RESUMO
Using the compiled human genome sequence, we systematically cataloged all tandem repeats with periods between 20 and 2000 bp and defined two subsets whose consensus sequences were found at either single-locus tandem repeats (slTRs) or multilocus tandem repeats (mlTRs). Parameters compiled for these subsets provide insights into mechanisms underlying the creation and evolution of tandem repeats. Both subsets of tandem repeats are nonrandomly distributed in the genome, being found at higher frequency at many but not all chromosome ends and internal clusters of mlTRs were also observed. Despite the integral role of recombination in the biology of tandem repeats, recombination hotspots colocalized only with shorter microsatellites and not the longer repeats examined here. An increased frequency of slTRs was observed near imprinted genes, consistent with a functional role, while both slTRs and mlTRs were found more frequently near genes implicated in triplet expansion diseases, suggesting a general instability of these regions. Using our collated parameters, we identified 2230 slTRs as candidates for highly informative molecular markers.
Assuntos
Sequências de Repetição em Tandem/genética , Cromossomos Humanos/genética , Variação Genética , Humanos , Recombinação Genética/genéticaRESUMO
Significant progress has been made in elucidating the mechanism of abscisic acid (ABA)-regulated gene expression, including the characterization of an ABA-responsive element (ABRE), which is regulated by basic domain/Leu zipper transcription factors. In addition to the ABRE, a coupling element (CE1) has been demonstrated to be involved in ABA-induced expression. However, a trans factor that interacts with CE1 has yet to be characterized. We report the isolation of a seed-specific maize ABI4 homolog and demonstrate, using a PCR-based in vitro selection procedure, that the maize ABI4 protein binds to the CE-1 like sequence CACCG. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we demonstrate that recombinant ZmABI4 protein binds to the CE1 element in a number of ABA-related genes. ZmABI4 also binds to the promoter of the sugar-responsive ADH1 gene, demonstrating the ability of this protein to regulate both ABA- and sugar-regulated pathways. ZmABI4 complements Arabidopsis ABI4 function, because abi4 mutant plants transformed with the ZmABI4 gene have an ABA- and sugar-sensitive phenotype. Identification of the maize ABI4 ortholog and the demonstration of its binding to a known ABA response element provide a link between ABA-mediated kernel development and the regulation of ABA response genes.
Assuntos
Ácido Abscísico/farmacologia , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Carboidratos/farmacologia , ATPases de Cloroplastos Translocadoras de Prótons/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Zea mays/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Arabidopsis/genética , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Sequência de Bases , Sítios de Ligação/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Ensaio de Desvio de Mobilidade Eletroforética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/metabolismo , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Homologia de Sequência do Ácido Nucleico , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Zea mays/metabolismoRESUMO
Previous studies have identified two tissue- and cell-specific, yet functionally redundant, sucrose synthase (SuSy) genes, Sh1 and Sus1, which encode biochemically similar isozymes, SH1 and SUS1 (previously referred to as SS1 and SS2, respectively). Here we report evidence for a third SuSy gene in maize, Sus3, which is more similar to dicot than to monocot SuSys. RNA and/or protein blot analyses on developing kernels and other tissues show evidence of expression of Sus3, although at the lowest steady-state levels of the three SuSy gene products and without a unique pattern of tissue specificity. Immunoblots of sh1sus1-1 embryos that are either lacking or deficient for the embryo-specific SUS1 protein have shown a protein band which we attribute to the Sus3 gene, and may contribute to the residual enzyme activity seen in embryos of the double mutant. We also studied developing seeds of the double mutant sh1sus1-1, which is missing 99.5% of SuSy enzyme activity, for evidence of co-regulation of several genes of sugar metabolism. We found a significant reduction in the steady-state levels of Miniature-1 encoded cell wall invertase2, and Sucrose transporter (Sut) mRNAs in the double mutant, relative to the lineage-related sh1Sus1 and sh1Sus1 kernels. Down-regulation of the Mn1 gene was also reflected in significant reductions in cell wall invertase activity. Co-regulatory changes were not seen in the expression of Sucrose phosphate synthase, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase.
Assuntos
Glucosiltransferases/genética , Zea mays/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , DNA Complementar/química , DNA Complementar/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Regulação Enzimológica da Expressão Gênica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Genótipo , Glucosiltransferases/metabolismo , Isoenzimas/genética , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , Filogenia , RNA de Plantas/genética , RNA de Plantas/metabolismo , Sementes/enzimologia , Sementes/genética , Sementes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sacarose/metabolismo , Zea mays/enzimologia , Zea mays/crescimento & desenvolvimentoRESUMO
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins play an important role in developmental and epigenetic regulation of gene expression in fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and mammals. Recent evidence has shown that Arabidopsis homologs of PcG proteins are also important for the regulation of plant development. The objective of this study was to characterize the PcG homologs in maize (Zea mays). The 11 cloned PcG proteins from fruit fly and the Enhancer of zeste [E(z)], extra sex combs (esc), and Enhancer of Polycomb [E(Pc)] homologs from Arabidopsis were used as queries to perform TBLASTN searches against the public maize expressed sequence tag database and the Pioneer Hi-Bred database. Maize homologs were found for E(z), esc, and E(Pc), but not for Polycomb, pleiohomeotic, Posterior sex combs, Polycomblike, Additional sex combs, Sex combs on midleg, polyhometoic, or multi sex combs. Transcripts of the three maize Enhancer of zeste-like genes, Mez1, Mez2, and Mez3, were detected in all tissues tested, and the Mez2 transcript is alternatively spliced in a tissue-dependent pattern. Zea mays fertilization independent endosperm1 (ZmFie1) expression was limited to developing embryos and endosperms, whereas ZmFie2 expression was found throughout plant development. The conservation of E(z) and esc homologs across kingdoms indicates that these genes likely play a conserved role in repressing gene expression.
