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Ancient retroviral insertions among human populations.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent vestiges of ancient infections that resulted in stable integration of the viral genome. These insertional elements of viral origin are in fact molecular fossils and, as such, a source of evolutionary information. A family of HERV insertions designated HERV-K includes members that are still polymorphic for the original insertional event. The goal of this report is to describe a novel genetic marker system based on polymorphic retroviral insertions (PRVIs) and to assess its potential usefulness in human population genetic analyses. The allelic frequencies of four insertionally polymorphic HERV-K loci were analyzed in nine geographically targeted, worldwide populations. A polymerase chain reaction assay was employed to examine the frequencies of the provirus and/or solo long terminal repeat insertions at these four loci. Several statistical and phylogenetic analyses were performed based on the frequency data. The phylogenetic relationships observed among the nine populations based on the four retroviral HERV-K loci are consistent not only with prior genetic analyses with other traditional marker systems but also with reported historical and biogeographical data. These polymorphic endogenous retroviral sequences display features that make them excellent tools for forensic and population genetic studies.

Alleles↗

EU-OSTID: a collection of transposon insertional mutants for functional genomics in rice.

A collection of 1373 unique flanking sequence tags (FSTs), generated from Ac/Ds and Ac transposon lines for reverse genetics studies, were produced in japonica and indica rice, respectively. The Ds and Ac FSTs together with the original T-DNAs were assigned a position in the rice genome sequence represented as assembled pseudomolecules, and found to be distributed evenly over the entire rice genome with a distinct bias for predicted gene-rich regions. The bias of the Ds and Ac transposon inserts for genes was exemplified by the presence of 59% of the inserts in genes annotated on the rice chromosomes and 41% present in genes transcribed as disclosed by their homology to cDNA clones. In a screen for inserts in a set of 75 well annotated transcription factors, including homeobox-containing genes, we found six Ac/Ds inserts. This high frequency of Ds and Ac inserts in genes suggests that saturated knockout mutagenesis in rice using this strategy will be efficient and possible with a lower number of inserts than expected. These FSTs and the corresponding plant lines are publicly available through OrygenesDB database and from the EU consortium members.

Binding Sites↗

A clinical trial of the Delta-T intrauterine device: immediate postpartum insertion.

The Copper T-220C intrauterine device was modified for use in early postpartum insertions. Biodegradable extensions consisting of No. 2 chromic suture were added to the horizontal arms of the device to enhance retention. This new device, Delta-T IUD, was inserted in 100 patients within 55 hours of the delivery of the placenta. No uterine perforations or cervical lacerations occurred in this study. There was one accidental pregnancy 4 months following the IUD insertion. Seven IUDs were removed for bleeding and pain. There was one case of postpartum endometritis. Seventeen IUD expulsions occurred. Expulsions were more frequent at the beginning of the study and when the IUD was inserted more than 30 minutes after delivery of the placenta. The immediate postpartum insertion of IUDs with the event rates observed in this study is acceptable in situations where alternatives for other family planning modalities or interval insertion of intrauterine devices are not feasible.

Adolescent↗

Do insertion-related problems affect subsequent IUD performance?

This investigation compares the IUD performance of 372 women who had an insertion-related problem (most with moderate or severe pain) and 372 matched women who had no such problem; all women had interval insertion. A woman in the Problem Cohort and her matched counterpart in the Comparison Cohort were inserted with the same IUD type by the same insertor on the same day or on close dates. The six IUD types used by these women were Lippes Loop D, Copper-7, Copper T-200, Copper T-380 Ag, Multiload Copper 250 and Multiload Copper 375. Cumulative gross life-table rates of the pertinent events (accidental pregnancy, expulsion and medical removal for bleeding and pain), adjusted for age and parity, were calculated. Between the Problem Cohort and the Comparison Cohort, no differences were detected in the event rates that were of either statistical or practical significance. Results from this preliminary study suggest that the insertion-related problems usually encountered during interval insertion such as insertion pain, syncope and/or mild cervical laceration are not associated with an increased risk of IUD discontinuation due to pertinent events.

Adult↗

Host range selection of vaccinia recombinants containing insertions of foreign genes into non-coding sequences.

A simple yet powerful selection system was developed for the insertion of foreign genes in vaccinia virus. The selection system utilizes the vaccinia virus K1L (29K) host range gene which is located in HindIII M. This gene is necessary for growth in RK-13 cells but not in BSC40 or CV-1 cells. A vaccinia mutant (vAbT33) unable to grow on RK-13 cells was constructed having sequences at the 3' end of the K1L gene and the adjacent M2L gene deleted and replaced with the beta-galactosidase gene regulated by the BamHI F (F7L) promoter. A recombination plasmid containing the hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen gene regulated by the M2L promoter and the complete sequence of the K1L gene was used to insert the HBs gene into vAbT33. The M2L negative K1L positive recombinant was easily isolated in two rounds of plaque purification by plating the virus on RK-13 cell monolayers. The K1L gene selection system allows the isolation of recombinants arising at frequencies as low as 1/100,000. It was noted that recombinants containing vaccinia sequence duplications (promoters) resulted in intragenomic recombinations that eliminated all sequences between the duplications. A second recombination plasmid was constructed that allowed insertion into the vaccinia genome without the loss of vaccinia coding sequences. This was achieved by insertion of the pseudorabies virus GIII gene regulated by the vaccinia H5R (40K) promoter between the translation and transcription stop signals at the 3' end of the K1L gene. The K1L gene transcription stop signal thus became the stop signal for the inserted GIII gene and an upstream transcription stop signal present in the H5R promoter fragment provided the stop signal for the K1L gene. This manipulation of the vaccinia genome had no effect on the accumulation or 5' end of the M2L gene transcripts. Although the insertion lengthened the 3' end and lowered the accumulation of K1L transcripts it altered neither the virulence nor the immunogenicity of the recombinant.

Base Sequence↗

Insertion technique, not design, affects expulsion rates of postpartum intrauterine device.

A Lippes type intrauterine device (IUD) was modified to be used for immediate postpartum insertion. In 114 patients in whom the modified IUD was inserted immediately after delivery, expulsion rates at six months averaged approximately 30%. Expulsion rates were significantly different, at p less than 0.05, for women in whom the IUD was inserted digitally (19.5 +/- 5.6% at 6 months) compared to those in whom it was inserted using surgical forceps (39.6 +/- 7.1%). Furthermore, expulsion rates were higher for inexperienced inserters (p less than 0.01). We conclude that: 1) this modification of an otherwise standard IUD has a continued high expulsion rate, and 2) the technique of insertion has significant impact upon the likelihood of expulsion.

Adult↗

Selection of high affinity p-azophenyarsonate Fabs from heavy-chain CDR2 insertion libraries.

The length of the heavy chain complementarity-determining region two (HCDR2) of the unmutated anti-p-azophenylarsonate (Ars) monoclonal antibody (36-65 mAb) was extended by three residues in order to test whether this insertion can provide additional contacts between the Ab and the antigen. Two libraries were generated using 36-65 heavy and light chain genes which were cloned as Fab in the phage-display vector pComb3. In the first library, three randomized amino acids were inserted between residues Gly 54 and Asn 55, which are the most solvent exposed residues in the HCDR2 loop. In the second library, in addition to the 3-mer randomized insertion, the flanking residues at positions 54 and 55 were also randomized to allow additional loop flexibility for binding to Ars. Solid-phase and solution phase affinity panning were used to select for clones that bind to Ars. Results indicate that diverse 3-mer HCDR2 insertions can be tolerated, and affinities 10-fold higher than germline encoded 36-65 Ab can be obtained. The sequence diversity of the insertion among the selected clones from both libraries suggests that the insertion increases contact between the Ab and the protein carrier rather than the hapten alone.

Animals↗

A simple method for genome-wide screening for advantageous insertions of mobile DNAs in Escherichia coli.

Laboratory evolution in Escherichia coli has revealed that fitness typically increases in experimental populations. These changes are sometimes associated with changes in insertion sequence positions, some of which may themselves cause advantageous phenotypes. We have a novel and general method for identifying genes in Escherichia coli, whose knockout by mobile DNA insertions is beneficial in experimental evolution. Insertion sites in favored clones can be identified by reference to genomic information. We have implemented the method using modified Tn10 transposons bearing kanamycin and chloramphenicol resistance cassettes. Results are consistent across replicated experiments, demonstrating that the insertions are themselves creating selective advantages, rather than hitch-hiking with favorable base substitutions. The successful clones have subsequently been confirmed to have a fitness advantage relative to the progenitor strain. In experiments in shaking culture, we find that advantageous insertions usually fall in operons required in the pathways creating flagella. The method allows a rapid genome-wide screening for advantageous insertions in arbitrary environmental conditions. It allows investigation of the extent to which transient mutations generating environment-dependent selective advantages may help to explain the persistence of mobile DNAs in primarily clonal organisms, such as E. coli.

Chloramphenicol Resistance↗

Ty1 insertions in intergenic regions of the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcribed by RNA polymerase III have no detectable selective effect.

The retrotransposon Ty1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inserts preferentially into intergenic regions in the vicinity of RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes. It has been suggested that this preference has evolved to minimize the deleterious effects of element transposition on the host genome, and thus to favor their evolutionary survival. This presupposes that such insertions have no selective effect. However, there has been no direct test of this hypothesis. Here we construct a series of strains containing single Ty1 insertions in the vicinity of tRNA genes, or in the rDNA cluster on chromosome XII, which are otherwise isogenic to strain 337, containing zero Ty1 elements. Competition experiments between 337 and the strains containing single Ty1 insertions revealed that in all cases, the Ty1 insertions have no selective effect in rich medium. These results are thus consistent with the hypothesis that the insertion site preference of Ty1 elements has evolved to minimize the deleterious effects of transposition on the host genome.

Base Sequence↗

Importance of hydrophobic matching for spontaneous insertion of a single-spanning membrane protein.

In this study, we have investigated the effect of hydrophobic mismatch between the thickness of the membrane and a transmembrane segment of a protein that directly inserts into the membrane bilayer. For this purpose we used mutants of the single-spanning Pf3 coat protein that can spontaneously insert into Escherichia coli membrane vesicles and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs). The thickness of the liposomal bilayer could be altered by using lipids with different acyl chain lengths or by incorporation of cholesterol. The insertion efficiency of the protein clearly depended on the bilayer thickness, with most efficient insertion under hydrophobic matching conditions. To discriminate between effects of length and hydrophobicity, mutants with different synthetic transmembrane segments were constructed. These mutants inserted into LUVs in a mismatch-dependent manner. However, in particular for longer and less hydrophobic mutants, most efficient insertion was generally observed in thinner bilayers than expected on the basis of hydrophobic matching.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genome-wide retroviral insertional tagging of genes involved in cancer in Cdkn2a-deficient mice.

We have used large-scale insertional mutagenesis to identify functional landmarks relevant to cancer in the recently completed mouse genome sequence. We infected Cdkn2a(-/-) mice with Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) to screen for loci that can participate in tumorigenesis in collaboration with loss of the Cdkn2a-encoded tumor suppressors p16INK4a and p19ARF. Insertional mutagenesis by the latent retrovirus was synergistic with loss of Cdkn2a expression, as indicated by a marked acceleration in the development of both myeloid and lymphoid tumors. We isolated 747 unique sequences flanking retroviral integration sites and mapped them against the mouse genome sequence databases from Celera and Ensembl. In addition to 17 insertions targeting gene loci known to be cancer-related, we identified a total of 37 new common insertion sites (CISs), of which 8 encode components of signaling pathways that are involved in cancer. The effectiveness of large-scale insertional mutagenesis in a sensitized genetic background is demonstrated by the preference for activation of MAP kinase signaling, collaborating with Cdkn2a loss in generating the lymphoid and myeloid tumors. Collectively, our results show that large-scale retroviral insertional mutagenesis in genetically predisposed mice is useful both as a system for identifying genes underlying cancer and as a genetic framework for the assignment of such genes to specific oncogenic pathways.

Animals↗

Fgf10 is an oncogene activated by MMTV insertional mutagenesis in mouse mammary tumors and overexpressed in a subset of human breast carcinomas.

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) infection causes a high incidence of murine mammary carcinomas by insertion of its proviral DNA in the genome of mammary epithelial cells. Retroviral insertion can activate flanking proto-oncogenes by a process called insertional mutagenesis. By sequencing the DNA adjacent to MMTV proviral insertions in mammary tumors from BALB/c mice infected with C3H-MMTV, we have found a common MMTV insertion site in the Fgf10 locus. RT-PCR studies showed that Fgf10 is expressed only in those tumors harboring a MMTV proviral insertion in this locus, suggesting that Fgf10 is a proto-oncogene. The oncogenicity of Fgf10 was evaluated in vivo by subcutaneous transplantation of retrovirally transduced HC11 mammary epithelial cells into BALB/c mice. Highly vascularized invasive subcutaneous tumors developed indicating that Fgf10 can act as an oncogene. A survey of primary human breast carcinomas revealed strongly elevated Fgf10 mRNA levels in approximately 10% of the tumors tested, suggesting that Fgf10 may also be involved in oncogenicity of a subset of human breast cancers.

Animals↗

Mutagenesis by reversible promoter insertion to study the activation of NF-kappaB.

Genetic dissection of signaling pathways in mammalian cells involves screening or selecting phenotypic mutants obtained by a variety of techniques. Limitations in current methods include inadequate genome coverage and difficulty in validating the link between mutation and phenotype. We describe an improved method for insertional mutagenesis with retroviral vectors and show that the ability to induce mutations increases greatly if a randomly inserted promoter directs transcription into the host DNA. The mutant phenotype is due to the expression of a hybrid transcript derived from the vector and the insertion site. Because other alleles of the affected gene remain intact, the phenotype is dominant, but is reversible by inactivating the promoter, for example, by site-specific recombination. Importantly, in mutant clones with multiple inserts, limited excision yields progeny with different patterns of inserts remaining. Characterizing these progeny allows the mutant phenotype to be associated with a specific target gene. Relative simplicity and robust target validation make the method suitable for a broad range of applications. We have used this technique to search for proteins that regulate NF-kappaB-dependent signaling in human cells. Two validated targets are the relA gene, which codes for the NF-kappaB p65 subunit, and the NF-kappaB regulator act1. Overexpression of the corresponding proteins, caused by insertion of a promoter into the first intron of each gene, leads to NF-kappaB-dependent secretion of factors that activate NF-kappaB through cell-surface receptors, establishing an autocrine loop.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Cloning of the cDNA encoding a myosin heavy chain B isoform of Xenopus nonmuscle myosin with an insert in the head region.

The complete amino acid sequence of Xenopus laevis nonmuscle myosin heavy chain B (MHC-B) has been deduced from overlapping cDNA clones isolated from an XTC cell library. RNA blots of various developmental stages, adult tissues, and XTC cells detect a single transcript of 7.5 kb which is expressed at similar levels throughout development. MHC-B mRNA was detected in XTC cells, heart, lung, spleen, and brain, at lower levels in ovary, testis, pancreas, stomach, liver, and eye, but not in kidney and skeletal muscle. Protein expression in adult tissues, as detected by immunoblot analysis, correlates well with mRNA expression. In chickens and humans, a fraction of the mRNA encoding the MHC-B isoform was found previously to contain a 10-amino acid insert at amino acid 211 near the ATP-binding site. As reported elsewhere, in the chicken this insert-bearing isoform is nervous system-specific. The Xenopus sequence shows a 16-amino acid insertion at the same position; 7 of 16 residues are identical to those in the chicken and human insertion, and these identical residues include a consensus target sequence for cyclin-p34cdc2 kinase. In contrast to chicken, all frog tissues and embryonic stages tested contained the insert-bearing form, and no evidence for a non-insert-bearing MHC-B isoform was found in Xenopus.

Aging↗

Insertional mutagenesis of Drosophila heterochromatin with single P elements.

Insertional mutagenesis with transposable P elements has greatly facilitated the identification and analysis of genes located throughout the 70% of the Drosophila melanogaster genome classified as euchromatin. In contrast, genetically marked P elements have only rarely been shown to transpose into heterochromatin. By carrying out single P element insertional mutagenesis under conditions where position-effect variegation was suppressed, we efficiently generated strains containing insertions at diverse sites within centromeric and Y-chromosome heterochromatin. The tendency of P elements to transpose locally was shown to operate within heterochromatin, and it further enhanced the recovery of heterochromatic insertions. Three of the insertions disrupted vital genes known to be present at low density in heterochromatin. Strains containing single P element insertions will greatly facilitate the structural and functional analysis of this poorly understood genomic component.

Animals↗

Transmembrane organization of mouse P-glycoprotein determined by epitope insertion and immunofluorescence.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an integral membrane protein that causes multidrug resistance when overexpressed in tumor cells. Efforts to identify the position and polarity of its 12 putative transmembrane (TM) domains have so far failed to yield a consistent topological model. Recently, we have described a method for topology mapping based on the insertion of a small antigenic peptide epitope (YPYDVPDYA) in predicted intra- or extracellular loops of the protein. The tagged proteins are then functionally expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, and the polarity of the inserted tag with respect to plasma membrane is deduced by immunofluorescence in intact or permeabilized cells. We previously localized segments between TM1 and TM2, and TM5 and TM6 as extracellular and segments between TM2 and TM3 and downstream of TM6 as intracellular (Kast, C., Canfield, V., Levenson, R., and Gros, P. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 4402-4411). We have now inserted single epitope tags at positions 207, 235, 276, 741, 782, 797, 815, 849, 887, 961, and 1024; double epitope tags at positions 736, 849, and 961; and a triple epitope tag at position 849. Insertions of epitopes at positions 235, 736, 741, 849, 887, 961, and 1024 resulted in functional proteins, whereas insertions at positions 207, 276, 782, 797, and 815 abrogated the capacity of P-gp to confer multidrug resistance. The epitope tags inserted at positions 736, 849, and 961 were localized extracellularly, whereas tags at positions 235, 887, and 1024 mapped intracellularly. These results indicate that the intervening segments separated by TM4-TM5, TM10-TM11, and downstream of TM12 are cytoplasmic; segments delineated by TM7-TM8, TM9-TM10, and TM11-TM12 are extracellular. Our combined analysis of the amino- and carboxyl-terminal halves of P-gp supports a 12-TM domain topology with intracellular amino and carboxyl termini and ATP binding sites and an extracellular glycosylated loop (TM1-TM2) in agreement with hydropathy prediction. These results are clearly distinct from those obtained by the analysis of truncated P-gps in vitro and in heterologous expression systems.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Insertion scanning mutagenesis of subunit a of the F1F0 ATP synthase near His245 and implications on gating of the proton channel.

Subunit a of the E. coli F1F0 ATP synthase was probed by insertion scanning mutagenesis in a region between residues Glu219 and His245. A series of single amino acid insertions, of both alanine and aspartic acid, were constructed after the following residues: 225, 229, 233, 238, 243, and 245. The mutants were tested for growth yield, binding of F1 to membranes, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide sensitivity of ATPase activity, ATP-driven proton translocation, and passive proton permeability of membranes stripped of F1. Significant loss of function was seen only with insertions after positions 238 and 243. In contrast, both insertions after residue 225 and the alanine insertion after residue 245 were nearly identical in function to the wild type. The other insertions showed an intermediate loss of function. Missense mutations of His245 to serine and cysteine were nonfunctional, while the W241C mutant showed nearly normal ATPase function. Replacement of Leu162 by histidine failed to suppress the 245 mutants, but chemical rescue of H245S was partially successful using acetate. An interaction between Trp241 and His245 may be involved in gating a "half-channel" from the periplasmic surface of F0 to Asp61 of subunit a.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Chromosomal distribution of transposable elements in Drosophila melanogaster: test of the ectopic recombination model for maintenance of insertion site number.

Data of insertion site localization and site occupancy frequency of P, hobo, I, copia, mdg1, mdg3, 412, 297, and roo transposable elements (TEs) on the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster were extracted from the literature. We show that TE insertion site number per chromosomal division was significantly correlated with the amount of DNA. The insertion site number weighted by DNA content was not correlated with recombination rate for all TEs except hobo, for which a positive correlation was detected. No global tendency emerged in the relationship between TE site occupancy frequency, weighted by DNA content, and recombination rate; a strong negative correlation was, however, found for the 3L arm. A possible dominant deleterious effect of chromosomal rearrangements due to recombination between TE insertions is thus not the main factor explaining the dynamics of TEs, since this hypothesis implies a negative relationship between recombination rate and both TE insertion site number and site occupancy frequency. The alternative hypothesis of selection against deleterious effects of insertional mutations is discussed.

Animals↗