Genomic Organization and Developmental Fate of Adjacent Repeated Sequences in a Foldback DNA Clone of Tetrahymena thermophila

DNA sequence elimination and rearrangement occurs during the development of somatic cell lineages of eukaryotes and was first discovered over a century ago. However, the significance and mechanism of chromatin elimination are not understood. DNA elimination also occurs during the development of the somatic macronucleus from the germinal micronucleus in unicellular ciliated protozoa such as Tetrahymena thermophila. In this study foldback DNA from the micronucleus was used as a probe to isolate ten clones. All of those tested (4/4) contained sequences that were repetitive in the micronucleus and rearranged in the macronucleus. The presence of inverted repeated sequences was clearly demonstrated in one of them by electron microscopy. DNA sequence analysis showed that the left portion of this clone contains three tandem, directly repeated copies of a 340-bp sequence, a 120-bp portion of which appears in inverted orientation at a 1.6-kb distance. This clone, pTtFB1, was subjected to a detailed analysis of its developmental fate. Subregions were subcloned and used as probes against Southern blots of micronuclear and macronuclear DNA. We found that all subregions defined repeated sequence families in the micronuclear genome. A minimum of four different families was defined, two of which are retained in the macronucleus and two of which are completely eliminated. The inverted repeat family is retained with little rearrangement. Two of the families, defined by subregions that do not contain parts of the inverted repeat, one in the "loop" and one in the "right flanking region," are totally eliminated during macronuclear development--and contain open reading frames. A fourth family occurs in the "loop" region and is rearranged extensively during development. The two gene families that are eliminated are stable in the micronuclear genome but are not clustered together as evidenced by experiments in which DNAs from nullisomic strains are used to map family members to specific micronuclear chromosomes. The inverted repeat family is also stable in the micronuclear genome and is dispersed among several chromosomes. The significance of retained inverted repeats to the process of elimination is discussed.     

Developmental Regulation of the Tetrahymena thermophila Origin Recognition Complex

The Tetrahymena thermophila DNA replication machinery faces unique demands due to the compartmentalization of two functionally distinct nuclei within a single cytoplasm, and complex developmental program. Here we present evidence for programmed changes in ORC and MCM abundance that are not consistent with conventional models for DNA replication. As a starting point, we show that ORC dosage is critical during the vegetative cell cycle and development. A moderate reduction in Orc1p induces genome instability in the diploid micronucleus, aberrant division of the polyploid macronucleus, and failure to generate a robust intra-S phase checkpoint response. In contrast to yeast ORC2 mutants, replication initiation is unaffected; instead, replication forks elongation is perturbed, as Mcm6p levels decline in parallel with Orc1p. Experimentally induced down-regulation of ORC and MCMs also impairs endoreplication and gene amplification, consistent with essential roles during development. Unexpectedly Orc1p and Mcm6p levels fluctuate dramatically in developing wild type conjugants, increasing for early cycles of conventional micronuclear DNA replication and macronuclear anlagen replication (endoreplication phase I, rDNA gene amplification). This increase does not reflect the DNA replication load, as much less DNA is synthesized during this developmental window compared to vegetative S phase. Furthermore, although Orc1p levels transiently increase prior to endoreplication phase II, Orc1p and Mcm6p levels decline when the replication load increases and unconventional DNA replication intermediates are produced. We propose that replication initiation is re-programmed to meet different requirements or challenges during the successive stages of Tetrahymena development.     

Nonrandom Localization of DNA Sequences in the Crescent Micronucleus of Tetrahymena1

The premeiotic micronucleus of Tetrahymena thermophila elongates parallel to the long axis of the cell. In fixed cells one end of this crescent micronucleus appears thicker than the other, and either end may be oriented toward the anterior of the cell. Three families of repeated DNA sequences have been localized in the crescent micronucleus by in situ hybridization. Two micronucleus-specific sequences hybridize all along the crescent, but preferentially toward the ends. A macronucleus-retained sequence hybridizes preferentially to the half of the micronucleus at the thick end. Thus the arrangement of DNA sequences in the crescent micronucleus is nonrandom.     

DNA Sequence Variation at the Period Locus within and among Species of the Drosophila Melanogaster Complex

A 1.9-kilobase region of the period locus was sequenced in six individuals of Drosophila melanogaster and from six individuals of each of three sibling species: Drosophila simulans, Drosophila sechellia and Drosophila mauritiana. Extensive genealogical analysis of 174 polymorphic sites reveals a complex history. It appears that D. simulans, as a large population still segregating very old lineages, gave rise to the island species D. mauritiana and D. sechellia. Rather than considering these speciation events as having produced ``sister' taxa, it seems more appropriate to consider D. simulans a parent species to D. sechellia and D. mauritiana. The order, in time, of these two phylogenetic events remains unclear. D. mauritiana supports a large number of polymorphisms, many of which are shared with D. simulans, and so appears to have begun and persisted as a large population. In contrast, D. sechellia has very little variation and seems to have experienced a severe population bottleneck. Alternatively, the low variation in D. sechellia could be due to recent directional selection and genetic hitchhiking at or near the per locus.     

Preemptive Homology-Directed DNA Repair Fosters Complex Genomic Rearrangements in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Degree of genomic instability closely correlates with poor prognosis, drug resistance as well as poor survival across human cancer of different origins. This study assessed the relationship between DNA damage response (DDR) and chromosome instability in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated DDR signaling in HCC cells by analyzing DNA damage-dependent redistribution of major DDR proteins to damaged chromatin using immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting experimentations. We also performed gene conversion and metaphase analyses to address whether dysregulated DDR may bear any biological significance during hepatocarcinogenesis. Accordingly, we found that HCC cell lines suffered from elevated spontaneous DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In addition, analyses of HCC metaphases revealed marked aneuploidy and frequent sister chromatid exchanges when compared to immortalized hepatocytes, the latter of which were further induced following camptothecin-induced DSBs. We propose that genomic instability in HCC may be caused by erroneous DNA repair in a desperate attempt to mend DSBs for cell survival and that such preemptive measures inadvertently foster chromosome instability and thus complex genomic rearrangements.     

LIA4 Encodes a Chromoshadow Domain Protein Required for Genomewide DNA Rearrangements in Tetrahymena thermophila

Extensive DNA elimination occurs as part of macronuclear differentiation during Tetrahymena sexual reproduction. The identification of sequences to excise is guided by a specialized RNA interference (RNAi) machinery that targets the methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (K9) and K27 on chromatin associated with these internal eliminated sequences (IESs). This modified chromatin is reorganized into heterochromatic subnuclear foci, which is a hallmark of their subsequent elimination. Here, we demonstrate that Lia4, a chromoshadow domain-containing protein, is an essential component in this DNA elimination pathway. LIA4 knockout (ΔLIA4) lines fail to excise IESs from their developing somatic genome and arrest at a late stage of conjugation. Lia4 acts after RNAi-guided heterochromatin formation, as both H3K9 and H3K27 methylation are established. Nevertheless, without LIA4, these cells fail to form the heterochromatic foci associated with DNA rearrangement, and Lia4 accumulates in the foci, indicating that Lia4 plays a key role in their structure. These data indicate a critical role for Lia4 in organizing the nucleus during Tetrahymena macronuclear differentiation.     

叉蕨科4属5种植物配子体的发育模式及其系统学意义

利用光学显微镜详细观察了叉蕨科（Aspidiaceae）4属5种植物,即肋毛蕨属（Ctenitis（C．Chr．）C．Chr．）的亮鳞肋毛蕨（C．subglandulosa（Hance）Ching）和海南肋毛蕨（C．decurrenti-pmnata（Ching）Ching）、轴脉蕨属（Ctenitopsis Ching ex Tard-Blot et C．Chr．）的轴脉蕨（C．sagenioides（Mett．）Ching）、黄腺羽蕨属（Pleocnemia Presl）的黄腺羽蕨（P．winitti Holtt．）以及叉蕨属（Tectaria Cav．）的剑叶叉蕨（T.leptophylla（C．H．Wright）Ching）的配子体发育过程,记录了配子体各发育阶段的模式特征,认为这5种植物的孢子、丝状体、片状体、生长点、翼片、细胞、毛状体和假根等具有稳定的系统学意义。检索结果与该科的经典分类结果基本相似,并在此基础上编写了各分类群的检索表。本研究为叉蕨科系统学研究积累了详实的配子体形态学资料。     

叉蕨科4属5种植物配子体的发育模式及其系统学意义

利用光学显微镜详细观察了叉蕨科(Aspidiaceae)4属5种植物, 即肋毛蕨属(Ctenitis (C. Chr.)C. Chr.)的亮鳞肋毛蕨 (C. subglandulosa (Hance)Ching)和海南肋毛蕨(C. decurrenti-pinnata (Ching)Ching)、轴脉蕨属(Ctenitopsis Ching ex Tard.-Blot et C. Chr.)的轴脉蕨(C. sagenioides (Mett.)Ching)、黄腺羽蕨属(Pleocnemia Presl )的黄腺羽蕨(P. winitti Holtt.)以及叉蕨属(Tectaria Cav.)的剑叶叉蕨(T. leptophylla (C. H. Wright)Ching)的配子体发育过程, 记录了配子体各发育阶段的模式特征, 认为这5种植物的孢子、丝状体、片状体、生长点、翼片、细胞、毛状体和假根等具有稳定的系统学意义。检索结果与该科的经典分类结果基本相似, 并在此基础上编写了各分类群的检索表。本研究为叉蕨科系统学研究积累了详实的配子体形态学资料。     

猕猴属五个种mtDNA多态性研究

本文以10种限制性内切酶研究猕猴属5个种(Macaca mulatta.M.nemestrina.M.assemensis.M.thibetana,M arctoides)线粒体DNA进化。在13个个体中,共检出8种限制性类型。恒河猴种内存在广泛的线粒休DNA限制性片段长度多态性(RFLP)。结合日本猴(M.fuscata)的有关资料,构建了猕猴属6个种的分子系统树,并给出各个种的分化时间。结果表明,这6个种可分成4个类群,熊猴和藏酋猴、恒河猴和日本猴之间的遗传距离较近,可分别划为同一类群,红面猴与其他5种猴的遗传距离最远,在系统发生上分离最早。     

Rearrangements Involving Repeated Sequences within a P Element Preferentially Occur between Units Close to the Transposon Extremities

In a previous report we described rearrangements occurring at a high rate (30% of the progeny of dysgenic flies) within a cluster of 5S genes internal to a P element. These events were characterized as precise amplifications and deletions of 5S units. Here we analyze recombination events within P elements containing two repeated arrays of 5S genes flanking a central white gene. Deletions (50%) and duplications (3%) of the white gene together with various amounts of flanking 5S genes were observed. These recombinations occur preferentially between the most external 5S units of P transposons. Such rearrangements could be favored by interactions between the proteins bound to the P terminal sequences.     

Flanking Regulatory Sequences of the Tetrahymena R Deletion Element Determine the Boundaries of DNA Rearrangement

In the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, thousands of DNA segments of variable size are eliminated from the developing somatic macronucleus by specific DNA rearrangements. It is unclear whether rearrangement of the many different DNA elements occurs via a single mechanism or via multiple rearrangement systems. In this study, we characterized in vivo cis-acting sequences required for the rearrangement of the 1.1-kbp R deletion element. We found that rearrangement requires specific sequences flanking each side of the deletion element. The required sequences on the left side appear to span roughly a 70-bp region that is located at least 30 bp from the rearrangement boundary. When we moved the location of the left cis-acting sequences closer to the eliminated region, we observed a rightward shift of the rearrangement boundary such that the newly formed deletion junction retained its original distance from this flanking region. Likewise, when we moved the flanking region as much as 500 bp away from the deletion element, the rearrangement boundary shifted to remain in relative juxtaposition. Clusters of base substitutions made throughout this critical flanking region did not affect rearrangement efficiency or accuracy, which suggests a complex nature for this regulatory sequence. We also found that the right flanking region effectively replaced the essential sequences identified on the left side, and thus, the two flanking regions contain sequences of analogous function despite the lack of obvious sequence identity. These data taken together indicate that the R-element flanking regions contain sequences that position the rearrangement boundaries from a short distance away. Previously, a 10-bp polypurine tract flanking the M-deletion element was demonstrated to act from a distance to determine its rearrangement boundaries. No apparent sequence similarity exists between the M and R elements. The functional similarity between these different cis-acting sequences of the two elements is firm support for a common mechanism controlling Tetrahymena rearrangement.     

金粉蕨属的分子系统学研究——基于5种叶绿体DNA序列片段

金粉蕨属（Onychium Kaulfuss）隶属广义凤尾蕨科中的凤尾蕨亚科。迄今为止,该属属下分组及种间界定等仍有诸多问题亟待解决。本研究选取5个叶绿体DNA 序列片段 （rbcL/atpA/matK/trnL-trnF/trnG-trnR）,采用最大似然法（ML）和贝叶斯法（BI）构建金粉蕨属的系统发育树。结果表明：（1）金粉蕨属的9个成员被分置于两大支上。其中野雉尾金粉蕨（Onychium japonicum(Thunberg) Kunze）、西藏金粉蕨（O.tibeticum Ching & S.K.Wu）、木坪金粉蕨（O.moupinense Ching）、湖北金粉蕨（O.moupinense var. ipii(Ching) K.H.Shing）、栗柄金粉蕨（O.japonicum var. lucidum(D.Don) Christ）、黑足金粉蕨（O.cryptogrammoides Christ）、繁羽金粉蕨（O.plumosum Ching）聚为一支;而金粉蕨（O.siliculosum(Desvaux) C.Christensen）和蚀盖金粉蕨（O.tenuifrons Ching）则聚为另一支,可为该属的属下分组提供分子系统学证据;（2）野雉尾金粉蕨与栗柄金粉蕨在系统树中并没有聚在一起,而是被其它类群分割开来,不支持将后者作为野雉尾金粉蕨的变种,建议将栗柄金粉蕨提升为种的等级;（3）系统树上木坪金粉蕨与湖北金粉蕨的样本聚在一个细支上,支持《中国植物志》将湖北金粉蕨作为木坪金粉蕨变种的分类处理;（4）西藏金粉蕨与野雉尾金粉蕨聚在一起,并得到较高的支持,说明两者的关系近缘。     

Mitotic CDK Promotes Replisome Disassembly,Fork Breakage,and Complex DNA Rearrangements

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The Med31 Conserved Component of the Divergent Mediator Complex in Tetrahymena thermophila Participates in Developmental Regulation

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Interactions of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Hemagglutinins With Euglena Gracilis, Chlamydomonas Reinhardi, and Tetrahymena Pyriformis

SYNOPSIS The galactosephilic and mannosephilic hemagglutinins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa adsorbed onto Euglena gracilis, Chlamydomonas reinhardi , and Tetrahymena pyriformis . Furthermore, peroxidase binding to the 3 protozoan species was shown to be mediated by these lectins. Binding of Pseudomonas lectins to E. gracilis and C. reinhardi caused their specific agglutination, whereas no agglutination was observed with T. pyriformis , even after treatment by papain or by NaF. Added to the culture medium, the Pseudomonas hemagglutinins stimulated growth of E. gracilis and T. pyriformis due to their binding to these protozoa: this effect was partly inhibited by the specific sugar.     

Genetic Structure and DNA Sequences at Junctions Involved in the Rearrangements of Bacillus Subtilis Strains Carrying the Trpe26 Mutation

Studies on the region upstream to ribosomal operon rrnD of Bacillus subtilis led to the characterization of two of the four chromosomal junctions involved in the rearrangements (a translocation and an inversion) of the strains carrying the trpE26 mutation. Genetic analysis, by integrative mapping, showed linkage of rrnD to cysB and hisA (both on segment A) in the trpE26-type strains. Physical analysis showed that the region upstream to rrnD is now linked to the trpE-ilvA chromosome segment as demonstrated by analyzing restriction site-polymorphism between 168 and trpE26-type strains. Similar experiments confirmed the previous genetic data on linkage in these areas in strains carrying novel rearrangements derived from the trpE26-type strains: stable merodiploids and inversions. The nucleotide sequence of the area 5' to rrnD in both types of strains (168 and trpE26), the region downstream of the citG gene and the region carrying the trpE26 mutation (made available to us by D. Henner) provided evidence for the molecular basis of the differences in structure, allowed the identification of the break points and revealed the presence of a polypurine region upstream to rrnD as seen in other systems in B. subtilis. No extensive homology was found between pairs of junctions so far sequenced. The models proposed by C. Anagnostopoulos for the role of DNA sequences of intrachromosomal homology involved in the transfer of the trpE26 mutation and the formation of novel arrangements require therefore reevaluation.