• 미생물학회지
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.243-249
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• 2007

Centromere는 채세포분열과 생식세포분열 등 맡은 주요 기능을 담당하는 고도로 분화된 구조이다. Alphoid DNA (${\alpha}$-satellite)는 인간뿐 아니라 모든 영장류의 염색체 내 centromere에서 발견되는 반복서열의 대부분을 차지한다. 인간 인공염색체(Human Artificial Chromosome, HAC)의 개발에서 가장 핵심적인 부분은 centromere의 분리 및 안정적인 유지에 있다. 이 영역은 출아효모에서 alphoid DNA 반복서열을 hook으로 이용하여 Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning법을 사용하여 선택적으로 분리할 수 있다. 이러한 실험방법으로 먼저 repeat array를 rolling-circle amplication (RCA)를 통하여 약 5 kb까지 길이를 연장시킨 후, 효모내에서 상동성재 조합을 이용한 TAR cloning법을 사용하여 분리할 수 있다. 이렇게 분리된 35 kb-50 kb 길이의 4종류의 centromeric DNA repeat arrays (2,4,5,6 mer)를 사용하여, 반복서열의 안정성 유지를 조사하기 위해 상동성재조 합 변이주인 rad51, rad52, rad54를 사용하여 비교 분석하였다. 야생주, rad51과 rad54 변이주를 이용하여 형질전환을 수행한 결과, 반복서열의 크기에 있어서 많은 변화를 나타내었다. 반면, rad52 변이주는 야생주와 다르게 형질전환빈도가 매우 낮은 비율로 나타났으나, centromeric DNA repeat array의 안정성은 3배 이상으로 높게 나타냈다. 이러한 결과들을 미루어, rad52 변이주를 사용하여 centromeric DNA repeat arrays의 형질전환실험에서 발생하는 맡은 변이를 줄일 수 있을 것으로 보인다. 이러한 유전적 방법은 HAC 제작에서 반복서열의 유지에 훨씬 효율적으로 사용할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.300-307
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• 2006

Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis (Chinese cabbage) is an economically important crop and a model plant for studies on polyploidization and phenotypic evolution. To gain an insight into the structure of the B. rapa genome we analyzed 12,017 BAC-end sequences for the presence of transposable elements (TEs), SSRs, centromeric satellite repeats and genes, and similarity to the closely related genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. TEs were estimated to occupy 14% of the genome, with 12.3% of the genome represented by retrotransposons. It was estimated that the B. rapa genome contains 43,000 genes, 1.6 times greater than the genome of A. thaliana. A number of centromeric satellite sequences, representing variations of a 176-bp consensus sequence, were identified. This sequence has undergone rapid evolution within the B. rapa genome and has diverged among the related species of Brassicaceae. A study of SSRs demonstrated a non-random distribution with a greater abundance within predicted intergenic regions. Our results provide an initial characterization of the genome of B. rapa and provide the basis for detailed analysis through whole-genome sequencing.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.436-444
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• 2005

We describe the morphology and molecular organization of heterochromatin domains in the interphase nuclei, and mitotic and meiotic chromosomes, of Brassica rapa, using DAPI staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of rDNA and pericentromere tandem repeats. We have developed a simple method to distinguish the centromeric regions of mitotic metaphase chromosomes by prolonged irradiation with UV light at the DAPI excitation wavelength. Application of this bleached DAPI band (BDB) karyotyping method to the 45S and 5S rDNAs and 176 bp centromere satellite repeats distinguished the 10 B. rapa chromosomes. We further characterized the centromeric repeat sequences in BAC end sequences. These fell into two classes, CentBr1 and CentBr2, occupying the centromeres of eight and two chromosomes, respectively. The centromere satellites encompassed about 30% of the total chromosomes, particularly in the core centromere blocks of all the chromosomes. Interestingly, centromere length was inversely correlated with chromosome length. The morphology and molecular organization of heterochromatin domains in interphase nuclei, and in mitotic and meiotic chromosomes, were further characterized by DAPI staining and FISH of rDNA and CentBr. The DAPI fluorescence of interphase nuclei revealed ten to twenty conspicuous chromocenters, each composed of the heterochromatin of up to four chromosomes and/or nucleolar organizing regions.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.349-356
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• 2007

Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) represent short tandem duplications found within all eukaryotic organisms. To examine the distribution of SSRs in the genome of Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, SSRs from different genomic regions representing 17.7 Mb of genomic sequence were surveyed. SSRs appear more abundant in non-coding regions (86.6%) than in coding regions (13.4%). Comparison of SSR densities in different genomic regions demonstrated that SSR density was greatest within the 5'-flanking regions of the predicted genes. The proportion of different repeat motifs varied between genomic regions, with trinucleotide SSRs more prevalent in predicted coding regions, reflecting the codon structure in these regions. SSRs were also preferentially associated with gene-rich regions, with peri-centromeric heterochromatin SSRs mostly associated with retrotransposons. These results indicate that the distribution of SSRs in the genome is non-random. Comparison of SSR abundance between B. rapa and the closely related species Arabidopsis thaliana suggests a greater abundance of SSRs in B. rapa, which may be due to the proposed genome triplication. Our results provide a comprehensive view of SSR genomic distribution and evolution in Brassica for comparison with the sequenced genomes of A. thaliana and Oryza sativa.