Direct cloning of cDNA inserts from lambda gt11 phage DNA into a plasmid vector by a novel and simple method

Bacteriophage lambda gt11 has been used quite extensively for producing cDNA libraries. The cDNA inserts are usually subcloned into a plasmid vector for large scale production and analysis. However, isolating the recombinant DNA of interest from the phage clones can be a tedious task. Since the E. coli strain Y1088 used for lambda gt11 phage infection carries a pBR322-derived plasmid endogenously, we reasoned that this endogenous plasmid could be used directly for cloning the cDNA phage insert. In this report, we describe a method in which cDNA inserts from lambda gt11 phage were cloned directly into the pBR322 plasmid vector, bypassing the time-consuming procedures of preparing plasmid DNA as a subcloning vector. This method is likely to be extended to the cloning of DNA inserts derived from other phage lambda vectors when bacteria containing endogenous pBR322 are used as host cells.     

Direct cloning of cDNA inserts from λgt11 phage DNA into a plasmid vector by a novel and simple method

Bacteriophage λgt11 has been used quite extensively for producing cDNA libraries. The cDNA inserts are usually subcloned into a plasmid vector for large scale production and analysis. However, isolating the recombinant DNA of interest from the phage clones can be a tedious task. Since the E. coli strain Y1088 used for λgt11 phage infection carries a pBR322-derived plasmid endogenously, we reasoned that this endogenous plasmid could be used directly for cloning the cDNA phage insert. In this report, we describe a method in which cDNA inserts from λgt11 phage were cloned directly into the pBR322 plasmid vector, by-passing the time-consuming procedures of preparing plasmid DNA as a subcloning vector. This method is likely to be extended to the cloning of DNA inserts derived from other phage λ vectors when bacteria containing endogenous pBR322 are used as host cells.     

A new cloning system for Bacillus subtilis comprising elements of phage, plasmid and transposon vectors

A new cloning system for Bacillus subtilis was devised which makes use of a combination of Tn917-containing phage SP beta derivatives and Tn917-containing Escherichia coli-B. subtilis shuttle plasmids. This system allows the initial cloning of genes in single copy, via 'prophage transformation', with a selection for complementation of mutational defects in B. subtilis hosts and permits subsequent transfer of the cloned material by homologous recombination to low-copy and high-copy vectors that replicate in both B. subtilis and E. coli. Because cloned sequences are adjacent to pB322-derived DNA in the recombinant phages, inserts can also be 'rescued' directly from the phage DNA after digestion with appropriate restriction enzymes, circularization of the fragments by ligation and transformation of an E. coli recipient. Two genomic libraries of B. subtilis chromosomal Sau3A-generated partial-digest fragments in the size ranges of 5-8 kb and 8-10 kb were constructed and screened for the complementation of mutations aroI906, cysA14, dal-1, glyB133, metC3, purA16, purB33, thrA5, trpC2 and recE4. In all cases, specialized transducing phages carrying inserts that complemented the selected markers were recovered. Inserts complementing the dal-1 and trpC2 mutations could be transferred from recombinant phages to Tn917-containing plasmids by homologous recombination without in vitro subcloning. Another insert complementing the purB33 mutation was rescued directly into E. coli from a recombinant phage DNA.     

Identification of unique transcripts from a mouse full-length, subtracted inner ear cDNA library

A small-scale full-length library construction approach was developed to facilitate production of a mouse full-length cDNA encyclopedia representing approximately 250 enriched, normalized, and/or subtracted cDNA libraries. One library produced using this approach was a subtracted adult mouse inner ear cDNA library (sIEa). The average size of the inserts was approximately 2.5 kb, with the majority ranging from 0.5 to 7.0 kb. From this library 22,574 sequence reads were obtained from 15,958 independent clones. Sequencing and chromosomal localization established 5240 clusters, with 1302 clusters being unique and 359 representing new ESTs. Our sIEa library contributed 56.1% of the 7773 nonredundant Unigene clusters associated with the four mouse inner ear libraries in the NCBI dbEST. Based on homologous chromosomal regions between human and mouse, we identified 1018 UniGene clusters associated with the deafness locus critical regions. Of these, 59 clusters were found only in our sIEa library and represented approximately 50% of the identified critical regions.     

适用于链霉菌大片段基因组DNA 克隆和异源表达的细菌人工染色体(BAC)载体的构建及应用

【目的】很多链霉菌来源的天然产物的生物合成基因簇往往很大,用传统的cosmid载体很难完整的克隆和异源表达。本研究通过载体改造,成功构建出一个新的细菌人工染色体(BAC)载体,用于链霉菌来源的天然产物生物合成基因簇的克隆及异源表达实验。【方法】从复合型载体pCUGIBAC1出发,通过λRED介导的PCR-targeting方法,用链霉素抗性基因替换掉原有的氯霉素抗性基因标记,同时插入链霉菌中常用的安普拉霉素抗性标记、转移起始位点oriT、φC31整合酶基因int、整合位点attP等元件。【结果】成功构建出可装载链霉菌大片段DNA的BAC载体pMSBBACs。使用pMSBBACs构建出链霉菌U27的基因组BAC文库,平均插入片段大小为100 kb。选取其中一个大小为140 kb的BAC质粒进行功能验证,实验证明通过接合转移和原生质体转化的方法都能够将这个大型BAC质粒导入链霉菌模式菌株,并通过位点特异性重组整合到染色体中进行异源表达。【结论】BAC载体pMSBBACs可成功用于放线菌大片段基因组DNA的克隆和异源表达实验。     

Small, stable shuttle vectors for use in Xanthomonas

Plasmids from three broad-host-range (bhr) incompatibility groups (Inc) were evaluated for use as cloning vectors in Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum (Xcm), the causal agent of bacterial blight of cotton. The IncP vectors pLAFR3 and pVK102 could not be introduced into Xcm at a significant frequency (less than 1 x 10(-10] and IncQ vectors such as pKT210 were unstable in their maintenance and tended to delete cloned inserts. IncW vectors such as pSa747 also were lost readily from Xcm in the absence of selection pressure. We constructed two plasmids, pUFR027 and a cosmid derivative, pUFR034, which have proven useful as cloning vectors in Xcm and other xanthomonads. They contain the pSa origin of DNA replication, the partition locus parA from the Agrobacterium plasmid pTAR, a neomycin-resistance selection marker, and alacZ alpha cassette with cloning sites. pUFR027 is 9.3 kb, and pUFR034 is 8.7 kb in size. They can be mobilized by conjugation into Xcm at a frequency of approx. 1 x 10(-6) per recipient and are maintained stably (greater than 95% retention over 36 generations without selection pressure) in both broth culture and in planta. The plasmids were introduced and maintained stably in X. citri, and in X. campestris pathovars campestris, citrumelo, vesicatoria and translucens, and were moderately stable in X. phaseoli. No effects of the plasmids on pathogenicity have been observed.     

Molecular cloning of the genome of human spumaretrovirus

DNA of human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was cloned from both cDNA and from viral DNA into phage lambda and bacterial plasmid vectors. The recombinant plasmids harboring viral DNA were characterized by Southern blot hybridization and restriction mapping. Physical maps were constructed from cDNA and found to be colinear with the restriction maps obtained from viral DNA. The recombinant clones isolated contained viral DNA inserts which range in size from 2.2 kb to 15.4 kb. The recombinant clones allowed to construct a physical map of the complete HSRV provirus of 12.2 kb.     

Generating In Vivo Cloning Vectors for Parallel Cloning of Large Gene Clusters by Homologous Recombination

A robust method for the in vivo cloning of large gene clusters was developed based on homologous recombination (HR), requiring only the transformation of PCR products into Escherichia coli cells harboring a receiver plasmid. Positive clones were selected by an acquired antibiotic resistance, which was activated by the recruitment of a short ribosome-binding site plus start codon sequence from the PCR products to the upstream position of a silent antibiotic resistance gene in receiver plasmids. This selection was highly stringent and thus the cloning efficiency of the GFPuv gene (size: 0.7 kb) was comparable to that of the conventional restriction-ligation method, reaching up to 4.3 × 10⁴ positive clones per μg of DNA. When we attempted parallel cloning of GFPuv fusion genes (size: 2.0 kb) and carotenoid biosynthesis pathway clusters (sizes: 4 kb, 6 kb, and 10 kb), the cloning efficiency was similarly high regardless of the DNA size, demonstrating that this would be useful for the cloning of large DNA sequences carrying multiple open reading frames. However, restriction analyses of the obtained plasmids showed that the selected cells may contain significant amounts of receiver plasmids without the inserts. To minimize the amount of empty plasmid in the positive selections, the sacB gene encoding a levansucrase was introduced as a counter selection marker in receiver plasmid as it converts sucrose to a toxic levan in the E. coli cells. Consequently, this method yielded completely homogeneous plasmids containing the inserts via the direct transformation of PCR products into E. coli cells.     

Development of a novel bacterial artificial chromosome cloning system for functional studies

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) cloning systems currently in use generate high quality genomic libraries for gene mapping, identification, and sequencing. However, the most commonly used BAC cloning systems do not facilitate functional studies in eukaryotic cells. To overcome this limitation, we have developed pEBAC190G, a new BAC vector that combines the features of the first generation PAC/BAC vectors with eukaryotic elements that facilitate the transfection, episomal maintenance, and functional analysis of large genomic fragments in eukaryotic cells. A number of different cloning strategies may be used to retrofit genomic fragments from existing libraries into the new vector. The system was tested by the retrofitting of a 170kb NotI genomic fragment from the RPCI-11 BAC library into the NotI site of pEBAC190G. Clones from any eukaryotic genomic library harboured in this vector can be transferred from bacteria directly to eukaryotic cells for functional analysis.     

羽衣甘蓝柱头酵母双杂交cDNA文库的构建与分析

目的:构建应用于酵母双杂交系统的羽衣甘蓝柱头cDNA文库。方法:以羽衣甘蓝S13-bS13-b自交不亲和系为材料,提取柱头的总RNA,用亲和层析法分离纯化mRNA,利用CytoTrapXR建库试剂盒构建羽衣甘蓝柱头cDNA文库。结果:羽衣甘蓝柱头cDNA原始文库的库容量为2.5×105;扩增后文库的库容量约为4×108,重组率为96%,插入片段大小为0.4～3kb,平均长度在0.8kb左右。结论:构建了应用于酵母双杂交系统的羽衣甘蓝自交不亲和系柱头的cDNA文库,为探讨芸苔属植物自交不亲和的分子机理奠定了基础。     

Isolation and characterization of beta- and gamma-crystallin genes from rat genomic cosmid libraries

Two libraries, together containing about 10(6) colonies, have been constructed by cloning different size fractions of a partial Sau3A digest of rat genomic DNA in the cosmid vector pTM. Upon screening with two cDNA clones, one containing alpha A2-crystallin and one containing beta B1-crystallin sequences, 14 cosmid clones were isolated which were beta B1-crystallin-specific; none was found which contained alpha A2-crystallin sequences. The inserts of the beta B1 clones, which range from 35 to 45 kb in length, contain overlapping DNA segments covering more than 60 kb of rat genomic DNA. The composite BamHI restriction map of this region shows a single beta B1-crystallin gene, which is interrupted by several intronic sequences. Five recombinants hybridizing with two different rat lens gamma-crystallin cDNA clones were also isolated from these libraries. Four of these contain 31- to 41-kb inserts, whereas the fifth recombinant contains a 12.2-kb insert. Hybridization analysis with 5' and 3'-specific cDNA fragments indicates that altogether these inserts contain six gamma-crystallin genes, three of which are located on one insert of only 31 kb.     

Construction and characterization of BAC libraries for three fish species; rainbow trout, carp and tilapia

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are important tools for genomic research. We have constructed seven genomic BAC libraries from three fish species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), carp (Cyprinus carpio) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The two rainbow trout BAC libraries have average insert sizes of 58 and 110 kb. The average size of inserts in the carp BAC library is 160 kb. The average insert sizes of the four tilapia BAC libraries are 65, 105, 145 and 194 kb, respectively. These libraries represent good coverage of each genome (2-64 x coverage). The libraries can be screened by conventional colony hybridization and provide a starting point for the construction of high-density filtres or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening approaches. These BAC libraries will facilitate the positional cloning of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for a variety of economically important traits in these species.     

Construction and Characterization of Large-Insert Genomic Libraries (BAC and Fosmid) from the Ascidian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botryllus schlosseri</Emphasis> and Initial Physical Mapping of a Histocompatibility Locus

The colonial protochordate Botryllus schlosseri is genetically manipulable and represents a potential model organism for a variety of biological disciplines, including immunology, stem cell biology and development. This article presents the construction and characterization of both BAC and fosmid genomic libraries of the 725-Mbp B. schlosseri genome. The BAC library currently consists of 2× genome coverage with an average insert size of 80 kb. The fosmid library is at 11× genome coverage with an average insert of 40 kb. B. schlosseri is a small organism containing a large number of compounds that hinder DNA purification. Thus a number of protocols had to be modified in order to make purified, high molecular weight inserts for cloning, including both gel purification and insert concentration techniques. Both libraries were characterized by using them in initial physical mapping of a single histocompatibility locus, and were found to be representative and functional. These libraries are important tools for physical mapping and positional cloning in the B. schlosseri genome, and the techniques adapted to make them are suitable for use on other organisms in which high molecular weight DNA is difficult to purify.