Project description:Spider silk synthesis is an emerging model for the evolution of tissue-specific gene expression and the role of gene duplication in functional novelty, but its potential has not been fully realized. Accordingly, we quantified transcript (mRNA) abundance in seven silk gland types and three non-silk gland tissues for three cobweb-weaving spider species. Evolutionary analyses based on expression levels of thousands of homologous transcripts and phylogenetic reconstruction of 605 gene families demonstrated conservation of expression for each gland type among species. Despite serial homology of all silk glands, the expression profiles of the glue-forming aggregate glands were divergent from fiber-forming glands. Also surprising was our finding that shifts in gene expression among silk gland types were not necessarily coupled with gene duplication, even though silk-specific genes belong to multi-paralog gene families. Our results challenge widely accepted models of tissue specialization and significantly advance efforts to replicate silk-based high-performance biomaterials.
Project description:Multi-tissue RNA-seq from the african lungfish (Protopterus sp), the cane toad (Rhinella marina) and the pond slider (Trachemys scripta)
Project description:This dataset was generated with the goal of comparative study of gene expression in three brain regions and two non-neural tissues of humans, chimpanzees, macaque monkeys and mice. Using this dataset, we performed studies of gene expression and gene splicing evolution across species and search of tissue-specific gene expression and splicing patterns. We also used the gene expression information of genes encoding metabolic enzymes in this dataset to support a larger comparative study of metabolome evolution in the same set of tissues and species. 120 tissue samples of prefrontal cortex (PFC), primary visual cortex (VC), cerebellar cortex (CBC), kidney and skeletal muscle of humans, chimpanzees, macaques and mice. The data accompanies a large set of metabolite measurements of the same tissue samples. Enzyme expression was used to validate metabolite measurement variation among species.
Project description:We provide the genome-wide methylome surveys of three species of deep-sea polychaete worms using Oxford Nanopore data: the siboglinids Paraescarpia echinospica and Ridgeia piscesae, and the alvinellid Paralvinella palmiformis. We characterised 5mCpG methylation in order to test hypotheses about the putative role of DNA methylation in these species.
Project description:Age predictors based on DNA methylation levels at a small set of CpG sites, DNAm clocks, have been developed for humans and extended to several other species. Three currently available versions of mouse DNAm clocks were either created for individual tissues or tuned towards young ages. Here, we constructed a robust multi-tissue age predictor based on 435 CpG sites, which covers the entire mouse lifespan and remains unbiased with respect to any particular age group. It can successfully detect the effects of several lifespan-modulating interventions on biological age as well as the rejuvenation effect related to the transition from fibroblasts to iPSCs. We have carried out comparative analyses of available mouse DNAm clocks, which revealed their broad applicability, but also certain limitations to the use of tissue-specific and multi-tissue age predictors. Together, these tools should help address diverse questions in aging research.