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Stem Cell Reports Apr 2023Genomic imprinting underlies the mammalian requirement for sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, the relative contribution of the two parental genomes during human...
Genomic imprinting underlies the mammalian requirement for sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, the relative contribution of the two parental genomes during human development is not fully understood. Specifically, a fascinating question is whether the formation of the gonad, which holds the ability to reproduce, depends on equal contribution from both parental genomes. Here, we differentiated androgenetic and parthenogenetic human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into ovarian granulosa-like cells (GLCs). We show that in contrast to biparental and androgenetic cells, parthenogenetic hPSCs present a reduced capacity to differentiate into GLCs. We further identify the paternally expressed gene IGF2 as the most upregulated imprinted gene upon differentiation. Remarkably, while IGF2 knockout androgenetic cells fail to differentiate into GLCs, the differentiation of parthenogenetic cells supplemented with IGF2 is partly rescued. Thus, our findings unravel a surprising essentiality of genes that are only expressed from the paternal genome to the development of the female reproductive system.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Female; Human Embryonic Stem Cells; Genomic Imprinting; Cell Differentiation; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Parthenogenesis; Granulosa Cells; Mammals
PubMed: 37001516
DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.03.004 -
Planta Mar 2023Apomixis is a complex evolutionary trait with many possible origins. Here we discuss various clues and causes, ultimately proposing a model harmonizing the three working... (Review)
Review
Apomixis is a complex evolutionary trait with many possible origins. Here we discuss various clues and causes, ultimately proposing a model harmonizing the three working hypotheses on the topic. Asexual reproduction through seeds, i.e., apomixis, is the holy grail of plant biology. Its implementation in modern breeding could be a game-changer for agriculture. It has the potential to generate clonal crops and maintain valuable complex genotypes and their associated heterotic traits without inbreeding depression. The genetic basis and origins of apomixis are still unclear. There are three central hypothesis for the development of apomixis that could be: i) a deviation from the sexual developmental program caused by an asynchronous development, ii) environmentally triggered through epigenetic regulations (a polyphenism of sex), iii) relying on one or more genes/alleles. Because of the ever-increasing complexity of the topic, the path toward a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying apomixis remains unclear. Here, we discuss the most recent advances in the evolution perspective of this multifaceted trait. We incorporated our understanding of the effect of endogenous effectors, such as small RNAs, epigenetic regulation, hormonal pathways, protein turnover, and cell wall modification in response to an upside stress. This can be either endogenous (hybridization or polyploidization) or exogenous environmental stress, mainly due to oxidative stress and the corresponding ROS (Reacting Oxygen Species) effectors. Finally, we graphically represented this tangled web.
Topics: Epigenesis, Genetic; Apomixis; Plant Breeding; Seeds; Crops, Agricultural
PubMed: 37000270
DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04124-0 -
Genes Mar 2023The tetraploid germplasm of contains a large diversity that can be used to generate better forages. The objective was to evaluate a group of and apomictic hybrids for...
The tetraploid germplasm of contains a large diversity that can be used to generate better forages. The objective was to evaluate a group of and apomictic hybrids for a set of agronomic traits and apomixis expressivity. Forage yield, cold tolerance, winter regrowth, and seed yield were evaluated. The expressivity of apomixis was evaluated in hybrids by flow cytometry. Progeny testing with molecular markers was used to determine the genotypic variability in the progeny. Differences within and hybrids were observed for all traits, and some of them were superior in comparison with the controls. The accumulated forage yield during three years was 988 g m in the hybrids, whereas, in , the average forage yield per harvest (40 days of regrowth) was 180 g m. In , the apomixis expressivity varied between 0 and 100%, and 65% of the hybrids showed high apomixis expressivity (superior to 70%). The genotypic mean homogeneity in the progeny was 76% and 85% in and , respectively. The generation of hybrids with high apomixis expressivity that combine good agronomic performance and homogeneity in the offspring is possible in tetraploid and .
Topics: Paspalum; Apomixis; Tetraploidy; Reproduction; Phenotype
PubMed: 36980903
DOI: 10.3390/genes14030631 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Mar 2023True polyploid organisms have more than two chromosome sets in their somatic and germline cells. Polyploidy is a major evolutionary force and has played a significant... (Review)
Review
True polyploid organisms have more than two chromosome sets in their somatic and germline cells. Polyploidy is a major evolutionary force and has played a significant role in the early genomic evolution of plants, different invertebrate taxa, chordates, and teleosts. However, the contribution of polyploidy to the generation of new genomic, ecological, and species diversity in tetrapods has traditionally been underestimated. Indeed, polyploidy represents an important pathway of genomic evolution, occurring in most higher-taxa tetrapods and displaying a variety of different forms, genomic configurations, and biological implications. Herein, we report and discuss the available information on the different origins and evolutionary and ecological significance of true polyploidy in tetrapods. Among the main tetrapod lineages, modern amphibians have an unparalleled diversity of polyploids and, until recently, they were considered to be the only vertebrates with closely related diploid and polyploid bisexual species or populations. In reptiles, polyploidy was thought to be restricted to squamates and associated with parthenogenesis. In birds and mammals, true polyploidy has generally been considered absent (non-tolerated). These views are being changed due to an accumulation of new data, and the impact as well as the different evolutionary and ecological implications of polyploidy in tetrapods, deserve a broader evaluation.
PubMed: 36978574
DOI: 10.3390/ani13061033 -
Insects Mar 2023(Hemiptera: Marchalinidae), an endemic species in Greece and Turkey, is a major contributor to the annual honey production in its native range. However, in the areas...
(Hemiptera: Marchalinidae), an endemic species in Greece and Turkey, is a major contributor to the annual honey production in its native range. However, in the areas that it invades, lacking natural enemies, it has detrimental effects on pine trees and potentially contributes to tree mortality. Although it was originally reported as thelytokous, males were later reported in Turkey and on several of the islands of Greece. To further disambiguate the exact parthenogenetic reproduction strategy of , we studied the emergence pattern of male individuals in Greece for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). Furthermore, we examined the genetic variation among 15 geographically distant populations of in Greece using a mitochondrial DNA marker and compared the results with data from Turkey. The findings of this study document the existence of an additional population in its native range that repeatedly produces males, apart from the areas of Greece and Turkey in which they were initially reported, suggesting that males play a major, so far unknown role in the reproduction of this species. The populations in Greece and Turkey exhibited a strong genetic affinity, while human-aided dispersal seems to have obscured the genetic pattern acquired.
PubMed: 36975941
DOI: 10.3390/insects14030256 -
Current Opinion in Insect Science Apr 2023Endosymbionts are maternally transmitted, and therefore benefit from maximizing female offspring numbers. Parthenogenesis-induction (PI) is the most effective type of... (Review)
Review
Endosymbionts are maternally transmitted, and therefore benefit from maximizing female offspring numbers. Parthenogenesis-induction (PI) is the most effective type of manipulation for transmission, but has solely been detected in haplodiploid species, whereas cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is detected frequently across the arthropod phylum, including haplodiploids. This puzzling observation led us to hypothesize that the molecular sex-determination mechanism of the haplodiploid host may be a constraining factor in the ability of endosymbionts to induce parthenogenesis. Recent insights indicate that PI-endosymbionts may be able to directly manipulate sex-determination genes to induce the necessary steps required for PI in haplodiploids. However, sex-determination cascades vary extensively, so PI-induction would require a specialized and host-dependent tool set. Contrastingly, CI-related genes target conserved cell-cycle mechanisms, are located on mobile elements, and spread easily. Finally, endosymbiont-manipulations may have a strong impact on the effectiveness of haplodiploid biocontrol agents, but can also be used to enhance their efficacy.
Topics: Animals; Female; Parthenogenesis; Wolbachia; Arthropods; Sex Determination Processes
PubMed: 36958587
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101023 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Mar 2023Parthenogenesis has been documented in almost every phylum of animals, and yet this phenomenon is largely understudied. It has particular importance in dipterans since... (Review)
Review
Parthenogenesis has been documented in almost every phylum of animals, and yet this phenomenon is largely understudied. It has particular importance in dipterans since some parthenogenetic species are also disease vectors and agricultural pests. Here, we present a catalogue of parthenogenetic dipterans, although it is likely that many more remain to be identified, and we discuss how their developmental biology and interactions with diverse environments may be linked to different types of parthenogenetic reproduction. We discuss how the advances in genetics and genomics have identified chromosomal loci associated with parthenogenesis. In particular, a polygenic cause of facultative parthenogenesis has been uncovered in allowing the corresponding genetic variants to be tested for their ability to promote parthenogenesis in another species, . This study probably identifies just one of many routes that could be followed in the evolution of parthenogenesis. We attempt to account for why the phenomenon has evolved so many times in the dipteran order and why facultative parthenogenesis appears particularly prevalent. We also discuss the significance of coarse genomic changes, including non-disjunction, aneuploidy, and polyploidy and how, together with changes to specific genes, these might relate to both facultative and obligate parthenogenesis in dipterans and other parthenogenetic animals.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster; Reproduction; Drosophila; Parthenogenesis; Agriculture
PubMed: 36946111
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0261 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2023Egg yolk constitutes about a third of the structure of the chicken egg however, the molecular structure and physiological effects of egg yolk-derived lipid membranous...
Egg yolk constitutes about a third of the structure of the chicken egg however, the molecular structure and physiological effects of egg yolk-derived lipid membranous vesicles are not clearly understood. In this study, for the first record, the egg yolk nanovesicles (vitellovesicles, VVs) were isolated, characterized, and used as a supplement for porcine embryo culture. Yolks of ten freshly oviposited eggs were filtered and ultracentrifuged at 100,000 × g for 3 h to obtain a pellet. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis of the pellet revealed bilipid membranous vesicles. Protein contents of the pellet were analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry and the miRNA content was also profiled through BGISEQ-500 sequencer. VVs were supplemented with the in vitro culture medium of day-7 hatched parthenogenetic blastocysts. After 2 days of blastocyst culture, the embryonic cell count was increased in VVs supplemented embryos in comparison to the non-supplemented embryos. TUNEL assay showed that apoptotic cells were increased in control groups when compared with the VVs supplemented group. Reduced glutathione was increased by 2.5 folds in the VVs supplemented group while reactive oxygen species were increased by 5.3 folds in control groups. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that VVs significantly increased the expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes (monoglyceride lipase and lipase E), anti-apoptotic gene (BCL2), and superoxide dismutase, while significantly reducing apoptotic gene (BAX). Culturing embryos on Matrigel basement membrane matrix indicated that VVs significantly enhanced embryo attachment and embryonic stem cell outgrowths compared to the non-supplemented group. This considers the first report to characterize the molecular bioactive cargo contents of egg yolk nanovesicles to show their embryotrophic effect on mammalian embryos. This effect might be attributed to the protein and miRNA cargo contents of VVs. VVs can be used for the formulation of in vitro culture medium for mammalian embryos including humans.
Topics: Animals; Blastocyst; Chickens; Egg Yolk; Embryonic Development; Mammals; MicroRNAs; Parthenogenesis; Proteome; Swine
PubMed: 36918605
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31012-0 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2023The problem of positioning wireless sensor networks is an important and challenging topic in all walks of life. Inspired by the evolution behavior of natural plant...
The problem of positioning wireless sensor networks is an important and challenging topic in all walks of life. Inspired by the evolution behavior of natural plant communities and traditional positioning algorithms, a novel positioning algorithm based on the behavior of artificial plant communities is designed and presented here. First, a mathematical model of the artificial plant community is established. Artificial plant communities survive in habitable places rich in water and nutrients, offering the best feasible solution to the problem of positioning a wireless sensor network; otherwise, they leave the non-habitable area, abandoning the feasible solution with poor fitness. Second, an artificial plant community algorithm is presented to solve the positioning problems encountered in a wireless sensor network. The artificial plant community algorithm includes three basic operations, namely seeding, growing, and fruiting. Unlike traditional artificial intelligence algorithms, which always have a fixed population size and only one fitness comparison per iteration, the artificial plant community algorithm has a variable population size and three fitness comparisons per iteration. After seeding by an original population size, the population size decreases during growth, as only the individuals with high fitness can survive, while the individuals with low fitness die. In fruiting, the population size recovers, and the individuals with higher fitness can learn from each other and produce more fruits. The optimal solution in each iterative computing process can be preserved as a parthenogenesis fruit for the next seeding operation. When seeding again, the fruits with high fitness can survive and be seeded, while the fruits with low fitness die, and a small number of new seeds are generated through random seeding. Through the continuous cycle of these three basic operations, the artificial plant community can use a fitness function to obtain accurate solutions to positioning problems in limited time. Third, experiments are conducted using different random networks, and the results verify that the proposed positioning algorithms can obtain good positioning accuracy with a small amount of computation, which is suitable for wireless sensor nodes with limited computing resources. Finally, the full text is summarized, and the technical deficiencies and future research directions are presented.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Wireless Technology; Computer Communication Networks; Models, Theoretical; Algorithms
PubMed: 36905008
DOI: 10.3390/s23052804 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2023
PubMed: 36866376
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1145208