DNA及其蛋白质复合体的电镜观察及研究应用

对生物大分子形状的正确了解有助于对其功能的解析。事实上,借助于电子显微镜观察法,使我们在对构成细胞各组分功能的探讨和研究方面收益匪浅。自从生物学家们认识到DNA在细胞行使其功能中的重要性以来,电子显微镜便成为一种最重要的技术手段而被用于分析DNA的结构,研究DNA的复制、重组和转录机制。近年来,这一领域的研究技术又有了非常大的改进,使人们已经能够借助于电子显微镜,观察介入DNA复制、重组和转录等过程中的DNA蛋白质复合体的活体状态。今后,在对生物大分子的活体行为进行探讨时,电子显微镜技术将发挥越来越重要的作用。     

Single-molecule analysis of DNA replication in Xenopus egg extracts

The recent advent in single-molecule imaging and manipulation methods has made a significant impact on the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying many essential cellular processes. Single-molecule techniques such as electron microscopy and DNA fiber assays have been employed to study the duplication of genome in eukaryotes. Here, we describe a single-molecule assay that allows replication of DNA attached to the functionalized surface of a microfluidic flow cell in a soluble Xenopus leavis egg extract replication system and subsequent visualization of replication products via fluorescence microscopy. We also explain a method for detection of replication proteins, through fluorescently labeled antibodies, on partially replicated DNA immobilized at both ends to the surface.     

Fine structure of the 21S ribosomal RNA region on yeast mitochondrial DNA. II. The organization of sequences in petite mitochondrial DNAs carrying genetic markers from the 21S region.

We have investigated the organization of sequences in ten rho- petite mtDNAs by restriction enzyme analysis and electron microscopy. From the comparison of the physical maps of the petite mtDNAs with the physical map of the mtDNA of the parental rho+ strain we conclude that there are at least three different classes of petite mtDNAs: I. Head-to-tail repeats of an (almost) continuous segment of the rho+ mtDNA. II. Head-to-tail repeats of an (almost) continuous segment of the rho+ mtDNA with a terminal inverted duplication. III. Mixed repeats of an (almost) continuous rho+ mtDNA segment. In out petite mtDNAs of the second type, the inverted duplications do not cover the entire conserved rho+ mtDNA segment. We have found that the petite mtDNAs of the third type contain a local inverted duplication at the site where repeating units can insert in two orientations. At least in one case this local inverted duplication must have arisen by mutation. The rearrangements that we have found in the petite mtDNAs do not cluster at specific sites on the rho+ mtDNA map. Large rearrangements or deletions within the conserved rho+ mtDNA segment seem to contribute to the suppressiveness of a petite strain. There is also a positive correlation between the retention of certain segments of the rho+ mtDNA and the suppressiveness of a petite strain. We found no correlation between the suppressiveness of a petite strain and its genetic complexity. The relevance of these findings for the mechanism of petite induction and the usefulness of petite strains for the physical mapping of mitochondrial genetic markers and for DNA sequence analysis are discussed.     

The nuclear location and chromatin organization of active chorion amplification origins

It remains unclear how certain regions on metazoan chromosomes are selected to initiate DNA replication. In recent years a number of origins of DNA replication have been mapped, but there is still no DNA consensus for predicting where replication will initiate. Evidence suggests that the higher order structure of the nucleus and chromosome influences origin activity. Chromosomal DNA replication is proposed to occur in special compartments in the nucleus called replication foci. Foci in different regions of the nucleus initiate replication at different times of S-phase, suggesting nuclear position may contribute to where and when replication begins. Here we test the contribution of nuclear compartments for well-defined origins, those involved in amplification of the chorion (eggshell) genes during Drosophila oogenesis. The results of three-dimensional confocal microscopy indicate that chorion DNA replication origins are highly active in diverse positions within the nucleus. We also find that chorion replication origins inserted at ectopic chromosomal sites can amplify highly in diverse nuclear locations distinct from the endogenous loci, including when they are buffered against genomic position effects. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to analyze chromosome structure during amplification. Contrary to the replication factory model, we find no evidence for spooling of DNA toward a replication center. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding the role of higher order structure in amplification and chromosome duplication.     

Bacteriophage lambda derivatives carrying two copies of the cohesive end site

A spontaneously arising tandem duplication derivative of bacteriophage lambda has been isolated, which carries two copies of the site where the cohesive ends are formed (designated cos). Its structure has been determined by electron microscopy of DNA heteroduplexes. These heteroduplexes reveal that the duplication is usually, but not always, carried on the left end of the chromosome. A second duplication phage having two copies of cos, constructed by Feiss &; Campbell (1974), has also been studied by electron microscopy and is found to have a similar property.Unlike most tandem duplication derivatives of phage λ, the mutant studied here is not stable during growth in the absence of generalized recombination, but segregates both the triplication and the parental phage. This verifies that both cos sites are functional. The triplication does not arise as a result of end-to-end aggregation of phage chromosomes or site-specific recombination catalyzed by the chromosome maturation system at cos. It must therefore result from the cutting of mature ι chromosomes from concatemeric replication intermediates. The pattern of cutting observed shows that the λ cohesive ends are not created by a free nuclease acting on unpackaged DNA. The cutting appears to be influenced by the amount of DNA previously packaged into a phage head. A model for λ packaging is presented which explains the results.The duplication phage of Feiss &; Campbell (1974) carries a novel addition containing self-complementary sequences.     

Developmental differences in genome replication program and origin activation

To ensure error-free duplication of all (epi)genetic information once per cell cycle, DNA replication follows a cell type and developmental stage specific spatio-temporal program. Here, we analyze the spatio-temporal DNA replication progression in (un)differentiated mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Whereas telomeres replicate throughout S-phase, we observe mid S-phase replication of (peri)centromeric heterochromatin in mES cells, which switches to late S-phase replication upon differentiation. This replication timing reversal correlates with and depends on an increase in condensation and a decrease in acetylation of chromatin. We further find synchronous duplication of the Y chromosome, marking the end of S-phase, irrespectively of the pluripotency state. Using a combination of single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy, we measure molecular properties of the mES cell replicon, the number of replication foci active in parallel and their spatial clustering. We conclude that each replication nanofocus in mES cells corresponds to an individual replicon, with up to one quarter representing unidirectional forks. Furthermore, with molecular combing and genome-wide origin mapping analyses, we find that mES cells activate twice as many origins spaced at half the distance than somatic cells. Altogether, our results highlight fundamental developmental differences on progression of genome replication and origin activation in pluripotent cells.     

Method of specific detection of apoptosis using formamide-induced DNA denaturation assay.

We compared the reliability between apoptosis detection methods, namely, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and formamide-induced DNA denaturation assay using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) (formamide-MAb assay). Reaction targets in these methods are different: the TUNEL method recognizes free 3'-OH DNA ends, whereas the formamide-MAb assay detects ssDNA itself (25-30 bp). We found that the formamide-MAb assay immunohistochemically detected apoptotic cells, whereas the TUNEL method detected apoptotic cells as well as mitotic and necrotic cells. The TUNEL method recognized not only 3'-OH DNA ends cleaved by DNase during apoptosis but also constitutive physiological nicking that occurs in DNA duplication and histone posttranslational modifications during mitosis and random DNA breaks during necrotic execution. By electron microscopy, the mean labeling density (the number of 3'-OH DNA ends/nuclear area) obtained by the TUNEL method was determined to be consistently higher than that (the number of ssDNAs/nuclear area) obtained by the formamide-MAb assay. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that the formamide-MAb assay was more specific than the TUNEL method for the detection of apoptotic cells using electron microscopy; however, the labeling intensity of the formamide-MAb assay was slightly weaker than that of the TUNEL method.     

Localization of core spindle pole body (SPB) components during SPB duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have examined the process of spindle pole body (SPB) duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by electron microscopy and found several stages. These include the assembly, probably from the satellite, of a large plaque-like structure, the duplication plaque, on the cytoplasmic face of the half-bridge and its insertion into the nuclear envelope. We analyzed the role of the main SPB components in the formation of these structures by identifying them from an SPB core fraction by mass spectrometry. Temperature-sensitive mutants for two of the components, Spc29p and Nud1p, were prepared to partly define their function. The composition of two of the intermediates in SPB duplication, the satellite and the duplication plaque, was examined by immunoelectron microscopy. Both contain cytoplasmic SPB components showing that duplication has already been partly achieved by the end of the preceding cell cycle when the satellite is formed. We show that by overexpression of SPB components the structure of the satellite can be changed and SPB duplication inhibited by disrupting the attachment of the plaque-like intermediate to the half-bridge. We present a model for SPB duplication where binding of SPB components to either end of the bridge structure ensures two separate SPBs.     

Inversions with Deletions and Duplications

Complex mutational events, including de novo inversion with deletion and duplication of sequence, have been observed but are difficult to model. We propose that nascent leading-strand misalignment upon the lagging-strand template during DNA replication can result in the inversion of sequence. The positioning of this misalignment and of the realignment of the leading strand back onto the leading-strand template will determine if the inversion is accompanied by deletion and duplication of sequence. We suggest that such strand misalignment-realignment events may occur at the replication fork during concurrent DNA replication.     

Retroviral integration: in vitro host site selection by avian integrase.

Viral integrase catalyzes the integration of the linear viral DNA genome into the chromatin of the infected host cell, an essential step in the life cycle of retroviruses. The reaction produces a characteristic small duplication of host sequences at the site of integration, implying that there is a close juxtaposition of the viral DNA ends during a concerted integration event. We have used an in vitro assay to measure the concerted integration of virus-like plasmid DNA into naked lambda DNA catalyzed by virion purified avian integrase. In contrast to in vivo avian integration, which has strong fidelity for a 6-bp duplication, purified avian integrase in the context of this assay produced a distribution of duplication sizes, with the 6-bp size dominating. The metal cofactor Mg2+ induced increased fidelity for the 6-bp duplication relative to that with Mn2+. The immediate sequence of the host site may also influence duplication size in that we found sites that sustained multiple independent integration events producing the same duplication size. Additionally, for each set of cloned integration sites (5, 6, and 7 bp), a unique but similar symmetrical pattern of G/C and A/T sequence biases was found. Using duplex oligonucleotides as target substrates, we tested the significance of the 6-bp G/C and A/T pattern for site selection. In the context of this assay, which is likely dominated by the integration of only one viral end, the 6-bp pattern was not preferred. Instead, integration was predominantly into the 3' ends of the oligonucleotides. The combined results of the lambda and oligonucleotide assays indicated that although host site selection has properties in common with recognition of the viral DNA termini, the nonrandom sequence preferences seen for host site selection were not identical to the sequence requirements for long terminal repeat recognition.     

Proceedings of the SMBE Tri-National Young Investigators' Workshop 2005. What is the role of genome duplication in the evolution of complexity and diversity?

Gene and genome duplications provide a source of genetic material for mutation, drift, and selection to act upon, making new evolutionary opportunities possible. As a result, many have argued that genome duplication is a dominant factor in the evolution of complexity and diversity. However, a clear correlation between a genome duplication event and increased complexity and diversity is not apparent, and there are inconsistencies in the patterns of diversity invoked to support this claim. Interestingly, several estimates of genome duplication events in vertebrates are preceded by multiple extinct lineages, resulting in preduplication gaps in extant taxa. Here we argue that gen(om)e duplication could contribute to reduced risk of extinction via functional redundancy, mutational robustness, increased rates of evolution, and adaptation. The timeline for these processes to unfold would not predict immediate increases in species diversity after the duplication event. Rather, reduced probabilities of extinction would predict a latent period between a genome duplication and its effect on species diversity or complexity. In this paper, we will develop the idea that genome duplication could contribute to species diversity through reduced probability of extinction.     

A Duplication Including the Y Allele of Lcp2 and the Trim Retrotransposon at the Lcp Locus on the Degenerating Neo-Y Chromosome of Drosophila Miranda: Molecular Structure and Mechanisms by Which It May Have Arisen

Evolutionary changes during the process of sex chromosome differentiation in Drosophila miranda are associated with massive DNA rearrangements. Comparing the DNA structure of the larval cuticle protein (Lcp) region from the X2 and neo-Y chromosome pair, we observed insertions, deletions and a large duplication at the neo-Y chromosomal locus. The duplication encompasses a complete copy of the neo-Y allele of Lcp2, and the ISY3 and the ISY4 insertion sequences. The latter was identified as a retrotransposon, termed TRIM. ISY3 shows DNA sequence similarity to P element homologs identified in the Drosophila obscura species group. We were interested in mechanistic aspects generating the duplication. We cannot exclude unequivocally that unequal sister-chromatid exchange could give rise to the observed duplication; however, recombination is a rare event in Drosophila males. Location and sequence of the retrotransposon TRIM served as molecular markers allowing us to reconstruct two intrachromosomal transposition events that could lead to the observed duplication.     

The yeast protein kinase Mps1p is required for assembly of the integral spindle pole body component Spc42p

Saccharomyces cerevisiae MPS1 encodes an essential protein kinase that has roles in spindle pole body (SPB) duplication and the spindle checkpoint. Previously characterized MPS1 mutants fail in both functions, leading to aberrant DNA segregation with lethal consequences. Here, we report the identification of a unique conditional allele, mps1-8, that is defective in SPB duplication but not the spindle checkpoint. The mutations in mps1-8 are in the noncatalytic region of MPS1, and analysis of the mutant protein indicates that Mps1-8p has wild-type kinase activity in vitro. A screen for dosage suppressors of the mps1-8 conditional growth phenotype identified the gene encoding the integral SPB component SPC42. Additional analysis revealed that mps1-8 exhibits synthetic growth defects when combined with certain mutant alleles of SPC42. An epitope-tagged version of Mps1p (Mps1p-myc) localizes to SPBs and kinetochores by immunofluorescence microscopy and immuno-EM analysis. This is consistent with the physical interaction we detect between Mps1p and Spc42p by coimmunoprecipitation. Spc42p is a substrate for Mps1p phosphorylation in vitro, and Spc42p phosphorylation is dependent on Mps1p in vivo. Finally, Spc42p assembly is abnormal in a mps1-1 mutant strain. We conclude that Mps1p regulates assembly of the integral SPB component Spc42p during SPB duplication.     

High-throughput screening for genes that prevent excess DNA replication in human cells and for molecules that inhibit them

High-throughput screening (HTS) provides a rapid and comprehensive approach to identifying compounds that target specific biological processes as well as genes that are essential to those processes. Here we describe a HTS assay for small molecules that induce either DNA re-replication or endoreduplication (i.e. excess DNA replication) selectively in cells derived from human cancers. Such molecules will be useful not only to investigate cell division and differentiation, but they may provide a novel approach to cancer chemotherapy. Since induction of DNA re-replication results in apoptosis, compounds that selectively induce DNA re-replication in cancer cells without doing so in normal cells could kill cancers in vivo without preventing normal cell proliferation. Furthermore, the same HTS assay can be adapted to screen siRNA molecules to identify genes whose products restrict genome duplication to once per cell division. Some of these genes might regulate the formation of terminally differentiated polyploid cells during normal human development, whereas others will prevent DNA re-replication during each cell division. Based on previous studies, we anticipate that one or more of the latter genes will prove to be essential for proliferation of cancer cells but not for normal cells, since many cancer cells are deficient in mechanisms that maintain genome stability.     

Addition of extra DNA sequences to simian virus 40 DNA in vivo.

The possible addition of extra sequences to simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA was analyzed by electron microscopy in two different cell systems, productively infected monkey cells and activated heterokaryons on monkey and transformed mouse 3T3 cells. We found that the closed circular DNA fraction, extracted from monkey cells at 70 h after infection with nondefective SV40 at a multiplicity of infection of 6 PFU/cell, contained oversized molesules (1.1 to 2.0 fractional lengths of SV40 DNA) constituting about 8% of the molecules having lengths equal to or shorter than SV40 dinner DNA. The oversized molecules had the entired SV40 sequences. The added DNA was heterogeneous in length. The sites of addition were not specific with reference to the EcoRi site. These results suggest that recombination between monkey and SV40 DNAs or partial duplication of SV40 DNA occurs at many sites on the SV40 chromosome. The integrated SV40 DNA is excised and replicates in activated heterokaryons. In this system, besides SV40 DNA we found heterogeneous undersized and oversized molecules containing SV40 sequences in the closed circular DNA population. Additions differeing in size appeared to be overlapping and to have occurred at a preferential site on the SV40 chromosome. These results support the hypothesis that host DNA can be added to SV40 DNA at the site of integration at the time of excision.     

Rates of DNA Duplication and Mitochondrial DNA Insertion in the Human Genome

The hundreds of mitochondrial pseudogenes in the human nuclear genome sequence (numts) constitute an excellent system for studying and dating DNA duplications and insertions. These pseudogenes are associated with many complete mitochondrial genome sequences and through those with a good fossil record. By comparing individual numts with primate and other mammalian mitochondrial genome sequences, we estimate that these numts arose continuously over the last 58 million years. Our pairwise comparisons between numts suggest that most human numts arose from different mitochondrial insertion events and not by DNA duplication within the nuclear genome. The nuclear genome appears to accumulate mtDNA insertions at a rate high enough to predict within-population polymorphism for the presence/absence of many recent mtDNA insertions. Pairwise analysis of numts and their flanking DNA produces an estimate for the DNA duplication rate in humans of 2.2 × 10^–9 per numt per year. Thus, a nucleotide site is about as likely to be involved in a duplication event as it is to change by point substitution. This estimate of the rate of DNA duplication of noncoding DNA is based on sequences that are not in duplication hotspots, and is close to the rate reported for functional genes in other species.     

Drosophila duplication hotspots are associated with late-replicating regions of the genome

Duplications play a significant role in both extremes of the phenotypic spectrum of newly arising mutations: they can have severe deleterious effects (e.g. duplications underlie a variety of diseases) but can also be highly advantageous. The phenotypic potential of newly arisen duplications has stimulated wide interest in both the mutational and selective processes shaping these variants in the genome. Here we take advantage of the Drosophila simulans-Drosophila melanogaster genetic system to further our understanding of both processes. Regarding mutational processes, the study of two closely related species allows investigation of the potential existence of shared duplication hotspots, and the similarities and differences between the two genomes can be used to dissect its underlying causes. Regarding selection, the difference in the effective population size between the two species can be leveraged to ask questions about the strength of selection acting on different classes of duplications. In this study, we conducted a survey of duplication polymorphisms in 14 different lines of D. simulans using tiling microarrays and combined it with an analogous survey for the D. melanogaster genome. By integrating the two datasets, we identified duplication hotspots conserved between the two species. However, unlike the duplication hotspots identified in mammalian genomes, Drosophila duplication hotspots are not associated with sequences of high sequence identity capable of mediating non-allelic homologous recombination. Instead, Drosophila duplication hotspots are associated with late-replicating regions of the genome, suggesting a link between DNA replication and duplication rates. We also found evidence supporting a higher effectiveness of selection on duplications in D. simulans than in D. melanogaster. This is also true for duplications segregating at high frequency, where we find evidence in D. simulans that a sizeable fraction of these mutations is being driven to fixation by positive selection.     

Nuclear dynamics of RAD52 group homologous recombination proteins in response to DNA damage

Recombination between homologous DNA molecules is essential for the proper maintenance and duplication of the genome, and for the repair of exogenously induced DNA damage such as double-strand breaks. Homologous recombination requires the RAD52 group proteins, including Rad51, Rad52 and Rad54. Upon treatment of mammalian cells with ionizing radiation, these proteins accumulate into foci at sites of DNA damage induction. We show that these foci are dynamic structures of which Rad51 is a stably associated core component, whereas Rad52 and Rad54 rapidly and reversibly interact with the structure. Furthermore, we show that the majority of the proteins are not part of the same multi-protein complex in the absence of DNA damage. Executing DNA transactions through dynamic multi-protein complexes, rather than stable holo-complexes, allows flexibility. In the case of DNA repair, for example, it will facilitate cross-talk between different DNA repair pathways and coupling to other DNA transactions, such as replication.     

Dynamics of long DNA confined by linear polymers

We studied the electrophoretic behavior of long DNA molecules in a linear polymer [polyacrylamide (PA)] solution through direct observation by means of fluorescence microscopy. DNA migrates in an I-shaped conformation in concentrated polymer solutions under steady electric fields, but it is not stretched up to its natural contour length in this I-shaped conformation under such fields. The stretching of DNA is induced under alternating current fields through the entanglement effect between DNA and host polymers. We experimentally investigated the conditions required for this stretching phenomenon and found that DNA can be stretched at a concentration of around 7% PA, under a field of around 10 Hz. These conditions do not depend on the length of the DNA chains. It is expected that DNA stretching will be useful in the optical mapping of specific sites along an individual DNA chain.