Mechanisms of intron loss and gain in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 17;8(4):e61683. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061683. Print 2013.

Abstract

The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is an important model species with a low intron density. Previous studies showed extensive intron losses during its evolution. To test the models of intron loss and gain in fission yeasts, we conducted a comparative genomic analysis in four Schizosaccharomyces species. Both intronization and de-intronization were observed, although both were at a low frequency. A de-intronization event was caused by a degenerative mutation in the branch site. Four cases of imprecise intron losses were identified, indicating that genomic deletion is not a negligible mechanism of intron loss. Most intron losses were precise deletions of introns, and were significantly biased to the 3' sides of genes. Adjacent introns tended to be lost simultaneously. These observations indicated that the main force shaping the exon-intron structures of fission yeasts was precise intron losses mediated by reverse transcriptase. We found two cases of intron gains caused by tandem genomic duplication, but failed to identify the mechanisms for the majority of the intron gain events observed. In addition, we found that intron-lost and intron-gained genes had certain similar features, such as similar Gene Ontology categories and expression levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Conserved Sequence / genetics
  • Gene Duplication / genetics
  • Genes, Fungal / genetics
  • Introns / genetics*
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA Splice Sites / genetics
  • Reverse Transcription / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / chemistry
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Sequence Deletion / genetics
  • Transcriptome / genetics

Substances

  • RNA Splice Sites
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 31121003 and 31071112). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.