Partial characterization of a small, multiple-copy plasmid from Streptomyces espinosus and the derivation of a high copy-number deletion mutant

An organism classified as Streptomyces espinosus was found to carry an approx. 9.2-kb plasmid. This plasmid, designated pUC6, has a copy number of 30-40 per host genome equivalent. Plasmid pUC1061, a copy-number mutant of pUC6, was isolated after in vitro deletion of an approx. 2.0-kb XhoI restriction fragment. Plasmid pUC1061 has a copy number of 500-600. Plasmid pUC1061 appears to be incompatible with pUC6 and will transform a pUC6-containing culture at a frequency of approx. 1%. The sizes, restriction maps and copy numbers of plasmids pUC6 and pUC1061 indicate these may be valuable vectors for gene cloning Streptomyces.     

The nucleotide sequence of the yeast ARG4 gene

The complete nucleotide sequence of a 2296-bp DNA fragment containing the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ARG4 gene has been determined. This gene specifies the synthesis of the arginine biosynthetic enzyme, argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1). The sequence contains one major open reading frame of 463 codons, giving a calculated M_r of 52010 for the protein, in good agreement with the experimentally determined value of 53 000. The sequence upstream from the ARG4 gene shares structural features in common with other yeast genes subject to general amino acid control.     

Modification of Eco RI restriction sites by Caulobacter vibrioides

A comparison of EcoRI digestion profiles of plasmid RP1 isolated from Caulobacter vibrioides WS48 and Escherichia coli CSH29 demonstrated that EcoRI sites were modified by WS48.     

A simple procedure for parallel sequence analysis of both strands of 5'-labeled DNA

Ligation of a 5'-labeled DNA restriction fragment results in a circular DNA molecule carrying the two 32Ps at the reformed restriction site. Double digestions of the circular DNA with the original enzyme and a second restriction enzyme cleavage near the labeled site allows direct chemical sequencing of one 5'-labeled DNA strand. Similar double digestions, using an isoschizomer that cleaves differently at the 32P-labeled site, allows direct sequencing of the now 3'-labeled complementary DNA strand. It is possible to directly sequence both strands of cloned DNA inserts by using the above protocol and a multiple cloning site vector that provides the necessary restriction sites. The simultaneous and parallel visualization of both DNA strands eliminates sequence ambiguities. In addition, the labeled circular molecules are particularly useful for single-hit DNA cleavage studies and DNA footprint analysis. As an example, we show here an analysis of the micrococcal nuclease-induced breaks on the two strands of the somatic 5S RNA gene of Xenopus borealis, which suggests that the enzyme may recognize and cleave small AT-containing palindromes along the DNA helix.     

Cloning a cDNA for the lysosomal alpha-glucosidase

Messenger RNA was isolated from monkey testes and size-fractionated on sucrose gradients. In vitro translation of these mRNA fractions resulted in nascent, labeled alpha-glucosidase that could be precipitated with anti human alpha-glucosidase antiserum. A cDNA library was constructed from the most enriched fraction. The library was screened with cDNA made from mRNA obtained from immunoselected polysomes. Five cross-hybridizing clones were isolated and identified by their selection of alpha-glucosidase mRNA, as shown by hybrid released translation and further by their ability to hybridize with DNA from human chromosome 17, on which the gene coding for acid alpha-glucosidase is located.     

Comparative study of the L1 family in the genus Mus. Possible role of retroposition and conversion events in its concerted evolution

The long interspersed repetitive family L1 was analysed in different species belonging to the genus Mus. It is shown to be highly conserved even in M.n. setulosus, which diverged from the other species around ten million years ago. The study of the linkage between diagnostic restriction sites in the various species and the sequence variations of different regions of the L1Md repeat shows that the L1 family undergoes concerted changes involving subsets of repeats. The rate at which this homogenization process occurs does not appear to be the same for all the subfamilies detected. The L1Md repeat in the twelfth intron of the serum albumin gene of Balb/c mice is shown to be a recent insertion. The role retroposon- and gene conversion-like events may play in the concerted evolution of the L1 family is discussed.     

Precise and nearly-precise excision of the symmetrical inverted repeats of Tn5; common features of recA-independent deletion events in Escherichia coli

The transposon Tn5 contains a unique central region bordered by 1.5-kb inverted repeats. The in vitro deletion of the centre of Tn5, with a restriction endonuclease (XhoI) which cuts within the inverted repeats leads to the production of a palindrome on subsequent ligation. This palindromic region is unstable on subsequent transformation into Escherichia coli (Collins, 1981). Precise excision of the Tn5 region plus one copy of the bracketing 9-bp direct repeat occurred in about one-third of the transformants. The rest of the transformants contain only remnants of the inverted repeat. Sequence analysis indicated that deletion had occurred between short direct repeats. The precise excision of these "nearly precise" excision products continued with high frequency and was found to be affected by mutations that interfere with the normal precise excision of transposons. In a recB, sbcB host precise excision was markedly reduced. A common mechanism is proposed for all recA-independent deletions occurring in E. coli.     

Cloning of the vaccinia virus telomere in a yeast plasmid vector

The vaccinia virus DNA telomere, which contains a covalently closed hairpin structure, has been cloned in a yeast plasmid vector. Restriction mapping indicates that the cloned vaccinia telomere is maintained in yeast not in its native hairpin configuration but as an inverted repeat structure, within a circular plasmid, with the sequences of the viral hairpin now at the axis of symmetry of an imperfect palindrome. As such, the cloned telomere resembles the telomeric replicative intermediate observed during vaccinia virus DNA replication. Small deletions and duplications in the viral inverted repeats of different clones suggest a model in which the observed circular plasmids were generated in yeast by the replication of hybrid linear DNA molecules consisting of the linearized yeast vector flanked by two hairpin-containing vaccinia termini.     

Sequence homology between the tetracycline-resistance determinants of Tn10 and pBR322

The Tn10 tetracycline resistance gene, tetA, encodes a tetracycline-inducible protein with an apparent Mr of 36 X 10(3). We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the Tn10 tetA gene. The extent of the tetA gene was determined by analysis of amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal deletion mutants. We conclude that a single Tn10 gene, the tetA gene, is sufficient to confer tetracycline resistance. The predicted Mr of the tetA protein is 43.2 X 10(3). The sequence homology between the Tn10 tetA gene and the pBR322 tetracycline resistance determinant (49% nucleotide homology, 44% amino acid homology) indicates that these phenotypically distinct tetracycline-resistance determinants must have evolved from a common ancestral sequence. The markedly hydrophobic character of the predicted amino acid sequences of the Tn10 tetA and pBR322 tet-coded proteins suggests that a substantial portion of these proteins may be embedded within the cytoplasmic membrane.     

The making of strand-specific M13 probes

A novel approach has been developed for the preparation of highly radioactive, strand-specific M13 probes. A universal primer, complementary to the region 5' to the multiple cloning sites of M13mp7, was used to initiate the DNA synthesis of the complementary strand of the M13 sequence downstream from the inserted sequence. The synthesis of the (?) strand, which was labeled with a radioactively labeled precursor, did not proceed to completion so that the inserted sequence was kept single-stranded. Thus, a partially double-stranded probe that had the specificity of this inserted sequence was obtained. As an example for the application of single-stranded specific hybridization probes, an M13mp7 subclone of a zein cDNA clone of maize (A30) was labeled and used in a dot hybridization test to select from the hundreds of M13mp7 subclones of the zein genomic clone, 24, the sequences complementary to the probe. The specificity of the probe was confirmed by dideoxy chain terminator sequencing experiments.     

Restriction mapping of the rRNA genes from Artemia larvae

A restriction endonuclease analysis of the genes coding for the ribosomal RNA from Artemia larvae has shown that these genes consist of a repeat unit of 16.2 kilobase pairs (10.7 Mdaltons) and that the repeat unit seems to be homogeneous in size.     

Cloning of a gene required for tryptophan biosynthesis from Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc into Escherichia coli

A clone bank, consisting of approx. 8100 colonies, has been created for the spirochete Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc in Escherichia coli using pBR322 as the vector. One of these clones contains the genetic information needed to complement a defect in the trpE gene of E. coli. The information resides on a 20.5-kb plasmid designated pYCl, which carries a 16-kb insert consisting of three HindIII fragments. It does not complement defects in other genes needed for the biosynthesis of tryptophan in E. coli.     

Isolation of a human tissue-type plasminogen-activator genomic DNA clone and its expression in mouse L cells

We have isolated a cDNA clone corresponding to a substantial portion of the human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) protein. It encodes almost all of the protein B chain and part of the 3' untranslated region. We have used this clone to screen bacteriophage lambda and cosmid libraries of human genomic DNA. Several related genomic clones were isolated. One of these, a cosmid clone, carried approx. 40 kb of human DNA. Mapping experiments indicate that the region containing the protein-coding exons is approx. 20 kb in length. The cosmid, containing the t-PA gene and the aminoglycosyl-3'-phosphotransferase dominant-selection marker, was introduced into mouse L cells. Approximately half of the transformants were shown to produce human t-PA. We demonstrated that the fibrinolytic t-PA activity could be specifically quenched by anti-t-PA antibody and that the recombinant t-PA was of similar size (by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) to the t-PA produced by the human Bowes melanoma cell line. Our results suggest that the cosmid clone carries the whole t-PA coding region together with the regulatory elements necessary for its expression.     

The nucleotide sequence of IS5 from Escherichia coli

A 3-kb fragment of Haemophilus haemolyticus DNA which carries the HhaII restriction (r) and modification (m) genes has been cloned into the PstI site of pBR322 (Mann et al., 1978). When propagated in Escherichia coli, it was observed that spontaneous insertions of IS5 inactivated the restriction gene, producing r- mutants at a frequency of 10(-6). Electron microscopy, restriction-site mapping and sequence analysis of two r- plasmids have demonstrated the presence of IS5 at a single target site in both possible orientations. The complete nucleotide sequence of IS5 has been determined. It is 1195 bp long and has inverted terminal repeats of 16 bp. The target site for IS5 in this plasmid is 5'-CTAG. Approx. ten copies of IS5 were found to be present at about the same locations on the E. coli chromosome in various K-12 strains, using Southern hybridization analysis.     

Ribosomal RNA genes of Trypanosoma brucei: mapping the regions specifying the six small ribosomal RNAs

There are six small ribosomal RNAs in trypanosome ribosomes. sRNA3 and sRNA5 of Trypanosoma brucei brucei have been partially sequenced. Sequence homologies indicate that sRNA3 is 5.8S RNA and sRNA5 is 5S RNA of T. b. brucei. The regions specifying these two, and the remaining four small RNAs, have been identified within clones of rRNA genes and in the genome. Five of the small RNAs, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, hybridise exclusively within the major rRNA gene repeat. A map of the regions specifying these small RNAs is presented. sRNA3 (5.8S RNA) hybridises to a region corresponding to the transcribed spacer of other eukaryotes. sRNA1 hybridises to a region between sequences specifying the two large subunit RNA molecules of 2.3 kb and 1.8 kb. Sequences specifying sRNAs 2 and 4 are present near the sequence specifying sRNA1, while sRNA6 appears to be specified 3' to the sequence specifying the 1.8-kb RNA sequence. In addition regions of secondary hybridisation for small RNAs 2, 3, 4 and 6 have also been identified. Though sRNA5 (5S RNA) hybridises within the major rRNA repeat, a separate 5S RNA gene repeat with unit size of 760 bp is also present. It is 10 to 20 times more abundant than the major rRNA gene repeat.