RRC ID 47660
Author Yokomori R, Shimai K, Nishitsuji K, Suzuki Y, Kusakabe TG, Nakai K.
Title Genome-wide identification and characterization of transcription start sites and promoters in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis.
Journal Genome Res
Abstract The tunicate Ciona intestinalis, an invertebrate chordate, has recently emerged as a powerful model organism for gene regulation analysis. However, few studies have been conducted to identify and characterize its transcription start sites (TSSs) and promoters at the genome-wide level. Here, using TSS-seq, we identified TSSs at the genome-wide scale and characterized promoters in C. intestinalis. Specifically, we identified TSS clusters (TSCs), high-density regions of TSS-seq tags, each of which appears to originate from an identical promoter. TSCs were found not only at known TSSs but also in other regions, suggesting the existence of many unknown transcription units in the genome. We also identified candidate promoters of 79 ribosomal protein (RP) genes, each of which had the major TSS in a polypyrimidine tract and showed a sharp TSS distribution like human RP gene promoters. Ciona RP gene promoters, however, did not appear to have typical TATA boxes, unlike human RP gene promoters. In Ciona non-RP promoters, two pyrimidine-purine dinucleotides, CA and TA, were frequently used as TSSs. Despite the absence of CpG islands, Ciona TATA-less promoters showed low expression specificity like CpG-associated human TATA-less promoters. By using TSS-seq, we also predicted trans-spliced gene TSSs and found that their downstream regions had higher G+T content than those of non-trans-spliced gene TSSs. Furthermore, we identified many putative alternative promoters, some of which were regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Our results provide valuable information about TSSs and promoter characteristics in C. intestinalis and will be helpful in future analysis of transcriptional regulation in chordates.
Volume 26(1)
Pages 140-50
Published 2016-1-1
DOI 10.1101/gr.184648.114
PII gr.184648.114
PMID 26668163
PMC PMC4691747
MeSH Animals Ciona intestinalis / genetics* Drosophila / genetics Gene Expression Regulation Humans Multigene Family Promoter Regions, Genetic* Trans-Splicing Transcription Initiation Site*
IF 11.093
Times Cited 7
WOS Category BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY GENETICS & HEREDITY
Resource
C.intestinalis / (O.japonicus) Wild C. int