New telomere formation coupled with site-specific chromosome breakage in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Programmed chromosome breakage occurs in many ciliated protozoa and is accompanied by efficient new telomere formation. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between programmed chromosome breakage and telomere formation in Tetrahymena thermophila. Using specially constructed DNA clones containing the breakage signal Cbs in transformation studies, we have determined the locations of telomere addition around the breakage sites. They occur at variable positions, over 90% of which are within a small region (less than 30 bp) starting 4 bp from Cbs. This distribution is independent of the nucleotide sequence in the region or of the orientation of Cbs. In five of six cases determined, these sites occur at or before a T, and in the remaining case, the site occurs at or before a G. When sequences devoid of G or T are placed in this region, telomere addition still occurs within the region to maintain a similar distance relationship with Cbs. This efficient and healing process appears to be associated specifically with Cbs-directed breakage, since it does not occur when DNA ends are generated by restriction enzyme digestion. These results suggest a strong mechanistic link between chromosome breakage and telomere formation.     

Sequence Variations in the Bovine Growth Hormone Gene Characterized by Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism (Sscp) Analysis and Their Association with Milk Production Traits in Holsteins

Sequence variations in the bovine growth hormone (GH) gene were investigated by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of seven amplified fragments covering almost the entire gene (2.7 kb). SSCPs were detected in four of these fragments and a total of six polymorphisms were found in a sample of 128 Holstein bulls. Two polymorphisms, a T->C transition in the third intron (designated GH4.1) and an A->C transversion in the fifth exon (designated GH6.2), were shown to be associated with milk production traits. GH4.1(c)/GH4.1(c) bulls had higher milk yield than GH4.1(c)/GH4.1(t) (P <= 0.005) and GH4.1(t)/GH4.1(t) (P <= 0.0022) bulls. GH4.1(c)/GH4.1(c) bulls had higher kg fat (P <= 0.0076) and protein (P <= 0.0018) than GH4.1(c)/GH4.1(t) bulls. Similar effects on milk production traits with the GH6.2 polymorphism were observed with the GH6.2(a) allele being the favorable allele. The average effects of the gene substitution for GH4.1 and GH6.2 are similar, with +/-300 kg for milk yield, +/-8 kg for fat content and +/-7 kg for protein content per lactation. The positive association of GH4.1(c) and GH6.2(a) with milk production traits may be useful for improving milk performance in dairy cattle.     

Evolutionary Conservation of Sequences Directing Chromosome Breakage and Rdna Palindrome Formation in Tetrahymenine Ciliates

Extensive, programmed chromosome breakage occurs during formation of the somatic macronucleus of ciliated protozoa. The cis-acting signal directing breakage has been most rigorously defined in Tetrahymena thermophila, where it consists of a 15-bp DNA sequence known as Cbs, for chromosome breakage sequence. We have identified sequences identical or nearly identical to the T. thermophila Cbs at sites of breakage flanking the germline micronuclear rDNA locus of six additional species of Tetrahymena as well as members of two related genera. Other general features of the breakage site are also conserved, but surprisingly, the orientation and number of copies of Cbs are not always conserved, suggesting the occurrence of germline rearrangement events over evolutionary time. At one end of the T. thermophila micronuclear rDNA locus, a pair of short inverted repeats adjacent to Cbs directs the formation of a giant palindromic molecule. We have examined the corresponding sequences from two other Tetrahymena species. We find the sequence to be partially conserved, as previously implied from analysis of macronuclear rDNA, but of variable length and organization.     

大豆籽粒蓝脐性状及其分离规律

控制大豆白花亲本籽粒脐色的基因有带Ｒ与ｒ之分,带Ｒ基因的白花产本与紫花亲本杂交,Ｆ１代籽料出现蓝脐性状,其基因型为Ｉ－Ｒ－Ｗ１－ｔｔ。当控制脐色的基因有两对相差时（Ｒ、ｒ;Ｗ１、ｗ１）Ｆ２代籽粒脐色分离蓝脐与无色脐之比为９∶７。     

肿瘤坏死因子－α（TNF－α）对常见呼吸道病毒的抑制作用

用人重组肿瘤坏死因子－α（Ｔｕｍｏｒｎｅｃｒｏｓｉｓｆａｃｔｏｒ－α,ＴＮＦ－α）和人天然α干扰素（Ｉｎｔｅｒｆｅｒｏｎ－α－,ＩＦＮ－α）在人胚胎肺纤维母细胞（ＨＥＦ）和Ｈｅｐ－２细胞系上对常见呼吸道病毒所致细胞病变抑制进行比较观察。病毒包括不同型别的腺病毒５株,单疱病毒Ⅰ型（ＨＳＶ－Ｉ）１株,鼻病毒１株,仙台病毒１株,ＶＳＶ１株。结果提示ＴＮＦ－α和ＩＦＮ－α均具有广谱抗病毒活性。ＴＮＦ－α的抑毒作用能被ＴＮＦ－α申抗和ＩＦＮ－β单抗完全去除,被ＩＦＮ－α单抗部分去除ＴＮＦ－α的抗病毒效应。ＴＮＦ－－α中和试验的结果提示：ＴＮＦ抗病毒活性仍为ＩＦＮ－β诱生所介导。     

旋扭山绿豆根瘤菌MXDI6菌株氢酶诱导表达

在自生异养条件下,旋扭山绿豆根瘤菌ＭＸＤＩ６菌株的氢酶诱导表达受气相、ｐＨ值、镍等因子影响：氢酶表达的最适氧浓度为４％,最适氢浓度为１５％,二氧化碳没有明显影响;氢酶表达的ｐＨ值以５．０—６．０为宜;０．５μｍｏｌ／ＬＮｉＣｌ２明显促进吸氢活性,但镍浓度大于１μｍｏｌ／Ｌ则抑制吸氢活性．     

人鼻咽癌细胞基因组中瘤基因Ha－ras－1的Dnase Ⅰ超敏感位点的初步研究

ＤＮａｓｅⅠ超敏感位点的研究能够发现潜在的调控基因转录活化的位点,比较正常人外周血有核细胞,淋巴瘤细胞株Ｐ３ＨＲ１和人鼻咽癌低分化磷癌细胞株ＨＯｎＥ１和ＨＮＥ２中Ｈａ－ｒａｓ－１瘤基因的ＤＮａｓｅⅠ超敏感位点发现,只有ＨＯＮＥ１和ＨＮＥ２细胞基因组中存在一个ＤＮａｓｅⅠ超敏感位点,位于第一个外显子上游０．３７ｋｂ处,上述结果提示正常白细胞和Ｐ３ＨＲ１细胞中Ｈａ－ｒａｓ－１基因处于失活状态,而在鼻咽癌细胞基因组中则处于活化状态,它的活化可能与０．３７ｋｂ处的ＤＮＡ序列有密切的关系。     

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and eggs of the ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus L.), an internally fertilizing marine fish

Ultrastructure of sperm and eggs of the ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus L.), an internally fertilizing marine teleost, was examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the sperm do not have an acrosome but have a very long mid-piece (one to two times the sperm head length) containing numerous well-developed elongated mitochondria. The sperm also have two tails (is biflagellate) each consisting of nine peripheral and one central pair (9 ± 2) of microtubules. This long mid-piece and the biflagellate nature of the sperm appear to be associated with the long life-span of the sperm and with sperm dispersal in the ovary to fertilize the eggs internally. The ocean pout eggs are enveloped by a porous chorionic membrane similar to that found in other teleosts but have two micropyles, a condition likely related to a mechanism of egg fertilization which increases the egg fertlity in the presence of low sperm numbers. Following insemination, some biochemically undefined excretions appeared on the surface of fertilized eggs and led to the acquisition of adherent capability of the eggs which formed a tightly associated egg mass in sea water. © 1995 wiley-Liss, Inc.     

An rRNA variable region has an evolutionarily conserved essential role despite sequence divergence.

Regions extremely variable in size and sequence occur at conserved locations in eukaryotic rRNAs. The functional importance of one such region was determined by gene reconstruction and replacement in Tetrahymena thermophila. Deletion of the D8 region of the large-subunit rRNA inactivates T. thermophila rRNA genes (rDNA): transformants containing only this type of rDNA are unable to grow. Replacement with an unrelated sequence of similar size or a variable region from a different position in the rRNA also inactivated the rDNA. Mutant rRNAs resulting from such constructs were present only in precursor forms, suggesting that these rRNAs are deficient in either processing or stabilization of the mature form. Replacement with D8 regions from three other organisms restored function, even though the sequences are very different. Thus, these D8 regions share an essential functional feature that is not reflected in their primary sequences. Similar tertiary structures may be the quality these sequences share that allows them to function interchangeably.