A cloned DNA fragment from bacteriophage P1 enhances IS2 insertion

Summary A 1.75 kb DNA segment of the bacteriophage P1 genome is known to serve as a preferred target for IS2 insertions. The presence of this fragment in a plasmid expressing the galK gene dramatically increases the proportion of IS2 insertions among spontaneous galK ^- mutants. Subfragments from two different parts of the 1.75 kb segment independently stimulate IS2 insertion, while another subfragment does not. In the plasmids studied IS2 elements not only insert into the cloned P1 fragment but also into parts of the galK gene with similar probability and mostly in one orientation. Many insertion sites are unique but several specific sites within the preferred target are repeatedly used for IS2 integration. The experimental data are compatible with a proposed cooperative mechanism, according to which more than one attracting sequence on the same plasmid might significantly enhance the probability of a particular target region to attract IS2.     

DNA sequence of the transposable element IS1

Summary The nucleotide sequence of an IS1 element recently transposed into the lacI gene is reported. This sequence is nearly identical to one previously reported for another IS1 element (Ohtsubo and Ohtsubo, 1978). The implications of this similarity are discussed. The sizes of potential polypeptides encoded in the IS1 DNA have been determined and possible roles for these peptides in the illegitimate recombination events mediated by the element are considered.     

The insertion element IS1 is a natural constituent of coliphage P1 DNA.

The presence of one copy of the insertion element IS1 in P1 DNA at map unit 20 of the physical genome map is revealed by restriction enzyme cleavage patterns and electron microscopy. This IS1 element is cleaved once by the restriction endonuclease PstI and extends about 500 to 600 base pairs to the left and 200 to 300 base pairs to the right of the unique PstI cleavage site of P1 DNA. Two P1Cm derivatives, P1Cm246 and P1Cm89, carrying a chloramphenicol resistance determinant contain DNA insertions with two terminal directly repeated IS1 elements. Insertion of such IS1-mediated transposition elements may occur at the IS1 site in the P1 genome or at other sites. The significance of IS1 as a natural constitutent of P1 DNA is discussed.     

Complete maps of IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, IS5, IS30 and IS150 locations in Escherichia coli K12

Summary In this paper complete distribution maps are presented of the seven IS elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 150. These maps were obtained during the construction of an almost complete restriction map of the Escherichia coli genome of K12 strain BHB2600. The positions of IS elements were correlated to this map. The distribution of integration sites of all IS types is nonrandom. Besides a large gap from 79 min to 96 min, there is a pronounced IS cluster at 6 min and another at 97 min, map locations that have low gene incidences on the classical map. One cluster coincides with a region of IS induced rearrangements. The IS distribution pattern was compared to patterns of strains W3110 and HB101.     

Redor in IS1S2 systems

An approach to the determination of the 2-¹³C chemical shift (CS) tensor orientation in pyrimidine bases via heteronuclear MAS NMR spectroscopy is presented. Considering a dipolar coupled spin 1/2 network of the type S₁-I-S₂ consisting of directly bonded heteronuclear spins, we have carried out numerical simulations to assess the sensitivity of I-S REDOR spinning sidebands to the Euler angles defining the orientation of the I-S₁ and I-S₂ dipolar vectors in the I spin CS tensor principal axes system. Our investigations clearly demonstrate the potential of I-S REDOR studies in IS₁S₂ systems for obtaining with high reliability and accuracy the I spin chemical shift tensor orientation in the molecular frame spanned by the two internuclear vectors I-S₁ and I-S₂. The significant contribution to the observed REDOR sideband intensities from anti-phase operator terms which are present at the start of the data acquisition is illustrated. The procedure for the recording and analysis of the I-S REDOR spectra in IS₁S₂ systems is presented and the measurement of the 2-¹³C CS tensor orientation in a polycrystalline sample of [1,3-¹⁵N₂, 2-¹³C] uracil, which is one of the four bases in RNA, is experimentally demonstrated.     

The isolation of high-molecular-weight DNA from plants

A procedure to isolate high-molecular-weight DNA from plant materials has been devised. With this procedure, high-molecular-weight DNA suitable for Southern transfer experiments has been isolated from over 30 plant species including angiosperms (both dicots and monocots), a gymnosperm, members of other divisions, and two microorganisms.     

Formation of the tandem repeat (IS30)2 and its role in IS30-mediated transpositional DNA rearrangements

Plasmids carrying two IS30 elements in the same orientation, as in the composite transposon Tn2706, are structurally unstable in Escherichia coli. A primary segregation product is formed by site-specific deletion of the sequences carried between the two IS30 elements. The resulting covalently closed replicon carries the two IS30 elements as tandem repeats separated by only 2 bp. This (IS30)₂ structure is extremely unstable, but it can nevertheless be isolated on its vector plasmid and, after purification, can be reintroduced into host cells by transformation. Among the descendants of transformants of recA ^? bacteria, replicated copies of the introduced (IS30)₂ structure are still present, together with various kinds of segregation products which provide evidence for the efficient generation of DNA rearrangements. Most abundant is the product of another site-specific recombination between two identical ends of the IS30 elements involved, which results in the presence of just one intact IS30 on the plasmid. Apart from this, and depending on the presence of appropriate targets for IS30 transposition, various transposition products of (IS30)₂ are also seen. Intramolecular reactions lead to DNA inversions and deletions with breakpoints other than IS30 ends. In intermolecular reactions inverse transposition occurs at high frequency and one also obtains simple transposition and cointegration. A mutational study revealed the requirement in cis of one intact IS30 transposase gene and of both proximal ends of the two IS30 elements concerned not only for the formation of (IS30)₂, but also for its further rearrangement reactions, including the efficient formation of site-specific deletions. A model is proposed, which postulates that (IS30)₂ intermediates play a key role in IS30 transposition pathways in which the formation of (IS30)₂ may be rate-limiting. Once this structure is formed, it gives rise to a burst of transpositional rearrangements in the subclone carrying (IS30)₂. Evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.     

水稻基因组DNA微量提取

随着植物学向分子水平的深入发展,研究中经常需要获得高质量的植物DNA样品,因此,建立植物DNA提取与纯化的常规实验方法对教学和科研都显得非常必要。介绍一种快速提取微量DNA的方法,该方法简单易行,无需任何特殊设备,所需样品量少,提取的DNA纯度高,可满足以PCR扩增为基础的实验需要。     

IS2-61 and IS2-611 arise by illegitimate recombination from IS2-6

Summary A more stable derivative of IS2-6 has been isolated, which had lost 54 bp of the 108 bp long insert characteristic of IS2-6. This new allele of IS2, IS2-61, segregates the remaining 54 bp to yield allele IS2-611. DNA sequence analysis shows that the segregation products of IS2-6 arise by recA-independent, illegitimate recombination at 9 bp long direct sequence repetitions.     

Amplification of drug resistance genes flanked by inversely repeated IS1 elements: involvement of IS1-promoted DNA rearrangements before amplification.

Tn2653 contains one copy of the tet gene and two copies of the cat gene derived from plasmid pBR325 and is flanked by inverted repeats of IS1. Transposed onto the P1-15 prophage, it confers a chloramphenicol resistance phenotype to the Escherichia coli host. Because the prophage is perpetuated as a plasmid at about one copy per host chromosome, the host cell is still tetracycline sensitive even though P1-15 is carrying one copy of the tet gene. We isolated P1-15::Tn2653 mutants conferring a tetracycline resistance phenotype, in which the whole transposon and variable flanking P1-15 DNA segments were amplified. Amplification was most probably preceded by IS1-mediated DNA rearrangements which led to long direct repeats containing Tn2653 sequences and P1-15 DNA. Subsequent recombination events between these direct repeats led to amplification of a segment containing the tetracycline resistance gene in tandem arrays.     

The isolation and partial purification of 2 DNA-dependent DNA polymerases from Acholeplasma laidlawii PG-8]

Two forms of DNA-dependent DNA-polymerase have been isolated and partially purified from the limited amount of biomass of cells Acholeplasma laidlawii PG-8, a typical representative of genus Acholeplasmataceae, as a result of successive chromatography on the columns with DEAE-cellulose DE-52 and Green A-sepharose. The first form of DNA-polymerase is eluted from the ion-exchange column with NaCl concentration of 0.1 M from the column with Green A-sepharose of 0.27 M, while the second form-with NaCl concentrations of 0.6 and 0.4 M, respectively. The both enzymatic activities are able to implement DNA synthesis. The conditions of DNA-polymerase production proved to be rather convenient for isolation of the concentrated and highly active enzymes.     

DNA sequence at the integration sites of the insertion element IS1.

We have detected two independent occurrences of insertion mutations in the lacl gene of E. Coli, and have used small plasmids carrying the l gene to purify large amounts of DNA containing these insertions. Analyses with restriction endonucleases and DNA sequencing techniques establish that both insertions involve the previously characterized element IS1. In each case, the integration of IS1 into the l gene DNA is associated with a directly repeated sequence of 9 nucleotides appearing at each end of the insertion element. Since one of these sequences was present in the wild-type gene, the second sequence either preexisted in the IS1 before integration, or else was generated by the process of insertion itself. The 9 base repeat is different in both cases. We discuss the relevance of these findings to the mechanism of integration of transposable elements.     

The basis of asymmetry in IS2 transposition

In the first step of IS2 transposition, the formation of an IS2 minicircle, the roles of the two IS ends differ. Terminal cleavage initiates exclusively at the right inverted repeat (IRR) - the donor end - whereas IRL is always the target. At the resulting minicircle junction, the two abutted ends are separated by a spacer of 1 or 2 basepairs. In this study, we have identified the determinants of donor and target function. The inability of IRL to act as a donor results largely from two sequence differences between IRL and IRR - an extra basepair between the conserved transposase binding sequences and the end of the element, and a change of the terminal dinucleotide from CA-3' to TA-3'. These two changes also impose a characteristic size on the minicircle junction spacer. The only sequences required for the efficient target function of IRL appear to be contained within the segment from position 11-42. Although IRR can function as a target, its shorter length and additional contacts with transposase (positions 1-7) result in minicircles with longer, and inappropriate, spacers. We propose a model for the synaptic complex in which the terminus of IRL makes different contacts with the transposase for the initial and final strand transfer steps. The sequence differences between IRR and IRL, and the behavioural characteristics of IRL that result from them, have probably been selected because they optimize expression of transposase from the minicircle junction promoter, Pjunc.