Half tetrad analysis in alfalfa using multiple restriction fragment length polymorphism markers.

A maximum likelihood approach of half tetrad analysis (HTA) based on multiple restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers was developed. This procedure estimates the relative frequencies of 2n gametes produced by mechanisms genetically equivalent to first division restitution (FDR) or second division restitution and simultaneously locates the centromere within a linkage group of RFLP marker loci. The method was applied to the diploid alfalfa clone PG-F9 (2n = 2x = 16) previously selected because of its high frequency of 2n egg production. HTA was based on four RFLP loci for which PG-F9 was heterozygous with codominant alleles that were absent in the tetraploid tester. Models including three linked and one unlinked RFLP loci were developed and tested. Results of the HTA showed that PG-F9 produced 6% FDR and 94% second division restitution 2n eggs. Information from a marker locus belonging to one linkage group was used to more precisely locate the centromere on a different linkage group. HTA, together with previous cytological analysis, indicated that in PG-F9, FDR 2n eggs are likely produced by diplospory, a mechanism common among apomictic species. The occurrence of FDR 2n eggs in plant species and their importance for crop evolution and breeding is discussed together with the potential applicability of multilocus HTA in the study of reproductive mutants.

HLA-Cw allele analysis by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism: study of known and additional alleles.

We describe a technique for HLA-Cw genotyping by digestion of PCR-amplified genes with restriction endonucleases. Locus-specific primers selectively amplified HLA-Cw sequences from exon 2 in a single PCR that avoided coamplification of other classical and nonclassical class I genes. Amplified DNAs were digested with selected enzymes. Sixty-three homozygous cell lines from International Histocompatibility Workshop X and 113 unrelated individual cells were genotypes for HLA-Cw and compared with serology. The present protocol can distinguish 23 alleles corresponding to the known HLA-Cw sequences. Genotyping of serologically undetectable alleles (HLA-Cw Blank) and of heterozygous cells was made possible by using this method. Six additional HLA-Cw alleles were identified by unusual restriction patterns and confirmed by sequencing; this observation suggests the presence of another family of allele-sharing clusters in the HLA-B locus. This PCR-restriction endonuclease method provides a simple and convenient approach for HLA-Cw DNA typing, allowing the definition of serologically undetectable alleles, and will contribute to the evaluation of the biological role of the HLA-C locus.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism-coupled domain-directed differential display: a highly efficient technique for expression analysis of multigene families.

In this paper, a reverse-transcriptase PCR-based protocol suitable for efficient expression analysis of multigene families is presented. The method combines restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technology with a gene family-specific version of mRNA differential display and hence is called "RFLP-coupled domain-directed differential display. "With this method, expression of all members of a multigene family at many different developmental stages, in diverse tissues and even in different organisms, can be displayed on one gel. Moreover, bands of interest, representing gene family members, are directly accessible to sequence analysis, without the need for subcloning. The method thus enables a detailed, high-resolution expression analysis of known gene family members as well as the identification and characterization of new ones. Here the technique was used to analyze differential expression of MADS-box genes in male and female inflorescences of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays). Six different MADS-box genes could be identified, being either specifically expressed in the female sex or preferentially expressed in male or female inflorescences, respectively. Other possible applications of the method are discussed.

Genomic evolution during a 10,000-generation experiment with bacteria

Molecular methods are used widely to measure genetic diversity within populations and determine relationships among species. However, it is difficult to observe genomic evolution in action because these dynamics are too slow in most organisms. To overcome this limitation, we sampled genomes from populations of Escherichia coli evolving in the laboratory for 10,000 generations. We analyzed the genomes for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) using seven insertion sequences (IS) as probes; most polymorphisms detected by this approach reflect rearrangements (including transpositions) rather than point mutations. The evolving genomes became increasingly different from their ancestor over time. Moreover, tremendous diversity accumulated within each population, such that almost every individual had a different genetic fingerprint after 10,000 generations. As has been often suggested, but not previously shown by experiment, the rates of phenotypic and genomic change were discordant, both across replicate populations and over time within a population. Certain pivotal mutations were shared by all descendants in a population, and these are candidates for beneficial mutations, which are rare and difficult to find. More generally, these data show that the genome is highly dynamic even over a time scale that is, from an evolutionary perspective, very brief.

Polyploid formation created unique avenues for response to selection in Gossypium (cotton)

A detailed restriction fragment length polymorphism map was used to determine the chromosomal locations and subgenomic distributions of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) segregating in a cross between cultivars of allotetraploid (AADD) Gossypium hirsutum (“Upland” cotton) and Gossypium barbadense (“Sea Island,” “Pima,” or “Egyptian” cotton) that differ markedly in the quality and quantity of seed epidermal fibers. Most QTLs influencing fiber quality and yield are located on the “D” subgenome, derived from an ancestor that does not produce spinnable fibers. D subgenome QTLs may partly account for the fact that domestication and breeding of tetraploid cottons has resulted in fiber yield and quality levels superior to those achieved by parallel improvement of “A” genome diploid cottons. The merger of two genomes with different evolutionary histories in a common nucleus appears to offer unique avenues for phenotypic response to selection. This may partly compensate for reduction in quantitative variation associated with polyploid formation and be one basis for the prominence of polyploids among extant angiosperms. These findings impel molecular dissection of the roles of divergent subgenomes in quantitative inheritance in many other polyploids and further exploration of both “synthetic” polyploids and exotic diploid genotypes for agriculturally useful variation.

Cleavage motifs of the yeast 20S proteasome β subunits deduced from digests of enolase 1

The 436-amino acid protein enolase 1 from yeast was degraded in vitro by purified wild-type and mutant yeast 20S proteasome particles. Analysis of the cleavage products at different times revealed a processive degradation mechanism and a length distribution of fragments ranging from 3 to 25 amino acids with an average length of 7 to 8 amino acids. Surprisingly, the average fragment length was very similar between wild-type and mutant 20S proteasomes with reduced numbers of active sites. This implies that the fragment length is not influenced by the distance between the active sites, as previously postulated. A detailed analysis of the cleavages also allowed the identification of certain amino acid characteristics in positions flanking the cleavage site that guide the selection of the P1 residues by the three active β subunits. Because yeast and mammalian proteasomes are highly homologous, similar cleavage motifs might be used by mammalian proteasomes. Therefore, our data provide a basis for predicting proteasomal degradation products from which peptides are sampled by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules for presentation to cytotoxic T cells.

Polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene are associated with susceptibility to acute leukemia in adults

Reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (methyleneTHF), a donor for methylating dUMP to dTMP in DNA synthesis, to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (methylTHF), the primary methyl donor for methionine synthesis, is catalyzed by 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). A common 677 C → T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene results in thermolability and reduced MTHFR activity that decreases the pool of methylTHF and increases the pool of methyleneTHF. Recently, another polymorphism in MTHFR (1298 A → C) has been identified that also results in diminished enzyme activity. We tested whether carriers of these variant alleles are protected from adult acute leukemia. We analyzed DNA from a case–control study in the United Kingdom of 308 adult acute leukemia patients and 491 age- and sex-matched controls. MTHFR variant alleles were determined by a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The MTHFR 677TT genotype was lower among 71 acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) cases compared with 114 controls, conferring a 4.3-fold decrease in risk of ALL [odds ratio (OR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.06–0.81]. We observed a 3-fold reduction in risk of ALL in individuals with the MTHFR 1298AC polymorphism (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.15–0.73) and a 14-fold decreased risk of ALL in those with the MTHFR 1298CC variant allele (OR = 0.07; 95% CI = 0.00–1.77). In acute myeloid leukemia, no significant difference in MTHFR 677 and 1298 genotype frequencies was observed between 237 cases and 377 controls. Individuals with the MTHFR 677TT, 1298AC, and 1298CC genotypes have a decreased risk of adult ALL, but not acute myeloid leukemia, which suggests that folate inadequacy may play a key role in the development of ALL.

Detecting immigration by using multilocus genotypes

Immigration is an important force shaping the social structure, evolution, and genetics of populations. A statistical method is presented that uses multilocus genotypes to identify individuals who are immigrants, or have recent immigrant ancestry. The method is appropriate for use with allozymes, microsatellites, or restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and assumes linkage equilibrium among loci. Potential applications include studies of dispersal among natural populations of animals and plants, human evolutionary studies, and typing zoo animals of unknown origin (for use in captive breeding programs). The method is illustrated by analyzing RFLP genotypes in samples of humans from Australian, Japanese, New Guinean, and Senegalese populations. The test has power to detect immigrant ancestors, for these data, up to two generations in the past even though the overall differentiation of allele frequencies among populations is low.

Philopatry of male marine turtles inferred from mitochondrial DNA markers

Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation among marine turtle populations are consistent with the hypothesis that females return to beaches in their natal region to nest as adults. In contrast, less is known about breeding migrations of male marine turtles and whether they too are philopatric to natal regions. Studies of geographic structuring of restriction fragment and microsatellite polymorphisms at anonymous nuclear loci in green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations indicate that nuclear gene flow is higher than estimates from mtDNA analyses. Regional populations from the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef were distinct for mtDNA but indistinguishable at nuclear loci, whereas the Gulf of Carpentaria (northern Australia) population was distinct for both types of marker. To assess whether this result was due to reduced philopatry of males across the Great Barrier Reef, we determined the mtDNA haplotypes of breeding males at courtship areas for comparison with breeding females from the same three locations. We used a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism approach to determine control region haplotypes and designed mismatch primers for the identification of specific haplotypes. The mtDNA haplotype frequencies were not significantly different between males and females at any of the three areas and estimates of Fst among the regions were similar for males and females (Fst = 0.78 and 0.73, respectively). We conclude that breeding males, like females, are philopatric to courtship areas within their natal region. Nuclear gene flow between populations is most likely occurring through matings during migrations of both males and females through nonnatal courtship areas.

Regulation of sulfur assimilation in higher plants: A sulfate transporter induced in sulfate-starved roots plays a central role in Arabidopsis thaliana

Proton/sulfate cotransporters in the plasma membranes are responsible for uptake of the environmental sulfate used in the sulfate assimilation pathway in plants. Here we report the cloning and characterization of an Arabidopsis thaliana gene, AST68, a new member of the sulfate transporter gene family in higher plants. Sequence analysis of cDNA and genomic clones of AST68 revealed that the AST68 gene is composed of 10 exons encoding a 677-aa polypeptide (74.1 kDa) that is able to functionally complement a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant lacking a sulfate transporter gene. Southern hybridization and restriction fragment length polymorphism mapping confirmed that AST68 is a single-copy gene that maps to the top arm of chromosome 5. Northern hybridization analysis of sulfate-starved plants indicated that the steady-state mRNA abundance of AST68 increased specifically in roots up to 9-fold by sulfate starvation. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that AST68 transcripts were accumulated in the central cylinder of sulfate-starved roots, but not in the xylem, endodermis, cortex, and epidermis. Among all the structural genes for sulfate assimilation, sulfate transporter (AST68), APS reductase (APR1), and serine acetyltransferase (SAT1) were inducible by sulfate starvation in A. thaliana. The sulfate transporter (AST68) exhibited the most intensive and specific response in roots, indicating that AST68 plays a central role in the regulation of sulfate assimilation in plants.

Chromosome-specific molecular organization of maize (Zea mays L.) centromeric regions

A set of oat–maize chromosome addition lines with individual maize (Zea mays L.) chromosomes present in plants with a complete oat (Avena sativa L.) chromosome complement provides a unique opportunity to analyze the organization of centromeric regions of each maize chromosome. A DNA sequence, MCS1a, described previously as a maize centromere-associated sequence, was used as a probe to isolate cosmid clones from a genomic library made of DNA purified from a maize chromosome 9 addition line. Analysis of six cosmid clones containing centromeric DNA segments revealed a complex organization. The MCS1a sequence was found to comprise a portion of the long terminal repeats of a retrotransposon-like repeated element, termed CentA. Two of the six cosmid clones contained regions composed of a newly identified family of tandem repeats, termed CentC. Copies of CentA and tandem arrays of CentC are interspersed with other repetitive elements, including the previously identified maize retroelements Huck and Prem2. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that CentC and CentA elements are limited to the centromeric region of each maize chromosome. The retroelements Huck and Prem2 are dispersed along all maize chromosomes, although Huck elements are present in an increased concentration around centromeric regions. Significant variation in the size of the blocks of CentC and in the copy number of CentA elements, as well as restriction fragment length variations were detected within the centromeric region of each maize chromosome studied. The different proportions and arrangements of these elements and likely others provide each centromeric region with a unique overall structure.

Octamer-based genome scanning distinguishes a unique subpopulation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains in cattle

Multilocus-genotyping methods have shown that Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a geographically disseminated clone. However, high-resolution methods such as pulse-field gel electrophoresis demonstrate significant genomic diversity among different isolates. To assess the genetic relationship of human and bovine isolates of E. coli O157:H7 in detail, we have developed an octamer-based genome-scanning methodology, which compares the distance between over-represented, strand-biased octamers that occur in the genome. Comparison of octamer-based genome-scanning products derived from >1 megabase of the genome demonstrated the existence of two distinct lineages of E. coli O157:H7 that are disseminated within the United States. Human and bovine isolates are nonrandomly distributed among the lineages, suggesting that one of these lineages may be less virulent for humans or may not be efficiently transmitted to humans from bovine sources. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with lambdoid phage genomes indicates that phage-mediated events are associated with divergence of the lineages, thereby providing one explanation for the degree of diversity that is observed among E. coli O157:H7 by other molecular-fingerprinting methods.

A CDKN2-like polymorphism in Xiphophorus LG V is associated with UV-B-induced melanoma formation in platyfish–swordtail hybrids

The genetic basis of spontaneous melanoma formation in spotted dorsal (Sd) Xiphophorus platyfish–swordtail hybrids has been studied for decades, and is adequately explained by a two-gene inheritance model involving a sex-linked oncogene, Xmrk, and an autosomal tumor suppressor, DIFF. The Xmrk oncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase related to EGFR; the nature of the DIFF tumor suppressor gene is unknown. We analyzed the genetic basis of UV-B-induced melanoma formation in closely related, spotted side platyfish–swordtail hybrids, which carry a different sex-linked pigment pattern locus, Sp. We UV-irradiated spotted side Xiphophorus platyfish–swordtail backcross hybrids to induce melanomas at frequencies 6-fold higher than occur spontaneously in unirradiated control animals. To identify genetic determinants of melanoma susceptibility in this UV-inducible Xiphophorus model, we genotyped individual animals from control and UV-irradiated experimental regimes using allozyme and DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms and tested for joint segregation of genetic markers with pigmentation phenotype and UV-induced melanoma formation. Joint segregation results show linkage of a CDKN2-like DNA polymorphism with UV-B-induced melanoma formation in these hybrids. The CDKN2-like polymorphism maps to Xiphophorus linkage group V and exhibits recombination fractions with ES1 and MDH2 allozyme markers consistent with previous localization of the DIFF tumor suppressor locus. Our results indicate that the CDKN2-like sequence we have cloned and mapped is a candidate for the DIFF tumor suppressor gene.

A neurotransmitter transporter encoded by the Drosophila inebriated gene

Behavioral and electrophysiological studies on mutants defective in the Drosophila inebriated (ine) gene demonstrated increased excitability of the motor neuron. In this paper, we describe the cloning and sequence analysis of ine. Mutations in ine were localized on cloned DNA by restriction mapping and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) mapping of ine mutants. DNA from the ine region was then used to isolate an ine cDNA. In situ hybridization of ine transcripts to developing embryos revealed expression of this gene in several cell types, including the posterior hindgut, Malpighian tubules, anal plate, garland cells, and a subset of cells in the central nervous system. The ine cDNA contains an open reading frame of 658 amino acids with a high degree of sequence similarity to members of the Na+/Cl−-dependent neurotransmitter transporter family. Members of this family catalyze the rapid reuptake of neurotransmitters released into the synapse and thereby play key roles in controlling neuronal function. We conclude that ine mutations cause increased excitability of the Drosophila motor neuron by causing the defective reuptake of the substrate neurotransmitter of the ine transporter and thus overstimulation of the motor neuron by this neurotransmitter. From this observation comes a unique opportunity to perform a genetic dissection of the regulation of excitability of the Drosophila motor neuron.

Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is a recently emerged clone of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Plague, one of the most devastating diseases of human history, is caused by Yersinia pestis. In this study, we analyzed the population genetic structure of Y. pestis and the two other pathogenic Yersinia species, Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica. Fragments of five housekeeping genes and a gene involved in the synthesis of lipopolysaccharide were sequenced from 36 strains representing the global diversity of Y. pestis and from 12–13 strains from each of the other species. No sequence diversity was found in any Y. pestis gene, and these alleles were identical or nearly identical to alleles from Y. pseudotuberculosis. Thus, Y. pestis is a clone that evolved from Y. pseudotuberculosis 1,500–20,000 years ago, shortly before the first known pandemics of human plague. Three biovars (Antiqua, Medievalis, and Orientalis) have been distinguished by microbiologists within the Y. pestis clone. These biovars form distinct branches of a phylogenetic tree based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the locations of the IS100 insertion element. These data are consistent with previous inferences that Antiqua caused a plague pandemic in the sixth century, Medievalis caused the Black Death and subsequent epidemics during the second pandemic wave, and Orientalis caused the current plague pandemic.