体内直接克隆大片段DNA的研究进展

基因组序列的功能分析以及代谢途径的构建改造等都需要克隆目的DNA。获得大片段DNA序列的方法有构建和筛选基因文库,PCR扩增,体外大片段DNA合成和组装等,但体内重组直接克隆的方法在操作、克隆长片段和应用等方面更具优势。介绍了Red/ET重组介导的大片段DNA体内直接克隆的主要方法及其应用。     

植物DNA断裂修复基因对农杆菌T-DNA整合的作用

转基因植物在作物新品种培育和生物制药中已发挥了巨大作用。农杆菌介导的遗传转化是广泛用于基因组分析的强大工具,也是获得转基因植物的主导技术。农杆菌介导的基因转移是极其复杂的生物学过程,需要许多农杆菌和植物的遗传因子协同参与完成。经过20多年的研究,人们对T-DNA产生和转运的分子机制以及农杆菌与寄主植物的互作已有所了解。T-DNA整合是农杆菌介导转化过程中最为关键的一步,但对于其整合机制所知仍有限。越来越多的证据表明,寄主植物细胞的DNA断裂修复基因对农杆菌T-DNA整合具有重要作用。该文首先介绍T-DNA转移的大致过程,重点讨论DNA断裂损伤修复相关基因对T-DNA整合的作用,为通过DNA损伤修复基因的遗传操纵来提高农杆菌介导植物遗传转化的效率提供参考。     

细菌人工染色体的研究和应用

细菌人工染色体 (Bacterialartificialchromosome ,BAC)是第二代大片段DNA的克隆载体系统。因其嵌合率低 ,遗传稳定性好 ,重组DNA容易分离和制备 ,转化效率高等 ,弥补了YAC的不足 ,很快在基因组研究中处于中心地位。近年来 ,已有多种BAC载体被构建出来 ,这些BAC载体在复杂基因组大片段文库的构建 ,基因的图位克隆 ,基因组物理图谱的构建 ,基因和基因组测序 ,基因组织结构分析 ,染色体组织和进化 ,以及基因的遗传转化和调控研究中得到了广泛的应用。     

基于酿酒酵母的大片段DNA组装与转移技术进展*

DNA组装与转移技术是合成生物学的核心使能技术之一,生命体设计改造的复杂度不断提升,使得对大片段DNA组装与转移技术的需求也日益旺盛。小片段DNA的组装与转移技术目前已经比较成熟,大片段DNA由于其分子量大、易断裂,使得体外操作繁琐且效率低下。聚焦酿酒酵母体内组装和转移的技术进展,详细介绍了基于酿酒酵母一次组装和迭代组装的不同方法,并从导入与导出的角度介绍了大片段DNA的转移技术,便于研究者更好地理解和选择酿酒酵母体内组装与转移技术。此外,还展望了将酿酒酵母开发为大片段DNA组装与转移通用平台实现更多物种基因组大尺度设计改造的愿景。     

细菌人工染色体基因组文库构建关键技术研究

基因组文库是进行分子克隆和基因结构与功能研究的基础,完整覆盖的基因组文库的构建,使基因组任何DNA片段的筛选和获得成为可能.细菌人工染色体(Bacterial Artificial Chromosome,BAC)与其它载体系统相比具有转化效率高、嵌合体少、插入片段易回收,高覆盖率、稳定性强,并且具有易分离和操作等特性等优点而被广泛应用.作为物种保护策略的重要部分,构建我国濒危动植物品种基因组BAC文库,对于其遗传资源的保护和研究具有非常重要的作用.在查阅大量国内外相关资料的基础上,就BAC基因组文库构建过程中栽体的制备、高分子量DNA的制备、大片段DNA的回收、连接与电击转化、基因组BAC文库质量鉴定等几个重点、难点问题进行了详细的论述和分析,对于构建高分子量插入片段、高覆盖率和稳定性的基因组文库提供理论基础与技术支撑.     

植物表观遗传与DNA甲基化

表观遗传在植物生长发育过程中起着极其重要的作用。甲基化是基因组DNA的一种主要表观遗传修饰形式,是调节基因功能的重要手段。介绍了植物体中胞嘧啶甲基化现象,RNA指导的DNA甲基化的信号分子、作用机制,以及与RNA介导的基因沉默机制之间的区别和RNA对转座子的表观控制。     

细菌人工染色体文库的构建方法分析

细菌人工染色体是一种承载大片段DNA的新型载体系统,它具有插入片断大、嵌合率低、遗传稳定性好、易于操作等优点.在高等生物基因组文库的构建和基因功能的分析等方面有广泛应用.BAC文库的构建是基因组较大的真核生物基因组学研究的重要基础.介绍了近年来细菌人工染色体文库构建方法上的研究进展,对其中载体的制备和高分子量DNA的制备这两个关键环节作了较深入的探讨.     

基因倍增研究进展

基因倍增是指DNA片段在基因组中复制出一个或更多的拷贝,这种DNA片段可以是一小段基因组序列、整条染色体,甚至是整个基因组。基因倍增是基因组进化最主要的驱动力之一,是产生具有新功能的基因和进化出新物种的主要原因之一。本文综述了脊椎动物、模式植物和酵母在进化过程中基因倍增研究领域的最新进展,并讨论了基因倍增研究的发展方向。     

酵母模型揭示胁迫因子驱动基因组变异的研究进展

基因组变异是遗传疾病发生和物种演化的分子基础，这个过程受到细胞内外源理化因子的共同作用。模式生物酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）基因组小且易于开展分子遗传操作，在探究基因组变异进化调控机制的相关研究中应用广泛。本文总结了酵母模型中典型的DNA变异检测遗传体系，包括利用报告基因检测DNA突变率和红白扇形菌落筛选染色体重组子等；讨论了高通量测序技术在检测自发性和胁迫因子诱导基因组变异中的应用；综述了运用酵母模型揭示温度波动、氧化压力、抗肿瘤药物、金属离子和辐射等胁迫因子对基因组稳定性的影响及遗传机制的研究进展。酵母在多种胁迫条件下均会发生适应性进化现象，特定的染色体结构变异是适应性背后的重要遗传机制之一。在酵母中结合遗传筛选体系和高通量分析手段阐释细胞胁迫因子与基因组变异的关联机制，可为全面理解生物基因组不稳定机理和物种进化规律提供新的视角。     

CRISPR-dCas9在动物基因转录调控和表观遗传修饰中的研究与应用

全基因组范围内的靶向基因调控是了解基因功能、操纵细胞行为以及开展生物医学研究的关键。与传统调控基因表达的方法相比,成簇的有规则间隔的短回文重复(CRISPR)-dCas9系统高度的灵活性和可编程性以及调控多个内源性基因的能力,为调控动物基因组提供了强有力和精确的靶向方法。具有DNA结合活性的核酸酶缺陷型dCas9蛋白与具有不同调控功能的效应域融合,使CRISPR-dCas9系统成为多种RNA引导的DNA靶向平台,例如转录调控和表观遗传修饰与基因组成像等。伴随着一系列高精度与高效率的靶向调控表观基因组技术的不断开发,CRISPR-dCas9已被广泛应用于阐释基因功能及基因间相互作用、揭示表观遗传机制等方面的研究,并在全基因组筛选、细胞重编程和靶向基因治疗等方面显示出广泛的应用前景。本文综述了近年来CRISPR-dCas9系统的作用机制、dCas9介导的转录调控和表观遗传修饰的研究进展,并对已有的各种dCas9方法进行归纳总结,依次介绍有关转录激活和转录抑制及其表观遗传修饰的方法和原理,比较各方法之间的差异。在此基础上,进一步介绍了dCas9介导的转录调控和表观遗传修饰在动物细胞研究上的应用现状,以期为CRISPR-dCas9系统靶向调控表观基因组的研究与应用提供参考。     

Species-specific EcoRI repetitive elements of at least 16 kb in length are present in Lupinus luteus

Summary A genomic DNA library of Lupinus luteus cv. Ventus was constructed in the phage vector EMBL3 using Mb oI-digested DNA. Screening with a 1070 bp labelled repetitive unit from L. luteus yielded several DNA clones. The repetitive family is composed of elements whose length is at least 16 kb. The average copy number of the cloned fragments is 5.0 × 10⁴ per haploid genome and constitutes approximately 3% of the total L. luteus genome. The homologous repeats were found in all ten cultivars of L. luteus tested but were not detected in two cultivars each of the closely related species Lupinus albus and Lupinus angustifolius. The EcoRI family fragments could thus be considered as species-specific DNA elements. These fragments may be useful as molecular markers in the genetic manipulation of L. luteus.     

沙棘H3K9乙酰化修饰全基因组分析

为了绘制沙棘H3K9乙酰化修饰图谱,确定H3K9乙酰化修饰所调控的基因,该实验通过Western blot验证抗体与组蛋白的结合能力和ChIP-seq验证抗体富集效率,获得全基因组范围内沙棘H3K9乙酰化修饰图谱和调控基因。实验结果表明,H3K9ac抗体与复合物具有较强的结合能力。对富集到的DNA片段进行高通量测序,分别获得2.2×10~7和3.6×10~7条原始序列;唯一比对序列广泛分布于沙棘基因组中,并且在结构基因中的两端具有明显的富集。对富集区进行峰的预测结果显示,共预测出1 011个峰;对峰所处部位基因进行功能预测结果发现,H3K9ac对于沙棘细胞代谢和信号转导基因的表达具有重要调控作用。沙棘片段化DNA的富集以及高通量测序结果证明,抗体能够用于研究沙棘的组蛋白修饰类型,并且绘制了沙棘第一张H3K9乙酰化修饰遗传图谱草图,鉴定出沙棘H3K9乙酰化修饰所调控的基因,为今后研究组蛋白修饰对沙棘基因表达的调控方式奠定了基础。     

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis and physical mapping of large DNA fragments in the Tm-2a region of chromosome 9 in tomato

Summary A method has been developed which allows the isolation of very high molecular weight DNA (>2 million bp) from leaf protoplasts of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). The DNA isolated in this manner was digested in agarose with rare-cutting restriction enzymes and separated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The size range of the reslting fragments was determined by hybridization to a number of single copy clones and the suitability of these enzymes for the mapping of large DNA fragments was evaluated. Furthermore, five genetically tightly linked single copy clones have been used to begin the construction of a physical map in a region of the genome containing the Tm-2a gene which confers resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. Two of the five clones were found to be on the same 560 kb SalI fragment and therefore are no further apart than that distance. The remaining three markers are distributed over at least 3 million bp, so that the total minimum physical distance of that cluster is at least 4 million bp. The results are discussed with respect to correlations between recombination frequencies and physical distance as well as physical mapping large regions of a complex plant genome like tomato.     

Genome complexity and organization in the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren

The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta is the most destructive invading arthropod in the southern United States, yet little is known about its genome complexity and organization. Here we report the size, organization and GC content of S. invicta genome. DNA reassociation kinetics using S1 nuclease assay and a modified second-order kinetics model indicated that the S. invicta genome is approximately 0.62 picograms or 5.91 x 10(8) base pairs, composed of 36% unique, 41% moderately repetitive and 23% highly repetitive/foldback sequences. Comparison of the reassociation kinetics of short and long DNA fragments revealed that the sequence arrangement follows a pattern of short period interspersion, as in most organisms with relatively large genomes. Melting-temperature analysis showed that the GC content of the fire ant genomic DNA is 34.8%, similar to that of most eukaryotic organisms. The results reveal that the fire ant genome is much larger and more complex than those of a number of hymenopteran insects studied to date. Our study provides a foundation for further analysis and genetic manipulation of the S. invicta genome.     

Homology-independent genome integration enables rapid library construction for enzyme expression and pathway optimization in Yarrowia lipolytica

Yarrowia lipolytica is an important oleaginous industrial microorganism used to produce biofuels and other value-added compounds. Although several genetic engineering tools have been developed for Y. lipolytica, there is no efficient method for genomic integration of large DNA fragments. In addition, methods for constructing multigene expression libraries for biosynthetic pathway optimization are still lacking in Y. lipolytica. In this study, we demonstrate that multiple and large DNA fragments can be randomly and efficiently integrated into the genome of Y. lipolytica in a homology-independent manner. This homology-independent integration generates variation in the chromosomal locations of the inserted fragments and in gene copy numbers, resulting in the expression differences in the integrated genes or pathways. Because of these variations, gene expression libraries can be easily created through one-step integration. As a proof of concept, a LIP2 (producing lipase) expression library and a library of multiple genes in the β-carotene biosynthetic pathway were constructed, and high-production strains were obtained through library screening. Our work demonstrates the potential of homology-independent genome integration for library construction, especially for multivariate modular libraries for metabolic pathways in Y. lipolytica, and will facilitate pathway optimization in metabolic engineering applications.     

Chlamydomonas (Chlorophyceae) colony PCR

The ease and effectiveness of colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has allowed rapid amplification of DNA fragments and screening of large number of colonies of interest including transformants and mutants with genetic manipulations. Here, we evaluated colony PCR in Chlamydomonas. Individual colonies were treated with 10 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or Chelex-100 and the resulting clear cell lysate was used for PCR reaction. Either genomic DNA or plasmid DNA incorporated into the genome was equally amplified. We found that the Chelex method is superior to EDTA method in certain cases. This colony PCR technique will bypass the tedious process of isolating genomic DNA for PCR reaction and will make it possible for rapid amplification of genomic DNA fragments as well as rapid large-scale screening of transformants.     

Mobilization of giant piggyBac transposons in the mouse genome

The development of technologies that allow the stable delivery of large genomic DNA fragments in mammalian systems is important for genetic studies as well as for applications in gene therapy. DNA transposons have emerged as flexible and efficient molecular vehicles to mediate stable cargo transfer. However, the ability to carry DNA fragments >10 kb is limited in most DNA transposons. Here, we show that the DNA transposon piggyBac can mobilize 100-kb DNA fragments in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, making it the only known transposon with such a large cargo capacity. The integrity of the cargo is maintained during transposition, the copy number can be controlled and the inserted giant transposons express the genomic cargo. Furthermore, these 100-kb transposons can also be excised from the genome without leaving a footprint. The development of piggyBac as a large cargo vector will facilitate a wider range of genetic and genomic applications.     

Improved genetic transformation methods for the model alkaliphile Bacillus halodurans C-125

Aims: Bacillus halodurans C‐125 is a Gram‐positive bacterium that was the first alkaliphilic species to have its genome completely sequenced. Despite its many years as a model for alkaliphily and source of industrially important enzymes, genetic manipulation of B. halodurans C‐125 remains difficult, and therefore, we sought to develop a robust method to allow routine transformation of this organism. Methods and Results: A plasmid artificial modification system (PAM system, Yasui et al. 2008 ) for B. halodurans C‐125 was created that increases transformation efficiency by 10‐ to 1000‐fold. Also, recovering transformed protoplasts on succinate nutrient agar (SNA) yields faster, more robust colony recovery than on the traditional recovery medium. Combining these two techniques often allows recovery of transformants in as little as 48 h. Conclusions: Use of the B. halodurans C‐125 PAM system and SNA greatly improves the efficiency and speed of protoplast transformation of B. halodurans C‐125. Significance and Impact of the Study: These techniques allow routine genetic manipulation of B. halodurans C‐125, a model alkaliphilic bacterium with important industrial properties.     

An exogenous chloroplast genome for complex sequence manipulation in algae

We demonstrate a system for cloning and modifying the chloroplast genome from the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Through extensive use of sequence stabilization strategies, the ex vivo genome is assembled in yeast from a collection of overlapping fragments. The assembled genome is then moved into bacteria for large-scale preparations and transformed into C. reinhardtii cells. This system also allows for the generation of simultaneous, systematic and complex genetic modifications at multiple loci in vivo. We use this system to substitute genes encoding core subunits of the photosynthetic apparatus with orthologs from a related alga, Scenedesmus obliquus. Once transformed into algae, the substituted genome recombines with the endogenous genome, resulting in a hybrid plastome comprising modifications in disparate loci. The in vivo function of the genomes described herein demonstrates that simultaneous engineering of multiple sites within the chloroplast genome is now possible. This work represents the first steps toward a novel approach for creating genetic diversity in any or all regions of a chloroplast genome.     

Investigating oxidative DNA damage and its repair using the comet assay

The comet assay is not the only way to measure oxidative DNA damage, but it is one of the most sensitive and accurate, being relatively free of artefacts. It is a valuable tool in population monitoring, for example in assessing the role of oxidative stress in human disease, and in monitoring the effects of dietary antioxidants. A simple modification allows the measurement of DNA repair. In combination with the analysis of polymorphisms in relevant genes, the comet assay - especially when adapted for analysis of large numbers of samples - can provide important information on the interactions between genetic variation and environmental factors in maintaining genome stability.