Hopanoid lipids inFrankia: identification of squalene-hopene cyclase gene sequences

2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 535-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana V Dobritsa ◽  
Dan Potter ◽  
Timothy E Gookin ◽  
Alison M Berry

In Frankia, the microsymbiont in actinorhizal root nodules, nitrogen fixation takes place in specialized structures called vesicles. The lipidic vesicle envelope forms a barrier to oxygen diffusion, an essential part of the nitrogenase oxygen protection system. We have shown previously that the vesicle envelope is composed primarily of two species of hopanoid lipids, sterol-like molecules that are synthesized in a wide range of bacteria, including Frankia, several cyanobacteria, and rhizobia. The levels of hopanoid found in Frankia are among the highest of any organism known to date. Here we report that short (328-bp) DNA sequences from several strains of Frankia spp. have been identified that are homologous to a portion of the coding region of squalene-hopene cyclase (shc) genes. The fragments and corresponding polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers can be used in phylogenetic comparisons of Frankia, both within Frankiaceae and among bacteria that synthesize hopanoids.Key words: Frankia, squalene-hopene cyclase, shc, hopanoid, phylogeny, actinorhizal.

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
María José Iglesias Sánchez ◽  
Ana María Pérez Pico ◽  
Félix Marcos Tejedor ◽  
María Jesús Iglesias Sánchez ◽  
Raquel Mayordomo Acevedo

Background Dermatomycoses are a group of pathologic abnormalities frequently seen in clinical practice, and their prevalence has increased in recent decades. Diagnostic confirmation of mycotic infection in nails is essential because there are several pathologic conditions with similar clinical manifestations. The classical method for confirming the presence of fungus in nail is microbiological culture and the identification of morphological structures by microscopy. Methods We devised a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that amplifies specific DNA sequences of dermatophyte fungus that is notably faster than the 3 to 4 weeks that the traditional procedure takes. We compared this new technique and the conventional plate culture method in 225 nail samples. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. Results We found concordance in 78.2% of the samples analyzed by the two methods and increased sensitivity when simultaneously using the two methods to analyze clinical samples. Now we can confirm the presence of dermatophyte fungus in most of the positive samples in just 24 hours, and we have to wait for the result of culture only in negative PCR cases. Conclusions Although this PCR cannot, at present, substitute for the traditional culture method in the detection of dermatophyte infection of the nails, it can be used as a complementary technique because its main advantage lies in the significant reduction of time used for diagnosis, in addition to higher sensitivity.


Genome ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Rogowsky ◽  
Ken W. Shepherd ◽  
Peter Langridge

A novel type of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) marker was developed for the mapping of cereal rye (Secale cereale). Primer pairs were synthesized targeting the insertion sites of three individual copies of the R173 family of rye specific repeated DNA sequences. While one primer was derived from a sequence within the respective R173 element, the second primer corresponded to a flanking region. The complex banding patterns obtained in rye allowed not only the mapping of the three R173 elements to certain chromosome regions of 1RS (the short arm of rye chromosome 1) but also the mapping of an additional 3–10 easily identifiable bands per primer pair to other rye chromosomes. Linkage mapping of a polymorphic 1R band derived from three rye cultivars demonstrated the presence of nonallelic, dominant markers in two independent crosses. Because of the high copy number of the R173 family (15 000 copies per diploid rye genome), its dispersion over the entire length of all chromosomes and the high number of markers obtained per primer pair, PCR markers based on the R173 family provide an almost unlimited source for well-spaced markers in rye mapping.Key words: polymerase chain reaction, mapping, repetitive DNA sequences, wheat, rye.


2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Taylor ◽  
P. J. Guilford ◽  
R. G. Clark ◽  
C. N. Hale ◽  
R. L. S. Forster

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazar M Abdalla

Objective: This study aimed to identify cases of leishmaniasis in the Nuba Mountain area, which is situated in a unique geographical site located in the centre of Sudanese leishmania belt. Wide range of investigations are available for detection of leishmania cases, but still the most reliable and easy test used as screening and epidemiological tool in field studies needs to be evaluated. The most commonly used conventional diagnostic methods direct microscopy and culture have some drawbacks in diagnosing subclinical cases of leishmaniasis. Materials and methods: In this study, comparative properties of various immune-diagnostic tools with Polymerase Chain Reaction used in sub-clinical leishmaniasis isolates were explored. The immune-diagnostic tools involved in this study include- Leishmanin Skin Test (LST), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Direct Agglutination Test (DAT). The study was conducted in the Green Valley village (Rashad Province, South Kordofan State) with a population of 332. Most of the villagers presented with sub-clinical form of leishmaniasis with minor symptoms and signs without the features found in clinical form of visceral leishmaniasis such as fever, diarrhoea, epistaxis, enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver. In this study we collected demographic, clinical and epidemiological data using special questionnaire. Leishmanin skin test (LST), ELISA, DAT and PCR for parasite DNA detection were used. Result: The final positive cases detected by PCR were 32 out of 332 belong to L. donovani species. The final positive cases detected by LST were 51.2% of the total population under study, while 11 out of the 37 tested samples were positive by ELISA. All of the 332 villagers showed negative readings by DAT with exception of three individuals who were positive with very high titers. Conclusion: DNA etxtraction and amplification with primers can be a good screening tool in subclinical leishmaniasis isolates. Keyword: Sub-clinical; Leishmaniasis; Leishmanin Skin Test; ELISA; DAT; PCR. DOI: 10.3329/jom.v12i1.5422J Medicine 2011; 12 : 34-39


Agrikultura ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nono Carsono ◽  
Sri Nurlianti ◽  
Inez Nur Indrayani ◽  
Ade Ismail ◽  
Tri Joko Santoso ◽  
...  

Transformasi gen Glu-1Dx5, pengendali utama karakter elastisitas dan daya mengembang adonan dari gandum, telah berhasil ditransfer ke dalam genom tanaman padi kultivar Fatmawati dengan menggunakan penembakan partikel, dengan tujuan untuk memperbaiki kualitas adonan tepung beras. Galur-galur harapan telah diperoleh, tetapi karena telah mengalami penyerbukan sendiri selama 1-2 generasi yang menyebabkan transgen mengalami segregasi, maka diperlukan upaya pendeteksian transgen pada populasi putative transgenik ini. Upaya ini dapat dilakukan, antara lain dengan menggunakan teknik Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) yang memungkinkan perbanyakan fragmen DNA yang spesifik (gen) secara cepat dalam jumlah banyak.  Percobaan ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan tanaman padi transgenik yang memiliki gen Glu-1Dx5 pada dua generasi yang sedang bersegregasi. DNA genom dari 149 tanaman padi (generasi T1 sebanyak 14 tanaman, generasi T2 sebanyak 134 tanaman, dan satu tanaman non-transgenik) telah diekstraksi menggunakan Genomic DNA Purification Kit dari Fermentas. Plasmid pK+Dx5 digunakan sebagai positif kontrol, selain itu digunakan juga enzim Taq DNA polymerase dari Go Green Taq® Master Mix (Promega) dan 2 primer spesifik yang mengamplifikasi coding region dari Glu-1Dx5 (2,5 kb). Hasil percobaan menunjukkan, tanaman padi yang memiliki gen Glu-1Dx5 pada generasi T2-7 sebanyak 26 tanaman, T2-11 : 12 tanaman, T2-12 : 3 tanaman, T2-40 : 3 tanaman dan T2-45 : 5 tanaman. Seluruh tanaman generasi T1 tidak memiliki insert. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa gen Glu-1Dx5 sudah terintegrasi ke dalam genom tanaman padi kultivar Fatmawati dan diwariskan dari satu generasi ke generasi berikutnya.


Genetics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Cassidy-Hanley ◽  
M C Yao ◽  
P J Bruns

Abstract A method for mapping DNA sequences to specific germinal chromosomes in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila has been developed. This mapping technique (PCR mapping) utilizes the polymerase chain reaction and template DNA derived from nullisomic strains to directly assign micronuclear DNA sequences to specific micronuclear chromosomes. Using this technique, a number of unique sequences and short repetitive sequences flanked by unique sequences have been mapped to four of the five germinal chromosomes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document