Retrotransposon mdg3 is transferred between somatic cells of unrelated species in coculture

Since retrovirus-like particles of gypsy (mdg4) are capable of interspecific transfer, other Drosophila melanogaster gypsy-related retrotransposons were tested for this property. As a donor and a recipient, D. melanogaster and D. virilis cultured cells were used. Recipient cell DNA was analyzed with probes directed to mdg1, mdg3, 17.6, 297, 412, or B104/roo. Transfer was demonstrated for mdg3, which lacks env. The possible mechanism of transfer is discussed.     

体细胞克隆牛和转基因体细胞克隆牛的遗传学分析(英)

分析了来自同一细胞系的体细胞克隆牛甜甜、庆庆、浒娃及来源同一培养转基因体细胞系转基因体细胞克隆牛九妹、乐娃和1个妊娠8个月转基因流产胎牛8C2以及随机抽取的1头鲁西黄牛(LX)、1头褐斯坦牛(HS)在24个微卫星位点标记牛的基因型.结果表明24个多态位点均表现出多态,等位基因数为1～5个,平均为3.17个.根据网上公布的数据,按其最高频率计算,甜甜、庆庆、浒娃、九妹、乐娃、8C2与培养细胞系、转基因细胞系间匹配概率为1.17×10^－36,根据本研究观察到的数据计算,匹配概率为1.90×10^－23;而与随机抽取的1头鲁西黄牛及褐斯坦牛的基因型分别在23和20个位点上完全不同.     

Unearthing LTR Retrotransposon gag Genes Co-opted in the Deep Evolution of Eukaryotes

LTR retrotransposons comprise a major component of the genomes of eukaryotes. On occasion, retrotransposon genes can be recruited by their hosts for diverse functions, a process formally referred to as co-option. However, a comprehensive picture of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option in eukaryotes is still lacking, with several documented cases exclusively involving Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons in animals. Here, we use a phylogenomic approach to systemically unearth co-option of retrotransposon gag genes above the family level of taxonomy in 2,011 eukaryotes, namely co-option occurring during the deep evolution of eukaryotes. We identify a total of 14 independent gag gene co-option events across more than 740 eukaryote families, eight of which have not been reported previously. Among these retrotransposon gag gene co-option events, nine, four, and one involve gag genes of Ty3/Gypsy, Ty1/Copia, and Bel-Pao retrotransposons, respectively. Seven, four, and three co-option events occurred in animals, plants, and fungi, respectively. Interestingly, two co-option events took place in the early evolution of angiosperms. Both selective pressure and gene expression analyses further support that these co-opted gag genes might perform diverse cellular functions in their hosts, and several co-opted gag genes might be subject to positive selection. Taken together, our results provide a comprehensive picture of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option events that occurred during the deep evolution of eukaryotes and suggest paucity of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option during the deep evolution of eukaryotes.     

Biotic Interactions between Two Species of Microalgae in Mixed Culture

Biotic interactions in a mixed culture of two microalgae species—Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) Breb. and Monoraphidium arcuatum (Korsch.) Hind.—used in bioassay in monocultures as test objects were studied. The toxic effect of cell-free filtrates from different “age” monoculture (2, 7, 10, 15, 21, and 28 days) of S. quadricauda on the growth of the “young” test culture of M. arcuatum and, conversely, the toxic effect of cell-free filtrates from the different “age” (2, 7, 10, 15, 21, and 28 days) monoculture of M. arcuatum on the growth of the “young” test culture of S. quadricauda was evaluated. Simultaneously, the toxicity of their own filtrates of different “ages” was monitored by a test culture of each species. The interactions of the species in the mixed culture can be regarded as negative, as an antagonistic one, when both populations inhibit the growth of each other through metabolites and food resource competition, while the effect of S. quadricauda on M. arcuatum is much stronger. The main factor constraining the growth of monoculture S. quadricauda is the rapid depletion of the food resource from the medium and not the inhibition of growth by its own metabolites. The depletion of the food resources from the medium in monoculture of M. arcuatum occurs much later than in monoculture of S. quadricauda. Metabolites of S. quadricauda cause a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of M. arcuatum, and the metabolites of M. arcuatum cause a weak inhibitory effect on the growth of S. quadricauda. The filtrates of the “old” culture of S. quadricauda (21–28 days) cause the greatest inhibitory effect on cell division of M. arcuatum. The filtrates of the “old” culture of S. quadricauda (21–28 days) cause the greatest inhibitory effect on cell division of M. arcuatum. Comparative analysis of the cell number dynamics of two species, S. quadricauda and M. arcuatum, in mono- and two-species algal cultures, as well as experiments with filtrates of these monocultures, showed that the interaction of species can be explained by the food resource competition and allelopathic interaction (exometabolite effect).     

Response of HL-A Identical Unrelated Individuals in the Mixed Lymphocyte Culture Test

The immunological responsiveness as measured in the mixed lymphocyte culture test has been studied in 13 pairs of HL-A identical unrelated individuals. In all combinations stimulation occurred and it was frequently of a similar magnitude to that observed against non-HL-A identical subjects.It is postulated that another locus, adjacent to the HL-A locus, is also responsible for the non-stimulation observed between HL-A identical siblings, and that observations made in the related situation should not be transposed to the unrelated situation without some reservation.     

水稻逆转录转座子RIRE10拷贝数与LTR区转录活性的鉴定

在水稻第四号染色体的长臂上鉴定了一个结构完整的Ty3型逆转录转座子RIRE10。RIRE10两LTR间的中间区域在gag pol的上游还包含另一个开放阅读框。通过RT PCR与Northern印迹杂交检测到来自LTR区的转录产物 ;根据点杂交结果 ,鉴定出包含中间区域的RIRE10成员的个数以及LTR区的拷贝数。除了 6 5个完整的逆转录转座子所具备的两个LTR外 ,水稻基因组还含有近 90 0个RIRE10的solo LTR。LTR区的转录以及导致solo LTR产生的同源重组可能影响了RIRE10成员在水稻基因组中的转座活性     

Specific endonuclease activity of integrase encoded by the mdg4 (gypsy) retrotransposon

To study the mechanism of precise excision ofgypsy from genomic sites, the integrase domain ofgypsy pol was cloned and expressed inEscherichia coli. The endonuclease activity of recombinant integrase was assayed with synthetic substrates corresponding to 3′-U5 ofgypsy LTR and to the known genomic insertion sites ofgypsy. Integrase nicked the 5′-A ⇓ YR-3′ triplet in the (+) strand of the double-stranded substrates; cleavage of a single-stranded substrate was nonspecific. Cleavage proved to be affected by the local conformation of the substrate: the (+) strand was cleaved more efficiently when the (−) strand had an unpaired base in the triplet and was not cleaved when the (−) strand was interrupted or branched. The triplet corresponded to the consensus region ofgypsy insertion (5′-YRYR ⇓ YR-3′), the site of cleavagein vitro coinciding with the site of insertionin vivo. The unique mechanism ofgypsy excision was assumed to depend to a great extent on the enzymic properties of its integrase.     

Structural features of the mdg1 lineage of the Ty3/gypsy group of LTR retrotransposons inferred from the phylogenetic analyses of its open reading frames

The increasing amount of data generated in recent years has opened the way to exhaustive studies of the relationships among different members of the Ty3/gypsy group of LTR retrotransposons, a widespread group of eukaryotic transposable elements. Former research led to the identification of several independent lineages within this group. One of the worse represented of them is that of mdg1, integrated so far only by the Drosophila retrotransposons mdg1 and 412. Our exhaustive database searches indicate the existence of three other Drosophila members of this lineage. Two of them correspond to elements already known, namely, Stalker and blood, but the third one is a new element, which we have called Pilgrim. This element is well represented within the D. melanogaster genome, as revealed by our Southern blot analysis of different strains. The case of Stalker is particularly remarkable, since its phylogenetic relationships clearly point to the mosaic origin of its genome. Finally, our analysis of the evolution of a small ORF preserved within the 5′ leader region of these elements indicates different evolutionary rates, presumably as a result of distinct selective constraints. Received: 16 October 2000 / Accepted: 6 April 2001     

Discovery of a novel long terminal repeat (LTR2i_SS) in Sus Scrofa

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are transposable elements flanked by 5′/3′ LTRs. They have a structure similar to endogenous retroviruses, but they lack the envelope (env) gene making them non‐infectious. Long terminal repeats are motif‐rich sequences and can act as bidirectional promoters or enhancers to regulate or inactivate genes by insertion. In this study, we identified a new chimeric LTR subfamily, LTR2i_SS, in the pig genome. This chimeric LTR family appears to be the ancestral form of the previously described LTR2_SS family. LTR2_SS appears to have deleted ~300 bp of un‐annotated, ancestral sequence from LTR2i_SS. We identified no functional provirus sequences for either of these LTR types. LTR2i_SS sequences have been exapted into the untranslated regions of two protein‐coding gene mRNAs. Both of these genes lie within previously mapped pig quantitative trait loci.     

反转录病毒MSCV介导汉坦病毒核蛋白基因在NIH3T3细胞中整合和表达

汉坦病毒是引起肾综合征出血热(HFRS)和汉坦病毒型肺炎综合征(HPS)的主要病原体.由S基因编码的核蛋白(NP)主要与机体的细胞免疫有关,并调节病毒的复制及诱导细胞程序性死亡.构建了汉坦病毒Z10株核蛋白cDNA与含有pac基因的反转录病毒鼠干细胞病毒(MSCV)重组体MSCV-FlagNP,通过磷酸钙转录法导入产病毒的包装细胞系BOSC23中,产生完整的重组MSCV-FlagNP病毒.然后以重组病毒感染NIH 3T3细胞,利用Puromycin的选择特性(pac基因)对感染细胞进行连续压力筛选,获得了转核蛋白抗性细胞.利用Southern blot和PCR方法分别对核蛋白基因在抗性细胞染色体整合情况及其完整性进行了鉴定.并且用Western blot在抗性细胞中可检测到核蛋白的表达.进一步以Flag单克隆抗体介导的免疫荧光染色联合共聚焦激光扫描荧光显微镜,分析了内源性Flag融合核蛋白在抗性细胞内分布,发现核蛋白主要分布于胞浆及胞核周围区,并且部分核蛋白可聚集形成胞浆包涵体.转核蛋白基因细胞模型的建立,对进一步研究汉坦病毒核蛋白功能以及病毒复制机制有重要意义.     

Diversity in the Integrase Coding Domain of a gypsy-like Retrotransposon Among Wild Relatives of Rice in the Oryza officinalis Complex

The Oryza officinalis complex is a genetically diverse, tertiary genepool of rice. We analyzed part of the primary structure of the integrase coding domain (ICD) of a gypsy-like retrotransposon from species of the O. officinalis species complex. PCR was performed with degenerate primers that hybridized to conserved sequences in the integrase genes of gypsy-type retrotransposons, using total DNA from different species of the O. officinalis complex as templates. Cloning and sequencing of the PCR products showed that the amplified fragments are highly homologous to each other (75–90%) and belong to one family of retrotransposons that is related to the previously studied RIRE-2 element from rice. Two main subfamilies of 292 and 351 bp were distinguished. Analysis of primary sequence data supports previous reports that sequence divergence during vertical transmission has been the major influence on the evolution of gypsy-type retrotransposons in Oryza species. Based on sequence data phylogenetic relationships among species of the O. officinalis complex were estimated. The data suggests that O. eichingeri is more closely related to the ancestral species of the complex. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Insulin Is Released from Rat Brain Neuronal Cells in Culture

Depolarization of neuronal cells in primary culture from the rat brain by potassium ions in the presence of calcium or by veratridine caused a greater than three-fold stimulation of release of immunoreactive insulin. HPLC of the released insulin immunoreactivity from the neuronal cultures comigrated with the two rat insulins. The depolarization-induced release of insulin was inhibited by cycloheximide and was specific for neuronal cultures since potassium ions failed to cause the release in comparably prepared astrocytic glial cells from the rat brain. Prelabelling of neuronal cultures with [3H]leucine followed by depolarization resulted in the release of radioactivity that immunoprecipitated with insulin antibody. The release of [3H]insulin was biphasic. These observations suggest that neuronal cells from the brain have the capacity to synthesize insulin that could be released under depolarization conditions.     

Abundant recent activity of retrovirus‐like retrotransposons within and among flycatcher species implies a rich source of structural variation in songbird genomes

Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites capable of inserting virtually anywhere in the host genome, with manifold consequences for gene expression, DNA methylation and genomic stability. Notably, they can contribute to phenotypic variation and hence be associated with, for example, local adaptation and speciation. However, some organisms such as birds have been widely noted for the low densities of TEs in their genomes and this has been attributed to a potential dearth in transposition during their evolution. Here, we show that avian evolution witnessed diverse and abundant transposition on very recent timescales. First, we made an in‐depth repeat annotation of the collared flycatcher genome, including identification of 23 new, retrovirus‐like LTR retrotransposon families. Then, using whole‐genome resequencing data from 200 Ficedula flycatchers, we detected 11,888 polymorphic TE insertions (TE presence/absence variations, TEVs) that segregated within and among species. The density of TEVs was one every 1.5–2.5 Mb per individual, with heterozygosities of 0.12–0.16. The majority of TEVs belonged to some 10 different LTR families, most of which are specific to the flycatcher lineage. TEVs were validated by tracing the segregation of hundreds of TEVs across a three‐generation pedigree of collared flycatchers and also by their utility as markers recapitulating the phylogenetic relationships among flycatcher species. Our results suggest frequent germline invasions of songbird genomes by novel retroviruses as a rich source of structural variation, which may have had underappreciated phenotypic consequences for the diversification of this species‐rich group of birds.     

Estrogen Receptor Is Expressed in Different Types of Glial Cells in Culture

Abstract: Estrogens derived from the aromatization of androgens are believed to be responsible for the induction of the sexual differentiation of the CNS interacting with specific estrogen receptors (ER) present in developing neurons. However, the brain cellular distribution of ER is not so well documented. The aim of this study was to investigate the qualitative and quantitative expression of ER mRNA in well characterized cultures of rat type 1 and type 2 astrocytes and of oligodendrocytes by polymerase chain reaction. A series of amplifications with a set of primers spanning along the entire ER mRNA was utilized in the different types of glial cells, in a positive control (uterus), and in a negative control (SK-N-BE cell line) previously shown to be devoid of ER. The data obtained show that ER mRNA is expressed in all three types of glial cell analyzed in almost equal amounts, which are 25–50 times lower than those in the uterus. The mRNA expressed in the glia is homologous with that expressed in the uterine tissue.     

Correlation Between Appearance of Embryogenic Cells and the IAA Levels in Rice Somatic Cell Culture

Changes of endogenous IAA level and IAA action in cultured rice ( Oryza sativa L. ) somatic cells during the period from 7th to 15th day which was the transition from somatic to embryogenic cells were observed. The study was carded out in three experimental systems viz. mature caryopsis and young panicles (2 ~ 5 mm long) of rice cv. "Guangluai 4" under normal osmosis (3% sucrose), mature caryopses from rice cv. "Yanjing 2" or "Guangluai 4" under normal and higher osmosis (5% sucrose or 2.5 % sorbitol). During this period, endogenous IAA contents were greatly increased in young-panicle calli under normal osmosis and mature-caryoptic calli under higher osmosis but decreased in mature-caryoptic calli under normal osmosis. Exogenous IAA could induce the appearance of embryogenic cell from nonembryogenic callus at a lower frequency. And 2,3,5-tri-iodobenzoic acid could increase the frequency of embryogenic cell induction. From these results it could be concluded that accumulation of higher IAA level in the cultured rice cells was essential for induction of embryogenic cell appearance. Since 2,4-D was involved in all induction medium with the same concentration but exerted different effects on embryogenic cell induction, it was suggested that it might act through mediating the endogenous IAA metabolism.     

昆明白小鼠胚胎干细胞分离与体外培养

为探索昆明白小鼠胚胎干细胞建系方法,将受孕4.5天的昆明白小鼠囊胚用免疫手术法去除滋胚层,然后将内细胞团(ICM)接种于胎鼠成纤维细胞饲养层上培养,形成的胚胎干细胞样集落用胰蛋白酶-EDTA消化法传代,培养后进行相差显微镜观察及碱性磷酸酶染色。结果饲养层上生长的ICM细胞呈典型的ES样细胞集落,传至第8代碱性磷酸酶染色呈强阳性。实验表明免疫手术法适用于昆明白小鼠ES细胞建系,获得的细胞集落具有ES细胞的主要生物学性状。     

l-DOPA Cytotoxicity to PC12 Cells in Culture Is via Its Autoxidation

Abstract: The mechanism of cytotoxicity of l -DOPA was studied in the rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell line. The cytotoxicity of l -DOPA to PC12 cells was time and concentration dependent. Carbidopa, which inhibited the conversion of l -DOPA to dopamine, did not protect against l -DOPA cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. Furthermore, clorgyline, a selective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type A, and pargyline, an inhibitor of both monoamine oxidase types A and B, both did not have an effect on l -DOPA toxicity. These findings suggest that cytotoxicity was not due to dopamine formed from l -DOPA. Catalase or superoxide dismutase each partially protected against l -DOPA toxicity in PC12 cells. In combination, the effects were synergistic and provided almost total protection against cytotoxicity. 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, an antagonist of non-NMDA receptors, did not protect against l -DOPA toxicity. These data suggest that toxicity of l -DOPA is most likely due to the action of free radicals formed as a result of its autoxidation. Furthermore, these findings suggest that patients on long-term l -DOPA therapy are potentially at risk from the toxic intermediates formed as a result of its autoxidation.