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Human cytomegalovirus clinical isolates carry at least 19 genes not found in laboratory strains.

Nucleotide sequence comparisons were performed on a highly heterogeneous region of three human cytomegalovirus strains, Toledo, Towne, and AD169. The low-passage, virulent Toledo genome contained a DNA segment of approximately 13 kbp that was not found in the Towne genome and a segment of approximately 15 kbp that was not found in the AD169 genome. The Towne strain contained approximately 4.7 kbp of DNA that was absent from the AD169 genome, and only about half of this segment was present, arranged in an inverted orientation, in the Toledo genome. These additional sequences were located at the unique long (UL)/b' (IRL) boundary within the L component of the viral genome. A region representing nucleotides 175082 to 178221 of the AD169 genome was conserved in all three strains; however, substantial reduction in the size of the adjacent b' sequence was found. The additional DNA segment within the Toledo genome contained 19 open reading frames not present in the AD169 genome. The additional DNA segment within the Towne genome contained four new open reading frames, only one of which shared homology with the Toledo genome. This comparison was extended to five additional clinical isolates, and the additional Toledo sequence was conserved in all. These findings reveal a dramatic level of genome sequence complexity that may explain the differences that these strains exhibit in virulence and tissue tropism. Although the additional sequences have not altered the predicted size of the viral genome (230 to 235 kbp), a total of 22 new open reading frames (denoted UL133 to UL154), many of which have sequence characteristics of glycoproteins, are now defined as cytomegalovirus specific. Our work suggests that wild-type virus carries more than 220 genes, some of which are lost by large-scale deletion and rearrangement of the UL/b' region during laboratory passage.

Base Sequence↗

Deciphering the underlying mechanism of specification and differentiation: the sea urchin gene regulatory network.

The regulatory genome functions as a vast information processor through development. It processes the initial conditions that are set by asymmetric distributions of cellular components in the egg and translates them into the onset of spatially localized specification states. It regulates the timely differential activation of signaling molecules and transcription factors that divide the emerging domains into subdomains. It also governs the activation of groups of differentiation genes, the genes that encode, at the protein level, the functional and the structural properties of a cell type. The sea urchin endomesoderm gene regulatory network provides a window into the different levels of the regulatory apparatus. It demonstrates how the static physical genomic components define functional connections between the various regulatory genes that act together to conduct the dynamical developmental program.

Animals↗

A noninverting genome of a viable herpes simplex virus 1: presence of head-to-tail linkages in packaged genomes and requirements for circularization after infection.

The wild-type herpes simplex virus 1 genome consists of two components, L and S, which invert relative to each other, giving rise to four isomers. Previously we reported the construction of a herpes simplex virus 1 genome, HSV-1(F)I358, from which 15 kilobase pairs of DNA spanning the junction between L and S components were deleted and which no longer inverted (Poffenberger et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80:2690-2694, 1983). Further studies on the structure of HSV-1(F)I358 revealed the presence of two submolar populations among packaged DNA. The first, comprising no more than 10% of total packaged DNA, consisted of defective genomes with a subunit size of 36 kilobase pairs. The results suggest that this population arose by recombination through a directly repeated sequence inserted in place of the deleted L-S junction. The second minor population consisted of HSV-1(F)I358 DNA linked head-to-tail. Analyses of the structure of HSV-1(F)I358 DNA after infection indicated that the fraction of total DNA linked head-to-tail increased to approximately 40 to 50% within 30 min after exposure of cells to virus. The formation of head-to-tail linkages did not require de novo protein synthesis. Our interpretation of the results is that the termini of full-length DNA molecules are held together during packaging, that a small fraction of the termini is covalently linked during or after packaging, and that the remainder is covalently joined after the release of viral DNA from the infecting virus by either host or viral factors introduced into the cell during infection.

Cell Line↗

Virus-specific RNA synthesis in cells infected by infectious pancreatic necrosis virus.

Pulse-labeling experiments with [(3)H]uridine revealed that the rate of infections pancreatic necrosis virus-specific RNA synthesis was maximal at 8 to 10 h after infection and was completely diminished by 12 to 14 h. Three forms of RNA intermediates were detected: (i) a putative transcription intermediate (TRI) which comigrated in acrylamide gels with virion double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) after RNase treatment; (ii) a 24S genome length mRNA which could be resolved into two bands by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; and (iii) a 14S dsRNA component indistinguishable from virion RNA by gradient centrifugation and gel electrophoresis. The TRI (i) was LiCl precipitable; (ii) sedimented slightly faster and broader (14 to 16S) than the 14S virion dsRNA; (iii) had a lower electrophoretic mobility in acrylamide gels than dsRNA, barely entering acrylamide gels as a heterogenous component; (iv) yielded genome-sized pieces of dsRNA after RNase digestion; and (v) was the most abundant RNA form early in the infectious cycle. The 24S single-stranded RNA was thought to be the viral mRNA since it: (i) became labeled during short pulses; (ii) was found in the polysomal fraction of infected cells; and (iii) hybridized to denatured viral RNA, forming two segments of RNase-resistant RNA that comigrated with virion dsRNA in gels. The 24S mRNA component was formed before the synthesis of dsRNA, and radioactivity could be chased from 24S single-stranded RNA to dsRNA, indicating that 24S RNA may serve as template for the synthesis of complementary strands to form dsRNA. Similar to reovirus, infectious pancreatic necrosis viral 24S mRNA contained no polyadenylic acid tracts.

Journal Article↗

Environment arrays: a possible approach for predicting changes in waterborne bacterial disease potential.

Current molecular techniques for identifying bacteria in water have proven useful, but they are not reliably predictive of impending disease outbreaks. Genomics-based approaches will help to detect the presence of pathogens quickly and well before they grow into a population that poses a risk to public health. We suggest that genomics is only one component of the toolbox that will be needed to identify emerging waterborne threats. We propose a methodology beyond genomics, based on activity in the mobile genome. This approach makes use of a new device called an environment array. The array will depend upon the same research necessary for genomics-based detection, but will not require an a priori knowledge of virulence genes. Environment arrays are assembled from molecular profiles of the infectious elements that transfer between bacteria. The advantage of the array is that it monitors the activity of the mobile genome, rather than the presence of particular DNA sequences. Environmental arrays should thus be many times more sensitive than traditional hybridization or PCR-based techniques that target already-known DNA sequences. Mobile elements are known to respond to new environmental conditions that may correlate with a chemical contamination or the bloom of bacterial pathogens, potentially allowing for a much broader application in detecting unknown or unanticipated biological and chemical contaminants.

Bacteria↗

Retrotransposable elements in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome.

Repetitive DNA is a major component of any living cell. In eukaryotes retrotransposable elements make up several percent of the genome size, and consequently, retroelements are often identified in experiments aimed at establishing physical maps and whole genome sequences. In this review, recent progress in the characterization of retrotransposable elements in the genome of the eukaryotic microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum is summarized with a focus on retroelements which integrate near transfer RNA genes with intriguing position specificity.

Animals↗

The a sequence is dispensable for isomerization of the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome consists of two components, L (long) and S (short), that invert relative to each other during productive infection to generate four equimolar isomeric forms of viral DNA. Recent studies have indicated that this genome isomerization is the result of DNA replication-mediated homologous recombination between the large inverted repeat sequences that exist in the genome, rather than site-specific recombination through the terminal repeat a sequences present at the L-S junctions. However, there has never been an unequivocal demonstration of the dispensability of the latter element for this process using a recombinant virus whose genome lacks a sequences at its L-S junctions. This is because the genetic manipulations required to generate such a viral mutant are not possible using simple marker transfer, since the cleavage and encapsidation signals of the a sequence represent essential cis-acting elements which cannot be deleted outright from the viral DNA. To circumvent this problem, a simple two-step strategy was devised by which essential cis-acting sites like the a sequence can be readily deleted from their natural loci in large viral DNA genomes. This method involved initial duplication of the element at a neutral site in the viral DNA and subsequent deletion of the element from its native site. By using this approach, the a sequence at the L-S junction was rendered dispensable for virus replication through the insertion of a second copy into the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of the viral DNA; the original copies at the L-S junctions were then successfully deleted from this virus by conventional marker transfer. The final recombinant virus, HSV-1::L-S(delta)a, was found to be capable of undergoing normal levels of genome isomerization on the basis of the presence of equimolar concentrations of restriction fragments unique to each of the four isomeric forms of the viral DNA. Interestingly, only two of these genomic isomers could be packaged into virions. This restriction was the result of inversion of the L component during isomerization, which prevented two of the four isomers from having the cleavage and encapsidation signals of the a sequence in the TK gene in a packageable orientation. This phenomenon was exploited as a means of directly measuring the kinetics of HSV-1::L-S(delta)a genome isomerization. Following infection with virions containing just the two packaged genomic isomers, all four isomers were readily detected at a stage in infection coincident with the onset of DNA replication, indicating that the loss of the a sequence at the L-S junction had no adverse effect on the frequency of isomerization events in this virus. These results therefore validate the homologous recombination model of HSV-1 genome isomerization by directly demonstrating that the a sequence at the L-S junction is dispensable for this process. The strategy used to remove the a sequence from the HSV-1 genome in this work should be broadly applicable to studies of essential cis-acting elements in other large viral DNA molecules.

Animals↗

Comparative studies of P- and hobo-element activity, fitness components and recombination parameters in two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster in Moldova.

The genomic frequency of crossovers, fitness components, and activity of P- and hobo-transposable elements were studied in two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster from regions with different pesticide pressure (forest and orchard populations). A significant increase in rf (recombination frequency) in the orchard population (as compared with the forest population) has been found within segments al-b, b-cn, cn-vg (chromosome 2) and for some chromosome 3 segments, th-st, st-cu, cu-sr, sr-e. None of the populations exhibited P-properties. However, the forest population showed weak hobo activity. Both populations contained probably defective hobo copies. With respect to average fitness (as estimated using a compound-autosome strain) and fecundity, the forest population was superior to the orchard one, whereas the latter had a higher locomotor activity and resistance to etherization. The difference in rf between the populations may be due to differences in their environmental conditions. Selection for pesticide resistance may favor the propagation of genotypes with higher rf, thus, possibly, ensuring release of adaptively significant genetic variation.

Animals↗

Structure and role of the herpes simplex virus DNA termini in inversion, circularization and generation of virion DNA.

The herpes simplex virus genome consists of two components, L and S, which invert relative to each other during viral replication. The a sequence is present at the genomic termini in direct orientation and at the L-S junction in inverted orientation. Previously, we showed that insertion of a fragment spanning the L-S junction into the viral genome causes additional inversions. In this study, we determine the nucleotide sequence of the genomic termini and show that insertion of either the free S terminus or the L terminus causes inversions in the viral genome. We conclude that the a sequence is the inversion-specific sequence, that linear unit-length molecules packaged in virions are generated by cleavage between adjacent copies of the a sequence, that cleavage produces 3' single-base extensions on the genomic termini and that the signal for cleavage is contained within the a sequence.

Animals↗

[Characteristics of nuclear DNA of a Lepidoptera, the great wax moth Galleria mellonella, using reassociation kinetics].

Reassociation kinetics of great wax moth--Galleria mellonella nuclear DNA short fragments was studied within the C0t values of 0.02 and 10(4). The least squares analysis of the experimental curve obtained revealed two components with C0t1/2 = 0.72 and C0t1/2 = 750 appropriately. The fraction of the component with C0t1/2 = 0.72 in the genome of great wax moth is 22% and that of the other one is 61%. There is also a rapid component which renatured at the C0t values less then 0,02. The fraction of this component in the genome is 17%. The great wax moth genome size determined kinetically is 4,83 X 10(8) base pairs. It was shown that the efficiency of DNA molecules network formation can qualify the genome studied as being a short or a long period of interspersion. On the basis that 80-90% of great wax moth DNA molecules participated in network formation which is inherent to the short period interspersion genomes, it was concluded that the great wax moth genome is of the Xenopus-like type.

Animals↗

Common themes among bacteriophage-encoded virulence factors and diversity among the bacteriophages involved.

There are common themes among bacteriophage-encoded virulence factors, which include the well-characterized bacterial toxins and proteins that alter antigenicity as well as several new classes of bacteriophage-encoded proteins such as superantigens, effectors translocated by a type III secretion system, and proteins required for intracellular survival and host cell attachment. These virulence factors are encoded by a diversity of bacteriophages, members of the viral families Siphoviridae, Podoviridae, Myoviridae and Inoviridae, with some bacteriophages having characteristics of more than one virus family. The location of virulence genes within the bacteriophage genomes is non-random and consistent with an origin via imprecise prophage excision or as either transferable cassettes or integral components of the bacteriophage genome.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

Distinguishing features of delta-proteobacterial genomes.

We analyzed several features of five currently available delta-proteobacterial genomes, including two aerobic bacteria exhibiting predatory behavior and three anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria. The delta genomes are distinguished from other bacteria by several properties: (i) The delta genomes contain two "giant" S1 ribosomal protein genes in contrast to all other bacterial types, which encode a single or no S1; (ii) in most delta-proteobacterial genomes the major ribosomal protein (RP) gene cluster is near the replication terminus whereas most bacterial genomes place the major RP cluster near the origin of replication; (iii) the delta genomes possess the rare combination of discriminating asparaginyl and glutaminyl tRNA synthetase (AARS) together with the amido-transferase complex (Gat CAB) genes that modify Asp-tRNA(Asn) into Asn-tRNA(Asn) and Glu-tRNA(Gln) into Gln-tRNA(Gln); (iv) the TonB receptors and ferric siderophore receptors that facilitate uptake and removal of complex metals are common among delta genomes; (v) the anaerobic delta genomes encode multiple copies of the anaerobic detoxification protein rubrerythrin that can neutralize hydrogen peroxide; and (vi) sigma(54) activators play a more important role in the delta genomes than in other bacteria. delta genomes have a plethora of enhancer binding proteins that respond to environmental and intracellular cues, often as part of two-component systems; (vii) delta genomes encode multiple copies of metallo-beta-lactamase enzymes; (viii) a host of secretion proteins emphasizing SecA, SecB, and SecY may be especially useful in the predatory activities of Myxococcus xanthus; (ix) delta proteobacteria drive many multiprotein machines in their periplasms and outer membrane, including chaperone-feeding machines, jets for slime secretion, and type IV pili. Bdellovibrio replicates in the periplasm of prey cells. The sulfate-reducing delta proteobacteria metabolize hydrogen and generate a proton gradient by electron transport. The predicted highly expressed genes from delta genomes reflect their different ecologies, metabolic strategies, and adaptations.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗

Characteristics of NADPH oxidase genes (Nox2, p22, p47, and p67) and Nox4 gene expressed in blood cells of juvenile Ciona intestinalis.

To illuminate the origins of NADPH oxidase (Nox), we identified cDNA clones encoding Nox2, Nox4, p22 phagocyte oxidase (phox), p47phox, and p67phox in a chordate phylogenetically distant to the vertebrates, the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis. We also examined the spatiotemporal expression of these genes in embryos and juveniles. The sequences of the Nox2, Nox4, p22phox, p47phox, and p67phox cDNAs contained open reading frames encoding 581, 811, 175, 461, and 515 amino acids, respectively. The level of identities between the deduced Nox2, Nox4, p22phox, p47phox, and p67phox amino acid sequences and their corresponding human components were 54.0, 31.0, 44.4, 36.0, and 26.2%, respectively. Despite these low identities, the functional domains of the C. intestinalis and human NADPH oxidase and Nox4 are highly conserved. The genomic organizations of the components of the NADPH oxidase gene except for p67phox (a single exon gene) and the Nox4 gene in C. intestinalis are highly similar to those of the corresponding human NADPH oxidase genes. Further, the analyzed part of the C. intestinalis genome and EST database do not seem to present p40phox and Nox5. The Nox2, p22phox, p47phox, and p67phox genes were specifically expressed in the blood cells of juveniles. The Nox4 gene was expressed in blood cells and endostyle of juveniles. These results suggest that C. intestinalis NADPH oxidase components possess potential functional activities similar to those of human, but the manner in which cytosolic phox proteins in C. intestinalis interact is different from that in human.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Widespread distribution of Chlorella viruses in Japan.

An extensive survey for Chlorella viruses was done across Japan and in nine countries of Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Of 150 fresh-water samples collected from 77 distinct areas in Japan, 29 showed plaques on a lawn of Chlorella sp. (strain NC64A). Typically, 10 to 1000 PFU/ml of viruses were present at sampling sites located throughout Japan. Viruses were also detected in two samples from Brazil and China but not from other countries where water samples were screened. Several representatives of these viruses including ones isolated from Brazil and China were compared with respect to genome size, genome structure, and protein components. It was found that these viruses should belong to the same virus group consisting of large icosahedral particles with linear dsDNA genomes. Physiological and ecological factors affecting virus distribution are discussed.

Chlorella↗

How important is genome division as a taxonomic criterion in plant virus classification?

The number of nucleic acid components that constitute a virus genome has been used as an important discriminatory character in defining groups of plant viruses. However, with some virus groups, in particular potyviruses, recent results of nucleotide sequencing have reinforced previously deduced tentative relationships among viruses with different numbers of genome parts. A convenient solution is to classify these different types into groups or genera within a family (e.g. Potyvirus and Bymovirus in the family Potyviridae).

Genome, Viral↗

Genome screen for a combined bone phenotype using principal component analysis: the Framingham study.

Genetic factors substantially contribute to variation in bone mass. There is a controversy as to whether shared genetic factors exist for bone mass at different sites. We hypothesize that using a composite phenotypic score of several correlated bone mass measures may provide complementary results for linkage studies. In the members of 323 pedigrees from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and three femoral sites (Lunar DPX-L), and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measured at the calcaneus (Hologic Sahara). Data on age, sex, anthropometry, alcohol and caffeine intake, smoking status, physical activity, menopause, and estrogen use (in females) were also obtained. Principal component analyses of BMD and QUS phenotypes were performed in each sex and generation (parents and offspring). The principal component analyses yielded two components, whose loadings were extracted as principal component scores (PC1 and PC2) for each individual, with PC1 explaining up to 66% of the total variation of all bone mass measurements, and PC2 an additional 24%. Principal component analysis of the three femoral BMD measures resulted in one component (PC_hip) that explained 89-91% of the common variation of hip BMD measures. Quantitative genetic analysis (using the variance components method) revealed that both principal component scores were under significant genetic influences (covariate-adjusted heritabilities of PC1, PC2, and PC_hip were 0.66 +/- 0.07, 0.44 +/- 0.07, and 0.61 +/- 0.06, respectively). For PC1, loci of suggestive linkage were identified on chromosomes 1q21.3 and 8q24.3 with the maximum multipoint LOD scores 2.5 and 2.4, respectively. For PC2, multipoint LOD score was 2.1 on 1p36. Suggestive linkage of PC_hip was found on 8q24.3 and 16p13.2 (LODs>1.9). In conclusion, an approach to linkage analysis using the linear combination of several correlated bone phenotypes suggests that there are chromosomal loci regulating bone mass, with seemingly pleiotropic effects at different skeletal sites.

Adult↗

[Computer-assisted vaccine design].

With the modern molecular biology techniques, it has been possible to detect, isolate and clone biological macromolecules, which could be used as immunogenes in artificial vaccine constructs. In the post-genomic era, the prospective immunogenic components are searched using bionformatic tools and proteomic technologies. Today it is quite realistic to combine the artificial vaccine constructs from the preselected molecular components. Existing computational methods are able to detect the potential immunogenes in genomic sequences, predict their characteristics and subcellular location. The set of methods is designed to predict the T- and B-epitopes that can be used as components of minimal vaccine constructs. The variety of systems for production and delivery of vaccines are developed and tested. These include transgenic plants, bacterial and viral vectors, DNA molecules etc. Several informational resources provide free access to molecular immunology data and deliver services on prediction of antigenic features. Several artificial vaccines have already been launched, but much more preparations are under preclinical and clinical trials. Computer-aided design of vaccines may significantly decrease time and costs required for their development. Modern bioinformatic technologies are now employed for discovery of more effective and potent vaccine.

Animals↗

Genomic Analysis of the Genes Encoding Ribosomal Proteins in Eight Eubacterial Species and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The complete genomic nucleotide sequence data of more than 10 unicellular organisms have become available. During the past years, we have been focusing our attention to the analysis of the structure and function of the ribosome and its protein components. By making use of the genomic sequence data, our work can now be extended to comparative analysis of the ribosomal components at the genomic level. Such analysis will contribute to our understanding of the structure-function relationship of the ribosome that is vital to the expression of genetic information. Bearing these in mind, the ribosomal protein genes of organisms whose genomic sequence data are available were analyzed, which included Aquifex aeolicus; Archaeoglobus fulgidus; Borrelia burgdorferi; Bacillus subtilis; Escherichia coli; Haemophilus influenzae; Helicobacter pylori; Methanococcus jannaschii; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Synechosystis sp., and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, the amino acid sequence data of Bacillus stearothermophilus ribosomal proteins were used in the evolutionary evaluation. The results indicate that, in eubacteria including two species of Mycoplasma, the operon structure of ribosomal protein genes is well conserved, while their relative orientation and chromosomal location are diverged into several classes. The operon structure in M. jannaschii on the other hand is quite different from the eubacterial one and we noticed that its many genes show similarity to rat ribosomal protein genes. The degrees of sequence conservation differ from one ribosomal protein gene to another, but several genes encoding proteins that are considered to be of structural importance are conserved throughout the bacterial species including archaebacteria and further in S. cerevisiae.

Journal Article↗