Catfish, the "king" of the U.S. aquaculture, is threatened by a severe, systemic bacterial disease known as enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). This disease causes high mortality and massive economic losses in cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in the United States. E. ictaluri penetrates catfish intestinal epithelia quickly and establishes a systemic infection rapidly. However, our knowledge on catfish intestine and E. ictaluri interaction is very limited. In Particular, catfish intestinal immune responses and virulence genes needed by E. ictaluri to evade host defenses are not well understood. Hence, our long-term goal is to identify the molecular mechanisms of E. ictaluri-host interactions. The overall objectives of this study were to understand catfish immune responses to E. ictaluri infection and determine essential genes of E. ictaluri during the intestinal invasion. To accomplish the overall objectives of this research, intestinal ligated loops were constructed surgically in live catfish and loops were injected with wild-type E. ictaluri and two live attenuated E. ictaluri vaccine strains developed recently by our research group. We first determined catfish intestinal immune responses against E. ictaluri wild-type and live attenuated vaccine strains. Then, we analyzed the global gene expression patterns of wild-type E. ictaluri and vaccine strains during catfish intestinal invasion using high throughput RNA-Seq technology. Results showed a moderate level of neutrophil and B cell infiltration correlated with significantly lower expression of TNF-α, CD4-1, and CD8-α in the vaccine injected intestinal tissue compared to that of wild-type injected intestinal tissue. Further, RNA-Seq data analysis showed the prominent expression of genes related to bacterial secretion systems, ATP production processes, and multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps in wild-type E. ictaluri. In contrast, the prominently expressed genes in vaccine strains were related to the phosphotransferase system and sugar metabolism processes. All these data suggest that our live attenuated vaccines are capable of triggering effective immune responses in catfish without causing damage to the host.

The genetic mechanisms by which natural populations maintain abundant phenotypic variation and adapt to their local environments remains a controversial topic in evolutionary biology. An intriguing mechanism involving highly mutable microsatellites follows the “tuning knob” model which proposes that stepwise changes in microsatellite allele lengths reciprocally generate phenotypic variation in a stepwise manner. In this study, I explored the predictions of the tuning knob model focusing specifically on transcribed microsatellites within and among natural populations of common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) transecting a latitudinal cline. An RNA-Seq experiment was conducted on 95 individuals from Kansas and Oklahoma grown in a common garden. To explore the potential role that microsatellites play in gene expression divergence in common sunflower, enrichment of microsatellites within differentially expressed (DE) genes was assessed. The results showed that A and AG repeat-containing microsatellites are enriched within DE genes and that 83.5% of these microsatellites are located within untranslated regions (UTRs). This finding is consistent with a role for transcribed microsatellites in gene expression divergence. RNA-Seq data were then used to assess microsatellite allele length effects on gene expression. Of all the microsatellites characterized in a reference transcriptome, 3,325 were consistently genotyped. The study identified 479 microsatellites at which allele length significantly correlated with gene expression (eSTRs). When irregular allele sizes were removed from the analysis, the number of eSTRs rose to 2379. eSTRs were most abundant within UTRs (70.4%) which suggests that they are well-positioned as cis-regulatory elements. A population genetic study conducted with 672 individuals across 17 sunflower populations from Saskatchewan to Oklahoma revealed strong signatures of directional selection acting on 13 eSTRs compared to 19 anonymous microsatellites assumed to evolve in a neutral fashion. This demonstrates that longer or shorter alleles may be favored in more extreme environments to that considered in the focal study. A second common garden experiment conducted with populations further north and south of focal populations revealed consistent patterns of correlation between microsatellite allele length and gene expression at some eSTRs. This study provides evidence that a substantial number of transcribed microsatellites function as “tuning knobs” of adaptation in common sunflower by modulating gene expression in a stepwise manner. These findings imply that the genomes of natural populations may include hundreds of active tuning knobs that can facilitate rapid evolution.

No description available.

No description available.

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key serine/threonine protein kinase that functions in complexes mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1, originally discovered due to its sensitivity towards the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, responds to extracellular growth factor signaling, WNT signaling, and nutrient abundance via glucose and amino acid-triggered signaling. Downstream effectors of mTORC1 include autophagy, mitochondrial metabolic function, protein synthesis, and ribosome biogenesis. mTORC2, initially discovered as a rapamycin-insensitive complex of mTOR, responds to insulin, growth factor signaling, and inflammatory signaling such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, with its downstream effectors being Akt, a key serine/threonine kinase that functions in cell division and is frequently dysregulated in many types of cancer, the NFkB pathway, and cytoskeletal reorganization and protein synthesis. Much research has been devoted to mTORC1 signaling, with mTORC2 receiving significantly less attention, despite both complexes’ regulation of key cellular activities and response to rapamycin, as well as to other rapamycin-derived drugs (rapalogs). We have targeted both mTORC1 and mTORC2 for hepatocyte-specific deletion during the gestational period of mice, with the goal of describing mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling and its perturbation in the adult mouse hepatocyte. Our model has shown that deletion of RAPTOR, the regulatory associated protein of mTOR, and RICTOR, the rapamycin insensitive component of mTOR, in mTORC1 and mTORC2 respectively, leads to widespread effects on the hepatocyte transcriptome. We have found that a subset of genes responds both to Raptor and Rictor knockout, and an analysis of these genes indicates their function in key disorders of the liver, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioinformatic analysis following hepatocyte RNA sequencing of mTORC1 and mTORC2 knockout mice has revealed an unexpected upregulation of genes known to be regulated by these respective complexes. We have also found that cross talk exists between both complexes, in which the knockout of one yields the activation of the other. We have additionally found translationally relevant enrichments following Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) of RNA sequencing data. These results provide a key mechanistic discovery of mTOR signaling activity, and allow for a better understanding of the potential physiological effects of mTOR inhibition in human patients.

Aedes aegypti is an important vector of human pathogens including the viruses yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is a critical immune response for controlling viral replication in Aedes aegypti. The goal of this research is to identify components of the Aedes aegypti genome that influence this pathway. A transgenic mosquito strain that reports the status of the siRNA pathway via enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) intensity was employed to differentiate silencing abilities among individuals. Extreme EGFP expression phenotypes, representing efficient and poor silencing abilities, were enriched over five generations. Transcriptome sequencing and analyses were performed from pools of individuals from each enriched phenotype, revealing potential RNAi contributors. 1,120 transcripts were significantly different (FDR<0.0001) among the extreme phenotypes. Four genes were chosen, amplified, sequenced for SNP analysis. These analyses were performed on samples obtained by crossing enriched, extreme phenotype F0 individuals, intercrossing their progeny, then selecting individuals representing the extreme phenotypes from the F2 population. Though further verification is needed, findings from these analyses imply the regions of Aedes aegypti, Liverpool strain (AAEL) gene identifiers AAEL005026, AAEL013438 and AAEL011704 amplified do not contribute to the two extreme, opposite RNAi silencing in the sensor strain used here. SNP analyses of AAEL000817 indicate this gene either influences extreme RNAi phenotypes or is closely linked to a gene(s) that contributes to RNAi in Aedes aegypti. The 1,120 genes identified can be validated or eliminated as potential targets in the quest to mitigate the impact of Aedes aegypti. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Les ARN longs non-codants (lncRNAs) constituent une famille d'ARN hétérogènes qui jouent un rôle majeur dans de nombreux cancers et notamment dans les mélanomes. Le chien est un modèle naturel et spontané pour l’analyse génétique comparée des cancers et, l'annotation du génome canin a récemment été enrichie avec l'identification de plus 10 000 lncRNAs. Afin de réaliser des prédictions fonctionnelles bioinformatiques des lncRNAs, nous avons caractérisé les profils d'expression des lncRNAs canins à partir de 26 tissus distincts. Nous avons défini la spécificité tissulaire de l’expression des lncRNAs et inféré leur fonctionnalité potentielle par des analyses de génomique et de transcriptomique comparatives avec des données humaines issues du projet ENCODE (ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements). Comme chez l'homme et la souris, une grande proportion de lncRNAs canins (44 %) est exprimée de manière spécifique au sein d’un tissu. Par une approche de génomique comparative, nous avons identifié plus de 900 lncRNAs orthologues entre l’homme et le chien et pour 26 % d’entre eux, des patrons d'expression entre tissus significativement conservés (p < 0,05). Dans le cadre de l'étude des mélanomes canins, nous avons analysé les données de RNA-seq de 52 échantillons tumeurs/contrôles de mélanomes oraux. Nous avons identifié plus de 750 lncRNAs différentiellement exprimés entre la tumeur et le contrôle (FDR < 0,01), dont plus de 100 conservés avec l’homme. Ces lncRNAs constituent de bons candidats pour étudier la régulation de la progression tumorale des mélanomes chez le chien et pourront être évalués pour leurs potentiels diagnostic et thérapeutique en médecine humaine et vétérinaire. / Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a family of heterogeneous RNAs that play a major role in many cancers, particularly in melanomas. The dog is a natural and spontaneous model for the comparative genetic analysis of cancers and, the annotation of the canine genome has recently been enriched with the identification of over 10,000 lncRNAs. In order to perform functional bioinformatic predictions of lncRNAs, we have characterized the expression patterns of canine lncRNAs from 26 distinct tissues representative of the major functions of the organism. We defined the tissue specificity of lncRNAs expression and inferred their potential functionality by comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses with human data from the ENCODE project (ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements). As in humans and mice, we show that a large proportion of canine lncRNAs (44%) are expressed specifically within a tissue. Using a comparative genomic approach, we have identified more than 900 orthologue lncRNAs between humans and dogs, and we show that for 26% of them, tissue expression patterns are also significantly conserved (p < 0.05). In the study of canine melanomas, we investigated the lncRNAs from RNA-seq data from 52 tumour/control samples of oral melanoma. We identified more than 750lncRNAs differentially expressed between tumour and control (FDR < 0.01), of which more than 100 were conserved with humans. These lncRNAs are good candidates to study the regulation of tumour progression of melanomas in dogs and can be evaluated for their diagnostic and therapeutic potential in human and veterinary medicine.

Les technologies « Next Generation Sequencing» (NGS), qui permettent de caractériser les séquences génomiques à un rythme sans précédent, sont utilisées pour caractériser la diversité génétique humaine et le transcriptome (partie du génome transcrite en acides ribonucléiques). Les variations du niveau d’expression des gènes selon les organes et circonstances, sous-tendent la différentiation cellulaire et la réponse aux changements d’environnement. Comme les maladies affectent souvent l’expression génique, les profils transcriptomiques peuvent servir des fins médicales (diagnostic, pronostic). Différentes méthodes d’apprentissage artificiel ont été proposées pour classer des individus sur base de données multidimensionnelles (par exemple, niveau d’expression de tous les gènes dans des d’échantillons). Pendant ma thèse, j’ai évalué des méthodes de « machine learning » afin d’optimiser la précision de la classification d’échantillons sur base de profils transcriptomiques de type RNA-seq. / Since a decade, “Next Generation Sequencing” (NGS) technologies enabled to characterize genomic sequences at an unprecedented pace. Many studies focused of human genetic diversity and on transcriptome (the part of genome transcribed into ribonucleic acid). Indeed, different tissues of our body express different genes at different moments, enabling cell differentiation and functional response to environmental changes. Since many diseases affect gene expression, transcriptome profiles can be used for medical purposes (diagnostic and prognostic). A wide variety of advanced statistical and machine learning methods have been proposed to address the general problem of classifying individuals according to multiple variables (e.g. transcription level of thousands of genes in hundreds of samples). During my thesis, I led a comparative assessment of machine learning methods and their parameters, to optimize the accuracy of sample classification based on RNA-seq transcriptome profiles.

L’annotation des génomes est un défi majeur pour lier les génotypes aux phénotypes. Identifier les ARN longs non-codants (ARNlnc) dans les génomes fait partie de ce défi ; d’expression relativement faible, ils n’ont été mis en évidence que récemment (2012) par l’avènement des technologies de séquençage haut débit. Ces travaux de recherche ont permis à partir de données RNA-seq, de mettre en lumière un grand nombre d’ARNlnc chez les espèces d’élevage et en particulier chez la poule chez qui aucun ARNlnc n’était décrit au début de cette thèse (2015). Un premier travail a consisté à identifier ces ARNlnc en utilisant des échantillons de foie et tissu adipeux puis nous avons amélioré ce catalogue par intégration d’autres bases de données publiques d’ARNlnc disparates. De plus, d’après la littérature, les ARNlnc ont été décrits comme intervenant dans la régulation de tous les processus biologiques :de la structure cellulaire à l’expression des gènes. La problématique de l’équipe étant associée à la compréhension de la régulation du métabolisme des lipides chez la poule, mon second travail a consisté à établir la liste des ARNlnc connus dans le règne animal comme étant impliqués dans ce métabolisme ou dans le processus de stockage et de formation du tissu adipeux, l’adipogenèse. Les analyses de conservation par synténie ont permis de retrouver une vingtaine de ces ARNlnc chez la poule. Enfin, à partir de lignées divergentes pour le poids de gras abdominal, j’ai également mis en évidence de nouveaux ARNlnc potentiellement régulateurs de ce métabolisme lipidique. / Genome annotation is a major challenge in connecting genotypes with phenotypes. Identifying long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in genomes is part of this challenge; they are relatively low-expressed and have only been highlighted in 2012 thanks to the development of high throughput sequencing technologies. This research work has led to the identification of a large number of lncRNAs in livestock species, particularly in the chicken, in which no lncRNA had yet been described at the beginning of this thesis (2015). First, my aim was to identify these lncRNAs using liver and adipose tissue and to improve this catalogue by integrating other existing lncRNA public databases.Moreover, according to the literature, lncRNAs are involved in the regulation of any biological process, from gene expression to cell structure. One of the goals of our team is to understand the regulation of lipid metabolism in the chicken, I thus established the list of all lncRNAs known within the animal kingdom and involved in this metabolism or in adipogenesis, the process of storage and formation of adipose tissue. The conservation by synteny analyses revealed around twenty conserved lncRNAs in the chicken. From divergent abdominal fat weight chicken lines, I lastly identified new lncRNAs that potentially regulate this lipid metabolism.

O eucalipto (Eucalyptus spp.) é a arbórea comercial mais importante do Brasil, tendo um papel marcante na indústria de papel e celulose. O aumento no rendimento da extração da polpa celulósica e a redução nos custos de produção são os principais objetivos dos programas de melhoramento genético de eucalipto. Como o processo de deslignificação é fundamental para a extração da celulose, é suma importante compreender a biossíntese e deposição da parede celular secundária durante a xilogênese. A diferenciação dos elementos traqueais é caracterizada pela deposição da parede celular secundária, logo estudos de expressão gênica envolvendo essas células xilemáticas é uma estratégia interessante. Foi realizado o sequenciamento do transcriptoma de células em suspensão em diferentes fases de desenvolvimento (células meristemáticas, células alongadas e elementos traqueais) gerando 348 milhões de leituras paired-end com 100 pb cada uma, com a maioria das leituras (80 %) alinhada e mapeada contra genoma de referência. A análise dos genes diferencialmente expressos (GDEs) identificou um total de 3426, 1044 e 4665 GDEs nas comparações M vs. A, A vs. T e M vs. T, respectivamente. Sendo 1316, 567, 2637 genes up-regulated e 2110, 476, 2028 genes down-regulated nas comparações M/A, T/A, T/M, respectivamente. Um total de 4229 genes foram anotados funcionalmente e mapeados em 310 rotas identificadas pelo KEGG, obtendo-se 40 sequências relacionadas à rota dos fenilpropanoides, a quinta rota mais representativa. Quando foram considerados os GDEs com log2 fold change &le; -1,5 e log2 fold change &ge; 1,5, 34 rotas metabólicas foram identificadas, destas, a principal foi a rota dos fenilpropanoides, com 14 sequências relacionadas a enzima lactoperoxidase. Foi realizado o enriquecimento dos termos GO e nas redes a biossíntese de celulose e xiloglucanos, rotas de sinalização de etileno, rotas de biogênese e organização da parede celular vegetal e de morte celular, entre outras, foram destaque. Identificaram-se 31 fatores de transcrição, sendo 3 fatores de transcrição MYB, 2 fatores de transcrição NAC e 10 fatores de transcrição WRKY. Além disso, 21, 7 e 23 genes da rota da celulose e hemiceluloses e 24, 8 e 21 genes da rota de síntese dos monômeros da lignina foram constatados nas comparações M vs. A, A vs. T e M vs. T, respectivamente. Assim como, foram encontrados genes codificadores de lacases e peroxidases, participantes da polimerização dos monômeros da lignina. Os resultados possibilitaram uma compreensão mais ampla da regulação transcricional da biossíntese da parede celular secundária nas células xilemáticas de eucalipto e revelou novos genes participantes da xilogênese. Este conjunto de dados transcricionais ajudará na realização de manipulações genéticas visando à obtenção de plantas de eucalipto com características de extratibilidade aspiradas pela indústria. / Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) is the most important commercial tree in Brazil, playing a significant role in the pulp and paper industry. An increase in the yield of cellulosic pulp extraction and a reduction of production cost are the main objectives of the eucalyptus breeding programs. As the delignification process is fundamental for the extraction of cellulose, it is highly important to understand the biosynthesis and deposition of the secondary cell wall during xylogenesis. The differentiation of the tracheary elements is characterized by the deposition of the secondary cell wall, so studies of gene expression involving these xylem cells is an interesting strategy. Sequencing of the transcriptome of cells in suspension at different stages of development (meristematic cells, elongated cells and tracheal elements) was performed generating 348 million paired-end reads with 100 bp each, with most readings (80%) aligned and mapped against reference genome. The analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified a total of 3426, 1044 and 4665 DEGs in the comparisons M vs. A, A vs. T and M vs. T, respectively. Being 1316, 567, 2637 up-regulated genes and 2110, 476, 2028 down-regulated genes in the M/A, T/A, T/M, respectively. A total of 4229 genes were functionally annotated and mapped in 310 routes identified by the KEGG, yielding 40 sequences related to the phenylpropanoid route, the fifth most representative route. When DEGs with log2 fold change &le; - 1.5 e log2 fold change &ge; 1.5 were considered, 34 metabolic routes were identified. From these, the main route was the phenylpropanoids pathway, with 14 sequences correlated to the enzyme lactoperoxidase. The GO terms enrichment was carried out and the networks of cellulose and xyloglucans biosynthesis, ethylene signaling routes, biogenesis routes and the plant cell wall organization and cell death, among others, were highlighted. Thirty-one transcription factors were identified, being 3 MYB transcription factors, 2 NAC transcription factors and 10 WRKY transcription factors. In addition, 21, 7 and 23 genes of the cellulose and hemicelluloses pathway and 24, 8 and 21 genes of lignin monomer synthesis route were found in the M vs. A, A vs. T and M vs. T comparisons, respectively. Besides this, encoding genes laccases and peroxidases were found, participating in the polymerization of lignin monomers. The results allowed a broader understanding of the transcriptional regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis in eucalyptus xylem cells and revealed new genes participating in xylogenesis. This set of transcriptional data will help in the accomplishment of genetic manipulations in order to obtain eucalyptus plants with extractability characteristics aspired by the industry.