scholarly journals Size threshold for Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes: generation of telocentric chromosomes from an unstable minichromosome.

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 925-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
V A Zakian ◽  
H M Blanton ◽  
L Wetzel ◽  
G M Dani

A 9-kilobase pair CEN4 linear minichromosome constructed in vitro transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae with high frequency but duplicated or segregated inefficiently in most cells. Stable transformants were only produced by events which fundamentally altered the structure of the minichromosome: elimination of telomeres, alteration of the centromere, or an increase of fivefold or greater in its size. Half of the stable transformants arose via homologous recombination between an intact chromosome IV and the CEN4 minichromosome. This event generated a new chromosome from each arm of chromosome IV. The other "arm" of each new chromosome was identical to one "arm" of the unstable minichromosome. Unlike natural yeast chromosomes, these new chromosomes were telocentric: their centromeres were either 3.9 or 5.4 kilobases from one end of the chromosome. The mitotic stability of the telocentric chromosome derived from the right arm of chromosome IV was determined by a visual assay and found to be comparable to that of natural yeast chromosomes. Both new chromosomes duplicated, paired, and segregated properly in meiosis. Moreover, their structure, as deduced from mobilities in orthogonal field gels, did not change with continued mitotic growth or after passage through meiosis, indicating that they did not give rise to isochromosomes or suffer large deletions or additions. Thus, in S. cerevisiae the close spacing of centromeres and telomeres on a DNA molecule of chromosomal size does not markedly alter the efficiency with which it is maintained. Taken together these data suggest that there is a size threshold below which stable propagation of linear chromosomes is no longer possible.

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 925-932
Author(s):  
V A Zakian ◽  
H M Blanton ◽  
L Wetzel ◽  
G M Dani

A 9-kilobase pair CEN4 linear minichromosome constructed in vitro transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae with high frequency but duplicated or segregated inefficiently in most cells. Stable transformants were only produced by events which fundamentally altered the structure of the minichromosome: elimination of telomeres, alteration of the centromere, or an increase of fivefold or greater in its size. Half of the stable transformants arose via homologous recombination between an intact chromosome IV and the CEN4 minichromosome. This event generated a new chromosome from each arm of chromosome IV. The other "arm" of each new chromosome was identical to one "arm" of the unstable minichromosome. Unlike natural yeast chromosomes, these new chromosomes were telocentric: their centromeres were either 3.9 or 5.4 kilobases from one end of the chromosome. The mitotic stability of the telocentric chromosome derived from the right arm of chromosome IV was determined by a visual assay and found to be comparable to that of natural yeast chromosomes. Both new chromosomes duplicated, paired, and segregated properly in meiosis. Moreover, their structure, as deduced from mobilities in orthogonal field gels, did not change with continued mitotic growth or after passage through meiosis, indicating that they did not give rise to isochromosomes or suffer large deletions or additions. Thus, in S. cerevisiae the close spacing of centromeres and telomeres on a DNA molecule of chromosomal size does not markedly alter the efficiency with which it is maintained. Taken together these data suggest that there is a size threshold below which stable propagation of linear chromosomes is no longer possible.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 402-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Boguta ◽  
A Dmochowska ◽  
P Borsuk ◽  
K Wrobel ◽  
A Gargouri ◽  
...  

We report the genetic characterization, molecular cloning, and sequencing of a novel nuclear suppressor, the NAM9 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which acts on mutations of mitochondrial DNA. The strain NAM9-1 was isolated as a respiration-competent revertant of a mitochondrial mit mutant which carries the V25 ochre mutation in the oxi1 gene. Genetic characterization of the NAM9-1 mutation has shown that it is a nuclear dominant omnipotent suppressor alleviating several mutations in all four mitochondrial genes tested and has suggested its informational, and probably ribosomal, character. The NAM9 gene was cloned by transformation of the recipient oxi1-V25 mutant to respiration competence by using a gene bank from the NAM9-1 rho o strain. Orthogonal-field alternation gel electrophoresis analysis and genetic mapping localized the NAM9 gene on the right arm of chromosome XIV. Sequence analysis of the NAM9 gene showed that it encodes a basic protein of 485 amino acids with a presequence that could target the protein to the mitochondrial matrix. The N-terminal sequence of 200 amino acids of the deduced NAM9 product strongly resembles the S4 ribosomal proteins from chloroplasts and bacteria. Significant although less extensive similarity was found with ribosomal cytoplasmic proteins from lower eucaryotes, including S. cerevisiae. Chromosomal inactivation of the NAM9+ gene is not lethal to the cell but leads to respiration deficiency and loss of mitochondrial DNA integrity. We conclude that the NAM9 gene product is a mitochondrial ribosomal counterpart of S4 ribosomal proteins found in other systems and that the suppressor acts through decreasing the fidelity of translation.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 3166-3172 ◽  
Author(s):  
A W Murray ◽  
J W Szostak

We developed techniques that allow us to construct novel variants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes. These modified chromosomes have precisely determined structures. A metacentric derivative of chromosome III which lacks the telomere-associated X and Y' elements, which are found at the telomeres of most yeast chromosomes, behaves normally in both mitosis and meiosis. We made a circularly permuted telocentric version of yeast chromosome III whose closest telomere was 33 kilobases from the centromere. This telocentric chromosome was lost at a frequency of 1.6 X 10(-5) per cell compared with a frequency of 4.0 X 10(-6) for the natural metacentric version of chromosome III. An extremely telocentric chromosome whose closet telomere was only 3.5 kilobases from the centromere was lost at a frequency of 6.0 X 10(-5). The mitotic stability of telocentric chromosomes shows that the very high frequency of nondisjunction observed for short linear artificial chromosomes is not due to inadequate centromere-telomere separation.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 3166-3172
Author(s):  
A W Murray ◽  
J W Szostak

We developed techniques that allow us to construct novel variants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes. These modified chromosomes have precisely determined structures. A metacentric derivative of chromosome III which lacks the telomere-associated X and Y' elements, which are found at the telomeres of most yeast chromosomes, behaves normally in both mitosis and meiosis. We made a circularly permuted telocentric version of yeast chromosome III whose closest telomere was 33 kilobases from the centromere. This telocentric chromosome was lost at a frequency of 1.6 X 10(-5) per cell compared with a frequency of 4.0 X 10(-6) for the natural metacentric version of chromosome III. An extremely telocentric chromosome whose closet telomere was only 3.5 kilobases from the centromere was lost at a frequency of 6.0 X 10(-5). The mitotic stability of telocentric chromosomes shows that the very high frequency of nondisjunction observed for short linear artificial chromosomes is not due to inadequate centromere-telomere separation.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 402-412
Author(s):  
M Boguta ◽  
A Dmochowska ◽  
P Borsuk ◽  
K Wrobel ◽  
A Gargouri ◽  
...  

We report the genetic characterization, molecular cloning, and sequencing of a novel nuclear suppressor, the NAM9 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which acts on mutations of mitochondrial DNA. The strain NAM9-1 was isolated as a respiration-competent revertant of a mitochondrial mit mutant which carries the V25 ochre mutation in the oxi1 gene. Genetic characterization of the NAM9-1 mutation has shown that it is a nuclear dominant omnipotent suppressor alleviating several mutations in all four mitochondrial genes tested and has suggested its informational, and probably ribosomal, character. The NAM9 gene was cloned by transformation of the recipient oxi1-V25 mutant to respiration competence by using a gene bank from the NAM9-1 rho o strain. Orthogonal-field alternation gel electrophoresis analysis and genetic mapping localized the NAM9 gene on the right arm of chromosome XIV. Sequence analysis of the NAM9 gene showed that it encodes a basic protein of 485 amino acids with a presequence that could target the protein to the mitochondrial matrix. The N-terminal sequence of 200 amino acids of the deduced NAM9 product strongly resembles the S4 ribosomal proteins from chloroplasts and bacteria. Significant although less extensive similarity was found with ribosomal cytoplasmic proteins from lower eucaryotes, including S. cerevisiae. Chromosomal inactivation of the NAM9+ gene is not lethal to the cell but leads to respiration deficiency and loss of mitochondrial DNA integrity. We conclude that the NAM9 gene product is a mitochondrial ribosomal counterpart of S4 ribosomal proteins found in other systems and that the suppressor acts through decreasing the fidelity of translation.


1991 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Durak ◽  
M. Kitapgi ◽  
B. E. Caner ◽  
R. Senekowitsch ◽  
M. T. Ercan

Vitamin K4 was labelled with 99mTc with an efficiency higher than 97%. The compound was stable up to 24 h at room temperature, and its biodistribution in NMRI mice indicated its in vivo stability. Blood radioactivity levels were high over a wide range. 10% of the injected activity remained in blood after 24 h. Excretion was mostly via kidneys. Only the liver and kidneys concentrated appreciable amounts of radioactivity. Testis/soft tissue ratios were 1.4 and 1.57 at 6 and 24 h, respectively. Testis/blood ratios were lower than 1. In vitro studies with mouse blood indicated that 33.9 ±9.6% of the radioactivity was associated with RBCs; it was washed out almost completely with saline. Protein binding was 28.7 ±6.3% as determined by TCA precipitation. Blood clearance of 99mTc-l<4 in normal subjects showed a slow decrease of radioactivity, reaching a plateau after 16 h at 20% of the injected activity. In scintigraphic images in men the testes could be well visualized. The right/left testis ratio was 1.08 ±0.13. Testis/soft tissue and testis/blood activity ratios were highest at 3 h. These ratios were higher than those obtained with pertechnetate at 20 min post injection.99mTc-l<4 appears to be a promising radiopharmaceutical for the scintigraphic visualization of testes.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (02) ◽  
pp. 376-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Lages ◽  
Harvey J Weiss

SummaryThe possible involvement of secreted platelet substances in agonist- induced [Ca2+]i increases was investigated by comparing these increases in aspirin-treated, fura-2-loaded normal platelets and platelets from patients with storage pool deficiencies (SPD). In the presence and absence of extracellular calcium, the [Ca2+]i response induced by 10 µM ADP, but not those induced by 0.1 unit/ml thrombin, 3.3 µM U46619, or 20 µM serotonin, was significantly greater in SPD platelets than in normal platelets, and was increased to the greatest extent in SPD patients with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), in whom the dense granule deficiencies are the most severe. Pre-incubation of SPD-HPS and normal platelets with 0.005-5 µM ADP produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the [Ca2+]i response induced by 10 µ M ADP, but did not alter the [Ca2+]i increases induced by thrombin or U46619. Within a limited range of ADP concentrations, the dose-inhibition curve of the [Ca2+]i response to 10 µM ADP was significantly shifted to the right in SPD-HPS platelets, indicating that pre-incubation with greater amounts of ADP were required to achieve the same extent of inhibition as in normal platelets. These results are consistent with a hypothesis that the smaller ADP-induced [Ca2+]i increases seen in normal platelets may result from prior interactions of dense granule ADP, released via leakage or low levels of activation, with membrane ADP receptors, causing receptor desensitization. Addition of apyrase to platelet-rich plasma prior to fura-2 loading increased the ADP-induced [Ca2+]i response in both normal and SPD-HPS platelets, suggesting that some release of ADP derived from both dense granule and non-granular sources occurs during in vitro fura-2 loading and platelet washing procedures. However, this [Ca2+]i response was also greater in SPD-HPS platelets when blood was collected with minimal manipulation directly into anticoagulant containing apyrase, raising the possibility that release of dense granule ADP resulting in receptor desensitization may also occur in vivo. Thus, in addition to enhancing platelet activation, dense granule ADP could also act to limit the ADP-mediated reactivity of platelets exposed in vivo to low levels of stimulation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-175
Author(s):  
Nikoletta Tóth ◽  
Hamuda Hosam E. A. F. Bayoumi ◽  
Attila Palágyi ◽  
Mihály Kecskés

Az utóbbi években egyre több tanulmány született a mikroorganizmusok nehézfém akkumulációjáról. A mikroszervezetek nehézfémekkel szembeni tűrőképességére és nehézfém felvételére a bioremediációs hasznosíthatóságuk miatt egyre nagyobb figyelmet fordítanak. A mikroorganizmusok tulajdonságai nagyon jól hasznosíthatóak a talajszennyezés monitorozásánál. A toxikus nehézfémek komoly ökológiai problémát jelentenek környezetünkben, ezért kiemelkedő fontosságú a nehézfémekkel szennyezett talajok tisztítása. In vitro , két S. cerevisiae törzs (NSS5099 és NSS7002) nehézfémekkel szembeni toleranciáját vizsgáltuk. A két törzs szaporodási kinetikáját olyan táptalajon tanulmányoztuk, amelyhez 50 µM koncentrációban adtunk Cu 2+ -, Pb 2+ -, Cd 2+ - vagy Ni 2+ -ionokat. A vizsgált nehézfémek élesztőtörzsekre gyakorolt toxicitása csökkenő sorrendben: Cu 2+ > Pb 2+ > Cd 2+ > Ni 2+ . A 350 µM koncentrációjú Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ vagy Cd 2+ és 450 µM koncentrációjú Ni 2+ 48 órás inkubációt követően 50%-kal csökkentette az élősejtek számát. Amikor a nehézfémek táptalajba történő adagolása előtt 50 mM Ca(HCO 3 ) 2 , 75 mM MgSO 4 , vagy 150 mM K 2 SO 4 -ot adtunk a közeghez csökkent a nehézfémek sejtekre gyakorolt toxicitása, és több sejt maradt életben. A 350 és 450 µM koncentrációban lévő nehézfémek toxicitását a fémsók 40%-kal csökkentették. A kapott eredmények alapján az NSS7002 törzs sokkal alkalmasabbnak bizonyult a nehézfémekkel szennyezett talajok tisztítására, mint az NSS5099._


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1107
Author(s):  
Wonho Choi ◽  
Yoshihiro Yamaguchi ◽  
Ji-Young Park ◽  
Sang-Hyun Park ◽  
Hyeok-Won Lee ◽  
...  

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a pathogen of various plants which transfers its own DNA (T-DNA) to the host plants. It is used for producing genetically modified plants with this ability. To control T-DNA transfer to the right place, toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems of A. tumefaciens were used to control the target site of transfer without any unintentional targeting. Here, we describe a toxin-antitoxin system, Atu0939 (mazE-at) and Atu0940 (mazF-at), in the chromosome of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The toxin in the TA system has 33.3% identity and 45.5% similarity with MazF in Escherichia coli. The expression of MazF-at caused cell growth inhibition, while cells with MazF-at co-expressed with MazE-at grew normally. In vivo and in vitro assays revealed that MazF-at inhibited protein synthesis by decreasing the cellular mRNA stability. Moreover, the catalytic residue of MazF-at was determined to be the 24th glutamic acid using site-directed mutagenesis. From the results, we concluded that MazF-at is a type II toxin-antitoxin system and a ribosome-independent endoribonuclease. Here, we characterized a TA system in A. tumefaciens whose understanding might help to find its physiological function and to develop further applications.


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