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Sequence-specific interactions in the Tus-Ter complex and the effect of base pair substitutions on arrest of DNA replication in Escherichia coli.

Arrest of DNA replication in Escherichia coli is mediated by specific interactions between the Tus protein and terminator (Ter) sequences. Binding of Tus to a Ter site forms a asymmetric protein-DNA complex that arrests DNA replication in an orientation-dependent fashion. In this study, mutant Ter sites carrying single base pair substitutions at 16 different positions were examined for their ability to bind purified Tus protein and arrest DNA replication. In vitro competition assays demonstrated that base pair substitutions at positions 8-19 had significant effects on the free energy of Tus binding (DeltaDeltaG0 of 1.5 to >4. 0 kcal/mol). Concomitant with loss of binding affinity, mutations at these positions also showed significantly lower or undetectable replication arrest activities in vivo. Substitutions at positions 6, 20, and 21 had moderate effects on Tus-Ter interactions, suggesting that these base pairs contribute to, but are not absolutely critical for, Tus binding. Even though the effects on binding were minimal, these Ter mutants were not as efficient as wild type Tus-TerB complexes at arresting replication forks. Three new potential Ter sites, referred to as TerH, TerI, and TerJ, were identified by searching the E. coli genome for sequence similarity to a consensus Ter site sequence.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Purification and purity assessment of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1.

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) was partially purified from culture supernatants by SP-Sephadex C-25 ion-exchange chromatography and subsequent Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. This protein had an apparent molecular weight of 24,000 and an isoelectric point of 7.0. The NH2-amino acid sequence for the first 40 residues agreed completely with that predicted from the known TSST-1 genome. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion with monospecific rabbit antisera demonstrated a single line of identity with reference TSST-1 as well as with three preparations obtained from other investigators. When the purity of the different TSST-1 preparations was examined by Coomassie blue or silver staining after SDS-PAGE, only the major band at molecular weight 24,000 was apparent. However, multiple additional bands were seen in all preparations when visualized either by double staining with Coomassie blue stain followed by silver stain or by immunoblot using pooled human serum. Further purification of our preparation by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography eliminated some, but not all, extraneous antigens. A final purification step by preparative SDS-PAGE resulted in an eluted protein that yielded only the 24-kDa TSST-1 band and a 48-kDa dimer by immunoblot. This material was endotoxin free (sensitivity limit, 10 pg/mL) and retained biologic activity for induction of cachectin and production of interleukin 1 by human monocytes. These data emphasize the need for stringent methods of assessment of purity in TSST-1 preparations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

(dT-dC)n and (dG-dA)n tracts arrest single stranded DNA replication in vitro.

Previous in vivo studies have indicated that (dT-dC)n.(dG-dA)n tracts (referred to here as (TC)n.(GA)n), which are widely dispersed in vertebrate genomes, may serve as pause or arrest signals for DNA replication and amplification. To determine whether these repeat elements act as stop signals for DNA replication in vitro, single stranded DNAs including (TC)n or (GA)n tracts of various lengths, were prepared by cloning such tracts into phage M13 vectors, and were replicated with the Klenow fragment of the E. coli DNA polymerase I, or with the calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha, by extension of an M13 primer. Gel electrophoresis of the reaction products revealed that the replication was specifically arrested around the middle of both (TC)n and (GA)n tracts of n greater than or equal to 16. However, whereas in the (TC)n tracts the arrests were less prominent at pH = 8.0 than at pH = 6.5-7.5, and were completely eliminated at pH = 8.5, the arrests in the (GA)n tracts were stronger at the higher pH values. These results, and previous data, suggest that the arrests were caused by formation of unusual DNA structures, possibly triple helices between partially replicated (TC)n or (GA)n tracts, and unreplicated portions of these sequences.

Animals↗

Microchimerism after liver transplantation: prevalence and methodological aspects of detection.

BACKGROUND: Microchimerism after liver transplantation is a readily observed phenomenon. The immunological implications, however, remain unclear. Moreover, methodological approaches and their detection limits in the study of allogeneic microchimerism have not been studied in detail. METHODS: Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the single-step and nested formats of the polymerase chain reaction/sequence-specific priming (PCR-SSP) approach under standardized conditions. For that purpose, a panel of recombinant plasmid clones was generated by PCR cloning. The panel contained the allelic sequences of the second exon of DRB1 covering all DR specificities on a low-resolution level. Using this panel, limiting dilution assays for various DR sequences in the presence and absence of competitor DNA were carried out to determine the minimal number of copies required for detection by single-step and nested PCR-SSP. Subsequently, 22 liver transplant recipients were analyzed in a retrospective study for the presence of allogeneic microchimerism by nested PCR-SSP. RESULTS: Although at least 10 copies of template DNA could be detected by nested PCR-SSP overall, single-step PCR-SSP was on average 10(2) to 10(3) times less sensitive. Upon the addition of human competitor DNA, the detection limits decreased on average by a factor of 10. In addition, sequence-specific differences in amplification efficiency could be appreciated. Using nested PCR-SSP, peripheral blood allogeneic microchimerism could be observed in 17 of 22 HLA-DR-mismatched liver recipients. Recombinants representing recipient DRB1 specificities were used to exclude false-positive results by lack of cross-reactivities of the donor-specific primers and to evaluate negative results due to sample-related reduced amplification efficiencies in microchimerism-negative recipients. In donor/recipient combinations that differed by at least one DR specificity, allogeneic microchimerism was seen in 87.5% of the cases. In five chimerism-negative cases, sample-related problems were detected in two cases. CONCLUSION: The optimization and standardization of the detection of genomic HLA sequences at low copy number may be greatly facilitated using a clonal reference system. Furthermore, a clonal reference system may be used to conduct cross-priming experiments to exclude false-positive results and may allow the determination of sample-specific detection limits for donor-derived HLA-DR specificities in chimerism-negative patients. Our evaluation of the PCR-SSP approach for the study of allogeneic microchimerism indicated that nested PCR-SSP provides the most sensitive format when HLA sequences are targeted. Yet, the detection sensitivity may vary between individual alleles and specificities. Allogeneic microchimerism in liver recipients can be observed in the majority of patients. However, the detection may be subject to the degree of mismatching, the HLA-DR alleles involved, and sample-related impaired PCR amplification efficiency.

Alleles↗

Quantitative rt-PCR analysis of uncoupling protein isoforms in mouse brain cortex: methodological optimization and comparison of expression with brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) present in the inner mitochondrial membrane are involved in uncoupling respiration from ATP synthesis. Five UCP isoforms have been identified but information about their presence and level of expression in the central nervous system remains incomplete. To determine the nature and proportion of UCP isoform mRNAs present in brain cortex, we developed and optimized a specific quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction procedure. Optimal range of RNA concentrations to be used in the reverse-transcriptase reaction was determined. Primer design and concentration were optimized for each target gene while polymerase chain reaction efficiency was assessed for a range of reverse-transcriptase dilutions. Genomic contribution to the quantitative signal was evaluated for each isoform and minimized. Three reference genes were tested for normalization, and beta-actin was found to be the most stable among tissues. Results indicate that brain cortex contains significant amounts of all UCP mRNAs, with UCP5 and UCP4 being the most abundant, as opposed to brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, which predominantly express UCP1 and UCP3, respectively. These data provide a first quantitative assessment of UCP mRNA expression in mouse brain, showing the presence of all five isoforms with distinct proportions, thus suggesting specific roles in the central nervous system.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

Intra- and interpopulation genotype reconstruction from tagging SNPs.

The optimal method to be used for tSNP selection, the applicability of a reference LD map to unassayed populations, and the scalability of these methods to genome-wide analysis, all remain subjects of debate. We propose novel, scalable matrix algorithms that address these issues and we evaluate them on genotypic data from 38 populations and four genomic regions (248 SNPs typed for approximately 2000 individuals). We also evaluate these algorithms on a second data set consisting of genotypes available from the HapMap database (1336 SNPs for four populations) over the same genomic regions. Furthermore, we test these methods in the setting of a real association study using a publicly available family data set. The algorithms we use for tSNP selection and unassayed SNP reconstruction do not require haplotype inference and they are, in principle, scalable even to genome-wide analysis. Moreover, they are greedy variants of recently developed matrix algorithms with provable performance guarantees. Using a small set of carefully selected tSNPs, we achieve very good reconstruction accuracy of "untyped" genotypes for most of the populations studied. Additionally, we demonstrate in a quantitative manner that the chosen tSNPs exhibit substantial transferability, both within and across different geographic regions. Finally, we show that reconstruction can be applied to retrieve significant SNP associations with disease, with important genotyping savings.

Algorithms↗

Alteration of the genes for glycophorin A and B in glycophorin-A-deficient individuals.

Glycophorins A and B are homologous glycoproteins of the red cell membrane which carry the blood-group MN and Ss antigens, respectively, and are encoded by two distinct genes closely linked on chromosome 4, which are probably derived from each other by duplication during evolution. The lack of glycophorin A is associated with the rare phenotype En(a-), indicating individuals who are defective for MN antigens, as well as for the Ena antigens, also located on this glycoprotein. The En(a-) condition is heterogenous and includes two categories of variants exemplified by the Finnish and the English types referred to as En(Fin) and En(UK), respectively. By Southern blot and preliminary genomic clone analyzes we have compared the status of the genes for glycophorins A and B, as well as that of the gene encoding glycophorin C, another unrelated red cell membrane glycoprotein, in the En(a-) variants and in the En(a+) control donors. Our data indicate that the En(Fin) variant is homozygous for a complete deletion of the glycophorin A gene without any detectable abnormality of the genes encoding glycophorins B or C. In the genome of the En(UK) variant, with the presumed genotype Mk/En(UK), and where the Mk condition abolishes the expression of MN and Ss antigens, we have identified several abnormalities of the glycophorin A and B genes, but the glycophorin C gene was unaffected. Our results strongly support the view that in Mk chromosome the glycophorin A and B genes are largely deleted, whereas the En(UK) chromosome probably contains a gene fusion product encoding a hybrid glycoprotein AM-B, composed of the N-terminal portion of a blood group M-type glycophorin A and of the C-terminal portion of glycophorin B. The determination of the 5' and 3' limits of the hybrid gene and elucidation of the mechanism involved will require sequencing of the rearranged DNA of the variant and a full knowledge of the organization of the glycophorin A and B genes.

Blotting, Southern↗

Discrimination of Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare strains by genomic DNA fingerprinting with a 16S rRNA gene probe.

Ribotyping was investigated as a means of distinguishing ten different serotyped reference strains and seven epidemiologically unrelated isolates of Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare using a labelled 16S rDNA probe. Thirteen restriction enzymes were screened towards an accurate discrimination of strains. Two selected restriction enzymes (SacI and ClaI) enabled us to classify the 17 strains into ten ribotypes with an index of discrimination of 0.897. Typeability and reproducibility of the method reached 100%. The patterns obtained exhibited polymorphism of RE fragments within and outside the 16S rRNA gene and may be useful for epidemiological studies.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

DNA alterations in human oral squamous cell carcinomas detected by restriction landmark genomic scanning.

Genetic abnormalities in human oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) were examined using restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS), a method of two-dimensional gel analysis allowing detection of amplifications and other aberrations in genomic DNA. DNAs from 11 oral tumours as well as from contiguous normal squamous epithelium, were cleaved with the restriction enzyme Not I, [32p] end-labeled and electrophoretically size-fractionated. Following a second digestion employing Hinf I, the further fragmented DNA was again electrophoretically separated. Five fragments/spots were found amplified in at least 64% (7/11) (chromosome nos. 4, 9-12 or 22) of carcinomas, with one of these spots amplified in 100% (chromosome no. 4) of tumour samples. In addition, six other spots were frequently reduced in at least 55% (chromosome nos. 15 or 9-12) of tumour tissues. Further characterization of these common changes is needed to determine if they represent important alterations in OSCC.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Transcriptomic analysis of extensive changes in metabolic regulation in Kluyveromyces lactis strains.

Genome-wide analysis of transcriptional regulation is generally carried out on well-characterized reference laboratory strains; hence, the characteristics of industrial isolates are therefore overlooked. In a previous study on the major cheese yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, we have shown that the reference strain and an industrial strain used in cheese making display a differential gene expression when grown on a single carbon source. Here, we have used more controlled conditions, i.e., growth in a fermentor with pH and oxygen maintained constant, to study how these two isolates grown in glucose reacted to an addition of lactose. The observed differences between sugar consumption and the production of various metabolites, ethanol, acetate, and glycerol, correlated with the response were monitored by the analysis of the expression of 482 genes. Extensive differences in gene expression between the strains were revealed in sugar transport, glucose repression, ethanol metabolism, and amino acid import. These differences were partly due to repression by glucose and another, yet-unknown regulation mechanism. Our results bring to light a new type of K. lactis strain with respect to hexose transport gene content and repression by glucose. We found that a combination of point mutations and variation in gene regulation generates a biodiversity within the K. lactis species that was not anticipated. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, in which there is a massive increase in the number of sugar transporter and fermentation genes, in K. lactis, interstrain diversity in adaptation to a changing environment is based on small changes at the level of key genes and cell growth control.

Acetates↗

Definition of the sequence requirements for binding of the EBNA-1 protein to its palindromic target sites in Epstein-Barr virus DNA.

Interaction between the trans-acting DNA-binding protein EBNA-1 and cis-acting sequences in the ori-P region of Epstein-Barr virus DNA is required for maintenance of the viral plasmid state in latently infected B cells and is involved in the regulation of transcription during latency. In the Epstein-Barr virus genome, a total of 26 EBNA-1-binding sites occur within three clustered loci referred to as the family of repeats and dyad symmetry locus of ori-P and the separate BamHI-Q locus. Incubation of a bacterially expressed carboxy-terminal domain of EBNA-1 (28,000-molecular-weight EBNA-1 [28K EBNA-1]) with synthetic monomer and dimer consensus binding sites gave characteristic DNA-protein complexes in a mobility retardation assay. A similar approach with the naturally occurring Q locus confirmed that it contains two distinct but low-affinity binding sites. We then examined the precise sequence requirements for EBNA-1 binding, using a set of 30-base-pair oligonucleotides designed to contain symmetric point mutations within both halves of the palindromic target site. Analysis of all possible single substitutions between positions 1 and 10 in the consensus half-palindrome sequence revealed that positions 9 and 10 did not contribute to EBNA-1 binding and that considerable flexibility could be tolerated at positions 1 and 2. Positions 3 through 8 of the recognition site had the most stringent requirements, with transversions at these positions either reducing or eliminating binding. The relative spacing of the halves of the palindrome was also critical, since the addition or removal of 2 base pairs at the center of the sequence abolished binding. Similar results were obtained when a partially purified preparation of intact Raji EBNA-1 was substituted for the 28K EBNA-1, and the results were further supported by methylation interference studies which indicated contact points between EBNA-1 and the guanine residues at positions -8, -7, and +3 of the binding site. The three naturally occurring EBNA-1-binding loci have previously been shown to differ in their relative affinities for EBNA-1. The present study indicates that the sequence variations occurring within the family of repeats would not affect binding affinity, whereas certain base substitutions within the Q and dyad symmetry sites would be predicted to contribute to the observed lower affinities of these sites. An apparent Kd of 1.5 x 10(-11) M for binding of 28K EBNA-1 to a consensus recognition site was calculated from Scatchard analysis.

Antigens, Viral↗

Physical and linkage mapping of the bovine bone morphogenetic protein 1 on the evolutionary break region of BTA 8.

Bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1) has been proposed as a regulatory molecule involved in the binding or activation of other BMP molecules. It has been described as being identical to the enzyme C-proteinase that processes procollagens to fibrillar collagens. A fragment containing an exon of the bovine BMP1 gene was amplified from an adapter-ligated genomic DNA library. The isolated bovine BMP1 fragment was assigned by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to bovine (BTA) chromosome 8q21, a region containing an evolutionary breakpoint between homology to human (HSA) chromosomes 8 and 9. The assignment to BTA 8 was confirmed by using a hybrid somatic cell panel. The 3' intron region of the amplified genomic BMP1 fragment showed a SSCP polymorphism, and linkage analysis in the International Bovine Reference Panel (IBRP) of families confirmed the boundary position of this gene. The BMP1 gene presents total linkage (theta = 0.00, Z = 3.61) with the lipoprotein lipase gene on BTA 8 and HSA 8 and a larger recombination fraction (theta = 0.11, Z = 5.03) with the marker GGTB2 on BTA 8 and HSA 9. Physical and genetic mapping of the bovine BMP1 gene contribute to narrow the boundary between the HSA 8 and HSA 9 homology segments on BTA 8 and to the comparative mapping between BTA 8, murine chromosome MMU 14, and HSA 8.

Animals↗

Analysis of the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP transcriptome using a sequencing-by-synthesis approach.

BACKGROUND: High throughput sequencing-by-synthesis is an emerging technology that allows the rapid production of millions of bases of data. Although the sequence reads are short, they can readily be used for re-sequencing. By re-sequencing the mRNA products of a cell, one may rapidly discover polymorphisms and splice variants particular to that cell. RESULTS: We present the utility of massively parallel sequencing by synthesis for profiling the transcriptome of a human prostate cancer cell-line, LNCaP, that has been treated with the synthetic androgen, R1881. Through the generation of approximately 20 megabases (MB) of EST data, we detect transcription from over 10,000 gene loci, 25 previously undescribed alternative splicing events involving known exons, and over 1,500 high quality single nucleotide discrepancies with the reference human sequence. Further, we map nearly 10,000 ESTs to positions on the genome where no transcription is currently predicted to occur. We also characterize various obstacles with using sequencing by synthesis for transcriptome analysis and propose solutions to these problems. CONCLUSION: The use of high-throughput sequencing-by-synthesis methods for transcript profiling allows the specific and sensitive detection of many of a cell's transcripts, and also allows the discovery of high quality base discrepancies, and alternative splice variants. Thus, this technology may provide an effective means of understanding various disease states, discovering novel targets for disease treatment, and discovery of novel transcripts.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Comparative genomic hybridization for analysis of changes in DNA copy number in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal neoplasm of terminally differentiated plasma cells (PCs). Conventional cytogenetic analysis is one of the widely accepted DNA genome-screening tools for identification of chromosomal aberrations in MM. The success rate of detection of abnormal karyotypes by conventional cytogenetic analysis in myeloma is very low because of the low mitotic activity and content of PCs in bone marrow. The advent of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has opened a new possibility for characterizing chromosomal aberrations in myeloma cells. CGH is one of the powerful global assays for detecting changes in DNA copy number in a given genomic complement. This method involves competitive hybridization of differentially labeled test DNA (tumor) and reference DNA (normal) to normal human metaphase chromosome spreads. Based on the relative intensity of the two fluorescent colors, regions of a chromosome with gain or loss can be identified in a single hybridization. One of the advantages of CGH is that it can make use of archival materials when frozen tissues are not available, thus greatly expanding the number of cases that can be analyzed. Prospective and retrospective application of CGH to tumor specimens would permit clinical correlative studies of changes in DNA copy number with a much greater power than conventional cytogenetic analysis. The detailed procedures for CGH, including DNA labeling, hybridization, fluorescence microscopy, digital image analysis, and data interpretation, as well as the limitations of CGH are discussed in this chapter.

Chromosomes, Human↗

Cloning and characterization of the murine B-cell specific transcriptional coactivator Bob1.

From a murine B-cell cDNA-library we have cloned a cDNA encoding the murine B-cell specific coactivator mBob1. The protein is the murine homologue to the recently described human coactivator Bob1 (hBob1), also referred to as OBF-1 or OCA-B. We have also characterized the genomic mBob1 clone. Analysis of its intron-exon structure has allowed identification of a C-terminal splice variant. mBob1 is B-cell restricted, and is found in all B-cell lines representing different stages of B-cell differentiation. mBob1 interacts with the octamer transcription factors Oct-1 and Oct-2 and stimulates transcription mediated by these factors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genetic conflict in early development: parental imprinting in normal and abnormal growth.

Parental (genomic) imprinting is the process by which the differential expression of maternal and paternal alleles at certain genetic loci in mammalian embryos occurs. Such loci are implicated in the control of fetal, placental and neonatal growth, and, more generally, in diverse aspects of fetal nutrient acquisition and maternal-fetal interactions. Not surprisingly, the aberrant expression of imprinted genes is implicated in a range of embryonic and fetal abnormalities. We outline how an evolutionary theory, based on classic parent-offspring conflict theory, relates to certain fetal growth abnormalities. In particular, we suggest that growth abnormalities resulting from the manipulation of preimplantation mammalian embryos in vitro (for example large calf syndrome) may reflect the occurrence of genetic conflict over the fetal growth programme in the early preimplantation period.

Cell Nucleus↗

Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA in type 2 diabetes: maternal history and ancient population expansion.

Several studies have suggested a maternal excess in the transmission of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. However, the majority of these reports rely on patients recalling parental disease status and hence are open to criticism. An alternative approach is to study mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages. The hypervariable region 1 of the rapidly evolving noncoding section of mtDNA is suitable for investigating maternal ancestry and has been used extensively to study the origins of human racial groups. We have sequenced this 347-bp section of mtDNA from leukocytes of subjects with type 2 diabetes (n = 63) and age- and race-matched nondiabetic control subjects (n = 57). Consensus sequences for the two study groups were identical. Pairwise sequence analysis showed unimodal distribution of pairwise differences for both groups, suggesting that both populations had undergone expansion in ancient times. The distributions were significantly different (chi2 = 180, df = 11, P < 0.001); mean pairwise differences were 4.7 and 3.8 for the diabetic and control subjects, respectively. These data suggest that the diabetic subjects belong to an ancient maternal lineage that expanded before the major expansion observed in the nondiabetic population. Phylogenetic trees constructed using maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, Fitch-Margolish, or maximum likelihood methods failed to show the clustering of all (or a subset) of the diabetic subjects into one or more distinct lineages.

DNA, Mitochondrial↗