Substitution rate variation among sites in hypervariable region 1 of human mitochondrial DNA

More than an order of magnitude difference in substitution rate exists among sites within hypervariable region 1 of the control region of human mitochondrial DNA. A two-rate Poisson mixture and a negative binomial distribution are used to describe the distribution of the inferred number of changes per nucleotide site in this region. When three data sets are pooled, however, the two-rate model cannot explain the data. The negative binomial distribution always fits, suggesting that substitution rates are approximately gamma distributed among sites. Simulations presented here provide support for the use of a biased, yet commonly employed, method of examining rate variation. The use of parsimony in the method to infer the number of changes at each site introduces systematic errors into the analysis. These errors preclude an unbiased quantification of variation in substitution rate but make the method conservative overall. The method can be used to distinguish sites with highly elevated rates, and 29 such sites are identified in hypervariable region 1. Variation does not appear to be clustered within this region. Simulations show that biases in rates of substitution among nucleotides and non-uniform base composition can mimic the effects of variation in rate among sites. However, these factors contribute little to the levels of rate variation observed in hypervariable region 1.     

Abundance and polymorphism of simple repetitive DNA sequences in Bmssica napus L.

Summary The Brassica napus genome has been investigated by DNA fingerprinting with six synthetic oligonucleotide probes complementary to simple repetitive sequences, namely (GATA)₄, (GACA)₄, (GGAT)₄, (CA)₈, (CT)₈ and (GTG)₅. While all sequence motifs were found to be present in the B. napus genome, their organization and abundance varied considerably. Among the investigated probes, (GATA)₄ revealed the highest level of intraspecific polymorphism and distinguishes not only between cultivars but even between different individuals belonging to the same cultivar. In contrast, (GTG)₅, (GACA)₄ and (GGAT)₄ produced relatively homogeneous fingerprint patterns throughout different cultivars, while hybridization to (CT)₈ and (CA)₈ resulted in only a few weak bands superimposed on a smear. The isoschizomeric pair Hpa II and Msp I revealed the presence of methylated cytosines in the vicinity of (GATA)_m repeats. The applicability of simple repetitive sequence polymorphisms as molecular markers for Brassica species is discussed.     

A new middle repetitive sequence of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia genome

A middle repetitive sequence NPR18 was isolated from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia nuclear genome [8]. Sequences homologous to the repeat are dispersed through genomes of several Nicotiana species. compute-assisted data analysis of NPR18 primary sequence reveals several features attributed to mobile genetic elements: an AT content higher than average for nuclear DNA of genus Nicotiana plants; a number of direct and inverted repeats. Some of the repeats displayed homology to the terminal and subterminal repeats of Ac/Ds-like plant elements.     

Identification of closely related citrus cultivars with inter-simple sequence repeat markers

 Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers generated by 22 primers were tested for their ability to distinguish among samples from 94 trees of 68 citrus cultivars. Within each of the six cultivar groups studied, most of these cultivars are so closely related that they are difficult to distinguish by other molecular-marker techniques. ISSR markers involve PCR amplification of DNA using a single primer composed of a microsatellite sequence anchored at the 3′ or 5′ end by 2–4 arbitrary, often degenerate, nucleotides. The amplification products were separated on non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels and detected by silver staining. ISSR banding profiles were very repeatable on duplicate samples. Different citrus species had very different fingerprint patterns. Within Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck and C. paradisi Macf., in which all cultivars have originated by the selection of mutants, ISSR markers distinguished 14 of 33 sweet orange and 1 of 7 grapefruit cultivars. Five of six lemon cultivars were discriminated by ISSR markers. Many differences were found among mandarin cultivars; however, all five satsuma cultivars analyzed had identical ISSR fingerprints. Four of five citrange cultivars were distinguishable, but ‘Troyer’ and ‘Carrizo’ had identical ISSR fingerprints. ‘Kuharske Carrizo’ citrange, which has better citrus nematode resistance than other ‘Carrizo’ citrange accessions, had unique ISSR fingerprints. Three ISSR markers that differentiated certain sweet orange cultivars were hybridized to Southern blots of sweet orange DNA digested with different restriction endonucleases. The sweet orange cultivars tested could be distinguished by these ISSR-derived RFLP markers. Moreover, one ISSR marker unique to ‘Ruby’ blood orange was observed in its progeny trees. Received: 9 September 1996 / Accepted: 4 April 1997     

大豆疫霉菌一个DNA指纹分析重复序列探针的鉴定

【目的】大豆疫霉菌指纹分析的建立和黑龙江与新疆大豆疫霉菌群体的群体遗传分析。【方法】利用生物信息学方法寻找大豆疫霉菌(Phytophthora sojae)的中度重复序列,并对黑龙江和新疆大豆疫霉菌进行DNA指纹分析。【结果】分析得到一个中度重复序列,定名为PS1227。Southern blot分析表明PS1227在大豆疫霉菌基因组中约有34条可辨的介于1.5-23kb之间的杂交条带,其中21个杂交条带在49个供试菌系中表现多态性。单游动孢子分析表明PS1227指纹特征在病菌无性生殖阶段表现稳定。利用PS1227标记,本实验发现采自黑龙江HP4002、SY6和GJ0105菌系分别与新疆的DW303、71228和71222菌系具有完全相同的指纹特征。【结论】获得一个可用于大豆疫霉菌流行学和群体生物学研究的指纹分析序列PS1227,在分子水平证实了新疆大豆疫霉菌可能由黑龙江传入。     

Characterisation of a novel repetitive DNA sequence from Mycobacterium bovis

We report characterisation of three copies of a novel repeat sequence isolated from a Mycobacterium bovis genomic library. The repeat occurs within open reading frames, potentially encoding a conserved tandem array of a pentapeptide sequence with the consensus X-Gly-Asn-X-Gly. The tandem array is present up to five times in M. bovis and it is proposed that they may occur in a family of genes expressing functionally related proteins. We postulate that these proteins may play a role in binding of M. bovis to host cell receptors.     

Evaluation of repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR for discrimination of fecal Escherichia coli from humans, and different domestic- and wild-animals

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of repetitive extragenic palindromic anchored polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) in differentiating fecal Escherichia coli isolates of human, domestic- and wild-animal origin that might be used as a molecular tool to identify the possible source(s) of fecal pollution of source water. A total of 625 fecal E. coli isolates of human, 3 domestic- (cow, dog and horse) and 7 wild-animal (black bear, coyote, elk, marmot, mule deer, raccoon and wolf) species were characterized by rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting technique coupled with BOX A1R primer and discriminant analysis. Discriminant analysis of rep-PCR DNA fingerprints of fecal E. coli isolates from 11 host sources revealed an average rate of correct classification of 79.89%, and 84.6%, 83.8%, 83.3%, 82.5%, 81.6%, 80.8%, 79.8%, 79.3%, 77.4%, 73.2% and 63.6% of elk, human, marmot, mule deer, cow, coyote, raccoon, horse, dog, wolf and black bear fecal E. coli isolates were assigned to the correct host source. These results suggest that rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting procedures can be used as a source tracking tool for detection of human- as well as animal-derived fecal contamination of water.     

Methylation of a middle repetitive DNA sequence class during differentiation in Friend erythroleukemia cells

We have examined the methylation patterns within middle repetitive sequences in Friend erythroleukemia cells. Mouse-interspersed-family-1 (MIF-1) and a group characterized by a 1350-bp Eco-Bam fragment cloned into pBR322 as plasmid pFS-13, are both less modified in Friend cell DNA than in normal tissue DNA. The pattern of methylation present in pFS-13 homologous sequences was found to be stable during cell division, i.e., somatically inherited, and stable during differentiation induced by HMBA.     

DNA fingerprinting in rice using oligonucleotide probes specific for simple repetitive DNA sequences

In this report we describe the use of five oligonucleotide probes, namely (GATA)₄, (GACA)₄, (GGAT)₄, (GAA)₆ and (CAC)₅, to reveal highly polymorphic DNA regions in rice. With each of the oligonucleotide probes, the level of polymorphism was high enough to distinguish several rice genotypes. Moreover, individual plants of one cultivar showed the same cultivar-specific DNA fingerprint. The multilocus fingerprint patterns were somatically stable. Our study demonstrates that microsatellite-derived DNA fingerprints are ideally suited for the identification of rice genotypes. As the majority of the probes detected a high level of polymorphism, they can be very useful in monitoring and aiding gene introgression from wild rice into cultivars.     

Highly repetitive DNA sequence in parthenogeneticArtemia

Summary The study of the structural organization of the eukaryotic genome is one of the most important tools for disclosing the evolutionary relationships between species.Artemia (Crustacea, Phyllopoda) offers a very interesting model for speciation studies. The genus, distributed all over the world, comprises both bisexual sibling species and parthenogenetic populations, exhibiting different chromosome numbers (diploidy, polyploidy, and heteroploidy).Digestion of genomic DNA of the parthenogeneticArtemia sp. from Tsing-Tao (China) with the restriction enzymes Eco RI and Alu I reveals that a highly repetitive sequence of 133 bp is present. The Eco RI fragment has been cloned and characterized by genomic organization. The distribution of the Eco RI family of repeats was also studied in several bisexual and parthenogeneticArtemia populations and compared with an Alu I repetitive fragment previously identified inArtemia franciscana.     

A novel repetitive DNA sequence in the genus Oryza

Summary Repetitive DNA sequences in the genus Oryza (rice) represent a large fraction of the nuclear DNA. The isolation and characterization of major repetitive DNA sequences will lead to a better understanding of rice genome organization and evolution. Here we report the characterization of a novel repetitive sequence, CC-1, from the CC genome. This repetitive sequence is present as long tandem arrays with a repeat unit 194 bp in length in the CC-diploid genome but 172 bp in length in the BBCC and CCDD tetraploid genomes. This repetitive sequence is also present, though at lower copy numbers, in the AA and BB genomes, but is absent in the EE and FF genomes. Hybridization experiments revealed considerable differences both in copy numbers and in restriction fragment patterns of CC-1 both between and within rice species. The results support the hypothesis that the CC genome is more closely related to the AA genome than to the BB genome, and most distantly related to the EE and FF genomes.     

DNA amplification variation within cultivars of turf-type Couch grasses (Cynodon spp.)

Arbitrary primed polymorphic DNA was employed to investigate relationships among 18 Cynodon cultivars available in Australia. Thirteen out of the 20 random primers screened gave reproducible banding patterns for all samples. The cultivars showed a high level of polymorphism. Each cultivar was readily distinguishable with a combination of primers. One primer was able to discriminate between all the cultivars except Tifdwarf and its `off-type' sample. The Cynodon grasses used in this study separated into two distinct groups based on a distance matrix calculated from the DNA amplification data. The results clearly demonstrate a methodology based on arbitrary primed DNA amplification can be used to identify and fingerprint Cynodon cultivars. Received: 22 October 1996 / Revision received: 11 March 1997 / Accepted: 4 April 1997     

A non-alphoid repetitive DNA sequence from human chromosome 21

Summary A non-alphoid repetitive DNA from human chromosome 22, consisting of a 48-bp motif, shows homology to both G-group chromosomes in the gorilla, thus indicating the presence of additional repeat family members on further human chromosomes. Therefore, we screened a chromosome-21-specific cosmid library using this repetitive sequence from chromosome 22 (D22Z3). Some 40–50 cosmid clones were positive in tests for hybridization. One of the clones giving the strongest signals was digested with EcoRI/PstI, which we knew to cut frequently within the repeats; this resulted in fragments containing repeat units only. The fragments were subcloned into plasmid vector pTZ 19. Sequence-analysis of a 500-bp insert showed ten copies of a 48-bp repeat similar to D22Z3, with about 15% sequence deviation from the chromosome 22 consensus sequence. In situ hybridization of the newly isolated recombinant established its chromosome 21 specifity at high stringency. Physical mapping by pulsed field gel electrophoresis placed this new repeat in close vicinity to the chromosome 21 alphoid repeat. No cross-hybridization with other mammalian genomes except for those of apes was observed. The locus has been designated D21Z2 by the Genome Data Base. A gel mobility shift assay indicated that this repetitive motif has protein-binding properties.     

Genetic variation of the St. Lawrence beluga whale population assessed by DNA fingerprinting

Recent surveys suggest that the endangered St. Lawrence beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas ) population is not recovering significantly despite 20 years of protection. Dead individuals that have been autopsied show high levels of tumours and infections. This situation could be a result of pollution, loss of genetic variation, inbreeding depression or a combination of these factors. Analyses of DNA fingerprints from St. Lawrence belugas with three minisatellite probes (Jeffreys 33.6, 33.15 and M13) indicate a reduced level of genetic variation compared to Beaufort Sea animals. The average band-sharing between individuals of the St. Lawrence beluga population for the three probes (0.534, 0.573 and 0.478, respectively) was significantly higher than that of the Beaufort Sea beluga population (0.343, 0.424, 0.314, respectively). Higher levels of mean allele frequency in the St. Lawrence belugas (0.33 vs. 0.21) suggest that this population is composed of individuals which are related. Inbreeding depression could therefore be a factor in the lack of recovery of the St. Lawrence beluga population.     

Cloning, quantification and characterization of a minisatellite DNA sequence from common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L.

 We describe the cloning and the characterization of a 130-bp DNA fragment, called OPG9-130, amplified from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genomic DNA. This fragment corresponds to a minisatellite DNA sequence containing seven repeats of 15 bp which differ slightly from each other in their sequence. Southern analysis showed that the core sequence of 15 bp is repeated in clusters dispersed throughout the genome. The use of this fragment as a probe allowed us to identify common bean lines by their DNA fingerprints. We suggest that OPG9-130 will be useful for line identification as well as for the analysis of genetic relatedness between bean species and lines. Received: 14 February 1998 / Accepted: 10 February 1998     

Identification of hypervariable single locus minisatellite DNA probes in the blue tit Parus caeruleus

We report the isolation of a set of hypervariable minisatellite DNA sequences from a blue tit Parus caeruleus genomic DNA library. In our strategy, we cloned a minisatellite-rich DNA fraction into a charomid vector. The resulting cosmid library was screened with the two minisatellite DNA probes 33.6 and 33.15 for recombinants containing a minisatellite DNA insert. A total of 233 positive clones were isolated. Of 37 clones that have been analysed, nine gave polymorphic signals and can be used as single locus probes (SLPs). Four of the SLPs were investigated in more detail. The number of alleles, the heterozygosity and the mutation rate were estimated. Linkage analysis revealed that two of these loci were linked. The SLPs are of value to studies of the mating system and reproductive success in the blue tit, and may also be useful in population genetic studies.     

Introduction of a long synthetic repetitive DNA sequence into cultured tobacco cells

Genome information has been accumulated for many species, and these genes and regulatory sequences are expected to be applied in plants by enhancing or creating new metabolic pathways. We hypothesized that manipulating a long array of repetitive sequences using tethered chromatin modulators would be effective for robust regulation of gene expression in close proximity to the arrays. This approach is based on a human artificial chromosome made of long synthetic repetitive DNA sequences in which we manipulated the chromatin by tethering the modifiers. However, a method for introducing long repetitive DNA sequences into plants has not yet been established. Therefore, we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome-based binary vector in Escherichia coli cells to generate a construct in which a cassette of marker genes was inserted into 60-kb synthetic human centromeric repetitive DNA. The binary vector was then transferred to Agrobacterium cells and its stable maintenance confirmed. Next, using Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, this construct was successfully introduced into the genome of cultured tobacco BY-2 cells to obtain a large number of stable one-copy strains. ChIP analysis of obtained BY-2 cell lines revealed that the introduced synthetic repetitive DNA has moderate chromatin modification levels with lower heterochromatin (H3K9me2) or euchromatin (H3K4me3) modifications compared to the host centromeric repetitive DNA or an active Tub6 gene, respectively. Such a synthetic DNA sequence with moderate chromatin modification levels is expected to facilitate manipulation of the chromatin structure to either open or closed.     

Identification of a repetitive DNA sequence specific to Mycobacterium paratuberculosis

Abstract A 0.2-kb DNA sequence specific to Mycobacterium paratuberculosis , the causative organism of Johne's disease, was isolated from a partial genomic library. The sequence was part of a larger repetitive DNA element and was present in strains of M. paratuberculosis from cattle, sheep, goat, deer and also a woman with Crohn's disease but not in M. paratuberculosis strain 18. The sequence was not present in strains of 19 other mycobacterial species including 31 reference serotype strains of the M. avium-M. intracellular-M. scrofulaceum (MAIS) complex, some strains of which are closely related to M. paratuberculosis . The sequence may be useful for developing a diagnostic test for Johne's disease.