A recent chicken repeat 1 retrotransposition confirms the Coscoroba-Cape Barren goose clade

Chicken repeat 1 (CR1) is a member of the non-long terminal repeat class of retrotransposons. We have isolated a truncated CR1 element within the third intron of the lactate dehydrogenase B gene of the coscoroba and the Cape Barren goose (Anseriformes; Coscoroba coscoroba, Cereopsis novaehollandiae). Because the element was absent in orthologous loci within mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), snow goose (Anser caerulescens), and tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus), it provides strong support to the recent novel proposal by Donne-Goussé et al. [Donne-Goussé, C., Laudet, V., H?nni, C., 2002. A molecular phylogeny of anseriformes based on mitochondrial DNA analysis. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 23, 339-356] that Cape Barren goose is the sister taxon to coscoroba. The time of insertion was approximately 10.5 Mya or less estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequence information. Because this is a recent event, the DNA sequence of this CR1 should be close to that existing at the time of its insertion. This is reflected by the consistency of several structural features expected in a new CR1 copy such as the unaltered flanking target site duplication and inverted repeats that lie 22 bp apart near the 3' end of the element. Hybridization experiments show that numerous copies of sequences closely related to the coscoroba CR1 element are dispersed throughout the genomes of tested Anseriformes, but none were detected in representatives of Galliformes and Struthioniformes.     

家鹅线粒体tRNAthr与tRNApro序列与结构分析

本研究采用PCR和DNA测序技术测定了6个中国家鹅品种和2个欧洲鹅品种25个个体线粒体DNA tRNApro（69bp）和tRNAthr（68bp）基因的完整序列,通过对家鹅线粒体基因组的研究,首次报道了家鹅线粒体tRNApro和tRNAthr基因的结构,对鸿雁家鹅、灰雁家鹅、白额雁（Anser albifrons,序列号为AF363031）种间的tRNApro和tRNAthr基因的二级结构及序列的变异特征进行了分析,并通过家鸡（Gallus gallus domesticus,序列号为NC001323）与鸿雁家鹅间tRNApro和tRNAthr基因二级结构的比较,初步进行了鸡形目与雁形目两个目间tRNApro和tRNAthr基因二级结构及序列变异的分析。结果表明：家鹅tRNApro和tRNAthr基因均可折叠成标准的三叶草形二级结构; 2个tRNA基因三叶草结构的氨基酸臂、反密码子环在鸿雁、灰雁和白额雁种间以及鸡形目与雁形目两个目间没有发生变异,具有高度的保守性。本研究的结果将为进一步探讨家鹅线粒体DNA tRNApro和tRNAthr基因序列与结构、功能的关系奠定基础。所测定的基因序列已登录国际GenBank数据库,序列号为AY427800～AY427805和AY427812～AY427814。     

A cruciform in the direct repeats of the yeast 2 micron DNA: Selective S1 nuclease cleavage at one of the three homologous palindromes

An S1-hypersensitive site was found at the 60 bp direct repeats of the cis-acting, stability and/or copy number control region of the yeast 2 micron DNA in the supercoiled hybrid plasmid pDB248'. It was retained in a different plasmid, pYK2121, consisting of pBR322 and the 300 bp long repeated DNA. Analyses of 5'-end-labeled fragments and nucleotide sequence determination showed that the S1-cleavage site was at the central part of an AT-rich 19 bp palindrome present in the repeats. Two other homologous palindromes (21 and 15 bp) containing the 12 bp consensus sequences were not cleaved. The nucleotide sequences at the base of the stem and/or loop may determine the efficiency of the cruciform extrusion.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of the rabbit beta-like globin gene cluster. Analysis of intergenic sequences and comparison with the human beta-like globin gene cluster

The nucleotide sequence of the entire beta-like globin gene cluster of rabbits has been determined. This sequence of a continuous stretch of 44.5 x 10(3) base-pairs (bp) starts about 6 x 10(3) bp upstream from epsilon (the 5'-most gene) and ends about 12 x 10(3) bp downstream from beta (the 3'-most gene). Analysis of the sequence reveals that: (1) the sequence is relatively A + T rich (about 60%); (2) regions with high G + C content are associated with OcC repeats, a short interspersed repeated DNA in rabbits; (3) the distribution of polypurines, polypyrimidines and alternating purine/pyrimidine tracts is not random within the cluster; (4) most open reading frames are associated with known globin coding regions, OcC repeats or long interspersed repeats (L1 repeats); (5) the most prominent open reading frames are found in the L1 repeats; (6) different strand asymmetries in base composition are associated with embyronic and adult genes as well as the tandem L1 repeats at the 3' end of the cluster; and (7) essentially all the repeats appear to have been inserted by a transposon mechanism. A comparison of the sequence with itself by a dot-plot analysis has revealed nine new members of the OcC family of repeats in addition to the six previously reported. The OcC repeats tend to be clustered, particularly in the epsilon-gamma and gamma-psi delta intergenic regions. Dot-plot comparisons between the rabbit and the human clusters have revealed extensive sequence matches. Homology starts about 6 x 10(3) bp 5' to epsilon or as far upstream as the rabbit sequence is available. It continues throughout the entire cluster and stops about 0.7 x 10(3) bp 3' to beta, at which point several repeats have inserted in both rabbits and humans. Throughout the gene cluster, the homology is interrupted mainly by insertions or deletions in either the rabbit or the human genome. Almost all of the insertions are of known short or long repeated DNAs. The positions of the insertions are different in the two gene clusters, which indicates that both short and long repeats have been transposing throughout the genome for the time since the mammalian radiation. An alignment of rabbit and human sequences allows the calculation of the substitution rate around epsilon. Sequences far removed from the gene are evolving at a rate equivalent to the pseudogene rate, although some short regions show an apparently higher rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Characterization of inverted repeated sequences in Ascaris nuclear DNA

The inverted repeated sequences of the chromatin-eliminating nematode Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum have been examined by electron microscopy and by hydroxyapatite chromatography, both in the germ-line and in the somatic DNA. 38% of the inverted repeats of the germ-line DNA analysed in the electron microscope have a single-stranded loop, in comparison to about 50% of looped structures in the somatic DNA. The loops are on average 2.3 X 10(3) base pairs (bp) long. The rest of the foldback DNA consists of simple hairpins. The average length of looped and unlooped inverted repeats is of the order of 300-400 bp in the germ-line and in the somatic DNA. The content of S1-resistant foldback duplexes isolated by hydroxyapatite chromatography amounts to 1.3% in spermatids, with an average length of 350 bp, and to 1.1% in intestinal or larval cell nuclei, with a length of about 320 bp. We estimate by two different methods that there exist approximately 12500 inverted repeats per haploid germ-line genome and approximately 8000 in the haploid somatic genome. A statistical analysis of the data indicates that the great majority of the foldback sequences are randomly distributed in the Ascaris genome, with a spacing of about (40-80) X 10(3) bp, both in the germ-line and in the somatic DNA.     

Two subfamilies of murine retrotransposon ETn sequences

Early transposon (ETn) elements are 5.7-kb retrotransposons found in the murine genome. We have sequenced large portions of two ETn elements that have apparently transposed within the DNA of a murine myeloma cell line, P3.26Bu4. One of the transposed ETn elements has 5' and 3' long terminal repeats (LTRs) that are exact duplicates of each other and has a 6-bp target site duplication. These results suggest that this element, which inserted into an immunoglobulin gamma 1 switch region, moved by a retrotransposition process. Our nucleotide sequences confirm that individual ETn elements are very similar to one another and lack open reading frames. However, the ETn sequences reported here and those previously described differ significantly near their 5' LTRs, including 200 bp of weak similarity and 240 bp of complete disparity. Southern hybridization analysis suggests that both subfamilies of ETn sequences are represented many times in the mouse genome. The possibility that the disparate sequences have a role in transposition by ETn elements is discussed.     

八肋游仆虫一种富含三核苷酸重复序列的新基因GARP的克隆与序列分析

人类基因中三核苷酸重复序列拷贝数的异常扩增, 可导致多种神经系统疾病。一种富含GAA三核苷酸的GARP (glutamic acid-rich protein)基因从八肋游仆虫(Euplotes octocarinatus)大核文库中筛选获得。大核中该基因的染色体全长460 bp, 基因两端具有下毛类纤毛虫大核特有的端粒序列(C₄A₄C₄A₄C₄A₄C₄), 开放读框内含有一个TGA_(88-99)密码子, 在游仆虫中编码为半胱氨酸。经DNA Star 软件分析, 该基因编码的蛋白质由112个氨基酸组成, 预测其分子量为13 kDa, 等电点为3.82, 含有四个 [[alpha]] 螺旋和一个 [[beta]] 折叠。小核中对应的该基因含有两个内部删除序列, IES1 和IES2。IES1和IES2分别长41 bp, IES1以GA二核苷酸直接重复为删除信号, IES2以TA二核苷酸直接重复为删除信号。RT- PCR 证明该基因具有转录活性。     

Nucleotide sequence of the intracisternal A-particle genome inserted 5'' to the interleukin-3 gene of the leukemia cell line WEHI-3B.

The nucleotide sequence of the intracisternal A-particle genome IAP-IL3 is presented. This IAP element was found to have inserted upstream of the promoter of the interleukin-3 gene of the leukemia cell line WEHI-3B. IAP-IL3 is 5095 bp in length, with identical long terminal repeats (LTRs) of 337 bp. The LTRs show many of the conserved sequence elements identified in other retroviruses. Comparison with other available sequences of IAP genomes indicates that IAP-IL3 is a deleted type I element. It carries a deletion covering the 3' end of the putative IAP gag gene and extending into the 5' end of the putative IAP pol gene. IAP-IL3 has extensive sequence homology with an IgE-binding factor cDNA and evidence is presented indicating that it was derived from a member of the mouse IAP sequence family. Comparison between the pol region of IAP-IL3 and other retroviruses suggests that IAP-IL3 is most closely related to type B and type D retroviruses.     

Aberrant splicing caused by the insertion of the B2 sequence into an intron of the complement C4 gene is the basis for low C4 production in H-2k mice.

The serum level of the fourth component of complement (C4) in mice bearing the H-2k haplotype is only 1/10 to 1/20 of that of non-H-2k mice. We have analyzed C4 cDNA clones from B10.BR(H-2k) mouse liver and found aberrant C4 cDNA which contained a 200-base pair (bp) insertion between the exon 13 and exon 14 encoded sequences in addition to the normal C4 cDNA. The 5' 148 bp and the 3' 52 bp of this insert were derived from the B2 sequence, the short interspersed repeats of mouse genome, and the central part of intron 13, respectively. Sequence analysis of intron 13 of the C4k gene showed the presence of a complete copy of a B2 consensus sequence. The structure of aberrant C4 mRNA indicated that the possible 3' splice site in the B2 sequence and the cryptic 5' splice site in intron 13 were used. Both the insertion of the B2 sequence into intron 13 and the presence of aberrant mRNA in the liver were specific to H-2k-bearing mice, suggesting that the aberrant splicing due to the B2 insertion is the basis for low C4 expression in H-2k mice.     

Cryptic satellites rich in inverted repeats comprise 30% of the genome of a hermit crab

One major very highly repeated (VHR) DNA (approximately 7 X 10(6) copies/genome; repeat unit = 156 base pairs (bp)), a family of three minor VHR DNAs (approximately 2.8 X 10(6) copies/genome; repeat units = 71-74 bp), and a number of trace components account for almost 30% of the genome of a hermit crab. The repeat units of the three minor variants are defined by identical 14-bp G + C-rich inverted repeats that might form cruciforms. Two copies of the repeat unit (CCTA) of one of two patent satellites of this crab (Skinner, D. M., and Beattie, W. G. (1974) Biochemistry 13, 3922-3929; Skinner, D. M., Beattie, W. G., Blattner, F. R., Stark, B. P., and Dahlberg, J. E. (1974) Biochemistry 13, 3930-3937) occur at the center of one in seven of the G + C-rich inverted repeats; copies of the other patent satellite (Chambers, C. A., Schell, M. P., and Skinner, D. M. (1978) Cell 13, 97-110) are found in main component DNA. The sequences of both the major and minor VHR DNAs are characterized by short tracts of An and/or Tn (n = 4-7) residues whose presence would permit the formation of perfectly matched stems separated by loops of 8-16 bp. The An and/or Tn tracts are interspersed with segments of G + C-rich DNA and are arranged differently in the major and minor VHR DNAs. Although the repeat units of the major and the three minor VHR DNAs are arranged in tandem, the composition and sequence of their bases are such that they do not form distinct bands in CsCl gradients; they are cryptic satellites.     

Genetic analysis of the hypervariable region flanking the human insulin gene.

In order to study the mechanisms for the generation of length diversity within the 5' flanking region of the human insulin gene, we have isolated and sequenced a previously uncharacterized allele. This allele, of a size intermediate between those three already described in the literature, encompasses 1,156 base pairs (bp) and contains 81 reiterated tandem oligonucleotides of 14-15 bp each. Population analysis on 298 independently sampled individuals by Southern blotting of genomic DNA demonstrates that the polymorphic portion of the insulin 5' flanking region varies from 400 to more than 8,000 nucleotides, being encoded by from 30 to over 540 oligomeric repeats. Length variability 5' to the insulin gene is a result primarily of unequal crossing over, which generates an expansion or contraction in the number of tandem repeat units per chromosome. A similar mechanism probably accounts for nondispersed reiterated sequences at other loci in the human genome.