Genetic diversity at the Dhn3 locus in Turkish Hordeum spontaneum populations with comparative structural analyses

We analysed Hordeum spontaneum accessions from 21 different locations to understand the genetic diversity of HsDhn3 alleles and effects of single base mutations on the intrinsically disordered structure of the resulting polypeptide (HsDHN3). HsDHN3 was found to be YSK2-type with a low-frequency 6-aa deletion in the beginning of Exon 1. There is relatively high diversity in the intron region of HsDhn3 compared to the two exon regions. We have found subtle differences in K segments led to changes in amino acids chemical properties. Predictions for protein interaction profiles suggest the presence of a protein-binding site in HsDHN3 that coincides with the K1 segment. Comparison of DHN3 to closely related cereals showed that all of them contain a nuclear localization signal sequence flanking to the K1 segment and a novel conserved region located between the S and K1 segments [E(D/T)DGMGGR]. We found that H. vulgare, H. spontaneum, and Triticum urartu DHN3s have a greater number of phosphorylation sites for protein kinase C than other cereal species, which may be related to stress adaptation. Our results show that the nature and extent of mutations in the conserved segments of K1 and K2 are likely to be key factors in protection of cells

Genetic analysis reveals a hierarchy of interactions between polycystin-encoding genes and genes controlling cilia function during left-right determination

During mammalian development, left-right (L-R) asymmetry is established by a cilia-driven leftward fluid flow within a midline embryonic cavity called the node. This ‘nodal flow’ is detected by peripherally-located crown cells that each assemble a primary cilium which contain the putative Ca2+ channel PKD2. The interaction of flow and crown cell cilia promotes left side-specific expression of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Whilst the PKD2-interacting protein PKD1L1 has also been implicated in L-R patterning, the underlying mechanism by which flow is detected and the genetic relationship between Polycystin function and asymmetric gene expression remains unknown. Here, we characterize a Pkd1l1 mutant line in which Nodal is activated bilaterally, suggesting that PKD1L1 is not required for LPM Nodal pathway activation per se, but rather to restrict Nodal to the left side downstream of nodal flow. Epistasis analysis shows that Pkd1l1 acts as an upstream genetic repressor of Pkd2. This study therefore provides a genetic pathway for the early stages of L-R determination. Moreover, using a system in which cultured cells are supplied artificial flow, we demonstrate that PKD1L1 is sufficient to mediate a Ca2+ signaling response after flow stimulation. Finally, we show that an extracellular PKD domain within PKD1L1 is crucial for PKD1L1 function; as such, destabilizing the domain causes L-R defects in the mouse. Our demonstration that PKD1L1 protein can mediate a response to flow coheres with a mechanosensation model of flow sensation in which the force of fluid flow drives asymmetric gene expression in the embryo

The IntFOLD server: an integrated web resource for protein fold recognition, 3D model quality assessment, intrinsic disorder prediction, domain prediction and ligand binding site prediction

The IntFOLD server is a novel independent server that integrates several cutting edge methods for the prediction of structure and function from sequence. Our guiding principles behind the server development were as follows: (i) to provide a simple unified resource that makes our prediction software accessible to all and (ii) to produce integrated output for predictions that can be easily interpreted. The output for predictions is presented as a simple table that summarizes all results graphically via plots and annotated 3D models. The raw machine readable data files for each set of predictions are also provided for developers, which comply with the Critical Assessment of Methods for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) data standards. The server comprises an integrated suite of five novel methods: nFOLD4, for tertiary structure prediction; ModFOLD 3.0, for model quality assessment; DISOclust 2.0, for disorder prediction; DomFOLD 2.0 for domain prediction; and FunFOLD 1.0, for ligand binding site prediction. Predictions from the IntFOLD server were found to be competitive in several categories in the recent CASP9 experiment. The IntFOLD server is available at the following web site: http://www.reading.ac.uk/bioinf/IntFOLD/

Cilia and PKD2 Localization and Function.

<p>(A-E) PKD2 localization in nodal cilia of embryos of the indicated genotype. Staining was divided into categories and quantitation is given in (<i>A</i>). In <i>(A)</i>, all genotypes are statistically significantly different from each other (p<0.001) except for <i>Pkd2</i>^{<i>+/lrm4</i>} and <i>Pkd1l1</i>^<i>+/tm1</i> which are statistically not significantly different.</p

The Relationship Between Nodal Flow and <i>Pkd1l1/Pkd2</i> Function.

<p>(A-C) Nodal flow in embryos of indicated genotypes was examined at the 1–3 somite stages by means of PIV analysis. Flow was normal in <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} mutants and wild-type controls but was absent in <i>Dnah11</i>^<i>iv/iv</i> mutants. Black arrowheads denote the direction and speed of flow at that position while the false coloring indicates the direction and magnitude of the flow. Red indicates leftward and blue rightward fluid movements. (D) Lung situs (assessed at E13.5) and <i>Pitx2</i> expression (assessed at E8.5) for embryos of the indicated genotypes, with the percentage of embryos exhibiting each phenotype and the total number given. (E) <i>Pitx2</i> expression for <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>}, <i>Dnah11</i>^<i>iv/iv</i> and control embryos for each of the 1–7 somite stages. The onset of <i>Pitx2</i> expression is delayed in <i>Dnah11</i>^<i>iv/iv</i> mutants but not in <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} embryos.</p

Phenotyping of <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} Mutants.

<p>(A) Schematic diagram of PKD1L1 and PKD2 showing protein domains and the nature of the <i>Pkd1l1</i>^<i>rks</i> and <i>Pkd2</i>^<i>lrm4</i> point mutations. The double headed red arrow denotes the site of interaction between PKD1L1 and PKD2. PKD—Polycystic Kidney Disease; REJ—Receptor for Egg Jelly; GPS—G-protein Coupled Receptor Proteolytic Site; PLAT—Polycystin-1, Liopoxygenase, Alpha-Toxin. (B) <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} and sibling control showing reversed and normal situs, respectively. White arrows indicate stomach position. (C) Heart-stomach discordance (H-S Disc.) in <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>}, <i>Dnah11</i>^<i>iv/iv</i> and <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>rks/rks</i>} mutants scored at E13.5. Normally, the heart apex and stomach are positioned to the left. H-S Disc. is defined as the heart apex and stomach being on opposite sides. ns—not significant; *—p<0.05; **—p<0.001, Fisher’s Exact Test applied. (D-F) Lung situs assessed at E13.5 for embryos of the indicated genotypes with the ratio of lung lobes between left and right sides given. The percentage and total numbers of embryos showing each phenotype are indicated in <i>(F)</i>. (G-P) Expression patterns of <i>Nodal</i>, <i>Pitx2</i>, and <i>Lefty1/2</i> in embryos at E8.5 of the indicated genotypes, with the percentage number of embryos exhibiting each phenotype and the total number given. Embryos exhibiting bilateral marker expression are further categorized by whether they show equal or biased expression between the left and right sides. The inset in <i>(M)</i> shows a <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} embryo with bilateral <i>Pitx2</i> expression but with a right-sided bias. Arrowheads in <i>(N)</i> and <i>(O)</i> indicate midline <i>Lefty1</i> expression. <i>t</i> is shorthand for <i>Pkd1l1</i>^<i>tm1</i>. (Q-R) Sonic hedgehog (<i>Shh</i>) expression in the node (n) and notochord (nc) at E8.5.</p

The Genetic Relationship between <i>Pkd1l1</i>, <i>Pkd2</i>, and Cilia.

<p>(A-F) <i>Cerl2</i> (<i>A-C</i>) and <i>Nodal</i> (<i>D-F</i>) expression at the node of <i>Pkd1l1</i>^{<i>tm1/tm1</i>} and control embryos. Quantitation of <i>in situ</i> signal reveals expression of both genes to be more symmetrical in mutant embryos (<i>C</i>, <i>F</i>). *—p<0.05, unpaired <i>t</i>-test applied. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. (G-H) Lung situs <i>(G)</i> (assessed at E13.5) and <i>Pitx2</i> expression <i>(H)</i> (assessed at E8.5) for embryos of the indicated genotypes, with the percentage of embryos exhibiting each phenotype and the total number given.</p

Destabilization of a PKD Domain by the <i>Pkd1l1</i>^<i>rks</i> Mutation.

<p>(A-C) Structure of human PKD1 PKD domain 1 (<i>A</i>) and models of mouse PKD1L1 PKD domain 2; wild-type (<i>B</i>) or <i>rks</i>-mutated (<i>C</i>). Domains are largely composed of β-sheets (block arrows). The aspartic acid mutated in <i>Pkd1l1</i>^<i>rks</i>, or its equivalent in PKD1, is shown in space-fill. The asterisks denote loss of secondary structure in the <i>rks</i>-mutated domain. (D) SRCD spectroscopy of mouse PKD1L1 PKD domain 2 for wild-type and <i>rks</i>-mutated domains. Spectra are consistent with decreased stability (decreased secondary structure) in mutated domains. (E) Thermal denaturation analysis of PKD1L1 PKD domain 2: a reduced melting temperature (Tm) of 56.4°C is evident in the <i>rks</i>-mutated domain; in wild-type controls a Tm of 68.6°C is detected.</p