A mechanism to activate branch migration between homologous DNA molecules in genetic recombination. (1/168)

A mechanism to activate branch migration between homologous DNA molecules is described that leads to synapsis in genetic recombination. The model involves a restriction-like endonucleolytic enzyme that first nicks DNA (to produce single-strand breaks) on strands of opposite polarity at symmetrically arranged nucleotide sequences (located at ends of genes or operons). This is followed by local denaturation of the region, promoted by a single-strand-specific DNA binding protein (i.e., an unwinding protein). Hydrogen-bounding between homologous DNA molecules can then be initiated and this allows for subsequent propagation of hybrid DNA in the pathway to formation of the synapton structure.  (+info)

Mating type and sporulation in yeast. II. Meiosis, recombination, and radiation sensitivity in an alpha-alpha diploid with altered sporulation control. (2/168)

In wild-type S. cerevisiae, diploid cells must be heterozygous at the mating-type locus in order to sporulate. In the preceding paper, we described a number of mutants (CSP mutants), isolated from nonsporulating aa and alpha-alpha parent strains, in which sporulation appeared to be uncoupled from control by mating type. The characterization of one of these mutants (CSP1) is now extended to other processes controlled by mating type. This mutant is indistinguishable from alpha-alpha cells and unlike aalpha cells for mating factor production and response, zygote formation, intragenic mitotic recombination, and for X-ray sensitivity. The mutant apparently undergoes a full round of DNA synthesis in sporulation medium, but with delayed kinetics. Only 20% of the cells complete sporulation. Among spores in completed asci, the frequency of both intra- and intergenic recombination is the same as it is for spores produced by aalpha cells. However, experiments in which cells were shifted from sporulation medium back to minimal growth medium gave a frequency of meiotic recombination between ade2 or leu2 heteroalleles only 25% to 29% as high for CSP1 alpha-alpha diploid or CSP1 aa disomic cells as for aalpha diploid or disomic cells. Because the latter result, indicating recombination defectiveness, measured recombinant production in the entire cell population, whereas the result indicating normal recombination sampled only completed spores, we infer that all meiotic recombination events occuring in the population of CSP1 alpha-alpha cells are concentrated in those few cells which complete sporulation. This high degree of correlation between meiotic recombination and the completion of meiosis and sporulation suggests that recombination may be required for proper meiotic chromosome segregation in yeast just as it appears to be in maize and in Drosophila.  (+info)

Lambda bacteriophage gene produces and X-ray sensitivity of Escherichia coli: comparison of red-dependent and gam-dependent radioresistance. (3/168)

When gene products of lambda bacteriophage are introduced into a cell by transient induction of a lysogen, increased resistance of the cells to X rays results. This phenomenon has been called phage-induced radioresistance. Genetic studies show at least two classes of induced radioresistance. The first type depends on the products of the lambda red genes and is observed in bacteria that are mutated in the recB gene. It is thought that the lambda red products compensate for the missing RecBC nuclease in the repair of X-ray damage. An optimal effect is obtained even when the lambda red products are supplied 1 h after irradiation. The lesions that are affected by the red-dependent process are probably not deoxyribonucleic acid strand breaks because the extent of deoxyribonucleic acid strand rejoining is not altered by the red products. The second type of phage-induced radioresistance requires the gam product of lambda and is observed in wild-type and polA strains. The lambda gam+ gene produce must be present immediately after irradiation to exert its full effect. In its presence, DNA breakdown is decreased, and a greater fraction of DNA is converted back to high molecular weight. Strains carrying lex, recA, or certain other combinations of mutations do not show any detectable phage-induced radioresistance.  (+info)

Role of pyrimidine dimer excision in loss of potential streptomycin resistance mutations of ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli on phosphate-buffered agar. (4/168)

The frequency of ultraviolet (UV)-induced mutations to streptomycin resistance dropped rapidly when starved Escherichia coli strains WP-2 B/r and B/r T- were incubated on phosphate-buffered agar (PBA), but was reduced only slightly in a WP-2 hcr- mutant. During postirradiation, incubation viability remained approximately constant. Cells given an optimal recovery treatment with photo-reactivating light showed no further recovery if subsequently incubated on PBA. At least 70% of the mutations induced to streptomycin resistance by UV could be repaired. The loss of potential streptomycin-resistant mutants was markedly reduced in strain B/r T- when 5 mug of acriflavin or 700 mug of caffeine per ml was added to PBA. The excision of UV-induced thymine-containing dimers from E. coli tb/r T- was investigated. Dimer excision progressed more slowly when the cells were incubated on PBA containing acriflavin or caffeine. There was no congruity between the kinetics of dimer excision and the kinetics of mutant loss. Our results indicate that removal of potential streptomycin-resistant mutants is considerably faster than the excision of pyrimidine dimers.  (+info)

Transduction of a Proteus vulgaris strain by a Proteus mirabilis bacteriophage. (5/168)

Only Proteus vulgaris strain PV127 out of many P. vulgaris, P. morganii and Providence strains was transduced to kanamycin resistance by high-frequency transducing variants, 5006MHFTk and 5006MHFTak, of phage 5006M, a general transducing phage for P. mirabilis strain PM5006. The phages adsorbed poorly to strain PV127 and did not form plaques. The transduction frequency of PV127 by these phages was 5 x 10(-8)/p.f.u. adsorbed. Phage 5006M increased the transduction frequencies. Abortive transductants were not detected. Transductants segregated kanamycin-sensitive clones at high frequency and this, together with data from the inactivation of transducing activity of lysates by ultraviolet irradiation, indicated that transduction was by lysogenization. The general transducing property of the phages was not expressed in transductions to auxotrophs of PV127. Transductants (type I) resulting from low multiplicities of phage input adsorbed phage to the same extent as PV127. This suggested a defect in the transducing particles (or host) because single phage 5006M infection converted strain PM5006 to non-adsorption of homologous phage. Type I transductants did not liberate phage, suggesting a defective phage maturation function. Transductants (type II) which arose from higher multiplicities of phage input did not adsorb phage, indicating possible heterogeneity among transducing particles. Phage derived from type II transductants adsorbed poorly to PV127 and transduced it to kanamycin resistance at frequencies similar to those of phages 5006MHFTk and 5006MHFTak, ruling out host-controlled modification as a cause of the low transduction frequencies. This phage transduced PM5006 to antibiotic resistance at high frequencies but generalized transduction was again not detected. It was suggested that general transduction could be performed by particles which, due to a different composition and/or mode of chromosomal integration, made material they carried susceptible to host-cell modification.  (+info)

Genetic and physiological characterization of met15 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a selective system for forward and reverse mutations. (6/168)

One hundred and thirty-three spontaneous and induced mutants of the met15 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were characterized with respect to temperature sensitivity, osmotic remediability, interallelic complementation, and suppressibility by amber and ochre suppressors. Forty mutants are osmotic remedial; 17 of these, and no others, are also temperature-sensitive. Seven of 133 mutations are suppressible by an amber suppressor and 11 are suppressible by an ochre suppressor. Seventy percent of the mutants exhibited interallelic complementation, suggesting that the functional gene product of the met15 gene is a multimeric protein. Relative map positions of 30 met15 were estimated from the frequencies of X-ray-induced mitotic reversion of various heteroallelic diploids. All complementing nonsense mutations are located near one end of the gene in contrast to other nonsense mutations which span most of the gene, thus relating the direction of translation of the mRNA with respect to the fine-structure map. Recombination studies indicated that two of 30 mutants contained deletions of the entire met15 locus. -- It was established that a variety of mutational types, including missense, nonsense, and deletions, are recovered with this unique system in which both forward and reverse mutations can be selected on the basis of methyl mercury resistance and methionine requirement of the met15 mutants.  (+info)

Radiation effects on testes. II. incorporation of 65Zn after partial body gamma-irradiation of rats. (7/168)

The decrease in the uptake of 65-Zn by irradiated testes (720 R) was followed by recovery after 30 days. After a dose of 2000 R, uptake of 65-Zn was systemtically reduced over a period of 74 days. Studies following the administration of testosterone and FSH germinal cells of the testes is under the control of pituitary gonadotrophins.  (+info)

A new theory of phylogeny inference through construction of multidimensional vector space. (8/168)

Here, a new theory of molecular phylogeny is developed in a multidimensional vector space (MVS). The molecular evolution is represented as a successive splitting of branch vectors in the MVS. The end points of these vectors are the extant species and indicate the specific directions reflected by their individual histories of evolution in the past. This representation makes it possible to infer the phylogeny (evolutionary histories) from the spatial positions of the end points. Search vectors are introduced to draw out the groups of species distributed around them. These groups are classified according to the nearby order of branches with them. A law of physics is applied to determine the species positions in the MVS. The species are regarded as the particles moving in time according to the equation of motion, finally falling into the lowest-energy state in spite of their randomly distributed initial condition. This falling into the ground state results in the construction of an MVS in which the relative distances between two particles are equal to the substitution distances. The species positions are obtained prior to the phylogeny inference. Therefore, as the number of species increases, the species vectors can be more specific in an MVS of a larger size, such that the vector analysis gives a more stable and reliable topology. The efficacy of the present method was examined by using computer simulations of molecular evolution in which all the branch- and end-point sequences of the trees are known in advance. In the phylogeny inference from the end points with 100 multiple data sets, the present method consistently reconstructed the correct topologies, in contrast to standard methods. In applications to 185 vertebrates in the alpha-hemoglobin, the vector analysis drew out the two lineage groups of birds and mammals. A core member of the mammalian radiation appeared at the base of the mammalian lineage. Squamates were isolated from the bird lineage to compose the outgroup, while the other living reptilians were directly coupled with birds without forming any sister groups. This result is in contrast to the morphological phylogeny and is also different from those of recent molecular analyses.  (+info)