Structure of the dnaA and DnaA-box region in the Mycoplasma capricolum chromosome: conservation and variations in the course of evolution.

We have previously shown that the dnaA gene and the DnaA-box region were conserved in bacteria representative of all three major branches of the eubacterial phylogenic tree: high G + C Gram+, low-G + C Gram+ and Gram-. In the present work, we determined the structure of the dnaA region of Mycoplasma capricolum and found that the dnaA gene and at least two other genes, rpmH and dnaN, were conserved in this bacterium. An unusually high level of amino acid (aa) substitutions was observed in M. capricolum DnaA. It was the case even in those aa which were well conserved in other bacterial species. The nontranslatable region upstream from the dnaA gene was also conserved in this bacterium, as it was universally found in both Gram+ and Gram- bacteria. An additional nontranslatable region downstream from the dnaA gene, which is common to Gram+ bacteria, was also found in M. capricolum, consistent with the proposal that M. capricolum is Gram+ in origin. These regions were rich in A + T and contained ten DnaA-box-like sequences (9-mers that differ from TTATCCACA by one or two bases).     

Mapping of replication initiation site in Mycoplasma capricolum genome by two-dimensional gel-electrophoretic analysis.

The homolog of the dnaA gene, which has been reported to be present in the vicinity of the initiation site of replication in the genome of Mycoplasma capricolum (M.Miyata, L.Wang, and T.Fukumura, J. Bacteriol. 175: 655-660, 1993) was mapped precisely. A 9540-bp region containing the dnaA gene was cloned and the entire region was sequenced with the exception of a previously reported region of 2517 bp (Fujita, M.Q., Yoshikawa, H. and Ogasawara, N. Gene 93: 73-78, 1992). The organization of the 9540-bp region was compared with that of corresponding regions in other bacteria. The arrangement and directions of rnpA, rpmH, dnaA, dnaN were conserved, but no other open reading frames were found that were homologous to those that are commonly found around dnaA genes in other bacteria. The directions of movement of the replication fork around the dnaA gene were analyzed by neutral/alkaline two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The forks developed in a 1569-bp region that consisted of the dnaA structural gene and its downstream non-coding region, and then they proceeded bidirectionally.     

Two DNA sequences specific for the canine Y chromosome

Data are presented on the characterization of two nucleotide sequences found exclusively in the DNA of male dogs. In polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) of canine genomic DNA with a decanucleotide primer of arbitrary sequence (OP-W17), two nucleotide segments (650 and 990 bp) were amplified only from male samples, whereas a number of other fragments between 400 and 2500 bp in size were amplified from both male and female samples. The two male-specific segments were cloned and sequenced, and terminal 24mer oligonucleotide primer pairs were synthesized. PCR with these specific primer pairs resulted in amplification of the two male-specific sequences only from DNA samples of 34 male dogs; no product was amplified from 42 samples of females. A segment of the SRY gene previously localized on the Y chromosome could be amplified in DNA samples that had the two new sequences. Eco RI digested genomic male DNA when hybridized with the 650 bp or the 990 bp sequences, resulted in a single band for each on Southern analysis; DNA from females did not yield any bands. Comparisons between the two new sequences and the SRY gene segment revealed no homologies. We concluded that the two new sequences are specific for the canine Y chromosome and do not contain the short characterized segment of the SRY gene.     

马传染性贫血病毒美洲流行株与我国弱毒疫苗株鉴别诊断方法的研究

马传染性贫血病毒(Equine infectious anemia virus,EIAV)是反转录病毒科慢病毒属的成员,是马传染性贫血病的病原。二十世纪七十年代我国就研制出马传染性贫血驴白细胞弱毒疫苗,成为世界第一个成功地应用该疫苗控制了我国的马传贫的发生[1]。而且我国的马传贫弱毒疫苗对异源的美国、古巴和阿根廷等毒株也有很高的保护率[2]。因此将我国的马传贫驴细胞弱毒疫苗推向国际市场成为可能。然而目前制约该苗出口的技术问题是现行的OIE推荐的琼脂扩散实验和ELISA等血清学方法不能鉴别自然感染马与我国弱毒疫苗免疫马,针对这个关键问题,本试验…     

The genes coding for the L,M and cytochrome subunits of the photosynthetic reaction center from the thermophilic purple sulfur bacterium t Chromatium tepidum

The complete nucleotide sequences of the genes coding for L, M protein subunits and part of cytochrome subunit of the photosynthetic reaction center were determined for the thermophilic purple sulfur bacterium t Chromatium tepidum (t Chr. tepidum) which belongs to the subclass. The DNA fragments with 860 bp and 1900 bp were amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with the primers designed on the basis of amino acid sequences according to chemical sequence analysis of the proteins. The deduced amino acid sequences of these genes showed a significantly high degree of homology with those from purple non-sulfur bacteria. The L subunit consisted of 280 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 31,393. The M subunit consisted of 324 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 36,299. The aligned sequences of the L subunits of other purple bacterial reaction center polypeptides, showed the insertion of 8 amino acids in t Chr. tepidum in the connection of the first and second membrane-spanning helices different from those of purple non-sulfur bacteria. The aligned sequences of the L, M and cytochrome subunits were compared with other species and discussed in terms of phylogenetic trees.     

山羊传染性胸膜肺炎病原体4株国内分离株的重新分类

山羊传染性胸膜肺炎(Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia,CCPP)是由山羊支原体山羊肺炎亚种(M.capricolum subsp.capripneumoniae,Mccp)引起的高度接触性传染病,对4株CCPP中国分离株进行分子特征研究,确定其分类地位。针对3段基因(A、B、C),对扩增产物进行酶切鉴定和测序,将结果与丝状支原体簇的6个成员进行遗传衍化分析。在A片段,4株中国分离株的扩增产物经PstI酶切后的结果与Mccp代表株F38相同,为548、420、128等3条带,其他5个丝状支原体簇成员只有420、128bp两条带。在B片段,序列分析结果显示4株中国分离株与F38同源性为99.5%,与山羊支原体山羊亚种Mcc代表株kid的同源性为98.9%,与丝状支原体山羊亚种MmcZZ株同源性仅为95.4%。在C片段研究发现,4株中国分离株的序列与Mmc模式株PG3株同源性为67.4%~67.6%,与2株Mcc8601-50和California Kid同源性为95.1%~98.4%,与3株Mccp97097ET、Gabes和F38的同源性为99.6%~99.8%。通过对中国分离的87001、87002、367、1653等4株CCPP病原体的分子特征研究,首次提出其与山羊支原体山羊肺炎亚种(Mccp)亲缘关系最近,应归属为Mccp,并将国内流行的山羊传染性胸膜肺炎的病原定名为Mccp。     

Cloning of an autonomously replicating sequence (ars) from the Bacillus subtilis chromosome

Cloning of an autonomously replicating sequence (ars) from the origin region of Bacillus subtilis was previously unsuccessful because of the strong incompatibility exerted by sequences located within the oriC region. Using an ars searching vector which would be selective for drug resistance even at one copy per cell, and by cloning large fragments covering as much as possible of the oriC region, we have succeeded in isolating ars fragments from the origin region of the chromosome. The minimum essential fragment contains two DnaA-box regions (non-translatable regions containing multiple repeats of DnaA-box) separated by the dnaA gene. Neither one of the DnaA-box regions by itself showed ars activity. When constructed as oriC plasmids, the dnaA coding region could be removed without affecting ars activity. The minimum distance between the two DnaA-box regions obtained so far is 274 bp. The copy number of the oriC plasmid is estimated as one per replicating chromosome. These plasmids are unstable and tend to be lost or integrated into chromosome.     

斗鱼属鱼类亲缘关系的Cyt b基因序列和RAPD分析

采用mtDNA Cyt b基因序列分析和RAPD两种分子标记技术,研究了中国分布的叉尾斗鱼(Macropodus opercularis)、圆尾斗鱼(M.chinensis)和香港斗鱼(M.hongkongensis)以及越南的红鳍斗鱼(M.erythropterus)4种鱼类之间的亲缘关系.获得4种斗鱼14条Cyt b基因全序列(1 155 bp),结合GenBank中搜索到的近缘物种同源序列进行分析.从133条随机引物中筛选到36条引物,在优化的反应条件下,10个群体96个个体共扩增出清晰稳定的条带749条,构建矩阵进行分析和聚类.基于Cyt b全序列以邻接法和最小进化法构建的系统树及RAPD数据UPGMA聚类分析的结果都显示,香港斗鱼和红鳍斗鱼先聚为一分支,再与叉尾斗鱼聚类,圆尾斗鱼处于外缘.本研究结果反映了圆尾斗鱼与其他斗鱼的亲缘关系较远,种间遗传距离为0.184 5～0.225 3(Cyt b)和0.653 6～0.746 5(RAPD),两者为同一单系群中两个独立演化的自然类群;香港斗鱼与叉尾斗鱼间遗传分化明显,Cyt b碱基差异为11.00%,RAFD遗传距离达0.577 7,支持其为独立物种的观点,且香港斗鱼群体间遗传差异较大,Cyt b碱基差异为3.12%,RAPD遗传距离0.060 1;叉尾斗鱼群体间Nei's基因多样度和Shannon信息指数分别为0.058 2和0.086 9,而各群体内的数值分别为0.016 1～0.031 7和0.023 5～0.046 7,表明遗传差异主要来自群体间,并按分布流域分别聚类.     

Sequence analysis of 56 kb from the genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae comprising the dnaA region, the atp operon and a cluster of ribosomal protein genes.

To sequence the entire 800 kilobase pair genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a plasmid library was established with contained the majority of the EcoR1 fragments from M.pneumoniae. The EcoR1 fragments were subcloned from an ordered cosmid library comprising the complete M.pneumoniae genome. Individual plasmid clones were sequenced in an ordered fashion mainly by primer walking. We report here the initial results from the sequence analysis of -56 kb comprising the dnaA region as a potential origin of replication, the ATPase operon and a region coding for a cluster of ribosomal protein genes. The data were compared with the corresponding genes/operons from Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Mycoplasma capricolum and Mycoplasma gallisepticum.     

The ribosomal genes of Mycoplasma capricolum

The nucleotide sequence of 5S rRNA from Mycoplasma capricolum is more similar to that of the gram-positive bacteria than that of the gram-negative bacteria. The presence of two copies of rRNA genes in M. capricolum genome has been demonstrated. The two different rRNA gene clusters have been cloned in E. coli plasmid vectors and analyzed for the rRNA gene organizations, demonstrating that the gene arrangement is in the order of 16S, 23S, and 5S rDNA. The ribosomes of M. capricolum contain about 30 species of proteins in 50S and 20 in 30S subunits. The number and size of the ribosomal proteins are not significantly different from those of other eubacterial ribosomes.     

Identification of Mycobacterium species by comparative analysis of the dnaA gene

For the establishment of a diagnostic tool for mycobacterial species, a part of the dnaA gene was amplified and sequenced from clinically relevant 27 mycobacterial species as well as 49 clinical isolates. Sequence variability in the amplified segment of the dnaA gene allowed the differentiation of all species except for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium microti, which had identical sequences. Partial sequences of dnaA from clinical isolates belonging to three frequently isolated species revealed a very high intraspecies similarity, with a range of 96.0-100%. Based on the dnaA sequences, a species-specific primer set for Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium gastri was successfully designed for a simple loop-mediated isothermal amplification method. These results demonstrate that the variable sequences in the dnaA gene were species specific and were sufficient for the development of an accurate and rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium species.     

Natural infection of chimpanzees with new lentiviruses related to HIV-1/SIVcpz

To determine newly identified lentiviruses, termed simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)cpz97CG4 and SIVcpz97CG6, from two wild-captured juvenile brother chimpanzees in the Republic of Congo, subgenomic pol (integrase, 288 bp), 5'tat/rev-env Cl (including vpu, 354 bp) and env (C2-C4, 544 bp) gene fragments were amplified and sequenced. The analysis revealed significantly discordant phylogenetic positions of SIVcpz97CG in each genomic region. In the trees derived from partial env sequences (V3), both SIVcpz strains clustered in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype A. However, in the trees derived from partial pol (integrase) and 5'tat/rev-env C1 (including vpu) sequences, they clustered independently from any of the known HIV-1 subtypes. Especially, in the 5'tat/rev-vpu tree, they branched before the root of HIV-1 group M. These findings suggest that these Congolese SIVcpz genomes are mosaic, probably due to a recombinational event in the recent past, and it provides evidence for a rather recently occurring cross-species transmission between humans and chimpanzees.     

尤马马杜拉放线菌染色体复制区的克隆及功能分析

尤马马杜拉放线菌(Actinomadura yumaensis)NRRL12515产生马杜拉霉素,用于防治禽类球虫病。试验以放线菌dnaA与dnaN基因保守区设计的简并引物进行PCR扩增,获得了包含尤马马杜拉放线菌的染色体复制区oriC的片段,并进行了序列分析和复制功能的研究。尤马马杜拉放线菌染色体的oriC全长为919碱基对,含有14个DnaA盒子和2个AT富含区,DnaA盒子的保守序列是(T/C)(T/C)GTCC(A/C)CA,与已发表的3个属的放线菌染色体oriC的序列特征不同。携带该oriC片段的大肠杆菌质粒可以在天蓝色链霉菌中复制并以低拷贝方式遗传,表明这是一段有复制功能的序列。比较来自放线菌4个属的oriC,发现以oriC序列和以16S rRNA基因序列构建的进化树十分相似,表明oriC序列也可以体现放线菌物种之间的关系。     

广东地区两种兰花病毒病害的分子鉴定及检测

根据已报道的建兰花叶病毒(CyMV)和齿兰环斑病毒(ORSV)基因组核苷酸序列,在其cp基因上下游设计PCR引物。CyMV预计扩增产物784bp,ORSV预计扩增产物604bp。以采集自广东省顺德的墨兰和文心兰表现病毒病症状的病株叶组织总RNA为模板,进行RT—PCR扩增。对预期大小的5个扩增产物进行克隆和测序,结果表明,来源于不同兰种或同一兰种不同兰场的病样CyMV引物扩增产物核苷酸序列存在少量差异,但均与世界各地的CyMV分离物cp基因高度同源;而来源于不同兰种的病样ORSV引物扩增产物核苷酸序列完全相同,与世界各地的ORSV分离物cp基因高度同源。因此可将侵染广东兰花的两种病毒鉴定为CyMV和ORSV。混合上述两种病毒的PCR引物,采用双重RT—PCR扩增,对采自广东顺德23个兰场共153份样品进行病毒检测,76份(49．7％)检出CyMV,52份(34．0％)检出ORSV,2份(1．3％)同时检出CyMV和ORSV。     

脓肿分支枝杆菌embB基因耐乙胺丁醇的分析

目的 分析脓肿分支枝杆菌的embB基因,以探讨其耐乙胺丁醇的分子机制.方法 用16S rRNA基因序列分析法鉴定5株脓肿分枝杆菌临床株,测定乙胺丁醇对临床株及标准株( ATCC 19977)的最低抑菌浓度(MIC).PCR扩增embB基因的全序列,将所测序列进行生物信息学分析.结果 乙胺丁醇对5株脓肿分支杆菌标准株和临床株的MIC均为128μg/mL.,属高度耐药.从脓肿分支枝杆菌的标准株和临床株均扩增出约3200 bp片段,与GenBank中脓肿分支枝杆菌标准株的embB基因大小一致.5株临床株与标准株比较,其核苷酸序列存在9个点突变,在突变位点所编码的氨基酸序列中,仅第18位、87位、770位密码子编码与标准株不同的氨基酸.6株脓肿分支枝杆菌的embB基因与对EMB敏感的结核分支杆菌标准株(H37RV)的相应基因序列比较,第303-305位密码子的核苷酸序列存在差异,但仅第303、304位核苷酸编码的氨基酸序列不同,第306位密码子的核苷酸序列无差异.结论 脓肿分支杆菌对乙胺丁醇的耐药并非embB基因的突变所致,为embB基因天然存在结构的不同,属于天然耐药.结构的差异与第306位密码子无关,可能与第303、304密码子有关.     

赤麂SRY基因的测序及其与部分偶蹄目动物SRY基因序列的比较

采用人SRY基因的一段保守序列的引物,通过PCR在雄性赤麂中扩增出了赤麂SRY基因的特异片段,通过DNA斑点杂交证实其扩增产物与人SRY基因探针进行菌落杂交筛选出赤麂SRY基因的阳性克隆,并对其进行了,将其序列与基因库中录入的所有偶蹄目动物的SRY基因序列进行同源性比较,用UPGMA法构建了其系统进化树,从分类和进化上对赤麂SRY基因进行分析。     

Versatile use of oriC plasmids for functional genomics of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum

Replicative oriC plasmids were recently developed for several mollicutes, including three Mycoplasma species belonging to the mycoides cluster that are responsible for bovine and caprine diseases: Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small-colony type, Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides large-colony type, and Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum. In this study, oriC plasmids were evaluated in M. capricolum subsp. capricolum as genetic tools for (i) expression of heterologous proteins and (ii) gene inactivation by homologous recombination. The reporter gene lacZ, encoding beta-galactosidase, and the gene encoding spiralin, an abundant surface lipoprotein of the related mollicute Spiroplasma citri, were successfully expressed. Functional Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase was detected in transformed Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum cells despite noticeable codon usage differences. The expression of spiralin in M. capricolum subsp. capricolum was assessed by colony and Western blotting. Accessibility of this protein at the cell surface and its partition into the Triton X-114 detergent phase suggest a correct maturation of the spiralin precursor. The expression of a heterologous lipoprotein in a mycoplasma raises potentially interesting applications, e.g., the use of these bacteria as live vaccines. Targeted inactivation of gene lppA encoding lipoprotein A was achieved in M. capricolum subsp. capricolum with plasmids harboring a replication origin derived from S. citri. Our results suggest that the selection of the infrequent events of homologous recombination could be enhanced by the use of oriC plasmids derived from related mollicute species. Mycoplasma gene inactivation opens the way to functional genomics in a group of bacteria for which a large wealth of genome data are already available and steadily growing.     

人ZP3基因的RT-PCR cDNA克隆

目的：研究人ZP3基因的结构及构建人ZP3基因原核表达系统。方法：从人卵巢组织中分离出mRNA并以此作为模版,通过RT—PCR扩增出人ZP3基因cDNA片段,然后将其克隆在pUC18质粒上,并对克隆片段进行序列分析。结果：共克隆到ZP3-A（1300bp）、ZP3-B（1180bp）、ZP3-C（1200bp）和ZP3-D（1080bp）4种不同长度的人ZP3基因cDNA片段,对其中最长的ZP3-A片段的测序结果表明,它包含了人ZP3基因阅读框内的全部序列,与NCBI Sequence Viewer中公布的人ZP3 mRNA序列（NM-007155）相比较,在1275bp长的编码区内只有一个碱基不同,两者同源性达到99．92％。结论：本研究克隆到的ZP3-A cDNA片段确是人ZP3基因无疑。