of the significance of the genotype-phenotype relationships resulting from applying an integrative approach. This method can be easily extended to cases in which gene expression data are replaced by other molecular phenotypes of interest, e.g., microRNA or proteomic data. This study has important implications for studies seeking to expand on genetic association studies by the use of omics data. Finally, we provide an R code to compute the empirical FDR when p-values for the observed and simulated phenotypes are available.

  16. Brassica ASTRA: an integrated database for Brassica genomic research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Christopher G; Robinson, Andrew J; Lim, Geraldine A C; Hopkins, Clare J; Batley, Jacqueline; Barker, Gary; Spangenberg, German C; Edwards, David

    2005-01-01

    Brassica ASTRA is a public database for genomic information on Brassica species. The database incorporates expressed sequences with Swiss-Prot and GenBank comparative sequence annotation as well as secondary Gene Ontology (GO) annotation derived from the comparison with Arabidopsis TAIR GO annotations. Simple sequence repeat molecular markers are identified within resident sequences and mapped onto the closely related Arabidopsis genome sequence. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) end sequences derived from the Multinational Brassica Genome Project are also mapped onto the Arabidopsis genome sequence enabling users to identify candidate Brassica BACs corresponding to syntenic regions of Arabidopsis. This information is maintained in a MySQL database with a web interface providing the primary means of interrogation. The database is accessible at http://hornbill.cspp.latrobe.edu.au.

  17. JGI Fungal Genomics Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, Igor V.

    2011-03-14

    Genomes of energy and environment fungi are in focus of the Fungal Genomic Program at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI). Its key project, the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts, pathogens, and biocontrol agents) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation, sugar fermentation, industrial hosts), and explores fungal diversity by means of genome sequencing and analysis. Over 50 fungal genomes have been sequenced by JGI to date and released through MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a fungal web-portal, which integrates sequence and functional data with genome analysis tools for user community. Sequence analysis supported by functional genomics leads to developing parts list for complex systems ranging from ecosystems of biofuel crops to biorefineries. Recent examples of such 'parts' suggested by comparative genomics and functional analysis in these areas are presented here

  18. Genomic Encyclopedia of Fungi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, Igor

    2012-08-10

    Genomes of fungi relevant to energy and environment are in focus of the Fungal Genomic Program at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI). Its key project, the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts, pathogens, and biocontrol agents) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation, sugar fermentation, industrial hosts), and explores fungal diversity by means of genome sequencing and analysis. Over 150 fungal genomes have been sequenced by JGI to date and released through MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a fungal web-portal, which integrates sequence and functional data with genome analysis tools for user community. Sequence analysis supported by functional genomics leads to developing parts list for complex systems ranging from ecosystems of biofuel crops to biorefineries. Recent examples of such parts suggested by comparative genomics and functional analysis in these areas are presented here.

  19. Savant Genome Browser 2: visualization and analysis for population-scale genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiume, Marc; Smith, Eric J M; Brook, Andrew; Strbenac, Dario; Turner, Brian; Mezlini, Aziz M; Robinson, Mark D; Wodak, Shoshana J; Brudno, Michael

    2012-07-01

    High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies are providing an unprecedented capacity for data generation, and there is a corresponding need for efficient data exploration and analysis capabilities. Although most existing tools for HTS data analysis are developed for either automated (e.g. genotyping) or visualization (e.g. genome browsing) purposes, such tools are most powerful when combined. For example, integration of visualization and computation allows users to iteratively refine their analyses by updating computational parameters within the visual framework in real-time. Here we introduce the second version of the Savant Genome Browser, a standalone program for visual and computational analysis of HTS data. Savant substantially improves upon its predecessor and existing tools by introducing innovative visualization modes and navigation interfaces for several genomic datatypes, and synergizing visual and automated analyses in a way that is powerful yet easy even for non-expert users. We also present a number of plugins that were developed by the Savant Community, which demonstrate the power of integrating visual and automated analyses using Savant. The Savant Genome Browser is freely available (open source) at www.savantbrowser.com.

  20. An orphan gyrB in the Mycobacterium smegmatis genome ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    2002-12-13

    Dec 13, 2002 ... ... respect to gene organization and regulation, biochemical characterization, ... marin class of drugs, resides in GyrB, providing essential energetics for the ... Materials and methods ... analysis of the M. smegmatis genome revealed presence of a gene .... outs of either one of the gyrB alleles to evaluate their.

  1. HGVA: the Human Genome Variation Archive

    OpenAIRE

    Lopez, Javier; Coll, Jacobo; Haimel, Matthias; Kandasamy, Swaathi; Tarraga, Joaquin; Furio-Tari, Pedro; Bari, Wasim; Bleda, Marta; Rueda, Antonio; Gr?f, Stefan; Rendon, Augusto; Dopazo, Joaquin; Medina, Ignacio

    2017-01-01

    Abstract High-profile genomic variation projects like the 1000 Genomes project or the Exome Aggregation Consortium, are generating a wealth of human genomic variation knowledge which can be used as an essential reference for identifying disease-causing genotypes. However, accessing these data, contrasting the various studies and integrating those data in downstream analyses remains cumbersome. The Human Genome Variation Archive (HGVA) tackles these challenges and facilitates access to genomic...

  2. CHESS (CgHExpreSS): a comprehensive analysis tool for the analysis of genomic alterations and their effects on the expression profile of the genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Mikyung; Kim, Yangseok

    2009-12-16

    Genomic alterations frequently occur in many cancer patients and play important mechanistic roles in the pathogenesis of cancer. Furthermore, they can modify the expression level of genes due to altered copy number in the corresponding region of the chromosome. An accumulating body of evidence supports the possibility that strong genome-wide correlation exists between DNA content and gene expression. Therefore, more comprehensive analysis is needed to quantify the relationship between genomic alteration and gene expression. A well-designed bioinformatics tool is essential to perform this kind of integrative analysis. A few programs have already been introduced for integrative analysis. However, there are many limitations in their performance of comprehensive integrated analysis using published software because of limitations in implemented algorithms and visualization modules. To address this issue, we have implemented the Java-based program CHESS to allow integrative analysis of two experimental data sets: genomic alteration and genome-wide expression profile. CHESS is composed of a genomic alteration analysis module and an integrative analysis module. The genomic alteration analysis module detects genomic alteration by applying a threshold based method or SW-ARRAY algorithm and investigates whether the detected alteration is phenotype specific or not. On the other hand, the integrative analysis module measures the genomic alteration's influence on gene expression. It is divided into two separate parts. The first part calculates overall correlation between comparative genomic hybridization ratio and gene expression level by applying following three statistical methods: simple linear regression, Spearman rank correlation and Pearson's correlation. In the second part, CHESS detects the genes that are differentially expressed according to the genomic alteration pattern with three alternative statistical approaches: Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test and Chi square

  3. Integrate genome-based assessment of safety for probiotic strains: Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 as a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvetti, Elisa; Orrù, Luigi; Capozzi, Vittorio; Martina, Alessia; Lamontanara, Antonella; Keller, David; Cash, Howard; Felis, Giovanna E; Cattivelli, Luigi; Torriani, Sandra; Spano, Giuseppe

    2016-05-01

    Probiotics are microorganisms that confer beneficial effects on the host; nevertheless, before being allowed for human consumption, their safety must be verified with accurate protocols. In the genomic era, such procedures should take into account the genomic-based approaches. This study aims at assessing the safety traits of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 integrating the most updated genomics-based procedures and conventional phenotypic assays. Special attention was paid to putative virulence factors (VF), antibiotic resistance (AR) genes and genes encoding enzymes responsible for harmful metabolites (i.e. biogenic amines, BAs). This probiotic strain was phenotypically resistant to streptomycin and kanamycin, although the genome analysis suggested that the AR-related genes were not easily transferrable to other bacteria, and no other genes with potential safety risks, such as those related to VF or BA production, were retrieved. Furthermore, no unstable elements that could potentially lead to genomic rearrangements were detected. Moreover, a workflow is proposed to allow the proper taxonomic identification of a microbial strain and the accurate evaluation of risk-related gene traits, combining whole genome sequencing analysis with updated bioinformatics tools and standard phenotypic assays. The workflow presented can be generalized as a guideline for the safety investigation of novel probiotic strains to help stakeholders (from scientists to manufacturers and consumers) to meet regulatory requirements and avoid misleading information.

  4. An integrative approach to predicting the functional effects of small indels in non-coding regions of the human genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferlaino, Michael; Rogers, Mark F; Shihab, Hashem A; Mort, Matthew; Cooper, David N; Gaunt, Tom R; Campbell, Colin

    2017-10-06

    Small insertions and deletions (indels) have a significant influence in human disease and, in terms of frequency, they are second only to single nucleotide variants as pathogenic mutations. As the majority of mutations associated with complex traits are located outside the exome, it is crucial to investigate the potential pathogenic impact of indels in non-coding regions of the human genome. We present FATHMM-indel, an integrative approach to predict the functional effect, pathogenic or neutral, of indels in non-coding regions of the human genome. Our method exploits various genomic annotations in addition to sequence data. When validated on benchmark data, FATHMM-indel significantly outperforms CADD and GAVIN, state of the art models in assessing the pathogenic impact of non-coding variants. FATHMM-indel is available via a web server at indels.biocompute.org.uk. FATHMM-indel can accurately predict the functional impact and prioritise small indels throughout the whole non-coding genome.

  5. Modeling Lactococcus lactis using a genome-scale flux model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nielsen Jens

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genome-scale flux models are useful tools to represent and analyze microbial metabolism. In this work we reconstructed the metabolic network of the lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus lactis and developed a genome-scale flux model able to simulate and analyze network capabilities and whole-cell function under aerobic and anaerobic continuous cultures. Flux balance analysis (FBA and minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA were used as modeling frameworks. Results The metabolic network was reconstructed using the annotated genome sequence from L. lactis ssp. lactis IL1403 together with physiological and biochemical information. The established network comprised a total of 621 reactions and 509 metabolites, representing the overall metabolism of L. lactis. Experimental data reported in the literature was used to fit the model to phenotypic observations. Regulatory constraints had to be included to simulate certain metabolic features, such as the shift from homo to heterolactic fermentation. A minimal medium for in silico growth was identified, indicating the requirement of four amino acids in addition to a sugar. Remarkably, de novo biosynthesis of four other amino acids was observed even when all amino acids were supplied, which is in good agreement with experimental observations. Additionally, enhanced metabolic engineering strategies for improved diacetyl producing strains were designed. Conclusion The L. lactis metabolic network can now be used for a better understanding of lactococcal metabolic capabilities and potential, for the design of enhanced metabolic engineering strategies and for integration with other types of 'omic' data, to assist in finding new information on cellular organization and function.

  6. Integration of transcriptome and whole genomic resequencing data to identify key genes affecting swine fat deposition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Xing

    Full Text Available Fat deposition is highly correlated with the growth, meat quality, reproductive performance and immunity of pigs. Fatty acid synthesis takes place mainly in the adipose tissue of pigs; therefore, in this study, a high-throughput massively parallel sequencing approach was used to generate adipose tissue transcriptomes from two groups of Songliao black pigs that had opposite backfat thickness phenotypes. The total number of paired-end reads produced for each sample was in the range of 39.29-49.36 millions. Approximately 188 genes were differentially expressed in adipose tissue and were enriched for metabolic processes, such as fatty acid biosynthesis, lipid synthesis, metabolism of fatty acids, etinol, caffeine and arachidonic acid and immunity. Additionally, many genetic variations were detected between the two groups through pooled whole-genome resequencing. Integration of transcriptome and whole-genome resequencing data revealed important genomic variations among the differentially expressed genes for fat deposition, for example, the lipogenic genes. Further studies are required to investigate the roles of candidate genes in fat deposition to improve pig breeding programs.

  7. PopGenome: An Efficient Swiss Army Knife for Population Genomic Analyses in R

    OpenAIRE

    Pfeifer, Bastian; Wittelsbürger, Ulrich; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastian E.; Lercher, Martin J.

    2014-01-01

    Although many computer programs can perform population genetics calculations, they are typically limited in the analyses and data input formats they offer; few applications can process the large data sets produced by whole-genome resequencing projects. Furthermore, there is no coherent framework for the easy integration of new statistics into existing pipelines, hindering the development and application of new population genetics and genomics approaches. Here, we present PopGenome, a populati...

  8. The human vascular endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C harbors the integrated HHV-6B genome which remains stable in long term culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shioda, Setsuko; Kasai, Fumio; Ozawa, Midori; Hirayama, Noriko; Satoh, Motonobu; Kameoka, Yousuke; Watanabe, Ken; Shimizu, Norio; Tang, Huamin; Mori, Yasuko; Kohara, Arihiro

    2018-02-01

    Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is a common human pathogen that is most often detected in hematopoietic cells. Although human cells harboring chromosomally integrated HHV-6 can be generated in vitro, the availability of such cell lines originating from in vivo tissues is limited. In this study, chromosomally integrated HHV-6B has been identified in a human vascular endothelial cell line, HUV-EC-C (IFO50271), derived from normal umbilical cord tissue. Sequence analysis revealed that the viral genome was similar to the HHV-6B HST strain. FISH analysis using a HHV-6 DNA probe showed one signal in each cell, detected at the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 9. This was consistent with a digital PCR assay, validating one copy of the viral DNA. Because exposure of HUV-EC-C to chemicals did not cause viral reactivation, long term cell culture of HUV-EC-C was carried out to assess the stability of viral integration. The growth rate was altered depending on passage numbers, and morphology also changed during culture. SNP microarray profiles showed some differences between low and high passages, implying that the HUV-EC-C genome had changed during culture. However, no detectable change was observed in chromosome 9, where HHV-6B integration and the viral copy number remained unchanged. Our results suggest that integrated HHV-6B is stable in HUV-EC-C despite genome instability.

  9. HiView: an integrative genome browser to leverage Hi-C results for the interpretation of GWAS variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zheng; Zhang, Guosheng; Duan, Qing; Chai, Shengjie; Zhang, Baqun; Wu, Cong; Jin, Fulai; Yue, Feng; Li, Yun; Hu, Ming

    2016-03-11

    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with complex traits and diseases. However, most of them are located in the non-protein coding regions, and therefore it is challenging to hypothesize the functions of these non-coding GWAS variants. Recent large efforts such as the ENCODE and Roadmap Epigenomics projects have predicted a large number of regulatory elements. However, the target genes of these regulatory elements remain largely unknown. Chromatin conformation capture based technologies such as Hi-C can directly measure the chromatin interactions and have generated an increasingly comprehensive catalog of the interactome between the distal regulatory elements and their potential target genes. Leveraging such information revealed by Hi-C holds the promise of elucidating the functions of genetic variants in human diseases. In this work, we present HiView, the first integrative genome browser to leverage Hi-C results for the interpretation of GWAS variants. HiView is able to display Hi-C data and statistical evidence for chromatin interactions in genomic regions surrounding any given GWAS variant, enabling straightforward visualization and interpretation. We believe that as the first GWAS variants-centered Hi-C genome browser, HiView is a useful tool guiding post-GWAS functional genomics studies. HiView is freely accessible at: http://www.unc.edu/~yunmli/HiView .

  10. An integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals potential targets associated with cell proliferation in uterine leiomyomas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priscila Daniele Ramos Cirilo

    Full Text Available Uterine Leiomyomas (ULs are the most common benign tumours affecting women of reproductive age. ULs represent a major problem in public health, as they are the main indication for hysterectomy. Approximately 40-50% of ULs have non-random cytogenetic abnormalities, and half of ULs may have copy number alterations (CNAs. Gene expression microarrays studies have demonstrated that cell proliferation genes act in response to growth factors and steroids. However, only a few genes mapping to CNAs regions were found to be associated with ULs.We applied an integrative analysis using genomic and transcriptomic data to identify the pathways and molecular markers associated with ULs. Fifty-one fresh frozen specimens were evaluated by array CGH (JISTIC and gene expression microarrays (SAM. The CONEXIC algorithm was applied to integrate the data.The integrated analysis identified the top 30 significant genes (P<0.01, which comprised genes associated with cancer, whereas the protein-protein interaction analysis indicated a strong association between FANCA and BRCA1. Functional in silico analysis revealed target molecules for drugs involved in cell proliferation, including FGFR1 and IGFBP5. Transcriptional and protein analyses showed that FGFR1 (P = 0.006 and P<0.01, respectively and IGFBP5 (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.006, respectively were up-regulated in the tumours when compared with the adjacent normal myometrium.The integrative genomic and transcriptomic approach indicated that FGFR1 and IGFBP5 amplification, as well as the consequent up-regulation of the protein products, plays an important role in the aetiology of ULs and thus provides data for potential drug therapies development to target genes associated with cellular proliferation in ULs.

  11. MIPS: a database for protein sequences and complete genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mewes, H W; Hani, J; Pfeiffer, F; Frishman, D

    1998-01-01

    The MIPS group [Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences of the German National Center for Environment and Health (GSF)] at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried near Munich, Germany, is involved in a number of data collection activities, including a comprehensive database of the yeast genome, a database reflecting the progress in sequencing the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, the systematic analysis of other small genomes and the collection of protein sequence data within the framework of the PIR-International Protein Sequence Database (described elsewhere in this volume). Through its WWW server (http://www.mips.biochem.mpg.de ) MIPS provides access to a variety of generic databases, including a database of protein families as well as automatically generated data by the systematic application of sequence analysis algorithms. The yeast genome sequence and its related information was also compiled on CD-ROM to provide dynamic interactive access to the 16 chromosomes of the first eukaryotic genome unraveled. PMID:9399795

  12. Chapter A7. Section 7.0. Five-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delzer, Gregory C.; McKenzie, Stuart W.

    1999-01-01

    The presence of a sufficient concentration of dissolved oxygen is critical to maintaining the aquatic life and aesthetic quality of streams and lakes. Determinng how organic matter affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a stream or lake is integral to water-quality management. The decay of organic matter in water is measured as biochemical or chemical oxygen demand. This report describes the field protocols used by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel to determine the five-day test for biochemical oxygen demand.

  13. Causes of genome instability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langie, Sabine A S; Koppen, Gudrun; Desaulniers, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    function, chromosome segregation, telomere length). The purpose of this review is to describe the crucial aspects of genome instability, to outline the ways in which environmental chemicals can affect this cancer hallmark and to identify candidate chemicals for further study. The overall aim is to make......Genome instability is a prerequisite for the development of cancer. It occurs when genome maintenance systems fail to safeguard the genome's integrity, whether as a consequence of inherited defects or induced via exposure to environmental agents (chemicals, biological agents and radiation). Thus...

  14. IW-Scoring: an Integrative Weighted Scoring framework for annotating and prioritizing genetic variations in the noncoding genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Dayem Ullah, Abu Z; Chelala, Claude

    2018-01-30

    The vast majority of germline and somatic variations occur in the noncoding part of the genome, only a small fraction of which are believed to be functional. From the tens of thousands of noncoding variations detectable in each genome, identifying and prioritizing driver candidates with putative functional significance is challenging. To address this, we implemented IW-Scoring, a new Integrative Weighted Scoring model to annotate and prioritise functionally relevant noncoding variations. We evaluate 11 scoring methods, and apply an unsupervised spectral approach for subsequent selective integration into two linear weighted functional scoring schemas for known and novel variations. IW-Scoring produces stable high-quality performance as the best predictors for three independent data sets. We demonstrate the robustness of IW-Scoring in identifying recurrent functional mutations in the TERT promoter, as well as disease SNPs in proximity to consensus motifs and with gene regulatory effects. Using follicular lymphoma as a paradigmatic cancer model, we apply IW-Scoring to locate 11 recurrently mutated noncoding regions in 14 follicular lymphoma genomes, and validate 9 of these regions in an extension cohort, including the promoter and enhancer regions of PAX5. Overall, IW-Scoring demonstrates greater versatility in identifying trait- and disease-associated noncoding variants. Scores from IW-Scoring as well as other methods are freely available from http://www.snp-nexus.org/IW-Scoring/. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  15. SINEs as driving forces in genome evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitz, J

    2012-01-01

    SINEs are short interspersed elements derived from cellular RNAs that repetitively retropose via RNA intermediates and integrate more or less randomly back into the genome. SINEs propagate almost entirely vertically within their host cells and, once established in the germline, are passed on from generation to generation. As non-autonomous elements, their reverse transcription (from RNA to cDNA) and genomic integration depends on the activity of the enzymatic machinery of autonomous retrotransposons, such as long interspersed elements (LINEs). SINEs are widely distributed in eukaryotes, but are especially effectively propagated in mammalian species. For example, more than a million Alu-SINE copies populate the human genome (approximately 13% of genomic space), and few master copies of them are still active. In the organisms where they occur, SINEs are a challenge to genomic integrity, but in the long term also can serve as beneficial building blocks for evolution, contributing to phenotypic heterogeneity and modifying gene regulatory networks. They substantially expand the genomic space and introduce structural variation to the genome. SINEs have the potential to mutate genes, to alter gene expression, and to generate new parts of genes. A balanced distribution and controlled activity of such properties is crucial to maintaining the organism's dynamic and thriving evolution. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Implementing genomics and pharmacogenomics in the clinic: The National Human Genome Research Institute's genomic medicine portfolio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manolio, Teri A

    2016-10-01

    Increasing knowledge about the influence of genetic variation on human health and growing availability of reliable, cost-effective genetic testing have spurred the implementation of genomic medicine in the clinic. As defined by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), genomic medicine uses an individual's genetic information in his or her clinical care, and has begun to be applied effectively in areas such as cancer genomics, pharmacogenomics, and rare and undiagnosed diseases. In 2011 NHGRI published its strategic vision for the future of genomic research, including an ambitious research agenda to facilitate and promote the implementation of genomic medicine. To realize this agenda, NHGRI is consulting and facilitating collaborations with the external research community through a series of "Genomic Medicine Meetings," under the guidance and leadership of the National Advisory Council on Human Genome Research. These meetings have identified and begun to address significant obstacles to implementation, such as lack of evidence of efficacy, limited availability of genomics expertise and testing, lack of standards, and difficulties in integrating genomic results into electronic medical records. The six research and dissemination initiatives comprising NHGRI's genomic research portfolio are designed to speed the evaluation and incorporation, where appropriate, of genomic technologies and findings into routine clinical care. Actual adoption of successful approaches in clinical care will depend upon the willingness, interest, and energy of professional societies, practitioners, patients, and payers to promote their responsible use and share their experiences in doing so. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  17. SARS CTL vaccine candidates; HLA supertype-, genome-wide scanning and biochemical validation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sylvester-Hvid, C.; Nielsen, Morten; Lamberth, K.

    2004-01-01

    . Exact knowledge of how the immune system handles protein antigens would allow for the identification of such linear sequences directly, from genomic/proteomic sequence information (Lauemoller et al., Rev Immunogenet 2001: 2: 477-91). The latter was recently established when a causative coronavirus (SARS...

  18. Graph-based semi-supervised learning with genomic data integration using condition-responsive genes applied to phenotype classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doostparast Torshizi, Abolfazl; Petzold, Linda R

    2018-01-01

    Data integration methods that combine data from different molecular levels such as genome, epigenome, transcriptome, etc., have received a great deal of interest in the past few years. It has been demonstrated that the synergistic effects of different biological data types can boost learning capabilities and lead to a better understanding of the underlying interactions among molecular levels. In this paper we present a graph-based semi-supervised classification algorithm that incorporates latent biological knowledge in the form of biological pathways with gene expression and DNA methylation data. The process of graph construction from biological pathways is based on detecting condition-responsive genes, where 3 sets of genes are finally extracted: all condition responsive genes, high-frequency condition-responsive genes, and P-value-filtered genes. The proposed approach is applied to ovarian cancer data downloaded from the Human Genome Atlas. Extensive numerical experiments demonstrate superior performance of the proposed approach compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms, including the latest graph-based classification techniques. Simulation results demonstrate that integrating various data types enhances classification performance and leads to a better understanding of interrelations between diverse omics data types. The proposed approach outperforms many of the state-of-the-art data integration algorithms. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  19. Multiple-integrations of HPV16 genome and altered transcription of viral oncogenes and cellular genes are associated with the development of cervical cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xulian Lu

    Full Text Available The constitutive expression of the high-risk HPV E6 and E7 viral oncogenes is the major cause of cervical cancer. To comprehensively explore the composition of HPV16 early transcripts and their genomic annotation, cervical squamous epithelial tissues from 40 HPV16-infected patients were collected for analysis of papillomavirus oncogene transcripts (APOT. We observed different transcription patterns of HPV16 oncogenes in progression of cervical lesions to cervical cancer and identified one novel transcript. Multiple-integration events in the tissues of cervical carcinoma (CxCa are significantly more often than those of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL. Moreover, most cellular genes within or near these integration sites are cancer-associated genes. Taken together, this study suggests that the multiple-integrations of HPV genome during persistent viral infection, which thereby alters the expression patterns of viral oncogenes and integration-related cellular genes, play a crucial role in progression of cervical lesions to cervix cancer.

  20. Genome Wide Identification, Phylogeny, and Expression of Aquaporin Genes in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuanju Dong

    Full Text Available Aquaporins (Aqps are integral membrane proteins that facilitate the transport of water and small solutes across cell membranes. Among vertebrate species, Aqps are highly conserved in both gene structure and amino acid sequence. These proteins are vital for maintaining water homeostasis in living organisms, especially for aquatic animals such as teleost fish. Studies on teleost Aqps are mainly limited to several model species with diploid genomes. Common carp, which has a tetraploidized genome, is one of the most common aquaculture species being adapted to a wide range of aquatic environments. The complete common carp genome has recently been released, providing us the possibility for gene evolution of aqp gene family after whole genome duplication.In this study, we identified a total of 37 aqp genes from common carp genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of aqps are highly conserved. Comparative analysis was performed across five typical vertebrate genomes. We found that almost all of the aqp genes in common carp were duplicated in the evolution of the gene family. We postulated that the expansion of the aqp gene family in common carp was the result of an additional whole genome duplication event and that the aqp gene family in other teleosts has been lost in their evolution history with the reason that the functions of genes are redundant and conservation. Expression patterns were assessed in various tissues, including brain, heart, spleen, liver, intestine, gill, muscle, and skin, which demonstrated the comprehensive expression profiles of aqp genes in the tetraploidized genome. Significant gene expression divergences have been observed, revealing substantial expression divergences or functional divergences in those duplicated aqp genes post the latest WGD event.To some extent, the gene families are also considered as a unique source for evolutionary studies. Moreover, the whole set of common carp aqp gene family provides an

  1. Patient-controlled encrypted genomic data: an approach to advance clinical genomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trakadis Yannis J

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The revolution in DNA sequencing technologies over the past decade has made it feasible to sequence an individual’s whole genome at a relatively low cost. The potential value of the information generated by genomic technologies for medicine and society is enormous. However, in order for exome sequencing, and eventually whole genome sequencing, to be implemented clinically, a number of major challenges need to be overcome. For instance, obtaining meaningful informed-consent, managing incidental findings and the great volume of data generated (including multiple findings with uncertain clinical significance, re-interpreting the genomic data and providing additional counselling to patients as genetic knowledge evolves are issues that need to be addressed. It appears that medical genetics is shifting from the present “phenotype-first” medical model to a “data-first” model which leads to multiple complexities. Discussion This manuscript discusses the different challenges associated with integrating genomic technologies into clinical practice and describes a “phenotype-first” approach, namely, “Individualized Mutation-weighed Phenotype Search”, and its benefits. The proposed approach allows for a more efficient prioritization of the genes to be tested in a clinical lab based on both the patient’s phenotype and his/her entire genomic data. It simplifies “informed-consent” for clinical use of genomic technologies and helps to protect the patient’s autonomy and privacy. Overall, this approach could potentially render widespread use of genomic technologies, in the immediate future, practical, ethical and clinically useful. Summary The “Individualized Mutation-weighed Phenotype Search” approach allows for an incremental integration of genomic technologies into clinical practice. It ensures that we do not over-medicalize genomic data but, rather, continue our current medical model which is based on serving

  2. studies on blood and plasma biochemical characteristics of the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    A study to determine the blood parameters and plasma biochemical values of ... highest in animals at the 4th month state (9.75g/dl) and lowest at the 12th ... study is indicative of satisfactory physiological, nutritional and pathological ... domestication and integration into the micro-livestock farming system is ..... Principles and.

  3. Biochemical and genetical analysis reveal a new clade of biovar 3 Dickeya spp. strains isolated from potato in Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slawiak, M.; Beckhoven, van J.R.C.M.; Speksnijder, A.G.C.L.; Czajkowski, R.L.; Grabe, G.; Wolf, van der J.M.

    2009-01-01

    Sixty-five potato strains of the soft rot-causing plant pathogenic bacterium Dickeya spp., and two strains from hyacinth, were characterised using biochemical assays, REP-PCR genomic finger printing, 16S rDNA and dnaX sequence analysis. These methods were compared with nineteen strains representing

  4. Robust and rapid algorithms facilitate large-scale whole genome sequencing downstream analysis in an integrative framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Miaoxin; Li, Jiang; Li, Mulin Jun; Pan, Zhicheng; Hsu, Jacob Shujui; Liu, Dajiang J; Zhan, Xiaowei; Wang, Junwen; Song, Youqiang; Sham, Pak Chung

    2017-05-19

    Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a promising strategy to unravel variants or genes responsible for human diseases and traits. However, there is a lack of robust platforms for a comprehensive downstream analysis. In the present study, we first proposed three novel algorithms, sequence gap-filled gene feature annotation, bit-block encoded genotypes and sectional fast access to text lines to address three fundamental problems. The three algorithms then formed the infrastructure of a robust parallel computing framework, KGGSeq, for integrating downstream analysis functions for whole genome sequencing data. KGGSeq has been equipped with a comprehensive set of analysis functions for quality control, filtration, annotation, pathogenic prediction and statistical tests. In the tests with whole genome sequencing data from 1000 Genomes Project, KGGSeq annotated several thousand more reliable non-synonymous variants than other widely used tools (e.g. ANNOVAR and SNPEff). It took only around half an hour on a small server with 10 CPUs to access genotypes of ∼60 million variants of 2504 subjects, while a popular alternative tool required around one day. KGGSeq's bit-block genotype format used 1.5% or less space to flexibly represent phased or unphased genotypes with multiple alleles and achieved a speed of over 1000 times faster to calculate genotypic correlation. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  5. SilkDB: a knowledgebase for silkworm biology and genomics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Jing; Xia, Qingyou; He, Ximiao

    2005-01-01

    The Silkworm Knowledgebase (SilkDB) is a web-based repository for the curation, integration and study of silkworm genetic and genomic data. With the recent accomplishment of a approximately 6X draft genome sequence of the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori), SilkDB provides an integrated representati....... SilkDB is publicly accessible at http://silkworm.genomics.org.cn. Udgivelsesdato: 2005-Jan-1...

  6. Systematic methods for synthesis and design of sustainable chemical and biochemical processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gani, Rafiqul

    Chemical and biochemical process design consists of designing the process that can sustainably manufacture an identified chemical product through a chemical or biochemical route. The chemical product tree is potentially very large; starting from a set of basic raw materials (such as petroleum...... for process intensification, sustainable process design, identification of optimal biorefinery models as well as integrated process-control design, and chemical product design. The lecture will present the main concepts, the decomposition based solution approach, the developed methods and tools together...

  7. VaProS: a database-integration approach for protein/genome information retrieval

    KAUST Repository

    Gojobori, Takashi; Ikeo, Kazuho; Katayama, Yukie; Kawabata, Takeshi; Kinjo, Akira R.; Kinoshita, Kengo; Kwon, Yeondae; Migita, Ohsuke; Mizutani, Hisashi; Muraoka, Masafumi; Nagata, Koji; Omori, Satoshi; Sugawara, Hideaki; Yamada, Daichi; Yura, Kei

    2016-01-01

    Life science research now heavily relies on all sorts of databases for genome sequences, transcription, protein three-dimensional (3D) structures, protein–protein interactions, phenotypes and so forth. The knowledge accumulated by all the omics research is so vast that a computer-aided search of data is now a prerequisite for starting a new study. In addition, a combinatory search throughout these databases has a chance to extract new ideas and new hypotheses that can be examined by wet-lab experiments. By virtually integrating the related databases on the Internet, we have built a new web application that facilitates life science researchers for retrieving experts’ knowledge stored in the databases and for building a new hypothesis of the research target. This web application, named VaProS, puts stress on the interconnection between the functional information of genome sequences and protein 3D structures, such as structural effect of the gene mutation. In this manuscript, we present the notion of VaProS, the databases and tools that can be accessed without any knowledge of database locations and data formats, and the power of search exemplified in quest of the molecular mechanisms of lysosomal storage disease. VaProS can be freely accessed at http://p4d-info.nig.ac.jp/vapros/.

  8. VaProS: a database-integration approach for protein/genome information retrieval

    KAUST Repository

    Gojobori, Takashi

    2016-12-24

    Life science research now heavily relies on all sorts of databases for genome sequences, transcription, protein three-dimensional (3D) structures, protein–protein interactions, phenotypes and so forth. The knowledge accumulated by all the omics research is so vast that a computer-aided search of data is now a prerequisite for starting a new study. In addition, a combinatory search throughout these databases has a chance to extract new ideas and new hypotheses that can be examined by wet-lab experiments. By virtually integrating the related databases on the Internet, we have built a new web application that facilitates life science researchers for retrieving experts’ knowledge stored in the databases and for building a new hypothesis of the research target. This web application, named VaProS, puts stress on the interconnection between the functional information of genome sequences and protein 3D structures, such as structural effect of the gene mutation. In this manuscript, we present the notion of VaProS, the databases and tools that can be accessed without any knowledge of database locations and data formats, and the power of search exemplified in quest of the molecular mechanisms of lysosomal storage disease. VaProS can be freely accessed at http://p4d-info.nig.ac.jp/vapros/.

  9. The genome portal of the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute: 2014 updates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nordberg, Henrik [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Cantor, Michael [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Dusheyko, Serge [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Hua, Susan [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Poliakov, Alexander [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Shabalov, Igor [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Smirnova, Tatyana [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Grigoriev, Igor V. [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Dubchak, Inna [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)

    2013-11-12

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a national user facility, serves the diverse scientific community by providing integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis to enable system-based scientific approaches in support of DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization. The JGI Genome Portal (http://genome.jgi.doe.gov) provides unified access to all JGI genomic databases and analytical tools. The JGI maintains extensive data management systems and specialized analytical capabilities to manage and interpret complex genomic data. A user can search, download and explore multiple data sets available for all DOE JGI sequencing projects including their status, assemblies and annotations of sequenced genomes. In this paper, we describe major updates of the Genome Portal in the past 2 years with a specific emphasis on efficient handling of the rapidly growing amount of diverse genomic data accumulated in JGI.

  10. Implementing genomics and pharmacogenomics in the clinic: The National Human Genome Research Institute’s genomic medicine portfolio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manolio, Teri A.

    2016-01-01

    Increasing knowledge about the influence of genetic variation on human health and growing availability of reliable, cost-effective genetic testing have spurred the implementation of genomic medicine in the clinic. As defined by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), genomic medicine uses an individual’s genetic information in his or her clinical care, and has begun to be applied effectively in areas such as cancer genomics, pharmacogenomics, and rare and undiagnosed diseases. In 2011 NHGRI published its strategic vision for the future of genomic research, including an ambitious research agenda to facilitate and promote the implementation of genomic medicine. To realize this agenda, NHGRI is consulting and facilitating collaborations with the external research community through a series of “Genomic Medicine Meetings,” under the guidance and leadership of the National Advisory Council on Human Genome Research. These meetings have identified and begun to address significant obstacles to implementation, such as lack of evidence of efficacy, limited availability of genomics expertise and testing, lack of standards, and diffficulties in integrating genomic results into electronic medical records. The six research and dissemination initiatives comprising NHGRI’s genomic research portfolio are designed to speed the evaluation and incorporation, where appropriate, of genomic technologies and findings into routine clinical care. Actual adoption of successful approaches in clinical care will depend upon the willingness, interest, and energy of professional societies, practitioners, patients, and payers to promote their responsible use and share their experiences in doing so. PMID:27612677

  11. Integration of heterologous DNA into the genome of Paracoccus denitrificans is mediated by a family of IS1248-related elements and a second type of integrative recombination event

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Spanning, R J; Reijnders, W N; Stouthamer, A.H.

    All members of the IS1248 family residing in the genome of Paracoccus denitrificans have been isolated by using a set of insertion sequence entrapment vectors. The family consists of five closely related members that integrate the entrapment vectors at distinct sites. One of these, IS1248b, was

  12. Toward the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks in the SEED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeJongh, Matthew; Formsma, Kevin; Boillot, Paul; Gould, John; Rycenga, Matthew; Best, Aaron

    2007-04-26

    Current methods for the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks focus on genome annotation and preliminary biochemical reaction network assembly, but do not adequately address the process of identifying and filling gaps in the reaction network, and verifying that the network is suitable for systems level analysis. Thus, current methods are only sufficient for generating draft-quality networks, and refinement of the reaction network is still largely a manual, labor-intensive process. We have developed a method for generating genome-scale metabolic networks that produces substantially complete reaction networks, suitable for systems level analysis. Our method partitions the reaction space of central and intermediary metabolism into discrete, interconnected components that can be assembled and verified in isolation from each other, and then integrated and verified at the level of their interconnectivity. We have developed a database of components that are common across organisms, and have created tools for automatically assembling appropriate components for a particular organism based on the metabolic pathways encoded in the organism's genome. This focuses manual efforts on that portion of an organism's metabolism that is not yet represented in the database. We have demonstrated the efficacy of our method by reverse-engineering and automatically regenerating the reaction network from a published genome-scale metabolic model for Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, we have verified that our method capitalizes on the database of common reaction network components created for S. aureus, by using these components to generate substantially complete reconstructions of the reaction networks from three other published metabolic models (Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, and Lactococcus lactis). We have implemented our tools and database within the SEED, an open-source software environment for comparative genome annotation and analysis. Our method sets the

  13. Toward the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks in the SEED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gould John

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Current methods for the automated generation of genome-scale metabolic networks focus on genome annotation and preliminary biochemical reaction network assembly, but do not adequately address the process of identifying and filling gaps in the reaction network, and verifying that the network is suitable for systems level analysis. Thus, current methods are only sufficient for generating draft-quality networks, and refinement of the reaction network is still largely a manual, labor-intensive process. Results We have developed a method for generating genome-scale metabolic networks that produces substantially complete reaction networks, suitable for systems level analysis. Our method partitions the reaction space of central and intermediary metabolism into discrete, interconnected components that can be assembled and verified in isolation from each other, and then integrated and verified at the level of their interconnectivity. We have developed a database of components that are common across organisms, and have created tools for automatically assembling appropriate components for a particular organism based on the metabolic pathways encoded in the organism's genome. This focuses manual efforts on that portion of an organism's metabolism that is not yet represented in the database. We have demonstrated the efficacy of our method by reverse-engineering and automatically regenerating the reaction network from a published genome-scale metabolic model for Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, we have verified that our method capitalizes on the database of common reaction network components created for S. aureus, by using these components to generate substantially complete reconstructions of the reaction networks from three other published metabolic models (Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, and Lactococcus lactis. We have implemented our tools and database within the SEED, an open-source software environment for comparative

  14. Sparse multivariate factor analysis regression models and its applications to integrative genomics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yan; Wang, Pei; Wang, Xianlong; Zhu, Ji; Song, Peter X-K

    2017-01-01

    The multivariate regression model is a useful tool to explore complex associations between two kinds of molecular markers, which enables the understanding of the biological pathways underlying disease etiology. For a set of correlated response variables, accounting for such dependency can increase statistical power. Motivated by integrative genomic data analyses, we propose a new methodology-sparse multivariate factor analysis regression model (smFARM), in which correlations of response variables are assumed to follow a factor analysis model with latent factors. This proposed method not only allows us to address the challenge that the number of association parameters is larger than the sample size, but also to adjust for unobserved genetic and/or nongenetic factors that potentially conceal the underlying response-predictor associations. The proposed smFARM is implemented by the EM algorithm and the blockwise coordinate descent algorithm. The proposed methodology is evaluated and compared to the existing methods through extensive simulation studies. Our results show that accounting for latent factors through the proposed smFARM can improve sensitivity of signal detection and accuracy of sparse association map estimation. We illustrate smFARM by two integrative genomics analysis examples, a breast cancer dataset, and an ovarian cancer dataset, to assess the relationship between DNA copy numbers and gene expression arrays to understand genetic regulatory patterns relevant to the disease. We identify two trans-hub regions: one in cytoband 17q12 whose amplification influences the RNA expression levels of important breast cancer genes, and the other in cytoband 9q21.32-33, which is associated with chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. © 2016 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  15. DNA-PKcs, ATM, and ATR Interplay Maintains Genome Integrity during Neurogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enriquez-Rios, Vanessa; Dumitrache, Lavinia C; Downing, Susanna M; Li, Yang; Brown, Eric J; Russell, Helen R; McKinnon, Peter J

    2017-01-25

    The DNA damage response (DDR) orchestrates a network of cellular processes that integrates cell-cycle control and DNA repair or apoptosis, which serves to maintain genome stability. DNA-PKcs (the catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent kinase, encoded by PRKDC), ATM (ataxia telangiectasia, mutated), and ATR (ATM and Rad3-related) are related PI3K-like protein kinases and central regulators of the DDR. Defects in these kinases have been linked to neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental syndromes. In all cases, the key neuroprotective function of these kinases is uncertain. It also remains unclear how interactions between the three DNA damage-responsive kinases coordinate genome stability, particularly in a physiological context. Here, we used a genetic approach to identify the neural function of DNA-PKcs and the interplay between ATM and ATR during neurogenesis. We found that DNA-PKcs loss in the mouse sensitized neuronal progenitors to apoptosis after ionizing radiation because of excessive DNA damage. DNA-PKcs was also required to prevent endogenous DNA damage accumulation throughout the adult brain. In contrast, ATR coordinated the DDR during neurogenesis to direct apoptosis in cycling neural progenitors, whereas ATM regulated apoptosis in both proliferative and noncycling cells. We also found that ATR controls a DNA damage-induced G 2 /M checkpoint in cortical progenitors, independent of ATM and DNA-PKcs. These nonoverlapping roles were further confirmed via sustained murine embryonic or cortical development after all three kinases were simultaneously inactivated. Thus, our results illustrate how DNA-PKcs, ATM, and ATR have unique and essential roles during the DDR, collectively ensuring comprehensive genome maintenance in the nervous system. The DNA damage response (DDR) is essential for prevention of a broad spectrum of different human neurologic diseases. However, a detailed understanding of the DDR at a physiological level is lacking. In contrast to many in

  16. Endogenous viral elements in animal genomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aris Katzourakis

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Integration into the nuclear genome of germ line cells can lead to vertical inheritance of retroviral genes as host alleles. For other viruses, germ line integration has only rarely been documented. Nonetheless, we identified endogenous viral elements (EVEs derived from ten non-retroviral families by systematic in silico screening of animal genomes, including the first endogenous representatives of double-stranded RNA, reverse-transcribing DNA, and segmented RNA viruses, and the first endogenous DNA viruses in mammalian genomes. Phylogenetic and genomic analysis of EVEs across multiple host species revealed novel information about the origin and evolution of diverse virus groups. Furthermore, several of the elements identified here encode intact open reading frames or are expressed as mRNA. For one element in the primate lineage, we provide statistically robust evidence for exaptation. Our findings establish that genetic material derived from all known viral genome types and replication strategies can enter the animal germ line, greatly broadening the scope of paleovirological studies and indicating a more significant evolutionary role for gene flow from virus to animal genomes than has previously been recognized.

  17. Genomics in Public Health: Perspective from the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ridgely Fisk Green

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The national effort to use genomic knowledge to save lives is gaining momentum, as illustrated by the inclusion of genomics in key public health initiatives, including Healthy People 2020, and the recent launch of the precision medicine initiative. The Office of Public Health Genomics (OPHG at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC partners with state public health departments and others to advance the translation of genome-based discoveries into disease prevention and population health. To do this, OPHG has adopted an “identify, inform, and integrate” model: identify evidence-based genomic applications ready for implementation, inform stakeholders about these applications, and integrate these applications into public health at the local, state, and national level. This paper addresses current and future work at OPHG for integrating genomics into public health programs.

  18. Identification and biochemical characterization of an Arabidopsis indole-3-acetic acid glucosyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, R G; Lim, E K; Li, Y; Kowalczyk, M; Sandberg, G; Hoggett, J; Ashford, D A; Bowles, D J

    2001-02-09

    Biochemical characterization of recombinant gene products following a phylogenetic analysis of the UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) multigene family of Arabidopsis has identified one enzyme (UGT84B1) with high activity toward the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and three related enzymes (UGT84B2, UGT75B1, and UGT75B2) with trace activities. The identity of the IAA conjugate has been confirmed to be 1-O-indole acetyl glucose ester. A sequence annotated as a UDP-glucose:IAA glucosyltransferase (IAA-UGT) in the Arabidopsis genome and expressed sequence tag data bases given its similarity to the maize iaglu gene sequence showed no activity toward IAA. This study describes the first biochemical analysis of a recombinant IAA-UGT and provides the foundation for future genetic approaches to understand the role of 1-O-indole acetyl glucose ester in Arabidopsis.

  19. HGVA: the Human Genome Variation Archive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Javier; Coll, Jacobo; Haimel, Matthias; Kandasamy, Swaathi; Tarraga, Joaquin; Furio-Tari, Pedro; Bari, Wasim; Bleda, Marta; Rueda, Antonio; Gräf, Stefan; Rendon, Augusto; Dopazo, Joaquin; Medina, Ignacio

    2017-07-03

    High-profile genomic variation projects like the 1000 Genomes project or the Exome Aggregation Consortium, are generating a wealth of human genomic variation knowledge which can be used as an essential reference for identifying disease-causing genotypes. However, accessing these data, contrasting the various studies and integrating those data in downstream analyses remains cumbersome. The Human Genome Variation Archive (HGVA) tackles these challenges and facilitates access to genomic data for key reference projects in a clean, fast and integrated fashion. HGVA provides an efficient and intuitive web-interface for easy data mining, a comprehensive RESTful API and client libraries in Python, Java and JavaScript for fast programmatic access to its knowledge base. HGVA calculates population frequencies for these projects and enriches their data with variant annotation provided by CellBase, a rich and fast annotation solution. HGVA serves as a proof-of-concept of the genome analysis developments being carried out by the University of Cambridge together with UK's 100 000 genomes project and the National Institute for Health Research BioResource Rare-Diseases, in particular, deploying open-source for Computational Biology (OpenCB) software platform for storing and analyzing massive genomic datasets. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  20. Individual capacity for DNA repair and maintenance of genomic integrity: a fertile ground for studies in the field of assisted reproduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radoslava Vazharova

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Many factors may affect the chances for successful pregnancy, especially at a later age. Fertility evaluations including genetic analysis are recommended to couples that have not achieved pregnancy within 6–12 months of unprotected intercourse. This review discusses some of the common polymorphisms in genes coding for proteins functioning in DNA damage identification and repair and maintenance of genomic integrity that may affect the chances of success in natural conception as well as in assisted reproduction (AR. Common polymorphisms in genes coding for proteins functioning in DNA damage identification and repair and maintenance of genomic integrity may affect the chances of success in assisted reproduction as well as in natural conception. The effects of carriership of different alleles of key genes of DNA repair may have differential effects in men and women and at different ages, suggesting complex interactions with the mechanisms controlling cell and tissue aging and programmed cell death. Future studies in the field are needed in order to elucidate the genotype–phenotype relationships and to translate the knowledge about individual repair capacity and maintenance of genomic integrity to potential clinical applications. Abbreviations: aCGH: microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization; AR: assisted reproduction; ATM: ataxia-telangiectasia mutated; ATP: adenosine triphosphate; BER: base excision repair; BFE: basic fertility evaluation; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; FSH: follicle-stimulating hormone; GNRHR: gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor; HMG: high-mobility group; ICSI: intracytoplasmic sperm injection; IUI: intrauterine insemination; IVF: in vitro fertilization; LH: luteinizing hormone; LIF: leukaemia inhibitory factor; MTR: methionine synthase; MTRR: methionine synthase reductase; NGS: next-generation sequencing; NER: nucleotide excision repair; NHEJ: non-homologous end joining; PAH: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; PCOS

  1. Integrative genome-wide expression profiling identifies three distinct molecular subgroups of renal cell carcinoma with different patient outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beleut Manfred

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Renal cell carcinoma (RCC is characterized by a number of diverse molecular aberrations that differ among individuals. Recent approaches to molecularly classify RCC were based on clinical, pathological as well as on single molecular parameters. As a consequence, gene expression patterns reflecting the sum of genetic aberrations in individual tumors may not have been recognized. In an attempt to uncover such molecular features in RCC, we used a novel, unbiased and integrative approach. Methods We integrated gene expression data from 97 primary RCC of different pathologic parameters, 15 RCC metastases as well as 34 cancer cell lines for two-way nonsupervised hierarchical clustering using gene groups suggested by the PANTHER Classification System. We depicted the genomic landscape of the resulted tumor groups by means of Single Nuclear Polymorphism (SNP technology. Finally, the achieved results were immunohistochemically analyzed using a tissue microarray (TMA composed of 254 RCC. Results We found robust, genome wide expression signatures, which split RCC into three distinct molecular subgroups. These groups remained stable even if randomly selected gene sets were clustered. Notably, the pattern obtained from RCC cell lines was clearly distinguishable from that of primary tumors. SNP array analysis demonstrated differing frequencies of chromosomal copy number alterations among RCC subgroups. TMA analysis with group-specific markers showed a prognostic significance of the different groups. Conclusion We propose the existence of characteristic and histologically independent genome-wide expression outputs in RCC with potential biological and clinical relevance.

  2. Distinct high resolution genome profiles of early onset and late onset colorectal cancer integrated with gene expression data identify candidate susceptibility loci

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Merok Marianne A

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Estimates suggest that up to 30% of colorectal cancers (CRC may develop due to an increased genetic risk. The mean age at diagnosis for CRC is about 70 years. Time of disease onset 20 years younger than the mean age is assumed to be indicative of genetic susceptibility. We have compared high resolution tumor genome copy number variation (CNV (Roche NimbleGen, 385 000 oligo CGH array in microsatellite stable (MSS tumors from two age groups, including 23 young at onset patients without known hereditary syndromes and with a median age of 44 years (range: 28-53 and 17 elderly patients with median age 79 years (range: 69-87. Our aim was to identify differences in the tumor genomes between these groups and pinpoint potential susceptibility loci. Integration analysis of CNV and genome wide mRNA expression data, available for the same tumors, was performed to identify a restricted candidate gene list. Results The total fraction of the genome with aberrant copy number, the overall genomic profile and the TP53 mutation spectrum were similar between the two age groups. However, both the number of chromosomal aberrations and the number of breakpoints differed significantly between the groups. Gains of 2q35, 10q21.3-22.1, 10q22.3 and 19q13.2-13.31 and losses from 1p31.3, 1q21.1, 2q21.2, 4p16.1-q28.3, 10p11.1 and 19p12, positions that in total contain more than 500 genes, were found significantly more often in the early onset group as compared to the late onset group. Integration analysis revealed a covariation of DNA copy number at these sites and mRNA expression for 107 of the genes. Seven of these genes, CLC, EIF4E, LTBP4, PLA2G12A, PPAT, RG9MTD2, and ZNF574, had significantly different mRNA expression comparing median expression levels across the transcriptome between the two groups. Conclusions Ten genomic loci, containing more than 500 protein coding genes, are identified as more often altered in tumors from early onset versus late

  3. Network analysis of epidermal growth factor signaling using integrated genomic, proteomic and phosphorylation data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrina M Waters

    Full Text Available To understand how integration of multiple data types can help decipher cellular responses at the systems level, we analyzed the mitogenic response of human mammary epithelial cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF using whole genome microarrays, mass spectrometry-based proteomics and large-scale western blots with over 1000 antibodies. A time course analysis revealed significant differences in the expression of 3172 genes and 596 proteins, including protein phosphorylation changes measured by western blot. Integration of these disparate data types showed that each contributed qualitatively different components to the observed cell response to EGF and that varying degrees of concordance in gene expression and protein abundance measurements could be linked to specific biological processes. Networks inferred from individual data types were relatively limited, whereas networks derived from the integrated data recapitulated the known major cellular responses to EGF and exhibited more highly connected signaling nodes than networks derived from any individual dataset. While cell cycle regulatory pathways were altered as anticipated, we found the most robust response to mitogenic concentrations of EGF was induction of matrix metalloprotease cascades, highlighting the importance of the EGFR system as a regulator of the extracellular environment. These results demonstrate the value of integrating multiple levels of biological information to more accurately reconstruct networks of cellular response.

  4. Network Analysis of Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling using Integrated Genomic, Proteomic and Phosphorylation Data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waters, Katrina M.; Liu, Tao; Quesenberry, Ryan D.; Willse, Alan R.; Bandyopadhyay, Somnath; Kathmann, Loel E.; Weber, Thomas J.; Smith, Richard D.; Wiley, H. S.; Thrall, Brian D.

    2012-03-29

    To understand how integration of multiple data types can help decipher cellular responses at the systems level, we analyzed the mitogenic response of human mammary epithelial cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF) using whole genome microarrays, mass spectrometry-based proteomics and large-scale western blots with over 1000 antibodies. A time course analysis revealed significant differences in the expression of 3172 genes and 596 proteins, including protein phosphorylation changes measured by western blot. Integration of these disparate data types showed that each contributed qualitatively different components to the observed cell response to EGF and that varying degrees of concordance in gene expression and protein abundance measurements could be linked to specific biological processes. Networks inferred from individual data types were relatively limited, whereas networks derived from the integrated data recapitulated the known major cellular responses to EGF and exhibited more highly connected signaling nodes than networks derived from any individual dataset. While cell cycle regulatory pathways were altered as anticipated, we found the most robust response to mitogenic concentrations of EGF was induction of matrix metalloprotease cascades, highlighting the importance of the EGFR system as a regulator of the extracellular environment. These results demonstrate the value of integrating multiple levels of biological information to more accurately reconstruct networks of cellular response.

  5. Collaborative Genomics Study Advances Precision Oncology

    Science.gov (United States)

    A collaborative study conducted by two Office of Cancer Genomics (OCG) initiatives highlights the importance of integrating structural and functional genomics programs to improve cancer therapies, and more specifically, contribute to precision oncology treatments for children.

  6. Modular evolution of glutathione peroxidase genes in association with different biochemical properties of their encoded proteins in invertebrate animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zo Young-Gun

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidases (PHGPx, the most abundant isoforms of GPx families, interfere directly with hydroperoxidation of lipids. Biochemical properties of these proteins vary along with their donor organisms, which has complicated the phylogenetic classification of diverse PHGPx-like proteins. Despite efforts for comprehensive analyses, the evolutionary aspects of GPx genes in invertebrates remain largely unknown. Results We isolated GPx homologs via in silico screening of genomic and/or expressed sequence tag databases of eukaryotic organisms including protostomian species. Genes showing strong similarity to the mammalian PHGPx genes were commonly found in all genomes examined. GPx3- and GPx7-like genes were additionally detected from nematodes and platyhelminths, respectively. The overall distribution of the PHGPx-like proteins with different biochemical properties was biased across taxa; selenium- and glutathione (GSH-dependent proteins were exclusively detected in platyhelminth and deuterostomian species, whereas selenium-independent and thioredoxin (Trx-dependent enzymes were isolated in the other taxa. In comparison of genomic organization, the GSH-dependent PHGPx genes showed a conserved architectural pattern, while their Trx-dependent counterparts displayed complex exon-intron structures. A codon for the resolving Cys engaged in reductant binding was found to be substituted in a series of genes. Selection pressure to maintain the selenocysteine codon in GSH-dependent genes also appeared to be relaxed during their evolution. With the dichotomized fashion in genomic organizations, a highly polytomic topology of their phylogenetic trees implied that the GPx genes have multiple evolutionary intermediate forms. Conclusion Comparative analysis of invertebrate GPx genes provides informative evidence to support the modular pathways of GPx evolution, which have been accompanied with sporadic

  7. Phosphate steering by Flap Endonuclease 1 promotes 5′-flap specificity and incision to prevent genome instability

    KAUST Repository

    Tsutakawa, Susan E.

    2017-06-27

    DNA replication and repair enzyme Flap Endonuclease 1 (FEN1) is vital for genome integrity, and FEN1 mutations arise in multiple cancers. FEN1 precisely cleaves single-stranded (ss) 5\\'-flaps one nucleotide into duplex (ds) DNA. Yet, how FEN1 selects for but does not incise the ss 5\\'-flap was enigmatic. Here we combine crystallographic, biochemical and genetic analyses to show that two dsDNA binding sites set the 5\\'polarity and to reveal unexpected control of the DNA phosphodiester backbone by electrostatic interactions. Via phosphate steering\\', basic residues energetically steer an inverted ss 5\\'-flap through a gateway over FEN1\\'s active site and shift dsDNA for catalysis. Mutations of these residues cause an 18,000-fold reduction in catalytic rate in vitro and large-scale trinucleotide (GAA) repeat expansions in vivo, implying failed phosphate-steering promotes an unanticipated lagging-strand template-switch mechanism during replication. Thus, phosphate steering is an unappreciated FEN1 function that enforces 5\\'-flap specificity and catalysis, preventing genomic instability.

  8. Inferring genetic architecture of complex traits using Bayesian integrative analysis of genome and transcriptiome data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ehsani, Alireza; Sørensen, Peter; Pomp, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    Background To understand the genetic architecture of complex traits and bridge the genotype-phenotype gap, it is useful to study intermediate -omics data, e.g. the transcriptome. The present study introduces a method for simultaneous quantification of the contributions from single nucleotide......-modal distribution of genomic values collapses, when gene expressions are added to the model Conclusions With increased availability of various -omics data, integrative approaches are promising tools for understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits. Partitioning of explained variances at the chromosome...

  9. DFAST and DAGA: web-based integrated genome annotation tools and resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanizawa, Yasuhiro; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Kaminuma, Eli; Nakamura, Yasukazu; Arita, Masanori

    2016-01-01

    Quality assurance and correct taxonomic affiliation of data submitted to public sequence databases have been an everlasting problem. The DDBJ Fast Annotation and Submission Tool (DFAST) is a newly developed genome annotation pipeline with quality and taxonomy assessment tools. To enable annotation of ready-to-submit quality, we also constructed curated reference protein databases tailored for lactic acid bacteria. DFAST was developed so that all the procedures required for DDBJ submission could be done seamlessly online. The online workspace would be especially useful for users not familiar with bioinformatics skills. In addition, we have developed a genome repository, DFAST Archive of Genome Annotation (DAGA), which currently includes 1,421 genomes covering 179 species and 18 subspecies of two genera, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus , obtained from both DDBJ/ENA/GenBank and Sequence Read Archive (SRA). All the genomes deposited in DAGA were annotated consistently and assessed using DFAST. To assess the taxonomic position based on genomic sequence information, we used the average nucleotide identity (ANI), which showed high discriminative power to determine whether two given genomes belong to the same species. We corrected mislabeled or misidentified genomes in the public database and deposited the curated information in DAGA. The repository will improve the accessibility and reusability of genome resources for lactic acid bacteria. By exploiting the data deposited in DAGA, we found intraspecific subgroups in Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus jensenii , whose variation between subgroups is larger than the well-accepted ANI threshold of 95% to differentiate species. DFAST and DAGA are freely accessible at https://dfast.nig.ac.jp.

  10. RNA interactions in the 5' region of the HIV-1 genome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damgaard, Christian Kroun; Andersen, Ebbe Sloth; Knudsen, Bjarne

    2004-01-01

    The untranslated leader of the dimeric HIV-1 RNA genome is folded into a complex structure that plays multiple and essential roles in the viral replication cycle. Here, we have investigated secondary and tertiary structural elements within the 5' 744 nucleotides of the HIV-1 genome using...... a combination of bioinformatics, enzymatic probing, native gel electrophoresis, and UV-crosslinking experiments. We used a recently developed RNA folding algorithm (Pfold) to predict the common secondary structure of an alignment of 20 divergent HIV-1 sequences. Combining this analysis with biochemical data, we...

  11. Chromatin dynamics in genome stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nair, Nidhi; Shoaib, Muhammad; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

    2017-01-01

    Genomic DNA is compacted into chromatin through packaging with histone and non-histone proteins. Importantly, DNA accessibility is dynamically regulated to ensure genome stability. This is exemplified in the response to DNA damage where chromatin relaxation near genomic lesions serves to promote...... access of relevant enzymes to specific DNA regions for signaling and repair. Furthermore, recent data highlight genome maintenance roles of chromatin through the regulation of endogenous DNA-templated processes including transcription and replication. Here, we review research that shows the importance...... of chromatin structure regulation in maintaining genome integrity by multiple mechanisms including facilitating DNA repair and directly suppressing endogenous DNA damage....

  12. OryzaGenome: Genome Diversity Database of Wild Oryza Species

    KAUST Repository

    Ohyanagi, Hajime

    2015-11-18

    The species in the genus Oryza, encompassing nine genome types and 23 species, are a rich genetic resource and may have applications in deeper genomic analyses aiming to understand the evolution of plant genomes. With the advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, a flood of Oryza species reference genomes and genomic variation information has become available in recent years. This genomic information, combined with the comprehensive phenotypic information that we are accumulating in our Oryzabase, can serve as an excellent genotype-phenotype association resource for analyzing rice functional and structural evolution, and the associated diversity of the Oryza genus. Here we integrate our previous and future phenotypic/habitat information and newly determined genotype information into a united repository, named OryzaGenome, providing the variant information with hyperlinks to Oryzabase. The current version of OryzaGenome includes genotype information of 446 O. rufipogon accessions derived by imputation and of 17 accessions derived by imputation-free deep sequencing. Two variant viewers are implemented: SNP Viewer as a conventional genome browser interface and Variant Table as a textbased browser for precise inspection of each variant one by one. Portable VCF (variant call format) file or tabdelimited file download is also available. Following these SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) data, reference pseudomolecules/ scaffolds/contigs and genome-wide variation information for almost all of the closely and distantly related wild Oryza species from the NIG Wild Rice Collection will be available in future releases. All of the resources can be accessed through http://viewer.shigen.info/oryzagenome/.

  13. Conservation Laws in Biochemical Reaction Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahdi, Adam; Ferragut, Antoni; Valls, Claudia

    2017-01-01

    We study the existence of linear and nonlinear conservation laws in biochemical reaction networks with mass-action kinetics. It is straightforward to compute the linear conservation laws as they are related to the left null-space of the stoichiometry matrix. The nonlinear conservation laws...... are difficult to identify and have rarely been considered in the context of mass-action reaction networks. Here, using the Darboux theory of integrability, we provide necessary structural (i.e., parameterindependent) conditions on a reaction network to guarantee the existence of nonlinear conservation laws...

  14. Integrated structural biology and molecular ecology of N-cycling enzymes from ammonia-oxidizing archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolar, Bradley B; Herrmann, Jonathan; Bargar, John R; van den Bedem, Henry; Wakatsuki, Soichi; Francis, Christopher A

    2017-10-01

    Knowledge of the molecular ecology and environmental determinants of ammonia-oxidizing organisms is critical to understanding and predicting the global nitrogen (N) and carbon cycles, but an incomplete biochemical picture hinders in vitro studies of N-cycling enzymes. Although an integrative structural and dynamic characterization at the atomic scale would advance our understanding of function tremendously, structural knowledge of key N-cycling enzymes from ecologically relevant ammonia oxidizers is unfortunately extremely limited. Here, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for examining the ecology of ammonia-oxidizing organisms, particularly uncultivated Thaumarchaeota, through (meta)genome-driven structural biology of the enzymes ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and nitrite reductase (NirK). © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Genetic counselors' views and experiences with the clinical integration of genome sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machini, Kalotina; Douglas, Jessica; Braxton, Alicia; Tsipis, Judith; Kramer, Kate

    2014-08-01

    In recent years, new sequencing technologies known as next generation sequencing (NGS) have provided scientists the ability to rapidly sequence all known coding as well as non-coding sequences in the human genome. As the two emerging approaches, whole exome (WES) and whole genome (WGS) sequencing, have started to be integrated in the clinical arena, we sought to survey health care professionals who are likely to be involved in the implementation process now and/or in the future (e.g., genetic counselors, geneticists and nurse practitioners). Two hundred twenty-one genetic counselors- one third of whom currently offer WES/WGS-participated in an anonymous online survey. The aims of the survey were first, to identify barriers to the implementation of WES/WGS, as perceived by survey participants; second, to provide the first systematic report of current practices regarding the integration of WES/WGS in clinic and/or research across the US and Canada and to illuminate the roles and challenges of genetic counselors participating in this process; and third to evaluate the impact of WES/WGS on patient care. Our results showed that genetic counseling practices with respect to WES/WGS are consistent with the criteria set forth in the ACMG 2012 policy statement, which highlights indications for testing, reporting, and pre/post test considerations. Our respondents described challenges related to offering WES/WGS, which included billing issues, the duration and content of the consent process, result interpretation and disclosure of incidental findings and variants of unknown significance. In addition, respondents indicated that specialty area (i.e., prenatal and cancer), lack of clinical utility of WES/WGS and concerns about interpretation of test results were factors that prevented them from offering this technology to patients. Finally, study participants identified the aspects of their professional training which have been most beneficial in aiding with the integration of

  16. Recent advances in biochemical and molecular diagnostics for the rapid detection of antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: a focus on ß-lactam resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decousser, Jean-Winoc; Poirel, Laurent; Nordmann, Patrice

    2017-04-01

    The rapid detection of resistance is a challenge for clinical microbiologists who wish to prevent deleterious individual and collective consequences such as (i) delaying efficient antibiotic therapy, which worsens the survival rate of the most severely ill patients, or (ii) delaying the isolation of the carriers of multidrug-resistant bacteria and promoting outbreaks; this last consequence is of special concern, and there are an increasing number of approaches and market-based solutions in response. Areas covered: From simple, cheap biochemical tests to whole-genome sequencing, clinical microbiologists must select the most adequate phenotypic and genotypic tools to promptly detect and confirm β-lactam resistance from cultivated bacteria or from clinical specimens. Here, the authors review the published literature from the last 5 years about the primary technical approaches and commercial laboratory reagents for these purposes, including molecular, biochemical and immune assays. Furthermore, the authors discuss their intrinsic and relative performance, and we challenge their putative clinical impact. Expert commentary: Until the availability of fully automated wet and dry whole genome sequencing solutions, microbiologists should focus on inexpensive biochemical tests for cultured isolates or monomicrobial clinical specimen and on using the expensive molecular PCR-based strategies for the targeted screening of complex biological environments.

  17. Spatial organization of the budding yeast genome in the cell nucleus and identification of specific chromatin interactions from multi-chromosome constrained chromatin model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gürsoy, Gamze; Xu, Yun; Liang, Jie

    2017-07-01

    Nuclear landmarks and biochemical factors play important roles in the organization of the yeast genome. The interaction pattern of budding yeast as measured from genome-wide 3C studies are largely recapitulated by model polymer genomes subject to landmark constraints. However, the origin of inter-chromosomal interactions, specific roles of individual landmarks, and the roles of biochemical factors in yeast genome organization remain unclear. Here we describe a multi-chromosome constrained self-avoiding chromatin model (mC-SAC) to gain understanding of the budding yeast genome organization. With significantly improved sampling of genome structures, both intra- and inter-chromosomal interaction patterns from genome-wide 3C studies are accurately captured in our model at higher resolution than previous studies. We show that nuclear confinement is a key determinant of the intra-chromosomal interactions, and centromere tethering is responsible for the inter-chromosomal interactions. In addition, important genomic elements such as fragile sites and tRNA genes are found to be clustered spatially, largely due to centromere tethering. We uncovered previously unknown interactions that were not captured by genome-wide 3C studies, which are found to be enriched with tRNA genes, RNAPIII and TFIIS binding. Moreover, we identified specific high-frequency genome-wide 3C interactions that are unaccounted for by polymer effects under landmark constraints. These interactions are enriched with important genes and likely play biological roles.

  18. Complete Genome Sequence of Germline Chromosomally Integrated Human Herpesvirus 6A and Analyses Integration Sites Define a New Human Endogenous Virus with Potential to Reactivate as an Emerging Infection.

    OpenAIRE

    Tweedy, J; Spyrou, MA; Pearson, M; Lassner, D; Kuhl, U; Gompels, UA

    2016-01-01

    Human herpesvirus-6A and B (HHV-6A, HHV-6B) have recently defined endogenous genomes, resulting from integration into the germline: chromosomally-integrated "CiHHV-6A/B". These affect approximately 1.0% of human populations, giving potential for virus gene expression in every cell. We previously showed that CiHHV-6A was more divergent than CiHHV-6B by examining four genes in 44 European CiHHV-6A/B cardiac/haematology patients. There was evidence for gene expression/reactivation, imp...

  19. The complete genome sequence of Haloferax volcanii DS2, a model archaeon.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amber L Hartman

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Haloferax volcanii is an easily culturable moderate halophile that grows on simple defined media, is readily transformable, and has a relatively stable genome. This, in combination with its biochemical and genetic tractability, has made Hfx. volcanii a key model organism, not only for the study of halophilicity, but also for archaeal biology in general.We report here the sequencing and analysis of the genome of Hfx. volcanii DS2, the type strain of this species. The genome contains a main 2.848 Mb chromosome, three smaller chromosomes pHV1, 3, 4 (85, 438, 636 kb, respectively and the pHV2 plasmid (6.4 kb.The completed genome sequence, presented here, provides an invaluable tool for further in vivo and in vitro studies of Hfx. volcanii.

  20. Comparative Genome Viewer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molineris, I.; Sales, G.

    2009-01-01

    The amount of information about genomes, both in the form of complete sequences and annotations, has been exponentially increasing in the last few years. As a result there is the need for tools providing a graphical representation of such information that should be comprehensive and intuitive. Visual representation is especially important in the comparative genomics field since it should provide a combined view of data belonging to different genomes. We believe that existing tools are limited in this respect as they focus on a single genome at a time (conservation histograms) or compress alignment representation to a single dimension. We have therefore developed a web-based tool called Comparative Genome Viewer (Cgv): it integrates a bidimensional representation of alignments between two regions, both at small and big scales, with the richness of annotations present in other genome browsers. We give access to our system through a web-based interface that provides the user with an interactive representation that can be updated in real time using the mouse to move from region to region and to zoom in on interesting details.

  1. CpGAVAS, an integrated web server for the annotation, visualization, analysis, and GenBank submission of completely sequenced chloroplast genome sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The complete sequences of chloroplast genomes provide wealthy information regarding the evolutionary history of species. With the advance of next-generation sequencing technology, the number of completely sequenced chloroplast genomes is expected to increase exponentially, powerful computational tools annotating the genome sequences are in urgent need. Results We have developed a web server CPGAVAS. The server accepts a complete chloroplast genome sequence as input. First, it predicts protein-coding and rRNA genes based on the identification and mapping of the most similar, full-length protein, cDNA and rRNA sequences by integrating results from Blastx, Blastn, protein2genome and est2genome programs. Second, tRNA genes and inverted repeats (IR) are identified using tRNAscan, ARAGORN and vmatch respectively. Third, it calculates the summary statistics for the annotated genome. Fourth, it generates a circular map ready for publication. Fifth, it can create a Sequin file for GenBank submission. Last, it allows the extractions of protein and mRNA sequences for given list of genes and species. The annotation results in GFF3 format can be edited using any compatible annotation editing tools. The edited annotations can then be uploaded to CPGAVAS for update and re-analyses repeatedly. Using known chloroplast genome sequences as test set, we show that CPGAVAS performs comparably to another application DOGMA, while having several superior functionalities. Conclusions CPGAVAS allows the semi-automatic and complete annotation of a chloroplast genome sequence, and the visualization, editing and analysis of the annotation results. It will become an indispensible tool for researchers studying chloroplast genomes. The software is freely accessible from http://www.herbalgenomics.org/cpgavas. PMID:23256920

  2. CpGAVAS, an integrated web server for the annotation, visualization, analysis, and GenBank submission of completely sequenced chloroplast genome sequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Chang

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The complete sequences of chloroplast genomes provide wealthy information regarding the evolutionary history of species. With the advance of next-generation sequencing technology, the number of completely sequenced chloroplast genomes is expected to increase exponentially, powerful computational tools annotating the genome sequences are in urgent need. Results We have developed a web server CPGAVAS. The server accepts a complete chloroplast genome sequence as input. First, it predicts protein-coding and rRNA genes based on the identification and mapping of the most similar, full-length protein, cDNA and rRNA sequences by integrating results from Blastx, Blastn, protein2genome and est2genome programs. Second, tRNA genes and inverted repeats (IR are identified using tRNAscan, ARAGORN and vmatch respectively. Third, it calculates the summary statistics for the annotated genome. Fourth, it generates a circular map ready for publication. Fifth, it can create a Sequin file for GenBank submission. Last, it allows the extractions of protein and mRNA sequences for given list of genes and species. The annotation results in GFF3 format can be edited using any compatible annotation editing tools. The edited annotations can then be uploaded to CPGAVAS for update and re-analyses repeatedly. Using known chloroplast genome sequences as test set, we show that CPGAVAS performs comparably to another application DOGMA, while having several superior functionalities. Conclusions CPGAVAS allows the semi-automatic and complete annotation of a chloroplast genome sequence, and the visualization, editing and analysis of the annotation results. It will become an indispensible tool for researchers studying chloroplast genomes. The software is freely accessible from http://www.herbalgenomics.org/cpgavas.

  3. Thermodynamically consistent Bayesian analysis of closed biochemical reaction systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goutsias John

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Estimating the rate constants of a biochemical reaction system with known stoichiometry from noisy time series measurements of molecular concentrations is an important step for building predictive models of cellular function. Inference techniques currently available in the literature may produce rate constant values that defy necessary constraints imposed by the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. As a result, these techniques may lead to biochemical reaction systems whose concentration dynamics could not possibly occur in nature. Therefore, development of a thermodynamically consistent approach for estimating the rate constants of a biochemical reaction system is highly desirable. Results We introduce a Bayesian analysis approach for computing thermodynamically consistent estimates of the rate constants of a closed biochemical reaction system with known stoichiometry given experimental data. Our method employs an appropriately designed prior probability density function that effectively integrates fundamental biophysical and thermodynamic knowledge into the inference problem. Moreover, it takes into account experimental strategies for collecting informative observations of molecular concentrations through perturbations. The proposed method employs a maximization-expectation-maximization algorithm that provides thermodynamically feasible estimates of the rate constant values and computes appropriate measures of estimation accuracy. We demonstrate various aspects of the proposed method on synthetic data obtained by simulating a subset of a well-known model of the EGF/ERK signaling pathway, and examine its robustness under conditions that violate key assumptions. Software, coded in MATLAB®, which implements all Bayesian analysis techniques discussed in this paper, is available free of charge at http://www.cis.jhu.edu/~goutsias/CSS%20lab/software.html. Conclusions Our approach provides an attractive statistical methodology for

  4. Comparative genomics of a plant-parasitic nematode endosymbiont suggest a role in nutritional symbiosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacterial mutualists can increase the biochemical capacity of animals. Highly co-evolved nutritional mutualists do this by synthesizing nutrients missing from the host's diet. Genomics tools have recently advanced the study of these partnerships. Here we examined the endosymbiont Xiphinematobacter (...

  5. Bioinformatics decoding the genome

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Deutsch, Sam; Michielin, Olivier; Thomas, Arthur; Descombes, Patrick

    2006-01-01

    Extracting the fundamental genomic sequence from the DNA From Genome to Sequence : Biology in the early 21st century has been radically transformed by the availability of the full genome sequences of an ever increasing number of life forms, from bacteria to major crop plants and to humans. The lecture will concentrate on the computational challenges associated with the production, storage and analysis of genome sequence data, with an emphasis on mammalian genomes. The quality and usability of genome sequences is increasingly conditioned by the careful integration of strategies for data collection and computational analysis, from the construction of maps and libraries to the assembly of raw data into sequence contigs and chromosome-sized scaffolds. Once the sequence is assembled, a major challenge is the mapping of biologically relevant information onto this sequence: promoters, introns and exons of protein-encoding genes, regulatory elements, functional RNAs, pseudogenes, transposons, etc. The methodological ...

  6. HHV-6A/B Integration and the Pathogenesis Associated with the Reactivation of Chromosomally Integrated HHV-6A/B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collin, Vanessa; Flamand, Louis

    2017-06-26

    Unlike other human herpesviruses, human herpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) infection can lead to integration of the viral genome in human chromosomes. When integration occurs in germinal cells, the integrated HHV-6A/B genome can be transmitted to 50% of descendants. Such individuals, carrying one copy of the HHV-6A/B genome in every cell, are referred to as having inherited chromosomally-integrated HHV-6A/B (iciHHV-6) and represent approximately 1% of the world's population. Interestingly, HHV-6A/B integrate their genomes in a specific region of the chromosomes known as telomeres. Telomeres are located at chromosomes' ends and play essential roles in chromosomal stability and the long-term proliferative potential of cells. Considering that the integrated HHV-6A/B genome is mostly intact without any gross rearrangements or deletions, integration is likely used for viral maintenance into host cells. Knowing the roles played by telomeres in cellular homeostasis, viral integration in such structure is not likely to be without consequences. At present, the mechanisms and factors involved in HHV-6A/B integration remain poorly defined. In this review, we detail the potential biological and medical impacts of HHV-6A/B integration as well as the possible chromosomal integration and viral excision processes.

  7. In vivo genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 mediated homology-independent targeted integration

    KAUST Repository

    Suzuki, Keiichiro

    2016-11-15

    Targeted genome editing via engineered nucleases is an exciting area of biomedical research and holds potential for clinical applications. Despite rapid advances in the field, in vivo targeted transgene integration is still infeasible because current tools are inefficient1, especially for non-dividing cells, which compose most adult tissues. This poses a barrier for uncovering fundamental biological principles and developing treatments for a broad range of genetic disorders2. Based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9)3, 4 technology, here we devise a homology-independent targeted integration (HITI) strategy, which allows for robust DNA knock-in in both dividing and non-dividing cells in vitro and, more importantly, in vivo (for example, in neurons of postnatal mammals). As a proof of concept of its therapeutic potential, we demonstrate the efficacy of HITI in improving visual function using a rat model of the retinal degeneration condition retinitis pigmentosa. The HITI method presented here establishes new avenues for basic research and targeted gene therapies.

  8. Papillomavirus genomes in human cervical carcinoma: Analysis of their integration and transcriptional activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matulic, M.; Soric, J.

    1994-01-01

    Eighty-four biopsies derived from cervical tissues were analyzed for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA types 6, 16 and 18 using Southern blot hybridization. HPV 6 was found in none of the cervical biopsies, and HPV types 16 and 18 were found in 44% of them. The rate of HPV 16/18 positive samples increased proportionally to the severity of the lesion. In normal tissue there were no positive samples, in mild and moderate dysplasia HPV 16/18 was present in 20% and in severe dysplasia and invasive carcinomas in 37 and 50%, respectively. In biopsies from 13 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix and CIN III lesions HPV 16 was integrated within the host genome. It was concluded that the virus could be integrated at variable, presumably randomly selected chromosomal loci and with different number of copies. Transcription of HPV 16 and 18 was detected in one cervical cancer in HeLa cells, respectively. These results imply that HPV types 16 and 18 play an etiological role in the carcinogenesis of human cervical epithelial cells. (author)

  9. The Integrated Genomic Architecture and Evolution of Dental Divergence in East African Cichlid Fishes (Haplochromis chilotes x H. nyererei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Darrin Hulsey

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The independent evolution of the two toothed jaws of cichlid fishes is thought to have promoted their unparalleled ecological divergence and species richness. However, dental divergence in cichlids could exhibit substantial genetic covariance and this could dictate how traits like tooth numbers evolve in different African Lakes and on their two jaws. To test this hypothesis, we used a hybrid mapping cross of two trophically divergent Lake Victoria species (Haplochromis chilotes × Haplochromis nyererei to examine genomic regions associated with cichlid tooth diversity. Surprisingly, a similar genomic region was found to be associated with oral jaw tooth numbers in cichlids from both Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria. Likewise, this same genomic location was associated with variation in pharyngeal jaw tooth numbers. Similar relationships between tooth numbers on the two jaws in both our Victoria hybrid population and across the phylogenetic diversity of Malawi cichlids additionally suggests that tooth numbers on the two jaws of haplochromine cichlids might generally coevolve owing to shared genetic underpinnings. Integrated, rather than independent, genomic architectures could be key to the incomparable evolutionary divergence and convergence in cichlid tooth numbers.

  10. Personalized medicine: new genomics, old lessons

    OpenAIRE

    Offit, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    Personalized medicine uses traditional, as well as emerging concepts of the genetic and environmental basis of disease to individualize prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Personalized genomics plays a vital, but not exclusive role in this evolving model of personalized medicine. The distinctions between genetic and genomic medicine are more quantitative than qualitative. Personalized genomics builds on principles established by the integration of genetics into medical practice. Principles s...

  11. Integrative Genomic Analysis of Cholangiocarcinoma Identifies Distinct IDH-Mutant Molecular Profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farshad Farshidfar

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA is an aggressive malignancy of the bile ducts, with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Here, we describe the integrated analysis of somatic mutations, RNA expression, copy number, and DNA methylation by The Cancer Genome Atlas of a set of predominantly intrahepatic CCA cases and propose a molecular classification scheme. We identified an IDH mutant-enriched subtype with distinct molecular features including low expression of chromatin modifiers, elevated expression of mitochondrial genes, and increased mitochondrial DNA copy number. Leveraging the multi-platform data, we observed that ARID1A exhibited DNA hypermethylation and decreased expression in the IDH mutant subtype. More broadly, we found that IDH mutations are associated with an expanded histological spectrum of liver tumors with molecular features that stratify with CCA. Our studies reveal insights into the molecular pathogenesis and heterogeneity of cholangiocarcinoma and provide classification information of potential therapeutic significance.

  12. Integrating population genetics and conservation biology in the era of genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouborg, N Joop

    2010-02-23

    As one of the final activities of the ESF-CONGEN Networking programme, a conference entitled 'Integrating Population Genetics and Conservation Biology' was held at Trondheim, Norway, from 23 to 26 May 2009. Conference speakers and poster presenters gave a display of the state-of-the-art developments in the field of conservation genetics. Over the five-year running period of the successful ESF-CONGEN Networking programme, much progress has been made in theoretical approaches, basic research on inbreeding depression and other genetic processes associated with habitat fragmentation and conservation issues, and with applying principles of conservation genetics in the conservation of many species. Future perspectives were also discussed in the conference, and it was concluded that conservation genetics is evolving into conservation genomics, while at the same time basic and applied research on threatened species and populations from a population genetic point of view continues to be emphasized.

  13. Babelomics: an integrative platform for the analysis of transcriptomics, proteomics and genomic data with advanced functional profiling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, Ignacio; Carbonell, José; Pulido, Luis; Madeira, Sara C.; Goetz, Stefan; Conesa, Ana; Tárraga, Joaquín; Pascual-Montano, Alberto; Nogales-Cadenas, Ruben; Santoyo, Javier; García, Francisco; Marbà, Martina; Montaner, David; Dopazo, Joaquín

    2010-01-01

    Babelomics is a response to the growing necessity of integrating and analyzing different types of genomic data in an environment that allows an easy functional interpretation of the results. Babelomics includes a complete suite of methods for the analysis of gene expression data that include normalization (covering most commercial platforms), pre-processing, differential gene expression (case-controls, multiclass, survival or continuous values), predictors, clustering; large-scale genotyping assays (case controls and TDTs, and allows population stratification analysis and correction). All these genomic data analysis facilities are integrated and connected to multiple options for the functional interpretation of the experiments. Different methods of functional enrichment or gene set enrichment can be used to understand the functional basis of the experiment analyzed. Many sources of biological information, which include functional (GO, KEGG, Biocarta, Reactome, etc.), regulatory (Transfac, Jaspar, ORegAnno, miRNAs, etc.), text-mining or protein–protein interaction modules can be used for this purpose. Finally a tool for the de novo functional annotation of sequences has been included in the system. This provides support for the functional analysis of non-model species. Mirrors of Babelomics or command line execution of their individual components are now possible. Babelomics is available at http://www.babelomics.org. PMID:20478823

  14. Public trust and 'ethics review' as a commodity: the case of Genomics England Limited and the UK's 100,000 genomes project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuel, Gabrielle Natalie; Farsides, Bobbie

    2018-06-01

    The UK Chief Medical Officer's 2016 Annual Report, Generation Genome, focused on a vision to fully integrate genomics into all aspects of the UK's National Health Service (NHS). This process of integration, which has now already begun, raises a wide range of social and ethical concerns, many of which were discussed in the final Chapter of the report. This paper explores how the UK's 100,000 Genomes Project (100 kGP)-the catalyst for Generation Genome, and for bringing genomics into the NHS-is negotiating these ethical concerns. The UK's 100 kGP, promoted and delivered by Genomics England Limited (GEL), is an innovative venture aiming to sequence 100,000 genomes from NHS patients who have a rare disease, cancer, or an infectious disease. GEL has emphasised the importance of ethical governance and decision-making. However, some sociological critique argues that biomedical/technological organisations presenting themselves as 'ethical' entities do not necessarily reflect a space within which moral thinking occurs. Rather, the 'ethical work' conducted (and displayed) by organisations is more strategic, relating to the politics of the organisation and the need to build public confidence. We set out to explore whether GEL's ethical framework was reflective of this critique, and what this tells us more broadly about how genomics is being integrated into the NHS in response to the ethical and social concerns raised in Generation Genome. We do this by drawing on a series of 20 interviews with individuals associated with or working at GEL.

  15. Ensembl Genomes 2013: scaling up access to genome-wide data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kersey, Paul Julian; Allen, James E; Christensen, Mikkel; Davis, Paul; Falin, Lee J; Grabmueller, Christoph; Hughes, Daniel Seth Toney; Humphrey, Jay; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Khobova, Julia; Langridge, Nicholas; McDowall, Mark D; Maheswari, Uma; Maslen, Gareth; Nuhn, Michael; Ong, Chuang Kee; Paulini, Michael; Pedro, Helder; Toneva, Iliana; Tuli, Mary Ann; Walts, Brandon; Williams, Gareth; Wilson, Derek; Youens-Clark, Ken; Monaco, Marcela K; Stein, Joshua; Wei, Xuehong; Ware, Doreen; Bolser, Daniel M; Howe, Kevin Lee; Kulesha, Eugene; Lawson, Daniel; Staines, Daniel Michael

    2014-01-01

    Ensembl Genomes (http://www.ensemblgenomes.org) is an integrating resource for genome-scale data from non-vertebrate species. The project exploits and extends technologies for genome annotation, analysis and dissemination, developed in the context of the vertebrate-focused Ensembl project, and provides a complementary set of resources for non-vertebrate species through a consistent set of programmatic and interactive interfaces. These provide access to data including reference sequence, gene models, transcriptional data, polymorphisms and comparative analysis. This article provides an update to the previous publications about the resource, with a focus on recent developments. These include the addition of important new genomes (and related data sets) including crop plants, vectors of human disease and eukaryotic pathogens. In addition, the resource has scaled up its representation of bacterial genomes, and now includes the genomes of over 9000 bacteria. Specific extensions to the web and programmatic interfaces have been developed to support users in navigating these large data sets. Looking forward, analytic tools to allow targeted selection of data for visualization and download are likely to become increasingly important in future as the number of available genomes increases within all domains of life, and some of the challenges faced in representing bacterial data are likely to become commonplace for eukaryotes in future.

  16. Integrated high-resolution array CGH and SKY analysis of homozygous deletions and other genomic alterations present in malignant mesothelioma cell lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klorin, Geula; Rozenblum, Ester; Glebov, Oleg; Walker, Robert L; Park, Yoonsoo; Meltzer, Paul S; Kirsch, Ilan R; Kaye, Frederic J; Roschke, Anna V

    2013-05-01

    High-resolution oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and spectral karyotyping (SKY) were applied to a panel of malignant mesothelioma (MMt) cell lines. SKY has not been applied to MMt before, and complete karyotypes are reported based on the integration of SKY and aCGH results. A whole genome search for homozygous deletions (HDs) produced the largest set of recurrent and non-recurrent HDs for MMt (52 recurrent HDs in 10 genomic regions; 36 non-recurrent HDs). For the first time, LINGO2, RBFOX1/A2BP1, RPL29, DUSP7, and CCSER1/FAM190A were found to be homozygously deleted in MMt, and some of these genes could be new tumor suppressor genes for MMt. Integration of SKY and aCGH data allowed reconstruction of chromosomal rearrangements that led to the formation of HDs. Our data imply that only with acquisition of structural and/or numerical karyotypic instability can MMt cells attain a complete loss of tumor suppressor genes located in 9p21.3, which is the most frequently homozygously deleted region. Tetraploidization is a late event in the karyotypic progression of MMt cells, after HDs in the 9p21.3 region have already been acquired. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Germline transgenic pigs by Sleeping Beauty transposition in porcine zygotes and targeted integration in the pig genome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wiebke Garrels

    Full Text Available Genetic engineering can expand the utility of pigs for modeling human diseases, and for developing advanced therapeutic approaches. However, the inefficient production of transgenic pigs represents a technological bottleneck. Here, we assessed the hyperactive Sleeping Beauty (SB100X transposon system for enzyme-catalyzed transgene integration into the embryonic porcine genome. The components of the transposon vector system were microinjected as circular plasmids into the cytoplasm of porcine zygotes, resulting in high frequencies of transgenic fetuses and piglets. The transgenic animals showed normal development and persistent reporter gene expression for >12 months. Molecular hallmarks of transposition were confirmed by analysis of 25 genomic insertion sites. We demonstrate germ-line transmission, segregation of individual transposons, and continued, copy number-dependent transgene expression in F1-offspring. In addition, we demonstrate target-selected gene insertion into transposon-tagged genomic loci by Cre-loxP-based cassette exchange in somatic cells followed by nuclear transfer. Transposase-catalyzed transgenesis in a large mammalian species expands the arsenal of transgenic technologies for use in domestic animals and will facilitate the development of large animal models for human diseases.

  18. MIPS PlantsDB: a database framework for comparative plant genome research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nussbaumer, Thomas; Martis, Mihaela M; Roessner, Stephan K; Pfeifer, Matthias; Bader, Kai C; Sharma, Sapna; Gundlach, Heidrun; Spannagl, Manuel

    2013-01-01

    The rapidly increasing amount of plant genome (sequence) data enables powerful comparative analyses and integrative approaches and also requires structured and comprehensive information resources. Databases are needed for both model and crop plant organisms and both intuitive search/browse views and comparative genomics tools should communicate the data to researchers and help them interpret it. MIPS PlantsDB (http://mips.helmholtz-muenchen.de/plant/genomes.jsp) was initially described in NAR in 2007 [Spannagl,M., Noubibou,O., Haase,D., Yang,L., Gundlach,H., Hindemitt, T., Klee,K., Haberer,G., Schoof,H. and Mayer,K.F. (2007) MIPSPlantsDB-plant database resource for integrative and comparative plant genome research. Nucleic Acids Res., 35, D834-D840] and was set up from the start to provide data and information resources for individual plant species as well as a framework for integrative and comparative plant genome research. PlantsDB comprises database instances for tomato, Medicago, Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, Sorghum, maize, rice, barley and wheat. Building up on that, state-of-the-art comparative genomics tools such as CrowsNest are integrated to visualize and investigate syntenic relationships between monocot genomes. Results from novel genome analysis strategies targeting the complex and repetitive genomes of triticeae species (wheat and barley) are provided and cross-linked with model species. The MIPS Repeat Element Database (mips-REdat) and Catalog (mips-REcat) as well as tight connections to other databases, e.g. via web services, are further important components of PlantsDB.

  19. Genomic research in Eucalyptus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poke, Fiona S; Vaillancourt, René E; Potts, Brad M; Reid, James B

    2005-09-01

    Eucalyptus L'Hérit. is a genus comprised of more than 700 species that is of vital importance ecologically to Australia and to the forestry industry world-wide, being grown in plantations for the production of solid wood products as well as pulp for paper. With the sequencing of the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa and the recent completion of the first tree genome sequence, Populus trichocarpa, attention has turned to the current status of genomic research in Eucalyptus. For several eucalypt species, large segregating families have been established, high-resolution genetic maps constructed and large EST databases generated. Collaborative efforts have been initiated for the integration of diverse genomic projects and will provide the framework for future research including exploiting the sequence of the entire eucalypt genome which is currently being sequenced. This review summarises the current position of genomic research in Eucalyptus and discusses the direction of future research.

  20. New approaches to assessing the effects of mutagenic agents on the integrity of the human genome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elespuru, R.K.; Sankaranarayanan, K.

    2007-01-01

    Heritable genetic alterations, although individually rare, have a substantial collective health impact. Approximately 20% of these are new mutations of unknown cause. Assessment of the effect of exposures to DNA damaging agents, i.e. mutagenic chemicals and radiations, on the integrity of the human genome and on the occurrence of genetic disease remains a daunting challenge. Recent insights may explain why previous examination of human exposures to ionizing radiation, as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, failed to reveal heritable genetic effects. New opportunities to assess the heritable genetic damaging effects of environmental mutagens are afforded by: (1) integration of knowledge on the molecular nature of genetic disorders and the molecular effects of mutagens; (2) the development of more practical assays for germline mutagenesis; (3) the likely use of population-based genetic screening in personalized medicine

  1. A scored human protein-protein interaction network to catalyze genomic interpretation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Taibo; Wernersson, Rasmus; Hansen, Rasmus B

    2017-01-01

    Genome-scale human protein-protein interaction networks are critical to understanding cell biology and interpreting genomic data, but challenging to produce experimentally. Through data integration and quality control, we provide a scored human protein-protein interaction network (InWeb_InBioMap,......Genome-scale human protein-protein interaction networks are critical to understanding cell biology and interpreting genomic data, but challenging to produce experimentally. Through data integration and quality control, we provide a scored human protein-protein interaction network (In...

  2. Big Data Analysis of Human Genome Variations

    KAUST Repository

    Gojobori, Takashi

    2016-01-25

    Since the human genome draft sequence was in public for the first time in 2000, genomic analyses have been intensively extended to the population level. The following three international projects are good examples for large-scale studies of human genome variations: 1) HapMap Data (1,417 individuals) (http://hapmap.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/downloads/genotypes/2010-08_phaseII+III/forward/), 2) HGDP (Human Genome Diversity Project) Data (940 individuals) (http://www.hagsc.org/hgdp/files.html), 3) 1000 genomes Data (2,504 individuals) http://ftp.1000genomes.ebi.ac.uk/vol1/ftp/release/20130502/ If we can integrate all three data into a single volume of data, we should be able to conduct a more detailed analysis of human genome variations for a total number of 4,861 individuals (= 1,417+940+2,504 individuals). In fact, we successfully integrated these three data sets by use of information on the reference human genome sequence, and we conducted the big data analysis. In particular, we constructed a phylogenetic tree of about 5,000 human individuals at the genome level. As a result, we were able to identify clusters of ethnic groups, with detectable admixture, that were not possible by an analysis of each of the three data sets. Here, we report the outcome of this kind of big data analyses and discuss evolutionary significance of human genomic variations. Note that the present study was conducted in collaboration with Katsuhiko Mineta and Kosuke Goto at KAUST.

  3. GI-POP: a combinational annotation and genomic island prediction pipeline for ongoing microbial genome projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chi-Ching; Chen, Yi-Ping Phoebe; Yao, Tzu-Jung; Ma, Cheng-Yu; Lo, Wei-Cheng; Lyu, Ping-Chiang; Tang, Chuan Yi

    2013-04-10

    Sequencing of microbial genomes is important because of microbial-carrying antibiotic and pathogenetic activities. However, even with the help of new assembling software, finishing a whole genome is a time-consuming task. In most bacteria, pathogenetic or antibiotic genes are carried in genomic islands. Therefore, a quick genomic island (GI) prediction method is useful for ongoing sequencing genomes. In this work, we built a Web server called GI-POP (http://gipop.life.nthu.edu.tw) which integrates a sequence assembling tool, a functional annotation pipeline, and a high-performance GI predicting module, in a support vector machine (SVM)-based method called genomic island genomic profile scanning (GI-GPS). The draft genomes of the ongoing genome projects in contigs or scaffolds can be submitted to our Web server, and it provides the functional annotation and highly probable GI-predicting results. GI-POP is a comprehensive annotation Web server designed for ongoing genome project analysis. Researchers can perform annotation and obtain pre-analytic information include possible GIs, coding/non-coding sequences and functional analysis from their draft genomes. This pre-analytic system can provide useful information for finishing a genome sequencing project. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Convergent functional genomics of psychiatric disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niculescu, Alexander B

    2013-10-01

    Genetic and gene expression studies, in humans and animal models of psychiatric and other medical disorders, are becoming increasingly integrated. Particularly for genomics, the convergence and integration of data across species, experimental modalities and technical platforms is providing a fit-to-disease way of extracting reproducible and biologically important signal, in contrast to the fit-to-cohort effect and limited reproducibility of human genetic analyses alone. With the advent of whole-genome sequencing and the realization that a major portion of the non-coding genome may contain regulatory variants, Convergent Functional Genomics (CFG) approaches are going to be essential to identify disease-relevant signal from the tremendous polymorphic variation present in the general population. Such work in psychiatry can provide an example of how to address other genetically complex disorders, and in turn will benefit by incorporating concepts from other areas, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Integration of genome-wide association studies with biological knowledge identifies six novel genes related to kidney function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chasman, Daniel I; Fuchsberger, Christian; Pattaro, Cristian; Teumer, Alexander; Böger, Carsten A; Endlich, Karlhans; Olden, Matthias; Chen, Ming-Huei; Tin, Adrienne; Taliun, Daniel; Li, Man; Gao, Xiaoyi; Gorski, Mathias; Yang, Qiong; Hundertmark, Claudia; Foster, Meredith C; O'Seaghdha, Conall M; Glazer, Nicole; Isaacs, Aaron; Liu, Ching-Ti; Smith, Albert V; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Struchalin, Maksim; Tanaka, Toshiko; Li, Guo; Johnson, Andrew D; Gierman, Hinco J; Feitosa, Mary F; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Atkinson, Elizabeth J; Lohman, Kurt; Cornelis, Marilyn C; Johansson, Asa; Tönjes, Anke; Dehghan, Abbas; Lambert, Jean-Charles; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Sorice, Rossella; Kutalik, Zoltan; Lehtimäki, Terho; Esko, Tõnu; Deshmukh, Harshal; Ulivi, Sheila; Chu, Audrey Y; Murgia, Federico; Trompet, Stella; Imboden, Medea; Coassin, Stefan; Pistis, Giorgio; Harris, Tamara B; Launer, Lenore J; Aspelund, Thor; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Mitchell, Braxton D; Boerwinkle, Eric; Schmidt, Helena; Cavalieri, Margherita; Rao, Madhumathi; Hu, Frank; Demirkan, Ayse; Oostra, Ben A; de Andrade, Mariza; Turner, Stephen T; Ding, Jingzhong; Andrews, Jeanette S; Freedman, Barry I; Giulianini, Franco; Koenig, Wolfgang; Illig, Thomas; Meisinger, Christa; Gieger, Christian; Zgaga, Lina; Zemunik, Tatijana; Boban, Mladen; Minelli, Cosetta; Wheeler, Heather E; Igl, Wilmar; Zaboli, Ghazal; Wild, Sarah H; Wright, Alan F; Campbell, Harry; Ellinghaus, David; Nöthlings, Ute; Jacobs, Gunnar; Biffar, Reiner; Ernst, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Kroemer, Heyo K; Nauck, Matthias; Stracke, Sylvia; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Kovacs, Peter; Stumvoll, Michael; Mägi, Reedik; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Polasek, Ozren; Hastie, Nick; Vitart, Veronique; Helmer, Catherine; Wang, Jie Jin; Stengel, Bénédicte; Ruggiero, Daniela; Bergmann, Sven; Kähönen, Mika; Viikari, Jorma; Nikopensius, Tiit; Province, Michael; Ketkar, Shamika; Colhoun, Helen; Doney, Alex; Robino, Antonietta; Krämer, Bernhard K; Portas, Laura; Ford, Ian; Buckley, Brendan M; Adam, Martin; Thun, Gian-Andri; Paulweber, Bernhard; Haun, Margot; Sala, Cinzia; Mitchell, Paul; Ciullo, Marina; Kim, Stuart K; Vollenweider, Peter; Raitakari, Olli; Metspalu, Andres; Palmer, Colin; Gasparini, Paolo; Pirastu, Mario; Jukema, J Wouter; Probst-Hensch, Nicole M; Kronenberg, Florian; Toniolo, Daniela; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Shuldiner, Alan R; Coresh, Josef; Schmidt, Reinhold; Ferrucci, Luigi; Siscovick, David S; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Borecki, Ingrid B; Kardia, Sharon L R; Liu, Yongmei; Curhan, Gary C; Rudan, Igor; Gyllensten, Ulf; Wilson, James F; Franke, Andre; Pramstaller, Peter P; Rettig, Rainer; Prokopenko, Inga; Witteman, Jacqueline; Hayward, Caroline; Ridker, Paul M; Parsa, Afshin; Bochud, Murielle; Heid, Iris M; Kao, W H Linda; Fox, Caroline S; Köttgen, Anna

    2012-12-15

    In conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS), analytical approaches leveraging biological information may further understanding of the pathophysiology of clinical traits. To discover novel associations with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function, we developed a strategy for integrating prior biological knowledge into the existing GWAS data for eGFR from the CKDGen Consortium. Our strategy focuses on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in genes that are connected by functional evidence, determined by literature mining and gene ontology (GO) hierarchies, to genes near previously validated eGFR associations. It then requires association thresholds consistent with multiple testing, and finally evaluates novel candidates by independent replication. Among the samples of European ancestry, we identified a genome-wide significant SNP in FBXL20 (P = 5.6 × 10(-9)) in meta-analysis of all available data, and additional SNPs at the INHBC, LRP2, PLEKHA1, SLC3A2 and SLC7A6 genes meeting multiple-testing corrected significance for replication and overall P-values of 4.5 × 10(-4)-2.2 × 10(-7). Neither the novel PLEKHA1 nor FBXL20 associations, both further supported by association with eGFR among African Americans and with transcript abundance, would have been implicated by eGFR candidate gene approaches. LRP2, encoding the megalin receptor, was identified through connection with the previously known eGFR gene DAB2 and extends understanding of the megalin system in kidney function. These findings highlight integration of existing genome-wide association data with independent biological knowledge to uncover novel candidate eGFR associations, including candidates lacking known connections to kidney-specific pathways. The strategy may also be applicable to other clinical phenotypes, although more testing will be needed to assess its potential for discovery in general.

  6. Genomics and Biochemistry of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Yeast Strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldarov, M A; Kishkovskaia, S A; Tanaschuk, T N; Mardanov, A V

    2016-12-01

    Saccharomyces yeasts have been used for millennia for the production of beer, wine, bread, and other fermented products. Long-term "unconscious" selection and domestication led to the selection of hundreds of strains with desired production traits having significant phenotypic and genetic differences from their wild ancestors. This review summarizes the results of recent research in deciphering the genomes of wine Saccharomyces strains, the use of comparative genomics methods to study the mechanisms of yeast genome evolution under conditions of artificial selection, and the use of genomic and postgenomic approaches to identify the molecular nature of the important characteristics of commercial wine strains of Saccharomyces. Succinctly, data concerning metagenomics of microbial communities of grapes and wine and the dynamics of yeast and bacterial flora in the course of winemaking is provided. A separate section is devoted to an overview of the physiological, genetic, and biochemical features of sherry yeast strains used to produce biologically aged wines. The goal of the review is to convince the reader of the efficacy of new genomic and postgenomic technologies as tools for developing strategies for targeted selection and creation of new strains using "classical" and modern techniques for improving winemaking technology.

  7. Integrated Genomic Characterization of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrawal, Nishant; Akbani, Rehan; Aksoy, B. Arman; Ally, Adrian; Arachchi, Harindra; Asa, Sylvia L.; Auman, J. Todd; Balasundaram, Miruna; Balu, Saianand; Baylin, Stephen B.; Behera, Madhusmita; Bernard, Brady; Beroukhim, Rameen; Bishop, Justin A.; Black, Aaron D.; Bodenheimer, Tom; Boice, Lori; Bootwalla, Moiz S.; Bowen, Jay; Bowlby, Reanne; Bristow, Christopher A.; Brookens, Robin; Brooks, Denise; Bryant, Robert; Buda, Elizabeth; Butterfield, Yaron S.N.; Carling, Tobias; Carlsen, Rebecca; Carter, Scott L.; Carty, Sally E.; Chan, Timothy A.; Chen, Amy Y.; Cherniack, Andrew D.; Cheung, Dorothy; Chin, Lynda; Cho, Juok; Chu, Andy; Chuah, Eric; Cibulskis, Kristian; Ciriello, Giovanni; Clarke, Amanda; Clayman, Gary L.; Cope, Leslie; Copland, John; Covington, Kyle; Danilova, Ludmila; Davidsen, Tanja; Demchok, John A.; DiCara, Daniel; Dhalla, Noreen; Dhir, Rajiv; Dookran, Sheliann S.; Dresdner, Gideon; Eldridge, Jonathan; Eley, Greg; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Eng, Stephanie; Fagin, James A.; Fennell, Timothy; Ferris, Robert L.; Fisher, Sheila; Frazer, Scott; Frick, Jessica; Gabriel, Stacey B.; Ganly, Ian; Gao, Jianjiong; Garraway, Levi A.; Gastier-Foster, Julie M.; Getz, Gad; Gehlenborg, Nils; Ghossein, Ronald; Gibbs, Richard A.; Giordano, Thomas J.; Gomez-Hernandez, Karen; Grimsby, Jonna; Gross, Benjamin; Guin, Ranabir; Hadjipanayis, Angela; Harper, Hollie A.; Hayes, D. Neil; Heiman, David I.; Herman, James G.; Hoadley, Katherine A.; Hofree, Matan; Holt, Robert A.; Hoyle, Alan P.; Huang, Franklin W.; Huang, Mei; Hutter, Carolyn M.; Ideker, Trey; Iype, Lisa; Jacobsen, Anders; Jefferys, Stuart R.; Jones, Corbin D.; Jones, Steven J.M.; Kasaian, Katayoon; Kebebew, Electron; Khuri, Fadlo R.; Kim, Jaegil; Kramer, Roger; Kreisberg, Richard; Kucherlapati, Raju; Kwiatkowski, David J.; Ladanyi, Marc; Lai, Phillip H.; Laird, Peter W.; Lander, Eric; Lawrence, Michael S.; Lee, Darlene; Lee, Eunjung; Lee, Semin; Lee, William; Leraas, Kristen M.; Lichtenberg, Tara M.; Lichtenstein, Lee; Lin, Pei; Ling, Shiyun; Liu, Jinze; Liu, Wenbin; Liu, Yingchun; LiVolsi, Virginia A.; Lu, Yiling; Ma, Yussanne; Mahadeshwar, Harshad S.; Marra, Marco A.; Mayo, Michael; McFadden, David G.; Meng, Shaowu; Meyerson, Matthew; Mieczkowski, Piotr A.; Miller, Michael; Mills, Gordon; Moore, Richard A.; Mose, Lisle E.; Mungall, Andrew J.; Murray, Bradley A.; Nikiforov, Yuri E.; Noble, Michael S.; Ojesina, Akinyemi I.; Owonikoko, Taofeek K.; Ozenberger, Bradley A.; Pantazi, Angeliki; Parfenov, Michael; Park, Peter J.; Parker, Joel S.; Paull, Evan O.; Pedamallu, Chandra Sekhar; Perou, Charles M.; Prins, Jan F.; Protopopov, Alexei; Ramalingam, Suresh S.; Ramirez, Nilsa C.; Ramirez, Ricardo; Raphael, Benjamin J.; Rathmell, W. Kimryn; Ren, Xiaojia; Reynolds, Sheila M.; Rheinbay, Esther; Ringel, Matthew D.; Rivera, Michael; Roach, Jeffrey; Robertson, A. Gordon; Rosenberg, Mara W.; Rosenthall, Matthew; Sadeghi, Sara; Saksena, Gordon; Sander, Chris; Santoso, Netty; Schein, Jacqueline E.; Schultz, Nikolaus; Schumacher, Steven E.; Seethala, Raja R.; Seidman, Jonathan; Senbabaoglu, Yasin; Seth, Sahil; Sharpe, Samantha; Mills Shaw, Kenna R.; Shen, John P.; Shen, Ronglai; Sherman, Steven; Sheth, Margi; Shi, Yan; Shmulevich, Ilya; Sica, Gabriel L.; Simons, Janae V.; Sipahimalani, Payal; Smallridge, Robert C.; Sofia, Heidi J.; Soloway, Matthew G.; Song, Xingzhi; Sougnez, Carrie; Stewart, Chip; Stojanov, Petar; Stuart, Joshua M.; Tabak, Barbara; Tam, Angela; Tan, Donghui; Tang, Jiabin; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Taylor, Barry S.; Thiessen, Nina; Thorne, Leigh; Thorsson, Vésteinn; Tuttle, R. Michael; Umbricht, Christopher B.; Van Den Berg, David J.; Vandin, Fabio; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Verhaak, Roel G.W.; Vinco, Michelle; Voet, Doug; Walter, Vonn; Wang, Zhining; Waring, Scot; Weinberger, Paul M.; Weinstein, John N.; Weisenberger, Daniel J.; Wheeler, David; Wilkerson, Matthew D.; Wilson, Jocelyn; Williams, Michelle; Winer, Daniel A.; Wise, Lisa; Wu, Junyuan; Xi, Liu; Xu, Andrew W.; Yang, Liming; Yang, Lixing; Zack, Travis I.; Zeiger, Martha A.; Zeng, Dong; Zenklusen, Jean Claude; Zhao, Ni; Zhang, Hailei; Zhang, Jianhua; Zhang, Jiashan (Julia); Zhang, Wei; Zmuda, Erik; Zou., Lihua

    2014-01-01

    Summary Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer. Here, we describe the genomic landscape of 496 PTCs. We observed a low frequency of somatic alterations (relative to other carcinomas) and extended the set of known PTC driver alterations to include EIF1AX, PPM1D and CHEK2 and diverse gene fusions. These discoveries reduced the fraction of PTC cases with unknown oncogenic driver from 25% to 3.5%. Combined analyses of genomic variants, gene expression, and methylation demonstrated that different driver groups lead to different pathologies with distinct signaling and differentiation characteristics. Similarly, we identified distinct molecular subgroups of BRAF-mutant tumors and multidimensional analyses highlighted a potential involvement of oncomiRs in less-differentiated subgroups. Our results propose a reclassification of thyroid cancers into molecular subtypes that better reflect their underlying signaling and differentiation properties, which has the potential to improve their pathological classification and better inform the management of the disease. PMID:25417114

  8. Integrated, multi-scale, spatial-temporal cell biology--A next step in the post genomic era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, Rick

    2016-03-01

    New microscopic approaches, high-throughput imaging, and gene editing promise major new insights into cellular behaviors. When coupled with genomic and other 'omic information and "mined" for correlations and associations, a new breed of powerful and useful cellular models should emerge. These top down, coarse-grained, and statistical models, in turn, can be used to form hypotheses merging with fine-grained, bottom up mechanistic studies and models that are the back bone of cell biology. The goal of the Allen Institute for Cell Science is to develop the top down approach by developing a high throughput microscopy pipeline that is integrated with modeling, using gene edited hiPS cell lines in various physiological and pathological contexts. The output of these experiments and models will be an "animated" cell, capable of integrating and analyzing image data generated from experiments and models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Text-based phenotypic profiles incorporating biochemical phenotypes of inborn errors of metabolism improve phenomics-based diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jessica J Y; Gottlieb, Michael M; Lever, Jake; Jones, Steven J M; Blau, Nenad; van Karnebeek, Clara D M; Wasserman, Wyeth W

    2018-05-01

    Phenomics is the comprehensive study of phenotypes at every level of biology: from metabolites to organisms. With high throughput technologies increasing the scope of biological discoveries, the field of phenomics has been developing rapid and precise methods to collect, catalog, and analyze phenotypes. Such methods have allowed phenotypic data to be widely used in medical applications, from assisting clinical diagnoses to prioritizing genomic diagnoses. To channel the benefits of phenomics into the field of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), we have recently launched IEMbase, an expert-curated knowledgebase of IEM and their disease-characterizing phenotypes. While our efforts with IEMbase have realized benefits, taking full advantage of phenomics requires a comprehensive curation of IEM phenotypes in core phenomics projects, which is dependent upon contributions from the IEM clinical and research community. Here, we assess the inclusion of IEM biochemical phenotypes in a core phenomics project, the Human Phenotype Ontology. We then demonstrate the utility of biochemical phenotypes using a text-based phenomics method to predict gene-disease relationships, showing that the prediction of IEM genes is significantly better using biochemical rather than clinical profiles. The findings herein provide a motivating goal for the IEM community to expand the computationally accessible descriptions of biochemical phenotypes associated with IEM in phenomics resources.

  10. Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Integrating Genomics into Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasian, Sarah K; Loh, Mignon L; Hunger, Stephen P

    2015-01-01

    Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common malignancy of childhood, is a genetically complex entity that remains a major cause of childhood cancer-related mortality. Major advances in genomic and epigenomic profiling during the past decade have appreciably enhanced knowledge of the biology of de novo and relapsed ALL and have facilitated more precise risk stratification of patients. These achievements have also provided critical insights regarding potentially targetable lesions for development of new therapeutic approaches in the era of precision medicine. This review delineates the current genetic landscape of childhood ALL with emphasis upon patient outcomes with contemporary treatment regimens, as well as therapeutic implications of newly identified genomic alterations in specific subsets of ALL. PMID:26194091

  11. Big data or bust: realizing the microbial genomics revolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raza, Sobia; Luheshi, Leila

    2016-02-01

    Pathogen genomics has the potential to transform the clinical and public health management of infectious diseases through improved diagnosis, detection and tracking of antimicrobial resistance and outbreak control. However, the wide-ranging benefits of this technology can only fully be realized through the timely collation, integration and sharing of genomic and clinical/epidemiological metadata by all those involved in the delivery of genomic-informed services. As part of our review on bringing pathogen genomics into 'health-service' practice, we undertook extensive stakeholder consultation to examine the factors integral to achieving effective data sharing and integration. Infrastructure tailored to the needs of clinical users, as well as practical support and policies to facilitate the timely and responsible sharing of data with relevant health authorities and beyond, are all essential. We propose a tiered data sharing and integration model to maximize the immediate and longer term utility of microbial genomics in healthcare. Realizing this model at the scale and sophistication necessary to support national and international infection management services is not uncomplicated. Yet the establishment of a clear data strategy is paramount if failures in containing disease spread due to inadequate knowledge sharing are to be averted, and substantial progress made in tackling the dangers posed by infectious diseases.

  12. Community standards for genomic resources, genetic conservation, and data integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jill Wegrzyn; Meg Staton; Emily Grau; Richard Cronn; C. Dana Nelson

    2017-01-01

    Genetics and genomics are increasingly important in forestry management and conservation. Next generation sequencing can increase analytical power, but still relies on building on the structure of previously acquired data. Data standards and data sharing allow the community to maximize the analytical power of high throughput genomics data. The landscape of incomplete...

  13. Three Infectious Viral Species Lying in Wait in the Banana Genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabannes, Matthieu; Baurens, Franc-Christophe; Duroy, Pierre-Olivier; Bocs, Stéphanie; Vernerey, Marie-Stéphanie; Rodier-Goud, Marguerite; Barbe, Valérie; Gayral, Philippe

    2013-01-01

    Plant pararetroviruses integrate serendipitously into their host genomes. The banana genome harbors integrated copies of banana streak virus (BSV) named endogenous BSV (eBSV) that are able to release infectious pararetrovirus. In this investigation, we characterized integrants of three BSV species—Goldfinger (eBSGFV), Imove (eBSImV), and Obino l'Ewai (eBSOLV)—in the seedy Musa balbisiana Pisang klutuk wulung (PKW) by studying their molecular structure, genomic organization, genomic landscape, and infectious capacity. All eBSVs exhibit extensive viral genome duplications and rearrangements. eBSV segregation analysis on an F1 population of PKW combined with fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis showed that eBSImV, eBSOLV, and eBSGFV are each present at a single locus. eBSOLV and eBSGFV contain two distinct alleles, whereas eBSImV has two structurally identical alleles. Genotyping of both eBSV and viral particles expressed in the progeny demonstrated that only one allele for each species is infectious. The infectious allele of eBSImV could not be identified since the two alleles are identical. Finally, we demonstrate that eBSGFV and eBSOLV are located on chromosome 1 and eBSImV is located on chromosome 2 of the reference Musa genome published recently. The structure and evolution of eBSVs suggest sequential integration into the plant genome, and haplotype divergence analysis confirms that the three loci display differential evolution. Based on our data, we propose a model for BSV integration and eBSV evolution in the Musa balbisiana genome. The mutual benefits of this unique host-pathogen association are also discussed. PMID:23720724

  14. SCREEN FOR DOMINANT BEHAVIORAL MUTATIONS CAUSED BY GENOMIC INSERTION OF P-ELEMENT TRANSPOSONS IN DROSOPHILA: AN EXAMINATION OF THE INTEGRATION OF VIRAL VECTOR SEQUENCES

    OpenAIRE

    FOX, LYLE E.; GREEN, DAVID; YAN, ZIYING; ENGELHARDT, JOHN F.; WU, CHUN-FANG

    2007-01-01

    Here we report the development of a high-throughput screen to assess dominant mutation rates caused by P-element transposition within the Drosophila genome that is suitable for assessing the undesirable effects of integrating foreign regulatory sequences (viral cargo) into a host genome. Three different behavioral paradigms were used: sensitivity to mechanical stress, response to heat stress, and ability to fly. The results, from our screen of 35,000 flies, indicate that mutations caused by t...

  15. Lipidomics: Novel insight into the biochemical mechanism of lipid metabolism and dysregulation-associated disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ying-Yong; Miao, Hua; Cheng, Xian-Long; Wei, Feng

    2015-10-05

    The application of lipidomics, after genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, offered largely opportunities to illuminate the entire spectrum of lipidome based on a quantitative or semi-quantitative level in a biological system. When combined with advances in proteomics and metabolomics high-throughput platforms, lipidomics provided the opportunity for analyzing the unique roles of specific lipids in complex cellular processes. Abnormal lipid metabolism was demonstrated to be greatly implicated in many human lifestyle-related diseases. In this review, we focused on lipidomic applications in brain injury disease, cancer, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and infectious disease to discover disease biomarkers and illustrate biochemical metabolic pathways. We also discussed the analytical techniques, future perspectives and potential problems of lipidomic applications. The application of lipidomics in disease biomarker discovery provides the opportunity for gaining novel insights into biochemical mechanism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The pig genome project has plenty to squeal about.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, B; Gorbach, D M; Rothschild, M F

    2011-01-01

    Significant progress on pig genetics and genomics research has been witnessed in recent years due to the integration of advanced molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics and computational biology, and the collaborative efforts of researchers in the swine genomics community. Progress on expanding the linkage map has slowed down, but the efforts have created a higher-resolution physical map integrating the clone map and BAC end sequence. The number of QTL mapped is still growing and most of the updated QTL mapping results are available through PigQTLdb. Additionally, expression studies using high-throughput microarrays and other gene expression techniques have made significant advancements. The number of identified non-coding RNAs is rapidly increasing and their exact regulatory functions are being explored. A publishable draft (build 10) of the swine genome sequence was available for the pig genomics community by the end of December 2010. Build 9 of the porcine genome is currently available with Ensembl annotation; manual annotation is ongoing. These drafts provide useful tools for such endeavors as comparative genomics and SNP scans for fine QTL mapping. A recent community-wide effort to create a 60K porcine SNP chip has greatly facilitated whole-genome association analyses, haplotype block construction and linkage disequilibrium mapping, which can contribute to whole-genome selection. The future 'systems biology' that integrates and optimizes the information from all research levels can enhance the pig community's understanding of the full complexity of the porcine genome. These recent technological advances and where they may lead are reviewed. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Are electronic health records ready for genomic medicine?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheuner, Maren T; de Vries, Han; Kim, Benjamin; Meili, Robin C; Olmstead, Sarah H; Teleki, Stephanie

    2009-07-01

    The goal of this project was to assess genetic/genomic content in electronic health records. Semistructured interviews were conducted with key informants. Questions addressed documentation, organization, display, decision support and security of family history and genetic test information, and challenges and opportunities relating to integrating genetic/genomics content in electronic health records. There were 56 participants: 10 electronic health record specialists, 18 primary care clinicians, 16 medical geneticists, and 12 genetic counselors. Few clinicians felt their electronic record met their current genetic/genomic medicine needs. Barriers to integration were mostly related to problems with family history data collection, documentation, and organization. Lack of demand for genetics content and privacy concerns were also mentioned as challenges. Data elements and functionality requirements that clinicians see include: pedigree drawing; clinical decision support for familial risk assessment and genetic testing indications; a patient portal for patient-entered data; and standards for data elements, terminology, structure, interoperability, and clinical decision support rules. Although most said that there is little impact of genetics/genomics on electronic records today, many stated genetics/genomics would be a driver of content in the next 5-10 years. Electronic health records have the potential to enable clinical integration of genetic/genomic medicine and improve delivery of personalized health care; however, structured and standardized data elements and functionality requirements are needed.

  18. Using web services for linking genomic data to medical information systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maojo, V; Crespo, J; de la Calle, G; Barreiro, J; Garcia-Remesal, M

    2007-01-01

    To develop a new perspective for biomedical information systems, regarding the introduction of ideas, methods and tools related to the new scenario of genomic medicine. Technological aspects related to the analysis and integration of heterogeneous clinical and genomic data include mapping clinical and genetic concepts, potential future standards or the development of integrated biomedical ontologies. In this clinicomics scenario, we describe the use of Web services technologies to improve access to and integrate different information sources. We give a concrete example of the use of Web services technologies: the OntoFusion project. Web services provide new biomedical informatics (BMI) approaches related to genomic medicine. Customized workflows will aid research tasks by linking heterogeneous Web services. Two significant examples of these European Commission-funded efforts are the INFOBIOMED Network of Excellence and the Advancing Clinico-Genomic Trials on Cancer (ACGT) integrated project. Supplying medical researchers and practitioners with omics data and biologists with clinical datasets can help to develop genomic medicine. BMI is contributing by providing the informatics methods and technological infrastructure needed for these collaborative efforts.

  19. A novel Sulfolobus non-conjugative extrachromosomal genetic element capable of integration into the host genome and spreading in the presence of a fusellovirus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Ying; Duan, Zhenhong; Zhu, Haojun

    2007-01-01

    An integrative non-conjugative extrachromosomal genetic element, denoted as pSSVi, has been isolated from a Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 strain and was characterized. This genetic element is a double-stranded DNA of 5740 bp in size and contains eight open reading frames (ORFs). It resembles members....... Interestingly, pSSVi encodes an SSV-type integrase which probably catalyzes the integration of its genome into a specific site (a tRNA(Arg) gene) in the S. solfataricus P2 genome. Like pSSVx, pSSVi can be packaged into a spindle-like viral particle and spread with the help of SSV1 or SSV2. In addition, both SSV......1 and SSV2 appeared to replicate more efficiently in the presence of pSSVi. Given the versatile genetic abilities, pSSVi appears to be well suited for a role in horizontal gene transfer....

  20. DEFINING THE CHEMICAL SPACE OF PUBLIC GENOMIC ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The current project aims to chemically index the genomics content of public genomic databases to make these data accessible in relation to other publicly available, chemically-indexed toxicological information. By defining the chemical space of public genomic data, it is possible to identify classes of chemicals on which to develop methodologies for the integration of chemogenomic data into predictive toxicology. The chemical space of public genomic data will be presented as well as the methodologies and tools developed to identify this chemical space.

  1. Genomic, proteomic and biochemical analysis of the chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens BJL200.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuveng, Tina R; Hagen, Live Heldal; Mekasha, Sophanit; Frank, Jeremy; Arntzen, Magnus Øverlie; Vaaje-Kolstad, Gustav; Eijsink, Vincent G H

    2017-04-01

    The chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens BJL200 has been studied in detail over the last couple of decades, however, the proteome secreted by this Gram-negative bacterium during growth on chitin has not been studied in depth. In addition, the genome of this most studied chitinolytic Serratia strain has until now, not been sequenced. We report a draft genome sequence for S. marcescens BJL200. Using label-free quantification (LFQ) proteomics and a recently developed plate-method for assessing secretomes during growth on solid substrates, we find that, as expected, the chitin-active enzymes (ChiA, B, C, and CBP21) are produced in high amounts when the bacterium grows on chitin. Other proteins produced in high amounts after bacterial growth on chitin provide interesting targets for further exploration of the proteins involved in degradation of chitin-rich biomasses. The genome encodes a fourth chitinase (ChiD), which is produced in low amounts during growth on chitin. Studies of chitin degradation with mixtures of recombinantly produced chitin-degrading enzymes showed that ChiD does not contribute to the overall efficiency of the process. ChiD is capable of converting N,N'-diacetyl chitobiose to N-acetyl glucosamine, but is less efficient than another enzyme produced for this purpose, the Chitobiase. Thus, the role of ChiD in chitin degradation, if any, remains unclear. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. An Integrative Genomic Island Affects the Adaptations of Piezophilic Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus yayanosii to High Temperature and High Hydrostatic Pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Li

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments are characterized by high hydrostatic pressure and sharp temperature and chemical gradients. Horizontal gene transfer is thought to play an important role in the microbial adaptation to such an extreme environment. In this study, a 21.4-kb DNA fragment was identified as a genomic island, designated PYG1, in the genomic sequence of the piezophilic hyperthermophile Pyrococcus yayanosii. According to the sequence alignment and functional annotation, the genes in PYG1 could tentatively be divided into five modules, with functions related to mobility, DNA repair, metabolic processes and the toxin-antitoxin system. Integrase can mediate the site-specific integration and excision of PYG1 in the chromosome of P. yayanosii A1. Gene replacement of PYG1 with a SimR cassette was successful. The growth of the mutant strain ∆PYG1 was compared with its parent strain P. yayanosii A2 under various stress conditions, including different pH, salinity, temperature and hydrostatic pressure. The ∆PYG1 mutant strain showed reduced growth when grown at 100 °C, while the biomass of ∆PYG1 increased significantly when cultured at 80 MPa. Differential expression of the genes in module Ⅲ of PYG1 was observed under different temperature and pressure conditions. This study demonstrates the first example of an archaeal integrative genomic island that could affect the adaptation of the hyperthermophilic piezophile P. yayanosii to high temperature and high hydrostatic pressure.

  3. The Planteome database: an integrated resource for reference ontologies, plant genomics and phenomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Laurel; Meier, Austin; Laporte, Marie-Angélique; Elser, Justin L; Mungall, Chris; Sinn, Brandon T; Cavaliere, Dario; Carbon, Seth; Dunn, Nathan A; Smith, Barry; Qu, Botong; Preece, Justin; Zhang, Eugene; Todorovic, Sinisa; Gkoutos, Georgios; Doonan, John H; Stevenson, Dennis W; Arnaud, Elizabeth

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The Planteome project (http://www.planteome.org) provides a suite of reference and species-specific ontologies for plants and annotations to genes and phenotypes. Ontologies serve as common standards for semantic integration of a large and growing corpus of plant genomics, phenomics and genetics data. The reference ontologies include the Plant Ontology, Plant Trait Ontology and the Plant Experimental Conditions Ontology developed by the Planteome project, along with the Gene Ontology, Chemical Entities of Biological Interest, Phenotype and Attribute Ontology, and others. The project also provides access to species-specific Crop Ontologies developed by various plant breeding and research communities from around the world. We provide integrated data on plant traits, phenotypes, and gene function and expression from 95 plant taxa, annotated with reference ontology terms. The Planteome project is developing a plant gene annotation platform; Planteome Noctua, to facilitate community engagement. All the Planteome ontologies are publicly available and are maintained at the Planteome GitHub site (https://github.com/Planteome) for sharing, tracking revisions and new requests. The annotated data are freely accessible from the ontology browser (http://browser.planteome.org/amigo) and our data repository. PMID:29186578

  4. Group sparse canonical correlation analysis for genomic data integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Dongdong; Zhang, Jigang; Li, Jingyao; Calhoun, Vince D; Deng, Hong-Wen; Wang, Yu-Ping

    2013-08-12

    The emergence of high-throughput genomic datasets from different sources and platforms (e.g., gene expression, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), and copy number variation (CNV)) has greatly enhanced our understandings of the interplay of these genomic factors as well as their influences on the complex diseases. It is challenging to explore the relationship between these different types of genomic data sets. In this paper, we focus on a multivariate statistical method, canonical correlation analysis (CCA) method for this problem. Conventional CCA method does not work effectively if the number of data samples is significantly less than that of biomarkers, which is a typical case for genomic data (e.g., SNPs). Sparse CCA (sCCA) methods were introduced to overcome such difficulty, mostly using penalizations with l-1 norm (CCA-l1) or the combination of l-1and l-2 norm (CCA-elastic net). However, they overlook the structural or group effect within genomic data in the analysis, which often exist and are important (e.g., SNPs spanning a gene interact and work together as a group). We propose a new group sparse CCA method (CCA-sparse group) along with an effective numerical algorithm to study the mutual relationship between two different types of genomic data (i.e., SNP and gene expression). We then extend the model to a more general formulation that can include the existing sCCA models. We apply the model to feature/variable selection from two data sets and compare our group sparse CCA method with existing sCCA methods on both simulation and two real datasets (human gliomas data and NCI60 data). We use a graphical representation of the samples with a pair of canonical variates to demonstrate the discriminating characteristic of the selected features. Pathway analysis is further performed for biological interpretation of those features. The CCA-sparse group method incorporates group effects of features into the correlation analysis while performs individual feature

  5. SARS CTL vaccine candidates; HLA supertype-, genome-wide scanning and biochemical validation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sylvester-Hvid, C; Nielsen, M; Lamberth, K

    2004-01-01

    . Exact knowledge of how the immune system handles protein antigens would allow for the identification of such linear sequences directly from genomic/proteomic sequence information (Lauemoller et al., Rev Immunogenet 2001: 2: 477-91). The latter was recently established when a causative coronavirus (SARS...... of the HLA supertypes and identified almost 100 potential vaccine candidates. These should be further validated in SARS survivors and used for vaccine formulation. We suggest that immunobioinformatics may become a fast and valuable tool in rational vaccine design....

  6. SARS CTL vaccine candidates; HLA supertype-, genome-wide scanning and biochemical validation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sylvester-Hvid, C.; Nielsen, Morten; Lamberth, K.

    2004-01-01

    . Exact knowledge of how the immune system handles protein antigens would allow for the identification of such linear sequences directly, from genomic/proteomic sequence information (Lauemoller et al., Rev Immunogenet 2001: 2: 477-91). The latter was recently established when a causative coronavirus (SARS...... of the HLA supertypes and identified almost 100 potential vaccine candidates. These should be further validated in SARS survivors and used for vaccine formulation. We suggest that immunobioinformatics may become a fast and valuable tool in rational vaccine design....

  7. Biochemical Markers in Neurocritical Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omidvar Rezae

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available During the past two decades, a variety of serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF biochemical markers in daily clinical practice have been recommended to diagnose and monitor diverse diseases or pathologic situations. It will be essential to develop a panel of biomarkers, to be suitable for evaluation of treatment efficacy, representing distinct phases of injury and recovery and consider the temporal profile of those. Among the possible and different biochemical markers, S100b appeared to fulfill many of optimized criteria of an ideal marker. S100b, a cytosolic low molecular weight dimeric calciumbinding protein from chromosome 21, synthesized in glial cells throughout the CNS, an homodimeric diffusible, belongs to a family of closely related protein, predominantly expressed by astrocytes and Schwann cells and a classic immunohistochemical marker for these cells, is implicated in brain development and neurophysiology. Of the 3 isoforms of S-100, the BB subunit (S100B is present in high concentrations in central and peripheral glial and Schwann cells, Langerhans and anterior pituitary cells, fat, muscle, and bone marrow tissues. The biomarker has shown to be a sensitive marker of clinical and subclinical cerebral damage, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Increasing evidence suggests that the biomarker plays a double function as an intracellular regulator and an extracellular signal of the CNS. S100b is found in the cytoplasm in a soluble form and also is associated with intracellular membranes, centrosomes, microtubules, and type III intermediate filaments. Their genomic organization now is known, and many of their target proteins have been identified, although the mechanisms of regulating S100b secretion are not completely understood and appear to be related to many factors, such as the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a, interleukin (IL-1b, and metabolic stress. 

  8. Roles of CcrA and CcrB in Excision and Integration of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec, a Staphylococcus aureus Genomic Island▿

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Lei; Archer, Gordon L.

    2010-01-01

    The gene encoding resistance to methicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics in staphylococci, mecA, is carried on a genomic island, SCCmec (for staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec). The chromosomal excision and integration of types I to IV SCCmec are catalyzed by the site-specific recombinases CcrA and CcrB, the genes for which are encoded on each element. We sought to identify the relative contributions of CcrA and CcrB in the excision and integration of SCCmec. Purified CcrB but not CcrA ...

  9. Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — MGI is the international database resource for the laboratory mouse, providing integrated genetic, genomic, and biological data to facilitate the study of human...

  10. Playing with heart and soul…and genomes: sports implications and applications of personal genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Jennifer K

    2013-01-01

    Whether the integration of genetic/omic technologies in sports contexts will facilitate player success, promote player safety, or spur genetic discrimination depends largely upon the game rules established by those currently designing genomic sports medicine programs. The integration has already begun, but there is not yet a playbook for best practices. Thus far discussions have focused largely on whether the integration would occur and how to prevent the integration from occurring, rather than how it could occur in such a way that maximizes benefits, minimizes risks, and avoids the exacerbation of racial disparities. Previous empirical research has identified members of the personal genomics industry offering sports-related DNA tests, and previous legal research has explored the impact of collective bargaining in professional sports as it relates to the employment protections of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Building upon that research and upon participant observations with specific sports-related DNA tests purchased from four direct-to-consumer companies in 2011 and broader personal genomics (PGx) services, this anthropological, legal, and ethical (ALE) discussion highlights fundamental issues that must be addressed by those developing personal genomic sports medicine programs, either independently or through collaborations with commercial providers. For example, the vulnerability of student-athletes creates a number of issues that require careful, deliberate consideration. More broadly, however, this ALE discussion highlights potential sports-related implications (that ultimately might mitigate or, conversely, exacerbate racial disparities among athletes) of whole exome/genome sequencing conducted by biomedical researchers and clinicians for non-sports purposes. For example, the possibility that exome/genome sequencing of individuals who are considered to be non-patients, asymptomatic, normal, etc. will reveal the presence of variants of

  11. Software for computing and annotating genomic ranges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Michael; Huber, Wolfgang; Pagès, Hervé; Aboyoun, Patrick; Carlson, Marc; Gentleman, Robert; Morgan, Martin T; Carey, Vincent J

    2013-01-01

    We describe Bioconductor infrastructure for representing and computing on annotated genomic ranges and integrating genomic data with the statistical computing features of R and its extensions. At the core of the infrastructure are three packages: IRanges, GenomicRanges, and GenomicFeatures. These packages provide scalable data structures for representing annotated ranges on the genome, with special support for transcript structures, read alignments and coverage vectors. Computational facilities include efficient algorithms for overlap and nearest neighbor detection, coverage calculation and other range operations. This infrastructure directly supports more than 80 other Bioconductor packages, including those for sequence analysis, differential expression analysis and visualization.

  12. Ensembl 2002: accommodating comparative genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clamp, M; Andrews, D; Barker, D; Bevan, P; Cameron, G; Chen, Y; Clark, L; Cox, T; Cuff, J; Curwen, V; Down, T; Durbin, R; Eyras, E; Gilbert, J; Hammond, M; Hubbard, T; Kasprzyk, A; Keefe, D; Lehvaslaiho, H; Iyer, V; Melsopp, C; Mongin, E; Pettett, R; Potter, S; Rust, A; Schmidt, E; Searle, S; Slater, G; Smith, J; Spooner, W; Stabenau, A; Stalker, J; Stupka, E; Ureta-Vidal, A; Vastrik, I; Birney, E

    2003-01-01

    The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) database project provides a bioinformatics framework to organise biology around the sequences of large genomes. It is a comprehensive source of stable automatic annotation of human, mouse and other genome sequences, available as either an interactive web site or as flat files. Ensembl also integrates manually annotated gene structures from external sources where available. As well as being one of the leading sources of genome annotation, Ensembl is an open source software engineering project to develop a portable system able to handle very large genomes and associated requirements. These range from sequence analysis to data storage and visualisation and installations exist around the world in both companies and at academic sites. With both human and mouse genome sequences available and more vertebrate sequences to follow, many of the recent developments in Ensembl have focusing on developing automatic comparative genome analysis and visualisation.

  13. The Ensembl genome database project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, T; Barker, D; Birney, E; Cameron, G; Chen, Y; Clark, L; Cox, T; Cuff, J; Curwen, V; Down, T; Durbin, R; Eyras, E; Gilbert, J; Hammond, M; Huminiecki, L; Kasprzyk, A; Lehvaslaiho, H; Lijnzaad, P; Melsopp, C; Mongin, E; Pettett, R; Pocock, M; Potter, S; Rust, A; Schmidt, E; Searle, S; Slater, G; Smith, J; Spooner, W; Stabenau, A; Stalker, J; Stupka, E; Ureta-Vidal, A; Vastrik, I; Clamp, M

    2002-01-01

    The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) database project provides a bioinformatics framework to organise biology around the sequences of large genomes. It is a comprehensive source of stable automatic annotation of the human genome sequence, with confirmed gene predictions that have been integrated with external data sources, and is available as either an interactive web site or as flat files. It is also an open source software engineering project to develop a portable system able to handle very large genomes and associated requirements from sequence analysis to data storage and visualisation. The Ensembl site is one of the leading sources of human genome sequence annotation and provided much of the analysis for publication by the international human genome project of the draft genome. The Ensembl system is being installed around the world in both companies and academic sites on machines ranging from supercomputers to laptops.

  14. Tandemly Arrayed Genes in Vertebrate Genomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deng Pan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Tandemly arrayed genes (TAGs are duplicated genes that are linked as neighbors on a chromosome, many of which have important physiological and biochemical functions. Here we performed a survey of these genes in 11 available vertebrate genomes. TAGs account for an average of about 14% of all genes in these vertebrate genomes, and about 25% of all duplications. The majority of TAGs (72–94% have parallel transcription orientation (i.e., they are encoded on the same strand in contrast to the genome, which has about 50% of its genes in parallel transcription orientation. The majority of tandem arrays have only two members. In all species, the proportion of genes that belong to TAGs tends to be higher in large gene families than in small ones; together with our recent finding that tandem duplication played a more important role than retroposition in large families, this fact suggests that among all types of duplication mechanisms, tandem duplication is the predominant mechanism of duplication, especially in large families. Finally, several species have a higher proportion of large tandem arrays that are species-specific than random expectation.

  15. Discovery of Cellular Proteins Required for the Early Steps of HCV Infection Using Integrative Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jae-Seong; Kwon, Oh Sung; Kim, Sanguk; Jang, Sung Key

    2013-01-01

    Successful viral infection requires intimate communication between virus and host cell, a process that absolutely requires various host proteins. However, current efforts to discover novel host proteins as therapeutic targets for viral infection are difficult. Here, we developed an integrative-genomics approach to predict human genes involved in the early steps of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. By integrating HCV and human protein associations, co-expression data, and tight junction-tetraspanin web specific networks, we identified host proteins required for the early steps in HCV infection. Moreover, we validated the roles of newly identified proteins in HCV infection by knocking down their expression using small interfering RNAs. Specifically, a novel host factor CD63 was shown to directly interact with HCV E2 protein. We further demonstrated that an antibody against CD63 blocked HCV infection, indicating that CD63 may serve as a new therapeutic target for HCV-related diseases. The candidate gene list provides a source for identification of new therapeutic targets. PMID:23593195

  16. Penalized differential pathway analysis of integrative oncogenomics studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wieringen, W.N.; van de Wiel, M.A.

    2014-01-01

    Through integration of genomic data from multiple sources, we may obtain a more accurate and complete picture of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis. We discuss the integration of DNA copy number and mRNA gene expression data from an observational integrative genomics study involving

  17. D3GB: An Interactive Genome Browser for R, Python, and WordPress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrios, David; Prieto, Carlos

    2017-05-01

    Genome browsers are useful not only for showing final results but also for improving analysis protocols, testing data quality, and generating result drafts. Its integration in analysis pipelines allows the optimization of parameters, which leads to better results. New developments that facilitate the creation and utilization of genome browsers could contribute to improving analysis results and supporting the quick visualization of genomic data. D3 Genome Browser is an interactive genome browser that can be easily integrated in analysis protocols and shared on the Web. It is distributed as an R package, a Python module, and a WordPress plugin to facilitate its integration in pipelines and the utilization of platform capabilities. It is compatible with popular data formats such as GenBank, GFF, BED, FASTA, and VCF, and enables the exploration of genomic data with a Web browser.

  18. Control Synthesis for the Flow-Based Microfluidic Large-Scale Integration Biochips

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Minhass, Wajid Hassan; Pop, Paul; Madsen, Jan

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we are interested in flow-based microfluidic biochips, which are able to integrate the necessary functions for biochemical analysis on-chip. In these chips, the flow of liquid is manipulated using integrated microvalves. By combining severalmicrovalves, more complex units, such asmi......In this paper we are interested in flow-based microfluidic biochips, which are able to integrate the necessary functions for biochemical analysis on-chip. In these chips, the flow of liquid is manipulated using integrated microvalves. By combining severalmicrovalves, more complex units...

  19. Reframed Genome-Scale Metabolic Model to Facilitate Genetic Design and Integration with Expression Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Deqing; Jian, Xingxing; Zhang, Cheng; Hua, Qiang

    2017-01-01

    Genome-scale metabolic network models (GEMs) have played important roles in the design of genetically engineered strains and helped biologists to decipher metabolism. However, due to the complex gene-reaction relationships that exist in model systems, most algorithms have limited capabilities with respect to directly predicting accurate genetic design for metabolic engineering. In particular, methods that predict reaction knockout strategies leading to overproduction are often impractical in terms of gene manipulations. Recently, we proposed a method named logical transformation of model (LTM) to simplify the gene-reaction associations by introducing intermediate pseudo reactions, which makes it possible to generate genetic design. Here, we propose an alternative method to relieve researchers from deciphering complex gene-reactions by adding pseudo gene controlling reactions. In comparison to LTM, this new method introduces fewer pseudo reactions and generates a much smaller model system named as gModel. We showed that gModel allows two seldom reported applications: identification of minimal genomes and design of minimal cell factories within a modified OptKnock framework. In addition, gModel could be used to integrate expression data directly and improve the performance of the E-Fmin method for predicting fluxes. In conclusion, the model transformation procedure will facilitate genetic research based on GEMs, extending their applications.

  20. BGI-RIS: an integrated information resource and comparative analysis workbench for rice genomics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Wenming; Wang, Jing; He, Ximiao

    2004-01-01

    Rice is a major food staple for the world's population and serves as a model species in cereal genome research. The Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) has long been devoting itself to sequencing, information analysis and biological research of the rice and other crop genomes. In order to facilitate....... Designed as a basic platform, BGI-RIS presents the sequenced genomes and related information in systematic and graphical ways for the convenience of in-depth comparative studies (http://rise.genomics.org.cn/). Udgivelsesdato: 2004-Jan-1...

  1. genome-wide association and metabolic pathway analysis of corn earworm resistance in maize

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marilyn L. Warburton; Erika D. Womack; Juliet D. Tang; Adam Thrash; J. Spencer Smith; Wenwei Xu; Seth C. Murray; W. Paul Williams

    2018-01-01

    Maize (Zea mays mays L.) is a staple crop of economic, industrial, and food security importance. Damage to the growing ears by corn earworm [Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)] is a major economic burden and increases secondary fungal infections and mycotoxin levels. To identify biochemical pathways associated with native resistance mechanisms, a genome-wide...

  2. Fueling the Future with Fungal Genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, Igor V.

    2014-10-27

    Genomes of fungi relevant to energy and environment are in focus of the JGI Fungal Genomic Program. One of its projects, the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts and pathogens) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation and sugar fermentation) by means of genome sequencing and analysis. New chapters of the Encyclopedia can be opened with user proposals to the JGI Community Science Program (CSP). Another JGI project, the 1000 fungal genomes, explores fungal diversity on genome level at scale and is open for users to nominate new species for sequencing. Over 400 fungal genomes have been sequenced by JGI to date and released through MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a fungal web-portal, which integrates sequence and functional data with genome analysis tools for user community. Sequence analysis supported by functional genomics will lead to developing parts list for complex systems ranging from ecosystems of biofuel crops to biorefineries. Recent examples of such ‘parts’ suggested by comparative genomics and functional analysis in these areas are presented here.

  3. Ten years of maintaining and expanding a microbial genome and metagenome analysis system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markowitz, Victor M; Chen, I-Min A; Chu, Ken; Pati, Amrita; Ivanova, Natalia N; Kyrpides, Nikos C

    2015-11-01

    Launched in March 2005, the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system is a comprehensive data management system that supports multidimensional comparative analysis of genomic data. At the core of the IMG system is a data warehouse that contains genome and metagenome datasets sequenced at the Joint Genome Institute or provided by scientific users, as well as public genome datasets available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information Genbank sequence data archive. Genomes and metagenome datasets are processed using IMG's microbial genome and metagenome sequence data processing pipelines and are integrated into the data warehouse using IMG's data integration toolkits. Microbial genome and metagenome application specific data marts and user interfaces provide access to different subsets of IMG's data and analysis toolkits. This review article revisits IMG's original aims, highlights key milestones reached by the system during the past 10 years, and discusses the main challenges faced by a rapidly expanding system, in particular the complexity of maintaining such a system in an academic setting with limited budgets and computing and data management infrastructure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. On causal roles and selected effects: our genome is mostly junk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, W Ford; Brunet, Tyler D P

    2017-12-05

    The idea that much of our genome is irrelevant to fitness-is not the product of positive natural selection at the organismal level-remains viable. Claims to the contrary, and specifically that the notion of "junk DNA" should be abandoned, are based on conflating meanings of the word "function". Recent estimates suggest that perhaps 90% of our DNA, though biochemically active, does not contribute to fitness in any sequence-dependent way, and possibly in no way at all. Comparisons to vertebrates with much larger and smaller genomes (the lungfish and the pufferfish) strongly align with such a conclusion, as they have done for the last half-century.

  5. Development of an Efficient Genome Editing Tool in Bacillus licheniformis Using CRISPR-Cas9 Nickase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kaifeng; Cai, Dongbo; Wang, Zhangqian; He, Zhili; Chen, Shouwen

    2018-03-15

    Bacillus strains are important industrial bacteria that can produce various biochemical products. However, low transformation efficiencies and a lack of effective genome editing tools have hindered its widespread application. Recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 techniques have been utilized in many organisms as genome editing tools because of their high efficiency and easy manipulation. In this study, an efficient genome editing method was developed for Bacillus licheniformis using a CRISPR-Cas9 nickase integrated into the genome of B. licheniformis DW2 with overexpression driven by the P43 promoter. The yvmC gene was deleted using the CRISPR-Cas9n technique with homology arms of 1.0 kb as a representative example, and an efficiency of 100% was achieved. In addition, two genes were simultaneously disrupted with an efficiency of 11.6%, and the large DNA fragment bacABC (42.7 kb) was deleted with an efficiency of 79.0%. Furthermore, the heterologous reporter gene aprN , which codes for nattokinase in Bacillus subtilis , was inserted into the chromosome of B. licheniformis with an efficiency of 76.5%. The activity of nattokinase in the DWc9nΔ7/pP43SNT-S sacC strain reached 59.7 fibrinolytic units (FU)/ml, which was 25.7% higher than that of DWc9n/pP43SNT-S sacC Finally, the engineered strain DWc9nΔ7 (Δ epr Δ wprA Δ mpr Δ aprE Δ vpr Δ bprA Δ bacABC ), with multiple disrupted genes, was constructed using the CRISPR-Cas9n technique. Taken together, we have developed an efficient genome editing tool based on CRISPR-Cas9n in B. licheniformis This tool could be applied to strain improvement for future research. IMPORTANCE As important industrial bacteria, Bacillus strains have attracted significant attention due to their production of biological products. However, genetic manipulation of these bacteria is difficult. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has been applied to genome editing in some bacteria, and CRISPR-Cas9n was proven to

  6. Figure 4 from Integrative Genomics Viewer: Visualizing Big Data | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gene-list view of genomic data. The gene-list view allows users to compare data across a set of loci. The data in this figure includes copy number, mutation, and clinical data from 202 glioblastoma samples from TCGA. Adapted from Figure 7; Thorvaldsdottir H et al. 2012

  7. The UCSC Genome Browser Database: 2008 update

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karolchik, D; Kuhn, R M; Baertsch, R

    2007-01-01

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, Genome Browser Database (GBD) provides integrated sequence and annotation data for a large collection of vertebrate and model organism genomes. Seventeen new assemblies have been added to the database in the past year, for a total coverage of 19 vertebrat...

  8. Marine Genomics: A clearing-house for genomic and transcriptomic data of marine organisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trent Harold F

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Marine Genomics project is a functional genomics initiative developed to provide a pipeline for the curation of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs and gene expression microarray data for marine organisms. It provides a unique clearing-house for marine specific EST and microarray data and is currently available at http://www.marinegenomics.org. Description The Marine Genomics pipeline automates the processing, maintenance, storage and analysis of EST and microarray data for an increasing number of marine species. It currently contains 19 species databases (over 46,000 EST sequences that are maintained by registered users from local and remote locations in Europe and South America in addition to the USA. A collection of analysis tools are implemented. These include a pipeline upload tool for EST FASTA file, sequence trace file and microarray data, an annotative text search, automated sequence trimming, sequence quality control (QA/QC editing, sequence BLAST capabilities and a tool for interactive submission to GenBank. Another feature of this resource is the integration with a scientific computing analysis environment implemented by MATLAB. Conclusion The conglomeration of multiple marine organisms with integrated analysis tools enables users to focus on the comprehensive descriptions of transcriptomic responses to typical marine stresses. This cross species data comparison and integration enables users to contain their research within a marine-oriented data management and analysis environment.

  9. Draft genome of the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavey, Scott A; Laporte, Martin; Normandeau, Eric; Gaudin, Jérémy; Letourneau, Louis; Boisvert, Sébastien; Corbeil, Jacques; Audet, Céline; Bernatchez, Louis

    2017-07-01

    Freshwater eels (Anguilla sp.) have large economic, cultural, ecological and aesthetic importance worldwide, but they suffered more than 90% decline in global stocks over the past few decades. Proper genetic resources, such as sequenced, assembled and annotated genomes, are essential to help plan sustainable recoveries by identifying physiological, biochemical and genetic mechanisms that caused the declines or that may lead to recoveries. Here, we present the first sequenced genome of the American eel. This genome contained 305 043 contigs (N50 = 7397) and 79 209 scaffolds (N50 = 86 641) for a total size of 1.41 Gb, which is in the middle of the range of previous estimations for this species. In addition, protein-coding regions, including introns and flanking regions, are very well represented in the genome, as 95.2% of the 458 core eukaryotic genes and 98.8% of the 248 ultra-conserved subset were represented in the assembly and a total of 26 564 genes were annotated for future functional genomics studies. We performed a candidate gene analysis to compare three genes among all three freshwater eel species and, congruent with the phylogenetic relationships, Japanese eel (A. japanica) exhibited the most divergence. Overall, the sequenced genome presented in this study is a crucial addition to the presently available genetic tools to help guide future conservation efforts of freshwater eels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Integrated genome-based studies of Shewanella Ecophysiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiedje, James M. [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Konstantinidis, Kostas [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Worden, Mark [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)

    2014-01-08

    The aim of the work reported is to study Shewanella population genomics, and to understand the evolution, ecophysiology, and speciation of Shewanella. The tasks supporting this aim are: to study genetic and ecophysiological bases defining the core and diversification of Shewanella species; to determine gene content patterns along redox gradients; and to Investigate the evolutionary processes, patterns and mechanisms of Shewanella.

  11. DNA damage response and spindle assembly checkpoint function throughout the cell cycle to ensure genomic integrity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine S Lawrence

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Errors in replication or segregation lead to DNA damage, mutations, and aneuploidies. Consequently, cells monitor these events and delay progression through the cell cycle so repair precedes division. The DNA damage response (DDR, which monitors DNA integrity, and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC, which responds to defects in spindle attachment/tension during metaphase of mitosis and meiosis, are critical for preventing genome instability. Here we show that the DDR and SAC function together throughout the cell cycle to ensure genome integrity in C. elegans germ cells. Metaphase defects result in enrichment of SAC and DDR components to chromatin, and both SAC and DDR are required for metaphase delays. During persistent metaphase arrest following establishment of bi-oriented chromosomes, stability of the metaphase plate is compromised in the absence of DDR kinases ATR or CHK1 or SAC components, MAD1/MAD2, suggesting SAC functions in metaphase beyond its interactions with APC activator CDC20. In response to DNA damage, MAD2 and the histone variant CENPA become enriched at the nuclear periphery in a DDR-dependent manner. Further, depletion of either MAD1 or CENPA results in loss of peripherally associated damaged DNA. In contrast to a SAC-insensitive CDC20 mutant, germ cells deficient for SAC or CENPA cannot efficiently repair DNA damage, suggesting that SAC mediates DNA repair through CENPA interactions with the nuclear periphery. We also show that replication perturbations result in relocalization of MAD1/MAD2 in human cells, suggesting that the role of SAC in DNA repair is conserved.

  12. Integrative proteomics, genomics, and translational immunology approaches reveal mutated forms of Proteolipid Protein 1 (PLP1) and mutant-specific immune response in multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qendro, Veneta; Bugos, Grace A; Lundgren, Debbie H; Glynn, John; Han, May H; Han, David K

    2017-03-01

    In order to gain mechanistic insights into multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis, we utilized a multi-dimensional approach to test the hypothesis that mutations in myelin proteins lead to immune activation and central nervous system autoimmunity in MS. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of human MS brain lesions revealed seven unique mutations of PLP1; a key myelin protein that is known to be destroyed in MS. Surprisingly, in-depth genomic analysis of two MS patients at the genomic DNA and mRNA confirmed mutated PLP1 in RNA, but not in the genomic DNA. Quantification of wild type and mutant PLP RNA levels by qPCR further validated the presence of mutant PLP RNA in the MS patients. To seek evidence linking mutations in abundant myelin proteins and immune-mediated destruction of myelin, specific immune response against mutant PLP1 in MS patients was examined. Thus, we have designed paired, wild type and mutant peptide microarrays, and examined antibody response to multiple mutated PLP1 in sera from MS patients. Consistent with the idea of different patients exhibiting unique mutation profiles, we found that 13 out of 20 MS patients showed antibody responses against specific but not against all the mutant-PLP1 peptides. Interestingly, we found mutant PLP-directed antibody response against specific mutant peptides in the sera of pre-MS controls. The results from integrative proteomic, genomic, and immune analyses reveal a possible mechanism of mutation-driven pathogenesis in human MS. The study also highlights the need for integrative genomic and proteomic analyses for uncovering pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. CrEdit: CRISPR mediated multi-loci gene integration in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ronda, Carlotta; Maury, Jerome; Jakociunas, Tadas

    2015-01-01

    episomal vectors. Existing approaches for achieving stable simultaneous genome integrations of multiple DNA fragments often result in relatively low integration efficiencies and furthermore rely on the use of selection markers. Results: Here, we have developed a novel method, CrEdit (CRISPR/Cas9 mediated...... genome Editing), which utilizes targeted double strand breaks caused by CRISPR/Cas9 to significantly increase the efficiency of homologous integration in order to edit and manipulate genomic DNA. Using CrEdit, the efficiency and locus specificity of targeted genome integrations reach close to 100...

  14. Software for computing and annotating genomic ranges.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Lawrence

    Full Text Available We describe Bioconductor infrastructure for representing and computing on annotated genomic ranges and integrating genomic data with the statistical computing features of R and its extensions. At the core of the infrastructure are three packages: IRanges, GenomicRanges, and GenomicFeatures. These packages provide scalable data structures for representing annotated ranges on the genome, with special support for transcript structures, read alignments and coverage vectors. Computational facilities include efficient algorithms for overlap and nearest neighbor detection, coverage calculation and other range operations. This infrastructure directly supports more than 80 other Bioconductor packages, including those for sequence analysis, differential expression analysis and visualization.

  15. An integrated map of genetic variation from 1.092 human genomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abecasis, Goncalo R.; Auton, Adam; Brooks, Lisa D.

    2012-01-01

    By characterizing the geographic and functional spectrum of human genetic variation, the 1000 Genomes Project aims to build a resource to help to understand the genetic contribution to disease. Here we describe the genomes of 1,092 individuals from 14 populations, constructed using a combination ...

  16. WormBase: Annotating many nematode genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, Kevin; Davis, Paul; Paulini, Michael; Tuli, Mary Ann; Williams, Gary; Yook, Karen; Durbin, Richard; Kersey, Paul; Sternberg, Paul W

    2012-01-01

    WormBase (www.wormbase.org) has been serving the scientific community for over 11 years as the central repository for genomic and genetic information for the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The resource has evolved from its beginnings as a database housing the genomic sequence and genetic and physical maps of a single species, and now represents the breadth and diversity of nematode research, currently serving genome sequence and annotation for around 20 nematodes. In this article, we focus on WormBase's role of genome sequence annotation, describing how we annotate and integrate data from a growing collection of nematode species and strains. We also review our approaches to sequence curation, and discuss the impact on annotation quality of large functional genomics projects such as modENCODE.

  17. Fungal Genomics for Energy and Environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, Igor V.

    2013-03-11

    Genomes of fungi relevant to energy and environment are in focus of the Fungal Genomic Program at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI). One of its projects, the Genomics Encyclopedia of Fungi, targets fungi related to plant health (symbionts, pathogens, and biocontrol agents) and biorefinery processes (cellulose degradation, sugar fermentation, industrial hosts) by means of genome sequencing and analysis. New chapters of the Encyclopedia can be opened with user proposals to the JGI Community Sequencing Program (CSP). Another JGI project, the 1000 fungal genomes, explores fungal diversity on genome level at scale and is open for users to nominate new species for sequencing. Over 200 fungal genomes have been sequenced by JGI to date and released through MycoCosm (www.jgi.doe.gov/fungi), a fungal web-portal, which integrates sequence and functional data with genome analysis tools for user community. Sequence analysis supported by functional genomics leads to developing parts list for complex systems ranging from ecosystems of biofuel crops to biorefineries. Recent examples of such parts suggested by comparative genomics and functional analysis in these areas are presented here.

  18. The mitochondrial genome of Grateloupia taiwanensis (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) and comparative mitochondrial genomics of red algae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DePriest, Michael S; Bhattacharya, Debashish; López-Bautista, Juan M

    2014-10-01

    Although red algae are economically highly valuable for their gelatinous cell wall compounds as well as being integral parts of marine benthic habitats, very little genome data are currently available. We present mitochondrial genome sequence data from the red alga Grateloupia taiwanensis S.-M. Lin & H.-Y. Liang. Comprising 28,906 nucleotide positions, the mitochondrial genome contig contains 25 protein-coding genes and 24 transfer RNA genes. It is highly similar to other red algal genomes in gene content as well as overall structure. An intron in the cox1 gene was found to be shared by G. taiwanensis and Grateloupia angusta (Okamura) S. Kawaguchi & H. W. Wang. We also used whole-genome alignments to compare G. taiwanensis to different groups of red algae, and these results are consistent with the currently accepted phylogeny of Rhodophyta. © 2014 Marine Biological Laboratory.

  19. Integrating genomic information with protein sequence and 3D atomic level structure at the RCSB protein data bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prlic, Andreas; Kalro, Tara; Bhattacharya, Roshni; Christie, Cole; Burley, Stephen K; Rose, Peter W

    2016-12-15

    The Protein Data Bank (PDB) now contains more than 120,000 three-dimensional (3D) structures of biological macromolecules. To allow an interpretation of how PDB data relates to other publicly available annotations, we developed a novel data integration platform that maps 3D structural information across various datasets. This integration bridges from the human genome across protein sequence to 3D structure space. We developed novel software solutions for data management and visualization, while incorporating new libraries for web-based visualization using SVG graphics. The new views are available from http://www.rcsb.org and software is available from https://github.com/rcsb/. andreas.prlic@rcsb.orgSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  20. Ultraviolet transparent silicon oxynitride waveguides for biochemical microsystems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Friis, Peter; Hübner, Jörg

    2001-01-01

    The UV wavelength region is of great interest in absorption spectroscopy, which is employed for chemical analysis, since many organic compounds absorb in only this region. Germanium-doped silica, which is often preferred as the waveguide core material in optical devices for telecommunication....... The applicability of these waveguides was demonstrated in a biochemical microsystem consisting of multimode buried-channel SiOxNy waveguides that were monolithically integrated with microfluidic channels. Absorption measurements of a beta -blocking agent, propranolol, at 212-215 nm were performed. The detection...

  1. Genomic island excisions in Bordetella petrii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Levillain Erwan

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Among the members of the genus Bordetella B. petrii is unique, since it is the only species isolated from the environment, while the pathogenic Bordetellae are obligately associated with host organisms. Another feature distinguishing B. petrii from the other sequenced Bordetellae is the presence of a large number of mobile genetic elements including several large genomic regions with typical characteristics of genomic islands collectively known as integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs. These elements mainly encode accessory metabolic factors enabling this bacterium to grow on a large repertoire of aromatic compounds. Results During in vitro culture of Bordetella petrii colony variants appear frequently. We show that this variability can be attributed to the presence of a large number of metastable mobile genetic elements on its chromosome. In fact, the genome sequence of B. petrii revealed the presence of at least seven large genomic islands mostly encoding accessory metabolic functions involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds and detoxification of heavy metals. Four of these islands (termed GI1 to GI3 and GI6 are highly related to ICEclc of Pseudomonas knackmussii sp. strain B13. Here we present first data about the molecular characterization of these islands. We defined the exact borders of each island and we show that during standard culture of the bacteria these islands get excised from the chromosome. For all but one of these islands (GI5 we could detect circular intermediates. For the clc-like elements GI1 to GI3 of B. petrii we provide evidence that tandem insertion of these islands which all encode highly related integrases and attachment sites may also lead to incorporation of genomic DNA which originally was not part of the island and to the formation of huge composite islands. By integration of a tetracycline resistance cassette into GI3 we found this island to be rather unstable and to be lost from

  2. GenoSets: visual analytic methods for comparative genomics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurora A Cain

    Full Text Available Many important questions in biology are, fundamentally, comparative, and this extends to our analysis of a growing number of sequenced genomes. Existing genomic analysis tools are often organized around literal views of genomes as linear strings. Even when information is highly condensed, these views grow cumbersome as larger numbers of genomes are added. Data aggregation and summarization methods from the field of visual analytics can provide abstracted comparative views, suitable for sifting large multi-genome datasets to identify critical similarities and differences. We introduce a software system for visual analysis of comparative genomics data. The system automates the process of data integration, and provides the analysis platform to identify and explore features of interest within these large datasets. GenoSets borrows techniques from business intelligence and visual analytics to provide a rich interface of interactive visualizations supported by a multi-dimensional data warehouse. In GenoSets, visual analytic approaches are used to enable querying based on orthology, functional assignment, and taxonomic or user-defined groupings of genomes. GenoSets links this information together with coordinated, interactive visualizations for both detailed and high-level categorical analysis of summarized data. GenoSets has been designed to simplify the exploration of multiple genome datasets and to facilitate reasoning about genomic comparisons. Case examples are included showing the use of this system in the analysis of 12 Brucella genomes. GenoSets software and the case study dataset are freely available at http://genosets.uncc.edu. We demonstrate that the integration of genomic data using a coordinated multiple view approach can simplify the exploration of large comparative genomic data sets, and facilitate reasoning about comparisons and features of interest.

  3. Integration of Genome Scale Metabolic Networks and Gene Regulation of Metabolic Enzymes With Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado, Elaina M; Leoncikas, Vytautas; Fisher, Ciarán P; Moore, J Bernadette; Plant, Nick J; Kierzek, Andrzej M

    2017-11-01

    The scope of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can be expanded by assimilation of the mechanistic models of intracellular processes from systems biology field. The genome scale metabolic networks (GSMNs) represent a whole set of metabolic enzymes expressed in human tissues. Dynamic models of the gene regulation of key drug metabolism enzymes are available. Here, we introduce GSMNs and review ongoing work on integration of PBPK, GSMNs, and metabolic gene regulation. We demonstrate example models. © 2017 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  4. Figure 5 from Integrative Genomics Viewer: Visualizing Big Data | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Split-Screen View. The split-screen view is useful for exploring relationships of genomic features that are independent of chromosomal location. Color is used here to indicate mate pairs that map to different chromosomes, chromosomes 1 and 6, suggesting a translocation event. Adapted from Figure 8; Thorvaldsdottir H et al. 2012

  5. Figure 2 from Integrative Genomics Viewer: Visualizing Big Data | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grouping and sorting genomic data in IGV. The IGV user interface displaying 202 glioblastoma samples from TCGA. Samples are grouped by tumor subtype (second annotation column) and data type (first annotation column) and sorted by copy number of the EGFR locus (middle column). Adapted from Figure 1; Robinson et al. 2011

  6. Integrated genomics of Mucorales reveals novel therapeutic targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mucormycosis is a life-threatening infection caused by Mucorales fungi. We sequenced 30 fungal genomes and performed transcriptomics with three representative Rhizopus and Mucor strains with human airway epithelial cells during fungal invasion to reveal key host and fungal determinants contributing ...

  7. Comprehensive, Integrative Genomic Analysis of Diffuse Lower-Grade Gliomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brat, Daniel J; Verhaak, Roel G W; Aldape, Kenneth D; Yung, W K Alfred; Salama, Sofie R; Cooper, Lee A D; Rheinbay, Esther; Miller, C Ryan; Vitucci, Mark; Morozova, Olena; Robertson, A Gordon; Noushmehr, Houtan; Laird, Peter W; Cherniack, Andrew D; Akbani, Rehan; Huse, Jason T; Ciriello, Giovanni; Poisson, Laila M; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S; Berger, Mitchel S; Brennan, Cameron; Colen, Rivka R; Colman, Howard; Flanders, Adam E; Giannini, Caterina; Grifford, Mia; Iavarone, Antonio; Jain, Rajan; Joseph, Isaac; Kim, Jaegil; Kasaian, Katayoon; Mikkelsen, Tom; Murray, Bradley A; O'Neill, Brian Patrick; Pachter, Lior; Parsons, Donald W; Sougnez, Carrie; Sulman, Erik P; Vandenberg, Scott R; Van Meir, Erwin G; von Deimling, Andreas; Zhang, Hailei; Crain, Daniel; Lau, Kevin; Mallery, David; Morris, Scott; Paulauskis, Joseph; Penny, Robert; Shelton, Troy; Sherman, Mark; Yena, Peggy; Black, Aaron; Bowen, Jay; Dicostanzo, Katie; Gastier-Foster, Julie; Leraas, Kristen M; Lichtenberg, Tara M; Pierson, Christopher R; Ramirez, Nilsa C; Taylor, Cynthia; Weaver, Stephanie; Wise, Lisa; Zmuda, Erik; Davidsen, Tanja; Demchok, John A; Eley, Greg; Ferguson, Martin L; Hutter, Carolyn M; Mills Shaw, Kenna R; Ozenberger, Bradley A; Sheth, Margi; Sofia, Heidi J; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Wang, Zhining; Yang, Liming; Zenklusen, Jean Claude; Ayala, Brenda; Baboud, Julien; Chudamani, Sudha; Jensen, Mark A; Liu, Jia; Pihl, Todd; Raman, Rohini; Wan, Yunhu; Wu, Ye; Ally, Adrian; Auman, J Todd; Balasundaram, Miruna; Balu, Saianand; Baylin, Stephen B; Beroukhim, Rameen; Bootwalla, Moiz S; Bowlby, Reanne; Bristow, Christopher A; Brooks, Denise; Butterfield, Yaron; Carlsen, Rebecca; Carter, Scott; Chin, Lynda; Chu, Andy; Chuah, Eric; Cibulskis, Kristian; Clarke, Amanda; Coetzee, Simon G; Dhalla, Noreen; Fennell, Tim; Fisher, Sheila; Gabriel, Stacey; Getz, Gad; Gibbs, Richard; Guin, Ranabir; Hadjipanayis, Angela; Hayes, D Neil; Hinoue, Toshinori; Hoadley, Katherine; Holt, Robert A; Hoyle, Alan P; Jefferys, Stuart R; Jones, Steven; Jones, Corbin D; Kucherlapati, Raju; Lai, Phillip H; Lander, Eric; Lee, Semin; Lichtenstein, Lee; Ma, Yussanne; Maglinte, Dennis T; Mahadeshwar, Harshad S; Marra, Marco A; Mayo, Michael; Meng, Shaowu; Meyerson, Matthew L; Mieczkowski, Piotr A; Moore, Richard A; Mose, Lisle E; Mungall, Andrew J; Pantazi, Angeliki; Parfenov, Michael; Park, Peter J; Parker, Joel S; Perou, Charles M; Protopopov, Alexei; Ren, Xiaojia; Roach, Jeffrey; Sabedot, Thaís S; Schein, Jacqueline; Schumacher, Steven E; Seidman, Jonathan G; Seth, Sahil; Shen, Hui; Simons, Janae V; Sipahimalani, Payal; Soloway, Matthew G; Song, Xingzhi; Sun, Huandong; Tabak, Barbara; Tam, Angela; Tan, Donghui; Tang, Jiabin; Thiessen, Nina; Triche, Timothy; Van Den Berg, David J; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Waring, Scot; Weisenberger, Daniel J; Wilkerson, Matthew D; Wong, Tina; Wu, Junyuan; Xi, Liu; Xu, Andrew W; Yang, Lixing; Zack, Travis I; Zhang, Jianhua; Aksoy, B Arman; Arachchi, Harindra; Benz, Chris; Bernard, Brady; Carlin, Daniel; Cho, Juok; DiCara, Daniel; Frazer, Scott; Fuller, Gregory N; Gao, JianJiong; Gehlenborg, Nils; Haussler, David; Heiman, David I; Iype, Lisa; Jacobsen, Anders; Ju, Zhenlin; Katzman, Sol; Kim, Hoon; Knijnenburg, Theo; Kreisberg, Richard Bailey; Lawrence, Michael S; Lee, William; Leinonen, Kalle; Lin, Pei; Ling, Shiyun; Liu, Wenbin; Liu, Yingchun; Liu, Yuexin; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon; Ng, Sam; Noble, Michael S; Paull, Evan; Rao, Arvind; Reynolds, Sheila; Saksena, Gordon; Sanborn, Zack; Sander, Chris; Schultz, Nikolaus; Senbabaoglu, Yasin; Shen, Ronglai; Shmulevich, Ilya; Sinha, Rileen; Stuart, Josh; Sumer, S Onur; Sun, Yichao; Tasman, Natalie; Taylor, Barry S; Voet, Doug; Weinhold, Nils; Weinstein, John N; Yang, Da; Yoshihara, Kosuke; Zheng, Siyuan; Zhang, Wei; Zou, Lihua; Abel, Ty; Sadeghi, Sara; Cohen, Mark L; Eschbacher, Jenny; Hattab, Eyas M; Raghunathan, Aditya; Schniederjan, Matthew J; Aziz, Dina; Barnett, Gene; Barrett, Wendi; Bigner, Darell D; Boice, Lori; Brewer, Cathy; Calatozzolo, Chiara; Campos, Benito; Carlotti, Carlos Gilberto; Chan, Timothy A; Cuppini, Lucia; Curley, Erin; Cuzzubbo, Stefania; Devine, Karen; DiMeco, Francesco; Duell, Rebecca; Elder, J Bradley; Fehrenbach, Ashley; Finocchiaro, Gaetano; Friedman, William; Fulop, Jordonna; Gardner, Johanna; Hermes, Beth; Herold-Mende, Christel; Jungk, Christine; Kendler, Ady; Lehman, Norman L; Lipp, Eric; Liu, Ouida; Mandt, Randy; McGraw, Mary; Mclendon, Roger; McPherson, Christopher; Neder, Luciano; Nguyen, Phuong; Noss, Ardene; Nunziata, Raffaele; Ostrom, Quinn T; Palmer, Cheryl; Perin, Alessandro; Pollo, Bianca; Potapov, Alexander; Potapova, Olga; Rathmell, W Kimryn; Rotin, Daniil; Scarpace, Lisa; Schilero, Cathy; Senecal, Kelly; Shimmel, Kristen; Shurkhay, Vsevolod; Sifri, Suzanne; Singh, Rosy; Sloan, Andrew E; Smolenski, Kathy; Staugaitis, Susan M; Steele, Ruth; Thorne, Leigh; Tirapelli, Daniela P C; Unterberg, Andreas; Vallurupalli, Mahitha; Wang, Yun; Warnick, Ronald; Williams, Felicia; Wolinsky, Yingli; Bell, Sue; Rosenberg, Mara; Stewart, Chip; Huang, Franklin; Grimsby, Jonna L; Radenbaugh, Amie J; Zhang, Jianan

    2015-06-25

    Diffuse low-grade and intermediate-grade gliomas (which together make up the lower-grade gliomas, World Health Organization grades II and III) have highly variable clinical behavior that is not adequately predicted on the basis of histologic class. Some are indolent; others quickly progress to glioblastoma. The uncertainty is compounded by interobserver variability in histologic diagnosis. Mutations in IDH, TP53, and ATRX and codeletion of chromosome arms 1p and 19q (1p/19q codeletion) have been implicated as clinically relevant markers of lower-grade gliomas. We performed genomewide analyses of 293 lower-grade gliomas from adults, incorporating exome sequence, DNA copy number, DNA methylation, messenger RNA expression, microRNA expression, and targeted protein expression. These data were integrated and tested for correlation with clinical outcomes. Unsupervised clustering of mutations and data from RNA, DNA-copy-number, and DNA-methylation platforms uncovered concordant classification of three robust, nonoverlapping, prognostically significant subtypes of lower-grade glioma that were captured more accurately by IDH, 1p/19q, and TP53 status than by histologic class. Patients who had lower-grade gliomas with an IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion had the most favorable clinical outcomes. Their gliomas harbored mutations in CIC, FUBP1, NOTCH1, and the TERT promoter. Nearly all lower-grade gliomas with IDH mutations and no 1p/19q codeletion had mutations in TP53 (94%) and ATRX inactivation (86%). The large majority of lower-grade gliomas without an IDH mutation had genomic aberrations and clinical behavior strikingly similar to those found in primary glioblastoma. The integration of genomewide data from multiple platforms delineated three molecular classes of lower-grade gliomas that were more concordant with IDH, 1p/19q, and TP53 status than with histologic class. Lower-grade gliomas with an IDH mutation either had 1p/19q codeletion or carried a TP53 mutation. Most

  8. The impact of genomics on research in diversity and evolution of archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mardanov, A V; Ravin, N V

    2012-08-01

    Since the definition of archaea as a separate domain of life along with bacteria and eukaryotes, they have become one of the most interesting objects of modern microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Sequencing and analysis of archaeal genomes were especially important for studies on archaea because of a limited availability of genetic tools for the majority of these microorganisms and problems associated with their cultivation. Fifteen years since the publication of the first genome of an archaeon, more than one hundred complete genome sequences of representatives of different phylogenetic groups have been determined. Analysis of these genomes has expanded our knowledge of biology of archaea, their diversity and evolution, and allowed identification and characterization of new deep phylogenetic lineages of archaea. The development of genome technologies has allowed sequencing the genomes of uncultivated archaea directly from enrichment cultures, metagenomic samples, and even from single cells. Insights have been gained into the evolution of key biochemical processes in archaea, such as cell division and DNA replication, the role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of archaea, and new relationships between archaea and eukaryotes have been revealed.

  9. Control of Genome Integrity by RFC Complexes; Conductors of PCNA Loading onto and Unloading from Chromatin during DNA Replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasushi Shiomi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available During cell division, genome integrity is maintained by faithful DNA replication during S phase, followed by accurate segregation in mitosis. Many DNA metabolic events linked with DNA replication are also regulated throughout the cell cycle. In eukaryotes, the DNA sliding clamp, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, acts on chromatin as a processivity factor for DNA polymerases. Since its discovery, many other PCNA binding partners have been identified that function during DNA replication, repair, recombination, chromatin remodeling, cohesion, and proteolysis in cell-cycle progression. PCNA not only recruits the proteins involved in such events, but it also actively controls their function as chromatin assembles. Therefore, control of PCNA-loading onto chromatin is fundamental for various replication-coupled reactions. PCNA is loaded onto chromatin by PCNA-loading replication factor C (RFC complexes. Both RFC1-RFC and Ctf18-RFC fundamentally function as PCNA loaders. On the other hand, after DNA synthesis, PCNA must be removed from chromatin by Elg1-RFC. Functional defects in RFC complexes lead to chromosomal abnormalities. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional relationships among RFC complexes, and describe how the regulation of PCNA loading/unloading by RFC complexes contributes to maintaining genome integrity.

  10. A tailing genome walking method suitable for genomes with high local GC content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Taian; Fang, Yongxiang; Yao, Wenjuan; Guan, Qisai; Bai, Gang; Jing, Zhizhong

    2013-10-15

    The tailing genome walking strategies are simple and efficient. However, they sometimes can be restricted due to the low stringency of homo-oligomeric primers. Here we modified their conventional tailing step by adding polythymidine and polyguanine to the target single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). The tailed ssDNA was then amplified exponentially with a specific primer in the known region and a primer comprising 5' polycytosine and 3' polyadenosine. The successful application of this novel method for identifying integration sites mediated by φC31 integrase in goat genome indicates that the method is more suitable for genomes with high complexity and local GC content. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Modulation of chromatin structure by the FACT histone chaperone complex regulates HIV-1 integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matysiak, Julien; Lesbats, Paul; Mauro, Eric; Lapaillerie, Delphine; Dupuy, Jean-William; Lopez, Angelica P; Benleulmi, Mohamed Salah; Calmels, Christina; Andreola, Marie-Line; Ruff, Marc; Llano, Manuel; Delelis, Olivier; Lavigne, Marc; Parissi, Vincent

    2017-07-28

    Insertion of retroviral genome DNA occurs in the chromatin of the host cell. This step is modulated by chromatin structure as nucleosomes compaction was shown to prevent HIV-1 integration and chromatin remodeling has been reported to affect integration efficiency. LEDGF/p75-mediated targeting of the integration complex toward RNA polymerase II (polII) transcribed regions ensures optimal access to dynamic regions that are suitable for integration. Consequently, we have investigated the involvement of polII-associated factors in the regulation of HIV-1 integration. Using a pull down approach coupled with mass spectrometry, we have selected the FACT (FAcilitates Chromatin Transcription) complex as a new potential cofactor of HIV-1 integration. FACT is a histone chaperone complex associated with the polII transcription machinery and recently shown to bind LEDGF/p75. We report here that a tripartite complex can be formed between HIV-1 integrase, LEDGF/p75 and FACT in vitro and in cells. Biochemical analyzes show that FACT-dependent nucleosome disassembly promotes HIV-1 integration into chromatinized templates, and generates highly favored nucleosomal structures in vitro. This effect was found to be amplified by LEDGF/p75. Promotion of this FACT-mediated chromatin remodeling in cells both increases chromatin accessibility and stimulates HIV-1 infectivity and integration. Altogether, our data indicate that FACT regulates HIV-1 integration by inducing local nucleosomes dissociation that modulates the functional association between the incoming intasome and the targeted nucleosome.

  12. Self-organizing ontology of biochemically relevant small molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chepelev, Leonid L; Hastings, Janna; Ennis, Marcus; Steinbeck, Christoph; Dumontier, Michel

    2012-01-06

    The advent of high-throughput experimentation in biochemistry has led to the generation of vast amounts of chemical data, necessitating the development of novel analysis, characterization, and cataloguing techniques and tools. Recently, a movement to publically release such data has advanced biochemical structure-activity relationship research, while providing new challenges, the biggest being the curation, annotation, and classification of this information to facilitate useful biochemical pattern analysis. Unfortunately, the human resources currently employed by the organizations supporting these efforts (e.g. ChEBI) are expanding linearly, while new useful scientific information is being released in a seemingly exponential fashion. Compounding this, currently existing chemical classification and annotation systems are not amenable to automated classification, formal and transparent chemical class definition axiomatization, facile class redefinition, or novel class integration, thus further limiting chemical ontology growth by necessitating human involvement in curation. Clearly, there is a need for the automation of this process, especially for novel chemical entities of biological interest. To address this, we present a formal framework based on Semantic Web technologies for the automatic design of chemical ontology which can be used for automated classification of novel entities. We demonstrate the automatic self-assembly of a structure-based chemical ontology based on 60 MeSH and 40 ChEBI chemical classes. This ontology is then used to classify 200 compounds with an accuracy of 92.7%. We extend these structure-based classes with molecular feature information and demonstrate the utility of our framework for classification of functionally relevant chemicals. Finally, we discuss an iterative approach that we envision for future biochemical ontology development. We conclude that the proposed methodology can ease the burden of chemical data annotators and

  13. Self-organizing ontology of biochemically relevant small molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The advent of high-throughput experimentation in biochemistry has led to the generation of vast amounts of chemical data, necessitating the development of novel analysis, characterization, and cataloguing techniques and tools. Recently, a movement to publically release such data has advanced biochemical structure-activity relationship research, while providing new challenges, the biggest being the curation, annotation, and classification of this information to facilitate useful biochemical pattern analysis. Unfortunately, the human resources currently employed by the organizations supporting these efforts (e.g. ChEBI) are expanding linearly, while new useful scientific information is being released in a seemingly exponential fashion. Compounding this, currently existing chemical classification and annotation systems are not amenable to automated classification, formal and transparent chemical class definition axiomatization, facile class redefinition, or novel class integration, thus further limiting chemical ontology growth by necessitating human involvement in curation. Clearly, there is a need for the automation of this process, especially for novel chemical entities of biological interest. Results To address this, we present a formal framework based on Semantic Web technologies for the automatic design of chemical ontology which can be used for automated classification of novel entities. We demonstrate the automatic self-assembly of a structure-based chemical ontology based on 60 MeSH and 40 ChEBI chemical classes. This ontology is then used to classify 200 compounds with an accuracy of 92.7%. We extend these structure-based classes with molecular feature information and demonstrate the utility of our framework for classification of functionally relevant chemicals. Finally, we discuss an iterative approach that we envision for future biochemical ontology development. Conclusions We conclude that the proposed methodology can ease the burden of

  14. Self-organizing ontology of biochemically relevant small molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chepelev Leonid L

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The advent of high-throughput experimentation in biochemistry has led to the generation of vast amounts of chemical data, necessitating the development of novel analysis, characterization, and cataloguing techniques and tools. Recently, a movement to publically release such data has advanced biochemical structure-activity relationship research, while providing new challenges, the biggest being the curation, annotation, and classification of this information to facilitate useful biochemical pattern analysis. Unfortunately, the human resources currently employed by the organizations supporting these efforts (e.g. ChEBI are expanding linearly, while new useful scientific information is being released in a seemingly exponential fashion. Compounding this, currently existing chemical classification and annotation systems are not amenable to automated classification, formal and transparent chemical class definition axiomatization, facile class redefinition, or novel class integration, thus further limiting chemical ontology growth by necessitating human involvement in curation. Clearly, there is a need for the automation of this process, especially for novel chemical entities of biological interest. Results To address this, we present a formal framework based on Semantic Web technologies for the automatic design of chemical ontology which can be used for automated classification of novel entities. We demonstrate the automatic self-assembly of a structure-based chemical ontology based on 60 MeSH and 40 ChEBI chemical classes. This ontology is then used to classify 200 compounds with an accuracy of 92.7%. We extend these structure-based classes with molecular feature information and demonstrate the utility of our framework for classification of functionally relevant chemicals. Finally, we discuss an iterative approach that we envision for future biochemical ontology development. Conclusions We conclude that the proposed methodology

  15. Biochemical mechanisms determine the functional compatibility of heterologous genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Porse, Andreas; Schou, Thea S.; Munck, Christian

    2018-01-01

    -gene libraries have suggested that sequence composition is a strong barrier for the successful integration of heterologous genes. Here we sample 200 diverse genes, representing >80% of sequenced antibiotic resistance genes, to interrogate the factors governing genetic compatibility in new hosts. In contrast...... factors governing the functionality and fitness of antibiotic resistance genes. These findings emphasize the importance of biochemical mechanism for heterologous gene compatibility, and suggest physiological constraints as a pivotal feature orienting the evolution of antibiotic resistance....

  16. SWPhylo - A Novel Tool for Phylogenomic Inferences by Comparison of Oligonucleotide Patterns and Integration of Genome-Based and Gene-Based Phylogenetic Trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaoyu; Reva, Oleg N

    2018-01-01

    Modern phylogenetic studies may benefit from the analysis of complete genome sequences of various microorganisms. Evolutionary inferences based on genome-scale analysis are believed to be more accurate than the gene-based alternative. However, the computational complexity of current phylogenomic procedures, inappropriateness of standard phylogenetic tools to process genome-wide data, and lack of reliable substitution models which correlates with alignment-free phylogenomic approaches deter microbiologists from using these opportunities. For example, the super-matrix and super-tree approaches of phylogenomics use multiple integrated genomic loci or individual gene-based trees to infer an overall consensus tree. However, these approaches potentially multiply errors of gene annotation and sequence alignment not mentioning the computational complexity and laboriousness of the methods. In this article, we demonstrate that the annotation- and alignment-free comparison of genome-wide tetranucleotide frequencies, termed oligonucleotide usage patterns (OUPs), allowed a fast and reliable inference of phylogenetic trees. These were congruent to the corresponding whole genome super-matrix trees in terms of tree topology when compared with other known approaches including 16S ribosomal RNA and GyrA protein sequence comparison, complete genome-based MAUVE, and CVTree methods. A Web-based program to perform the alignment-free OUP-based phylogenomic inferences was implemented at http://swphylo.bi.up.ac.za/. Applicability of the tool was tested on different taxa from subspecies to intergeneric levels. Distinguishing between closely related taxonomic units may be enforced by providing the program with alignments of marker protein sequences, eg, GyrA.

  17. ANISEED 2017: extending the integrated ascidian database to the exploration and evolutionary comparison of genome-scale datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brozovic, Matija; Dantec, Christelle; Dardaillon, Justine; Dauga, Delphine; Faure, Emmanuel; Gineste, Mathieu; Louis, Alexandra; Naville, Magali; Nitta, Kazuhiro R; Piette, Jacques; Reeves, Wendy; Scornavacca, Céline; Simion, Paul; Vincentelli, Renaud; Bellec, Maelle; Aicha, Sameh Ben; Fagotto, Marie; Guéroult-Bellone, Marion; Haeussler, Maximilian; Jacox, Edwin; Lowe, Elijah K; Mendez, Mickael; Roberge, Alexis; Stolfi, Alberto; Yokomori, Rui; Brown, C Titus; Cambillau, Christian; Christiaen, Lionel; Delsuc, Frédéric; Douzery, Emmanuel; Dumollard, Rémi; Kusakabe, Takehiro; Nakai, Kenta; Nishida, Hiroki; Satou, Yutaka; Swalla, Billie; Veeman, Michael; Volff, Jean-Nicolas; Lemaire, Patrick

    2018-01-04

    ANISEED (www.aniseed.cnrs.fr) is the main model organism database for tunicates, the sister-group of vertebrates. This release gives access to annotated genomes, gene expression patterns, and anatomical descriptions for nine ascidian species. It provides increased integration with external molecular and taxonomy databases, better support for epigenomics datasets, in particular RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and SELEX-seq, and features novel interactive interfaces for existing and novel datatypes. In particular, the cross-species navigation and comparison is enhanced through a novel taxonomy section describing each represented species and through the implementation of interactive phylogenetic gene trees for 60% of tunicate genes. The gene expression section displays the results of RNA-seq experiments for the three major model species of solitary ascidians. Gene expression is controlled by the binding of transcription factors to cis-regulatory sequences. A high-resolution description of the DNA-binding specificity for 131 Ciona robusta (formerly C. intestinalis type A) transcription factors by SELEX-seq is provided and used to map candidate binding sites across the Ciona robusta and Phallusia mammillata genomes. Finally, use of a WashU Epigenome browser enhances genome navigation, while a Genomicus server was set up to explore microsynteny relationships within tunicates and with vertebrates, Amphioxus, echinoderms and hemichordates. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. BISEN: Biochemical simulation environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vanlier, J.; Wu, F.; Qi, F.; Vinnakota, K.C.; Han, Y.; Dash, R.K.; Yang, F.; Beard, D.A.

    2009-01-01

    The Biochemical Simulation Environment (BISEN) is a suite of tools for generating equations and associated computer programs for simulating biochemical systems in the MATLAB® computing environment. This is the first package that can generate appropriate systems of differential equations for

  19. Predicting co-complexed protein pairs using genomic and proteomic data integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    King Oliver D

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Identifying all protein-protein interactions in an organism is a major objective of proteomics. A related goal is to know which protein pairs are present in the same protein complex. High-throughput methods such as yeast two-hybrid (Y2H and affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (APMS have been used to detect interacting proteins on a genomic scale. However, both Y2H and APMS methods have substantial false-positive rates. Aside from high-throughput interaction screens, other gene- or protein-pair characteristics may also be informative of physical interaction. Therefore it is desirable to integrate multiple datasets and utilize their different predictive value for more accurate prediction of co-complexed relationship. Results Using a supervised machine learning approach – probabilistic decision tree, we integrated high-throughput protein interaction datasets and other gene- and protein-pair characteristics to predict co-complexed pairs (CCP of proteins. Our predictions proved more sensitive and specific than predictions based on Y2H or APMS methods alone or in combination. Among the top predictions not annotated as CCPs in our reference set (obtained from the MIPS complex catalogue, a significant fraction was found to physically interact according to a separate database (YPD, Yeast Proteome Database, and the remaining predictions may potentially represent unknown CCPs. Conclusions We demonstrated that the probabilistic decision tree approach can be successfully used to predict co-complexed protein (CCP pairs from other characteristics. Our top-scoring CCP predictions provide testable hypotheses for experimental validation.

  20. pH measurements of FET-based (bio)chemical sensors using portable measurement system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voitsekhivska, T; Zorgiebel, F; Suthau, E; Wolter, K-J; Bock, K; Cuniberti, G

    2015-01-01

    In this study we demonstrate the sensing capabilities of a portable multiplex measurement system for FET-based (bio)chemical sensors with an integrated microfluidic interface. We therefore conducted pH measurements with Silicon Nanoribbon FET-based Sensors using different measurement procedures that are suitable for various applications. We have shown multiplexed measurements in aqueous medium for three different modes that are mutually specialized in fast data acquisition (constant drain current), calibration-less sensing (constant gate voltage) and in providing full information content (sweeping mode). Our system therefore allows surface charge sensing for a wide range of applications and is easily adaptable for multiplexed sensing with novel FET-based (bio)chemical sensors.

  1. Ricebase: a breeding and genetics platform for rice, integrating individual molecular markers, pedigrees and whole-genome-based data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, J D; Baldo, A M; Mueller, L A

    2016-01-01

    Ricebase (http://ricebase.org) is an integrative genomic database for rice (Oryza sativa) with an emphasis on combining datasets in a way that maintains the key links between past and current genetic studies. Ricebase includes DNA sequence data, gene annotations, nucleotide variation data and molecular marker fragment size data. Rice research has benefited from early adoption and extensive use of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers; however, the majority of rice SSR markers were developed prior to the latest rice pseudomolecule assembly. Interpretation of new research using SNPs in the context of literature citing SSRs requires a common coordinate system. A new pipeline, using a stepwise relaxation of stringency, was used to map SSR primers onto the latest rice pseudomolecule assembly. The SSR markers and experimentally assayed amplicon sizes are presented in a relational database with a web-based front end, and are available as a track loaded in a genome browser with links connecting the browser and database. The combined capabilities of Ricebase link genetic markers, genome context, allele states across rice germplasm and potentially user curated phenotypic interpretations as a community resource for genetic discovery and breeding in rice. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

  2. GFVO: the Genomic Feature and Variation Ontology

    KAUST Repository

    Baran, Joachim

    2015-05-05

    Falling costs in genomic laboratory experiments have led to a steady increase of genomic feature and variation data. Multiple genomic data formats exist for sharing these data, and whilst they are similar, they are addressing slightly different data viewpoints and are consequently not fully compatible with each other. The fragmentation of data format specifications makes it hard to integrate and interpret data for further analysis with information from multiple data providers. As a solution, a new ontology is presented here for annotating and representing genomic feature and variation dataset contents. The Genomic Feature and Variation Ontology (GFVO) specifically addresses genomic data as it is regularly shared using the GFF3 (incl. FASTA), GTF, GVF and VCF file formats. GFVO simplifies data integration and enables linking of genomic annotations across datasets through common semantics of genomic types and relations. Availability and implementation. The latest stable release of the ontology is available via its base URI; previous and development versions are available at the ontology’s GitHub repository: https://github.com/BioInterchange/Ontologies; versions of the ontology are indexed through BioPortal (without external class-/property-equivalences due to BioPortal release 4.10 limitations); examples and reference documentation is provided on a separate web-page: http://www.biointerchange.org/ontologies.html. GFVO version 1.0.2 is licensed under the CC0 1.0 Universal license (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0) and therefore de facto within the public domain; the ontology can be appropriated without attribution for commercial and non-commercial use.

  3. Incidence of genome structure, DNA asymmetry, and cell physiology on T-DNA integration in chromosomes of the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourras, Salim; Meyer, Michel; Grandaubert, Jonathan; Lapalu, Nicolas; Fudal, Isabelle; Linglin, Juliette; Ollivier, Benedicte; Blaise, Françoise; Balesdent, Marie-Hélène; Rouxel, Thierry

    2012-08-01

    The ever-increasing generation of sequence data is accompanied by unsatisfactory functional annotation, and complex genomes, such as those of plants and filamentous fungi, show a large number of genes with no predicted or known function. For functional annotation of unknown or hypothetical genes, the production of collections of mutants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) associated with genotyping and phenotyping has gained wide acceptance. ATMT is also widely used to identify pathogenicity determinants in pathogenic fungi. A systematic analysis of T-DNA borders was performed in an ATMT-mutagenized collection of the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans to evaluate the features of T-DNA integration in its particular transposable element-rich compartmentalized genome. A total of 318 T-DNA tags were recovered and analyzed for biases in chromosome and genic compartments, existence of CG/AT skews at the insertion site, and occurrence of microhomologies between the T-DNA left border (LB) and the target sequence. Functional annotation of targeted genes was done using the Gene Ontology annotation. The T-DNA integration mainly targeted gene-rich, transcriptionally active regions, and it favored biological processes consistent with the physiological status of a germinating spore. T-DNA integration was strongly biased toward regulatory regions, and mainly promoters. Consistent with the T-DNA intranuclear-targeting model, the density of T-DNA insertion correlated with CG skew near the transcription initiation site. The existence of microhomologies between promoter sequences and the T-DNA LB flanking sequence was also consistent with T-DNA integration to host DNA mediated by homologous recombination based on the microhomology-mediated end-joining pathway.

  4. Biochemical and Biophysical Cues in Matrix Design for Chronic and Diabetic Wound Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Yun; Ahadian, Samad; Radisic, Milica

    2017-02-01

    Progress in biomaterial science and engineering and increasing knowledge in cell biology have enabled us to develop functional biomaterials providing appropriate biochemical and biophysical cues for tissue regeneration applications. Tissue regeneration is particularly important to treat chronic wounds of people with diabetes. Understanding and controlling the cellular microenvironment of the wound tissue are important to improve the wound healing process. In this study, we review different biochemical (e.g., growth factors, peptides, DNA, and RNA) and biophysical (e.g., topographical guidance, pressure, electrical stimulation, and pulsed electromagnetic field) cues providing a functional and instructive acellular matrix to heal diabetic chronic wounds. The biochemical and biophysical signals generally regulate cell-matrix interactions and cell behavior and function inducing the tissue regeneration for chronic wounds. Some technologies and devices have already been developed and used in the clinic employing biochemical and biophysical cues for wound healing applications. These technologies can be integrated with smart biomaterials to deliver therapeutic agents to the wound tissue in a precise and controllable manner. This review provides useful guidance in understanding molecular mechanisms and signals in the healing of diabetic chronic wounds and in designing instructive biomaterials to treat them.

  5. Molecular cytogenetic and genomic analyses reveal new insights into the origin of the wheat B genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Mingyi; Zhu, Xianwen; Cao, Yaping; Sun, Qing; Ma, Guojia; Chao, Shiaoman; Yan, Changhui; Xu, Steven S; Cai, Xiwen

    2018-02-01

    This work pinpointed the goatgrass chromosomal segment in the wheat B genome using modern cytogenetic and genomic technologies, and provided novel insights into the origin of the wheat B genome. Wheat is a typical allopolyploid with three homoeologous subgenomes (A, B, and D). The donors of the subgenomes A and D had been identified, but not for the subgenome B. The goatgrass Aegilops speltoides (genome SS) has been controversially considered a possible candidate for the donor of the wheat B genome. However, the relationship of the Ae. speltoides S genome with the wheat B genome remains largely obscure. The present study assessed the homology of the B and S genomes using an integrative cytogenetic and genomic approach, and revealed the contribution of Ae. speltoides to the origin of the wheat B genome. We discovered noticeable homology between wheat chromosome 1B and Ae. speltoides chromosome 1S, but not between other chromosomes in the B and S genomes. An Ae. speltoides-originated segment spanning a genomic region of approximately 10.46 Mb was detected on the long arm of wheat chromosome 1B (1BL). The Ae. speltoides-originated segment on 1BL was found to co-evolve with the rest of the B genome. Evidently, Ae. speltoides had been involved in the origin of the wheat B genome, but should not be considered an exclusive donor of this genome. The wheat B genome might have a polyphyletic origin with multiple ancestors involved, including Ae. speltoides. These novel findings will facilitate genome studies in wheat and other polyploids.

  6. Integrated microfabricated biodevices. New advances in sample preparation (T2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttman, A.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Interdisciplinary science and technologies have converged in the past few years to create exciting challenges and opportunities, which involve novel, integrated microfabricated systems, facilitating large-scale analytical applications. These new devices are referred to as lab-on-a-chip or micro Total Analysis Systems (uTAS). Their development involves both established and evolving technologies, which include microlithography, micromachining, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, microfluidics and nanotechnology. The advent of this extremely powerful and rapid analysis technique opens up new horizons in analytical chemistry and molecular biology, capable of revealing global changes in gene expression levels by enabling genome, proteome and metabolome analysis on microchips. This presentation will provide an overview of the key device subject areas and the basic interdisciplinary technologies. It will also give a better understanding of how to utilize these miniaturized technologies as well as to provide appropriate technical solutions to problems perceived as being more fundamental. Theoretical and practical aspects of integrating sample preparation/purification and analysis units with chemical and biochemical reactors in monolithic microdevices are going to be thoroughly discussed. Important applications for this novel 'synergized' technology in high throughput analysis of biologically important molecules will also be addressed. (author)

  7. Big Data Analytics for Genomic Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Karen Y; Ge, Dongliang; He, Max M

    2017-02-15

    Genomic medicine attempts to build individualized strategies for diagnostic or therapeutic decision-making by utilizing patients' genomic information. Big Data analytics uncovers hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other insights through examining large-scale various data sets. While integration and manipulation of diverse genomic data and comprehensive electronic health records (EHRs) on a Big Data infrastructure exhibit challenges, they also provide a feasible opportunity to develop an efficient and effective approach to identify clinically actionable genetic variants for individualized diagnosis and therapy. In this paper, we review the challenges of manipulating large-scale next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and diverse clinical data derived from the EHRs for genomic medicine. We introduce possible solutions for different challenges in manipulating, managing, and analyzing genomic and clinical data to implement genomic medicine. Additionally, we also present a practical Big Data toolset for identifying clinically actionable genetic variants using high-throughput NGS data and EHRs.

  8. Elucidating the triplicated ancestral genome structure of radish based on chromosome-level comparison with the Brassica genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Young-Min; Kim, Namshin; Ahn, Byung Ohg; Oh, Mijin; Chung, Won-Hyong; Chung, Hee; Jeong, Seongmun; Lim, Ki-Byung; Hwang, Yoon-Jung; Kim, Goon-Bo; Baek, Seunghoon; Choi, Sang-Bong; Hyung, Dae-Jin; Lee, Seung-Won; Sohn, Seong-Han; Kwon, Soo-Jin; Jin, Mina; Seol, Young-Joo; Chae, Won Byoung; Choi, Keun Jin; Park, Beom-Seok; Yu, Hee-Ju; Mun, Jeong-Hwan

    2016-07-01

    This study presents a chromosome-scale draft genome sequence of radish that is assembled into nine chromosomal pseudomolecules. A comprehensive comparative genome analysis with the Brassica genomes provides genomic evidences on the evolution of the mesohexaploid radish genome. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an agronomically important root vegetable crop and its origin and phylogenetic position in the tribe Brassiceae is controversial. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the radish genome based on the chromosome sequences of R. sativus cv. WK10039. The radish genome was sequenced and assembled into 426.2 Mb spanning >98 % of the gene space, of which 344.0 Mb were integrated into nine chromosome pseudomolecules. Approximately 36 % of the genome was repetitive sequences and 46,514 protein-coding genes were predicted and annotated. Comparative mapping of the tPCK-like ancestral genome revealed that the radish genome has intermediate characteristics between the Brassica A/C and B genomes in the triplicated segments, suggesting an internal origin from the genus Brassica. The evolutionary characteristics shared between radish and other Brassica species provided genomic evidences that the current form of nine chromosomes in radish was rearranged from the chromosomes of hexaploid progenitor. Overall, this study provides a chromosome-scale draft genome sequence of radish as well as novel insight into evolution of the mesohexaploid genomes in the tribe Brassiceae.

  9. The agents of natural genome editing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witzany, Guenther

    2011-06-01

    The DNA serves as a stable information storage medium and every protein which is needed by the cell is produced from this blueprint via an RNA intermediate code. More recently it was found that an abundance of various RNA elements cooperate in a variety of steps and substeps as regulatory and catalytic units with multiple competencies to act on RNA transcripts. Natural genome editing on one side is the competent agent-driven generation and integration of meaningful DNA nucleotide sequences into pre-existing genomic content arrangements, and the ability to (re-)combine and (re-)regulate them according to context-dependent (i.e. adaptational) purposes of the host organism. Natural genome editing on the other side designates the integration of all RNA activities acting on RNA transcripts without altering DNA-encoded genes. If we take the genetic code seriously as a natural code, there must be agents that are competent to act on this code because no natural code codes itself as no natural language speaks itself. As code editing agents, viral and subviral agents have been suggested because there are several indicators that demonstrate viruses competent in both RNA and DNA natural genome editing.

  10. Genomic and Molecular Landscape of DNA Damage Repair Deficiency across The Cancer Genome Atlas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Theo A. Knijnenburg

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: DNA damage repair (DDR pathways modulate cancer risk, progression, and therapeutic response. We systematically analyzed somatic alterations to provide a comprehensive view of DDR deficiency across 33 cancer types. Mutations with accompanying loss of heterozygosity were observed in over 1/3 of DDR genes, including TP53 and BRCA1/2. Other prevalent alterations included epigenetic silencing of the direct repair genes EXO5, MGMT, and ALKBH3 in ∼20% of samples. Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD was present at varying frequency in many cancer types, most notably ovarian cancer. However, in contrast to ovarian cancer, HRD was associated with worse outcomes in several other cancers. Protein structure-based analyses allowed us to predict functional consequences of rare, recurrent DDR mutations. A new machine-learning-based classifier developed from gene expression data allowed us to identify alterations that phenocopy deleterious TP53 mutations. These frequent DDR gene alterations in many human cancers have functional consequences that may determine cancer progression and guide therapy. : Knijnenburg et al. present The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA Pan-Cancer analysis of DNA damage repair (DDR deficiency in cancer. They use integrative genomic and molecular analyses to identify frequent DDR alterations across 33 cancer types, correlate gene- and pathway-level alterations with genome-wide measures of genome instability and impaired function, and demonstrate the prognostic utility of DDR deficiency scores. Keywords: The Cancer Genome Atlas PanCanAtlas project, DNA damage repair, somatic mutations, somatic copy-number alterations, epigenetic silencing, DNA damage footprints, mutational signatures, integrative statistical analysis, protein structure analysis

  11. Coarse-graining stochastic biochemical networks: adiabaticity and fast simulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nemenman, Ilya [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Sinitsyn, Nikolai [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hengartner, Nick [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2008-01-01

    We propose a universal approach for analysis and fast simulations of stiff stochastic biochemical kinetics networks, which rests on elimination of fast chemical species without a loss of information about mesoscoplc, non-Poissonian fluctuations of the slow ones. Our approach, which is similar to the Born-Oppenhelmer approximation in quantum mechanics, follows from the stochastic path Integral representation of the cumulant generating function of reaction events. In applications with a small number of chemIcal reactions, It produces analytical expressions for cumulants of chemical fluxes between the slow variables. This allows for a low-dimensional, Interpretable representation and can be used for coarse-grained numerical simulation schemes with a small computational complexity and yet high accuracy. As an example, we derive the coarse-grained description for a chain of biochemical reactions, and show that the coarse-grained and the microscopic simulations are in an agreement, but the coarse-gralned simulations are three orders of magnitude faster.

  12. Comprehensive profiling of retroviral integration sites using target enrichment methods from historical koala samples without an assembled reference genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pin Cui

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background. Retroviral integration into the host germline results in permanent viral colonization of vertebrate genomes. The koala retrovirus (KoRV is currently invading the germline of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus and provides a unique opportunity for studying retroviral endogenization. Previous analysis of KoRV integration patterns in modern koalas demonstrate that they share integration sites primarily if they are related, indicating that the process is currently driven by vertical transmission rather than infection. However, due to methodological challenges, KoRV integrations have not been comprehensively characterized. Results. To overcome these challenges, we applied and compared three target enrichment techniques coupled with next generation sequencing (NGS and a newly customized sequence-clustering based computational pipeline to determine the integration sites for 10 museum Queensland and New South Wales (NSW koala samples collected between the 1870s and late 1980s. A secondary aim of this study sought to identify common integration sites across modern and historical specimens by comparing our dataset to previously published studies. Several million sequences were processed, and the KoRV integration sites in each koala were characterized. Conclusions. Although the three enrichment methods each exhibited bias in integration site retrieval, a combination of two methods, Primer Extension Capture and hybridization capture is recommended for future studies on historical samples. Moreover, identification of integration sites shows that the proportion of integration sites shared between any two koalas is quite small.

  13. Integrating Public Health and Deliberative Public Bioethics: Lessons from the Human Genome Project Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meagher, Karen M; Lee, Lisa M

    2016-01-01

    Public health policy works best when grounded in firm public health standards of evidence and widely shared social values. In this article, we argue for incorporating a specific method of ethical deliberation--deliberative public bioethics--into public health. We describe how deliberative public bioethics is a method of engagement that can be helpful in public health. Although medical, research, and public health ethics can be considered some of what bioethics addresses, deliberative public bioethics offers both a how and where. Using the Human Genome Project Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications program as an example of effective incorporation of deliberative processes to integrate ethics into public health policy, we examine how deliberative public bioethics can integrate both public health and bioethics perspectives into three areas of public health practice: research, education, and health policy. We then offer recommendations for future collaborations that integrate deliberative methods into public health policy and practice.

  14. Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Biochemical characterization of blood plasma of coronary artery disease .... Circulating nucleic acids damage DNA of healthy cells by integrating into their genomes ... Identification of plant defence regulators through transcriptional profiling of ...

  15. Human Ageing Genomic Resources: Integrated databases and tools for the biology and genetics of ageing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tacutu, Robi; Craig, Thomas; Budovsky, Arie; Wuttke, Daniel; Lehmann, Gilad; Taranukha, Dmitri; Costa, Joana; Fraifeld, Vadim E.; de Magalhães, João Pedro

    2013-01-01

    The Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR, http://genomics.senescence.info) is a freely available online collection of research databases and tools for the biology and genetics of ageing. HAGR features now several databases with high-quality manually curated data: (i) GenAge, a database of genes associated with ageing in humans and model organisms; (ii) AnAge, an extensive collection of longevity records and complementary traits for >4000 vertebrate species; and (iii) GenDR, a newly incorporated database, containing both gene mutations that interfere with dietary restriction-mediated lifespan extension and consistent gene expression changes induced by dietary restriction. Since its creation about 10 years ago, major efforts have been undertaken to maintain the quality of data in HAGR, while further continuing to develop, improve and extend it. This article briefly describes the content of HAGR and details the major updates since its previous publications, in terms of both structure and content. The completely redesigned interface, more intuitive and more integrative of HAGR resources, is also presented. Altogether, we hope that through its improvements, the current version of HAGR will continue to provide users with the most comprehensive and accessible resources available today in the field of biogerontology. PMID:23193293

  16. Phylogenomics and the Dynamic Genome Evolution of the Genus Streptococcus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Vincent P.; Palmer, Sara R.; Pavinski Bitar, Paulina D.; Qin, Xiang; Weinstock, George M.; Highlander, Sarah K.; Town, Christopher D.; Burne, Robert A.; Stanhope, Michael J.

    2014-01-01

    The genus Streptococcus comprises important pathogens that have a severe impact on human health and are responsible for substantial economic losses to agriculture. Here, we utilize 46 Streptococcus genome sequences (44 species), including eight species sequenced here, to provide the first genomic level insight into the evolutionary history and genetic basis underlying the functional diversity of all major groups of this genus. Gene gain/loss analysis revealed a dynamic pattern of genome evolution characterized by an initial period of gene gain followed by a period of loss, as the major groups within the genus diversified. This was followed by a period of genome expansion associated with the origins of the present extant species. The pattern is concordant with an emerging view that genomes evolve through a dynamic process of expansion and streamlining. A large proportion of the pan-genome has experienced lateral gene transfer (LGT) with causative factors, such as relatedness and shared environment, operating over different evolutionary scales. Multiple gene ontology terms were significantly enriched for each group, and mapping terms onto the phylogeny showed that those corresponding to genes born on branches leading to the major groups represented approximately one-fifth of those enriched. Furthermore, despite the extensive LGT, several biochemical characteristics have been retained since group formation, suggesting genomic cohesiveness through time, and that these characteristics may be fundamental to each group. For example, proteolysis: mitis group; urea metabolism: salivarius group; carbohydrate metabolism: pyogenic group; and transcription regulation: bovis group. PMID:24625962

  17. transPLANT Resources for Triticeae Genomic Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Spannagl

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The genome sequences of many important Triticeae species, including bread wheat ( L. and barley ( L., remained uncharacterized for a long time because their high repeat content, large sizes, and polyploidy. As a result of improvements in sequencing technologies and novel analyses strategies, several of these have recently been deciphered. These efforts have generated new insights into Triticeae biology and genome organization and have important implications for downstream usage by breeders, experimental biologists, and comparative genomicists. transPLANT ( is an EU-funded project aimed at constructing hardware, software, and data infrastructure for genome-scale research in the life sciences. Since the Triticeae data are intrinsically complex, heterogenous, and distributed, the transPLANT consortium has undertaken efforts to develop common data formats and tools that enable the exchange and integration of data from distributed resources. Here we present an overview of the individual Triticeae genome resources hosted by transPLANT partners, introduce the objectives of transPLANT, and outline common developments and interfaces supporting integrated data access.

  18. Integrated stoichiometric, thermodynamic and kinetic modelling of steady state metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleming, R M T; Thiele, I; Provan, G; Nasheuer, H P

    2010-06-07

    The quantitative analysis of biochemical reactions and metabolites is at frontier of biological sciences. The recent availability of high-throughput technology data sets in biology has paved the way for new modelling approaches at various levels of complexity including the metabolome of a cell or an organism. Understanding the metabolism of a single cell and multi-cell organism will provide the knowledge for the rational design of growth conditions to produce commercially valuable reagents in biotechnology. Here, we demonstrate how equations representing steady state mass conservation, energy conservation, the second law of thermodynamics, and reversible enzyme kinetics can be formulated as a single system of linear equalities and inequalities, in addition to linear equalities on exponential variables. Even though the feasible set is non-convex, the reformulation is exact and amenable to large-scale numerical analysis, a prerequisite for computationally feasible genome scale modelling. Integrating flux, concentration and kinetic variables in a unified constraint-based formulation is aimed at increasing the quantitative predictive capacity of flux balance analysis. Incorporation of experimental and theoretical bounds on thermodynamic and kinetic variables ensures that the predicted steady state fluxes are both thermodynamically and biochemically feasible. The resulting in silico predictions are tested against fluxomic data for central metabolism in Escherichia coli and compare favourably with in silico prediction by flux balance analysis. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Segmenting the human genome based on states of neutral genetic divergence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuruppumullage Don, Prabhani; Ananda, Guruprasad; Chiaromonte, Francesca; Makova, Kateryna D

    2013-09-03

    Many studies have demonstrated that divergence levels generated by different mutation types vary and covary across the human genome. To improve our still-incomplete understanding of the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon, we analyze several mutation types simultaneously, anchoring their variation to specific regions of the genome. Using hidden Markov models on insertion, deletion, nucleotide substitution, and microsatellite divergence estimates inferred from human-orangutan alignments of neutrally evolving genomic sequences, we segment the human genome into regions corresponding to different divergence states--each uniquely characterized by specific combinations of divergence levels. We then parsed the mutagenic contributions of various biochemical processes associating divergence states with a broad range of genomic landscape features. We find that high divergence states inhabit guanine- and cytosine (GC)-rich, highly recombining subtelomeric regions; low divergence states cover inner parts of autosomes; chromosome X forms its own state with lowest divergence; and a state of elevated microsatellite mutability is interspersed across the genome. These general trends are mirrored in human diversity data from the 1000 Genomes Project, and departures from them highlight the evolutionary history of primate chromosomes. We also find that genes and noncoding functional marks [annotations from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE)] are concentrated in high divergence states. Our results provide a powerful tool for biomedical data analysis: segmentations can be used to screen personal genome variants--including those associated with cancer and other diseases--and to improve computational predictions of noncoding functional elements.

  20. Integrative Analysis of Genetic, Genomic, and Phenotypic Data for Ethanol Behaviors: A Network-Based Pipeline for Identifying Mechanisms and Potential Drug Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogenpohl, James W; Mignogna, Kristin M; Smith, Maren L; Miles, Michael F

    2017-01-01

    Complex behavioral traits, such as alcohol abuse, are caused by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, producing deleterious functional adaptations in the central nervous system. The long-term behavioral consequences of such changes are of substantial cost to both the individual and society. Substantial progress has been made in the last two decades in understanding elements of brain mechanisms underlying responses to ethanol in animal models and risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in humans. However, treatments for AUD remain largely ineffective and few medications for this disease state have been licensed. Genome-wide genetic polymorphism analysis (GWAS) in humans, behavioral genetic studies in animal models and brain gene expression studies produced by microarrays or RNA-seq have the potential to produce nonbiased and novel insight into the underlying neurobiology of AUD. However, the complexity of such information, both statistical and informational, has slowed progress toward identifying new targets for intervention in AUD. This chapter describes one approach for integrating behavioral, genetic, and genomic information across animal model and human studies. The goal of this approach is to identify networks of genes functioning in the brain that are most relevant to the underlying mechanisms of a complex disease such as AUD. We illustrate an example of how genomic studies in animal models can be used to produce robust gene networks that have functional implications, and to integrate such animal model genomic data with human genetic studies such as GWAS for AUD. We describe several useful analysis tools for such studies: ComBAT, WGCNA, and EW_dmGWAS. The end result of this analysis is a ranking of gene networks and identification of their cognate hub genes, which might provide eventual targets for future therapeutic development. Furthermore, this combined approach may also improve our understanding of basic mechanisms underlying gene x

  1. Challenges and strategies for implementing genomic services in diverse settings: experiences from the Implementing GeNomics In pracTicE (IGNITE) network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperber, Nina R; Carpenter, Janet S; Cavallari, Larisa H; J Damschroder, Laura; Cooper-DeHoff, Rhonda M; Denny, Joshua C; Ginsburg, Geoffrey S; Guan, Yue; Horowitz, Carol R; Levy, Kenneth D; Levy, Mia A; Madden, Ebony B; Matheny, Michael E; Pollin, Toni I; Pratt, Victoria M; Rosenman, Marc; Voils, Corrine I; W Weitzel, Kristen; Wilke, Russell A; Ryanne Wu, R; Orlando, Lori A

    2017-05-22

    To realize potential public health benefits from genetic and genomic innovations, understanding how best to implement the innovations into clinical care is important. The objective of this study was to synthesize data on challenges identified by six diverse projects that are part of a National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)-funded network focused on implementing genomics into practice and strategies to overcome these challenges. We used a multiple-case study approach with each project considered as a case and qualitative methods to elicit and describe themes related to implementation challenges and strategies. We describe challenges and strategies in an implementation framework and typology to enable consistent definitions and cross-case comparisons. Strategies were linked to challenges based on expert review and shared themes. Three challenges were identified by all six projects, and strategies to address these challenges varied across the projects. One common challenge was to increase the relative priority of integrating genomics within the health system electronic health record (EHR). Four projects used data warehousing techniques to accomplish the integration. The second common challenge was to strengthen clinicians' knowledge and beliefs about genomic medicine. To overcome this challenge, all projects developed educational materials and conducted meetings and outreach focused on genomic education for clinicians. The third challenge was engaging patients in the genomic medicine projects. Strategies to overcome this challenge included use of mass media to spread the word, actively involving patients in implementation (e.g., a patient advisory board), and preparing patients to be active participants in their healthcare decisions. This is the first collaborative evaluation focusing on the description of genomic medicine innovations implemented in multiple real-world clinical settings. Findings suggest that strategies to facilitate integration of genomic

  2. The ethical introduction of genome-based information and technologies into public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, H C; Swinnen, E; Douw, K; Vondeling, H; Cassiman, J-J; Cambon-Thomsen, A; Borry, P

    2013-01-01

    With the human genome project running from 1989 until its completion in 2003, and the incredible advances in sequencing technology and in bioinformatics during the last decade, there has been a shift towards an increase focus on studying common complex disorders which develop due to the interplay of many different genes as well as environmental factors. Although some susceptibility genes have been identified in some populations for disorders such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the integration of this information into the health care system has proven to be much more problematic than for single gene disorders. Furthermore, with the 1000$ genome supposedly just around the corner, and whole genome sequencing gradually being integrated into research protocols as well as in the clinical context, there is a strong push for the uptake of additional genomic testing. Indeed, the advent of public health genomics, wherein genomics would be integrated in all aspects of health care and public health, should be taken seriously. Although laudable, these advances also bring with them a slew of ethical and social issues that challenge the normative frameworks used in clinical genetics until now. With this in mind, we highlight herein 5 principles that are used as a primer to discuss the ethical introduction of genome-based information and genome-based technologies into public health. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Mms1 binds to G-rich regions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and influences replication and genome stability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wanzek, Katharina; Schwindt, Eike; Capra, John A.; Paeschke, Katrin

    2017-01-01

    The regulation of replication is essential to preserve genome integrity. Mms1 is part of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that is linked to replication fork progression. By identifying Mms1 binding sites genome-wide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae we connected Mms1 function to genome integrity and

  4. MicroScope: a platform for microbial genome annotation and comparative genomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallenet, D; Engelen, S; Mornico, D; Cruveiller, S; Fleury, L; Lajus, A; Rouy, Z; Roche, D; Salvignol, G; Scarpelli, C; Médigue, C

    2009-01-01

    The initial outcome of genome sequencing is the creation of long text strings written in a four letter alphabet. The role of in silico sequence analysis is to assist biologists in the act of associating biological knowledge with these sequences, allowing investigators to make inferences and predictions that can be tested experimentally. A wide variety of software is available to the scientific community, and can be used to identify genomic objects, before predicting their biological functions. However, only a limited number of biologically interesting features can be revealed from an isolated sequence. Comparative genomics tools, on the other hand, by bringing together the information contained in numerous genomes simultaneously, allow annotators to make inferences based on the idea that evolution and natural selection are central to the definition of all biological processes. We have developed the MicroScope platform in order to offer a web-based framework for the systematic and efficient revision of microbial genome annotation and comparative analysis (http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/agc/microscope). Starting with the description of the flow chart of the annotation processes implemented in the MicroScope pipeline, and the development of traditional and novel microbial annotation and comparative analysis tools, this article emphasizes the essential role of expert annotation as a complement of automatic annotation. Several examples illustrate the use of implemented tools for the review and curation of annotations of both new and publicly available microbial genomes within MicroScope's rich integrated genome framework. The platform is used as a viewer in order to browse updated annotation information of available microbial genomes (more than 440 organisms to date), and in the context of new annotation projects (117 bacterial genomes). The human expertise gathered in the MicroScope database (about 280,000 independent annotations) contributes to improve the quality of

  5. Research Ethics 2.0: New Perspectives on Norms, Values, and Integrity in Genomic Research in Times of Even Scarcer Resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brall, Caroline; Maeckelberghe, Els; Porz, Rouven; Makhoul, Jihad; Schröder-Bäck, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Research ethics anew gained importance due to the changing scientific landscape and increasing demands and competition in the academic field. These changes are further exaggerated because of scarce(r) resources in some countries on the one hand and advances in genomics on the other. In this paper, we will highlight the current challenges thereof to scientific integrity. To mark key developments in research ethics, we will distinguish between what we call research ethics 1.0 and research ethics 2.0. Whereas research ethics 1.0 focuses on individual integrity and informed consent, research ethics 2.0 entails social scientific integrity within a broader perspective of a research network. This research network can be regarded as a network of responsibilities in which every stakeholder involved has to jointly meet the ethical challenges posed to research. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Mainstreaming sex and gender analysis in public health genomics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verdonk, P.; Klinge, I.

    2012-01-01

    Background: The integration of genome-based knowledge into public health or public health genomics (PHG) aims to contribute to disease prevention, health promotion, and risk reduction associated with genetic disease susceptibility. Men and women differ, for instance, in susceptibilities for heart

  7. Biochemical and genetic analysis of the role of the viral polymerase in enterovirus recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodman, Andrew; Arnold, Jamie J; Cameron, Craig E; Evans, David J

    2016-08-19

    Genetic recombination in single-strand, positive-sense RNA viruses is a poorly understand mechanism responsible for generating extensive genetic change and novel phenotypes. By moving a critical cis-acting replication element (CRE) from the polyprotein coding region to the 3' non-coding region we have further developed a cell-based assay (the 3'CRE-REP assay) to yield recombinants throughout the non-structural coding region of poliovirus from dually transfected cells. We have additionally developed a defined biochemical assay in which the only protein present is the poliovirus RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which recapitulates the strand transfer events of the recombination process. We have used both assays to investigate the role of the polymerase fidelity and nucleotide turnover rates in recombination. Our results, of both poliovirus intertypic and intratypic recombination in the CRE-REP assay and using a range of polymerase variants in the biochemical assay, demonstrate that RdRp fidelity is a fundamental determinant of recombination frequency. High fidelity polymerases exhibit reduced recombination and low fidelity polymerases exhibit increased recombination in both assays. These studies provide the basis for the analysis of poliovirus recombination throughout the non-structural region of the virus genome and provide a defined biochemical assay to further dissect this important evolutionary process. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  8. SWPhylo – A Novel Tool for Phylogenomic Inferences by Comparison of Oligonucleotide Patterns and Integration of Genome-Based and Gene-Based Phylogenetic Trees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaoyu; Reva, Oleg N

    2018-01-01

    Modern phylogenetic studies may benefit from the analysis of complete genome sequences of various microorganisms. Evolutionary inferences based on genome-scale analysis are believed to be more accurate than the gene-based alternative. However, the computational complexity of current phylogenomic procedures, inappropriateness of standard phylogenetic tools to process genome-wide data, and lack of reliable substitution models which correlates with alignment-free phylogenomic approaches deter microbiologists from using these opportunities. For example, the super-matrix and super-tree approaches of phylogenomics use multiple integrated genomic loci or individual gene-based trees to infer an overall consensus tree. However, these approaches potentially multiply errors of gene annotation and sequence alignment not mentioning the computational complexity and laboriousness of the methods. In this article, we demonstrate that the annotation- and alignment-free comparison of genome-wide tetranucleotide frequencies, termed oligonucleotide usage patterns (OUPs), allowed a fast and reliable inference of phylogenetic trees. These were congruent to the corresponding whole genome super-matrix trees in terms of tree topology when compared with other known approaches including 16S ribosomal RNA and GyrA protein sequence comparison, complete genome-based MAUVE, and CVTree methods. A Web-based program to perform the alignment-free OUP-based phylogenomic inferences was implemented at http://swphylo.bi.up.ac.za/. Applicability of the tool was tested on different taxa from subspecies to intergeneric levels. Distinguishing between closely related taxonomic units may be enforced by providing the program with alignments of marker protein sequences, eg, GyrA. PMID:29511354

  9. Big Data Analytics for Genomic Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Karen Y.; Ge, Dongliang; He, Max M.

    2017-01-01

    Genomic medicine attempts to build individualized strategies for diagnostic or therapeutic decision-making by utilizing patients’ genomic information. Big Data analytics uncovers hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other insights through examining large-scale various data sets. While integration and manipulation of diverse genomic data and comprehensive electronic health records (EHRs) on a Big Data infrastructure exhibit challenges, they also provide a feasible opportunity to develop an efficient and effective approach to identify clinically actionable genetic variants for individualized diagnosis and therapy. In this paper, we review the challenges of manipulating large-scale next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and diverse clinical data derived from the EHRs for genomic medicine. We introduce possible solutions for different challenges in manipulating, managing, and analyzing genomic and clinical data to implement genomic medicine. Additionally, we also present a practical Big Data toolset for identifying clinically actionable genetic variants using high-throughput NGS data and EHRs. PMID:28212287

  10. A modular microfluidic architecture for integrated biochemical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaikh, Kashan A; Ryu, Kee Suk; Goluch, Edgar D; Nam, Jwa-Min; Liu, Juewen; Thaxton, C Shad; Chiesl, Thomas N; Barron, Annelise E; Lu, Yi; Mirkin, Chad A; Liu, Chang

    2005-07-12

    Microfluidic laboratory-on-a-chip (LOC) systems based on a modular architecture are presented. The architecture is conceptualized on two levels: a single-chip level and a multiple-chip module (MCM) system level. At the individual chip level, a multilayer approach segregates components belonging to two fundamental categories: passive fluidic components (channels and reaction chambers) and active electromechanical control structures (sensors and actuators). This distinction is explicitly made to simplify the development process and minimize cost. Components belonging to these two categories are built separately on different physical layers and can communicate fluidically via cross-layer interconnects. The chip that hosts the electromechanical control structures is called the microfluidic breadboard (FBB). A single LOC module is constructed by attaching a chip comprised of a custom arrangement of fluid routing channels and reactors (passive chip) to the FBB. Many different LOC functions can be achieved by using different passive chips on an FBB with a standard resource configuration. Multiple modules can be interconnected to form a larger LOC system (MCM level). We demonstrated the utility of this architecture by developing systems for two separate biochemical applications: one for detection of protein markers of cancer and another for detection of metal ions. In the first case, free prostate-specific antigen was detected at 500 aM concentration by using a nanoparticle-based bio-bar-code protocol on a parallel MCM system. In the second case, we used a DNAzyme-based biosensor to identify the presence of Pb(2+) (lead) at a sensitivity of 500 nM in <1 nl of solution.

  11. Context-dependent effects of genome-wide association study genotypes and macroenvironment on time to biochemical (prostate specific antigen) failure after prostatectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebbeck, Timothy R; Weber, Anita L; Walker, Amy H; Stefflova, Klara; Tran, Teo V; Spangler, Elaine; Chang, Bao-Li; Zeigler-Johnson, Charnita M

    2010-09-01

    Disparities in cancer defined by race, age, or gender are well established. However, demographic metrics are surrogates for the complex contributions of genotypes, exposures, health care, socioeconomic and sociocultural environment, and many other factors. Macroenvironmental factors represent novel surrogates for exposures, lifestyle, and other factors that are difficult to measure but might influence cancer outcomes. We applied a "multilevel molecular epidemiology" approach using a prospective cohort of 444 White prostate cancer cases who underwent prostatectomy and were followed until biochemical failure (BF) or censoring without BF. We applied Cox regression models to test for joint effects of 86 genome-wide association study-identified genotypes and macroenvironment contextual effects after geocoding all cases to their residential census tracts. All analyses were adjusted for age at diagnosis and tumor aggressiveness. Residents living in census tracts with a high proportion of older single heads of household, high rates of vacant housing, or high unemployment had shorter time until BF postsurgery after adjustment for patient age and tumor aggressiveness. After correction for multiple testing, genotypes alone did not predict time to BF, but interactions predicting time to BF were observed for MSMB (rs10993994) and percentage of older single heads of households (P = 0.0004), and for HNF1B/TCF2 (rs4430796) and census tract per capita income (P = 0.0002). The context-specific macroenvironmental effects of genotype might improve the ability to identify groups that might experience poor prostate cancer outcomes. Risk estimation and clinical translation of genotype information might require an understanding of both individual- and macroenvironment-level context. (c) 2010 AACR.

  12. Understanding Cancer Genome and Its Evolution by Next Generation Sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hou, Yong

    Cancer will cause 13 million deaths by the year of 2030, ranking the second leading cause of death worldwide. Previous studies indicate that most of the cancers originate from cells that acquired somatic mutations and evolved as Darwin Theory. Ten biological insights of cancer have been summarized...... recently. Cutting-age technologies like next generation sequencing (NGS) enable exploring cancer genome and evolution much more efficiently. However, integrated cancer genome sequencing studies showed great inter-/intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and complex evolution patterns beyond the cancer biological...... knowledge we previously know. There is very limited knowledge of East Asia lung cancer genome except enrichment of EGFR mutations and lack of KRAS mutations. We carried out integrated genomic, transcriptomic and methylomic analysis of 335 primary Chinese lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 35 corresponding...

  13. From genomic variation to personalized medicine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wesolowska, Agata; Schmiegelow, Kjeld

    Genomic variation is the basis of interindividual differences in observable traits and disease susceptibility. Genetic studies are the driving force of personalized medicine, as many of the differences in treatment efficacy can be attributed to our genomic background. The rapid development...... a considerable amount of the phenotype variability, hence the major difficulty of interpretation lies in the complexity of molecular interactions. This PhD thesis describes the state-of-art of the functional human variation research (Chapter 1) and introduces childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL...... the thesis and includes some final remarks on the perspectives of genomic variation research and personalized medicine. In summary, this thesis demonstrates the feasibility of integrative analyses of genomic variations and introduces large-scale hypothesis-driven SNP exploration studies as an emerging...

  14. BGD: a database of bat genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Jianfei; Wang, Xuan; Mu, Shuo; Zhang, Shuyi; Dong, Dong

    2015-01-01

    Bats account for ~20% of mammalian species, and are the only mammals with true powered flight. For the sake of their specialized phenotypic traits, many researches have been devoted to examine the evolution of bats. Until now, some whole genome sequences of bats have been assembled and annotated, however, a uniform resource for the annotated bat genomes is still unavailable. To make the extensive data associated with the bat genomes accessible to the general biological communities, we established a Bat Genome Database (BGD). BGD is an open-access, web-available portal that integrates available data of bat genomes and genes. It hosts data from six bat species, including two megabats and four microbats. Users can query the gene annotations using efficient searching engine, and it offers browsable tracks of bat genomes. Furthermore, an easy-to-use phylogenetic analysis tool was also provided to facilitate online phylogeny study of genes. To the best of our knowledge, BGD is the first database of bat genomes. It will extend our understanding of the bat evolution and be advantageous to the bat sequences analysis. BGD is freely available at: http://donglab.ecnu.edu.cn/databases/BatGenome/.

  15. BGD: a database of bat genomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianfei Fang

    Full Text Available Bats account for ~20% of mammalian species, and are the only mammals with true powered flight. For the sake of their specialized phenotypic traits, many researches have been devoted to examine the evolution of bats. Until now, some whole genome sequences of bats have been assembled and annotated, however, a uniform resource for the annotated bat genomes is still unavailable. To make the extensive data associated with the bat genomes accessible to the general biological communities, we established a Bat Genome Database (BGD. BGD is an open-access, web-available portal that integrates available data of bat genomes and genes. It hosts data from six bat species, including two megabats and four microbats. Users can query the gene annotations using efficient searching engine, and it offers browsable tracks of bat genomes. Furthermore, an easy-to-use phylogenetic analysis tool was also provided to facilitate online phylogeny study of genes. To the best of our knowledge, BGD is the first database of bat genomes. It will extend our understanding of the bat evolution and be advantageous to the bat sequences analysis. BGD is freely available at: http://donglab.ecnu.edu.cn/databases/BatGenome/.

  16. Integration of association statistics over genomic regions using Bayesian adaptive regression splines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Xiaohua

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In the search for genetic determinants of complex disease, two approaches to association analysis are most often employed, testing single loci or testing a small group of loci jointly via haplotypes for their relationship to disease status. It is still debatable which of these approaches is more favourable, and under what conditions. The former has the advantage of simplicity but suffers severely when alleles at the tested loci are not in linkage disequilibrium (LD with liability alleles; the latter should capture more of the signal encoded in LD, but is far from simple. The complexity of haplotype analysis could be especially troublesome for association scans over large genomic regions, which, in fact, is becoming the standard design. For these reasons, the authors have been evaluating statistical methods that bridge the gap between single-locus and haplotype-based tests. In this article, they present one such method, which uses non-parametric regression techniques embodied by Bayesian adaptive regression splines (BARS. For a set of markers falling within a common genomic region and a corresponding set of single-locus association statistics, the BARS procedure integrates these results into a single test by examining the class of smooth curves consistent with the data. The non-parametric BARS procedure generally finds no signal when no liability allele exists in the tested region (ie it achieves the specified size of the test and it is sensitive enough to pick up signals when a liability allele is present. The BARS procedure provides a robust and potentially powerful alternative to classical tests of association, diminishes the multiple testing problem inherent in those tests and can be applied to a wide range of data types, including genotype frequencies estimated from pooled samples.

  17. Connecting Biochemical Photosynthesis Models with Crop Models to Support Crop Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Alex; Song, Youhong; van Oosterom, Erik J; Hammer, Graeme L

    2016-01-01

    The next advance in field crop productivity will likely need to come from improving crop use efficiency of resources (e.g., light, water, and nitrogen), aspects of which are closely linked with overall crop photosynthetic efficiency. Progress in genetic manipulation of photosynthesis is confounded by uncertainties of consequences at crop level because of difficulties connecting across scales. Crop growth and development simulation models that integrate across biological levels of organization and use a gene-to-phenotype modeling approach may present a way forward. There has been a long history of development of crop models capable of simulating dynamics of crop physiological attributes. Many crop models incorporate canopy photosynthesis (source) as a key driver for crop growth, while others derive crop growth from the balance between source- and sink-limitations. Modeling leaf photosynthesis has progressed from empirical modeling via light response curves to a more mechanistic basis, having clearer links to the underlying biochemical processes of photosynthesis. Cross-scale modeling that connects models at the biochemical and crop levels and utilizes developments in upscaling leaf-level models to canopy models has the potential to bridge the gap between photosynthetic manipulation at the biochemical level and its consequences on crop productivity. Here we review approaches to this emerging cross-scale modeling framework and reinforce the need for connections across levels of modeling. Further, we propose strategies for connecting biochemical models of photosynthesis into the cross-scale modeling framework to support crop improvement through photosynthetic manipulation.

  18. Connecting Biochemical Photosynthesis Models with Crop Models to Support Crop Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Alex; Song, Youhong; van Oosterom, Erik J.; Hammer, Graeme L.

    2016-01-01

    The next advance in field crop productivity will likely need to come from improving crop use efficiency of resources (e.g., light, water, and nitrogen), aspects of which are closely linked with overall crop photosynthetic efficiency. Progress in genetic manipulation of photosynthesis is confounded by uncertainties of consequences at crop level because of difficulties connecting across scales. Crop growth and development simulation models that integrate across biological levels of organization and use a gene-to-phenotype modeling approach may present a way forward. There has been a long history of development of crop models capable of simulating dynamics of crop physiological attributes. Many crop models incorporate canopy photosynthesis (source) as a key driver for crop growth, while others derive crop growth from the balance between source- and sink-limitations. Modeling leaf photosynthesis has progressed from empirical modeling via light response curves to a more mechanistic basis, having clearer links to the underlying biochemical processes of photosynthesis. Cross-scale modeling that connects models at the biochemical and crop levels and utilizes developments in upscaling leaf-level models to canopy models has the potential to bridge the gap between photosynthetic manipulation at the biochemical level and its consequences on crop productivity. Here we review approaches to this emerging cross-scale modeling framework and reinforce the need for connections across levels of modeling. Further, we propose strategies for connecting biochemical models of photosynthesis into the cross-scale modeling framework to support crop improvement through photosynthetic manipulation. PMID:27790232

  19. Gene disruptions using P transposable elements: an integral component of the Drosophila genome project.

    OpenAIRE

    Spradling, A C; Stern, D M; Kiss, I; Roote, J; Laverty, T; Rubin, G M

    1995-01-01

    Biologists require genetic as well as molecular tools to decipher genomic information and ultimately to understand gene function. The Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project is addressing these needs with a massive gene disruption project that uses individual, genetically engineered P transposable elements to target open reading frames throughout the Drosophila genome. DNA flanking the insertions is sequenced, thereby placing an extensive series of genetic markers on the physical genomic map and a...

  20. The first sequenced carnivore genome shows complex host-endogenous retrovirus relationships.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Álvaro Martínez Barrio

    Full Text Available Host-retrovirus interactions influence the genomic landscape and have contributed substantially to mammalian genome evolution. To gain further insights, we analyzed a female boxer (Canis familiaris genome for complexity and integration pattern of canine endogenous retroviruses (CfERV. Intriguingly, the first such in-depth analysis of a carnivore species identified 407 CfERV proviruses that represent only 0.15% of the dog genome. In comparison, the same detection criteria identified about six times more HERV proviruses in the human genome that has been estimated to contain a total of 8% retroviral DNA including solitary LTRs. These observed differences in man and dog are likely due to different mechanisms to purge, restrict and protect their genomes against retroviruses. A novel group of gammaretrovirus-like CfERV with high similarity to HERV-Fc1 was found to have potential for active retrotransposition and possibly lateral transmissions between dog and human as a result of close interactions during at least 10.000 years. The CfERV integration landscape showed a non-uniform intra- and inter-chromosomal distribution. Like in other species, different densities of ERVs were observed. Some chromosomal regions were essentially devoid of CfERVs whereas other regions had large numbers of integrations in agreement with distinct selective pressures at different loci. Most CfERVs were integrated in antisense orientation within 100 kb from annotated protein-coding genes. This integration pattern provides evidence for selection against CfERVs in sense orientation relative to chromosomal genes. In conclusion, this ERV analysis of the first carnivorous species supports the notion that different mammals interact distinctively with endogenous retroviruses and suggests that retroviral lateral transmissions between dog and human may have occurred.

  1. Genomic research perspectives in Kazakhstan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ainur Akilzhanova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Technological advancements rapidly propel the field of genome research. Advances in genetics and genomics such as the sequence of the human genome, the human haplotype map, open access databases, cheaper genotyping and chemical genomics, have transformed basic and translational biomedical research. Several projects in the field of genomic and personalized medicine have been conducted at the Center for Life Sciences in Nazarbayev University. The prioritized areas of research include: genomics of multifactorial diseases, cancer genomics, bioinformatics, genetics of infectious diseases and population genomics. At present, DNA-based risk assessment for common complex diseases, application of molecular signatures for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, genome-guided therapy, and dose selection of therapeutic drugs are the important issues in personalized medicine. Results: To further develop genomic and biomedical projects at Center for Life Sciences, the development of bioinformatics research and infrastructure and the establishment of new collaborations in the field are essential. Widespread use of genetic tools will allow the identification of diseases before the onset of clinical symptoms, the individualization of drug treatment, and could induce individual behavioral changes on the basis of calculated disease risk. However, many challenges remain for the successful translation of genomic knowledge and technologies into health advances, such as medicines and diagnostics. It is important to integrate research and education in the fields of genomics, personalized medicine, and bioinformatics, which will be possible with opening of the new Medical Faculty at Nazarbayev University. People in practice and training need to be educated about the key concepts of genomics and engaged so they can effectively apply their knowledge in a matter that will bring the era of genomic medicine to patient care. This requires the development of well

  2. Phylogenomic, Pan-genomic, Pathogenomic and Evolutionary Genomic Insights into the Agronomically Relevant Enterobacteria Pantoea ananatis and Pantoea stewartii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pieter De Maayer

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Pantoea ananatis is ubiquitously found in the environment and causes disease on a wide range of plant hosts. By contrast, its sister species, Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii is the host-specific causative agent of the devastating maize disease Stewart’s wilt. This pathogen has a restricted lifecycle, overwintering in an insect vector before being introduced into susceptible maize cultivars, causing disease and returning to overwinter in its vector. The other subspecies of P. stewartii subsp. indologenes, has been isolated from different plant hosts and is predicted to proliferate in different environmental niches. Here we have, by the use of comparative genomics and a comprehensive suite of bioinformatic tools, analyzed the genomes of ten P. stewartii and nineteen P. ananatis strains. Our phylogenomic analyses have revealed that there are two distinct clades within P. ananatis while far less phylogenetic diversity was observed among the P. stewartii subspecies. Pan-genome analyses revealed a large core genome comprising of 3,571 protein coding sequences is shared among the twenty-nine compared strains. Furthermore, we showed that an extensive accessory genome made up largely by a mobilome of plasmids, integrated prophages, integrative and conjugative elements and insertion elements has resulted in extensive diversification of P. stewartii and P. ananatis. While these organisms share many pathogenicity determinants, our comparative genomic analyses show that they differ in terms of the secretion systems they encode. The genomic differences identified in this study have allowed us to postulate on the divergent evolutionary histories of the analyzed P. ananatis and P. stewartii strains and on the molecular basis underlying their ecological success and host range.

  3. Phylogenomic, Pan-genomic, Pathogenomic and Evolutionary Genomic Insights into the Agronomically Relevant Enterobacteria Pantoea ananatis and Pantoea stewartii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Maayer, Pieter; Aliyu, Habibu; Vikram, Surendra; Blom, Jochen; Duffy, Brion; Cowan, Don A; Smits, Theo H M; Venter, Stephanus N; Coutinho, Teresa A

    2017-01-01

    Pantoea ananatis is ubiquitously found in the environment and causes disease on a wide range of plant hosts. By contrast, its sister species, Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii is the host-specific causative agent of the devastating maize disease Stewart's wilt. This pathogen has a restricted lifecycle, overwintering in an insect vector before being introduced into susceptible maize cultivars, causing disease and returning to overwinter in its vector. The other subspecies of P. stewartii subsp. indologenes , has been isolated from different plant hosts and is predicted to proliferate in different environmental niches. Here we have, by the use of comparative genomics and a comprehensive suite of bioinformatic tools, analyzed the genomes of ten P. stewartii and nineteen P. ananatis strains. Our phylogenomic analyses have revealed that there are two distinct clades within P. ananatis while far less phylogenetic diversity was observed among the P. stewartii subspecies. Pan-genome analyses revealed a large core genome comprising of 3,571 protein coding sequences is shared among the twenty-nine compared strains. Furthermore, we showed that an extensive accessory genome made up largely by a mobilome of plasmids, integrated prophages, integrative and conjugative elements and insertion elements has resulted in extensive diversification of P. stewartii and P. ananatis . While these organisms share many pathogenicity determinants, our comparative genomic analyses show that they differ in terms of the secretion systems they encode. The genomic differences identified in this study have allowed us to postulate on the divergent evolutionary histories of the analyzed P. ananatis and P. stewartii strains and on the molecular basis underlying their ecological success and host range.

  4. Repair of oxidative DNA base damage in the host genome influences the HIV integration site sequence preference.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffrey R Bennett

    Full Text Available Host base excision repair (BER proteins that repair oxidative damage enhance HIV infection. These proteins include the oxidative DNA damage glycosylases 8-oxo-guanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1 and mutY homolog (MYH as well as DNA polymerase beta (Polβ. While deletion of oxidative BER genes leads to decreased HIV infection and integration efficiency, the mechanism remains unknown. One hypothesis is that BER proteins repair the DNA gapped integration intermediate. An alternative hypothesis considers that the most common oxidative DNA base damages occur on guanines. The subtle consensus sequence preference at HIV integration sites includes multiple G:C base pairs surrounding the points of joining. These observations suggest a role for oxidative BER during integration targeting at the nucleotide level. We examined the hypothesis that BER repairs a gapped integration intermediate by measuring HIV infection efficiency in Polβ null cell lines complemented with active site point mutants of Polβ. A DNA synthesis defective mutant, but not a 5'dRP lyase mutant, rescued HIV infection efficiency to wild type levels; this suggested Polβ DNA synthesis activity is not necessary while 5'dRP lyase activity is required for efficient HIV infection. An alternate hypothesis that BER events in the host genome influence HIV integration site selection was examined by sequencing integration sites in OGG1 and MYH null cells. In the absence of these 8-oxo-guanine specific glycosylases the chromatin elements of HIV integration site selection remain the same as in wild type cells. However, the HIV integration site sequence preference at G:C base pairs is altered at several positions in OGG1 and MYH null cells. Inefficient HIV infection in the absence of oxidative BER proteins does not appear related to repair of the gapped integration intermediate; instead oxidative damage repair may participate in HIV integration site preference at the sequence level.

  5. The NREL Biochemical and Thermochemical Ethanol Conversion Processes: Financial and Environmental Analysis Comparison

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesse Sky Daystar

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The financial and environmental performance of the National Renewable Energy Lab’s (NREL thermochemical and biochemical biofuel conversion processes are examined herein with pine, eucalyptus, unmanaged hardwood, switchgrass, and sweet sorghum. The environmental impacts of the process scenarios were determined by quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and TRACI impacts. Integrated financial and environmental performance metrics were introduced and used to examine the biofuel production scenarios. The thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes produced the highest financial performance and lowest environmental impacts when paired with pine and sweet sorghum, respectively. The high ash content of switchgrass and high lignin content of loblolly pine lowered conversion yields, resulting in the highest environmental impacts and lowest financial performance for the thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes, respectively. Biofuel produced using the thermochemical conversion process resulted in lower TRACI single score impacts and somewhat lower GHG emissions per megajoule (MJ of fuel than using the biochemical conversion pathway. The cost of carbon mitigation resulting from biofuel production and corresponding government subsidies was determined to be higher than the expected market carbon price. In some scenarios, the cost of carbon mitigation was several times higher than the market carbon price, indicating that there may be other more cost-effective methods of reducing carbon emissions.

  6. The Human Genome Project: big science transforms biology and medicine

    OpenAIRE

    Hood, Leroy; Rowen, Lee

    2013-01-01

    The Human Genome Project has transformed biology through its integrated big science approach to deciphering a reference human genome sequence along with the complete sequences of key model organisms. The project exemplifies the power, necessity and success of large, integrated, cross-disciplinary efforts - so-called ‘big science’ - directed towards complex major objectives. In this article, we discuss the ways in which this ambitious endeavor led to the development of novel technologies and a...

  7. Navigating the evidentiary turn in public health: Sensemaking strategies to integrate genomics into state-level chronic disease prevention programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senier, Laura; Smollin, Leandra; Lee, Rachael; Nicoll, Lauren; Shields, Michael; Tan, Catherine

    2018-06-23

    In the past decade, healthcare delivery has faced two major disruptions: the mapping of the human genome and the rise of evidence-based practice. Sociologists have documented the paradigmatic shift towards evidence-based practice in medicine, but have yet to examine its effect on other health professions or the broader healthcare arena. This article shows how evidence-based practice is transforming public health in the United States. We present an in-depth qualitative analysis of interview, ethnographic, and archival data to show how Michigan's state public health agency has navigated the turn to evidence-based practice, as they have integrated scientific advances in genomics into their chronic disease prevention programming. Drawing on organizational theory, we demonstrate how they managed ambiguity through a combination of sensegiving and sensemaking activities. Specifically, they linked novel developments in genomics to a long-accepted public health planning model, the Core Public Health Functions. This made cutting edge advances in genomics more familiar to their peers in the state health agency. They also marshaled state-specific surveillance data to illustrate the public health burden of hereditary cancers in Michigan, and to make expert panel recommendations for genetic screening more locally relevant. Finally, they mobilized expertise to help their internal colleagues and external partners modernize conventional public health activities in chronic disease prevention. Our findings show that tools and concepts from organizational sociology can help medical sociologists understand how evidence-based practice is shaping institutions and interprofessional relations in the healthcare arena. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. CRISPR/Cas9 in Genome Editing and Beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haifeng; La Russa, Marie; Qi, Lei S

    2016-06-02

    The Cas9 protein (CRISPR-associated protein 9), derived from type II CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) bacterial immune systems, is emerging as a powerful tool for engineering the genome in diverse organisms. As an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, Cas9 can be easily programmed to target new sites by altering its guide RNA sequence, and its development as a tool has made sequence-specific gene editing several magnitudes easier. The nuclease-deactivated form of Cas9 further provides a versatile RNA-guided DNA-targeting platform for regulating and imaging the genome, as well as for rewriting the epigenetic status, all in a sequence-specific manner. With all of these advances, we have just begun to explore the possible applications of Cas9 in biomedical research and therapeutics. In this review, we describe the current models of Cas9 function and the structural and biochemical studies that support it. We focus on the applications of Cas9 for genome editing, regulation, and imaging, discuss other possible applications and some technical considerations, and highlight the many advantages that CRISPR/Cas9 technology offers.

  9. The Rise of CRISPR/Cas for Genome Editing in Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Shui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Genetic manipulation is a powerful tool to establish the causal relationship between a genetic lesion and a particular pathological phenotype. The rise of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-engineering tools overcame the traditional technical bottleneck for routine site-specific genetic manipulation in cells. To create the perfect in vitro cell model, there is significant interest from the stem cell research community to adopt this fast evolving technology. This review addresses this need directly by providing both the up-to-date biochemical rationale of CRISPR-mediated genome engineering and detailed practical guidelines for the design and execution of CRISPR experiments in cell models. Ultimately, this review will serve as a timely and comprehensive guide for this fast developing technology.

  10. Integrating Molecular Computation and Material Production in an Artificial Subcellular Matrix

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fellermann, Harold; Hadorn, Maik; Bönzli, Eva

    Living systems are unique in that they integrate molecular recognition and information processing with material production on the molecular scale. Pre- dominant locus of this integration is the cellular matrix, where a multitude of biochemical reactions proceed simultaneously in highly compartmen......Living systems are unique in that they integrate molecular recognition and information processing with material production on the molecular scale. Pre- dominant locus of this integration is the cellular matrix, where a multitude of biochemical reactions proceed simultaneously in highly...... compartmentalized re- action compartments that interact and get delivered through vesicle trafficking. The European Commission funded project MatchIT (Matrix for Chemical IT) aims at creating an artificial cellular matrix that seamlessly integrates infor- mation processing and material production in much the same...

  11. Integrative genomic approaches to dissect clinically-significant relationships between the VDR cistrome and gene expression in primary colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Mark D; Campbell, Moray J

    2017-10-01

    Recently, we undertook a pan-cancer analyses of the nuclear hormone receptor (NR) superfamily in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and revealed that the vitamin D receptor (NR1I1/VDR) was commonly and significantly down-regulated specifically in colon adenocarcinoma cohort (COAD). To examine the consequence of down-regulated VDR expression we re-analyzed VDR chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data from LS180 colon cancer cells (GSE31939). This analysis identified 1809 loci that displayed significant (p.adjcolon tumor suppressor, Galactin 4) had significantly shorted disease free survival. These analyses suggest that reduced expression of VDR in colon cancer (but neither loss nor mutation) changes the actions of the VDR by both dampening the expression of tumor suppressors (e.g. LGALS4) whilst either stabilizing or not down-regulating expression of oncogenes (e.g. Carbonic Anhydrase 9 (CA9)). These integrative genomic approaches are relatively generic and applicable to the study of any transcription factor. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Characterization of HPV and host genome interactions in primary head and neck cancers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parfenov, Michael; Pedamallu, Chandra Sekhar; Gehlenborg, Nils; Freeman, Samuel S.; Danilova, Ludmila; Bristow, Christopher A.; Lee, Semin; Hadjipanayis, Angela G.; Ivanova, Elena V.; Wilkerson, Matthew D.; Protopopov, Alexei; Yang, Lixing; Seth, Sahil; Song, Xingzhi; Tang, Jiabin; Ren, Xiaojia; Zhang, Jianhua; Pantazi, Angeliki; Santoso, Netty; Xu, Andrew W.; Mahadeshwar, Harshad; Wheeler, David A.; Haddad, Robert I.; Jung, Joonil; Ojesina, Akinyemi I.; Issaeva, Natalia; Yarbrough, Wendell G.; Hayes, D. Neil; Grandis, Jennifer R.; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Meyerson, Matthew; Park, Peter J.; Chin, Lynda; Seidman, J. G.; Hammerman, Peter S.; Kucherlapati, Raju; Ally, Adrian; Balasundaram, Miruna; Birol, Inanc; Bowlby, Reanne; Butterfield, Yaron S.N.; Carlsen, Rebecca; Cheng, Dean; Chu, Andy; Dhalla, Noreen; Guin, Ranabir; Holt, Robert A.; Jones, Steven J.M.; Lee, Darlene; Li, Haiyan I.; Marra, Marco A.; Mayo, Michael; Moore, Richard A.; Mungall, Andrew J.; Robertson, A. Gordon; Schein, Jacqueline E.; Sipahimalani, Payal; Tam, Angela; Thiessen, Nina; Wong, Tina; Protopopov, Alexei; Santoso, Netty; Lee, Semin; Parfenov, Michael; Zhang, Jianhua; Mahadeshwar, Harshad S.; Tang, Jiabin; Ren, Xiaojia; Seth, Sahil; Haseley, Psalm; Zeng, Dong; Yang, Lixing; Xu, Andrew W.; Song, Xingzhi; Pantazi, Angeliki; Bristow, Christopher; Hadjipanayis, Angela; Seidman, Jonathan; Chin, Lynda; Park, Peter J.; Kucherlapati, Raju; Akbani, Rehan; Casasent, Tod; Liu, Wenbin; Lu, Yiling; Mills, Gordon; Motter, Thomas; Weinstein, John; Diao, Lixia; Wang, Jing; Fan, You Hong; Liu, Jinze; Wang, Kai; Auman, J. Todd; Balu, Saianand; Bodenheimer, Tom; Buda, Elizabeth; Hayes, D. Neil; Hoadley, Katherine A.; Hoyle, Alan P.; Jefferys, Stuart R.; Jones, Corbin D.; Kimes, Patrick K.; Marron, J.S.; Meng, Shaowu; Mieczkowski, Piotr A.; Mose, Lisle E.; Parker, Joel S.; Perou, Charles M.; Prins, Jan F.; Roach, Jeffrey; Shi, Yan; Simons, Janae V.; Singh, Darshan; Soloway, Mathew G.; Tan, Donghui; Veluvolu, Umadevi; Walter, Vonn; Waring, Scot; Wilkerson, Matthew D.; Wu, Junyuan; Zhao, Ni; Cherniack, Andrew D.; Hammerman, Peter S.; Tward, Aaron D.; Pedamallu, Chandra Sekhar; Saksena, Gordon; Jung, Joonil; Ojesina, Akinyemi I.; Carter, Scott L.; Zack, Travis I.; Schumacher, Steven E.; Beroukhim, Rameen; Freeman, Samuel S.; Meyerson, Matthew; Cho, Juok; Chin, Lynda; Getz, Gad; Noble, Michael S.; DiCara, Daniel; Zhang, Hailei; Heiman, David I.; Gehlenborg, Nils; Voet, Doug; Lin, Pei; Frazer, Scott; Stojanov, Petar; Liu, Yingchun; Zou, Lihua; Kim, Jaegil; Lawrence, Michael S.; Sougnez, Carrie; Lichtenstein, Lee; Cibulskis, Kristian; Lander, Eric; Gabriel, Stacey B.; Muzny, Donna; Doddapaneni, HarshaVardhan; Kovar, Christie; Reid, Jeff; Morton, Donna; Han, Yi; Hale, Walker; Chao, Hsu; Chang, Kyle; Drummond, Jennifer A.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Kakkar, Nipun; Wheeler, David; Xi, Liu; Ciriello, Giovanni; Ladanyi, Marc; Lee, William; Ramirez, Ricardo; Sander, Chris; Shen, Ronglai; Sinha, Rileen; Weinhold, Nils; Taylor, Barry S.; Aksoy, B. Arman; Dresdner, Gideon; Gao, Jianjiong; Gross, Benjamin; Jacobsen, Anders; Reva, Boris; Schultz, Nikolaus; Sumer, S. Onur; Sun, Yichao; Chan, Timothy; Morris, Luc; Stuart, Joshua; Benz, Stephen; Ng, Sam; Benz, Christopher; Yau, Christina; Baylin, Stephen B.; Cope, Leslie; Danilova, Ludmila; Herman, James G.; Bootwalla, Moiz; Maglinte, Dennis T.; Laird, Peter W.; Triche, Timothy; Weisenberger, Daniel J.; Van Den Berg, David J.; Agrawal, Nishant; Bishop, Justin; Boutros, Paul C.; Bruce, Jeff P; Byers, Lauren Averett; Califano, Joseph; Carey, Thomas E.; Chen, Zhong; Cheng, Hui; Chiosea, Simion I.; Cohen, Ezra; Diergaarde, Brenda; Egloff, Ann Marie; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Ferris, Robert L.; Frederick, Mitchell J.; Grandis, Jennifer R.; Guo, Yan; Haddad, Robert I.; Hammerman, Peter S.; Harris, Thomas; Hayes, D. Neil; Hui, Angela BY; Lee, J. Jack; Lippman, Scott M.; Liu, Fei-Fei; McHugh, Jonathan B.; Myers, Jeff; Ng, Patrick Kwok Shing; Perez-Ordonez, Bayardo; Pickering, Curtis R.; Prystowsky, Michael; Romkes, Marjorie; Saleh, Anthony D.; Sartor, Maureen A.; Seethala, Raja; Seiwert, Tanguy Y.; Si, Han; Tward, Aaron D.; Van Waes, Carter; Waggott, Daryl M.; Wiznerowicz, Maciej; Yarbrough, Wendell; Zhang, Jiexin; Zuo, Zhixiang; Burnett, Ken; Crain, Daniel; Gardner, Johanna; Lau, Kevin; Mallery, David; Morris, Scott; Paulauskis, Joseph; Penny, Robert; Shelton, Candance; Shelton, Troy; Sherman, Mark; Yena, Peggy; Black, Aaron D.; Bowen, Jay; Frick, Jessica; Gastier-Foster, Julie M.; Harper, Hollie A.; Lichtenberg, Tara M.; Ramirez, Nilsa C.; Wise, Lisa; Zmuda, Erik; Baboud, Julien; Jensen, Mark A.; Kahn, Ari B.; Pihl, Todd D.; Pot, David A.; Srinivasan, Deepak; Walton, Jessica S.; Wan, Yunhu; Burton, Robert; Davidsen, Tanja; Demchok, John A.; Eley, Greg; Ferguson, Martin L.; Shaw, Kenna R. Mills; Ozenberger, Bradley A.; Sheth, Margi; Sofia, Heidi J.; Tarnuzzer, Roy; Wang, Zhining; Yang, Liming; Zenklusen, Jean Claude; Saller, Charles; Tarvin, Katherine; Chen, Chu; Bollag, Roni; Weinberger, Paul; Golusiński, Wojciech; Golusiński, Paweł; Ibbs, Matthiew; Korski, Konstanty; Mackiewicz, Andrzej; Suchorska, Wiktoria; Szybiak, Bartosz; Wiznerowicz, Maciej; Burnett, Ken; Curley, Erin; Gardner, Johanna; Mallery, David; Penny, Robert; Shelton, Troy; Yena, Peggy; Beard, Christina; Mitchell, Colleen; Sandusky, George; Agrawal, Nishant; Ahn, Julie; Bishop, Justin; Califano, Joseph; Khan, Zubair; Bruce, Jeff P; Hui, Angela BY; Irish, Jonathan; Liu, Fei-Fei; Perez-Ordonez, Bayardo; Waldron, John; Boutros, Paul C.; Waggott, Daryl M.; Myers, Jeff; Lippman, Scott M.; Egea, Sophie; Gomez-Fernandez, Carmen; Herbert, Lynn; Bradford, Carol R.; Carey, Thomas E.; Chepeha, Douglas B.; Haddad, Andrea S.; Jones, Tamara R.; Komarck, Christine M.; Malakh, Mayya; McHugh, Jonathan B.; Moyer, Jeffrey S.; Nguyen, Ariane; Peterson, Lisa A.; Prince, Mark E.; Rozek, Laura S.; Sartor, Maureen A.; Taylor, Evan G.; Walline, Heather M.; Wolf, Gregory T.; Boice, Lori; Chera, Bhishamjit S.; Funkhouser, William K.; Gulley, Margaret L.; Hackman, Trevor G.; Hayes, D. Neil; Hayward, Michele C.; Huang, Mei; Rathmell, W. Kimryn; Salazar, Ashley H.; Shockley, William W.; Shores, Carol G.; Thorne, Leigh; Weissler, Mark C.; Wrenn, Sylvia; Zanation, Adam M.; Chiosea, Simion I.; Diergaarde, Brenda; Egloff, Ann Marie; Ferris, Robert L.; Romkes, Marjorie; Seethala, Raja; Brown, Brandee T.; Guo, Yan; Pham, Michelle; Yarbrough, Wendell G.

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies have established that a subset of head and neck tumors contains human papillomavirus (HPV) sequences and that HPV-driven head and neck cancers display distinct biological and clinical features. HPV is known to drive cancer by the actions of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins, but the molecular architecture of HPV infection and its interaction with the host genome in head and neck cancers have not been comprehensively described. We profiled a cohort of 279 head and neck cancers with next generation RNA and DNA sequencing and show that 35 (12.5%) tumors displayed evidence of high-risk HPV types 16, 33, or 35. Twenty-five cases had integration of the viral genome into one or more locations in the human genome with statistical enrichment for genic regions. Integrations had a marked impact on the human genome and were associated with alterations in DNA copy number, mRNA transcript abundance and splicing, and both inter- and intrachromosomal rearrangements. Many of these events involved genes with documented roles in cancer. Cancers with integrated vs. nonintegrated HPV displayed different patterns of DNA methylation and both human and viral gene expressions. Together, these data provide insight into the mechanisms by which HPV interacts with the human genome beyond expression of viral oncoproteins and suggest that specific integration events are an integral component of viral oncogenesis. PMID:25313082

  13. Accurate Dna Assembly And Direct Genome Integration With Optimized Uracil Excision Cloning To Facilitate Engineering Of Escherichia Coli As A Cell Factory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cavaleiro, Mafalda; Kim, Se Hyeuk; Nørholm, Morten

    2015-01-01

    Plants produce a vast diversity of valuable compounds with medical properties, but these are often difficult to purify from the natural source or produce by organic synthesis. An alternative is to transfer the biosynthetic pathways to an efficient production host like the bacterium Escherichia co......-excision-based cloning and combining it with a genome-engineering approach to allow direct integration of whole metabolic pathways into the genome of E. coli, to facilitate the advanced engineering of cell factories........ Cloning and heterologous gene expression are major bottlenecks in the metabolic engineering field. We are working on standardizing DNA vector design processes to promote automation and collaborations in early phase metabolic engineering projects. Here, we focus on optimizing the already established uracil...

  14. Resonant-cantilever bio/chemical sensors with an integrated heater for both resonance exciting optimization and sensing repeatability enhancement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Haitao; Li Xinxin; Gan Xiaohua; Liu Yongjing; Liu Xiang; Xu Pengcheng; Li Jungang; Liu Min

    2009-01-01

    With an integrated resonance exciting heater and a self-sensing piezoresistor, resonant micro-cantilever bio/chemical sensors are optimally designed and fabricated by micromachining techniques. This study is emphasized on the optimization of the integrated heating resistor. Previous research has put the heater at either the cantilever clamp end, the midpoint or the free end. Aiming at sufficiently high and stable resonant amplitude, our research indicates that the optimized location of the thermal-electric exciting resistor is the clamp end instead of other positions. By both theoretical analysis and resonance experiments where three heating resistors are placed at the three locations of the fabricated cantilever, it is clarified that the clamp end heating provides the most efficient resonance excitation in terms of resonant amplitude, Q-factor and resonance stability. Besides, the optimized combination of dc bias and ac voltage is determined by both analysis and experimental verification. With the optimized heating excitation, the resonant cantilever is used for biotin–avidin-specific detection, resulting in a ±0.1 Hz ultra-low noise floor of the frequency signal and a 130 fg mass resolution. In addition to resonance excitation, the heater is used to heat up the cantilever for speed-up desorption after detection that helps rapid and repeated sensing to chemical vapor. The clamp end is determined (by simulation) as the optimal heating location for uniform temperature distribution on the cantilever. Using the resonant cantilever, a rapid and repeated sensing experiment on dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) vapor shows that a short-period heating at the detection interval significantly quickens the signal recovery and enhances the sensing repeatability

  15. Genome-wide analysis of the human Alu Yb-lineage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carter Anthony B

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The Alu Yb-lineage is a 'young' primarily human-specific group of short interspersed element (SINE subfamilies that have integrated throughout the human genome. In this study, we have computationally screened the draft sequence of the human genome for Alu Yb-lineage subfamily members present on autosomal chromosomes. A total of 1,733 Yb Alu subfamily members have integrated into human autosomes. The average ages of Yb-lineage subfamilies, Yb7, Yb8 and Yb9, are estimated as 4.81, 2.39 and 2.32 million years, respectively. In order to determine the contribution of the Alu Yb-lineage to human genomic diversity, 1,202 loci were analysed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR-based assays, which amplify the genomic regions containing individual Yb-lineage subfamily members. Approximately 20 per cent of the Yb-lineage Alu elements are polymorphic for insertion presence/absence in the human genome. Fewer than 0.5 per cent of the Yb loci also demonstrate insertions at orthologous positions in non-human primate genomes. Genomic sequencing of these unusual loci demonstrates that each of the orthologous loci from non-human primate genomes contains older Y, Sg and Sx Alu family members that have been altered, through various mechanisms, into Yb8 sequences. These data suggest that Alu Yb-lineage subfamily members are largely restricted to the human genome. The high copy number, level of insertion polymorphism and estimated age indicate that members of the Alu Yb elements will be useful in a wide range of genetic analyses.

  16. Optical devices for biochemical sensing in flame hydrolysis deposited glass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruano-Lopez, Jesus M.

    Previous research in the field of Flame Hydrolysis Deposition (FHD) of glasses has focused on the production of low cost optical devices for the field of telecommunications. The originality of this doctoral research resides in the exploration of this technology in the fabrication of optical bio-chemical sensors, with integrated "Lab-on-a-chip" devices. To achieve this goal, we have combined and applied different microfabrication processes for the manufacture of sensor platforms using FHD. These structures are unique in that they take advantage of the intrinsic benefits of the microfabrication process, such as, miniaturisation and mass production, and combine them with the properties of FHD glass, namely: low loss optical transducing mechanisms, planar technologies and monolithic integration. This thesis demonstrates that FHD is a suitable technology for biosensing and Lab- on-a-Chip applications. The objective is to provide future researchers with the necessary tools to accomplish an integrated analytical system based on FHD. We have designed, fabricated, and successfully tested a FHD miniaturised sensor, which comprised optical and microfluidic circuitry, in the framework of low volume fluorescence assays. For the first time, volumes as low as 570 pL were analysed with a Cyanine-5 fluorophore with a detection limit of 20 pM, or ca. 6000 molecules (+/-3sigma) for this platform. The fabrication of the sensor generated a compilation of processes that were then utilised to produce other possible optical platforms for bio-chemical sensors in FHD, e.g. arrays and microfluidics. The "catalogue" of methods used included new recipes for reactive ion etching, glass deposition and bonding techniques that enabled the development of the microfluidic circuitry, integrated with an optical circuitry. Furthermore, we developed techniques to implement new tasks such as optical signal treatment using integrated optical structures, planar arraying of sensors, a separating element for

  17. Polyphenol Oxidases in Crops: Biochemical, Physiological and Genetic Aspects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Taranto

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Enzymatic browning is a colour reaction occurring in plants, including cereals, fruit and horticultural crops, due to oxidation during postharvest processing and storage. This has a negative impact on the colour, flavour, nutritional properties and shelf life of food products. Browning is usually caused by polyphenol oxidases (PPOs, following cell damage caused by senescence, wounding and the attack of pests and pathogens. Several studies indicated that PPOs play a role in plant immunity, and emerging evidence suggested that PPOs might also be involved in other physiological processes. Genomic investigations ultimately led to the isolation of PPO homologs in several crops, which will be possibly characterized at the functional level in the near future. Here, focusing on the botanic families of Poaceae and Solanaceae, we provide an overview on available scientific literature on PPOs, resulting in useful information on biochemical, physiological and genetic aspects.

  18. Neurogenomics: An opportunity to integrate neuroscience, genomics and bioinformatics research in Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas K. Karikari

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Modern genomic approaches have made enormous contributions to improving our understanding of the function, development and evolution of the nervous system, and the diversity within and between species. However, most of these research advances have been recorded in countries with advanced scientific resources and funding support systems. On the contrary, little is known about, for example, the possible interplay between different genes, non-coding elements and environmental factors in modulating neurological diseases among populations in low-income countries, including many African countries. The unique ancestry of African populations suggests that improved inclusion of these populations in neuroscience-related genomic studies would significantly help to identify novel factors that might shape the future of neuroscience research and neurological healthcare. This perspective is strongly supported by the recent identification that diseased individuals and their kindred from specific sub-Saharan African populations lack common neurological disease-associated genetic mutations. This indicates that there may be population-specific causes of neurological diseases, necessitating further investigations into the contribution of additional, presently-unknown genomic factors. Here, we discuss how the development of neurogenomics research in Africa would help to elucidate disease-related genomic variants, and also provide a good basis to develop more effective therapies. Furthermore, neurogenomics would harness African scientists' expertise in neuroscience, genomics and bioinformatics to extend our understanding of the neural basis of behaviour, development and evolution.

  19. Inactivating UBE2M impacts the DNA damage response and genome integrity involving multiple cullin ligases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott Cukras

    Full Text Available Protein neddylation is involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Here we show that the DNA damage response is perturbed in cells inactivated with an E2 Nedd8 conjugating enzyme UBE2M, measured by RAD51 foci formation kinetics and cell based DNA repair assays. UBE2M knockdown increases DNA breakages and cellular sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, further suggesting heightened genomic instability and defective DNA repair activity. Investigating the downstream Cullin targets of UBE2M revealed that silencing of Cullin 1, 2, and 4 ligases incurred significant DNA damage. In particular, UBE2M knockdown, or defective neddylation of Cullin 2, leads to a blockade in the G1 to S progression and is associated with delayed S-phase dependent DNA damage response. Cullin 4 inactivation leads to an aberrantly high DNA damage response that is associated with increased DNA breakages and sensitivity of cells to DNA damaging agents, suggesting a DNA repair defect is associated. siRNA interrogation of key Cullin substrates show that CDT1, p21, and Claspin are involved in elevated DNA damage in the UBE2M knockdown cells. Therefore, UBE2M is required to maintain genome integrity by activating multiple Cullin ligases throughout the cell cycle.

  20. Inactivating UBE2M impacts the DNA damage response and genome integrity involving multiple cullin ligases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cukras, Scott; Morffy, Nicholas; Ohn, Takbum; Kee, Younghoon

    2014-01-01

    Protein neddylation is involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Here we show that the DNA damage response is perturbed in cells inactivated with an E2 Nedd8 conjugating enzyme UBE2M, measured by RAD51 foci formation kinetics and cell based DNA repair assays. UBE2M knockdown increases DNA breakages and cellular sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, further suggesting heightened genomic instability and defective DNA repair activity. Investigating the downstream Cullin targets of UBE2M revealed that silencing of Cullin 1, 2, and 4 ligases incurred significant DNA damage. In particular, UBE2M knockdown, or defective neddylation of Cullin 2, leads to a blockade in the G1 to S progression and is associated with delayed S-phase dependent DNA damage response. Cullin 4 inactivation leads to an aberrantly high DNA damage response that is associated with increased DNA breakages and sensitivity of cells to DNA damaging agents, suggesting a DNA repair defect is associated. siRNA interrogation of key Cullin substrates show that CDT1, p21, and Claspin are involved in elevated DNA damage in the UBE2M knockdown cells. Therefore, UBE2M is required to maintain genome integrity by activating multiple Cullin ligases throughout the cell cycle.