Assisted large fragment insertion by Red/ET-recombination (ALFIRE)—an alternative and enhanced method for large fragment recombineering

Functional genomics require manipulation and modification of large fragments of the genome. Such manipulation has only recently become more efficient due to the discovery of different techniques based on homologous recombination. However, certain limitations of these strategies still exist since insertion of homology arms (HAs) is often based on amplification of DNA sequences with PCR. Large quantities of PCR products longer than 4–5kb can be difficult to obtain and the risk of mutations or mismatches increases with the size of the template that is being amplified. This can be overcome by adding HAs by conventional cloning techniques, but with large fragments such as entire genes the procedure becomes time-consuming and tedious. Second, homologous recombination techniques often require addition of antibiotic selection genes, which may not be desired in the final construct. Here, we report a method to overcome the size and selection marker limitations by a two- or three-step procedure. The method can insert any fragment into small or large episomes, without the need of an antibiotic selection gene. We have humanized the mouse luteinizing hormone receptor gene (Lhcgr) by inserting a ~55kb fragment from a BAC clone containing the human Lhcgr gene into a 170kb BAC clone comprising the entire mouse orthologue. The methodology is based on the rationale to introduce a counter-selection cassette flanked by unique restriction sites and HAs for the insert, into the vector that is modified. Upon enzymatic digestion, in vitro or in Escherichia coli, double-strand breaks are generated leading to recombination between the vector and the insert. The procedure described here is thus an additional powerful tool for manipulating large and complex genomic fragments.     

A multi-step strategy for BAC recombineering of large DNA fragments

Recombineering techniques have been developed to modify bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) via bacterial homologous recombination systems, simplifying the molecular manipulations of large DNA constructs. However, precise modifications of a DNA fragment larger than 2-3 kb by recombineering remain a difficult task, due to technical limitations in PCR amplification and purification of large DNA fragments. Here, we describe a new recombineering strategy for the replacement of large DNA fragments using the commonly utilized phage/Red recombination host system. This approach involved the introduction of rare restriction enzyme sites and positive selection markers into the ends of a large DNA fragment, followed by its release from the donor BAC construct and integration into an acceptor BAC. We have successfully employed this method to precisely swap a number of large DNA fragments ranging from 6 to 40 kb between two BAC constructs. Our results demonstrated that this new strategy was highly effective in the manipulations of large genomic DNA fragments and therefore should advance the conventional BAC recombineering technology to the next level.     

Engineering large fragment insertions into the chromosome of Escherichia coli

An effective DNA replacement system has been established for engineering large fragment insertions into the chromosome of Escherichia coli. The DNA replacement plasmid, pHybrid I, was first constructed based on the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vector. Two fragments of the E. coli genome, 5.5 and 6.5 kb in length, were introduced into the vector for homologous recombination. In addition to the chloramphenicol gene, a second gene neo was introduced for double marker screening for recombinant clones. By shot-gun cloning and homologous recombination techniques, using our new recombinant vector (pHybrid I), a 20-kb fragment from Lactococcus lactis genomic DNA has been successfully integrated into the chromosome of the E. coli strain J93-140. Plating tests and PCR amplification indicated that the integration remained stable after many generations in cell culture. This system will be especially useful for the chromosome engineering of large heterologous fragment insertions, which is necessary for pathway engineering.     

Assembly of large genomic segments in artificial chromosomes by homologous recombination in Escherichia coli

We developed a method for the reconstruction of a 100 kb DNA fragment into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). The procedure makes use of iterative rounds of homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. Smaller, overlapping fragments of cloned DNA, such as cosmid clones, are required. They are transferred first into a temperature-sensitive replicon and then into the BAC of choice. We demonstrated the usefulness of this procedure by assembling a 90 kb genomic segment into an E.coli-STREPTOMYCES: artificial chromosome (ESAC). Using this procedure, ESACs are easy to handle and remarkably more stable than the starting cosmids.     

Combination of overlapping bacterial artificial chromosomes by a two-step recombinogenic engineering method

Recombinogenic engineering or recombineering is a powerful new method to engineer DNA without the need for restriction enzymes or ligases. We report here a general method for using recombineering to combine overlapping bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) to build larger, unified BACs. In order to test the feasibility of using recombineering to combine two large DNA fragments (>20 kb), we constructed a unified BAC containing the full-length tyrosinase-related protein-1 (Tyrp-1) gene from two library-derived BACs, one containing the 5′ regulatory elements and the other containing the 3′ coding exons. This was achieved using a two-step homologous recombination method enabled by the bacteriophage λ Red proteins. In the first step, retrieval, a large DNA fragment (~22 kb) was retrieved from one of the original BACs. In the second step, recombination, the retrieved DNA fragment was inserted into the second original BAC to form the unified BAC containing all the desired Tyrp-1 sequence. To further demonstrate the general applicability of our approach, an additional DNA fragment (~20 kb) was inserted into the unified BAC downstream of the coding region. This method should prove very useful for enabling BAC manipulation in a variety of scenarios.     

Generation of small mutation in large genomic fragments by homologous recombination: description of the technique and examples of its use

We have developed a technique of homologous recombination in bacteria which allows the mutagenesis of large genomic fragments cloned in cosmids. The desired mutation is first introduced into a plasmid clone and is then transferred to the appropriate cosmid clone by the means of double antibiotic selection coupled with phenotypic selection. We describe three different types of construct made by this technique.     

Rescue of end fragments of yeast artificial chromosomes by homologous recombination in yeast.

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) provide a powerful tool for the isolation and mapping of large regions of mammalian chromosomes. We developed a rapid and efficient method for the isolation of DNA fragments representing the extreme ends of YAC clones by the insertion of a rescue plasmid into the YAC vector by homologous recombination. Two rescue vectors were constructed containing a yeast LYS2 selectable gene, a bacterial origin of replication, an antibiotic resistance gene, a polylinker containing multiple restriction sites, and a fragment homologous to one arm of the pYAC4 vector. The 'end-cloning' procedure involves transformation of the rescue vector into yeast cells carrying a YAC clone, followed by preparation of yeast DNA and transformation into bacterial cells. The resulting plasmids carry end-specific DNA fragments up to 20 kb in length, which are suitable for use as hybridization probes, as templates for direct DNA sequencing, and as probes for mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization. These vectors are suitable for the rescue of end-clones from any YAC constructed using a pYAC-derived vector. We demonstrate the utility of these plasmids by rescuing YAC-end fragments from a human YAC library.     

oriT-directed cloning of defined large regions from bacterial genomes: identification of the Sinorhizobium meliloti pExo megaplasmid replicator region

We have developed a procedure to directly clone large fragments from the genome of the soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Specific regions to be cloned are first flanked by parallel copies of an origin of transfer (oriT) together with a plasmid replication origin capable of replicating large clones in Escherichia coli but not in the target organism. Supplying transfer genes in trans specifically transfers the oriT-flanked region, and in this process, site-specific recombination at the oriT sites results in a plasmid carrying the flanked region of interest that can replicate in E. coli from the inserted origin of replication (in this case, the F origin carried on a BAC cloning vector). We have used this procedure with the oriT of the plasmid RK2 to clone contiguous fragments of 50, 60, 115, 140, 240, and 200 kb from the S. meliloti pExo megaplasmid. Analysis of the 60-kb fragment allowed us to identify a 9-kb region capable of autonomous replication in the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment revealed a replicator region including homologs of the repA, repB, and repC genes from other Rhizobiaceae, which encode proteins involved in replication and segregation of plasmids in many organisms.     

一种基于线性DNA片段同源重组的嗜盐古菌高效基因敲除系统

随着功能基因组学研究的深入发展,基因敲除技术日益成为基因功能研究的重要手段。嗜盐古菌Haloferax volcanii易于培养,是研究古菌基因功能的良好模式菌株。虽然现已开发了多种嗜盐古菌的遗传操作系统,但基因敲除成功率不十分理想。这些遗传操作方法基于pyrE筛选标记,利用携带同源片段的环状质粒与基因组同源片段间的两次同源重组,敲除目的基因。由于基于环状质粒和pyrE筛选标记的经典同源重组敲除方法在二次重组时,普遍存在回复到野生型菌株的可能,导致二次重组子中敲除目的基因的阳性菌株比例较低。为了克服传统同源重组技术的上述缺陷,文章建立了基于线性DNA片段的同源重组技术。该方法通过一次重组在目标基因的下游引入一段上游同源片段和pyrE标记,从而限定二次重组的发生部位只能在两段上游同源片段之间,发生二次重组的重组子理论上都敲除了目标基因。利用该方法,文章成功敲除了嗜盐古菌Haloferax volcanii的xpd2基因,阳性克隆率达65%。这种线性DNA片段重组法为嗜盐古菌的基因敲除提供了一种高效策略,便于嗜盐古菌的基因改造。     

利用Red重组系统快速构建基因打靶载体

基因敲除小鼠模型是在哺乳动物体内研究基因功能最可靠的方法之一。利用常规的分子克隆的方法构建基因打靶载体往往工作周期长,对于难度特别大的基因有时甚至无法完成打靶载体的构建。通过合理应用Red重组系统和低拷贝中间载体,利用50bp的同源重组序列直接从BAC载体中克隆了长片段的小鼠基因组序列;将得到的基因组序列再次通过重组和改造,构建了Gpr56等基因的完全敲除并带有报告基因的打靶载体,实现了打靶载体的快速构建。     

Insertion of modifications in the beta-globin locus using GET recombination with single-stranded oligonucleotides and denatured PCR fragments

We describe the use of the GET recombination system with oligonucleotides or single-stranded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragments to insert modifications in the human beta-globin locus without counterselection. The method involves recombination between oligonucleotides or denatured PCR fragments and homologous sequences in the beta-globin gene in a clone of 205-kb bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), based on the inducible expression of the recE, recT, and gam genes. In this method, oligonucleotides or denatured PCR fragments are electroporated directly into cells carrying both the globin BAC and the pGETrec plasmid, after induction of the GET recombination system. Recombinant BAC clones are identified by PCR, using allele-specific amplification for the mutated sequences. We have used this approach to insert a unique restriction site as well as a common thalassemia mutation (stop codon 39, C-->T) into the human beta-globin locus. We have observed the frequency of recombinant clones to be as high as 1 in 100-200 clones. Therefore, this approach provides a simple and efficient method for introducing point mutations and other fine modifications into BACs, and should greatly facilitate the use of BACs for functional studies and therapeutic applications.     

用同源重组法修饰含人α类珠蛋白基因簇的细菌人工染色体

采用RecA蛋白介导的同源重组的方法,对本实验室筛选出的包含完整人α-类珠蛋白基因簇的细菌人工染色体（BAC）DNA进行删除修饰。首先采用PCR的方法,分别在预删除的HS-40增强子区域的上游和下游克隆长度约为500bp的两段同源序列,并一起克隆到构建载体pBV的XbaI和HindIII位点上,SalI酶切后回收1kb左右的片段并克隆到温度敏感的穿梭质粒pSV-RecA中,转化带有人α-类珠蛋白基因簇的BACDNA的感受态大肠杆菌DH10B,经氯霉素正筛选和镰孢菌酸的负筛选,获得发生两次同源重组后只含BACDNA而穿梭载体已丢失的菌株,经Southern杂交鉴定,获得了HS-40被定位删除的BAC突变体克隆。表明同源重组的方法可以对含有较多重复序列的BACDNA进行准确的删除修饰。 Abstract：By RecA protein mediated homologous recombination method, we successfully delet ed the HS-40 fragment from a bacterial artificial chromosome containing complete human α-globin gene cluster screened by our lab. Two mutant boxes(A and B) fra gments located at the two terminals of HS-40 were cloned into the XbaⅠ and HindIII sites of pBV building vector, then the 1.1kb A+B fragment was recove red from the building vector and inserted into the SalⅠ site of the shuttle vector pSV-RecA, competent DH10B E. Coli containing BAC DNA was tranformed by t he shuttle vector,after chloramphenicol positive selection and fusatic acid neg ative selection,two times of homologous recombination happened and the HS-40 fra gment was successfully deleted from the BAC DNA which is characterized by Southe rn blot,suggested that this method could modified BAC DNA accurately containing high percentage of repeat sequence.     

Retroviral vectors for homologous recombination provide efficient cloning and expression in mammalian cells

Homologous recombination technologies enable high-throughput cloning and the seamless insertion of any DNA fragment into expression vectors. Additionally, retroviral vectors offer a fast and efficient method for transducing and expressing genes in mammalian cells, including lymphocytes. However, homologous recombination cannot be used to insert DNA fragments into retroviral vectors; retroviral vectors contain two homologous regions, the 5′- and 3′-long terminal repeats, between which homologous recombination occurs preferentially. In this study, we have modified a retroviral vector to enable the cloning of DNA fragments through homologous recombination. To this end, we inserted a bacterial selection marker in a region adjacent to the gene insertion site. We used the modified retroviral vector and homologous recombination to clone T-cell receptors (TCRs) from single Epstein Barr virus-specific human T cells in a high-throughput and comprehensive manner and to efficiently evaluate their function by transducing the TCRs into a murine T-cell line through retroviral infection. In conclusion, the modified retroviral vectors, in combination with the homologous recombination method, are powerful tools for the high-throughput cloning of cDNAs and their efficient functional analysis.     

A general method to modify BACs to generate large recombinant DNA fragments

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) has the capacity to clone DNA fragments in excess of 300 kb. It also has the considerable advantages of stable propagation and ease of purification. These features make BAC suitable in genetic research, such as library construction, transgenic mice production, and gene targeting constructs. Homologous recombination in Escherichia coli, a process named recombineering, has made the modification of BACs easy and reliable. We report here a modified recombineering method that can efficiently mediate the fusion of large DNA fragments from two or more different BACs. With the introduction of kanamycin-resistant gene and proposed rare-cutting restriction endonuclease (RCRE) sites into two BACs, a 82.6-kb DNA frament containing the inverted human α-globin genes (ϑ, α1, α2, and ζ) from BAC191K2 and the locus control region (LCR) of human β-globin gene locus (from the BAC186D7) was reconstructed. This approach for combining different BAC DNA fragments should facilitate many kinds of genomic experiments. These two authors contributed equally to this work.     

Recombinant fragment assay for gene targetting based on the polymerase chain reaction.

The modification of chromosomal genes by homologous recombination between exogenous DNA and a target locus provides a powerful approach to the study of gene function. One of the current limitations of this gene targetting is the difficulty of identifying cells containing the correctly modified target locus when the modified gene is not amenable to either direct or indirect selection. We here describe a procedure for identifying correctly modified cells that depends on amplifying by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) predictable fragments of DNA present only in the desired recombinants. This recombinant fragment assay can detect targetted modification using only a few cells, either alone or mixed with tens of thousands of unmodified cells; it does not depend on the phenotype of the modified gene, or on its expression in the target cells. The PCR amplification needed for the procedure is carried out with a heat stable polymerase and a simple automatic temperature-shift apparatus which is described.     

新疆军垦型细毛羊基因组BAC文库的构建

选用新疆军垦型细毛羊为材料,.构建了含有190 464个克隆的BAC文库,文库平均插入片段大小为133 kb,同时文库92.5%的克隆插入片段大于100 kb,而且有部分克隆甚至大于300 kb,这将满足大多数基因筛选的要求.假定绵羊的基因组含有3x106 kb,根据文库的平均插入片段大小,计算的文库基因组覆盖率为8倍.因此,从文库筛选到目的片段的概率为98.2%.由于该文库中插入的外源片段来自新疆军垦型细毛羊的基因组,这对于研究新疆军垦型细毛羊的特殊性状的基因与其他绵羊品种和物种之间的差异,及构建其全基因组物理图谱和基因图谱地完善是非常有利的.     

Digital mapping of bacterial artificial chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization

The bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) has become the most popular tool for cloning large DNA fragments. The inserts of most BAC clones average 100-200 kilobases (kb) and molecular characterization of such large DNA fragments is a major challenge. Here we report a simple and expedient technique for physical mapping of BAC inserts. Individual BAC molecules were immobilized on glass slides coated with Poly-L-lysine. The intact circular BAC molecules were visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization using BAC DNA as a probe. The 7.4 kb BAC vector was extended to approximately 2.44 kb per micrometer. Digitally measured linear distances can be transformed into kilobases of DNA using the extension of BAC vector as a standard calibration. We mapped DNA fragments as small as 2 kb directly on circular BAC molecules. A rice BAC clone containing both tandem and dispersed repeats was analyzed using this technique. The distribution and organization of the different repeats within the BAC insert were efficiently determined. The results showed that this technique will be especially valuable for characterizing BAC clones that contain complex repetitive DNA sequences.     

Targeted modification of a human beta-globin locus BAC clone using GET Recombination and an I-Scei counterselection cassette

There is a need for better approaches to allow precise engineering of large genomic BAC DNA fragments, to facilitate the use of intact genomic loci for therapeutic and biotechnology applications. We report an efficient method to insert any modification in any genomic locus, using a human beta-globin locus BAC clone as a model system. The modifications can range from single base changes to large insertions or deletions and leave no operational sequences. A counterselection cassette, consisting of an inducible I-SceI gene, its recognition site, and an antibiotic resistance gene, is inserted into the targeted region using GET Recombination. A PCR fragment carrying the modification but no selectable marker replaces the counterselection cassette in a second round of GET Recombination. The unique I-SceI site in the counterselection cassette is cut by I-SceI endonuclease, strongly selecting against nonrecombinant clones and yielding up to 30% correct recombinants.     

A new vector for recombination-based cloning of large DNA fragments from yeast artificial chromosomes.

The functional analysis of genes frequently requires manipulation of large genomic regions embedded in yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs). We have designed a yeast-bacteria shuttle vector, pClasper, that can be used to clone specific regions of interest from YACs by homologous recombination. The important feature of pClasper is the presence of the mini-F factor replicon. This leads to a significant increase in the size of the plasmid inserts that can be maintained in bacteria after cloning by homologous recombination in yeast. The utility of this vector lies in its ability to maintain large fragments in bacteria and yeast, allowing for mutagenesis in yeast and simplified preparation of plasmid DNA in bacteria. Using PCR-generated recombinogenic fragments in pClasper we cloned a 27 kb region from a YAC containing the Hoxc cluster and a 130 kb region containing the entire Hoxb cluster. No rearrangements were seen when the recombinants in the shuttle vector were transferred to bacteria. We outline the potential uses of pClasper for functional studies of large genomic regions by transgenic and other analyses.     

利用Red同源重组系统构建兔次黄嘌呤-鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶基因打靶载体

利用EL350基因工程菌进行同源重组,成功进行基因敲除已有报道,但利用该系统进行兔次黄嘌呤-鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶(Hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase,HPRT)基因突变和基因打靶方面的研究还没有报道。本实验首先在已经筛选到含有兔全长HPRT基因BAC克隆（LBNL1-304M19）的基础上,利用Red重组系统,通过Gap-Repair方式从此克隆上将一段47Kb无启动子的HPRT基因组片段（不含有第1个外显子）克隆到pBACLinkSp质粒上,产生pBACLinkSp-rHPRT质粒。然后基于pBACLinkSp-rHPRT质粒,设计不同的同源臂,从而删除了HPRT基因的不同编码区,成功构建了三个不同的HPRT基因打靶载体。同时对利用同源重组技术敲除不同大小的DNA片段的效率进行了研究。基于本实验所构建的三个不同的兔HPRT基因打靶载体,为探索兔成纤维细胞和胚胎干细胞基因打靶的适宜条件,及进一步获得兔HPRT基因敲除动物疾病模型奠定了基础。