Compositional heterogeneity within and among isochores in mammalian genomes. I. CsCl and sequence analyses

GC level distributions of a species' nuclear genome, or of its compositional fractions, encode key information on structural and functional properties of the genome and on its evolution. They can be calculated either from absorbance profiles of the DNA in CsCl density gradients at sedimentation equilibrium, or by scanning long contigs of largely sequenced genomes. In the present study, we address the quantitative characterization of the compositional heterogeneity of genomes, as measured by the GC distributions of fixed-length fragments. Special attention is given to mammalian genomes, since their compartmentalization into isochores implies two levels of heterogeneity, intra-isochore (local) and inter-isochore (global). This partitioning is a natural one, since large-scale compositional properties vary much more among isochores than within them. Intra-isochore GC distributions become roughly Gaussian for long fragments, and their standard deviations decrease only slowly with increasing fragment length, unlike random sequences. This effect can be explained by 'long-range' correlations, often overlooked, that are present along isochores.     

Amelioration of Bacterial Genomes: Rates of Change and Exchange

Although bacterial species display wide variation in their overall GC contents, the genes within a particular species' genome are relatively similar in base composition. As a result, sequences that are novel to a bacterial genome—i.e., DNA introduced through recent horizontal transfer—often bear unusual sequence characteristics and can be distinguished from ancestral DNA. At the time of introgression, horizontally transferred genes reflect the base composition of the donor genome; but, over time, these sequences will ameliorate to reflect the DNA composition of the new genome because the introgressed genes are subject to the same mutational processes affecting all genes in the recipient genome. This process of amelioration is evident in a large group of genes involved in host-cell invasion by enteric bacteria and can be modeled to predict the amount of time required after transfer for foreign DNA to resemble native DNA. Furthermore, models of amelioration can be used to estimate the time of introgression of foreign genes in a chromosome. Applying this approach to a 1.43-megabase continuous sequence, we have calculated that the entire Escherichia coli chromosome contains more than 600 kb of horizontally transferred, protein-coding DNA. Estimates of amelioration times indicate that this DNA has accumulated at a rate of 31 kb per million years, which is on the order of the amount of variant DNA introduced by point mutations. This rate predicts that the E. coli and Salmonella enterica lineages have each gained and lost more than 3 megabases of novel DNA since their divergence. Received: 7 July 1996 / Accepted: 27 September 1996     

Gene distribution and nucleotide sequence organization in the human genome

Human DNA was fractionated by centrifugation in Cs2SO4 density gradients containing 3,6-bis(acetatomercurimethyl)dioxane (BAMD). Fractions were investigated in their analytical CsCl profiles and a number of specific sequences were localized in them. The results so obtained led to an improved understanding of the organization of nucleotide sequences in the human genome, as well as to the discovery that a class of DNA having a very high G + C content and not represented in the mouse genome, is particularly rich in genes and interspersed repetitive sequences.     

An analysis of the genome of Ciona intestinalis

An analysis by CsCl density gradient centrifugation has shown that, at a fragment size of about 100 kb, the DNA of a urochordate, Ciona intestinalis, is remarkably homogeneous in base composition. Localization of 16 coding sequences from C. intestinalis, chosen so as to cover the distribution range of all available coding sequences for this organism, showed a nearly symmetrical distribution almost coinciding with the DNA distribution. Both distributions are remarkably different from those found in vertebrates, which are skewed towards high GC levels (to a greater extent in warm-blooded vertebrates). In order to account for this change in genome organization, we propose a working hypothesis that can be tested. Basically, we suggest that the genome duplication that occurred between urochordates and fishes was accompanied by a preferential integration of transposons in one compartment of the genome, which was made gene-poor (by lowering gene density) compared to the rest. Since the gene-poor compartment (the 'empty quarter') is characterized by a lower level of gene expression compared to the gene-rich compartment (the 'genome core') in the vertebrate genome, we further suggest, as a working hypothesis, that a compartmentalization according to gene expression already existed in urochordates.     

S1 nuclease definition of highly repeated DNA sequences in the Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus.

Native DNA of the Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, purified from liver or tissue culture cells, was heat denatured and reassociated to a Cot value of 0.01 (equivalent Cot value of 7.2 x 10(-2)). The reassociated DNA was isolated by digestion with the single-strand DNA specific enzyme S1 nuclease. Spectrophotometric and radioactivity assays demonstrated that 24% of the total DNA was resistant to S1 nuclease treatment. Zero-time reassociation indicated that approximately 3% of the DNA was inverted repeat sequences. Thus, highly repeated sequences comprised 21% of the total genome. CsCl buoyant density ultracentrifugation indicated that this fraction was composed of both main band and satellite sequences. Although actinomycin D - CsCl density gradients failed to give significant separation of the repetitive sequences, distamycin A - CsCl gradients were able to fractionate the DNA into several overlapping bands. The heterogeneity of the repetitive DNA was further demonstrated by the first derivative plots calculated from their thermal denaturation profiles. This analysis revealed six major thermalytes which indicate that there may be at least six discrete components in the repetitive DNA.     

Compositional patterns in the nuclear genome of cold-blooded vertebrates

Summary DNA preparations obtained from 122 species of fishes, 5 species of amphibians, and 13 species of reptiles were investigated in their compositional properties by analytical equilibrium centrifugation in CsCl density gradients. These species represented 21 orders of Osteichthyes, 3 orders of Chondrichthyes, 2 orders of amphibians, and 3 orders of reptiles. Modal buoyant densities of fish DNAs ranged from 1.696 to 1.707 g/cm³, the vast majority of values falling, however, between 1.699 and 1.704 g/cm³, which is the range covered by the DNAs of amphibians and reptiles. In all cases, DNA bands in CsCl were only weakly asymmetrical and only very rarely were accompanied by separate satellite bands (mostly on the GC-rich side). Intermolecular compositional heterogeneities were low in the vast majority of cases, and, like CsCl band asymmetries, at least partially due to cryptic or poorly resolved satellites. The present findings indicate, therefore, that DNAs from cold-blooded vertebrates are characterized by a number of common properties, namely a very wide spectrum of modal buoyant densities, low intermolecular compositional heterogeneities, low CsCl band asymmetries, and, in most cases, small amounts of satellite DNAs. In the case of fish DNAs a negative correlation was found between the GC level and the haploid size (c value) of the genome. If polyploidization is neglected, this phenomenon appears to be mainly due to the fact that increases and decreases in GC are associated with contraction and expansion phenomena, respectively, of intergenic noncoding sequences, which are GC poor relative to coding sequences.     

Genome complexity of the maize rust fungus,Puccinia sorghi

The base composition and complexity of genomic DNA fromPuccinia sorghi have been estimated by thermal denaturation, analytical ultracentrifugation, and reassociation kinetics. The buoyant density of genomic DNA in CsCl was found to be 1.7021 g/ml, which corresponds to a GC content of 43%. From thermal denaturation curves the GC content was estimated to be 41%. The haploid genome size ofP. sorghi was estimated to be 4.7 × 10⁷ bp, half of which represented a moderately repetitive fraction. The size of theP. sorghi genome is similar to that of other basidiomycete fungi; however, the amount of repetitive DNA is greater than that reported for most other fungi.     

TUCAN/CARDINAL and DRAL participate in a common pathway for modulation of NF-kappaB activation

Prior to genome sequencing, information on base composition (GC level) and its variation in mammalian genomes could be obtained using density gradient ultracentrifugation. Analyses using this approach led to the conclusion that mammalian genomes are organized into mosaics of fairly homogeneous regions, called isochores. We present an initial compositional overview of the chromosomes of the recently available draft human genome sequence, in the form of color-coded moving window plots and corresponding GC level histograms. Results obtained from the draft human genome sequence agree well with those obtained or deduced earlier from CsCl experiments. The draft sequence now permits the visualization of the mosaic organization of the human genome at the DNA sequence level.     

Satellite DNA specific to knob heterochromatin inCucumis metuliferus (Cucurbitaceae)

Buoyant density gradient analysis of nuclear DNA of fourCucumis species showed asymmetric profiles indicating the presence of satellite DNA sequences in the nuclear genome. A highly repeated satellite DNA sequence was isolated from the nuclear genome ofC. metuliferus under neutral CsCl gradients. The satellite DNA constitutes about 4.96% of total nuclear DNA and has 48.06% guanine plus cytosine content. The kinetic complexity of satellite DNA is 150 times smaller than T₄ phage DNA and the base sequence divergence is low.³H-labeled cRNA transcribed from satellite DNA hybridized clearly to six heterochromatic knobs of pachytene chromosomes. The knob heterochromatin can be distinguished by Giemsa C-banding of pachytene chromosomes. Restriction enzyme analysis and Southern blot hybridization indicated that the satellite DNA has a tandem arrangement and predominantly formed two bands of size 210 and 151 base pairs. Absence of knob satellite DNA ofC. metuliferus in the nuclear genomes ofC. melo, C. anguria andC. sativus showed thatC. metuliferus remains isolated within the genusCucumis.     

Physicochemical properties of temperate phage DNA and its possible effect on the variability of Mycobacterium lacticolum

The temperate phage 104 S was isolated from the S variant of Mycobacterium lacticolum, strain 104, and some of its characteristics were studied. The content of GC pairs in the phage DNA was 77 mole% as was calculated from the melting profile or 65 mole% as was calculated from the value of buoyant density in CsCl. The DNA was shown to be composed of 18,000 nucleotide pairs. DNA restriction fragments of M. lacticolum R, S and M variants were subjected for the first time to molecular hybridization with [32P]DNA of the temperate phage. The genome of the three M. lacticolum variants and the genome of a non-dissociating S variant clone were shown to contain sequences homologous to the DNA sequence of phage 104 S. Differences are found among the variants in the hybridizing DNA fragments. These data indicate that the phage DNA may actively be involved in the variability of the culture. Its participation can be realized by the different mode of prophage incorporation into the genome of the variants.     

Determination of DNA base composition by small scale acrylamide-CsCl gradient centrifugation

In this paper we describe a simple and rapid protocol for DNA base composition determination by CsCl gradient in the presence of acrylamide. This method permits the determination of GC content in microgram amounts of DNA, and results are easily documented in photographs or graphs. The protocol was applied to the characterization of nematode DNA, but can be used for other organisms. Analyzing several experiments the mean standard deviation observed in the calculated GC content is near 1.3%.     

Characterization of repetitive DNA in rye (Secale cereale)

Nuclear DNA of rye (Secale cereale), a plant species with a relatively large genome (i.e., 18 pg diploid), has been characterized by determination of its content in repetitive sequences, buoyant density, and thermal denaturation properties. The reassociation kinetics of rye DNA reveals the presence of 70 to 75% repeated nucleotide sequences which are grouped into highly (Cot 1) and intermediately repetitive (Cot 1–100) fractions. On sedimentation in neutral CsCl gradients, native, high molecular weight DNA forms an almost symmetrical band of density 1.702 g/cm³. The highly repetitive DNA (Cot 1), on the other hand, is separated into two distinct peaks; the minor component has a density of 1.703 g/cm³ corresponding to that of a very rapidly reassociating fraction (Cot 0.01) which comprises 10 to 12% of the rye genome. The latter DNA contains segments which are repeated 6×10⁵ to 6×10⁶ times. The major peak of the Cot 1 fraction shows a density of 1.707 g/cm³ and consists of fragments repeated about 3.7×10⁴ times. The intermediately repetitive DNA is much more heterogeneous than the Cot 1 fraction and has a low degree of repetition of the order of 8.5×10². The melting behavior of the Cot 1 fraction reveals the presence of a high degree of base pairing (i.e., 7% mismatching). When native rye DNA is resolved into fractions differing in GC content by hydroxyapatite thermal column chromatography and these fractions are analyzed for the presence of repetitive sequences, it is observed that the highly redundant DNA (Cot 1) is mostly located in the fraction denaturing between 80° and 90°C. This result suggests that highly repetitive rye DNA occurs in a portion of the genome which is neither very rich in AT nor in GC.     

Characterization of the nuclear genome of pearl millet.

The nuclear genome of pearl millet has been characterized with respect to its size, buoyant density in CsCl equilibrium density gradients, melting temperature, reassociation kinetics and sequence organization. The genome size is 0.22 pg. The mol percent G + C of the DNA is calculated from the buoyant density and the melting temperature to be 44.9 and 49.7%, respectively. The reassociation kinetics of fragments of DNA 300 nucleotides long reveals three components: a rapidly renaturing fraction composed of highly repeated and/or foldback DNA, middle repetitive DNA and single copy DNA. The single copy DNA consists of 17% of the genome. 80% of the repetitive sequences are at least 5000 nucleotide pairs in length. Thermal denaturation profiles of the repetitive DNA sequences show high Tm values implying a high degree of sequence homogeneity. About half of the single copy DNA is short (750--1400 nucleotide paris) and interspersed with long repetitive DNA sequences. The remainder of the single copy sequences vary in size from 1400 to 8600 nucleotide pairs.     

Ribosomal DNA in the grasshopper Podisma pedestris: escape from concerted evolution

Eukaryote nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) typically exhibits strong concerted evolution: a pattern in which several hundred rDNA sequences within any one species show little or no genetic diversity, whereas the sequences of different species diverge. We report a markedly different pattern in the genome of the grasshopper Podisma pedestris. Single individuals contain several highly divergent ribosomal DNA groups. Analysis of the magnitude of divergence indicates that these groups have coexisted in the Podisma lineage for at least 11 million years. There are two putatively functional groups, each estimated to be at least 4 million years old, and several pseudogene groups, many of which are transcribed. Southern hybridization and real-time PCR experiments show that only one of the putatively functional types occurs at high copy number. However, this group is scarcely amplified under standard PCR conditions, which means that phylogenetic inference on the basis of standard PCR would be severely distorted. The analysis suggests that concerted evolution has been remarkably ineffective in P. pedestris. We propose that this outcome may be related to the species' exceptionally large genome and the associated low rate of deletion per base pair, which may allow pseudogenes to persist.     

Redundant DNA of Neurospora crassa

Approximately 20% of the DNA of Neurospora crassa consists of redundant sequences. This is calculated from the reassociation rate of fragmented, denatured DNA as measured by hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The redundant DNA has a complexity of 10⁵ base pairs and a repetition frequency of up to 60 copies per genome. Its buoyant density in CsCl is 1.720 g/ml and its hypochromicity 20–24%. Base composition determination shows 54% GC content like Neurospora nuclear DNA. DNA-RNA hybridization studies indicate that rRNA and tRNA cistrons make up 2.3 and 1.2%, respectively, of the redundant fraction. Pulse-labeled RNA is shown to hybridize with both redundant and unique DNA fractions, suggesting that both fractions are transcribed.This work is supported by a grant from National Science Foundation (GB 8058) and National Institute of Health Research Career Development Award (K3GM31-238).     

Studies on macronuclear DNA from Paramecium aurelia

Macronuclear DNA was isolated from purified macronuclei of Paramecium aurelia and the size distribution was determined with regard to growth phase and method of extraction. DNA molecules as long as 105 microns and as short as 0.2 microns were observed. It was concluded that the method of extraction affected the observed length of DNA extracted and that macronuclear DNA isolated from cells in balanced growth was less susceptible to nuclease degradation than was DNA isolated from cells in stationary phase. Renaturation studies were performed on macronuclear DNA and a kinetic complexity of 22-times E. coli DNA was determined. This value was similar to those values reported for Tetrahymena and Stylonychia macronuclear DNA. Correcting for GC base content yielded a kinetic complexity for Paramecium macronuclear DNA of 11-times E. coli DNA which corresponded to 3 X 10(10) daltons. There would be about 1400 copies of a unit genome of this complexity within each newly replicated macronucleus. Density gradient analysis indicated that the genes coding for ribosomal RNA had a greater density in CsCl than the bulk DNA. Molecular hybridization studies indicated that the genes coding for 25 S RNA represented 0.14 percent of the total macronuclear DNA. Correcting for GC base content, this corresponded to 30-35 25 S RNA genes per unit genome. These results on Paramecium are discussed in relationship to other ciliate macronuclear DNA.     

Structure and organization of the highly repeated and interspersed 1.3 kb EcoRI-Bg1II sequence family in mice.

EcoRI digestion of total mouse DNA yields a prominant 1.3 kb fragment amounting to between 1 and 2% of the mouse genome. The majority of the 1.3 kb EcoRI fragments have a single Bg1II site 800 bp from one end. This EcoRI-Bg1II sequence family shows HindIII and HaeIII sequence heterogeneity. We have cloned representatives of the EcoRI-Bg1II gene family in Charon 16A and studied their structure and organization within the genome. The cloned 1.3 kb fragments show the expected restriction enzyme patterns as well as additional heterogeneity. Representatives of the EcoRI-Bg1II sequence family were found to be interspersed throughout the mouse genome as judged by CsCl density gradient centrifugation experiments. Family members were also found to be organized in higher order repeating units. Homologous sequences were also found in other rodent species including rat and Chinese hamster. Cross hybridization between a cloned 1.3 kb mouse fragment and a cloned CHO repeated sequence is of special interest since the latter has been shown to contain sequences homologous to the Human A1uI family by nucleotide sequencing.     

Analysis of plant genomes. V. Comparative study of molecular properties of DNAs of seven Allium species

The genomes of seven plant species belonging to the genus Allium and exhibiting a threefold variation in their nuclear DNA content were analyzed by studying their reassociation kinetics, equilibrium centrifugation behavior in neutral CsCl gradients, and melting properties. The reassociation kinetics experiments revealed the presence of 44–65% repeated DNA sequences. A comparison between DNA contents and the proportion of repeated DNA sequences indicated that, in Allium, increase in the genome size is not exclusively due to variations in the proportions of repetitive DNA. The total DNA as well as the various repetitive DNA fractions in all the Allium species examined exhibited, in spite of a few differences, a gross similarity in their behavior in neutral CsCl gradients and in their melting properties.     

DNA mismatches and GC-rich motifs target transposition by the RAG1/RAG2 transposase

In addition to their essential role in V(D)J recombination, the RAG proteins function as a transposase capable of inserting the V(D)J recombination intermediate, the signal end DNA fragment, into target DNA. RAG-mediated transposition has been suggested to contribute to genome instability and the development of lymphoid malignancies. Previous studies suggested that the RAG transposase exhibits a target site preference for GC rich sequences and hairpin structures. Here we demonstrate that a transposition hot spot (5′-GCCGCCGGGCC-3′), smaller portions of this hot spot and other GC rich motifs are able to target RAG-mediated transposition. Tracks of GC base pairs have been shown to have an unusually high rate of base pair breathing. Intriguingly, we find that DNA mismatches can efficiently target RAG-mediated transposition and suppress the use of other target sites. Hairpins, however, are not generally preferred targets. Our results indicate that target DNA melting may be a crucial step during RAG-mediated transposition, and that target site selection by the RAG transposase may be intimately linked to mutagenic and metabolic processes that transiently present favorable DNA structures to the transposition machinery.     

Switching effect in prey--predator system

Statistical analysis of DNA base sequences generated from nearest neighbor frequencies by a Monte Carlo technique yields distributions of pyrimidine tracts in good agreement with experimental results. Better agreement with experiment is obtained with nearest-neighbor-frequency based calculations than with calculations based on base composition which assume random base arrangements. The nearest-neighbor-frequency method can also be applied to the analysis of high resolution thermal denaturation profiles, the sequence specific interaction of drugs and proteins, and the distribution of photoproducts produced in DNA by ultraviolet radiation.