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Determination of Trichuris muris from murid hosts and T. arvicolae (Nematoda) from arvicolid rodents by amplification and sequentiation of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 segment of the ribosomal DNA.

Trichuris muris has been isolated from murid hosts ( Apodemus sylvaticus and Mus musculus) and Trichuris arvicolae from arvicolid rodents in Barcelona, Spain. Genomic DNA was isolated and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 segment from the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was amplified and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction techniques. The ITS2 of both populations isolated from Apodemus and Mus was 382 nucleotides in length and had a GC content of about 60.73%, while the ITS2 of T. arvicolae was 442 nucleotides in length and had a GC content of about 59.8%. Furthermore, the ITS1 of Trichuris from murids was 448 nucleotides in length and had a GC content of about 56.47%, while T. arvicolae was 446 nucleotides in length and had 57.62% of GC content. A total of 161 and 173 nucleotides were observed along the 5.8S gene of T. murisand T. arvicolae, respectively; This difference in nucleotides was due to the insertion of a DNA segment (transposon) in the 5.8S sequence of the latter species. Slight intraindividual and intraspecific variations were detected in the rDNA of both species. The presence of microsatellites was observed in all of the individuals assayed. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers and the 5.8S gene demonstrated no sequence differences between T. muris isolated from both of its murid hosts. Nevertheless, clear differences were detected between the ITS2, ITS1 and 5.8S gene of T. muris and T. arvicolae. This corroborates the existence of two separate Trichuris species in murid and arvicolid hosts. Furthermore, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out and endonucleases restriction maps were elaborated for both species.

Animals↗

Evidence that the hanA gene coding for HU protein is essential for heterocyst differentiation in, and cyanophage A-4(L) sensitivity of, Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

The highly pleiotropic, transposon-generated mutant AB22 of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 exhibits slow growth, altered pigmentation, cellular fragility, resistance to phage A-4(L), and the inability to differentiate heterocysts. Reconstruction of the transposon mutation in the wild-type strain reproduced the phenotype of the original mutant. Sequencing of the flanking DNA showed that the transposon had inserted at the beginning of a gene, which we call hanA, that encodes Anabaena HU protein (R. Nagaraja and R. Haselkorn, Biochimie 76:1082-1089, 1994). Mapping of the transposon insertion by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that hanA is located at ca. 4.76 Mb on the physical map of the chromosome and is transcribed clockwise. Repeated subculturing of AB22 resulted in improved growth and loss of filament fragmentation, presumably because of one or more compensatory mutations; however, the mutant retained its A-4(L)r Het- phenotype. The mutation in strain AB22 could be complemented by a fragment of wild-type DNA bearing hanA as its only open reading frame.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Establishment of a functional genomics platform for Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli.

Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli, the causal agent of ratoon stunting disease in sugarcane, is a xylem-limited, nutritionally fastidious, slow growing, gram-positive coryneform bacterium. Because of the difficulties in growing this bacterium in pure culture, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. Currently, the genome sequence of L. xyli subsp. xyli is being completed by the Agronomical and Environmental Genomes group from the Organization for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis in Brazil. To complement this work, we produced 712 Lxx::Tn4431 transposon mutants and sequenced flanking regions from 383 of these, using a rapid polymerase chain reaction-based approach. Tn4431 insertions appeared to be widespread throughout the L. xyli subsp. xyli genome; however, there were regions that had significantly higher concentrations of insertions. The Tn4431 mutant library was screened for individuals unable to colonize sugarcane, and one noncolonizing mutant was found. The mutant contained a transposon insertion disrupting two open reading frames (ORF), one of which had homology to an integral membrane protein from Mycobacterium leprae. Sequencing of the surrounding regions revealed two operons, pro and cyd, both of which are believed to play roles in disease. Complementation studies were carried out using the noncolonizing Lxx::Tn4431 mutant. The noncolonizing mutant was transformed with a cosmid containing 40 kbp of wild-type sequence, which included the two ORF disrupted in the mutant, and several transformants were subsequently able to colonize sugarcane. However, analysis of each of these transformants, before and after colonization, suggests that they have all undergone various recombinant events, obscuring the roles of these ORF in L. xyli subsp. xyli pathogenesis.

Actinomycetales↗

The genes for benzene catabolism in Pseudomonas putida ML2 are flanked by two copies of the insertion element IS1489, forming a class-I-type catabolic transposon, Tn5542.

Two directly repeated sequences of the IS elements IS1489v1 and IS1489v2 flank the benzene dioxygenase (bedC1C2BA) and the cis-benzene dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (bedD) genes on the catabolic plasmid pHMT112 in Pseudomonas putida ML2, forming a Class-I-type composite transposon, Tn5542. Both IS1489v1 and IS1489v2 contain an identical 1371-bp open reading frame, tnpA, that is preceded by a possible ribosome binding site. The tnpA gene of IS1489v1 is bound by a pair of 40-bp imperfect inverted repeats while that of IS1489v2 is flanked only by the left inverted repeat. The tnpA gene codes for a putative 53-kDa polypeptide of 456 amino acids bearing similarity to transposases encoded on IS elements of P. alcaligenes, P. aeruginosa, P. stutzeri, and Serratia marcescens. The basic nature of the putative TnpA protein with a deduced pI of 8.93 is typical of IS-encoded transposases. Similar to other IS elements, an outward facing promoter was detected at the right end of IS1489v1. Experiments involving the suicide vector, pKNG101, failed to show transposition of Tn5542.

Base Sequence↗

A postgenomic method for predicting essential genes at subsaturation levels of mutagenesis: application to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

We describe a postgenomic in silico approach for identifying genes that are likely to be essential and estimate their proportion in haploid genomes. With the knowledge of all sites eligible for mutagenesis and an experimentally determined partial list of nonessential genes from genome mutagenesis, a Bayesian statistical method provides reasonable predictions of essential genes with a subsaturation level of random mutagenesis. For mutagenesis, a transposon such as Himar1 is suitable as it inserts randomly into TA sites. All of the possible insertion sites may be determined a priori from the genome sequence and with this information, data on experimentally hit TA sites may be used to predict the proportion of genes that cannot be mutated. As a model, we used the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. Using the Himar1 transposon, we created a genetically defined collection of 1,425 insertion mutants. Based on our Bayesian statistical analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo and the observed frequencies of transposon insertions in all of the genes, we estimated that the M. tuberculosis genome contains 35% (95% confidence interval, 28%-41%) essential genes. This analysis further revealed seven functional groups with high probabilities of being enriched in essential genes. The PE-PGRS (Pro-Glu polymorphic GC-rich repetitive sequence) family of genes, which are unique to mycobacteria, the polyketide/nonribosomal peptide synthase family, and mycolic and fatty acid biosynthesis gene families were disproportionately enriched in essential genes. At subsaturation levels of mutagenesis with a random transposon such as Himar1, this approach permits a statistical prediction of both the proportion and identities of essential genes of sequenced genomes.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Brucella abortus strain 2308 produces brucebactin, a highly efficient catecholic siderophore.

Brucella abortus is known to produce 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate (2,3-DHBA) and to use this catechol as a siderophore to grow under iron-limited conditions. In this study a mutant (BAM41) is described that is deficient in siderophore production by insertion of Tn5 in the virulent B. abortus strain 2308. This mutant was unable to grow on iron-deprived medium and its growth could not be restored by addition of 2,3-DHBA. Production of catecholic compounds by both the Brucella mutant and parental strains under iron-deprivation conditions was assayed by TLC. Two catecholic substances were identified in the supernatant of the parental strain 2308. The faster migrating spot showed the same retention factor (R(f)) as that of purified 2,3-DHBA. The mutant BAM41 overproduced 2,3-DHBA, but failed to form the slower migrating catechol. This defect could only be complemented by the addition of the slow-migrating catechol from strain 2308. The genomic region containing Tn5 in BAM41 was cloned and the position of the transposon was determined by nucleotide sequencing. The sequence revealed that the insertion had occurred at a gene with homology to Escherichia coli entF, a locus involved in the late steps of the biosynthesis of the complex catecholic siderophore enterobactin. Intracellular survival and growth rates of the B. abortus wild-type and entF mutant strains in mouse-derived J774 macrophages were similar, indicating that production of this siderophore was not essential in this model of infection. It is concluded that B. abortus synthesizes a previously unknown and highly efficient catecholic siderophore, different from 2,3-DHBA, for which the name brucebactin is proposed.

Animals↗

Mapping multiple co-sequenced T-DNA integration sites within the Arabidopsis genome.

MOTIVATION: Insertion mutagenesis, using transgenes or endogenous transposons, is a popular method for generating null mutations (knockouts) in model organisms. Insertions are mapped to specific genes by amplifying (via TAIL-PCR) and sequencing genomic regions flanking the inserted DNA. The presence of multiple TAIL-PCR templates in one sequencing reaction results in chimeric sequence of intermittently low quality. Standard processing of this sequence by applying Phred quality requirements results in loss of informative sequence, whereas not trimming low-quality sequence causes inclusion of low-complexity homopolymers from the ends of sequence runs. Accurate mapping of the flanking sequences is complicated by the presence of gene families. RESULTS: Methods for extracting informative regions from sequence traces obtained by sequencing multiple TAIL-PCR fragments in a single reaction are described. The completely sequenced Arabidopsis genome was used to identify informative TAIL-PCR sequence regions. Methods were devised to define and select high quality matches and precisely map each insert to the correct genome location. These methods were used to analyze sequence of TAIL-PCR-amplified flanking regions of the inserts from individual plants in a T-DNA-mutagenized population of Arabidopsis thaliana, and are applicable to similar situations where a reference genome can be used to extract information from poor-quality sequence.

Arabidopsis↗

Identification, cloning, and initial characterization of rot, a locus encoding a regulator of virulence factor expression in Staphylococcus aureus.

A chromosomal insertion of transposon Tn917 partially restores the expression of protease and alpha-toxin activities to PM466, a genetically defined agr-null derivative of the wild-type Staphylococcus aureus strain RN6390. In co-transduction experiments, transposon-encoded erythromycin resistance and a protease- and alpha-toxin-positive phenotype are transferred at high frequency from mutant strains to agr-null strains of S. aureus. Southern analysis of chromosomal DNA and sequence analysis of DNA flanking the Tn917 insertion site in mutant strains revealed that the transposon interrupted a 498-bp open reading frame (ORF). Similarity searches using a conceptual translation of the ORF identified a region of homology to the known staphylococcal global regulators AgrA and SarA. To verify that the mutant allele conferred the observed phenotype, a wild-type allele of the mutant gene was introduced into the genome of a mutant strain by homologous recombination. The resulting isolates had a restored agr-null phenotype. Virulence factor gene expression in mutant, restored mutant, and wild-type strains was quantified by measuring alpha-toxin activity in culture supernatant fluids and by Northern analysis of the alpha-toxin transcript. We named this ORF rot (for repressor of toxins) (GenBank accession no. AF189239) because of the activity associated with rot::Tn917 mutant strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Insertional polymorphism in introns 4 and 10 of the maize beta-glucosidase gene glu1.

The major beta-glucosidase isozyme Glu1 is encoded by a highly polymorphic gene (glu1) in maize. The glu1 gene comprises 12 exons and 11 introns. Two of these introns, introns 4 and 10, show insertional polymorphism: those in allele glu1-1 (represented by inbred line OH7B) are longer than those in other inbred genotypes and in two teosintes (Zea mexicana and Zea parviglumis) surveyed. Sequence data revealed that an increase in the length of intron 4 from 150 to 477 bp in OH7B is due to a short (11 bp) tandem duplication and a large insertion sequence of 313 bp plus a 4-bp (5' ATAG 3') direct repeat. The 313-bp insertion sequence (referred to as mzsTn-1) has all the features of a transposon, having a 25-bp well-conserved (3/25 mismatches) inverted repeat sequence at its termini flanked by a 4-bp direct repeat. The increase in length from 1041 to 1302 bp in intron 10 of OH7B is due to a 259-bp insertion sequence (referred to as mzsTn-2) plus a 2-bp (5' TA 3') direct repeat. The mzsTn-2 element also possesses all the hallmarks of a transposon: a 34-bp well-conserved (3/34 mismatches) inverted repeat sequence at its termini flanked by a 2-bp direct repeat. The mzsTn-1 element belongs to a new family of inverted repeat elements, while mzsTn-2 belongs to the Stowaway family of inverted repeat elements. Analysis of PCR products from amplifications off genomic-DNA templates, using primers derived from the inverted repeat termini, and Southern blotting data suggest that both small transposons are members of a multigene family. The occurrence of two different small transposons in introns of the same glu1 allele in inbred OH7B and their absence in other genotypes suggest that they have moved into this glu1 allele recently through mediation of their autonomous counterparts that are active in OH7B or in its ancestry.

Base Sequence↗

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the group B streptococcal hemolysin.

Genomic DNA from a Streptococcus agalactiae strain and pUC8 were used to clone the genetic determinant of the group B streptococcal hemolysin. The smallest recombinant plasmid, which enables its E. coli hosts to express beta-hemolysis on sheep blood agar or in blood broth, was found to contain a 3.9 kb insert of streptococcal DNA. A restriction endonuclease map was established for the enzymes Cla I, EcoRI, Hind II, Hind III and Sau I. Transposon mutagenesis experiments with Tn5 extinguished hemolytic activity when Tn5 was inserted at 1.7 kb or 1.9 kb downstream the 5' end of the streptococcal fragment between the Hind II and EcoRI sites. The complete 3.9 kb fragment was sequenced on both strands by the dideoxy method of Sanger. It was shown to contain 4 open reading frames; one of 690 bp, including the area of transposon insertion mentioned above, has a potential promoter region upstream. The deduced amino acid sequence of 230 residues shows a hydrophobic signal sequence of 19 amino acids at its N-terminus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of an ATP-driven, osmoregulated glycine betaine transport system in Listeria monocytogenes.

The ability of the gram-positive, food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to tolerate environments of elevated osmolarity and reduced temperature is due in part to the transport and accumulation of the osmolyte glycine betaine. Previously we showed that glycine betaine transport was the result of Na(+)-glycine betaine symport. In this report, we identify a second glycine betaine transporter from L. monocytogenes which is osmotically activated but does not require a high concentration of Na(+) for activity. By using a pool of Tn917-LTV3 mutants, a salt- and chill-sensitive mutant which was also found to be impaired in its ability to transport glycine betaine was isolated. DNA sequence analysis of the region flanking the site of transposon insertion revealed three open reading frames homologous to opuA from Bacillus subtilis and proU from Escherichia coli, both of which encode glycine betaine transport systems that belong to the superfamily of ATP-dependent transporters. The three open reading frames are closely spaced, suggesting that they are arranged in an operon. Moreover, a region upstream from the first reading frame was found to be homologous to the promoter regions of both opuA and proU. One unusual feature not shared with these other two systems is that the start codons for two of the open reading frames in L. monocytogenes appear to be TTG. That glycine betaine uptake is nearly eliminated in the mutant strain when it is assayed in the absence of Na(+) is an indication that only the ATP-dependent transporter and the Na(+)-glycine betaine symporter occur in L. monocytogenes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Efficient large-scale sequencing of the Escherichia coli genome: implementation of a transposon- and PCR-based strategy for the analysis of ordered lambda phage clones.

We have developed a strategy for efficient sequence analysis of the genome of E. coli K-12 using insertions of a Tn5-derived mini-transposon into overlapping ordered lambda phage clones to provide universal primer-binding sites, and PCR amplification of DNA segments adjacent to the insertions. Transposon-containing clones were selected by blue plaque formation on a dnaBamber lacZamber E. coli strain. Insertion points every 0.5-1 kb were identified by 'analytical PCR' and segments between the transposon inserts and phage arms were amplified by 'preparative PCR' using one biotinylated and one non-biotinylated primer. Single strands of amplified DNA fragments were coupled to Streptoavidin-coated paramagnetic beads (Dynabeads M280) through their biotin tails, purified magnetically, and used as templates for fluorescence-based automatic nucleotide sequencing.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

Construction of an Enterococcus faecalis Tn917-mediated-gene-disruption library offers insight into Tn917 insertion patterns.

Sequencing the insertion sites of 8,865 Tn917 insertions in Enterococcus faecalis strain OG1RF identified a hot spot in the replication terminus region corresponding to 6% of the genome where 65% of the transposons had inserted. In E. faecalis, Tn917 preferentially inserted at a 29-bp consensus sequence centered on TATAA, a 5-bp sequence that is duplicated during insertion. The regional insertion site preference at the chromosome terminus was not observed in another low-G+C gram-positive bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, although the consensus insertion sequence was the same. The 8,865 Tn917 insertion sites sequenced in E. faecalis corresponded to only approximately 610 different open reading frames, far fewer than the predicted number of 2,400, assuming random insertion. There was no significant preference in orientation of the Tn917 insertions with either transcription or replication. Even though OG1RF has a smaller genome than strain V583 (2.8 Mb versus 3.2 Mb), the only E. faecalis strain whose sequence is in the public domain, over 10% of the Tn917 insertions appear to be in a OG1RF-specific sequence, suggesting that there are significant genomic differences among E. faecalis strains.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Selecting transpositions using phage P1 headful packaging: new markerless transposons for functionally mapping long-range regulatory sequences in bacterial artificial chromosomes and P1-derived artificial chromosomes.

New Tn10 minitransposons were constructed to functionally map long-range transcription regulatory sequences in bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and P1-derived artificial chromosomes (PACs). Each contained a wild-type loxP site but, significantly, contained no mammalian or bacterial genes and/or promoter elements within the transposed portion of DNA. In contrast to loxP transposons described previously, the new ones do not introduce transcription regulatory elements capable of interfering with those endogenous to the BAC clone in functional mapping studies. Progressive deletions from the loxP end of genomic DNA were efficiently generated using these transposons, and a series of truncations generated in a green fluorescence protein (GFP)-BAC fusion clone unambiguously identified three new long-range enhancer sequences functionally in the Nkx2-5 gene in transgenic mice. Insertions of these new transposons lacking antibiotic resistance genes into a BAC or PAC were indirectly selected by their ability to delete enough DNA from the clone so as to enable its packaging within a P1 phage head with both loxP sites intact for subsequent recovery of the large plasmid. The outcome of such an indirect mode of selection is both desirable and undesirable. First, because the screen is not antibiotic resistance marker dependent, the same transposon can be used to generate nested deletions efficiently in both BACs and PACs. Second, deletions through intrainsert recombinations unrelated to loxP/Cre also get packaged and recovered, and size analyses of the BAC/PAC vector band after NotI digestion is indispensable to identify authentic loxP/Cre deletions. The procedure nevertheless offers a potential approach to map recombinogenic sequences in BACs and PACs.

Animals↗

Negative effect of the 5'-untranslated leader sequence on Ac transposon promoter expression.

Transposable elements are used in heterologous plant hosts to clone genes by insertional mutagenesis. The Activator (Ac) transposable element has been cloned from maize, and introduced into a variety of plants. However, differences in regulation and transposition frequency have been observed between different host plants. The cause of this variability is still unknown. To better understand the activity of the Ac element, we analyzed the Ac promoter region and its 5'-untranslated leader sequence (5' UTL). Transient assays in tobacco NT1 suspension cells showed that the Ac promoter is a weak promoter and its activity was localized by deletion analyses. The data presented here indicate that the core of the Ac promoter is contained within 153 bp fragment upstream to transcription start sites. An important inhibitory effect (80%) due to the presence of the 5' UTL was found on the expression of LUC reporter gene. Here we demonstrate that the presence of the 5' UTL in the constructs reduces the expression driven by either strong or weak promoters.

DNA Transposable Elements↗

Mobility of gentamicin resistance genes from staphylococci isolated in the United States: identification of Tn4031, a gentamicin resistance transposon from Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Homologous genes encoding resistance to gentamicin, tobramycin, and kanamycin through the bifunctional acetylating [AAC(6')] and phosphorylating [APH(2")] aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme were identified in staphylococci isolated from patients in the United States. The mobility of gentamicin resistance (Gmr) genes found on a prototype conjugative plasmid (pGO1) was compared with that of genes cloned from chromosomal sites. Plasmid-encoded Gmr genes and flanking sequences were introduced onto a temperature-sensitive plasmid (pRN3208) from pGO1 by homologous recombination between insertion sequence-like elements present on both replicons. Growth of Staphylococcus aureus strains containing the temperature-sensitive recombinant (pGO161) at the nonpermissive temperature for plasmid replication (42 degrees C) revealed no translocation of Gmr from its plasmid location. A transposon (Tn551) resident on the same replicon did translocate. Chromosomal Gmr determinants were cloned, together with the gene for trimethoprim resistance (dfrA), from three geographically distinct S. epidermidis isolates; two were subcloned onto temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli-S. aureus shuttle plasmids as 7.2-kilobase BglII fragments. Growth of both recombination-deficient and-proficient S. aureus strains containing the cloned genes at 42 degrees C allowed detection of transposition of Gmr sequences and identification of insertion into random chromosomal sites. We have designated this 5-kilobase transposon from S. epidermidis as Tn4031.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Nucleotide sequence analysis of hypervariable junctions of Haemophilus influenzae pilus gene clusters.

Haemophilus influenzae pili are surface structures that promote attachment to human epithelial cells. The five genes that encode pili, hifABCDE, are found inserted in genomes either between pmbA and hpt (hif-1) or between purE and pepN (hif-2). We determined the sequence between the ends of the pilus clusters and bordering genes in a number of H. influenzae strains. The junctions of the hif-1 cluster (limited to biogroup aegyptius isolates) are structurally simple. In contrast, hif-2 junctions are highly diverse, complex assemblies of conserved intergenic sequences (including genes hicA and hicB) with evidence of frequent recombination. Variation at hif-2 junctions seems to be tied to multiple copies of a 23-bp Haemophilus intergenic dyad sequence. The hif-1 cluster appears to have originated in biogroup aegyptius strains from invasion of the hpt-pmbA region by a DNA template containing the hif-2 genes with termini in the hairpin loop of flanking intergenic dyad sequences. The pilus gene clusters are an interesting model of a mobile "pathogenicity island" not associated with a phage, transposon, or insertion element.

Base Sequence↗

Molecular screening for P-element insertions in a large genomic region of Drosophila melanogaster using polymerase chain reaction mediated by the vectorette.

As an alternative to existing methods for the detection of new insertions during a transposon mutagenesis, we adapted the method of vectorette ligation to genomic restriction fragments followed by PCR to obtain genomic sequences flanking the transposon. By combining flies containing a defined genomic transposon with an excess of flies containing unrelated insertion sites, we demonstrate the specificity and sensitivity of the procedure in the detection of integration events. This method was applied in a transposon-tagging screen for BJ1, the Drosophila homolog of the vertebrate gene Regulator of Chromosome Condensation (RCCI). Genetic mobilization of a single genomic P element was used to generate preferentially new local insertions from which integrations into a genomic region surrounding the BJ1 gene were screened. Flies harboring new insertions were phenotypically selected on the basis of the zeste1-dependent transvection of white. We detected a single transposition to a 13-kb region close to the BJ1 gene among 6650 progeny that were analyzed. Southern analysis of the homozygous line confirmed the integration 3 kb downstream of BJ1.

Animals↗