利用DNA芯片技术高效合成OstreococcusTauri叶绿体基因组

目的：21世纪以来,随着合成生物学的高速发展及其所遇到的问题,开发下一代DNA合成技术已经成为了必然趋势。基因芯片技术和DNA大片段组装技术是建立下一代DNA合成平台的关键技术力量。方法：为了开发具有工业化标准的DNA芯片一基因组合成平台,我们首次利用电化学DNA芯片和DNA大片段组装技术合成了72kb的Ostreococcusmud的全叶绿体基因组。结果：首先,我们使用电化学DNA芯片合成仪合成了564条150bp的OligoMix,并成功扩增分离了其中96％的Oligo序列,剩下的基因组序列是通过传统的固相亚磷酰胺三脂合成法合成。在此基础上,我们利用DNA重组技术将564条150bpOligo片段分三步克隆到了一个pGSYN系统。通过高通量测序,我们证实叶绿体基因组被成功地人工合成。整个合成成本大约是目前传统基因合成成本的10％．20％。结论：研究证实基因芯片技术和DNA大片段组装技术的应用是能够明显的降低现阶段基因组合成工艺的成本。新技术的成熟推广和成本的有效控制也会进一步加速科学家对基因组功能的深入研究以及合成生物学的质的飞跃。     

Stabilizing synthetic data in the DNA of living organisms

Data-encoding synthetic DNA, inserted into the genome of a living organism, is thought to be more robust than the current media. Because the living genome is duplicated and copied into new generations, one of the merits of using DNA material is long-term data storage within heritable media. A disadvantage of this approach is that encoded data can be unexpectedly broken by mutation, deletion, and insertion of DNA, which occurs naturally during evolution and prolongation, or laboratory experiments. For this reason, several information theory-based approaches have been developed as an error check of broken DNA data in order to achieve data durability. These approaches cannot efficiently recover badly damaged data-encoding DNA. We recently developed a DNA data-storage approach based on the multiple sequence alignment method to achieve a high level of data durability. In this paper, we overview this technology and discuss strategies for optimal application of this approach.     

从碱基到人造生命——基因组的从头合成

人工方法合成基因可通过DNA化学合成,这也是基因获取的手段之一,是密码子优化、蛋白质工程、代谢工程及基因组工程等方面不可缺少的技术。本文从寡核苷酸的合成开始,对短片段DNA的合成、基因长度的DNA合成、基因组长度的DNA合成、长片段及基因组水平的DNA组装、基因组DNA的移植等方面的技术和问题进行了阐述。     

Whole genome amplification from plant cell colonies of somatic hybrids using strand displacement amplification

The application of strand displacement amplification (SDA) is demonstrated for whole genome amplification from nanograms to micrograms for DNA isolated from small plant cell colonies. Secondary digest amplified fragment length polymorphism (SD-AFLP) analysis confirmed that the amplified genome is a representative of the entire genome. This approach allows the amplification of DNA isolated from small cell colonies of putative somatic hybrids for rapid molecular confirmation of the hybrid status of fusion products.     

Human AP endonuclease inefficiently removes abasic sites within G4 structures compared to duplex DNA

Excision repair processes are essential to maintain genome stability. A decrease in efficiency and fidelity of these pathways at regions of the genome that can assume non-canonical DNA structures has been proposed as a possible mechanism to explain the increased mutagenesis and consequent diseased state frequently associated with these sites. Here we describe the development of a FRET-based approach to monitor the presence of G quadruplex (G4) DNA, a non-canonical DNA structure formed in runs of guanines, in damage-containing single-stranded and double-stranded DNA. Using this approach, we directly show for the first time that the presence within the G4 structure of an abasic site, the most common lesion spontaneously generated during cellular metabolism, decreases the efficiency of human AP endonuclease activity and that this effect is mostly the result of a decreased enzymatic activity and not of decreased binding of the enzyme to the damaged site. This approach can be generally applied to dissecting the biochemistry of DNA repair at non-canonical DNA structures.     

Highly sensitive systems for experimental insertional mutagenesis in repair-deficient genetic environment in Drosophila melanogaster: new opportunities for studying postreplication repair of double-stranded DNA breaks and mechanisms of transposable element migration

Spontaneous mutations in Drosophila melanogaster are related mainly to transposable elements (TEs). They are caused by both migration of TEs over the genome (transpositions) and the ability of TEs to induce chromosomal mutations. Migration of DNA transposons is accompanied by formation of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), which are repaired by host repair systems encoded by genes for recombination repair. We relied on this notion to develop a combined approach to the investigation of the type of DNA breaks accompanying transpositions; investigation of systems involved in DSB repair; and detection of repair genes, whose products were involved in repair of DNA breaks induced by TE transposition. The approach is based on the combination of experimental insertional mutagenesis systems and genetic environment deficient for enzymes of the repair system in a single genome. The main advantages of this approach are versatility, wide applicability, and simple design.     

A new approach to cloning of tandem repetitive DNA sequences

A new approach to screening of the repeated human DNA sequences tandemly arranged in the genome is described. Efficiency of the developed approach for search of tandemly arranged DNA sequences is corroborated by the obtained experimental data.     

激光显微切割技术用于子宫内膜异位组织DNA的提取及其完整性分析

目的：探索一套激光显微切割（LCM）分离子宫内膜异位症腺体细胞后提取微量DNA并进行完整性分析的操作流程。方法：分别对20例石蜡标本及20例冰冻标本进行LCM,收集切割后的腺体细胞;2组标本各取10例提取微量DNA,检测DNA浓度并通过PCR扩增进行验证;余20例标本分别进行全基因组扩增,检测产物浓度并利用8种常见管家基因作为引物通过PCR扩增进行验证,对比分析其结果。结果：石蜡标本与冰冻标本在LCM获取腺体细胞及提取微量DNA两个环节中均可获得满意效果;但经全基因组扩增后,石蜡标本无法保留完整DNA信息。结论：LCM获取子宫内膜异位症腺体细胞提取微量DNA是一种操作简单、结果稳定的方法,可作为日后子宫内膜异位症基因组研究的常规方法;冰冻切片相对石蜡切片,更能保留完整的DNA信息。     

Highly sensitive systems for experimental insertional mutagenesis in repair-deficient genetic environment in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>: New opportunities for studying postreplication repair of double-stranded DNA breaks and mechanisms of transposable element migration

Spontaneous mutations in Drosophila melanogaster are related mainly to transposable elements (TEs). They are caused by both migration of TEs over the genome (transpositions) and the ability of TEs to induce chromosomal mutations. Migration of DNA transposons is accompanied by formation of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), which are repaired by host repair systems encoded by genes for recombination repair. We relied on this notion to develop a combined approach to the investigation of the type of DNA breaks accompanying transpositions; investigation of systems involved in DSB repair; and detection of repair genes, whose products were involved in repair of DNA breaks induced by TE transposition. The approach is based on the combination of experimental insertional mutagenesis systems and genetic environment deficient for enzymes of the repair system in a single genome. The main advantages of this approach are versatility, wide applicability, and simple design.     

Advances in plant chromosome genomics

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is revolutionizing genomics and is providing novel insights into genome organization, evolution and function. The number of plant genomes targeted for sequencing is rising. For the moment, however, the acquisition of full genome sequences in large genome species remains difficult, largely because the short reads produced by NGS platforms are inadequate to cope with repeat-rich DNA, which forms a large part of these genomes. The problem of sequence redundancy is compounded in polyploids, which dominate the plant kingdom. An approach to overcoming some of these difficulties is to reduce the full nuclear genome to its individual chromosomes using flow-sorting. The DNA acquired in this way has proven to be suitable for many applications, including PCR-based physical mapping, in situ hybridization, forming DNA arrays, the development of DNA markers, the construction of BAC libraries and positional cloning. Coupling chromosome sorting with NGS offers opportunities for the study of genome organization at the single chromosomal level, for comparative analyses between related species and for the validation of whole genome assemblies. Apart from the primary aim of reducing the complexity of the template, taking a chromosome-based approach enables independent teams to work in parallel, each tasked with the analysis of a different chromosome(s). Given that the number of plant species tractable for chromosome sorting is increasing, the likelihood is that chromosome genomics – the marriage of cytology and genomics – will make a significant contribution to the field of plant genetics.     

Isolation of A/D and C genome specific dispersed and clustered repetitive DNA sequences from Avena sativa.

DNA gel-blot and in situ hybridization with genome-specific repeated sequences have proven to be valuable tools in analyzing genome structure and relationships in species with complex allopolyploid genomes such as hexaploid oat (Avena sativa L., 2n = 6x = 42; AACCDD genome). In this report, we describe a systematic approach for isolating genome-, chromosome-, and region-specific repeated and low-copy DNA sequences from oat that can presumably be applied to any complex genome species. Genome-specific DNA sequences were first identified in a random set of A. sativa genomic DNA cosmid clones by gel-blot hybridization using labeled genomic DNA from different Avena species. Because no repetitive sequences were identified that could distinguish between the A and D gneomes, sequences specific to these two genomes are refereed to as A/D genome specific. A/D or C genome specific DNA subfragments were used as screening probes to identify additional genome-specific cosmid clones in the A. sativa genomic library. We identified clustered and dispersed repetitive DNA elements for the A/D and C genomes that could be used as cytogenetic markers for discrimination of the various oat chromosomes. Some analyzed cosmids appeared to be composed entirely of genome-specific elements, whereas others represented regions with genome- and non-specific repeated sequences with interspersed low-copy DNA sequences. Thus, genome-specific hybridization analysis of restriction digests of random and selected A. sativa cosmids also provides insight into the sequence organization of the oat genome.     

Single molecule analysis of DNA replication

We describe here a novel approach for the study of DNA replication. The approach is based on a process called molecular combing and allows for the genome wide analysis of the spatial and temporal organization of replication units and replication origins in a sample of genomic DNA. Molecular combing is a process whereby molecules of DNA are stretched and aligned on a glass surface by the force exerted by a receding air/water interface. Since the stretching occurs in the immediate vicinity of the meniscus, all molecules are identically stretched in a size and sequence independent manner. The application of fluorescence hybridization to combed DNA results in a high resolution (1 to 4 kb) optical mapping that is simple, controlled and reproducible. The ability to comb up to several hundred haploid genomes on a single coverslip allows for a statistically significant number of measurements to be made. Direct labeling of replicating DNA sequences in turn enables origins of DNA replication to be visualized and mapped. These features therefore make molecular combing an attractive tool for genomic studies of DNA replication. In the following, we discuss the application of molecular combing to the study of DNA replication and genome stability.     

From barcodes to genomes: extending the concept of DNA barcoding

DNA barcoding has had a major impact on biodiversity science. The elegant simplicity of establishing massive scale databases for a few barcode loci is continuing to change our understanding of species diversity patterns, and continues to enhance human abilities to distinguish among species. Capitalizing on the developments of next generation sequencing technologies and decreasing costs of genome sequencing, there is now the opportunity for the DNA barcoding concept to be extended to new kinds of genomic data. We illustrate the benefits and capacity to do this, and also note the constraints and barriers to overcome before it is truly scalable. We advocate a twin track approach: (i) continuation and acceleration of global efforts to build the DNA barcode reference library of life on earth using standard DNA barcodes and (ii) active development and application of extended DNA barcodes using genome skimming to augment the standard barcoding approach.     

Modeling inhomogeneous DNA replication kinetics

In eukaryotic organisms, DNA replication is initiated at a series of chromosomal locations called origins, where replication forks are assembled proceeding bidirectionally to replicate the genome. The distribution and firing rate of these origins, in conjunction with the velocity at which forks progress, dictate the program of the replication process. Previous attempts at modeling DNA replication in eukaryotes have focused on cases where the firing rate and the velocity of replication forks are homogeneous, or uniform, across the genome. However, it is now known that there are large variations in origin activity along the genome and variations in fork velocities can also take place. Here, we generalize previous approaches to modeling replication, to allow for arbitrary spatial variation of initiation rates and fork velocities. We derive rate equations for left- and right-moving forks and for replication probability over time that can be solved numerically to obtain the mean-field replication program. This method accurately reproduces the results of DNA replication simulation. We also successfully adapted our approach to the inverse problem of fitting measurements of DNA replication performed on single DNA molecules. Since such measurements are performed on specified portion of the genome, the examined DNA molecules may be replicated by forks that originate either within the studied molecule or outside of it. This problem was solved by using an effective flux of incoming replication forks at the model boundaries to represent the origin activity outside the studied region. Using this approach, we show that reliable inferences can be made about the replication of specific portions of the genome even if the amount of data that can be obtained from single-molecule experiments is generally limited.     

Sequence-based linkage analysis

The rapid decrease in the cost of DNA sequencing will enable its use for novel applications. Here, we investigate the use of DNA sequencing for simultaneous discovery and genotyping of polymorphisms in family linkage studies. In the proposed approach, short contiguous segments of genomic DNA, regularly spaced across the genome, are resequenced in each pedigree member, and all sequence polymorphisms discovered within a pedigree are used as genetic markers. We use computer simulations consistent with observed human sequence diversity to show that segments of 500-1,000 base pairs, spaced at intervals of 1-2 Mb across the genome, provide linkage information that equals or exceeds that of traditional marker-based approaches. We validate these results experimentally by implementing the sequence-based linkage approach for chromosome 19 in CEPH pedigrees.     

Cytogenomic analyses reveal the structural plasticity of the chloroplast genome in higher plants

A DNA fiber-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (fiber-FISH) technique was developed to analyze the structure and organization of a large number of intact chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) molecules from Arabidopsis, tobacco, and pea. Using this cytogenomic approach, we determined that 25 to 45% of the cpDNA within developing leaf tissue consists of circular molecules. Both linear and circular DNA fibers with one to four copies of the chloroplast genome were present, with monomers being the predominant structure. Arabidopsis and tobacco chloroplasts contained previously unidentified multimers (>900 kb) consisting of six to 10 genome equivalents. We further discovered rearranged cpDNA molecules of incomplete genome equivalents, confirmed by both differential hybridizations and size estimations. The unique cpDNA organization and novel structures revealed in this study demonstrate that higher plant cpDNA is more structurally plastic than previous sequence and electrophoretic analyses have suggested. Additionally, we demonstrate how the fiber-FISH-based cytogenomic approach allows for powerful analysis of very rare events that cannot be detected by traditional techniques such as DNA gel blot hybridization or polymerase chain reaction.     

大量Pichia pastoris酵母基因组DNA的提取

巴斯德毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)表达系统是目前应用最广泛的外源基因表达系统之一,提取酵母基因组是研究酵母必需的方法之一.针对常用的几种毕赤酵母基因组DNA的制备方法进行比较,并对玻璃珠法进行改进.改良的玻璃珠法不但具有省时省力、操作简便且结果稳定的优,适合于大量DNA的提取.该方法的革新将对酵母重组子的PCR鉴定检测及表达产品DNA相关检测提供更高效稳定的保证,将成为酵母等类似微生物基因组DNA制备的首选方法.     

Automated sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes from laser-capture microdissected samples

Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been related to both aging and a variety of diseases such as cancer. Due to the relatively small size of the genome (16 kb) and with the use of automated DNA sequencing, the entire genome can be sequenced from clinical specimens in days. We present a reliable approach to complete mitochondrial genome sequencing from laser-capture microdissected human clinical cancer specimens that overcome the inherent limitations of relatively small tissue samples and partial DNA degradation, which are unavoidable when laser-capture microdissection is used to attain pure populations of cells from heterogeneous tissues obtained from surgical procedures. The acquisition of sufficient template combined with a standard set of 18 pairs of PCR primers allows for the efficient amplification of the genome. Subsequent single-stranded amplification is performed using 36 sequencing primers, and samples are run on an ABI PRISM 3100 Genetic Analyzer. The use of this procedure should allow even investigators with little experience sequencing from clinical specimens success in complete mitochondrial genome sequencing.