onc sequences (v-fes) of Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus are derived from noncontiguous regions of a cat cellular gene (c-fes)

Type C sarcoma viruses are genetic recombinants containing portions of replication-competent helper viruses linked to sarcoma virus-specific sequences (generically designated onc genes) which are thought to be required for acute fibroblast transformation. The onc elements of different avian and mammalian sarcoma viral isolates are each homologous to subsets of cellular DNA sequences which have no well-defined role in normal cells. Because of the lack of significant homology between helper viral genes and cellular onc sequences, the recombinational mechanisms which facilitate the formation of sarcoma viral genomes remain unclear. In Moloney murine sarcoma virus, viral onc (or v-mos) and cellular onc (or c-mos) sequences exhibit complete and uninterrupted homology as determined by heteroduplex and restriction enzyme analyses of molecularly cloned DNA. By contrast, the cellular counterparts of the onc elements of Rous sarcoma virus (G. Cooper and R. Parker, personal communication), avian erythroblastosis virus (B. Vennstrom, personal communication), Abelson leukaemia virus (D. Baltimore, personal communication), Harvey sarcoma virus (E. Scolnick, personal communication) and simian sarcoma virus (R. Gallo, personal communication) are now known to contain intervening sequences which do not appear in the respective viral genomes. Here we report the use of the Southern blot technique to examine cat cellular DNA sequences (c-fes) homologous to the onc gene (v-fes) of Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus (ST-FeSV). We used cloned DNA 'probes' containing defined portions of the ST-FeSV genome to show that v-fes sequences originate from at least four noncontiguous sequences in cat cellular DNA, separated from each other by intervening sequences.     

Frequent activation of N-myc genes by hepadnavirus insertion in woodchuck liver tumours

The recent finding of c-myc activation by insertion of woodchuck hepatitis virus DNA in two independent hepatocellular carcinoma has given support to the hypothesis that integration of hepatitis B viruses into the host genome, observed in most human and woodchuck liver tumours, might contribute to oncogenesis. We report here high frequency of woodchuck hepatitis virus DNA integrations in two newly identified N-myc genes: N-myc1, the homologue of known mammalian N-myc genes, and N-myc2, an intronless 'complementary DNA gene' or 'retroposon' that has retained extensive coding and transforming homology with N-myc. N-myc2 is totally silent in normal liver, but is overexpressed without genetic rearrangements in most liver tumours. Moreover, viral integrations occur within either N-myc1 or N-myc2 in about 20% of the tumours, giving rise to chimaeric messenger RNAs in which the 3' untranslated region of N-myc was replaced by woodchuck hepatitis virus sequences encompassing the viral enhancer. Insertion sites were clustered in a short sequence of the third exon that coincides with a retroviral integration hotspot within the murine N-myc gene, recently described in T-cell lymphomas induced by murine leukaemia virus. Thus, comparable mechanisms, leading to deregulated expression of N-myc genes, may operate in the development of tumours induced either by hepatitis virus or by nonacute retroviruses in rodents. Activation of myc genes by insertion of hepadnavirus DNA now emerges as a common event in the genesis of woodchuck hepatocellular carcinoma.     

A general method for site-directed mutagenesis in prokaryotes

The genetic analysis of genes from prokaryotic species for which experimental genetic systems have not yet been developed is often limited by the difficulty of producing mutations in those genes. We report here a general technique applicable to Gram-negative prokaryotes for site-directed mutagenesis of cloned DNA fragments which we have applied to the study of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation genes of Rhizobium meliloti. In particular, we mutagenized cloned R. meliloti restriction fragments in Escherichia coli with transposon Tn5 and then replaced the wild-type parental DNA sequences with the mutant DNA sequences in the R. meliloti genome. Using this method we show that an R. meliloti DNA restriction fragment, cloned previously on the basis of homology to Klebsiella pneumoniae nif genes, contains gene(s) essential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In addition, we use this method to construct a physical genetic map of a subset of the R. meliloti nif genes.     

Hinf family: a novel repeated DNA family of the human genome

The isolation of a mutant adenovirus carrying an insertion of cellular DNA has led to the identification of a new family of human repetitive sequences, which are found tandemly arranged in the genome. The sequence of the viral insert resembles that of eukaryotic transposable elements.     

Detection of virus-specific sequences in Drosophila melanogaster mutants induced by injection of RSV DNA into early embryos

The injection of purified Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) (Prague strain) into Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R line) eggs changes the fly phenotype in certain cases, and RSV-specific sequences can be identified in the Drosophila genome (ref. 1 and preceding paper). Here we have used Southern blotting to analyse in greater detail the proviral DNA present in several mutant lines of D. melanogaster produced by microinjection of intact RSV or plasmid DNA containing the viral insert. In certain populations of flies, RSV provirus was found to be incorporated into cellular DNA, and in one mutant family the unintegrated form of plasmid DNA was identified. Generally, the presence of injected genetic material in fly cells correlated with morphological changes in Drosophila.     

HCO3 - 高亲和转运蛋白操纵子基因在聚球藻7942 CO2浓缩机制中功能的研究

蓝藻 Synechococcus sp.PCC7942 HCO3 - 高亲和转运蛋白操纵子基因 cmpABCD 是其CO2浓缩机制中的调控基因之一.本研究用携带潮霉素B磷酸转移酶基因(hygromycin B pho transferase, hpt) 筛选标记的同源双臂整合载体pUC-HATH转化蓝藻Synechococcus sp.PCC7942,以潮霉素B作为筛选试剂筛选出具潮霉素B抗性的转化藻,运用引物PCR方法证实潮霉素B磷酸转移酶基因表达盒通过质粒pUC-HATH的介导已定点插入蓝藻 Synechococcus sp.PCC7942 基因组中,成功地构建了具有潮霉素B抗性的cmpBCD 基因插入失活突变藻株.并最终通过比较野生藻Synechococcus sp.PCC7942 和突变藻Synechococcus sp.PCC7942 在不同 Na2CO3浓度的改良BG-11培养基中生长特性,探讨了HCO3 -高亲和转运蛋白操纵子 cmpABCD 基因失活对藻体生长的影响.     

Construction and use of human chromosome jumping libraries from NotI-digested DNA

A basic difficulty in the molecular analysis of genes identified by mutations in the mammalian genome is the need to cover genetic distances corresponding to several hundred kilobases or more by molecular techniques like chromosome walking. In chromosome jumping, this limitation is overcome by the deletion of all but the extreme ends of large DNA molecules before cloning. We describe here the construction and characterization of a NotI 'jumping library' from human DNA. To characterize this library, random clones were analysed by restriction mapping. Clones carrying unique end fragments were characterized further by hybridization to Southern blots of NotI-cleaved human DNA separated on pulsed field gradient (PFG) gels. As a first step in a directional walk, the library was screened with a clone containing a NotI site cleaved in genomic DNA ('NotI linking clone') localized to the distal third of the short arm of human chromosome 4 (A.-M.F. & T.P., unpublished data). Starting and end points of two identified clones were positioned within a restriction map covering 850 kilobases.     

Is ribonucleotide reductase the transforming function of herpes simplex virus 2?

Transformation of cells by herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) can be induced by the BglII C (0.43-0.58 map units) or N (0.58-0.625) fragments of the viral genome. Sequences partially overlapping both fragments (0.566-0.602) encode two 3' coterminal mRNAs; these in turn direct the synthesis of two related polypeptides of molecular weight 140,000 (140K) and 35K (refs 4, 7), which may be involved in transformation. Recently, a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutation affecting HSV-induced ribonucleotide reductase has been mapped within this common region (B.M. Dutia, personal communication). We have partially purified the induced reductase and raised a rabbit antiserum to it which inhibits the enzyme activity and immunoprecipitates from infected cells a 144K polypeptide and minor species including a 38K polypeptide. Here we show that a monoclonal antibody to the putative transforming proteins competes with the rabbit serum for the 144K and 38K antigens and also immunoprecipitates specifically the induced reductase activity. These results suggest a possible role for ribonucleotide reductase in HSV-2-induced transformation.     

Genetic mapping of telomere-associated sequences in soybean ( Glycine max )

Two telomere-associated sequences (TAS), named STAS8 and STAS10, were cloned from soybean genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Southern analysis showed that they were sequences with moderate copy number in soybean genome. Sequence analysis demonstrated that STAS10 had tandemly arrayed con sensus sequences of TTTAGGG and TIAGGG . The mapping of these two TAS was performed with a population of F8 re combinant inbred line using restriction fragment length polymorphisms(RFLP). Seven out of nine polymorphic fragments were mapped to the most distal position of five linkage groups, Dla, F, G2, H and Q of soybean, and the other two loci were closely linked and mapped to two interstitial positions within linkage group D1a. The mapping of TAS in soybean is essential for completeness of a molecular genetic map of soybean.     

Structure of a family of rat amylase genes

The sequences of two cloned rat pancreatic amylase cDNAs comprising 95% of the mRNA sequence are reported. Analysis of cloned rat genomic DNA fragments using cloned cDNA probes indicates that the rat genome contains multiple closely related amylase genes in which the cDNA sequences are distributed within a region 9 kilobases in length and are interrupted by at least seven intervening sequences.     

Cloning and analysis of the antagonistic related genes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterobacter cloacae</Emphasis> B8

To understand the antagonistic mechanism of the broad spectrum antagonistic Enterobacter cloacae B8,Tn5 transposon-mediated mutagenesis is performed using suicide plasmid pZJ25. Two mutant strains that lost antagonistic character are isolated. Tagging with kanr gene on Tn5,an antagonistic related DNA fragment, the F fragment, right of the Tn5 insertion site is cloned in a plasmid named pTLF,from one of the mutant strains B8F. The 733 bp F fragment is then sequenced after subcloning. Genomic DNA of the original B8 strain is isolated, digested with Pst I and ligated to Pst I cassette. DNA fragments left and right of the F fragment are amplified from the Pst I cassette library using cassette primer and specific primers designed according to known sequence. 1106 bp sequence left of the F fragment and 664bp sequence right of the F fragment are finally obtained. Bioinformatics analysis shows that the contig assembled from the sequences of the cloned antagonistic related DNA fragments of B8 encodes three ORFs and is homogeneous to admM,admN and admO genes of Pantoea agglomerans andrimid biosynthetic gene cluster (AY192157). The ORF, named anrF gene which encodes a polyketide synthase, knocked out by Tn5 insertion, is a homology of admM and the insertion site of Tn5 is at 214 bp upstream of the stop codon. It is concluded that the anrF gene is a gene related to the antagonistic activity of E. cloacae B8, and speculated that the antagonistic substance produced by B8 is an andrimid.     

Nucleotide sequence and formation of the transforming gene of a mouse sarcoma virus

The complete nucleotide sequence of the transforming gene of a mouse sarcoma virus has been determined. It codes for a protein of 374 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence of the junctions between a murine leukaemia virus and cellular sequences leading to the formation of the viral transforming gene have also been elucidated. The viral transforming sequence and its cellular homologue share an uninterrupted stretch of 1,159 nucleotides, with few base substitutions. The predicted amino acid sequence of the mouse sarcoma virus transforming gene was found to share considerable homology with the proposed amino acid sequence of the avian sarcoma virus oncogene (src) product.     

利用Tn5转座子构建杆状病毒AcMNPV随机突变体的初步研究

以杆状病毒模式种AcMNPV为研究对象,应用基于Tn5转座子的随机转座的方法,构建杆状病毒突变体库将果蝇hsp70启动子后接绿色荧光蛋白基因后插入Tn5转座子,构建了可以在昆虫细胞中表达,易于跟踪的转座载体．利用体外转座系统将转座子随机插入AcMNPV基因组,并用转座反应液转染Sf21细胞,得到了表达绿色荧光蛋白的病毒突变体库进一步纯化了两株病毒B9F和Li6A,进行了转座子插入位点的分析,确定两株病毒中,转座子分别插入了94K基因和p10基因．该方法将为杆状病毒功能基因组研究提供重要的手段。     

A yeast gene encoding a protein homologous to the human c-has/bas proto-oncogene product

Organisms amenable to easy genetic analysis should prove helpful in assessing the function of at least those proto-oncogene products which are highly conserved in different eukaryotic cells. One obvious possibility is to pursue the matter in Drosophila melanogaster DNA, which has sequences homologous to several vertebrate oncogenes. Another is to turn to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, if it contains proto-oncogene sequences. Here we report the identification of a gene in S. cerevisiae which codes for a 206 amino acid protein (YP2) that exhibits striking homology to the p21 products of the human c-has/bas proto-oncogenes and the transforming p21 proteins of the Harvey (v-rasH) and Kirsten (v-rasK) murine sarcoma viral oncogenes. The YP2 gene is located between the actin and the tubulin gene on chromosome VI and is expressed in growing cells. The protein it encodes might share the nucleotide-binding capacity of p21 proteins.     

菠菜性别差异NUPTs序列的克隆及分析

质体DNA向核基因组转移能够形成核质体DNA,核质体DNA序列的插入是推动动植物基因组及染色体组演化的重要动力.但是核质体DNA的插入和植物性染色体起源及演化之间的关系仍不清楚.以雌雄异株植物菠菜为材料,利用基因组消减杂交技术筛选分离菠菜雌雄基因组差异的NUPTs序列,并进行验证和分析.结果表明,从构建的菠菜消减杂交文库中共得到39条长度为75~308 bp的雌雄差异序列,其平均长度约为154 bp.对获得的序列进行Blastn同源比对发现了12条序列为叶绿体基因组来源序列,这些序列与菠菜叶绿体基因组相似度在98%以上,说明所获得的差异片段为核质体DNA序列.将筛选出的核质体DNA序列进行进一步验证后获得了两个稳定的长度分别为146 bp和199 bp的雄性偏好核质体DNA序列,说明所获得的两个NUPTs序列在菠菜雄性基因组中有更多的累积.     

A novel viral oncogene with structural similarity to phospholipase C

Numerous oncogenes have been isolated from acutely transforming retroviruses. To date, the products of these viral oncogenes have been protein kinases, nuclear proteins, growth factors, or GTP-binding proteins. We have cloned the previously uncharacterized avian sarcoma virus CT10 and sequenced its genome. This virus encodes a protein, p47gag-crk, that has blocks of sequence similarity to the amino-terminal, non-catalytic region of the non-receptor class of tyrosine kinases. In addition, the structure of p47gag-crk has striking similarity to a 180-amino acid region of bovine brain phospholipase C. Biochemical data suggest that p47gag-crk activates one or several endogenous tyrosine kinases.