S-formylglutathione hydrolase of Paracoccus denitrificans is homologous to human esterase D: a universal pathway for formaldehyde detoxification?

Downstream of flhA, the Paracoccus denitrificans gene encoding glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, an open reading frame was identified and called fghA. The gene product of fghA showed appreciable similarity with human esterase D and with the deduced amino acid sequences of open reading frames found in Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mutating fghA strongly reduced S-formylglutathione hydrolase activity. The mutant was unable to grow on methanol and methylamine, indicating that the enzyme is essential for methylotrophic growth. S-Formylglutathione hydrolase appears to be part of a formaldehyde detoxification pathway that is universal in nature.     

Genes associated with meningococcal capsule complex are also found in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

A homolog of the meningococcal cps locus region E has been identified in Neisseria gonorrhoeae immediately upstream of the gonococcal region D locus. Region E has no detectable function in capsule biosynthesis in Neisseria meningitidis or in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in either organism. The open reading frame is homologous to proteins of unknown function in Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae. Further analysis of the N. meningitidis cps cluster has identified a second copy of region D encoding three additional open reading frames, including homologs of DNA methyltransferases. The organization of the region D and E genes in N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis in relation to the cps genes provides some insight into the evolutionary origin of encapsulation in N. meningitidis.     

Identification of the mpl gene encoding UDP-N-acetylmuramate: L-alanyl-gamma-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate ligase in Escherichia coli and its role in recycling of cell wall peptidoglycan.

A gene, mpl, encoding UDP-N-acetylmuramate:L-alanyl-gamma-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelat e ligase was recognized by its amino acid sequence homology with murC as the open reading frame yjfG present at 96 min on the Escherichia coli map. The existence of such an enzymatic activity was predicted from studies indicating that reutilization of the intact tripeptide L-alanyl-gamma-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate occurred and accounted for well over 30% of new cell wall synthesis. Murein tripeptide ligase activity could be demonstrated in crude extracts, and greatly increased activity was produced when the gene was cloned and expressed under control of the trc promoter. A null mutant totally lacked activity but was viable, showing that the enzyme is not essential for growth.     

EagI andNotI linking clones from human chromosomes 11 and Xp

EagI and NotI linking libraries were prepared in the lambda vector, EMBL5, from the mouse-human somatic cell hybrid 1W1LA4.9, which contains human chromosomes 11 and Xp as the only human component. Individual clones containing human DNA were isolated by their ability to hybridise with total human DNA and digested with SalI and EcoRI to identify the human insert size and single-copy fragments. The mean (± SD) insert sizes of the EagI and NotI clones were 18.3 ± 3.2 kb and 16.6 ± 3.6 kb, respectively. Regional localisation of 66 clones (52 EagI, 14 NotI) was achieved using a panel of 20 somatic cell hybrids that contained different overlapping deletions of chromosomes 11 or Xp. Thirty-nine clones (36 EagI, 3 NotI) were localised to chromosome 11; 17 of these were clustered in 11q13 and another nine were clustered in 11q14–q23.1. Twenty-seven clones (16 EagI, 11 NotI) were localised to Xp and 10 of these were clustered in Xp11. The 66 clones were assessed for seven different microsatellite repetitive sequences; restriction fragment length polymorphisms for five clones from 11q13 were also identified. These EagI and NotI clones, which supplement those previously mapped to chromosome 11 and Xp, should facilitate the generation of more detailed maps and the identification of genes that are associated with CpG-rich islands. Received: 27 December 1995 / Revised: 30 January 1996     

Mapping of the variegate porphyria (VP) gene: Contradictory evidence for linkage between VP and microsatellite markers at chromosome 14q32

The gene for variegate porphyria (VP), an autosomal dominant disease with a high prevalence in South Africa, evidently due to a founder effect, was previously mapped to chromosome 14q32. In the current study this localization was evaluated by linkage and haplotype analyses using microsatellite markers spanning a region of more than 20 cM on chromosome 14q32. In many recent studies linkage disequilibrium between disease and marker loci has been utilized to map genes in founder populations, but we could not find any association between VP and the markers used in this study. Our data suggest that the allocation of VP to chromosome 14q32 may be incorrect. Received: 1 September 1995 / Revised: 1 November 1995     

Reproductive success and clonal genetic structure of the rareArnica montana (Compositae) in The Netherlands

In a medium-sized population ofArnica montana, a threatened species in The Netherlands, the breeding system, reproductive success and genetic clonal structure were studied. Pollination experiments suggested thatA. montana is largely self-incompatible. Inbreeding depression was observed for seedling weight but not for fruit weight and germination rate. Although genetic variation is rather low in this population, the data suggest an outcrossing mating system. Analysis of the genotype of all mapped rosettes in a plot of 100 m² indicated that dense clusters often consist of identical genotypes, suggesting a clonal structure. Open clusters frequently contained several different genotypes. This may be caused by limited fruit dispersal, since seedlings were found mainly within or in the near surroundings of the clusters.     

Improvements in the transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana C24 leaf-discs by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Summary We report here an efficient Arabidopsis leafdisc transformation protocol yielding an average transformation frequency of 1.6 transgenic shoots per leaf explant 4 weeks after the bacterial infection period. Subsequent cultivation in vitro is such that a high percentage (85–90%) of the primary transformants produces seeds with an average seed yield of 100–300 seeds per plant. This improved transformation protocol yields mainly (70%) transformants segregating for a single T-DNA locus of which 68% actually contain one T-DNA insert. The objective is to generate a pool of independent transformants harboring an activator T-DNA construct in a gene tagging approach to isolate genes involved in morphogenesis and auxin signal transduction.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - AGM Arabidopsis growth medium - BAP benzylaminopurine - CaMV Cauliflower Mosaic Virus - CTAB Hexadecyltrimethylammoniumbromide - DIG digoxigenin - FeNaEDTA Iron-sodium-ethylenedinitrilo tetraacetic acid complex - GUS ß-Glucuronidase - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - LB left T-DNA border - MES 2-(N-morpholino) ethane sulfonic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog medium - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - RB right T-DNA border     

Rapid coral colonization of a recent lava flow following a volcanic eruption,Banda Islands,Indonesia

Compared to the catastrophic impacts of various environmental disturbances and the subsequent recovery of scleractinian coral communities from these events, little is known about the early successional dynamics of coral communities following major volcanic eruptions. The 1988 volcanic eruption of Gunung Api, Banda Islands, Indonesia, provided a unique opportunity to study the rate at which a reef-building coral community develops on an andesitic lava flow. Coral colonization was studied at three locations varying in substrate characteristics. Five years after the eruption, the sheltered lava flow supported a diverse coral community (124 species) with high coral cover . Tabulate acroporids were a dominant component of the lava flow coral community, with some colonies measuring over 90 cm in diameter. Higher average coral diversity, coral abundance and cover were recorded on the andesitic lava flow than on an adjacent carbonate reef not covered by the lava, and on a substrate of unstable pyroclastic deposits located on the southwestern coast of the volcano. In some areas of high coral diversity and environmental stability, andesitic lava flows may create local hot-spots of coral diversity by providing a structurally complex, predator-free and stable substrate for the recruitment of coral species from the adjacent and regional species pools.