Median network analysis of defectively sequenced entire mitochondrial genomes from early and contemporary disease studies

Sequence analysis of the mitochondrial genome has become a routine method in the study of mitochondrial diseases. Quite often, the sequencing efforts in the search of pathogenic or disease-associated mutations are affected by technical and interpretive pr

Bead-probe complex capture a couple of SINE and LINE family from genomes of two closely related species of East Asian cyprinid directly using magnetic separation

Background: Short and long interspersed elements (SINEs and LINEs, respectively), two types of retroposons, are active in shaping the architecture of genomes and powerful tools for studies of phylogeny and population biology. Here we developed special protocol to apply biotin-streptavidin bead system into isolation of interspersed repeated sequences rapidly and efficiently, in which SINEs and LINEs were captured directly from digested genomic DNA by hybridization to bead-probe complex in solution instead of traditional strategy including genomic library construction and screening. Results: A new couple of SINEs and LINEs that shared an almost identical 3'tail was isolated and characterized in silver carp and bighead carp of two closely related species. These SINEs (34 members), designated HAmo SINE family, were little divergent in sequence and flanked by obvious TSD indicated that HAmo SINE was very young family. The copy numbers of this family was estimated to 2 x 10(5) and 1.7 x 10(5) per haploid genome by Real-Time qPCR, respectively. The LINEs, identified as the homologs of LINE2 in other fishes, had a conserved primary sequence and secondary structures of the 3'tail region that was almost identical to that of HAmo SINE. These evidences suggest that HAmo SINEs are active and amplified recently utilizing the enzymatic machinery for retroposition of HAmoL2 through the recognition of higher-order structures of the conserved 42-tail region. We analyzed the possible structures of HAmo SINE that lead to successful amplification in genome and then deduced that HAmo SINE, SmaI SINE and FokI SINE that were similar in sequence each other, were probably generated independently and created by LINE family within the same lineage of a LINE phylogeny in the genomes of different hosts. Conclusion: The presented results show the advantage of the novel method for retroposons isolation and a pair of young SINE family and its partner LINE family in two carp fishes, which strengthened the hypotheses containing the slippage model for initiation of reverse transcription, retropositional parasitism of SINEs on LINEs, the formation of the stem loop structure in 3'tail region of some SINEs and LINEs and the mechanism of template switching in generating new SINE family.

Cloning of biologically active genomes from a Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus isolate by using a bacterial artificial chromosome

Purification of genotypes from baculovirus isolates provides understanding of the diversity of baculoviruses and may lead to the development of better pesticides. Here, we report the cloning of different genotypes from an isolate of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HaSNPV) by using a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). A transfer vector (pHZB10) was constructed which contained an Escherichia coli mini-F replicon cassette within the upstream and downstream arms of HaSNPV polyhedrin gene. Hz2e5 cells were co-transfected with wild-type HaSNPV DNA and pHZB10 to generate recombinant viruses by homologous recombination. The DNA of budded viruses (BVs) was used to transform E. coli. One of the bacmid colonies, HaBacHZ8, has restriction enzyme digestion profiles similar to an in vivo cloned strain HaSNPV-G4, the genome of which has been completely sequenced. For testing the oral infectivity, the polyhedrin gene of HaSNPV was reintroduced into HaBacHZ8 to generate the recombinant bacmid HaBacDF6. The results of one-step growth curves, electron microscopic examination, protein expression analysis and bioassays indicated that HaBacDF6 replicated as well as HaSNPV-G4 in vitro and in vivo. The biologically functional HaSNPV bacmids obtained in this research will facilitate future studies on the function genomics and genetic modification of HaSNPV. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gene transfer into genomes of human cells by the sleeping beauty transposon system

The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system, derived from teleost fish sequences, is extremely effective at delivering DNA to vertebrate genomes, including those of humans. We have examined several parameters of the SB system to improve it as a potential, nonviral vector for gene therapy. Our investigation centered on three features: the carrying capacity of the transposon for efficient integration into chromosomes of HeLa cells, the effects of overexpression of the SB transposase gene on transposition rates, and improvements in the activity of SB transposase to increase insertion rates of transgenes into cellular chromosomes. We found that SB transposons of about 6 kb retained 50% of the maximal efficiency of transposition, which is sufficient to deliver 70-80% of identified human cDNAs with appropriate transcriptional regulatory sequences. Overexpression inhibition studies revealed that there are optimal ratios of SB transposase to transposon for maximal rates of transposition, suggesting that conditions of delivery of the two-part transposon system are important for the best gene-transfer efficiencies. We further refined the SB transposase to incorporate several amino acid substitutions, the result of which led to an improved transposase called SB11. With SB11 we are able to achieve transposition rates that are about 100-fold above those achieved with plasmids that insert into chromosomes by random recombination. With the recently described improvements to the transposon itself, the SB system appears to be a potential gene-transfer tool for human gene therapy.

Viruses' complete genomes classification based on geometrical learning

In this paper, we proposed a method of classification for viruses' complete genomes based on graph geometrical theory in order to viruses classification. Firstly, a model of triangular geometrical graph was put forward, and then constructed feature-space-samples-graphs for classes of viruses' complete genomes in feature space after feature extraction and normalization. Finally, we studied an algorithm for classification of viruses' complete genomes based on feature-space-samples-graphs. Compared with the BLAST algorithm, experiments prove its efficiency.

Comparing the Performance of Biomimetic Pattern Recognition with W8 and SVM on Prediction of Horizontal Gene Transfers in Bacteria Genomes

National Natural Science Foundation of China 60753001

Comparative Analysis of Fatty Acid Desaturases in Cyanobacterial Genomes

Fatty acid desaturases are enzymes that introduce double bonds into the hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids. The fatty acid desaturases from 37 cyanobacterial genomes were identified and classified based upon their conserved histidine-rich motifs and phylogenetic analysis, which help to determine the amounts and distributions of desaturases in cyanobacterial species. The filamentous or N-2-fixing cyanobacteria usually possess more types of fatty acid desaturases than that of unicellular species. The pathway of acyl-lipid desaturation for unicellular marine cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus differs from that of other cyanobacteria, indicating different phylogenetic histories of the two genera from other cyanobacteria isolated from freshwater, soil, or symbiont. Strain Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 was isolated from calcareous rock and lacks thylakoid membranes. The types and amounts of desaturases of this strain are distinct to those of other cyanobacteria, reflecting the earliest divergence of it from the cyanobacterial line. Three thermophilic unicellular strains, Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 and two Synechococcus Yellowstone species, lack highly unsaturated fatty acids in lipids and contain only one Delta 9 desaturase in contrast with mesophilic strains, which is probably due to their thermic habitats. Thus, the amounts and types of fatty acid desaturases are various among different cyanobacterial species, which may result from the adaption to environments in evolution. Copyright (c) 2008 Xiaoyuan Chi et al.

Phycobilisomes linker family in cyanobacterial genomes: divergence and evolution

Cyanobacteria are the oldest life form making important contributions to global CO2 fixation on the Earth. Phycobilisomes (PBSs) are the major light harvesting systems of most cyanobacteria species. Recent availability of the whole genome database of cyanobacteria provides us a global and further view on the complex structural PBSs. A PBSs linker family is crucial in structure and function of major light-harvesting PBSs complexes. Linker polypeptides are considered to have the same ancestor with other phycobiliproteins (PBPs), and might have been diverged and evolved under particularly selective forces together. In this paper, a total of 192 putative linkers including 167 putative PBSs-associated linker genes and 25 Ferredoxin-NADP oxidoreductase (FNR) genes were detected through whole genome analysis of all 25 cyanobacterial genomes (20 finished and 5 in draft state). We compared the PBSs linker family of cyanobacteria in terms of gene structure, chromosome location, conservation domain, and polymorphic variants, and discussed the features and functions of the PBSs linker family. Most of PBSs-associated linkers in PBSs linker family are assembled into gene clusters with PBPs. A phylogenetic analysis based on protein data demonstrates a possibility of six classes of the linker family in cyanobacteria. Emergence, divergence, and disappearance of PBSs linkers among cyanobacterial species were due to speciation, gene duplication, gene transfer, or gene loss, and acclimation to various environmental selective pressures especially light.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of two common shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei and Fenneropenaeus chinensis) and their phylogenomic considerations

Complete mitochondrial genomes have proven extremely valuable in helping to understand the evolutionary relationships among metazoans. However, uneven taxon sampling may lead to unclear or even erroneous phylogenetic topologies. The decapod crustaceans are relatively well-sampled, but sampling is still uneven within this group. We have sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of two shrimps Litopenaeus vannamei and Fenneropenaeus chinensis. As seen in other metazoans, the genomes contain a standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and an AT-rich non-coding region. The gene arrangements are consistent with the pancrustacean ground pattern. Both the pattern of gene rearrangements and phylogenomic analyses using concatenated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of the 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes strengthened the support that Caridea and Palinura are primitive members of Pleocyemata. These sequences, in combination with two previously published penaeid mitochondrial genomes, suggest that genera within the family Penaeidae have the following relationship: (((Penaeits + Fenneropenaett.) + Litopeiiaelts) + Marsupenaeus). The analyses of nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of the mitochondrial genomes also strongly support the monophyly of Penaeidae, Brachyura and Pleocyemata. In addition, the analyses of the average Ka/Ks in the 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes of penaeid shrimps indicated a strong purifying selection within this group.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of the whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica) and black swan (Cygnus atratus): dating evolutionary divergence in Galloanserae

Galloanserae is an ancient and diverse avian group, for which comprehensive molecular evidence relevant to phylogenetic analysis in the context of molecular chronology is lacking. In this study, we present two additional mitochondrial genome sequences of Galloanserae (the whistling duck, Dendrocygna javanica, and the black swan, Cygnus atratus) to broaden the scope of molecular phylogenetic reconstruction. The lengths of the whistling duck's and black swan's mitochondrial genomes are 16,753 and 16,748 bases, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that Dendrocygna is more likely to be in a basal position of the branch consisting of Anatinae and Anserinae, an affiliation that does not conform to its traditional classification. Bayesian approaches were employed to provide a rough timescale for Galloanserae evolution. In general, a narrow range of 95% confidence intervals gave younger estimates than those based on limited genes and estimated that at least two lineages originated before the Coniacian epoch around 90 MYA, well before the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. In addition, these results, which were compatible with estimates from fossil evidence, also imply that the origin of numerous genera in Anseriformes took place in the late Oligocene to early Miocene. Taken together, the results presented here provide a working framework for future research on Galloanserae evolution, and they underline the utility of whole mitochondrial genome sequences for the resolution of deep divergence.

Tandem duplication-random loss is not a real feature of oyster mitochondrial genomes

Duplications and rearrangements of coding genes are major themes in the evolution of mitochondrial genomes, bearing important consequences in the function of mitochondria and the fitness of organisms. Yu et al. (BMC Genomics 2008, 9: 477) reported the complete mt genome sequence of the oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis (16,475 bp) and found that a DNA segment containing four tRNA genes (trnK(1), trnC, trnQ(1) and trnN), a duplicated (rrnS) and a split rRNA gene (rrnL5') was absent compared with that of two other Crassostrea species. It was suggested that the absence was a novel case of "tandem duplication-random loss" with evolutionary significance. We independently sequenced the complete mt genome of three C. hongkongensis individuals, all of which were 18,622 bp and contained the segment that was missing in Yu et al.'s sequence. Further, we designed primers, verified sequences and demonstrated that the sequence loss in Yu et al.'s study was an artifact caused by placing primers in a duplicated region. The duplication and split of ribosomal RNA genes are unique for Crassostrea oysters and not lost in C. hongkongensis. Our study highlights the need for caution when amplifying and sequencing through duplicated regions of the genome.

小麦族多年生植物的染色体组，系统学与进化

禾本科Poaceae小麦族Triticeae Dumort.的多年生物种是该族的重要组成部分，约占该族植物总数的三分之二以上，广泛地分布于全世界各地，主要集中于北半球温带地区。由于小麦族多年生植物的种类繁多，生态环境多样、种间和种内的形态变异极大，而大多数多年生物种又具有多倍体起源，加之属间及种间的天然杂交也十分频繁，以致于造成了其系统学研究的巨大困难。通过近三十年来对小麦族植物的大量属间和种间杂交以及对其杂种的减数分裂染色体配对行为分析，对该族各个属的染色体组构成及其在进化上的关系和意义已经有了较为深入的认识。小麦族中的多倍体属是由来源不同的二倍体祖先属经过天然杂交和染色体自然加倍而形成，因而研究和分析各个二倍体属之间及与多倍体属间的染色体组亲缘关系，为揭示小麦族各属、种之间的系统与进化关系提供了非常有价值的资料。本研究通过对一些小麦族多年生植物的形态学、地理分布、属间和种间杂交以及染色体组之间的亲缘关系的一系列研究，对不同属以及同一属内不同组的物种之间的进化关系进行了深入的分析，并对其系统学进行了讨论。同时对于一些异常的细胞遗传学现象，如染色体在属间杂种的缺失、重复以及染色体配对的遗传控制也作了初步的分析。通过上述研究，本研究对于小麦族多年生的一些属、特别是披碱草属Elymus厶、拟鹅观草属Pseudorocgneria Love和大麦披碱草属Hordelymus (Jessen) Harz,的染色体组构成以及与各物种的形态学关系，物种之间的进化关系均有了更为深刻的认识。

高山松的二倍体杂种起源-来自三个基因组的证据

利用松科植物特殊的遗传体系（叶绿体基因组一父系遗传、线粒体基因组—母系遗传、核基因组一双亲遗传），我们对高山松及其两个亲本种进行了广泛的群体取样，通过线粒体基因nadl、叶绿体基因rbcL和trnL-F基因间区以及低拷贝核基因4CL的序列分析或PCR-RFLP分析，为高山松同倍体杂种起源假说提供了翔实的遗传学证据，同时在个体水平上探讨了高山松不同群体的遗传组成、群体遗传结构、基因交流方向、群体建立过程以及杂种基因组的进化。具体结果如下： 1．细胞质基因组分析 1)线粒体基因nudl分析 本研究对油松、高山松和云南松的19个群体、295个个体的线粒体基因nadl的一个内含子进行了序列分析或PCR-RFLP分析，共检测到3种线粒体DNA单倍型-A、B和C。油松所有的取样群体仅含单倍型A;除BX群体外，所有的云南松群体仅含单倍型B; 10个高山松群体中，5个群体固定单倍型A，4个群体固定单倍型B，1个群体(ZD)分布有A和B两种单倍型。2)叶绿体rbcL基因分析 对同一组群体的rbcL基因进行序列分析或PCR-RFLP分析，共检测到两个变异位点和三种叶绿体单倍型（TT、TC和GC）。TT和GC分别是油松和云南松种特异性叶绿体单倍型，而在高山松群体里则三种单倍型均有分布，而且TC单倍型广泛地分布在7个杂种群体中，该单倍型很可能来源于点突变或第三个已灭绝的亲本。rbcL基因检测到的高山松群体分化系数很高(Gst=0.533)。 3)叶绿体trn L-F区序列分析 叶绿体trnL-F分子标记检测到的不同单倍型的差异主要是由引物“e”下游120碱基处一个多聚T结构的长度变异所致（叶绿体SSR位点）。10个高山松群体中共检测到5种叶绿体单倍型，其中两种主要的单倍型(9T和11T)分别为油松和云南松的种特异性单倍型，其他单倍型均为非典型单倍型。群体遗传结构分析表明：杂种群体表现最高的遗传多样性，而且trnL-F分析得到的高山松群体的分化系数也很高( Gst=0.443)。 总之，对高山松、油松和云南松的同一组群体取样进行的细胞质基因组分析表明：高山松群体分布有油松和云南松种特异性的线粒体和叶绿体单倍型，该细胞质DNA单倍型的地理分布为假说“高山松为油松和云南松的的二倍体杂种”提供了翔实的遗传学证据。油松和云南松在不同的杂种群体中分别做父本和母本，即两亲本在杂交过程中发生了双向基因交流。群体遗传结构分析发现高山松群体表现最高的遗传多样性，而且群体间的分化系数很高。不同的杂种群体在遗传组成上的差异表明他们经历过不同的建立和进化历史。从线粒体和叶绿体单倍型的地理分布可以看出杂种群体的建立曾经历强烈的奠基者效应和回交。青藏高原的隆升对高山松的起源、杂种群体的适应辐射以及保持产生了重要的影响。川西南和滇西北作为青藏高原的东边边界，很可能是当初云南松和油松分布的重叠区及杂交地带，即高山松的起源地。 2．核基因4CL分析 对高山松、油松和云南松的19个群体、32个个体的低拷贝核基因4CL进行了克隆及序列分析，获得的78条序列可分为两种类型（类型A和类型B）。这两种类型明显的差别是类型A相对于类型B在内含子区有- 20bp的缺失。以华山松的3条序列为外类群，对得到的78条序列进行基因谱系分析，发现所有的序列分成明显的两支，分别对应于类型A和类型B，而且每一支均包含三个种的部分序列，表明4CL基因在这三个种分化之前就已发生重复。另一个明显的特点是某个种的一条序列与另一个种的序列比其与同种的其他序列关系更近，可能因基因交流（杂交和渐渗）、非共祖、致同进化和重组等进化事件所致。三种松树中共检测到4CL基因序列的两种类型和六个亚类型，高山松群体中没有发现杂种独特的类型或亚类型。高山松和云南松共享三种序列亚类型以及最多的序列多态性，表明这两个种之间曾存在广泛的基因交流。

高亲和力PO4(3-)转运子编码基因的cDNA克隆及特性分析

以简并引物，利用RT -PCR，克隆了普通小麦和黑麦根系的PO 43-转运子( Trans-porter)基因长约1.2kb的部分cDNA序列。对其与GenBank中的已知序列进行同源性比较，结果表明：(1)小麦与拟南芥、番茄等高等植物的氨基酸水平的同源性为60%～78%; (2)与酵母较低为40%左右，而与丝状真菌和细菌的同源性则<27%; (3)小麦与黑麦的同源性为75%。对其表达特性的研究表明：(1)该基因在根系和茎叶组织中均有表达，但在根系组织中转录产物的累积量显著高于茎叶;(2)磷饥饿条件下，茎叶和根系组织中该基因的表达均增强，但根系组织中增强幅度较大，由此认为该基因产物的功能不只是根系从生长环境中吸收PO 43-，而与PO 43-在植物体内的转运密切相关;(3)磷饥饿5天 后的植株重新供给充足的PO 43-，则该基因的表达在24小时内即显著减弱;(4)分根试验中同株的部分根系生长于磷饥饿(OuM)环境中，而另一部分根系生长于PO 43-充足(250uM)的环境中，这两部分根系中该基因转录产物的积累水平并无显著差异。因此认为植物感受磷饥饿胁迫的信号可能来自植物体内部POi-库的耗竭。此外，用磷讥饿条件下的普通小麦根系mRNA构建了cDNA文库，以克隆的部分序列为探针，从cDNA文库中分离了全长序列。