Adaptor-tagged competitive PCR: study of the mammalian nervous system

Adaptor long-range PCR procedure for clone-specific characterization and chromosomal localization

An efficient adaptor long-range PCR (ALR-PCR) procedure was developed to detect genomic rearrangements in high-plasticity genomic regions between closely related strains of bacteria. The method was precisely optimized using a combination of high-speed experimental steps for the chromosomal localization and elucidation of deletions, inversions, duplications, or inserted sequences within a clone-specific flanking region. The advantages of this strategy are: (i) ready-to-use polymerase mixtures and Master mix (ready-to-use reaction mixtures with polymerase MasterAmp and buffer 2x Premix 4); (ii) a 5-min ligation procedure; (iii) rapid purification of DNA digests; (iv) optimized DNA template concentration protocol to avoid nonspecific amplification and high backgrounds; (v) long-range PCR protocol to obtain at least 9.6 kb single PCR products; (vi) two-step PCR cycling with the same annealing and extension temperature at 68 degrees C; (vii) simple design of the adaptors according to the preferred restriction endonuclease enzyme; and (viii) simple technology and equipment required. The application of this method for a tester-specific suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) clone of Brucella melitensis 16M revealed an 837-bp deletion and a 7255-bp DNA transfer from one chromosomal location to another for Brucella abortus 2308 used as a driver.

Foreword: from the TRANSCRIPTOME conferences to the SYSTEMOSCOPE international consortium

This thematic issue issue of the Comptes rendus Biologies contains review articles, original papers and conference reports presented at the first two TRANSCRIPTOME conferences From Functional Genomics to Systems Biology and IMAGE Consortium Invitational workshops (Paris, November 2000 and Seattle, March 2002), and discussed during the inaugural meetings of the SYSTEMOSCOPE International Consortium (Paris, June 2003). We describe the founding principles, missions, working plan and policy for partnership and industrial development of SYSTEMOSCOPE to promote the study of the complexity of biological systems by integrating scientific, medical, ethical and economic issues in implementation of interdisciplinary projects for human health.