Project description:Genome duplication has played a pivotal role in the evolution of many eukaryotic lineages, including the vertebrates. The most recent vertebrate genome duplication is that in Xenopus laevis, which resulted from the hybridization of two closely related species about 17 million years ago. Here we generated epigenetic profiles and determined gene expression in X.laevis embryos to study the consequences of this duplication at the level of the genome, the epigenome, and gene expression.
Project description:Genome duplication has played a pivotal role in the evolution of many eukaryotic lineages, including the vertebrates.The most recent vertebrate genome duplication is that in Xenopus laevis, which resulted from the hybridization of two closely related species about 17 million years ago. Here we generated epigenetic profiles and determined gene expression in X.laevis embryos to study the consequences of this duplication at the level of the genome, the epigenome and gene expression.
Project description:The Xenopus genus is well known for the high degree of polyploidy observed in its constituent species, but there is minimal information about transcriptional changes observed in these highly polyploid vertebrates. Xenopus andrei, an octoploid species within the Xenopus genus, presents a novel system for assessing a polyploid transcriptome during vertebrate development. RNA-Seq data was generated at nine different developmental stages ranging from unfertilized eggs through late tailbud stages. Additionally, using Trinity, RNA-seq data from all nine stages was pooled to create a draft de novo assembly of the transcriptome. This represents the first published assembly of an octoploid vertebrate transcriptome. This RNA-Seq and transcriptome data will be useful in comparing polyploid transcriptomes across Xenopus species, as well as understanding evolutionary implications of whole-genome duplication in vertebrates.
Project description:Hox genes are required during the morphogenesis of both vertebrate digits and external genitals.We investigated whether transcription in such distinct contexts involves a shared enhancer-containing landscape. We show that the same regulatory topology is used, yet with some tissue-specific enhancer-promoter interactions, suggesting the hijacking of a regulatory backbone from one context to the other. In addition, comparable organizations are observed at both HoxA and HoxD clusters, which separated through genome duplication in an ancestral invertebrate animal.We propose that this convergent regulatory evolution was triggered by the pre-existence of some chromatin architecture, thus facilitating the subsequent recruitment of the appropriate transcription factors. Such regulatory topologies may have both favored and constrained the evolution of pleiotropic developmental loci in vertebrates. RNA-seq from mouse E12.5 digits cells and mouse E15.5 genital tubercle cells.
Project description:Hox genes are required during the morphogenesis of both vertebrate digits and external genitals.We investigated whether transcription in such distinct contexts involves a shared enhancer-containing landscape. We show that the same regulatory topology is used, yet with some tissue-specific enhancer-promoter interactions, suggesting the hijacking of a regulatory backbone from one context to the other. In addition, comparable organizations are observed at both HoxA and HoxD clusters, which separated through genome duplication in an ancestral invertebrate animal.We propose that this convergent regulatory evolution was triggered by the pre-existence of some chromatin architecture, thus facilitating the subsequent recruitment of the appropriate transcription factors. Such regulatory topologies may have both favored and constrained the evolution of pleiotropic developmental loci in vertebrates. Circular Chromosome Conformation Capture (4C-seq) samples from mouse digit cells and mouse genital tubercle cells performed as previously described (Noordermeer et al. 2011)
Project description:Hox genes are required during the morphogenesis of both vertebrate digits and external genitals.We investigated whether transcription in such distinct contexts involves a shared enhancer-containing landscape. We show that the same regulatory topology is used, yet with some tissue-specific enhancer-promoter interactions, suggesting the hijacking of a regulatory backbone from one context to the other. In addition, comparable organizations are observed at both HoxA and HoxD clusters, which separated through genome duplication in an ancestral invertebrate animal.We propose that this convergent regulatory evolution was triggered by the pre-existence of some chromatin architecture, thus facilitating the subsequent recruitment of the appropriate transcription factors. Such regulatory topologies may have both favored and constrained the evolution of pleiotropic developmental loci in vertebrates.
Project description:Hox genes are required during the morphogenesis of both vertebrate digits and external genitals.We investigated whether transcription in such distinct contexts involves a shared enhancer-containing landscape. We show that the same regulatory topology is used, yet with some tissue-specific enhancer-promoter interactions, suggesting the hijacking of a regulatory backbone from one context to the other. In addition, comparable organizations are observed at both HoxA and HoxD clusters, which separated through genome duplication in an ancestral invertebrate animal.We propose that this convergent regulatory evolution was triggered by the pre-existence of some chromatin architecture, thus facilitating the subsequent recruitment of the appropriate transcription factors. Such regulatory topologies may have both favored and constrained the evolution of pleiotropic developmental loci in vertebrates.
Project description:Hox genes are required during the morphogenesis of both vertebrate digits and external genitals.We investigated whether transcription in such distinct contexts involves a shared enhancer-containing landscape. We show that the same regulatory topology is used, yet with some tissue-specific enhancer-promoter interactions, suggesting the hijacking of a regulatory backbone from one context to the other. In addition, comparable organizations are observed at both HoxA and HoxD clusters, which separated through genome duplication in an ancestral invertebrate animal.We propose that this convergent regulatory evolution was triggered by the pre-existence of some chromatin architecture, thus facilitating the subsequent recruitment of the appropriate transcription factors. Such regulatory topologies may have both favored and constrained the evolution of pleiotropic developmental loci in vertebrates.