Chromosomal breakpoint mapping by arrayCGH using flow-sorted chromosomes

Despite the recent completion of the human genome project, the mapping of disease-related chromosomal translocation breakpoints and genes has remained laborious. Here, we describe a novel and rapid procedure to map such translocation breakpoints using flow-sorted chromosomes in combination with array-based comparative genomic hybridization (arrayCGH). To test the feasibility of this approach, we used a t(12;15)(q13;q25)-positive cell line with known breakpoint positions as a model. The derivative 12 chromosomes were flow-sorted, labeled, and hybridized to a genome-wide array containing 3648 well-characterized human genomic clones. The exact locations of the breakpoints on both chromosome 12 and 15 could be determined in a single hybridization experiment. In addition, we have tested the minimal amount of material necessary to perform these experiments and show that it is possible to obtain highly reliable profiles using as little as 10,000 flow-sorted chromosomes.     

Genome mapping by arbitrary amplification of yeast artificial chromosomes

Several methods have been described for using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to isolate fragments of DNA for genome mapping. We have developed an approach for isolating discrete fragments by amplifying DNA with single oligonucleotides (10-mers) with arbitrarity selected sequences. The method is rapid and technically simple. We isolated fragments from a contig of three yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) from the human Xq28 chromosomal region. We purified YACs yWXD 37, yWXD348, and yWXD705 from a preparative pulsed field gel. Amplifications of each YAC were performed with single 10-mers as the PCR primers and the products were visualized on agarose gels. These fragments have been successfully used as hybridization probes against Southern blots containing the YACs and against blots containing human genomic DNA and somatic cell hybrids containing Xq28 as their only human constituent. The results have been concordant with the known order of the YACs. We have also successfully combined 10-mers with primers derived from vector arm sequences to isolate YAC ends. We discuss several uses of this method in comparative mapping and in filling in gaps in physical and genetic maps.     

Isolation of giant DNA fragments from flow-sorted human chromosomes

We have established a method using a conventional cell sorter equipped with a single argon laser to sort intact human chromosomes that can be used as a source for the production of giant DNA fragments. Various improvements were made to both the equipment and sorting method to enhance the sorting resolution and avoid destruction of chromosomal DNA. Using this improved method chromosomes 21 and 22 were sorted from the B-lymphoblastoid line GM00130B, digested with the rare cutting restriction endonuclease NotI, and analyzed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis followed by Southern hybridization using the Alu repetitive sequence as a probe. More than 25 discrete NotI giant DNA fragments ranging from 50 kb to longer than 2.5 Mb were separated and the size distribution pattern was unique for each chromosome, indicating successful sorting of intact chromosomes. The cumulative size of these Alu-positive NotI DNA fragments were 22.7 Mb and 25.5 Mb for chromosomes 21 and 22, respectively. These values are 47% and 49% of the estimated size of chromosomes 21 (48 Mb) and 22 (52 Mb).     

Chromosome painting using chromosome-specific probes from flow-sorted pig chromosomes.

Biotinylated chromosome-specific probes were prepared from flow-sorted pig chromosomes 1, 13, 18, X, and Y using the degenerate oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction. Probes prepared in this way can be used to confirm the identity of chromosomes in the bivariate pig flow karyotype and in pig x mouse somatic cell hybrids.     

Identification of flow-sorted chromosomes by G-banding and in situ hybridization

The identification of flow-sorted chromosomes is a very important tool for checking the purity of the fractions obtained. An easy and reproducible method for obtaining G-banded chromosomes with good resolution of bands is described. Also, we are able to show that the percentage of chromosomes which can be clearly distinguished by this procedure depends to a large extent on the duration of mitotic arrest. In particular when sorting chromosomes from human-rodent hybrid cell lines, the possibility of using in situ hybridization in addition to conventional staining techniques to characterize the chromosomes can help overcome the problem of highly condensed chromosomes and chromosomal fragments of unknown origin, which cannot be identified otherwise. Thus, we have developed an in situ hybridization technique, based on biotin-labelled human genomic DNA, which allows a clear distinction between human and rodent chromosomal material to be made.     

Construction of a chromosome-enriched HpaII library from flow-sorted wheat chromosomes.

We report here the first successful generation of a chromosome-enriched library from flow sorted plant chromosomes. Chromosomes with a characteristic DNA content (a peak) were sorted from a synchronized cell culture (TaKB1, derived from Triticum aestivum). A HpaII library was constructed from the sorted chromosomes and half of the cloned DNA sequences analysed are unique or low copy. Approximately half of these sequences when used as probes detect sequences on wheat chromosome 4A. The generation and analysis of the chromosome library is described in detail and the prospects of using flow-sorted plant chromosomes discussed.     

Gene mapping on maize pachytene chromosomes by in situ hybridization

A sensitive in situ hybridization technique which was effective for mapping genes of low copy number on human metaphase chromosomes was used for gene mapping on maize pachytene chromosomes. A cloned genomic EcoR1 fragment of 10.8 kb, containing most or all of the sequence encoding the Waxy locus mRNA, was used as the probe. Southern DNA blotting analyses performed by Shure et al. (1983) indicated that the Waxy locus was a single copy sequence. In our in situ hybridization experiment, the probe hybridized to a specific site on chromosome 9. Labeling at this site was detected in 48.6% of 154 randomly selected copies of chromosome 9. To test the sensitivity of the method, subclones of the fragment with insert sizes of 6.6, 4.7, 3.5, 2.3, 1.9 and 0.8 kb were used for in situ hybridizations. Labeling efficiency for each probe was determined. The data showed that a single copy probe of 1.9 kb could be detected at the correct position in 18% of 183 randomly selected number 9 chromosomes.     

High-resolution FISH on super-stretched flow-sorted plant chromosomes

A novel high-resolution fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) strategy, using super-stretched flow-sorted plant chromosomes as targets, is described. The technique that allows longitudinal extension of chromosomes of more than 100 times their original metaphase size is especially attractive for plant species with large chromosomes, whose pachytene chromosomes are generally too long and heterochromatin patterns too complex for FISH analysis. The protocol involves flow cytometric sorting of metaphase chromosomes, mild proteinase-K digestion of air-dried chromosomes on microscopic slides, followed by stretching with ethanol:acetic acid (3 : 1). Stretching ratios were assessed in a number of FISH experiments with super-stretched chromosomes from barley, wheat, rye and chickpea, hybridised with 45S and 5S ribosomal DNAs and the [GAA]n microsatellite, the [TTTAGGG]n telomeric repeat and a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone as probes. FISH signals on stretched chromosomes were brighter than those on the untreated control, resulting from better accessibility of the stretched chromatin and maximum observed sensitivity of 1 kbp. Spatial resolution of neighbouring loci was improved down to 70 kbp as compared to 5-10 Mbp after FISH on mitotic chromosomes, revealing details of adjacent DNA sequences hitherto not obtained with any other method. Stretched chromosomes are advantageous over extended DNA fibres from interphase nuclei as targets for FISH studies because they still retain chromosomal integrity. Although the method is confined to species for which chromosome flow sorting has been developed, it provides a unique system for controlling stretching degree of mitotic chromosomes and high-resolution bar-code FISH.     

Direct construction of a chromosome-specific NotI linking library from flow-sorted chromosomes.

A linking library consists of genomic DNA fragments which contain a specific rare restriction enzyme site; such clones are very useful as probes in pulsed field gel electrophoresis and in mapping and cloning large regions of DNA. However, identifying those linking clones which map to a certain chromosomal region can be laborious. Therefore, we have developed a straightforward procedure for constructing a linking library directly from flow-sorted chromosomes. As a test of the approach, a NotI linking library was constructed from the chromosome 17 fraction of a flow-sort of human chromosomes, using only 70 ng of DNA. Thirteen of sixteen linking clones were mapped to chromosome 17, suggesting that the library is highly enriched for this chromosome. This method should be generally applicable to other chromosomes and enzymes as well.     

Characterization of a human chromosome 8 cosmid library constructed from flow-sorted chromosomes.

A cosmid library for human chromosome 8 has been constructed from flow-sorted chromosomes in the vector sCos-1. This library is 85% human and has been arrayed into 210 microtiter plates representing four genome equivalents. Cosmids have been isolated with 10 of 11 probes representing nine different loci from chromosome 8.     

Assignment of markers by using polymerase chain reaction on pools of swine flow-sorted chromosomes

Gene chromosomal assignment can be realized not only by somatic hybrid panels but also by spot-blot hybridization or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of flow-sorted chromosomes. We propose a swine chromosome assignment strategy by PCR amplification on pooled chromosomal DNA, which allows assignment despite possible chromosomal contamination during sorting. Each pool contains three different chromosomes, each chromosome being present in one or two pools. We present concordant results obtained for eight markers already mapped to different swine chromosomes and we assign the somatostatin gene to chromosome 13, a new marker in the pig genome.     

Isolation of DNA sequences on human chromosome 21 by application of a recombination-based assay to DNA from flow-sorted chromosomes

Summary By merging two efficient technologies, bivariate flow sorting of human metaphase chromosomes and a recombination-based assay for sequence complexity, we isolated 28 cloned DNA segments homologous to loci on human chromosome 21. Subregional mapping of these DNA segments with a somatic cell hybrid panel showed that 26 of the 28 cloned DNA sequences are distributed along the long arm of chromosome 21, while the other 2 hybridize with sequences on the short arm of both chromosome 21 and other chromosomes. This new collection of probes homologous to chromosome 21 should facilitate molecular analyses of trisomy 21 by providing DNA probes for the linkage map of chromosome 21, for studies of nondisjunction, for chromosome walking in clinically relevant subregions of chromosome 21, and for the isolation of genes on chromosome 21 following the screening of cDNA libraries.     

Regional mapping of unique DNA sequences from human chromosome 3 derived from a flow-sorted chromosome library

Eight single-copy DNA probes specific for human chromosome 3 were isolated by screening a human chromosome 3-derived genomic library. Southern blot analyses of DNAs isolated from a panel of somatic cell hybrids allowed us to regionally assign all probes to subregions on chromosome 3. Three clones were localized to the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p21----pter), two to the long arm (3q21----qter), and three to the 3q21----3p21 subregion. Six of these DNA sequences map to regions overlapping a segment of chromosome 3 (3p14----p23) frequently deleted in small cell lung cancer cells. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses indicate that at least three of the eight single-copy probes studies show MspI or BglII polymorphisms. This library is a useful source of chromosome 3-specific probes.     

Construction and analysis of DNA sequence libraries from flow-sorted chromosomes: practical and theoretical considerations.

We describe the construction and analysis of recombinant DNA libraries representative of chromosomes 1 and 2 of Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus). Propidium-iodide stained chromosomes were purified by flow cytometric analysis and sorting, and EcoRI digests of purified DNA were cloned into the bacteriophage vector Charon 4A. These libraries contain DNA complementary to 63% and 69% of nick-translated DNA derived from flow-purified chromosomes 1 and 2, respectively. However, sequences complementary to only 24% and 35% of a total Chinese hamster genomic DNA tracer were hybridized in parallel renaturation experiments. The chromosome 2 library contained DNA sequences encoding dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr), a gene previously mapped to Chinese hamster chromosome 2. No sequences complementary to dhfr were found in the library constructed from chromosome 1 DNA. These analyses are discussed with regard to the current limitations and future strategies for the construction of chromosome-specific DNA sequence libraries of high purity and completeness.     

Methylation status of ribosomal RNA gene clusters in the flow-sorted human acrocentric chromosomes

Southern blot analysis of the human acrocentric chromosomes that were flow-sorted from B-lymphoblastoid cell line GM130B revealed that the sensitivity of the ribosomal RNA (rDNA) gene clusters to the restriction enzyme NotI differs among these rDNA-containing chromosomes: the rDNA clusters of Chromosomes (Chr) 13, 14, and 15 are much more sensitive to NotI digestion than those of Chrs 21 and 22 in this particular cell line. Detailed analysis by use of methylation-sensitive enzymes HpaII and HhaI and methylation-insensitive enzyme MspI confirmed the significant variation in the methylation status of rDNA clusters among these chromosomes. Quantitative analysis by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) indicated that copy number of rDNA varies among individual chromosomes, but the average copy number in the acrocentric Chrs 21 and 22 is significantly greater than that of the Chrs 13, 14, and 15 in GM130B cells. Similar analysis reveals that the methylation status of rDNA clusters in another B-lymphoblastoid cell line GM131 was different from that of GM130B. These data together indicate that the copy number and methylation patterns of rDNA clusters differ among individual acrocentric chromosomes in a given cell line, and they are different among cell lines.     

Gene synthesis by circular assembly amplification

Here we report the development of a gene-synthesis technology, circular assembly amplification. In this approach, we first constructed exonuclease-resistant circular DNA via simultaneous ligation of oligonucleotides. Exonuclease- and subsequent mismatch cleaving endonuclease-mediated degradation of the resulting ligation mixture eliminated error-rich products, thereby substantially improving gene-synthesis quality. We used this method to construct genes encoding a small thermostable DNA polymerase, a highly repetitive DNA sequence and large (>4 kb) constructs.