Insights into Three Whole-Genome Duplications Gleaned from the Paramecium caudatum Genome Sequence

Insights into three whole-genome duplications gleaned from the Paramecium caudatum genome sequence.

Paramecium has long been a model eukaryote. The sequence of the Paramecium tetraurelia genome reveals a history of three successive whole-genome duplications (WGDs), and the sequences of P. biaurelia and P. sexaurelia suggest that these WGDs are shared by all members of the aurelia species complex. Here, we present the genome sequence of P. caudatum, a species closely related to the P. aurelia ...

Timing of Whole Genome Duplications

Whole-genome duplications contributed to the expansion of cytochrome b5 genes in Paramecium tetraurelia.

Cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) genes encode ubiquitous electron transport hemoproteins found in animals, plants, fungi, and purple bacteria. However, little is known about their evolutionary history in genomes so far. Here, we conducted an extensive genome-wide survey of cyt b5 genes in 20 representative model species and identified 310 of these genes. Both the absolute number and relative proportion o...

Relationship Estimation from Whole-Genome Sequence Data

The determination of the relationship between a pair of individuals is a fundamental application of genetics. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that identity-by-descent (IBD) information generated from high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data can greatly improve the power and accuracy of genetic relationship detection. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) marks the final step i...

Early insights into the genome sequence of Uromyces fabae

Uromyces fabae is a major pathogen of broad bean, Vicia faba. U. fabae has served as a model among rust fungi to elucidate the development of infection structures, expression and secretion of cell wall degrading enzymes and gene expression. Using U. fabae, enormous progress was made regarding nutrient uptake and metabolism and in the search for secreted proteins and effectors. Here, we present ...