OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.

We present a novel method to measure the local GC-content bias in genomes and a survey of published fungal species. The method, enacted as "OcculterCut" (<a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut">https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut</a>), identifi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Renwick, Alison, Oliver, Richard, Hane, James
Format: Journal Article
Published: Oxford University Press 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5842
_version_ 1848744908974718976
author Renwick, Alison
Oliver, Richard
Hane, James
author_facet Renwick, Alison
Oliver, Richard
Hane, James
author_sort Renwick, Alison
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We present a novel method to measure the local GC-content bias in genomes and a survey of published fungal species. The method, enacted as "OcculterCut" (<a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut">https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut</a>), identified species containing distinct AT-rich regions. In most fungal taxa, AT-rich regions are a signature of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP), which targets repetitive DNA and decreases GC-content though the conversion of cytosine to thymine bases. RIP has in turn been identified as a driver of fungal genome evolution, as RIP mutations can also occur in single-copy genes neighbouring repeat-rich regions. Over time RIP perpetuates 'two speeds' of gene evolution in the GC-equilibrated and AT-rich regions of fungal genomes. In this study, genomes showing evidence of this process are found to be common, particularly among the Pezizomycotina. Further analysis highlighted differences in amino acid composition and putative functions of genes from these regions, supporting the hypothesis that these regions play an important role in fungal evolution. OcculterCut can also be used to identify genes undergoing RIP-assisted diversifying selection, such as small, secreted effector proteins that mediate host-microbe disease interactions.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T06:08:57Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-5842
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:08:57Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Oxford University Press
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-58422017-09-13T14:47:34Z OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes. Renwick, Alison Oliver, Richard Hane, James We present a novel method to measure the local GC-content bias in genomes and a survey of published fungal species. The method, enacted as "OcculterCut" (<a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut">https://sourceforge.net/projects/occultercut</a>), identified species containing distinct AT-rich regions. In most fungal taxa, AT-rich regions are a signature of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP), which targets repetitive DNA and decreases GC-content though the conversion of cytosine to thymine bases. RIP has in turn been identified as a driver of fungal genome evolution, as RIP mutations can also occur in single-copy genes neighbouring repeat-rich regions. Over time RIP perpetuates 'two speeds' of gene evolution in the GC-equilibrated and AT-rich regions of fungal genomes. In this study, genomes showing evidence of this process are found to be common, particularly among the Pezizomycotina. Further analysis highlighted differences in amino acid composition and putative functions of genes from these regions, supporting the hypothesis that these regions play an important role in fungal evolution. OcculterCut can also be used to identify genes undergoing RIP-assisted diversifying selection, such as small, secreted effector proteins that mediate host-microbe disease interactions. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5842 10.1093/gbe/evw121 Oxford University Press fulltext
spellingShingle Renwick, Alison
Oliver, Richard
Hane, James
OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title_full OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title_fullStr OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title_full_unstemmed OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title_short OcculterCut: A comprehensive survey of AT-rich regions in fungal genomes.
title_sort occultercut: a comprehensive survey of at-rich regions in fungal genomes.
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5842