Alu-like sequences in the regions of replication initiation in plasmids p15A and R6K]

A method of computer analysis of DNA sequences has been proposed. It is based on information similarity of compared sequences and it significantly increases the usefulness of the computer analysis. This approach has been applied to the search of interconnected areas of Alu-repeats and replication origins of p15A and R6K plasmids. An Alu-like region located in the first stem of the secondary structure of RNA-1 and E. coli RNA-polymerase binding site has been found in the p15A. On R6K replication origin, Alu-like repeats have been found in the area of tandem 22 bp repeats. This comparison also allowed to reveal hidden periodicity of the sequence of human Alu-repeat. A hypothesis that explained the data obtained has been proposed. The proposed approach may be used as a method for revealing DNA sequences that have similar genetic functions.     

The nucleotide sequence of the replication origin of plasmid NTP1.

The sequence of the DNA of the origin region of NTP1 has been obtained. Analysis of the sequence indicates that: (1) there is great sequence homology in the DNA upstream from the origin in NTP1, ColE1, CLODF13, PBR345 AND PBR322; (2) only seven base pairs of NTP1 are identical with the sequence downstream from the origin in ColE1, although some homology exists for 140 bases downstream; (3) two ten base pair direct repeats are present in NTP1 which are also conserved in all four plasmids named above; (4) probably no polypeptide greater than fifteen amino acids in length is encoded by the NTP1 origin region, since no single open reading frame is conserved in all five plasmids.     

The nucleotide sequence of the replication origin beta of the plasmid R6K

We h ave identified by molecular cloning a region of 283 base pairs of the HindIII 2 fragment of R6K which corresponds to the region of the replication origin beta. This 283 base-pair DNA fragment, when present contiguously with the structural gene for the replication initiation protein of R6K, encoded in the HindIII 9-15 and part of HindIII 2 restriction fragments, will support the replication of a plasmid chimera containing the pBR322 replicon in a pol Ats host at the nonpermissive temperature. The nucleotide sequence of the region of replication origin beta has been determined. The nucleotide sequence has some homology with the ori gamma region of R6K; it has a 15-base-pair homology with the replication origin of Escherichia coli.     

Replication of plasmids with the p15A origin in Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1

The plasmid pACYC184 was introduced into Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1 by electroporation. In 100% of the transformants examined, the plasmid was maintained as a free replicon outside the chromosome. This was the case whether or not the plasmid contained a 224-bp DNA insert derived from an open-reading frame of MR-1 genomic DNA. Therefore, in contrast to a report in the literature, plasmids containing the p15A origin of replication can replicate freely in S. putrefaciens MR-1, and do not make convenient vectors for gene replacement in this bacterium. However, we found that plasmids with the pMB1 origin of replication (e.g. pBR322) cannot replicate in MR-1 and could therefore have potential as vectors for gene replacement.     

Critical sequences in the core of the P1 plasmid replication origin.

The core of the P1 plasmid replication origin consists of a series of 7-bp repeats and a G+C-rich stretch. Methylation of the GATC sequences in the repeats is essential. Forty different single-base mutations in the region were isolated and assayed for origin function. A single-base change within any 7-bp repeat could block the origin, irrespective of whether GATC bases were affected. The repeats themselves were critical, but the short intervals between them were not. Mutations in the G+C-rich region showed it to be a spacer whose exact length is important but whose sequence can vary considerably. It maintains a precise distance between the 7-bp repeats and binding sites for the P1 RepA initiator protein. It may also serve as a clamp to limit strand separation during initiation.     

Easily unwound DNA sequences and hairpin structures in the Epstein-Barr virus origin of plasmid replication.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) origin of plasmid replication (oriP) includes two known cis-acting components, the dyad symmetry region and the family of repeats. We used P1 nuclease, a single-strand-specific endonuclease, to probe EBV oriP for DNA sequences that are intrinsically easy to unwind on a negatively supercoiled plasmid. Selective nuclease hypersensitivity was detected in the family of repeats on an oriP-containing plasmid and in the dyad symmetry region on a plasmid that lacks the family of repeats, indicating that the DNA in both cis-acting components is intrinsically easy to unwind. The hierarchy of nuclease hypersensitivity indicates that the family of repeats is more easily unwound than the dyad symmetry region, consistent with the hierarchy of helical stability predicted by computer analysis of the DNA sequence. A specific subset of the family of repeats is nuclease hypersensitive, and the DNA structure deduced from nucleotide-level analysis of the P1 nuclease nicks is a cruciform near a single-stranded bubble. The dyad symmetry region unwinds to form a broad single-stranded bubble containing hairpins in the 65-bp dyad sequence. We propose that the intrinsic ease of unwinding the dyad symmetry region, the actual origin of DNA replication, is an important component in the mechanism of initiation.     

The nucleotide sequence surrounding the replication origin of the cop3 mutant of the bacteriocinogenic plasmid Clo DF13.

The nucleotide sequence from about 100 base-pairs downstream to about 600 base pairs upstream the CloDF13 replication origin has been determined. A comparison of this sequence with the corresponding ColE1 origin sequence reveals that: The sequence at the origin of replication is conserved. There are large differences in the nucleotide sequence downstream the replication origin, whereas there is a large homology in the region of about 410 base-pairs upstream the replication origin. This conserved region might code for a largely homologous basic, arginine rich polypeptide of about 45 amino-acids, for both ColE1 and CloDF13. Although there are large differences in the primary structure of the region coding for the 100 nucleotide RNA, the secondary structure of this region seems to be conserved.     

Removal of symmetrical sequences from the origin region of plasmid R1 reduces its replication efficiency

The R1 origin region contains many symmetrical DNA sequence elements which allow the formation of complex secondary structures. A 218-bp in vivo deletion in a cloned R1 origin fragment removes most of them. As this deletion was never observed in plasmids containing all R1 replication functions, it was introduced by BglI in vitro recombination into the `basic replicon' of R1 cloned into pBR322. The recombinant plasmid with the 218-bp deletion and its derivatives unambiguously show that the deleted symmetrical elements are not absolutely essential for R1 replication as was previously assumed though they seem to determine a more efficient origin function. Likewise, a hypothetical protein of a mol. wt. of 14 000 daltons, the major part of which would be encoded by the deleted sequences, does not seem to be of particular importance for R1-specific replication. This is the first report of an alteration in the origin region of an IncFII plasmid which affects plasmid replication without abolishing it completely.     

The in vivo replication origin of the yeast 2 microns plasmid

We have used two-dimensional neutral/alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis to separate the nascent strands of replicating yeast 2 micron plasmid DNA molecules according to extent of replication, away from nonreplicating molecules and parental strands. Analysis of the lengths of nascent strands by sequential hybridization with short probes shows that replication proceeds bidirectionally from a single origin at map position 3700 +/- 100, coincident with the genetically mapped ARS element. The two recombinational isomers of 2 microns plasmid (forms A and B) replicate with equal efficiency. These results suggest that ARS elements may prove to be replication origins for chromosomal DNA.     

DpiA binding to the replication origin of Escherichia coli plasmids and chromosomes destabilizes plasmid inheritance and induces the bacterial SOS response

The dpiA and dpiB genes of Escherichia coli, which are orthologs of genes that regulate citrate uptake and utilization in Klebsiella pneumoniae, comprise a two-component signal transduction system that can modulate the replication of and destabilize the inheritance of pSC101 and certain other plasmids. Here we show that perturbed replication and inheritance result from binding of the effector protein DpiA to A+T-rich replication origin sequences that resemble those in the K. pneumoniae promoter region targeted by the DpiA ortholog, CitB. Consistent with its ability to bind to A+T-rich origin sequences, overproduction of DpiA induced the SOS response in E. coli, suggesting that chromosomal DNA replication is affected. Bacteria that overexpressed DpiA showed an increased amount of DNA per cell and increased cell size-both also characteristic of the SOS response. Concurrent overexpression of the DNA replication initiation protein, DnaA, or the DNA helicase, DnaB-both of which act at A+T-rich replication origin sequences in the E. coli chromosome and DpiA-targeted plasmids-reversed SOS induction as well as plasmid destabilization by DpiA. Our finding that physical and functional interactions between DpiA and sites of replication initiation modulate DNA replication and plasmid inheritance suggests a mechanism by which environmental stimuli transmitted by these gene products can regulate chromosomal and plasmid dynamics.     

Functional organization of the plasmid pT181 replication origin

Replication of the staphylococcal plasmid pT181 is initiated at the origin (ori) with the introduction of a site-specific nick by the plasmid-encoded initiator protein RepC. Deletion analysis showed that a sequence of about 70 base-pairs is required for full ori function, including the ability to compete with a co-resident wild-type origin for the trans-acting RepC protein. A shorter sequence of 43 base-pairs is sufficient for origin function in the absence of competition. Single and double point mutations within these 43 base-pairs were used to determine the sequence requirement for replication within the minimal origin. Deletion mutants and point mutants were tested in replication and competition assays in vivo and in vitro, and in a RepC-mediated nicking assay.     

The replication origin of pSC101: the nucleotide sequence and replication functions of the ori region

The nucleotide sequence of a 770-bp ori region of plasmid pSC101 is presented. The sequence shows homologies to some parts of Escherichia coli oriC and phage G4 ori. Several other features are an 80-bp A + T-rich region overlapping a part of the region homologous to oriC, three direct repeats of an 18-bp sequence adjacent to the A + T-rich region, a typical promoter sequence just upstream of the longest open reading frame (ORF) and a long inverted repeat sequence overlapping the putative promoter region. Analysis of successive deletions by BAL31 exonuclease demonstrated that one of the regions homologous to oriC along with the A + T-rich region are essential for autonomous replication of the plasmid. The three 18-bp repeats are responsible for incompatibility phenotype. The region containing the promoter-like sequence is required for expression of a trans-acting function.     

Construction and characterization of recombinant plasmid DNAs containing sequences of the origin of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA replication

The synthetic DNA fragment (formula, see text) (corresponding to nucleotides 4299-4314 of the phi X DNA sequence) was cloned into either the AmpR gene or the KmR gene of plasmid pACYC 177. The DNA sequence of the KmR gene around the insertion site was determined by nucleotide sequence analysis of the pACYC 177 FnudII restriction DNA fragment N6 (345 b.p.). Of five selected plasmid DNAs, which contained inserted DNA sequences in the antibiotic resistance genes, the nucleotide sequences at and around these insertions were determined. Two recombinant plasmids (pFH 704 and pFH 614) contain the hexadecamer sequence in tandem (tail-to-tail and tail-to-head). In the recombinant plasmids pFH 812, pFH 903 and pFH 807 the DNA sequence homology with the phi X origin region was 14 (No. 4300-4313), 16 (No. 4299-4314) and 20 nucleotides (No. 4299-4318), respectively. None of the supercoiled recombinant plasmid DNAs is nicked upon incubation with phi X gene A protein. Moreover, the recombinant plasmid RFI DNAs cannot act as substitutes for phi X RFI DNA in the in vitro (+) strand synthesizing system. It has been shown earlier that single-stranded DNA, which contains the decamer sequence CAACTTGATA is efficiently nicked by the phi X gene A protein. The present results indicate that for nicking of double-stranded supercoiled DNA nucleotide sequence homology with the phi X origin region of more than 20 nucleotides is required. These results suggest a model for initiation of phi X RF DNA replication, which involves the presence of the recognition sequence CAACTTGATA of the phi X gene A protein as well as a second specific nucleotide sequence which is required for the binding of the phi X gene A protein. This binding causes local unwinding of the DNA double helix and exposure of the recognition sequence in a single-stranded form, which then can be nicked by phi X gene A protein.     

Gene A protein cleavage of recombinant plasmids containing the phi X174 replication origin

Synthetic oligonucleotides, DNA ligase and DNA polymerase were used to construct double-stranded DNA fragments homologous to the first 25, 27 or 30 b.p. of the origin of replication of bacteriophage phi X174 (nucleotides 4299-4328 of the phi X174 DNA sequence). The double-stranded DNA fragments were cloned into the unique SmaI or HindIII restriction sites in the kanamycin-resistance gene of pACYC177 (AmpR, KmR). Recombinant plasmids were picked up by colony hybridization. DNA sequencing showed that not only recombinant plasmids with the expected insert were formed, but also recombinant plasmids with a shorter insert. Recombinant plasmids with an insert homologous to the first 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 or all 30 b.p. of the phi X174 origin region were thus obtained. Supercoiled plasmids containing a sequence homologous to the first 27, 28 or 30 b.p. of the phi X174 origin region are nicked by the phi X174 gene A protein. However, the other supercoiled plasmids are not nicked by the phi X174 gene A protein. These results show that the first 27 b.p. of the phi X174 origin region are sufficient as well as required for the initiation step in phi X174 RF DNA replication, i.e. the cleavage by gene A protein.     

A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences

Summary Some simple formulae were obtained which enable us to estimate evolutionary distances in terms of the number of nucleotide substitutions (and, also, the evolutionary rates when the divergence times are known). In comparing a pair of nucleotide sequences, we distinguish two types of differences; if homologous sites are occupied by different nucleotide bases but both are purines or both pyrimidines, the difference is called type I (or transition type), while, if one of the two is a purine and the other is a pyrimidine, the difference is called type II (or transversion type). Letting P and Q be respectively the fractions of nucleotide sites showing type I and type II differences between two sequences compared, then the evolutionary distance per site is K = — (1/2) ln {(1 — 2P — Q) }. The evolutionary rate per year is then given by k = K/(2T), where T is the time since the divergence of the two sequences. If only the third codon positions are compared, the synonymous component of the evolutionary base substitutions per site is estimated by K'_S = — (1/2) ln (1 — 2P — Q). Also, formulae for standard errors were obtained. Some examples were worked out using reported globin sequences to show that synonymous substitutions occur at much higher rates than amino acid-altering substitutions in evolution.Contribution No. 1330 from the National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 411 Japan     

The DNA unwinding element in a yeast replication origin functions independently of easily unwound sequences present elsewhere on a plasmid.

We have previously identified a DNA unwinding element (DUE) in autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) and demonstrated a correlation between single-strand-specific nuclease hypersensitivity of the DUE and ARS-mediated plasmid replication in yeast. The DUE in the H4 ARS is the most easily unwound sequence in a supercoiled DNA molecule, in the context of the Ylp5 plasmid. To determine whether sequences which are more readily unwound than the ARS can influence replication activity, we have inserted such sequences, called 'torsional sinks', into the plasmids at a site distal to the ARS. We show that the torsional sink sequences effect reduction or elimination of the nuclease hypersensitivity of a variety of H4 ARS derivatives. However, we detect no difference in the in vivo replication activity of an individual ARS plasmid with or without a torsional sink. Thus, the function of the DUE in a yeast replication origin is unaffected by easily unwound sequences present elsewhere on the same plasmid.