Novel Synthesis of Photochromic Polymers via ROMP

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a photochromic 1,2-bis(3-thienyl)cyclopentene monomer generated a series of novel polymers. All polymers exhibit reversible light-activated interconversion between their colorless-open and their colored-closed forms

Whole-genome resequencing reveals aberrant autosomal SNPs affect chicken feathering rate

Previous studies have shown that the feather growth rate of chicks is determined by two alleles located on the sex chromosome Z; however, in chicken production, feathering is usually not consistently controlled by the sex chromosome. To identify whether the feathering rate is related to autosomal inheritance, whole-genome resequencing was performed in eight chickens with slow- and fast-feathering rate. A total of 54,984 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, including 393 and 376 exonic SNPs in slow-feathering and fast-feathering chickens, respectively. Mutated genes were mainly involved in response to stimuli and growth and reproduction processes. Mutated genes related to slow-feathering rate were mainly involved in wingless-type MMTV integration site signaling pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, whereas mutated genes associated with fast-feathering rate were primarily enriched in autophagy, calcium signaling pathway, extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, and Focal adhesion processes. Importantly, two SNPs, involved in feather development, were found in the exonic regions of Wnt signaling genes. These results shed new light on the relationship between genetic mutation and feather growth rate from the perspective of autosomal inheritance and may have economic significance in chicken breeding.</p

CG and non-CG proximal sequence features.

Logo plots of the sequences proximal to sites of CG, CHG, and CHH DNA methylation in each sequence context.</p

Statistics of data generation.

Statistics of data generation.</p

Relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression level in the Tibetan chicken.

<p>All genes were divided into ten groups according to their expression levels, from the lowest 10% and to the highest 10%. Each point represents the mean expression level and the relative methylation level. (A) Relationship between promoter DNA methylation and gene expression level. (B) Relationship between gene body DNA methylation and gene expression level.</p

Distinguishing between methylated and unmethylated genes.

(A) Number of methylated genes and unmethylated genes. (B) GO enrichment analysis for upstream methylated genes and gene body methylated genes. The x-axis indicates GO items, the left y-axis indicates the proportion of genes involved, and the right y-axis indicates the exact number of genes.</p

Global DNA methylation profile of the Tibetan chicken.

<p>(A) proportion of each mC type in whole genome, and the sum of proportion of three mC types is equal 100% (the symbol “%” was abridged) (B) Distribution of methylation levels for CG, CHG, and CHH. The y-axis indicates the fraction of all mCs while the x-axis represents methylation level of methyl cytosine. (C) Methyl cytosine density distribution throughout chromosome 1. Blue dots indicate methyl cytosine density in 10-kb windows throughout the chromosome. Smooth lines represent the mC density.</p

Read alignment.

<p>Read alignment.</p

Pathway assignment based on KEGG.

<p>(A) Pathway analysis of gene body methylated genes. (B) Pathway analysis of gene body unmethylated genes. (C) Pathway analysis of upstream methylated genes. (D) Pathway analysis of upstream unmethylated genes.</p

Average methylation levels for C, CG, CHG, and CHH.

<p>Average methylation levels for C, CG, CHG, and CHH.</p