Repetitive sequences in class-switch recombination regions of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes

Immunoglobulin class switch involves a unique recombination event that takes place at the region 5′ to each heavy chain constant region gene during B lymphocyte differentiation. Such regions that are responsible for the class-switch recombination are defined as S regions (Kataoka et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 919, 1980). We have cloned a rearranged γ2b gene from a mouse myeloma (MPC11) and compared its structure with the germ line counterparts. The rearranged γ2b gene contained the 5′ flanking region of the γ3 gene (S_γ3 region) which are linked to the 5′ flanking region of the γ2b gene (S_γ2b region). We have determined nucleotide sequences surrounding the recombination site of the rearranged and germ line γ2b genes, which include the S_γ2b and S_γ3 regions. Both _γ2b and S_γ3 regions comprise tandem repetition of conserved units of 49 bp. Similar 49 bp repeating units are also found in the previously determined sequence of the S_γ1 region in which class-switch recombination took place in MC101 myeloma. The nucleotide sequences of the S_γ1, S_γ2b and S_γ3 repeating units share significant homology with each other. The Sμ region, partial nucleotide sequence of which was previously determined, contains abundant short sequences such as AGCT, TGGG and AGCTGGGG which are shared in common by repeating sequences in S_γ regions. These results suggest that the recombination responsible for class switch from μ to γ or from a γ to another γ, may be facilitated directly or indirectly by homology of repeating sequences in S regions.     

Sequences of cDNAs for human salivary and pancreatic α-amylases

The nucleotide sequences of the cloned human salivary and pancreatic α-amylase cDNAs correspond to the continuous mRNA sequences of 1768 and 1566 nucleotides, respectively. These include all of the amino acid coding regions. Salivary cDNA contains 200 bp in the 5′-noncoding region and 32 in the 3′-noncoding region. Pancreatic cDNA contains 3 and 27 bp of 5′- and 3′-noncoding regions, respectively. The nucleotide sequence humology of the two cDNAs is 96% in the coding region, and the predicted amino acid sequences are 94% homologous.Comparison of the sequences of human α-amylase cDNAs with those previously obtained for mouse α-amylase genes (Hagenbuchle et al., 1980; Schibler et al., 1982) showed the possibility of gene conversion between the two genes of human α-amylase.     

Repeated DNA sequences found in the large spacer of Vicia faba rDNA

In the large spacer of the rDNA of Vicia faba, multiples of a 0.32 kilobasepair (kb) sequence reiterate to various degrees. We sequenced the repetitious region consisting of the repeating sequences and its flanking regions using two cloned plasmids, which contain V. faba rDNA segments encompassing the whole region of the large spacer. The repetitious region was found to consist of multiple complete copies and one truncated copy of a 325 bp repeat unit and to be flanked by direct repeat sequences of about 150 bp. The set of direct repeats located at either side of the repetitious region differed from each other with about 10% sequence heterogeneity. However, nucleotide sequences of the direct repeats were well conserved between the two clones examined. Southern blot hybridization indicated a widespread distribution within the whole V. faba genome of some related sequences with high homologies to the 325 bp repeat unit and to the direct repeats.     

The intragenomic polymorphism of a partially inverted repeat (PIR) in Gallus gallus domesticus, potential role of inverted repeats in satellite DNAs evolution

We report here the molecular characterization of the basic repeating unit of a novel repetitive family, partially inverted repeat (PIR), previously identified from chicken genome. This repetitive DNA family shares a close evolutionary relationship with XhoI/EcoRI repeats and chicken nuclear-membrane-associated (CNM) repeat. Sequence analyses reveal the 1430 bp basic repeating unit can be divided into two regions: the central region ( approximately 1000 bp) and the flanking region ( approximately 430 bp). Within the central region, a pair of repeats (86 bp) flanks the central core ( approximately 828 bp) in inversed orientation. Due to the tandem array feature shared by the repeating units, the inverted repeats fall between the central core and flanking region. Southern blot analyses further reveal the intragenomic polymorphism of PIR, and the molecular size of repeating units ranges from 1.1 kb to 1.6 kb. The identified monomer variants may result from multiple crossing-over events, implying the potential roles of inverted repeats in satellite DNAs variation.     

西藏小型猪的线粒体DNA控制区分析

目的研究西藏小型猪的遗传标记以及与其他国内地方猪的亲缘关系。方法扩增102头西藏小型猪以及16头巴马小型猪、17头贵州香猪的线粒体DNA控制区,测序并与国内其他猪进行比较。结果西藏小型猪线粒体DNAD-loop区分三个区域。串联重复序列区处于中间位置,包含有15～29个10 bp的重复片段,分为A、B两种类型。D-loop 3′端340 bp,与国内其他猪的序列相同比较保守;5′端704 bp,共有22个变异位点。由22个变异位点中归纳出25个单倍型,其中有两种主要的单倍型,分别占34.4%和36.6%。根据三个转换位点：305、500、691,将西藏小型猪分成了两组,几乎与串联重复序列所分的A、B两组类型相对应。与西藏小型猪相比,巴马小型猪和贵州香猪D-loop 5′端变异位点较少,分别只有4种和2种单倍型,串联重复区也只有一个类型。结论西藏小型猪可能有两个母系祖先并且与我国西南地区的品种猪有较近的亲缘关系;不同的串联重复片段类型和5′端的变异位点可以联合组建西藏小型猪的遗传标记。     

Isolation and complete nucleotide sequence of the gene for bovine parathyroid hormone

The structure of the bovine parathyroid hormone (PTH) gene has been analyzed by Southern blot hybridization of genomic DNA and by nucleotide sequence analysis of a cloned PTH gene. In the Southern analysis, several restriction enzymes produced single fragments that hybridized to PTH cDNA suggesting that there is a single bovine PTH gene. The restriction map of the cloned gene is the same as that determined by Southern blot analysis of bovine DNA. The sequence of 3154 bp of the cloned gene has been determined including 510 bp and 139 bp in the 5' and 3' flanking regions, respectively. The gene contains two introns which separate three exons that code primarily for: (i) the 5' untranslated region, (ii) the pre-sequence of preProPTH, and (iii) PTH and the 3' untranslated region. The gene contains 68% A + T and unusually long stretches of 100- to 150-bp sequences containing alternating A and T nucleotides in the 5' flanking region and intron A. The 5' flanking region contains two TATA sequences, both of which appear to be functional as determined by S1 nuclease mapping. Compared to the rat and human genes, the locations of the introns are identical but the sizes differ. Comparable human and bovine sequences in the flanking regions and introns are about 80% homologous.