Presence and abundance of CENP-B box sequences in great ape subsets of primate-specific α-satellite DNA

CENP-B, a highly conserved centromere-associated protein, binds to -satellite DNA, the centromeric satellite of primate chromosomes, at a 17-bp sequence, the CENP-B box. By fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with an oligomer specific for the CENP-B box sequence, we have demonstrated the abundance of CENP-B boxes on all chromosomes (except the Y) of humans, chimpanzee, pygmy chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan. This sequence motif was not detected in the genomes of other primates, including gibbons, Old and New World monkeys, and prosimians. Our results indicate that the CENP-B box containing subtype of -satellite DNA may have emerged recently in the evolution of the large-bodied hominoids, after divergence of the phylogenetic lines leading to gibbons and apes; the box is thus on the order of 15–25 million years of age. The rapid process of dispersal and fixation of the CENP-B box sequence throughout the human and great ape genomes is thought to be a consequence of concerted evolution of -satellite subsets on both homologous and nonhomologous chromosomes.Correspondence to: T. Haaf     

一种水稻卷叶性状的遗传分析

对水稻卷叶品种流岗卷叶粳与4个平展叶品种及1个卷叶标志基因(rl3)系的杂交或回交后代进行了考察。结果表明,流岗卷叶粳的卷叶特性以单基因不完全显性方式遗传; 该基因与rl3基因不等位,当rl3位点处于隐性纯合时两者以累加方式发生互作。这一等位基因可作标志基因使用,暂定名为Rl(t)。 Abstract:Liugangjuanyejing is a rolled leaf mutant of rice.A genetic study on the rolled-leaf character was carried out by crossing it with four flat-leaf cultivars and a genetic marker line (with a rolled-leaf allele rl3).The results showed that this character was controlled by an incomplete dominant gene which was non-allelic to rl3 locus and that there existed additive effect between the two loci when the rl3 locus was homozygous recessiveness.This new rolled-leaf allele was provisionally named as Rl(t) and could be used as a genetic marker of rice.     

Induced single fertilization in maize

 Bicellular pollen with one vegetative nucleus and one diploid arrested generative cell (”monospermic” pollen) was induced by trifluralin treatment of diploid maize plants at 7–9 days before flowering. The arrested generative cell (seemingly a diploid sperm cell) fused with the central cell of diploid plants and produced shriveled endosperm resembling that of a 2n×4n cross in maize. Dual pollination experiments with a purple embryo marker revealed single fertilization events in which the union of one sperm cell with the egg occurs but there is no union of a second sperm cell with the central cell. Singly fertilized ovules survived at least 4 days. Furthermore, many viable triploid plants were obtained. This technique therefore appears to have the potential for manipulating ploidy level in crops and may become useful in investigating fertilization mechanisms of angiosperms. Received: 1 October 1996 / Revision accepted: 8 January 1997     

Nucleotide polymorphism in the chalcone synthase-A locus and evolution of the chalcone synthase multigene family of common morning glory Ipomoea purpurea

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a small multigene family with at least four members (CHS-A, B, C and PS) in common morning glory Ipomoea purpurea ROTH. The chalcone synthase enzyme performs the initial condensation reaction that results in the 15-carbon three-ring structure that is the backbone of flavonoid biosynthesis. The biochemical pathway that commences with CHS is important in plant disease defence, pigment biosynthesis and UV protection. Accordingly, it is of substantial interest to characterize levels and patterns of molecular diversity for genes that encode this important enzyme. We report the sequence of 19 CHS-A alleles from Mexican and American populations of common morning glory. American populations of this annual self-compatible vine are believed to have been introduced from Mexico, where the species is native. Individual plants were sampled from populations of common morning glory throughout Mexico and the south-eastern USA. Four American alleles were sequenced and these, together with one allele from Mexico City, were identical in primary nucleotide sequence. These data suggest a restricted origin for the American population, probably as a consequence of selection for domestication by pre-Columbian peoples. Additionally the Mitontic (Chiapas, Mexico) population is significantly more homogeneous than expected by chance indicating that this population may also have experienced a recent population bottleneck. Estimates of nucleotide diversity from the Mexican CHS-A alleles were high. We present evidence that these estimates may, in part, result from low to moderate levels of interlocus recombination/gene conversion. We also present evidence that the ancient duplication of the CHS gene family, preceding the origin of the genus Ipomoea, was associated with heterogeneity in the rate of substitution between the resulting gene family members. The group of gene family members whose sequences possess a signature amino acid of the closely related Stilbene synthase exhibit a significantly faster proportional rate of nonsynonymous substitution.     

Synonymous substitution rates in Drosophila: Mitochondrial versus nuclear genes

Synonymous substitution rates in mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Drosophila were compared. To make accurate comparisons, we considered the following: (1) relative synonymous rates, which do not require divergence time estimates, should be used; (2) methods estimating divergence should take into account base composition; (3) only very closely related species should be used to avoid effects of saturation; (4) the heterogeneity of rates should be examined. We modified the methods estimating synonymous substitution numbers to account for base composition bias. By using these methods, we found that mitochondrial genes have 1.7–3.4 times higher synonymous substitution rates than the fastest nuclear genes or 4.5–9.0 times higher rates than the average nuclear genes. The average rate of synonymous transversions was 2.7 (estimated from the melanogaster species subgroup) or 2.9 (estimated from the obscura group) times higher in mitochondrial genes than in nuclear genes. Synonymous transversions in mitochondrial genes occurred at an approximately equivalent rate to those in the fastest nuclear genes. This last result is not consistent with the hypothesis that the difference in turnover rates between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is the major factor determining higher synonymous substitution rates in mtDNA. We conclude that the difference in synonymous substitution rates is due to a combination of two factors: a higher transitional mutation rate in mtDNA and constraints on nuclear genes due to selection for codon usage. Received: 27 November 1996 / Accepted: 8 May 1997     

Comparative evolutionary rates of introns and exons in murine rodents

Analysis of DNA sequences of 132 introns and 140 exons from 42 pairs of orthologous genes of mouse and rat was used to compare patterns of evolutionary change between introns and exons. The mean of the absolute difference in length (measured in base pairs) between the two species was nearly five times as high in the case of introns as in the case of exons. The average rate of nucleotide substitution in introns was very similar to the rate of synonymous substitution in exons, and both were about three times the rate of substitution at nonsynonymous sites in exons. G+C content of introns and exons of the same gene were correlated; but mean G+C content at the third positions of exons was significantly higher than that of introns or positions 1–2 of exons from the same gene. G+C content was conserved over evolutionary time, as indicated by strong correlations between mouse and rat; but the change in G+C content was greatest at position 3 of exons, intermediate in introns, and lowest at positions 1–2 in introns. Received: 23 December 1996 / Accepted: 1 April 1997     

Effect of Calcitriol in Combination with Corticosterone, Interleukin-1β, and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 on Nerve Growth Factor Secretion in an Astroglial Cell Line

Abstract: In astrocytes, nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis has been described to be stimulated by the cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and inhibited by corticosterone. As all three factors are present in the brain under certain conditions, we investigated the effect of their combined application on NGF secretion in the astroglial cell line RC7 and, in addition, studied the effect of calcitriol (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃). Calcitriol stimulated NGF secretion, whereas corticosterone reduced basal levels of NGF secretion as well as inhibited the NGF secretion induced by IL-1β, calcitriol, and TGF-β1. Calcitriol had an additive effect when applied together with IL-1β and a synergistic effect when applied with TGF-β1. Moreover, calcitriol not only counteracted the inhibitory effect of corticosterone on NGF secretion stimulated by TGF-β1 but even augmented it to a level more than threefold higher than that reached with TGF-β1 alone. Due to the trophic effect of NGF on basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, these findings might be of therapeutic relevance under conditions where cholinergic function is impaired and the endogenous levels of corticosterone, IL-1β, or TGF-β1 are elevated.     

抗白粉病小麦染色体组型的分子标记与生化标记分析

应用与小麦第六同源群有关的分子和生化标记,包括ＤＮＡ探针ｐＳｃ５·３Ｈ３和ｐＳＲ１６７以及同工酶Ｅｓｔ－５和ａ－Ａｍｙ－１,对来自六倍体小黑麦Ｂｅａｇｌｅ与普通小麦科冬５８杂交后代Ｆ１花粉植株的抗白粉病株系Ｍ２４．Ｍ０９及Ｍ１７进行了分析。结果表明,Ｍ２４、Ｍ０９及Ｍ１７不同程度地含有黑麦染色体成分,而且电泳谱带差别较大,据此推断,Ｍ０９为６ＲＬ的易位系。因此,生化和分子标记不仅可以用于确定外源片段的存在,而且可以帮助确定染色体组型和外源片段的位置     

利用染色体涂染方法建立人和白眉长臂猿(Hylobates hoolock)的比较染色体图谱

除人Y染色体外,本文采用生物素标记的人全部整条染色体特异探针与白眉长臂猿(Hylobates hoolock)有丝分裂中期分裂相进行染色体原位杂交即染色体涂染法以研究人和白眉长臂猿染色体之间的同源性。在白眉长臂猿18对常染色体上检测出了与人22对常染色体同源的59对染色体片段,确定了人和白眉长臂猿之间的精度较高的染色体连锁群。结果表明:自人与白眉长臂猿的祖先分歧以来,大量的染色体间重排(至少发生了39次易位)和染色体内的重排导致了二者核型的差异。根据杂交结果绘制了首份人和白眉长臂猿比较染色体图谱,并结合已有的人和白掌长臂猿(Hylobates lar)(2n=44)和合趾长臂猿(Hylobates syndactylus)(2n=50)的比较染色体图谱对长臂猿属的染色体进化作了初步的探讨。     

鸡爪草属的染色体及其系统位置

本文研究了毛茛科鸡爪草Calathodes oxycarpa的核形态。其静止核和有丝分裂前期染色体分别属于复杂中央染色微粒型和中间型,中期染色体属于R型,核型公式为2n=16=8sm 8st(2sat)。据此并结合有关资料,讨论了鸡爪草属与毛茛科其它类群的亲缘关系,认为鸡爪草属与金莲花属和特产于南朝鲜的Megaleranthis属是极为近缘的类群,不宜将它们分开置于不同的族或亚科中。