Inactivation by nitrogen mustard of single- and double-stranded DNA and RNA bacteriophages

Nitrogen mustard inactivates bacteriophage containing single-stranded DNA and RNA as well as double-stranded DNA. Inactivation may occur by intrastrand cross-linkage in DNA or RNA as well as by interstrand crosslinkage between complementary strands of DNA.     

Plus and minus single-stranded DNA separately encapsidated in adeno-associated satellite virions

Based on physical and chemical determinations, the mnolecular weight of the type 4 adeno-satellite virus is 5.4 X 10(6) daltons, and the virion contains 1.4 X 10(6) daltons of DNA. Denaturation and renaturation studies indicate that the viral genome is a single-stranded DNA molecule and that each virion contains either a minus or a plus strand. Upon extraction, the minus and plus strands unite to form double-stranded DNA molecules with no obvious excess of unpaired strands.     

Multienzyme systems of DNA replication

Replication is accomplished by multienzyme systems whose operations are usefully considered in respect to three stages of the process: initiation, elongation, anid termination. 1) Initiation entails synthesis of a short RNA fragment that serves as primer for the elongation step of DNA synthesis. This stage, probed by SS phage DNA templates, reveals three distinctive and highly specific systems in E. coli. The Ml3 DNA utilizes RNA polymerase in a manner that may reflect how plasmid elements are replicated in the cell. The ?X174 DNA does not rely on RNA-polymerase, but requires instead five distinctive proteins which may belong to an apparatus for initiating a host chromosome replication cycle at the origin. The G4 DNA, also independent of RNA polymerase, needs simply the dnaG protein for its distinctive initiation and may thus resemble the system that initiates the replication fragments at the nascent growing fork. In each case it is essential that in vitro the DNA-unwinding protein coat the viral DNA and influence its structure. 2) Elongation is achieved in every case by the multisubunit, holoenzyme form of DNA polymerase III. Copolymerase III, which is an enzyme subunit, and adenosine triphosphate are required to form a proper complex with the primer template but appear dispensable for the ensuing chain growth by DNA polymerase (33). 3) Termination requires excision of the RNA priming fragment, filling of gaps and sealing of interruptions to produce a covalently intact phosphodiester backbone. DNA polymerase I has the capacity for excision and gapfilling and DNA ligase is required for sealing. What once appeared to be a simple DNA polymerase-mediated conversion of a single-strand to a duplex circle (34) is now seen as a complex series of events in which diverse multienzyme systems function. Annoyance with the difficulties in resolving and reconstituting these systems is tempered by the conviction that these are the very systems used ,by the cell in replicating its chromosome and extrachromosomal elements. Thus, understanding of the regulation of replication events in the cell, their localization at membrane surfaces and integration with cell division, and their coordination with phage DNA maturation and particle assembly will all be advanced by knowledge of the components of the replicative machinery.     

Structure of the RNA polymerase domain of E. coli primase

All cellular organisms use specialized RNA polymerases called "primases" to synthesize RNA primers for the initiation of DNA replication. The high-resolution crystal structure of a primase, comprising the catalytic core of the Escherichia coli DnaG protein, was determined. The core structure contains an active-site architecture that is unrelated to other DNA or RNA polymerase palm folds, but is instead related to the "toprim" fold. On the basis of the structure, it is likely that DnaG binds nucleic acid in a groove clustered with invariant residues and that DnaG is positioned within the replisome to accept single-stranded DNA directly from the replicative helicase.     

Isopycnic centrifugation for the isolation of DNA strands coding for ribosomal RNA

Denatured DNA preparations from Escherichia coli were centrifuged to equilibrium in cesium chloride solutions. Hybridizing experiments with radioactively labeled ribosomal RNA showed that the DNA strands complementary to ribosomal RNA were distributed on the heavy side of the DNA band. By fractionating this band the DNA strands coding for ribosomal RNA may be enriched 5- to 20- fold.     

A replication cycle for viroids and other small infectious RNA's

Experimental data concerning viroid-specific nucleic acids accumulating in tomato plants establish, together with earlier studies, the major features of a replication cycle for viroid RNA in plant cells. Many features of this pathway, which involves multimeric strands of both polarities, may be shared by other small infectious RNA's including certain satellite RNA's and "virusoid" RNA's which replicate in conjunction with conventional plant viruses. The presence, in host plans, of an elaborate machinery for replicating these disease agents suggests a role for endogenous small RNA's in cellular development.     

Discovery of a major D-loop replication origin reveals two modes of human mtDNA synthesis

Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication has long been considered to occur by asymmetric synthesis of the two strands, starting at the multiple origins of the strand-displacement loop (D-loop). We report the discovery of a major replication origin at position 57 in the D-loop of several human cell lines (HeLa, A549, and 143B.TK-) and immortalized lymphocytes. The nascent chains starting at this origin, in contrast to those initiated at the previously described origins, do not terminate prematurely at the 3' end of the D-loop but proceed well beyond this control point, behaving as "true" replicating strands. This origin is mainly responsible for mtDNA maintenance under steady-state conditions, whereas mtDNA synthesis from the formerly identified D-loop origins may be more important for recovery after mtDNA depletion and for accelerating mtDNA replication in response to physiological demands.     

Structure of a transcribing T7 RNA polymerase initiation complex

The structure of a T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) initiation complex captured transcribing a trinucleotide of RNA from a 17-base pair promoter DNA containing a 5-nucleotide single-strand template extension was determined at a resolution of 2.4 angstroms. Binding of the upstream duplex portion of the promoter occurs in the same manner as that in the open promoter complex, but the single-stranded template is repositioned to place the +4 base at the catalytic active site. Thus, synthesis of RNA in the initiation phase leads to accumulation or "scrunching" of the template in the enclosed active site pocket of T7 RNAP. Only three base pairs of heteroduplex are formed before the RNA peels off the template.     

金花梨基因组DNA提取及其RAPD分析

以金花梨嫩芽为试材 ,通过在磨样时添加不同量的抗氧化剂Vc ,对CTAB法作了一定的改进 ,比较了不同处理的提取效果 ,再分别以成熟叶片、新梢和嫩芽为材料 ,采用改进的CTAB法提取基因组DNA ,进一步比较了不同材料的提取效果 ,并以金花梨及其 18个变异单系的基因组DNA为模板 ,4 0个随机引物进行RAPD分析。结果表明 :以嫩芽为试材 ,在磨样时每克鲜样添加 0 10g的Vc ,能够提取到高质量的基因组DNA ;采用改进的CTAB法 ,用成熟叶片、新梢和嫩芽均能提取到可直接用于RAPD分析的基因组DNA ;大部分引物可以在不同模板上扩增出条带 ,但仅有 5个引物可以同时在金花梨及其 18个变异单系基因组DNA上扩增出条带 ;用RAPD结果对金花梨及其 18个变异单系进行聚类分析     

鸡瘦蛋白基因克隆中的若干问题研究

根据GenBank中鸡的LeptinmRNA序列(AccessionNo.AF012727)设计12对引物,用RT-PCR方法从不同品种(系)、不同时期及不同处理鸡的脂肪、肝脏和卵巢组织总RNA中没有扩增出鸡的Leptin基因片段;根据鸡的EST数据库中查到的一条鸡Leptin基因前体序列设计4对引物,用RT-PCR方法在包括卵巢在内的多个组织的cDNA中没能扩增出正确序列。为提高鸡Leptin基因的表达水平,通过给鸡注射胰岛素,利用RT-PCR方法对肝脏、卵巢和脂肪组织的总RNA进行扩增,没有得到目的序列。根据已发表的哺乳动物的Leptin基因序列设计兼并引物对鸡基因组DNA和脂肪、肝脏组织的cDNA进行PCR,结果没有特异性扩增条带,但在小鼠的基因组中可以获得稳定的扩增条带。用扩增长片段LATaq酶从鸡基因组DNA中也没有扩增出Leptin基因片段,而从小鼠的基因组DNA中,可扩增出小鼠Leptin基因片段;以小鼠LeptincDNA片段为探针,对鸡脂肪组织和肝脏组织来源的总RNA进行NorthernBlot分析,并未获得杂交信号;以猪的LeptincDNA片段为探针,对鸡基因组DNA进行SouthernBlot分析,并未获得特异性的结果。研究结果表明,在鸡的脂肪、肝脏和卵巢组织中不存在与小鼠Leptin基因同源性如此高的mRNA序列,在鸡的基因组中也不存在与小鼠、猪等哺乳动物Leptin基因序列同源性如此高的基因?     

Self-assembled water-soluble nucleic acid probe tiles for label-free RNA hybridization assays

The DNA origami method, in which long, single-stranded DNA segments are folded into shapes by short staple segments, was used to create nucleic acid probe tiles that are molecular analogs of macroscopic DNA chips. One hundred trillion probe tiles were fabricated in one step and bear pairs of 20-nucleotide-long single-stranded DNA segments that act as probe sequences. These tiles can hybridize to their targets in solution and, after adsorption onto mica surfaces, can be examined by atomic force microscopy in order to quantify binding events, because the probe segments greatly increase in stiffness upon hybridization. The nucleic acid probe tiles have been used to study position-dependent hybridization on the nanoscale and have also been used for label-free detection of RNA.     

Yeast DNA polymerase epsilon participates in leading-strand DNA replication

Multiple DNA polymerases participate in replicating the leading and lagging strands of the eukaryotic nuclear genome. Although 50 years have passed since the first DNA polymerase was discovered, the identity of the major polymerase used for leading-strand replication is uncertain. We constructed a derivative of yeast DNA polymerase epsilon that retains high replication activity but has strongly reduced replication fidelity, particularly for thymine-deoxythymidine 5'-monophosphate (T-dTMP) but not adenine-deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate (A-dAMP) mismatches. Yeast strains with this DNA polymerase epsilon allele have elevated rates of T to A substitution mutations. The position and rate of these substitutions depend on the orientation of the mutational reporter and its location relative to origins of DNA replication and reveal a pattern indicating that DNA polymerase epsilon participates in leading-strand DNA replication.     

Antibodies to polynucleotides: distribution in human serums

Hemagglutination procedures were used to determine the distribution of antibodies to native DNA, single-stranded DNA, and double-stranded RNA. Antibodies to all three polynucleotides were found in a high percentage of the serums of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies to native DNA occurred almost exclusively in serums of patients in the active stages of systemic lupus erythematosus, whereas antibodies to single-stranded DNA were observed in the serums of patients with several diseases and of some normal individuals.     

Crystal structure of a naturally occurring dinucleoside monophosphate: uridylyl (3',5') adenosine hemihydrate

The crystal structure of uridylyl (3',5') adenosine hemihydrate has been analyzed by x-ray diffraction. The two independent molecules found in the asymmetric unit exhibit conformations that differ significantly from those found in double-helical RNA. The conformational information obtained from this analysis provides considerable insight into the possible conformations of nonhelical "loop" regions of transfer RNA, as well as single-stranded regions of nucleic acids in general.     

甘肃省河西地区菜豆病毒病分子检测

以采集自甘肃省河西地区表现病毒病症状的菜豆病株叶组织总RNA为模板,进行RT-PCR扩增,鉴定出苜蓿花叶病毒、小西葫芦黄花叶病毒、菜叶普通花叶病毒、黑眼豇豆花叶病毒4种病毒.对预期大小的扩增产物进行直接测序.结果表明:该地区菜豆病毒病的发生以苜蓿花叶病毒、黑眼豇豆花叶病毒和小西葫芦黄花叶病毒复合侵染为主.     

Isolation of human transcribed sequences from human-rodent somatic cell hybrids

A method was developed for selectively isolating genes from localized regions of the human genome that are contained in interspecific hybrid cells. Complementary human DNA was prepared from a human-rodent somatic cell hybrid that contained less than 1% human DNA, by using consensus 5' intron splice sequences as primers. These primers would select immature, unspliced messenger RNA (still retaining species-specific repeat sequences) as templates. Screening a derived complementary DNA library for human repeat sequences resulted in the isolation of human clones at the anticipated frequency with characteristics expected of exons of transcribed human genes--single copy sequences that hybridized to discrete bands on Northern (RNA) blots.