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The Drosophila termination factor DmTTF regulates in vivo mitochondrial transcription.

DmTTF is a Drosophila mitochondrial DNA-binding protein, which recognizes two sequences placed at the boundary of clusters of genes transcribed in opposite directions. To obtain in vivo evidences on the role of DmTTF, we characterized a DmTTF knock-down phenotype obtained by means of RNA interference in D.Mel-2 cells. By a combination of RNase protection and real-time RT-PCR experiments we found that knock-down determines remarkable changes in mitochondrial transcription. In particular, protein depletion increases not only the level of (+) and (-)strand RNAs mapping immediately after of the two protein-binding site, but also that of transcripts located further downstream. Unexpectedly, depletion of the protein also causes the decrease in the content of those transcripts mapping upstream of the protein target sites, including the two rRNAs. The changes in transcript level do not depend on a variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, since mtDNA copy number is unaffected by DmTTF depletion. This work shows conclusively that DmTTF arrests in vivo the progression of the mitochondrial RNA polymerase; this is the first ever-obtained evidence for an in vivo role of an animal mitochondrial transcription termination factor. In addition, the reported data provide interesting insights into the involvement of DmTTF in transcription initiation in Drosophila mitochondria.

Animals↗

Overexpression of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and chromosomal instability in bladder cancer.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) participates in bipolar spindle formation and entry into mitosis. Chromosomal instability (CIN) is caused by abnormalities in spindle formation and chromosome segregation. In this study, we investigated the relationship of PLK1 overexpression to CIN, and compared the PLK1 status with clinicopathological parameters in 101 human urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Expression of PLK1 and the number of centrosomes were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Numerical aberrations of chromosomes 7, 9 and 17 spots that allowed estimation of CIN were evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and DNA ploidy was assessed by laser scanning cytometry. Cancers with a large intercellular variation in centromere copy number were defined as CIN cancers. Tumors with PLK1 overexpression were associated more frequently with CIN (p < 0.0001), DNA aneuploidy (p = 0.0007) and centrosome amplification (p = 0.0013) than those without. Overexpression of PLK1 was significantly related to higher pathological grade (p = 0.0024), multiple tumors (p = 0.0241) and positive urine cytology (p = 0.0192). These data suggest that a high level expression of PLK1 confers tumor progression advantages to urothelial cancer cells, although other factors are also involved.

Adult↗

High-resolution array-CGH profiling of germline and tumor-specific copy number alterations on chromosome 22 in patients affected with schwannomas.

Schwannomas may develop sporadically or in association with NF2 and schwannomatosis. The fundamental aberration in schwannomas is the bi-allelic inactivation of the NF2 gene. However, clinical and molecular data suggest that these tumors share a common pathogenetic mechanism related to as yet undefined 22q-loci. Linkage studies in schwannomatosis, a condition related to NF2, have defined a candidate 22q-locus and excluded the NF2 gene as the causative germline mutation. Thus, analysis of aberrations in schwannomas may lead to the identification of putative gene(s) involved in the development of schwannoma/schwannomatosis. We profiled a series of 88 schwannomas and constitutional DNA using a tiling path chromosome 22 array. Array-CGH is a suitable method for high-resolution discrimination between germline and tumor-specific aberrations. Previously reported frequencies of 22q-associated deletions in schwannomas display large discrepancies, ranging from 30% to 80%. We detected heterozygous deletions in 53% of schwannomas and the predominant pattern was monosomy 22. In addition, three tumors displayed terminal deletions and four harbored overlapping interstitial deletions of various sizes encompassing the NF2 gene. When profiling constitutional DNA, we identified eight loci that were affected by copy number variation (CNV). Some of the identified CNVs may not be phenotypically neutral and the possible role of these CNVs in the pathogenesis of schwannomas should be studied further. We observed a correlation between the breakpoint position, present in tumor and/or constitutional DNA and the location of segmental duplications. This association implicates these unstable regions in rearrangements occurring both in meiosis and mitosis.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22↗

Length variation in mitochondrial DNA of the minnow Cyprinella spiloptera.

Length differences in animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are common, frequently due to variation in copy number of direct tandem duplications. While such duplications appear to form without great difficulty in some taxonomic groups, they appear to be relatively short-lived, as typical duplication products are geographically restricted within species and infrequently shared among species. To better understand such length variation, we have studied a tandem and direct duplication of approximately 260 bp in the control region of the cyprinid fish, Cyprinella spiloptera. Restriction site analysis of 38 individuals was used to characterize population structure and the distribution of variation in repeat copy number. This revealed two length variants, including individuals with two or three copies of the repeat, and little geographic structure among populations. No standard length (single copy) genomes were found and heteroplasmy, a common feature of length variation in other taxa, was absent. Nucleotide sequence of tandem duplications and flanking regions localized duplication junctions in the phenylalanine tRNA and near the origin of replication. The locations of these junctions and the stability of folded repeat copies support the hypothesized importance of secondary structures in models of duplication formation.

Animals↗

Comparative genomic hybridization using oligonucleotide microarrays and total genomic DNA.

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) measures copy-number variations at multiple loci simultaneously, providing an important tool for studying cancer and developmental disorders and for developing diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Arrays for CGH based on PCR products representing assemblies of BAC or cDNA clones typically require maintenance, propagation, replication, and verification of large clone sets. Furthermore, it is difficult to control the specificity of the hybridization to the complex sequences that are present in each feature of such arrays. To develop a more robust and flexible platform, we created probe-design methods and assay protocols that make oligonucleotide microarrays synthesized in situ by inkjet technology compatible with array-based comparative genomic hybridization applications employing samples of total genomic DNA. Hybridization of a series of cell lines with variable numbers of X chromosomes to arrays designed for CGH measurements gave median ratios for X-chromosome probes within 6% of the theoretical values (0.5 for XY/XX, 1.0 for XX/XX, 1.4 for XXX/XX, 2.1 for XXXX/XX, and 2.6 for XXXXX/XX). Furthermore, these arrays detected and mapped regions of single-copy losses, homozygous deletions, and amplicons of various sizes in different model systems, including diploid cells with a chromosomal breakpoint that has been mapped and sequenced to a precise nucleotide and tumor cell lines with highly variable regions of gains and losses. Our results demonstrate that oligonucleotide arrays designed for CGH provide a robust and precise platform for detecting chromosomal alterations throughout a genome with high sensitivity even when using full-complexity genomic samples.

Cell Line↗

Real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for cell-associated HTLV type I DNA viral load.

We have developed a quantitative real-time PCR assay for HTLV-I DNA. This assay approach uses real-time monitoring of fluorescent signal generation as a consequence of Taq-mediated amplification of specific target sequences to allow real-time kinetic analysis of amplicon production. This kinetic approach yields excellent sensitivity and an extremely broad linear dynamic range, and ensures that quantitation is based on analysis during the exponential phase of amplification, regardless of the input template copy number. The HTLV-I DNA assay has a nominal threshold sensitivity of 10 copy Eq/reaction, although single-copy plasmid template can be detected at frequencies consistent with statistical prediction. The linear dynamic range is in excess of 5 logs. Interassay reproducibility averages 14% (coefficient of variation) for control templates over a range of 10(1) to 10(6) copy Eq/reaction and 25%, based on studies of extraction and analysis of replicate aliquots of PBMC specimens from HTLV-I-infected subjects. The primer/probe combination targets tax sequences conserved across described HTLV-I and HTLV-II isolates. Parallel quantitation in the same samples of an endogenous sequence present at a known copy number per cell allows normalization of results for potential variation in DNA recovery. Availability of this assay should facilitate studies of basic pathogenesis and clinical evaluation of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection, as well as assessment of therapeutic approaches.

DNA Primers↗

DNA probes for the identification of members of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae).

Genomic libraries in plasmid have been constructed from various sibling species of blackflies of the Simulium damnosum complex from West Africa. Three cloned repetitive sequences, which show variation in copy number between sibling species, have been isolated. These clones can be used as probes for the dot-blot identification of larvae, pupae or adults into the three main West African subcomplexes, i.e. damnosum, squamosum and sanctipauli subcomplexes. The sequences also show some intraspecific variation in copy number.

Animals↗

Unequal partitioning of bovine mitochondrial genotypes among siblings.

Two polymorphic mitochondrial DNA genomes, differing by a single Hpa II restriction site, are present at significantly different levels in tissue of three sibling dairy cows. The relative ratio of the two heteroplasmic molecules varies 3-fold among these three animals and documents a rapid segregation of mitochondrial genotypes in mammals. DNA sequencing shows the difference is due to a single guanine at position 364 in bovine mitochondrial DNA. A model involving unequal partitioning of the two amplified mitochondrial DNA species during the early cell divisions of the embryo can explain the appearance of such variation in heteroplasmic sibling animals. The model provides a basis for understanding the rapid DNA sequence variation observed in vertebrate mitochondrial DNA despite its high copy number and strict maternal inheritance.

Animals↗

Effects of promoter strengths and growth conditions on copy number of transcription-fusion vectors.

Promoters with widely different transcriptional activities have been fused to the galactokinase gene contained in a multicopy plasmid ( McKenny , K., Shimatake , H., Court, D., Schmeissner , U., Brady, C., and Rosenberg, M. (1982) in Gene Amplification and Analysis: Analysis of Nucleic Acids ( Chirkjian , J. G., and Papas , T., eds) pp. 383-415, Elsevier /North-Holland Biomedical Press, Netherlands). Assay methods which allow determination of galactokinase-specific activity (nanomoles of galactose 1-phosphate/min/mg of protein) and plasmid-specific number (femtomoles of plasmid/mg of protein) in the same sonicated cellular extract are described. These methods provide a way to accurately measure and compare the promoter activities (nanomoles of galactose 1-phosphate/min/fmol of plasmid) of different plasmid constructions which exhibit different in vivo plasmid copy numbers. It is demonstrated that in vivo, copy number fluctuations are correlated with such parameters as promoter strength and cellular growth conditions. The ability to account for these uncontrolled in vivo copy number variations when comparing the transcriptional activities of different DNA inserts in multicopy transcription-fusion plasmids greatly facilitates the utility of these systems.

Base Sequence↗

DNA copy-number analysis in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia reveals aberrations in genes involved in glutamate signaling.

Using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) at approximately 1.4 Mbp resolution, we screened post-mortem brain DNA from bipolar disorder cases, schizophrenia cases and control individuals (n=35 each) for DNA copy-number aberrations. DNA copy number is a largely unexplored source of human genetic variation that may contribute risk for complex disease. We report aberrations at four loci which were seen in affected but not control individuals, and which were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. These aberrant loci contained the genes encoding EFNA5, GLUR7, CACNG2 and AKAP5; all brain-expressed proteins with known or postulated roles in neuronal function, and three of which (GLUR7, CACNG2 and AKAP5) are involved in glutamate signaling. A second cohort of psychiatric samples was also tested by quantitative PCR using the primer/probe sets for EFNA5, GLUR7, CACNG2 and AKAP5, and samples with aberrant copy number were found at three of the four loci (GLUR7, CACNG2 and AKAP5). Further scrutiny of these regions may reveal insights into the etiology and genetic risk factors for these complex psychiatric disorders.

A Kinase Anchor Proteins↗

Genetic and cytogenetic analyses of breast cancer yield different perspectives of a complex disease.

Genomic instability in breast cancer results in low-level changes in DNA copy number, a significant but poorly understood mechanism underlying the genetic heterogeneity of this disorder. Two different approaches, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), have been used to probe the genetics of breast cancer evolution. LOH is a locus specific method that detects the variation in the parental origin of DNA, but is not quantitative. CGH provides a genome-wide accounting of the magnitude of DNA copy number changes, but not parental origin. Both methods have identified complex and heterogeneous patterns of DNA losses, duplications, and amplifications during breast cancer evolution. LOH and CGH technologies interrogate very distinct mechanisms driving breast tumor evolution, yet are seldom used in parallel to profile specimens. Thus, the relative significance of genetic versus numerical variations of DNA in breast cancer evolution remains undefined. This review will attempt to summarize some of the successes of these investigations, highlight some complex and confounding observations emerging from these studies, and discuss the potential of these studies to improve our understanding of breast cancer biology and treatment.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Robustness of single-base extension against mismatches at the site of primer attachment in a clinical assay.

DNA genotyping is important for epidemiological and clinical studies and diagnosis for individuals. Genotyping error can strongly influence the outcome of such investigations. One possible reason for genotyping error is additional DNA sequence variation, which can lead to allelic dropout. Based on a published study where allelic dropout occurred in genotyping the cholesteryl ester transfer protein TaqIB polymorphism by a TaqMan-based method, we investigated the susceptibility of the single-base extension (SBE)-based GenoSNIP method to additional sequence variation at the primer attachment site. SBE genotyping was applied to 147 patient samples with known alleles and to synthetic SBE templates. Variables were positions of nucleotide mismatches, yield of SBE reactions, primer design, and ratio of alleles in the template. No allelic dropout occurred when genotyping the TaqIB polymorphism regardless of the reported nucleotide mismatch. Yields of SBE assays critical for allelic dropout were decreased in the presence of the reported nucleotide mismatch depending on SBE assay design. In a systematic mutation scan, only the position immediately adjacent to the polymorphism caused allelic dropout under standard conditions. Depending on SBE assay design, changes in allelic ratio due to a nucleotide mismatch were similar in appearance to changes due to sample mixture or copy number variation. In conclusion, we found the SBE genotyping assays to be relatively robust against interfering DNA variations. The importance of appropriate design and validation of assays, especially in regard to critical yields and potentially interfering nucleotide mismatches, should be emphasized particularly in clinical settings. Care should be taken when interpreting observed changes in the allelic ratio, which could be caused by nucleotide mismatches, sample mixtures, or copy number variation.

Alleles↗

Development and validation of a polymerase chain reaction method for the precise quantitation of HIV-1 DNA in blood cells from subjects undergoing a 1-year immunotherapeutic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method developed to measure HIV-1 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. DESIGN: The assay was used to measure HIV-1 DNA in 15 consecutive blood samples taken from subjects enrolled in a multicenter, randomly allocated, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using an HIV-1 immunogen. The assay was validated following the United States Pharmacopeia guidelines. The analytical parameters assessed were sensitivity, specificity, linearity and precision. METHODS: The quantitative analysis was obtained by (1) co-amplifying HIV-1 DNA targets with an endogenous control (globin); (2) extrapolating the target values using HIV-1 and globin standard curves; and (3) normalizing the HIV-1 copy numbers to the globin copy numbers (genomic DNA load). RESULTS: With United States Pharmacopeia assay validation methodology, the HIV-1 DNA polymerase chain reaction assay proved to be sensitive, specific, linear and precise and the evaluation of the relative difference between two consecutive blood samples was reproducible. The intra-assay variability, which examines the reproducibility of replicates, was determined using a conservative assessment (tolerance intervals). We established that an increase of 60% or more in the number of DNA copies or a decrease of 38% or more was significantly greater than the variation due to random or experimental error and therefore attributed this variability to a significant change in the HIV-1 DNA copy number. CONCLUSION: We developed and validated a polymerase chain reaction method for the precise quantitation of HIV-1 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This assay was able to detect changes in viral loads in HIV-1-infected asymptomatic subjects enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial using an HIV-1 immunogen.

Biomarkers↗

Mapping of DNA amplifications at 15 chromosomal localizations in 1875 breast tumors: definition of phenotypic groups.

DNA amplification is frequent in breast cancer and has been associated with specific clinicopathological parameters and/or worsened course of the disease. In the present work, we were interested in further defining the association linking the occurrence of DNA amplification to the emergence of specific breast tumor phenotype. To this aim, we studied by Southern blotting a total of 1875 breast tumor DNAs with 26 probes mapping at 15 distinct chromosomal localizations. Of the 26 loci tested, 11 loci showed elevated levels of amplification, 9 loci showed occasional and/or low level of DNA copy number increase, and 6 loci showed very rare or no variation. This allowed us to define six amplified domains mapping at 8p12, 8q24, 11q13, 12q13, 17q12, and 20q13.2, respectively. Over 60% of the tumors analyzed presented at least one amplification at one of these localizations. Amplifications often covered large regions of DNA and bore complex patterns involving coamplification of several colocalized markers. Statistical analysis revealed correlations associating DNA amplification with breast tumor phenotype, as well as sets of preferential coamplifications. Based on these correlations, we defined three subsets of breast cancer according to their patterns of DNA amplification. The first subset (group A) was organized around the amplifications at 11q13 and/or 8p12 and was predominantly composed of estrogen receptor-positive tumors and presented a large proportion of lobular cancers. The second subset (group B) was organized around the amplifications of ERBB2 and/or MYC. These tumors were mostly estrogen receptor-negative and of the ductal invasive type. The third subset (group C) corresponded to tumors in which no amplification was detected in the present screen. Tumors in this group were largely diploid and of low histopathological grading.

Adult↗

Distribution of the P-associated-pilus (pap) region among Escherichia coli from natural sources: evidence for horizontal gene transfer.

Variation in chromosomal DNA in Escherichia coli was studied with probes specific for the P-associated-pilus (pap) region. The presence of DNA homologous to pap was determined by dot blots. Variation in the number of copies of pap and in the organization of internal and flanking sequences was determined by Southern blot hybridization. The 229 strains studied were also classified by O:K:H serotyping and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. There was considerable heterogeneity in the presence of pap and distribution of pap-homologous DNA in these E. coli strains from natural sources. In general, there was less variation in pap among strains of the same specific O:K:H serotype and enzyme electrophoretic type than among random isolates. There were, however, E. coli strains identified as members of the same clone by O:K:H serotyping and enzyme electrophoresis that were pap positive and pap negative or had different Southern blot patterns for the pap probes (pap type). There were also isolates of the same pap type that differed in two of three O:K:H serotype antigens and the majority of enzymes that determined their enzyme electrophoretic type. These latter two observations were interpreted as evidence for the horizontal (infectious) transfer of the pap-homologous sequences among clones of E. coli.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

The evolution of the alpha- and beta-globin gene clusters in human populations.

DNA analysis of the alpha- and beta-globin gene clusters has revealed substantial variability between individuals and populations. As well as restriction enzyme site and length polymorphisms, variation in gene copy number and type is observed. Because of this extensive polymorphism DNA analysis offers a highly informative method of studying genetic affinities between human populations. Haplotypes, consisting of a set of restriction enzyme polymorphisms distributed along the cluster, have been developed for both loci. Analysis of the molecular basis of numerous beta-thalassaemia alleles has revealed, in general, different sets of mutations in different populations, indicating that these postdate the racial divergence. Recent microepidemiological studies on the distribution of alpha-thalassaemia support the hypothesis that this condition, like the beta s-mutation, has been selected because it confers protection against malaria. Population-specific DNA polymorphisms at these and other loci promise to be of considerable value to genetic anthropology.

Genetics, Population↗

HPV DNA in autopsy-derived material from multiple metastases of a cervical carcinoma.

Fresh tissue from primary tumor and a metastasis of a cervical carcinoma and 13 autopsy-derived tissue specimens of the same patient were analyzed for HPV DNA by Southern blot hybridization and PCR. Primary tumor and 7 of 10 histologically proven distant metastases contained HPV 16 DNA by Southern blot. PCR detected HPV 16 in all 10 metastases and in 2 of 3 additional tumor-free autopsy-derived tissues. The restriction pattern was identical in all HPV-positive lesions and only slight variations in copy number occurred. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed the viral DNA fully integrated in the cellular genome without any difference between primary tumor and metastasis. The relevance of HPV also for the metastatic spread of the malignant disease is indicated by its conserved presence in multiple distant metastases of cervical carcinoma.

Adult↗

Quantitative analysis of herpesvirus sequences from normal tissue and fibropapillomas of marine turtles with real-time PCR.

Quantitative real-time PCR has been used to measure fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV) pol DNA loads in fibropapillomas, fibromas, and uninvolved tissues of green, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles from Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, Australia, Mexico, and the West Indies. The viral DNA loads from tumors obtained from terminal animals were relatively homogeneous (range 2-20 copies/cell), whereas DNA copy numbers from biopsied tumors and skin of otherwise healthy turtles displayed a wide variation (range 0.001-170 copies/cell) and may reflect the stage of tumor development. FPTHV DNA loads in tumors were 2.5-4.5 logs higher than in uninvolved skin from the same animal regardless of geographic location, further implying a role for FPTHV in the etiology of fibropapillomatosis. Although FPTHV pol sequences amplified from tumors are highly related to each other, single signature amino acid substitutions distinguish the Australia/Hawaii, Mexico/Costa Rica, and Florida/Caribbean groups.

Amino Acid Sequence↗