Complete maps of IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, IS5, IS30 and IS150 locations in Escherichia coli K12

Summary In this paper complete distribution maps are presented of the seven IS elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 150. These maps were obtained during the construction of an almost complete restriction map of the Escherichia coli genome of K12 strain BHB2600. The positions of IS elements were correlated to this map. The distribution of integration sites of all IS types is nonrandom. Besides a large gap from 79 min to 96 min, there is a pronounced IS cluster at 6 min and another at 97 min, map locations that have low gene incidences on the classical map. One cluster coincides with a region of IS induced rearrangements. The IS distribution pattern was compared to patterns of strains W3110 and HB101.     

Identification of Chromosomes from Multiple Rice Genomes Using a Universal Molecular Cytogenetic Marker System

To develop reliable techniques for chromosome identification is critical for cytogenetic research, especially for genomes with a large number and smaller-sized chromosomes. An efficient approach using bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） clones as molecular cytological markers has been developed for many organisms. Herein, we present a set of chromosomal arm-specific molecular cytological markers derived from the gene-enriched regions of the sequenced rice genome. All these markers are able to generate very strong signals on the pachytene chromosomes of Oryza sativa L. （AA genome） when used as fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH） probes. We further probed those markers to the pachytene chromosomes of O. punctata （BB genome） and O. officinalis （CC genome） and also got very strong signals on the relevant pachytene chromosomes. The signal position of each marker on the related chromosomes from the three different rice genomes was pretty much stable, which enabled us to identify different chromosomes among various rice genomes. We also constructed the karyotype for both O. punctata and O. officinalis with the BB and CC genomes, respectively, by analysis of 10 pachytene cells anchored by these chromosomal arm-specific markers.     

Codon Bias and Mutability in HIV Sequences

A survey of the patterns of synonymous codon preference in the HIV env gene reveals a correlation between the codon bias and the mutability requirements of different regions of the protein. At hypervariable regions in gp120 one finds a greater proportion of codons that tend to mutate nonsynonymously, but to a target that is similar in hydrophobicity and volume. We argue that this strategy results from a compromise between the selective pressure placed on the virus by the induced immune response, which favors amino acid substitutions in the complementarity determining regions, and the negative selection against missense mutations that violate structural constraints of the env protein. Received: 9 June 1997 / Accepted: 25 May 1998     

新疆猪毛菜属植物染色体数及核型分析

以5种新疆猪毛菜属植物为材料,常规压片法制片后观察记录染色体数,并进行核型分析。实验结果表明:钠猪毛菜体细胞染色体数2n=18;浆果猪毛菜2n=2x=18=12m 6sm,属2A核型;木本猪毛菜2n=2x=18=16m 2sm,属2A核型;东方猪毛菜2n=4x=36=26m 10sm,属2B核型;长刺猪毛菜2n=4x=36=24m 4sm 8st,属2B核型。猪毛菜属植物的染色体基数为9,东方猪毛菜、长刺猪毛菜为四倍体,其它3种均为二倍体。与Бочанцев基于形态学特征建立的分组系统及各组的演化地位相比,东方猪毛菜属于原始的硬叶猪毛菜组,而本研究表明该种在核型上相对较为进化;其余3种核型地位与所属组的演化地位相符。     

In vitro induction of tetraploid in pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Tetraploid plants were obtained in pomegranate (Punica granatum L. var. `Nana') by colchicine treatment of shoots propagated in vitro. Shoots cultured on MS medium supplemented with 10 mg l^–1 colchicine, 1.0 mg l^–1 BA and 0.1 mg l^–1 NAA for 30 days produced tetraploids at a high frequency of 20%. No tetraploids were detected by treating the shoots in 5000 mg l^–1 colchicine for 114 h. Shoots treated by 5000 mg l^–1 colchicine for 96 h produced three morphological mutants with narrow leaves, which were later confirmed as mixoploids that separated into diploids and tetraploids after further subculture. In vitro tetraploid plants had shorter roots, wider and shorter leaves than the diploid ones. Tetraploid pomegranate plants grew and flowered normally in pots, but possessed flowers with increased diameter and decreased length compared to diploids. The number of pollen grains per anther was higher in tetraploids, but the viability of pollen decreased significantly.     

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.     

In vitro culture of the strobilar stage of Echinococcus granulosus from protoscoleces of human, camel, cattle, sheep and goat origin from Kenya and buffalo origin from India

Protoscoleces from human, camel, cattle, sheep, goat (all from Kenya) and buffalo (from India) hydatid cysts were cultured under identical conditions in vitro using the diphasic culture system of Smyth (1979b). Organisms from all sources grew and segmented in culture. Genital anlagen developed in all cultured worms but further genital differentiation occurred only in cultures of cattle (testes) and camel (testes and genital pore) material. The possible significance of these results is discussed in relation to the general epidemiology of hydatid disease and the potential infectivity of the different strains to man.     

Identification of Brassica oleracea monosomic alien chromosome addition lines with molecular markers reveals extensive gene duplication

Summary Chromosomes of Brassica oleracea (2n=18) were dissected from the resynthesized amphidiploid B. napus Hakuran by repeated backcrosses to B. campestris (2n=20), creating a series of monosomic alien chromosome addition line plants (2n=21). Using morphological, isozyme and restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (RFLPs), 81 putative loci were identified. Of nine possible synteny groups, seven were represented in the 25 monosomic addition plants tested. Sequences homologous to 26% of the 61 DNA clones utilized (80% were cDNA clones) were found on more than one synteny group, indicating a high level of gene duplication. Anomalous synteny associations were detected in four 2n=21 plants. One of these plants showed two markers from one B. oleracea chromosome associated with a second complete B. oleracea synteny group, suggesting translocation or recombination between non-homologous chromosomes in Hakuran or the backcross derivatives. The other three 2n=21 plants each contained two or more B. oleracea synteny groups, suggesting chromosome substitution.     

Slow algae, fast fungi: exceptionally high nucleotide substitution rate differences between lichenized fungi Omphalina and their symbiotic green algae Coccomyxa

Omphalina basidiolichens are obligate mutualistic associations of a fungus of the genus Omphalina (the exhabitant) and a unicellular green alga of the genus Coccomyxa (the inhabitant). It has been suggested that symbiotic inhabitants have a lower rate of genetic change compared to exhabitants because the latter are more exposed to abiotic environmental variation and competition from other organisms. In order to test this hypothesis we compared substitution rates in the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2) among fungal species with rates among their respective algal symbionts. To ensure valid comparisons, only taxon pairs (12) with a common evolutionary history were used. On average, substitution rates in the ITS1 portion of Omphalina pairs were 27.5 times higher than rates in the corresponding pairs of Coccomyxa since divergence from their respective ancestor at the base of the Omphalina/Coccomyxa lineage. Substitution rates in the 5.8S and the ITS2 portions were 2.4 and 18.0 times higher, respectively. The highest rate difference (43.0) was found in the ITS1 region. These are, to our knowledge, the highest differences of substitution rates reported for symbiotic organisms. We conclude that the Omphalina model system conforms to the proposed hypothesis of lower substitution rates in the inhabitant, but that the mode of transmission of the inhabitant (vertical versus horizontal) could be a prevailing factor in the regulation of unequal rates of nucleotide substitution between co-evolving symbionts. Our phylogenetic study of Coccomyxa revealed three main lineages within this genus, corresponding to free-living Coccomyxa, individuals isolated from basidiolichens Omphalina and Coccomyxa isolated from ascolichens belonging to the Peltigerales.