Telomerase primer specificity and chromosome healing

Chromosome healing by de novo telomere addition at nontelomeric sites has been well characterized in several organisms. The Tetrahymena telomerase ribonucleoprotein uses an internal RNA template to catalyse d(TTGGGG)n telomere addition to the 3' end of telomeric sequence in vitro and in vivo. Studies of telomerase RNA indicated that hybridization of the RNA template region, 5'-CAACCCCAA-3', to the 3' end of single-stranded telomeric oligonucleotides might be important for primer recognition and utilization. The apparent requirement of telomerase for pre-existing telomeric sequence has raised questions regarding its role in chromosome healing. We report here that Tetrahymena telomerase can specifically elongate single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides whose termini are not complementary to the RNA template sequence 5'-CAACCCCAA-3'. These data suggest that telomerase may be able to heal chromosomes directly in vivo.     

Recognition of a chromosome truncation site associated with alpha-thalassaemia by human telomerase

Telomeres define the ends of chromosomes; they consist of short tandemly repeated DNA sequences loosely conserved in eukaryotes (G1-8(T/A)1-4). Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein which, in vitro, recognizes a single-stranded G-rich telomere primer and adds multiple telomeric repeats to its 3' end by using a template in the RNA moiety. In conjunction with other components, telomerase may balance the loss of telomeric repeats due to DNA replication. Another role of telomerase may be the de novo formation of telomeres. In eukaryotes like Tetrahymena, this process is an integral part of the formation of macronuclear chromosomes. In other eukaryotes this process stabilizes broken chromosomes. A case of human alpha-thalassaemia is caused by a truncation of chromosome 16 that has been healed by the addition of telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)n. Using an in vitro assay, I show here that human telomerase correctly recognizes the chromosome 16 breakpoint sequence and adds (TTAGGG)n repeats. The DNA sequence requirements are minimal and seem to define two modes of DNA recognition by telomerase.     

RNA polymerase II C-terminal repeat influences response to transcriptional enhancer signals

The large subunit of RNA polymerase II contains a highly conserved and essential heptapeptide repeat (Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser-Tyr-Ser) at its carboxy terminus. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells are inviable if their RNA polymerase II large subunit genes encode fewer than 10 complete heptapeptide repeats; if they encode 10 to 12 complete repeats cells are temperature-sensitive and cold-sensitive, but 13 or more complete repeats will allow wild-type growth at all temperatures. Cells containing C-terminal domains (CTDs) of 10 to 12 complete repeats are also inositol auxotrophs. The phenotypes associated with these CTD mutations are not a consequence of an instability of the large subunit; rather, they seem to reflect a functional deficiency of the mutant enzyme. We show here that partial deletion mutations in RNA polymerase II CTD affect the ability of the enzyme to respond to signals from upstream activating sequences in a subset of promoters in yeast. The number of heptapeptide repeats required for maximal response to signals from these sequences differs from one upstream activating sequence to another. One of the upstream elements that is sensitive to truncations of the CTD is the 17-base-pair site bound by the GAL4 transactivating factor.     

Structural basis for template-independent RNA polymerization

The 3'-terminal CCA nucleotide sequence (positions 74-76) of transfer RNA is essential for amino acid attachment and interaction with the ribosome during protein synthesis. The CCA sequence is synthesized de novo and/or repaired by a template-independent RNA polymerase, 'CCA-adding enzyme', using CTP and ATP as substrates. Despite structural and biochemical studies, the mechanism by which the CCA-adding enzyme synthesizes the defined sequence without a nucleic acid template remains elusive. Here we present the crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus CCA-adding enzyme, bound to a primer tRNA lacking the terminal adenosine and an incoming ATP analogue, at 2.8 A resolution. The enzyme enfolds the acceptor T helix of the tRNA molecule. In the catalytic pocket, C75 is adjacent to ATP, and their base moieties are stacked. The complementary pocket for recognizing C74-C75 of tRNA forms a 'protein template' for the penultimate two nucleotides, mimicking the nucleotide template used by template-dependent polymerases. These results are supported by systematic analyses of mutants. Our structure represents the 'pre-insertion' stage of selecting the incoming nucleotide and provides the structural basis for the mechanism underlying template-independent RNA polymerization.     

Preferential DNA secondary structure mutagenesis in the lagging strand of replication in E. coli

When present in single-stranded DNA, palindromic or quasi-palindromic sequences have the potential to form complex secondary structures, including hairpins, which may facilitate interstrand misalignment of direct repeats and be responsible for diverse types of replication-based mutations, including deletions, additions, frameshifts and duplications. In regions of palindromic symmetry, specific deletion events may involve the formation of a hairpin or other DNA secondary structures which can stabilize the misalignment of direct repeats. One model suggests that these deletions occur during DNA replication by slippage of the template strand and misalignment with the progeny strand. The concurrent DNA replication model, involving an asymmetric dimeric DNA polymerase III complex which replicates the leading and lagging strands, has significant implications for mutagenesis. The intermittent looping of the lagging strand template, and the fact that the lagging strand template may contain a region of single-stranded DNA the length of an Okazaki fragment, provides an opportunity for DNA secondary-structure formation and misalignment. Here we report our design of a palindromic fragment to create an 'asymmetric palindromic insert' in the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene of plasmid pBR325. The frequency with which the insert was deleted in Escherichia coli depends on the orientation of the gene in the plasmid. Our results suggest that replication-dependent deletion between direct repeats may occur preferentially in the lagging strand.     

短小芽孢杆菌(Bacillus pumilus)糖基转移酶基因的克隆、序列分析及表达

为获得具有催化活性的糖基转移酶纯酶,本研究以短小芽孢杆菌基因组DNA为模板,利用简并PCR技术扩增到基因(GT-A)全长序列.该序列全长1 287bp、编码423个氨基酸,分子量约为49.2KD.经序列分析,该基因属于糖基转移酶基因.根据GT-A基因开放阅读框序列设计引物,构建了原核表达重组质粒GTA-pet28a,并在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中成功诱导出了一个约50kD的融合蛋白.纯化后测定其糖基转移酶活性,与37℃相比,80℃的反应温度其活性能提高3.4倍左右.研究结果表明,该酶是一种具有应用潜力的嗜高温糖基转移酶.     

串联表达载体中短重复序列(BmKb1)_n模板的PCR效率及其优化条件研究

采用Overlap PCR法获取BmKb1基因,构建载体pGEX-6p-1/BmKb1,同尾酶技术用于构建串联表达载体pGEX-6p-1/(BmKb1)n(n=2,4,6,8,10)。以pGEX-6p-1/(BmKb1)n为模板,使用标准PCR程序研究短重复序列PCR效率;以BmKb1八倍体为模板,分别研究PCR循环数、引物终浓度及退火温度对短重复序列PCR效率及特异性的影响。结果表明:串联重复序列数目增加,则非特异性条带增加,特异性条带含量减少;BmKb1基因串联体PCR扩增在18～20循环数、引物终浓度为0.05～0.1μM、60～62℃较高退火温度时,可获得相对高产量高特异性BmKb1基因串联体PCR片段。本研究将为串联表达载体克隆、筛选、测序及基因组STRs序列克隆测序提供技术参考。     

DNA序列拼接中重复序列屏蔽的一种新方法

针对序列拼接中的重复序列问题,提出了一种基于快速沃尔什变换的重复序列屏蔽方法．根据快速沃尔什变换的特点,快速给出重复序列所在的可能位置信息,从而快速识别重复序列且加以屏蔽．该方法不仅识别重复序列的错误率低而且大大降低了cPu运行时间,计算也简单易行,最后给出了模拟分析．     

甘蓝型油菜乙醇酸氧化酶(GO)基因片段的克隆及hpRNA表达载体构建

通过PCR从甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus)华双4号基因组DNA中扩增出乙醇酸氧化酶(GO)基因片段,DNA序列分析表明扩增GO基因片段的外显子部分与报道序列相同.以扩增出的GO基因片段作模板从一端设计引物扩增出一个相应的小片段.将GO基因大小两个片段反向连接,插入到植物表达载体2300-nap的napin启动子和nos终止子之间,植物表达载体2300-35S的35S启动子和nos终止子之间,分别构建成可转录表达出发夹RNA(hairpin RNA,hpRNA)结构的种子特异型和组成型油菜hpRNA干扰载体.     

鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒VP5基因的克隆及其序列分析

从病变鸡法氏囊组织中分离纯化IBDV,提取其基因组RNA.以IBDVRNA为模板,进行反转录反应合成cDNA第1链.采用PCR技术扩增VP5基因.将PCR产物经酶切后与pcDNA3.1(+)载体连接,经转化、筛选得到重组质粒pIBDV-VP5.对VP5基因进行了测序并对其序列进行了分析.     

脂肪酶产生菌的筛选及基因的克隆表达

目的筛选出脂肪酶活性较高菌株,通过脂肪酶基因克隆技术获得高表达的脂肪酶,根据酶活曲线确定该酶的最适温度和最适pH.方法采用透明圈法,以三丁酸甘油酯为底物筛选脂肪酶活性较高菌株;通过PCR扩增获得其脂肪酶基因Pseudomonas peli(PP)序列,构建pET-28 a表达载体,并在大肠杆菌Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)中进行异源表达;通过Ni柱将脂肪酶纯化,并根据酶活曲线确定该酶的最适温度和最适pH.结果筛选到一株脂肪酶活性较高的菌株,16S rRNA基因序列比对结果初步鉴定为Pseudomonas peli.PCR扩增得到的基因片段长度为801 bp,其序列与Pseudomonas peli中的脂肪酶基因序列相似性达到100%,PP基因在大肠杆菌中异源表达蛋白的分子量约29 KD,该蛋白在55℃、pH 7.0时活性最高.结论通过基因克隆表达后得到的脂肪酶Ni柱纯化后纯度达95%以上,且耐高温,为脂肪酶工业化应用奠定了基础.     

大豆GmNHX3基因克隆及遗传转化载体的构建

利用RACE(rapid amplification of cDNA end)方法, 以大豆叶片提取总的RNA为模板克隆了大豆Na⁺/H⁺逆向转运蛋白（Glycine max Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter, GmNHX）基因, 并将其连接到表达载体PBI121中, 构建重组表达载体PBI121 NHX3. 分析结果表明： 该基因的ORF为1 503 bp, 推测编码501个氨基酸. 与所选取的10种植物同类蛋白氨基酸序列进行对比, 一致性为72%～94%, 并具有真核生物单价阳离子(氢离子)反向转运蛋白典型的结构域, 将该基因命名为GmNHX3, GenBank接收号为JN872904. 通过PCR和酶切鉴定, PBI121 NHX3构建成功.     

猪呼吸道冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白基因的克隆及原核表达

以RT—PCR法从猪呼吸道冠状病毒(PRCV)感染的ST细胞中得到核衣壳蛋白(N蛋白)cDNA,并以此为模板利用PCR技术完成了N蛋白的基因扩增．通过双酶切、连接、转化等过程构建了猪PRCVN蛋白基因的重组原核表达质粒,表达产物经SDS—PAGE、Western blot检测被确认为GST融合的N蛋白．表达蛋白与PRCV阳性血清间有良好的免疫结合性．     

The yeast ubiquitin gene: head-to-tail repeats encoding a polyubiquitin precursor protein

Ubiquitin, a 76-residue protein, occurs in cells either free or covalently joined to a variety of protein species, from chromosomal histones to cytoplasmic proteins. Conjugation of ubiquitin to proteolytic substrates is essential for the selective degradation of intracellular proteins in higher eukaryotes. We show here that a protein homologous to human ubiquitin exists in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and that yeast extracts conjugate human ubiquitin to a variety of endogenous proteins in an ATP-dependent reaction. We have isolated the S. cerevisiae ubiquitin gene and found it to contain six consecutive ubiquitin-coding repeats in a found it to contain six consecutive ubiquitin-coding repeats in a head-to-tail arrangement. This apparently unique gene organization suggests that yeast ubiquitin is generated by processing of a precursor protein in which several exact repeats of the ubiquitin amino acid sequence are joined directly via Gly-Met peptide bonds between the last and first residues of mature ubiquitin, respectively. Ubiquitin-coding yeast DNA repeats are restricted to a single genomic locus; although the sequenced repeats differ in up to 27 of 228 bases per repeat, they encode identical amino acid sequences. As this predicted amino acid sequence differs in only 3 of 76 residues from that of ubiquitin in higher eukaryotes, ubiquitin is apparently the most conserved of known proteins.     

Positive identification of an immigration test-case using human DNA fingerprints

The human genome contains a set of minisatellites, each of which consists of tandem repeats of a DNA segment containing the 'core' sequence, a putative recombination signal in human DNA. Multiallelic variation in the number of tandem repeats occurs at many of these minisatellite loci. Hybridization probes consisting of tandem repeats of the core sequence detect many hypervariable minisatellites simultaneously in human DNA, to produce a DNA fingerprint that is completely individual-specific and shows somatic and germline stability. These DNA fingerprints are derived from a large number of highly informative dispersed autosomal loci and are suitable for linkage analysis in man, and for individual identification in, for example, forensic science and paternity testing. They can also be used to resolve immigration disputes arising from lack of proof of family relationships. To illustrate the potential for positive or inclusive identification, we now describe the DNA fingerprint analysis of an immigration case, the resolution of which would have been very difficult and laborious using currently available single-locus genetic markers.     

Analysis of simple sequence repeats markers derived from Phytophthora sojae expressed sequence tags

Five thousand and eight hundred publicly available expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of Phytophthora sojae were electronically searched and 415 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in 369 ESTs. The average density of SSRs was one SSR per 8.9 kb of EST sequence screened. The most frequent repeats were trinucleotide repeats (50.1%) and the least frequent were tetranucleotide repeats (8.2%). Forty primer pairs were designed and tested on 5 strains of P. sojae. Thirty-three primer pairs had successful PCR amplifications. Of the 33 functional primer pairs, 28 primer pairs produced characteristic SSR bands of the expected size, and 15 primer pairs (45.5%) detected polymorphism among 5 tested strains of P. sojae. Based on the polymorphisms detected with 20 EST-SSR markers, the 5 tested strains of P. sojae were clustered into 3 groups. In this study, the SSR markers of P. sojae were developed for the first time. These markers could be useful for identification, genetic variation study, and molecular mapping of P. sojae and its relative species.     

Similarity of the nucleotide sequences of rat alpha-lactalbumin and chicken lysozyme genes

alpha-Lactalbumin (alpha-LA) is a milk protein that interacts with the enzyme galactosyltransferase, modifying its substrate specificity in a way which promotes the transfer of galactose to glucose, resulting in a way which promotes the transfer of galactose to glucose, resulting in a beta-1----4 glycosidic linkage and the synthesis of lactose. Lysozyme, an enzyme which catalyses the hydrolysis of a beta-1----4 glycosidic linkage in polysaccharides, has been shown to be structurally related to alpha-LA and it has been proposed that they have arisen from a common ancestral gene. To compare their evolutionary relationships, we report here the complete nucleotide sequence of the rat alpha-LA gene, including its 5'-flanking sequences, and compare its gene structure with the chicken egg-white lysozyme gene. Both genes contain three introns at similar positions. The first three exons of the two genes have similar nucleotide sequences. The fourth exon of alpha-LA, which partly codes for the C-terminal residues of the protein, essential for its interaction with galactosyltransferase, is markedly different from the corresponding exon of the lysozyme gene and is preceded by two (TG)n repeats.