Aneuploidy drives genomic instability in yeast

Aneuploidy decreases cellular fitness, yet it is also associated with cancer, a disease of enhanced proliferative capacity. To investigate one mechanism by which aneuploidy could contribute to tumorigenesis, we examined the effects of aneuploidy on genomic stability. We analyzed 13 budding yeast strains that carry extra copies of single chromosomes and found that all aneuploid strains exhibited one or more forms of genomic instability. Most strains displayed increased chromosome loss and mitotic recombination, as well as defective DNA damage repair. Aneuploid fission yeast strains also exhibited defects in mitotic recombination. Aneuploidy-induced genomic instability could facilitate the development of genetic alterations that drive malignant growth in cancer.     

Aneuploidy affects proliferation and spontaneous immortalization in mammalian cells

Aneuploidy, an incorrect number of chromosomes, is the leading cause of miscarriages and mental retardation in humans and is a hallmark of cancer. We examined the effects of aneuploidy on primary mouse cells by generating a series of cell lines that carry an extra copy of one of four mouse chromosomes. In all four trisomic lines, proliferation was impaired and metabolic properties were altered. Immortalization, the acquisition of the ability to proliferate indefinitely, was also affected by the presence of an additional copy of certain chromosomes. Our data indicate that aneuploidy decreases not only organismal but also cellular fitness and elicits traits that are shared between different aneuploid cells.     

黄瓜倍性材料创制及染色体组成的FISH鉴定

【目的】黄瓜（Cucumis sativus L.）遗传基础狭窄,种质资源多样性较为有限,遗传育种研究相对落后。本试验旨在创制整倍体和非整倍体黄瓜种质材料,建立其准确的染色体组成鉴定方法,为进一步选育黄瓜各种染色体系、目标性状的染色体定位及遗传育种研究奠定基础。【方法】以华北生态型黄瓜‘长春密刺’的高代自交系为材料,0.4％秋水仙素溶液处理萌动种子,诱导染色体数目加倍。为获得同源三倍体材料,以诱导获得的同源四倍体为母本,二倍体为父本进行杂交,授粉35-45 d后采收成熟果实进行胚拯救。采用染色体计数,结合形态学、叶片气孔电镜观察,对诱导株及杂交后代的倍性进行鉴定。利用染色体特异的探针进行荧光原位杂交（fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH）,通过观察特异探针在染色体上杂交信号的数目、强弱及位置,结合黄瓜的染色体形态参数,对诱导株的染色体组成进行鉴定。【结果】对经秋水仙素处理的‘长春密刺’材料进行有丝分裂中期染色体计数观察,结果显示诱导获得8株四倍体（2n=28）,3株非整倍体（2n=16,19,27）材料。将四倍体与二倍体杂交获得了三倍体材料（2n=21）。经荧光原位杂交分析,根据黄瓜着丝粒探针Type III和核糖体45S rDNA两类信号在染色体上的信号特征可以看出,与二倍体相比,三倍体与四倍体上杂交信号为倍性变化关系,进一步验证创制出的整倍性材料为三倍体与四倍体。不同倍性‘长春密刺’植株的形态学特征存在一定差异,四倍体植株的形态指标与二倍体差异显著;三倍体植株与二倍体在形态学上差异不显著;非整倍体植株与二倍体在形态学上差异也不显著,但其长势较二倍体弱,且花期推迟,雌雄花花期不遇,坐果率明显低于二倍体。经叶片气孔电镜观察,‘长春密刺’二倍体、三倍体与四倍体植株叶片气孔的大小与密度均存在差异,随着倍性提高,气孔的长度和宽度增加,而气孔密度则下降,说明形态学筛选和叶片气孔电镜观察可以作为鉴定黄瓜倍性的辅助方法。以上述两类黄瓜重复序列（Type III和45S rDNA）和染色体特异的单拷贝基因Csa006700为探针,对染色体数目为16的一株非整倍体诱导株进行染色体组成鉴定。重复序列的荧光原位杂交结果显示,额外的两条染色体为1号或2号染色体。进一步利用黄瓜2号染色体端部的基因Csa006700探针检测,发现该基因只在其中一对染色体上有信号,由此明确该材料为附加两条1号染色体的四体材料（2n=14+2）。研究表明秋水仙素不仅可直接诱导出同源多倍体,同时可诱导各种非整倍体植株。【结论】利用秋水仙素处理黄瓜萌动种子,诱导染色体倍性的变化,结合染色体特异探针的荧光原位杂交鉴定,可快速创制并筛选出各种染色体组成的特异新种质。     

A size threshold limits prion transmission and establishes phenotypic diversity

According to the prion hypothesis, atypical phenotypes arise when a prion protein adopts an alternative conformation and persist when that form assembles into self-replicating aggregates. Amyloid formation in vitro provides a model for this protein-misfolding pathway, but the mechanism by which this process interacts with the cellular environment to produce transmissible phenotypes is poorly understood. Using the yeast prion Sup35/[PSI(+)], we found that protein conformation determined the size distribution of aggregates through its interactions with a molecular chaperone. Shifts in this range created variations in aggregate abundance among cells because of a size threshold for transmission, and this heterogeneity, along with aggregate growth and fragmentation, induced age-dependent fluctuations in phenotype. Thus, prion conformations may specify phenotypes as population averages in a dynamic system.     

Performance and Enzyme Activity of Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua （Hübner） （Lepidoptera：Noctuidae） Under Various Nutritional Conditions

We explored the influence of the artificial diets with different protein and glucose contents on larval development, development, fecundity and population growth index of beet armyworm increased with increased nutritional content in the artificial diets; however, when the yeast to cellulose content ratio reached 46.8:53.2, the fecundity and population growth had reached a maximum and additional protein did not yield additional growth. Additionally, 3rd instar beet armyworm larvae fed on different artificial diets had increased enzymatic activities of acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) with the increased nutritional content, but carboxylesterase (CarE) activities did not significantly change under variation in the nutritional content.     

新型高产β-胡萝卜素巴斯德毕赤酵母表达宿主菌的构建

分泌型巴斯德毕赤酵母（Pichia pastoris）作为高效表达宿主菌已被广泛应用,通过高密度培养工艺用于多种酶制剂(如植酸酶、甘露聚糖酶等)的规模生产。然而,在生产过程中产生的大量菌体利用率低,多数被废弃掩埋,或只能作为廉价的菌体蛋白,造成大量的资源浪费。为提高酵母发酵副产物的利用率,向毕赤酵母宿主菌GS115中导入来源于红发夫酵母（Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous）β-胡萝卜素合成途径中的关键基因(idi、crtE、crtYB和crtI),获得了胞内高产β-胡萝卜素的工程菌株P. pastoris GS115-CARO,实现工业生产中的菌体蛋白的高附加值利用。同时以来源于嗜热篮状菌（Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802）的甘露聚糖酶基因Man5T作为参照,验证了宿主菌P. pastoris GS115和P. pastoris GS115-CARO在表达外源蛋白的差异。结果表明：Man5T基因的导入并没有影响,两株宿主菌的甘露聚糖酶表达量（分别为280 U/mL和286 U/mL,P>005）,但宿主菌P. pastoris GS115-CARO胞内β-胡萝卜素产量高达到31.27 mg/g(菌体干重dry cell weight,dcw)。构建的工程菌株不仅可以实现外源酶制剂的高效表达,有效地提升酵母菌体资源的利用价值,同时也在一定程度上了解决了发酵菌体对环境的污染问题。     

DNA double-strand breaks trigger genome-wide sister-chromatid cohesion through Eco1 (Ctf7)

Faithful chromosome segregation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) require cohesin, the protein complex that mediates sister-chromatid cohesion. Cohesion between sister chromatids is thought to be generated only during ongoing DNA replication by an obligate coupling between cohesion establishment factors such as Eco1 (Ctf7) and the replisome. Using budding yeast, we challenge this model by showing that cohesion is generated by an Eco1-dependent but replication-independent mechanism in response to DSBs in G(2)/M. Furthermore, our studies reveal that Eco1 has two functions: a cohesive activity and a conserved acetyltransferase activity, which triggers the generation of cohesion in response to the DSB and the DNA damage checkpoint. Finally, the DSB-induced cohesion is not limited to broken chromosomes but occurs also on unbroken chromosomes, suggesting that the DNA damage checkpoint through Eco1 provides genome-wide protection of chromosome integrity.     

Evolutionary rate in the protein interaction network

High-throughput screens have begun to reveal the protein interaction network that underpins most cellular functions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. How the organization of this network affects the evolution of the proteins that compose it is a fundamental question in molecular evolution. We show that the connectivity of well-conserved proteins in the network is negatively correlated with their rate of evolution. Proteins with more interactors evolve more slowly not because they are more important to the organism, but because a greater proportion of the protein is directly involved in its function. At sites important for interaction between proteins, evolutionary changes may occur largely by coevolution, in which substitutions in one protein result in selection pressure for reciprocal changes in interacting partners. We confirm one predicted outcome of this process-namely, that interacting proteins evolve at similar rates.     

Mutational inactivation of STAG2 causes aneuploidy in human cancer

Most cancer cells are characterized by aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes. We have identified a clue to the mechanistic origins of aneuploidy through integrative genomic analyses of human tumors. A diverse range of tumor types were found to harbor deletions or inactivating mutations of STAG2, a gene encoding a subunit of the cohesin complex, which regulates the separation of sister chromatids during cell division. Because STAG2 is on the X chromosome, its inactivation requires only a single mutational event. Studying a near-diploid human cell line with a stable karyotype, we found that targeted inactivation of STAG2 led to chromatid cohesion defects and aneuploidy, whereas in two aneuploid human glioblastoma cell lines, targeted correction of the endogenous mutant alleles of STAG2 led to enhanced chromosomal stability. Thus, genetic disruption of cohesin is a cause of aneuploidy in human cancer.     

黄单胞菌葡萄糖转运系统相关基因的敲除及功能分析

分别敲除了植物病原体野油菜黄单胞菌（Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris 8004）的3个葡萄糖转运蛋白和2个葡萄糖脱氢酶,获得了5株相应基因敲除的突变体。在营养丰富的培养基中,这5株突变体的生长曲线、胞外纤维素酶活性和胞外多糖量与野生型相比并无显著差异。在以葡萄糖为唯一碳源的M63培养基中,XC_2460基因的敲除显著影响了黄单胞菌的生长;在以CMC作为唯一碳源的M63培养基中,XC_2460基因的敲除使突变体的胞外葡萄糖累积量达到野生菌株的167倍。这些结果首次显示阻遏葡萄糖的跨膜转运是改进纤维素分解菌株积累葡萄糖量的有益途径。     

Anaphase inactivation of the spindle checkpoint

The spindle checkpoint delays cell cycle progression until microtubules attach each pair of sister chromosomes to opposite poles of the mitotic spindle. Following sister chromatid separation, however, the checkpoint ignores chromosomes whose kinetochores are attached to only one spindle pole, a state that activates the checkpoint prior to metaphase. We demonstrate that, in budding yeast, mutual inhibition between the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and Mps1, an essential component of the checkpoint, leads to sustained inactivation of the spindle checkpoint. Mps1 protein abundance decreases in anaphase, and Mps1 is a target of the APC. Furthermore, expression of Mps1 in anaphase, or repression of the APC in anaphase, reactivates the spindle checkpoint. This APC-Mps1 feedback circuit allows cells to irreversibly inactivate the checkpoint during anaphase.     

微生物与重金属作用机理研究

以微生物与重金属相互作用为对象,结合近年来国内外研究,系统地说明了5种主要分子作用机理,分别为细胞表面吸附、主动运输、细胞内隔绝、胞外沉淀及酶的解毒作用。对重金属产生抗性的基因位于微生物的染色体、质粒和转座子上。最后介绍了多种抗性菌株,并就研究和应用前景进行了分析。     

Genetic transfer in plants through interspecific protoplast fusion

Protoplasts of sexually incompatible species have been fused and in some combinations have given rise to somatic hybrid plants. Partial elimination of parental chromosomes from either species is common in such hybrids, but total chromosome loss has generally occurred only with phylogenetically unrelated pairings. Genetic function of one parent may be retained despite a complete loss of its chromosomes, suggesting that genetic introgression is possible in the absence of complete donor chromosomes. A model interspecific combination for such studies is the potato-tomato somatic hybrid for which numerous phenotypes and karyotypes are encountered at the outset, with a broader range observed in the second somatic generation.     

Female germ cell aneuploidy and embryo death in mice lacking the meiosis-specific protein SCP3

Aneuploidy (trisomy or monosomy) is the leading genetic cause of pregnancy loss in humans and results from errors in meiotic chromosome segregation. Here, we show that the absence of synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3) promotes aneuploidy in murine oocytes by inducing defective meiotic chromosome segregation. The abnormal oocyte karyotype is inherited by embryos, which die in utero at an early stage of development. In addition, embryo death in SCP3-deficient females increases with advancing maternal age. We found that SCP3 is required for chiasmata formation and for the structural integrity of meiotic chromosomes, suggesting that altered chromosomal structure triggers nondisjunction. SCP3 is thus linked to inherited aneuploidy in female germ cells and provides a model system for studying age-dependent degeneration in oocytes.     

Multiple chromosome triplication in Liatris

A plant with four and one with six extra A chromosomes were discovered in a hybrid swarm involving Liatris aspera and Liatris spicata. In each plant, the extra chromosomes formed trivalents with chromosomes of the normal complement. This pairing behavior indicates that of the ten chromosomes in the complement the plants are triplicate for four and six chromosomes, respectively.     

A yeast prion, Mod5, promotes acquired drug resistance and cell survival under environmental stress

Prion conversion from a soluble protein to an aggregated state may be involved in the cellular adaptation of yeast to the environment. However, it remains unclear whether and how cells actively use prion conversion to acquire a fitness advantage in response to environmental stress. We identified Mod5, a yeast transfer RNA isopentenyltransferase lacking glutamine/asparagine-rich domains, as a yeast prion protein and found that its prion conversion in yeast regulated the sterol biosynthetic pathway for acquired cellular resistance against antifungal agents. Furthermore, selective pressure by antifungal drugs on yeast facilitated the de novo appearance of Mod5 prion states for cell survival. Thus, phenotypic changes caused by active prion conversion under environmental selection may contribute to cellular adaptation in living organisms.     

Pot1, the putative telomere end-binding protein in fission yeast and humans

Telomere proteins from ciliated protozoa bind to the single-stranded G-rich DNA extensions at the ends of macronuclear chromosomes. We have now identified homologous proteins in fission yeast and in humans. These Pot1 (protection of telomeres) proteins each bind the G-rich strand of their own telomeric repeat sequence, consistent with a direct role in protecting chromosome ends. Deletion of the fission yeast pot1+ gene has an immediate effect on chromosome stability, causing rapid loss of telomeric DNA and chromosome circularization. It now appears that the protein that caps the ends of chromosomes is widely dispersed throughout the eukaryotic kingdom.     

The effect of histone gene deletions on chromatin structure in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

As a way of studying nucleosome assembly and maintenance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants bearing deletions or duplications of the genes encoding histones H2A and H2B were analyzed. Previous genetic analysis had shown that only one of these mutants exhibited dramatic and pleiotropic phenotypes. This mutant was also the only one that contained disrupted chromatin, suggesting that the original phenotypes were attributable to alterations in chromosome structure. The chromatin disruption in the mutant, however, did not extend over the entire genome, but rather was localized to specific regions. Thus, while the arrangement of nucleosomes over the HIS4 and GAL1 genes, the telomeres, and the long terminal repeats (delta sequences) of Ty retrotransposons appeared essentially normal, nucleosomes over the CYH2 and UBI4 genes and the centromere of chromosome III were dramatically disrupted. The observation that the mutant exhibited localized chromatin disruptions implies that the assembly or maintenance of nucleosomes differs over different parts of the yeast genome.     

大豆籽粒蛋白与脂肪含量上位性QTLs分析

大豆籽粒富含蛋白与脂肪,是人类植物蛋白与食用油重要来源;然而,蛋白、脂肪含量属多基因控制数量性状,尽管已有相关QTLs报道,但多是针对单个QTL进行分析,而很少有关于上位性QTLs的报道。鉴于此,利用大豆RIL群体,在4种环境条件下评价其籽粒蛋白与脂肪含量,结合SNP基因型进行上位性QTLs分析发现,定位到48对控制籽粒蛋白、55对控制籽粒脂肪含量上位性QTLs,涉及大豆所有染色体;进一步分析发现,有19对上位性QTLs同时与籽粒蛋白和脂肪含量相关,具体包括12对定位区间完全相同的QTLs、2对定位区间含共同标记的QTLs以及5对定位区间距离不超过5 c M的QTLs;同时发现,19对上位性QTLs分布在除11号染色体以外的19条染色体,其中以13号染色体分布数量最多,其次为1号染色体。上述结果不仅增添了控制大豆蛋白与脂肪含量上位性QTLs,而且为揭示二者之间的负相关关系提供了QTL间/基因间互作方面的分子证据。