转座子相关技术在微生物功能基因组研究中的应用

转座子是DNA插入因子的一种,是指能在基因组间或组内跳跃的DNA片段。转座子作为插入突变剂或分子标签已被广泛地应用于基因的分离和克隆,且因其独特的性质已成为发现新基因和基因功能分析的有效工具。这使得转座子无论是在单基因水平还是全基因组水平,都成为细菌、酵母和其他微生物研究的有力工具。简单而有效的体外转座反应可以对一些以往难以进行分析的顽固微生物进行转座诱变分析。而建立在转座子基础上的信号标签诱变技术和遗传足迹法的应用则发现了一些新的病原微生物毒力因子,从而可以更好地对这些病原微生物的致病机理进行阐述。这些再次说明转座子是微生物功能基因组研究中的有力工具。本文综述了转座子及其衍生载体介导的一些技术,并讨论其在微生物功能基因组研究中的应用。

Transposon-Based Strategies For Microbial Functional Genomics

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can relocate from one genomic location to another.As it can modulate gene expressing and contribute to genome evolution,transposons are remarkably diverse molecular tools for both whole-genome and single-gene studies in bacteria,yeast,and other microorganisms.Efficient but simple in vitro transposition reactions now allow the mutational analysis of many previously recalcitrant microorganisms.Transposon-based signature-tagged mutagenesis and genetic footprinting strategies have pointed essential genes that crucial for infectivity of pathogens.In this paper,some important transposon-based approaches were reviewed,and these approaches have confirmed the usefulness of these elements as simple but highly effective mutagens for functional genomic studies of microorganisms.