An ecosystem for producing and sharing metadata within the web of FAIR Data.

Background: Descriptive metadata are vital for reporting, discovering, leveraging, and mobilizing research datasets. However, resolving metadata issues as part of a data management plan can be complex for data producers. To organize and document data, various descriptive metadata must be created.

SNP4OrphanSpecies: A bioinformatics pipeline to isolate molecular markers for studying genetic diversity of orphan species.

Background: For several decades, an increase in disease or pest emergences due to anthropogenic introduction or environmental changes has been recorded. This increase leads to serious threats to the genetic and species diversity of numerous ecosystems. Many of these events involve species with poor or no genomic resources (called here "orphan species").

Use of IMGT Databases and Tools for Antibody Engineering and Humanization.

IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system ( http://www.imgt.org ), was created in 1989 by Marie-Paule Lefranc (Université de Montpellier and CNRS) to manage the huge diversity of the antigen receptors, immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, and T cell receptors (TR).

Fine-scale species distribution changes in a mixed oak stand over two successive generations.

Large-scale tree distribution changes have received considerable attention but underlying demo-genetic mechanisms are less well documented. We used a diachronic approach to track species shifts in a mixed oak stand (Quercus petraea-Quercus robur) at a fine spatiotemporal scale. Species assignment was made using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) fingerprints employing clustering and parentage analysis.

Adaptive and plastic responses of Quercus petraea populations to climate across Europe.

How temperate forests will respond to climate change is uncertain; projections range from severe decline to increased growth. We conducted field tests of sessile oak (Quercus petraea), a widespread keystone European forest tree species, including more than 150 000 trees sourced from 116 geographically diverse populations. The tests were planted on 23 field sites in six European countries, in order to expose them to a wide range of climates, including sites reflecting future warmer and drier climates.

High-density linkage mapping and distribution of segregation distortion regions in the oak genome.

We developed the densest single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based linkage genetic map to date for the genus Quercus An 8k gene-based SNP array was used to genotype more than 1,000 full-sibs from two intraspecific and two interspecific full-sib families of Quercus petraea and Quercus robur A high degree of collinearity was observed between the eight parental maps of the two species. A composite map was then established with 4,261 SNP markers spanning 742 cM over the 12 linkage groups (LGs) of the oak genome. Nine genomic regions from six LGs displayed highly significant distortions of segregation.

Evidence of intense chromosomal shuffling during conifer evolution.

While recent advances have been gained on genome evolution in angiosperm lineages, virtually nothing is known about karyotype evolution in the other group of seed plants, the gymnosperms. Here we used high density gene-based linkage mapping to compare the karyotype structure of two families of conifers (the most abundant group of gymnosperms) separated around 290 million years ago: Pinaceae and Cupressaceae. We propose for the first time a model based on the fusion of 20 ancestral chromosomal blocks that may have shaped the modern karyotpes of Pinaceae (with n=12) and Cupressaceae (with n=11).

Decoding the oak genome: public release of sequence data, assembly, annotation and publication strategies.

The 1.5 Gbp/2C genome of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) has been sequenced. A strategy was established for dealing with the challenges imposed by the sequencing of such a large, complex and highly heterozygous genome by a whole-genome shotgun (WGS) approach, without the use of costly and time-consuming methods, such as fosmid or BAC clone-based hierarchical sequencing methods.

The oak gene expression atlas: insights into Fagaceae genome evolution and the discovery of genes regulated during bud dormancy release.

Background: Many northern-hemisphere forests are dominated by oaks. These species extend over diverse environmental conditions and are thus interesting models for studies of plant adaptation and speciation. The genomic toolbox is an important asset for exploring the functional variation associated with natural selection.

Genome-wide distribution of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium in a mass-selected population of maritime pine.

Background: The accessibility of high-throughput genotyping technologies has contributed greatly to the development of genomic resources in non-model organisms. High-density genotyping arrays have only recently been developed for some economically important species such as conifers. The potential for using genomic technologies in association mapping and breeding depends largely on the genome wide patterns of diversity and linkage disequilibrium in current breeding populations.

High-density linkage mapping in a pine tree reveals a genomic region associated with inbreeding depression and provides clues to the extent and distribution of meiotic recombination.

Background: The availability of a large expressed sequence tags (EST) resource and recent advances in high-throughput genotyping technology have made it possible to develop highly multiplexed SNP arrays for multi-objective genetic applications, including the construction of meiotic maps. Such approaches are particularly useful in species with a large genome size, precluding the use of whole-genome shotgun assembly with current technologies.

Results: In this study, a 12 k-SNP genotyping array was developed for maritime pine from an extensive EST resource assembled into a unigene set.

Mass spectrometry detection of G3m and IGHG3 alleles and follow-up of differential mother and neonate IgG3.

Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis for detection of immunoglobulins (IG) of the human IgG3 subclass is described that relies on polymorphic amino acids of the heavy gamma3 chains. IgG3 is the most polymorphic human IgG subclass with thirteen G3m allotypes located on the constant CH2 and CH3 domains of the gamma3 chain, the combination of which leads to six major G3m alleles. Amino acid changes resulting of extensive sequencing previously led to the definition of 19 IGHG3 alleles that have been correlated to the G3m alleles.

Use of IMGT(®) databases and tools for antibody engineering and humanization.

IMGT(®), the international ImMunoGeneTics information system(®) (http://www.imgt.org), was created in 1989 to manage the huge diversity of the antigen receptors, immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, and T cell receptors (TR).

IMGT/DomainGapAlign: the IMGT® tool for the analysis of IG, TR, MH, IgSF, and MhSF domain amino acid polymorphism.

IMGT/DomainGapAlign is the online tool of IMGT(®), the international ImMunoGeneTics information system(®), for the analysis of amino acid sequences and two-dimensional (2D) structures of domains. IMGT/DomainGapAlign allows the analysis of the closest variable (V) and constant (C) domains of immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, T cell receptors (TR), and immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) proteins, and of the groove (G) domains of major histocompatibility (MH; in humans, HLA for human leukocyte antigen) and MH superfamily proteins. IMGT/DomainGapAlign aligns the user own sequences against the IMGT domain reference directory, displays amino acid changes, creates IMGT gaps, and delimits the domain strands and loops (and helix for G domain) according to the IMGT unique numbering.

IMGT/3Dstructure-DB and IMGT/DomainGapAlign: a database and a tool for immunoglobulins or antibodies, T cell receptors, MHC, IgSF and MhcSF.

IMGT/3Dstructure-DB is the three-dimensional (3D) structure database of IMGT, the international ImMunoGenetics information system that is acknowledged as the global reference in immunogenetics and immunoinformatics. IMGT/3Dstructure-DB contains 3D structures of immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, T cell receptors (TR), major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, antigen receptor/antigen complexes (IG/Ag, TR/peptide/MHC) of vertebrates; 3D structures of related proteins of the immune system (RPI) of vertebrates and invertebrates, belonging to the immunoglobulin and MHC superfamilies (IgSF and MhcSF, respectively) and found in complexes with IG, TR or MHC. IMGT/3Dstructure-DB data are annotated according to the IMGT criteria, using IMGT/DomainGapAlign, and based on the IMGT-ONTOLOGY concepts and axioms.

IG, TR and IgSF, MHC and MhcSF: what do we learn from the IMGT Colliers de Perles?

The immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) comprises the immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and proteins that have the common feature of having at least one Ig-like domain. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) superfamily (MhcSF) comprises, in addition to the MHC, proteins which share the common feature of having Mhc-like domains. IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system (http://imgt.