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Benham CJ. DNA superhelicity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:22-48. [PMID: 37994702 PMCID: PMC10783518 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Closing each strand of a DNA duplex upon itself fixes its linking number L. This topological condition couples together the secondary and tertiary structures of the resulting ccDNA topoisomer, a constraint that is not present in otherwise identical nicked or linear DNAs. Fixing L has a range of structural, energetic and functional consequences. Here we consider how L having different integer values (that is, different superhelicities) affects ccDNA molecules. The approaches used are primarily theoretical, and are developed from a historical perspective. In brief, processes that either relax or increase superhelicity, or repartition what is there, may either release or require free energy. The energies involved can be substantial, sufficient to influence many events, directly or indirectly. Here two examples are developed. The changes of unconstrained superhelicity that occur during nucleosome attachment and release are examined. And a simple theoretical model of superhelically driven DNA structural transitions is described that calculates equilibrium distributions for populations of identical topoisomers. This model is used to examine how these distributions change with superhelicity and other factors, and applied to analyze several situations of biological interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig J Benham
- UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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2
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Bowater RP, Bohálová N, Brázda V. Interaction of Proteins with Inverted Repeats and Cruciform Structures in Nucleic Acids. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116171. [PMID: 35682854 PMCID: PMC9180970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cruciforms occur when inverted repeat sequences in double-stranded DNA adopt intra-strand hairpins on opposing strands. Biophysical and molecular studies of these structures confirm their characterization as four-way junctions and have demonstrated that several factors influence their stability, including overall chromatin structure and DNA supercoiling. Here, we review our understanding of processes that influence the formation and stability of cruciforms in genomes, covering the range of sequences shown to have biological significance. It is challenging to accurately sequence repetitive DNA sequences, but recent advances in sequencing methods have deepened understanding about the amounts of inverted repeats in genomes from all forms of life. We highlight that, in the majority of genomes, inverted repeats are present in higher numbers than is expected from a random occurrence. It is, therefore, becoming clear that inverted repeats play important roles in regulating many aspects of DNA metabolism, including replication, gene expression, and recombination. Cruciforms are targets for many architectural and regulatory proteins, including topoisomerases, p53, Rif1, and others. Notably, some of these proteins can induce the formation of cruciform structures when they bind to DNA. Inverted repeat sequences also influence the evolution of genomes, and growing evidence highlights their significance in several human diseases, suggesting that the inverted repeat sequences and/or DNA cruciforms could be useful therapeutic targets in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P. Bowater
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK;
| | - Natália Bohálová
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61265 Brno, Czech Republic;
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Brázda
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 61265 Brno, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence:
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3
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Svetec Miklenić M, Svetec IK. Palindromes in DNA-A Risk for Genome Stability and Implications in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2840. [PMID: 33799581 PMCID: PMC7999016 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A palindrome in DNA consists of two closely spaced or adjacent inverted repeats. Certain palindromes have important biological functions as parts of various cis-acting elements and protein binding sites. However, many palindromes are known as fragile sites in the genome, sites prone to chromosome breakage which can lead to various genetic rearrangements or even cell death. The ability of certain palindromes to initiate genetic recombination lies in their ability to form secondary structures in DNA which can cause replication stalling and double-strand breaks. Given their recombinogenic nature, it is not surprising that palindromes in the human genome are involved in genetic rearrangements in cancer cells as well as other known recurrent translocations and deletions associated with certain syndromes in humans. Here, we bring an overview of current understanding and knowledge on molecular mechanisms of palindrome recombinogenicity and discuss possible implications of DNA palindromes in carcinogenesis. Furthermore, we overview the data on known palindromic sequences in the human genome and efforts to estimate their number and distribution, as well as underlying mechanisms of genetic rearrangements specific palindromic sequences cause.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Krešimir Svetec
- Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
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4
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Alamro H, Alzamel M, Iliopoulos CS, Pissis SP, Watts S. IUPACpal: efficient identification of inverted repeats in IUPAC-encoded DNA sequences. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:51. [PMID: 33549041 PMCID: PMC7866733 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-03983-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An inverted repeat is a DNA sequence followed downstream by its reverse complement, potentially with a gap in the centre. Inverted repeats are found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes and they have been linked with countless possible functions. Many international consortia provide a comprehensive description of common genetic variation making alternative sequence representations, such as IUPAC encoding, necessary for leveraging the full potential of such broad variation datasets. RESULTS We present IUPACPAL, an exact tool for efficient identification of inverted repeats in IUPAC-encoded DNA sequences allowing also for potential mismatches and gaps in the inverted repeats. CONCLUSION Within the parameters that were tested, our experimental results show that IUPACPAL compares favourably to a similar application packaged with EMBOSS. We show that IUPACPAL identifies many previously unidentified inverted repeats when compared with EMBOSS, and that this is also performed with orders of magnitude improved speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayam Alamro
- Department of Informatics, King’s College London, 30 Aldwych, London, UK
- Department of Information Systems, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mai Alzamel
- Department of Informatics, King’s College London, 30 Aldwych, London, UK
- Computer Science Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Solon P. Pissis
- Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven Watts
- Department of Informatics, King’s College London, 30 Aldwych, London, UK
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5
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Bartas M, Bažantová P, Brázda V, Liao JC, Červeň J, Pečinka P. Identification of Distinct Amino Acid Composition of Human Cruciform Binding Proteins. Mol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893319010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Miura O, Ogake T, Yoneyama H, Kikuchi Y, Ohyama T. A strong structural correlation between short inverted repeat sequences and the polyadenylation signal in yeast and nucleosome exclusion by these inverted repeats. Curr Genet 2018; 65:575-590. [PMID: 30498953 PMCID: PMC6420913 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0907-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA sequences that read the same from 5′ to 3′ in either strand are called inverted repeat sequences or simply IRs. They are found throughout a wide variety of genomes, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Despite extensive research, their in vivo functions, if any, remain unclear. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we performed genome-wide analyses for the distribution, occurrence frequency, sequence characteristics and relevance to chromatin structure, for the IRs that reportedly have a cruciform-forming potential. Here, we provide the first comprehensive map of these IRs in the S. cerevisiae genome. The statistically significant enrichment of the IRs was found in the close vicinity of the DNA positions corresponding to polyadenylation [poly(A)] sites and ~ 30 to ~ 60 bp downstream of start codon-coding sites (referred to as ‘start codons’). In the former, ApT- or TpA-rich IRs and A-tract- or T-tract-rich IRs are enriched, while in the latter, different IRs are enriched. Furthermore, we found a strong structural correlation between the former IRs and the poly(A) signal. In the chromatin formed on the gene end regions, the majority of the IRs causes low nucleosome occupancy. The IRs in the region ~ 30 to ~ 60 bp downstream of start codons are located in the + 1 nucleosomes. In contrast, fewer IRs are present in the adjacent region downstream of start codons. The current study suggests that the IRs play similar roles in Escherichia coli and S. cerevisiae to regulate or complete transcription at the RNA level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Miura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Ogake
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yoneyama
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yo Kikuchi
- Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohyama
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan. .,Major in Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan.
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7
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Self-Assembly of 3D DNA Crystals Containing a Torsionally Stressed Component. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 24:1401-1406.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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8
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Shen BW, Heiter DF, Lunnen KD, Wilson GG, Stoddard BL. DNA recognition by the SwaI restriction endonuclease involves unusual distortion of an 8 base pair A:T-rich target. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:1516-1528. [PMID: 28180307 PMCID: PMC5415892 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw1200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
R.SwaI, a Type IIP restriction endonuclease, recognizes a palindromic eight base pair (bp) symmetric sequence, 5΄-ATTTAAAT-3΄, and cleaves that target at its center to generate blunt-ended DNA fragments. Here, we report three crystal structures of SwaI: unbound enzyme, a DNA-bound complex with calcium ions; and a DNA-bound, fully cleaved complex with magnesium ions. We compare these structures to two structurally similar ‘PD-D/ExK’ restriction endonucleases (EcoRV and HincII) that also generate blunt-ended products, and to a structurally distinct enzyme (the HNH endonuclease PacI) that also recognizes an 8-bp target site consisting solely of A:T base pairs. Binding by SwaI induces an extreme bend in the target sequence accompanied by un-pairing and re-ordering of its central A:T base pairs. This result is reminiscent of a more dramatic target deformation previously described for PacI, implying that long A:T-rich target sites might display structural or dynamic behaviors that play a significant role in endonuclease recognition and cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty W Shen
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel F Heiter
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Keith D Lunnen
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | | | - Barry L Stoddard
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. North, Seattle, WA, USA
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9
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Gadgil R, Barthelemy J, Lewis T, Leffak M. Replication stalling and DNA microsatellite instability. Biophys Chem 2016; 225:38-48. [PMID: 27914716 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellites are short, tandemly repeated DNA motifs of 1-6 nucleotides, also termed simple sequence repeats (SRSs) or short tandem repeats (STRs). Collectively, these repeats comprise approximately 3% of the human genome Subramanian et al. (2003), Lander and Lander (2001) [1,2], and represent a large reservoir of loci highly prone to mutations Sun et al. (2012), Ellegren (2004) [3,4] that contribute to human evolution and disease. Microsatellites are known to stall and reverse replication forks in model systems Pelletier et al. (2003), Samadashwily et al. (1997), Kerrest et al. (2009) [5-7], and are hotspots of chromosomal double strand breaks (DSBs). We briefly review the relationship of these repeated sequences to replication stalling and genome instability, and present recent data on the impact of replication stress on DNA fragility at microsatellites in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gadgil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - J Barthelemy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - T Lewis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - M Leffak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
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10
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Aygun N. Correlations between long inverted repeat (LIR) features, deletion size and distance from breakpoint in human gross gene deletions. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8300. [PMID: 25657065 PMCID: PMC4319165 DOI: 10.1038/srep08300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Long inverted repeats (LIRs) have been shown to induce genomic deletions in yeast. In this study, LIRs were investigated within ±10 kb spanning each breakpoint from 109 human gross deletions, using Inverted Repeat Finder (IRF) software. LIR number was significantly higher at the breakpoint regions, than in control segments (P < 0.001). In addition, it was found that strong correlation between 5' and 3' LIR numbers, suggesting contribution to DNA sequence evolution (r = 0.85, P < 0.001). 138 LIR features at ±3 kb breakpoints in 89 (81%) of 109 gross deletions were evaluated. Significant correlations were found between distance from breakpoint and loop length (r = -0.18, P < 0.05) and stem length (r = -0.18, P < 0.05), suggesting DNA strands are potentially broken in locations closer to bigger LIRs. In addition, bigger loops cause larger deletions (r = 0.19, P < 0.05). Moreover, loop length (r = 0.29, P < 0.02) and identity between stem copies (r = 0.30, P < 0.05) of 3' LIRs were more important in larger deletions. Consequently, DNA breaks may form via LIR-induced cruciform structure during replication. DNA ends may be later repaired by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), with following deletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevim Aygun
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey
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11
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Zhabinskaya D, Benham CJ. Competitive superhelical transitions involving cruciform extrusion. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:9610-21. [PMID: 23969416 PMCID: PMC3834812 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A DNA molecule under negative superhelical stress becomes susceptible to transitions to alternate structures. The accessible alternate conformations depend on base sequence and compete for occupancy. We have developed a method to calculate equilibrium distributions among the states available to such systems, as well as their average thermodynamic properties. Here we extend this approach to include superhelical cruciform extrusion at both perfect and imperfect inverted repeat (IR) sequences. We find that short IRs do not extrude cruciforms, even in the absence of competition. But as the length of an IR increases, its extrusion can come to dominate both strand separation and B-Z transitions. Although many IRs are present in human genomic DNA, we find that extrusion-susceptible ones occur infrequently. Moreover, their avoidance of transcription start sites in eukaryotes suggests that cruciform formation is rarely involved in mechanisms of gene regulation. We examine a set of clinically important chromosomal translocation breakpoints that occur at long IRs, whose rearrangement has been proposed to be driven by cruciform extrusion. Our results show that the susceptibilities of these IRs to cruciform formation correspond closely with their observed translocation frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Zhabinskaya
- UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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12
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Matek C, Ouldridge TE, Levy A, Doye JPK, Louis AA. DNA cruciform arms nucleate through a correlated but asynchronous cooperative mechanism. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:11616-25. [PMID: 22931199 DOI: 10.1021/jp3080755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Inverted repeat (IR) sequences in DNA can form noncanonical cruciform structures to relieve torsional stress. We use Monte Carlo simulations of a recently developed coarse-grained model of DNA to demonstrate that the nucleation of a cruciform can proceed through a cooperative mechanism. First, a twist-induced denaturation bubble must diffuse so that its midpoint is near the center of symmetry of the IR sequence. Second, bubble fluctuations must be large enough to allow one of the arms to form a small number of hairpin bonds. Once the first arm is partially formed, the second arm can rapidly grow to a similar size. Because bubbles can twist back on themselves, they need considerably fewer bases to resolve torsional stress than the final cruciform state does. The initially stabilized cruciform therefore continues to grow, which typically proceeds synchronously, reminiscent of the S-type mechanism of cruciform formation. By using umbrella sampling techniques, we calculate, for different temperatures and superhelical densities, the free energy as a function of the number of bonds in each cruciform arm along the correlated but asynchronous nucleation pathways we observed in direct simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Matek
- Rudolph Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, 1 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3NP, UK
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13
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Strawbridge EM, Wolgemuth CW. Surface traction and the dynamics of elastic rods at low Reynolds number. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2012; 86:031904. [PMID: 23030941 PMCID: PMC3772136 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.86.031904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Molecular and cell biological processes often use proteins and structures that are significantly longer in one dimension than they are in the other two, for example, DNA, actin, and bacterial flagella. The dynamics of these structures are the consequence of the balance between the elastic forces from the structure itself and viscous forces from the surrounding fluid. Typically, the motion of these filamentary objects is described using variations of the Kirchhoff rod equations with resistive forces from the fluid treated as body forces acting on the centerline. In reality, though, these forces are applied to the surface of the filament; however, the standard derivation of the Kirchhoff equations ignores surface traction stresses. Here, we rederive the Kirchhoff rod equations in the presence of resistive traction stresses and determine the conditions under which treating the drag forces as body forces is reasonable. We show that in most biologically relevant cases the standard implementation of resistive forces into the Kirchhoff rod equations is applicable; however, we note one particular biological system where the Kirchhoff rod formalism may not apply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Strawbridge
- Department of Mathematics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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14
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Brázda V, Čechová J, Coufal J, Rumpel S, Jagelská EB. Superhelical DNA as a preferential binding target of 14-3-3γ protein. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2012; 30:371-8. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2012.682205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Václav Brázda
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , v.v.i., Královopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Čechová
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , v.v.i., Královopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Coufal
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , v.v.i., Královopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
| | - Sigrun Rumpel
- Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network , Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2C4
| | - Eva B. Jagelská
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , v.v.i., Královopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
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15
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Zhabinskaya D, Benham CJ. Theoretical analysis of competing conformational transitions in superhelical DNA. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002484. [PMID: 22570598 PMCID: PMC3343103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We develop a statistical mechanical model to analyze the competitive behavior of transitions to multiple alternate conformations in a negatively supercoiled DNA molecule of kilobase length and specified base sequence. Since DNA superhelicity topologically couples together the transition behaviors of all base pairs, a unified model is required to analyze all the transitions to which the DNA sequence is susceptible. Here we present a first model of this type. Our numerical approach generalizes the strategy of previously developed algorithms, which studied superhelical transitions to a single alternate conformation. We apply our multi-state model to study the competition between strand separation and B-Z transitions in superhelical DNA. We show this competition to be highly sensitive to temperature and to the imposed level of supercoiling. Comparison of our results with experimental data shows that, when the energetics appropriate to the experimental conditions are used, the competition between these two transitions is accurately captured by our algorithm. We analyze the superhelical competition between B-Z transitions and denaturation around the c-myc oncogene, where both transitions are known to occur when this gene is transcribing. We apply our model to explore the correlation between stress-induced transitions and transcriptional activity in various organisms. In higher eukaryotes we find a strong enhancement of Z-forming regions immediately 5′ to their transcription start sites (TSS), and a depletion of strand separating sites in a broad region around the TSS. The opposite patterns occur around transcript end locations. We also show that susceptibility to each type of transition is different in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. By analyzing a set of untranscribed pseudogenes we show that the Z-susceptibility just downstream of the TSS is not preserved, suggesting it may be under selection pressure. The stresses imposed on DNA within organisms can drive the molecule from its standard B-form double-helical structure into other conformations at susceptible sites within the sequence. We present a theoretical method to calculate this transition behavior due to stresses induced by supercoiling. We also develop a numerical algorithm that calculates the transformation probability of each base pair in a user-specified DNA sequence under stress. We apply this method to analyze the competition between transitions to strand separated and left-handed Z-form structures. We find that these two conformations are both competitive under physiological environmental conditions, and that this competition is especially sensitive to temperature. By comparing its results to experimental data we also show that the algorithm properly describes the competition between melting and Z-DNA formation. Analysis of large gene sets from various organisms shows a correlation between sites of stress-induced transitions and locations that are involved in regulating gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Zhabinskaya
- UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America.
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16
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Folded DNA in action: hairpin formation and biological functions in prokaryotes. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2011; 74:570-88. [PMID: 21119018 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00026-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Structured forms of DNA with intrastrand pairing are generated in several cellular processes and are involved in biological functions. These structures may arise on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) produced during replication, bacterial conjugation, natural transformation, or viral infections. Furthermore, negatively supercoiled DNA can extrude inverted repeats as hairpins in structures called cruciforms. Whether they are on ssDNA or as cruciforms, hairpins can modify the access of proteins to DNA, and in some cases, they can be directly recognized by proteins. Folded DNAs have been found to play an important role in replication, transcription regulation, and recognition of the origins of transfer in conjugative elements. More recently, they were shown to be used as recombination sites. Many of these functions are found on mobile genetic elements likely to be single stranded, including viruses, plasmids, transposons, and integrons, thus giving some clues as to the manner in which they might have evolved. We review here, with special focus on prokaryotes, the functions in which DNA secondary structures play a role and the cellular processes giving rise to them. Finally, we attempt to shed light on the selective pressures leading to the acquisition of functions for DNA secondary structures.
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17
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Ramreddy T, Sachidanandam R, Strick TR. Real-time detection of cruciform extrusion by single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:4275-83. [PMID: 21266478 PMCID: PMC3105387 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During cruciform extrusion, a DNA inverted repeat unwinds and forms a four-way junction in which two of the branches consist of hairpin structures obtained by self-pairing of the inverted repeats. Here, we use single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation to monitor in real-time cruciform extrusion and rewinding. This allows us to determine the size of the cruciform to nearly base pair accuracy and its kinetics with second-scale time resolution. We present data obtained with two different inverted repeats, one perfect and one imperfect, and extend single-molecule force spectroscopy to measure the torque dependence of cruciform extrusion and rewinding kinetics. Using mutational analysis and a simple two-state model, we find that in the transition state intermediate only the B-DNA located between the inverted repeats (and corresponding to the unpaired apical loop) is unwound, implying that initial stabilization of the four-way (or Holliday) junction is rate-limiting. We thus find that cruciform extrusion is kinetically regulated by features of the hairpin loop, while rewinding is kinetically regulated by features of the stem. These results provide mechanistic insight into cruciform extrusion and help understand the structural features that determine the relative stability of the cruciform and B-form states.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ramreddy
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR 7592, University of Paris - Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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18
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Strawbridge EM, Benson G, Gelfand Y, Benham CJ. The distribution of inverted repeat sequences in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Curr Genet 2010; 56:321-40. [PMID: 20446088 PMCID: PMC2908449 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-010-0302-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2010] [Revised: 04/05/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although a variety of possible functions have been proposed for inverted repeat sequences (IRs), it is not known which of them might occur in vivo. We investigate this question by assessing the distributions and properties of IRs in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) genome. Using the IRFinder algorithm we detect 100,514 IRs having copy length greater than 6 bp and spacer length less than 77 bp. To assess statistical significance we also determine the IR distributions in two types of randomization of the S. cerevisiae genome. We find that the S. cerevisiae genome is significantly enriched in IRs relative to random. The S. cerevisiae IRs are significantly longer and contain fewer imperfections than those from the randomized genomes, suggesting that processes to lengthen and/or correct errors in IRs may be operative in vivo. The S. cerevisiae IRs are highly clustered in intergenic regions, while their occurrence in coding sequences is consistent with random. Clustering is stronger in the 3' flanks of genes than in their 5' flanks. However, the S. cerevisiae genome is not enriched in those IRs that would extrude cruciforms, suggesting that this is not a common event. Various explanations for these results are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gary Benson
- Laboratory for Biocomputing and Informatics, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Yevgeniy Gelfand
- Laboratory for Biocomputing and Informatics, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Craig J. Benham
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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19
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Loot C, Bikard D, Rachlin A, Mazel D. Cellular pathways controlling integron cassette site folding. EMBO J 2010; 29:2623-34. [PMID: 20628355 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
By mobilizing small DNA units, integrons have a major function in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. The acquisition of gene cassettes occurs by recombination between the attI and attC sites catalysed by the IntI1 integron integrase. These recombination reactions use an unconventional mechanism involving a folded single-stranded attC site. We show that cellular bacterial processes delivering ssDNA, such as conjugation and replication, favour proper folding of the attC site. By developing a very sensitive in vivo assay, we also provide evidence that attC sites can recombine as cruciform structures by extrusion from double-stranded DNA. Moreover, we show an influence of DNA superhelicity on attC site extrusion in vitro and in vivo. We show that the proper folding of the attC site depends on both the propensity to form non-recombinogenic structures and the length of their variable terminal structures. These results draw the network of cell processes that regulate integron recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Loot
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Paris, France
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20
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Zhang SH, Huang YZ. Limited contribution of stem-loop potential to symmetry of single-stranded genomic DNA. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 26:478-85. [PMID: 20031973 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btp703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION The phenomenon of strand symmetry, which may provide clues to genome evolution, exists in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes studied. Several possible mechanisms for its origins have been proposed, including: no strand biases for mutation and selection, strand inversion and selection of stem-loop structures. However, the relative contributions of these mechanisms to strand symmetry are not clear. In this article, we studied specifically the role of stem-loop potential of single-stranded DNA in strand symmetry. RESULTS We analyzed the complete genomes of 90 prokaryotes. We found that most oligonucleotides (pentanucleotides and higher) do not have a reverse complement in close proximity in the genomic sequences. Combined with further analysis, we conclude that the contribution of the widespread stem-loop potential of single-stranded genomic DNA to the formation and maintenance of strand symmetry would be very limited, at least for higher-order oligonucleotides. Therefore, other possible causes for strand symmetry must be taken into account to a deeper degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Hong Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Biotechnology Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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21
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Crénès G, Ivo D, Hérisson J, Dion S, Renault S, Bigot Y, Petit A. The bacterial Tn9 chloramphenicol resistance gene: an attractive DNA segment for Mos1 mariner insertions. Mol Genet Genomics 2008; 281:315-28. [PMID: 19112581 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-008-0414-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2008] [Accepted: 12/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The eukaryotic mariner transposons are currently thought to have no sequence specificity for integration other than to insert within a TA contained in a degenerated [TA](1-4) tract, either in vitro or in vivo. We have investigated the properties of a suspected hotspot for the integration of the mariner Mos1 element, namely the Tn9 cat gene that encodes a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase. Using in vitro and bacterial transposition assays, we confirmed that the cat gene is a preferential target for MOS1 integration, whatever its sequence environment, copy number or chromosomal locus. We also observed that its presence increases transposition rates both in vitro and in bacterial assays. The structural and sequence features that constitute the attractiveness of cat were also investigated. We first demonstrated that supercoiling is essential for the cat gene to be a hot spot. In contrast to the situation for Tc1-like elements, DNA curvature and bendability were not found to affect integration target preferences. We found that Mos1 integrations do not occur randomly along the cat gene. All TA dinucleotides that are preferred for integration were found within either TATA or TA x TA motifs. However, these motifs are not sufficient to constitute an attractive dinucleotide, since four TATA and TA x TA sites are cold spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwénaëlle Crénès
- GICC, UMR CNRS 6239, Université François Rabelais de Tours, UFR des Sciences et Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France
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22
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Lewis SM, Chen S, Strathern JN, Rattray AJ. New approaches to the analysis of palindromic sequences from the human genome: evolution and polymorphism of an intronic site at the NF1 locus. Nucleic Acids Res 2005; 33:e186. [PMID: 16340004 PMCID: PMC1310899 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gni189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of any long palindrome that might exist in the human genome is obscured by the instability of such sequences once cloned in Escherichia coli. We describe and validate a practical alternative to the analysis of naturally-occurring palindromes based upon cloning and propagation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. With this approach we have investigated an intronic sequence in the human Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) locus that is represented by multiple conflicting versions in GenBank. We find that the site is highly polymorphic, exhibiting different degrees of palindromy in different individuals. A side-by-side comparison of the same plasmids in E.coli versus. S.cerevisiae demonstrated that the more palindromic alleles were inevitably corrupted upon cloning in E.coli, but could be propagated intact in yeast. The high quality sequence obtained from the yeast-based approach provides insight into the various mechanisms that destabilize a palindrome in E.coli, yeast and humans, into the diversification of a highly polymorphic site within the NF1 locus during primate evolution, and into the association between palindromy and chromosomal translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna M Lewis
- Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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23
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Víglasky V, Danko P, Adamcík J, Valle F, Dietler G. Detection of cruciform extrusion in DNA by temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis. Anal Biochem 2005; 343:308-12. [PMID: 16004956 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2005.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2005] [Revised: 05/11/2005] [Accepted: 05/16/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Repetitive sequences in DNA molecules, some of which are palindromic, tend to form stable cruciforms. These are frequently located in promoter regions of a specific operon and origin of replication. Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis can be used to distinguish among various supercoiled DNA topoisomers and to ascertain whether or not the cruciform motif has been extruded. In the current study, this technique is implemented for the first time to address the role of temperature in cruciform extrusion from plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Víglasky
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, P. J. Safárik University, 04154 Kosice, Slovakia.
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24
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Benham CJ, Bi C. The analysis of stress-induced duplex destabilization in long genomic DNA sequences. J Comput Biol 2005; 11:519-43. [PMID: 15579230 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2004.11.519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a method for calculating predicted locations and extents of stress-induced DNA duplex destabilization (SIDD) as functions of base sequence and stress level in long DNA molecules. The base pair denaturation energies are assigned individually, so the influences of near neighbors, methylated bases, adducts, or lesions can be included. Sample calculations indicate that copolymeric energetics give results that are close to those derived when full near-neighbor energetics are used; small but potentially informative differences occur only in the calculated SIDD properties of moderately destabilized regions. The method presented here for analyzing long sequences calculates the destabilization properties within windows of fixed length N, with successive windows displaced by an offset distance d(o). The final values of the relevant destabilization parameters for each base pair are calculated as weighted averages of the values computed for each window in which that base pair appears. This approach implicitly assumes that the strength of the direct coupling between remote base pairs that is induced by the imposed stress attenuates with their separation distance. This strategy enables calculations of the destabilization properties of DNA sequences of any length, up to and including complete chromosomes. We illustrate its utility by calculating the destabilization properties of the entire E. coli genomic DNA sequence. A preliminary analysis of the results shows that promoters are associated with SIDD regions in a highly statistically significant manner, suggesting that SIDD attributes may prove useful in the computational prediction of promoter locations in prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig J Benham
- UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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25
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Warburton PE, Giordano J, Cheung F, Gelfand Y, Benson G. Inverted repeat structure of the human genome: the X-chromosome contains a preponderance of large, highly homologous inverted repeats that contain testes genes. Genome Res 2004; 14:1861-9. [PMID: 15466286 PMCID: PMC524409 DOI: 10.1101/gr.2542904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We have performed the first genome-wide analysis of the Inverted Repeat (IR) structure in the human genome, using a novel and efficient software package called Inverted Repeats Finder (IRF). After masking of known repetitive elements, IRF detected 22,624 human IRs characterized by arm size from 25 bp to >100 kb with at least 75% identity, and spacer length up to 100 kb. This analysis required 6 h on a desktop PC. In all, 166 IRs had arm lengths >8 kb. From this set, IRs were excluded if they were in unfinished/unassembled regions of the genome, or clustered with other closely related IRs, yielding a set of 96 large IRs. Of these, 24 (25%) occurred on the X-chromosome, although it represents only approximately 5% of the genome. Of the X-chromosome IRs, 83.3% were >/=99% identical, compared with 28.8% of autosomal IRs. Eleven IRs from Chromosome X, one from Chromosome 11, and seven already described from Chromosome Y contain genes predominantly expressed in testis. PCR analysis of eight of these IRs correctly amplified the corresponding region in the human genome, and six were also confirmed in gorilla or chimpanzee genomes. Similarity dot-plots revealed that 22 IRs contained further secondary homologous structures partially categorized into three distinct patterns. The prevalence of large highly homologous IRs containing testes genes on the X- and Y-chromosomes suggests a possible role in male germ-line gene expression and/or maintaining sequence integrity by gene conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E Warburton
- Department of Human Genetics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
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26
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Cunningham LA, Coté AG, Cam-Ozdemir C, Lewis SM. Rapid, stabilizing palindrome rearrangements in somatic cells by the center-break mechanism. Mol Cell Biol 2003; 23:8740-50. [PMID: 14612414 PMCID: PMC262683 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.23.23.8740-8750.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2003] [Revised: 08/11/2003] [Accepted: 08/28/2003] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA palindromes are associated with rearrangement in a variety of organisms. A unique opportunity to examine the impact of a long palindrome in mammals is afforded by the Line 78 strain of mice. Previously it was found that the transgene in Line 78 is likely to be palindromic and that the symmetry of the transgene was responsible for a high level of germ line instability. Here we prove that Line 78 mice harbor a true 15.4-kb palindrome, and through the establishment of cell lines from Line 78 mice we have shown that the palindrome rearranges at the impressive rate of about 0.5% per population doubling. The rearrangements observed to arise from rapid palindrome modification are consistent with a center-break mechanism where double-strand breaks, created through hairpin nicking of an extruded cruciform, are imprecisely rejoined, thus introducing deletions at the palindrome center. Significantly, palindrome rearrangements in somatic tissue culture cells almost completely mirrored the structures generated in vivo in the mouse germ line. The close correspondence between germ line and somatic events indicates the possibility that center-break modification of palindromes is an important mechanism for preventing mutation in both contexts. Permanent cell lines carrying a verified palindrome provide an essential tool for future mechanistic analyses into the consequences of palindromy in the mammalian genome.
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