Internal structural organization of chloroplast DNA from Euglena gracilis Z

Amplified DNA in Streptomyces fradiae

A spontaneous mutant of Streptomyces fradiae contained an amplifiable unit of DNA with a sequence length of approximately 10.5 kilobases that was amplified to approximately 500 copies per chromosome. The amplified DNA appears to be cryptic. SalI fragments of the amplified DNA were cloned into Escherichia coli to construct a restriction map and characterize the amplified DNA. The amplified DNA contained tandem repeats of the amplifiable unit of DNA. The unit had an average base composition of 71% guanine plus cytosine, similar to the chromosomal DNA of Streptomyces species. At least a portion of the amplifiable unit of DNA was present at a low copy number in the wild-type strain. The phenotype of amplified DNA was designated Ads1SF for amplified DNA sequence 1 in S. fradiae.

Compositional heterogeneity of the chloroplast DNAs from Euglena gracilis and Spinacia oleracea

The chloroplast genomes of Euglena gracilis and Spinacia oleracea were investigated in their compositional heterogeneity, by using different experimental approaches. Euglena chloroplast DNA has a dG + dC content of 28%. Preparations averaging 20 x 10(6) in molecular weight exhibit a gross heterogeneity in their elution profiles from hydroxyapatite and in their buoyant densities because the rRNA genes have a high rG + rC content. Finer analysis by melting, buoyant density of restriction fragments and micrococcal nuclease degradation have revealed an extended compositional heterogeneity. From micrococcal nuclease digestion data, approximately 30% of the chloroplast genome is as low as 12% in its dG + dC content, whereas 10% is higher than 60% dG + dC. Since the average dG + dC content of large restriction endonuclease fragments varied to a lesser extent, most of dA + dT-rich sequences must occur in short stretches interspersed with dG + dC-rich stretches. Spinach chloroplast DNA (dG + dC = 36.5%) did not exhibit any gross compositional heterogeneity in its hydroxyapatite elution or in its buoyant density profile. But the higher resolution methods of melting, bouyant densities of restriction fragments and micrococcal nuclease degradation revealed a high degree of heterogeneity which appears to be due to interspersion of short DNA stretches of different base composition. About 30% of genome is as low as 22% in dG + dC, while 10% is higher than 60% in dG + dC.

Base composition heterogeneity of Euglena gracilis chloroplast DNA

Euglena gracilis chloroplast DNA has an average buoyant density of 1.685 gm/cm3, corresponding to 25 mol% G . C base pairs. To test for base compositional heterogeneity within this 130 kilobase pairs (kbp) genome, previously mapped restriction endonuclease fragments were isolated, and characterized by equilibrium buoyant density centrifugation. The chloroplast DNA can be characterized as containing two major buoyant density components. A segment of 17 kbp, representing 13% of the genome and containing the rRNA genes is 43--44 mol% G . C. The remaining 113 kbp, accounting for 87% of the genome, has an average 20--21 mol% G . C content.

Turnover-synthesis of chloroplast DNA in developing chloroplasts

The mechanism for the turnover-synthesis of chloroplast DNA in the absence of net synthesis during the chloroplast maturation in Euglena gracilis was determined. DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation of32Pi into chloroplast DNA. The density label, 15N, was incorporated to examine the mechanism of turnover-synthesis. The newly synthesized segments represent a replacement of segments in the DNA containing 1.5 X 10(3) to 6.1 X 10(3) nucleotides. Twenty-three fragments of chloroplast DNA, generated by digestion with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI, became labeled with 32Pi. Turnover-synthesis, therefore, replaces segments throughout the molecule of chloroplast DNA.

Analysis of Euglena gracilis chloroplast deoxyribonucleic acid with a restriction endonuclease, EcoRI

Cleavage of chloroplast deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of Euglena gracilis Z with restriction endonuclease RI from Escherichia coli (EcoRI) yielded 23 bands upon electrophoresis in gels of agarose. Four of the bands contained twice the stoichiometric amount of DNA. One of these bands contained two similarly sized fragments. The sum of the molecular weight of the 24 different fragments equaled the molecular weight of the circular molecule. The restriction fragments had different buoyant densities, with four having distinctly heavy densities in CsCl. Restriction fragments with a high buoyant density were preferentially lost when broken chloroplast DNA was purified by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation. Hybridization of chloroplast ribosomal ribonucleic acid to intact chloroplast DNA determined that there are two cistrons for 16S and 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid. These two cistrons are located on six restriction fragments, all of which have buoyant densities greater than the intact molecule of chloroplast DNA.

The Euglena gracilis chloroplast genome: analysis by restriction enzymes

1. Chloroplast DNA was isolated from autotrophically and mixotrophically grown Euglena gracilis cells. 2. Aliquots of chloroplast DNA were mechanically degraded to an average molecular weight of 4-7 X 10(6) and G+C-rich DNA fragments (density 1.701 g/cm3) were separated from the bulk DNA (density 1.685 g/cm3) using preparative CsCl density gradients. 3. Total chloroplast DNA and its DNA subfractions, which first were characterized with respect to average G+C content and hybridization capacity for chloroplast rRNA, were hydrolysed with restriction endonucleases (endo R-EcoRI, end R-HindII, endoR-HindIII, endo R-HindII+III, endoR-Hpal, endo R-HpaII and endoR-HaeIII). The fragments were separated on gels under a variety of electrophoretic conditions. 4. With each enzyme tested, a rather large number of bands was obtained. In all cases, different banding patterns were obtained for total DNA, and the DNA subfractions. 5. Chloroplast DNA from autotrophically and mixotrophically grown cells gave identical banding patterns. 6. Digestion of total DNA with the endoR-HaeIII yielded 51-52 fragments separated in the gels in a total of 36 bands of which 11-12 bands were composed of 2-3 fragments as estimated by densitometry. The molecular weights of all fragments combined was 87 X 10(6) or 95% of the genome (92 X 10(6)). 7. Chloroplast RNA hybridized to 5.1% with total chloroplast DNA, equal to three RNA cistrons per genome (Mr92 X 10(6)). These cistrons are located on seven different types of endo R-HaeIII fragments. The hybridising fragments are preferentially found in the G+C-rich subfraction and in bands which are composed of 2-3 fragments.