Characterisation of rye B chromosome DNA by DNA/DNA hybridisation

The DNAs of wheat and rye plants with rye B chromosomes have been compared with wheat, rye and oats DNAs by DNA/DNA hybridisation. The presence of DNA from B chromosomes made no significant difference to the proportion of repeated sequence DNA. The repeated sequence fractions of these cereal DNAs were quantitatively divided into eight different groups on the basis of the amount of DNA/DNA hybridisation occurring between the different DNAs. Rye A and B chromosomes contained similar proportions of three of the groups. These results, together with estimates of the thermal stabilities of all the renatured DNA duplexes suggest that rye B chromosome DNA is very similar to rye A chromosome DNA in the proportion and heterogeneity of its repeated sequences.     

Capping DNA with DNA

Twelve classes of deoxyribozymes that promote an ATP-dependent "self-capping" reaction were isolated by in vitro selection from a random-sequence pool of DNA. Each deoxyribozyme catalyzes the transfer of the AMP moiety of ATP to its 5'-terminal phosphate group, thereby forming a 5',5'-pyrophosphate linkage. An identical DNA adenylate structure is generated by the T4 DNA ligase during enzymatic DNA ligation. A 41-nucleotide class 1 deoxyribozyme requires Cu(2+) as a cofactor and adopts a structure that recognizes both the adenine and triphosphate moieties of ATP or dATP. The catalytic efficiency for this DNA, measured at 10(4) M(-1) x min(-1) using either ATP or dATP as substrate, is similar to other catalytic nucleic acids that use small substrates. Chemical probing and site-directed mutagenesis implicate the formation of guanine quartets as critical components of the active structure. The observation of ATP-dependent "self-charging" by DNA suggests that DNA could be made to perform the reactions typically associated with DNA cloning, but without the assistance of protein enzymes.     

Eukaryotic DNA polymerases in DNA replication and DNA repair

DNA polymerases carry out a large variety of synthetic transactions during DNA replication, DNA recombination and DNA repair. Substrates for DNA polymerases vary from single nucleotide gaps to kilobase size gaps and from relatively simple gapped structures to complex replication forks in which two strands need to be replicated simultaneously. Consequently, one would expect the cell to have developed a well-defined set of DNA polymerases with each one uniquely adapted for a specific pathway. And to some degree this turns out to be the case. However, in addition we seem to find a large degree of cross-functionality of DNA polymerases in these different pathways. DNA polymerase α is almost exclusively required for the initiation of DNA replication and the priming of Okazaki fragments during elongation. In most organisms no specific repair role beyond that of checkpoint control has been assigned to this enzyme. DNA polymerase δ functions as a dimer and, therefore, may be responsible for both leading and lagging strand DNA replication. In addition, this enzyme is required for mismatch repair and, together with DNA polymerase ζ, for mutagenesis. The function of DNA polymerase ɛ in DNA replication may be restricted to that of Okazaki fragment maturation. In contrast, either polymerase δ or ɛ suffices for the repair of UV-induced damage. The role of DNA polymerase β in base-excision repair is well established for mammalian systems, but in yeast, DNA polymerase δ appears to fullfill that function. Received: 20 April 1998 / Accepted: 8 May 1998     

真核生物的DNA甲基转移酶与DNA甲基化

真核生物的ＤＮＡ甲基化就是在ＤＮＡ的ＣｐＧ二核苷酸胞嘧啶的第 5位碳原子上加上甲基 ,催化这一过程的是ＤＮＡ甲基转移酶 (Ｄｎｍｔ)。ＤＮＡ的甲基化修饰参与基因表达调控、胚胎发育、细胞分化、基因组印迹、Ｘ染色体灭活和细胞记忆等诸多重要生物学过程[1,2 ] 。在不同组织或同一类型细胞的不同发育阶段 ,基因组ＤＮＡ上各ＣｐＧ位点甲基化状态的差异即构成基因组的ＤＮＡ甲基化谱。根据催化反应类型。可以将ＤＮＡ甲基转移酶分为三类 :第一类将腺嘌呤转化成Ｎ6 甲基腺嘌呤 ;第二类将胞嘧啶转化成Ｎ4 甲基胞嘧啶 ;第三类将胞嘧啶转化成…     

Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase inhibits DNA replication

Ectopic expression of DNA methyltransferase transforms vertebrate cells, and inhibition of DNA methyltransferase reverses the transformed phenotype by an unknown mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of an active DNA methyltransferase is required for DNA replication in human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cells. We show that the inhibition of DNA methyltransferase by two novel mechanisms negatively affects DNA synthesis and progression through the cell cycle. Competitive polymerase chain reaction of newly synthesized DNA shows decreased origin activity at three previously characterized origins of replication following DNA methyltransferase inhibition. We suggest that the requirement of an active DNA methyltransferase for the functioning of the replication machinery has evolved to coordinate DNA replication and inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern.     

DNA topoisomerases and DNA repair

DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that can modify, and may regulate, the topological state of DNA through concerted breaking and rejoining of the DNA strands. They have been believed to be directly involved in DNA excision repair, and perhaps to be required for the control of repair as well. The vicissitudes of this hypothesis provide a noteworthy example of the dangers of interpreting cellular phenomena without genetic information and vice versa.     

DNA knots and DNA supercoiling

Comment on: Witz G, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108:3608-11.     

DNA supercoiling by DNA gyrase

Using purified DNA gyrase to supercoil circular plasmid pBR322 DNA, we examined how the linking number attained at the steady state (‘static head’) varies with the concentrations of ATP and ADP, both in the absence and presence of spermidine. In the absence of spermidine at total adenine nucleotide concentrations between 0.35 and 1.4 mM, the static-head linking number was independent of the sum concentration of ATP and ADP, but depended strongly on the ratio of their concentrations. We established that the same linking number was attained independent of the direction from which the steady state was approached. The decrease in linking number at static head is more extensive when spermidine is present in the incubation, but remains a function of the [ATP]-to-[ADP] ratio. These results are discussed in terms of various kinetic schemes for DNA gyrase. We present one kinetic scheme that accounts for the experimental observations. According to this scheme our experimental results imply that there is significant slip in DNA gyrase when spermidine is absent. It is possible that spermidine acts through adjustment of the degree of coupling of DNA gyrase.     

Trapping of human DNA topoisomerase I by DNA structures mimicking intermediates of DNA repair

In this report we show that human DNA Topoisomerase I (Top1) forms DNA-protein adducts with nicked and gapped DNA structures lacking a conventional Top1 cleavage site. The radioactively labeled crosslinking products were identified by SDS-gel electrophoresis. The chemical structure of the groups at 5' or 3' end of the nick does not have an effect on the formation of these covalent adducts. Therefore, all kinds of nicks, either directly induced by ionizing radiation or reactive oxygen species or indirectly induced in the course of base excision repair (BER) are targets for Top1 that competes with BER proteins and other nick-sensors. Top1-DNA covalent adducts formed in cells exposed to DNA damaging agents can promote genetic instability.     

Repair of alkylated DNA: Drosophila have DNA methyltransferases but not DNA glycosylases

DNA methyltransferase activity has been identified in crude extracts of Drosophila melanogaster pupae for the removal of methyl groups from O-6 methylguanine appearing in alkylated DNA. Additionally, N-7 methylguanine and 3 methyladenine appear to be uniquely susceptible to methyltransferase activity that resides in Drosophila pupae. Consistent with this, tests to detect DNA glycosylase activity for the repair of the latter two modified bases was unsuccessful, even though a substantial loss of methyl groups from these bases was observed. Conversely, the repair of methylated purines was not detected in extracts of Drosophila embryos. The removal of methyl groups from methylated purines was dependent upon incubation temperature and was proportional to the amount of protein added to reaction mixtures. Results indicate that the methyl group is attached to protein during the repair of methylated DNA, suggesting that it is similar to the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase identified in other organisms. Although other explanations are possible, the inability to detect DNA glycosylase activity suggests that Drosophila may not rely on base excision repair for the removal of modified or nonconventional basis in DNA.     

DNA杂交与DNA指纹技术

Southern印迹杂交和DNA指纹技术在分子生物学研究以及疾病的诊断、亲缘关系鉴定、犯罪分子确认等过程中发挥了重要作用。回顾了2种技术的发明、发展历程和在生命科学研究中的作用,并探讨了可能的发展方向,从中可以从一个侧面了解分子生物学的发展历程和体会科学家的智慧在科学技术发展中所起的重要作用。     

DNA supercoiling inhibits DNA knotting

Despite the fact that in living cells DNA molecules are long and highly crowded, they are rarely knotted. DNA knotting interferes with the normal functioning of the DNA and, therefore, molecular mechanisms evolved that maintain the knotting and catenation level below that which would be achieved if the DNA segments could pass randomly through each other. Biochemical experiments with torsionally relaxed DNA demonstrated earlier that type II DNA topoisomerases that permit inter- and intramolecular passages between segments of DNA molecules use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to select passages that lead to unknotting rather than to the formation of knots. Using numerical simulations, we identify here another mechanism by which topoisomerases can keep the knotting level low. We observe that DNA supercoiling, such as found in bacterial cells, creates a situation where intramolecular passages leading to knotting are opposed by the free-energy change connected to transitions from unknotted to knotted circular DNA molecules.     

DNA contents of replication without DNA density labeling

A new method for determining the timing of DNA replication in specific regions of the mammalian genome without the use of DNA density labeling and DNA density centrifugation is described. The method is based on determination of average relative DNA copy numbers in specific genomic regions as cells progress through S phase, and "time of replication" for a specific region is described in terms of the cell's DNA content when the region is replicated. DNA is isolated from synchronized populations of G1 and S phase cells, it is slot-blotted at the same DNA concentration(s) for each population, and it is hybridized with 32P-labeled DNA probes that are specific to the regions of interest. Quantitation of the slot blot autoradiograms and flow cytometric analysis allows determination of (a) average relative DNA copy numbers for the regions of interest in synchronized cell populations, and (b) the average total DNA content in each population of synchronized cells. This information and the flow cytometry histograms are then used to calculate the cellular DNA content at which each region of interest is replicated. The results have a precision of less than or equal to +/- 10% of S phase for Chinese hamster (line CHO) rhodopsin, metallothionein II, the 5'-end of dihydrofolate reductase, the telomeric repeated sequence, pHuR-093 (also located near the centromeres in CHO chromosomes), and the c-Ki-ras family.     

Gapped DNA and cyclization of short DNA fragments

We use the cyclization of small DNA molecules, approximately 200 bp in length, to study conformational properties of DNA fragments with single-stranded gaps. The approach is extremely sensitive to DNA conformational properties and, being complemented by computations, allows a very accurate determination of the fragment's conformational parameters. Sequence-specific nicking endonucleases are used to create the 4-nt-long gap. We determined the bending rigidity of the single-stranded region in the gapped DNA. We found that the gap of 4 nt in length makes all torsional orientations of DNA ends equally probable. Our results also show that the gap has isotropic bending rigidity. This makes it very attractive to use gapped DNA in the cyclization experiments to determine DNA conformational properties, since the gap eliminates oscillations of the cyclization efficiency with the DNA length. As a result, the number of measurements is greatly reduced in the approach, and the analysis of the data is greatly simplified. We have verified our approach on DNA fragments containing well-characterized intrinsic bends caused by A-tracts. The obtained experimental results and theoretical analysis demonstrate that gapped-DNA cyclization is an exceedingly sensitive and accurate approach for the determination of DNA bending.