Quantifying bias introduced by sample collection in relative and absolute microbiome measurements.

To gain insight into the accuracy of microbial measurements, it is important to evaluate sources of bias related to sample condition, preservative method and bioinformatic analyses. There is increasing evidence that measurement of the total count and concentration of microbes in the gut, or 'absolute abundance', provides a richer source of information than relative abundance and can correct some conclusions drawn from relative abundance data. However, little is known about how preservative choice can affect these measurements. In this study, we investigated how two common preservatives and short-term storage conditions impact relative and absolute microbial measurements. OMNIgene GUT OMR-200 yields lower metagenomic taxonomic variation between different storage temperatures, whereas Zymo DNA/RNA Shield yields lower metatranscriptomic taxonomic variation. Absolute abundance quantification reveals two different causes of variable Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratios across preservatives. Based on these results, we recommend OMNIgene GUT OMR-200 preservative for field studies and Zymo DNA/RNA Shield for metatranscriptomics studies, and we strongly encourage absolute quantification for microbial measurements.

Broad variation in response of individual introns to splicing inhibitors in a humanized yeast strain.

Intron branchpoint (BP) recognition by the U2 snRNP is a critical step of splicing, vulnerable to recurrent cancer mutations and bacterial natural product inhibitors. The BP binds a conserved pocket in the SF3B1 (human) or Hsh155 (yeast) U2 snRNP protein. Amino acids that line this pocket affect the binding of splicing inhibitors like Pladienolide-B (Plad-B), such that organisms differ in their sensitivity. To study the mechanism of splicing inhibitor action in a simplified system, we modified the naturally Plad-B resistant yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by changing 14 amino acids in the Hsh155 BP pocket to those from human. This humanized yeast grows normally, and splicing is largely unaffected by the mutation. Splicing is inhibited within minutes after the addition of Plad-B, and different introns appear inhibited to different extents. Intron-specific inhibition differences are also observed during cotranscriptional splicing in Plad-B using single-molecule intron tracking to minimize gene-specific transcription and decay rates that cloud estimates of inhibition by standard RNA-seq. Comparison of Plad-B intron sensitivities to those of the structurally distinct inhibitor Thailanstatin-A reveals intron-specific differences in sensitivity to different compounds. This work exposes a complex relationship between the binding of different members of this class of inhibitors to the spliceosome and intron-specific rates of BP recognition and catalysis. Introns with variant BP sequences seem particularly sensitive, echoing observations from mammalian cells, where monitoring individual introns is complicated by multi-intron gene architecture and alternative splicing. The compact yeast system may hasten the characterization of splicing inhibitors, accelerating improvements in selectivity and therapeutic efficacy.

Broad variation in response of individual introns to splicing inhibitors in a humanized yeast strain.

Intron branch point (BP) recognition by the U2 snRNP is a critical step of splicing, vulnerable to recurrent cancer mutations and bacterial natural product inhibitors. The BP binds a conserved pocket in the SF3B1 (human) or Hsh155 (yeast) U2 snRNP protein. Amino acids that line this pocket affect binding of splicing inhibitors like Pladienolide-B (Plad-B), such that organisms differ in their sensitivity. To study the mechanism of splicing inhibitor action in a simplified system, we modified the naturally Plad-B resistant yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by changing 14 amino acids in the Hsh155 BP pocket to those from human. This humanized yeast grows normally, and splicing is largely unaffected by the mutation. Splicing is inhibited within minutes after addition of Plad-B, and different introns appear inhibited to different extents. Intron-specific inhibition differences are also observed during co-transcriptional splicing in Plad-B using single-molecule intron tracking (SMIT) to minimize gene-specific transcription and decay rates that cloud estimates of inhibition by standard RNA-seq. Comparison of Plad-B intron sensitivities to those of the structurally distinct inhibitor Thailanstatin-A reveals intron-specific differences in sensitivity to different compounds. This work exposes a complex relationship between binding of different members of this class of inhibitors to the spliceosome and intron-specific rates of BP recognition and catalysis. Introns with variant BP sequences seem particularly sensitive, echoing observations from mammalian cells, where monitoring individual introns is complicated by multi-intron gene architecture and alternative splicing. The compact yeast system may hasten characterization of splicing inhibitors, accelerating improvements in selectivity and therapeutic efficacy.

Rational probe design for efficient rRNA depletion and improved metatranscriptomic analysis of human microbiomes.

The microbiota that colonize the human gut and other tissues are dynamic, varying both in composition and functional state between individuals and over time. Gene expression measurements can provide insights into microbiome composition and function. However, efficient and unbiased removal of microbial ribosomal RNA (rRNA) presents a barrier to acquiring metatranscriptomic data. Here we describe a probe set that achieves efficient enzymatic rRNA removal of complex human-associated microbial communities. We demonstrate that the custom probe set can be further refined through an iterative design process to efficiently deplete rRNA from a range of human microbiome samples. Using synthetic nucleic acid spike-ins, we show that the rRNA depletion process does not introduce substantial quantitative error in gene expression profiles. Successful rRNA depletion allows for efficient characterization of taxonomic and functional profiles, including during the development of the human gut microbiome. The pan-human microbiome enzymatic rRNA depletion probes described here provide a powerful tool for studying the transcriptional dynamics and function of the human microbiome.

The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Movement Protein Gene Is a Novel Microbial Source Tracking Marker.

Microbial source tracking (MST) identifies sources of fecal contamination in the environment using host-associated fecal markers. While there are numerous bacterial MST markers that can be used herein, there are few such viral markers. Here, we designed and tested novel viral MST markers based on tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) genomes. We assembled eight nearly complete genomes of ToBRFV from wastewater and stool samples from the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States. Next, we developed two novel probe-based reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays based on conserved regions of the ToBRFV genome and tested the markers' sensitivities and specificities using human and non-human animal stool as well as wastewater. The ToBRFV markers are sensitive and specific; in human stool and wastewater, they are more prevalent and abundant than a commonly used viral marker, the pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) coat protein (CP) gene. We used the assays to detect fecal contamination in urban stormwater samples and found that the ToBRFV markers matched cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), an established viral MST marker, in prevalence across samples. Taken together, these results indicate that ToBRFV is a promising viral human-associated MST marker. IMPORTANCE Human exposure to fecal contamination in the environment can cause transmission of infectious diseases. Microbial source tracking (MST) can identify sources of fecal contamination so that contamination can be remediated and human exposures can be reduced. MST requires the use of host-associated MST markers. Here, we designed and tested novel MST markers from genomes of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The markers are sensitive and specific to human stool and highly abundant in human stool and wastewater samples.

Benchmarking blood collection tubes and processing intervals for extracellular vesicle performance metrics.

The analysis of extracellular vesicles (EV) in blood samples is under intense investigation and holds the potential to deliver clinically meaningful biomarkers for health and disease. Technical variation must be minimized to confidently assess EV-associated biomarkers, but the impact of pre-analytics on EV characteristics in blood samples remains minimally explored. We present the results from the first large-scale EV Blood Benchmarking (EVBB) study in which we systematically compared 11 blood collection tubes (BCT; six preservation and five non-preservation) and three blood processing intervals (BPI; 1, 8 and 72 h) on defined performance metrics (n = 9). The EVBB study identifies a significant impact of multiple BCT and BPI on a diverse set of metrics reflecting blood sample quality, ex-vivo generation of blood-cell derived EV, EV recovery and EV-associated molecular signatures. The results assist the informed selection of the optimal BCT and BPI for EV analysis. The proposed metrics serve as a framework to guide future research on pre-analytics and further support methodological standardization of EV studies.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus Mo gene is a novel microbial source tracking marker.

Microbial source tracking (MST) identifies sources of fecal contamination in the environment using fecal host-associated markers. While there are numerous bacterial MST markers, there are few viral markers. Here we design and test novel viral MST markers based on tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) genomes. We assembled eight nearly complete genomes of ToBRFV from wastewater and stool samples from the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States of America. Next, we developed two novel probe-based RT-PCR assays based on conserved regions of the ToBRFV genome, and tested the markers’ sensitivities and specificities using human and non-human animal stool as well as wastewater. TheToBRFV markers are sensitive and specific; in human stool and wastewater, they are more prevalent and abundant than a currently used marker, the pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) coat protein (CP) gene. We applied the assays to detect fecal contamination in urban stormwater samples and found that the ToBRFV markers matched cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), an established viral MST marker, in prevalence across samples. Taken together, ToBRFV is a promising viral human-associated MST marker. Importance: Human exposure to fecal contamination in the environment can cause transmission of infectious diseases. Microbial source tracking (MST) can identify sources of fecal contamination so that contamination can be remediated and human exposures can be reduced. MST requires the use of fecal host-associated MST markers. Here we design and test novel MST markers from genomes of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The markers are sensitive and specific to human stool, and highly abundant in human stool and wastewater samples.

mRNA Capture Sequencing and RT-qPCR for the Detection of Pathognomonic, Novel, and Secondary Fusion Transcripts in FFPE Tissue: A Sarcoma Showcase.

We assess the performance of mRNA capture sequencing to identify fusion transcripts in FFPE tissue of different sarcoma types, followed by RT-qPCR confirmation. To validate our workflow, six positive control tumors with a specific chromosomal rearrangement were analyzed using the TruSight RNA Pan-Cancer Panel. Fusion transcript calling by FusionCatcher confirmed these aberrations and enabled the identification of both fusion gene partners and breakpoints. Next, whole-transcriptome TruSeq RNA Exome sequencing was applied to 17 fusion gene-negative alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) or undifferentiated round cell sarcoma (URCS) tumors, for whom fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) did not identify the classical pathognomonic rearrangements. For six patients, a pathognomonic fusion transcript was readily detected, i.e., PAX3-FOXO1 in two ARMS patients, and EWSR1-FLI1, EWSR1-ERG, or EWSR1-NFATC2 in four URCS patients. For the 11 remaining patients, 11 newly identified fusion transcripts were confirmed by RT-qPCR, including COPS3-TOM1L2, NCOA1-DTNB, WWTR1-LINC01986, PLAA-MOB3B, AP1B1-CHEK2, and BRD4-LEUTX fusion transcripts in ARMS patients. Additionally, recurrently detected secondary fusion transcripts in patients diagnosed with EWSR1-NFATC2-positive sarcoma were confirmed (COPS4-TBC1D9, PICALM-SYTL2, SMG6-VPS53, and UBE2F-ALS2). In conclusion, this study shows that mRNA capture sequencing enhances the detection rate of pathognomonic fusions and enables the identification of novel and secondary fusion transcripts in sarcomas.

The RNA Atlas expands the catalog of human non-coding RNAs.

Existing compendia of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) are incomplete, in part because they are derived almost exclusively from small and polyadenylated RNAs. Here we present a more comprehensive atlas of the human transcriptome, which includes small and polyA RNA as well as total RNA from 300 human tissues and cell lines. We report thousands of previously uncharacterized RNAs, increasing the number of documented ncRNAs by approximately 8%. To infer functional regulation by known and newly characterized ncRNAs, we exploited pre-mRNA abundance estimates from total RNA sequencing, revealing 316 microRNAs and 3,310 long non-coding RNAs with multiple lines of evidence for roles in regulating protein-coding genes and pathways. Our study both refines and expands the current catalog of human ncRNAs and their regulatory interactions. All data, analyses and results are available for download and interrogation in the R2 web portal, serving as a basis for future exploration of RNA biology and function.

Messenger RNA capture sequencing of extracellular RNA from human biofluids using a comprehensive set of spike-in controls.

Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of extracellular RNA (exRNA) purified from human biofluids is challenging because of the low RNA concentration and compromised RNA integrity. Here, we describe an optimized workflow to (1) isolate exRNA from different types of biofluids and (2) to prepare messenger RNA (mRNA)-enriched sequencing libraries using complementary hybridization probes. Importantly, the workflow includes 2 sets of synthetic spike-in RNA molecules as processing controls for RNA purification and sequencing library preparation and as an alternative data normalization strategy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hulstaert et al. (2020).

Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

Viral genome sequencing has guided our understanding of the spread and extent of genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes are usually sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of individual patients to track viral spread. Recently, RT-qPCR of municipal wastewater has been used to quantify the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in several regions globally. However, metatranscriptomic sequencing of wastewater can be used to profile the viral genetic diversity across infected communities. Here, we sequenced RNA directly from sewage collected by municipal utility districts in the San Francisco Bay Area to generate complete and nearly complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The major consensus SARS-CoV-2 genotypes detected in the sewage were identical to clinical genomes from the region. Using a pipeline for single nucleotide variant calling in a metagenomic context, we characterized minor SARS-CoV-2 alleles in the wastewater and detected viral genotypes which were also found within clinical genomes throughout California. Observed wastewater variants were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the United States or globally. Additional variants detected in wastewater have only been identified in genomes from patients sampled outside California, indicating that wastewater sequencing can provide evidence for recent introductions of viral lineages before they are detected by local clinical sequencing. These results demonstrate that epidemiological surveillance through wastewater sequencing can aid in tracking exact viral strains in an epidemic context.

Charting Extracellular Transcriptomes in The Human Biofluid RNA Atlas.

Extracellular RNAs present in biofluids have emerged as potential biomarkers for disease. Where most studies focus on blood-derived fluids, other biofluids may be more informative. We present an atlas of messenger, circular, and small RNA transcriptomes of a comprehensive collection of 20 human biofluids. By means of synthetic spike-in controls, we compare RNA content across biofluids, revealing a 10,000-fold difference in concentration. The circular RNA fraction is increased in most biofluids compared to tissues. Each biofluid transcriptome is enriched for RNA molecules derived from specific tissues and cell types. Our atlas enables an informed selection of the most relevant biofluid to monitor particular diseases. To verify the biomarker potential in these biofluids, four validation cohorts representing a broad spectrum of diseases were profiled, revealing numerous differential RNAs between case and control subjects. Spike-normalized data are publicly available in the R2 web portal for further exploration.

Multi-modal regulation of C. elegans hermaphrodite spermatogenesis by the GLD-1-FOG-2 complex.

Proper germ cell sex determination in Caenorhabditis nematodes requires a network of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and their target mRNAs. In some species, changes in this network enabled limited XX spermatogenesis, and thus self-fertility. In C. elegans, one of these selfing species, the global sex-determining gene tra-2 is regulated in germ cells by a conserved RBP, GLD-1, via the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of its transcript. A C. elegans-specific GLD-1 cofactor, FOG-2, is also required for hermaphrodite sperm fate, but how it modifies GLD-1 function is unknown. Germline feminization in gld-1 and fog-2 null mutants has been interpreted as due to cell-autonomous elevation of TRA-2 translation. Consistent with the proposed role of FOG-2 in translational control, the abundance of nearly all GLD-1 target mRNAs (including tra-2) is unchanged in fog-2 mutants. Epitope tagging reveals abundant TRA-2 expression in somatic tissues, but an undetectably low level in wild-type germ cells. Loss of gld-1 function elevates germline TRA-2 expression to detectable levels, but loss of fog-2 function does not. A simple quantitative model of tra-2 activity constrained by these results can successfully sort genotypes into normal or feminized groups. Surprisingly, fog-2 and gld-1 activity enable the sperm fate even when GLD-1 cannot bind to the tra-2 3' UTR. This suggests the GLD-1-FOG-2 complex regulates uncharacterized sites within tra-2, or other mRNA targets. Finally, we quantify the RNA-binding capacities of dominant missense alleles of GLD-1 that act genetically as "hyper-repressors" of tra-2 activity. These variants bind RNA more weakly in vitro than does wild-type GLD-1. These results indicate that gld-1 and fog-2 regulate germline sex via multiple interactions, and that our understanding of the control and evolution of germ cell sex determination in the C. elegans hermaphrodite is far from complete.

New insights into the cellular temporal response to proteostatic stress.

Maintaining a healthy proteome involves all layers of gene expression regulation. By quantifying temporal changes of the transcriptome, translatome, proteome, and RNA-protein interactome in cervical cancer cells, we systematically characterize the molecular landscape in response to proteostatic challenges. We identify shared and specific responses to misfolded proteins and to oxidative stress, two conditions that are tightly linked. We reveal new aspects of the unfolded protein response, including many genes that escape global translation shutdown. A subset of these genes supports rerouting of energy production in the mitochondria. We also find that many genes change at multiple levels, in either the same or opposing directions, and at different time points. We highlight a variety of putative regulatory pathways, including the stress-dependent alternative splicing of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and protein-RNA binding within the 3' untranslated region of molecular chaperones. These results illustrate the potential of this information-rich resource.

Conserved non-AUG uORFs revealed by a novel regression analysis of ribosome profiling data.

Upstream open reading frames (uORFs), located in transcript leaders (5' UTRs), are potent cis-acting regulators of translation and mRNA turnover. Recent genome-wide ribosome profiling studies suggest that thousands of uORFs initiate with non-AUG start codons. Although intriguing, these non-AUG uORF predictions have been made without statistical control or validation; thus, the importance of these elements remains to be demonstrated. To address this, we took a comparative genomics approach to study AUG and non-AUG uORFs. We mapped transcription leaders in multiple Saccharomyces yeast species and applied a novel machine learning algorithm (uORF-seqr) to ribosome profiling data to identify statistically significant uORFs. We found that AUG and non-AUG uORFs are both frequently found in Saccharomyces yeasts. Although most non-AUG uORFs are found in only one species, hundreds have either conserved sequence or position within Saccharomyces uORFs initiating with UUG are particularly common and are shared between species at rates similar to that of AUG uORFs. However, non-AUG uORFs are translated less efficiently than AUG-uORFs and are less subject to removal via alternative transcription initiation under normal growth conditions. These results suggest that a subset of non-AUG uORFs may play important roles in regulating gene expression.

Genome-wide analysis of Musashi-2 targets reveals novel functions in governing epithelial cell migration.

The Musashi-2 (Msi2) RNA-binding protein maintains stem cell self-renewal and promotes oncogenesis by enhancing cell proliferation in hematopoietic and gastrointestinal tissues. However, it is unclear how Msi2 recognizes and regulates mRNA targets in vivo and whether Msi2 primarily controls cell growth in all cell types. Here we identified Msi2 targets with HITS-CLIP and revealed that Msi2 primarily recognizes mRNA 3'UTRs at sites enriched in multiple copies of UAG motifs in epithelial progenitor cells. RNA-seq and ribosome profiling demonstrated that Msi2 promotes targeted mRNA decay without affecting translation efficiency. Unexpectedly, the most prominent Msi2 targets identified are key regulators that govern cell motility with a high enrichment in focal adhesion and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, in addition to regulators of cell growth and survival. Loss of Msi2 stimulates epithelial cell migration, increases the number of focal adhesions and also compromises cell growth. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of Msi2's recognition and repression of targets and uncover a key function of Msi2 in restricting epithelial cell migration.

SnapShot-Seq: a method for extracting genome-wide, in vivo mRNA dynamics from a single total RNA sample.

mRNA synthesis, processing, and destruction involve a complex series of molecular steps that are incompletely understood. Because the RNA intermediates in each of these steps have finite lifetimes, extensive mechanistic and dynamical information is encoded in total cellular RNA. Here we report the development of SnapShot-Seq, a set of computational methods that allow the determination of in vivo rates of pre-mRNA synthesis, splicing, intron degradation, and mRNA decay from a single RNA-Seq snapshot of total cellular RNA. SnapShot-Seq can detect in vivo changes in the rates of specific steps of splicing, and it provides genome-wide estimates of pre-mRNA synthesis rates comparable to those obtained via labeling of newly synthesized RNA. We used SnapShot-Seq to investigate the origins of the intrinsic bimodality of metazoan gene expression levels, and our results suggest that this bimodality is partly due to spillover of transcriptional activation from highly expressed genes to their poorly expressed neighbors. SnapShot-Seq dramatically expands the information obtainable from a standard RNA-Seq experiment.