Mapping cynomolgus monkey MHC class I district on chromosome 6p13 using pooled cDNAs.

The cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) is a frequently used animal model for studying human diseases, especially immune related ones. For a better understanding of its major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I district chromosome location, we selected seven cDNA clones as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) from a lymphocyte cell line cDNA library. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from these clones were assembled into three clusters and annotated Mafa-A and Mafa-B genes. Further bioinformatics analysis shows that they had multiple duplications spanning approximately 2.8 Mb on the rhesus macaque MHC class I district. Using the FISH technique, we mapped the seven pooled cDNA clones to the short arm of the cynomolgus monkey chromosome 6 on 6p13. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the location of cynomolgus monkey MHC class I district. Using pooled adjacent cDNAs as probes also allows affordable, specific genome region mapping research.     

Mapping cynomolgus monkey MHC class I district on chromosome 6p13 using pooled cDNAs

The cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) is a frequently used animal model for studying human diseases, especially immune related ones. For a better understanding of its major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I district chromosome location, we selected seven cDNA clones as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) from a lymphocyte cell line cDNA library. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from these clones were assembled into three clusters and annotated Mafa-A and Mafa-B genes. Further bioinformatics analysis shows that they had multiple duplications spanning approximately 2.8 Mb on the rhesus macaque MHC class I district. Using the FISH technique, we mapped the seven pooled cDNA clones to the short arm of the cynomolgus monkey chromosome 6 on 6p13. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the location of cynomolgus monkey MHC class I district. Using pooled adjacent cDNAs as probes also allows affordable, specific genome region mapping research.     

Development of an integrative database with 499 novel microsatellite markers for Macaca fascicularis

Background

Cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are a valuable resource for linkage studies of genetic disorders, but their microsatellite markers are not sufficient. In genetic studies, a prerequisite for mapping genes is development of a genome-wide set of microsatellite markers in target organisms. A whole genome sequence and its annotation also facilitate identification of markers for causative mutations. The aim of this study is to establish hundreds of microsatellite markers and to develop an integrative cynomolgus macaque genome database with a variety of datasets including marker and gene information that will be useful for further genetic analyses in this species.

Results

We investigated the level of polymorphisms in cynomolgus monkeys for 671 microsatellite markers that are covered by our established Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones. Four hundred and ninety-nine (74.4%) of the markers were found to be polymorphic using standard PCR analysis. The average number of alleles and average expected heterozygosity at these polymorphic loci in ten cynomolgus macaques were 8.20 and 0.75, respectively.

Conclusion

BAC clones and novel microsatellite markers were assigned to the rhesus genome sequence and linked with our cynomolgus macaque cDNA database (QFbase). Our novel microsatellite marker set and genomic database will be valuable integrative resources in analyzing genetic disorders in cynomolgus macaques.     

Rhesus macaque class I duplicon structures, organization, and evolution within the alpha block of the major histocompatibility complex

The alpha block of the human and chimpanzee major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genomic region contains 10 to 11 duplicated MHC class I genes, including the HLA/Patr-A, -G, and -F genes. In comparison, the alpha block of the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta, Mamu) has an additional 20 MHC class I genes within this orthologous region. The present study describes the identification and analysis of the duplicated segmental genomic structures (duplicons) and genomic markers within the alpha block of the rhesus macaque and their use to reconstruct the duplication history of the genes within this region. A variety of MHC class I genes, pseudogenes, transposons, and retrotransposons, such as Alu and ERV16, were used to categorize the 28 duplicons into four distinct structural categories. The phylogenetic relationship of MHC class I genes, Alu, and LTR16B sequences within the duplicons was examined by use of the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method. Two single-duplicon tandem duplications, two polyduplicon tandem duplications with an accompanying inversion product per duplication, eight polyduplicon tandem duplications steps, 12 deletions, and at least two recombinations were reconstructed to explain the highly complex organization and evolution of the 28 duplicons (nine inversions) within the Mamu alpha block. On the basis of the phylogenetic evidence and the reconstructed tandem duplication history of the 28 duplicons, the Mamu/Patr/HLA-F ortholog was the first MHC class I gene to have been fixed without further duplication within the alpha block of primates. Assuming that the rhesus macaque and the chimpanzee/human lineages had started with the same number of MHC class I duplicons at the time of their divergence approximately 24 to 31 MYA, then the number of genes within the alpha block have been duplicated at an approximately three times greater rate in the rhesus macaque than in either the human or chimpanzee.     

A high-resolution radiation hybrid map of rhesus macaque chromosome 5 identifies rearrangements in the genome assembly

A 10,000-rad radiation hybrid (RH) cell panel of the rhesus macaque was generated to construct a comprehensive RH map of chromosome 5. The map represents 218 markers typed in 185 RH clones. The 4846-cR map has an average marker spacing of 798 kb. Alignments of the RH map to macaque and human genome sequences confirm a large inversion and reveal a previously unreported telomeric inversion. The macaque genome sequence indicates small translocations from the ancestral homolog of macaque chromosome 5 to macaque chromosomes 1 and 6. The RH map suggests that these are probably assembly artifacts. Unlike the genome sequence, the RH mapping data indicate the conservation of synteny between macaque chromosome 5 and human chromosome 4. This study shows that the 10,000-rad panel is appropriate for the generation of a high-resolution whole-genome RH map suitable for the verification of the rhesus genome assembly.     

A first generation bovine BAC-based physical map

A first generation clone-based physical map for the bovine genome was constructed combining, fluorescent double digestion fingerprinting and sequence tagged site (STS) marker screening. The BAC clones were selected from an Inra BAC library (105 984 clones) and a part of the CHORI-240 BAC library (26 500 clones). The contigs were anchored using the screening information for a total of 1303 markers (451 microsatellites, 471 genes, 127 EST, and 254 BAC ends). The final map, which consists of 6615 contigs assembled from 100 923 clones, will be a valuable tool for genomic research in ruminants, including targeted marker production, positional cloning or targeted sequencing of regions of specific interest.     

Bacterial artificial chromosome-based physical map of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum).

Fusarium graminearum is the primary causal pathogen of Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley. To accelerate genomic analysis of F. graminearum, we developed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based physical map and integrated it with the genome sequence and genetic map. One BAC library, developed in the HindIII restriction enzyme site, consists of 4608 clones with an insert size of approximately 107 kb and covers about 13.5 genome equivalents. The other library, developed in the BamHI restriction enzyme site, consists of 3072 clones with an insert size of approximately 95 kb and covers about 8.0 genome equivalents. We fingerprinted 2688 clones from the HindIII library and 1536 clones from the BamHI library and developed a physical map of F. graminearum consisting of 26 contigs covering 39.2 Mb. Comparison of our map with the F. graminearum genome sequence showed that the size of our physical map is equivalent to the 36.1 Mb of the genome sequence. We used 31 sequence-based genetic markers, randomly spaced throughout the genome, to integrate the physical map with the genetic map. We also end-sequenced 17 BamHI BAC clones and identified 4 clones that spanned gaps in the genome sequence. Our new integrated map is highly reliable and useful for a variety of genomics studies.     

Genome sequencing and comparison of two nonhuman primate animal models, the cynomolgus and Chinese rhesus macaques

The nonhuman primates most commonly used in medical research are from the genus Macaca. To better understand the genetic differences between these animal models, we present high-quality draft genome sequences from two macaque species, the cynomolgus/crab-eating macaque and the Chinese rhesus macaque. Comparison with the previously sequenced Indian rhesus macaque reveals that all three macaques maintain abundant genetic heterogeneity, including millions of single-nucleotide substitutions and many insertions, deletions and gross chromosomal rearrangements. By assessing genetic regions with reduced variability, we identify genes in each macaque species that may have experienced positive selection. Genetic divergence patterns suggest that the cynomolgus macaque genome has been shaped by introgression after hybridization with the Chinese rhesus macaque. Macaque genes display a high degree of sequence similarity with human disease gene orthologs and drug targets. However, we identify several putatively dysfunctional genetic differences between the three macaque species, which may explain functional differences between them previously observed in clinical studies.     

Bacterial artificial chromosome library for genome‐wide analysis of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines are widely used for scientific research and biotechnology. A CHO genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed from a mouse dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene‐amplified CHO DR1000L‐4N cell line for genome‐wide analysis of CHO cell lines. The CHO BAC library consisted of 122,281 clones and was expected to cover the entire CHO genome five times. A CHO chromosomal map was constructed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) imaging using BAC clones as hybridization probes (BAC‐FISH). Thirteen BAC‐FISH marker clones were necessary to identify all the 20 individual chromosomes in a DHFR‐deficient CHO DG44 cell line because of the aneuploidy of the cell line. To determine the genomic structure of the exogenous Dhfr amplicon, a 165‐kb DNA region containing exogenous Dhfr was cloned from the BAC library using high‐density replica (HDR) filters and Southern blot analysis. The nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a novel genomic structure in which the vector sequence containing Dhfr was sandwiched by long inverted sequences of the CHO genome. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 986–994. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Differential recombination dynamics within the MHC of macaque species

A panel of 15 carefully selected microsatellites (short tandem repeats, STRs) has allowed us to study segregation and haplotype stability in various macaque species. The STRs span the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region and map in more detail from the centromeric part of the Mhc-A to the DR region. Two large panels of Indian rhesus and Indonesian/Indochinese cynomolgus macaques have been subjected to pedigree analysis, allowing the definition of 161 and 36 different haplotypes and the physical mapping of 10 and 5 recombination sites, respectively. Although most recombination sites within the studied section of the Indian rhesus monkey MHC are situated between the Mhc-A and Mhc-B regions, the resulting recombination rate for this genomic segment is low and similar to that in humans. In contrast, in Indonesian/Indochinese macaques, two recombination sites, which appear to be absent in rhesus macaques, map between the class III and II regions. As a result, the mean recombination frequency of the core MHC, Mhc-A to class II, is higher in Indonesian/Indochinese cynomolgus than in Indian rhesus macaques, but as such is comparable to that in humans. The present communication demonstrates that the dynamics of recombination ‘hot/cold spots’ in the MHC, as well as their frequencies, may differ substantially between highly related macaque species.     

A physical map of a BAC clone contig covering the entire autosome insertion between ovine MHC Class IIa and IIb

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The ovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) harbors genes involved in overall resistance/susceptibility of the host to infectious diseases. Compared to human and mouse, the ovine MHC is interrupted by a large piece of autosome insertion via a hypothetical chromosome inversion that constitutes ~25% of the ovine chromosome 20. The evolutionary consequence of such an inversion and an insertion (inversion/insertion) in relation to MHC function remains unknown. We previously constructed a BAC clone physical map for the ovine MHC exclusive of the insertion region. Here we report the construction of a high-density physical map covering the autosome insertion in order to address the question of what the inversion/insertion had to do with ruminants during the MHC evolution. RESULTS: A total of 119 pairs of comparative bovine oligo primers were utilized to screen an ovine BAC library for positive clones and the orders and overlapping relationships of the identified clones were determined by the DNA fingerprinting, BAC-end sequencing, and the sequence-specific PCR. A total of 368 positive BAC clones were identified and 108 of the effective clones were ordered into an overlapping BAC contig to cover the consensus region between ovine MHC class IIa and IIb. Therefore, a continuous physical map covering the entire ovine autosome inversion/insertion region was successfully constructed. The map confirmed the bovine sequence assembly for the same homologous region. The DNA sequences of 185 BAC-ends have been deposited into NCBI database with the access numbers HR309252 through HR309068, corresponding to dbGSS ID 30164010 through 30163826. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed a high-density BAC clone physical map for the ovine autosome inversion/insertion between the MHC class IIa and IIb. The entire ovine MHC region is now fully covered by a continuous BAC clone contig. The physical map we generated will facilitate MHC functional studies in the ovine, as well as the comparative MHC evolution in ruminants.     

A bacterial artificial chromosome library for the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a rare and endangered species endemic to China. To better understand genetic details of the Chinese alligator genomic structure, a highly redundant bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed. This library consists of 216,238 clones with an average insert size of about 90kb, indicating that the library contains 6.8-fold genome equivalents. Subsequently, we constructed a 516kb contig map for the Chinese alligator olfactory receptor (OR) genes, which spans nine BAC clones, and subjected the BACs to full sequencing. The sequence analysis revealed that this contig contained 16 OR functional genes and meanwhile demonstrated that the nine BACs, which constituted the contig, overlapped correctly, proving the usability of this genome library. As a result, this BAC library could provide a useful platform for physical mapping, genome sequencing or complex analysis of targeted genomic regions for this rare species.     

Whole-genome sequencing and analysis of the Malaysian cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) genome

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The genetic background of the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is made complex by the high genetic diversity, population structure, and gene introgression from the closely related rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). Herein we report the whole-genome sequence of a Malaysian cynomolgus macaque male with more than 40-fold coverage, which was determined using a resequencing method based on the Indian rhesus macaque genome. RESULTS: We identified approximately 9.7 million single nucleotide variants (SNVs) between the Malaysian cynomolgus and the Indian rhesus macaque genomes. Compared with humans, a smaller nonsynonymous/synonymous SNV ratio in the cynomolgus macaque suggests more effective removal of slightly deleterious mutations. Comparison of two cynomolgus (Malaysian and Vietnamese) and two rhesus (Indian and Chinese) macaque genomes, including previously published macaque genomes, suggests that Indochinese cynomolgus macaques have been more affected by gene introgression from rhesus macaques. We further identified 60 nonsynonymous SNVs that completely differentiated the cynomolgus and rhesus macaque genomes, and that could be important candidate variants for determining species-specific responses to drugs and pathogens. The demographic inference using the genome sequence data revealed that Malaysian cynomolgus macaques have experienced at least three population bottlenecks. CONCLUSIONS: This list of whole-genome SNVs will be useful for many future applications, such as an array-based genotyping system for macaque individuals. High-quality whole-genome sequencing of the cynomolgus macaque genome may aid studies on finding genetic differences that are responsible for phenotypic diversity in macaques and may help control genetic backgrounds among individuals.     

Construction and characterization of bacterial artificial chromosome library of black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi).

The large-insert genomic DNA library is a critical resource for genome-wide genetic dissection of target species. We constructed a high-redundancy bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of a New World monkey species, the black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). A total of 193 152 BAC clones were generated in this library. The average insert size of the BAC clones was estimated to be 184.6 kb with the small inserts (50-100 kb) accounting for less than 3% and the non-recombinant clones only 1.2%. Assuming a similar genome size with humans, the spider monkey BAC library has about 11x genome coverage. In addition, by end sequencing of randomly selected BAC clones, we generated 367 sequence tags for the library. When blasted against human genome, they showed a good correlation between the number of hit clones and the size of the chromosomes, an indication of unbiased chromosomal distribution of the library. This black-handed spider monkey BAC library would serve as a valuable resource in comparative genomic study and large-scale genome sequencing of nonhuman primates.     

Construction of a BAC Library for a Defoliating Insect-Resistant Soybean and Identification of Candidate Clones Using a Novel Approach

Positional cloning of an insect-resistance quantitative trait locus (QTL) requires the construction of a large-insert genomic DNA library from insect-resistant genotypes. To facilitate cloning of a major defoliating insect-resistance QTL on linkage group M of the soybean genetic map, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for PI 229358 was constructed and characterized. The HindIII BAC library contains 55,296 clones with an average insert size 131 kb. This library represents a 6-fold soybean haploid genome equivalents, allowing a 99.8% probability of recovering any specific sequence of interest in soybean. BAC filters were screened with a genomic DNA probe Sat_258sc2 obtained through genome walking from flanking sequences of a simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker, Sat_258, which links to the insect-resistance QTL. Thirteen BAC clones were identified positive for Sat_258sc2, and two of them were confirmed to carry Sat_258. The results suggest that this library is useful in positional cloning of the major insect-resistance QTL, and the approach presented here can be used to screen a BAC library for a SSR marker without requiring the creation of BAC pools.     

野生一粒小麦BAC文库的构建和鉴定

以细菌人工染色体pECBAC1为载体,构建了野生一粒小麦(Triticum boeoticum B oiss)的基因组BAC文库.该文库共包含约17万个克隆,平均插入片段长度为104 kb,按野生一粒小麦基因组为5 600 Mb计算,文库覆盖了约3倍的该物种基因组.用大麦叶绿体psb A基因和玉米线粒体atp6基因作混合探针,检测发现该文库中含细胞器基因组同源序列的克隆数小于1% .该文库的建成,为小麦基因的克隆及基因组学研究提供了技术平台.     

Identification of MhcMafa-DRB Alleles in a Cohort of Cynomolgus Macaques of Vietnamese Origin

Cynomolgus macaques have been used widely to build a research model of infectious and chronic diseases, as well as in transplantation studies, where disease susceptibility and/or resistance are associated with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). To better elucidate polymorphisms and genetic differences in the Mafa‐DRB locus, and facilitate the experimental use of cynomolgus macaques, we used pool screening combined with cloning and direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products to characterize MhcMafa‐DRB gene alleles in 153 Vietnamese cynomolgus macaques. We identified 30 Mafa‐DRB alleles belonging to 17 allelic lineages, including four novel sequences that had not been documented in earlier reports. The highest frequency allele was Mafa‐DRB*W27:04, which was present in 7 of 35 (20%) monkeys. The next most frequent alleles were Mafa‐DRB*3:07 and Mafa‐DRB*W7:01, which were detected in 5 of 35 (14.3%) and 4 of 35 (11.4%) of the monkeys, respectively. The high‐frequency alleles in this Vietnamese population may be high priority targets for additional characterization of immune functions. Only the DRB1*03 and DRB1*10 lineages were also present in humans, whereas the remaining alleles were monkey‐specific lineages. We found 25 variable sites by aligning the deduced amino acid sequences of 29 identified alleles. Evolutionary and population analyses based on these sequences showed that human, rhesus, and cynomolgus macaques share several Mhc‐DRB lineages and the shared polymorphisms in the DRB region may be attributable to the existence of interbreeding between rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. This information will promote the understanding of MHC diversity and polymorphism in cynomolgus macaques and increase the value of this species as a model for biomedical research. Am. J. Primatol. 74:958‐966, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Construction and Identification of Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library for 0-613-2R in Upland Cotton

A bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） library containing a large genomlc DNA insert is an important tool for genome physical mapping, map-based cloning, and genome sequencing. To Isolate genes via a map-based cloning strategy and to perform physical mapping of the cotton genome, a high-quality BAC library containing large cotton DNA Inserts Is needed. We have developed a BAC library of the restoring line 0-613-2R for Isolating the fertility restorer （Rf1） gene and genomic research in cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.）. The BAC library contains 97 825 clones stored In 255 pieces of a 384-well mlcrotiter plate. Random samples of BACs digested with the Notl enzyme Indicated that the average Insert size Is approximately 130 kb, with a range of 80-275 kb, and 95.7% of the BAC clones in the library have an average insert size larger than 100 kb. Based on a cotton genome size of 2 250 Mb, library coverage is 5.7 × haploid genome equivalents. Four clones were selected randomly from the library to determine the stability of the BAC clones. There were no different fingerprints for 0 and 100 generations of each clone digested with Notl and Hlndiii enzymes. Thus, the atabiiity of a single BAC clone can be sustained at iesat for 100 generations. Eight simple sequence repeat （SSR） markers flanking the Rf; gene were chosen to screen the BAC library by pool using PCR method and 25 positive clones were identified with 3.1 positive clones per SSR marker.