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ABSTRACT: We sequenced nucleosomal DNA fragments of the filamentous ascomycetes Aspergillus nidulans and A. oryzae and then mapped those sequences on their genomes. We compared the GC content and nucleosome density in the exonic and intronic regions in the genes of A. nidulans and A. oryzae. Although the GC content and nucleosome density in the exonic regions trended to be higher than those in the intronic regions, the difference in the distribution of the GC content was more notable than that of the nucleosome density. Next, we compared the GC content and nucleosome density in the exonic regions of 9,616 orthologous gene pairs. In both Aspergillus species, the GC content did not correlate with the nucleosome density. In addition, the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ = 0.51) between the GC content of the exonic regions of the 9,616 orthologous gene pairs was higher than that (ρ = 0.31) of the nucleosome densities of A. nidulans and A. oryzae. These results strongly suggest that the GC content in the exons of the orthologous gene pairs has been conserved during evolution but the nucleosome density has varied throughout.
Gene 05/2013; · 2.34 Impact Factor
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Hiromi Nishida
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ABSTRACT: It is no longer as difficult to determine genomic DNA sequences of uncultured bacteria as it once was, due to the development of DNA sequencing technology. It is likely that the number of whole-genome sequences of phytoplasmas will increase. In this chapter, two major strategies of whole-genome comparison studies, viz. gene content and orthologous protein sequence comparisons, are described. In general, horizontal gene transfer has greater influence on gene content-based phylogenetic analysis than orthologous protein sequence-based analysis. However, horizontal gene transfer has occurred rarely during the evolution of Mollicutes. Thus, the two phylogenetic topologies of the Mollicutes based on the two different strategies are similar.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 01/2013; 938:319-27.
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Hiromi Nishida
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ABSTRACT: Comparative genomics has revealed that variations in bacterial and archaeal genome DNA sequences cannot be explained by only neutral mutations. Virus resistance and plasmid distribution systems have resulted in changes in bacterial and archaeal genome sequences during evolution. The restriction-modification system, a virus resistance system, leads to avoidance of palindromic DNA sequences in genomes. Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) found in genomes represent yet another virus resistance system. Comparative genomics has shown that bacteria and archaea have failed to gain any DNA with GC content higher than the GC content of their chromosomes. Thus, horizontally transferred DNA regions have lower GC content than the host chromosomal DNA does. Some nucleoid-associated proteins bind DNA regions with low GC content and inhibit the expression of genes contained in those regions. This form of gene repression is another type of virus resistance system. On the other hand, bacteria and archaea have used plasmids to gain additional genes. Virus resistance systems influence plasmid distribution. Interestingly, the restriction-modification system and nucleoid-associated protein genes have been distributed via plasmids. Thus, GC content and genomic signatures do not reflect bacterial and archaeal evolutionary relationships.
Current issues in molecular biology 07/2012; 15(1):19-24. · 3.14 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present findings on the nucleosomal arrangement in the genome of the basidiomycete Mixia osmundae, focusing on nucleosomal linker DNA regions. We have assembled the genomic sequences of M. osmundae, annotated genes and transcription start sites (TSSs) on the genome, and created a detailed nucleosome map based on sequencing mono- and dinucleosomal DNA fragments. The nucleosomal DNA length distribution of M. osmundae is similar to that of the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus fumigatus, but differs from that of ascomycetous yeasts, strongly suggesting that nucleosome positioning has evolved primarily through neutral drift in fungal species. We found clear association between dinucleotide frequencies and linker DNA regions mapped as the midpoints of dinucleosomes. We also describe a unique pattern found in the nucleosome-depleted region upstream of the TSS observed in the dinucleosome map and the precursor status of dinucleosomes prior to the digestion into mononucleosomes by comparing the mono- and dinucleosome maps. We demonstrate that observation of dinucleosomes as well as of mononucleosomes is valuable in investigating nucleosomal organization of the genome.
Open biology. 04/2012; 2(4):120043.
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Hiromi Nishida
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ABSTRACT: Although nucleosome positions tend to be conserved in gene promoters, whether they are conserved in duplicated and orthologous genes is unknown. In order to elucidate how nucleosome positions are conserved between duplicated and orthologous gene pairs, I performed 2 comparative studies. First, I compared the nucleosome position profiles of duplicated genes in the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus fumigatus. After identifying 63 duplicated gene pairs among 9630 protein-encoding genes, I compared the nucleosome position profiles of the paired genes. Although nucleosome positions are conserved more in gene promoters than in gene bodies, their profiles were diverse, suggesting evolutionary changes after gene duplication. Next, I examined the conservation of nucleosome position profiles in 347 A. fumigatus orthologs of S. cerevisiae genes that showed notably high conservation of nucleosome positions between the parent strain and 2 deletion mutants. In only 11 (3.2%) of the 347 gene pairs, the nucleosome position profile was highly conserved (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient > 0.7). The absence of nucleosome position conservation in promoters of orthologous genes suggests organismal specificity of nucleosome arrangements.
TheScientificWorldJOURNAL 01/2012; 2012:298174. · 1.66 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) (E.C. 4.2.1.1) is a ubiquitous enzyme catalysing interconversion between CO(2) and bicarbonate. The irregular distribution of the phylogenetically distinct classes of CA in procaryotic genome suggests its complex evolutionary history in procaryotes. Genetic evidence regarding the dispensability of CA under high-CO(2) air in some model organisms indicates that CA-deficient microorganisms can persist in the natural environment by choosing high-CO(2) niches. In this study, we studied the distribution of CA in the genome of Proteobacteria. While a large majority of the genome-sequenced Proteobacteria retained a CA gene(s), intracellular bacterial genera such as Buchnera and Rickettsia contained CA-defective strains. Comparison between CA-retaining and CA- deficient genomes showed the absence of whole coding sequence in some strains and the presence of frameshifted coding sequence in other strains. The evidence suggests that CA is inactivated and lost in some proteobacteria during the course of evolution based on its dispensability.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2012; 2012:324549.
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Hiromi Nishida
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ABSTRACT: Most ascomycetous yeasts have 2 homocitrate synthases (HCSs). Among the fungal lysine biosynthesis-related genes, only the HCS gene was duplicated in the course of evolution. It was recently reported that HCS of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has an additional function in nuclear activities involving chromatin regulation related to DNA damage repair, which is not related to lysine biosynthesis. Thus, it is possible that the bifunctionality is associated with HCS gene duplication. Phylogenetic analysis showed that duplication has occurred multiple times during evolution of the ascomycetous yeasts. It is likely that the HCS gene duplication in S. cerevisiae occurred in the course of Saccharomyces evolution. Although the nucleosome position profiles of the two S. cerevisiae HCS genes were similar in the coding regions, they were different in the promoter regions, suggesting that they are subject to different regulatory controls. S. cerevisiae has maintained HCS activity for lysine biosynthesis and has obtained bifunctionality.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2012; 2012:254941.
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Hiromi Nishida
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ABSTRACT: In the present paper, I compared guanine-cytosine (GC) contents, DNA sizes, and dinucleotide frequency profiles in 109 archaeal chromosomes, 59 archaeal plasmids, 1379 bacterial chromosomes, and 854 bacterial plasmids. In more than 80% of archaeal and bacterial plasmids, the GC content was lower than that of the host chromosome. Furthermore, most of the differences in GC content found between a plasmid and its host chromosome were less than 10%, and the GC content in plasmids and host chromosomes was highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.965 in bacteria and 0.917 in archaea). These results support the hypothesis that horizontal gene transfers have occurred frequently via plasmid distribution during evolution. GC content and chromosome size were more highly correlated in bacteria (r = 0.460) than in archaea (r = 0.195). Interestingly, there was a tendency for archaea with plasmids to have higher GC content in the chromosome and plasmid than those without plasmids. Thus, the dinucleotide frequency profile of the archaeal plasmids has a bias toward high GC content.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2012; 2012:342482.
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ABSTRACT: Thermus thermophilus biosynthesizes lysine through the α-aminoadipate (AAA) pathway: this observation was the first discovery of lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway in archaea and bacteria. Genes homologous to the T. thermophilus lysine biosynthetic genes are widely distributed in bacteria of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum. Our phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that a common ancestor of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum had the ancestral genes for bacterial lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway. In addition, our findings suggest that the ancestor lacked genes for lysine biosynthesis through the diaminopimelate (DAP) pathway. Interestingly, Deinococcus proteolyticus does not have the genes for lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway but does have the genes for lysine biosynthesis through the DAP pathway. Phylogenetic analyses of D. proteolyticus lysine biosynthetic genes showed that the key gene cluster for the DAP pathway was transferred horizontally from a phylogenetically distant organism.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2012; 2012:745931.
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ABSTRACT: The extremely radioresistant bacteria of the genus Deinococcus and the extremely thermophilic bacteria of the genus Thermus belong to a common taxonomic group. Considering the distinct living environments of Deinococcus and Thermus, different genes would have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer after their divergence from a common ancestor. Their guanine-cytosine (GC) contents are similar; however, we hypothesized that their genomic signatures would be different. Our findings indicated that the genomes of Deinococcus radiodurans and Thermus thermophilus have different tetranucleotide frequencies. This analysis showed that the genome signature of D. radiodurans is most similar to that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas the genome signature of T. thermophilus is most similar to that of Thermanaerovibrio acidaminovorans. This difference in genome signatures may be related to the different evolutionary backgrounds of the 2 genera after their divergence from a common ancestor.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2012; 2012:205274.
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Hiromi Nishida
ISRN Molecular Biology. 01/2012; 2012:245706.
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ABSTRACT: The anaerobic thermophilic bacterial genus Dictyoglomus is characterized by the ability to produce useful enzymes such as amylase, mannanase, and xylanase. Despite the significance, the phylogenetic position of Dictyoglomus has not yet been clarified, since it exhibits ambiguous phylogenetic positions in a single gene sequence comparison-based analysis. The number of substitutions at the diverging point of Dictyoglomus is insufficient to show the relationships in a single gene comparison-based analysis. Hence, we studied its evolutionary trait based on whole-genome comparison. Both gene content and orthologous protein sequence comparisons indicated that Dictyoglomus is most closely related to the phylum Thermotogae and it forms a monophyletic group with Coprothermobacter proteolyticus (a constituent of the phylum Firmicutes) and Thermotogae. Our findings indicate that C. proteolyticus does not belong to the phylum Firmicutes and that the phylum Dictyoglomi is not closely related to either the phylum Firmicutes or Synergistetes but to the phylum Thermotogae.
Genomics 08/2011; 98(5):370-5. · 3.02 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: RNA transcripts from 199-kb incompatibility P-7 plasmid pCAR1 were analyzed using microarrays with evenly tiled probes with a nine-nucleotide offset in six different Pseudomonas host strains. We re-annotated 12 ORFs based on their RNA maps and on the comparisons with other sequenced IncP-7 plasmids. Ninety six of two hundred ORFs were identified on the IncP-7 backbone related to basic functions of the plasmid (replication, partition and conjugative transfer). More than 90% ORFs on the backbone were transcribed in each host strain, suggesting their importance for the plasmid survival in the host strains. Genes related to partition and conjugative transfer were differentially transcribed host by host, whereas the repA gene encoding replication initiation protein was transcribed at comparable level in each host. As for other plasmid 'accessory genes' of pCAR1 encoding carbazole degradation, putative transporter, or transposase were also differentially transcribed among different host strains. These differences may have resulted in distinct behaviors of the plasmid or of its host strain, and RNA maps of pCAR1 give us important information to understand the plasmid behaviors in different environments.
Plasmid 06/2011; 66(2):85-92. · 1.52 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To determine phylogenetic placement of Mixia osmundae (T. Nishida) Kramer (Mixiaceae, Protomycetales), we sequenced the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene from M. osmundae IFO-32408 and compared it with that from 4 archiascomycetes (Ascomycota) and 24 basidiomycetes. Our molecular phylogeny indicates that M. osmundae and the basidiomycetes Rhodosporidium toruloides, Leucosporidium scottii, Sporobolomyces roseus, Sporidiobolus johnsonii, Cronartium ribicola, Peridermium harknessii, and Erythrobasidium hasegawianum group together in 100% of bootstrap replicates. The M. osmundae spores on the host fern Osmunda japonica have been regarded as ascospores (i.e., endogenously produced within an ascus), but our light microscopic, SEM, and TEM observations for fresh materials of M. osmundae on O. japonica in Japan clearly demonstrated that these are produced exogenously, blastically, and simultaneously from the sporogenous cell. Evidence from both molecular and morphological characters suggests that M. osmundae is not a member of the ascomycetes and is not related to either the Taphrinales or Protomycetales. Obviously Mixia osmundae is a member of the basidiomycetes and placed within the simple septate basidiomycete lineage. Key words: fungal evolution, basidiomycete phylogeny, Mixia osmundae, Taphrinales, Protomycetales, 18S rRNA.
Canadian Journal of Botany 03/2011; 73:660-666. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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01/2011: pages 1499-1502; , ISBN: 9780444521491
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ABSTRACT: In order to elucidate the influence of histone acetylation upon nucleosomal DNA length and nucleosome position, we compared nucleosome maps of the following three yeast strains; strain BY4741 (control), the elp3 (one of histone acetyltransferase genes) deletion mutant, and the hos2 (one of histone deactylase genes) deletion mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We sequenced mononucleosomal DNA fragments after treatment with micrococcal nuclease. After mapping the DNA fragments to the genome, we identified the nucleosome positions. We showed that the distributions of the nucleosomal DNA lengths of the control and the hos2 disruptant were similar. On the other hand, the distribution of the nucleosomal DNA lengths of the elp3 disruptant shifted toward shorter than that of the control. It strongly suggests that inhibition of Elp3-induced histone acetylation causes the nucleosomal DNA length reduction. Next, we compared the profiles of nucleosome mapping numbers in gene promoter regions between the control and the disruptant. We detected 24 genes with low conservation level of nucleosome positions in promoters between the control and the elp3 disruptant as well as between the control and the hos2 disruptant. It indicates that both Elp3-induced acetylation and Hos2-induced deacetylation influence the nucleosome positions in the promoters of those 24 genes. Interestingly, in 19 of the 24 genes, the profiles of nucleosome mapping numbers were similar between the two disruptants.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(1):e16372. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Saccharomycotina and Taphrinomycotina lack intron in their histone genes, except for an intron in one of histone H4 genes of Yarrowia lipolytica. On the other hand, Basidiomycota and Perizomycotina have introns in their histone genes. We compared the distributions of 81, 47, 79, and 98 introns in the fungal histone H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 genes, respectively. Based on the multiple alignments of the amino acid sequences of histones, we identified 19, 13, 31, and 22 intron insertion sites in the histone H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 genes, respectively. Surprisingly only one hot spot of introns in the histone H2A gene is shared between Basidiomycota and Perizomycotina, suggesting that most of introns of Basidiomycota and Perizomycotina were acquired independently. Our findings suggest that the common ancestor of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota maybe had a few introns in the histone genes. In the course of fungal evolution, Saccharomycotina and Taphrinomycotina lost the histone introns; Basidiomycota and Perizomycotina acquired other introns independently. In addition, most of the introns have sequence similarity among introns of phylogenetically close species, strongly suggesting that horizontal intron transfer events between phylogenetically distant species have not occurred recently in the fungal histone genes.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(1):e16548. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Comparisons of gene content and orthologous protein sequence constitute a major strategy in whole-genome comparison studies. It is expected that horizontal gene transfer between phylogenetically distant organisms and lineage-specific gene loss have greater influence on gene content-based phylogenetic analysis than orthologous protein sequence-based phylogenetic analysis. To determine the evolution of the syntrophic bacterium Symbiobacterium thermophilum, we analyzed phylogenetic relationships among Clostridia on the basis of gene content and orthologous protein sequence comparisons. These comparisons revealed that these 2 phylogenetic relationships are topologically different. Our results suggest that each Clostridia has a species-specific gene content because frequent genetic exchanges or gene losses have occurred during evolution. Specifically, the phylogenetic positions of syntrophic Clostridia were different between these 2 phylogenetic analyses, suggesting that large diversity in the living environments may cause the observed species-specific gene content. S. thermophilum occupied the most distant position from the other syntrophic Clostridia in the gene content-based phylogenetic tree. We identified 32 genes (14 under relaxed selection and 18 under functional constraint) evolving under Symbiobacterium-specific selection on the basis of synonymous-to-nonsynonymous substitution ratios. Five of the 14 genes under relaxed selection are related to transcription. In contrast, none of the 18 genes under functional constraint is related to transcription.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2011; 2011:376831.
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ABSTRACT: Although the bacterium Symbiobacterium thermophilum has a genome with a high guanine-cytosine (GC) content (69%), it belongs to a low GC content bacterial group. We detected only 18 low GC content regions with 5 or more consecutive genes whose GC contents were below 65% in the genome of this organism. S. thermophilum has 66 transposase genes, which are markers of transposable genetic elements, and 38 (58%) of them were located in the low GC content regions, suggesting that Symbiobacterium has a similar gene silencing system as Salmonella. The top hit (best match) analyses for each Symbiobacterium protein showed that putative horizontally transferred genes and vertically inherited genes are scattered across the genome. Approximately 25% of the 3338 Symbiobacterium proteins have the highest similarity with the protein of a phylogenetically distant organism. The putative horizontally transferred genes also have a high GC content, suggesting that Symbiobacterium has gained many DNA fragments from phylogenetically distant organisms during the early stage of Firmicutes evolution. After acquiring genes, Symbiobacterium increased the GC content of the horizontally transferred genes and thereby maintained a genome with a high GC content.
International journal of evolutionary biology. 01/2011; 2011:634505.
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The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 01/2011; 57(1):63-7. · 0.98 Impact Factor
