白色念珠菌RAPD反应体系优化的研究

建立白色念珠菌RAPD的最佳反应体系,并应用于其基因组DNA扩增。通过单因子试验分别研究了Mg^2＋、dNTPs、Taq酶、引物和模板DNA等浓度对RAPD反应的影响;同时,应用L16（4^5）正交试验研究了DNA模板、Mg^2＋、Taq酶、dNTPs和引物浓度对RAPD反应的影响。以条带稳定、丰富、清晰为标准,获得了白色念珠菌基因组DNA的RAPD扩增优化条件;对于白色念珠菌的最适RAPD反应体系为Mg^2＋1．5mmol／L、dNTPs250μmol／L、引物0．6μmol／L、模板100ng／25μL、TaqDNA聚合酶1．5U／25μL。     

均匀设计优化建兰ISSR-PCR体系

采用均匀设计,对影响建兰ISSR-PCR体系的引物、Mg^2＋、dNTP和Taq DNA聚合酶浓度等进行4因素5水平和4因素3水平两轮优化,建立了适合于建兰ISSR-PCR的反应体系：在20μL反应体系中,舍引物0．25μmol／L、Mg^2＋ 2．5mmol／L,dNTP0．2mmol／L、Taq DNA聚合酶1.5U和模板DNA40ng．在此基础上对扩增程序中的循环次数和退火温度,以及ISSR引物进行筛选．筛选获得的扩增程序为：94℃预变性5min;接着进行32个循环：94℃变性35S,52～56℃退火45S,72℃延伸90s;循环结束后,72℃延伸10min．同时筛选得到14个扩增稳定、多态性丰富的ISSR引物．     

狭边大叶藓（Rhodobryum ontariense）ISSR-PCR反应体系的建立与优化

研究目的是获得适用于狭边大叶藓（Rhodobryum ontariense）遗传多样性研究的ISSR—PCR反应标准化程序。通过单因素试验设计,对Mg^2＋、dNTPs、Taq DNA聚合酶、模板、引物浓度,以及退火温度、循环次数等影响ISSR扩增的主要因素进行了研究和优化。结果表明,UBC808、UBC811、UBC812、UBC825、UBC826、UBC841、UBC888及UBC891引物适用于该研究;20μL ISSR—PCR最适反应体系包括：6ngDNA模板、0．4μmol／L引物、2．25mmoL／LMg^2＋、0．6U Taq DNA聚合酶、0．4mmol／LdNTPs。扩增程序为：94℃预变性4min;然后94℃变性1min,48～50℃（根据不同引物确定）复性2min,72℃延伸1min,共进行40个循环;最后,72℃延伸7min,4℃保存。     

红曲菌基因组DNA提取及RAPD反应体系优化

为了建立一套适合红曲属真菌RAPD反应的优化体系,用改进的CTAB法提取红曲菌基因组DNA,采用单因素试验探讨RAPD反应体系中模板DNA、随机引物、Taq酶、Mg^2＋、dNTPs对扩增结果的影响。结果在20μL体积中,模板DNA20 ng、随机引物0、2μmol/L、Taq酶、Mg^2＋1.5mmol/L,dNTPs 1mmol/L的反应体系可得到稳定清晰的RAPD扩增图谱,为采用RAPD技术进行红曲菌种质资源遗传多样性研究奠定基础。     

广东野百合DNA提取和RAPD条件的优化

以野百合(Lilium brownii)新鲜叶片、硅胶干燥叶片及鳞片为材料,研究了DNA的提取方法,并对影响随机扩增多态DNA(RAPD)反应的各因素进行了优化。建立了野百合RAPD的优化反应体系及程序,即在20μl反应体系中,含20 ng模板DNA,2.0 mmol/L Mg2 、0.2 mmol/L dNTPs、1.5 U Taq DNA聚合酶、0.3μmol/L随机引物S1519;扩增程序为:94℃预变性5 min,然后94℃30 s,38℃50 s,72℃1 min,35个循环,最后72℃延伸10 min,4℃保存。     

长心卡帕藻RAPD-PCR反应体系的正交优化研究

采用SDS(十二烷基硫酸钠,20%)法提取了大型海藻长心卡帕藻(Kappaphycus alvarezii)基因组DNA.通过单因子梯度试验,确定了影响随机扩增DNA多态性(RAPD)扩增结果的模板、Mg2 、dNTPs、S22引物、Taq的适宜浓度、退火温度和反应的最佳循环次数;利用正交试验优化了模板、Mg2 、dNTPs、S22引物、Taq的配比浓度.结果表明,在进行长心卡帕藻的RAPD扩增时,在总体积为25μl的反应体系中,模板、Mg2 、dNTPs、S22引物、Taq的最佳浓度分别为15ng、2.0mmol/L、0.2mmol/L、0.25μmol/L、2.5U;退火温度为37℃.反应程序为94℃预变性5min,然后经94℃变性30s、37℃退火1min.72℃延伸2min,进行30次循环,最后在72℃再延伸10min.     

益智ISSR-PCR反应体系建立与优化

目的：获得适合的益智ISSR-PCR扩增反应体系。方法：利用正交设计L46（4^5）和单因素试验对益智ISSR-PCR反应体系的5因素（Taq酶,Mg^2＋,模板DNA．dNTPs,引物）在4个水平上进行优化试验,将二者所得结果进行综合比较分析。结果：最终扶得益智ISSR-PCR反应的最优体系（20μl）为：模板DNA 100ng,Mg^2＋ 3．0mmol／L,引物0．8μmol／L,dNTPs0．25mmol／L,Taq DNA聚合酶1．0U。最后,对益智ISSR-PCR最佳反应体系进行梯度退火,得到最佳退火温度为50℃。结论：这一优化系统的建立为今后利用ISSR标记技术研究分析益智遗传多样性奠定基础。     

水稻单粒种子DNA提取及RAPD程序的优化研究结果

浙江大学农业与生物技术学院彭锁堂等4位先生,用水稻单粒干种子作材料,进行DNA提取方法和RAPD程序优化研究,结果表明,用CTAB法微量提取水稻干种子DNA,可获得理想的扩增结果,其最佳的反应体系和条件是随机引物浓度100～400μg／L、Mg^2＋浓度2～4mmol／L、dNTPs浓度100～400μmol／L、Taq酶IU。变性94 30S,退火38℃ 30S,延伸72℃ 1min,40个循环;若要节省时间和成本,可不进行预变性处理,其反应体积可降至12．5μl,扩增效果仍与前者一样。这是由于RAPD技术在广泛应用中稳定性差、重复性不好、伪阳性多,而PCR在反应中变性、退火、延伸温度、费时,反应过程有循环数,反应体系中有多种试剂来源,     

红锥基因组RAPD反应体系的建立和优化

以红锥(Castanopsis hystrix A.DC.)嫩叶为材料,应用改良的CTAB方法成功提取了红锥基因组DNA,并对影响随机扩增多态DNA(RAPD)反应的各因素进行了优化,建立了红锥RAPD的优化反应体系及程序.在25μl反应体系中,模板DNA 0.8 ng μl-1,10×Buffer 2.5 μl,Mg2 2.0 mmol/L,Taq DNA聚合酶0.8 U,dNTPs 0.35 mmol/L,随机引物S42 0.28 μmol/L.PCR循环程序为:94℃预变性3 min,然后94℃ 30 s,39℃ 1 min,72℃ 2 min,35个循环,最后72℃延伸10 min,4℃保存.     

白色念珠菌菌丝相培养条件及RAPD反应体系优化的研究

目的优化门色念珠菌菌丝相培养条件,为白色念珠菌菌丝相的分子生物学研究提供必要条件;建立白色念珠菌菌丝相RAPD的最佳反应体系,应用于其基因组DNA扩增。方法在RPM11640培养基的基础上,通过单因素试验研究了小牛血清用量、培养液pH值、培养温度和转种次数等对白色念珠菌菌丝相形成的影响。采用单因素试验,分别研究了Mg^2＋浓度、dNTPs浓度、Taq酶的浓度、引物浓度和模板DNA浓度对白色念珠菌菌丝相RAPD反应的影响;应用L16（4^5）正交试验对RAPD反应条件进行了优化。结果白色念珠菌菌丝相诱导的最佳条件为：每100ml培养液中的小牛血清用量为10ml,培养液pH值为7．5,培养温度为36℃,转种次数为12次。白色念珠菌菌丝相的最适RAPD反应体系为：Mg^2＋ 1．25mmol／L、dNTPs 0．4mmol／L、随机引物0．1μmol／L、TaqDNA聚合酶5U／50μl、模板DNA495ng／50μl。结论通过单因素和正交试验,获得了较适白色念珠菌菌丝相培养条件和其基因组RAPD扩增条件。     

Topoisomerase II Regulates the Maintenance of DNA Methylation

The maintenance of DNA methylation in nascent DNA is a critical event for numerous biological processes. Following DNA replication, DNMT1 is the key enzyme that strictly copies the methylation pattern from the parental strand to the nascent DNA. However, the mechanism underlying this highly specific event is not thoroughly understood. In this study, we identified topoisomerase IIα (TopoIIα) as a novel regulator of the maintenance DNA methylation. UHRF1, a protein important for global DNA methylation, interacts with TopoIIα and regulates its localization to hemimethylated DNA. TopoIIα decatenates the hemimethylated DNA following replication, which might facilitate the methylation of the nascent strand by DNMT1. Inhibiting this activity impairs DNA methylation at multiple genomic loci. We have uncovered a novel mechanism during the maintenance of DNA methylation.     

Distributions of Topological States in Circular DNA

A distinctive feature of closed circular DNA molecules is their particular topological state, which cannot be altered by any conformational rearrangement short of breaking at least one strand. This topological constraint opens unique possibilities for experimental studies of the distributions of topological states created in different ways. Primarily, the equilibrium distributions of topological properties are considered in the review. It is described how such distributions can be obtained and measured experimentally, and how they can be computed. Comparison of the calculated and measured equilibrium distributions over the linking number of complementary strands, equilibrium fractions of knots and links formed by circular molecules has provided much valuable information about the properties of the double helix. Study of the steady-state fraction of knots and links created by type II DNA topoisomerases has revealed a surprising property of the enzymes: their ability to reduce these fractions considerably below the equilibrium level.     

FBH1 Helicase Disrupts RAD51 Filaments in Vitro and Modulates Homologous Recombination in Mammalian Cells

Efficient repair of DNA double strand breaks and interstrand cross-links requires the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, a potentially error-free process that utilizes a homologous sequence as a repair template. A key player in HR is RAD51, the eukaryotic ortholog of bacterial RecA protein. RAD51 can polymerize on DNA to form a nucleoprotein filament that facilitates both the search for the homologous DNA sequences and the subsequent DNA strand invasion required to initiate HR. Because of its pivotal role in HR, RAD51 is subject to numerous positive and negative regulatory influences. Using a combination of molecular genetic, biochemical, and single-molecule biophysical techniques, we provide mechanistic insight into the mode of action of the FBH1 helicase as a regulator of RAD51-dependent HR in mammalian cells. We show that FBH1 binds directly to RAD51 and is able to disrupt RAD51 filaments on DNA through its ssDNA translocase function. Consistent with this, a mutant mouse embryonic stem cell line with a deletion in the FBH1 helicase domain fails to limit RAD51 chromatin association and shows hyper-recombination. Our data are consistent with FBH1 restraining RAD51 DNA binding under unperturbed growth conditions to prevent unwanted or unscheduled DNA recombination.     

Human HEL308 localizes to damaged replication forks and unwinds lagging strand structures

HEL308 is a superfamily II DNA helicase, conserved from archaea through to humans. HEL308 family members were originally isolated by their similarity to the Drosophila melanogaster Mus308 protein, which contributes to the repair of replication-blocking lesions such as DNA interstrand cross-links. Biochemical studies have established that human HEL308 is an ATP-dependent enzyme that unwinds DNA with a 3' to 5' polarity, but little else is know about its mechanism. Here, we show that GFP-tagged HEL308 localizes to replication forks following camptothecin treatment. Moreover, HEL308 colocalizes with two factors involved in the repair of damaged forks by homologous recombination, Rad51 and FANCD2. Purified HEL308 requires a 3' single-stranded DNA region to load and unwind duplex DNA structures. When incubated with substrates that model stalled replication forks, HEL308 preferentially unwinds the parental strands of a structure that models a fork with a nascent lagging strand, and the unwinding action of HEL308 is specifically stimulated by human replication protein A. Finally, we show that HEL308 appears to target and unwind from the junction between single-stranded to double-stranded DNA on model fork structures. Together, our results suggest that one role for HEL308 at sites of blocked replication might be to open up the parental strands to facilitate the loading of subsequent factors required for replication restart.     

Studies on human DNA polymerase epsilon and GINS complex and their role in DNA replication

In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is carried out by the coordinated action of three DNA polymerases (Pols), Pol α, δ, and ε. In this report, we describe the reconstitution of the human four-subunit Pol ε and characterization of its catalytic properties in comparison with Pol α and Pol δ. Human Pol ε holoenzyme is a monomeric complex containing stoichiometric subunit levels of p261/Pol 2, p59, p17, and p12. We show that the Pol ε p261 N-terminal catalytic domain is solely responsible for its ability to catalyze DNA synthesis. Importantly, human Pol (hPol) ε was found more processive than hPol δ in supporting proliferating cell nuclear antigen-dependent elongation of DNA chains, which is in keeping with proposed roles for hPol ε and hPol δ in the replication of leading and lagging strands, respectively. Furthermore, GINS, a component of the replicative helicase complex that is composed of Sld5, Psf1, Psf2, and Psf3, was shown to interact weakly with all three replicative DNA Pols (α, δ, and ε) and to markedly stimulate the activities of Pol α and Pol ε. In vivo studies indicated that siRNA-targeted depletion of hPol δ and/or hPol ε reduced cell cycle progression and the rate of fork progression. Under the conditions used, we noted that depletion of Pol ε had a more pronounced inhibitory effect on cellular DNA replication than depletion of Pol δ. We suggest that reduction in the level of Pol δ may be less deleterious because of its collision-and-release role in lagging strand synthesis.     

The DDN Catalytic Motif Is Required for Metnase Functions in Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ) Repair and Replication Restart

Metnase (or SETMAR) arose from a chimeric fusion of the Hsmar1 transposase downstream of a protein methylase in anthropoid primates. Although the Metnase transposase domain has been largely conserved, its catalytic motif (DDN) differs from the DDD motif of related transposases, which may be important for its role as a DNA repair factor and its enzymatic activities. Here, we show that substitution of DDN⁶¹⁰ with either DDD⁶¹⁰ or DDE⁶¹⁰ significantly reduced in vivo functions of Metnase in NHEJ repair and accelerated restart of replication forks. We next tested whether the DDD or DDE mutants cleave single-strand extensions and flaps in partial duplex DNA and pseudo-Tyr structures that mimic stalled replication forks. Neither substrate is cleaved by the DDD or DDE mutant, under the conditions where wild-type Metnase effectively cleaves ssDNA overhangs. We then characterized the ssDNA-binding activity of the Metnase transposase domain and found that the catalytic domain binds ssDNA but not dsDNA, whereas dsDNA binding activity resides in the helix-turn-helix DNA binding domain. Substitution of Asn-610 with either Asp or Glu within the transposase domain significantly reduces ssDNA binding activity. Collectively, our results suggest that a single mutation DDN⁶¹⁰ → DDD⁶¹⁰, which restores the ancestral catalytic site, results in loss of function in Metnase.     

Contribution of the intrinsic curvature to measured DNA persistence length

The persistence length of DNA, a, depends both on the intrinsic curvature of the double helix and on the thermal fluctuations of the angles between adjacent base-pairs. We have evaluated two contributions to the value of a by comparing measured values of a for DNA containing a generic sequence and for an "intrinsically straight" DNA. In each 10 bp segment of the intrinsically straight DNA an initial sequence of five bases is repeated in the sequence of the second five bases, so any bends in the first half of the segment are compensated by bends in the opposite direction in the second half. The value of a for the latter DNA depends, to a good approximation, on thermal fluctuations only; there is no intrinsic curvature. The values of a were obtained from measurements of the cyclization efficiency for short DNA fragments, about 200 bp in length. This method determines the persistence length of DNA with exceptional accuracy, due to the very strong dependence of the cyclization efficiency of short fragments on the value of a. We find that the values of a for the two types of DNA fragment are very close and conclude that the contribution of the intrinsic curvature to a is at least 20 times smaller than the contribution of thermal fluctuations. The relationship between this result and the angles between adjacent base-pairs, which specify the intrinsic curvature, is analyzed.     

A procedure for large-scale isolation of RNA-free plasmid and phage DNA without the use of RNase

A preparative procedure for the large-scale isolation of plasmid DNA without the use of RNAse is described. Crude plasmid DNA is prepared using a standard boiling method. High-molecular-weight RNA is removed by precipitation with LiCl, and low-molecular-weight RNA is removed by sedimentation through high-salt solution. The procedure is inexpensive, rapid, simple, and particularly suitable for processing several large-scale preparations simultaneously. A similar procedure has been developed for preparation of lambda-phage DNA.     

Formation of a stable RuvA protein double tetramer is required for efficient branch migration in vitro and for replication fork reversal in vivo

In bacteria, RuvABC is required for the resolution of Holliday junctions (HJ) made during homologous recombination. The RuvAB complex catalyzes HJ branch migration and replication fork reversal (RFR). During RFR, a stalled fork is reversed to form a HJ adjacent to a DNA double strand end, a reaction that requires RuvAB in certain Escherichia coli replication mutants. The exact structure of active RuvAB complexes remains elusive as it is still unknown whether one or two tetramers of RuvA support RuvB during branch migration and during RFR. We designed an E. coli RuvA mutant, RuvA2(KaP), specifically impaired for RuvA tetramer-tetramer interactions. As expected, the mutant protein is impaired for complex II (two tetramers) formation on HJs, although the binding efficiency of complex I (a single tetramer) is as wild type. We show that although RuvA complex II formation is required for efficient HJ branch migration in vitro, RuvA2(KaP) is fully active for homologous recombination in vivo. RuvA2(KaP) is also deficient at forming complex II on synthetic replication forks, and the binding affinity of RuvA2(KaP) for forks is decreased compared with wild type. Accordingly, RuvA2(KaP) is inefficient at processing forks in vitro and in vivo. These data indicate that RuvA2(KaP) is a separation-of-function mutant, capable of homologous recombination but impaired for RFR. RuvA2(KaP) is defective for stimulation of RuvB activity and stability of HJ·RuvA·RuvB tripartite complexes. This work demonstrates that the need for RuvA tetramer-tetramer interactions for full RuvAB activity in vitro causes specifically an RFR defect in vivo.