Physical Characterization of the Chromosomal DNA of the Yeast Saccharomyces exiguus

The number of chromosomes in the yeast Saccharomyces exiguuswas determined to be thirteen by two-dimensional pulsed-fieldgel electrophoresis. The thirteen chromosomes ranged in DNAsize from 520 to 2,600 kbp, with a total length of approximately14 Mbp. Numbers I to XIII were assigned to the chromosomes indecreasing order of DNA length. Southern hybridization analysisusing total DNAs from S. exiguus and S. cerevisiae as probesshowed that there was no significant homology between the chromosomalDNAs of the two species, except in the case of the chromosomalDNA that included rDNA. When rDNA and genes LEU2, TRP1, URA3and HO of S. cerevisiae were used as hybridization probes, itwas apparent that S. exiguus had DNA sequences homologous tothe rDNA and to the LEU2 and HO genes. In S. exiguus, rDNA-likeand LEU2-like DNAs were located on chromosomes I and IX, respectively,and HO-like DNA was located on chromosome VI or VII. (Received May 17, 1993; Accepted July 15, 1993)     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes ( CMP1 and CMP2 ) encoding calmodulin-binding proteins homologous to the catalytic subunit of mammalian protein phosphatase 2B

Summary Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic clones that encode calmodulin-binding proteins were isolated by screening a λgt11 expression library using¹²⁵I-labeled calmodulin as probe. Among the cloned yeast genes, we found two closely related genes (CMP1 andCMP2) that encode proteins homologous to the catalytic subunit of phosphoprotein phosphatase. The presumed CMP1 protein (62999 Da) and CMP2 protein (68496 Da) contain a 23 amino acid sequence very similar to those identified as calmodulin-binding sites in many calmodulin-regulated proteins. The yeast genes encode proteins especially homologous to the catalytic subunit of mammalian phosphoprotein phosphatase type 213 (calcineurin). The products of theCMP1 andCMP2 genes were identified by immunoblot analysis of cell extracts as proteins of 62000 and 64000 Da, respectively. Gene disruption experiments demonstrated that elimination of either or both of these genes had no effect on cell viability, indicating that these genes are not essential for normal cell growth.     

A 718-kb DNA Sequence of the Escherichia coli K-12 Genome Corresponding to the 12.7-28.0 min Region on the Linkage Map

The 718,122 base pair (bp) sequence of the Escherichia coliK-12 genome corresponding to the region from 12.7 to 28.0 minuteson the genetic map is described. This region contains at least682 potential open reading frames, of which 278 (41%) have beenpreviously identified, 147 (22%) were homologous to other knowngenes, 138 (20%) are identical or similar to the hypotheticalgenes registered in databases, and the remaining 119 (17%) didnot show a significant similarity to any other gene. In thisregion, we assigned a cluster of cit genes encoding multienzymecitrate lyase, two clusters of fimbrial genes and a set of lysogenicphage genes encoding integrase, excisionase and repressor inthe e14 genetic element. In addition, a new valine tRNA gene,designated valZ, and a family of long directly repeated sequences,LDR-A, -B and -C, were found.     

Nucleotide Sequence of a 28-kbp Portion of Rice Mitochondrial DNA: the Existence of Many Sequences That Correspond to Parts of Mitochondrial Genes in Intergenic Regions

The nucleotide sequence of a 27,588-bp region of rice mitochondrialDNA was determined. This sequence contains putative genes thatencode initiator methionine tRNA (trnfM), subunits III (nad3)and IV (nad4) of the NADH dehydrogenase complex, and ribosomalproteins S3 (rps3), S12 (rps12) and L16 (rp116). An open readingframe that contains sequences homologous to parts of rps2 andatpA is also present. In addition to these regions, there aremany short sequences with homology to fragments of mitochondrialDNAs from rice or other plants. These sequences may be remnantsof multiple rearrangements of the genome and their presenceseems to explain, in part, the large sizes of the mitochondrialgenomes of higher plants. (Received July 15, 1994; Accepted September 26, 1994)     

Structural Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana Chromosome 5. VII. Sequence Features of the Regions of 1,013,767 bp Covered by Sixteen Physically assigned P1 and TAC Clones

Sixteen Pl and TAC clones assigned to Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome5 were sequenced, and their sequence features were analyzedusing various computer programs. The total length of the sequencesdetermined was 1,013,767 bp. Together with the nucleotide sequencesof 109 clones previously reported, the regions of chromosome5 sequenced so far now total 9,072,622 bp, which presumablycovers approximately one-third of the chromosome. A similaritysearch against the reported gene sequences predicted the presenceof a total of 225 protein-coding genes and/or gene segmentsin the newly sequenced regions, indicating an average gene densityof one gene per 4.5 kb. Introns were identified in 72.4% ofthe potential protein genes for which the entire gene structurewas predicted, and the average number per gene and the averagelength of the introns were 3.3 and 163 bp, respectively. Thesesequence features are essentially identical to those in thepreviously reported sequences. The sequence data and gene informationare available on the World Wide Web database KAOS (Kazusa Arabidopsisdata Opening Site) at http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/.     

家蝇幼虫消减文库的构建及差异表达基因的鉴定

为了鉴定家蝇Musca domestica免疫相关基因,应用抑制性消减杂交技术,构建刺激家蝇幼虫差异表达cDNA消减文库。以大肠杆菌Escherichia coli和金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus诱导12 h的家蝇幼虫与未诱导的家蝇幼虫为消减杂交对象,获得了差异表达基因的cDNA片段,将其与T/A载体连接并转化大肠杆菌DH5α,构建了刺激家蝇幼虫cDNA消减文库。PCR检测发现,文库的阳性克隆中插入的cDNA片段大小在200~1 000 bp之间,随机挑选了161个含大小不等差异片段的克隆进行测序和同源性分析,鉴定了36种蛋白的基因片段,包括抗菌肽、酶、核糖体蛋白、其他功能蛋白以及功能不明的蛋白。用半定量RT-PCR分析了其中6种蛋白基因的表达,结果显示：防御素和攻击素基因在细菌刺激后24 h内明显上调表达,而溶菌酶、酚氧化酶原活化因子、糜蛋白酶和蛋白质合成起始因子基因在细菌刺激后0-4 h内表达受抑制,12 h后上调表达。该研究结果为家蝇免疫相关基因的克隆和家蝇免疫防御机制的探讨奠定了良好的基础。     

Analysis of the reticulon gene family demonstrates the absence of the neurite growth inhibitor Nogo-A in fish

Reticulons (RTNs) are a family of evolutionary conserved proteinswith four RTN paralogs (RTN1, RTN2, RTN3, and RTN4) presentin land vertebrates. While the exact functions of RTN1 to RTN3are unknown, mammalian RTN4-A/Nogo-A was shown to inhibit theregeneration of severed axons in the mammalian central nervoussystem (CNS). This inhibitory function is exerted via two distinctregions, one within the Nogo-A–specific N-terminus andthe other in the conserved reticulon homology domain (RHD).In contrast to mammals, fish are capable of CNS axon regeneration.We performed detailed analyses of the fish rtn gene family todetermine whether this regeneration ability correlates withthe absence of the neurite growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A.A total of 7 rtn genes were identified in zebrafish, 6 in pufferfish,and 30 in eight additional fish species. Phylogenetic and syntenicrelationships indicate that the identified fish rtn genes areorthologs of mammalian RTN1, RTN2, RTN3, and RTN4 and that severalparalogous fish genes (e.g., rtn4 and rtn6) resulted from genomeduplication events early in actinopterygian evolution. Accordingly,sequences homologous to the conserved RTN4/Nogo RHD are presentin two fish genes, rtn4 and rtn6. However, sequences comparableto the first 1,000 amino acids of mammalian Nogo-A includinga major neurite growth inhibitory region are absent in zebrafish.This result is in accordance with functional data showing thataxon growth inhibitory molecules are less prominent in fisholigodendrocytes and CNS myelin compared to mammals.