人类神经退行性疾病相关的三核苷酸重复DNA序列不稳定性机制研究进展

三核苷酸重复DNA序列扩增或缺失不稳定性与50多种人类神经退行性疾病有关.与疾病相关的三核苷酸重复拷贝数的增加或减少,影响了特定基因的表达,或因之产生具有细胞毒性的RNA和蛋白质已成为相关疾病的共有病理机制.现有的研究表明,疾病相关的三核苷酸重复拷贝数的改变有可能起因于相关三核苷酸重复DNA序列的异常DNA复制、修复、...     

四核苷酸重复序列单链扩增特性及机理探究

简单重复序列广泛存在于多种生物基因组中,其生物学意义越来越受到人们的重视.许多简单重复序列易于扩增变长,某些重复序列的异常延伸是造成一些遗传疾病的直接原因.本研究以20 nt的60种四重复和6种二重复序列单链为模板,系统研究了它们在嗜热DNA聚合酶作用下等温扩增的特点.电泳结果显示,多数单链模板能扩增变长,即使链内没有互补碱基的序列也可被扩增,如(AGGA)5.定量分析结果显示:回文序列扩增最快;二重复序列比相同碱基组成的四重复序列有更宽的适于扩增的温度范围;G和C含量多的DNA较G和C含量少的序列更易扩增,而且G和C含量越多越适于在较高的温度下扩增;重复单位含两相同嘧啶的链多数比其互补链更易扩增;产物浓度与时间基本呈线性关系.限制性酶切产物结果显示,扩增产物与模板具有相同的重复单位,是重复序列的简单延伸.最后,根据实验结果和相关文献,提出了包括链内滑动扩增和发卡DNA介导扩增两阶段的重复序列单链扩增模型,以对重复序列非特异扩增和相关疾病发生机制的研究提供参考.     

反向重复序列DNA的PCR扩增特性研究

旨在研究反向重复序列形成的发卡结构对模板扩增的影响。研究DNA发卡结构中环部大小、茎部长度、引物相对于茎部位置等对PCR扩增效率的影响,探讨如何通过引物设计及改变退火温度等条件来实现发卡结构DNA的有效扩增的方法。结果显示,如果引物的位置同发卡结构茎部5'序列相同或部分相同,则由于发卡结构的形成阻碍引物与模板结合而对PCR产生抑制作用,并且抑制作用随着茎部长度的增加而增强;当环部的长度达到50 nt以上时,抑制作用明显减弱。较高的退火温度和引物浓度都有助于引物同分子内形成发卡结构的竞争,使PCR扩增更容易进行。     

蜡状芽孢杆菌群中规律成簇间隔短回文重复序列的生物信息学分析

规律成簇间隔短回文重复序列(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats,CRISPR)是最近发现针对噬菌体等外源遗传物质的获得性和可遗传性的新型原核生物防御系统。通过BLAST、多序列比对、RNA二级结构预测等生物信息学方法对已经完成全基因组测序的蜡状芽孢杆菌群24个菌株进行CRISPR的系统分析,结果表明:42%的菌株含有该结构;8个CRISPR座位的正向重复序列可以形成RNA二级结构,提示正向重复序列可能介导外源DNA或RNA与CAS编码蛋白的相互作用;31%的间区序列与噬菌体、质粒、蜡状芽孢杆菌群基因组序列具有同源性,进一步验证间区序列很可能来源于外源可移动遗传因子。由于大部分蜡状芽孢杆菌群菌株含有多个前噬菌体和质粒,通过对蜡状芽孢杆菌群CRISPR的分析,为揭示其对宿主菌与噬菌体,以及宿主菌与质粒间的关系奠定基础。     

副溶血性弧菌重复序列-PCR分型研究

利用基因外重复回文序列-PCR(REP-PCR)和肠细菌基因间共有重复序列-PCR(ERIC-PCR)技术,对副溶血性弧菌进行了分子分型研究和亲缘关系的探讨,并使用Hunter和Gaston方法计算分辨力指数.结果显示40株副溶血性弧茵分离株均可扩增产生可重复的DNA指纹图谱,并且不同菌株基因组DNA的扩增条带具有多态性.根据SPSS10.0软件得出的树状图结果,REP-PCR可以把40株茵分为21个型,分辨力指数可达到0.953,优势菌型为G1型;ERIC-PCR可将40株菌分成4个型,分辨力指数为0.5.研究显示重复序列-PCR方法可以用于该菌分型分析,REP-PCR具有较好的分型能力.在两种PCR的DNA指纹图谱中,血清型O1群与O3群主条带均非常相似,表明它们之间亲缘关系密切.     

R环的形成及对基因组稳定性的影响

R-环是由一个RNA:DNA杂交体和一条单链状态的DNA分子共同组成的三链核酸结构。其中, RNA:DNA杂交体的形成起因于基因转录所合成的RNA分子不能与模板分开, 或RNA分子重新与一段双链DNA分子中的一条链杂交。在基因转录过程中, 当转录泡遇到富含G碱基的非模板链区或位于某些与人类疾病有关的三核苷酸卫星DNA时, 转录泡后方累积的负超螺旋可促进R环形成。同时, 新生RNA分子未被及时加工、成熟或未被快速转运到细胞质等因素也会催生R环。研究表明, 细胞拥有多种管理R环的方法, 可以有效地管理R环的形成和处理已经形成的R环, 以尽量避免R环对DNA复制、基因突变和同源重组产生不利影响。文章重点分析了R-环的形成机制及R环对DNA复制、基因突变和同源重组的影响, 并针对R-环诱导的DNA复制在某些三核苷酸重复扩增有关的神经肌肉退行性疾病发生过程中的作用进行了分析和讨论。     

细菌基因组重复序列PCR技术及其应用

细菌中散在分布的DNA重复序列近年来不断被报道,基因外重复回文序列和肠细菌基因间共有重复序列是两个典型的原核细胞基因组散在重复序列。重复序列在染色体上的分布和拷贝数具种间特异性,用它们的互补序列作为引物,以细菌基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增反应,反应产物的琼脂糖电泳可以提供非常清晰的DNA指纹图谱,使用此图谱既可对各种微生物进行快速分型及鉴定,又可对它们进行DNA水平上的遗传多样性分析。细菌基因组重复序列PCR技术具有简捷、快速、结果稳定等特点,可对细菌进行分子标记,用于菌株分型、分类鉴定和亲缘关系等方面的研究。     

遗传学报 2006年 第33卷 总目次

综述三核苷酸重复序列失稳定机制:重复序列形成non-B二级结构的必要性和细胞及式作用因子的作用潘学峰1(1)MDRI基因多态性及其临床相关性研究进展李艳红,王水华,李燕,杨凌2(93)基因捕获技术及其最新进展李元元,张靖溥3(189)转基因植物疫苗的研究进展韩梅,苏涛,祖元刚,安志刚4(285)DNA损伤检验点与损伤修复及基因组稳定性刘巍峰,于珊珊,陈冠军,李越中5(381)Mutator转座子及MULE在植物基因与基因组进化中的作用刁现民,Damon Lisch6(477)2型糖尿病易感基因的连锁和关联研究黄青阳,程孟荣,姬森林7(573)水稻基因组测序及基因功能的鉴定刘庆…     

马铃薯卷叶病毒中国株(PLRV-Ch)复制酶基因结构研究

用设计合成的两对特异性引物,以马铃薯卷叶病毒中国分离株PLRV-Ch RNA为模板,经反转录PCR扩增,将复制酶基因3′端0.6 kb和5′端1.2 kb,克隆于pUC19中,分别构建了重组质粒pLR3和pLR5,并分五段进行了序列分析.将获得的核苷酸序列及氨基酸序列与国外报导的四个PLRV分离株的相应区段的序列同源性进行了比较.结果表明具有高度同源性.文中对核苷酸序列中存在的可能移码序列和其下游的茎环结构或假节结构、以及特征性三次重复区及氨基酸序列中复制酶蛋白N端的碱性氨基酸序列以及C端区域中包括GDD在内的8个特征序列进行了讨论.作者发现移码序列上游的三次重复的核苷酸序列可以形成连续折叠的互补双链区和发夹结构,这一结构可能和转译移码有关.此外PLRV复制酶蛋白N端部分氨基酸序列易变,而C端氨基酸序列十分保守,可能和复制酶功能有更重要关系.     

简单重复DNA序列在哺乳动物mtDNA D-loop区的分布及进化特征

简单重复序列广泛分布于从原核到真核生物的基因组中, 其形成的分子机理目前尚不明确。对NCBI数据库中已有256种哺乳动物线粒体DNA (mtDNA) D-loop区进行序列比对分析, 根据其所含有的简单重复序列类型分为3组, 分别是53种哺乳动物含有六核苷酸重复序列; 104种哺乳动物含有非六核苷酸重复序列(＞6 bp); 99种哺乳动物不含有任何重复序列。通过碱基序列分析比对, 发现六核苷酸重复序列集中分布在CSB1-CSB2间隔区, 而非六核苷酸重复可以分布于终止区(TAS)、中央保守区(Central domain)以及CSB(Central sequence block)区。通过比较含有重复序列与不含重复序列的功能保守区发现, 简单重复序列的存在并不明确影响D-loop区内的中央保守区以及CSB1、CSB2、CSB3三个功能保守区的碱基序列保守性。在此基础上, 利用N-J法构建了256种哺乳动物的进化树, 分析了哺乳动物D-Loop区内重复序列在进化过程中的可能变化规律, 发现简单重复序列随着物种的进化地位的升高而呈现消失趋势。     

The Effects of Trinucleotide Repeats Found in Human Inherited Disorders on Palindrome Inviability in Escherichia Coli Suggest Hairpin Folding Preferences in Vivo

Unusual DNA secondary structures have been implicated in the expansion of trinucleotide repeat tracts that are associated with several human inherited disorders. We present evidence consistent with the folding of these trinucleotide repeats into hairpin loops at the center of a long DNA palindrome in vivo. Our assay utilizes a palindrome in bacteriophage λ, the center of which determines its ability to inhibit plaque formation in a manner that is consistent with folding into a hairpin or cruciform structure. We show that central inserts of even numbers of d(CAG)·d(CTG) repeats inhibit plaque formation more than do odd numbers. Both d(CAG)(2)·d(CTG)(2) and d(CGG)(2)·d(CCG)(2) central sequences behave like DNA sequences known to form two-base loops in vitro, suggesting that they may also form compact and stable loops. By contrast, repeats of d(GAC)·d(GTC) do not show any evidence consistent with unusual loop stability. These results agree with in vitro evidence that the unstable repeats can form hairpin secondary structures and suggest a favored position of folding. We discuss the potential roles of secondary structures, DNA replication and recombination in models of repeat tract expansion.     

Inhibition of DNA synthesis facilitates expansion of low‐complexity repeats

Simple DNA repeats (trinucleotide repeats, micro‐ and minisatellites) are prone to expansion/contraction via formation of secondary structures during DNA synthesis. Such structures both inhibit replication forks and create opportunities for template‐primer slippage, making these repeats unstable. Certain aspects of simple repeat instability, however, suggest additional mechanisms of replication inhibition dependent on the primary DNA sequence, rather than on secondary structure formation. I argue that expanded simple repeats, due to their lower DNA complexity, should transiently inhibit DNA synthesis by locally depleting specific DNA precursors. Such transient inhibition would promote formation of secondary structures and would stabilize these structures, facilitating strand slippage. Thus, replication problems at simple repeats could be explained by potentiated toxicity, where the secondary structure‐driven repeat instability is enhanced by DNA polymerase stalling at the low complexity template DNA. This minireview is dedicated to the FASEB‐2012 meeting “Dynamic DNA Structures in Biology”, organized by Nancy Maizels and Sergei Mirkin.     

A single trinucleotide, 5'AGC3'/5'GCT3', of the triplet-repeat disease genes confers metal ion-induced non-B DNA structure.

Expansion of (AGC)n repeats has been associated with genetic disorders called triplet-repeat diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD), myotonic muscular dystrophy (DM) and Kennedy's disease. To gain insight into the abnormal behavior of these repeats, we studied their structural properties in supercoiled DNA. Chemical probing revealed that, under physiological salt and pH conditions, Zn2+ or Co2+ ions induce (AGC)n repeats to adopt a novel non-B DNA structure in which all cytosine but none of adenine residues in either strand become unpaired. The minimum size of (AGC)n repeat that could form this structure independently of neighboring sequences is a single unit of double-stranded trinucleotide, 5'AGC3'/5'GCT3'. Other trinucleotide units of the same nucleotide composition, 5'CAG3'/5'CTG3' or 5'GCA3'/5'TGC3', do not form non-B DNA structures. This unusual DNA structural properly adopted by a single 5'AGC3'/5'GCT3' trinucleotide may contribute to expansion of (AGC)n sequences in triplet-repeat diseases.     

Structural features of trinucleotide repeats associated with DNA expansion.

The mechanism of DNA expansion is not well understood. Recent evidence from genetic, in vivo, and in vitro studies has suggested a link between the formation of alternative DNA secondary structures by trinucleotide repeat tracts and their propensity to undergo expansion. This review will focus on structural features and the mechanism of expansion relevant to human disease.     

Structural analysis of slipped-strand DNA (S-DNA) formed in (CTG)n. (CAG)n repeats from the myotonic dystrophy locus.

The mechanism of disease-associated trinucleotide repeat length variation may involve slippage of the triplet-containing strand at the replication fork, generating a slipped-strand DNA structure. We recently reported formation in vitro of slipped-strand DNA (S-DNA) structures when DNAs containing triplet repeat blocks of myotonic dystrophy or fragile X diseases were melted and allowed to reanneal to form duplexes. Here additional evidence is presented that is consistent with the existence of S-DNA structures. We demonstrate that S-DNA structures can form between two complementary strands containing equal numbers of repeats. In addition, we show that both the propensity for S-DNA formation and the structural complexity of S-DNAs formed increase with increasing repeat length. S-DNA structures were also analyzed by electron microscopy, confirming that the two strands are slipped out of register with respect to each other and confirming the structural polymorphism expected within long tracts of trinucleotide repeats. For (CTG)50.(CAG)50 two distinct populations of slipped structures have been identified: those involving </=10 repeats per slippage, which appear as bent/kinked DNA molecules, and those involving >10 repeats, which have multiple loops or hairpins indicative of complex alternative DNA secondary structures.     

A small molecule regulates hairpin structures in d(CGG) trinucleotide repeats

Unusual expansion of trinucleotide repeats has been identified as a common mechanism of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases. Although the actual mechanism of repeat expansion remains uncertain, trinucleotide repeat instability may be related to the increased stability of an alternative DNA hairpin structure formed in the repeat sequences. Here we report that a synthetic ligand naphthyridine carbamate dimer (NCD) selectively bound to and stabilized an intra-stranded hairpin structure in CGG repeat sequences. The NCD-CGG hairpin complex was a stable structure that efficiently interfered with DNA replication by Taq DNA polymerase. Considering the sequence preference of NCD, the use of NCD would be valuable to investigate the genetic instabilities of CGG/CCG repeat sequences in human genomes.     

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy [EPM1] repeat d(CCCCGCCCCGCG)n forms folded hairpin structures at physiological pH.

The secondary structure of DNA has been shown to be an important component in the mechanism of expansion of the trinucleotide repeats that are associated with many neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, expansion of a dodecamer repeat, (CCCCGCCCCGCG)n upstream of cystatin B gene has been shown to be the most common mutation associated with Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy (EPM1) of Unverricht-Lundborg type. We have investigated structure of oligonucleotides containing one, two and three copies of the EPM1 repeat sequences at physiological pH. CD spectra and anomalous faster gel electrophoretic mobilty indicates formation of intramolecularly folded structures that are formed independent of concentration. Hydroxylamine probing allowed us to identify the C residues that are involved in C.G base pairing. P1 nuclease studies elucidated the presence of unpaired regions in the folded back structures. UV melting studies show biphasic melting curves for the oligonucleotides containing two and three EPM1 repeats. Our data suggests multiple hairpin structures for two and three repeat containing oligonucleotides. In this paper we show that oligonucleotides containing EPM1 repeat adopt secondary structures that may facilitate strand slippage thereby causing the expansion.     

Effects of temperature, Mg2+ concentration and mismatches on triplet-repeat expansion during DNA replication in vitro.

The human genome contains many simple tandem repeats that are widely dispersed and highly polymorphic. At least one group of simple tandem repeats, the DNA trinucleotide repeats, can dramaticallyexpand in size during transmission from one generation to the next to cause disease by a process known as dynamic mutation. We investigated the ability of trinucleotide repeats AAT and CAG to expand in size during DNA replication using a minimal in vitro system composed of the repeat tract, with and without unique flanking sequences, and DNA polymerase. Varying Mg2+concentration and temperature gave dramatic expansions of repeat size during DNA replication in vitro. Expansions of up to 1000-fold were observed. Mismatches partially stabilized the repeat tracts against expansion. Expansions were only detected when the primer was complementary to the repeat tract rather than the flanking sequence. The results imply that cellular environment and whether the growing strand contains a nick or gap are important factors for the expansion process in vivo.     

Dinucleotide repeat expansion catalyzed by bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase in vitro

DNA replication normally occurs with high fidelity, but certain "slippery" regions of DNA with tracts of mono-, di-, and trinucleotide repeats are frequently mutation hot spots. We have developed an in vitro assay to study the mechanism of dinucleotide repeat expansion. The primer-template resembles a base excision repair substrate with a single nucleotide gap centered opposite a tract of nine CA repeats; nonrepeat sequences flank the dinucleotide repeats. DNA polymerases are expected to repair the gap, but further extension is possible if the DNA polymerase can displace the downstream oligonucleotide. We report here that the wild type bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase carries out gap and strand displacement replication and also catalyzes a dinucleotide expansion reaction. Repeat expansion was not detected for an exonuclease-deficient T4 DNA polymerase or for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I. The dinucleotide repeat expansion reaction catalyzed by wild type T4 DNA polymerase required a downstream oligonucleotide to "stall" replication and 3' --> 5' exonuclease activity to remove the 3'-nonrepeat sequence adjacent to the repeat tract in the template strand. These results suggest that dinucleotide repeat expansion may be stimulated in vivo during DNA repair or during processing of Okazaki fragments.