Molecular Biology and Genetics / Moleküler Biyoloji ve Genetik
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/9
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Article Citation - WoS: 14Citation - Scopus: 16Transcriptomic Analysis of Boron Hyperaccumulation Mechanisms in Puccinellia Distans(Elsevier Ltd., 2018) Öztürk, Saniye Elvan; Göktay, Mehmet; Has, Canan; Babaoğlu, Mehmet; Allmer, Jens; Doğanlar, Sami; Frary, AnnePuccinellia distans, common alkali grass, is found throughout the world and can survive in soils with boron concentrations that are lethal for other plant species. Indeed, P. distans accumulates very high levels of this element. Despite these interesting features, very little research has been performed to elucidate the boron tolerance mechanism in this species. In this study, P. distans samples were treated for three weeks with normal (0.5 mg L−1) and elevated (500 mg L−1) boron levels in hydroponic solution. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from shoot tissue were analyzed by RNA sequencing to identify genes up and down-regulated under boron stress. In this way, 3312 differentially expressed transcripts were detected, 67.7% of which were up-regulated and 32.3% of which were down-regulated in boron-treated plants. To partially confirm the RNA sequencing results, 32 randomly selected transcripts were analyzed for their expression levels in boron-treated plants. The results agreed with the expected direction of change (up or down-regulation). A total of 1652 transcripts had homologs in A. thaliana and/or O. sativa and mapped to 1107 different proteins. Functional annotation of these proteins indicated that the boron tolerance and hyperaccumulation mechanisms of P. distans involve many transcriptomic changes including: alterations in the malate pathway, changes in cell wall components that may allow sequestration of excess boron without toxic effects, and increased expression of at least one putative boron transporter and two putative aquaporins. Elucidation of the boron accumulation mechanism is important in developing approaches for bioremediation of boron contaminated soils.Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 11The Expressed Microrna-Mrna Interactions of Toxoplasma Gondii(Frontiers Media S.A., 2018) Acar, İlhan Erkin; Saçar Demirci, Müşerref Duygu; Groß, Uwe; Allmer, JensMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression and thereby have a large influence on the resulting phenotype. We have previously shown that miRNAs may be involved in the communication between Toxoplasma gondii and its hosts and further confirmed a number of proposed specific miRNAs. Yet, little is known about the internal regulation via miRNAs in T. gondii. Therefore, we predicted pre-miRNAs directly from the type II ME49 genome and filtered them. For the confident hairpins, we predicted the location of the mature miRNAs and established their target genes. To add further confidence, we evaluated whether the hairpins and their targets were co-expressed. Such co-expressed miRNA and target pairs define a functional interaction. We extracted all such functional interactions and analyzed their differential expression among strains of all three clonal lineages (RH, PLK, and CTG) and between the two stages present in the intermediate host (tachyzoites and bradyzoites). Overall, we found ~65,000 expressed interactions of which ~5,500 are differentially expressed among strains but none are significantly differentially expressed between developmental stages. Since miRNAs and target decoys can be used as therapeutics we believe that the list of interactions we provide will lead to novel approaches in the treatment of toxoplasmosis.Article Citation - WoS: 37Citation - Scopus: 45On the Performance of Pre-Microrna Detection Algorithms(Nature Publishing Group, 2017) Saçar Demirci, Müşerref Duygu; Baumbach, Jan; Allmer, JensMicroRNAs are crucial for post-transcriptional gene regulation, and their dysregulation has been associated with diseases like cancer and, therefore, their analysis has become popular. The experimental discovery of miRNAs is cumbersome and, thus, many computational tools have been proposed. Here we assess 13 ab initio pre-miRNA detection approaches using all relevant, published, and novel data sets while judging algorithm performance based on ten intrinsic performance measures. We present an extensible framework, izMiR, which allows for the unbiased comparison of existing algorithms, adding new ones, and combining multiple approaches into ensemble methods. In an exhaustive attempt, we condense the results of millions of computations and show that no method is clearly superior; however, we provide a guideline for biomedical researchers to select a tool. Finally, we demonstrate that combining all of the methods into one ensemble approach, for the first time, allows reliable purely computational pre-miRNA detection in large eukaryotic genomes.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 5Pgminer: Complete Proteogenomics Workflow; From Data Acquisition To Result Visualization(Elsevier Ltd., 2017) Has, Canan; Allmer, JensIn parallel with the development of nucleotide sequencing an equally important interest in further describing the sequence in terms of function arose and the latter represents the current bottleneck in the overall research question. Sequencing the transcriptome allows determination of expressed nucleotide sequences and using mass spectrometry allows sequencing on the protein level. Both approaches can only sequence a subset of the existing transcripts. Moreover, for example post translational modification events can only be determined on the proteomics level. Therefore, it is essential to combine proteomics and genomics. For that purpose, proteogenomics data analysis pipelines have been described. Here, we describe a novel proteogenomics workflow which encompasses everything from the acquisition of data to result visualization in the Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME), a state of the art workflow management and data analytics platform. We amended KNIME with a number of processes like peptide consensus prediction, peptide mapping, and database equalizing, as well as result visualization. This enabled construction of our new workflow, entitled PGMiner, which not only includes all data analysis steps, but is highly customizable which is rather cumbersome for most existing pipelines. Furthermore, no burdensome installation processes have to be performed making PGMiner the most user friendly tool available.Article Citation - WoS: 20Citation - Scopus: 25Microrna Categorization Using Sequence Motifs and K-Mers(BioMed Central Ltd., 2017) Yousef, Malik; Khalifa, Waleed; Acar, İlhan Erkin; Allmer, JensBackground: Post-transcriptional gene dysregulation can be a hallmark of diseases like cancer and microRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in the modulation of translation efficiency. Known pre-miRNAs are listed in miRBase, and they have been discovered in a variety of organisms ranging from viruses and microbes to eukaryotic organisms. The computational detection of pre-miRNAs is of great interest, and such approaches usually employ machine learning to discriminate between miRNAs and other sequences. Many features have been proposed describing pre-miRNAs, and we have previously introduced the use of sequence motifs and k-mers as useful ones. There have been reports of xeno-miRNAs detected via next generation sequencing. However, they may be contaminations and to aid that important decision-making process, we aimed to establish a means to differentiate pre-miRNAs from different species. Results: To achieve distinction into species, we used one species' pre-miRNAs as the positive and another species' pre-miRNAs as the negative training and test data for the establishment of machine learned models based on sequence motifs and k-mers as features. This approach resulted in higher accuracy values between distantly related species while species with closer relation produced lower accuracy values. Conclusions: We were able to differentiate among species with increasing success when the evolutionary distance increases. This conclusion is supported by previous reports of fast evolutionary changes in miRNAs since even in relatively closely related species a fairly good discrimination was possible.Article Citation - Scopus: 35Computational Prediction of Micrornas From Toxoplasma Gondii Potentially Regulating the Hosts' Gene Expression(Elsevier Ltd., 2014) Saçar, Müşerref Duygu; Bağcı, Caner; Allmer, JensMicroRNAs (miRNAs) were discovered two decades ago, yet there is still a great need for further studies elucidating their genesis and targeting in different phyla. Since experimental discovery and validation of miRNAs is difficult, computational predictions are indispensable and today most computational approaches employ machine learning. Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite residing within the cells of its hosts like human, uses miRNAs for its post-transcriptional gene regulation. It may also regulate its hosts' gene expression, which has been shown in brain cancer. Since previous studies have shown that overexpressed miRNAs within the host are causal for disease onset, we hypothesized that T. gondii could export miRNAs into its host cell. We computationally predicted all hairpins from the genome of T. gondii and used mouse and human models to filter possible candidates. These were then further compared to known miRNAs in human and rodents and their expression was examined for T. gondii grown in mouse and human hosts, respectively. We found that among the millions of potential hairpins in T. gondii, only a few thousand pass filtering using a human or mouse model and that even fewer of those are expressed. Since they are expressed and differentially expressed in rodents and human, we suggest that there is a chance that T. gondii may export miRNAs into its hosts for direct regulation.Article Citation - WoS: 23Citation - Scopus: 33Genomic Simple Sequence Repeat Markers Reveal Patterns of Genetic Relatedness and Diversity in Sesame(Crop Science Society of America, 2015) Uncu, Ayşe Özgür; Gültekin, Visam; Allmer, Jens; Frary, Anne; Doğanlar, SamiSesame (Sesamum indicum L. syn. Sesamum orientale L.) is an orphan crop species with most molecular genetic research work done in the last decade. In this study, we used a pyrosequencing approach for the development of genomic simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers in sesame. Our approach proved successful in identifying 19,816 nonredundant SSRs, 5727 of which were identified in a contig assembly that covers 19.29% of the sesame genome. Mononucleotide repeats were the most abundant SSR type identified in the sesame genome (48.5% of all SSRs), followed by dinucleotide SSRs (45.0%). Adenine–thymine-rich motifs were predominant, representing 81.7, 51.7, 66.5, and 22.1% of the mononucleotide, dinucleotide, trinucleotide, and tetranucleotide SSRs, respectively. As a result of this work, we introduce 933 experimentally validated sesame specific markers, 849 of which are also applicable in Sesamum mulayanum (syn. Sesamum orientale var. malabaricum Nar.), the wild progenitor of cultivated sesame. Using a subset of the newly identified SSR markers, we analyzed molecular genetic diversity and population structure of a collection of world accessions. Results of the two analyses almost overlapped and suggested correlation between genetic similarity and geographical proximity. Indeed, a pattern of gene flow among sesame diversity centers was apparent, with levels of variability in some regions similar to that seen in the domestication origin of the crop. Taken together with the high rate of genomic marker transferability detected between S. indicum and S. mulayanum, our results represent additional molecular genetic evidence for designating the two taxa as cultivated and wild forms of the same species.Article Citation - WoS: 44Citation - Scopus: 49Epo Mediates Neurotrophic, Neuroprotective, Anti-Oxidant, and Anti-Apoptotic Effects Via Downregulation of Mir-451 and Mir-885 in Sh-Sy5y Neuron-Like Cells(Frontiers Media S.A., 2014) Alural, Begüm; Duran, Gizem Ayna; Tüfekçi, Kemal Uğur; Allmer, Jens; Onkal, Zeynep; Tunalı, Doğa; Genç, Kürşad; Genç, ŞerminErythropoietin (EPO) is a neuroprotective cytokine, which has been applied in several animal models presenting neurological disorders. One of the proposed modes of action resulting in neuroprotection is post-transcriptional gene expression regulation. This directly brings to mind microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. It has not yet been evaluated whether miRNAs participate in the biological effects of EPO or whether it, inversely, modulates specific miRNAs in neuronal cells. In this study, we employed miRNA and mRNA arrays to identify how EPO exerts its biological function. Notably, miR-451 and miR-885-5p are downregulated in EPO-treated SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells. Accordingly, target prediction and transcriptome analysis of cells treated with EPO revealed an alteration of the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Low expression of miRNAs in SH-SY5Y was correlated with high expression of their target genes, vascular endothelial growth factor A, matrix metallo peptidase 9 (MMP9), cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), erythropoietin receptor, Mini chromosome maintenance complex 5 (MCM5), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), and Galanin (GAL). Cell viability, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration assays were carried out for functional analysis after transfection with miRNA mimics, which inhibited some biological actions of EPO such as neuroprotection, anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, and migratory effects. In this study, we report for the first time that EPO downregulates the expression of miRNAs (miR-451 and miR-885-5p) in SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells. The correlation between the over-expression of miRNAs and the decrease in EPO-mediated biological effects suggests that miR-451 and miR-885-5p may play a key role in the mediation of biological function.Article Citation - WoS: 27Citation - Scopus: 31Development of Genomic Simple Sequence Repeat Markers in Opium Poppy by Next-Generation Sequencing(Springer Verlag, 2014) Çelik, İbrahim; Gültekin, Visam; Allmer, Jens; Doğanlar, Sami; Frary, AnneOpium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is an important pharmaceutical crop with very few genetic marker resources. To expand these resources, we sequenced genomic DNA using pyrosequencing technology and examined the DNA sequences for simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 1,244,412 sequence reads were obtained covering 474 Mb. Approximately half of the reads (52 %) were assembled into 166,724 contigs representing 105 Mb of the opium poppy genome. A total of 23,283 non-redundant SSRs were identified in 18,944 contigs (11.3 % of total contigs). Trinucleotide and tetranucleotide repeats were the most abundant SSR repeats, accounting for 49.0 and 27.9 % of all SSRs, respectively. The AAG/TTC repeat was the most abundant trinucleotide repeat, representing 19.7 % of trinucleotide repeats. Other SSR repeat types were AT-rich. A total of 23,126 primer pairs (98.7 % of total SSRs) were designed to amplify SSRs. Fifty-three genomic SSR markers were tested in 37 opium poppy accessions and seven Papaver species for determination of polymorphism and transferability. Intraspecific polymorphism information content (PIC) values of the genomic SSR markers were intermediate, with an average 0.17, while the interspecific average PIC value was slightly higher, 0.19. All markers showed at least 88 % transferability among related species. This study increases sequence coverage of the opium poppy genome by sevenfold and the number of opium poppy-specific SSR markers by sixfold. This is the first report of the development of genomic SSR markers in opium poppy, and the genomic SSR markers developed in this study will be useful in diversity, identification, mapping and breeding studies in opium poppy.