Genome sequencing and analysis of Aspergillus oryzae

The genome of Aspergillus oryzae, a fungus important for the production of traditional fermented foods and beverages in Japan, has been sequenced. The ability to secrete large amounts of proteins and the development of a transformation system have facilitated the use of A. oryzae in modern biotechnology. Although both A. oryzae and Aspergillus flavus belong to the section Flavi of the subgenus Circumdati of Aspergillus, A. oryzae, unlike A. flavus, does not produce aflatoxin, and its long history of use in the food industry has proved its safety. Here we show that the 37-megabase (Mb) genome of A. oryzae contains 12,074 genes and is expanded by 7-9 Mb in comparison with the genomes of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Comparison of the three aspergilli species revealed the presence of syntenic blocks and A. oryzae-specific blocks (lacking synteny with A. nidulans and A. fumigatus) in a mosaic manner throughout the genome of A. oryzae. The blocks of A. oryzae-specific sequence are enriched for genes involved in metabolism, particularly those for the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Specific expansion of genes for secretory hydrolytic enzymes, amino acid metabolism and amino acid/sugar uptake transporters supports the idea that A. oryzae is an ideal microorganism for fermentation.     

Genomic sequence of the pathogenic and allergenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is exceptional among microorganisms in being both a primary and opportunistic pathogen as well as a major allergen. Its conidia production is prolific, and so human respiratory tract exposure is almost constant. A. fumigatus is isolated from human habitats and vegetable compost heaps. In immunocompromised individuals, the incidence of invasive infection can be as high as 50% and the mortality rate is often about 50% (ref. 2). The interaction of A. fumigatus and other airborne fungi with the immune system is increasingly linked to severe asthma and sinusitis. Although the burden of invasive disease caused by A. fumigatus is substantial, the basic biology of the organism is mostly obscure. Here we show the complete 29.4-megabase genome sequence of the clinical isolate Af293, which consists of eight chromosomes containing 9,926 predicted genes. Microarray analysis revealed temperature-dependent expression of distinct sets of genes, as well as 700 A. fumigatus genes not present or significantly diverged in the closely related sexual species Neosartorya fischeri, many of which may have roles in the pathogenicity phenotype. The Af293 genome sequence provides an unparalleled resource for the future understanding of this remarkable fungus.     

Numerous potentially functional but non-genic conserved sequences on human chromosome 21

The use of comparative genomics to infer genome function relies on the understanding of how different components of the genome change over evolutionary time. The aim of such comparative analysis is to identify conserved, functionally transcribed sequences such as protein-coding genes and non-coding RNA genes, and other functional sequences such as regulatory regions, as well as other genomic features. Here, we have compared the entire human chromosome 21 with syntenic regions of the mouse genome, and have identified a large number of conserved blocks of unknown function. Although previous studies have made similar observations, it is unknown whether these conserved sequences are genes or not. Here we present an extensive experimental and computational analysis of human chromosome 21 in an effort to assign function to sequences conserved between human chromosome 21 (ref. 8) and the syntenic mouse regions. Our data support the presence of a large number of potentially functional non-genic sequences, probably regulatory and structural. The integration of the properties of the conserved components of human chromosome 21 to the rapidly accumulating functional data for this chromosome will improve considerably our understanding of the role of sequence conservation in mammalian genomes.     

Genome sequence of the Brown Norway rat yields insights into mammalian evolution

The laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus) is an indispensable tool in experimental medicine and drug development, having made inestimable contributions to human health. We report here the genome sequence of the Brown Norway (BN) rat strain. The sequence represents a high-quality 'draft' covering over 90% of the genome. The BN rat sequence is the third complete mammalian genome to be deciphered, and three-way comparisons with the human and mouse genomes resolve details of mammalian evolution. This first comprehensive analysis includes genes and proteins and their relation to human disease, repeated sequences, comparative genome-wide studies of mammalian orthologous chromosomal regions and rearrangement breakpoints, reconstruction of ancestral karyotypes and the events leading to existing species, rates of variation, and lineage-specific and lineage-independent evolutionary events such as expansion of gene families, orthology relations and protein evolution.     

An early evolutionary origin for the minor spliceosome

The minor spliceosome is a ribonucleoprotein complex that catalyses the removal of an atypical class of spliceosomal introns (U12-type) from eukaryotic messenger RNAs. It was first identified and characterized in animals, where it was found to contain several unique RNA constituents that share structural similarity with and seem to be functionally analogous to the small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) contained in the major spliceosome. Subsequently, minor spliceosomal components and U12-type introns have been found in plants but not in fungi. Unlike that of the major spliceosome, which arose early in the eukaryotic lineage, the evolutionary history of the minor spliceosome is unclear because there is evidence of it in so few organisms. Here we report the identification of homologues of minor-spliceosome-specific proteins and snRNAs, and U12-type introns, in distantly related eukaryotic microbes (protists) and in a fungus (Rhizopus oryzae). Cumulatively, our results indicate that the minor spliceosome had an early origin: several of its characteristic constituents are present in representative organisms from all eukaryotic supergroups for which there is any substantial genome sequence information. In addition, our results reveal marked evolutionary conservation of functionally important sequence elements contained within U12-type introns and snRNAs.     

Shotgun sequence assembly and recent segmental duplications within the human genome

Complex eukaryotic genomes are now being sequenced at an accelerated pace primarily using whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequence assembly approaches. WGS assembly was initially criticized because of its perceived inability to resolve repeat structures within genomes. Here, we quantify the effect of WGS sequence assembly on large, highly similar repeats by comparison of the segmental duplication content of two different human genome assemblies. Our analysis shows that large (> 15 kilobases) and highly identical (> 97%) duplications are not adequately resolved by WGS assembly. This leads to significant reduction in genome length and the loss of genes embedded within duplications. Comparable analyses of mouse genome assemblies confirm that strict WGS sequence assembly will oversimplify our understanding of mammalian genome structure and evolution; a hybrid strategy using a targeted clone-by-clone approach to resolve duplications is proposed.     

The genome sequence of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa

Neurospora crassa is a central organism in the history of twentieth-century genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Here, we report a high-quality draft sequence of the N. crassa genome. The approximately 40-megabase genome encodes about 10,000 protein-coding genes--more than twice as many as in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and only about 25% fewer than in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Analysis of the gene set yields insights into unexpected aspects of Neurospora biology including the identification of genes potentially associated with red light photobiology, genes implicated in secondary metabolism, and important differences in Ca2+ signalling as compared with plants and animals. Neurospora possesses the widest array of genome defence mechanisms known for any eukaryotic organism, including a process unique to fungi called repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). Genome analysis suggests that RIP has had a profound impact on genome evolution, greatly slowing the creation of new genes through genomic duplication and resulting in a genome with an unusually low proportion of closely related genes.     

A draft sequence of the rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indicd) genome

The sequence of the rice genome holds fundamental information for its biology, including physiology, genetics, development, and evolution, as well as information on many beneficial phenotypes of economic significance. Using a “whole genome shotgun” approach, we have produced a draft rice genome sequence ofOryza sativa ssp.indica, the major crop rice subspecies in China and many other regions of Asia. The draft genome sequence is constructed from over 4.3 million successful sequencing traces with an accumulative total length of 2214.9 Mb. The initial assembly of the non-redundant sequences reached 409.76 Mb in length, based on 3.30 million successful sequencing traces with a total length of 1797.4 Mb from anindica variant cultivar93-11, giving an estimated coverage of 95.29% of the rice genome with an average base accuracy of higher than 99%. The coverage of the draft sequence, the randomness of the sequence distribution, and the consistency of BIG-ASSEMBLER, a custom-designed software package used for the initial assembly, were verified rigorously by comparisons against finished BAC clone sequences from bothindica andjapanica strains, available from the public databases. Over all, 96.3% of full-length cDNAs, 96.4% of STS, STR, RFLP markers, 94.0% of ESTs and 94.9% unigene clusters were identified from the draft sequence. Our preliminary analysis on the data set shows that our rice draft sequence is consistent with the comman standard accepted by the genome sequencing community. The unconditional release of the draft to the public also undoubtedly provides a fundamental resource to the international scientific communities to facilitate genomic and genetic studies on rice biology. These authors contributed equally to this work.     

Determinants of nucleosome organization in primary human cells

Nucleosomes are the basic packaging units of chromatin, modulating accessibility of regulatory proteins to DNA and thus influencing eukaryotic gene regulation. Elaborate chromatin remodelling mechanisms have evolved that govern nucleosome organization at promoters, regulatory elements, and other functional regions in the genome. Analyses of chromatin landscape have uncovered a variety of mechanisms, including DNA sequence preferences, that can influence nucleosome positions. To identify major determinants of nucleosome organization in the human genome, we used deep sequencing to map nucleosome positions in three primary human cell types and in vitro. A majority of the genome showed substantial flexibility of nucleosome positions, whereas a small fraction showed reproducibly positioned nucleosomes. Certain sites that position in vitro can anchor the formation of nucleosomal arrays that have cell type-specific spacing in vivo. Our results unveil an interplay of sequence-based nucleosome preferences and non-nucleosomal factors in determining nucleosome organization within mammalian cells.     

Construction of an electronic physical map of Magnaporthe oryzae using genomic position-ready SSR markers

Magnaporthe oryzae is a model for plant pathogenic filamentous fungi. We have assembled a simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based physical map of the species, using in silico sequence data. A set of 120 SSR markers was developed from the genomic sequence of the reference isolate 70-15. These markers were readily amplified from the genomic DNA of other isolates, and high levels of allelic variation characterised the parental isolates of the two crosses tested. All the markers were locatable to one of the seven M. oryzae chromosomes. An SSR-based physical in silico map was constructed, and pre-existing SSR and RFLP loci were integrated into the map, along with 23 Avr (avirulence) genes and two other genes of importance to the plant/pathogen interaction. This map provides a platform for population genetics and functional genomics studies in the model pathogen, and even in other evolu- tionally related pathogens.     

3种海藻的粗蛋白对植物病原真菌的抑制作用

以圆弧青霉(Penicillium cyclopium)、绿色木霉(Trichoderma viride)、红色链孢霉(Neurcsporacrassa)、玉米大斑病菌(Helminthosporium turcicum)、稻瘟病菌(Piricularia oryzae)和黄曲霉(Aspergillusflavus)等6种植物病原真菌为供试菌,检测了3种海藻(铁钉菜Ishige okamurae、羊栖菜Sargassum fusiforme、冈村凹顶藻Laurencia okamurai)的粗蛋白对它们的菌丝生长及孢子萌发的影响.实验表明,3种海藻的粗蛋白对6种真菌的菌丝生长及孢子萌发的作用效果不同,其中冈村凹顶藻粗蛋白对红色链孢霉菌丝的生长,羊栖菜粗蛋白对稻瘟病菌孢子的抑制作用最明显,而羊栖菜和铁钉菜粗蛋白对红色链孢霉的菌丝生长,冈村凹顶藻粗蛋白对绿色木霉及黄曲霉的孢子萌发均无抑制效果.3种海藻的粗蛋白能凝集兔血红细胞,表明它们当中含有凝集素.     

Major fungal lineages are derived from lichen symbiotic ancestors.

About one-fifth of all known extant fungal species form obligate symbiotic associations with green algae, cyanobacteria or with both photobionts. These symbioses, known as lichens, are one way for fungi to meet their requirement for carbohydrates. Lichens are widely believed to have arisen independently on several occasions, accounting for the high diversity and mixed occurrence of lichenized and non-lichenized (42 and 58%, respectively) fungal species within the Ascomycota. Depending on the taxonomic classification chosen, 15-18 orders of the Ascomycota include lichen-forming taxa, and 8-11 of these orders (representing about 60% of the Ascomycota species) contain both lichenized and non-lichenized species. Here we report a phylogenetic comparative analysis of the Ascomycota, a phylum that includes greater than 98% of known lichenized fungal species. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic tree sampling methodology combined with a statistical model of trait evolution, we take into account uncertainty about the phylogenetic tree and ancestral state reconstructions. Our results show that lichens evolved earlier than believed, and that gains of lichenization have been infrequent during Ascomycota evolution, but have been followed by multiple independent losses of the lichen symbiosis. As a consequence, major Ascomycota lineages of exclusively non-lichen-forming species are derived from lichen-forming ancestors. These species include taxa with important benefits and detriments to humans, such as Penicillium and Aspergillus.     

The ring of life provides evidence for a genome fusion origin of eukaryotes

Genomes hold within them the record of the evolution of life on Earth. But genome fusions and horizontal gene transfer seem to have obscured sufficiently the gene sequence record such that it is difficult to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree of life. Here we determine the general outline of the tree using complete genome data from representative prokaryotes and eukaryotes and a new genome analysis method that makes it possible to reconstruct ancient genome fusions and phylogenetic trees. Our analyses indicate that the eukaryotic genome resulted from a fusion of two diverse prokaryotic genomes, and therefore at the deepest levels linking prokaryotes and eukaryotes, the tree of life is actually a ring of life. One fusion partner branches from deep within an ancient photosynthetic clade, and the other is related to the archaeal prokaryotes. The eubacterial organism is either a proteobacterium, or a member of a larger photosynthetic clade that includes the Cyanobacteria and the Proteobacteria.     

Genome sequence and comparative analysis of the model rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii yoelii

Species of malaria parasite that infect rodents have long been used as models for malaria disease research. Here we report the whole-genome shotgun sequence of one species, Plasmodium yoelii yoelii, and comparative studies with the genome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum clone 3D7. A synteny map of 2,212 P. y. yoelii contiguous DNA sequences (contigs) aligned to 14 P. falciparum chromosomes reveals marked conservation of gene synteny within the body of each chromosome. Of about 5,300 P. falciparum genes, more than 3,300 P. y. yoelii orthologues of predominantly metabolic function were identified. Over 800 copies of a variant antigen gene located in subtelomeric regions were found. This is the first genome sequence of a model eukaryotic parasite, and it provides insight into the use of such systems in the modelling of Plasmodium biology and disease.     

曲霉属产毒真菌DNA的制备及其毒素相关基因aflR的PCR 检测

 研究了用改良的CTAB 法提取曲霉属产毒真菌DNA 的方法,并与试剂盒提取法进行比较。经过改良的CTAB 法能够成功提取出曲霉属产毒真菌的DNA,且浓度和纯度均可达到PCR 扩增的标准。根据合成黄曲霉毒素的aflR 基因设计两对引物,运用PCR 方法进行扩增鉴定,结果表明黄曲霉、寄生曲霉和溜曲霉基因中可检出aflR 基因,烟曲霉和杂色曲霉中并未检出,达到对黄曲霉毒素产生菌进行鉴定的目的。这种方法可为产毒真菌的快速检测提供参考。     

茶渣发酵菌株的筛选、鉴定及生物学分析

提取茶多酚后的废茶渣中富含茶蛋白和茶纤维，研究通过室内高温固态发酵废茶渣，旨在从中筛选废茶渣发酵微生物，并进行鉴定和相关生物学分析。结果表明，研究共筛选到废茶渣发酵微生物4株，C-1，C-2， C-3，C-4，经DNA提取，ITS扩增测序，NCBI数据库比对，4株菌株分别属于米曲霉，烟曲霉，镰刀菌，毛霉菌。生长曲线实验表明：毛霉菌在含有茶渣滤液的PDA平板上生长最快。     

A high-resolution map of human evolutionary constraint using 29 mammals

The comparison of related genomes has emerged as a powerful lens for genome interpretation. Here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of 29 eutherian genomes. We confirm that at least 5.5% of the human genome has undergone purifying selection, and locate constrained elements covering ～4.2% of the genome. We use evolutionary signatures and comparisons with experimental data sets to suggest candidate functions for ～60% of constrained bases. These elements reveal a small number of new coding exons, candidate stop codon readthrough events and over 10,000 regions of overlapping synonymous constraint within protein-coding exons. We find 220 candidate RNA structural families, and nearly a million elements overlapping potential promoter, enhancer and insulator regions. We report specific amino acid residues that have undergone positive selection, 280,000 non-coding elements exapted from mobile elements and more than 1,000 primate- and human-accelerated elements. Overlap with disease-associated variants indicates that our findings will be relevant for studies of human biology, health and disease.     

烟曲霉细胞壁作为药物靶标的鉴定研究

烟曲霉(Aspergillus fumigatus)作为侵袭性真菌感染的三大机会病原真菌之一,因其高致病率和高致死率而成为威胁人类健康的重大隐患。有限的抗真菌类药物以及近年来耐药性菌株的涌现使得寻找新的药物靶标并开发新型抗真菌药物迫在眉睫。真菌细胞壁作为真菌所特有的结构一直以来被认为是理想的药物靶标。本文概述了烟曲霉细胞壁结构及合成过程的相关研究进展,并分析了参与细胞壁各组分合成的酶作为药靶的可行性。     

中国传统酱油生产用米曲霉菌种研究进展

米曲霉是我国传统酱油生产用关键菌种.关于米曲霉菌株选育的研究主要包括,高产蛋白酶菌株选育技术研究、酶学特性研究、产酶影响因素研究等方面.高产蛋白酶菌株的选育为研究重点.虽然,研究均显示经过改良的菌株性能超过了原始出发菌株,但是成果仍然局限于实验室理论分析.我国科研人员仍需努力,加强对米曲霉菌株在工业化生产中实际应用效果的研究.     

Genome sequence and gene compaction of the eukaryote parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi.

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites infesting many animal groups. Lacking mitochondria and peroxysomes, these unicellular eukaryotes were first considered a deeply branching protist lineage that diverged before the endosymbiotic event that led to mitochondria. The discovery of a gene for a mitochondrial-type chaperone combined with molecular phylogenetic data later implied that microsporidia are atypical fungi that lost mitochondria during evolution. Here we report the DNA sequences of the 11 chromosomes of the approximately 2.9-megabase (Mb) genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (1,997 potential protein-coding genes). Genome compaction is reflected by reduced intergenic spacers and by the shortness of most putative proteins relative to their eukaryote orthologues. The strong host dependence is illustrated by the lack of genes for some biosynthetic pathways and for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Phylogenetic analysis lends substantial credit to the fungal affiliation of microsporidia. Because the E. cuniculi genome contains genes related to some mitochondrial functions (for example, Fe-S cluster assembly), we hypothesize that microsporidia have retained a mitochondrion-derived organelle.