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Genomics

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PCR fingerprinting of whole genomes: the spacers between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes and of intergenic tRNA gene regions reveal a different intraspecific genomic variability of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis [corrected].

Genomic diversity in 21 strains of Bacillus cereus and 10 strains of Bacillus licheniformis was investigated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, which samples the whole genome, and by two PCR fingerprinting techniques sampling the hypervariable spacers between the conserved 16S and 23S rRNA genes of the rRNA gene operon (ITS-PCR) and regions between tRNA genes (tDNA-PCR). RAPD analysis showed a remarkable diversity among strains of B. cereus that was not observed with the rRNA and tRNA intergenic-spacer-targeted PCR, where all the strains showed practically identical fingerprints. A wide variability among the B. cereus strains was also observed in the plasmid profiles, suggesting that the genetic diversity within B. cereus species can arise from plasmid transfer. One contribution to the diversity detected by RAPD analysis was determined by the presence of large extrachromosomal elements that were amplified during RAPD analysis as shown by Southern hybridization experiments. In contrast to the strains of B. cereus, the 10 strains of B. licheniformis were grouped into two clusters which were the same with all the methods employed. The 16S rRNA genes were identical in all 10 strains when examined using single strand conformation polymorphism analysis after digestion with Alul and Rsal. From these data we hypothesize two different evolutionary schemes for the two species.

Bacillus cereus↗

The complete nucleotide sequence of the rice grassy stunt virus genome and genomic comparisons with viruses of the genus Tenuivirus.

Rice grassy stunt virus (RGSV, IRRI isolate) has six genomic RNA segments. The nucleotide (nt) sequences of RNAs 1-4 were determined. The cumulative length of the RGSV genome, including RNAs 5 and 6, was 25142 nt. All six RNA segments had an ambisense coding strategy and almost identical terminal sequences over 17 nt. The virus complementary (vc) sequence of the largest segment, RNA1, had an open reading frame encoding a protein of Mr 339133 (the 339.1K protein), while the virus sense (v) sequence encoded a protein of Mr 18910 in the 5'-proximal region. The predicted 339.1K protein contained the highly conserved motifs of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a short but distinct Arg/Gly-rich stretch at the C terminus. The putative RNA polymerase showed strong similarity with that of rice stripe tenuivirus (RSV); they shared 37.9% amino acid identity over 2140 residues. The predicted proteins of Mr 23280 on vRNA2 and 93 879 on vcRNA2 were only slightly similar in sequence to the proteins encoded by vRNA2 and vcRNA2 of other tenuiviruses. The predicted proteins encoded by RNA3 and RNA4 did not show significant similarity to any database proteins. Only the putative RNA polymerase encoded on RNA1 was well-conserved between RGSV and RSV. The low sequence similarities in proteins encoded by RNAs 2, 5 and 6, together with the unique RNA segments 3 and 4, indicate that RGSV may be distinct from other tenuiviruses.

Base Sequence↗

DNA-DNA hybridization study of Burkholderia species using genomic DNA macro-array analysis coupled to reverse genome probing.

The present study was aimed at simplifying procedures to delineate species and identify isolates based on DNA-DNA reassociation. DNA macro-arrays harbouring genomic DNA of reference strains of several Burkholderia species were produced. Labelled genomic DNA, hybridized to such an array, allowed multiple relative pairwise comparisons. Based on the relative DNA-DNA relatedness values, a complete data matrix was constructed and the ability of the method to discriminate strains belonging to different species was assessed. This simple approach led successfully to the discrimination of Burkholderia mallei from Burkholderia pseudomallei, but also discriminated Burkholderia cepacia genomovars I and III, Burkholderia multivorans, Burkholderia pyrrocinia, Burkholderia stabilis and Burkholderia vietnamiensis. Present data showed a sufficient degree of congruence with previous DNA-DNA reassociation techniques. As part of a polyphasic taxonomic scheme, this straightforward approach is proposed to improve species definition, especially for application in the rapid screening necessary for large numbers of clinical or environmental isolates.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

A generalized transducing phage (phiIF3) for the genomically sequenced Serratia marcescens strain Db11: a tool for functional genomics of an opportunistic human pathogen.

A bacteriophage (phiIF3) capable of mediating generalized transduction in Serratia marcescens strain Db11 has been isolated and characterized. The genome of this Serratia strain has recently been sequenced and is likely to become the reference strain for S. marcescens researchers. phiIF3 is most likely a virulent phage, which can transduce markers at frequencies of 10(-6) transductants per p.f.u. It has a lipopolysaccharide receptor and was determined to have a latent period of 50 min and a burst size of approximately 100 phages. The phage DNA was resistant to digestion with restriction enzymes. Electron microscopy showed phiIF3 to be a member of the family Myoviridae. This is the first report of a generalized transducing phage able to infect Db11 and this phage will be a valuable tool for functional genomic analysis of the pathogen host.

Bacteriophages↗

The human cytomegalovirus genome revisited: comparison with the chimpanzee cytomegalovirus genome.

The gene complement of wild-type human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is incompletely understood, on account of the size and complexity of the viral genome and because laboratory strains have undergone deletions and rearrangements during adaptation to growth in culture. We have determined the sequence (241 087 bp) of chimpanzee cytomegalovirus (CCMV) and have compared it with published HCMV sequences from the laboratory strains AD169 and Toledo, with the aim of clarifying the gene content of wild-type HCMV. The HCMV and CCMV genomes are moderately diverged and essentially collinear. On the basis of conservation of potential protein-coding regions and other sequence features, we have discounted 51 previously proposed HCMV ORFs, modified the interpretations for 24 (including assignments of multiple exons) and proposed ten novel genes. Several errors were detected in the published HCMV sequences. We presently recognize 165 genes in CCMV and 145 in AD169; this compares with an estimate of 189 unique genes for AD169 made in 1990. Our best estimate for the complement of wild-type HCMV is 164 to 167 genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of genes that protect the C. elegans genome against mutations by genome-wide RNAi.

An RNA interference (RNAi)-based genome-wide screen was performed to detect genes that contribute to genome stability in somatic cells of Caenorhabditis elegans. We identified 61 such genes; these also affect spontaneous mutagenesis in the germ line. Their sequence suggests a role in DNA repair and/or replication, in chromatin remodeling, or in cell cycle control; there are also many novel genes that are highly conserved from yeast to human. Because known mutator genes are causally involved in many hereditary and sporadic human cancers, it is likely that some of these new mutators are equally relevant in cancer etiology.

Animals↗

Curated genome annotation of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and comparative genome analysis with Arabidopsis thaliana.

We present here the annotation of the complete genome of rice Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica cultivar Nipponbare. All functional annotations for proteins and non-protein-coding RNA (npRNA) candidates were manually curated. Functions were identified or inferred in 19,969 (70%) of the proteins, and 131 possible npRNAs (including 58 antisense transcripts) were found. Almost 5000 annotated protein-coding genes were found to be disrupted in insertional mutant lines, which will accelerate future experimental validation of the annotations. The rice loci were determined by using cDNA sequences obtained from rice and other representative cereals. Our conservative estimate based on these loci and an extrapolation suggested that the gene number of rice is approximately 32,000, which is smaller than previous estimates. We conducted comparative analyses between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana and found that both genomes possessed several lineage-specific genes, which might account for the observed differences between these species, while they had similar sets of predicted functional domains among the protein sequences. A system to control translational efficiency seems to be conserved across large evolutionary distances. Moreover, the evolutionary process of protein-coding genes was examined. Our results suggest that natural selection may have played a role for duplicated genes in both species, so that duplication was suppressed or favored in a manner that depended on the function of a gene.

Arabidopsis↗

Genome analysis of F. nucleatum sub spp vincentii and its comparison with the genome of F. nucleatum ATCC 25586.

We present the draft genome sequence and its analysis for Fusobacterium nucleatum sub spp. vincentii (FNV), and compare that genome with F. nucleatum ATCC 25586 (FN). A total of 441 FNV open reading frames (ORFs) with no orthologs in FN have been identified. Of these, 118 ORFs have no known function and are unique to FNV, whereas 323 ORFs have functional orthologs in other organisms. In addition to the excretion of butyrate, H2S and ammonia-like FN, FNV has the additional capability to excrete lactate and aminobutyrate. Unlike FN, FNV is likely to incorporate galactopyranose, galacturonate, and sialic acid into its O-antigen. It appears to transport ferrous iron by an anaerobic ferrous transporter. Genes for eukaryotic type serine/threonine kinase and phosphatase, transpeptidase E-transglycosylase Pbp1A are found in FNV but not in FN. Unique ABC transporters, cryptic phages, and three types of restriction-modification systems have been identified in FNV. ORFs for ethanolamine utilization, thermostable carboxypeptidase, gamma glutamyl-transpeptidase, and deblocking aminopeptidases are absent from FNV. FNV, like FN, lacks the classical catalase-peroxidase system, but thioredoxin/glutaredoxin enzymes might alleviate oxidative stress. Genes for resistance to antibiotics such as acriflavin, bacitracin, bleomycin, daunorubicin, florfenicol, and other general multidrug resistance are present. These capabilities allow Fusobacteria to survive in a mixed culture in the mouth.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Toward the construction of integrated physical and genetic maps of the mouse genome using interspersed repetitive sequence PCR (IRS-PCR) genomics.

Using two recently developed techniques, IRS-PCR YAC walking and IRS-PCR genotyping, a framework-integrated physical and genetic map of the mouse genome was constructed. The map consists of 821 contigs, containing 7746 YAC clones originating from three different YAC libraries. Three hundred eighty of the contigs have been anchored to the genetic map. Approximately 16% of the physical length of the mouse genome is estimated to be represented.

Animals↗

Virulence Searcher: a tool for searching raw genome sequences from bacterial genomes for putative virulence factors.

There is often a delay between completion of a genome sequence and its publication, mainly because of the lengthy process of annotation. For most researchers, the raw sequence alone does not easily yield the rich information it contains. An online tool (Virulence Searcher) has been designed that enables scientists interested in bacterial pathogenesis to search sequences from unannotated bacterial genomes for putative genes encoding virulence factors. This will facilitate an immediate start on important research into bacterial disease without having to wait for the annotated sequence to be published.

Genes, Bacterial↗

Genome-wide analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid in endometrial cancer using comparative genomic hybridization microarrays.

The aim of this study was to identify amplified oncogenes in endometrial cancer using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH). Despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms of endometrial carcinogenesis are still poorly understood. The selected array CGH allows the simultaneous examination of 58 oncogenes commonly amplified in human cancers and is capable of achieving increased mapping resolution compared with conventional CGH. A subset of 8 specimens from a bank of 60 malignant and normal specimens was selected for array analysis to identify potential genes of interest. TaqMan polymerase chain reaction was carried out on the 60 specimens to examine if aberrations at the genomic level correlated with gene expression and to compare expression in normal and malignant samples. Oncogenes amplified in the endometrial cancers included AR, PIK3CA, MET, HRAS, NRAS, D17S1670, FGFR1, CTSB, RPS6KB1, LAMC2, MYC, PDGFRA, FGF4/FGF3, PAKI, and FGR. Three genes were examined at the messenger RNA level. AR and PIK3CA were higher in normal specimens, and MET was higher in malignant samples, suggesting a role for MET in endometrial cancer. Newer arrays examining more genes and larger sample numbers are necessary to elucidate the carcinogenic pathway in endometrial cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Analysis of the genome of the five Bifidobacterium breve strains: plasmid content, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genome size estimation and rrn loci number.

The genomes of the five Bifidobacterium breve strains available from culture collections were compared by restriction endonuclease analysis. Electrophoretic migration of undigested DNA allowed us to detect a 5.6-kb circular plasmid in two of these strains. A restriction map of this plasmid was constructed using 10 enzymes. With DraI endonuclease, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis has allowed the determination of the five B. breve genome sizes to 2.1 Mb. This estimation was further confirmed for CIP 6469 (type strain) and ATCC 15698 using XbaI and SpeI enzymes. In addition, rRNA gene regions were used as probes for strain characterization and suggest that there are at least three rrn loci in B. breve.

Bifidobacterium↗

Genomic introgressions from wild relatives in the wheat genome alter meiotic dynamics in inter-varietal hybrids.

The use of wild relatives to introduce original diversity in the genome of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an interesting approach to face the challenges of sustainable agriculture and the impact of climate change on wheat production. However, the influence of these wild-species introgressions on meiosis in inter-varietal wheat hybrids remains poorly understood. We analyzed the French wheat variety Renan (Re) carrying Aegilops ventricosa (Aev)-derived 2AS/2NS and 7DL/7DvL introgressions, the reference cultivar Chinese Spring (CS), which lacks these introgressions, and their inter-varietal hybrid Chinese Spring × Renan (CSRe). This analysis combined cytogenetic approaches with the assessment of reproductive performance. Furthermore, we generated a cytological atlas of meiosis in wild tetraploid Aev, quantifying bivalent configurations and chiasma frequency. We observed a reduced pollen viability and a slight decrease in floret fertility in the hybrid CSRe. Exploration of the meiotic behavior showed that CSRe exhibited increased numbers of rod bivalents and univalents, leading to a reduced average chiasma number and frequent chromosome bridges and fragmentations, whereas the parental lines maintained stable chromosome pairing. These rearrangements indicate that homologous chromosome pairing and recombination are affected in CSRe. We applied introgression-specific oligo-Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization to localize alien segments in CSRe, providing a novel strategy to investigate the meiotic behavior of introgressed regions. The 2AS/2NS introgressed segments in CSRe were frequently located on rod bivalents or univalents, while 7DL/7DvL segments consistently formed ring bivalents. Our results provide a foundation for guiding alien gene introgression and for understanding the behavior of chromosomes with introgressions in the wheat genome.

Meiosis↗

Intestinal calcium transport in mole-rats (Cryptomys damarensis and Heterocephalus glaber) is independent of both genomic and non-genomic vitamin D mediation.

The role of vitamin D in mineral uptake in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber and Cryptomys damarensis; family Bathyergidae), animals with a naturally impoverished vitamin D status, was investigated. We measured relative rates of passage of radioactive markers, mode of calcium (Ca) uptake, paracellular movement and the opening of voltage-sensitive Ca channels (VSCCs) along the GIT with and without oral vitamin D3 supplementation. The ratio of relative absorption of labelled 45Ca to [14C]polyethylene glycol ([14C]PEG) indicated that within 24 h more than 88% of the Ca in the diet had been absorbed. Most absorption occurred in the duodenum within 12 h. The contribution of the hindgut (caecum and proximal and distal colon) to total Ca absorption was small (approximately 11%). Only passive uptake occurred in the duodenum (serosal (S): mucosal (M) ratios approximately 1). Active uptake occurred in the hindgut (S:M > 2), although hindgut absorption appears to play a secondary role to passive uptake in the duodenum. Vitamin D3 supplementation had no effect on the mode of Ca uptake in either the small intestine or the hindgut. Although we found VSCCs in mole-rat intestinal epithelial cells, they occurred in very low concentrations. Calcium influx through VSCCs did not change following vitamin D stimulation. Furthermore, mole-rats pretreated with intraperitoneal (I.P.) 1,25(OH)2D3 showed no enhancement of VSCC Ca uptake, indicating that active uptake plays a minor role, if any, in GIT mineral absorption. Our data support the hypothesis that intestinal Ca transport in mole-rats is independent of both genomic and non-genomic vitamin D mediation.

Animals↗

Comparative genomics of BCG vaccines by whole-genome DNA microarray.

Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines are live attenuated strains of Mycobacterium bovis administered to prevent tuberculosis. To better understand the differences between M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, and the various BCG daughter strains, their genomic compositions were studied by performing comparative hybridization experiments on a DNA microarray. Regions deleted from BCG vaccines relative to the virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv reference strain were confirmed by sequencing across the missing segment of the H37Rv genome. Eleven regions (encompassing 91 open reading frames) of H37Rv were found that were absent from one or more virulent strains of M. bovis. Five additional regions representing 38 open reading frames were present in M. bovis but absent from some or all BCG strains; this is evidence for the ongoing evolution of BCG strains since their original derivation. A precise understanding of the genetic differences between closely related Mycobacteria suggests rational approaches to the design of improved diagnostics and vaccines.

BCG Vaccine↗

Genomics. Painting a picture of genome evolution.

A new analysis of the genome sequences of two bacteria shows that genes can be lost as well as gained during evolution. Even more intriguingly, the work provides snapshots capturing gene decay in the act and thus illuminates the actual genomic changes that occurred over tens of millions of years of evolution. The research, which is described on page 2093, focuses on two pathogenic bacteria: Rickettsia conorii, the culprit in Mediterranean spotted fever, and R. prowazekii, which causes typhus.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Survey of genomic diversity among Enterococcus faecalis strains by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization.

We have compared nine Enterococcus faecalis strains with E. faecalis V583 by comparative genomic hybridization using microarrays (CGH). The strains used in this study (the "test" strains) originated from various environments. CGH is a powerful and promising tool for obtaining novel information on genome diversity in bacteria. By CGH, one obtains clues about which genes are present or divergent in the strains, compared to a reference strain (here, V583). The information obtained by CGH is important from both ecological and systematic points of view. CGH of E. faecalis showed considerable diversity in gene content: Compared to V583, the percentage of divergent genes in the test strains varied from 15% to 23%, and 154 genes were divergent in all strains. The main variation was found in regions corresponding to exogenously acquired or mobile DNA in V583. Antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, and integrated plasmid genes dominated among the divergent genes. The strains examined showed various contents of genes corresponding to the pTEF1, pTEF2, and pTEF3 genes in V583. The extensive transport and metabolic capabilities of V583 appeared similar in the test strains; CGH indicated that the ability to transport and metabolize various carbohydrates was similar in the test strains (verified by API 50 CH assays). The contents of genes related to stress tolerance appeared similar in V583 and the nine test strains, supporting the view of E. faecalis as an organism able to resist harsh conditions.

Enterococcus faecalis↗