New strategy for mapping the human genome based on a novel procedure for construction of jumping libraries

A novel procedure for construction of jumping libraries is described. The essential features of this procedure are as follows: (1) two diphasmid vectors (lambda SK17 and lambda SK22) are simultaneously used in the library construction to improve representativity, (2) a partial filling-in reaction is used to eliminate cloning of artifactual jumping clones and to obviate the need for a selectable marker. The procedure has been used to construct a representative human NotI jumping library (220,000 independent recombinant clones) from the lymphoblastoid cell line CBMI-Ral-STO, which features a low level of methylation of its resident EBV genomes. A human chromosome 3-specific NotI jumping library (500,000 independent recombinant clones) from the human chromosome 3 x mouse hybrid cell line MCH 903.1 has also been constructed. Of these recombinant clones 50-80% represent jumps to the neighboring cleavable NotI site. With our previously published method for construction of linking libraries this procedure makes a new genome mapping strategy feasible. This strategy includes the determination of tagging sequences adjacent to NotI sites in random linking and jumping clones. Special features of the lambda SK17 and lambda SK22 vectors facilitate such sequencing. The STS (sequence tagged site) information obtained can be assembled by computer into a map representing the linear order of the NotI sites for a chromosome or for the entire genome. The computerized mapping data can be used to retrieve clones near a region of interest. The corresponding clones can be obtained from the panel of original clones, or necessary probes can be made from genomic DNA by PCR.     

Polyribosomes and messenger RNA from RAT liver mitochondria

Summary Rat liver mitochondrial polyribosomes were isolated free from cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein contaminations in a number of criteria (sedimentation and buoyant density patterns, ribosomal RNA composition). Heterogeneous poly A containing RNA from mitochondrial polysomes was purified by two-stage cellulose chromatography. This RNA was in vitro labelled with¹²⁵I up to specific activity ~10⁶–10⁷ cts.min^–1.µg ^–1 and used for hybridization experiments with separate complementary strands of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA fragments. The proportions of mitochondrial poly A containing RNA that is complementary to heavy and light strands of mtDNA were respectively 31.5% and 8.3%. Besides, a significant RNA fraction was complementary to unique sequences of nuclear DNA (2–3 copies per haploid genome). The hybrids that were formed possessed a high T_m indicative of a perfect base pairing. A dual intracellular origin of mitochondrial messenger RNA is discussed.     

Limited proteolysis of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase.

Earlier studies have shown that native tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase from beef pancreas is composed of two apparently identical subunits having a molecular weight of 60000 plus or minus 2000 each. Incubation of the pruified enzyme with trypsin under restrictive conditions results in splitting of each subunit to form an enzymatically inactive polypeptide chain of mol. wt 24500 plus or minus 1500. During proteolysis, two distinct intermediate forms of mol. wt 51000 plus or minus 2000 and 40000 plus or minus 2000 and fragments of mol. wt 14000 plus or minus 2500 are formed. The presence of substrates, viz. ATP, tryptophan or tryptophanyl adenylate, decreases the rate of proteolysis. However, a band pattern monitored by acrylamide gel electrophoresis is qualitatively indistinguishable from that obtained in the absence of substrates. Native and trypsin-modified subunits (the latter having a molecular weight of 24500) have been maleylated, reduced, carbosymethylated and subjected to exhaustive digestion by trypsin followed by peptide mapping. Comparison of the finger prints has shown that the trypsin-modified subunit represents a polypeptide with lowered content of dicarboxylic amino acids. That the number of peptides revealed after complete proteolysis of native and trypsin-modified subunits does not favour the presence of long repetitive sequences in each subunit, is at variance with some bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Study of the fluorescence polarisation of 1-anilino-8-napthalene sulphonate adsorbed on the dimeric tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase, indicates that the molecule behaves as a complete entity in Brownian rotation. The trypsin-resistant end products, composed of two types of polypeptides (mol. wts 24500 and 14000), remain associated with each other. From the mol. wt of this associate it follows that each fragment is present in the associate in duplicate. When the purification procedure was carried out in the absence of a protease inhibitor, the active modified enzyme form was obtained. As judged from the molecular weight values, it is composed of two equal subunits corresponding to one of the products of limited proteolysis. The data presented are compatible with compact three-dimensional structure of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase having very limited regions exposed to exogenous or endogenous proteolysis.     

A directed alteration of ribonuclease specificity. Hydrolysis of polyribonucleotides containing modified cytosine bases

The action of ribonucleases on poly and oligoribonucleotides containing cytosine bases modified by methoxyamine and bisulphite was examined. Resistance of phosphodiester bonds in (Cp) _n Xp (where n 1 and X stands for A, G or U) to T₂ RNase hydrolysis was observed if substrates were modified chemically. The phenomenon formed the basis for isolation of (Cp) _n Xp blocks as an additional tool in sequence investigations. After modification of cytosine pancreatic RNase was unable to hydrolyse (Cp) _n Up blocks. Therefore the specificity of pyrimidyl RNase may be narrowed to uridyl RNase.Abbreviations cytidine modified with methoxyamine and bisulphite (5, 6-dihydro-6-sulpho-N⁴-methoxycytidine) - cytidine modified with methoxyamine (N⁴-methoxycytidine)