Lack of conservation of bacterial type promoters in plastids of Streptophyta

<p>Abstract</p> <p/> <p>We demonstrate the scarcity of conserved bacterial-type promoters in plastids of Streptophyta and report widely conserved promoters only for genes <it>psaA, psbA, psbB, psbE, rbcL</it>. Among the reasonable explanations are: evolutionary changes of sigma subunit paralogs and phage-type RNA polymerases possibly entailing the loss of corresponding nuclear genes, <it>de novo </it>emergence of the promoters, their loss together with plastome genes; functional substitution of the promoter boxes by transcription activation factor binding sites.</p> <p>Reviewers</p> <p>This article was reviewed by Dr. Arcady Mushegian, and by Dr. Alexander Bolshoy and Dr. Yuri Wolf (both nominated by Dr. Purificación López-García).</p

Ribosome reinitiation at leader peptides increases translation of bacterial proteins

Part 1. RNA secondary structures of 5'-untranslated regions of proteins with the PF00270 and PF00271 domains in Corynebacterium diphtheria, C. glutamicum, and Bifidobacterium animalis. Figure S1.1. RNA duplex in the region from the stop codon of the leader gene to the start codon of the structural gene encoding helicase in C. diphtheria; Figure S1.2. RNA hairpin overlapping the Shine-Dalgarno sequence in the helicase in C. glutamicum; Figure S1.3. RNA hairpin overlapping two nucleotides of the helicase start codon in B. animalis and Streptomyces griseus. Part 2. Frequency of the leader-structural gene pairs as a function of the leader gene stop codon in Spirochaetales, Acidobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus group, and Planctomycetes. Figure S2.1. Acidobacteria; Figure S2.2. Deinococcus–Thermus group; Figure S2.3. Planctomycetes; Figure S2.4. Spirochaetales; Figure S2.5. Actinobacteria. Part 3. Sequence logo of the 30-nt 5'-leader regions of all structural genes in Actinobacteria. (PDF 365 kb

Modeling RNA polymerase competition: the effect of σ-subunit knockout and heat shock on gene transcription level

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Modeling of a complex biological process can explain the results of experimental studies and help predict its characteristics. Among such processes is transcription in the presence of competing RNA polymerases. This process involves RNA polymerases collision followed by transcription termination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A mathematical and computer simulation model is developed to describe the competition of RNA polymerases during genes transcription on complementary DNA strands. E.g., in the barley <it>Hordeum vulgare </it>the polymerase competition occurs in the locus containing plastome genes <it>psbA</it>, <it>rpl23</it>, <it>rpl2 </it>and four bacterial type promoters. In heat shock experiments on isolated chloroplasts, a twofold decrease of <it>psbA </it>transcripts and even larger increase of <it>rpl23</it>-<it>rpl2 </it>transcripts were observed, which is well reproduced in the model. The model predictions are in good agreement with virtually all relevant experimental data (knockout, heat shock, chromatogram data, etc.). The model allows to hypothesize a mechanism of cell response to knockout and heat shock, as well as a mechanism of gene expression regulation in presence of RNA polymerase competition. The model is implemented for multiprocessor platforms with MPI and supported on Linux and MS Windows. The source code written in C++ is available under the GNU General Public License from the laboratory website. A user-friendly GUI version is also provided at <url>http://lab6.iitp.ru/en/rivals</url>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The developed model is in good agreement with virtually all relevant experimental data. The model can be applied to estimate intensities of binding of the holoenzyme and phage type RNA polymerase to their promoters using data on gene transcription levels, as well as to predict characteristics of RNA polymerases and the transcription process that are difficult to measure directly, e.g., the intensity (frequency) of holoenzyme binding to the promoter in correlation to its nucleotide composition and the type of σ-subunit, the amount of transcription initiation aborts, etc. The model can be used to make functional predictions, e.g., heat shock response in isolated chloroplasts and changes of gene transcription levels under knockout of different σ-subunits or RNA polymerases or due to gene expression regulation.</p> <p>Reviewers</p> <p>This article was reviewed by Dr. Anthony Almudevar, Dr. Aniko Szabo, Dr. Yuri Wolf (nominated by Dr. Peter Olofsson) and Prof. Marek Kimmel.</p

Demographic indicators, models, and testing

The use of simple demographic indicators to describe mortality dynamics can obscure important features of the survival curve, particularly during periods of rapid change, such as those caused by internal or external factors, and especially at the oldest or youngest ages. Therefore, instead of the generally accepted Gompertz method, other methods based on demographic indicators are often used. In human populations, chronic phenoptosis, in contrast to age-independent acute phenoptosis, is characterized by rectangularization of the survival curve and an accompanying increase in average life expectancy at birth, which can be attributed to advances in society and technology. Despite the simple geometric interpretation of the phenomenon of rectangularization of the survival curve, it is difficult to notice one, detecting changes in the optimal coefficients in the Gompertz-Makeham law due to high computational complexity and increased calculation errors. This is avoided by calculating demographic indicators such as the Keyfitz entropy, the Gini coefficient, and the coefficient of variation in lifespan. Our analysis of both theoretical models and real demographic data shows that with the same value of the Gini coefficient in the compared cohorts, a larger value of the Keyfitz entropy indicates a greater proportion of centenarians relative to average life expectancy. On the contrary, at the same value of the Keyfitz entropy, a larger value of the Gini coefficient corresponds to a relatively large mortality at a young age. We hypothesize that decreases in the Keyfitz entropy may be attributable to declines in background mortality, reflected in the Makeham term, or to reductions in mortality at lower ages, corresponding to modifications in another coefficient of the Gompertz law. By incorporating dynamic shifts in age into survival analyses, we can deepen our comprehension of mortality patterns and aging mechanisms, ultimately contributing to the development of more reliable methods for evaluating the efficacy of anti-aging and geroprotective interventions used in gerontology

A Database of Plastid Protein Families from Red Algae and Apicomplexa and Expression Regulation of the moeB Gene

We report the database of plastid protein families from red algae, secondary and tertiary rhodophyte-derived plastids, and Apicomplexa constructed with the novel method to infer orthology. The families contain proteins with maximal sequence similarity and minimal paralogous content. The database contains 6509 protein entries, 513 families and 278 nonsingletons (from which 230 are paralog-free, and among the remaining 48, 46 contain at maximum two proteins per species, and 2 contain at maximum three proteins per species). The method is compared with other approaches. Expression regulation of the moeB gene is studied using this database and the model of RNA polymerase competition. An analogous database obtained for green algae and their symbiotic descendants, and applications based on it are published earlier

Optimal Growth Temperature and Intergenic Distances in Bacteria, Archaea, and Plastids of Rhodophytic Branch

The lengths of intergenic regions between neighboring genes that are convergent, divergent, or unidirectional were calculated for plastids of the rhodophytic branch and complete archaeal and bacterial genomes. Statistically significant linear relationships between any pair of the medians of these three length types have been revealed in each genomic group. Exponential relationships between the optimal growth temperature and each of the three medians have been revealed as well. The leading coefficients of the regression equations relating all pairs of the medians as well as temperature and any of the medians have the same sign and order of magnitude. The results obtained for plastids, archaea, and bacteria are also similar at the qualitative level. For instance, the medians are always low at high temperatures. At low temperatures, the medians tend to statistically significant greater values and scattering. The original model was used to test our hypothesis that the intergenic distances are optimized in particular to decrease the competition of RNA polymerases within the locus that results in transcribing shortened RNAs. Overall, this points to an effect of temperature for both remote and close genomes

Comparative Analysis of Apicoplast-Targeted Protein Extension Lengths in Apicomplexan Parasites

In general, the mechanism of protein translocation through the apicoplast membrane requires a specific extension of a functionally important region of the apicoplast-targeted proteins. The corresponding signal peptides were detected in many apicomplexans but not in the majority of apicoplast-targeted proteins in Toxoplasma gondii. In T. gondii signal peptides are either much diverged or their extension region is processed, which in either case makes the situation different from other studied apicomplexans. We propose a statistic method to compare extensions of the functionally important regions of apicoplast-targeted proteins. More specifically, we provide a comparison of extension lengths of orthologous apicoplast-targeted proteins in apicomplexan parasites. We focus on results obtained for the model species T. gondii, Neospora caninum, and Plasmodium falciparum. With our method, cross species comparisons demonstrate that, in average, apicoplast-targeted protein extensions in T. gondii are 1.5-fold longer than in N. caninum and 2-fold longer than in P. falciparum. Extensions in P. falciparum less than 87 residues in size are longer than the corresponding extensions in N. caninum and, reversely, are shorter if they exceed 88 residues

Modeling RNA polymerase interaction in mitochondria of chordates

Abstract Background In previous work, we introduced a concept, a mathematical model and its computer realization that describe the interaction between bacterial and phage type RNA polymerases, protein factors, DNA and RNA secondary structures during transcription, including transcription initiation and termination. The model accurately reproduces changes of gene transcription level observed in polymerase sigma-subunit knockout and heat shock experiments in plant plastids. The corresponding computer program and a user guide are available at http://lab6.iitp.ru/en/rivals. Here we apply the model to the analysis of transcription and (partially) translation processes in the mitochondria of frog, rat and human. Notably, mitochondria possess only phage-type polymerases. We consider the entire mitochondrial genome so that our model allows RNA polymerases to complete more than one circle on the DNA strand. Results Our model of RNA polymerase interaction during transcription initiation and elongation accurately reproduces experimental data obtained for plastids. Moreover, it also reproduces evidence on bulk RNA concentrations and RNA half-lives in the mitochondria of frog, human with or without the MELAS mutation, and rat with normal (euthyroid) or hyposecretion of thyroid hormone (hypothyroid). The transcription characteristics predicted by the model include: (i) the fraction of polymerases terminating at a protein-dependent terminator in both directions (the terminator polarization), (ii) the binding intensities of the regulatory protein factor (mTERF) with the termination site and, (iii) the transcription initiation intensities (initiation frequencies) of all promoters in all five conditions (frog, healthy human, human with MELAS syndrome, healthy rat, and hypothyroid rat with aberrant mtDNA methylation). Using the model, absolute levels of all gene transcription can be inferred from an arbitrary array of the three transcription characteristics, whereas, for selected genes only relative RNA concentrations have been experimentally determined. Conversely, these characteristics and absolute transcription levels can be obtained using relative RNA concentrations and RNA half-lives known from various experimental studies. In this case, the “inverse problem” is solved with multi-objective optimization. Conclusions In this study, we demonstrate that our model accurately reproduces all relevant experimental data available for plant plastids, as well as the mitochondria of chordates. Using experimental data, the model is applied to estimate binding intensities of phage-type RNA polymerases to their promoters as well as predicting terminator characteristics, including polarization. In addition, one can predict characteristics of phage-type RNA polymerases and the transcription process that are difficult to measure directly, e.g., the association between the promoter’s nucleotide composition and the intensity of polymerase binding. To illustrate the application of our model in functional predictions, we propose a possible mechanism for MELAS syndrome development in human involving a decrease of Phe-tRNA, Val-tRNA and rRNA concentrations in the cell. In addition, we describe how changes in methylation patterns of the mTERF binding site and three promoters in hypothyroid rat correlate with changes in intensities of the mTERF binding and transcription initiations. Finally, we introduce an auxiliary model to describe the interaction between polysomal mRNA and ribonucleases.</p

Highly Conserved Elements and Chromosome Structure Evolution in Mitochondrial Genomes in Ciliates

Recent phylogenetic analyses are incorporating ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and highly conserved elements (HCEs). Models of evolution of the genome structure and HCEs initially faced considerable algorithmic challenges, which gave rise to (often unnatural) constraints on these models, even for conceptually simple tasks such as the calculation of distance between two structures or the identification of UCEs. In our recent works, these constraints have been addressed with fast and efficient solutions with no constraints on the underlying models. These approaches have led us to an unexpected result: for some organelles and taxa, the genome structure and HCE set, despite themselves containing relatively little information, still adequately resolve the evolution of species. We also used the HCE identification to search for promoters and regulatory elements that characterize the functional evolution of the genome

Comparative Analysis of Apicoplast-Targeted Protein Extension Lengths in Apicomplexan Parasites

In general, the mechanism of protein translocation through the apicoplast membrane requires a specific extension of a functionally important region of the apicoplast-targeted proteins. The corresponding signal peptides were detected in many apicomplexans but not in the majority of apicoplast-targeted proteins in Toxoplasma gondii. In T. gondii signal peptides are either much diverged or their extension region is processed, which in either case makes the situation different from other studied apicomplexans. We propose a statistic method to compare extensions of the functionally important regions of apicoplast-targeted proteins. More specifically, we provide a comparison of extension lengths of orthologous apicoplast-targeted proteins in apicomplexan parasites. We focus on results obtained for the model species T. gondii, Neospora caninum, and Plasmodium falciparum. With our method, cross species comparisons demonstrate that, in average, apicoplast-targeted protein extensions in T. gondii are 1.5-fold longer than in N. caninum and 2-fold longer than in P. falciparum. Extensions in P. falciparum less than 87 residues in size are longer than the corresponding extensions in N. caninum and, reversely, are shorter if they exceed 88 residues