一种快速、精确构建大肠杆菌组氨酸营养缺陷型的方法

将表达Red体内重组蛋白的质粒pKD46转化大肠杆菌：DH5α,用5′端与组氨酸基因同源,3′端与卡那霉素抗性基因同源的引物获得具有卡那霉素抗性基因的PCR产物,然后电击转化DH5α,在λRed重组系统的帮助下,通过卡那霉素抗性基因两侧的组氨酸基因序列在体内与大肠杆菌染色体上的组氨酸基因发生同源重组,置换了DH5α组氨酸操纵元中的hisDCB基因,最后利用卡那霉素抗性基因两端的FRT位点,通过FTP位点专一性重组将卡那霉素抗性基因去除,最终获得了不具抗性的大肠杆菌组氨酸营养缺陷型菌株。为在大肠杆菌及其他菌株中快速、精确的构建营养缺陷型菌株提供了有益的参考。     

Tagged Mutagenesis and Gene-trap in the Moss, Physcomitrella patens by Shuttle Mutagenesis

The moss, Physcomitrella patens has been used as a useful materialin many fields, because of its simple body plan, ease of genetargeting, and other reasons. Although many mutants have beenreported, no method to isolate the corresponding genes was reported.We developed a gene tagging and gene-trap system in P. patensby using the shuttle mutagenesis technique, which has been usedin the budding yeast. In 5264 tagged lines, 203 mutants withaltered developmental or morphological phenotypes were obtained.In 129 of 4757 gene-trap lines, ß-glucuronidase (GUS)activity was detected in some tissue. Although multiple copiesof a tag were detected in many tagged lines by Southern analyses,most copies are likely integrated at the same locus accordingto PCR analyses.     

枯草杆菌蛋白酶基因工程的研究进展

本文介绍了枯草杆菌蛋白酶(Subtilisin)的研究现状,即利用定位诱变和体外重组等技术改变酶的性质,包括催化活性、底物特异性、稳定性、低温适应性以及酶在有机相中的性能等。对枯草杆菌蛋白酶的成功改造不仅有可观的商业价值,而且为蛋白质工程的发展作出了重要的贡献 。     

DNA polymerases are error-prone at RecA-mediated recombination intermediates

Genetic studies have suggested that Y-family translesion DNA polymerase IV (DinB) performs error-prone recombination-directed replication (RDR) under conditions of stress due to its ability to promote mutations during double-strand break (DSB) repair in growth-limited E. coli cells. In recent studies we have demonstrated that pol IV is preferentially recruited to D-loop recombination intermediates at stress-induced concentrations and is highly mutagenic during RDR in vitro. These findings verify longstanding genetic data that have implicated pol IV in promoting stress-induced mutagenesis at D-loops. In this Extra View, we demonstrate the surprising finding that A-family pol I, which normally exhibits high-fidelity DNA synthesis, is highly error-prone at D-loops like pol IV. These findings indicate that DNA polymerases are intrinsically error-prone at RecA-mediated D-loops and suggest that auxiliary factors are necessary for suppressing mutations during RDR in non-stressed proliferating cells.     

多片段酶切连接反应结合同源重组的DNA组装方法

为了寻找一种准确高效的多片段组装及多点突变方案,将目前常用的多片段组装方法进行了整合与优化,并以果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶1 (fructose-1,6-diphosphatase 1, FBP1)基因4位点突变为例进行验证。通过引入突变位点和Bsa I识别序列连接含有突变位点的片段,经过酶切/连接反应后扩增组装成功的目的片段,并引入与线性化载体两端同源的序列,最后进行片段与线性化载体的重组并转化大肠杆菌。经筛选与测序,得到4位点突变重组质粒。该方案弥补了常规的Gibson组装和Golden Gate组装的部分缺点,是一种高效进行多片段组装和多点突变的实验方案。     

A tetramer-octamer equilibrium in Mycobacterium leprae and Escherichia coli RuvA by analytical ultracentrifugation

In the context of the bacterial RuvABC system, RuvA protein binds to and is involved in the subsequent processing of a four-way DNA structure called Holliday junction that is formed during homologous recombination. Four crystal structures of RuvA from Escherichia coli (EcoRuvA) showed that it was tetrameric, while neutron scattering and two other crystal structures for RuvA from Mycobacterium leprae (MleRuvA) and EcoRuvA showed that it was an octamer. To clarify this discrepancy, sedimentation equilibrium experiments by analytical ultracentrifugation were carried out and the results showed that MleRuvA existed as a tetramer-octamer equilibrium between 0.2-0.5 mg/ml in 0.1 M NaCl with a dissociation constant of 4 muM, and is octameric at higher concentrations. The same experiments in 0.3 M NaCl showed that MleRuvA is a tetramer up to 3.5 mg/ml, indicating that salt bridges are involved in octamer formation. Sedimentation equilibrium experiments with EcoRuvA showed that it was tetrameric at low concentration in both salt buffers but the protein was insoluble at high-protein concentrations in 0.1 M NaCl. It is concluded that free RuvA exists in an equilibrium between tetrameric and octameric forms in the typical concentration range and buffer found in bacterial cells.     

Synaptonemal complex protein SYCP3 impairs mitotic recombination by interfering with BRCA2

The meiosis-specific synaptonemal complex protein SYCP3 has been reported to be aberrantly expressed in tumours. However, in contrast to its well-defined function in meiosis, its possible role in mitotic cells is entirely unknown. Here, we show that SYCP3 is expressed in a range of primary tumours and that it impairs chromosomal integrity in mitotic cells. Expression of SYCP3 inhibits the homologous recombination (HR) pathway mediated by RAD51, inducing hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents such as a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor and chromosomal instability. SYCP3 forms a complex with BRCA2 and inhibits its role in HR. These findings highlight a new mechanism for chromosomal instability in cancer and extend the range of PARP-inhibitor sensitive tumours to those expressing SYCP3.     

藻胆体核亚基ApcD定点突变及体内重组功能研究

在对Anabaena sp.PCC7120藻胆体核亚基ApcD结合色素PCB的体内重组中,发现色素蛋白在提纯前后最大吸收峰和荧光峰发生了红移,从提纯前的605nm及633nm变为提纯后的650nm及665nm.为了研究该现象的原因,构建了ApcD的8个突变体,重组结果显示:突变体ApcD(Y88I)色素蛋白在提纯后的吸收光谱和荧光光谱较提纯前均多出一个峰,分别为668nm,690nm;ApcD(W59Q)、ApcD(Y73A)、ApcD(W87E)色素蛋白在提纯前后的吸收光谱和荧光光谱一致;ApcD(M126S)、ApcD(Y116S)、ApcD(M160T)色素蛋白在提纯前后的吸收光谱一致,而提纯后的荧光峰位置较提纯前分别红移了5nm、7nm和10nm;ApcD(M115I)色素蛋白在提纯前后的吸收光谱和荧光光谱均发生了红移,从提纯前的605nm和633nm变为提纯后的638nm和655nm.这些色素蛋白在酸性尿素溶液变性条件下的最大吸收峰始终在662nm,表明辅基色素仍然是藻蓝胆素;在对PCB-ApcD、PCB-ApcD(Y116S)及PCB-ApcD(M160T)的圆二色谱分析发现,该两个氨基酸的突变均...     

携带GFP绿色荧光标记的重组BAC-HSV-1HF株的构建及其子代病毒的特性研究

本研究旨在构建由细菌人工染色体(Bacteria artificial chromosome,BAC)携带的单纯疱疹I型病毒质粒及携带绿色荧光蛋白(Green fluorescent protein,GFP)的重组型BAC-HSV-1感染性子代病毒。构建了携带HSV-1同源臂的质粒C223-UL43左臂-UL47右臂。将该质粒线性化后与HSV-1基因组共转染至Vero细胞,通过真核细胞内同源重组产生了含有GFP报告基因的BAC-HSV-1重组病毒,噬斑纯化筛选出阳性重组病毒,并再次感染Vero细胞,Hirt法提取BAC-HSV-1环形基因组并将其电穿孔入DH10B感受态细胞,由PCR和酶切法鉴定BAC-HSV-1质粒。为研究BAC-HSV-1子代病毒的生物学特性,将实验组和对照组细胞分别给予BAC-HSV-1质粒和HSV-1基因组DNA,收取病变细胞的上清液,以MOI=0.1再次感染Vero细胞,半数组织培养感染剂量(50% tissue culture infective dose,TCID50)法测定两组的病毒滴度。PCR和酶切法分别鉴定BAC-HSV-1,结果示BAC-HSV-1构建成功。TCID50法测定实验组和对照组病毒滴度,经统计学分析两组病毒滴度间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。本研究成功地构建了真核细胞和原核细胞间穿梭的HSV-1-BAC重组病毒/质粒。     

Identification of the subunit-subunit interface of Xenopus Rad51.1 protein: similarity to RecA

Rad51, like its prokaryotic homolog RecA, forms a helical filament for homologous DNA recombination and recombinational DNA repair. Comparison of the three-dimensional structures of human Rad51 and Escherichia coli RecA indicated that the tyrosine residue at position 191 in human Rad51 lies at the centre of a putative subunit-subunit contact interface. We inserted a tryptophan residue as a fluorescent probe at the corresponding position in Xenopus Rad51.1 and found that its fluorescence depended upon the protein concentration, indicating that the residue is truly in the subunit-subunit interface. We also found that 3 M urea, which promoted the dissociation of Rad51 filament without complete unfolding of the protein, exposed the tryptophan residue to solvent. The fluorescence was not modified by binding to DNA and only slightly modified by ATP, indicating that the same site is used for formation of the active ATP-Rad51-DNA filament. The slight changes in fluorescence caused by ATP and ADP suggest that the subunit-subunit contact is altered, leading to the elongation of the filament by these nucleotides, as with the RecA filament. Thus, Rad51 forms filaments by subunit-subunit contact much like RecA does.     

Enhancing gene targeting efficiency in higher plants: rice is on the move

AbstractMeeting the challenge of routine gene targeting (GT) in higher plants is of crucial interest to researchers and plant breeders who are currently in need of a powerful tool to specifically modify a given locus in a genome. Higher plants have long been considered the last lineage resistant to targeting technology. However, a recent report described an efficient method of T-DNA-mediated targeted disruption of a non-selectable locus in rice [Terada et al., Nat Biotechnol 20: 1030–1034 (2002)]. Though this study was an obvious breakthrough, further improvement of GT frequencies may derive from a better understanding of the natural mechanisms that control homologous recombination (HR) processes. In this review, we will focus on what is known about HR and the factors which may hamper the development of routine GT by HR in higher plants. We will also present the current strategies envisaged to overcome these limitations, such as expression of recombination proteins and refinements in the design of the transformation vector.     

Crystal structure of RecA from Deinococcus radiodurans: insights into the structural basis of extreme radioresistance

The resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans (Dr) to extreme doses of ionizing radiation depends on its highly efficient capacity to repair dsDNA breaks. Dr RecA, the key protein in the repair of dsDNA breaks by homologous recombination, promotes DNA strand-exchange by an unprecedented inverse pathway, in which the presynaptic filament is formed on dsDNA instead of ssDNA. In order to gain insight into the remarkable repair capacity of Dr and the novel mechanistic features of its RecA protein, we have determined its X-ray crystal structure in complex with ATPgammaS at 2.5A resolution. Like RecA from Escherichia coli, Dr RecA crystallizes as a helical filament that is closely related to its biologically relevant form, but with a more compressed pitch of 67 A. Although the overall fold of Dr RecA is similar to E.coli RecA, there is a large reorientation of the C-terminal domain, which in E.coli RecA has a site for binding dsDNA. Compared to E.coli RecA, the inner surface along the central axis of the Dr RecA filament has an increased positive electrostatic potential. Unique amino acid residues in Dr RecA cluster around a flexible beta-hairpin that has also been implicated in DNA binding.     

Generation and effective enrichment of selectable human cytomegalovirus mutants using site-directed insertion of the neo gene

Studies on the biology and function of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genes have been hampered by the limited number of viral mutants available for genetic analyses. We have developed a simple procedure to generate and enrich for HCMV recombinants. By inserting the bacterial neo gene, encoding neomycin/kanamycin phosphotransferase, into the large HCMV DNA genome using homologous recombination, selectable mutants of this complex herpesvirus were isolated for the first time. The synthesis of Neo from the viral genome was used to effectively enrich for recombinant viruses (re-viruses) in permissive culture cells grown in the presence of Geneticin (G418). A quick assay for Neo activity in infected cells, based on phosphorylation of kanamycin (Km), was used to easily identify viral recombinants in the process of screening and isolation. This procedure, not used previously to identify re-viruses, proved to be very useful for screening of large numbers of HCMV recombinants. Analysis of re-virus by Southern blotting revealed that the insertion of the marker gene had resulted in the expected deletion of the open reading frames, TRL 13/14 and UL 1–5, of HCMV. Re-virus was stable and showed no differences in growth kinetics as compared to wild-type (wt) virus. The insertion of a selectable marker gene into the HCMV genome and identification of viral recombinants by the Km phosphorylation assay, as presented here, provides the rationale for effective generation, enrichment and stable propagation of HCMV mutants.