Biology subjects

Harris, R. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Harris, R. S..

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Structure-guided inhibition of the cancer DNA-mutating enzyme APOBEC3A

The normally antiviral enzyme APOBEC3A1-4 is an endogenous mutagen in many different human cancers5-7, where it becomes hijacked to fuel tumor evolvability. APOBEC3As single-stranded DNA C-to-U editing activity1, 8 results in multiple mutagenic outcomes including signature single-base substitution mutations (isolated and clustered), DNA breakage, and larger-scale chromosomal aberrations5-7. Transgenic expression in mice demonstrates its tumorigenic potential9. APOBEC3A inhibitors may therefore comprise a novel class of anticancer agents that work by blocking mutagenesis, preventing tumor evolvability, and lessening detrimental outcomes such as drug resistance and metastasis. Here we reveal the structural basis of competitive inhibition of wildtype APOBEC3A by hairpin DNA bearing 2-deoxy-5-fluorozebularine in place of the cytidine in the TC recognition motif that is part of a three-nucleotide loop. The nuclease-resistant phosphorothioated derivatives of these inhibitors maintain nanomolar in vitro potency against APOBEC3A, localize to the cell nucleus, and block APOBEC3A activity in human cells. These results combine to suggest roles for these inhibitors to study A3A activity in living cells, potentially as conjuvants, leading toward next-generation, combinatorial anti-mutator and anti-cancer therapies.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Human cytomegalovirus mediates APOBEC3B relocalization early during infection through a ribonucleotide reductase-independent mechanism

The APOBEC3 family of DNA cytosine deaminases comprises an important arm of the innate antiviral defense system. The gamma-herpesviruses EBV and KSHV and the alpha-herpesviruses HSV-1 and HSV-2 have evolved an efficient mechanism to avoid APOBEC3 restriction by directly binding to APOBEC3B and facilitating its exclusion from the nuclear compartment. The only viral protein required for APOBEC3B relocalization is the large subunit of the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Here, we ask whether this APOBEC3B relocalization mechanism is conserved with the beta-herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Although HCMV infection causes APOBEC3B relocalization from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in multiple cell types, the viral RNR (UL45) is not required. APOBEC3B relocalization occurs rapidly following infection suggesting involvement of an immediate early or early (IE-E) viral protein. In support of this mechanism, cycloheximide treatment of HCMV-infected cells prevents the expression of viral proteins and simultaneously blocks APOBEC3B relocalization. In comparison, the treatment of infected cells with phosphonoacetic acid, which is a viral DNA synthesis inhibitor affecting late protein expression, still permits A3B relocalization. These results combine to show that the beta-herpesvirus HCMV uses a fundamentally different, RNR-independent molecular mechanism to antagonize APOBEC3B. ImportanceHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections can range from asymptomatic to severe, particularly in neonates and immunocompromised patients. HCMV has evolved strategies to overcome host-encoded antiviral defenses in order to achieve lytic viral DNA replication and dissemination and, under some conditions, latency and long-term persistence. Here, we show that HCMV infection causes the antiviral factor, APOBEC3B, to relocalize from the nuclear compartment to the cytoplasm. This overall strategy resembles that used by related herpesviruses. However, the HCMV relocalization mechanism utilizes a different viral factor(s) and available evidence suggests the involvement of at least one protein expressed at the early stages of infection. This knowledge is important because a greater understanding of this mechanism could lead to novel antiviral strategies that enable APOBEC3B to naturally restrict HCMV infection.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Altered sequencing success at non-B-DNA motifs

Modern sequencing technologies are not error-free, and might have elevated error rates at some locations of the genome. A potential cause for such elevated error rates is the formation of alternative DNA structures (non-B DNA), such as G-quadruplexes (G4s), Z-DNA, or cruciform structures, during sequencing. Approximately 13% of the human genome has the potential to form such structures, which have been previously shown to affect the activity of DNA polymerases and helicases. Here we tested whether motifs with the potential to form non-B DNA (non-B motifs) influence the sequencing success of three major sequencing technologies--Illumina, Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) HiFi, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). We estimated sequencing success by computing the rates of single-nucleotide, insertion, and deletion errors, as well as by evaluating mean read depth and mean base quality. Overall, all technologies exhibited altered sequencing success for most non-B motif types. Single-nucleotide error rates were generally increased for G-quadruplexes (G4s) and Z-DNA motifs in all three technologies. Illumina and PacBio HiFi deletion error rates were also increased for all non-B types except for Z-DNA motifs, while in ONT they were increased substantially only for G4 motifs. Insertion error rates for non-B motifs were highly elevated in Illumina, moderately elevated in PacBio HiFi, and only slightly elevated in ONT. Using Poisson regression modeling, we evaluated how non-B DNA motifs and other factors influence sequencing error profiles. Using the error rates at non-B motifs, we developed a probabilistic approach to determine the number of false-positive single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in different sample size and variant frequency cutoff scenarios, as well as in previously generated sequencing data sets (1000Genomes, Simons Genome Diversity Project, and gnomAD). Overall, the effect of non-B DNA on sequencing should be considered in downstream analyses, particularly in studies with limited read depth--e.g., single-cell and ancient DNA sequencing, as well as sequencing of pooled population samples--and when scoring variants with low frequency (e.g., singletons). Because each sequencing technology analyzed has a unique error profile at non-B motifs, a combination of different technologies should be considered in future sequencing studies of such motifs, to maximize accuracy.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2022

Acute expression of human APOBEC3B in mice causes lethality associated with RNA editing

RNA editing has been described to promote heterogeneity leading to the development of multiple disorders including cancer. The cytosine deaminase APOBEC3B is known to fuel tumor evolution through DNA mutagenesis, but whether it may also function as an RNA editing enzyme has not been studied. Here, we engineered a novel doxycycline-inducible mouse model of human APOBEC3B-overexpression to understand the impact of this enzyme in tissue homeostasis and address a potential role in C-to-U RNA editing. Elevated and sustained levels of APOBEC3B led to rapid alteration of cellular fitness, major organ dysfunction, and ultimately lethality in mice. Importantly, extensive analyses of RNA-sequencing and WES from mouse tissues expressing high APOBEC3B levels reveal frequent UCC-to-UUC RNA editing events mainly localized in a specific hotspot. This work identifies, for the first time, a new function for APOBEC3B in RNA editing and presents a valuable preclinical tool to understand the emerging role of APOBEC3B as a potent driver of cancer and other diseases.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Mutational impact of APOBEC3B and APOBEC3A in a human cell line

A prominent source of mutation in cancer is single-stranded DNA cytosine deamination by cellular APOBEC3 enzymes, which results in signature C-to-T and C-to-G mutations in TCA and TCT motifs. Although multiple enzymes have been implicated, reports conflict and it is unclear which protein(s) are responsible. Here we report the development of a selectable system to quantify genome mutation and demonstrate its utility by comparing the mutagenic activities of three leading candidates - APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, and APOBEC3H. The human cell line, HAP1, is engineered to express the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of HSV-1, which confers sensitivity to ganciclovir. Expression of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B, but not catalytic mutant controls or APOBEC3H, triggers increased frequencies of TK mutation and nearly indistinguishable TC-biased cytosine mutation profiles in the selectable TK reporter gene. Whole genome sequences from TK mutant clones enabled an analysis of thousands of single base substitution mutations and extraction of local sequence preferences with APOBEC3A preferring YTCW motifs over 70% of the time and APOBEC3B just under 50% of the time (Y=C/T; W=A/T). Signature comparisons with breast tumor whole genome sequences indicate that most malignancies manifest intermediate percentages of APOBEC3 signature mutations in YTCW motifs, mostly between 50 and 70%, suggesting that both enzymes are contributing in a combinatorial manner to the overall mutation landscape. Although the vast majority of APOBEC3A- and APOBEC3B-induced single base substitution mutations occur outside of predicted chromosomal DNA hairpin structures, whole genome sequence analyses and supporting biochemical studies also indicate that both enzymes are capable of deaminating the single-stranded loop regions of DNA hairpins at elevated rates relative to control conditions. These studies combine to help resolve a long-standing etiologic debate on the source of APOBEC3 signature mutations in cancer and indicate that future diagnostic and therapeutic efforts should focus on both APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Targeting N-Myc in Neuroblastoma with Selective Aurora Kinase A Degraders

Summary ParagraphMYCN amplification is the most frequent genetic driver in high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) and strongly associated with poor prognosis.1,2 The N-Myc transcription factor, which is encoded by MYCN, is a mechanistically validated, yet challenging target for NB therapy development.3,4 In normal neuronal progenitors, N-Myc undergoes rapid degradation, while in MYCN-amplified NB cells, Aurora kinase A (Aurora-A) binds to and stabilizes N-Myc, resulting in elevated protein levels.5,6 Allosteric Aurora-A inhibitors that displace N-Myc from binding can promote N-Myc degradation, but with limited efficacy.7-10 Here, we report a chemical approach to decrease N-Myc levels through the targeted protein degradation of Aurora-A. A first-in-class Aurora-A/N-Myc degrader, HLB-0532259 (compound 4), was developed from a novel Aurora-A-binding ligand that engages the Aurora-A/N-Myc complex. HLB-0532259 promotes the degradation of both Aurora-A and N-Myc with nanomolar potency and excellent selectivity and surpasses the cellular efficacy of established allosteric Aurora-A inhibitors. HLB-0532259 exhibits favorable pharmacokinetics properties and elicits tumor reduction in murine xenograft NB models. More broadly, this study delineates a novel strategy for targeting "undruggable" proteins that are reliant on accessory proteins for cellular stabilization.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2022

The minimizer Jaccard estimator is biased and inconsistent

MotivationSketching is now widely used in bioinformatics to reduce data size and increase data processing speed. Sketching approaches entice with improved scalability but also carry the danger of decreased accuracy and added bias. In this paper, we investigate the minimizer sketch and its use to estimate the Jaccard similarity between two sequences. ResultsWe show that the minimizer Jaccard estimator is biased and inconsistent, which means that the expected difference (i.e., the bias) between the estimator and the true value is not zero, even in the limit as the lengths of the sequences grow. We derive an analytical formula for the bias as a function of how the shared k-mers are laid out along the sequences. We show both theoretically and empirically that there are families of sequences where the bias can be substantial (e.g. the true Jaccard can be more than double the estimate). Finally, we demonstrate that this bias affects the accuracy of the widely used mashmap read mapping tool. AvailabilityScripts to reproduce our experiments are available on GitHub [26]. Contactpzm11@psu.edu

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2021

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a risk factor for bladder cancer through induction of APOBEC3-mediated genomic damage

Limited understanding of bladder cancer aetiopathology hampers progress in reducing incidence. BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a common childhood infection that can be reactivated in the adult kidney leading to viruria. Here we used a mitotically-quiescent, differentiated, normal human urothelial in vitro model to study BKPyV infection. BKPyV infection led to significantly elevated APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B protein, increased deaminase activity and greater numbers of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites in the host urothelial genome. BKPyV Large T antigen (LT-Ag) stimulated re-entry into the cell cycle via inhibition of Retinoblastoma protein and activation of EZH2, E2F1 and FOXM1, which combined to push urothelial cells from G0 into an arrested G2 cell cycle state. The single-stranded DNA displacement loops formed during BKPyV-infection, provide a substrate for APOBEC3 enzymes where they interacted with LT-Ag. These results support reactivated BKPyV infections in adults as a risk factor for bladder cancer in immune-insufficient populations, including transplant patients and the elderly.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

The statistics of k-mers from a sequence undergoing a simple mutation process without spurious matches

K-mer-based methods are widely used in bioinformatics, but there are many gaps in our understanding of their statistical properties. Here, we consider the simple model where a sequence S (e.g. a genome or a read) undergoes a simple mutation process whereby each nucleotide is mutated independently with some probability r, under the assumption that there are no spurious k-mer matches. How does this process affect the k-mers of S? We derive the expectation and variance of the number of mutated k-mers and of the number of islands (a maximal interval of mutated k-mers) and oceans (a maximal interval of non-mutated k-mers). We then derive hypothesis tests and confidence intervals for r given an observed number of mutated k-mers, or, alternatively, given the Jaccard similarity (with or without minhash). We demonstrate the usefulness of our results using a few select applications: obtaining a confidence interval to supplement the Mash distance point estimate, filtering out reads during alignment by Minimap2, and rating long read alignments to a de Bruijn graph by Jabba.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2020

Targeted cancer therapy induces APOBEC fuelling the evolution of drug resistance

Introductory paragraphThe clinical success of targeted cancer therapy is limited by drug resistance that renders cancers lethal in patients1-4. Human tumours can evolve therapy resistance by acquiring de novo genetic alterations and increased heterogeneity via mechanisms that remain incompletely understood1. Here, through parallel analysis of human clinical samples, tumour xenograft and cell line models and murine model systems, we uncover an unanticipated mechanism of therapy-induced adaptation that fuels the evolution of drug resistance. Targeted therapy directed against EGFR and ALK oncoproteins in lung cancer induced adaptations favoring apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide (APOBEC)-mediated genome mutagenesis. In human oncogenic EGFR-driven and ALK-driven lung cancers and preclinical models, EGFR or ALK inhibitor treatment induced the expression and DNA mutagenic activity of APOBEC3B via therapy-mediated activation of NF-{kappa}B signaling. Moreover, targeted therapy also mediated downregulation of certain DNA repair enzymes such as UNG2, which normally counteracts APOBEC-catalyzed DNA deamination events. In mutant EGFR-driven lung cancer mouse models, APOBEC3B was detrimental to tumour initiation and yet advantageous to tumour progression during EGFR targeted therapy, consistent with TRACERx data demonstrating subclonal enrichment of APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis. This study reveals how cancers adapt and drive genetic diversity in response to targeted therapy and identifies APOBEC deaminases as future targets for eliciting more durable clinical benefit to targeted cancer therapy.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Dynamic evolution of great ape Y chromosomes

The mammalian male-specific Y chromosome plays a critical role in sex determination and male fertility. However, because of its repetitive and haploid nature, it is frequently absent from genome assemblies and remains enigmatic. The Y chromosomes of great apes represent a particular puzzle: their gene content is more similar between human and gorilla than between human and chimpanzee, even though human and chimpanzee shared a more recent common ancestor. To solve this puzzle, here we constructed a dataset including Ys from all extant great ape genera. We generated assemblies of bonobo and orangutan Ys, from short and long sequencing reads, and aligned them with the publicly available human, chimpanzee and gorilla Y assemblies. Analyzing this dataset, we found that the genus Pan, including chimpanzee and bonobo, experienced accelerated substitution rates. Additionally, Pan also exhibited elevated gene death rates. These observations are consistent with high levels of sperm competition in Pan. Furthermore, we inferred that the great ape common ancestor already possessed multi-copy sequences homologous to most human and chimpanzee palindromes. Nonetheless, each species also acquired distinct ampliconic sequences. We also detected increased chromatin contacts between and within palindromes (from Hi-C data), likely facilitating gene conversion and structural rearrangements. Moreover, our ENCODE data analysis suggested that Y palindromes exist to promote gene conversion preventing degradation of not only genes, as is commonly believed, but also gene regulatory sites. Our results highlight the dynamic mode of Y chromosome evolution, and open avenues for studies of male-specific dispersal in endangered great ape species.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

A Conserved Mechanism of APOBEC3 Relocalization by Herpesviral Ribonucleotide Reductase Large Subunits

An integral part of the antiviral innate immune response is the APOBEC3 family of single-stranded DNA cytosine deaminases, which inhibits virus replication through deamination-dependent and -independent activities. Viruses have evolved mechanisms to counteract these enzymes such as HIV-1 Vif-mediated formation of a ubiquitin ligase to degrade virus-restrictive APOBEC3 enzymes. A new example is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) ribonucleotide reductase (RNR)-mediated inhibition of cellular APOBEC3B (A3B). The large subunit of the viral RNR, BORF2, causes A3B relocalization from the nucleus to cytoplasmic bodies and thereby protects viral DNA during lytic replication. Here, we use co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent microscopy approaches to ask whether this mechanism is shared with the closely related {gamma}-herpesvirus Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and the more distantly related -herpesvirus, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1). The large RNR subunit of KSHV, ORF61, co-precipitated multiple APOBEC3s including A3B and APOBEC3A (A3A). KSHV ORF61 also caused relocalization of these two enzymes to perinuclear bodies (A3B) and to oblong cytoplasmic structures (A3A). The large RNR subunit of HSV-1, ICP6, also co-precipitated A3B and A3A and was sufficient to promote the relocalization of these enzymes from nuclear to cytoplasmic compartments. HSV-1 infection caused similar relocalization phenotypes that required ICP6. However, unlike the infectivity defects previously reported for BORF2-null EBV, ICP6 mutant HSV-1 showed normal growth rates and plaque phenotypes. These results combine to indicate that both {gamma}- and -herpesviruses use a conserved RNR-dependent mechanism to relocalize A3B and A3A and, further, suggest that HSV-1 possesses at least one additional mechanism to neutralize these antiviral enzymes.\n\nImportanceThe APOBEC3 family of DNA cytosine deaminases constitutes a vital innate immune defense against a range of different viruses. A novel counter-restriction mechanism has recently been uncovered for the {gamma}-herpesvirus EBV, in which a subunit of the viral protein known to produce DNA building blocks (ribonucleotide reductase) causes A3B to relocalize from the nucleus to the cytosol. Here, we extend these observations with A3B to include a closely related {gamma}-herpesvirus, KSHV, and to a more distantly related -herpesvirus, HSV-1. These different viral ribonucleotide reductases also caused relocalization of A3A, which is 92% identical to A3B. These studies are important because they suggest a conserved mechanism of APOBEC3 evasion by large double-stranded DNA herpesviruses. Strategies to block this host-pathogen interaction may be effective for treating infections caused by these herpesviruses.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Retrovirus insertion site analysis of LGL leukemia patient genomes

BackgroundLarge granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is an uncommon cancer characterized by a sustained clonal proliferation of LGL cells. Antibodies reactive to retroviruses have been documented in the serum of patients with LGL leukemia. Culture or molecular approaches have to date not been successful in identifying a retrovirus. MethodsBecause a retrovirus must integrate into the genome of an infected cell, we focused our efforts on detecting a novel retrovirus integration site in the clonally expanded LGL cells. We present a new computational tool that uses long-insert mate pair sequence data to search the genome of LGL leukemia cells for retrovirus integration sites. We also utilize recently published methods to interrogate the status of polymorphic human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) provirus in patient genomes. ResultsWhile our analysis did not reveal any new retrovirus insertions in LGL genomes from LGL leukemia patients, we did identify four HERV-K provirus integration sites that are polymorphic in the human population and absent from the human reference genome, hg19. To determine if the prevalence of these or other polymorphic proviral HERV-Ks differed between LGL leukemia patients and the general population, we applied a recently developed approach that reports all sites in the human genome occupied by a proviral HERV-K. Using the 1000 genomes project (KGP) data as a reference database for HERV-K proviral prevalence at each polymorphic site, we show that there are significant differences in the number of polymorphic HERV-Ks in the genomes of LGL leukemia patients of European origin compared to individuals with European ancestry in the KGP data. ConclusionsOur study confirms that the integration of a new infectious or endogenous retrovirus does not cause the clonal expansion of LGL cells in LGL leukemia, although we do not rule out that these cells could be responding to retroviral antigens produced in other cell types. However, it is of interest that the burden of polymorphic proviral HERV-K is elevated in LGL leukemia patient genomes. Our research emphasizes the merits of comprehensive genomic assessment of HERV-K in cancer samples and suggests that further analyses to determine contributions of HERV-K to LGL leukemia are warranted.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

Active site plasticity and possible modes of chemical inhibition of the human DNA deaminase APOBEC3B

The single-stranded DNA cytosine deaminase APOBEC3B (A3B) functions in innate immunity against viruses, but is also strongly implicated in eliciting mutations in cancer genomes. Because of the critical role of A3B in promoting virus and tumor evolution, small molecule inhibitors are desirable. However, there is no reported structure for any of the APOBEC3-family enzymes in complex with a small molecule bound in the active site, which hampers the development of small molecules targeting A3B. Here we report high-resolution structures of an active A3B catalytic domain chimera with loop 7 residues exchanged with those from the corresponding region of APOBEC3G (A3G). The structures reveal novel open conformations lacking the catalytically essential zinc ion, with the highly conserved active site residues extensively rearranged. These inactive conformations are stabilized by 2-pyrimidone or an iodide ion bound in the active site. Molecular dynamics simulations corroborate the remarkable plasticity of the engineered active site and identify key interactions that stabilize the native A3B active site. These data provide insights into A3B active site dynamics and suggest possible modes of its inhibition by small molecules, which would aid in rational design of selective A3B inhibitors for constraining virus and tumor evolution.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2018

Improved Representation of Sequence Bloom Trees

Algorithmic solutions to index and search biological databases are a fundamental part of bioinformatics, providing underlying components to many end-user tools. Inexpensive next generation sequencing has filled publicly available databases such as the Sequence Read Archive beyond the capacity of traditional indexing methods. Recently, the Sequence Bloom Tree (SBT) and its derivatives were proposed as a way to efficiently index such data for queries about transcript presence. We build on the SBT framework to construct the HowDe-SBT data structure, which uses a novel partitioning of information to reduce the construction and query time as well as the size of the index. We evaluate HowDe-SBT by both proving theoretical bounds on its performance and using real RNA-seq data. Compared to previous SBT methods, HowDe-SBT can construct the index in less than 36% the time, and with 39% less space, and can answer small-batch queries at least five times faster. HowDe-SBT is available as a free open source program on https://github.com/medvedevgroup/HowDeSBT.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2018

Noise-Cancelling Repeat Finder: Uncovering tandem repeats in error-prone long-read sequencing data

SummaryTandem DNA repeats can be sequenced with long-read technologies, but cannot be accurately deciphered due to the lack of computational tools taking high error rates of these technologies into account. Here we introduce Noise-Cancelling Repeat Finder (NCRF) to uncover putative tandem repeats of specified motifs in noisy long reads produced by Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore sequencers. Using simulations, we validated the use of NCRF to locate tandem repeats with motifs of various lengths and demonstrated its superior performance as compared to two alternative tools. Using real human whole-genome sequencing data, NCRF identified long arrays of the (AATGG)n repeat involved in heat shock stress response.\n\nAvailability and implementationNCRF is implemented in C, supported by several python scripts. Source code, under the MIT open source license, and simulation data are available at https://github.com/makovalab-psu/NoiseCancellingRepeatFinder, and also in bioconda.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2018

High inter- and intraspecific turnover of satellite repeats in great apes

BackgroundSatellite repeats are a structural component of centromeres and telomeres, and in some instances their divergence is known to drive speciation. Due to their highly repetitive nature, satellite sequences have been understudied and underrepresented in genome assemblies. To investigate their turnover in great apes, we studied satellite repeats in human, chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, using unassembled short and long sequencing reads.\n\nResultsThe density of satellite repeats, as identified from accurate short reads (Illumina), varied greatly among great ape genomes. These were dominated by a handful of abundant repeated motifs, frequently shared among species, which formed two groups: (1) the (AATGG)n repeat (critical for heat shock response) and its derivatives; and (2) subtelomeric 32-mers. Using the densities of abundant repeats, individuals could be classified into species. However clustering did not reproduce the accepted species phylogeny, suggesting rapid repeat evolution. Several abundant repeats were enriched in males vs. females; using existing Y chromosome assemblies or FIuorescent In Situ Hybridization, we validated location for some of them on the Y. Finally, applying a novel computational tool, we identified many satellite repeats completely embedded within long Oxford Nanopore and Pacific Biosciences reads. Such repeats were up to 59 kb in length and consisted of perfect repeats interspersed with other similar sequences.\n\nConclusionsOur results based on sequencing reads generated with three different technologies provide the first detailed characterization of great ape satellite repeats, and open new avenues for exploring their functions.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Gorilla APOBEC3 restricts SIVcpz and influences lentiviral evolution in great ape cross-species transmissions

Restriction factors including APOBEC3 family proteins have the potential prevent cross-species lentivirus transmissions. Such events as well as ensuing pathogenesis require the viral Vif protein to overcome/neutralize/degrade the APOBEC3 enzymes of the new host species. Previous investigations have focused on the molecular interaction between human APOBEC3s and HIV-1 Vif. However, the evolutionary interplay between lentiviruses and great ape (including human, chimpanzee and gorilla) APOBEC3s has not been fully investigated. Here we demonstrate that gorilla APOBEC3G plays a pivotal role in restricting lentiviral transmission from chimpanzee to gorilla. We also reveal that a sole amino acid substitution in Vif is sufficient to overcome the gorilla APOBEC3G-mediated species barrier. Moreover, the antiviral effects of gorilla APOBEC3D and APOBEC3F are considerably weaker than those of human and chimpanzee counterparts, which can result in the skewed evolution of great ape lentiviruses leading to HIV-1.\n\nHighlightsO_LISIVcpz requires M16E mutation in Vif to counteract gorilla A3G\nC_LIO_LIAcidic residue at position 16 of Vif is crucial to counteract gorilla A3G\nC_LIO_LIGorilla A3D and A3F poorly suppress lentiviral infectivity\nC_LIO_LISIVgor and related HIV-1s counteract human A3D and A3F independently of DRMR motif\nC_LI

microbiology↗