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J N Strathern

Publications and source records attributed to J N Strathern.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Hybrid Ty1/HIV-1 elements used to detect inhibitors and monitor the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

We previously demonstrated that hybrid retrotransposons composed of the yeast Ty1 element and the reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV-1 are active in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The RT activity of these hybrid Ty1/HIV-1 (his3AI/AIDS RT; HART) elements can be monitored by using a simple genetic assay. HART element reverse transcription depends on both the polymerase and RNase H domains of HIV-1 RT. Here we demonstrate that the HART assay is sensitive to inhibitors of HIV-1 RT. (-)-(S)-8-Chloro-4,5,6, 7-tetrahydro-5-methyl-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)imidazo[4,5,1-jk][1, 4]-benzodiazepin-2(1H)-thione monohydrochloride (8 Cl-TIBO), a well characterized non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI) of HIV-1 RT, blocks propagation of HART elements. HART elements that express NNRTI-resistant RT variants of HIV-1 are insensitive to 8 Cl-TIBO, demonstrating the specificity of inhibition in this assay. HART elements carrying NNRTI-resistant variants of HIV-1 RT can be used to identify compounds that are active against drug-resistant viruses.

Biological Assay↗
PubMed1998

The chromosome bias of misincorporations during double-strand break repair is not altered in mismatch repair-defective strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Recombinational repair of a site-specific, double-strand DNA break (DSB) results in increased reversion frequency for nearby mutations. Although some models for DSB repair predict that newly synthesized DNA will be inherited equally by both the originally broken chromosome and the chromosome that served as a template, the DNA synthesis errors are almost exclusively found on the chromosome that had the original DSB (introduced by the HO endonuclease). To determine whether mismatch repair acts on the template chromosome in a directed fashion to restore mismatches to the initial sequence, these experiments were repeated in mismatch repair-defective (pms1, mlh1, and msh2) backgrounds. The results suggest that mismatch repair is not responsible for the observed bias.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1997

A role for REV3 in mutagenesis during double-strand break repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Recombinational repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs), traditionally believed to be an error-free DNA repair pathway, was recently shown to increase the frequency of mutations in a nearby interval. The reversion rate of trp1 alleles (either nonsense or frameshift mutations) near an HO-endonuclease cleavage site is increased at least 100-fold among cells that have experienced an HO-mediated DSB. We report here that in strains deleted for rev3 this DSB-associated reversion of a nonsense mutation was greatly decreased. Thus REV3, which encodes a subunit of the translesion DNA polymerase zeta, was responsible for the majority of these base substitution errors near a DSB. However, rev3 strains showed no decrease in HO-stimulated recombination, implying that another DNA polymerase also functioned in recombinational repair of a DSB. Reversion of trp1 frameshift alleles near a DSB was not reduced in rev3 strains, indicating that another polymerase could act during DSB repair to make these frameshift errors. Analysis of spontaneous reversion in haploid strains suggested that Rev3p had a greater role in making point mutations than in frameshift mutations.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗
PubMed1996

HST1, a new member of the SIR2 family of genes.

A novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene, HST1, was identified from among anonymous cDNAs and the complete corresponding genomic clone was isolated and sequenced. HST1 is very closely related to SIR2, showing 71% sequence identity over 84% of its length. Polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers on S. cerevisiae DNA identified three additional SIR2-related genes designated HST2, HST3 and HST4. The sequences of HST2, HST3 and HST4 correspond to sequences previously released by the S. cerevisiae genome sequencing project as U33335, NCBI gi:965078; X87331, NCBI gi:829135; and Z48784, YD9346.03, respectively. Disruption of HST1 has shown no phenotype with respect to mechanisms in which SIR2 has a role, namely, regional silencing of HML alpha, or in rDNA recombination.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

A ste12 allele having a differential effect on a versus alpha cells.

The transcriptional activator Ste12p is a key component of the yeast pheromone response pathway: phosphorylated as a consequence of signal transduction, it activates transcription of genes that promote mating and the subsequent fusion of the two cell types a and alpha. Activation by Ste12p requires three types of protein-protein interaction between DNA-binding activator proteins: (1) Ste12p by itself can induce non-cell-type-specific genes involved in mating; (2) cooperation of the transactivator Mcm1p with Ste12p induces a-specific genes; and (3) formation of a complex of the activator proteins Mcm1p and alpha 1 (a transcriptional activator of alpha-specific genes) with Ste12p is believed to induce alpha-specific genes. We isolated and characterized a partially functional ste12 allele (ste12-T50), that is defective only in the activation of alpha-specific genes. ste12-T50 was isolated as a second-site mutation conferring the a mating phenotype on mat alpha 2 mutant cells. In mat alpha 2 cells, where due to the lack of repressor, alpha 2, both sets of cell-type-specific genes are expressed, ste12-T50 apparently tips the balance in favor of a-specific gene expression. Thus, mat alpha 2 ste12-T50 cells mate like a cells. Additional ste12 mutants that confer the a mating phenotype on mat alpha 2 cells have also been isolated.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

DNA synthesis errors associated with double-strand-break repair.

Repair of a site-specific double-strand DNA break (DSB) resulted in increased reversion frequency for a nearby allele. Site-specific DSBs were introduced into the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the endonuclease encoded by the HO gene. Expression of the HO gene from a galactose-inducible promoter allowed efficient DNA cleavage at a single site in large populations of cells. To determine whether the DNA synthesis associated with repair of DSBs has a higher error rate than that associated with genome duplication, HO-induced DSBs were generated 0.3 kb from revertible alleles of trp1. The reversion rate of the trp1 alleles was approximately 100-fold higher among cells that had experienced an HO cut than among uninduced cells. The reverted allele was found predominantly on the chromosome that experienced the DNA cleavage.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

Isolation, identification and characterization of the FUN12 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have cloned and characterized the FUN12 gene which is found on chromosome 1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the cDNA and the genomic clones shows that FUN12 is expressed as a 3.7-kb message and should encode a 97 kDa-protein. Immunoprecipitations using antipeptide antibodies showed that the cells contain a Fun12p of this size. The databases contain no nt sequences that are homologous to FUN12 and no protein homologous to Fun12p. Gene disruption experiments showed that FUN12 is an essential gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

A role for reverse transcripts in gene conversion.

Recombination between a diffusible reverse transcript and its homologous chromosomal allele has been proposed as a mechanism for the precise removal of introns from DNA and gene conversion of dispersed repeated sequences. We have reported that RNA-mediated recombination occurs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This recombination requires expression of the retrotransposon Ty, and results in intron loss from a plasmid-borne marker gene and the formation of pseudogenes. Because the pseudogenes are embedded in Ty sequences, chromosomal insertion could have been mediated by Ty integrase or by homologous recombination with endogenous Ty sequences. The structure of the chromosomal recombinants and the fact that plasmid and chromosomal recombination can have different requirements demanded a direct demonstration of RNA-mediated gene conversion of a chromosomal allele. Here we report the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of recombination between a reverse transcript and its chromosomal homologue and describe an assay that specifically detects this novel recombination pathway.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Molecular genetics in Saccharomyces kluyveri: the HIS3 homolog and its use as a selectable marker gene in S. kluyveri and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We cloned the Saccharomyces kluyveri HIS3 homolog, k-HIS3, and made a partial deletion of the gene. The k-HIS3 gene complemented a HIS3 deletion in S. cerevisiae. The DNA sequences of the open reading frames (ORFs) of the HIS3 homologs are 70% identical at the DNA level and 83% identical at the deduced amino acid level. The ORF upstream of the k-HIS3 gene is related to the PET56 gene of S. cerevisiae found upstream of the HIS3 gene of S. cerevisiae. The ORF downstream from the k-HIS3 gene is not related to the DED1 gene found downstream of the HIS3 gene in S. cerevisiae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Recombination initiated by double-strand breaks.

The HO endonuclease was used to introduce a site-specific double-strand break (DSB) in an interval designed to monitor mitotic recombination. The interval included the trp1 and his3 genes inserted into chromosome III of S. cerevisiae between the CRY1 and MAT loci. Mitotic recombination was monitored in a diploid carrying heteroalleles of trp1 and his3. The normal recognition sites for the HO endonuclease were mutated at the MAT alleles and a synthetic recognition site for HO endonuclease was placed between trp1 and his3 on one of the chromosomes. HO-induced cleavage resulted in efficient recombination in this interval. Most of the data can be explained by double-strand gap repair in which the cut chromosome acts as the recipient. However, analysis of some of the recombinants indicates that regions of heteroduplex were generated flanking the site of the cut, and that some recombinants were the result of the cut chromosome acting as the genetic donor.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

A rare tRNA-Arg(CCU) that regulates Ty1 element ribosomal frameshifting is essential for Ty1 retrotransposition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Translation of the yeast retrotransposon Ty1 TYA1(gag)-TYB1(pol) gene occurs by a +1 ribosomal frameshifting event at the sequence CUU AGG C. Because overexpression of a low abundance tRNA-Arg(CCU) encoded by the HSX1 gene resulted in a reduction in Ty1 frameshifting, it was suggested that a translational pause at the AGG-Arg codon is required for optimum frameshifting. The present work shows that the absence of tRNA-Arg(CCU) affects Ty1 transposition, translational frameshifting, and accumulation of mature TYB1 proteins. Transposition of genetically tagged Ty1 elements decreases at least 50-fold and translational frameshifting increases 3-17-fold in cells lacking tRNA-Arg(CCU). Accumulation of Ty1-integrase and Ty1-reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H is defective in an hsx1 mutant. The defect in Ty1 transposition is complemented by the wild-type HSX1 gene or a mutant tRNA-Arg(UCU) gene containing a C for T substitution in the first position of the anticodon. Overexpression of TYA1 stimulates Ty1 transposition 50-fold above wild-type levels when the level of transposition is compared in isogenic hsx1 and HSX1 strains. Thus, the HSX1 gene determines the ratio of the TYA1 to TYA1-TYB1 precursors required for protein processing or stability, and keeps expression of TYB1 a rate-limiting step in the retrotransposition cycle.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Ends-in vs. ends-out recombination in yeast.

Integration of linearized plasmids into yeast chromosomes has been used as a model system for the study of recombination initiated by double-strand breaks. The linearized plasmid DNA recombines efficiently into sequences homologous to the ends of the DNA. This efficient recombination occurs both for the configuration in which the break is in a contiguous region of homology (herein called the ends-in configuration) and for "omega" insertions in which plasmid sequences interrupt a linear region of homology (herein called the ends-out configuration). The requirements for integration of these two configurations are expected to be different. We compared these two processes in a yeast strain containing an ends-in target and an ends-out target for the same cut plasmid. Recovery of ends-in events exceeds ends-out events by two- to threefold. Possible causes for the origin of this small bias are discussed. The lack of an extreme difference in frequency implies that cooperativity between the two ends does not contribute to the efficiency with which cut circular plasmids are integrated. This may also be true for the repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks.

Alleles↗
PubMed1992

Recent writings on yeast recombination.

The analysis of recombination mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a lively literature spanning classical genetics, enzymology and the physical analysis of intermediates. Recent papers include excellent examples from each of these areas.

Crossing Over, Genetic↗
PubMed1992

Disruption of a silencer domain by a retrotransposon.

A galactose-inducible Ty element carrying the HIS3 gene has been used as an insertional mutagen to generate alpha-factor resistant mutants. This collection of Ty-induced mutations includes insertions into the gene for the alpha-factor receptor (STE2), several nonspecific STE genes, and mutations that lead to the expression of the normally silent HML alpha locus. The hml alpha "on" mutations fall into two classes, those that disrupt trans-acting regulators involved in silencing HML alpha and a novel class of mutations that activate HML alpha by insertion at that locus. The hml alpha::Ty "on" mutations illustrate the unusual ability of these retrotransposons to activate genes by overcoming gene silencing mechanisms. The hml alpha::Ty "on" mutations include examples of multimeric Ty arrays. Single Ty and solo delta insertion derivatives of these Ty multimers restore the ability of the silencing mechanism to repress HML alpha.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1992

Ty element-induced temperature-sensitive mutations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated by insertional mutagenesis using the HIS3 marked retrotransposon TyH3HIS3. In such mutants, the TyHIS3 insertions are expected to identify loci which encode genes essential for cell growth at high temperatures but dispensable at low temperatures. Five mutations were isolated and named hit for high temperature growth. The hit1-1 mutation was located on chromosome X and conferred the pet phenotype. Two hit2 mutations, hit2-1 and hit2-2, were located on chromosome III and caused the deletion of the PET18 locus which has been shown to encode a gene required for growth at high temperatures. The hit3-1 mutation was located on chromosome VI and affected the CDC26 gene. The hit4-1 mutation was located on chromosome XIII. These hit mutations were analyzed in an attempt to identify novel genes involved in the heat shock response. The hit1-1 mutation caused a defect in synthesis of a 74-kD heat shock protein. Western blot analysis revealed that the heat shock protein corresponded to the SSC1 protein, a member of the yeast hsp70 family. In the hit1-1 mutant, the TyHIS3 insertion caused a deletion of a 3-kb DNA segment between the delta 1 and delta 4 sequences near the SUP4 locus. The 1031-bp wild-type HIT1 DNA which contained an open reading frame encoding a protein of 164 amino acids and the AGG arginine tRNA gene complemented all hit1-1 mutant phenotypes, indicating that the mutant phenotypes were caused by the deletion of these genes. The pleiotropy of the HIT1 locus was analyzed by constructing a disruption mutation of each gene in vitro and transplacing it to the chromosome. This analysis revealed that the HIT1 gene essential for growth at high temperatures encodes the 164-amino acid protein. The arginine tRNA gene, named HSX1, is essential for growth on a nonfermentable carbon source at high temperatures and for synthesis of the SSC1 heat shock protein.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

RNA-mediated recombination in S. cerevisiae.

The existence of pseudogenes and the observation of intron loss suggest that RNA can serve as an intermediate in recombination. We used a HIS3 reporter gene to show that RNA-mediated recombination occurs in yeast. His3+ prototroph formation required transcription and expression of the retrotransposon Ty. Two RNA-mediated recombination events were detected: homologous recombination between the cDNA and plasmid his3 sequences, resulting in intron loss, and insertion of the cDNA into the chromosome in the absence of HIS3 homology. The chromosomal His3+ prototrophs showed many hallmarks of naturally occurring pseudogenes. They integrated at novel sites in the chromosome, lacked introns, and possessed poly(A) tracts. Additionally, their 5' ends corresponded with the site of initiation of the GAL1 transcript.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Electroporation-stimulated recombination in yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells treated by high voltage and made transformation-competent (electroporation) are also made hyper-recombinational as determined by an assay that measures interchromosomal mitotic recombination between chromosome III homologs, each containing mutant heteroallelic copies of the trp1 and his3 genes. There is a 10-fold stimulation of Trp+ and 21-fold stimulation of His+ prototrophs. Although this stimulation coincides with conditions for maximal transformation competence it is independent of the presence of transforming plasmid DNA. Electroporation does not increase the reversion frequency of these mutations, nor is there a stimulation in Ty transposition. Among the electroporation-stimulated Trp+ and His+ recombinants there is no dramatic difference in the pattern of events: that is to say that, while there is an increase in the number of recombinants, the distribution of gene conversion and cross-over events among the stimulated recombinants is not significantly altered compared to spontaneously arising Trp+ and His+ recombinants. This electroporation-stimulated recombination is abolished in an isogenic rad52 mutant strain consistent with the increase in Trp+ and His+ prototrophs being the result of a stimulation of a RAD52-dependent recombination pathway.

Alleles↗