Two related families of retrotransposons from Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Reactivation of transposable elements following hybridization in fission yeast

Hybridization is thought to reactivate transposable elements (TEs) that were efficiently suppressed in the genomes of the parental hosts. Here, we provide evidence for this “genomic shock hypothesis” in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this species, two divergent lineages (Sp and Sk) have experienced recent, likely human-induced, hybridization. We used long-read sequencing data to assemble genomes of 37 samples derived from 31 S. pombe strains spanning a wide range of ancestral admixture proportions. A comprehensive TE inventory revealed exclusive presence of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. Sequence analysis of active full-length elements, as well as solo LTRs, revealed a complex history of homologous recombination. Population genetic analyses of syntenic sequences placed insertion of many solo LTRs before the split of the Sp and Sk lineages. Most full-length elements were inserted more recently, after hybridization. With the exception of a single full-length element with signs of positive selection, both solo LTRs and, in particular, full-length elements carry signatures of purifying selection indicating effective removal by the host. Consistent with reactivation upon hybridization, the number of full-length LTR retrotransposons, varying extensively from zero to 87 among strains, significantly increases with the degree of genomic admixture. This study gives a detailed account of global TE diversity in S. pombe, documents complex recombination histories within TE elements, and provides evidence for the “genomic shock hypothesis.”

Diverse transposable element landscapes in pathogenic and nonpathogenic yeast models: the value of a comparative perspective

Genomics and other large-scale analyses have drawn increasing attention to the potential impacts of transposable elements (TEs) on their host genomes. However, it remains challenging to transition from identifying potential roles to clearly demonstrating the level of impact TEs have on genome evolution and possible functions that they contribute to their host organisms. I summarize TE content and distribution in four well-characterized yeast model systems in this review: the pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, and the nonpathogenic species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. I compare and contrast their TE landscapes to their lifecycles, genomic features, as well as the presence and nature of RNA interference pathways in each species to highlight the valuable diversity represented by these models for functional studies of TEs. I then review the regulation and impacts of the Ty1 and Ty3 retrotransposons from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Tf1 and Tf2 retrotransposons from Schizosaccharomyces pombe to emphasize parallels and distinctions between these well-studied elements. I propose that further characterization of TEs in the pathogenic yeasts would enable this set of four yeast species to become an excellent set of models for comparative functional studies to address outstanding questions about TE-host relationships.

Ablation of RNA interference and retrotransposons accompany acquisition and evolution of transposases to heterochromatin protein CENPB

Fission yeast have adapted to retrotransposon invasion by RNAi-mediated silencing, which has coevolved into a mechanism involving CENPB-mediated heterochromatinization together with ablation of RNAi components via accumulation of recombinogenic repeats in recently diverged species of Schizosaccharomyces. Similar trends are seen in the metazoans.

Inactivation of retrotransposons is accompanied by the emergence of centromere-binding protein-B (CENPB) in Schizosaccharomyces, as well as in metazoans. The RNA interference (RNAi)-induced transcriptional silencing (RITS) complex, comprising chromodomain protein-1 (Chp1), Tas3 (protein with unknown function), and Argonaute (Ago1), plays an important role in RNAi-mediated heterochromatinization. We find that whereas the Ago1 subunit of the RITS complex is highly conserved, Tas3 is lost and Chp1 is truncated in Schizosaccharomyces cryophilus and Schizosaccharomyces octosporus. We show that truncated Chp1 loses the property of heterochromatin localization and silencing when transformed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Furthermore, multiple copies of CENPB, related to Tc1/mariner and Tc5 transposons, occur in all Schizosaccharomyces species, as well as in humans, but with loss of transposase function (except Schizosaccharomyces japonicus). We propose that acquisition of Tc1/mariner and Tc5 elements by horizontal transfer in S. pombe (and humans) is accompanied by alteration of their function from a transposase/endonuclease to a heterochromatin protein, designed to suppress transposon expression and recombination. The resulting redundancy of RITS may have eased the selection pressure, resulting in progressive loss or truncation of tas3 and chp1 genes in S. octosporus and S. cryophilus and triggered similar evolutionary dynamics in the metazoan orthologues.

A long terminal repeat retrotransposon of Schizosaccharomyces japonicus integrates upstream of RNA pol III transcribed genes

Background

Transposable elements (TEs) are common constituents of centromeres. However, it is not known what causes this relationship. Schizosaccharomyces japonicus contains 10 families of Long Terminal Repeat (LTR)-retrotransposons and these elements cluster in centromeres and telomeres. In the related yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe LTR-retrotransposons Tf1 and Tf2 are distributed in the promoter regions of RNA pol II transcribed genes. Sequence analysis of TEs indicates that Tj1 of S. japonicus is related to Tf1 and Tf2, and uses the same mechanism of self-primed reverse transcription. Thus, we wondered why these related retrotransposons localized in different regions of the genome.

Results

To characterize the integration behavior of Tj1 we expressed it in S. pombe. We found Tj1 was active and capable of generating de novo integration in the chromosomes of S. pombe. The expression of Tj1 is similar to Type C retroviruses in that a stop codon at the end of Gag must be present for efficient integration. 17 inserts were sequenced, 13 occurred within 12 bp upstream of tRNA genes and 3 occurred at other RNA pol III transcribed genes. The link between Tj1 integration and RNA pol III transcription is reminiscent of Ty3, an LTR-retrotransposon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that interacts with TFIIIB and integrates upstream of tRNA genes.

Conclusion

The integration of Tj1 upstream of tRNA genes and the centromeric clustering of tRNA genes in S. japonicus demonstrate that the clustering of this TE in centromere sequences is due to a unique pattern of integration.

Evolutionary dynamics of hAT DNA transposon families in Saccharomycetaceae

Transposable elements (TEs) are widespread in eukaryotes but uncommon in yeasts of the Saccharomycotina subphylum, in terms of both host species and genome fraction. The class II elements are especially scarce, but the hAT element Rover is a noteworthy exception that deserves further investigation. Here, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of hAT elements in 40 ascomycota. A novel family, Roamer, was found in three species, whereas Rover was detected in 15 preduplicated species from Kluyveromyces, Eremothecium, and Lachancea genera, with up to 41 copies per genome. Rover acquisition seems to have occurred by horizontal transfer in a common ancestor of these genera. The detection of remote Rover copies in Naumovozyma dairenensis and in the sole Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain AWRI1631, without synteny, suggests that two additional independent horizontal transfers took place toward these genomes. Such patchy distribution of elements prevents any anticipation of TE presence in incoming sequenced genomes, even closely related ones. The presence of both putative autonomous and defective Rover copies, as well as their diversification into five families, indicate particular dynamics of Rover elements in the Lachancea genus. Especially, we discovered the first miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) to be described in yeasts, together with their parental autonomous copies. Evidence of MITE insertion polymorphism among Lachancea waltii strains suggests their recent activity. Moreover, 40% of Rover copies appeared to be involved in chromosome rearrangements, showing the large structural impact of TEs on yeast genome and opening the door to further investigations to understand their functional and evolutionary consequences.

Identification of Tf1 integration events in S. pombe under nonselective conditions

Integration of retroviral elements into the host genome is a phenomena observed among many classes of retroviruses. Much information concerning the integration of retroviral elements has been documented based on in vitro analysis or expression of selectable markers. To identify possible Tf1 integration events within silent regions of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome, we focused on performing an in vivo genome-wide analysis of Tf1 integration events from the nonselective phase of the retrotransposition assay. We analyzed 1000 individual colonies streaked from four independent Tf1 transposed patches under nonselection conditions. Our analysis detected a population of G418(S)/neo(+) Tf1 integration events that would have been overlooked during the selective phase of the assay. Further RNA analysis from the G418(S)/neo(+) clones revealed 50% of clones expressing the neo selectable marker. Our data reveals Tf1's ability to insert within silent regions of S. pombe's genome.

DNA sequences at a glance

Data summarization and triage is one of the current top challenges in visual analytics. The goal is to let users visually inspect large data sets and examine or request data with particular characteristics. The need for summarization and visual analytics is also felt when dealing with digital representations of DNA sequences. Genomic data sets are growing rapidly, making their analysis increasingly more difficult, and raising the need for new, scalable tools. For example, being able to look at very large DNA sequences while immediately identifying potentially interesting regions would provide the biologist with a flexible exploratory and analytical tool. In this paper we present a new concept, the "information profile", which provides a quantitative measure of the local complexity of a DNA sequence, independently of the direction of processing. The computation of the information profiles is computationally tractable: we show that it can be done in time proportional to the length of the sequence. We also describe a tool to compute the information profiles of a given DNA sequence, and use the genome of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain 972 h(-) and five human chromosomes 22 for illustration. We show that information profiles are useful for detecting large-scale genomic regularities by visual inspection. Several discovery strategies are possible, including the standalone analysis of single sequences, the comparative analysis of sequences from individuals from the same species, and the comparative analysis of sequences from different organisms. The comparison scale can be varied, allowing the users to zoom-in on specific details, or obtain a broad overview of a long segment. Software applications have been made available for non-commercial use at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/software/dna-at-glance.

Influence of long terminal repeat retrotransposons in the genomes of fission yeasts

LTR (long terminal repeat) RTs (retrotransposons) are almost ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes. Their abundance and selfish properties make them a major influence in the regulation and evolution of their host genome. Recently, several striking properties of the LTR RTs of fission yeast have been uncovered, affecting important cellular processes such as gene regulation, nuclear architecture and genome integrity. The present review summarizes the current information and puts it in the context of the wider search for understanding the influence of transposable elements on the host genome.

Transposable elements in yeasts

With the development of new sequencing technologies in the past decade, yeast genomes have been extensively sequenced and their structures investigated. Transposable elements (TEs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes and constitute a limited part of yeast genomes. However, due to their ability to move in genomes and generate dispersed repeated sequences, they contribute to modeling yeast genomes and thereby induce plasticity. This review assesses the TE contents of yeast genomes investigated so far. Their diversity and abundance at the inter- and intraspecific levels are presented, and their effects on gene expression and genome stability is considered. Recent results concerning TE-host interactions are also analyzed.

Nested Ty3-gypsy retrotransposons of a single Beta procumbens centromere contain a putative chromodomain

LTR retrotransposons belong to a major group of DNA sequences that are often localized in plant centromeres. Using BAC inserts originating from the centromere of a monosomic wild beet (Beta procumbens) chromosome fragment in Beta vulgaris, two complete LTR retrotransposons were identified. Both elements, designated Beetle1 and Beetle2, possess a coding region with genes in the order characteristic for Ty3-gypsy retrotransposons. Beetle1 and Beetle2 have a chromodomain in the C-terminus of the integrase gene and are highly similar to the centromeric retrotransposons (CRs) of rice, maize, and barley. Both retroelements were localized in the centromeric region of B. procumbens chromosomes by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. They can therefore be classified as centromere-specific chromoviruses. PCR analysis using RNA as template indicated that Beetle1 and Beetle2 are transcriptionally active. On the basis of the sequence diversity between the LTR sequences, it was estimated that Beetle1 and Beetle2 transposed within the last 60,000 years and 130,000 years, respectively. The centromeric localization of Beetle1 and Beetle2 and their transcriptional activity combined with high sequence conservation within each family play an important structural role in the centromeres of B. procumbens chromosomes.

Genomic expression patterns in cell separation mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe defective in the genes sep10 ( + ) and sep15 ( + ) coding for the Mediator subunits Med31 and Med8

Cell division is controlled by a complex network involving regulated transcription of genes and postranslational modification of proteins. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that the Mediator complex, a general regulator of transcription, is involved in the regulation of the second phase (cell separation) of cell division of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In previous studies we have found that the fission yeast cell separation genes sep10 ( + ) and sep15 ( + ) code for proteins (Med31 and Med8) associated with the Mediator complex. Here, we show by genome-wide gene expression profiling of mutants defective in these genes that both Med8 and Med31 control large, partially overlapping sets of genes scattered over the entire genome and involved in diverse biological functions. Six cell separation genes controlled by the transcription factors Sep1 and Ace2 are among the target genes. Since neither sep1 ( + ) nor ace2 ( + ) is affected in the mutant cells, we propose that the Med8 and Med31 proteins act as coactivators of the Sep1-Ace2-dependent cell separation genes. The results also indicate that the subunits of Mediator may contribute to the coordination of cellular processes by fine-tuning of the expression of larger sets of genes.

Multiple conserved domains of the nucleoporin Nup124p and its orthologs Nup1p and Nup153 are critical for nuclear import and activity of the fission yeast Tf1 retrotransposon

The nucleoporin Nup124p is a host protein required for the nuclear import of both, retrotransposon Tf1-Gag as well as the retroviral HIV-1 Vpr in fission yeast. The human nucleoporin Nup153 and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nup1p were identified as orthologs of Nup124p. In this study, we show that all three nucleoporins share a large FG/FXFG-repeat domain and a C-terminal peptide sequence, GRKIxxxxxRRKx, that are absolutely essential for Tf1 retrotransposition. Though the FXFG domain was essential, the FXFG repeats themselves could be eliminated without loss of retrotransposon activity, suggesting the existence of a common element unrelated to FG/FXFG motifs. The Nup124p C-terminal peptide, GRKIAVPRSRRKR, was extremely sensitive to certain single amino acid changes within stretches of the basic residues. On the basis of our comparative study of Nup124p, Nup1p, and Nup153 domains, we have developed peptides that specifically knockdown retrotransposon activity by disengaging the Tf1-Gag from its host nuclear transport machinery without any harmful consequence to the host itself. Our results imply that those domains challenged a specific pathway affecting Tf1 transposition. Although full-length Nup1p or Nup153 does not complement Nup124p, the functionality of their conserved domains with reference to Tf1 activity suggests that these three proteins evolved from a common ancestor.

SREBP controls oxygen-dependent mobilization of retrotransposons in fission yeast

Retrotransposons are mobile genetic elements that proliferate through an RNA intermediate. Transposons do not encode transcription factors and thus rely on host factors for mRNA expression and survival. Despite information regarding conditions under which elements are upregulated, much remains to be learned about the regulatory mechanisms or factors controlling retrotransposon expression. Here, we report that low oxygen activates the fission yeast Tf2 family of retrotransposons. Sre1, the yeast ortholog of the mammalian membrane-bound transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), directly induces the expression and mobilization of Tf2 retrotransposons under low oxygen. Sre1 binds to DNA sequences in the Tf2 long terminal repeat that functions as an oxygen-dependent promoter. We find that Tf2 solo long terminal repeats throughout the genome direct oxygen-dependent expression of adjacent coding and noncoding sequences, providing a potential mechanism for the generation of oxygen-dependent gene expression.

Expression and characterization of a novel reverse transcriptase of the LTR retrotransposon Tf1

The LTR retrotransposon of Schizosacharomyces pombe, Tf1, has several distinctive properties that can be related to the unique properties of its reverse transcriptase (RT). Consequently, we expressed, purified and studied the recombinant Tf1 RT. This monomeric protein possesses all activities typical to RTs: DNA and RNA-dependent DNA polymerase as well as an inherent ribonuclease H. The DNA polymerase activity shows preference to Mn(+)(2) or Mg(+)(2), depending on the substrate used, whereas the ribonuclease H strongly prefers Mn(+)(2). The most outstanding feature of Tf1 RT is its capacity to add non-templated nucleotides to the 3'-ends of the nascent DNA. This is mainly apparent in the presence of Mn(+)(2), as is the noticeable low fidelity of DNA synthesis. In all, Tf1 RT has a marked infidelity in synthesizing DNA at template ends, a phenomenon that can explain, as discussed herein, some of the features of Tf1 replication in the host cells.

Genetic variability and chromosome-length polymorphisms of the witches' broom pathogen Crinipellis perniciosa from various plant hosts in South America

Crinipellis perniciosa has been classified into at least four known biotypes associated with members of unrelated plant families. In this study, genetic variability is shown for 27 C (Cacao), 4 S (Solanum), and 7 L biotype (Liana) isolates of C. perniciosa collected from different regions of Brazil and South America. The objective was to investigate the genetic variability of the pathogen in the cacao-producing region of Bahia, Brazil, and elsewhere, through microsatellite analysis, and attempt to identify possible correlations between host specificity and electrophoretic karyotypes. The PCR-banding patterns were found to vary both within and between the different biotypes, and a correlation was established between the PCR-banding patterns and the chromosomal-banding patterns of each isolate. Microsatellite and chromosomal patterns among all of the L and S biotype isolates were distinctly different from the C biotypes analysed. A higher degree of genetic and chromosomal variability was found among C biotype isolates from the Amazon in comparison with C biotype isolates from Bahia, which seems to be comprised of only two main genotypes. This finding has important implications to the current cacao-breeding programme in Brazil.

Tyl6, a novel Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposon in the genome of the dimorphic fungus Yarrowia lipolytica

The novel LTR retrotransposon Tyl6 was detected in the genome of the dimorphic fungus Yarrowia lipolytica. Sequence analysis revealed that this element is related to the well-known Ty3 element of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, especially, to the recently described Tse3 retrotransposon of Saccharomyces exiguus and to the del1-like plant retrotransposons. Tyl6 is 5108 bp long, is flanked by two identical long terminal repeats (LTR), each of 276 bp, and its ORFs are separated by a -1 frameshift. Both ORFs are intact and deduced translation products display a significant similarity with those of previously described Ty3/gypsy retrotransposons. Distribution of Tyl6 among Y. lipolytica strains of different origins was also analysed. A single copy of the novel retrotransposon is present in some commonly used laboratory strains, which are derivatives of the wild-type isolate YB423-12, whereas other strains of independent origin are devoid of Ty16. No solo LTR of Tyl6 was detected in the analysed strains.

The evolution of transposons in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Recent studies of the LTR-retrotransposons of Schizosaccharomyces pombe have shed considerable light on their evolution and function. The sequencing of the S. pombe genome allowed analysis of its transposon content. This analysis provides information about the maintenance and loss of transposons in the genome. The results of transposition assays and biochemical analyses demonstrate that the N-terminal protein of Tf1 is functionally equivalent to the Gag proteins of retroviruses and retrotransposons. Despite this conservation of function, the N-terminal protein of Tf1 lacks any sequence similarity to other known Gag proteins. Sequence analysis and experimental data also indicate that the Tf1 transposons of S. pombe target their integration into specific sites in the host genome. Transposition events resulting from the expression of Tf1 reveal a strong preference for intergenic regions, specifically at pol II promoters in a window 100-400 bp upstream of open reading frames. The complete and partial copies of Tf transposons in the sequenced genome of S. pombe show the same association of integration with promoter regions. This body of work explores how the transposon interacts with the host, the balance between the transposons propagation and loss, and how different families of transposons evolve.

Nuclear import in viral infections

The separation of transcription in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm requires nucleo-cytoplasmic exchange of proteins and RNAs. Viruses have evolved strategies to capitalize on the nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking machinery of the cell. Here, we first discuss the principal mechanisms of receptor-mediated nuclear import of proteinaceous cargo through the nuclear pore complex, the gate keeper of the cell nucleus. We then focus on viral strategies leading to nuclear import of genomes and subgenomic particles. Nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is directly important for those viruses that are replicating in the nucleus, such as DNA tumor viruses and RNA viruses, including parvoviruses, the DNA retroviruses hepadnaviruses, RNA-retrotransposons and retroviruses, adenoviruses, herpesviruses, papovaviruses, and particular negative-sense RNA viruses, such as the orthomyxovirus influenza virus. The viral strategies of nuclear import turn out to be surprisingly diverse. Their investigation continues to give insight into how nucleic acids pass in and out of the nucleus.

Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposons in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis: Tca3 and Tcd3

Ty3/gypsy retrotransposons are a widespread group of eukaryote mobile genetic elements. They are similar in structure to, and may be ancestors of, the vertebrate retroviruses. Here we describe the first Ty3/gypsy retrotransposons from the pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis, which we refer to as Tca3 and Tcd3, respectively. Tca3 was first identified in a variety of strains as an element lacking a large part of its coding region. Comparative analyses between C. albicans and C. dubliniensis allowed us to identify the closely related full-length Tcd3 element, and, subsequently, the full-length Tca3 elements. The full-length versions of Tca3 and Tcd3 are broadly similar in structure to other Ty3/gypsy elements, but have several features of special interest, e.g. both elements appear to have a novel mechanism for priming minus-strand DNA synthesis, probably involving conserved secondary structures adjacent to the 5' LTRs. Also, while closely related to each other, the two elements appear to be fairly distantly related to other known Ty3/gypsy-like elements. Finally, the occurrence of the internally deleted forms of Tca3 in many strains raises interesting questions concerning the evolution of these transposable elements in Candida and the evolution of Candida itself. The sequences reported in this paper have been assigned GenBank Accession Nos AF499463, AF499464 and AF510498.

Subtelomeric sequence from the right arm of Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosome I contains seven permease genes

The sequence has been determined of 80 888 bp of contiguous subtelomeric DNA, including the isp5 gene, from the right arm of chromosome I of Schizosaccharomyces pombe; 27 open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 100 codons are present, giving a density of one gene per 3.0 kb. Seven of the predicted proteins are members of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) of transport proteins, including four amino acid permease homologues, bringing this family of amino acid permease sequences to 17 in Sz. pombe, and a phylogenetic analysis is presented. Also encoded is an allantoate permease homologue, a sulphate permease homologue and a probable urea active transporter. Predicted non-membrane proteins include a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC deaminase), a class III aminotransferase, serine acetyltransferase, protein-L-isoaspartate O-methyltransferase, alpha-glucosidase, alpha-galactosidase, esterase/lipase, oxidoreductase of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, aldehyde dehydrogenase, formamidase, amidase, flavohaemoprotein, a putative translation initiation inhibitor and a protein with similarity to a filamentous fungal conidiation-specific protein. The remaining six ORFs are likely to encode proteins, either because they have sequence similarity with hypothetical proteins or because they are known to be transcribed. Introns are scarce in the sequenced region: only three ORFs contain introns, with only one having multiple introns. The sequenced region also contains a single Tf1 transposon long terminal repeat (LTR). The sequence is derived from cosmid clones c869, c922 and c1039 and has been submitted to the EMBL database under entries SPAC869 (Accession No. AL132779), SPAC922 (AL133522) and SPAC1039 (AL133521).

Characterization of RAD52 homologs in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The RAD52 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination. Inactivation of this gene confers hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents and defects in most forms of recombination. The rad22+ gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (here referred to as rad22A+) has been characterized as a homolog of RAD52 in fission yeast. Here, we report the identification of a second RAD52 homolog in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, called rad22B+. The amino acid sequences of Rad22A and Rad22B show significant conservation (38% identity). Deletion mutants of respectively, rad22A and rad22B, show different phenotypes with respect to sensitivity to X-rays and the ability to perform homologous recombination as measured by the integration of plasmid DNA. Inactivation of rad22A+ leads to a severe sensitivity to X-rays and a strong decrease in recombination (13-fold), while the rad22B mutation does not result in a decrease in homologous recombination or a change in radiation sensitivity. In a rad22A-rad22B double mutant the radiation sensitivity is further enhanced in comparison with the rad22A single mutant. Overexpression of the rad22B+ gene results in partial suppression of the DNA repair defects of the rad22A mutant strain. Meiotic recombination and spore viability are only slightly affected in either single mutant, but outgrowth of viable spores is almost 31-fold reduced in the rad22A-rad22B double mutant. The results obtained imply a crucial role for rad22A+ in repair and recombination in vegetative cells just like RAD52 in S. cerevisiae. The rad22B+ gene presumably has an auxiliary role in the repair of DSBs. The drastic reduced spore viability in the double mutant suggests that meiosis in S. pombe is dependent on the presence of either rad22A+ or rad22B+.

Analysis of 114 kb of DNA sequence from fission yeast chromosome 2 immediately centromere-distal to his5

One hundred and fourteen kilobase pairs (kb) of contiguous genomic sequence have been determined immediately distal to the his5 genetic marker located about 0.9 Mb from the centromere on the long arm of Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosome 2. The sequence is contained in overlapping cosmid clones c16H5, c12D12, c24C6 and c19G7, of which 20 kb are identical to previously reported sequence from clone c21H7. The remaining 93 781 bp of sequence contains 10 known genes (cdc14, cdm1, cps1, gpa1, msh2, pck2, rip1, rps30-2, sad1 and ubl1), 32 open reading frames (ORFs) capable of coding for proteins of at least 100 amino acid residues in length, one 5S rRNA gene, one tRNA(Pro) gene, one lone Tf1-type long terminal repeat (LTR) and one lone Tf2-type LTR. There is a density of one protein-coding gene per 2.2 kb and 22 of the 42 ORFs (52%) incorporate one or more introns. Twenty-one of the novel ORFs show sequence similarities which suggest functions of their products, including a cyclin C, a MADS box transcription factor, mad2-like protein, telomere binding protein, topoisomerase II-associated protein, ATP-dependent DEAH box RNA helicase, G10 protein, ubiquitin-activating e1-like enzyme, nucleoporin, prolyl-tRNA synthetase, peptidylprolyl isomerase, delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase, protein transport protein, coatomer epsilon, TCP-1 chaperonin, beta-subunit of 6-phosphofructokinase, aminodeoxychorismate lyase, a phosphate transport protein and a thioredoxin.

Current awareness on yeast

In order to keep subscribers up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, this current awareness service is provided by John Wiley & Sons and contains newly-published material on yeasts. Each bibliography is divided into 10 sections. 1 Books, Reviews & Symposia; 2 General; 3 Biochemistry; 4 Biotechnology; 5 Cell Biology; 6 Gene Expression; 7 Genetics; 8 Physiology; 9 Medical Mycology; 10 Recombinant DNA Technology. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author. If, in the preceding period, no publications are located relevant to any one of these headings, that section will be omitted. (5 weeks journals - search completed 31st May 2000)

Molecular mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangement in fungi

Both sexual and asexual fungi undergo chromosomal rearrangements, which are the main cause of karyotype variability among the populations. Different recombination processes can produce chromosomal reorganizations, both during mitosis and meiosis, but other mechanisms operate to limit the extent of the rearrangements; some of these mechanisms, such as the RIP (repeat-induced point mutations) of Neurospora crassa, have been well established for sexual fungi. In laboratory strains, treatments such as mutation and transformation enhance the appearance of chromosomal rearrangements. Different DNA sequences present in fungal genomes are able to promote these reorganizations; some of these sequences are involved in well-regulated processes (e.g., site-specific recombination) but most of them act simply as substrates for recombination events leading to DNA rearrangements. In Penicillium chrysogenum we have found that short specific DNA sequences are involved in tandem reiterations leading to amplification of the cluster of the penicillin biosynthesis genes. In some cases, specific chromosomal rearrangements have been associated with particular phenotypes (as occurs in adaptive-like mutants of Candida albicans and Candida stellatoidea), and they may play a role in genetic variability for environmental adaptation.

Structure and evolution of Cyclops: a novel giant retrotransposon of the Ty3/Gypsy family highly amplified in pea and other legume species

We characterized a novel giant Gypsy-like retrotransposon, Cyclops, present in about 5000 copies in the genome of Pisum sativum. The individual element Cyclops-2 measures 12 314 bp including long terminal repeats (LTRs) of 1504 bp and 1594 bp, respectively, showing 4.1% sequence divergence between one another. Cyclops-2 carries a polypurine tract (PPT) and an unusual primer binding site (PBS) complementary to tRNA-Glu. The element is bounded by 5 bp target site duplications and harbors three successive internal regions with homology to retroviral genes gag (424 codons) and pol (1382 codons) and an additional open reading frame (423 codons) of unknown function indicating the element's potential capacity for gene transduction. The pol region contains sequence motifs related to the enzymes protease, reverse transcriptase, RNAse H and integrase in the same typical order (5'-PR-RT-RH-IN-3') known for retroviruses and Gypsy-like retrotransposons. The reading frame of the pol region is disrupted by several mutations suggesting that Cyclops-2 does not encode functional enzymes. A phylogenetic analysis of the reverse transcriptase domain confirms our differential genetic assessment that Cyclops from pea is a novel element with no specific relationship to the previously described Gypsy-like elements from plants. Genomic Southern hybridizations show that Cyclops is abundant not only in pea but also in common bean, mung bean, broad bean, soybean and the pea nut suggesting that Cyclops may be an useful genetic tool for analyzing the genomes of agronomically important legumes.

Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposon sequences in tomato

Polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were carried out with DNAs of eight tomato species using primers directed at the reverse transcriptase domain of Ty3/gypsy-like LTR retrotransposons. All DNAs gave PCR products of the expected size which, after cloning and sequencing, were confirmed as representing Ty3/gypsy-like elements. The sequences were heterogeneous, only 3 of the 16 being identical and the most diverse showing 124/426 pairwise nucleotide differences. Multiple alignment and construction of neighbor joining trees divided the sequences into six groups, three comprising five, three, and five sequences respectively, and the other three containing a single sequence each.

CgT1: a non-LTR retrotransposon with restricted distribution in the fungal phytopathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Two genetically distinct biotypes (A and B) of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides that cause different anthracnose diseases on the legumes Stylosanthes spp. have been identified in Australia. A DNA sequence that was present in biotype B and absent in biotype A was isolated by differential hybridisation of a genomic library using total genomic DNA of each biotype as hybridisation probes. This sequence also failed to hybridise to DNA of three biotypes of C. gloeosporioides from other host species and to DNA of three other species of Colletotrichum. This clone was used to isolate two cosmid clones of biotype B. Sequence analysis of these clones revealed a repetitive element of approximately 5.7 kb in length. This element, termed CgT1, was dispersed in the genome and present in about 30 copies. The element contained open reading frames encoding deduced sequence motifs homologous to gag-like proteins, reverse transcriptase and RNase H domains of non-LTR retrotransposons. The termini of CgT1 lacked long terminal repeats (LTRs) but contained a 3' A-rich domain. The insertion site of one copy of the element was flanked by short 13-bp direct repeats. These characteristics of the termini, taken together with the overall structure and sequence homologies, indicate that CgT1 belongs to the non-LTR, LINE-like retrotransposon class of elements that are present in many eukaryotes. PCR primers designed to amplify regions of CgT1 can be used to distinguish biotypes A and B in Australia. DNA fingerprinting analysis of genomic DNA using hybridisation probes derived from the terminal regions of CgT1 revealed that Australian isolates of biotype B are monomorphic. CgT1 was not detected in some isolates causing Type B disease from other countries and when CgT1 was present there was considerable polymorphism in CgT1 organisation in the genome. CgT1 is the first transposon-like element to be identified in the genus Colletotrichum and has considerable potential as a tool for the study of population structure, genome dynamics and evolution in C. gloeosporioides.

Yeast retrotransposon Ty4: the majority of the rare transcripts lack a U3-R sequence

The retrotransposon Ty4 is found in different yeast strains at only one to three copies per haploid genome. In the present study, we aimed at relating the apparent low transpositional activity of Ty4 to transcriptional features of this element. RT-PCR revealed that Ty4 is transcribed at a very low level, being comparable with that of GAL4. Contrary to other Ty elements, the transcriptional rate of Ty4 is not affected in a sin4 background nor by treatment of cells with alpha factor. From experiments measuring the expression levels in 1acZ fusion constructs, we conclude that Ty4 transcription is repressed by a negative regulating element residing within the LTR, whereas positive cis-acting elements, like those that have been found to mediate expression of Ty1/2 and Ty3, are absent from Ty4. Analysing Ty4 transcript termini by the RACE-PCR method, we found several distinct transcriptional initiation sites. But surprisingly, the majority of the polyadenylated Ty4 transcripts terminate shortly upstream from the 3' LTR boundary, so that these transcripts do not contain a U3-R sequence, which is normally required for obligate strand transfer during DNA synthesis. Thus, the extremely low transcription rate of Ty4 and imperfect Ty4 transcripts are the reason for the low transpositional activity of this element.

Gypsy-class retrotransposon sequences in organisms related to the leaf mould fungus, Cladosporium fulvum

Gypsy retrotransposons are a major branch of retroid elements and have been found in a wide diversity of eukaryotic organisms including CfT-1 in the tomato leaf mould pathogen, the fungus Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva). We have examined organisms that are either ecologically or phylogenetically related to C. fulvum, for elements related to CfT-1. Using PCR and Southern hybridisation, similar sequences were found only in the co-genic fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides. This finding confirms the apparent ubiquity of retroelements, suggests that the phylogeny of retrotransposons is consistent with the phylogeny of their hosts and argues against frequent horizontal gene transfer.

Molecular structure of a gypsy element of Drosophila subobscura (gypsyDs) constituting a degenerate form of insect retroviruses

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 7.5 kb full-size gypsy element from Drosophila subobscura strain H-271. Comparative analyses were carried out on the sequence and molecular structure of gypsy elements of D.subobscura (gypsyDs), D.melanogaster (gypsyDm) and D.virilis (gypsyDv). The three elements show a structure that maintains a common mechanism of expression. ORF1 and ORF2 show typical motifs of gag and pol genes respectively in the three gypsy elements and could encode functional proteins necessary for intracellular expansion. In the three ORF1 proteins an arginine-rich region was found which could constitute a RNA binding motif. The main differences among the gypsy elements are found in ORF3 (env-like gene); gypsyDm encodes functional env proteins, whereas gypsyDs and gypsyDv ORF3s lack some motifs essential for functionality of this protein. On the basis of these results, while gypsyDm is the first insect retrovirus described, gypsyDs and gypsyDv could constitute degenerate forms of these retroviruses. In this context, we have found some evidence that gypsyDm could have recently infected some D.subobscura strains. Comparative analyses of divergence and phylogenetic relationships of gypsy elements indicate that the gypsy elements belonging to species of different subgenera (gypsyDs and gypsyDv) are closer than gypsy elements of species belonging to the same subgenus (gypsyDs and gypsyDm). These data are congruent with horizontal transfer of gypsy elements among different Drosophila spp.

A retrotransposon-like sequence linked to the S-locus of Nicotiana alata is expressed in styles in response to touch

We have identified a family of repetitive sequences in the genome of Nicotiana alata named Tna1 (Transposon of N. alata). The first element we characterised was a genomic clone for the N. alata s6-ribonuclease (S6-RNase), a gene required for self-incompatibility in this species. The DNA sequence of this element resembles the integrase domain of retrotransposons of the gypsy class and is most similar to a retrotransposon from Lilium henryi. A transcript present in N.alata styles (self-incompatibility genotype S6S6) hybridized to Tna1 and accumulated in the style following either pollination or touching. This transcript was cloned from a cDNA library and was encoded by second, partial Tna1 elements. Neither the transcribed sequence nor the original Tna1 element contain an open reading frame or is likely to be able to transpose. The second element was mapped using a population of N.alata plants segregating for alleles of the self-incompatibility locus and is closely linked to the S6-allele. The Tna1 element is present in a number of Nicotiana species and appears to have been active at least twice during the evolution of this genus.

Skippy, a retrotransposon from the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum

A retrotransposon from the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici has been isolated and characterized. The element, designated skippy (skp) is 7846 bp in length, flanked by identical long terminal repeats (LTR) of 429 bp showing structural features characteristic of retroviral and retrotransposon LTRs. Target-site duplications of 5 bp were found. Two long overlapping open reading frames (ORF) were identified. The first ORF, 2562 bp in length, shows homology to retroviral gag genes. The second ORF, 3888 bp in length, has homology to the protease, reverse transcriptase. RNase H and integrase domains of retroelement pol genes in that order. Sequence comparisons and the order of the predicted proteins from skippy indicate that the element is closely related to the gypsy family of LTR-retrotransposons. The element is present in similar copy numbers in the two races investigated, although RFLP analysis showed differences in banding patterns. The number of LTR sequences present in the genome is higher than the number of copies of complete elements, indicating excision by homologous recombination between LTR sequences.

Gypsy/Ty3-class retrotransposons integrated in the DNA of herring, tunicate, and echinoderms

Eight new examples of retrotransposons of the Gypsy/Ty3 class have been identified in marine species. A 525-nt pol gene-coding region was amplified using degenerate primers from highly conserved regions and has extended the range of recognition of Gypsy/Ty3 far beyond those previously known. The following matrix shows the percentage AA divergence of the translations of this segment of the pol gene coding region. [table: see text] The underlines separate three groups of retrotransposons that can be recognized on the basis of this amino acid sequence. The new upper group shows surprising amino acid sequence similarity among members from the DNA of herring, sea urchin, starfish, and a tunicate. For example, the herring element differs by only 41% from the Ciona element and 46% from the sea urchin element. The group between the lines includes members close to previously known elements (marked by asterisks) and has so far been found only in sea urchins. The two upper groups differ from each other by 55-60% and yet members of both groups (e.g., Spr1 and Spr2) are integrated into the DNA of one species--S. purpuratus. Below the lower underline is listed the only known representative of a very distant group, which occurs in starfish DNA. In spite of large divergence, amino acid sequence comparisons indicate that all of the elements shown in the array are members of the LTR-containing class of retrotransposons that includes Gypsy of Drosophila and Ty3 of yeast. Of all known mobile elements this class shows the closest sequence similarity to retroviruses and has the same arrangement of genes as simpler retroviruses.

Efficient targeted integration at leu1-32 and ura4-294 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Homologous integration into the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has not been well characterized. In this study, we have examined integration of plasmids carrying the leu1+ and ura4+ genes into their chromosomal loci. Genomic DNA blot analysis demonstrated that the majority of transformants have one or more copies of the plasmid vector integrated via homologous recombination with a much smaller fraction of gene conversion to leu1+ or ura4+. Non-homologous recombination events were not observed for either gene. We describe the construction of generally useful leu1+ and ura4+ plasmids for targeted integration at the leu1-32 and ura4-294 loci of S. pombe.

The ebb and flow of a fungal genome

Transposable DNA elements have only recently been described in a few species of filamentous fungi, but may be more abundant than previously believed. Several different elements have been isolated from the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe grisea. The distribution and amplification of these elements suggest a potential role in the evolution of the fungal genome.

Genome organization of Magnaporthe grisea: genetic map, electrophoretic karyotype, and occurrence of repeated DNAs

A genetic map of Magnaporthe grisea (anamorph=Pyricularia oryzae and P. grisea), the causal agent of rice blast disease, was generated from segregation data utilizing 97 RFLP markers, two isoenzyme loci and the mating type locus among progeny of a cross between parental strains Guy 11 and 2539. Of the seven chromosomes of M. Grisea, three were resolved by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) electrophoresis, while the remaining four migrated as two doublet bands. By utilizing differences between CHEF mobilities of unresolved chromosomes from the parental strains, Southern analysis with selected markers allowed the chromosomal assignment of all linkage groups. A small translocation involving 1 marker was found in the parental strains used to produce the segregating population from which the map was constructed. Nine classes of repetitive DNA elements were found in the genome of a fungal isolate pathogenic to rice. These occurred only a few times or not at all in the genomes of isolates showing reduced virulence on rice. One repetitive DNA was shown to have structural similarity to the Alu sequences found in primates, a sequence similarity to the copia-like elements of Drosophila, and peptide similarity to transposable elements found in Drosophila, other fungi, and higher plants.

Sequence analysis of closely related retrotransposon families from fission yeast

Two families of retrotransposons, Tf1 and Tf2, have been isolated from the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We report here the nucleotide (nt) sequence of a Tf2 element, the only retrotransposon family known from the commonly used laboratory strains, 972 and 975, and their derivatives. The total nt sequence of Tf2 was derived from the complete sequence of the coding region and 3' long terminal repeat (LTR) of randomly cloned element Tf2-1, and from a full 5' LTR and approximately one-third of the open reading frame (ORF) of Tf2-43, a Tf2 element found in the head-to-head orientation adjacent to the Sz. pombe rpb6 gene. The two Tf2 sequences are nearly identical and both of them contain a single ORF encoding a protein with regions of sequence similar to protease, reverse transcriptase, RNase H (RH) and integrase from other retrotransposons and retroviruses. Sequence comparisons between Tf1 and Tf2 indicate an extreme divergence of the putative capsid protein-encoding regions of these two elements, as well as divergence of a segment of the LTR, but otherwise virtually identical sequence.

Molecular analysis of the yeast Ty4 element: homology with Ty1, copia, and plant retrotransposons

The element; Ty4 is a retrotransposon present in low copy number in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae [Stucka et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17 (1989) 4993-5001]. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of one such element from a particular strain and compared it to the other two elements occurring in this strain. The genomic organization of Ty4 is homologous to that found in other retrotransposons of the Ty1-copia group. The internal part of the element contains two large open reading frames (TY4A and TY4B) overlapping by 226 bp in a + 1 mode. TY4A reveals characteristics of the gag portion of retrotransposons and retroviruses, while TY4B consists of a protease, an integrase, a reverse transcriptase, and an RNase H domain (in that order). Our analyses suggest that only one of these copies might be transpositionally active. Sequence comparisons at the amino acid level show that the domains in Ty4 diverge considerably from those of other retrotransposons. The greatest similarity is seen between the reverse transcriptases (50%), the proteases (40%), and the integrases (30%) of Ty4, Ty1/2 and copia, respectively, whereas the degree of similarity for all other entities of these elements is much lower. Considering evolutionary aspects of the retrotransposons, we have to conclude that Ty4 has diverged at an early stage from the progenitors of other known retroelements and represents a novel and independent subgroup of the Ty1-copia class of retrotransposons.

Yeast retrotransposons

In the decade since Ty elements were discovered, advocates have argued they could be used as a genetic entrée to elusive host-type functions required by retroviruses. However, the advent of the polymerase chain reaction, coupled with a boom in funding for human immunodeficiency virus research have moved retroviral research apace, raising questions as to whether novel contributions would be realized. The past year, with the implication of the cell cycle and specific host proteins, such as the debranching enzyme and transcription initiation factors, in Ty retrotransposition has provided a positive answer and raised new questions.

Complete coverage of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome in yeast artificial chromosomes

The genome of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, consists of some 14 million base pairs of DNA contained in three chromosomes. On account of its excellent genetics we used it as a test system for a strategy designed to map mammalian chromosomes and genomes. Data obtained from hybridization fingerprinting established an ordered library of 1,248 yeast artificial chromosome clones with an average size of 535 kilobases. The clones fall into three contigs completely representing the three chromosomes of the organism. This work provides a high resolution physical and clone map of the genome, which has been related to available genetic and physical map information.

CfT-I: an LTR-retrotransposon in Cladosporium fulvum, a fungal pathogen of tomato

A retrotransposon from the fungal tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva) has been isolated and characterised. It is 6968 bp in length and bounded by identical long terminal repeats of 427 bp; 5 bp target-site duplications were found. Putative first- and second-strand primer binding sites were identified. Three long open reading frames (ORFs) are predicted from the sequence. The first has homology to retroviral gag genes. The second includes sequences homologous to protease, reverse transcriptase, RNAse H and integrase, in that order. Sequence comparisons of the predicted ORFs indicate that this element is closely related to the gypsy class of LTR retrotransposons. Races of the pathogen exhibit polymorphisms in their complement of at least 25 copies of the sequence. Virus-like particles which co-sediment with reverse transcriptase activity were observed in homogenates of the fungus. This is the first report of an LTR retrotransposon in a filamentous fungus.

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of cdc27+ required for the G2-M transition in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The cell division cycle gene cdc27+ of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is required for the transition from G2 into mitosis. Genetic and physiological experiments suggest a close relationship between cdc27+ and the cdc2+ gene, a key regulator of mitosis in yeast and also in higher eukaryotic cells. We isolated the cdc27+ gene by complementation of a temperature-sensitive cdc27 mutant. The DNA sequence of this gene predicts a 1116 nucleotide open reading frame split by five short introns, ranging in size from 49 to 74 nucleotides. Analysis of cDNA clones confirmed the structure of the gene. The deduced cdc27+ gene product consists of 372 amino acids with a predicted Mr of 43 kDa. No homology of the predicted protein with known proteins could be found, thus the cdc27+ gene encodes a novel function required for the G2-M transition. Northern analysis revealed two mRNAs of 1.4 and 2.2 kb transcribed from this gene, the smaller transcript being approximately tenfold more abundant than the larger. The level of cdc27+ mRNAs remained constant through the cell cycle indicating that the time of action of the cdc27+ gene, which is known to be regulated by elements of the mitotic control, is not determined by periodic accumulation of its transcripts.