GG sequence of DNA and the human telomeric sequence react with cis-diammine-diaquaplatinum at comparable rates

G-quadruplex structures of telomeric sequences are of growing interest because they inhibit telomerase, an enzyme involved in the maintenance of telomere length of cancer cells. As we have shown previously, the antiparallel structure of G-quadruplexes can be cross-linked in vitro by the anti-tumour drug cisplatin. The question arises whether platination of quadruplex structures of human telomeric sequences by cisplatin could be relevant from a biological point of view. Therefore, we have compared the kinetics of reactions of the diaqua form of cisplatin, cis-[Pt(NH(3))(2)(H(2)O)(2)](2+), with the human telomeric quadruplex structure, a duplex DNA and a single-stranded DNA containing one specific platination GG site. The ratio between the platination rate constants was obtained using two intramolecular competition experiments: either a construct with a junction between duplex DNA containing a unique GG platination site and the quadruplex structure of the human telomeric sequence AG(3)(T(2)AG(3))(3), or a construct with a junction between duplex DNA and a single strand containing each a unique GG platination site. Those competition experiments allowed us to conclude that the platination of the quadruplex is favoured over that of the GG duplex by a factor of about two whereas the GG duplex is platinated three times faster than the GG single strand.     

DNA sequencing: an overview of solid-state and biological nanopore-based methods

The field of sequencing is a topic of significant interest since its emergence and has become increasingly important over time. Impressive achievements have been obtained in this field, especially in relations to DNA and RNA sequencing. Since the first achievements by Sanger and colleagues in the 1950s, many sequencing techniques have been developed, while others have disappeared. DNA sequencing has undergone three generations of major evolution. Each generation has its own specifications that are mentioned briefly. Among these generations, nanopore sequencing has its own exciting characteristics that have been given more attention here. Among pioneer technologies being used by the third-generation techniques, nanopores, either biological or solid-state, have been experimentally or theoretically extensively studied. All sequencing technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, so nanopores are not free from this general rule. It is also generally pointed out what research has been done to overcome the obstacles. In this review, biological and solid-state nanopores are elaborated on, and applications of them are also discussed briefly.     

Analysis and location of a rice BAG clone containing telomeric DNA sequences

BAC2, a rice BAC clone containing (TTTAGGG)_n homologous sequences, was analyzed by Southern hybridization and DNA sequencing of its subclones. It was disclosed that there were many tandem repeated satellite DNA sequences, called TA352, as well as simple tandem repeats consisting of TTTAGGG or its variant within the BAC2 insert. A 0. 8 kb (TTTAGGG)_n-containing fragment in BAC2 was mapped in the telomere regions of at least 5 pairs of rice chromosomes by using fluorescencein situ hybridization (FISH). By RFLP analysis of low copy sequences the BAC2 clone was localized in one terminal region of chromosome 6. All the results strongly suggest that the telomeric DNA sequences of rice are TTTAGGG or its variant, and the linked satellite DNA TA352 sequences belong to telomere-associated sequences.     

DNA Sequencing Directly from a Mixture Using Terminal-Base-Selective Primers

DNA cloning is often used to select and amplify one DNA speciesfrom a mixture. However, the cloning process is complex andlabor-intensive. We have developed a new two-step method forDNA sequencing directly from a mixture. The first is the introductionof a known oligonucleotide (common part) into the terminus ofunknown DNA by ligation. The second is selective DNA sequencingusing primers with two additional nucleotides at the 3' terminusin addition to the common part (terminal-base-selective primers).The primers work only for templates on which the primers perfectlyhybridized. This method was found to be effective for the HindIIIdigestion products of phage.     

Analysis and location of a rice BAG clone containing telomeric DNA sequences

BAC2, a rice BAC clone containing (TTTAGGG)n homologous sequences, was analyzed by Southern hybridization and DNA sequencing of its subclones. It was disclosed that there were many tandem repeated satellite DNA sequences, called TA352, as well as simple tandem repeats consisting of TTTAGGG or its variant within the BAC2 insert. A 0. 8 kb (TTTAGGG) n-containing fragment in BAC2 was mapped in the telomere regions of at least 5 pairs of rice chromosomes by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). By RFLP analysis of low copy sequences the BAC2 clone was localized in one terminal region of chromosome 6. All the results strongly suggest that the telomeric DNA sequences of rice are TTTAGGG or its variant, and the linked satellite DNA TA352 sequences belong to telomere-associated sequences.     

大鼠高重复顺序DNA的核苷酸顺序分析及其与灵长类类α-DNA顺序的比较

 啮齿目动物高重复顺序DNA的结构特征,虽已有人进行过分析,并提出大鼠DNA中有酶切位点分布独特的高重复顺序,也有人认为在Sprague-Dawlay大鼠中有类似于α-DNA大小的高重复顺序,并命名为α型(α-type),是否大鼠中也含有类α顺序,并没有人讨论过。我们对Wistar大鼠高重复顺序DNA进行了分离、纯化、分子克隆及核苷酸序列分析,测定了全序列为370bp,它也是具有酶切点分布独特的高重复顺序,但与前者存在着18％的差异性。我们对此顺序与灵长类类α-DNA进行了比较分析,发现二者在几方面都不存在相似之处,如此序列G-C含量占全部碱基组成的37.3％,而类α顺序的G-C含量约在40％以上,一些酶切位点也与类α-DNA完全不相同,另外在此序列的相应位置上也不具有灵长类类α-DNA的三个“冷点区”等等,由此得出大鼠这一高重复顺序并非类α顺序,而类α顺序只是灵长类动物所特有的。     

脊髓灰质炎病毒中Ⅰ9株基因组克隆及其部分结构分析

以脊髓灰质炎病毒RNA为模板,反转录合成了长链ds-cDNA。将合成的脊灰病毒中I9株ds—cDNA片段重组到质粒pAT153上,获得了约占脊灰病毒中I9基因组95％以上的cDNA克隆。对克隆的中I9cDNA部分片段作了限制性内切酶图谱分析和部分核酸的序列分析,发现脊灰病毒中I9部分核酸顺序有所改变。     

An integrated molecular dynamics (MD) and experimental study of higher order human telomeric quadruplexes

Structural knowledge of telomeric DNA is critical for understanding telomere biology and for the utilization of telomeric DNA as a therapeutic target. Very little is known about the structure of long human DNA sequences that may form more than one quadruplex unit. Here, we report a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and experimental biophysical studies to explore the structural and dynamic properties of the human telomeric sequence (TTAGGG)₈TT that folds into two contiguous quadruplexes. Five higher order quadruplex models were built combining known single human telomeric quadruplex structures as unique building blocks. The biophysical properties of this sequence in K⁺ solution were experimentally investigated by means of analytical ultracentrifugation and UV spectroscopy. Additionally, the environments of loop adenines were probed by fluorescence studies using systematic single‐substitutions of 2‐aminopurine for the adenine bases. The comparison of the experimentally determined properties with the corresponding quantities predicted from the models allowed us to test the validity of each of the structural models. One model emerged whose properties are most consistent with the predictions, and which therefore is the most probable structure in solution. This structure features contiguous quadruplex units in an alternating hybrid‐1‐hybrid‐2 conformation with a highly ordered interface composed of loop residues from both quadruplexes © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93:533–548, 2010. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com     

Effect of Wortmannin on the repair profiles of DNA double-strand breaks in the whole genome and in interstitial telomeric sequences of Chinese hamster cells

The DNA breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization (DBD-FISH) procedure was applied to analyze the effect of Wortmannin (WM) in the rejoining kinetics of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the whole genome and in the long interstitial telomeric repeat sequence (ITRS) blocks from Chinese hamster cell lines. The results indicate that the ITRS blocks from wild-type Chinese hamster cell lines, CHO9 and V79B, exhibit a slower initial rejoining rate of ionizing radiation-induced DSBs than the genome overall. Neither Rad51C nor the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) activities, involved in homologous recombination (HR) and in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways of DSB repair respectively, influenced the rejoining kinetics within ITRS in contrast to DNA sequences in the whole genome. Nevertheless, DSB removal rate within ITRS was decreased in the absence of Ku86 activity, though at a lower affectation level than in the whole genome, thus homogenizing both rejoining kinetics rates. WM treatment slowed down the DSB rejoining kinetics rate in ITRS, this effect being more pronounced in the whole genome, resulting in a similar pattern to that of the Ku86 deficient cells. In fact, no WM effect was detected in the Ku86 deficient Chinese hamster cells, so probably WM does not add further impairment in DSB rejoining than that resulted as a consequence of absence of Ku activity. The same slowing effect was also observed after treatment of Rad51C and DNA-PKcs defective hamster cells by WM, suggesting that: (1) there is no potentiation of the HR when the NHEJ is impaired by WM, either in the whole genome or in the ITRS, and (2) that this impairment may probably involve more targets than DNA-PKcs. These results suggest that there is an intragenomic heterogeneity in DSB repair, as well as in the effect of WM on this process.     

Mrc1, a non-essential DNA replication protein,is required for telomere end protection following loss of capping by Cdc13, Yku or telomerase

Proteins involved in telomere end protection have previously been identified. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cdc13, Yku and telomerase, mainly, prevent telomere uncapping, thus providing telomere stability and avoiding degradation and death by senescence. Here, we report that in the absence of Mrc1, a component of the replication forks, telomeres of cdc13 or yku70 mutants exhibited increased degradation, while telomerase-negative cells displayed accelerated senescence. Moreover, deletion of MRC1 increased the single-strandedness of the telomeres in cdc13-1 and yku70Δ mutant strains. An mrc1 deletion strain also exhibited slight but stable telomere shortening compared to a wild-type strain. Loss of Mrc1’s checkpoint function alone did not provoke synthetic growth defects in combination with the cdc13-1 mutation. Combinations between the cdc13-1 mutation and deletion of either TOF1 or PSY2, coding for proteins physically interacting with Mrc1, also resulted in a synthetic growth defect. Thus, the present data suggest that non-essential components of the DNA replication machinery, such as Mrc1 and Tof1, may have a role in telomere stability in addition to their role in fork progression.     

An extrachromosomal fragment of telomeric DNA in wheat

A procedure developed orginally for selective extraction of viral (extrachromosomal) DNA from virus-infected mammalian cells was applied to cell nuclei isolated from uninfected wheat embryos. The resulting nuclear extrachromosomal DNA (exDNA) was enriched for telomere-type sequences by isopycnic centrifugation and inserted into the Sma I site of pUC119. A cloned DNA fragment (241 bp) was found to consist primarily of tandemly repeated heptamere units of the same sequence (5-CCCTAAA-3) that is known to predominate in telomeric DNA of Arabidopsis thaliana. Hybridization experiments indicate that extrachromosomal telomeric repeats are abundant in resting embryos and disappear rapidly during germination.     

DNA sequencing research group: 2006 general survey of DNA sequencing facilities.

Over the past few years, technological advances in automated DNA sequencing have had a profound effect on the nature of DNA sequencing laboratories. To characterize the changes occurring within DNA sequencing facilities, the DNA Sequencing Research Group conducted three previous studies, in 1998, 2000, and 2003. A new general survey has been designed and conducted by the DSRG to capture the current status of DNA sequencing facilities in all sectors. Included were questions regarding facility administration, pricing, instrumentation, technology, protocols, and operation. The results of the survey are presented here, accompanied by comparisons to the previous surveys. These comparisons formed a basis for the discussion of trends within the facilities in response to the dynamics of a changing technology.     

Dual mode of binding of anti cancer drug epirubicin to G-quadruplex [d-(TTAGGGT)]4 containing human telomeric DNA sequence induces thermal stabilization

Epirubicin exerts its anti cancer action by blocking DNA/RNA synthesis and inhibition of topoisomerase-II enzyme. Recent reports on its influence on telomere maintenance, suggest interaction with G-quadruplex DNA leading to multiple strategies of action. The binding of epirubicin with parallel stranded inter molecular G-quadruplex DNA [d-(TTAGGGT)]₄ comprising human telomeric DNA sequence TTAGGG was investigated by absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The epirubicin binds as monomer to G-quadruplex DNA with affinity, K_b1 = 3.8 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ and K_b2 = 2.7 × 10⁶ M⁻¹, at two independent sites externally. The specific interactions induce thermal stabilization of DNA by 13.2–26.3 °C, which is likely to come in the way of telomere association with telomerase enzyme and contribute to epirubicin-induced apoptosis in cancer cell lines. The findings pave the way for drug designing in view of the possibility of altering substituent groups on anthracyclines to enhance efficacy using alternate mechanism of its interaction with G4 DNA, causing interference in telomere maintenance pathway by inducing telomere dysfunction.     

Differences in repair profiles of interstitial telomeric sites between normal and DNA double-strand break repair deficient Chinese hamster cells

Interstitial Telomeric Repeat Sequence (ITRS) blocks are recognized as hot spots for spontaneous and ionizing radiation-induced chromosome breakage and recombination. Background and ionizing radiation-induced DNA breaks in large blocks of ITRS from Chinese hamster cell lines were analyzed using the DNA Breakage Detection-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (DBD-FISH) procedure. Our results indicate an extremely alkali-sensitivity of ITRS. Furthermore, it appears that ITRS blocks exhibit a particular chromatin structure, being enriched in short unpaired DNA segments. These segments could be liable to severe topological stress in highly compacted areas of the genome resulting in their spontaneous fragility and thus explaining their alkali-sensitivity. The induction and repair kinetics of DNA single-strand breaks (ssb) and DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) induced by ionizing radiation were assessed by DBD-FISH on neutral comets using Chinese hamster cells deficient in either DNA-PKcs or Rad51C. Our results indicate that the initial rejoining rate of dsb within ITRS is slower than that in the whole genome, in wild-type cells, demonstrating an intragenomic heterogeneity in dsb repair. Interestingly, in the absence of DNA-PKcs activity, the rejoining rate of dsb within ITRS is not modified, unlike in the whole genome. This was also found in the case of Rad51C mutant cells. Our results suggest the possibility that different DNA sequences or chromatin organizations may be targeted by specific dsb repair pathways. Furthermore, it appears that additional unknown dsb repair pathways may be operational in mammalian cells.     

Evaluation of the efficiency and utility of recombinant enzyme-free seamless DNA cloning methods

Simple and low-cost recombinant enzyme-free seamless DNA cloning methods have recently become available. In vivo Escherichia coli cloning (iVEC) can directly transform a mixture of insert and vector DNA fragments into E. coli, which are ligated by endogenous homologous recombination activity in the cells. Seamless ligation cloning extract (SLiCE) cloning uses the endogenous recombination activity of E. coli cellular extracts in vitro to ligate insert and vector DNA fragments. An evaluation of the efficiency and utility of these methods is important in deciding the adoption of a seamless cloning method as a useful tool. In this study, both seamless cloning methods incorporated inserting DNA fragments into linearized DNA vectors through short (15–39 bp) end homology regions. However, colony formation was 30–60-fold higher with SLiCE cloning in end homology regions between 15 and 29 bp than with the iVEC method using DH5α competent cells. E. coli AQ3625 strains, which harbor a sbcA gene mutation that activates the RecE homologous recombination pathway, can be used to efficiently ligate insert and vector DNA fragments with short-end homology regions in vivo. Using AQ3625 competent cells in the iVEC method improved the rate of colony formation, but the efficiency and accuracy of SLiCE cloning were still higher. In addition, the efficiency of seamless cloning methods depends on the intrinsic competency of E. coli cells. The competency of chemically competent AQ3625 cells was lower than that of competent DH5α cells, in all cases of chemically competent cell preparations using the three different methods. Moreover, SLiCE cloning permits the use of both homemade and commercially available competent cells because it can use general E. coli recA^? strains such as DH5α as host cells for transformation. Therefore, between the two methods, SLiCE cloning provides both higher efficiency and better utility than the iVEC method for seamless DNA plasmid engineering.     

Binding properties of human telomeric quadruplex multimers: a new route for drug design

Human telomeric G-quadruplex structures are known to be promising targets for an anticancer therapy. In the past decade, several research groups have been focused on the design of new ligands trying to optimize the interactions between these small molecules and the G-quadruplex motif. In most of these studies, the target structures were the single quadruplex units formed by short human DNA telomeric sequences (typically 21-26 nt). However, the 3′-terminal single-stranded human telomeric DNA is actually 100-200 bases long and can form higher-order structures by clustering several consecutive quadruplex units (multimers). Despite the increasing number of structural information on longer DNA telomeric sequences, very few data are available on the binding properties of these sequences compared with the shorter DNA telomeric sequences.In this paper we use a combination of spectroscopic (CD, UV and fluorescence) and calorimetric techniques (ITC) to compare the binding properties of the (TTAGGG)₈TT structure formed by two adjacent quadruplex units with the binding properties of the (AG₃TT)₄ single quadruplex structure. The three side-chained triazatruxene derivative azatrux and TMPyP4 cationic porphyrin were used as quadruplex ligands. We found that, depending on the drug, the number of binding sites per quadruplex unit available in the multimer structure was smaller or greater than the one expected on the basis of the results obtained from individual quadruplex binding studies. This work suggests that the quadruplex units along a multimer structure do not behave as completely independent. The presence of adjacent quadruplexes results in a diverse binding ability not predictable from single quadruplex binding studies. The existence of quadruplex-quadruplex interfaces in the full length telomeric overhang may provide an advantageous factor in drug design to enhance both affinity and selectivity for DNA telomeric quadruplexes.     

Recent advances in DNA sequencing methods - general principles of sample preparation

DNA sequencing has revolutionized biomedicine, and progress in the field has been unrelenting since it was invented over 30 years ago. The complete DNA sequence of the human genome was obtained as the culmination of a decade of work by a large number of scientists. Less than ten years later, so-called ‘next-generation’ instruments now make it possible for a single lab to produce the same amount of data in a week. But while the instruments are increasingly automated, upstream sample processing remains a challenge. Here I review the current state of the art in preparing genomic and RNA samples for high throughput sequencing.