Use of porcine interspersed repeat sequences in PCR-mediated genotyping

Mapping dispersed repetitive loci using semi-specific PCR cloning and somatic cell hybrid mapping

A simple and effective method based upon semi-specific PCR followed by cloning has been developed. Chromosomal mapping of the generated fragment on a somatic cell hybrid panel identifies the chromosomal position, and yields a unique sequence tag for the site. Using this method, the chromosomal location of one porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) was determined. The porcine genomic sequences were first amplified by PCR using a PERV-specific primer and a porcine short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-specific primer. PCR products were cloned, and those sequences that contained PERV plus flanking regions were selected using a second round of PCR and cloning. Sequences flanking the PERV were determined and a PERV-B was physically mapped on porcine chromosome 17 using a somatic hybrid panel. The general utility of the method was subsequently demonstrated by locating PERVs in the genome of PERV infected human 293 cells. This method obviates the need for individual library construction or linker/adaptor ligation, and can be used to quickly locate individual sites of moderately repeated, dispersed DNA sequences in any genome.

Phylogenetic information in inter-SINE and inter-SSR fingerprints of the artiodactyla and evolution of the bov-tA SINE

Various interspersed repeated sequences and elements (IRSs) can be utilized to generate PCR-based multilocus fingerprint profiles by amplifying the interelement segments, using primers matching the elements themselves. We assessed the utility of inter-IRS fingerprinting in phylogenetic comparisons among six artiodactyl species using several primers derived from two abundant genomic components: the Bov-tA short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and simple sequence repeats or microsatellites (SSRs). Character- and distance-based analyses of the fingerprint data produced trees conforming to the established phylogenetic relationships of species. The strength of phylogenetic signal from different primers varied; combining data from different experiments resulted in robust trees. Within the Cervidae, the hierarchical relationship [(Odocoileus, Rangifer) Alces] was strongly supported. Both methods appear useful tools for systematic studies at time scales <30 Myr. To elucidate the material basis of inter-SINE fingerprints, we obtained the first sequences of the 'bovid' Bov-tA element also from two cervids (reindeer and white-tailed deer) and analysed their relationship to a number of paralogous bovid elements. The differences among sequences, both intra- and interspecific, were relatively high (mean 18.5%); the sequences showed no clear clustering with the species from which they had been isolated. Most individual elements probably date back to the cervid-bovid ancestor >25 Myr ago, which is in line with the observed fingerprint distributions.

Pig genome analysis: differential distribution of SINE and LINE sequences is less pronounced than in the human and mouse genomes

The distribution of SINE and LINE sequences in the pig genome was examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), interspersed repeat PCR, and restriction analysis of high molecular weight DNA. FISH revealed a largely uniform hybridization to the euchromatic chromosome regions with both interspersed repeats, although a bias toward the G-bands was observed for the LINE probe. Southern blots of inter-SINE and inter-LINE PCR products showed strong hybridization to LINE and SINE probes, respectively. High molecular weight DNA derived from a pig x hamster hybrid cell line was cut with a panel of G + C and A + T rich rare cutter restriction enzymes, then run on a pulsed field gel and Southern blotted. Sequential hybridization with SINE and LINE probes showed that SINE hybridization was to relatively low molecular weight fragments with the G + C rich enzymes, whereas the LINE probe gave hybridization to significantly larger fragments produced by these enzymes. DNA samples digested with A + T rich enzymes gave essentially similar patterns with SINE and LINE probes. We conclude that the pattern of differential distribution of SINEs and LINEs, which has been described in man and mouse, does exist in the pig but is much less pronounced.