Transposition of gram-positive transposon Tn916 in Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma pulmonis

Mycoplasma genetics has been limited by a lack of genetic tools such as selectable markers, methods to transfer DNA, and suitable vectors for cloning. Studies were undertaken to examine the potential of using the streptococcal transposon Tn916 as a mycoplasma genetic tool. The Escherichia coli plasmid pAM120, which contains Tn916, was transformed into Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma pulmonis. Transposition of Tn916 into the mycoplasma chromosome apparently occurred by an excision-insertion mechanism. This example shows that newly introduced DNA from other bacteria can be successfully expressed in mycoplasma and that Tn916 should serve as a powerful genetic tool for the study of mycoplasmas.     

Complete chemical synthesis, assembly, and cloning of a Mycoplasma genitalium genome

We have synthesized a 582,970-base pair Mycoplasma genitalium genome. This synthetic genome, named M. genitalium JCVI-1.0, contains all the genes of wild-type M. genitalium G37 except MG408, which was disrupted by an antibiotic marker to block pathogenicity and to allow for selection. To identify the genome as synthetic, we inserted "watermarks" at intergenic sites known to tolerate transposon insertions. Overlapping "cassettes" of 5 to 7 kilobases (kb), assembled from chemically synthesized oligonucleotides, were joined by in vitro recombination to produce intermediate assemblies of approximately 24 kb, 72 kb ("1/8 genome"), and 144 kb ("1/4 genome"), which were all cloned as bacterial artificial chromosomes in Escherichia coli. Most of these intermediate clones were sequenced, and clones of all four 1/4 genomes with the correct sequence were identified. The complete synthetic genome was assembled by transformation-associated recombination cloning in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, then isolated and sequenced. A clone with the correct sequence was identified. The methods described here will be generally useful for constructing large DNA molecules from chemically synthesized pieces and also from combinations of natural and synthetic DNA segments.     

Insertional mutagenesis of the Drosophila genome with single P elements

A versatile genetic method for identifying and cloning Drosophila melanogaster genes affecting any recognizable phenotype is described. Strains are constructed in which the insertion of a single P transposable element has caused a new mutation, greatly simplifying the genetic and molecular analysis of the affected gene. Mutagenesis is initiated by crossing two strains, each of which contains a specially designed P element. One element (jumpstarter), encoding P element transposase, efficiently mobilizes the second nonautonomous transposon (mutator), whose structure facilitates selection and cloning of new insertion mutations. Random mutator transpositions are captured in individual stocks that no longer contain jumpstarter, where they remain stable. This method was used to construct 1300 single P element insertion stocks which were then screened for recessive mutations. A library of single-element insertion strains will allow the structure and function of Drosophila genes to be readily correlated, and should have many other applications in Drosophila molecular genetics.     

亚东鲑基因组中Tc1-like转座子的序列歧化特征分析

根据鱼类Tc1-like超家族转座子的末端反向重复序列设计单引物,对西藏亚东鲑基因组进行PCR扩增、回收、克隆和测序,鉴定出亚东鲑两条长度为1 607 bp和1 473 bp的Tc1-like超家族转座子序列,命名为Tbt1和Tbt2。序列分析表明,亚东鲑Tbt1转座子左右两端分别存在一个196 nt和225 nt的末端反向重复序列(Inverted terminal repeats,ITR),在左右ITR中分别包含2个12 nt的亚末端反向重复序列(Subterminal inverted repeats,SIR);亚东鲑Tbt2转座子分别存在一个32 nt和31 nt短的ITR,其左右ITR中各仅包含1个12 nt的SIR。亚东鲑Tbt1、Tbt2转座子的转座酶编码区在进化过程中各已积累了4个和9个终止突变,两者均不能表达完整的转座酶。亚东鲑Tbt2与其它鲑科鱼类Tc1-like转座子的相似度低于30%,而与金鱼Tca2转座子的序列相似度高达98%,显示该转座子的获得可能起源于基因水平转移(horizontal gene transfer,HGT)方式。     

Global identification of human transcribed sequences with genome tiling arrays

Elucidating the transcribed regions of the genome constitutes a fundamental aspect of human biology, yet this remains an outstanding problem. To comprehensively identify coding sequences, we constructed a series of high-density oligonucleotide tiling arrays representing sense and antisense strands of the entire nonrepetitive sequence of the human genome. Transcribed sequences were located across the genome via hybridization to complementary DNA samples, reverse-transcribed from polyadenylated RNA obtained from human liver tissue. In addition to identifying many known and predicted genes, we found 10,595 transcribed sequences not detected by other methods. A large fraction of these are located in intergenic regions distal from previously annotated genes and exhibit significant homology to other mammalian proteins.     

Heritable somatic excision of a Drosophila transposon

A mutation in the white gene of Drosophila mauritiana that results from insertion of the transposable element mariner is genetically unstable in both germ cells and somatic cells. Somatic instability is indicated by the occurrence of animals having mosaic eyes with patches of pigmented cells on a peach-colored background. Normally uncommon, the frequency of mosaicism is so greatly enhanced in a particular mutant strain that virtually every animal in the strain is an eye-color mosaic. The molecular basis of the mosaicism is the excision of the mariner element from its location in the DNA of the white gene in somatic cells. The phenomenon results from a single dominant genetic factor located in chromosome 3. Genetic control over the excision of transposable elements may play a role in determining the persistence of transposable elements in the genome.     

PiggyBac转座元件的构建及其在团头鲂基因组中的转基因效率

鳞翅目昆虫粉纹夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni)的PiggyBac(PB)转座子已用于模式生物小鼠的转基因及插入诱变研究,目前,该转座子在养殖鱼类中的转基因效率如何还不清楚。构建了带PiggyBac转座子左臂、右臂、EF1α启动子和绿色荧光蛋白(eGFP)编码框的pPBs-EF1α-eGFP供体质粒。以50 ng/μL供体质粒和100 ng/μL体外转录的PB转座酶mRNA共同显微注射入团头鲂(Megalobrama amblycephala)1~2细胞期受精卵中,团头鲂eGFP的荧光表达率可达58.26%,PCR检测结果显示,该转座系统在团头鲂成鱼基因组中的整合效率为53.04%。表明PiggyBac转座子可高效介导基因在团头鲂基因组中的插入,为进一步开展团头鲂插入诱变研究奠定了基础。     

转座子沉默与DNA甲基化

转座子(transposable elements,TEs)在生物体基因组可以通过转座或逆转座移动,它拷贝数的大规模增加是基因组不稳定的重要因素,因此,维持TEs沉默是宿主进化的方向。DNA甲基化被认为是沉默TEs的可遗传表观遗传修饰方式,同时也在维持基因组稳定、基因印迹、调节基因表达中发挥作用。本研究综述了TEs对生物基因组进化和基因表达的影响,重点总结了以DNA甲基化为主的转座子沉默机制的最新研究进展,归纳了环境因素通过DNA去甲基化调控转座子跳跃的机理。图4参82     

Human genome. Rival genome sequencers celebrate a milestone together

At a White House ceremony on 26 June, two scientific groups, one funded by the government and the other privately funded, announced that they have generated a nearly complete readout of the 3.1 or so billion nucleotides in the human genome. The White House ceremony was more than a celebration; it was also designed to heal a split in the research community. The ceremony brought together leaders of the rival groups in a kind of truce, cooling off a competition that had grown intense in recent months.     

Generation of a catalytic antibody by site-directed mutagenesis

A hybrid Fv fragment of the dinitrophenyl-binding immunoglobulin A (IgA), MPOC315, has been generated by reconstituting a recombinant variable light chain (VL) produced in Escherichia coli with a variable heavy chain (VH) derived from the antibody. The Tyr34 residue of VL was substituted by His in order to introduce a catalytic imidazole into the combining site for the ester hydrolysis. The His mutant Fv accelerated the hydrolysis of the 7-hydroxycoumarin ester of 5-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-aminopentanoic acid 90,000-fold compared to the reaction with 4-methyl imidazole at pH 6.8 and had an initial rate that was 45 times as great as that for the wild-type Fv. The hydrolyses of aminopropanoic and aminohexanoic homologs were not significantly accelerated. Thus a single deliberate amino acid change can introduce significant catalytic activity into an antibody-combining site, and chemical modification data can be used to locate potential sites for the introduction of catalytic residues.     

猪肺炎支原体、鸡毒支原体膜蛋白免疫原性分析

通过分析猪肺炎支原体（Mhp）、鸡毒支原体（MG）膜蛋白的免疫原性及化学成分,为其致病机理的研究提供基础。分别采用SDS-PAGE、免疫印迹、高碘酸雪夫染色（PAS法）和高碘酸一硝酸银法对Mhp232株和MGFMF4株膜蛋白的分子量范围、种类和免疫原性进行分析,鉴定膜糖蛋白的数量与种类。Mhp膜蛋白分子量在30～250ku之间,有12条带;MG膜蛋白分子量在25～200ku之间,有29条带。免疫印迹表明,Mhp中46ku膜蛋白具有免疫原性;MG中56ku膜蛋白具有免疫原性。PAGE电泳表明,Mhp有5条带,MG有12条带。PAS法鉴定膜糖蛋白,Mhp有1条带,MG有2条带;高碘酸一硝酸银法鉴定膜糖蛋白,Mhp约在相同位置出现1条带,而MG显示7条带,表明此法的灵敏度高于PAS法。     

一株猪肺炎支原体强毒株的分离和鉴定

从猪支原体肺炎病例病料中分离得到1株支原体,对其进行培养试验、代谢抑制试验、PCR鉴定和动物回归试验.分离株攻毒猪后,该猪出现典型的猪支原体肺炎临床症状和病变,证明该分离株为猪肺炎支原体.这为猪肺炎支原体的研究提供了条件.     

鱼类活性DNA转座子的发掘与应用概况

转座子(transposon)是基因组上的一段一定长度的DNA序列,能在自身编码的转座酶作用下,以"剪切-粘贴"的方式在基因组中进行高效转座。基于转座子的插入诱变策略,在包括鱼类在内的脊椎动物重要性状主控基因的筛选、功能解释以及基因组学研究方面有着重要的研究前景。长期以来,DNA转座系统在脊椎动物中的构建和应用都是空白,直到近十来年,随着青鳉Tol2、鲑SB、鲽Passport以及金鱼Tgf2等几例鱼类活性转座子的发现,开启了利用转座子工具在斑马鱼、小鼠等脊椎动物进行转基因和基因组插入诱变研究的新领域。介绍了鱼类DNA转座子的类型、结构特征及应用方面的最新研究进展,探讨了转座子在养殖鱼类重要性状主控基因的发掘、功能解释以及基因组学研究的可行性。     

Characterization and molecular cloning of a human parvovirus genome

The genome of the small human virus serologically associated with erythrocyte aplasia and erythema infectiosum (fifth disease) is shown to be a linear, nonpermuted, single-stranded DNA molecule with self-priming hairpin termini, properties which are characteristic of the genomes of the family Parvoviridae. This human parvovirus chromosome was molecularly cloned into bacterial plasmid vectors and the cloned DNA was used to explore its relatedness to other mammalian parvovirus serotypes by DNA:DNA hybridization. It is not related to the human adeno-associated viruses but does show a distant evolutionary relationship to genomes of the helper-independent parvoviruses of rodents. This strongly suggests that it is an autonomous parvovirus, and as such is the first example of a member of this group of common animal pathogens to cause disease in man.     

The Ashbya gossypii genome as a tool for mapping the ancient Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome

We have sequenced and annotated the genome of the filamentous ascomycete Ashbya gossypii. With a size of only 9.2 megabases, encoding 4718 protein-coding genes, it is the smallest genome of a free-living eukaryote yet characterized. More than 90% of A. gossypii genes show both homology and a particular pattern of synteny with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Analysis of this pattern revealed 300 inversions and translocations that have occurred since divergence of these two species. It also provided compelling evidence that the evolution of S. cerevisiae included a whole genome duplication or fusion of two related species and showed, through inferred ancient gene orders, which of the duplicated genes lost one copy and which retained both copies.