Biomedical subjects

Christiane Honisch

Publications and source records attributed to Christiane Honisch.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Comparative genome sequencing of Escherichia coli allows observation of bacterial evolution on a laboratory timescale.

We applied whole-genome resequencing of Escherichia coli to monitor the acquisition and fixation of mutations that conveyed a selective growth advantage during adaptation to a glycerol-based growth medium. We identified 13 different de novo mutations in five different E. coli strains and monitored their fixation over a 44-d period of adaptation. We obtained proof that the observed spontaneous mutations were responsible for improved fitness by creating single, double and triple site-directed mutants that had growth rates matching those of the evolved strains. The success of this new genome-scale approach indicates that real-time evolution studies will now be practical in a wide variety of contexts.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2004

High-throughput MALDI-TOF discovery of genomic sequence polymorphisms.

We describe a comparative sequencing strategy that is based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses of complete base-specific cleavage reactions of a target sequence. The target is converted to a DNA/RNA mosaic structure after PCR amplification using in vitro transcription. Cleavage with defined specificity is achieved by ribonucleases. The set of cleavage products is subjected to mass spectrometry without prior fractionation. The presented resequencing assay is particularly useful for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery. The combination of mass spectra from four complementary cleavage reactions detects approximately 98% of all possible homozygous and heterozygous SNPs in target sequences with a length of up to 500 bases. In general, both the identity and location of the sequence variation are determined. This was exemplified by the discovery of SNPs in the human gene coding for the cholesteryl ester transfer protein using a panel of 96 genomic DNAs.

Carrier Proteins↗

PubMed2004

High-throughput mutation detection underlying adaptive evolution of Escherichia coli-K12.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis of base-specific cleavage products is an efficient, highly accurate tool for the detection of single base sequence variations. We describe the first application of this comparative sequencing strategy for automated high-throughput mutation detection in microbial genomes. The method was applied to identify DNA sequence changes that occurred in Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 during laboratory adaptive evolution to new optimal growth phenotypes. Experiments were based on a genome-scale in silico model of E. coli metabolism and growth. This model computes several phenotypic functions and predicts optimal growth rates. To identify mutations underlying a 40-d adaptive laboratory evolution on glycerol, we resequenced 4.4% of the E. coli-K12 MG1655 genome in several clones picked at the end of the evolutionary process. The 1.54-Mb screen was completed in 13.5 h. This resequencing study is the largest reported by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to date. Ten mutations in 40 clones and three deviations from the reference sequence were detected. Mutations were predominantly found within the glycerol kinase gene. Functional characterization of the most prominent mutation shows its metabolic impact on the process of adaptive evolution. All sequence changes were independently confirmed by genotyping and Sanger-sequencing. We demonstrate that comparative sequencing by base-specific cleavage and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is an automated, fast, and highly accurate alternative to capillary sequencing.

Adaptation, Biological↗

PubMed2004

Novel mass spectrometry-based tool for genotypic identification of mycobacteria.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) after base-specific cleavage of PCR amplified and in vitro-transcribed 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) was used for the identification of mycobacteria. Full-length 16S rDNA reference sequences of 12 type strains of Mycobacterium spp. frequently isolated from clinical specimens were determined by PCR, cloning, and sequencing. For MALDI-TOF MS-based comparative sequence analysis, mycobacterial 16S rDNA signature sequences ( approximately 500 bp) of the 12 type strains and 24 clinical isolates were PCR amplified using RNA promoter-tagged forward primers. T7 RNA polymerase-mediated transcription of forward strands in the presence of 5-methyl ribo-CTP maximized mass differences of fragments generated by base-specific cleavage. In vitro transcripts were subsequently treated with RNase T1, resulting in G-specific cleavage. Sample analysis by MALDI-TOF MS showed a specific mass signal pattern for each of the 12 type strains, allowing unambiguous identification. All 24 clinical isolates were identified unequivocally by comparing their detected mass signal pattern to the reference sequence-derived in silico pattern of the type strains and to the in silico mass patterns of published 16S rDNA sequences. A 16S rDNA microheterogeneity of the Mycobacterium xenopi type strain (DSM 43995) was detected by MALDI-TOF MS and later confirmed by Sanger dideoxy sequencing. In conclusion, analysis of 16S rDNA amplicons by MS after base-specific cleavage of RNA transcripts allowed fast and reliable identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and ubiquitous mycobacteria (mycobacteria other than tuberculosis). The technology delivers an open platform for high-throughput microbial identification on the basis of any specific genotypic marker region.

Genotype↗

PubMed2002

Association testing by DNA pooling: an effective initial screen.

With an ever-increasing resource of validated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the limiting factors in genome-wide association analysis have become genotyping capacity and the availability of DNA. We provide a proof of concept of the use of pooled DNA as a means of efficiently screening SNPs and prioritizing them for further study. This approach reduces the final number of SNPs that undergo full, sample-by-sample genotyping as well as the quantity of DNA used overall. We have examined 15 SNPs in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene, a gene previously demonstrated to be associated with serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The SNPs were amplified in two pools of DNA derived from groups of individuals with extremely high and extremely low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, respectively. P values <0.05 were obtained for 14 SNPs, supporting the described association. Genotyping of the individual samples showed that the average margin of error in frequency estimate was approximately 4% when pools were used. These findings clearly demonstrate the potential of pooling techniques and their associated technologies as an initial screen in the search for genetic associations.

Adolescent↗