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Simultaneous identification of A, B, D and R genomes by genomic in situ hybridization in wheat-rye derivatives.

Multicolour genomic in situ hybridization was carried out in wheat-rye hybrids and in a wheat-rye translocation line. Different hybridization conditions and mixture compositions were used, and A, B and D genomes of hexaploid wheat as well as the R genome of rye were distinguished simultaneously in somatic cells. Combination of genomic and rDNA probes in multicolour in situ hybridization was also performed to identify chromosomes within a specific genome.

DNA, Plant↗

Updating of transposable element annotations from large wheat genomic sequences reveals diverse activities and gene associations.

Triticeae species (including wheat, barley and rye) have huge and complex genomes due to polyploidization and a high content of transposable elements (TEs). TEs are known to play a major role in the structure and evolutionary dynamics of Triticeae genomes. During the last 5 years, substantial stretches of contiguous genomic sequence from various species of Triticeae have been generated, making it necessary to update and standardize TE annotations and nomenclature. In this study we propose standard procedures for these tasks, based on structure, nucleic acid and protein sequence homologies. We report statistical analyses of TE composition and distribution in large blocks of genomic sequences from wheat and barley. Altogether, 3.8 Mb of wheat sequence available in the databases was analyzed or re-analyzed, and compared with 1.3 Mb of re-annotated genomic sequences from barley. The wheat sequences were relatively gene-rich (one gene per 23.9 kb), although wheat gene-derived sequences represented only 7.8% (159 elements) of the total, while the remainder mainly comprised coding sequences found in TEs (54.7%, 751 elements). Class I elements [mainly long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons] accounted for the major proportion of TEs, in terms of sequence length as well as element number (83.6% and 498, respectively). In addition, we show that the gene-rich sequences of wheat genome A seem to have a higher TE content than those of genomes B and D, or of barley gene-rich sequences. Moreover, among the various TE groups, MITEs were most often associated with genes: 43.1% of MITEs fell into this category. Finally, the TRIM and copia elements were shown to be the most active TEs in the wheat genome. The implications of these results for the evolution of diploid and polyploid wheat species are discussed.

DNA Transposable Elements↗

Origin and fate of repeats in bacteria.

We investigated 53 complete bacterial chromosomes for intrachromosomal repeats. In previous studies on eukaryote chromosomes, we proposed a model for the dynamics of repeats based on the continuous genesis of tandem repeats, followed by an active process of high deletion rate, counteracted by rearrangement events that may prevent the repeats from being deleted. The present study of long repeats in the genomes of Bacteria and Archaea suggests that our model of interspersed repeats dynamics may apply to them. Thus the duplication process might be a consequence of very ancient mechanisms shared by all three domains. Moreover, we show that there is a strong negative correlation between nucleotide composition bias and the repeat density of genomes. We hypothesise that in highly biased genomes, non-duplicated small repeats arise more frequently by random effects and are used as primers for duplication mechanisms, leading to a higher density of large repeats.

Archaea↗

Mechanisms of thermal adaptation revealed from the genomes of the Antarctic Archaea Methanogenium frigidum and Methanococcoides burtonii.

We generated draft genome sequences for two cold-adapted Archaea, Methanogenium frigidum and Methanococcoides burtonii, to identify genotypic characteristics that distinguish them from Archaea with a higher optimal growth temperature (OGT). Comparative genomics revealed trends in amino acid and tRNA composition, and structural features of proteins. Proteins from the cold-adapted Archaea are characterized by a higher content of noncharged polar amino acids, particularly Gln and Thr and a lower content of hydrophobic amino acids, particularly Leu. Sequence data from nine methanogen genomes (OGT 15 degrees -98 degrees C) were used to generate 1111 modeled protein structures. Analysis of the models from the cold-adapted Archaea showed a strong tendency in the solvent-accessible area for more Gln, Thr, and hydrophobic residues and fewer charged residues. A cold shock domain (CSD) protein (CspA homolog) was identified in M. frigidum, two hypothetical proteins with CSD-folds in M. burtonii, and a unique winged helix DNA-binding domain protein in M. burtonii. This suggests that these types of nucleic acid binding proteins have a critical role in cold-adapted Archaea. Structural analysis of tRNA sequences from the Archaea indicated that GC content is the major factor influencing tRNA stability in hyperthermophiles, but not in the psychrophiles, mesophiles or moderate thermophiles. Below an OGT of 60 degrees C, the GC content in tRNA was largely unchanged, indicating that any requirement for flexibility of tRNA in psychrophiles is mediated by other means. This is the first time that comparisons have been performed with genome data from Archaea spanning the growth temperature extremes from psychrophiles to hyperthermophiles.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

A Bayesian system integrating expression data with sequence patterns for localizing proteins: comprehensive application to the yeast genome.

We develop a probabilistic system for predicting the subcellular localization of proteins and estimating the relative population of the various compartments in yeast. Our system employs a Bayesian approach, updating a protein's probability of being in a compartment, based on a diverse range of 30 features. These range from specific motifs (e.g. signal sequences or the HDEL motif) to overall properties of a sequence (e.g. surface composition or isoelectric point) to whole-genome data (e.g. absolute mRNA expression levels or their fluctuations). The strength of our approach is the easy integration of many features, particularly the whole-genome expression data. We construct a training and testing set of approximately 1300 yeast proteins with an experimentally known localization from merging, filtering, and standardizing the annotation in the MIPS, Swiss-Prot and YPD databases, and we achieve 75 % accuracy on individual protein predictions using this dataset. Moreover, we are able to estimate the relative protein population of the various compartments without requiring a definite localization for every protein. This approach, which is based on an analogy to formalism in quantum mechanics, gives better accuracy in determining relative compartment populations than that obtained by simply tallying the localization predictions for individual proteins (on the yeast proteins with known localization, 92% versus 74%). Our training and testing also highlights which of the 30 features are informative and which are redundant (19 being particularly useful). After developing our system, we apply it to the 4700 yeast proteins with currently unknown localization and estimate the relative population of the various compartments in the entire yeast genome. An unbiased prior is essential to this extrapolated estimate; for this, we use the MIPS localization catalogue, and adapt recent results on the localization of yeast proteins obtained by Snyder and colleagues using a minitransposon system. Our final localizations for all approximately 6000 proteins in the yeast genome are available over the web at: http://bioinfo.mbb.yale. edu/genome/localize.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Genomic simple repetitive DNAs are targets for differential binding of nuclear proteins.

The biological meaning of abundant simple repetitive DNA sequences in eukaryote genomes is obscure. Therefore, (GAA)n, (GT)n, and composite (GT)n(GA)m, blocks were characterized for protein binding in the repeat and flanking sequences of cloned genomic DNA fragments. In gel mobility shift and competition assays the binding of nuclear proteins to the repeats was specific (including some flanking single copy sequences). DNase footprinting revealed the target sequences within and adjacent to the repeats. Chemical modifications (OsO4, DEPC) demonstrated non-B DNA structures in the polypurine blocks. The binding of nuclear proteins in and around simple repeat sequences refute biological insignificance of all of these ubiquitously interspersed elements.

Animals↗

Proteomics of protein secretion by Bacillus subtilis: separating the "secrets" of the secretome.

Secretory proteins perform a variety of important "remote-control" functions for bacterial survival in the environment. The availability of complete genome sequences has allowed us to make predictions about the composition of bacterial machinery for protein secretion as well as the extracellular complement of bacterial proteomes. Recently, the power of proteomics was successfully employed to evaluate genome-based models of these so-called secretomes. Progress in this field is well illustrated by the proteomic analysis of protein secretion by the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, for which approximately 90 extracellular proteins were identified. Analysis of these proteins disclosed various "secrets of the secretome," such as the residence of cytoplasmic and predicted cell envelope proteins in the extracellular proteome. This showed that genome-based predictions reflect only approximately 50% of the actual composition of the extracellular proteome of B. subtilis. Importantly, proteomics allowed the first verification of the impact of individual secretion machinery components on the total flow of proteins from the cytoplasm to the extracellular environment. In conclusion, proteomics has yielded a variety of novel leads for the analysis of protein traffic in B. subtilis and other gram-positive bacteria. Ultimately, such leads will serve to increase our understanding of virulence factor biogenesis in gram-positive pathogens, which is likely to be of high medical relevance.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Genome sequence of Streptococcus mutans UA159, a cariogenic dental pathogen.

Streptococcus mutans is the leading cause of dental caries (tooth decay) worldwide and is considered to be the most cariogenic of all of the oral streptococci. The genome of S. mutans UA159, a serotype c strain, has been completely sequenced and is composed of 2,030,936 base pairs. It contains 1,963 ORFs, 63% of which have been assigned putative functions. The genome analysis provides further insight into how S. mutans has adapted to surviving the oral environment through resource acquisition, defense against host factors, and use of gene products that maintain its niche against microbial competitors. S. mutans metabolizes a wide variety of carbohydrates via nonoxidative pathways, and all of these pathways have been identified, along with the associated transport systems whose genes account for almost 15% of the genome. Virulence genes associated with extracellular adherent glucan production, adhesins, acid tolerance, proteases, and putative hemolysins have been identified. Strain UA159 is naturally competent and contains all of the genes essential for competence and quorum sensing. Mobile genetic elements in the form of IS elements and transposons are prominent in the genome and include a previously uncharacterized conjugative transposon and a composite transposon containing genes for the synthesis of antibiotics of the gramicidin/bacitracin family; however, no bacteriophage genomes are present.

Base Sequence↗

Large-scale genomic sequencing: optimization of genomic chemical sequencing reactions.

We have developed a streamlined, reproducible method for performing genomic chemical sequencing reactions on the genomic DNA of Mycoplasma capricolum, which has a genome size of about 750,000 base pairs and whose composition is 75% AT. The general modifications that ensure reproducibility and allow the processing of multiple samples can be widely adopted to other large-scale sequencing projects, while the specific modifications to the chemical reactions are applicable to the sequencing of other DNAs with a high AT content.

Adenine↗

Coincident indices of exons and introns.

In this paper, the coincident index, proposed by W. F. Friedman in cryptology, is made use of in DNA sequence analysis and exon prediction. The coincident index of exons exceeds that of introns by many times, and is mainly affected by window length, which is correlated negatively with the coincident index. An optimal exon prediction scheme was obtained by experimental analysis with an orthogonal table. Besides exons, many other special sites such as tandem repeats can be identified by using the coincident index approach. The application of this approach to the ARV-2 (AIDS associated retrovirus 2) genome found three new possible coding regions and some unusual base composition regions which are probably related to definite biological functions.

Base Composition↗

Mapping the regions carrying the three contiguous antibiotic resistance genes aadE, sat4, and aphA-3 in the genomes of staphylococci.

Tn5405 (12 kb) is a staphylococcal composite transposon delimited by two inverted copies of IS1182, one of which contains IS1181. The internal part of this transposon carries three antibiotic resistance genes, aphA-3, aadE, and sat4, and three open reading frames (ORFs), orfx, orfy, and orfz, of unknown function. The dispersion of Tn5405 and the genes and ORFs included in this transposon were investigated in 50 epidemiologically unrelated staphylococci carrying aphA-3. Twenty-three maps, distinguishable by the presence or absence of the investigated genes or ORFs and/or by the sizes of the restriction fragments carrying them, were identified. Four isolates carried Tn5405, and 15 other isolates contained a Tn5405-related element. IS1182 was not detected in the aphA-3 regions mapped in 31 isolates which carried the following combinations: orfx, orfy, aadE, sat4, and aphA-3 +/- orfz; orfy, aadE, sat4, and aphA-3 +/- orfz; and aadE, sat4, aphA-3, and orfz. In all isolates, the genes and ORFs investigated were in relative positions similar to those in Tn5405. Thus, the internal part of Tn5405 appeared to be partially conserved with the maintenance, in all of the isolates, of at least the three antibiotic resistance genes.

DNA, Bacterial↗

Human herpesvirus 6 is closely related to human cytomegalovirus.

A sequence of 21,858 base pairs from the genome of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) strain U1102 is presented. The sequence has a mean composition of 41% G + C, and the observed frequency of CpG dinucleotides is close to that predicted from this mononucleotide composition. The sequence contains 17 complete open reading frames (ORFs) and part of another at the 5' end of the sequence. The predicted protein products of two of these ORFs have no recognizable homologs in the genomes of other sequenced human herpesviruses (i.e., Epstein-Barr virus [EBV], human cytomegalovirus [HCMV], herpes simplex virus [HSV], and varicella-zoster virus [VZV]). However, the products of nine other ORFs are clearly homologous to a set of genes that is conserved in all other sequenced herpesviruses, including homologs of the alkaline exonuclease, the phosphotransferase, the spliced ORF, and the major capsid protein genes. Measurements of similarity between these homologous sequences showed that HHV-6 is clearly most closely related to HCMV. The degree of relatedness between HHV-6 and HCMV was commensurate with that observed in comparisons between HSV and VZV or EBV and herpesvirus saimiri and significantly greater than its relatedness to EBV, HSV, or VZV. In addition, the gene for the major capsid protein and its 5' neighbor are reoriented with respect to the spliced ORFs in the genomes of both HHV-6 and HCMV relative to the organization observed in EBV, HSV, and VZV. Three ORFs in HHV-6 have recognizable homologs only in the genome of HCMV. Despite differences in gross composition and size, we conclude that the genomes of HHV-6 and HCMV are closely related.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Revisiting the codon adaptation index from a whole-genome perspective: analyzing the relationship between gene expression and codon occurrence in yeast using a variety of models.

Highly expressed genes in many bacteria and small eukaryotes often have a strong compositional bias, in terms of codon usage. Two widely used numerical indices, the codon adaptation index (CAI) and the codon usage, use this bias to predict the expression level of genes. When these indices were first introduced, they were based on fairly simple assumptions about which genes are most highly expressed: the CAI was originally based on the codon composition of a set of only 24 highly expressed genes, and the codon usage on assumptions about which functional classes of genes are highly expressed in fast-growing bacteria. Given the recent advent of genome-wide expression data, we should be able to improve on these assumptions. Here, we measure, in yeast, the degree to which consideration of the current genome-wide expression data sets improves the performance of both numerical indices. Indeed, we find that by changing the parameterization of each model its correlation with actual expression levels can be somewhat improved, although both indices are fairly insensitive to the exact way they are parameterized. This insensitivity indicates a consistent codon bias amongst highly expressed genes. We also attempt direct linear regression of codon composition against genome-wide expression levels (and protein abundance data). This has some similarity with the CAI formalism and yields an alternative model for the prediction of expression levels based on the coding sequences of genes. More information is available at http://bioinfo.mbb.yale.edu/expression/codons.

Codon↗

Unravelling human T-cell receptor junctional region sequences.

Careful analysis of functional V delta 2-J delta 1 and V gamma 9-J gamma 1.2 rearrangements of peripheral T-lymphocytes showed high frequencies of leucine and valine at a fixed position in the V delta 2-J delta 1 junctional regions. This phenomenon remained unnoticed in the numerous published junctional regions for over several years. Because comparable preferential motifs might also occur in junctional regions of other T-cell populations in health and disease, more precise analysis of junctional region diversity is needed. For this reason we describe general guidelines for identification of the various elements in TcR junctional regions: D-gene-derived nucleotides (in case of TcR-beta and TcR-delta genes), P-region nucleotides, N-region nucleotides, and deletion of nucleotides by trimming of the rearranged gene segments. In addition, we summarized the known genomic germline sequences of rearranging TcR gene segments, which are necessary for proper application of the general guidelines. Subsequent analysis of the majority of published TcR junctional regions, allowed us to determine the composition and average insertion and deletion of nucleotides in genomic junctional regions. Because the protein junctional region instead of the genomic junctional region determines the actual specificity of TcR chains, the amino acid composition of the protein junctional regions of different types of TcR gene rearrangements was determined. This revealed some unexpected characteristics, such as the virtual absence of cysteine in all functional TcR junctional regions and increased or decreased frequencies of particular amino acid residues in specific TcR junctional regions. Application of the guidelines in combination with the summarized TcR germline sequences may contribute to uniformity in the analysis of junctional regions and may lead to important information concerning TcR specificity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Creation of genomic methylation patterns.

There are two biological properties of genomic methylation patterns that can be regarded as established. First, methylation of 5'-CpG-3' dinucleotides within promoters represses transcription, often to undetectable levels. Second, in most cases methylation patterns are subject to clonal inheritance. These properties suit methylation patterns for a number of biological roles, although none of the current hypotheses can be regarded as proved or disproved. One hypothesis suggests that the activity of parasitic sequence elements is repressed by selective methylation. Features of invasive sequences that might allow their identification and inactivation are discussed in terms of the genome defense hypothesis. Identification of the cues that direct de novo methylation may reveal the biological role (or roles) of genomic methylation patterns.

Alleles↗

Genomics of plant ABC transporters: the alphabet of photosynthetic life forms or just holes in membranes?

The large number of ABC transporters in the Arabidopsis genome was made responsible for known as well as unexpected aspects in plant development. The combination of classical transport experiments with functional genomics approaches helped unravel some of these effects. Yet questions concerning the importance of this large number of ABC transporters in eukaryotic photosynthesizing organisms remain open. Phylogenomic analyses of whole genome sequence data reveal comparable sizes and composition between algae and higher plants within this protein family. Although this indicates the significance of ABC transporters in plants, several other questions remain to be answered.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗