Molecular characterization of the niaD and pyrG genes from Penicillium camemberti, and their use as transformation markers

Genetic manipulation of the filamentous fungus Penicillium camemberti has been limited by a lack of suitable genetics tools for this fungus. In particular, there is no available homologous transformation system. In this study, the nitrate reductase (niaD) and orotidine-5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (pyrG) genes from Penicillium camemberti were characterized, and their suitability as metabolic molecular markers for transformation was evaluated. The genes were amplified using PCR-related techniques, and sequenced. The niaD gene is flanked by the nitrite reductase (niiA) gene in a divergent arrangement, being part of the putative nitrate assimilation cluster in P. camemberti. pyrG presents several polymorphisms compared with a previously sequenced pyrG gene from another P. camemberti strain, but almost all are silent mutations. Southern blot assays indicate that one copy of each gene is present in P. camemberti. Northern blot assays showed that the pyrG gene is expressed in minimal and rich media, and the niaD gene is expressed in nitrate, but not in reduced nitrogen sources. The functionality of the two genes as transformation markers was established by transforming A. nidulans pyrG- and niaD-deficient strains. Higher transformation efficiencies were obtained with a pyrG-containing plasmid. This is the first study yielding a molecular and functional characterization of P. camemberti genes that would be useful as molecular markers for transformation, opening the way for the future development of a non-antibiotic genetic transformation system for this fungus.     

Observations on integrative transformation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Summary Three different Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains have been transformed with a circular or linearized non-ars plasmid carrying the ura4 ⁺ gene as a selectable marker. The first strain shows full homology between the genomic ura4-294 gene (point mutation) and the marker gene on the plasmid. The second strain carries a 600 bp deletion (ura4-D6) that decreases homology between plasmid and chromosome. No homology remains in the third strain which has a complete deletion of the ura4 gene on the chromosome (ura4-D18). When sequence homology exists between transforming DNA and the chromosomal ura4 region, gene conversion is strongly preferred over integration of the circular plasmid. Reduction of the length of homology leads to a decrease of transformation frequencies, and homology dependent as well as a minority of homology independent integrations are observed. In the complete absence of homology two rate types of transformants are encountered: either the circular plasmid replicates autonomously, although it is devoid of an ars sequence, or alternatively the plasmid integrates into the genome at various positions. Transformation with plasmid cut within the coding region of ura4 can lead to tandemly arranged multiple integrations, when no homology exists between the free ends and the chromosome. The integrations occur at the ura4 locus, when homology is retained between plasmid and chromosome, and at various sites in the genome of the strain with a complete deletion of the ura4 gene. The results suggest that homology dependent events (conversion, integration) are strongly preferred in transformation of S. pombe with non-ars plasmids. In addition low frequency integration by illegitimate recombination is observed. Linearized plasmid can be ligated in vivo to form monomers or multimers in the absence of homology between the free plasmid ends and the chromosomal genome.     

Illegitimate integration of single-stranded DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

 We studied illegitimate recombination by transforming yeast with a single-stranded (ss) non-replicative plasmid. Plasmid pCW12, containing the ARG4gene, was used for transformation of yeast strains deleted for the ARG4, either in native (circular) form or after linearization within the vector sequence by the restriction enzyme ScaI. Both circular and linearized ss plasmids were shown to be much more efficient in illegitimate integration than their double-stranded (ds) counterparts and more than two-thirds of the transformants analysed contained multiple tandem integrations of the plasmid. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA revealed significant changes in the karyotype of some transformants. Plasmid DNA was frequently detected on more than one chromosome and on mitotically unstable, autonomously replicating elements. Our results show that the introduction of nonhomologous ss DNA into yeast cells can lead to different types of alterations in the yeast genome. Received: 9 February 1996/Accepted: 7 July 1996     

Differences in the processing of DNA ends in Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco: possible implications for genome evolution

Surprising species-specific differences in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of genomic double-strand breaks (DSBs) have been reported for the two dicotyledonous plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. In Arabidopsis deletions were, on average, larger than in tobacco and not associated with insertions. To establish the molecular basis of the phenomenon we analysed the fate of free DNA ends in both plant species by biolistic transformation of leaf tissue with linearized plasmid molecules. Southern blotting indicated that, irrespective of the nature of the ends (blunt, 5 or 3 overhangs), linearized full-length DNA molecules were, on average, more stable in tobacco than in Arabidopsis. The relative expression of a -glucuronidase gene encoded by the plasmid was similar in both plant species when the break was distant from the marker gene. However, if a DSB was introduced between the promoter and the open reading frame of the marker, transient expression was halved in Arabidopsisas compared to tobacco. These results indicate that free DNA ends are more stable in tobacco than in Arabidopsis, either due to lower DNA exonuclease activity or due to a better protection of DNA break ends or both. Exonucleolytic degradation of DNA ends might be a driving force in the evolution of genome size as the Arabidopsis genome is more than twenty times smaller than the tobacco genome.     

Use of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">pyrG</Emphasis> gene as a food-grade selection marker in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monascus</Emphasis>

Ma-pyrG was cloned from Monascus aurantiacus AS3.4384 using degenerate PCR with primers designed with an algorithm called CODEHOP, and its complete sequence was obtained by a PCR-based strategy for screening a Monascus fosmid library. Ma-pyrG encodes orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase (OMPdecase), a 283-aminoacid protein with 81% sequence identity to that from Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3357. A pyrG mutant strain from M. aurantiacus AS3.4384, named UM28, was isolated by resistance to 5-fluoroorotic acid after UV mutagenesis. Sequence analysis of this mutated gene revealed that it contained a point mutation at nucleotide position +220. Plasmid pGFP-pyrG, bearing the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) as a model gene and Ma-pyrG as a selection marker, were constructed. pGFP-pyrG were successfully transformed into UM28 by using the PEG method.     

Transformation of Mucor circinelloides with Autoreplicative Vectors Containing Homologous and Heterologous ARS Elements and the Dominant Cbx r Carboxine-Resistance Gene

Mucor circinelloides transformants prototrophic to leucine and resistant to carboxine (Leu⁺ Cbx^r) have been obtained by treatment of protoplasts with plasmid constructs containing homologous leuA gene and adjacent autonomously replicating sequences (ARS) element combined with the Cbx^r(carboxine-resistance) gene of Ustilago maydis and ARS sequences from this basidiomycete (plasmid pGG37) or from the 2 μ plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (plasmid pGG43). The presence in the same plasmid molecule of the M. circinelloides leuA gene and adjacent ARS element together with heterologous ARS elements produced an increase in the transformation frequency of about 65–120%. The presence of autoreplicating plasmid molecules in the transformants was demonstrated by mitotic stability experiments, by Southern analysis, and by the rescue of plasmids from transformed bacterial cells.     

Synapsis-Mediated Fusion of Free DNA Ends Forms Inverted Dimer Plasmids in Yeast

When yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is transformed with linearized plasmid DNA and the ends of the plasmid do not share homology with the yeast genome, circular inverted (head-to-head) dimer plasmids are the principal product of repair. By measurements of the DNA concentration dependence of transformation with a linearized plasmid, and by transformation with mixtures of genetically marked plasmids, we show that two plasmid molecules are required to form an inverted dimer plasmid. Several observations suggest that homologous pairing accounts for the head-to-head joining of the two plasmid molecules. First, an enhanced frequency of homologous recombination is detected when genetically marked plasmids undergo end-to-end fusion. Second, when a plasmid is linearized within an inverted repeat, such that its ends could undergo head-to-tail homologous pairing, it is repaired by intramolecular head-to-tail joining. Last, in the joining of homologous linearized plasmids of different length, a shorter molecule can acquire a longer plasmid end by homologous recombination. The formation of inverted dimer plasmids may be related to some forms of chromosomal rearrangement. These might include the fusion of broken sister chromatids in the bridge-breakage-fusion cycle and the head-to-head duplication of genomic DNA at the sites of gene amplifications.     

Gene replacement techniques for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> genome modification

The subject of this review covers modern experimental procedures for chromosomal gene replacement in Escherichia coli and related bacteria, which enable the specific substitution of targeted genome sequences with copies of those carrying defined mutations. Two principal methods for gene replacement were established. The first “in–out” method is based on integration of plasmid into bacterial chromosome and subsequent resolving of the cointegrate. The “linear fragment” method (recombineering) is based on homologous recombination mediated by short homology arms at the ends of linear DNA molecule. Many new protocols and improvements in targeted gene replacement were introduced during the last 10 years. These methods are well suited for high-throughput functional gene studies and for many biotechnological applications.     

In vivo linearization and autonomous replication of plasmids containing human telomeric DNA in Aspergillus nidulans

Plasmids containing two inverted 0.6-kb stretches of human telomeric repeats transform Aspergillus nidulans at frequencies characteristic of autonomously replicating vectors. Transformation frequency is not affected when the plasmids are linearized in vitro prior to transformation by cutting between the inverted repeats. Southern analysis reveals the presence of a homogeneous pool of linear plasmid molecules in mycelium of transformants. Addition of the AMA1 plasmid replicator to the telomere-containing plasmids has only a minor effect on transformation. The phenotypic stability of the transformants is low. However, unlike conventional replicative transformants containing AMA1-bearing plasmids, these transformants are prone to spontaneous stabilization which occurs predominantly by conversion of the mutant chromosomal allele of the marker gene to the plasmid-borne allele. The data strongly suggest that telomeric DNA can act as a plasmid replicator. An alternative interpretation is that autonomous replication of linear DNA fragments, in contrast to covalently closed supercoiled molecules, does not require any special replicator sequences. Received: 13 January 1998 / Accepted: 10 June 1998     

Ribosomal RNA genes ofEndomyces fibuliger: isolation, sequencing and the use of the 26S rRNA gene in integrative transformation ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient expression of the α-amylase gene ofEndomyces fibuliger

Endomyces fibuliger is a dimorphic yeast which is homothallic and exists predominantly in the diploid phase with a brief haploid phase. A repeat unit of the ribosomal RNA genes, or rDNA, from E. fibuliger 8014 met has been isolated, cloned and sequenced. In this report, the sequences of the 17S, 5.8S and 26S rRNA genes are presented. Homology between the sequenced rRNA genes and those of closely-related yeast strains, particularly Saccharomyes cerevisiae and Candida albicans, was observed. As a step towards the eventual development of a transformation system for the yeast E. fibuliger, an integrative plasmid containing the 5.8S and a part of the 26S rRNA gene, a selectable marker conferring resistance to the G418 antibiotic and a reporter gene, the α-amylase (ALP1) gene of E. fibuliger, was constructed. This plasmid was linearized at a unique restriction site within the 26S rRNA gene, and transformed into S. cerevisiae INVSC2 MATa his3 ura3 using the lithium acetate method to test the functionality of the vector system. Transformation into S. cerevisiae INVSC2 MATa his3 ura3 was by virtue of the extensive homology between the sequenced 26S rRNA gene of E. fibuliger 8014 met and that of S. cerevisiae, so that homologous pairing and integration into the recipient chromosome was possible. The G418-resistant S. cerevisiae transformants produced halos on starch medium due to hydrolysis by α-amylase, and they were further analysed by Southern hybridization with the ALP1 gene and the gene encoding the aminoglycoside 3′- phosphotransferase I enzyme which confers resistance to the G418 antibiotic. A band of 13.7 kb which corresponded to the linearized size of the transforming plasmid DNA was obtained on the autoradiogram, suggesting that tandem copies of the plasmid DNA are present in the chromosome. Finally, an assay of the α-amylase enzyme secreted extracellularly was performed on the transformants.     

One-Step Preparation of a TA-cloning Vector from a Specially Designed Parent Plasmid Containing a Dual <Emphasis Type="Italic">lacZ</Emphasis> Gene System

A high-yield method was developed for producing a TA-cloning vector suitable for blue/white colony selection from a unique parent plasmid containing a dual lacZ gene system through a one-step restriction enzyme digestion, which creates a single-base 3′-overhang. The dual lacZ gene system was realized by inserting an inner lacZ gene between two single-base 3′-overhangs, creating restriction enzyme sites within the reading-frame-adjusted outer lacZ gene sequence in the parent plasmid. The proposed method overcomes problems, such as the inefficient digestion frequently observed when generating a TA-cloning vector and the difficulty of purifying TA-cloning vectors from the digestion mixture, while maintaining the applicability of blue/white colony selection. Moreover, the use of TA-cloning vector prepared by the proposed method can provide the distinguish tool of transformants carrying the cloning product from those carrying contaminating parent plasmids, recircularized plasmids derived from incompletely digested parent plasmid fragments, or intra-molecularly ligated TA-cloning vectors derived from T-overhangs missing TA-cloning vectors (instability of the T-overhangs is another important consideration when designing TA-cloning vectors) by making all colonies except those carrying the cloning product appear blue during blue/white colony selection.     

Homologous recombination between plasmid DNA molecules in maize protoplasts

Summary The requirements for homologous recombination between plasmid DNA molecules have been studied using the PEG (polyethylene glycol)-mediated transformation system of maize (Zea mays L.) protoplasts coupled with the transient expression assay for -glucuronidase (GUS). Two plasmids were introduced into maize protoplasts; one plasmid (pB×26) contained a genomic clone of the Adh1 maize gene; the other plasmid (piGUS) was a promoterless construction containing part of intron A of the Adhl gene fused to the gusA coding sequence. Thus, the two vectors shared an effective homologous region consisting of a 459 by (Hindlll—PvuII) fragment of the yAdh1 intron A sequence. An active gusA fusion gene would result upon homologous recombination between the plasmids within the intron A sequence, and indeed GUS activity was observed in extracts following co-transformation of maize protoplasts with the two plasmids. The presence of recombinant DNA molecules in protoplast DNA isolated 1 day after co-transformation was verified using polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and Southern blots. For efficient homologous recombination, both plasmids had to be linearized. The recombination reaction was induced by restriction of the plasmid molecules either inside the effective homologous region or at the borders of the intron sequence. However, the presence of even small, terminal, nonhomologous sequences at the 3 end of the pB×26 fragment inhibited the recombination reaction. Also, both ends of the linearized piGUS DNA molecules were involved in the recombination reaction. The results revealed some features of homologous recombination reactions occurring in plant cells which cannot be accommodated by mechanisms postulated for similar reactions in animal system and in lower eukaryotes.     

Influence of non-homology between recombining DNA sequences on double-strand break repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In this paper we study the influence of non-homology between plasmid and chromosomal DNA on the efficiency of recombinational repair of plasmid double-strand breaks and gaps in yeast. For this purpose we used different combinations of plasmids and yeast strains carrying various deletions within the yeast LYS2 gene. A 400 by deletion in plasmid DNA had no effect on recombinational plasmid repair. However, a 400 by deletion in chromosomal DNA dramatically reduced the efficiency of this repair mechanism, but recombinational repair of plasmids linearized by a double-strand break with cohesive ends still remained the dominant repair process. We have also studied the competition between recombination and ligation in the repair of linearized plasmids. Our experimental evidence suggests that recombinational repair is attempted but aborted if only one recombinogenic end with homology to chromosomal DNA is present in plasmid DNA. This situation results in a decreased probability of non-recombinational (i.e. ligation) repair of linearized plasmid DNA.     

Characterization and disruption of exonuclease genes from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces aureofaciens</Emphasis> B96 and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. coelicolor</Emphasis> A3(2)

Streptomyces aureofaciens B96 produces several intra- and extracellular enzymes with deoxyribonuclease activity. According to the sequence of the previously published gene exoSc from S. coelicolor A3(2), the DNA sequence from S. aureofaciens B96 was amplified, cloned and expressed in E. coli. The protein product of exoSa gene, recExoSa, was also an exonuclease with DNAase and 5′-phosphomonoesterase activities at optimum temperature 37 °C and pH 8.0. It degraded only linear DNA (chromosomal, double-stranded and single-stranded) and linear plasmid DNA from both ends, with a preference to blunt ends in comparison with overhang ends. The purified enzyme exhibited no RNAase activity. Both exoSc and exoSa genes were interrupted by the apramycin resistance gene; constructed fragments were transformed into particular streptomyces protoplasts. Mutation caused by exoSa disruption in S. aureofaciens chromosome and mutation by interrupted exoSc in S. coelicolor were lethal.     

DNA sequence analysis of a putative primary replicon from a cryptic plasmid pNM214 of a hydrocarbon utilizing marine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> strain NM21

Marine Bacillus strain NM21 isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated site at Naval Harbour, Mumbai grows on high-speed diesel as a source of carbon and energy. This bacterium harbours four plasmids in it. The smallest plasmid, pNM214 was digested with EcoRI enzyme and cloned in pUC19 vector. The clone Om4 containing largest insert of >3.5 kb was sequenced by primer walking. DNA sequence analysis showed this fragment to be homologous to replication initiation protein (rep) gene and dso (double strand origin) of different plasmids from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus species. The putative rep gene sequence of pNM214 showed 74.3–91.6% DNA identity to B. subtilis plasmids (pTA1015, pTA1060 and pTA1040) and 86.3% to 88.9% DNA identity to B. pumilus plasmids (pPL7065, pPL10 and pSH1452). The translated amino acid sequence of rep shows that it contains all the three conserved motifs present in the Rep protein of pC194 family of plasmids. DNA sequence comparison of putative dso of pNM214 with other bacillus plasmids belonging to pC194 group shows that it contains highly conserved nick site sequence 5′-TCTTTTCTTATCTTGATA-3′ and surrounding inverted repeats. Thus, it indicates that pNM214 to be a rolling circle replicating plasmid belonging to the pC194 group. The presence of rep and dso like sequences in the sequenced EcoRI fragment indicate that the cloned fragment contain putative primary replicon of pNM214.     

Electroporation of Tobacco Protoplasts with Homologous and Nonhomologous Transformation Vectors

A modified protoplast selection/plating technique was used to quantitate and compare the transformation efficiencies of tobacco NTl protoplasts electroporated with plasmid molecules harboring a chimeric nos-neo gene (pMON213) or both this chimeric gene and a region of homology with the host chromosome (pCPI). The latter plasmid was constructed by cloning the pMON213 EcoR I cassette carrying the nos-neo gene into pNtSS233, a pBR322 derivative harboring a 1.2-kbp piece of Nicotiana tabacum DNA comprising the 5'-end of a gene coding for 1,5-ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco). These plasmids were linearized by restriction endonuclease digestion and electroporated into tobacco protoplasts which were subsequently selected on kanamycin-containing medium. Both plasmids displayed the same transformation efficiency, indicating that the presence of a homologous region in the selectable vector had no influence on the rates of transformation.     

Construction of a food-grade multiple-copy integration system for Lactococcus lactis

A food-grade vector system was developed that allows stable integration of multiple plasmid copies in the chromosome of Lactococcus lactis. The vector consists of the plus origin of replication (Ori⁺) of the lactococcal plasmid pWV01, the sucrose genes of the lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus PPE1.0 as selectable marker, a multiple-cloning site, and a lactococcal DNA fragment of a well-characterized chromosomal region. The system includes two L. lactis strains, LL108 and LL302, which produce the pWV01 RepA protein essential for replication of the Ori⁺ vectors. These helper strains allow the construction and isolation of the replicating form of the integration plasmids from a homologous background. Single-cross-over integration of the plasmids in L. lactis MG1363 resulted in amplifications to a level of approximately 20 copies/chromosome after selection of the transformants on medium containing sucrose as the only fermentable sugar. The amplifications were stable under selective growth conditions. In glucose-containing medium a limited loss of integrated plasmid copies was detected at a rate of (7.5–15) × 10⁻² copies per generation. One strain, MG124, was isolated that had retained 11 integrated copies after a period of 120 generations of non-selective growth. These results show that the single-cross-over integration system described here represents a simple procedure for the engineering of stable food-grade strains carrying multiple copies of a gene of interest. Received: 23 September 1997 / Received revision: 21 November 1997 / Accepted: 21 November 1997     

Transformation of yeast with linearized plasmid DNA. Formation of inverted dimers and recombinant plasmid products

The molecular products of DNA double strand break repair were investigated after transformation of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with linearized plasmid DNA. DNA of an autonomous yeast plasmid cleaved to generate free ends lacking homology with the yeast genome, when used in transformation along with sonicated non-homologous carrier DNA, gave rise to transformants with high frequency. Most of these transformants were found to harbor a head-to-head (inverted) dimer of the linearized plasmid. This outcome of transformation contrasts with that observed when the carrier DNA is not present. Transformants occur at a much reduced frequency and harbor either the parent plasmid or a plasmid with deletion at the site of the cleavage. When the linearized plasmid is introduced along with sonicated carrier DNA and a homologous DNA restriction fragment that spans the site of plasmid cleavage, homologous recombination restores the plasmid to its original circular form. Inverted dimer plasmids are not detected. This relationship between homologous recombination and a novel DNA transaction that yields rearrangement could be important to the cell, as the latter could lead to a loss of gene function and lethality.