Traditional functions of DExD/H-box helicases are concerned with RNA metabolism; they have been shown to play a part in nearly every cellular process that involves RNA. On the other hand, it is ...accepted that DexD/H-box helicases also engage in activities that do not require helicase activity. A number of DExD/H-box helicases have been shown to be involved in anti-viral immunity. The RIG-like helicases, RIG-I, mda5 and lgp2, act as important cytosolic pattern recognition receptors for viral RNA. Detection of viral nucleic acids by the RIG-like helicases or other anti-viral pattern recognition receptors leads to the induction of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. More recently, additional DExD/H-box helicases have also been implicated to act as cytosolic sensors of viral nucleic acids, including DDX3, DDX41, DHX9, DDX60, DDX1 and DHX36. However, there is evidence that at least some of these helicases might have more downstream functions in pattern recognition receptor signalling pathways, as signalling adaptors or transcriptional regulators. In an interesting twist, a lot of DExD/H-box helicases have also been identified as essential host factors for the replication of different viruses, suggesting that viruses ‘hijack’ their RNA helicase activities for their benefit. Interestingly, DDX3, DDX1 and DHX9 are among the helicases that are required for the replication of a diverse range of viruses. This might suggest that these helicases are highly contested targets in the ongoing ‘arms race’ between viruses and the host immune system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Biology of RNA helicases — Modulation for life.
•Structural studies of RIG-like helicases reveal information about its substrate specificity and mechanism of action.•Other DExD/H-box helicases participate in anti-viral immune responses as sensors or signalling intermediates.•DexD/H-box helicases are co-opted by many viruses to facilitate their gene expression and replication.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
How somatic mutations accumulate in normal cells is central to understanding cancer development but is poorly understood. We performed ultradeep sequencing of 74 cancer genes in small (0.8 to 4.7 ...square millimeters) biopsies of normal skin. Across 234 biopsies of sun-exposed eyelid epidermis from four individuals, the burden of somatic mutations averaged two to six mutations per megabase per cell, similar to that seen in many cancers, and exhibited characteristic signatures of exposure to ultraviolet light. Remarkably, multiple cancer genes are under strong positive selection even in physiologically normal skin, including most of the key drivers of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Positively selected mutations were found in 18 to 32% of normal skin cells at a density of ∼140 driver mutations per square centimeter. We observed variability in the driver landscape among individuals and variability in the sizes of clonal expansions across genes. Thus, aged sun-exposed skin is a patchwork of thousands of evolving clones with over a quarter of cells carrying cancer-causing mutations while maintaining the physiological functions of epidermis.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Genomes are critical units in microbiology, yet ascertaining quality in prokaryotic genome assemblies remains a formidable challenge. We present GUNC (the Genome UNClutterer), a tool that accurately ...detects and quantifies genome chimerism based on the lineage homogeneity of individual contigs using a genome's full complement of genes. GUNC complements existing approaches by targeting previously underdetected types of contamination: we conservatively estimate that 5.7% of genomes in GenBank, 5.2% in RefSeq, and 15-30% of pre-filtered "high-quality" metagenome-assembled genomes in recent studies are undetected chimeras. GUNC provides a fast and robust tool to substantially improve prokaryotic genome quality.
The multiple myeloma (MM) genome is heterogeneous and evolves through preclinical and post-diagnosis phases. Here we report a catalog and hierarchy of driver lesions using sequences from 67 MM ...genomes serially collected from 30 patients together with public exome datasets. Bayesian clustering defines at least 7 genomic subgroups with distinct sets of co-operating events. Focusing on whole genome sequencing data, complex structural events emerge as major drivers, including chromothripsis and a novel replication-based mechanism of templated insertions, which typically occur early. Hyperdiploidy also occurs early, with individual trisomies often acquired in different chronological windows during evolution, and with a preferred order of acquisition. Conversely, positively selected point mutations, whole genome duplication and chromoplexy events occur in later disease phases. Thus, initiating driver events, drawn from a limited repertoire of structural and numerical chromosomal changes, shape preferred trajectories of evolution that are biologically relevant but heterogeneous across patients.
We analyzed whole genomes of unique paired samples from smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) patients progressing to multiple myeloma (MM). We report that the genomic landscape, including mutational ...profile and structural rearrangements at the smoldering stage is very similar to MM. Paired sample analysis shows two different patterns of progression: a "static progression model", where the subclonal architecture is retained as the disease progressed to MM suggesting that progression solely reflects the time needed to accumulate a sufficient disease burden; and a "spontaneous evolution model", where a change in the subclonal composition is observed. We also observe that activation-induced cytidine deaminase plays a major role in shaping the mutational landscape of early subclinical phases, while progression is driven by APOBEC cytidine deaminases. These results provide a unique insight into myelomagenesis with potential implications for the definition of smoldering disease and timing of treatment initiation.
The interpretation of genomic, transcriptomic and other microbial 'omics data is highly dependent on the availability of well-annotated genomes. As the number of publicly available microbial genomes ...continues to increase exponentially, the need for quality control and consistent annotation is becoming critical. We present proGenomes3, a database of 907 388 high-quality genomes containing 4 billion genes that passed stringent criteria and have been consistently annotated using multiple functional and taxonomic databases including mobile genetic elements and biosynthetic gene clusters. proGenomes3 encompasses 41 171 species-level clusters, defined based on universal single copy marker genes, for which pan-genomes and contextual habitat annotations are provided. The database is available at http://progenomes.embl.de/.
Gut viruses are important, yet often neglected, players in the complex human gut microbial ecosystem. Recently, the number of human gut virome studies has been increasing; however, we are still only ...scratching the surface of the immense viral diversity. In this study, 254 virus-enriched fecal metagenomes from 204 Danish subjects were used to generate the Danish Enteric Virome Catalog (DEVoC) containing 12,986 nonredundant viral scaffolds, of which the majority was previously undescribed, encoding 190,029 viral genes. The DEVoC was used to compare 91 healthy DEVoC gut viromes from children, adolescents, and adults that were used to create the DEVoC. Gut viromes of healthy Danish subjects were dominated by phages. While most phage genomes (PGs) only occurred in a single subject, indicating large virome individuality, 39 PGs were present in more than 10 healthy subjects. Among these 39 PGs, the prevalences of three PGs were associated with age. To further study the prevalence of these 39 prevalent PGs, 1,880 gut virome data sets of 27 studies from across the world were screened, revealing several age-, geography-, and disease-related prevalence patterns. Two PGs also showed a remarkably high prevalence worldwide—a crAss-like phage (20.6% prevalence), belonging to the tentative AlphacrAssvirinae subfamily, and a previously undescribed circular temperate phage infecting Bacteroides dorei (14.4% prevalence), called LoVEphage because it encodes lots of viral elements. Due to the LoVEphage’s high prevalence and novelty, public data sets in which the LoVEphage was detected were de novo assembled, resulting in an additional 18 circular LoVEphage-like genomes (67.9 to 72.4 kb). IMPORTANCE Through generation of the DEVoC, we added numerous previously uncharacterized viral genomes and genes to the ever-increasing worldwide pool of human gut viromes. The DEVoC, the largest human gut virome catalog generated from consistently processed fecal samples, facilitated the analysis of the 91 healthy Danish gut viromes. Characterizing the biggest cohort of healthy gut viromes from children, adolescents, and adults to date confirmed the previously established high interindividual variation in human gut viromes and demonstrated that the effect of age on the gut virome composition was limited to the prevalence of specific phage (groups). The identification of a previously undescribed prevalent phage illustrates the usefulness of developing virome catalogs, and we foresee that the DEVoC will benefit future analysis of the roles of gut viruses in human health and disease.
DDX3 is a DEAD-box RNA helicase that we and others have previously implicated in antiviral immune signalling pathways leading to type I interferon (IFN) induction. We previously demonstrated that it ...directly interacts with the kinase IKKε (IκB kinase ε), enhances it activation, and then facilitates phosphorylation of the transcription factor IRF3 by IKKε. However, the TLR7/9 (Toll-like receptor 7/9)-mediated pathway, one of the most physiologically relevant IFN induction pathways, proceeds independently of IKKε or the related kinase TBK1 (TANK-binding kinase 1). This pathway induces type I IFN production via the kinases NIK (NF-κB-inducing kinase) and IKKα and is activated when plasmacytoid dendritic cells sense viral nucleic acids. In the present study, we demonstrate that DDX3 also directly interacts with IKKα and enhances its autophosphorylation and -activation. Modulation of DDX3 expression consequently affected NIK/IKKα-mediated IRF7 phosphorylation and induction of type I interferons. In addition, alternative NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB) activation, another pathway regulated by NIK and IKKα, was also down-regulated in DDX3 knockdown cells. This substantially broadens the effects of DDX3 in innate immune signalling to pathways beyond TBK1/IKKε and IFN induction. Dysregulation of these pathways is involved in disease states, and thus, our research might implicate DDX3 as a potential target for their therapeutic manipulation.
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