BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-18DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01994-y
Yudan Shang, Nannan Wang, Haoyi Wang, Chenrui An, Wen Sun
{"title":"Modeling X chromosome inactivation using t5iLA naive human pluripotent stem cells","authors":"Yudan Shang, Nannan Wang, Haoyi Wang, Chenrui An, Wen Sun","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01994-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01994-y","url":null,"abstract":"X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is a critical epigenetic event for dosage compensation of X-linked genes in female mammals, ensuring developmental stability. A robust in vitro model is required for mimicking XCI during the early stages of embryonic development. This methodology article introduces an advanced framework for the in-depth study of XCI using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). By focusing on the transition between naive and primed pluripotent states, we highlight the role of long non-coding RNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) and epigenetic alterations in mediating XCI. Our methodology enables the distinction between naive and primed hESCs based on XIST expression and the activity of X-linked reporters, facilitating the investigation of XCI initiation and maintenance. Through detailed experimental procedures, we demonstrate the utility of our hESC lines in modeling the process of human XCI, including the establishment of conditions for random XCI induction and the analysis of X chromosome reactivation. The study outlines a comprehensive approach for characterizing the X chromosome status in hPSCs, employing dual fluorescent reporter hESC lines. These reporter lines enable real-time tracking of XCI dynamics through differentiation processes. We detailed protocols for the induction of X chromosome reactivation and inactivation, as well as the X status characterization methods including cultivation of hESCs, flow cytometric analysis, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and transcriptome sequencing, providing a step-by-step guide for researchers to investigate XCI mechanisms in vitro. This article provides a detailed, reproducible methodology for studying XCI mechanisms in vitro, employing hPSCs as a model system. It presents a significant advance in our ability to investigate XCI, offering potential applications in developmental biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. By facilitating the study of XCI dynamics, this methodological framework paves the way for deeper understanding and manipulation of this fundamental biological process.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142249084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01995-x
Laura C. E. Steel, Shu K. E. Tam, Laurence A. Brown, Russell G. Foster, Stuart N. Peirson
{"title":"Light sampling behaviour regulates circadian entrainment in mice","authors":"Laura C. E. Steel, Shu K. E. Tam, Laurence A. Brown, Russell G. Foster, Stuart N. Peirson","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01995-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01995-x","url":null,"abstract":"The natural light environment is far more complex than that experienced by animals under laboratory conditions. As a burrowing species, wild mice are able to self-modulate their light exposure, a concept known as light environment sampling behaviour. By contrast, under laboratory conditions mice have little opportunity to exhibit this behaviour. To address this issue, here we introduce a simple nestbox paradigm to allow mice to self-modulate their light environment. Dark nestboxes fitted with passive infrared sensors were used to monitor locomotor activity, circadian entrainment, decision making and light environment sampling behaviour. Under these conditions, mice significantly reduce their light exposure to an average of just 0.8 h across a 24 h period. In addition, mice show a distinct pattern of light environment sampling behaviour, with peaks at dawn and dusk under a ramped light dark cycle. Furthermore, we show that the timing of light environment sampling behaviour depends upon endogenous circadian rhythms and is abolished in mice lacking a circadian clock, indicating a feedback loop between light, the circadian clock and behaviour. Our results highlight the important role of behaviour in modifying the light signals available for circadian entrainment under natural conditions.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"635-637 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142249085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01992-0
Hannah L. Morgan, Nader Eid, Nadine Holmes, Sonal Henson, Victoria Wright, Clare Coveney, Catherine Winder, Donna M. O’Neil, Warwick B. Dunn, David J. Boocock, Adam J. Watkins
{"title":"Paternal undernutrition and overnutrition modify semen composition and preimplantation embryo developmental kinetics in mice","authors":"Hannah L. Morgan, Nader Eid, Nadine Holmes, Sonal Henson, Victoria Wright, Clare Coveney, Catherine Winder, Donna M. O’Neil, Warwick B. Dunn, David J. Boocock, Adam J. Watkins","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01992-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01992-0","url":null,"abstract":"The importance of parental diet in relation to eventual offspring health is increasing in prominence due to the increased frequency of parents of reproductive age consuming poor diets. Whilst maternal health and offspring outcome have been studied in some detail, the paternal impacts are not as well understood. A father’s poor nutritional status has been shown to have negative consequences on foetal growth and development and ultimately impact the long-term adult health of the offspring. In this study, we examined sperm- and seminal vesicle fluid-mediated mechanisms of preimplantation embryo development alterations in response to sub-optimal paternal diets. Male mice were fed a diet to model either under (low-protein diet (LPD)) or over (high-fat/sugar ‘Western’ diet (WD)) nutrition, LPD or WD supplemented with methyl donors or a control diet (CD) before mating with age-matched females. Male metabolic health was influenced by WD and MD-WD, with significant changes in multiple serum lipid classes and hepatic 1-carbon metabolites. Sperm RNA sequencing revealed significant changes to mRNA profiles in all groups when compared to CD (LPD: 32, MD-LPD: 17, WD: 53, MD-WD: 35 transcripts). Separate analysis of the seminal vesicle fluid proteome revealed a significant number of differentially expressed proteins in all groups (LPD: 13, MD-LPD: 27, WD: 24, MD-WD: 19) when compared to control. Following mating, in vitro time-lapse imaging of preimplantation embryos revealed a significant increase in the timing of development in all experimental groups when compared to CD embryos. Finally, qPCR analysis of uterine tissue at the time of implantation identified perturbed expression of Cd14 and Ptgs1 following mating with WD-fed males. Our current study shows that paternal nutritional status has the potential to influence male metabolic and reproductive health, impacting on embryonic development and the maternal reproductive tract. This study highlights potential direct (sperm-mediated) and indirect (seminal vesicle fluid-mediated) pathways in which a father’s poor diet could shape the long-term health of his offspring.\u0000","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"195 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142249086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-13DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-02000-1
Xingzhuo Yang, Xianguo Zhao, Zhangwu Zhao, Juan Du
{"title":"Genome-wide analysis reveals transcriptional and translational changes during diapause of the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis)","authors":"Xingzhuo Yang, Xianguo Zhao, Zhangwu Zhao, Juan Du","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-02000-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-02000-1","url":null,"abstract":"Diapause, a pivotal phase in the insect life cycle, enables survival during harsh environmental conditions. Unraveling the gene expression profiles of the diapause process helps uncover the molecular mechanisms that underlying diapause, which is crucial for understanding physiological adaptations. In this study, we utilize RNA-seq and Ribo-seq data to examine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and translational efficiency during diapause of Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis, ACB). Our results unveil genes classified as “forwarded”, “exclusive”, “intensified”, or “buffered” during diapause, shedding light on their transcription and translation regulation patterns. Furthermore, we explore the landscape of lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) during diapause and identify differentially expressed lncRNAs, suggesting their roles in diapause regulation. Comparative analysis of different types of diapause in insects uncovers shared and unique KEGG pathways. While shared pathways highlight energy balance, exclusive pathways in the ACB larvae indicate insect-specific adaptations related to nutrient utilization and stress response. Interestingly, our study also reveals dynamic changes in the HSP70 gene family and proteasome pathway during diapause. Manipulating HSP protein levels and proteasome pathway by HSP activator or inhibitor and proteasome inhibitor affects diapause, indicating their vital role in the process. In summary, these findings enhance our knowledge of how insects navigate challenging conditions through intricate molecular mechanisms.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142223793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-12DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01970-6
Tess Cherlin, Yi Jing, Siddhartha Shah, Anne Kennedy, Aristeidis G. Telonis, Venetia Pliatsika, Haley Wilson, Lily Thompson, Panagiotis I. Vlantis, Phillipe Loher, Benjamin Leiby, Isidore Rigoutsos
{"title":"The subcellular distribution of miRNA isoforms, tRNA-derived fragments, and rRNA-derived fragments depends on nucleotide sequence and cell type","authors":"Tess Cherlin, Yi Jing, Siddhartha Shah, Anne Kennedy, Aristeidis G. Telonis, Venetia Pliatsika, Haley Wilson, Lily Thompson, Panagiotis I. Vlantis, Phillipe Loher, Benjamin Leiby, Isidore Rigoutsos","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01970-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01970-6","url":null,"abstract":"MicroRNA isoforms (isomiRs), tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), and rRNA-derived fragments (rRFs) represent most of the small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) found in cells. Members of these three classes modulate messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein abundance and are dysregulated in diseases. Experimental studies to date have assumed that the subcellular distribution of these molecules is well-understood, independent of cell type, and the same for all isoforms of a sncRNA. We tested these assumptions by investigating the subcellular distribution of isomiRs, tRFs, and rRFs in biological replicates from three cell lines from the same tissue and same-sex donors that model the same cancer subtype. In each cell line, we profiled the isomiRs, tRFs, and rRFs in the nucleus, cytoplasm, whole mitochondrion (MT), mitoplast (MP), and whole cell. Using a rigorous mathematical model we developed, we accounted for cross-fraction contamination and technical errors and adjusted the measured abundances accordingly. Analyses of the adjusted abundances show that isomiRs, tRFs, and rRFs exhibit complex patterns of subcellular distributions. These patterns depend on each sncRNA’s exact sequence and the cell type. Even in the same cell line, isoforms of the same sncRNA whose sequences differ by a few nucleotides (nts) can have different subcellular distributions. SncRNAs with similar sequences have different subcellular distributions within and across cell lines, suggesting that each isoform could have a different function. Future computational and experimental studies of isomiRs, tRFs, and rRFs will need to distinguish among each molecule’s various isoforms and account for differences in each isoform’s subcellular distribution in the cell line at hand. While the findings add to a growing body of evidence that isomiRs, tRFs, rRFs, tRNAs, and rRNAs follow complex intracellular trafficking rules, further investigation is needed to exclude alternative explanations for the observed subcellular distribution of sncRNAs.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142223794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-11DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-02005-w
Luca Peruzza, Francesco Cicala, Massimo Milan, Giulia Dalla Rovere, Tomaso Patarnello, Luciano Boffo, Morgan Smits, Silvia Iori, Angelo De Bortoli, Federica Schiavon, Aurelio Zentilin, Piero Fariselli, Barbara Cardazzo, Luca Bargelloni
{"title":"Preventing illegal seafood trade using machine-learning assisted microbiome analysis","authors":"Luca Peruzza, Francesco Cicala, Massimo Milan, Giulia Dalla Rovere, Tomaso Patarnello, Luciano Boffo, Morgan Smits, Silvia Iori, Angelo De Bortoli, Federica Schiavon, Aurelio Zentilin, Piero Fariselli, Barbara Cardazzo, Luca Bargelloni","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-02005-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-02005-w","url":null,"abstract":"Seafood is increasingly traded worldwide, but its supply chain is particularly prone to frauds. To increase consumer confidence, prevent illegal trade, and provide independent validation for eco-labelling, accurate tools for seafood traceability are needed. Here we show that the use of microbiome profiling (MP) coupled with machine learning (ML) allows precise tracing the origin of Manila clams harvested in areas separated by small geographic distances. The study was designed to represent a real-world scenario. Clams were collected in different seasons across the most important production area in Europe (lagoons along the northern Adriatic coast) to cover the known seasonal variation in microbiome composition for the species. DNA extracted from samples underwent the same depuration process as commercial products (i.e. at least 12 h in open flow systems). Machine learning-based analysis of microbiome profiles was carried out using two completely independent sets of data (collected at the same locations but in different years), one for training the algorithm, and the other for testing its accuracy and assessing the temporal stability signal. Briefly, gills (GI) and digestive gland (DG) of clams were collected in summer and winter over two different years (i.e. from 2018 to 2020) in one banned area and four farming sites. 16S DNA metabarcoding was performed on clam tissues and the obtained amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) table was used as input for ML MP. The best-predicting performances were obtained using the combined information of GI and DG (consensus analysis), showing a Cohen K-score > 0.95 when the target was the classification of samples collected from the banned area and those harvested at farming sites. Classification of the four different farming areas showed slightly lower accuracy with a 0.76 score. We show here that MP coupled with ML is an effective tool to trace the origin of shellfish products. The tool is extremely robust against seasonal and inter-annual variability, as well as product depuration, and is ready for implementation in routine assessment to prevent the trade of illegally harvested or mislabeled shellfish.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142182141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The m6A writer KIAA1429 regulates photoaging progression via MFAP4-dependent collagen synthesis","authors":"Yuanyuan Liu, Jian Li, Chenhui Wang, Jiangbo Li, Kai Luo, Kang Tao, Yuan Tian, Xiang Song, Zhifang Zhai, Yuandong Tao, Jia You, Lihua Wu, Wenqian Li, Yuanyuan Jiao, Rongya Yang, Mingwang Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01976-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01976-0","url":null,"abstract":"N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) methylation, a common form of RNA modification, play an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases and in the ontogeny of organisms. Nevertheless, the precise function of m6A methylation in photoaging remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the biological role and underlying mechanism of m6A methylation in photoaging. m6A dot blot, Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were employed to detect the m6A level and specific m6A methylase in ultraviolet ray (UVR)-induced photoaging tissue. The profile of m6A-tagged mRNA was identified by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA-seq analysis. Finally, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of KIAA1429 by MeRIP-qPCR, RNA knockdown and immunofluorescence assay. m6A levels were increased in photoaging and were closely associated with the upregulation of KIAA1429 expression. 1331 differentially m6A methylated genes were identified in the UVR group compared with the control group, of which 1192 (90%) were hypermethylated. Gene ontology analysis showed that genes with m6A hypermethylation and mRNA downregulation were mainly involved in extracellular matrix metabolism and collagen metabolism-related processes. Furthermore, KIAA1429 knockdown abolished the downregulation of TGF-bRII and upregulation of MMP1 in UVR-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Mechanically, we identified MFAP4 as a target of KIAA1429-mediated m6A modification and KIAA1429 might suppress collagen synthesis through an m6A-MFAP4-mediated process. The increased expression of KIAA1429 hinders collagen synthesis during UVR-induced photoaging, suggesting that KIAA1429 represents a potential candidate for targeted therapy to mitigate UVR-driven photoaging.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142182026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Genomes of diverse Actinidia species provide insights into cis-regulatory motifs and genes associated with critical traits","authors":"Xiaolong Li, Liuqing Huo, Xinyi Li, Chaofan Zhang, Miaofeng Gu, Jialu Fan, Changbin Xu, Jinli Gong, Xiaoli Hu, Yi Zheng, Xuepeng Sun","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-02002-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-02002-z","url":null,"abstract":"Kiwifruit, belonging to the genus Actinidia, represents a unique fruit crop characterized by its modern cultivars being genetically diverse and exhibiting remarkable variations in morphological traits and adaptability to harsh environments. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying such morphological diversity remain largely elusive. We report the high-quality genomes of five Actinidia species, including Actinidia longicarpa, A. macrosperma, A. polygama, A. reticulata, and A. rufa. Through comparative genomics analyses, we identified three whole genome duplication events shared by the Actinidia genus and uncovered rapidly evolving gene families implicated in the development of characteristic kiwifruit traits, including vitamin C (VC) content and fruit hairiness. A range of structural variations were identified, potentially contributing to the phenotypic diversity in kiwifruit. Notably, phylogenomic analyses revealed 76 cis-regulatory elements within the Actinidia genus, predominantly associated with stress responses, metabolic processes, and development. Among these, five motifs did not exhibit similarity to known plant motifs, suggesting the presence of possible novel cis-regulatory elements in kiwifruit. Construction of a pan-genome encompassing the nine Actinidia species facilitated the identification of gene DTZ79_23g14810 specific to species exhibiting extraordinarily high VC content. Expression of DTZ79_23g14810 is significantly correlated with the dynamics of VC concentration, and its overexpression in the transgenic roots of kiwifruit plants resulted in increased VC content. Collectively, the genomes and pan-genome of diverse Actinidia species not only enhance our understanding of fruit development but also provide a valuable genomic resource for facilitating the genome-based breeding of kiwifruit.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142182020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The first embryonic landscape of G-quadruplexes related to myogenesis","authors":"Lijin Guo, Weiling Huang, Qi Wen, Siyu Zhang, Farhad Bordbar, Zhengzhong Xiao, Qinghua Nie","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-01993-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-01993-z","url":null,"abstract":"DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) represent a distinctive class of non-canonical DNA secondary structures. Despite their recognition as potential therapeutic targets in some cancers, the developmental role of G4 structures remains enigmatic. Mammalian embryonic myogenesis studies are hindered by limitations, prompting the use of chicken embryo-derived myoblasts as a model to explore G4 dynamics. This study aims to reveal the embryonic G4s landscape and elucidate the underlying mechanisms for candidate G4s that influence embryonic myogenesis. This investigation unveils a significant reduction in G4s abundance during myogenesis. G4s stabilizer pyridostatin impedes embryonic myogenesis, emphasizing the regulatory role of G4s in this process. G4 Cut&Tag sequencing and RNA-seq analyses identify potential G4s and DEGs influencing embryonic myogenesis. Integration of G4 and DEG candidates identifies 32 G4s located in promoter regions capable of modulating gene transcription. WGBS elucidates DNA methylation dynamics during embryonic myogenesis. Coordinating transcriptome data with DNA G4s and DNA methylation profiles constructs a G4-DMR-DEG network, revealing nine interaction pairs. Notably, the NFATC2 promoter region sequence is confirmed to form a G4 structure, reducing promoter mCpG content and upregulating NFATC2 transcriptional activity. This comprehensive study unravels the first embryonic genomic G4s landscape, highlighting the regulatory role of NFATC2 G4 in orchestrating transcriptional activity through promoter DNA methylation during myogenesis.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142182060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMC BiologyPub Date : 2024-09-11DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-02006-9
Si-Rui Xiao, Yao-Kun Zhang, Kai-Yu Liu, Yu-Xiang Huang, Rong Liu
{"title":"PNBACE: an ensemble algorithm to predict the effects of mutations on protein-nucleic acid binding affinity","authors":"Si-Rui Xiao, Yao-Kun Zhang, Kai-Yu Liu, Yu-Xiang Huang, Rong Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12915-024-02006-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-02006-9","url":null,"abstract":"Mutations occurring in nucleic acids or proteins may affect the binding affinities of protein-nucleic acid interactions. Although many efforts have been devoted to the impact of protein mutations, few computational studies have addressed the effect of nucleic acid mutations and explored whether the identical methodology could be applied to the prediction of binding affinity changes caused by these two mutation types. Here, we developed a generalized algorithm named PNBACE for both DNA and protein mutations. We first demonstrated that DNA mutations could induce varying degrees of changes in binding affinity from multiple perspectives. We then designed a group of energy-based topological features based on different energy networks, which were combined with our previous partition-based energy features to construct individual prediction models through feature selections. Furthermore, we created an ensemble model by integrating the outputs of individual models using a differential evolution algorithm. In addition to predicting the impact of single-point mutations, PNBACE could predict the influence of multiple-point mutations and identify mutations significantly reducing binding affinities. Extensive comparisons indicated that PNBACE largely performed better than existing methods on both regression and classification tasks. PNBACE is an effective method for estimating the binding affinity changes of protein-nucleic acid complexes induced by DNA or protein mutations, therefore improving our understanding of the interactions between proteins and DNA/RNA.","PeriodicalId":9339,"journal":{"name":"BMC Biology","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142182140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}