Project description:Motivation: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short regulatory RNAs derived from a longer precursor RNA. miRNA biogenesis has been studied in animals and plants, recently elucidating more diverse and complex aspects, such as non-conserved, speciesspecific, and heterogeneous miRNA precursor populations. Small RNA sequencing data can be used to computationally determine genomic loci of miRNA precursors. The challenge is to predict a valid miRNA precursor from inhomogeneous read coverage: while the mature miRNA typically produces hundreds of sequence reads, the remaining part of the precursor is covered very sparsely. Results: We introduce a new conservation-independent method for the identification of miRNA precursors, that allows for speciesspecific heterogeneous precursor populations. The algorithm requires small RNA sequencing data and evaluates precursor secondary structures, with key parameters that can be adjusted based on the specific organism under investigation (within animals, plants, algae). We illustrate the validity of results from our algorithm using sequencing data for the two Volvocine algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) and Volvox carteri (Volvox). Both organisms show little cross-species miRNA sequence conservation, and a heterogeneous miRNA precursor population. We validate our list of Chlamydomonas miRNAs with annotated miRNAs, and demonstrate excellent agreement. Furthermore, we are able to identify additional novel miRNA precursors, with structures ranging from simple mammalian-like hairpins to precursor structures indicating the creation of multiple mature/star miRNA duplexes. Novel miRNAs identified in Volvox show no similarity to mature miRNAs in Chlamydomonas. These results confirm the need for conservationindependent miRNA identification methods.
Project description:Motivation: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short regulatory RNAs derived from a longer precursor RNA. miRNA biogenesis has been studied in animals and plants, recently elucidating more diverse and complex aspects, such as non-conserved, speciesspecific, and heterogeneous miRNA precursor populations. Small RNA sequencing data can be used to computationally determine genomic loci of miRNA precursors. The challenge is to predict a valid miRNA precursor from inhomogeneous read coverage: while the mature miRNA typically produces hundreds of sequence reads, the remaining part of the precursor is covered very sparsely. Results: We introduce a new conservation-independent method for the identification of miRNA precursors, that allows for speciesspecific heterogeneous precursor populations. The algorithm requires small RNA sequencing data and evaluates precursor secondary structures, with key parameters that can be adjusted based on the specific organism under investigation (within animals, plants, algae). We illustrate the validity of results from our algorithm using sequencing data for the two Volvocine algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) and Volvox carteri (Volvox). Both organisms show little cross-species miRNA sequence conservation, and a heterogeneous miRNA precursor population. We validate our list of Chlamydomonas miRNAs with annotated miRNAs, and demonstrate excellent agreement. Furthermore, we are able to identify additional novel miRNA precursors, with structures ranging from simple mammalian-like hairpins to precursor structures indicating the creation of multiple mature/star miRNA duplexes. Novel miRNAs identified in Volvox show no similarity to mature miRNAs in Chlamydomonas. These results confirm the need for conservationindependent miRNA identification methods. Examination of small RNAs of Volvox carteri during different stages of its life cycle
Project description:GC-MS single quad metabolomes of fecal samples from 101 individual animals from 25 mammalian species, in collaboration with a zoo. Includes fecal samples, dietary samples, and quality control samples. See linked datasets: MSV000086131, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA693262/
Reference: Gregor, R., Probst, M., Eyal, S. et al. Mammalian gut metabolomes mirror microbiome composition and host phylogeny. ISME J (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-01152-0
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE19111: Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon (Year One) GSE19119: Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon (Year Two) Refer to individual Series
Project description:Small RNA pathways play evolutionarily conserved roles in gene regulation and in defense from pathogenic and parasitic nucleic acids. The character and expression patterns of small RNAs show conservation throughout animal lineages, but specific animal clades also show variations on these recurring themes, including species-specific small RNAs. The monotremes, with only platypus and four species of echidna as extant members, represent the basal branch of the mammalian lineage. Here, we examine the small RNA pathways of monotremes by deep sequencing of six platypus and echidna tissues. We find that highly conserved microRNA species display their signature tissue-specific expression patterns. In addition, we find a large rapidly-evolving cluster of miRNAs on platypus chromosome X1 which is unique to monotremes. Platypus and echidna testes contain a robust piRNA system which appears to be participating in ongoing transposon defense. Keywords: piRNA
Project description:Aging is associated with declining immunity and inflammation as well as alterations in the gut microbiome with a decrease of beneficial microbes and increase in pathogenic ones. The aim of this study was to investigate aging associated gut microbiome in relation to immunologic and metabolic profile in a non-human primate (NHP) model. 12 old (age>18 years) and 4 young (age 3-6 years) Rhesus macaques were included in this study. Immune cell subsets were characterized in PBMC by flow cytometry and plasma cytokines levels were determined by bead based multiplex cytokine analysis. Stool samples were collected by ileal loop and investigated for microbiome analysis by shotgun metagenomics. Serum, gut microbial lysate and microbe-free fecal extract were subjected to metabolomic analysis by mass-spectrometry. Our results showed that the old animals exhibited higher inflammatory biomarkers in plasma and lower CD4 T cells with altered distribution of naïve and memory T cell maturation subsets. The gut microbiome in old animals had higher abundance of Archaeal and Proteobacterial species and lower Firmicutes than the young. Significant enrichment of metabolites that contribute to inflammatory and cytotoxic pathways was observed in serum and feces of old animals compared to the young. We conclude that aging NHP undergo immunosenescence and age associated alterations in the gut microbiome that has a distinct metabolic profile.