Biomedical subjects

C A Mayeda

Publications and source records attributed to C A Mayeda.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Complete sequence of the bithorax complex of Drosophila.

The bithorax complex (BX-C) of Drosophila, one of two complexes that act as master regulators of the body plan of the fly, is included within a sequence of 338,234 bp (SEQ89E). This paper presents the strategy used in sequencing SEQ89E and an analysis of its open reading frames. The BX-C sequence (BXCALL) contains 314,895 bp obtained by deletion of putative genes that are located at each end of SEQ89E and appear to be functionally unrelated to the BX-C. Only 1.4% of BXCALL codes for the three homeodomain-containing proteins of the complex. Principal findings include a putative ABD-A protein (ABD-AII) larger than a previously known ABD-A protein and a putative glucose transporter-like gene (1521 bp) located at or near the bithoraxoid (bxd), infra-abdominal-2 (iab-2) boundary on the opposite strand relative to that of the homeobox-containing genes.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

A simple and efficient method for constructing high resolution physical maps.

This paper describes a simple and efficient walking method for constructing high resolution physical maps and discusses its applications to genome analysis. The method is an integration of three strategies: (1) use of a highly redundant library of 3Kb-long subclones; (2) construction of a multidimensional pool from the library; (3) direct application of a PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based screening technique to the pooled library, with two PCR primers, one from the end of the subcloning vector and the other from the leading edge of the walk. This technique allows not only detection of each overlapping subclone but simultaneous determination of its orientation and the size of its overlap. The end of the subclone with the smallest overlap is sequenced and a primer is designed for the next step in the walk. Iteration of the screening procedure with minimum overlapping subclones results in completion of the high resolution map. Using this method, a 3Kb-resolution map was constructed from an 80Kb region of the bithorax complex of Drosophila melanogaster. The method is general enough to be applicable to DNA from other species, and simple enough to be automated.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Large scale screen for transposon insertions into cloned genes.

We describe a method of screening for transposon insertions in or near Drosophila loci that correspond to cloned DNA sequences. We mobilize a modified P element transposon that carries a bacterial plasmid origin of replication and a drug-resistance marker. The genomic sequences flanking each transposon insertion site can then be rescued as a plasmid in Escherichia coli. Libraries of such plasmids, representing pools of transposon-mutagenized individuals, are used as hybridization probes against cloned sequences to determine whether a transposon has inserted next to a particular site in the genome. The number of loci that can be screened simultaneously by this procedure is quite large. We have screened an array of cDNA clones representing almost 700 distinct loci against libraries representing 760 mutagenized flies, and we obtained hybridization signals to 7 different cDNAs. Three of these events have been analyzed in detail and represent genuine insertions near genomic sequences that correspond to the cDNAs.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Transposon-facilitated DNA sequencing.

We describe here a transposon-based DNA sequencing strategy that allows the introduction of sequencing priming sites throughout a target sequence by bacterial mating. A miniplasmid was designed to select against transposon insertions into the vector. Sites of transposon insertion are mapped by the polymerase chain reaction with bacterial overnight cultures providing the templates. A small set of plasmids with transposons spaced several hundred base pairs apart can then be sequenced. Sequencing primers corresponding to the transposon ends allow sequencing in both directions. Thus, the entire sequence of both strands can be easily determined.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Cooperative enhancement at the Drosophila Sgs-3 locus.

The Drosophila glue gene Sgs-3 is specifically expressed in the secretory cells of the salivary glands of third instar larvae. We have assayed the expression of gene fusions to determine the role of cis-acting Sgs-3 sequences in conferring this pattern of expression. These experiments define two regulatory regions required for expression of reporter genes from the Sgs-3 promoter. One region, between 106 and 56 bp upstream of the Sgs-3 mRNA 5' end is sufficient for low but correct tissue- and stage-specific expression. A second region, lying between 629 and 130 bp 5' of the RNA start site is functionally equivalent; that is, it alone will also direct low level, specific expression. These two regions act synergistically to give high level expression. More distant upstream regions function to further increase levels of expression. These two regulatory elements can confer a salivary gland-specific pattern of expression on a heterologous promoter and are also sufficient to drive gene expression in other Drosophila species, implying conservation of regulators.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Evolution and expression of the Sgs-3 glue gene of Drosophila.

A cluster of three glue genes is present at chromosomal site 68C in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. In this study, we have used a comparative approach to investigate both the regulation and the evolution of the largest of these three genes, Sgs-3. The homologous genes from two related Drosophila species (D. erecta and D. yakuba) have been introduced into the D. melanogaster genome by P-factor-mediated transformation. When the resulting transformant lines were assayed for expression of the introduced genes, near-normal patterns of expression were seen. This demonstrates that the cis-acting regulatory sequences of the introduced Sgs-3-homologous glue genes are capable of interacting effectively with the transcriptional machinery of D. melanogaster. We have also determined the sequences of the Sgs-3-homologous glue genes from D. simulans, D. erecta and D. yakuba. These sequences were compared and used in two ways. The first was to locate conserved sequence elements in regions known to be involved in regulation of the gene. Several such elements were found; they represent potential sites of cis-acting regulatory sequences. Second, we looked at the evolution of the glue gene protein-coding regions. A very rapidly evolving central region of the protein-coding sequences was found; this region contains a striking series of tandem repeats of a five amino acid residue sequence in all four species. Also a number of conserved aspects of the Sgs-3-homologous proteins were found; these features may be essential to their function as a glue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗