The Dynamic Behavior of Individual Microtubules Associated with Chromosomes In Vitro

Mitotic movements of chromosomes are usually coupled to the elongation and shortening of the microtubules to which they are bound. The lengths of kinetochore-associated microtubules change by incorporation or loss of tubulin subunits, principally at their chromosome-bound ends. We have reproduced aspects of this phenomenon in vitro, using a real-time assay that displays directly the movements of individual chromosome-associated microtubules as they elongate and shorten. Chromosomes isolated from cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells were adhered to coverslips and then allowed to bind labeled microtubules. In the presence of tubulin and GTP, these microtubules could grow at their chromosome-bound ends, causing the labeled segments to move away from the chromosomes, even in the absence of ATP. Sometimes a microtubule would switch to shortening, causing the direction of movement to change abruptly. The link between a microtubule and a chromosome was mechanically strong; 15 pN of tension was generally insufficient to detach a microtubule, even though it could add subunits at the kinetochore–microtubule junction. The behavior of the microtubules in vitro was regulated by the chromosomes to which they were bound; the frequency of transitions from polymerization to depolymerization was decreased, and the speed of depolymerization-coupled movement toward chromosomes was only one-fifth the rate of shortening for microtubules free in solution. Our results are consistent with a model in which each microtubule interacts with an increasing number of chromosome-associated binding sites as it approaches the kinetochore.     

Identification of Recombinant Chromosomes and F-Merogenotes in Merodiploids of Escherichia coli

Segregants from merodiploids heterozygous at two or more sites in the lac region were selected on the basis of containing a recombinant F-merogenote. Such recombinants frequently contained a recombinant chromosome as well. When the merodiploid was heterozygous at two sites, the frequency at which reciprocally recombinant chromosomes were present in the selected population was lower when the two marked sites were in the same gene and close together than when the sites were more widely separated. When the merodiploid was heterozygous at four sites and selection was made for an intragenic recombinational event, the recombinant chromosome was the reciprocal type about half the time and about half the time was not. Among the latter genotypes, most were nonrecombinant for the intragenic pair of markers. The data are consistent with a model in which recombination leads to the formation of two recombinant products, each containing a region of hybrid deoxyribonucleic acid.     

筛选利用小麦微卫星标记追踪簇毛麦各条染色体

选用定位于普通小麦7个部分同源群上的276对微卫星引物对普通小麦中同春和簇毛麦的基因组DNA进行扩增分析,有148对引物可在两个物种间检测到多态性。利用上述显示多态性的引物进一步对7个中国春-簇毛麦二体附加系进行扩增分析,筛选出分别可用来追踪簇毛麦1V至7V染色体的引物wmc49（1BS）、wmc25（2BS）、gdm36（3DS）、gdml45（4AL）、wmc233（5DS）、wmc256（6AL）和gwm344（7BL）。此外还发现6DS上的微卫星引物gwm469可以用来追踪簇毛麦的2V染色体;2DS上的微卫星引物gdm107可用来追踪簇毛麦的6V染色体。进一步用涉及不同簇毛麦和小麦背景的小麦一簇毛麦染色体附加系、代换系和易位系进行扩增分析,这些微卫星标记也可用来鉴定簇毛麦的各条染色体。因此,这然簇毛麦染色体特异的微卫星标记可用来追踪普通小麦背景中的簇毛麦染色体。     

Flow Sorting and Molecular Cytogenetic Identification of Individual Chromosomes of Dasypyrum villosum L. (H. villosa) by a Single DNA Probe

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy (sin. Haynaldia villosa) is an annual wild diploid grass species (2n = 2x = 14; genome VV) belonging to the Poaceae family, which is considered to be an important source of biotic and abiotic stress resistance genes for wheat breeding. Enhanced characterization of D. villosum chromosomes can facilitate exploitation of its gene pool and its use in wheat breeding programs. Here we present the cytogenetic identification of D. villosum chromosomes on slide by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), with the GAA simple sequence repeat (SSR) as a probe. We also describe the isolation and the flow cytometric analysis of D. villosum chromosomes in suspension, resulting in a distinguished flow karyotype. Chromosomes were flow sorted into three fractions, according their DNA content, one of which was composed of a single type of chromosome, namely 6 V, sorted with over 85% purity. Chromosome 6 V is known to carry genes to code for important resistance and seed storage characteristics, and its isolation represents a new source of genetic traits and specific markers useful for wheat improvement.     

大麦染色体特异IT分子标记的筛选

为了筛选高密度且均匀分布于大麦各染色体的分子标记,该研究利用前期开发的2267个IT(intron targe-ting)标记,在'中国春'、栽培大麦(Golden promise)和普通小麦(中国春)-栽培大麦(Betzes)的6个二体异附加系中进行扩增.结果 发现:有534个标记可作为大麦染色体特异的IT分子标记,...