The evolution of the amniotic egg was one of the great evolutionary innovations in the history of life, freeing vertebrates from an obligatory connection to water and thus permitting the conquest of terrestrial environments1. Among amniotes, genome sequences are available for mammals2 and birds3–5, but not for non-avian reptiles. Here we report the genome sequence of the North American green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis. We find that A. carolinensis microchromosomes are highly syntenic with chicken microchromosomes, yet do not exhibit the high GC and low repeat content that are characteristic of avian microchromosomes3. Also, A. carolinensis mobile elements are very young and diverse – more so than in any other sequenced amniote genome. This lizard genome’s GC content is also unusual in its homogeneity, unlike the regionally variable GC content found in mammals and birds6. We describe and assign sequence to the previously unknown A. carolinensis X chromosome. Comparative gene analysis shows that amniote egg proteins have evolved significantly more rapidly than other proteins. An anole phylogeny resolves basal branches to illuminate the history of their repeated adaptive radiations.

Eukaryotic genomes are packaged in two basic forms, euchromatin and heterochromatin. We have examined the composition and organization of Drosophila melanogaster heterochromatin in different cell types using ChIP-array analysis of histone modifications and chromosomal proteins. As anticipated, the pericentric heterochromatin and chromosome 4 are on average enriched for the “silencing” marks H3K9me2, H3K9me3, HP1a, and SU(VAR)3-9, and are generally depleted for marks associated with active transcription. The locations of the euchromatin–heterochromatin borders identified by these marks are similar in animal tissues and most cell lines, although the amount of heterochromatin is variable in some cell lines. Combinatorial analysis of chromatin patterns reveals distinct profiles for euchromatin, pericentric heterochromatin, and the 4th chromosome. Both silent and active protein-coding genes in heterochromatin display complex patterns of chromosomal proteins and histone modifications; a majority of the active genes exhibit both “activation” marks (e.g., H3K4me3 and H3K36me3) and “silencing” marks (e.g., H3K9me2 and HP1a). The hallmark of active genes in heterochromatic domains appears to be a loss of H3K9 methylation at the transcription start site. We also observe complex epigenomic profiles of intergenic regions, repeated transposable element (TE) sequences, and genes in the heterochromatic extensions. An unexpectedly large fraction of sequences in the euchromatic chromosome arms exhibits a heterochromatic chromatin signature, which differs in size, position, and impact on gene expression among cell types. We conclude that patterns of heterochromatin/euchromatin packaging show greater complexity and plasticity than anticipated. This comprehensive analysis provides a foundation for future studies of gene activity and chromosomal functions that are influenced by or dependent upon heterochromatin.

RNA ligation can regulate RNA function by altering RNA sequence, structure and coding potential. For example, the function of XBP1 in mediating the unfolded protein response requires RNA ligation, as does the maturation of some tRNAs. Here, we describe a novel in vivo model in Caenorhabditis elegans for the conserved RNA ligase RtcB and show that RtcB ligates the xbp-1 mRNA during the IRE-1 branch of the unfolded protein response. Without RtcB, protein stress results in the accumulation of unligated xbp-1 mRNA fragments, defects in the unfolded protein response, and decreased lifespan. RtcB also ligates endogenous pre-tRNA halves, and RtcB mutants have defects in growth and lifespan that can be bypassed by expression of pre-spliced tRNAs. In addition, animals that lack RtcB have defects that are independent of tRNA maturation and the unfolded protein response. Thus, RNA ligation by RtcB is required for the function of multiple endogenous target RNAs including both xbp-1 and tRNAs. RtcB is uniquely capable of performing these ligation functions, and RNA ligation by RtcB mediates multiple essential processes in vivo.

Epigenetic control of genome function is an important regulatory mechanism in diverse processes such as lineage commitment and environmental sensing, and in disease etiologies ranging from neuropsychiatric disorders to cancer. Here we report a robust, high-throughput targeted, quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) method to rapidly profile modifications of the core histones of chromatin that compose the epigenetic landscape, enabling comparisons among cells with differing genetic backgrounds, genomic perturbations, and drug treatments.