Molecular characterization of a MSRV-like sequence identified by RDA from monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia.

Retroviral-related amplicons were used in modified RDA to identify four sequences from affected members of three pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia. One sequence (schizophrenia associated retrovirus, SZRV-1, GenBank Accession No. AF135487) is characterized here. It is similar to two known sequences of retroviral origin: multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus, MSRV (GenBank Accession No. AF009668), and ERV-9 (GenBank Accession No. S77575). It is present in multiple copies in the human genome and has been localized to six different chromosomal sites. A zooblot shows that this multicopy sequence is predominant in the primate lineage and present in rhesus monkeys and humans. SZRV-1 is expressed as a 9-kb RNA band in the placenta. This could offer support to the hypothesis that retroviral sequences transposing during fetal growth may alter neurodevelopmental genes and cause diseases, although its direct involvement in the causation of schizophrenia remains to be established.     

Comparative map between chicken Chromosome 15 and human chromosomal region 12q24 and 22q11-q12

The physical and comparative map of GGA15 was improved by the construction of 9 BAC contigs around loci previously mapped on GGA15 by linkage analysis. In total, 240 BAC clones were isolated, covering 30–35% of GGA15, and 120 STS were developed (104 STS derived from BAC end sequences and 18 STS derived within genes). Seventeen chicken orthologues of human genes located on human Chr 22q11-q12 were directly mapped within BAC contigs of GGA15. Furthermore, the partial sequences of the chicken BAC clones were compared with sequences present in the EMBL/GenBank databases and revealed matches to 26 genes, ESTs, and genomic clones located on HSA22q11-q12 and HSA12q24. These results provide a better alignment of GGA15 with the corresponding regions in human and mouse, and improve our knowledge of the evolution and dynamics of the vertebrate genome. GenBank Accession Numbers: The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to GenBank and have been assigned the accession numbers BZ592394-BZ592544.     

The Korea brassica genome project: a glimpse of the brassica genome based on comparative genome analysis with Arabidopsis

A complete genome sequence provides unlimited information in the sequenced organism as well as in related taxa. According to the guidance of the Multinational Brassica Genome Project (MBGP), the Korea Brassica Genome Project (KBGP) is sequencing chromosome 1 (cytogenetically oriented chromosome #1) of Brassica rapa. We have selected 48 seed BACs on chromosome 1 using EST genetic markers and FISH analyses. Among them, 30 BAC clones have been sequenced and 18 are on the way. Comparative genome analyses of the EST sequences and sequenced BAC clones from Brassica chromosome 1 revealed their homeologous partner regions on the Arabidopsis genome and a syntenic comparative map between Brassica chromosome 1 and Arabidopsis chromosomes. In silico chromosome walking and clone validation have been successfully applied to extending sequence contigs based on the comparative map and BAC end sequences. In addition, we have defined the (peri)centromeric heterochromatin blocks with centromeric tandem repeats, rDNA and centromeric retrotransposons. In-depth sequence analyses of five homeologous BAC clones and an Arabidopsis chromosomal region reveal overall co-linearity, with 82% sequence similarity. The data indicate that the Brassica genome has undergone triplication and subsequent gene losses after the divergence of Arabidopsis and Brassica. Based on in-depth comparative genome analyses, we propose a comparative genomics approach for conquering the Brassica genome. In 2005 we intend to construct an integrated physical map, including sequence information from 500 BAC clones and integration of fingerprinting data and end sequence data of more than 100 000 BAC clones. The sequences have been submitted to GenBank with accession numbers: 10 204 BAC ends of the KBrH library (CW978640-CW988843); KBrH138P04, AC155338; KBrH117N09, AC155337; KBrH097M21, AC155348; KBrH093K03, AC155347; KBrH081N08, AC155346; KBrH080L24, AC155345; KBrH077A05, AC155343; KBrH020D15, AC155340; KBrH015H17, AC155339; KBrH001H24, AC155335; KBrH080A08, AC155344; KBrH004D11, AC155341; KBrH117M18, AC146875; KBrH052O08, AC155342.     

Development of a BAC library for yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and the identification of genes associated with flower development and lignin biosynthesis

Liriodendron tulipifera L., a member of the Magnoliaceae, occupies an important phylogenetic position as a basal angiosperm that has retained numerous putatively ancestral morphological characters, and thus has often been used in studies of the evolution of flowering plants and of specific gene families. However, genomic resources for these early branching angiosperm lineages are very limited. In this study, we describe the construction of a large-insert bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library from L. tulipifera. Flow cytometry estimates that this nuclear genome is approximately 1,802 Mbp per haploid genome (±16 SD). The BAC library contains 73,728 clones, a 4.8-fold genome coverage, with an average insert size of 117 kb, a chloroplast DNA content of 0.2%, and little to no bacterial sequences nor empty vector content clones. As a test of the utility of this BAC library, we screened the library with six single/low-copy genic probes. We obtained at least two positive clones for each gene and confirmed the clones by DNA sequencing. A total of 182 paired end sequences were obtained from 96 of the BAC clones. Using BLAST searches, we found that 25% of the BAC end sequences were similar to DNA sequences in GenBank. Of these, 68% shared sequence with transposable elements and 25% with genes from other taxa. This result closely reflected the content of random sequences obtained from a small insert genomic library for L. tulipifera, indicating that the BAC library construction process was not biased. The first genomic DNA sequences for Liriodendron genes are also reported. All the Liriodendron genomic sequences described in this paper have been deposited in the GenBank data library. The end sequences from shotgun genomic clones and BAC clones are under accession DU169330–DU169684. Partial sequences of Gigantea, Frigida, LEAFY, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, 4-coumarate:CoA ligase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes are under accession DQ223429–DQ223434. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Comparative genomic analysis links karyotypic evolution with genomic evolution in the Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis)

The karyotype of Indian muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis) has been greatly shaped by chromosomal fusion, which leads to its lowest diploid number among the extant known mammals. We present, here, comparative results based on draft sequences of 37 bacterial artificial clones (BAC) clones selected by chromosome painting for this special muntjac species. Sequence comparison on these BAC clones uncovered sequence syntenic relationships between the muntjac genome and those of other mammals. We found that the muntjac genome has peculiar features with respect to intron size and evolutionary rates of genes. Inspection of more than 80 pairs of orthologous introns from 15 genes reveals a significant reduction in intron size in the Indian muntjac compared to that of human, mouse, and dog. Evolutionary analysis using 19 genes indicates that the muntjac genes have evolved rapidly compared to other mammals. In addition, we identified and characterized sequence composition of the first BAC clone containing a chromosomal fusion site. Our results shed new light on the genome architecture of the Indian muntjac and suggest that chromosomal rearrangements have been accompanied by other salient genomic changes. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.Qi Zhou, Ling Huang, Jianguo Zhang: these authors contributed equally to the paper.Sequence data from this article have been deposited in the GenBank Libraries under Accession No. DQ280153-DQ280188, DQ377335, DQ458964.     

A bacterial artificial chromosome library for Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate snail host of Schistosoma mansoni

To provide a novel resource for analysis of the genome of Biomphalaria glabrata, members of the international Biomphalaria glabrata Genome Initiative (http://biology.unm.edu/biomphalaria-genome.html), working with the Arizona Genomics Institute (AGI) and supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), produced a high quality bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. The BB02 strain B. glabrata, a field isolate (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil) that is susceptible to several strains of Schistosoma mansoni, was selfed for two generations to reduce haplotype diversity in the offspring. High molecular weight DNA was isolated from ovotestes of 40 snails, partially digested with HindIII, and ligated into pAGIBAC1 vector. The resulting B. glabrata BAC library (BG_BBa) consists of 61824 clones (136.3 kb average insert size) and provides 9.05 x coverage of the 931 Mb genome. Probing with single/low copy number genes from B. glabrata and fingerprinting of selected BAC clones indicated that the BAC library sufficiently represents the gene complement. BAC end sequence data (514 reads, 299860 nt) indicated that the genome of B. glabrata contains ~ 63% AT, and disclosed several novel genes, transposable elements, and groups of high frequency sequence elements. This BG_BBa BAC library, available from AGI at cost to the research community, gains in relevance because BB02 strain B. glabrata is targeted whole genome sequencing by NHGRI.     

A comparative map of chicken chromosome 24 and human chromosome 11

To improve the physical and comparative map of chicken chromosome 24 (GGA24; former linkage group E49C20W21) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) contigs were constructed around loci previously mapped on this chromosome by linkage analysis. The BAC clones were used for both sample sequencing and BAC end sequencing. Sequence tagged site (STS) markers derived from the BAC end sequences were used for chromosome walking. In total 191 BAC clones were isolated, covering almost 30% of GGA24, and 76 STS were developed (65 STS derived from BAC end sequences and 11 STS derived within genes). The partial sequences of the chicken BAC clones were compared with sequences present in the EMBL/GenBank databases, and revealed matches to 19 genes, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and genomic clones located on human chromosome 11q22-q24 and mouse chromosome 9. Furthermore, 11 chicken orthologues of human genes located on HSA11q22-q24 were directly mapped within BAC contigs of GGA24. These results provide a better alignment of GGA24 with the corresponding regions in human and mouse and identify several intrachromosomal rearrangements between chicken and mammals.     

Further evidence of microcolinearity between barley and rice genomes at two orthologous regions

Two genetic markers, BCD135 and RZ567 were used to select clones from genomic BAC libraries of barley and rice for sequencing and subsequent sequence comparisons. A set of two orthologous BACs each from barley and rice was selected by hybridization with BCD135 and RZ567 cDNA probes. A total of 556-kb stretch including two barley BACs (773K135 and 745C13) and two orthologous rice BACs (24K23 and 49D11) was completely sequenced. Comparative sequence analysis between orthologous BACs from the two species revealed presence of two conserved genes at BCD135 region and only one gene at the RZ567 regions. The two conserved genes were in the same order and orientation in both the species however, separated by significantly larger distance in barley. The larger distance between two barley genes was mainly due to presence of different retrotransposable elements and their derivatives (78.9% of the intergenic region) that expanded the barley BCD135 region at the rate of 9.1X. An additional gene of unknown function was also inserted along with several retrotransposable elements between two conserved genes at barley BCD135 region. More genome expansion rate (10X) around barley RZ567 locus was estimated by extremely high proportion (> 70%) of retrotransposons. Among different retrotransposons, the Sabrina elements rather than BARE were more prevalent in both the regions. Contrary to it, the BCD135 region of rice was composed of only 17.1% retrotransposable elements and no significant retrotransposons except 14 miniature inverted transposable elements (MITEs) were observed in its RZ567 region. The sequence comparison between orthologous regions of rice and barley genomes was useful for gene identification and determination of individual gene structure indicating the possibility of effective utilization of rice genome sequences in understanding the large genome of barley. (The sequence data described in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank data library under the accession no. AF474072 (773K14), AF474071 (745C13), AF480497 (24K23) and AF480496 (49D11)).     

缅甸陆龟线粒体全基因组的测序及分析

本文参照近缘物种的线粒体基因组序列,设计17对特异引物,采用LD-PCR、PCR及测序技术获得了我国广西产缅甸陆龟的线粒体全基因组序列,分析了其基因组特点和各基因的定位。结果表明:缅甸陆龟线粒体基因组全长为16813bp,碱基组成为35.30%A、26.47%T、12.09%G、26.14%C,包括13个蛋白质编码基因、2个rRNA基因、22个tRNA基因和1个非编码基因控制区(D-Loop区)。缅甸陆龟线粒体基因组各基因长度、位置与典型的脊椎动物相似,其编码蛋白质区域和rRNA基因与其它脊椎动物具有很高的同源性,显示龟类线粒体基因组在进化上十分保守。将缅甸陆龟的线粒体基因组序列提交到GenBank,获得的检索号为DQ656607。本文还结合GenBank中已发表的其它16种龟鳖类动物的线粒体基因组序列,探讨龟鳖类动物不同科间的系统进化关系。     

Comparative analysis of BAC and whole genome shotgun sequences from an Anopheles gambiae region related to Plasmodium encapsulation

The only natural mechanism of malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa is the mosquito, generally Anopheles gambiae. Blocking malaria parasite transmission by stopping the development of Plasmodium in the insect vector would provide a useful alternative to the current methods of malaria control. Toward this end, it is important to understand the molecular basis of the malaria parasite refractory phenotype in An. gambiae mosquito strains. We have selected and sequenced six bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones from the Pen-1 region that is the major quantitative trait locus involved in Plasmodium encapsulation. The sequence and the annotation of five overlapping BAC clones plus one adjacent, but not contiguous clone, totaling 585kb of genomic sequence from the centromeric end of the Pen-1 region of the PEST strain were compared to that of the genome sequence of the same strain produced by the whole genome shotgun technique. This project identified 23 putative mosquito genes plus putative copies of the retrotransposable elements BEL12 and TRANSIBN1_AG in the six BAC clones. Nineteen of the predicted genes are most similar to their Drosophila melanogaster homologs while one is more closely related to vertebrate genes. Comparison of these new BAC sequences plus previously published BAC sequences to the cognate region of the assembled genome sequence identified three retrotransposons present in one sequence version but not the other. One of these elements, Indy, has not been previously described. These observations provide evidence for the recent active transposition of these elements and demonstrate the plasticity of the Anopheles genome. The BAC sequences strongly support the public whole genome shotgun assembly and automatic annotation while also demonstrating the benefit of complementary genome sequences and of human curation. Importantly, the data demonstrate the differences in the genome sequence of an individual mosquito compared to that of a hypothetical, average genome sequence generated by whole genome shotgun assembly.     

Sample sequencing of a Salmonella typhimurium LT2 lambda library: comparison to the Escherichia coli K12 genome

As part of the ongoing sequencing of the complete Salmonella typhimurium LT2 genome, a partly ordered set of 416 lambda clones has been developed, representing over 90% of the genome. The average insert size is 17 kb. Sequences were obtained from both ends of each clone in this set. A total of over 600 kb of sequence has been deposited in the genome survey sequence section of GenBank. This resource of clones is available from the Salmonella Genome Stock Center. A preliminary comparison with the Escherichia coli K12 genome indicates that there are likely to be many hundred insertion deletion events, encompassing more than one gene, that distinguish these genomes. Fully 30% of the S. typhimurium sequences have no close homologs in the GenBank database.     

The filarial genome project: analysis of the nuclear, mitochondrial and endosymbiont genomes of Brugia malayi

The Filarial Genome Project (FGP) was initiated in 1994 under the auspices of the World Health Organisation. Brugia malayi was chosen as the model organism due to the availability of all life cycle stages for the construction of cDNA libraries. To date, over 20000 cDNA clones have been partially sequenced and submitted to the EST database (dbEST). These ESTs define approximately 7000 new Brugia genes. Analysis of the EST dataset provides useful information on the expression pattern of the most abundantly expressed Brugia genes. Some highly expressed genes have been identified that are expressed in all stages of the parasite's life cycle, while other highly expressed genes appear to be stage-specific. To elucidate the structure of the Brugia genome and to provide a basis for comparison to the Caenorhabditis elegans genome, the FGP is also constructing a physical map of the Brugia chromosomes and is sequencing genomic BAC clones. In addition to the nuclear genome, B. malayi possesses two other genomes: the mitochondrial genome and the genome of a bacterial endosymbiont. Eighty percent of the mitochondrial genome of B. malayi has been sequenced and is being compared to mitochondrial sequences of other nematodes. The bacterial endosymbiont genome found in B. malayi is closely related to the Wolbachia group of rickettsia-like bacteria that infects many insect species. A set of overlapping BAC clones is being assembled to cover the entire bacterial genome. Currently, half of the bacterial genome has been assembled into four contigs. A consortium has been established to sequence the entire genome of the Brugia endosymbiont. The sequence and mapping data provided by the FGP is being utilised by the nematode research community to develop a better understanding of the biology of filarial parasites and to identify new vaccine candidates and drug targets to aid the elimination of human filariasis.     

暗纹东方鲀线粒体基因组核苷酸全序列测定与分析

以暗纹东方鲀(Takifugu fasciatus)肝的线粒体DNA为模板,参照红鳍东方鲀(T.rubripes)等近源鱼类的线粒体基因组DNA序列,设计合成14对特异引物,进行PCR扩增并测序,首次获得了暗纹东方鲀线粒体基因组全序列。结果表明,暗纹东方鲀线粒体基因组序列全长16 444 bp(GenBank登录号为GQ409967),A+T含量为55.8%,其mtDNA结构与其他脊椎动物相似,由22个tRNA基因、2个rRNA基因、13个蛋白质编码基因和1段819 bp非编码的控制区(D-loop)所组成。蛋白质基因除COⅠ和ND6的起始密码子为GTG、CCT以外,均为典型的起始密码子ATG。ND1、ATPase8、COⅢ、ND4L、ND5、Cyt b使用典型的终止密码子TAA,其他的使用不完全终止密码子。除ND6和tRNAGln、tRNAAla、tRNAAsn、tRNACys、tRNATyr、tRNASer、tRNAGlu、tRNAPro在L-链上编码之外,其余基因均在H-链编码。基因排列顺序与已测定的鲀类一致,这显示了鲀类线粒体基因排列顺序上的保守性。tRNA基因核苷酸长度为64～73nt,预测了22个tRNA基因的二级结构,均呈较为典型的三叶草状。基于19种鲀类mtDNA全序列构建的进化树表明,暗纹东方鲀与红鳍东方鲀、中华东方鲀(T.chinensis)聚成一个姊妹群。结果还支持东方鲀属鱼类为一单系类群。     

De novo sequencing and initial annotation of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) genome

The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a member of the rodent family that displays several features not found in mice or rats, including sensory specializations and social patterns more similar to those in humans. These features have made gerbils a valuable animal for research studies of auditory and visual processing, brain development, learning and memory, and neurological disorders. Here, we report the whole gerbil annotated genome sequence, and identify important similarities and differences to the human and mouse genomes. We further analyze the chromosomal structure of eight genes with high relevance for controlling neural signaling and demonstrate a high degree of homology between these genes in mouse and gerbil. This homology increases the likelihood that individual genes can be rapidly identified in gerbil and used for genetic manipulations. The availability of the gerbil genome provides a foundation for advancing our knowledge towards understanding evolution, behavior and neural function in mammals.Accession numberThe Whole Genome Shotgun sequence data from this project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession NHTI00000000. The version described in this paper is version NHTI01000000. The fragment reads, and mate pair reads have been deposited in the Sequence Read Archive under BioSample accession SAMN06897401.     

簇毛麦HMW-GS及其启动子基因的克隆与序列分析

利用2对特异引物,从簇毛麦(Dasypyrum villosum)基因组中分离克隆出一个簇毛麦HMW-GS基因VHG-2(GenBank登录号为FJ600492)及其启动子序列VHGp-1(GenBank登录号为FJ600489).VHGp-1序列长度为1 099 bp,从5′至3′方向依次有E-box、N-box、G-box、HMW谷蛋白特异38 bp增强子和TATA-box等典型的HMW-GS基因启动子作用调控元件,说明VHGp-1为簇毛麦HMW-GS的启动子基因.VHG-2序列长度为1 572 bp,具有单一完整的、可编码498个氨基酸的开放阅读框(ORF),该ORF推导的氨基酸序列结构分析表明,编码区依次包含由21个氨基酸残基组成的信号肽、105个氨基酸残基组成的N-末端区、330个氨基酸残基组成的中部重复区和42个氨基酸残基组成的C-末端区;中部重复区主要重复单元为6肽(PQQGQQ)和9肽(GYYPTSP/LQQ);有6个半胱氨酸残基(Cys),其中5个分布在N-末端区,1个分布在C-末端区,第3、4个相邻.这些特征与报道的y-型HMW-GS多肽结构基本一致,说明VHG-2是簇毛麦的y-型HMW-GS基因.系统进化分析表明,簇毛麦HMW-GS启动子序列(VHGP-1)与智利大麦(H.chilense)H基因组的D-hordein基因、拟鹅观草和阿拉善鹅观草St基因组的HMW-GS基因的启动子具有比较近的同源关系,簇毛麦HMW-GS基因(VHG-2)与冰草、拟鹅观草和中间偃麦草的y-型HMW-GS基因具有较近的同源关系.     

Targeted analysis of orthologous phytochrome A regions of the sorghum,maize, and rice genomes using comparative gene-island sequencing

A "gene-island" sequencing strategy has been developed that expedites the targeted acquisition of orthologous gene sequences from related species for comparative genome analysis. A 152-kb bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) encoding phytochrome A (PHYA) was fully sequenced, revealing 16 open reading frames with a gene density similar to many regions of the rice (Oryza sativa) genome. The sequences of genes in the orthologous region of the maize (Zea mays) and rice genomes were obtained using the gene-island sequencing method. BAC clones containing the orthologous maize and rice PHYA genes were identified, sheared, subcloned, and probed with the sorghum PHYA-containing BAC DNA. Sequence analysis revealed that approximately 75% of the cross-hybridizing subclones contained sequences orthologous to those within the sorghum PHYA BAC and less than 25% contained repetitive and/or BAC vector DNA sequences. The complete sequence of four genes, including up to 1 kb of their promoter regions, was identified in the maize PHYA BAC. Nine orthologous gene sequences were identified in the rice PHYA BAC. Sequence comparison of the orthologous sorghum and maize genes aided in the identification of exons and conserved regulatory sequences flanking each open reading frame. Within genomic regions where micro-colinearity of genes is absolutely conserved, gene-island sequencing is a particularly useful tool for comparative analysis of genomes between related species.     

The EMBL nucleotide sequence database

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory Nucleotide Sequence Database receives sequence and sequence annotation data from genome projects, sequencing centers, individual scientists, and patent offices. Data may be most efficiently submitted to the database using the Internet based submission tool WEBIN or via previously established genome project accounts. Biologist curators will review the data and provide accession numbers within two working days. Non-confidential data are exchanged daily in an international collaboration between EMBL, DDBJ (the DNA Databank of Japan) and GenBank (USA) and may be accessed and retrieved via the Internet with the Sequence Retrieval System (SRS). Sequence database searching algorithms (e.g., Blitz, Fasta, Blast) are available for comparison of query to database sequences.